News and highlights

6th most-read 2018 Nature Communications article in chemistry and materials science!

17.07.2019

 

Our study on the on-surface synthesis of a trinuclear iron-based molecular complex became the 6th most-read 2018 Nature Communications article in the fields of chemistry and materials science.

 

On-surface trinuclear iron-based coordination nanostructures: atomic-scale engineering of nanomaterials for optoelectronics and catalysis

Iron-based trinuclear metal-organic nanostructures on a surface with local charge accumulation

21.06.2018

 

We used protocols of supramolecular chemistry to synthesise, on a surface and from the bottom-up, 1D metal-organic nanostructures based on a mixed valence tri-iron coordination motif. Via a combination of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy, non-contact atomic force microscopy (ncAFM), x-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory, we fully characterized the atomic-scale structural, electronic and chemical properties of these nanostructures, which could be useful for future (opto)electronics and catalysis applications.

 

Interview on RRR: Agustin discusses bottom-up engineering of nanomaterials

20.05.2018

 

Agustin spoke with the Einstein a Go-Go crew on RRR about the group's activity within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET), and how we use bio-inspired supramolecular self-assembly to fabricate low-dimensional nanomaterials with tailored electronic structures.

 

Atomic-scale manipulation of single atoms on a surface

Manipulating single iron atoms on a silver surface

 

02.02.2018

 

By using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), Marina managed to control the position of 42 iron atoms on a silver surface, writing the smallest logo of our ARC Centre of Excellence for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET). The logo is 25 nanometres high.

Writing the smallest 'FLEET' logo by manipulating 42 iron atoms on a silver surface with an STM tip.

 

Orbital-specific electronic interaction between molecule and metal

10.10.2017

 

By performing low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we found out that the strength of the electronic coupling between a single molecule and a metal surface depends strongly on the location of the interacting orbital within the molecule.

 

J. Phys. Chem. C 121, 23574–23581 (2017)

Scanning tunneling micrograph and dI/dV spectroscopy maps of a single TPPT molecule on a silver (111) surface.

 

Ultrafast control of electric current in a semiconductor

 

14.11.2016

 

By using few-cycle waveform-engineered near-infrared laser pulses, we demonstrated all-optical generation and control of directly measurable electric current in a semiconductor, on a timescale of ~1 fs.

 

Optica 3, 1358–1361 (2016)

A combination of optical-field-induced interference between multiphoton excitation pathways and intraband acceleration results in the displacement of charge QP in GaN, controllable by the laser pulse carrier envelope phase jCE.

 

Polarization-induced energy level shifts at the boundaries of 2D molecular nanoclusters

 

06.10.2015

 

We studied 2D nanostructures composed of hydrogen-bonded PTCDA molecules on NaCl/Ag(111) by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy. We observed significant differences in molecular energy levels (~0.4 eV) between molecules at the edge and at the centre of these nanoclusters, due to variations in the local electrostatic environment.

 

Nature Communications 6, 8312 (2015)

3D representation of an STM image of a nanocluster composed of 12 PTCDA molecules on sodium chloride. Red (blue) corresponds to larger (smaller, respectively) energy gap between occupied and unoccupied states.