Dresden 2011 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 45: Oxides and insulators: Adsorption II

O 45.3: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 16. März 2011, 11:45–12:00, WIL C307

Determining the Exact Adsorption Configuration of a Chiral Metal-Organic Complex on a Bulk Insulator — •Alexander Schwarz¹, Knud Lämmle¹, Tom Trevethan², Matthew Watkins², Alex Shluger², and Roland Wiesndanger¹ — ¹Institute of Applied Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstr. 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany — ²University College London, Gower Street , London WC1E6BT, United Kingdom

Determining the exact position and geometry of an adsorbed molecule is crucial to understand the chemical and physical properties of a particular molecule-surface system. Here we present a high-resolution non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) study of Co-Salen, a paramagnetic, low symmetry, chiral Schiff base metal-organic complex, deposited on NaCl(001), a prototypical bulk insulator [1]. The experimental results are compared to theoretical calculations.

By utilizing a metallic tip and resolving individual banana-shaped molecules, while simultaneously obtaining atomic resolution on the substrate, we find that the central Co atoms always sits on top of a Cl ion. This adsorption site is confirmed by theoretical calculations. Moreover, we could identify 16 orientations of the molecule on NaCl(001). The molecule axis is rotated by about ± 5^∘ away from either <110>- or <100>-directions. These 16 low energy configurations are also predicted by theory and reflect the fourfold symmetry of the surface as well as the chirality of the molecule.

[1] K. Lämmle, et al., Nano Lett. 10, 2965 (2010).