In a collaboration with Czech researchers we have used Ångström-scale tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to reveal how the atomic structure of a metal surface can subtly reshape the vibrational behaviour of a single molecule. By mapping individual iron phthalocyanine molecules adsorbed on Ag(111) and Ag(110), we show that small changes in adsorption geometry and surface symmetry can lift the degeneracy of molecular vibrational modes. This work establishes sub-nanometre Raman hyperspectral imaging as a powerful method for directly linking molecular vibrations to their local atomic environment, opening new possibilities for controlling molecular interactions, reactivity, and functionality at surfaces.
You can find the work published in:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5c18593
Adsorption-driven symmetry lowering in single molecules revealed by ångstrom-scale tip-enhanced Raman imaging, R. C de Campos Ferreira, B. Cirera, J. Doležal, A. Gallego de Roa, A. Sagwal, P. Kahan, R. Canales, F. Aguilar-Galindo, M. Švec, P. Merino, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 148 (2026) 9375.