Light assisted synthesis of poly-para-phenylene on Ag(001)

A detailed study of poly-para-phenylene obtained by light-assisted on-surface-synthesis on Ag(100) was carried out by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy together with Density Functional Theory calculations. The use of light in combination with heat allows to lower by 50 K annealing temperature the each stage of the Ullmann coupling. Debromination of the 4,4'' dibromo-p-terphenyl precursors was thus realized at 300 K, the formation of...