Deposition of size-selected metal clusters on inert graphite surface with atomic anchors

A novel method was developed to fix size-selected Metal clusters firmly on an inert; surface; atomic anchors are fixed on the surface by injecting atomic ions on it, and then by soft-landing metal clusters which are pinned to the anchors. In the present report, we demonstrated a utility Of this method by using a system of W(9)(+) to W(+) anchors. The atomic anchors and the clusters thus prepared oil a graphite (0001) surface were observed by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was Found that mono-atomically arranged tungsten clusters are firmly fixed oil the, surface is W(9+1).