Regensburg 2013 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 75: Organic/bio Molecules on Metal Surfaces VI

O 75.9: Talk

Thursday, March 14, 2013, 18:00–18:15, H38

Molecular structure elucidation by atomic force microscopy — •Bruno Schuler, Leo Gross, Fabian Mohn, and Gerhard Meyer — IBM Research - Zurich, 8803 Rueschlikon, Switzerland

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) offers a completely new and direct approach to investigate the chemical structure of individual molecules [1,2] beside commonly used characterization methods including mass spectrometry, spectroscopic techniques or X-ray crystallography. The capabilities and challenges of AFM-based molecular structure identification were demonstrated on a natural product with previously unknown structure. By combining standard experimental and computational techniques together with AFM the structure was solved and revealed a new structural molecule class [3]. The molecule was studied in UHV at low temperatures on a Cu(111) substrate partially covered with a thin film of NaCl. We used noncontact AFM in the dynamic mode [4] and a qPlus force sensor design [5], where the tip apex was functionalized with a CO molecule [6].

References:

[1] L. Gross et al., Science 325, 1110 (2009)

[2] L. Gross et al., Nature Chem. 2, 821 (2010)

[3] K.O. Hanssen et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51 (2012)

[4] T.J. Albrecht et al., Appl. Phys. 69, 668 (1991)

[5] F.J. Giessibl, Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 3956 (1998)

[6] L. Bartels et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2004 (1998)