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Physical Review Letters

Publication date: 2014-01-01
Volume: 113
Publisher: American Physical Society

Author:

Iancu, Violeta
Braun, Kai-Felix ; Schouteden, Koen ; Van Haesendonck, Chris

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Physics, Multidisciplinary, Physics, TRIMESIC ACID, ELECTRONIC-STRUCTURE, SPIN, HYDROGEN, ADSORPTION, COMPLEXES, RESONANCE, NETWORKS, SURFACES, IMPURITY, 01 Mathematical Sciences, 02 Physical Sciences, 09 Engineering, General Physics, 40 Engineering, 49 Mathematical sciences, 51 Physical sciences

Abstract:

We report on in situ chemical reactions between an organic trimesic acid (TMA) ligand and a Co atom center. By varying the substrate temperature, we are able to explore the Co-TMA interactions and create novel magnetic complexes that preserve the chemical structure of the ligands. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy combined with density functional theory calculations, we elucidate the structure and the properties of the newly synthesized complex at atomic or molecular size level. Hybridization between the atomic orbitals of the Co and the π orbitals of the ligand results in a delocalized spin distribution onto the TMA. The here demonstrated possibility to conveniently magnetize such versatile molecules opens up new potential applications for TMAs in molecular spintronics.