文摘
We investigate the dynamical features of the adsorption of diphenylalanine molecules on the Cu(110) surfaceand of their assembling into supramolecular structures by a combination of quantum and classical atomisticmodeling with dynamic scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopic experiments. Our results reveal aself-assembling mechanism in which isolated adsorbed molecules change their conformation and adsorptionmode as a consequence of their mutual interactions. In particular, the formation of zwitterions after protontransfer between initially neutral molecules is found to be the key event of the assembling process, whichstabilizes the supramolecular structures. Because of the constraints on the intermolecular bonds exerted bythe surface-molecule interactions, the assembly process is strictly stereoselective, and may suggest a generalmodel for patterning and functionalization of bare metal surfaces with short chiral peptides.