Energy gaps, electronic structures, and x-ray spectroscopies of finite semiconductor single-walled carbon nanotubes

We report hybrid density functional theory calculations for electronic structures of hydrogen-terminated finite single-walled carbon nanotubes (6,5) and (8,3) up to 100 nm in length. Gap states that are mainly arisen from the hydrogen-terminated edges have been found in (8,3) tubes, but their contributions to the density of states become invisible when the tube is longer than 10 nm. The electronic structures of (6,5) and (8,3) tubes are found to be converged around 20 nm. The calculated band-gap energies of 100 nm long nanotubes are in good agreement with experimental results. The valence band structures of (6,5), (8,3), as well as (5,5) tubes are also investigated by means of ultraviolet photoelectron spectra (UPS), x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), and the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra theoretically. The UPS, XES and RIXS spectra become converged already at 10 nm. The length-dependent oscillation behavior is found in the RIXS spectra of (5,5) tubes, indicating that the RIXS spectra may be used to determine the size and length of metallic nanotubes. Furthermore, the chiral dependence observed in the simulated RIXS spectra suggests that RIXS spectra could be a useful technique for the determination of chirality of carbon nanotubes.     

Selective adsorption of atomic hydrogen on a h-BN thin film

The adsorption of atomic hydrogen on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is studied using two element-specific spectroscopies, i.e., near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). B K-edge NEXAFS spectra show a clear change in the energy region of the π* band before and after reaction with atomic deuterium. On the other hand, N K-edge NEXAFS spectra show only a little change. B 1s XPS spectra show a distinct component at the low binding energy side of a main component, while N 1s XPS spectra show peak broadening at the high binding energy side. These experimental results are analyzed by the discrete variational Xα method with a core-hole effect and are explained by a model in which hydrogen atoms are preferentially adsorbed on the B sites of h-BN. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, we propose a site-selective property of BN material on adsorption of atomic hydrogen.     

Adsorption states of dialkyl ditelluride autooxidized monolayers on Au(111)

Organic ditellurides (R2Te2 where R = n-butyl (C4), n-octyl (C8), and n-cetyl (C16)) were synthesized, and their adsorption states after oxidation on Au(111) surfaces were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), theoretical analyses, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) measurements, contact angle measurements, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The obtained results show that dialkyl ditellurides form autooxidized monolayers (AMs) on the surfaces under ambient conditions and that the oxidation process is accelerated by ambient light. XPS, UPS, and theoretical analyses suggest that the autooxidized ditelluride species consist of polymers or oligomers with Te-O-Te-O network structures stabilized by oxygen bridges between tellurium molecules following the cleavage of tellurium-gold bonds. NEXAFS and contact angle measurements indicate that the average tilt angles of the alkyl chains from the surface normal are smaller for the AMs of dialkyl ditellurides having longer alkyl chains. AFM measurements show defects and roughness features around a few angstroms in height on the surfaces of the dialkyl ditelluride AMs.     

Electronic structure of the surface of the ionic liquid [EMIM][Tf(2)N] studied by metastable impact electron spectroscopy (MIES), UPS, and XPS

The near-surface electronic structure of the room-temperature ionic liquid (RT-IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][Tf(2)N]) has been investigated with the combination of the electron spectroscopies metastable impact electron spectroscopy (MIES), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS (HeI and HeII)), and monochromatized X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We find that the top of the valence band states originates from states of the cation (see also ref 1). The ultimately surface-sensitive technique MIES proves that the surface layer consists of both cations and anions. The temperature dependence of the spectra has been measured between about 160 and 610 K. Information on the glass transition and the possibility for low-temperature distillation of [EMIM][Tf(2)N] at reduced pressures is derived from the present results.     

Adsorption and charge transfer dynamics of bi-isonicotinic acid on Au(111)

The interaction of bi-isonicotinic acid (4,4(')-dicarboxy-2,2(')-bipyridine) with the Au(111) surface has been investigated using electron spectroscopic techniques. Near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra show that monolayers of the molecule lie flat to the surface and also reveal that the monolayer is sensitive to the preparation conditions employed. Core level x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows that the adsorbed molecule does not undergo deprotonation upon adsorption. The "core-hole clock" implementation of resonant photoemission has been used to probe the coupling between molecule and substrate. This technique has revealed the possibility of ultrafast backtransfer from the substrate into the molecule upon resonant excitation of a N 1s core level electron. This is supported by a NEXAFS and XPS investigation of energy level alignments in the system.     

Bonding structure of phenylacetylene on hydrogen-terminated Si(111) and Si(100): surface photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and ab initio calculations

Interfaces between phenylacetylene (PA) monolayers and two silicon surfaces, Si(111) and Si(100), are probed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, and the results are analyzed using ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The monolayer systems are prepared via the surface hydrosilylation reaction between PA and hydrogen-terminated silicon surfaces. The following spectral features are obtained for both of the PA-Si(111) and PA-Si(100) systems: a broad π-π* shakeup peak at 292 eV (XPS), a broad first ionization peak at 3.8 eV (UPS), and a low-energy C 1s → π* resonance peak at 284.3 eV (NEXAFS). These findings are ascribed to a styrene-like π-conjugated molecular structure at the PA-Si interface by comparing the experimental data with theoretical analysis results. A conclusion is drawn that the vinyl group can keep its π-conjugation character on the hydrogen-terminated Si(100) [H:Si(100)] surface composed of the dihydride (SiH(2)) groups as well as on hydrogen-terminated Si(111) having the monohydride (SiH) group. The formation mechanism of the PA-Si(100) interface is investigated within cluster ab initio calculations, and the possible structure of the H:Si(100) surface is discussed based on available data.     

Photoemission studies of polythiophene and polyphenyl films produced via surface polymerization by ion-assisted deposition

Conducting polymer films are grown by mass-selected, hyperthermal thiophene ions coincident on a surface with a thermal beam of organic monomers of either alpha-terthiophene (3T) or p-terphenyl (3P) neutrals. Mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy previously verified polymerization of both 3T and 3P by 200 eV C(4)H(4)S(+) during surface polymerization by ion-assisted deposition (SPIAD). The electronic structure of these films are probed here by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and polarized near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and compared with similar spectra of evaporated films. The conducting polymer films formed by SPIAD display new valence band features resulting from a reduction in both their band gap and barrier to hole injection, which are calculated from the occupied and unoccupied valence band states measured by UPS and NEXAFS. These changes in film electronic structure result from an increase in the electron conjugation length and other changes in film structure induced by SPIAD.     

A [4+2]-like cycloaddition of methyl methacrylate on Si(100)-2 x 1

The attachment of methyl methacrylate (MMA) on Si(100)-2x1 was investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The HREELS spectra of chemisorbed MMA show the disappearance of characteristic vibrations of C=O (1725 cm(-1)) and C(sp(2))-H (3110, 1400, and 962 cm(-1)) coupled with the blue shift of the C=C stretching mode by 34 cm(-1) compared to those of physisorbed molecules. These results clearly demonstrate that both C=C and C=O in MMA directly participate in the interaction with the surface to form a SiCH(2)C(CH(3))=C(OCH(3))OSi species via a [4+2]-like cycloaddition. This binding configuration was further supported by XPS, UPS, and DFT studies.     

Observation of Au2H- impurity in pure gold clusters and implications for the anomalous Au-Au distances in gold nanowires

Au(2)H(-) was recognized and confirmed as a minor contamination to typical photoelectron spectra of Au(2) (-), produced by laser vaporization of a pure Au target using an ultrahigh purity helium carrier gas. The hydrogen source was shown to be from trace H impurities present in the bulk gold target. Carefully designed experiments using H(2)- and D(2)-seeded helium carrier gas were used to study the electronic structure of Au(2)H(-) and Au(2)D(-) using photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional calculations. Well-resolved photoelectron spectra with vibrational resolution were obtained for Au(2)H(-) and Au(2)D(-). Two isomers were observed both experimentally and theoretically. The ground state of Au(2)H(-) turned out to be linear with a terminal H atom [Au-Au-H](-) ((1)A(1),C(infinity v)), whereas a linear [Au-H-Au](-) ((1)A(1),D(infinity h)) structure with a bridging H atom was found to be a minor isomer 0.6 eV higher in energy. Calculated electron detachment energies for both isomers agree well with the experimental spectra, confirming their existence in the cluster beam. The observation and confirmation of H impurity in pure gold clusters and the 3.44 A Au-Au distance in the [Au-H-Au](-) isomer presented in the current work provide indirect experimental evidence that the anomalous 3.6 A Au-Au distances observed in gold nanowires is due to an "invisible" hydrogen impurity atom.     

Molecular orientation of terephthalic acid assembly on epitaxial graphene: NEXAFS and XPS study

The adsorption of terephthalic acid molecules [C(6)H(4)(COOH)(2)), TPA] on a single layer of graphene grown epitaxially on Ni(111) has been investigated by means of near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) at room temperature. The assignment of the NEXAFS resonances was aided by ab initio calculations for the free TPA molecule. For coverages up to a monolayer the molecular plane of TPA adopts a parallel orientation with regard to the epitaxial graphene (EG) layer. Deprotonation of TPA molecules at one monolayer coverage can be excluded. For TPA multilayers, the molecular plane is tilted on average by approximately 45° with respect to the sample surface.     

Preferential site occupancy of krypton atoms on free argon-cluster surfaces

Argon clusters have been doped with krypton atoms in a pick-up setup and investigated by means of ultraviolet and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS and XPS). The width of the krypton surface feature in the XPS spectra from mixed krypton/argon clusters has been studied and found to be narrower than in the case of homogeneous krypton clusters. By considering known spectral broadening mechanisms of the cluster features and the electron binding energy shift of the cluster surface feature relative to the atomic signal, we conclude that krypton ad-atoms preferentially occupy high-coordination surface sites on the argon host-cluster.     

Ab initio calculation of carbon clusters. II. Relative stabilities of fullerene and nonfullerene C24

Chemical stabilities of six low-energy isomers of C24 derived from global-minimum search are investigated. The six isomers include one classical fullerene (isomer 1) whose cage is composed of only five- and six-membered rings (56-MRs), three nonclassical fullerene structures whose cages contain at least one four-membered ring (4-MR), one plate, and one monocyclic ring. Chemical and electronic properties of the six C24 isomers are calculated based on a density-functional theory method (hybrid PBE1PBE functional and cc-pVTZ basis set). The properties include the nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS), singlet-triplet splitting, electron affinity, ionization potential, and gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) gap. The calculation suggests that the neutral isomer 2, a nonclassical fullerene with two 4-MRs, may be more chemically stable than the classical fullerene (isomer 1). Analyses of molecular orbital NICS show that the incorporations of 4-MRs into the cage considerably reduce paratropic contributions from HOMO, HOMO-1, and HOMO-2, which are mainly responsible for the sign change in NICS from positive for isomer 1 (42) to negative (-19) for isomer 2, although C24 clusters satisfy neither 4N+2 nor 2(N+1)2 aromaticity rule. Anion photoelectron spectra of four cage isomers, one plate, one monocyclic ring, and one tadpole isomer, as well as three bicyclic ring isomers are calculated. The simulated photoelectron spectra of mono- and bicyclic rings (with C1 symmetry) appear to match the measured HOMO-LUMO gap (between the first and second band in the experimental spectra) [S. Yang et al., Chem. Phys. Lett. 144, 431 (1988)]. Nevertheless, the nonclassical fullerene isomers 3 and 4 apparently also match the measured vertical detachment energy (2.90 eV) reasonably well. These results suggest possible coexistence of nonclassical fullerene isomers with the mono- and bicyclic ring isomers of C24(-) under the experimental conditions.     

Photoelectron spectroscopic studies of the interfacial reaction between glass and commercial adhesive

The valence band and core‐level photoelectron spectroscopy [using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS)] were used to probe the interfacial reaction between glass and a commercial adhesive (Loctite). The interaction was investigated by comparing experimental valence band spectra with spectra calculated for various possible interaction schemes. The valence band spectrum for the interfacial region between the glass and the adhesive was obtained using difference spectra on a thin film of adhesive on glass. This film was sufficiently thin that the adhesion interphase could be directly probed. Chemical interaction occurs at the interface as evidenced by the fact that the spectrum for the interfacial region could not be represented by the addition of the spectrum of the glass alone and the adhesive alone. The XPS valence band spectrum and the UPS spectrum showed that the shallow top surface layer is very much enriched in acrylic acid, which is a minor component in the adhesive. When the Loctite adhesive was coated on glass, the C1s and O1s regions of the adhesion interface region showed evidences of new chemistry at the adhesive–glass interface. The possible reactions were evaluated by comparison of the experimental spectra with calculated ones based on different models using ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The experimental spectra are well represented by models where the acrylic acid of the surface region of the adhesive reacts with the glass, suggesting chemical interaction occurred at the adhesion interphase. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adlayers of dimannoside thiols on gold: surface chemical analysis

Carbohydrate films on gold based on dimannoside thiols (DMT) were prepared, and a complementary surface chemical analysis was performed in detail by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), FT-IR, and contact angle measurements in order to verify formation of ω-carbohydrate-functionalized alkylthiol films. XPS (C 1s, O 1s, and S 2p) reveals information on carbohydrate specific alkoxy (C-O) and acetal moieties (O-C-O) as well as thiolate species attached to gold. Angle-resolved synchrotron XPS was used for chemical speciation at ultimate surface sensitivity. Angle-resolved XPS analysis suggests the presence of an excess top layer composed of unbound sulfur components combined with alkyl moieties. Further support for DMT attachment on Au is given by ToF-SIMS and FT-IR analysis. Carbon and oxygen K-edge NEXAFS spectra were interpreted by applying the building block model supported by comparison to data of 1-undecanethiol, poly(vinyl alcohol), and polyoxymethylene. No linear dichroism effect was observed in the angle-resolved C K-edge NEXAFS.     

Core excitations of naphthalene: vibrational structure versus chemical shifts

High-resolution x-ray photoelectron emission (XPS) and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of naphthalene are analyzed in terms of the initial state chemical shifts and the vibrational fine structure of the excitations. Carbon atoms located at peripheral sites experience only a small chemical shift and exhibit rather similar charge-vibrational coupling, while the atoms in the bridging positions differ substantially. In the XPS spectra, C-H stretching modes provide important contributions to the overall shape of the spectrum. In contrast, the NEXAFS spectrum contains only vibrational progressions from particular C-C stretching modes. The accuracy of ab initio calculations of absolute electronic transition energies is discussed in the context of minute chemical shifts, the vibrational fine structure, and the state multiplicity.     

Structure, morphology and interface properties of ultrathin SnTTBPP(OH)2-films adsorbed on Ag(100)

The molecular interaction of dihydroxo[5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-tert-butyl-phenyl)porphyrinato]-tin(IV) (SnTTBPP(OH)(2)), the structural order and growth of ultrathin films on Ag(100) have been studied by means of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and synchrotron based photoelectron spectroscopy, i.e., X-ray photoemission (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS/XANES) spectroscopy. For the first time, monolayer adsorption of a metalloporphyrin with octahedral coordination of the metal center by two additional axial hydroxo ligands is investigated in a multi-technique study. The delicate balance of molecule-substrate interactions and intermolecular interactions leads to the formation of a densely-packed organic monolayer which is commensurate with the Ag(100) substrate. From NEXAFS linear dichroism an almost coplanar orientation of the porphyrin system is derived. XPS and NEXAFS clearly indicate that the axial hydroxo ligands are cleaved in monolayer films, i.e., upon adsorption to the Ag substrate. With increasing film thickness orientational order gets lost and leads to polycrystalline growth for thicker films as confirmed by scanning X-ray transmission microscopy (STXM).     

Self-metalation of 2H-tetraphenylporphyrin on Cu(111): an x-ray spectroscopy study

The bonding and the temperature-driven metalation of 2H-tetraphenylporphyrin (2H-TPP) on the Cu(111) surface under ultrahigh vacuum conditions were investigated by a combination of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy with density functional theory calculations. Thin films were prepared by organic molecular beam epitaxy and subsequent annealing. Our systematic study provides an understanding of the changes of the spectroscopic signature during adsorption and metalation. Specifically, we achieved a detailed peak assignment of the 2H-TPP multilayer data of the C1s and the N1s region. After annealing to 420 K both XPS and NEXAFS show the signatures of a metalloporphyrin, which indicates self-metalation at the porphyrin-substrate interface, resulting in Cu-TPP. Furthermore, for 2H-TPP monolayer samples we show how the strong influence of the copper surface is reflected in the spectroscopic signatures. Adsorption results in a strongly deformed macrocycle and a quenching of the first NEXAFS resonance in the nitrogen edge suggesting electron transfer into the LUMO. For Cu-TPP the spectroscopic data indicate a reduced interaction of first-layer molecules with the substrate as demonstrated by the relaxed macrocycle geometry.     

Selective binding of the cyano group in acrylonitrile adsorption on Si(100)-2 x 1

The covalent binding of acrylonitrile (CH(2)=CH-C triple bond N) and the formation of a C=C-C=N structure on Si(100) have been investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For chemisorbed acrylonitrile, the absence of nu(C triple bond N) at 2245 cm(-1) and the appearance of nu(C=N) at 1669 cm(-1) demonstrate that the cyano group directly participates in the interaction with Si(100), which is further supported by XPS and UPS observations. Our experimental results and DFT calculations unambiguously demonstrate a [2 + 2] cycloaddition mechanism for acrylonitrile chemisorption on Si(100) through the binding of C triple bond N to Si dimers. The resulting chemisorbed monolayer with a C=C-C=N skeleton can serve as a precursor for further chemical syntheses of multilayer organic thin films in a vacuum and surface functionalization for in situ device fabrication.     

Atomic and Molecular Chemisorption of Oxygen in WO4- Clusters

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to study the monotungsten-oxide WO4 cluster in the anionic and neutral charge states. The results show the two most stable WO4- isomers have C2v and D2d symmetries and both have the four oxygen atoms attached to the tungsten W monomer atomically. The WO4- species previously suggested with a molecular adsorption of di-oxygen is found to be a metastable isomer of WO4-, whose geometric, vibrational properties and electron affinities are in good agreement with the ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) experimental results. The reason why this metastable isomer could be observed in the experiment is given by a molecule formation mechanism. The UPS spectrums compare well with the excitation spectrum computed by time-dependent DFT method.     

Electronic structure of copper phthalocyanine: an experimental and theoretical study of occupied and unoccupied levels

An experimental and theoretical study of the electronic structure of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) molecule is presented. We performed x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and photoabsorption [x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES)] gas phase experiments and we compared the results with self-consistent field, density functional theory (DFT), and static-exchange theoretical calculations. In addition, ultraviolet photoelectron spectra (UPS) allowed disentangling several outer molecular orbitals. A detailed study of the two highest occupied orbitals (having a(1u) and b(1g) symmetries) is presented: the high energy resolution available for UPS measurements allowed resolving an extra feature assigned to vibrational stretching in the pyrrole rings. This observation, together with the computed DFT electron density distributions of the outer valence orbitals, suggests that the a(1u) orbital (the highest occupied molecular orbital) is mainly localized on the carbon atoms of pyrrole rings and it is doubly occupied, while the b(1g) orbital, singly occupied, is mainly localized on the Cu atom. Ab initio calculations of XPS and XANES spectra at carbon K edge of CuPc are also presented. The comparison between experiment and theory revealed that, in spite of being formally not equivalent, carbon atoms of the benzene rings experience a similar electronic environment. Carbon K-edge absorption spectra were interpreted in terms of different contributions coming from chemically shifted C 1s orbitals of the nonequivalent carbon atoms on the inner ring of the molecule formed by the sequence of CN bonds and on the benzene rings, respectively, and also in terms of different electronic distributions of the excited lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and LUMO+1. In particular, the degenerate LUMO appears to be mostly localized on the inner pyrrole ring.