Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 58: Organic molecules on inorganic substrates: Adsorption and growth III
O 58.5: Talk
Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 11:30–11:45, TRE/PHYS
From Inert Nitrogen to Reactive Metal Nitrene: An On-Surface Route to N-Heterocycles — •Marco Thaler1, Ricardo Ruvalcaba Briones2, Shadi Fatayer2, and Laerte Patera1 — 1Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria — 2Applied Physics Program, Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Nitrenes are highly reactive intermediates in organic chemistry and play a key role in the synthesis of nitrogen containing compounds. In solution, nitrenes are typically generated from chemically activated precursors (e.g., azides), whereas direct conversion of primary amines remains challenging due to the inherent strength of N-H bonds. On surfaces, reactive nitrenes have likewise been formed from organic azides [1]; however, azides are thermally and photochemically labile and can decompose violently upon exposure to heat, light, or mechanical shock, posing safety risks. Here, using combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), non contact atomic force microscopy (nc AFM), and density functional theory (DFT), we demonstrate the thermally activated formation of a surface stabilized metal-nitrene intermediate from a chemically inert amine, which mediates the on-surface formation of a nitrogen-containing heterocycle. Our findings establish non activated nitrogen functionalities as viable nitrene precursors and reveal new mechanistic pathways for on-surface synthesis of N-heterocyclic compounds.
[1] Hellerstedt et al., Angew. Chem. 131, 2288-2293 (2019).
Keywords: nitrene; on-surface synthesis; STM; AFM; N-heterocycle