Adsorption-geometry induced transformation of self-assembled nanostructures of an aldehyde molecule on Cu(110)

From an interplay of high-resolution STM imaging/manipulation and DFT calculations, we have revealed that different self-assembled nanostructures of BA molecules on Cu(110) are attributable to specific molecular adsorption geometries, and thus the corresponding intermolecular hydrogen bonding patterns. The STM manipulations demonstrate the feasibility of switching such weak-hydrogen-bonding patterns.