Focus on the Essential: Extracting the Decisive Energy Barrier of a Complex Process

• DOI: 10.1002/admi.201900795
• Publication Date: 2019-08-27T13:31:27Z
• Authors: Simon Aeschlimann; Julia Neff; Ralf Bechstein; Chiara Paris; Andrea Floris; Lev Kantorovich; Angelika Kühnle
• Keywords: atomic force microscopy; F300 Physics; 612; 02 engineering and technology; nanoscience; 530; surface science; F170 Physical Chemistry; Arrhenius; energy barrier; F100 Chemistry; 0210 nano-technology

Abstract Molecular processes at surfaces can be composed of a rather complex sequence steps. The kinetics even seemingly simple steps are demonstrated to depend on multitude factors, which prohibits applying Arrhenius law. This complexity make it challenging experimentally determine the kinetic parameters single step. However, molecular‐level understanding molecular such as structural transitions requires elucidating atomistic details individual Here, strategy is presented extract energy barrier decisive step in very transition by systematically addressing all factors that impact kinetics. Only eliminating these measurement experimental data will follow an law and extracted for Using system 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid calcite (10.4) example, determined attachment‐assisted dissociation dimers from striped dense surface structure. disentanglement approach mandatory direct comparison with theoretical results provides insights into mechanism.