Properties and photodissociation of diazocarbene precursors
Carbenes are interesting compounds for organic and inorganic chemists because of their unique reactivity. They may exist in a singlet or triplet state depending on their molecular composition and structure. Smart choice of these two parameters allows reducing the energetic gap between singlet and triplet state. Matrix isolation experiments showed that an appropriate stimulus (e.g. light) is then able to switch the carbene between the two states [1]. We will investigate this behavior with low‑temperature scanning tunneling microscopy on the single molecule scale.
[1] Paolo Costa et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138, 1622