Nitrous oxide as an effective AFM tip functionalization: a comparative study

• Main Authors: Taras Chutora, Bruno de la Torre, Pingo Mutombo, Jack Hellerstedt, Jaromír Kopeček, Pavel Jelínek, Martin Švec
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beilstein-Institut 2019-01-01
• Series: Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology
• Subjects: atomic force microscopy; Au(111); carbon monoxide; functionalization; high resolution; nitrous oxide; submolecular resolution
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.10.30

We investigate the possibility of functionalizing Au tips by N2O molecules deposited on a Au(111) surface and their further use for imaging with submolecular resolution. First, we characterize the adsorption of the N2O species on Au(111) by means of atomic force microscopy with CO-functionalized tips and density functional theory (DFT) simulations. Subsequently we devise a method of attaching a single N2O to a metal tip apex and benchmark its high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic capabilities using FePc molecules. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of high-resolution imaging. However, we find an inherent asymmetry of the N2O probe-particle adsorption on the tip apex, in contrast to a CO tip reference. These findings are consistent with DFT calculations of the N2O- and CO tip apexes.