Symmetry breakdown of 4,4″-diamino-p-terphenyl on a Cu(111) surface by lattice mismatch

Abstract

In a symmetric molecule with identical functional groups, selective activation of only one site is challenging. Here, the authors show that 4,4″-diamino-p-terphenyl adsorbs asymmetrically to a metal surface, leading to a change in binding affinity of one of its amine groups.