Ligand-Induced Energy Shift and Localization of Kondo Resonances in Cobalt-Based Complexes on Cu(111).

Magnetic sandwich complexes are of particular interest for molecular spintronics. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we evidence the successful deposition of 1,3,5-tris(η-borabenzene-η-cyclopentadienylcobalt) benzene, a molecule composed of three connected magnetic sandwich units, on Cu(111). Scanning tunneling spectra reveal two distinct spatial-dependent narrow resonances close to the Fermi level for the trimer molecules as well as for molecular fragments composed of one and two magnetic units. With the help of density functional theory, these resonances are interpreted as two Kondo resonances originating from two distinct nondegenerate d-like orbitals. These Kondo resonances are found to have defined spatial extents dictated by the hybridization of the involved orbitals with that of the ligands. These results opens promising perspectives for investigating complex Kondo systems composed of several "Kondo" orbitals.