STM study of azobenzene self-assembly at clean metal surfaces

Azobenzene derivatives form a unique class of photoactive molecules that have potential for nanoscale optical applications. We have examined the self-assembly behavior of azobenzene molecules on the Au(111) and NiAl(110) surfaces using a variable temperature UHV STM. We observe a variety of low-dimensional molecular configurations, some of which can be manipulated with the tip of the STM. These structures are highly temperature dependent and typically require cryogenic operation for stable imaging.