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Single-molecule imaging

Catalysts under the microscope

Nature Nanotechnology volume 2, pages 270–271 (2007)Cite this article

A scanning tunnelling microscope has been used to image — with single-molecule resolution — a chemical reaction occurring at a solid — liquid interface, providing a clearer picture of the role played by individual catalysts in this process.

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Figure 1: Manganese porphyrins (pink ovals) on a gold surface can react with molecular oxygen (blue circles) to form catalysts (red ovals) in which an oxygen atom is bonded to the Mn atom.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Simon J. Higgins and Richard J. Nichols are in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, UK. shiggins@liv.ac.uk; nichols@liv.ac.uk,

    Simon J. Higgins & Richard J. Nichols

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  1. Simon J. Higgins
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  2. Richard J. Nichols
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Higgins, S., Nichols, R. Catalysts under the microscope. Nature Nanotech 2, 270–271 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2007.117

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