Crystallographic structure of ordered organic thin films of functionalized quaterphenyl molecules for organic electronics

Thin films of functionalized quaterphenyl molecules (quaterphenyl with two different functionalized ends) show outstanding optical properties and they have high potential for applications as optical waveguides. For technological aims the functionalized quaterphenyl will be prepared on different surfaces to optimize the thin film morphology. To understand the thin film morphology detailed crystallographic investigations have to be performed. In a first step the crystal structure of the functionalized quaterphenyl molecules have to be determined. For that purpose grazing incidence diffraction studies on two-dimensional powders will be performed together with an indexation of the observed reflections. This information is input for theoretical calculations determining the molecular packing of the functionalized molecules. In a second step the epitaxial orientation of functionalized quaterphenyl on different uniaxial surfaces like TiO2(110), Cu(110), oxygen reconstructed Cu(110), mica(001) and rubbed polyimide will be determined. The obtained results will contribute to understand the different mechanisms for the formation of epitaxial order of molecular crystals on uni-axial surfaces.