Thermal control of sequential on-surface transformation of a hydrocarbon molecule on a copper surface.
On-surface chemical reactions hold the potential for manufacturing nanoscale structures directly onto surfaces by linking carbon atoms in a single-step reaction. To fabricate more complex and functionalized structures, the control of the on-surface chemical reactions must be developed significantly. Here, we present a thermally controlled sequential three-step chemical transformation of a hydrocarbon molecule on a Cu(111) surface. With a combination of high-resolution atomic force microscopy and first-principles computations, we investigate the transformation process in step-by-step detail from the initial structure to the final product via two intermediate states. The results demonstrate that surfaces can be used as catalysing templates to obtain compounds, which cannot easily be synthesized by solution chemistry.
International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1, Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.|Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, Basel CH-4056, Switzerland.|Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8,Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
Shigeki
S
Kawai
COMP, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, PO Box 11100, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland.
Ville
V
Haapasilta
Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan.
Benjamin D
BD
Lindner
Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8,Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.|Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan.|Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8571, Japan.
Kazukuni
K
Tahara
COMP, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, PO Box 11100, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland.
Peter
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2538-1981
P
Spijker
Kantonsschule Trogen, Kantonsschulstrasse 20-29, CH-9043 Trogen, Switzerland.
Jeroen A
JA
Buitendijk
Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, Basel CH-4056, Switzerland.
Rémy
R
Pawlak
Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, Basel CH-4056, Switzerland.
Tobias
T
Meier
Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan.
Yoshito
Y
Tobe
COMP, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, PO Box 11100, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland.|Division of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
Adam S
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5371-5905
AS
Foster
Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, Basel CH-4056, Switzerland.
Ernst
E
Meyer