The ESISNA group, in collaboration with the Nanotech@surfaces group from Empa (Switzerland), has demonstrated the catalytic role that atomic hydrogen can play in the formation of new intermolecular C-C covalent bonds on relatively inert surfaces. For this purpose, we have annealed a Au(111) surface, previously covered with different PAHs, in…
We have studied epitaxial graphene grown on SiC by chemical vapour deposition. In the work, two kinds of graphene layers were evaluated, a single layer graphene and a quasi-free-standing graphene obtained by hydrogen intercalation under the buffer layer. To evaluate the influence of the different nature of both graphene layers…
On-surface chemistry is a potential strategy focused on obtaining and developing novel nanomaterials of different dimensionalities with atomic precision. The growth mechanism is based on a bottom-up approach where molecular building blocks are evaporated onto a surface. Therefore, choosing the appropriate surface and precursor we are able to build and…
The catalytic role of metallic substrates is a perfect starting point for growing high quality graphene layers by thermal decomposition of aromatics. However, metallic substrates quench the outstanding properties that make graphene the most promising material for future applications. Thus, protocols to transfer graphene to different technologically relevant substrates are…
Graphene edges are known to present localized electronic states that depend on the exact atomic configuration of the graphene border. It has been predicted that zigzag-ended and chiral-ended graphene nanostructures develop spatially and spectrally localized edge states around the Fermi level. However, experimental evidence remains scarce as atomic-scale investigations of…
New nanoarchitectures can be built from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by exploiting the catalytic properties of some metal surfaces. Actually, this bottom-up approach allows the formation of nanostructures with different dimensionality from the same precursor as a consequence of the diffusion of the PAH on the surface. Thus, by selecting…
Recently, we have published a new work in a special issue of the Surface Science journal in Honour of Richard Lambert. “Adsorption and coupling of 4-aminophenol on Pt(111) surfaces” Surf. Sci. 646 (2016) 5-12 by G. Otero-Irurueta, J.I. Martínez, R.A. Bueno, F.J. Palomares, H.J. Salavagione, M.K. Singh, J. Méndez, G.J.…
Graphene growth on metal surfaces is one of the most promising routes towards scalable production of high-quality graphene suitable for industrial applications. Conventionally, the growth of graphene is carried out on weakly interacting surfaces – typically Cu foils – where the substrate plays a double role: first, as a catalyst;…
Here, we present experimental and theoretical evidence of a new reversible transition that takes place in Sn/Si(111):B. The system changes from an insulating (2 √ 3 × 2 √ 3)R30º structure at room temperature to a (√ 3 × √ 3)R30º symmetry above 520 K (2 √ 3 and √…
One of the most extended approaches in order to growth metal-organic nanostructures on surfaces consists in recombine small organic molecules with a carefully controlled quantity of metallic atoms on a surface. As an example, our group followed this strategy in previous works for obtaining a rich variety of nanostructures by…
