On-surface assembly of low-dimensional Pb-coordinated metal-organic structures

Novel low-dimensional metal-organic structures incorporating heavy metal Pb atoms as coordination centres are formed on a Au(111) surface by means of on-surface metallo-supramolecular assembly. The molecular building blocks are porphyrin derivatives functionalized with pyridyl groups. These building blocks are linked via a unique pyridyl-Pb-pyridyl coordination motif that does not exist in conventional coordination chemistry but emerges on the surface. The Pb atoms are coordinated in structures of distinctive morphologies, including one-dimensional single chains, double-chains and ladders, and two-dimensional porous networks, owing to the specific sites of the pyridyl groups in the molecular building blocks.