Structure of thiocyanate adlayers on Rh(111): an in situ STM study

In situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to examine the structure of thiocyanate adlayers specifically adsorbed on Rh(111) in solutions of potassium hydroxide and perchloric acid, both containing potassium thiocyanate (KSCN). An atomically flat terrace-step structure was consistently observed on Rh(111) surfaces prepared by the flame-annealing-quenching method. The Rh(111)-(1 × 1) atomic structure was discerned on the atomically flat terrace even in the alkaline solution. High-resolution STM images disclosed two different structures of the SCN⁻ adlayers, () and (2 × 2), in the alkaline and the acidic media, respectively. In each structure, an individual adsorbed SCN⁻ ion appeared as a single spot with a constant corrugation height in STM images, suggesting that SCN⁻ ions adsorbed predominantly with their S-ends at particular bonding sites on Rh(111). The difference in the adlayer structure in the two solutions can be attributed to the interaction between adsorbed SCN⁻ and coadsorbed K⁺ in the alkaline solution, and is different from that between adsorbed SCN⁻ and H⁺ in the acidic solution. Received: 26 February 1997 / Accepted: 3 March 1997     

吡嗪衍生物在石墨表面上的自组装单层膜结构

利用扫描隧道显微镜研究了荧光液晶分子2, 5-二-[2-(3, 4-二-十二烷氧基-苯基)-乙烯基]-3, 6-二甲基吡嗪(BPDP12)在石墨表面上自组装单层膜的结构. 实验结果表明, 该化合物在石墨表面形成两种自组装结构：一种是稳定的, 分子的共轭中心相互平行, 烷基链相互交错的密排结构；另一种是不稳定的, 分子的共轭中心彼此为烷基链所分隔的非密排结构. 分子之间较强的π-π作用和分子烷基链之间的范德华作用力对分子组装的取向形成竞争, 是产生两种不同组装结构的根本原因.     

Contributions of restructuring and oxidation to the aging of the surface of plasma polymers containing heteroatoms

The properties and composition of plasma polymer surfaces stored in air can change considerably over time, especially as a result of oxidative reactions. When plasma polymers contain an element other than O, it is possible to probe for mechanisms in addition to oxidation that contribute to the aging of the surface. Plasma polymers containing N were fabricated from either 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP),n-heptylamine (nHA), or allylamine (AA), and studied by X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and air/water contact angles (CA). For each of the plasma polymers, a multiexponential increase in the O/C ratio was observed over time using XPS. The N/C ratios remained constant (AA) or decreased somewhat (nHA and DAP). In contrast, the trends in CA values differed, declining for the nHA surfaces, rising for the AA, and changing little for the DAP. Surface roughness, assessed by scanning tunnelling or atomic force microscopy, did not change over time. The diverse adjustments in the polarity of each surface and the similar compositional changes between them are reconcilable if the aging of the plasma polymer surface is a manifestation of the superposition of concurrent oxidative reactions and partial surface reorientation; the former introduce polar groups and the latter transports then from the surface to deeper regions beyond the CA probe depth but within the XPS analysis depth. These processes vary between different plasma polymers. Data for the alkylamine plasma polymers is also compared with that for two plasma polymers fabricated from methanol. The change in composition, but not polarity, of the DAP surface after 4 days of storage demonstrates the importance of using multiple techniques to characterize the aging of plasma polymer surfaces.     

铜在HOPG上电沉积过程的现场ECSTM研究

用自制的电化学扫描隧道显微镜（ＥＣＳＴＭ）现场研究Ｃｕ在ＨＯＰＧ上的电沉积过程．结果表明Ｃｕ在ＨＯＰＧ上的电沉积为三维成核的过程．当电位较低或Ｃｕ２＋离子浓度较低时，铜在本体金属生长主要沿着台阶方向．过电位较高时，铜的成核数目增加，沉积层的晶粒有所细化．同时，非现场ＥＣＳＴＭ比较研究表明，ＳＴＭ针尖对针尖局部区域的电沉积起屏蔽作用，针尖所在区域Ｃｕ的沉积速度比其它区域明显减小     

An in situ STM study on the long-range surface restructuring of Au(1 1 1) in a non-chloroaluminumated ionic liquid

We report an in situ STM study of a potential-dependent long-range surface restructuring of Au(1 1 1) electrode in neat 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborates (BMIBF₄) ionic liquid. Au(1 1 1) undergoes a significant long-range surface restructuring upon cathodic excursion to −1.0 V vs. Pt quasi-reference. The restructuring involves the formation of tiny pits, which then develops into a stable worm-like network with an average width of the network grids 2 nm. Electrochemical annealing occurs at the cathodic limit with the presence of a reduction product of cation BMI⁺. A smooth surface is recovered with the appearance of the typical (√3 × 22) reconstruction of Au(1 1 1). The surface restructuring is reestablished upon anodic excursion to −1.3 V after the adsorbed reduction product is oxidized. The long-range surface restructuring phenomenon is tentatively explained as a result of partial charge transfer to the weakly adsorbed BMI⁺, which reduces the metal–metal cohesive energy. In addition, the synergetic effect of the counter anion BF₄⁻ may also be involved. The results provide a knowledge of Au(1 1 1) electrode behavior in the neat ionic liquid and are beneficial to understanding in situ STM results involving surface morphological changes in such a media.     

C60离子束撞击固体表面的坍塌与沉积(II)扫描隧道显微研究

Mass-selected C60 beam produced by laser ablation was accelerated and bombarded the (0001) surface of highly oriented pyrolitic graphite and (111) surface of gold single crystal. The samples were characterized by STM. The STM images showed that, the deposited species collapsed and formed planar structure on the solid surface, but the collapsed species were not dissociated and well oriented on the surface. Both positive and negative C60 ions were observed in the desorption mass spectra, confirming that the species collapsed on the solid surface are still the C60 clusters.     

The blocking and structural properties of a Schiff base self-assembled monolayer on the surface of Au(111)

Electrochemistry and in situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were used to study the blocking and structural properties of Shiff base V-ape-V self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the surface of Au(111) in perchloric acid solution. The complex-plane impedance plots for the SAM covered Au(111) electrodes, with the redox couple of Fe(CN)₆^4–/3– present in solution, exhibit arc shapes, revealing that the electrochemical kinetics were controlled by the electron-transfer step. For bare Au(111), the electrode process was mass transport limited. The molecules adsorb on Au(111) with a flat-lying orientation and form a long-range well-defined adlayer. A new structure of was observed in the double-layer potential region. A structural model is proposed to interpret the molecular registry with Au(111) substrate.     

The self-assemblies of a newly designed star-shaped molecule end-capped with bromine atoms studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

A new star-shaped molecule StOF-Br_3 containing oligofluorenes and halogen atoms(Bromine) has been synthesized and studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy(STM) at the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HOPG) surface.We have obtained the high-resolution self-assembled STM images,from which the highly ordered and closely packed non-porous arrangements of the StOF-Br_3 molecular selfassemblies at the heptanoic acid/HOPG surface could be observed.The molecular models and selfassembled StOF-Br_3 architectures have been given in the following text.Besides,we have also figured out the surface free energy by the density functional theory(DFT) calculation,which proved that the halogen...halogen interaction was strong enough to stabilize the ordered molecular self-assemblies.This work verifies the existence of bromine...bromine interactions,and meanwhile provides a kind of effective approach for quickly building ordered molecular nanoarchitectures with large areas and different geometries.     

Low-temperature formation and characterization of Cu2O nanoparticles in the binary gold alloys

Thermal analyses, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dilatometry, reveal an important anomaly at low temperature for Au-25 wt.% Cu composition after homogenization at 700°C during 2 hours under vacuum followed by heating up to 160°C before water quenching. This anomaly has been already observed and not explained. Surface characterization, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), exhibits a specific topography, consisting of a nanostructured surface. The precipitates of nanostructured particles are homogeneously scattered all over the surface for this 18-carat gold alloy. Moreover, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows that the composition of the observed particles corresponds to cuprous oxide phase (Cu₂O). The formation of such material can be explained by the diffusion of copper atoms from the lattice to the surface at 160°C. Pulsed radio-frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (RF GD-OES) further proves the proposed Cu₂O formation through a diffusion process. The appearance of such cuprous oxide nanoparticles on the Au-Cu alloy surface explains the low-temperature DSC and dilatometry anomaly and affects directly the surface electrical resistance at low temperature. These results might open a large gate for new ideas to investigate in catalytic, electronic, and antimicrobial activities.