Tunneling electrons from a low-temperature (5 kelvin) scanning tunneling microscope were used to control, through resonant electronic excitation, the molecular dynamics of an individual biphenyl molecule adsorbed on a silicon(100) surface. Different reversible molecular movements were selectively activated by tuning the electron energy and by selecting precise locations for the excitation inside the molecule. Both the spatial selectivity and energy dependence of the electronic control are supported by spectroscopic measurements with the scanning tunneling microscope. These experiments demonstrate the feasibility of controlling the molecular dynamics of a single molecule through the localization of the electronic excitation inside the molecule.

NIMROD is the Near and InterMediate Range Order Diffractometer of the ISIS second target station. Its design is optimized for structural studies of disordered materials and liquids on a continuous length scale that extends from the atomic, upward of 30 nm, while maintaining subatomic distance resolution. This capability is achieved by matching a low and wider angle array of high efficiency neutron scintillation detectors to the broad band-pass radiation delivered by a hybrid liquid water and liquid hydrogen neutron moderator assembly. The capabilities of the instrument bridge the gap between conventional small angle neutron scattering and wide angle diffraction through the use of a common calibration procedure for the entire length scale. This allows the instrument to obtain information on nanoscale systems and processes that are quantitatively linked to the local atomic and molecular order of the materials under investigation.

Decoupling the electronic properties of a molecule from a substrate is of crucial importance for the development of single-molecule electronics. This is achieved here by adsorbing pentacene molecules at low temperature on a hydrogenated Si(100) surface (12 K). The low temperature (5 K) scanning tunneling microscope (STM) topography of the single pentacene molecule at the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) tunnel resonance clearly resembles the native HOMO of the free molecule. The negligible electronic coupling between the molecule and the substrate is confirmed by theoretical STM topography and diffusion barrier energy calculations.

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