Direct measurement and modulation of single-molecule coordinative bonding forces in a transition metal complex

Xian Hao, Nan Zhu, Tina Gschneidtner, Elvar Ö. Jonsson, Jingdong Zhang, Kasper Moth-Poulsen, Hongda Wang (), Kristian S. Thygesen, Karsten W. Jacobsen, Jens Ulstrup and Qijin Chi ()
Additional contact information
Xian Hao: Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 207, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Nan Zhu: Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 207, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Tina Gschneidtner: Chalmers University of Technology
Elvar Ö. Jonsson: Technical University of Denmark
Jingdong Zhang: Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 207, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Kasper Moth-Poulsen: Chalmers University of Technology
Hongda Wang: State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Kristian S. Thygesen: Technical University of Denmark
Karsten W. Jacobsen: Technical University of Denmark
Jens Ulstrup: Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 207, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Qijin Chi: Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 207, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Coordination chemistry has been a consistently active branch of chemistry since Werner’s seminal theory of coordination compounds inaugurated in 1893, with the central focus on transition metal complexes. However, control and measurement of metal–ligand interactions at the single-molecule level remain a daunting challenge. Here we demonstrate an interdisciplinary and systematic approach that enables measurement and modulation of the coordinative bonding forces in a transition metal complex. Terpyridine is derived with a thiol linker, facilitating covalent attachment of this ligand on both gold substrate surfaces and gold-coated atomic force microscopy tips. The coordination and bond breaking between terpyridine and osmium are followed in situ by electrochemically controlled atomic force microscopy at the single-molecule level. The redox state of the central metal atom is found to have a significant impact on the metal–ligand interactions. The present approach represents a major advancement in unravelling the nature of metal–ligand interactions and could have broad implications in coordination chemistry.

Date: 2013
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3121 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms3121

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3121

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().