title: A robust molecular probe for Ångstrom-scale analytics in liquids.
abstract: Traditionally, nanomaterial profiling using a single-molecule-terminated scanning probe is performed at the vacuum-solid interface often at a few Kelvin, but is not a notion immediately associated with liquid-solid interface at room temperature. Here, using a scanning tunnelling probe functionalized with a single C60 molecule stabilized in a high-density liquid, we resolve low-dimensional surface defects, atomic interfaces and capture Ångstrom-level bond-length variations in single-layer graphene and MoS2. Atom-by-atom controllable imaging contrast is demonstrated at room temperature and the electronic structure of the C60-metal probe complex within the encompassing liquid molecules is clarified using density functional theory. Our findings demonstrates that operating a robust single-molecular probe is not restricted to ultra-high vacuum and cryogenic settings. Hence the scope of high-precision analytics can be extended towards resolving sub-molecular features of organic elements and gauging ambient compatibility of emerging layered materials with atomic-scale sensitivity under experimentally less stringent conditions.
authors: IBM Research-Zürich, Säumerstrasse 4, CH- 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Nirmalraj
authors: Department of Physics and Energy, University of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland.|Materials and Surface Science Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland.
authors: Damien
authors: D
authors: Thompson
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-3110, USA.
authors: Christos
authors: 0000-0003-1059-3498
authors: C
authors: Dimitrakopoulos
authors: IBM Research-Zürich, Säumerstrasse 4, CH- 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
authors: Bernd
authors: B
authors: Gotsmann
authors: Electrical Engineering Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.|Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Dumitru
authors: 0000-0002-7388-5597
authors: D
authors: Dumcenco
authors: Electrical Engineering Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.|Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Andras
authors: A
authors: Kis
authors: IBM Research-Zürich, Säumerstrasse 4, CH- 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
authors: Heike
authors: H
authors: Riel