We developed a new molecular beam deposition apparatus using a spray-jet technique for high-quality thin film preparation of nonsublimable molecules. The apparatus was used to deposit chloro[tri-tert-butyl-subphthalocyaninato]boron(III) (TBSubPc) molecules on an Au(111) surface for analysis by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Highly resolved images, in which tert-butyl groups in a TBSubPc molecule were clearly identifiable, were obtained. The image quality and the resolution of these images compared favorably well to STM images taken on reference samples which were sublimed onto Au (111) from a heated crucible.
Structural isomers of chloro[tri-tert-butyl-subphthalocyaninato]boron(III) (TBSubPc) molecules on the Au(111) surface were identified by using the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). A TBSubPc is a corn-shaped and triangular molecule with a chloride atom at the top and three tert-butyl groups on its periphery.
The molecule has four kinds of structural isomers depending on the binding sites of the tert-butyl groups. It
can have two different adsorbed configurations on the surface, Cl-up and Cl-down. The STM image shows
three spots that correspond to the three tert-butyl groups and one central spot that reflects the Cl atom. Analyzing
the relative distances between the spots enables us to identify the isomers and the adsorbed configurations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.