Polymerization of polyanthrylene on a titanium dioxide (011)-(2×1) surface

On-surface polymerization is feasible on semiconducting surfaces. Thermally triggered covalent coupling of 10,10′-dibromo-9,9′-bianthryl molecules on the TiO2(011)-(2×1) surface is demonstrated. The result paves the way for application of the thermally driven on-surface polymerization on semiconducting surfaces and indicates that methods based on such a reaction are more universal than previously thought.