Manipulation of Organic Molecules in Ambient Condition and Liquid Studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Abstract

This review describes how the manipulation of single molecules on solid state surface is available in air or at the liquid/solid interface, observed with scanning tunneling microscope (STM). First, the influences of the STM tip on the observation and manipulation of molecules are discussed. Then how the STM tip induced the ordering and how the molecular structures on the surface can be manipulated are shown. Second, the manipulation of single molecules with STM tip is demonstrated. Last, the STM observations of the manipulation of molecules by changing the ambient conditions such as solvent, photon irradiation, and electrochemical potential, are shown. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2014.157]