Mechano-Catalysis: Cyclohexane Oxidation in a Silver Nanowire Break Junction

The dissociation of molecular oxygen at the clean surface of silver nanowires is studied in a mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) operating in organic liquids. From conductance histogram measurements, it can be concluded that the breaking of the nanowires exposes clean surfaces at which dissociation of dissolved oxygen molecules takes place, followed by chemisorption of the oxygen atoms at the nanowire surface. Subsequent characteristic changes in the appearance of individual conductance curves in the tunneling regime point to the mechano-catalytic oxidation of the solvent cyclohexane to cyclohexanol, and it is proposed that the oxygen atoms adsorbed at the nanowires are activated for this reaction, with the MCBJ acting as the mechano-catalyst.