Structure and stability of one-dimensional o-phthalaldehyde lines on the Si(100)-2 × 1:H surface

We present the structural models for the o-phthalaldehyde (OP) molecular lines on the H-terminated Si(100) surface which were recently observed by scanning tunnelling microscopy. Our first-principles density-functional theory calculations show that the formation of OP lines is not only kinetically more facile but also thermodynamically more stable than those of previously reported alkene lines.     

Thermal decomposition mechanisms of methylamine, ethylamine, and 1-propylamine on Si(100)-2 × 1 surface

The thermal decomposition reactions of methylamine, ethylamine, and 1-propylamine absorbed on Si(100)-2 × 1 surface were theoretically investigated. Eight decomposition channels were found leading to desorption products of imine, H(2), alkyl cyanide, ammonia, aziridine, alkene, azetidine, and cyclopropane, which supports the experimental assignments. Our mechanistic studies strongly suggest that the alkyl cyanide (hydrogen cyanide in the case of methylamine) channel is coupled with the hydrogen desorption step. The β-hydrogen of ethylamine and 1-propylamine was found to undergo additional decomposition reactions producing aziridine and alkene, which were classified as γ- and β-eliminations, respectively. It was also found that the γ-hydrogen of 1-propylamine undergoes azetidine and cyclopropane producing decompositions, which were classified as δ- and γ-eliminations. In general, γ- and δ-hydrogen involved decomposition reactions are kinetically less favorable than β-hydrogen involved ones. Consequently, it is expected that the thermal decompositions of the primary alkyl amines with longer alkyl chains would not add additional favorable decomposition channels. Except alkyl cyanide and ammonia desorption channels, the decompositions occur in a concerted fashion.     

DFT Investigations About Pyrazine Molecules on Si(100)-2×1 Surface

It is important to understand the interface of aromatic molecules on semiconductor surfaces because of the rich functionality of such molecules on semiconductor surfaces.The chemisorption of pyrazine molecules on the Si(100)-2×1 surface has been investigated using the B3LYP density functional theory with Si9H12 one-dimer and Si15H16 two-dimer cluster models.The calculated results predict that N-dative bonded-state,C2-C5 [4 2] and the tight-bridge1,2,5,6 products may coexist on the Si(100)-2×1 surface.     

Multiple pathways of dissociative attachment: CH3Br on Si(100)-2×1

We describe the dissociative attachment (DA) of methyl bromide to form chemisorbed CH(3) and Br on a Si(100)-2×1 surface at 270 K. The patterns of DA were studied experimentally by ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and interpreted by ab initio theory. The parent molecules were found to dissociate thermally by breaking the C-Br bond, attaching the resulting fragments CH(3) and Br at adjacent Si-atom sites. The observed DA resulted in three distinct attachment geometries: inter-row (IR, 88%), inter-dimer (ID, 11%), and on-dimer (OD, 1%). Ab initio computation agreed in predicting these three DA reaction pathways, with yields decreasing down the series, in accord with experiment. The three computed physisorption geometries, each of which correlated with a preferred outcome, IR, ID, or OD, exhibited similar heats of adsorption, the choice of pathway being governed by the energy barriers to DA chemisorption predicted to increase along the series: E(IR) = 0.48 eV, E(ID) = 0.57 eV, and E(OD) = 0.63 eV.     

Disulfide passivation of the Ge(100)-2 × 1 surface

Understanding the bonding of sulfur at the germanium surface is important to developing good passivation routes for germanium-based electronic devices. The adsorption behavior of ethyl disulfide (EDS) and 1,8-naphthalene disulfide (NDS) at the Ge(100)-2 × 1 surface has been studied under ultrahigh vacuum conditions to investigate both their fundamental reactivity and their effectiveness as passivants of this surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, multiple internal reflection-infrared spectroscopy, and density functional theory results indicate that both molecules adsorb via S-S dissociation at room temperature. Upon exposure to ambient air, the thiolate adlayer remains intact for both EDS- and NDS-functionalized surfaces, indicating the stability of this surface attachment. Although both systems resist oxidation compared to the bare Ge(100)-2 × 1 surface, the Ge substrate is significantly oxidized in all cases (17-57% relative to the control), with the NDS-passivated surface undergoing up to two times more oxidation than the EDS-passivated surface at the longest air exposure times studied. The difference in passivation capability is attributed to the difference in surface coverage on Ge(100)-2 × 1, where EDS adsorption leads to a saturation coverage 17% higher than that for NDS/Ge(100)-2 × 1.     

The isomeric effect on the adjacent Si dimer didechlorination of trans and iso-dichloroethylene on Si(100)-2×1

The dechlorination processes of isomers trans and iso-dichloroethylene (iso-DCE) on Si(100)-2×1 were investigated from first principles, to ascertain the isomeric effect on the adjacent Si dimer di-dechlorination of DCE on Si(100)-2×1. By comparing the feasible adspecies and their reaction barriers between trans and cis-DCE on Si(100)-2×1, we found that the isomeric effect of trans-DCE is negligible, which explained the similar C 1s peak locations in the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) experiment. In contrast, iso-DCE undergoes a more complicated reaction process, although the adjacent Si dimer di-dechlorination is still the dominant mechanism. Among the initial competitive reactions involving intra-, inter-cycloaddition and single C-Cl cleavage, the barrierless intra-cycloaddition is the most favorable reaction and precludes the single dechlorination that yields the mono-σ structure. Subsequent di-dechlorination undergoes a three-step reaction to yield the final product intra-dimer tetra-σ. In addition, the ionization energies of C 1s and Cl 2s electrons were calculated for the tentative assignment of the peaks observed in XPS.     

H atom adsorption and diffusion on Si(110)-(1×1) and (2×1) surfaces

We present a periodic density-functional study of hydrogen adsorption and diffusion on the Si(110)-(1×1) and (2×1) surfaces, and identify a local reconstruction that stabilizes the clean Si(110)-(1×1) by 0.51 eV. Hydrogen saturates the dangling bonds of surface Si atoms on both reconstructions and the different structures can be identified from their simulated scanning tunneling microscopy/current image tunneling spectroscopy (STM/CITS) images. Hydrogen diffusion on both reconstructions will proceed preferentially along zigzag rows, in between two adjacent rows. The mobility of the hydrogen atom is higher on the (2×1) reconstruction. Diffusion of a hydrogen vacancy on a monohydride Si(110) surface will proceed along one zigzag row and is slightly more difficult (0.2 eV and 0.6 eV on (1×1) and (2×1), respectively) than hydrogen atom diffusion on the clean surface.     

Adsorption mechanisms of isoxazole and oxazole on Si(100)-2 × 1 surface: Si-N dative bond addition vs. [4+2] cycloaddition

The surface reaction pathways of isoxazole and oxazole on Si(100)-2 × 1 surface were theoretically investigated. They both form a weakly bound Si-N dative bond adduct on Si(100)-2 × 1 surface. In the case of isoxazole, the barrierlessly formed Si-N adduct is the most important surface product, that cannot be easily converted into other species. On the other hand, a facile concerted [4+2](CC) cycloaddition without involving the initial Si-N dative bond adduct was also found in the case of oxazole adsorption. The existence of Diels-Alder reactions is attributed to the particular arrangement of the two heteroatoms of oxazole in such a way that the two Si-C σ-bonds can be formed in a [4+2] fashion. In short, the unique geometric arrangements and electronegativity of these similar heteroatomic molecules yielded distinctively different surface reaction characteristics.     

Dynamics of H2 dissociation on the 1/2 ML c(2 × 2)-Ti/Al(100) surface

The dissociation of H(2) on Ti-covered Al surfaces is relevant to the rehydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the NaAlH(4) hydrogen storage material. The energetically most stable structure for a 1/2 monolayer of Ti deposited on the Al(100) surface has the Ti atoms in the second layer with a c(2 × 2) structure, as has been confirmed by both low-energy electron diffraction and low-energy ion scattering experiments and density functional theory studies. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of H(2) dissociation on a slab model of this Ti/Al(100) surface. Two six-dimensional potential energy surfaces (PESs) have been built for this H(2) + Ti/Al(100) system, based on the density functional theory PW91 and RPBE exchange-correlation functionals. In the PW91 (RPBE) PES, the lowest H(2) dissociation barrier is found to be 0.65 (0.84) eV, with the minimum energy path occurring for H(2) dissociating above the bridge to top sites. Using both PESs, H(2) dissociation probabilities are calculated using the classical trajectory (CT), the quasi-classical trajectory (QCT), and the time-dependent wave-packet methods. We find that the QCT H(2) dissociation probabilities are in good agreement with the quantum dynamics results in the collision energy range studied up to 1.0 eV. We have also performed molecular beam simulations and present predictions for molecular beam experiments. Our molecular beam simulations show that H(2) dissociation on the 1/2 ML Ti/Al(100) surface is an activated process, and the reaction probability is found to be 6.9% for the PW91 functional and 1.8% for the RPBE at a nozzle temperature of 1700 K. Finally, we have also calculated H(2) dissociation rate constants by applying transition state theory and the QCT method, which could be relevant to modeling Ti-catalyzed rehydrogenation and dehydrogenation of NaAlH(4).     

STM and voltammetric studies on the structure of a 4-pyridinethiolate monolayer chemisorbed on Au(100)-(1×1) surface

The structure for a 4-pyridinethiolate monolayer chemisorbed on the Au(100)-(1×1) single crystal surface was characterized by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). In situ STM observation showed a well-ordered p(√2 R 45°×5 R 53.1°) structure (abbreviated as √2×5) for the surface modified with either 4-pyridinethiol (4-PySH) or bis(4-pyridyl)disulfide (4,4′-PySSPy) in a 0.05 M HClO₄ solution. On the Au(100)-(1×1) surface, 4-PySH molecules formed a dimer structure with the S–S bond length of about 2.4 nm. The observed dimer structure is similar to that previously reported on the Au(111) surface, and the orientation of the pyridine ring is mostly perpendicular to the surface normal. However, the adsorbed molecules were more densely packed (√3/√2 times) on the Au(100) surface than on the Au(111) surface. The surface excess was estimated to be 5.8 (±0.2)×10⁻¹⁰ mol cm⁻² based on the voltammetric charge for the reductive desorption. This value is in good agreement with that (5.7×10⁻¹⁰ mol cm⁻²) calculated from the parallelogrammic (√2×5) unit cell. The Au(100)-(1×1) surface modified with 4-PySH gave a well-defined electrochemical response of cytochrome c.     

Vibrational relaxation rates for H on a Si(1 0 0):(2×1) surface: a two-dimensional model

The results of calculations based on perturbation theory of vibrational relaxation rates due to coupling to substrate phonons for hydrogen atoms adsorbed on a Si(1 0 0):(2×1) surface are presented. For this purpose a two-dimensional model is adopted in which both the H–Si stretching and bending motions are included. It is shown that within this model the multiphonon emission and absorption processes play a negligible role. The calculated lifetimes agree well with available experimental data.     

Si(001)-(2×2×1):H表面O2吸附的密度泛函理论研究

A novel model was developed to theoretically evaluate the O2 adsorption on H-terminated Si(001)-(2*2*1) surface. The periodic boundary condition, the ultrasoft pseudopotentials technique based on density functional theory (DFT) with generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functional were applied in our ab initio calculations. By analyzing bonding energy on site, the favourable adsorption site was determined. The calculations also predicted that the adsorption products should be Si=O and H2O. This theoretical study supported the reaction mechanism provided by Kovalev et al. The results were also a base for further investigation of some more complex systems such as the oxidation on porous silicon surface.     

烯烃分子在氢终止Si(100)-2×1表面的自由基链反应

应用密度泛函理论(DFT)和从头计算分子动力学方法(ab initio MD)研究了不饱和烯烃在氢终止的Si(100)-2×1表面的自由基链反应. 计算表明, 自由基链反应中重要的一步是烷烃链自由基的氢抽提过程, 硅表面上邻近位置(the nearest neighbor, NN)的氢抽提比次邻近位置(the next-nearest neighbor, NNN)的氢抽提有一稍低的能垒. 从头算分子动力学显示, 过渡态的烷烃自由基与氢终止Si(100)-2×1表面上的氢原子能够很容易形成C—H键, 完成一个氢抽提过程, 同时在硅表面产生下一个孤电子, 继续引发链反应.     

Dynamics of scattering and dissociative adsorption on a surface alloy: H2/W(100)-c(2 × 2)Cu

H(2) scattering and dissociative adsorption on the W(100)-c(2 × 2)Cu surface alloy is studied based on DFT calculations. A strongly site dependent reactivity is observed in line with results obtained for the density of states projected onto the W and Cu atoms of the topmost layer. H(2) dissociation on a defect free terrace of W(100)-c(2 × 2)Cu is found to be a non-activated process like on W(100), despite the reduction of the number of energetically accessible dissociation pathways at low impact energies due to the presence of Cu atoms. A prominence of dynamic trapping and a reduction of the efficacy of trapping to promote dissociation is also verified, leading to a decrease of the initial sticking probability as a function of the molecular impact energy, in qualitative agreement with experimental findings. The heterogeneous reactivity is also evidenced by two different kinds of reflection events at low energies. Its combination gives rise to a broad specular peak superimposed on a cosine-like angular distribution of scattered molecules which is in good agreement with available experimental data.     

Binding structures of propylene glycol stereoisomers on the Si(001)-2×1 surface: a combined scanning tunneling microscopy and theoretical study

The binding configuration of propylene glycol stereoisomer molecules adsorbed on the Si(001)-2×1 surface was investigated using a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory calculations. Propylene glycol was found to adsorb dissociatively via two hydroxyl groups exclusively as a bridge between the ends of two adjacent dimers along the dimer row. The chirality was preserved during bonding to Si atoms and was identifiable with STM imaging. The large number of propylene glycol conformers in the gas phase was reduced to a single configuration adsorbed on the surface at low molecular coverage.     

Theoretical Calculations on Amphoteric Adsorptions of the Hydrogenated C(100)-2×1 Surface

In this work we study the adsorptions of some small molecules or group on the hydrogenated C(100)-2×1 surface using density functional theory method. The calculated results show that the ionization potential (IP) of the hydrogenated C(100)-2×1 surfaces after adsorption has amphoteric characteristics. From the weak basic NH3 molecule with small IP and negative electron affinity (EA), through the neutral H2O molecule, to the weak acid HF molecule and the OH group with large EA and IP, the IP values of the adsorbed diamond surfaces vary from decrease, through invariability, to slight increase for HF and obvious increase for OH. In all adsorption species, only the OH group makes the hydrogenated C(100)-2×1 surface change to the metal from the semiconductor with a wide-band gap, while the others only introduce impurity states into the electronic structures of the hydrogenated C(100)-2×1 surfaces.     

Reactive epitaxy of beryllium on Si(1 1 1)-(7×7)

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) have been used to investigate the nucleation, growth, and structure of beryllium on Si(1 1 1)-(7×7). STM indicates that a chemical reaction occurs at temperatures as low as 120 K, resulting in a nano-clustered morphology, presumed to be composed of a beryllium silicide compound. Upon annealing to higher temperatures, PES data indicate that beryllium diffuses into the selvage region. High temperature annealing (∼1175 K) results in the formation of a universal ring cluster structure suggesting a Be–Si bond length less than 2.5 Å, in agreement with previous calculations regarding hypothetical Be₂Si.     

Six-dimensional quasiclassical and quantum dynamics of H2 dissociation on the c(2 × 2)-Ti/Al(100) surface

Based on a slab model of H(2) dissociation on a c(2 × 2) structure with Ti atoms in the first and third layers of Al(100), a six-dimensional (6D) potential energy surface (PES) has been built. In this PES, a molecular adsorption well with a depth of 0.45 eV is present in front of a barrier of height 0.13 eV. Using this PES, H(2) dissociation probabilities are calculated by the classical trajectory (CT), the quasiclassical trajectory (QCT), and the time-dependent wave-packet (TDWP) method. The QCT study shows that trajectories can be trapped by the molecular adsorption well. Higher incident energy can lead to direct H(2) dissociation. Vibrational pre-excitation is the most efficient way to promote direct dissociation without trapping. We find that both rotational and vibrational excitation have efficacies close to 1.0 in the entire range of incident energies investigated, which supports the randomization in the initial conditions making the reaction rate solely dependent on the total (internal and translational) energy. The H(2) dissociation probabilities from quantum dynamics are in reasonable agreement with the QCT results in the energy range 50-200 meV, except for some fluctuations. However, the TDWP results considerably exceed the QCT results in the energy range 200-850 meV. The CT reaction probabilities are too low compared with the quantum dynamical results.     

Observation of photocatalytic dissociation of water on terminal Ti sites of TiO2(110)-1 × 1 surface

The water splitting reaction based on the promising TiO(2) photocatalyst is one of the fundamental processes that bears significant implication in hydrogen energy technology and has been extensively studied. However, a long-standing puzzling question in understanding the reaction sequence of the water splitting is whether the initial reaction step is a photocatalytic process and how it happens. Here, using the low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) performed at 80 K, we observed the dissociation of individually adsorbed water molecules at the 5-fold coordinated Ti (Ti(5c)) sites of the reduced TiO(2) (110)-1 × 1 surface under the irradiation of UV lights with the wavelength shorter than 400 nm, or to say its energy larger than the band gap of 3.1 eV for the rutile TiO(2). This finding thus clearly suggests the involvement of a photocatalytic dissociation process that produces two kinds of hydroxyl species. One is always present at the adjacent bridging oxygen sites, that is, OH(br), and the other either occurs as OH(t) at Ti(5c) sites away from the original ones or even desorbs from the surface. In comparison, the tip-induced dissociation of the water can only produce OH(t) or oxygen adatoms exactly at the original Ti(5c) sites, without the trace of OH(br). Such a difference clearly indicates that the photocatalytic dissociation of the water undergoes a process that differs significantly from the attachment of electrons injected by the tip. Our results imply that the initial step of the water dissociation under the UV light irradiation may not be reduced by the electrons, but most likely oxidized by the holes generated by the photons.