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Scanning tunnelling microscopic images of amino acids
Author(s) -
Feng L.,
Hu C. Z.,
Andrade J. D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1988.tb01453.x
Subject(s) - dimer , scanning tunneling microscope , amino acid , molecule , tryptophan , highly oriented pyrolytic graphite , chemistry , quantum tunnelling , glycine , pyrolytic carbon , graphite , crystallography , chemical physics , adsorption , stereochemistry , materials science , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , biochemistry , optoelectronics , pyrolysis
SUMMARY We present images of amino acids adsorbed on highly orientated pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) obtained with the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) in air. Individual molecules can be observed although the majority of adsorbates appear to form clusters. In the case of leucine, methionine, and tryptophan, two molecules often associate together to form a dimer. Single or dimer glycine molecules were not seen, but a cluster of a number of them was observed. The various adsorbed states may be related to the different interactions between the amino acids and the graphite surface. The mechanism of image formation of the amino acids is probably related to charge transfer mechanisms.