We used automated iterative Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling to prepare a library of terphenyl derivatives using stable and easily accessible molecular building blocks containing methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA) boronates and dihalide groups (Supplementary Information, Sections S.1 and S.2; Supplementary Figs. ). Building blocks contained phenyl rings with pre-installed alkyl side chains and terminal anchor moieties to facilitate STM-BJ experiments.