Regensburg 2025 – scientific programme
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 69: Nanostructures at Surfaces II
O 69.1: Talk
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 15:00–15:15, H25
Thermally-activated molecular rotors organised by porous networks on Au(111) — •Vishakya Jayalatharachchi1, Roberto Robles2, Milan Kivala3, Nicolás Lorente2,4, Meike Stöhr1,5, and Sabine Maier1 — 1Department of Physics, Friedrich- Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany — 2Centro de Física de Materiales CFM/MPC (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain — 3Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Germany — 4Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián, Spain — 5University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, Switzerland
Gaining insights into the precise control of molecular rotation on surfaces is crucial for making progress in nanoscale device innovation. In this study, we investigate the thermally triggered rotational motion of bromine-functionalized decacyclene (Br-DC) molecules, which are confined within a host-guest network of 4,4,'4''-nitrilotribenzoic acid (H3NTB) on Au(111). With scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments at variable temperatures, we could determine both the onset of molecular rotation (around 110 K) and the barrier for rotation. Importantly, the Br-DC molecules do not possess a predefined intrinsic rotation axis. Instead, the rotational motion is facilitated by the attractive interactions between the Br-DC guests and the H3NTB host network. Computational simulations support our findings and provide further insights into the energetics. Our strategy provides greater flexibility and versatility compared to traditional confinement approaches based on precise size matching of rotor and host networks.
Keywords: molecular rotors; molecular self-ssembly; scanning tunneling microscopy; host-guest network