Molecules Coining Patterns into a Metal:  The Hard Core of Soft Matter Gregor Witte Katrin Hänel Carsten Busse Alexander Birkner Christof Wöll 10.1021/cm071054b.s001 https://acs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Molecules_Coining_Patterns_into_a_Metal_The_Hard_Core_of_Soft_Matter/2989939 Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we demonstrate that deposition of a monolayer of perylene (C<sub>20</sub>H<sub>12</sub>), a planar aromatic molecule, on a Cu(110) substrate leads to the formation of a periodic pattern of nanostripes. High-resolution STM data indicate that the driving force for this unexpected surface restructuring caused by such nonreactive hydrocarbons is a lock-in mechanism due to a close registry of the molecular carbon frame with respect to the underlying copper lattice which leads to an enhanced adsorption energy. 2007-08-21 00:00:00 surface restructuring C 20H pattern mechanism nanostripe adsorption energy molecule Molecules Coining Patterns copper lattice carbon frame STM deposition formation registry nonreactive hydrocarbons substrate Soft MatterUsing scanning tunneling microscopy monolayer data perylene Hard Core Cu