Self-assembly and Lateral Cobalt Coordination of a Fivefold Symmetric Cyanostar Macrocycle on an Au(111) Surface.

The functionalization of solid surfaces with responsive macrocyclic compounds is a key strategy for developing advanced functional materials, with applications in molecular sensing, catalysis, and nanoscale electronics. Here, we report the self-assembly and lateral cobalt coordination, on an Au(111) surface and under ultra-high vacuum conditions, of a fivefold symmetric cyanostar macrocycle, a class of anion recognition molecules. This represents the first example of a close-packed regular assembly of a pentagonal macrocycle at the solid-vacuum interface.