Bisphenol A and Diethylstilbestrol on Cu(111): On-Surface Polymerization Initiated by Hydroxy-Directed Ortho C–H Bond Activation

A combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed XPS (TP-XPS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) measurements, and complementary scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was employed to shed light on the complex thermal evolution of Bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol on Cu(111) and provides clear evidence for hydroxy-directed on-surface polymerization, originating from ortho C–H bond activation. Both these technologically highly relevant molecules follow a common pattern of sequential chemical transformations, as highlighted by TPD and XPS results, eventually yielding disordered networks of branched polymers, which are observed by STM. The presented findings via an original methodological approach contribute to the store of knowledge in surface-supported, covalent coupling reactions, stressing the impact of directing group, role of the chosen substrate, and nature of the selected molecules.