A molecular overlayer with the Fibonacci square grid structure

Coates, S ORCID: 0000-0002-8408-1703, Smerdon, JA, McGrath, R ORCID: 0000-0002-9880-5741 and Sharma, HR ORCID: 0000-0003-0456-6258 (2018) A molecular overlayer with the Fibonacci square grid structure. Nature Communications, 9 (1). 3435-.

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Abstract

Quasicrystals differ from conventional crystals and amorphous materials in that they possess long-range order without periodicity. They exhibit orders of rotational symmetry which are forbidden in periodic crystals, such as five-, ten-, and twelve-fold, and their structures can be described with complex aperiodic tilings such as Penrose tilings and Stampfli–Gaehler tilings. Previous theoretical work explored the structure and properties of a hypothetical four-fold symmetric quasicrystal—the so-called Fibonacci square grid. Here, we show an experimental realisation of the Fibonacci square grid structure in a molecular overlayer. Scanning tunnelling microscopy reveals that fullerenes (C60) deposited on the two-fold surface of an icosahedral Al–Pd–Mn quasicrystal selectively adsorb atop Mn atoms, forming a Fibonacci square grid. The site-specific adsorption behaviour offers the potential to generate relatively simple quasicrystalline overlayer structures with tunable physical properties and demonstrates the use of molecules as a surface chemical probe to identify atomic species on similar metallic alloy surfaces.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes, Scanning probe microscopy, Structural properties, Surfaces, interfaces and thin films
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	17 Sep 2018 08:57
Last Modified:	20 Jan 2023 21:14
DOI:	10.1038/s41467-018-05950-7
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3026379

Available Versions of this Item

• A molecular overlayer with the Fibonacci square grid structure. (deposited 09 Aug 2018 09:15)
  • A molecular overlayer with the Fibonacci square grid structure. (deposited 13 Sep 2018 10:54)
    • A molecular overlayer with the Fibonacci square grid structure. (deposited 17 Sep 2018 08:57) [Currently Displayed]