Switching at the nanoscale: light- and STM-tip-induced switch of a thiolated diarylethene self-assembly on Au(111).

The light-induced and STM-tip-induced switching of photochromic thiol functionalized terphenylthiazole-based diarylethene self-assembly on Au(111) has been investigated in ambient conditions. For such a purpose, we took advantage of the formation of highly ordered domains of opened-ring (1o) or closed-ring (1c) diarylethene isomers. We evidenced a STM-tip-induced switching for the 1o isomer characterized by a tip bias threshold of 1000 mV above which switching of all molecules of the ordered 1o domains occurs into the 1c isomer.