Electrochemical atomic force microscopy of two-dimensional trinuclear ruthenium clusters molecular assembly and dynamics under redox state control.

Mixed-valence ruthenium trinuclear clusters containing dichloroacetates were synthesized, and the self-assembly of a single molecular adlayer composed of these clusters on a graphite surface was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM clearly revealed the dynamics of two-dimensional (2D) structure formation as well as the molecular characteristics of the adlayers at different electrochemical interfaces. The results verified that the design of metal complexes is important not only for redox chemistry but also for molecular assembly and nanoarchitecture construction.