title: Single-molecule reaction and characterization by vibrational excitation.
abstract: Controlled chemical reaction of single trans-2-butene molecules on the Pd(110) surface was realized by dosing tunneling electrons from the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope at 4.7 K. The reaction product was identified as a 1,3-butadiene molecule by inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy. Threshold voltage for the reaction is approximately 365 mV, which coincides with the vibrational excitation of the C-H stretching mode. The reaction was ascertained to be caused by C-H bond dissociation by multiple vibrational excitations of the C-H stretching mode via inelastic electron tunneling process.
authors.affiliation: RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
authors.forename: Yousoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tadahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komeda
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawai