Moiré pattern induced by the electronic coupling between 1-octanol self-assembled monolayers and graphite surface

Abstract : Two-dimensional self-assembly of 1-octanol molecules on a graphite surface is investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at the solid/liquid interface. STM images reveal that this molecule self-assembles into a compact hydrogen-bonded herringbone nanoarchitecture. Molecules are preferentially arranged in a head-to-head and tail-to-tail fashion. A Moir'e pattern appears in the STM images when the 1-octanol layer is covering the graphite surface. The large Moir'e stripes are perpendicular to the 1-octanol lamellae. Interpretation of the STM images suggests that the Moir'e periodicity is governed by the electronic properties of the graphite surface and the 1-octanol layer periodicit