Using $p$-aminothiophenol (PATP) molecules on a gold substrate and high-vacuum tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (HV-TERS), we show that the vibrational spectra of these molecules are distinctly different from those in typical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Detailed first-principles calculations help to assign the Raman peaks in the TERS measurements as Raman-active and IR-active vibrational modes of dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB), providing strong spectroscopic evidence for the dimerization of PATP molecules to DMAB under the TERS setup. The activation of the IR-active modes is due to enhanced electromagnetic field gradient effects within the gap region of the highly asymmetric tip-surface geometry. Fermi resonances are also observed in HV-TERS. These findings help to broaden the versatility of TERS as a promising technique for ultrasensitive molecular spectroscopy.

• Received 23 August 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.87.020401