First principles study of small cobalt clusters encapsulated in C60 and C82 spherical nanocages

Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of the small Co_n clusters (n = 2-7) endohedrally doped in C₆₀ (Ih) and C₈₂ (C2v) fullerenes were investigated using ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory. It is found that the encapsulated Co_n clusters inside C₆₀ and C₈₂ cages are energetically favorable except for Co₇@C₆₀. The encapsulation does not change significantly the structure of the enclosed clusters, but the magnetic moment of the clusters reduces due to a stronger Co-C hybridization for the larger clusters.     

Intramolecular structures of C60 and C84 molecules on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 surfaces by scanning tunneling microscopy

The intramolecular features of carbon 60 and carbon 84 molecules on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 surfaces were studied under a UHV-scanning tunneling microscope. Carbon molecules preferentially appear in faulted halves, rather than in unfaulted halves and corner holes; they are embedded in silicon substrates. The orientation and details of the structure of carbon molecules are determined by applying various sample biases to the silicon substrate. As compared with other fullerenes, a bright pentagonal ring with nebulous clusters which represents the cage structure is clearly observed on top of carbon 60 molecules. The bright stripes associated with partitioned curves which depict eight features of asymmetrical C₈₄ molecules are also investigated on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 surfaces. The orientations and possible configurations of C₆₀ and C₈₄ are considered in this work. The energy differences for various features of C₆₀ and C₈₄ molecules are estimated and discussed. The corresponding models with respect to each intramolecular feature are proposed and compared with recent theoretical calculation.     

Adsorption and thermal decomposition of C60 on Co/Si(111)-7 × 7

We present a study on the adsorption and thermal decomposition of C₆₀ on Co covered Si(111)-7 × 7 using scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Co-induced magic clusters grown on Si(111)-7 × 7 are identified as a possible adsorption site where 51 ± 3% of C₆₀ molecules adsorb at room temperature. On Co/Si(111)-7 × 7, C₆₀ molecules start to decompose at 450 °C, and are completely dissociated to form SiC by 720 °C. This temperature is significantly lower than 910 °C at which C₆₀ completely dissociates on clean Si(111)-7 × 7. This is a possible low temperature method for growing crystalline SiC films using C₆₀ as a precursor molecule.     

Formation of Sim and SimCn clusters by C60 sputtering of Si

The secondary ion mass spectrum of silicon sputtered by high energy C₆₀⁺ ions in sputter equilibrium is found to be dominated by Si clusters and we report the relative yields of Si_m⁺ (1 ≤ m ≤ 15) and various Si_mC_n⁺ clusters (1 ≤ m ≤ 11 for n = 1; 1 ≤ m ≤ 6 for n = 2; 1 ≤ m ≤ 4 for n = 3). The yields of Si_m⁺ clusters up to Si₇⁺ are significant (between 0.1 and 0.6 of the Si⁺ yield) with even numbered clusters Si₄⁺ and Si₆⁺ having the highest probability of formation. The abundances of cluster ions between Si₈⁺ and Si₁₁⁺ are still significant (>1% relative to Si⁺) but drop by a factor of ∼100 between Si₁₁⁺ and Si₁₃⁺. The probability of formation of clusters Si₁₃⁺-Si₁₅⁺ is approximately constant at ∼5 × 10⁻⁴ relative to Si⁺ and rising a little for Si₁₅⁺, but clusters beyond Si₁₅ are not detected (Si_m≥16⁺/Si⁺ < 1 × 10⁻⁴). The probability of formation of Si_m⁺ and Si_mC_n⁺ clusters depends only very weakly on the C₆₀⁺ primary ion energy between 13.5 keV and 37.5 keV. The behaviour of Si_m⁺ and Si_mC_n⁺ cluster ions was also investigated for impacts onto a fresh Si surface to study the effects that saturation of the surface with C₆₀⁺ in reaching sputter equilibrium may have had on the measured abundances. By comparison, there are very minor amounts of pure Si_m⁺ clusters produced during C₆₀⁺ sputtering of silica (SiO₂) and various silicate minerals. The abundances for clusters heavier than Si₂⁺ are very small compared to the case where Si is the target.The data reported here suggest that Si_m⁺ and Si_mC_n⁺ cluster abundances may be consistent in a qualitative way with theoretical modelling by others which predicts each carbon atom to bind with 3-4 Si atoms in the sample. This experimental data may now be used to improve theoretical modelling.     

Probing the interaction at the C60-SiC nanomesh interface

Synchrotron-based high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy (PES) and in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are used to investigate the interaction at the C₆₀-SiC nanomesh interface during the sequential deposition and subsequent desorption of C₆₀ molecules. A weak charge transfer occurs at the C₆₀-nanomesh interface, involving electrons transferring from nanomesh to C₆₀ overlayer. The interface interaction originated from the weak charge transfer at the C₆₀-nanomesh interface is stronger than C₆₀ intermolecular interaction (e.g., van-der-Waals force), facilitating the layer-by-layer growth for the first two layers of C₆₀ on SiC nanomesh. The highly corrugated nanomesh surface results in an anisotropic diffusion and high diffusion barrier of C₆₀ on top, and thereby leads to the formation of irregularly shaped C₆₀ islands under submonolayer condition. In contrast, C₆₀ diffusion on HOPG and Ag(1 1 1) surfaces is rather isotropic, resulting in the formation of hexagonally shaped C₆₀ islands with smooth domain boundaries. STM results show the partial desorption of C₆₀ molecules from the SiC nanomesh surface after annealing the 1 ML C₆₀ sample (complete wetting layer of C₆₀ on SiC nanomesh) at around 150 °C for 20 min. Thorough desorption of C₆₀ molecules and full recovery of the clean SiC nanomesh are observed after annealing at around 200 °C for 20 min. In situ PES and STM experiments clearly demonstrate that C₆₀ adsorption and desorption processes do not affect the underlying SiC nanomesh structure, revealing its thermal stability and chemical inertness to C₆₀ molecules.     

Scanning tunneling microscopy of surface-adsorbed fullerenes: C60, C70, and C84

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is used to characterize partial monolayers of C₆₀, C₇₀, and C₈₄ adsorbed on the Au(1 1 1) surface at room temperature and under ambient conditions. A high degree of structural polymorphism is observed for monolayers of each of these fullerenes. For C₆₀, three lattice packings are observed, including a previously unreported 7 × 7 R21.8° structure that is stabilized by adjacent surface step defects. For C₇₀, two lattice packings are observed, and analysis of molecular features in STM images allows molecular binding geometry to be determined. In one of the two observed lattice structures, C₇₀ molecules align their long axis along the surface normal, while in the other, molecules align parallel to the surface and along a gold lattice direction. The parallel geometry is also preferred for isolated and loosely packed molecules on the surface. C₈₄ exhibits a large number of lattice orientations and no long-range order, and likely binds incommensurately on Au(1 1 1). Time series of images of partial C₇₀ monolayers show progressive surface modification as a result of perturbation by the STM tip; this is in contrast to the behavior of C₆₀, where alterations in surface structure at room temperature are thermally driven.     

Galvanomagnetic properties of air-stable and highly conductive potassium-intercalated graphite sheet

Magnetoresistance and Hall coefficient of air-stable potassium-intercalated graphite sheets (hereafter abbreviated as K-PGS) were determined at room temperature. The magnitude of the magnetoresistance and the absolute value of Hall coefficient of K-PGS decreased with increasing potassium content of K-PGS, n_K/n_C. Two-carrier model was used for calculating carrier density and mobility. The electron density increased with increasing n_K/n_C: 3.07×10²⁰ cm⁻³ (n_K/n_C=0.005), 5.67×10²⁰ cm⁻³ (n_K/n_C=0.008) and 6.40×10²⁰ cm⁻³ (n_K/n_C=0.011). The value of the electron density of K-PGS with n_K/n_C=0.011 (nominal composition KC₉₁) was about 80% of the reported value, 7.8×10²⁰ cm⁻³, for KC₄₈ (n_K/n_C=0.021) prepared from HOPG (highly oriented pyrolytic graphite). The mobility decreased with increasing n_K/n_C: 2.11×10³ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ (n_K/n_C=0.005), 1.42×10³ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ (n_K/n_C=0.008) and 1.34×10³ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ (n_K/n_C=0.011). The value of the mobility of K-PGS with n_K/n_C=0.011 was about 60% of the reported value (2300 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) for KC₄₈ prepared from HOPG.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of sputtering of organic overlayers by slow, large clusters

The ion-stimulated desorption of organic molecules by impact of large and slow clusters is examined using molecular dynamics (MDs) computer simulations. The investigated system, represented by a monolayer of benzene deposited on Ag{1 1 1}, is irradiated with projectiles composed of thousands of noble gas atoms having a kinetic energy of 0.1-20 eV/atom. The sputtering yield of molecular species and the kinetic energy distributions are analyzed and compared to the results obtain for PS4 overlayer. The simulations demonstrate quite clearly that the physics of ejection by large and slow clusters is distinct from the ejection events stimulated by the popular SIMS clusters, like C₆₀, Au₃ and SF₅ at tens of keV energies.     

Conformational order of n-dodecanethiol and n-dodecaneselenol monolayers on polycrystalline copper investigated by PM-IRRAS and SFG spectroscopy

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-dodecanethiol (C₁₂H₂₅SH) and n-dodecaneselenol (C₁₂H₂₅SeH) on polycrystalline copper have been elaborated with the purpose of achieving densely packed and crystalline-like assemblies. By combining the surface sensitivity of polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) and sum-frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG), the effect of the self-assembly time (15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h and 24 h) on the formation of n-dodecanethiol and n-dodecaneselenol monolayers on untreated and electrochemically reduced polycrystalline copper has been investigated. On electrochemically reduced copper, PM-IRRAS spectroscopy shows that both molecules are able to form well organized layers. SFG spectroscopy indicates that the C₁₂H₂₅SeH SAMs are slightly better ordered than those achieved with C₁₂H₂₅SH. On untreated copper, the two molecules lead to different film organizations. Both PM-IRRAS and SFG indicate that C₁₂H₂₅SH SAMs are of the same film quality as those obtained on electrochemically reduced copper. On the contrary, C₁₂H₂₅SeH monolayers are invariably poorly organized at the molecular level.     

Enhancement of the secondary ion emission induced by fast clusters

The emission yields of the secondary ions are measured by using a conventional time of flight (TOF) technique under bombardments of Mg and C₂, Ni and Si₂ with different energies, and C_n, Si_n and Ni_n (n = 1-3) with the different charge states and with energy of 1.5 MeV per atom, respectively. For the bombardments of C_n, Si_n and Ni_n, the enhancements of the secondary ion emissions increase with increasing cluster sizes and charge states. For the bombardments of Mg and C₂, Ni and Si₂, although the mass and the nuclear charges of C₂ and Si₂ are the same as or equivalent to Mg or Ni, respectively, the enhancements of the secondary ion emissions induced by the clusters of C₂ and Si₂ in a wide energy range are also clearly indicated. The instantaneous collective interaction of the cluster constituents plays an important role in the secondary ion emissions.     

Energy distributions of atomic and molecular ions sputtered by C60 projectiles

In the process of investigating the interaction of fullerene projectiles with adsorbed organic layers, we measured the kinetic energy distributions (KEDs) of fragment and parent ions sputtered from an overlayer of polystyrene (PS) oligomers cast on silver under 15 keV C₆₀⁺ bombardment. These measurements have been conducted using our TRIFT™ spectrometer, recently equipped with the C₆₀⁺ source developed by Ionoptika, Ltd. For atomic ions, the intensity corresponding to the high energy tail decreases in the following order: C⁺(E^−0.4) > H⁺(E^−1.5) > Ag⁺(E^−3.5). In particular, the distribution of Ag⁺ is not broader than those of Ag₂⁺ and Ag₃⁺ clusters, in sharp contrast with 15 keV Ga⁺ bombardment. On the other hand, molecular ions (fragments and parent-like species) exhibit a significantly wider distribution using C₆₀⁺ instead of Ga⁺ as primary ions. For instance, the KED of Ag-cationized PS oligomers resembles that of Ag⁺ and Ag_n⁺ clusters. A specific feature of fullerene projectiles is that they induce the direct desorption of positively charged oligomers, without the need of a cationizing metal atom. The energy spectrum of these PS⁺ ions is significantly narrower then that of Ag-cationized oligomers. For characteristic fragments of PS, such as C₇H₇⁺ and C₁₅H₁₃⁺ and polycyclic fragments, such as C₉H₇⁺ and C₁₄H₁₀⁺, the high energy decay is steep (E⁻⁴ − E⁻⁸). In addition, reorganized ions generally show more pronounced high energy tails than characteristic ions, similar to the case of monoatomic ion bombardment. This observation is consistent with the higher excitation energy needed for their formation. Finally, the fraction of hydrocarbon ions formed in the gas phase via unimolecular dissociation of larger species is slightly larger with gallium than with fullerene projectiles.     

Photon-assisted synthesis of C60 polymers by laser irradiation

The harmonics of a free electron laser (FEL) were irradiated in vacuum to surfaces of compressed C₆₀ and a mixture of C₆₀ and I₂. The power and frequency of the fundamental FEL macro-pulse were ca. 0.5 mJ/pulse and 2 Hz, respectively. The irradiation time was 120-180 min. After irradiation of FEL with a typical wavelength of 450 or 345 nm, the Raman peak of Ag(2)-derived vibration mode of C₆₀ shifted to the lower-energy side. The Raman peak shift of the mixture powder sample was greater than that of pure C₆₀. Furthermore, changes of the crystalline structure indicated that various intermolecular combinations occurred by irradiation. These results strongly suggest that three-dimensional polymerization of C₆₀ was promoted by laser irradiation and the effect of photon-assisted hole-doping from iodine atoms to C₆₀ molecules.     

Epitaxial C60 thin films on Bi(0 0 0 1)

We have used the Bi(0 0 0 1)/Si(1 1 1) template to grow highly ordered C₆₀ epitaxial thin films and analyzed them using scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron microscopy. The in situ low-energy electron microscope investigations show that the initial nucleation of the C₆₀ islands on the surface takes place at surface defects, such as domain boundaries and multiple steps. The in-plane lattice parameters of this C₆₀ film turns out to be the same as that of the bulk fcc(1 1 1) C₆₀. The line-on-line epitaxial structure is realized in spite of a weak interaction between the C₆₀ molecules and Bi(0 0 0 1) surface, while scanning tunneling spectroscopy indicates that there is a negligible charge transfer between the molecules and the surface.     

Structures and stability of Ag clusters on Ag(1 1 1) and Ni(1 1 1) surfaces

The structures of the lowest total energy for small Ag_N clusters with N = 2-20, which are grown on Ag(1 1 1) and Ni(1 1 1) surfaces, have been determined using a combination of the embedded-atom method and the basin-hopping algorithm. It is found that the particularly stable Ag clusters with N<18 have similar geometries on both surfaces when comparing clusters of the same size. On the other hand, the geometries of the less stable Ag clusters in the same size range differ for the two surfaces. From N?18, the sizes of the particularly stable structures are different for the two different substrates. Due to the large size mismatch of the two types of atoms it is energetically unfavorable for Ag to form a pseudomorphic monolayer structures on Ni(1 1 1) and there is considerable strain produced at the interface. The effect of this strain and the increased adatom-substrate interactions lead to irregular and elongated structures of the adsorbed Ag clusters.     

Synthesis, crystal structure and photoconductivity of new molecular complex of C60 with tetrabenzo(1,2-bis[4H-thiopyran-4-ylidene]ethene): Bz4BTPE C60

A new molecular complex of C₆₀ with tetrabenzo(1,2-bis[4H-thiopyran-4-ylidene]ethene), Bz₄BTPE C₆₀ (1) has been obtained. The complex has a layered structure in which closely packed hexagonal layers of C₆₀ alternate with the layers composed of Bz₄BTPE molecules. The complex has a neutral ground state according to UV-vis-NIR spectrum. It has been found that single crystals of 1 show low ‘dark’ conductivity of σ∼10⁻¹⁰ (Ω cm)⁻¹. A 10² increase in photocurrent has been observed upon illuminating the crystal with white light. Photoconductivity of 1 is sensitive to magnetic field with B₀<1 T and increases up to 5% in magnetic field. The photoconductivity spectra of the complex indicate that free charge carriers are generated in the UV-visible range mainly by the Bz₄BTPE excitation (the peaks at 622, 562, 472 and 348 nm) with a possible contribution of charge transfer excitations between neighboring C₆₀ molecules (the peak at 472 nm).     

Electronic photodissociation spectra of the Arn-C4H2 (n=1-4) weakly bound cationic complexes

Electronic spectra of a series of weakly bound clusters consisting of argon (Ar_n, n=1-4) bound to the butadiyne cation, C₄H₂⁺, have been recorded in the visible range from 440 to 520 nm by photodissociation. The C₄H₂⁺ fragment signal was recorded as a function of the laser wavelength during excitation of the A←X electronic transition. The observed transitions were assigned to the band origin of the cationic complexes and to vibronic bands involving excitation of the ν₃ and ν₇ vibrational modes of the C₄H₂⁺ moiety, as well as combination bands of these modes. Comparison of the photodissociation spectra of the various clusters reveals a small blue shift, 25 cm⁻¹ of the band maxima relative to the corresponding transitions reported from gas phase spectra of the bare C₄H₂⁺ cation. The magnitude of the blue shift of each band increases with successive Ar solvation up to n=3. Furthermore, each band becomes increasingly broadened towards the red with the addition of Ar atoms due to an increasing number of unresolved transitions involving excited intermolecular modes.     

Mechanism of ignition by non-equilibrium plasma

The kinetics of ignition in stoichiometric C_nH_2n+2:O₂:Ar mixtures with 90% dilution for n = 1-5 has been studied experimentally and numerically under the action of a high-voltage nanosecond discharge. It was shown that the initiation of the discharge by a high-voltage pulse 115 kV in amplitude with a specific deposited energy of 10-30 mJ/cm³ leads to more than an order of magnitude decrease in the ignition delay time. The generation of atoms, radicals and excited and charged particles by the discharge was numerically described. The role of different atoms and radicals (O, H and C_nH_2n+1) was analyzed. The temporal evolution of the densities of intermediate components in the plasma assisted ignition was discussed.     

Electron affinity study of adamantane on Si(1 1 1)

Recently, tetramantane, a member of diamondoid series (C_4n+6H_4n+12), has shown to exhibit negative-electron-affinity effect which has a potential use for efficient electron emitting devices. Here, we explore the electronic property of adamantane (C₁₀H₁₆), the smallest member of the series. We prepare adamantane films on Si(1 1 1) substrates and then study their electronic structure with photoemission spectroscopy. Photoelectron spectra of adamantane on Si(1 1 1) have shown a peak at low-kinetic energy which could be a generic property of diamondoids. The possibility of the negative-electron-affinity effect in adamantane is further discussed.     

Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Fen@C60 and Fen@C80 (n=2-7) endohedral metallofullerene nano-cages: First principles study

We studied the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of small Fe_n clusters (n=2-7) endohedrally doped in icosahedral C₆₀ and C₈₀ fullerenes using first principles calculations based on the density functional theory. It is found that the encapsulated Fe_n clusters inside icosahedral C₈₀ are energetically favorable while Fe_n@C₆₀ metallofullerene nano-cages are not. The binding energies of the Fe_n encapsulated in C₆₀ are positive and increase with the number of iron atoms (n) while those of the Fe_n@C₈₀ are negative and their absolute values increase up to n=6. The encapsulation does not significantly change the enclosed cluster structure, but the total magnetic moment of the larger clusters reduces due to a stronger Fe-C hybridization.     

Deposition dynamics and chemical properties of size-selected Ir clusters on TiO2

We report a study of Ir_n/TiO₂ samples prepared by size and energy-selected deposition of Ir_n⁺ (n=1, 2, 5, 10, 15) on rutile TiO₂(1 1 0) at room temperatures. The Ir clusters are found to be formally in the zero oxidation state, and there are no significant shifts in Ir 4f binding energy with cluster size. Over a wide range of impact energies, both Ir XPS intensity and peak position are constant, indicating constant sticking coefficient, and no impact-driven redox chemistry. Low energy ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS) suggests that the deposited Ir clusters remain largely intact, neither fragmenting nor agglomerating, and retaining 3-D structures for the larger sizes. For impact energies above 10 eV/atom, comparison of ISS and XPS data show that the Ir clusters are penetrating into the TiO₂ surface, with the extent of penetration increasing with both per atom energy and cluster size. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of CO is used to further characterize the deposited Ir_n. This system shows pronounced substrate-mediated adsorption (SMA) in low CO exposures, with strong dependence on cluster size. ISS and sputtering experiments indicate that CO adsorbed via SMA is bound differently than CO adsorbed in high dose experiments. In experiments with sequential C¹⁶O and C¹⁸O doses, facile C¹⁶O → C¹⁸O exchange is observed for Ir₅ and larger clusters, but not for Ir₂. The peak CO desorption temperature is found to decrease with cluster size. The cycle of CO adsorption and heating comprising a TPD experiment have a dramatic effect on the sample morphology, leading to encapsulation of Ir by a thin TiO_x layer.