title: Control and characterization of a multistep unimolecular reaction
abstract: Electrons from a scanning tunneling microscope were used to break a C-H bond in a single acetylene (HCCH) molecule adsorbed on Cu(001) at 9 K. The product ethynyl (CCH) was characterized by imaging, inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy, and variable temperature measurements of the rotation rate. Significant changes in the vibrational spectra and bonding geometry accompanied HCCH dissociation. The ethynyl was further dehydrogenated to form dicarbon (CC). Dissociation studies of the isotopes HCCD and DCCD permitted unambiguous identification of the reaction products.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics and Cornell Center for Materials Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lauhon
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ho