Single-molecule switching with non-contact atomic force microscopy

Schütte, Jens; Bechstein, Ralf; Rahe, Philipp; Langhals, Heinz; Rohlfing, Michael; Kühnle, Angelika

doi:10.1088/0957-4484/22/24/245701

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…By varying the number of surface hydroxyls, the authors were able to conclude that the molecules are most likely pinned by surface defects. Moreover, the authors demonstrated that the molecules could be switched from the tilted geometry at one side of the bridging oxygen row to their mirror reflections in a controlled manner using a non-contact atomic force microscope at room temperature [50]. …”

Section: Polyaromatic Derivatives With Functionalized Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adsorption and Self-Assembly of Large Polycyclic Molecules on the Surfaces of TiO2 Single Crystals

Godlewski

Szymoński

2013

IJMS

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Titanium dioxide is one of the most frequently studied metal oxides, and its (110) rutile surface serves as a prototypical model for the surface science of such materials. Recent studies have also shown that the (011) surface is relatively easy for preparation in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and that both the (110) and (011) surfaces could be precisely characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The supramolecular self-assembly of organic molecules on the surfaces of titanium dioxide plays an important role in nanofabrication, and it can control the formation and properties of nanostructures, leading to wide range of applications covering the fields of catalysis, coatings and fabrication of sensors and extends to the optoelectronic industry and medical usage. Although the majority of experiments and theoretical calculations are focused on the adsorption of relatively small organic species, in recent years, there has been increasing interest in the properties of larger molecules that have several aromatic rings in which functional units could also be observed. The purpose of this review is to summarize the achievements in the study of single polycyclic molecules and thin layers adsorbed onto the surfaces of single crystalline titanium dioxide over the past decade.

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Section: Polyaromatic Derivatives With Functionalized Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adsorption and Self-Assembly of Large Polycyclic Molecules on the Surfaces of TiO2 Single Crystals

Godlewski

Szymoński

2013

IJMS

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“…4,5 Molecular switches are characterized by a bistable configuration, such as the charge state [6][7][8][9][10][11] or the conformation of a molecule. [12][13][14][15] The bistability can be reversibly controlled externally, for instance by supplying an interaction force, 16,17 light, [18][19][20] electrons, [21][22][23] or even by inducing a single proton transfer. 24,25 Nowadays, scanning tunneling-(STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques [26][27][28] serve as unique tools to address and control molecular properties at the nanoscale.…”

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confidence: 99%

Controlled switching of a single CuPc molecule on Cu(111) at low temperature

et al. 2019

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Low temperature measurements of the tunneling current as a function of the applied bias voltage have been performed on a dense constant-height grid above individual copper phthalocyanine molecules adsorbed on a Cu(111) surface. By appropriate tuning of the applied bias, the molecule can be reversibly switched between two configurations in which pairs of opposite maxima appear rotated by 90 • in the tunneling current map. The underlying conformations are revealed by density functional calculations including van der Waals interactions-a C 2v symmetric ground state and two energetically equivalent states, in which the molecule is twisted and rotated around its center by ±7 •. For tip biases above 200 mV position-dependent current switching is observed, as in previous measurements of telegraph noise [Schaffert et al., Nat. Mater. 12, 223 (2013)]. In a small voltage interval around zero the measured current becomes bistable. Switching to a particular state can be initiated by sweeping the voltage past well-defined positive and negative thresholds at certain positions above the molecule or by scanning at constant current and a reduced reverse bias.

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“…Although atomic manipulation with NC-AFM is now well established 19 , manipulation of molecules is still very much an emerging field of study. Whilst a small number of groups have reported molecular manipulation with NC-AFM (for example 20 21 ), very few have recorded the forces involved, and generally only relatively simple molecules have been investigated.…”

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confidence: 99%

Measuring the mechanical properties of molecular conformers

et al. 2015

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Scanning probe-actuated single molecule manipulation has proven to be an exceptionally powerful tool for the systematic atomic-scale interrogation of molecular adsorbates. To date, however, the extent to which molecular conformation affects the force required to push or pull a single molecule has not been explored. Here we probe the mechanochemical response of two tetra(4-bromophenyl)porphyrin conformers using non-contact atomic force microscopy where we find a large difference between the lateral forces required for manipulation. Remarkably, despite sharing very similar adsorption characteristics, variations in the potential energy surface are capable of prohibiting probe-induced positioning of one conformer, while simultaneously permitting manipulation of the alternative conformational form. Our results are interpreted in the context of dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations which reveal significant differences in the diffusion barriers for each conformer. These results demonstrate that conformational variation significantly modifies the mechanical response of even simple porpyhrins, potentially affecting many other flexible molecules.

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Single-molecule switching with non-contact atomic force microscopy

Cited by 14 publications

References 36 publications

Adsorption and Self-Assembly of Large Polycyclic Molecules on the Surfaces of TiO2 Single Crystals

Adsorption and Self-Assembly of Large Polycyclic Molecules on the Surfaces of TiO2 Single Crystals

Controlled switching of a single CuPc molecule on Cu(111) at low temperature

Measuring the mechanical properties of molecular conformers

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