Long-range repulsive interaction between molecules on a metal surface induced by charge transfer.
The adsorption of a molecular electron donor on Au(111) is characterized by the spontaneous formation of a superlattice of monomers spaced several nanometers apart. The coverage-dependent molecular pair distributions obtained from scanning tunneling microscopy data reveal an intermolecular long-range repulsive potential, which decreases as the inverse of the molecular separation. Density functional theory calculations show a charge accumulation in the molecules due to electron donation into the metal. Our results suggest that electrostatic repulsion between molecules persists on the surface of a metal.
Fernandez-Torrente
I
I
Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Monturet
S
S
Franke
K J
KJ
Fraxedas
J
J
Lorente
N
N
Pascual
J I
JI