A key aspect of molecular engineering toward functional low-dimensional nanomaterials is the controlled construction of well-ordered molecular nanostructures in terms of shape, size, composition, symmetry, chirality, etc. In principle, molecular nanostructures can be classified into two categories according to the interactions between molecules: (1) structures formed through weak intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, van der Waals interactions, and coordination interactions; and (2) structures formed through covalent bonds. The formation of these two types of nanostructures on surfaces involves the processes of molecular self-assembly and on-surface reactions, respectively.

In particular, our group focuses on the construction of novel self-assembled molecular structures with distinctive electronic or catalytic properties. The combined use of halogen bonding, hydrogen bonding, coordination interactions, and other weak interactions enables the construction of fractal, hierarchical, chiral, and nanoporous structures on surfaces.

Our group also focuses on using self-assembly strategies to control the regioselectivity, site selectivity, and reaction pathways of on-surface reactions. We are interested in the fundamental scientific question of how self-assembly influences the reactivity of individual molecules, the electronic properties of substrates, and the construction of novel covalent nanostructures.