Moleculas organicas sobre superficies metalicas : uma investigação teorica / Organic molecules on metalic surfaces : a thoretical investigation

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

08/07/2009

RESUMO

Recently, the first molecular nanowheel was characterized with scanning tunneling micro-scope experiments. It was demonstrated that a specifically designed hydrocarbon molecule (C44H24) could roll over a copper substrate along the [110] direction of a surface. The molecule consists in two wheels based on two triptycene groups which are connected by an axle. We report a theoretical study of the simulations of this process. We used ab initio (DMol 3) and classical molecular dynamics methods (UFF). We have considered different crystallographic orientations ([111], [110], and [100]) for the copper surface, in order to determine how these different orientations affect the molecular rolling processes. Our results are in good agreement with the available experimentally data. The simulations showed that the rolling mechanism is only possible for the [110] direction. For the others directions ([111] and [100]) the surfaces are too smooth and cannot provide the necessary torque to the rolling process. For these cases the molecule just slides (translational movement), without rolling when interact with the STM tip. For the [110] direction the spatial separation among rows of copper atoms is enough to trap the molecule and to create a torque. Besides the correct surface the relative position of the molecule on the surface is very important. The molecule should be with its main axis in the parallel direction to [110]. This commensurability effect, between the molecule and the surface, is similar to the surface selective diffusion recently observed for other classes of organic molecules. The experimental observed pushing, pulling, and rolling profiles can also be explained in terms of these geometrical features between the molecule and the different Cu crystallographic directions

ASSUNTO(S)

nanotecnologia simulação computacional microscopia de tunelamento de elétrons dinâmica molecular polímeros métodos bio-inspirados nanotechnology computational simulation scanning tunneling microscopy molecular dynamics polymers bio-inspired methods

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