A Single-Molecule Chemical Reaction Studied by High-Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Induced Light Emission

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) as well as scanning tunneling microscopy induced light emission (STM-LE) are, each on their own, powerful tools used to investigate a large variety of properties of single molecules adsorbed on a surface. However, accessing both structural information by AFM as well as optical information by STM-LE on the same molecule so far remains elusive. We present a combined high-resolution AFM and STM-LE study on single metal-oxide phthalocyanines. Using atomic manipulation, the molecules can be deliberately reduced. We demonstrate structure elucidation and adsorption geometry determination of single molecules with atomic resolution combined with optical characterization by STM-LE and the possibility of investigating the change in a molecule’s exciton emission intensity by a chemical reaction.

Triggering Forces at the Nanoscale: Technologies for Single‐Chain Mechanical Activation and Manipulation

“…In fact, via AFM measurements, it is possible to obtain visual information of polymer chain chemical reactions, as well as of reaction products, in order to draw conclusions about chemical mechanisms. [25] Besides its imaging and visualization capabilities, AFM allows performing spectroscopy measurements at precise and user-selected points on a surface. For example, force spectroscopy measurements, also known as mechanical spectroscopy, consist of an approach-retract cycle of the AFM probe into a surface.…”

“…In fact, via AFM measurements, it is possible to obtain visual information of polymer chain chemical reactions, as well as of reaction products, in order to draw conclusions about chemical mechanisms. [ 25 ]…”

Single-molecule imaging and kinetic analysis of intermolecular polyoxometalate reactions

“…12,14,15 As neither electrochemical nor uorescence microscopy methods can deliver atomic-level information, further advancement in the chemistry of single molecules relies on scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods that can potentially provide atomically resolved structural information about the reacting species and their local environment that can be coupled to the statistical bottom-up kinetics measurements for additional insight that would be completely inaccessible to ensemble-averaged methods. For example, force microscopies based on mechanical interactionin particular atomic force microscopy (AFM)have been successfully utilised to probe large biologically relevant molecules, 5,6 and different SPM methods can now routinely achieve atomic spatial resolution and have recently shed light on the atomic structures of reaction products [16][17][18] and reaction intermediates. 19 However, compared to other methods SPM lacks the temporal resolution needed to capture reaction dynamics with spatiotemporal continuity, and conditions required for atomic resolution (e.g.…”

Water Splitting Induced by Visible Light at a Copper‐Based Single‐Molecule Junction

“…Exploring chemical reactions at the nanoscale, and ultimately at the single-molecule level, is a topic of significant interest among researchers trying to develop unconventional reactions. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Recently, single-molecule junctions (SMJs), which trap molecules inside a nanogap, have attracted attention as testbeds for probing chemical reactions. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] The character-Water splitting is an essential process for converting light energy into easily storable energy in the form of hydrogen.…”

“…[+] Present address: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China istic electronic states of the molecules of interest in the SMJs provide the opportunity to induce unconventional chemical reactions. The unique electronic states of the adsorbed molecule trigger unconventional reactions by ions, [3][4][5] tunnel electrons, [6][7][8] electrostatic effects, [9][10][11][12] mechanical force, [13,14] and light irradiation, [15][16][17][18] Some effectors should be marked as illustrators that induce unique reactions at SMJs, e.g., an external electric field oriented along the reaction axis catalytically promotes chemical reactions at the SMJs. [9][10][11][12] Another example includes localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) induced reactions.…”