By confining and concentrating light in a nanometric volume at the apex of a metallic tip, sub-molecule-scale control of a basic photochemical reaction — phototautomerization — is now shown to be possible. Applicable to other photo-induced reactions, this technique signals a new strategy for the synthesis of complex molecules on surfaces.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Yang, B. et al. Sub-nanometre resolution in single-molecule photoluminescence imaging. Nat. Photon. 14, 693–699 (2020). This paper reports sub-molecularly resolved photoluminescence.
Imada, H. et al. Single-molecule laser nanospectroscopy with micro-electron volt energy resolution. Science 373, 95–98 (2021). This article reports the demonstration of photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy in an STM.
Rosławska, A. et al. Mapping Lamb, Stark, and Purcell effects at a chromophore–picocavity junction with hyper-resolved fluorescence microscopy. Phys. Rev. X 12, 011012 (2022). This paper explains the role of picocavity plasmons in sub-nanometre fluorescence imaging.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This is a summary of: Rosławska, A. et al. Submolecular-scale control of phototautomerization. Nat. Nanotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01622-4 (2024).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Photo-induced chemistry with sub-molecular resolution. Nat. Nanotechnol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01623-3
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01623-3