Cooperative Assembly Of Magic Number C-60-Au Complexes

We report the assembly of magic number (C-60)(m)-(Au)(n) complexes on the Au(111) surface. These complexes have a unique structure consisting of a single atomic layer Au island wrapped by a self-selected number (seven, ten, or twelve) of C-60 molecules. The smallest structure consisting of 7 C-60 molecules and 19 Au atoms, stable up to 400 K, has a preferred orientation on the surface. We propose a globalized metal-organic coordination mechanism for the stability of the (C-60)(m)-(Au)(n) complexes.