Dimerization boosts one-dimensional mobility of conformationally adapted porphyrins on a hexagonal surface atomic lattice.
We employed temperature-controlled fast-scanning tunneling microscopy to monitor the diffusion of tetrapyridylporphyrin molecules on the Cu(111) surface. The data reveal unidirectional thermal migration of conformationally adapted monomers in the 300-360 K temperature range. Surprisingly equally oriented molecules spontaneously form dimers that feature a drastically increased one-dimensional diffusivity. The analysis of the bonding and mobility characteristics indicates that this boost is driven by a collective transport mechanism of a metallosupramolecular complex.
Department of Physics, AMPEL, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
M
M
Eichberger
M
M
Marschall
J
J
Reichert
A
A
Weber-Bargioni
W
W
Auwärter
R L C
RL
Wang
H J
HJ
Kreuzer
Y
Y
Pennec
A
A
Schiffrin
J V
JV
Barth