Direct Visualization of Organometallic Intermediates on Cu(111) with Bond-Resolving Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the surface-confined coupling reactions of 1,8-dibromobiphenylene (BPBr2) on Cu(111) to elucidate the details of the organometallic intermediates via Ullmann reactions. We used scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to characterize the resulting organometallic intermediates. Moreover, submolecular resolution of the non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) qPlus technique enables the bond-resolving within the organometallic dimer product. Our findings reveal the debromination of BPBr2 on Cu(111), leading to the formation of an organometallic dimer intermediate at room temperature. Through nc-AFM measurements, we confirm and visualize the formation of the C-Cu-C bond. These insights enhance our understanding of Ullmann reaction and hold potential implications for the design of novel two-dimensional electronic devices.