title: Electron induced ortho-meta isomerization of single molecules.
abstract: A scanning tunneling microscope operating at 5 K is used to induce the isomerization of single chloronitrobenzene molecules on Cu(111) and verify the reaction. The threshold voltage of (227+/-7) mV for this reaction is explained based on electron-induced vibrational heating. We propose that the isomerization is initiated by simultaneous excitation of two vibrational molecular modes via inelastically tunneling electrons. This excitation results in a shift of the distribution probability of chlorine and hydrogen positions, which facilitates their mutual exchange.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimalle 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany. simic@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Simic-Milosevic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehlhorn
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Rieder
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morgenstern
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D004583:Electrons; D007536:Isomerism; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D003300:Copper; C032785:2-chloronitrobenzene