Scanning probe microscopy explorations on conjugated (macro)molecular architectures for molecular electronics

Achieving exquisite control of the structural organization in molecular arrangements of pi-conjugated (macro)molecules with tailored chemical functionalities and physical properties is an essential prerequisite for the reproducible fabrication of high-performance molecular electronic devices. This paper reports on the exploitation of scanning probe microscopies to investigate pi-conjugated oligomeric and polymeric architectures assembled on flat solid substrates. These techniques provide genuine insight into the structure of the molecular arrangements as well as into their physicochemical properties over a wide range of length scales. Moreover, they allow one to manipulate organic adsorbates with a precision on the molecular scale, opening a pathway towards the nanopatterning of surfaces and the development of single-molecule devices.