The growth of sulfur adlayers on Au(100).

We have studied the growth of S layers adsorbed on Au(100) with low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), X-ray photoemission spectra (XPS), and scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Three phases of S/Au(100)-(2 × 2), trimer, and c(2 × 4)-are identified; the latter two are not previously reported. A dose of S2 at 300 K transformed Au(100)-(5 × 20) initially into the (2 × 2) phase and formed the c(2 × 4) phase at a saturation coverage. The STM results show that monolayer Au islands formed during the initial S dose and remained throughout the growth, resulting in a rough c(2 × 4) surface. We show that a highly ordered c(2 × 4) phase can be obtained with a flat (2 × 2) phase as an intermediate step during growth. Based on the evolution of XPS and STM images with varied S2 dose, the components of S 2p are assigned and structural models for the various S/Au(100) phases are proposed. In the (2 × 2) phase, one S atom resides on a four-fold hollow site in each (2 × 2) unit cell, corresponding to a S coverage of 0.25 ML; in the trimer phase, three S atoms form a trimer residing on a four-fold hollow site in each (2 × 2) unit cell, corresponding to a S coverage of 0.75 ML; in the c(2 × 4) phase, there are five S atoms in each primitive unit cell of c(2 × 4); three of them form a trimer residing on a four-fold hollow site, and the other two form a dimer located on the top of the trimer, corresponding to a nominal S coverage of 1.25 ML. With the proposed structural models, the growth of S on Au(100) at 300 K is described in detail.

Decoration of nitrogen vacancies by oxygen atoms in boron nitride nanotubes.

Decoration of nitrogen vacancies by oxygen atoms has been studied by near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) around B K-edge in several boron nitride (BN) structures, including bamboo-like and multi-walled BN nanotubes. Breaking of B-N bonds and formation of nitrogen vacancies under low-energy ion bombardment reduces oxidation resistance of BN structures and promotes an efficient oxygen-healing mechanism, in full agreement with some recent theoretical predictions. The formation of mixed O-B-N and B-O bonds is clearly identified by well-resolved peaks in NEXAFS spectra of excited boron atoms.

In situ STM study of the adsorption and electropolymerization of o-, m-, and p-ethylaniline molecules on Au(111) electrode.

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were employed to study the adsorption and polymerization of the geometric isomers of ethylaniline (EA) on a Au(111) single-crystal electrode in 0.5 M H(2)SO(4). All three isomers, namely o-, m-, and p-EA, were adsorbed in highly ordered structures, identified as Au(111)-(4 x 2 square root(3))rect for m- and p-EA and (4 square root(3) x 4 square root(3))R30 degrees for o-EA, at the onset potentials (approximately 0.9 V [vs. reversible hydrogen electrode]) for electropolymerization. Raising the potential in excess of 0.9 V resulted in oxidation and polymerization of m- and o-EA, but decomposition of p-EA. Molecular-resolution STM imaging revealed that poly(m-EA) and poly(o-EA), denoted respectively as m- and o-PEA, exhibited distinctively different molecular shapes. More specifically, m-PEA molecules were predominantly linear and aligned preferentially in the 121 directions of the Au(111) surface; whereas o-PEA molecules were ill-defined in shape and in dimension. These differences in molecular conformation stemmed from unlike arrangements of adsorbed monomers at 0.9 V. Notably, m-EA were adsorbed in zigzags with two nearest neighbors separated by approximately 0.5 nm, which were spatially so similar to the backbones of m-PEA that m-EA molecules coupled readily when the potential was raised high enough to induce the oxidation of m-EA. In contrast, the arrangement of o-EA molecules was so different from the ideal configuration of its polymer that molecules coupled randomly to yield crooked polymer chains less than 20 nm in length. The effect of potential on the structure of m-PEA was examined also, revealing notable branching of linear m-PEA if the electrochemical potential was set at 1.1 V.

Reaction pathways of 2-iodoacetic acid on Cu(100): coverage-dependent competition between C-I bond scission and COOH deprotonation and identification of surface intermediates.

The chemistry of 2-iodoacetic acid on Cu(100) has been studied by a combination of reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed reaction/desorption (TPR/D), and theoretical calculations based on density functional theory for the optimized intermediate structures. In the thermal decomposition of ICH(2)COOH on Cu(100) with a coverage less than a half monolayer, three surface intermediates, CH(2)COO, CH(3)COO, and CCOH, are generated and characterized spectroscopically. Based on their different thermal stabilities, the reaction pathways of ICH(2)COOH on Cu(100) at temperatures higher than 230 K are established to be ICH(2)COOH --> CH(2)COO + H + I, CH(2)COO + H --> CH(3)COO, and CH(3)COO --> CCOH. Theoretical calculations suggest that the surface CH(2)COO has the skeletal plane, with delocalized pi electrons, approximately parallel to the surface. The calculated Mulliken charges agree with the detected binding energies for the two carbon atoms in CH(2)COO on Cu(100). The CCOH derived from CH(3)COO decomposition has a CC stretching frequency at 2025 cm(-1), reflecting its triple-bond character which is consistent with the calculated CCOH structure on Cu(100). Theoretically, CCOH at the bridge and hollow sites has a similar stability and is adsorbed with the molecular axis approximately perpendicular to the surface. The TPR/D study has shown the evolution of the products of H(2), CH(4), H(2)O, CO, CO(2), CH(2)CO, and CH(3)COOH from CH(3)COO decomposition between 500 and 600 K and the formation of H(2) and CO from CCOH between 600 and 700 K. However, at a coverage near one monolayer, the major species formed at 230 and 320 K are proposed to be ICH(2)COO and CH(3)COO. CH(3)COO becomes the only species present on the surface at 400 K. That is, there are two reaction pathways of ICH(2)COOH --> ICH(2)COO + H and ICH(2)COO + H --> CH(3)COO + I (possibly via CH(2)COO), which are different from those observed at lower coverages. Because the C-I bond dissociation of iodoethane on copper single crystal surfaces occurs at approximately 120 K and that the deprotonation of CH(3)COOH on Cu(100) occurs at approximately 220 K, the preferential COOH dehydrogenation of monolayer ICH(2)COOH is an interesting result, possibly due to electronic and/or steric effects.

In situ STM revelation of the adsorption and polymerization of aniline on Au(111) electrode in perchloric acid and benzenesulfonic acid.

In situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to study the adsorption and polymerization of aniline on Au(111) single-crystal electrode in 0.1 M perchloric acid and 0.1 M benzenesulfonic acids (BSA) containing 30 mM aniline, respectively. At the onset potential of aniline's oxidation, approximately 0.8 V [vs reversible hydrogen electrode], aniline molecules were adsorbed in highly ordered arrays, designated as (3 x 2 square root(3)) and (4 x 2 square root(3)) in perchloric acid and BSA, respectively. These structures consisted of intermingled aniline molecules and perchlorate or BSA(-) anions zigzagging in the <110> directions in HClO(4) and in the <121> directions in BSA. The coverage of aniline admolecule on Au(111) was lower in BSA than in HClO(4). Raising the potential to 0.9 V or more positive values triggered the oxidation and polymerization of aniline. With aniline molecules arranging in a way similar to the backbone of PAN in HClO(4), they readily coupled with each other to produce linear polymeric chains aligned predominantly in the 110 directions of the Au(111). Compared with the results observed in H(2)SO(4) (Lee et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 6468), the rate of polymerization was slower in HClO(4) and the produced PAN molecules tended to aggregate on the Au(111) electrode. PAN molecules generated in HClO(4) were anomalously shorter than those formed in H(2)SO(4). In 0.1 M BSA, PAN molecules produced by small overpotential (eta < 100 mV) could assume linear chains or 3D aggregates, depending on [aniline]. These results revealed molecular level details in electropolymerization of aniline, highlighting the important role of anion in controlling the conformation of PAN molecules and the texture of PAN film.

Conformations of polyaniline molecules adsorbed on Au(111) probed by in situ STM and ex situ XPS and NEXAFS.

In situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) have been used to examine the conformation of a monolayer of polyaniline (PAN) molecules produced on a Au(111) single-crystal electrode by anodization at 1.0 V [vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)] in 0.10 M H(2)SO(4) containing 0.030 M aniline. The as-produced PAN molecules took on a well-defined linear conformation stretching for 500 A or more, as shown by in situ and ex situ STM. The XPS and NEXAFS results indicated that the linear PAN seen at 1.0 V assumed the form of an emeraldine salt made of PAN chains and (bi)sulfate anions. Shifting the potential from 1.0 to 0.7 V altered the shape of the PAN molecules from straight to crooked, which was ascribed to restructuring of the Au(111) electrified interface on the basis of voltammetric and XPS results. In situ STM showed that further decreasing the potential to 0.5 V transformed the crooked PAN threads into a mostly linear form again, with preferential alignment and formation of some locally ordered structures. PAN molecules could be reduced from emeraldine to leucoemeraldine as the potential was decreased to 0.2 V or less. In situ STM showed that the fully reduced PAN molecules were straight but mysteriously shortened to approximately 50 A in length. The conformation of PAN did not recuperate when the potential was shifted positively to 1.0 V.

Oriented growth of crystalline pentacene films with preferred a-b in-plane alignment on a rubbed crystalline polymethylene surface.

We have achieved a growth of highly oriented crystalline pentacene thin films, with preferred a-b in-plane orientation with respect to the rubbing direction of a rubbed polymethylene surface. The polymethylene thin film, generated on a gold surface by gold-catalyzed decomposition of diazomethane, was annealed and gently rubbed in a fixed direction by a flannelette cloth to serve as an alignment layer during the deposition of pentacene molecules. Various surface analysis techniques, including reflection absorption IR spectroscopy (RAIRS), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD), and atomic force microscopy were used to elucidate the structural details of the polymethylene and the pentacene thin films deposited on it. Two crystalline morphologies of pentacene thin film were observed: the minor one of rod-like molecular crystals having their long axes of the crystals perpendicular to the rubbing direction, and the dominant one of platelet-like and layered crystals having the molecular axes stand near vertical to the surface. Moreover, GIXD revealed that the rubbing on polymethylene indeed induced a preferential azimuthal alignment of pentacene crystallites. The deposition of pentacene at 25 degrees C led to a twin growth of crystallites with the [110] direction predominately aligned perpendicular to the rubbing direction. In contrast, the pentacene deposition at 50 degrees C produced twinned crystallites of lower twin angle and the [120] direction aligned parallel to the rubbing direction.

Thermal decomposition of HSCH2CH2OH on Cu(111): identification and adsorption geometry of surface intermediates.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been employed to study the surface intermediates from the thermal decomposition of HSCH2CH2OH on Cu(111) at elevated temperatures. On the basis of the changes of the core-level binding energies of C, O, and S as a function of temperature, it is found that HSCH2CH2OH decomposes sequentially to form -SCH2CH2OH and -SCH2CH2O-. Theoretical calculations based on density functional theory for an unreconstructed one-layer copper surface suggest that -SCH2CH2OH is preferentially bonded at a 3-fold hollow site, with an adsorption energy lower than the cases at bridging and atop sites by 15.6 and 47.5 kcal x mol(-1), respectively. Other structural characteristics for the energy-optimized geometry includes the tilted C-S bond (14.1 degrees with respect to the surface normal), the C-C bond titled toward a bridging site, and the C-O bond pointed toward the surface. In the case of -SCH2CH2O- on Cu(111), the calculations suggest that the most probable geometry of the adsorbate has its S and O bonded at hollow and bridging sites, respectively. With respect to the surface normal, the angles of the S-C and O-C are 27.9 and 34.0 degrees.

A unique reaction pathway of fluorine-substituted ethyl groups on Cu(111): successive alpha,alpha-fluoride elimination.

Fluorine-substituted ethyl groups on Cu(111) were generated by thermal scission of the C-I bond in the adsorbed C2F5I. Temperature-programmed reaction spectrometry observed a novel pathway resulting in the evolution of C4F6 above 400 K. Among the various isomers, this product was identified as hexafluro-2-butyne. Although abstraction of two fluorine atoms from the starting Cu-CF2CF3 was required, Cu-CCF3 (trifluoroethylidyne) was favored over Cu-CF=CF2 (trifluorovinyl) as the intermediate because this ethyl-ethylidyne-butyne pathway was suppressed on a Cu(100) surface devoid of the key threefold hollow binding sites for ethylidyne. Once formed, perfluoroethylidyne readily coupled to afford a tightly surface-bound hexafluoro-2-butyne up to 400 K. Therefore, the C-F bonds adjacent to the metal were found to be more susceptible to the bond activation, leading the chemisorbed perfluoroethyl to eliminate two F atoms successively from the alpha-carbon. This preference for alpha-elimination rather than beta-elimination (the most favorable route in hydrocarbons) may be quite general for metal surface-mediated reactions involving fluorinated alkyl groups.