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We have developed a scanning microscope technique enabling submolecular resolution of molecules and nanostructures on the surface of solid matter. We have designed a new method enabling to achieve spatial submolecular resolution in weakly bound water clusters on the surface of salt and a subsequent study of their mobility. We have also demonstrated that the high-resolution imaging enables a reconstruction of the electrostatic potential or spin state discrimination of individual molecules on surfaces of solid matter.
Description
Imaging and manipulation of sodium cation hydrated (Na+, silver) hydrated by 3 water molecules on the surface of rock salt crystal using atomic force microscope (AFM) with tip terminated by chlorine anion (Cl-, green). Bright purple depicts the electrostatic force between the two ions. In this way we were able to study in detail the structure and speed of diffusion of these hydrated ions with different numbers of water molecules. This tool can provide unprecedented microscopic understanding of dissolution of ionic crystals.