Abstract
We present a direct observation of carbon-atom tunneling in the flipping reaction of formaldehyde between its two mirror-reflected states on a Cu(110) surface using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The flipping reaction was monitored in real time, and the reaction rate was found to be temperature independent below 10 K. This indicates that this reaction is governed by quantum mechanical tunneling, albeit involving a substantial motion of the carbon atom (∼1 Å). In addition, deuteration of the formaldehyde molecule resulted in a significant kinetic isotope effect (RCH2O/RCD2O ≈ 10). The adsorption structure, reaction pathway, and tunneling probability were examined by density functional theory calculations, which corroborate the experimental observations.
Highlights
Tunneling is a pure quantum-mechanical effect resulting from the wavelike property of a particle, which makes it possible to pass through a classically insurmountable barrier
We present a direct observation of carbon-atom tunneling in the flipping reaction of formaldehyde between its two mirror-reflected states on a Cu(110) surface using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)
Deuteration of the formaldehyde molecule resulted in a significant kinetic isotope effect (RCH2O/RCD2O ≈ 10)
Summary
Tunneling is a pure quantum-mechanical effect resulting from the wavelike property of a particle, which makes it possible to pass through a classically insurmountable barrier. ABSTRACT: We present a direct observation of carbon-atom tunneling in the flipping reaction of formaldehyde between its two mirror-reflected states on a Cu(110) surface using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).
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