Azobenzene on Cu(110): adsorption site-dependent diffusion

Azobenzene and its derivatives can undergo reversible trans-cis isomerizations when irradiated with light, making them potential candidates for optically sensitive materials and devices. The adsorption and diffusion of azobenzene on the Cu(110) surface was investigated with a variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscope. The trans-isomer was observed and found to occupy two adsorption geometries-an energetically stable and a metastable state. Diffusion occurred along the closed-packed 1 -1 0] direction of the surface, and the diffusivity for the two adsorption states was found to differ by approximately 1 order of magnitude.