Controlled manipulation of gadolinium-coordinated supramolecules by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy

José I. Urgel, David Ecija, Willi Auwärter, Johannes V. Barth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Scopus citations

Abstract

Coordination bonding between para-quarterphenyl-dicarbonitrile linkers and gadolinium on Ag(111) has been exploited to construct pentameric mononuclear supramolecules, consisting of a rare-earth center surrounded by five molecular linkers. By employing a scanning tunneling microscope tip, a manipulation protocol was developed to position individual pentamers on the surface. In addition, the tip was used to extract and replace individual linkers yielding tetrameric, pentameric, nonameric, and dodecameric metallosupramolecular arrangements. These results open new avenues toward advanced nanofabrication methods and rare-earth nanochemistry by combining the versatility of metal-ligand interactions and atomistic manipulation capabilities.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1369-1373
Number of pages5
JournalNano Letters
Volume14
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 12 Mar 2014

Keywords

  • Scanning tunneling microscopy
  • coordination chemistry
  • lanthanides
  • manipulation
  • supramolecules

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