title: Single-bond formation and characterization with a scanning tunneling microscope
abstract: A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was used to manipulate the bonding of a carbon monoxide (CO) molecule and to analyze the structure and vibrational properties of individual products. Individual iron (Fe) atoms were evaporated and coadsorbed with CO molecules on a silver (110) surface at 13 kelvin. A CO molecule was transferred from the surface to the STM tip and bonded with an Fe atom to form Fe(CO). A second CO molecule was similarly transferred and bonded with Fe(CO) to form Fe(CO)(2). Controlled bond formation and characterization at the single-bond level probe chemistry at the spatial limit.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics and Cornell Center for Materials Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2501, USA.
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ho