  The single molecule magnet (SMM) bis(phthalocyaninato)terbium (III)
(TbPc$_2$) has attracted steady research attention as an exemplar system for
realizing molecule-based spin electronics. In this paper, we report on the
spontaneous formation of Tb$_2$Pc$_3$ species from TbPc$_2$ precursors via
sublimation in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) onto an Ag(111) surface. The molecules on
the surface are inspected using combined scanning tunneling (STM) and
non-contact atomic force microscopies (nc-AFM) at 5 Kelvin. Submolecular
resolution and height dependent measurements supported by density functional
theory (DFT) calculations unambiguously show the presence of both TbPc$_2$ and
Tb$_2$Pc$_3$ species. The synthesis of Tb$_2$Pc$_3$ species under UHV
conditions is independently confirmed by chemical analysis. The high-resolution
AFM imaging allows us to register the orientation of the topmost Pc ligand in
both Tb$_2$Pc$_3$ and TbPc$_2$ relative to the underlying Ag(111) surface.
Measurements of the electronic structure reveal the selective appearance of a
Kondo signature with temperature $\sim$ 30K in the Tb$_2$Pc$_3$ species,
localized to the Pc ligand lobes. We attribute the presence of the Kondo
resonance on select Tb$_2$Pc$_3$ molecules to the orientation of internal
molecular ligands. High-resolution AFM imaging identifies geometric distortions
between Tb$_2$Pc$_3$ molecules with and without the Kondo effect, the result of
the complex interplay between structural and electronic differences.
