Surface Enhanced Polymerization via Schiff-Base Coupling at the Solid-Water Interface under pH Control

On-surface polymerization realized at the solid-liquid interface represents a promising route to obtain stable and conductive organic layers with tunable properties. We present here spectroscopic evidence of π-conjugated polymer formation at the interface between an iodine-modified Au(111) and an aqueous solution. Schiff-base coupling has been used to drive the reaction by changing the pH. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) investigations show that the substrate acts as a template driving the formation of 1D ordered nanostructures. All the chemical states of the molecules on the surface have been identified and their evolution as a function of the pH has been monitored by synchrotron radiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), demonstrating that two polymeric phases, undistinguishable by STM, exist on the surface: intermediate state and π-conjugated final product. The I/Au(111) substrate enhances the formation of π-conjugated polymers, as established comparing their production on the surface and in the bulk solution.