Sub-molecular Control of Photo-assisted Activation of a Single C-H Bond

ORAL

Abstract

We demonstrate the bond-selected and photo-assisted activation of a single C-H bond in individual azulene molecules adsorbed on a Ag(110) surface using a scanning tunneling microscope combined with a femtosecond laser. Under laser irradiation, the electrons in the STM tip can be photo-excited and tunnel to when irradiated by laser, and dissociate individual C-H bonds of a molecule in the STM junction. The threshold bias to break the bond decreased from 2.5 V to 1.0 V under 820 nm (1.5 eV) laser illumination. The C-H bond to be activated can be chosen by positioning the tip over that bond in the molecule with sub-Angstrom resolution. The inelastic tunneling probe (itProbe) images provide structural identification of the intact molecule and the reaction products. The demonstration of a chemical reaction induced by photo-assisted tunneling electrons opens a new avenue to probe the photochemistry of single adsorbed molecules with sub-molecular resolution.

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Presenters

  • Shaowei Li

    Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Physics, Univ of California - Irvine

Authors

  • Shaowei Li

    Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Physics, Univ of California - Irvine

  • Gregory Czap

    University of California, Irvine, Physics, Univ of California - Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Univ of California - Irvine

  • Hui Wang

    Univ of California - Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Univ of California - Irvine, Physics, Univ of California - Irvine

  • Arthur Yu

    Physics, Univ of California - Irvine

  • Siyu Chen

    Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Physics, Univ of California - Irvine

  • Ruqian Wu

    Univ of California - Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Univ of California - Irvine, University of California, Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Physics, Univ of California - Irvine

  • Wilson Ho

    Physics and Astronomy, Univ of California - Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, University of California, Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Univ of California - Irvine, Physics, Univ of California - Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Univ of California - Irvine