Observation and manipulation of tris(dibenzoylmethanato)ruthenium molecules by low temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy

Loranne Vernisse (1, 2) , Olivier Guillermet (1, 2) , Jacques Bonvoisin (1) , Roland Coratger (1, 2, 3)

1 CEMES-GNS - Groupe NanoSciences
2 CEMES - Centre d'élaboration de matériaux et d'études structurales
3 CEMES-SINanO - Surfaces, Interfaces et Nano-Objets

The behavior of tris(dibenzoylmethanato)ruthenium molecules has been studied using low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy after adsorption on Ag(111) and Cu(111). On both surfaces, the molecules present two adsorption geometries: a bi-lobed and a chiral threefold structure. This latter form can stand up to adopt a bi-lobed conformation which is oriented along the dense crystallographic directions. The molecular geometries after adsorption can be modified using the STM tip. In one of these modifications, a switch between two different conformations has been observed. The data recorded during the experiments show that this phenomenon is induced by the electric field in the STM junction.

Mots clés: Adsorption; Ruthenium complexes; Switch; Low Temperature STM; UHV; Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Domaines: Physique [physics]; Chimie de coordination

Loranne Vernisse, Olivier Guillermet, Jacques Bonvoisin, Roland Coratger. Observation and manipulation of tris(dibenzoylmethanato)ruthenium molecules by low temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy. Surface Science : A Journal Devoted to the Physics and Chemistry of Interfaces, 2014, 619, pp.98-104. ⟨10.1016/j.susc.2013.09.017⟩. ⟨hal-01715882⟩