Fabrication of inorganic nanostructures by the use of multibilayer cast films as molecular template

The methodology to synthesize mesoscopic inorganic materials is of crucial importance not only in the development of novel functional materials but also for understanding their size-dependent properties. Construction of organic-inorganic superlattices by the use of highly ordered organic molecular assemblies provides one of the efficient methodologies to fabricate inorganic nanostructures. In this study, multibilayer cast films were employed as macroscopically oriented organic template, and synthesis and two-dimensional organization of lead halide clusters, cyano-bridged bimetallic complexes were studied. Lead halide clusters of [PbBr4](2-) were formed by ion exchange of counter ions of ammonium cast film or by the co-casting method. Electrostatic interaction between ordered bilayer surfaces and inorganic clusters is crucial for the dimensional control and their organization at multibilayer-interfaces. Preorganization of [Ni(CN)(4)](2-) at the cationic interface and succeeding reaction with Cu(II) ion lead to the formation of macroscopically oriented [Ni(CN)(4)]-Cu(II) networks. Mild synthetic processes at ordered bilayer surfaces are effective for the fabrication of metastable low-dimensional aggregates.