In-architecture X-ray assisted C-Br dissociation for on-surface fabrication of diamondoid chains

• Published in: arXiv.org 2024-10
• Main Authors: Wang, Yan, Grabicki, Niklas, Hibiki Orio, Li, Juan, Gao, Jie, Zhang, Xiaoxi, Cerqueira, Tiago F T, Marques, Miguel A L, Jiang, Zhaotan, Reinert, Friedrich, Dumele, Oliver, Carlos-Andres, Palma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atomic properties; Diamonds; Low temperature; Mass spectrometry; Metal surfaces; Nanostructure; Photoelectrons; Scanning probe microscopy; Self-assembly; Superconductivity; Synthesis; Ultrahigh vacuum
• ISSN: 2331-8422

The fabrication of well-defined, low-dimensional diamondoid-based materials is a promising approach for tailoring diamond properties such as superconductivity. On-surface self-assembly of halogenated diamondoids under ultrahigh vacuum conditions represents an effective strategy in this direction, enabling reactivity exploration and on-surface synthesis approaches. Here we demonstrate through scanning probe microscopy, time-of-flight mass spectrometry and photoelectron spectroscopy, that self-assembled layers of dibromodiamantanes on gold can be debrominated at atomic wavelengths (Al K\(\alpha\) at 8.87 \(\mathring{A}\) and Mg K\(\alpha\) at 9.89 \(\mathring{A}\)) and low temperatures without affecting their well-defined arrangement. The resulting 'in-architecture' debromination enables the fabrication of diamantane chains from self-assembled precursors in close proximity, which is otherwise inaccessible through annealing on metal surfaces. Our work introduces a novel approach for the fabrication of nanodiamond chains, with significant implications for in-architecture and layer-by-layer synthesis.