Effect of Ni substitution on the antiferromagnetic domains of cobalt oxide.

We present a spatially resolved X-ray magnetic linear dichroism study of high quality micron-sized mixed nickel-cobalt oxide (NCO) crystals. NiCoO was prepared in-situ by high-temperature oxygen-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on a Ru(0001) single crystal substrate. To check the effect of incorporating Ni into the cobalt oxide films, three different compositions were prepared.

On-surface synthesis of heptacene on Ag(001) from brominated and non-brominated tetrahydroheptacene precursors.

Achieving the Ag(001)-supported synthesis of heptacene from two related reactants reveals the effect of the presence of Br atoms on the reaction process. The properties of reactants, intermediates and end-products are further characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy.

Switching from Reactant to Substrate Engineering in the Selective Synthesis of Graphene Nanoribbons.

The challenge of synthesizing graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with atomic precision is currently being pursued along a one-way road, based on the synthesis of adequate molecular precursors that react in predefined ways through self-assembly processes. The synthetic options for GNR generation would multiply by adding a new direction to this readily successful approach, especially if both of them can be combined. We show here how GNR synthesis can be guided by an adequately nanotemplated substrate instead of by the traditionally designed reactants.

Molecular resolution friction microscopy of Cu phthalocyanine thin films on dolomite (104) in water.

The reliability of ultrathin organic layers as active components for molecular electronic devices depends ultimately on an accurate characterization of the layer morphology and ability to withstand mechanical stresses on the nanoscale. To this end, since the molecular layers need to be electrically decoupled using thick insulating substrates, the use of AFM becomes mandatory. Here, we show how friction force microscopy (FFM) in water allows us to identify the orientation of copper(ii)phthalocyanine (CuPc) molecules previously self-assembled on a dolomite (104) mineral surface in ultra-high vacuum.

Spinning and translational motion of Sb nanoislands manipulated on MoS2.

Antimony nanoislands grown on a MoS2 surface in ultra-high vacuum have been manipulated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in ambient conditions. The island profiles have been digitized and provided as an input to a collisional algorithm based on classical mechanics. Assuming that the islands are rigid and static friction is high enough to prevent further motion after the passage of the probing tip, the direction of motion and the angle of rotation of the islands have been reproduced numerically.