Three-dimensional graphene nanoribbons as a framework for molecular assembly and local probe chemistry
Shigeki Kawai, Ondřej Krejčí, Tomohiko Nishiuchi, Keisuke Sahara, Takuya Kodama, Rémy Pawlak, Ernst Meyer, Takashi Kubo, Adam S. Foster
Abstract
Recent advances in state-of-the-art probe microscopy allow us to conduct single molecular chemistry via tip-induced reactions and direct imaging of the inner structure of the products. Here, we synthesize three-dimensional graphene nanoribbons by on-surface chemical reaction and take advantage of tip-induced assembly to demonstrate their capability as a playground for local probe chemistry. We show that the radical caused by tip-induced debromination can be reversibly terminated by either a bromine atom or a fullerene molecule. The experimental results combined with theoretical calculations pave the way for sequential reactions, particularly addition reactions, by a local probe at the single-molecule level decoupled from the surface.