%0 Journal Article
%A Willenbockel, Martin
%A Maurer, Reinhard J.
%A Bronner, Christopher
%A Schulze, Michael
%A Stadtmüller, Benjamin
%A Soubatch, Serguei
%A Tegeder, Petra
%A Reuter, Karsten
%A Tautz, Frank Stefan
%T Coverage-driven dissociation of azobenzene on Cu(111): a route towards defined surface functionalization
%J Chemical communications
%V 51
%N 83
%@ 1364-548X
%C Cambridge
%I Soc.
%M FZJ-2017-00726
%P 15324 - 15327
%D 2015
%X We investigate the surface-catalyzed dissociation of the archetypal molecular switch azobenzene on the Cu(111) surface. Based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, normal incidence X-ray standing waves and density functional theory calculations a detailed picture of the coverage-induced formation of phenyl nitrene from azobenzene is presented. Furthermore, a comparison to the azobenzene/Ag(111) interface provides insight into the driving force behind the dissociation on Cu(111). The quantitative decay of azobenzene paves the way for the creation of a defect free, covalently bonded monolayer. Our work suggests a route of surface functionalization via suitable azobenzene derivatives and the on surface synthesis concept, allowing for the creation of complex immobilized molecular systems.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%U <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000363167000025
%R 10.1039/C5CC05003K
%U https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/826503