Control led sequential dehydrogenation of single molecules by scanning tunneling microscopy
Citation:
Nadjib Baadji, Stefan Kuck, Jens Brede, Germar Hoffmann, Roland Wiesendanger, and Stefano Sanvito, Control led sequential dehydrogenation of single molecules by scanning tunneling microscopy, Physical Review B, 82, 2010, 245114-Download Item:
PhysRevB.82.115447.pdf (Published (publisher's copy)) 606.0Kb
Abstract:
Scanning tunneling microscopy
STM
is today the most powerful and versatile tool available for imaging
and manipulating single molecules on surfaces. Here, we explore its ultimate limit by demonstrating the
possibility of controlling sequential di-dehydrogenation of single Co-Salen molecules sublimated on Cu. In
particular, we are able to explore the final products of the H
2
dissociation as well as the intermediate state, in
which only one H atom is separated from the molecule. This is achieved by low-temperature STM with the
dissociation induced by either point spectroscopy or in the standard constant-current mode. Crucial for the
interpretation of the data is our ability to perform state-of-the-art density-functional theory simulations of both
topographic and spectroscopical STM images. This work demonstrates that STM combined with theory can
give access to the atomic details of a chemical reaction even when the reaction products are completely
unknown
Sponsor
Grant Number
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)
08/ERA/ 11759
Author's Homepage:
http://people.tcd.ie/sanvitosDescription:
PUBLISHED
Author: SANVITO, STEFANO
Type of material:
Journal ArticleCollections:
Series/Report no:
Physical Review B82
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Full text availableKeywords:
PhysicsSubject (TCD):
Nanoscience & MaterialsDOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/467664aLicences: