A pi-conjugated {C}3h-oligomer involving three dithienylethylene branches bridged at the meta positions of a central benzenic core has been synthesized and deposited either on the Si(100) surface or on the HOPG surface. On the silicon surface, scanni
ng tunneling microscopy allows the observation of isolated molecules. Conversely, by substituting the thiophene rings of the oligomers with alkyl chains, a spontaneous ordered film is observed on the HOPG surface. As the interaction of the oligomers is different with both surfaces, the utility of the Si(100) surface to characterize individual oligomers prior to their use into a 2D layer is discussed.
The adsorption of thienylenevinylene oligomers on the Si(100) surface has been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy. The mode of substitution of the thiophene ring exerts a strong influence on the adsorption configurations and the images
of the oligomer based on 3,4-dihexyl thiophene are highly voltage dependent. We discuss the influence of the alkyl chains on the adsorption process and on the appearance of the molecules in the STM images.
