Imaging an unsupported metal–metal bond in dirhenium molecules at the atomic scale
Kecheng Cao, Stephen T. Skowron, Johannes Biskupek, Craig T. Stoppiello, Christopher Leist, Elena Besley, Andrei N. Khlobystov, Ute Kaiser
Abstract
adsorbed on a graphitic lattice allows direct measurement of Re-Re bond lengths for individual molecules that changes in discrete steps correlating with bond order from one to four. Direct imaging of the Re-Re bond breaking process reveals a new bonding state with the bond order less than one and a high-amplitude vibrational stretch, preceding the bond dissociation. The methodology, based on aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy imaging, is shown to be a powerful analytical tool for the investigation of dynamics of metallic bonding at the atomic level.
Topics & Concepts
Atomic unitsMetalMoleculeMaterials scienceNanotechnologyChemistryPhysicsMetallurgyOrganic chemistryQuantum mechanicsMolecular Junctions and NanostructuresAdvanced Chemical Physics StudiesAdvanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications