title: Self-patterned molecular photoswitching in nanoscale surface assemblies.
abstract: Photomechanical switching (photoisomerization) of molecules at a surface is found to strongly depend on molecule-molecule interactions and molecule-surface orientation. Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to image photoswitching behavior in the single-molecule limit of tetra-tert-butyl-azobenzene molecules adsorbed onto Au(111) at 30 K. Photoswitching behavior varied strongly with surface molecular island structure, and self-patterned stripes of switching and nonswitching regions were observed having approximately 10 nm pitch. These findings can be summarized into photoswitching selection rules that highlight the important role played by a molecule's nanoscale environment in determining its switching properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-7300, USA.
authors.forename: Niv
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Comstock
authors.forename: Jongweon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berbil-Bautista
authors.forename: Armen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kirakosian
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lauterwasser
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: Jean M J
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fréchet
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Crommie
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000465:Algorithms; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D008027:Light; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling / Q000379:methods; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D006046:Gold