Abstract
On-surface chemical reactions hold the potential for manufacturing nanoscale structures directly onto surfaces by linking carbon atoms in a single-step reaction. To fabricate more complex and functionalized structures, the control of the on-surface chemical reactions must be developed significantly. Here, we present a thermally controlled sequential three-step chemical transformation of a hydrocarbon molecule on a Cu(111) surface. With a combination of high-resolution atomic force microscopy and first-principles computations, we investigate the transformation process in step-by-step detail from the initial structure to the final product via two intermediate states. The results demonstrate that surfaces can be used as catalysing templates to obtain compounds, which cannot easily be synthesized by solution chemistry.
Highlights
On-surface chemical reactions hold the potential for manufacturing nanoscale structures directly onto surfaces by linking carbon atoms in a single-step reaction
The designed precursor molecules are deposited on surfaces in ultra-high vacuum conditions and the desired reactions are induced by thermal annealing
In summary, we report a thermally controlled three-step chemical reaction of triangular dehydrobenzo[12]annulene on a Cu(111) surface in ultra-high vacuum conditions (Fig. 5)
Summary
On-surface chemical reactions hold the potential for manufacturing nanoscale structures directly onto surfaces by linking carbon atoms in a single-step reaction. Recent efforts in fabricating on-surface nano-structures have produced conjugated polymers[1,2], graphene nanoribbons[3,4] and two-dimensional sheets[5] via Ullmann[1,2,3,4] and Glaser couplings[6], or for example using dehydration and esterification of boronic acid[7]. These nanoscale products are ideal samples for conductance[2,8] and mechanical measurements[9,10] but can serve as key elements in luminescence diodes[11]. From the perspective of developments in solution chemistry, multi-step chemical reactions are required to manufacture complex, functional on-surface nano-structures
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