Growth of optically active p-phenylene needles on mica

Structural and optical properties of p-phenylene oligomers (p-nP, n=4, 5, 6) grown on mica (0 0 0 1) are investigated via low energy electron diffraction (LEED) using a multi-channelplate LEED as well as linear absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Single-crystalline fibres of laying p-6P molecules with lengths of up to 1 mm are grown at elevated mica surface temperatures. The needles are mutually parallel oriented and form large domains of size 20×10 mm2. Their orientation on the surface is controlled by interaction with surface dipole fields. These fibres allow us easy polarization control of absorbed ultraviolet and emitted blue light.