Spontaneous switching and fine structure of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts on Au(111)

Nanoscale. 2024 Dec 19;17(1):214-218. doi: 10.1039/d4nr03942d.

Abstract

We present the spontaneous isomerization of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts anchored onto a gold surface, visualized using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Our investigation reveals a palette of molecular arrangements, including those with ferroelectric-like ordering, evolving over time into a fine pattern consisting of both open and closed forms of the photoswitch.