Programmed assembly of 4,2':6',4'-terpyridine derivatives into porous, on-surface networks

The use of divergent, V-shaped, 4,2':6',4''-terpyridine building blocks that self-assemble into hydrogen-bonded domains and upon addition of copper atoms undergo metallation with concomitant transformation into a coordination network is described; multiple energetically similar structural motifs are observed in both hydrogen-bonded and adatom-coordinated networks.