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Integrating metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in microelectronics has disruptive potential because of the unique properties of these microporous crystalline materials. Suitable film deposition methods are crucial to leverage MOFs in this field. Conventional solvent-based procedures, typically adapted from powder preparation routes, are incompatible with nanofabrication because of corrosion and contamination risks. We demonstrate a chemical vapour deposition process (MOF-CVD) that enables high-quality films of ZIF-8, a prototypical MOF material, with a uniform and controlled thickness, even on high-aspect-ratio features. Furthermore, we demonstrate how MOF-CVD enables previously inaccessible routes such as lift-off patterning and depositing MOF films on fragile features. The compatibility of MOF-CVD with existing infrastructure, both in research and production facilities, will greatly facilitate MOF integration in microelectronics. MOF-CVD is the first vapour-phase deposition method for any type of microporous crystalline network solid and marks a milestone in processing such materials.

The two-dimensional ordering of a number of 2,2'-bipyridine derivatives at the liquid/solid interface has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. By appropriate functionalization of the bipyridine units, their intermolecular distance can be tuned, which has proved to be crucial for complexation with metal ions. The in situ addition of metal salts (Pd²⁺, Cu²⁺), leading to the formation of metal-bipyridine complexes, has a dramatic influence on the two-dimensional ordering of the molecules and suggests that these complexes could be used as templates.

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Supramolecular chemistry has a very large impact on chemistry of current interest and the use of non-covalent but directional forces is appealing for the construction of 'supramolecular architectures'. The invention of scanning probe microscopy techniques has opened new doorways to study these concepts on surfaces. This review deals with recent progress in the study of two-dimensional supramolecular self-assembly on surfaces probed by scanning tunneling microscopy, with a special emphasis on structure, dynamics and reactivity of hydrogen bonded systems.

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The development of scanning probe techniques has opened new ways to visualize and gain insight in chemical and physical processes with unprecedented spatial resolution. Scanning near-field optical microscopy combining high spatial topographic resolution and optical resolution surpassing the diffraction limit, has been applied for structure determination and manipulation studies of organic materials. With scanning tunnelling microscopy, photo-induced chemical reactions have been studied at the liquid/solid interface with subnanometer resolution.

Using femtosecond-resolved mass spectrometry in a molecular beam, we report real-time study of the hydrogen elimination reaction of 1,4-cyclohexadiene. The experimental observation of the ultrafast stepwise H-elimination elucidates the reaction dynamics and mechanism. With density-functional theory (ground-state) calculations, the nature of the reaction (multiple) pathways is examined. With the help of recent conical-intersection calculations, the excited-state and ground-state pathways are correlated. From these experimental and theoretical results we provide a unifying picture of the thermochemistry, photochemistry and the stereochemistry observed in the condensed phase.

The supramolecular packing mode of physisorbed monolayers built up by chiral isophthalic acid derivatives and coadsorbed achiral solvent molecules was imaged at the liquid/graphite interface with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The picture on the right shows the submolecularly resolved STM image of an enantiomorphous domain composed of the R enantiomer of the isophthalic acid derivative studied and 1-heptanol molecules; the latter express the chirality of the monolayer. Upon adsorption a racemic mixture is separated into enantiomorphous domains.

Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) microscopy is a technique that combines the chemical sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy with the resolving power of scanning probe microscopy. The key component of any TERS setup is a plasmonically-active noble metal tip, which serves to couple far-field incident radiation with the near-field. Thus, the design and implementation of reproducible probes are crucial for the continued development of TERS as a tool for nanoscopic analysis. Here we discuss conventional methods for the fabrication of TERS-ready tips, highlighting the problems therein, as well as detailing more recent developments to improve reducibility. In addition, the idea of remote excitation-TERS is enlightened upon, whereby TERS sensitivity is further improved by using propagating surface plasmons to separate the incident radiation from the tip apex, as well as how this can be incorporated into the fabrication process.

Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) microscopy is a promising technique for use in surface analysis, allowing both topographic and spectroscopic information to be obtained simultaneously at a scale below 10 nm. One proposed method to further improve spatial resolution is the use of propagating surface plasmons as an excitation light source (i.e., remote excitation). However, this requires a specialized tip that can only be fabricated via expensive procedures, such as electron-beam lithography. Here, we propose a new method for fabricating silver nanowire-based tips that are suitable for remote excitation-TERS, removing the need for such techniques. A silver nanowire was fixed onto a tungsten-tip using a micromanipulator, before gold nanoparticles were attached in a site-specific manner using AC-dielectrophoresis. All the processes were completed using an optical microscope in the ambient. The background intensities in TERS spectra were suppressed with remote excitation relative to the conventional excitation configuration, indicating an increase in TERS sensitivity.

The synthesis, isolation and STM imaging on graphite of the cis and trans isomers of a TTF reveal isomer-dependent packing, and constitutes a way to study the non-covalent interactions at play in these systems.

In situ complexation of palladium acetate by a monolayer of a bipyridine derivative at a graphite/liquid interface has been observed using scanning tunneling microscopy.

A third generation poly(propylene imine) dendrimer modified with π-conjugated oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s forms spherical and rod-like aggregates that can be manipulated by optical tweezers.