Molecular Arrangement of Cu- Phthalocyanine on a graphene/hBN heterostructure

Heterostructures of graphene and metal phthalocyanines have been shown to enhance graphene's photoelectric and photocatalytic properties. The molecular arrangement of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) on graphene-based heterostructures could significantly influence their electronic properties. To better understand the structure of the deposited network of crystalline CuPc islands, we present a comprehensive crystallographic investigation of CuPc thin films deposited on graphene/hexagonal-boron nitride (Gr/h-BN) heterostructures using a combination of advanced TEM techniques including Microcrystal Electron Diffraction (MicroED) and 4DSTEM. The latter is a low-flux technique that enables atomic-resolution examination of the CuPc molecular ordering without sample degradation. By simultaneously depositing CuPc on both graphene/hBN transport devices and TEM grids with suspended graphene, we aim to establish direct correlations between crystallographic properties and electronic transport measurements. Ultimately, this study provides crucial insights into the structure-property relationships in organic molecule-graphene heterostructures, with broad implications ranging from bio-inspired electronic devices to photocatalytic applications.