[dallastzel]

I'm sure many of you have already seen this before: IBM researchers have imaged a pentacene molecule with a modified AFM

This is very cool, but one thing that puzzles me is that the carbons on each end seem to be exhibiting stronger electron repulsion against the CO tip than those in the middle of the pentacene structure. Why would this be?

[Arctic-Nation]

It's very nice work those chaps did.

But in the image the molecule does appear to be bent. Probably an artefact of the technique used.

[kiwi]

It's very nice work those chaps did.

But in the image the molecule does appear to be bent. Probably an artefact of the technique used.

Really? If you consider the pentacene molecule as 'glued' to the surface, with a bit of flexibility in the ring system, then for the molecule to desorb it has to initially detach from the surface at one of the ends and pull up (like a bandaid). If the molecule never fully detaches, but undergoes repeated peeling and sticking at the ends, then those ends will in a time averaged picture appear closer than the centre. Maybe ;-)