One dimensional chains of nickelocene fragments on Au(111)

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Main Authors: Jyoti, Divya, Fétida, Alex, Limot, Laurent, Robles, Roberto, Lorente, Nicolás, Choi, Deung-Jang
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Jyoti, Divya
Fétida, Alex
Limot, Laurent
Robles, Roberto
Lorente, Nicolás
Choi, Deung-Jang
author_facet Jyoti, Divya
Fétida, Alex
Limot, Laurent
Robles, Roberto
Lorente, Nicolás
Choi, Deung-Jang
contents We investigate the temperature-dependent deposition of nickelocene (NiCp$_2$) molecules on a single crystal Au(111) substrate, revealing distinct adsorption behaviors and structural formations. At low temperatures (4.2 K), individual NiCp$_2$ molecules adsorb on the herringbone elbows and step edges, forming ordered patterns as molecular coverage increases. However, at 77 K, the molecules dissociate, yielding two main fragments: NiCp fragments that are Ni atoms capped by cyclopentadienyl (Cp) rings, which preferentially adsorb at FCC hollow sites, and Cp radical fragments exhibiting strong substrate interactions. NiCp fragments self-assemble into one-dimensional (1-D) chains along the $\langle 1 1 \bar{2} \rangle$ directions, displaying higher protrusion in STM images. The strain and steric hindrance from the Cp protons induce chiral patterns within the chains, which are well-reproduced by our DFT simulations. In contrast, the Cp fragments maintain distances due to short-range repulsive forces and exhibit low diffusion barriers. Interestingly, the fragments are non-magnetic, as confirmed by both STM measurements and DFT calculations, in contrast to the magnetic signals from intact Nc molecules. In addition to linear chains, dimers of the Ni-Cp fragments form along the $\langle 1 \bar{1} 0\rangle$ directions, requiring gold adatoms for their creation. These results demonstrate the feasibility of constructing complex nanostructures based on metallocenes via on-surface synthesis, opening the possibility for realizing low-dimensional magnetic systems by selecting substrates that preserve the magnetic moment of the fragments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_17527
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle One dimensional chains of nickelocene fragments on Au(111)
Jyoti, Divya
Fétida, Alex
Limot, Laurent
Robles, Roberto
Lorente, Nicolás
Choi, Deung-Jang
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Chemical Physics
We investigate the temperature-dependent deposition of nickelocene (NiCp$_2$) molecules on a single crystal Au(111) substrate, revealing distinct adsorption behaviors and structural formations. At low temperatures (4.2 K), individual NiCp$_2$ molecules adsorb on the herringbone elbows and step edges, forming ordered patterns as molecular coverage increases. However, at 77 K, the molecules dissociate, yielding two main fragments: NiCp fragments that are Ni atoms capped by cyclopentadienyl (Cp) rings, which preferentially adsorb at FCC hollow sites, and Cp radical fragments exhibiting strong substrate interactions. NiCp fragments self-assemble into one-dimensional (1-D) chains along the $\langle 1 1 \bar{2} \rangle$ directions, displaying higher protrusion in STM images. The strain and steric hindrance from the Cp protons induce chiral patterns within the chains, which are well-reproduced by our DFT simulations. In contrast, the Cp fragments maintain distances due to short-range repulsive forces and exhibit low diffusion barriers. Interestingly, the fragments are non-magnetic, as confirmed by both STM measurements and DFT calculations, in contrast to the magnetic signals from intact Nc molecules. In addition to linear chains, dimers of the Ni-Cp fragments form along the $\langle 1 \bar{1} 0\rangle$ directions, requiring gold adatoms for their creation. These results demonstrate the feasibility of constructing complex nanostructures based on metallocenes via on-surface synthesis, opening the possibility for realizing low-dimensional magnetic systems by selecting substrates that preserve the magnetic moment of the fragments.
title One dimensional chains of nickelocene fragments on Au(111)
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Chemical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.17527