The growth of a highly ordered pentacene film on the Au(110) surface was described, and investigated in both real and reciprocal space by using scanning tunnelling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction techniques. At high coverages, a unidirectional multilayer of π-stacked molecular row was formed with long-range order. Investigations of the interface at low molecular coverage show that this molecular arrangement was a direct consequence of a pentacene-induced surface reconstruction. Pentacene molecules initially adsorb between atomic gold rows of the Au(110)–(1 x 2) missing row structure and induce a (1 x 3) surface reconstruction, acting as a template for the organic film formation.

Long-Range Order in a Multilayer Organic Film Templated by a Molecular-Induced Surface Reconstruction - Pentacene on Au(110). P.Guaino, D.Carty, G.Hughes: O.McDonald, A.A.Cafolla: Applied Physics Letters, 2004, 85, 2777