Open the door to the atomic world by single-molecule atomic force microscopy
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-7-2021
Department
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Abstract
Single-molecule atomic force microscopy (sm-AFM) is a new generation of AFM using a single molecule for tip functionalization and/or being used for characterization and manipulation of single molecules. The past decade has witnessed an ongoing series of stunning breakthroughs in sm-AFM. On the one hand, molecular structure, interatomic bond, and adsorption geometry have been clearly visualized in real space with a unique single-molecule sensitivity. On the other hand, atomically precise manipulation by the tip has revealed numerous intriguing physical phenomena and induced a plethora of on-surface chemical reactions. These extraordinary abilities open the door to the atomic world. This review provides an up-to-date overview on characterization, manipulation, and on-surface reactions by sm-AFM and further outlines future directions on improvement of equipment, elucidation of molecular structure, and mechanism investigation.
Publication Title
Matter
Recommended Citation
Fang, S.,
&
Hu, Y.
(2021).
Open the door to the atomic world by single-molecule atomic force microscopy.
Matter,
4(4), 1189-1223.
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2021.01.013
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/14787
