MOLECULAR-SCALE CONTROL OF SYMMETRY-BREAKING IN SELF-ASSEMBLED CONJUGATED THIN-FILMS

We have studied hv scanning tunneling microscopy the interrelationship between weak intermolecular forces and structural symmetry of self-as sembled monolayers grown from a series of discotic liquid crystal mole cules. Specifically, we have observed noncentrosymmetric phases that e xhibit a spontaneous emergence of chirality. The different phases obse rved are well explained in the Framework of a frustrated Ising model w ith antiferromagnetic coupling in a triangular lattice. (C) 1998 Elsev ier Science B.V.