The adsorption and diffusion behaviors of benzene molecules on an Au(111) surface are investigated by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. A herringbone surface reconstruction of the Au(111) surface is imaged with atomic resolution, and significantly different behaviors are observed for benzene molecules adsorbed on step edges and terraces. The electric field induced modification in the molecular diffusion potential is revealed with a 2D molecular gas model, and a new method is developed to map the diffusion potential over the reconstructed Au(111) surface at the nanometer scale.

Visualization of a Maze-Like Reconstruction of Graphene on a Copper Surface at the Atomic Scale * XIE Nan(谢楠) 1,2 , GONG Hui-Qi(宮会期) 2 , ZHOU Zhi(周智) 2 , GUO Xiao-Dong(郭晓东) 2 , YAN Shi-Chao(颜世超) 2 , SUN Qian(孙骞) 1 , XING Sirui(邢思锐) 3 , WU Wei(吴纬) 3 , PEI Shin-shem(白先慎) 3 , BAO Jiming(包吉明) 3 , SHAN Xin-Yan(单欣岩) 2 , GUO Yang(郭阳) 2** , LU Xing-Hua(陆兴华) 2**