STM fingerprint of molecule-adatom interactions in a self-assembled metal-organic surface coordination network on Cu(111)
Journal article, 2010

A novel approach of identifying metal atoms within a metal-organic surface coordination network using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) is presented. The Cu adatoms coordinated in the porous surface network of 1,3,8,10-tetraazaperopyrene (TAPP) molecules on a Cu(111) surface give rise to a characteristic electronic resonance in STM experiments. Using density functional theory calculations, we provide strong evidence that this resonance is a fingerprint of the interaction between the molecules and the Cu adatoms. We also show that the bonding of the Cu adatoms to the organic exodentate ligands is characterised by both the mixing of the nitrogen lone-pair orbitals of TAPP with states on the Cu adatoms and the partial filling of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the TAPP molecule. Furthermore, the key interactions determining the surface unit cell of the network are discussed.

science

chemistry

nanostructures

aggregation

reactivity

scanning tunneling microscope

electronics

transistors

organization

dependence

Author

J. Bjork

University of Liverpool

M. Matena

Donostia International Physics Center

University of Basel

M. S. Dyer

University of Liverpool

M. Enache

University of Basel

University of Groningen

J. Lobo-Checa

University of Basel

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB)

L. H. Gade

Heidelberg University

T. A. Jung

Paul Scherrer Institut

M. Stohr

University of Groningen

University of Basel

Mats Persson

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Materials and Surface Theory

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

1463-9076 (ISSN) 1463-9084 (eISSN)

Vol. 12 31 8815-8821

Subject Categories

Chemical Sciences

DOI

10.1039/c003660a

More information

Latest update

4/20/2018