Open AccessReal-Space Observation of Quantum Tunneling by a Carbon Atom: Flipping Reaction of Formaldehyde on Cu(110)
Author(s) -
Chenfang Lin,
Emile Durant,
Mats Persson,
Mariana Rossi,
Takashi Kumagai
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the journal of physical chemistry letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.563
H-Index - 203
ISSN - 1948-7185
DOI - 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b03806
Subject(s) - scanning tunneling microscope , quantum tunnelling , adsorption , formaldehyde , chemistry , atom (system on chip) , density functional theory , carbon atom , carbon fibers , reaction rate , kinetic energy , kinetic isotope effect , chemical physics , atomic physics , nanotechnology , materials science , computational chemistry , condensed matter physics , physics , catalysis , quantum mechanics , organic chemistry , composite number , computer science , embedded system , alkyl , composite material , deuterium
We present a direct observation of carbon-atom tunneling in the flipping reaction of formaldehyde between its two mirror-reflected states on a Cu(110) surface using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The flipping reaction was monitored in real time, and the reaction rate was found to be temperature independent below 10 K. This indicates that this reaction is governed by quantum mechanical tunneling, albeit involving a substantial motion of the carbon atom (∼1 Å). In addition, deuteration of the formaldehyde molecule resulted in a significant kinetic isotope effect ( R CH 2 O / R CD 2 O ≈ 10). The adsorption structure, reaction pathway, and tunneling probability were examined by density functional theory calculations, which corroborate the experimental observations.
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