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Updated: Aug 12, 2025

Analysis of Complex Molecules and Their Reactions on Surfaces by Means of Cluster-Induced Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Published on: March 1, 2020
Structural characterisation of molecular conformation and the incorporation of adatoms in an on-surface Ullmann-type
Chris J Judd1, Filipe L Q Junqueira1, Sarah L Haddow2
1School of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
Abstract:
The on-surface synthesis of covalently bonded materials differs from solution-phase synthesis in several respects. The transition from a three-dimensional reaction volume to quasi-two-dimensional confinement, as is the case for on-surface synthesis, has the potential to facilitate alternative reaction pathways to those available in solution. Ullmann-type reactions, where the surface plays a role in the coupling of aryl-halide functionalised species, has been shown to facilitate extended one- and two-dimensional structures. Here we employ a combination of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray standing wave (XSW) analysis to perform a chemical and structural characterisation of the Ullmann-type coupling of two iodine functionalised species on a Ag(111) surface held under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions. Our results allow characterisation of molecular conformations and adsorption geometries within an on-surface reaction and provide insight into the incorporation of metal adatoms within the intermediate structures of the reaction.
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