Manipulating, Reacting, and Constructing Single Molecules with a Scanning Tunneling Microscope Tip

The fascinating advances in atom and molecule manipulation with the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip allow scientists to fabricate artificial atomic scale structures, to study local quantum phenomena, or to probe physical and chemical properties of single atoms and molecules on surfaces. Recent achievements in individual synthesis of single molecules with the STM tip further open up an entirely new opportunities in nanoscience and technology. The STM manipulation techniques useful in the molecular construction are reviewed and prospects for future opportunities of single molecule chemical engineering and their possible implications to nano-scale science and technology are discussed.