Ni-induced supramolecular structural transformation of cytosine on Au(111): from one-dimensional chains to zero-dimensional clusters

Interplay between high-resolution STM imaging and DFT calculations demonstrates that through introduction of Ni atoms the self-assembled structures of cytosine could undergo a structural transformation from 1-D chains to 0-D clusters on Au(111). Interestingly, the 0-D clusters formed are separately distributed on the surface.