COLL 409 |
| Albert Schnieders, ION-TOF USA, Inc, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977 and Thomas P. Beebe Jr., Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, 175 Brown Lab, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716. |
| We have shown that STM-tip-induced chain polymerization of 10,12-tricosadiynoic acid in a self-organized monolayer at the liquid-solid interface of a solution of 10,12-tricosadiynoic acid on HOPG is possible. The oligomers thus produced started at the point where a voltage pulse was applied to the STM tip during a scan while the feedback condition was established. The polymerization could be confined to certain areas and lengths by using molecule corrals, which are controlled nanostructures formed on the surface of HOPG. The work has similarities and differences to work recently published by Okawa, et al. [Y. Okawa, M. Aono, Nature 409, 683 - 684 (2001)]. Due to the constant supply of non-polymerized molecules from the solution, a dynamical exchange of molecules on the surface and in the solution was possible. This exchange occurs on a time scale less than 40 s, probably depends upon the length of the desorbing oligomer, and appears to be influenced by interactions with the STM tip. |
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Surface Chemistry on Carbonaceous Materials
Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry |