Self-decoupled tetrapodal perylene molecules for luminescence studies of isolated emitters on Au(111)

Abstract: Self-decoupled tetrapodal perylene molecules were designed, synthesized, and deposited on the Au(111) surface through the electrosprayionization technique. Photoluminescence and lifetime measurements show that the chromophore groups of the designed molecules are welldecoupled from the gold substrate. Preliminary scanning tunneling microscopy induced luminescence measurements indicate theobservation of molecule-specific emissions from isolated single tetrapodal perylene molecules adsorbed directly on Au(111). The emergenceof significant emission when the tip is positioned at the molecular center suggests that there is a considerable vertical component of the transitiondipole of the designed molecule along the tip axial direction. Our results may open up a route for the realization of nanolight sourcesand plasmonic devices based on organic molecules.