%0 Journal Article
%@ 0036-8075
%A Maksymovych, P
%A Sorescu, DC
%A Jordan, KD
%A Yates, JT
%D 2008
%F pittir:16152
%J Science
%N 5908
%P 1664 - 1667
%T Collective reactivity of molecular chains self-assembled on a surface
%U http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/16152/
%V 322
%X Self-assembly of molecules on surfaces is a route toward not only creating structures, but also engineering chemical reactivity afforded by the intermolecular interactions. Dimethyldisulfide (CH3SSCH3) molecules self-assemble into linear chains on single-crystal gold surfaces. Injecting low-energy electrons into individual molecules in the self-assembled structures with the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope led to a propagating chemical reaction along the molecular chain as sulfur-sulfur bonds were broken and then reformed to produce new CH3SSCH3 molecules. Theoretical and experimental evidence supports a mechanism involving electron attachment followed by dissociation of a CH3SSCH3 molecule and initiation of a chain reaction by one or both of the resulting CH 3S intermediates.