Abstract
The hydrogen atom-the smallest and most abundant atom-is of utmost importance in physics and chemistry. Although many analysis methods have been applied to its study, direct observation of hydrogen atoms in a single molecule remains largely unexplored. We use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to resolve the outermost hydrogen atoms of propellane molecules via very weak C=O center dot center dot center dot H-C hydrogen bonding just before the onset of Pauli repulsion. The direct measurement of the interaction with a hydrogen atom paves the way for the identification of three-dimensional molecules such as DNAs and polymers, building the capabilities of AFMtoward quantitative probing of local chemical reactivity.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1603258 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-6 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Science Advances |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2017 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- TOTAL-ENERGY CALCULATIONS
- WAVE BASIS-SET
- HYDROCARBON MOLECULE
- HYDROGEN-ATOMS
- GRAPHENE
- SURFACE
- TIPS