Direct imaging of the InSb001-c8 x 2 surface: evidence for large anisotropy of the reconstruction

Growth dynamics and gas transport mechanism of nanobubbles in graphene liquid cells

Formation, evolution and vanishing of bubbles are common phenomena in nature, which can be easily observed in boiling or falling water, carbonated drinks, gas-forming electrochemical reactions and so on. However, the morphology and the growth dynamics of the bubbles at nanoscale have not been fully investigated owing to the lack of proper imaging tools that can visualize nanoscale objects in the liquid phase. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the nanobubbles in water encapsulated by graphene membrane can be visualized by in-situ ultra-high vacuum transmission electron microscopy. Our microscopic results indicate two distinct growth mechanisms of merging nanobubbles and the existence of a critical radius of nanobubbles that determines the unusually long stability of nanobubbles. Interestingly, the gas transport through ultrathin water membranes at nanobubble interface is free from dissolution, which is clearly different from conventional gas transport that includes condensation, transmission and evaporation.

Internal architecture and adsorption sites of Violet Lander molecules assembled on native and KBr-passivated InSb(001) surfaces

The adsorption of individual Violet Lander molecules self-assembled on the c(8x2) reconstructed InSb(001) surface in its native form and on the surface passivated with one to three monolayers of KBr is investigated by means of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Preferred adsorption sites of the molecules are found on flat terraces as well as at atomic step edges. For molecules immobilized on flat terraces, several different conformations are identified from STM images acquired with submolecular resolution and are explained by the rotation of the 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl groups around sigma bonds, which allows adjustment of the molecular geometry to the anisotropic substrate structure. Formation of ordered molecular chains is found at steps running along substrate reconstruction rows, whereas at the steps oriented perpendicularly no intermolecular ordering is recorded. It is also shown that the molecules deposited at two or more monolayers of the epitaxial KBr spacer do not have any stable adsorption sites recorded with STM. Prospects for the manipulation of single molecules by using the STM tip on highly anisotropic substrates are also explored, and demonstrate the feasibility of controlled lateral displacement in all directions.

High resolution LT-STM imaging of PTCDA molecules assembled on an InSb(001) c(8 × 2) surface

The self-assembling of 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride (PTCDA) molecules deposited on an InSb(001) c(8 × 2) surface at sub-monolayer quantities has been investigated at low temperature (77 K) using scanning tunnelling microscopy. Sub-molecular resolution was obtained on PTCDA molecules. The results reveal that individual PTCDA molecules are arranged on the substrate in chains parallel to the [110] crystallographic direction, correlated with characteristic features of the low temperature InSb(001) c(8 × 2) surface electronic structure. A structural model for PTCDA molecules adsorbed on InSb is proposed.

PTCDA molecules on an InSb(001) surface studied with atomic force microscopy

PTCDA (3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride) molecular structures assembled on an InSb(001) c(8 × 2) reconstructed surface have been studied using frequency modulated atomic force microscopy. The high-resolution imaging of the structures is possible through repulsive interactions, using the constant height scanning mode. During initial stages of growth the [110] diffusion channel dominates as indicated by formation of long PTCDA molecular chains parallel to the [110] crystallographic direction on the InSb surface. For a single monolayer coverage a wetting layer of PTCDA is formed. Finally it is shown that the PTCDA/InSb is a promising system for building molecular nanostructures by manipulation of single molecules with the AFM tip.

Surface crystallography via electron microscopy

The study of atomic structure of surfaces is fundamental to the understanding of electronic, chemical and mechanical properties of surfaces and numerous techniques have been developed to this end. Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques, namely transmission electron imaging (TEM) and diffraction (TED), due to their ability to provide structural information at very high resolutions, have emerged as powerful tools for the study of surface structure. In this article we review the experimental method alongside the various post-processing routines that are necessary to extract vital structural information from experimental data.