Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Mode-specific strategy for controlling a single-molecule reaction.

Nicolás Lorente1, Jose Ignacio Pascual

  • 1Laboratoire Collisions, Agrégats, Réactivité, UMR5589, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, cédex France.

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
|August 13, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Researchers used scanning tunnelling microscopy to selectively excite specific molecular vibrations in ammonium, controlling bond-cleavage reactions. This mode-selective strategy works by minimizing vibrational heating, enabling precise control at the single-molecule level.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Bridging the gap: vaccine uptake and intent to vaccinate among GBMSM during the 2022-2023 mpox outbreak in Spain.

Gaceta sanitaria·2026
Same author

Factores asociados con altos niveles de ansiedad en los hombres que tienen sexo con hombres en Guatemala: impacto de la crisis COVID-19 a través del programa de investigación comunitaria EPIC-Guatemala.

Global health promotion·2026
Same author

Realization of two-dimensional discrete time crystals with anisotropic Heisenberg coupling.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Spin-state engineering of single titanium adsorbates on ultrathin magnesium oxide.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Prevalence and associated factors of selling sex among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Latin America: results from the Latin American MSM Internet Survey in 18 countries (LAMIS-2018).

BMJ global health·2025
Same author

Syndemic perspective of how people living with HIV faced the COVID-19 crisis in North Africa.

Scientific reports·2025

Area of Science:

  • Surface Science
  • Chemical Physics
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Inelastic electron tunneling is a key method for inducing chemical reactions on single molecules.
  • Exciting specific molecular vibrational states can lead to complex reaction pathways.
  • Controlling these pathways is crucial for single-molecule chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the selective excitation of ammonium vibrational modes (stretching and bending).
  • To control the outcome of a bond-cleavage reaction on a single adsorbate.
  • To elucidate the molecular-scale mechanisms of competing internal pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM).
  • Selective excitation of specific vibrational modes in ammonium adsorbates.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Employing model calculations to understand reaction dynamics.

    • Main Results:

    • Demonstrated mode-selective control over ammonium bond-cleavage reactions.
    • Identified competing internal vibrational pathways leading to molecular movement.
    • Showcased the effectiveness of low-power STM irradiation in minimizing vibrational heating.

    Conclusions:

    • Mode-selective excitation can precisely control single-molecule chemical transformations.
    • Minimizing energy randomization through low-power STM is critical for success.
    • This approach offers a pathway for targeted single-molecule reaction control.