Generation, manipulation and characterization of molecules by atomic force microscopy

Using atomic manipulation, one can dissociate, form and rearrange bonds, as well as alter the conformation or charge state of molecules. The molecular structures of reactants, intermediates and products are revealed at unprecedented resolution by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and a suitably functionalized tip. Our present capabilities of manipulation and imaging of molecules by AFM approach the level of control predicted by Richard P. Feynman in his famous lecture ‘There's plenty of room at the bottom’, in which he described how molecules and materials might be formed by attaching and detaching individual atoms at will. In this Review, we discuss recent progress and the future prospects of molecule generation by atom manipulation and molecular characterization by AFM.