Selective coordination with heterogeneous metal atoms for inorganic–organic hybrid layers

Abstract

The synthesis of organic–inorganic hybrid materials using individual metal–organic molecules as building blocks has been of interest for the last few decades. These hybrid materials are appealing due to the opportunities they provide with respect to a variety of potential applications. Here, we report a novel metal–organic nanostructure made by a hybrid synthetic process that is comprised of thermal evaporation (TE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) for the metalation of an organic layer. In this work, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-21H,23H-porphyrin (p-(H₆)THPP) and tin(II) bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (Sn(btsa)₂) (or diethylzinc (DEZ)) were utilized as the main organic layer and ALD precursors, respectively. Sn and Zn atoms were coordinated sequentially via surface chemical reactions on specific functional groups of the p-(H₆)THPP layer, which was deposited on a solid substrate. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy were used to characterize and confirm the growth mechanism and optical properties of the synthesized hybrid films. This method should serve as a major breakthrough for building advanced organic–inorganic materials-based devices.