Basing on the hitherto results, the project will continue to investigate the self-organization and the electronic properties of organic systems (conjugated oligothiophenes synthesized by TP A2) on inorganic and optionally nanostructured substrates. Guided by covalent and/or non-covalent interaction with the substrate, tailored organic components form ordered hybrid systems, the electronic properties of which can be influenced by the tuneable interaction with the substrate, e.g. by an ultra-thin layer of an insulator. The structural analysis will be performed by STM and AFM, and the electronic properties will be analyzed by STS at the molecular level. The influence of tailoring the electronic properties of the molecules on the functionality of the whole system as a diode, a switch or a sensor shall be investigated.

The TP is organized in three subprojects the third of which will become relevant at a future date (2-3 years) in collaboration with projects B6 and G2:

1. Characterization of conjugated linear, cyclic und dendritic oligothiophenes; investigation of the self-organisation on substrates by means of STM/STS in ambient and in solution.
2. In-situ preparation of the molecular systems on clean substrates (preferentially single crystals) and substrates covered by ultra-thin insulators; characterisation of the electronic and vibronic properties by means of STM/STS at low temperature in ultra-high vacuum including inelastic tunnelling ­spectroscopy (IETS).
3. Manufacture of functions (electronic, sensory, etc.) exploiting results from part A and B in combination with pre-structured substrates from projects B6 and G2.