Open the door to the atomic world by single-molecule atomic force microscopy

Single-molecule atomic force microscopy (sm-AFM) is a state-of-theart AFM involving single-molecule tip functionalization, characterization, and manipulation. The pioneering work of tip functionalization with a CO molecule in 2009 realized an unprecedented atomic resolution, allowing the elucidation of chemical structures in real space with a superior single-molecule sensitivity. Furthermore, as an atomically precise manipulation tool, sm-AFM realizes both lateral and vertical movements of single molecules and even single atoms. Meanwhile, as a compatible on-surface reactor, sm-AFM enables the creation and in situ imaging of novel molecules and radicals that has never been achieved via conventional approaches. Endowed with these extraordinary capabilities, sm-AFM takes us into the atomic world. In this review, we reveal the principle and working condition of sm-AFM, provide up-to-date understanding on characterization, atomic manipulation, and on-surface reactions using smAFM, evaluate current methods for image simulation, and further outline the challenges and future perspectives for the development of sm-AFM.

Automated summary

Single-molecule atomic force microscopy (sm-AFM) achieves unprecedented atomic resolution and single-molecule sensitivity through tip functionalization, enabling atomically precise manipulation and on-surface reactions. It allows lateral and vertical movements of single molecules and even single atoms, and can create and in situ image novel molecules and radicals as a compatible on-surface reactor.