New insights into binding configuration and mobility of molecules on nanoparticle surfaces

Laser excitation of a phthalocyanine molecule on the surface of a noble gas cluster consisting of a few hundred neon atoms. The system has a size of less than ten nanometers. (Image: Uni Freiburg) - Freiburg physicists investigate binding between molecules and nanoparticles with high resolution How molecules bind to a surface is of central importance in chemical reactions, making the possibility of studying binding configurations in isolated nanosystems of great interest. A Freiburg research team led by Dr. Lukas Bruder and Frank Stienkemeier has now succeeded in studying the binding configurations and mobility of organic molecules on ultracold noble gas particles. In doing so, they obtained information on the different binding configurations between the molecules and the nanoparticle surface and how these configurations develop after exposure to light. To this end, phthalocyanine molecules were studied as important building blocks for optoelectronic and organic photovoltaic applications. Particularly high time and energy resolution.