Selective growth of organic 1-D structures on Au nanoparticle arrays

We demonstrate that the growth of F16CuPc 1-D nanostructures can be directed by templates of gold nanoparticles. The growth occurs via vapor-phase transport, whereby the gold nanoparticles act as nucleation sites for F16CuPc molecules and promote their anisotropic growth. The F16CuPc 1-D structures adopt diameters of approximately 15-30 nm independent of the nanoparticle size. This approach enables a technologically simple and inexpensive fabrication of very uniform organic 1-D structures (aspect ratio of approximately 30) and precise control of their location and packing density.