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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 95 » Issue 16
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 166101 (2005) [4 pages]

Unidirectional Adsorbate Motion on a High-Symmetry Surface: “Walking” Molecules Can Stay the Course

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Ki-Young Kwon1, Kin L. Wong1, Greg Pawin1, Ludwig Bartels1,*, Sergey Stolbov2, and Talat S. Rahman2
1Pierce Hall, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
2Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA

Received 14 July 2005; published 11 October 2005

Step edges and low-symmetry faces of metal crystals can restrict the diffusive motion of adsorbates, yet they offer little flexibility with regards to the location and/or direction of the guided motion. We show inherently unidirectional motion of an organic molecule on a high-symmetry thermodynamic-equilibrium metal surface [Cu(111)]. Sequential placement of the substrate linkers of 9,10-dithioanthracene prevents it from rotating or veering off course. A combination of low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory simulations provide atomistic insight.

© 2005 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.166101
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.166101
PACS:
68.43.Bc, 68.35.Fx, 68.43.Jk, 82.37.Gk

*Corresponding author.

Electronic address: Ludwig.Bartels@UCR.EDU

 
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