Control and characterization of cyclopentene unimolecular dissociation on Si(100) with scanning tunneling microscopy

J Am Chem Soc. 2009 Jul 29;131(29):10059-65. doi: 10.1021/ja9010546.

Abstract

Dissociation of individual cyclopentene molecules on the Si(100) surface is induced and investigated using cryogenic ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Using a secondary feedback loop during elevated tunneling current and sample biasing conditions, the cyclopentene dissociation products are isolated and then characterized with atomic-scale spatial resolution. Using multibias STM and density functional theory, the cyclopentene dissociation products are shown to consist of a C(5)H(7) fragment and an individual H atom. The C(5)H(7) fragment contains a C=C double bond and is bound to the Si(100) surface via a single Si-C covalent bond, while the individual H atom can be induced to hop between two sites on a single silicon dimer with the STM tip. This study shows that the use of feedback control during STM-induced single molecule reactions allows transient reaction products to be captured and thus more thoroughly studied. While demonstrated here for cyclopentene on Si(100), this feedback-controlled approach can likely be applied to a wide array of chemical reactions on semiconductor surfaces.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Cyclopentanes / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling / methods
  • Models, Chemical
  • Particle Size
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Cyclopentanes
  • Silicon