Two-Dimensional Ordering of Poly(p-phenylene-terephthalamide) on the Ag(111) Surface Investigated by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Long-range ordered monolayer domains of the polymer poly(p-phenylene-terephthalamide) were directly synthesized on the Ag(111) surface and analyzed by scanning tunneling microscopy with submolecular resolution. The polymerization reaction of the monomers runs at room temperature and yields ordered domains with a diameter of up to 50 nm. The lateral order of the polymer chains within these domains is similar to that known for bulk crystals but reveals deviations that are caused by the role of the underlying Ag(111) surface. The polymer shows a chain folding to re-enter the ordered domains, which is in accordance with known models of crystalline bulk polymers.