Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals Bistable Configurations of Dibenzo[a,h]thianthrene and their Interconversion Pathway

Niko Pavliček, Benoit Fleury, Mathias Neu, Judith Niedenführ, Coral Herranz-Lancho, Mario Ruben, and Jascha Repp
Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 086101 – Published 23 February 2012

Abstract

We investigated dibenzo[a,h]thianthrene molecules adsorbed on ultrathin layers of NaCl using a combined low-temperature scanning tunneling and atomic force microscope. Two stable configurations exist corresponding to different isomers of free nonplanar molecules. By means of excitations from inelastic electron tunneling we can switch between both configurations. Atomic force microscopy with submolecular resolution allows unambiguous determination of the molecular geometry, and the pathway of the interconversion of the isomers. Our investigations also shed new light on contrast mechanisms in scanning tunneling microscopy.

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  • Received 9 December 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.086101

© 2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Niko Pavliček1,*, Benoit Fleury2,†, Mathias Neu1, Judith Niedenführ1, Coral Herranz-Lancho2, Mario Ruben2,3, and Jascha Repp1

  • 1Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
  • 2Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
  • 3Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IMCMS), CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, 67034 Strasbourg, France

  • *niko.pavlicek@physik.uni-regensburg.de
  • On leave from Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, UPMC and CNRS UMR7201, UPMC-Paris 6, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France.

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Issue

Vol. 108, Iss. 8 — 24 February 2012

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