Spectroscopic characterization and deliberate modification of a single molecule by tunneling of electrons

Abstract

(Chemical Equation Presented) Realization of a dream: The scanning tunneling microscope is not only capable of imaging and manipulating adsorbed species, it can be used for vibrational spectroscopy on these species. With this method, a full reaction cycle was investigated in which methylaminocarbyne on Pt(111) was dehydrogenated and rehydrogenated (see scheme). This method is expected to be instrumental in the understanding of fundamental phenomena in heterogeneous catalysis. © 2008 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.