Electronic structure evolution during the growth of graphene nanoribbons on Au(110)

Surface-assisted polymerization of molecular monomers into extended chains can be used as the seed of graphene nanoribbon (GNR) formation, resulting from a subsequent cyclo-dehydrogenation process. By means of valence-band photoemission and ab initio density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, we investigate the evolution of molecular states from monomer 10,10′-dibromo-9,9′bianthracene (DBBA) precursors to polyanthryl polymers, and eventually to GNRs, as driven by the Au(110) surface. The molecular orbitals and the energy level alignment at the metal–organic interface are studied in depth for the DBBA precursors deposited at room temperature. On this basis, we identify a spectral fingerprint of C–Au interaction in both DBBA single-layer and polymerized chains obtained upon heating. Furthermore, DFT calculations help us by evidencing that GNRs interact more strongly than DBBA and polyanthryl with the Au(110) substrate, as a result of their flatter conformation.