Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5426542 | Surface Science | 2007 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Dynamic processes of molecular assembly on a metal surface were examined using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Molecules of a porphyrin derivative were deposited on a Cu(1Â 1Â 1) surface and were found to be highly mobile at room temperature. The real-time STM observation enabled visualization of molecular activity such as surface diffusion, domain formation and phase transition. The high mobility of the molecules caused build-up and break-down of molecular domains. Metastability of the molecular assembly caused various domain formations with different molecular alignments, including square and hexagonal motifs. A phase transition from a hexagonal to a square domain structure was successfully observed by sequential STM imaging.
Related Topics
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Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Authors
Yutaka Wakayama, Jonathan P. Hill, Katsuhiko Ariga,