10.1021/acsnano.7b03954.s001
Tobias Meier
Tobias
Meier
Rémy Pawlak
Rémy
Pawlak
Shigeki Kawai
Shigeki
Kawai
Yan Geng
Yan
Geng
Xunshan Liu
Xunshan
Liu
Silvio Decurtins
Silvio
Decurtins
Prokop Hapala
Prokop
Hapala
Alexis Baratoff
Alexis
Baratoff
Shi-Xia Liu
Shi-Xia
Liu
Pavel Jelínek
Pavel
Jelínek
Ernst Meyer
Ernst
Meyer
Thilo Glatzel
Thilo
Glatzel
Donor–Acceptor
Properties of a Single-Molecule Altered by On-Surface Complex Formation
American Chemical Society
2017
chelate
film
intramolecular charge transfer
tetrathiafulvalene-fused dipyridophenazine molecule
donor
formation
adsorption site
scanning tunneling microscopy
2017-07-21 00:00:00
Journal contribution
https://acs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Donor_Acceptor_Properties_of_a_Single-Molecule_Altered_by_On-Surface_Complex_Formation/5241031
Electron donor–acceptor molecules
are of outstanding interest in molecular electronics and organic solar
cells for their intramolecular charge transfer controlled <i>via</i> electrical or optical excitation. The preservation of
their electronic character in the ground state upon adsorption on
a surface is cardinal for their implementation in such single-molecule
devices. Here, we investigate by atomic force microscopy and scanning
tunneling microscopy a prototypical system consisting of a π-conjugated
tetrathiafulvalene-fused dipyridophenazine molecule adsorbed on thin
NaCl films on Cu(111). Depending on the adsorption site, the molecule
is found either in a nearly undisturbed free state or in a bound state.
In the latter case, the molecule adopts a specific adsorption site,
leading to the formation of a chelate complex with a single Na<sup>+</sup> alkali cation pulled out from the insulating film. Although
expected to be electronically decoupled, the charge distribution of
the complex is drastically modified, leading to the loss of the intrinsic
donor–acceptor character. The chelate complex formation is
reversible with respect to lateral manipulations, enabling tunable
donor–acceptor molecular switches activated by on-surface coordination.