Fabrication and modification of the supported Al nanoparticles on the Al(001) and (110) surfaces using the reversible vertical single-atom manipulation with the Cu and Pt trimer-apex tips: a first-principles study

First-principles simulations show that at the step edge of the stepped Al(001) and (110) surfaces and at the edge of the small supported nanoparticles like the dimer, trimer, and tetramer, single Al atoms can be extracted and repositioned using the Cu trimer-apex tip and the Pt tip of a Al apex, while a more weakly adsorbed single Al adatom on the plane terrace of the flat surface or of the nanocluster cannot be vertically picked up by these two tips. This result suggests in principle a non-electrically assisted method of fabricating and modifying metal nanoparticles at the atomic scale using the vertical single-atom manipulation. As an illustration, a pyramidal nanocluster of five Al atoms is assembled on the Al(001) surface in an atom-by-atom way with the Cu trimer-apex tip, moreover, it can be modified to be two-dimensional in shape.     

A reactive force-field (ReaxFF) Monte Carlo study of surface enrichment and step structure on yttria-stabilized zirconia

To investigate surface segregation in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), DFT energies describing surface energy as a function of yttrium lattice position were used to parameterize a reactive-force field (ReaxFF). We used ReaxFF to perform Monte Carlo (MC) simulated annealing to sample structural configurations of flat YSZ (111) and vicinal YSZ (111) stepped surfaces. We evaluated yttrium surface segregation, oxygen vacancy position, and surface step composition for flat and stepped YSZ surfaces. It is thermodynamically favorable for yttrium atoms to segregate to the surface of YSZ, and specifically to step edge sites. Surface saturation of yttrium occurs at approximately 40% (40:60 Y:Zr ratio) while yttrium concentration at the step edge does not approach a saturation value, suggesting that steps on the YSZ surface are mainly yttria-terminated. We found that it is thermodynamically favorable for oxygen vacancies to occupy positions in the subsurface layer of YSZ, and a higher fraction of vacancies occupy positions NN to Y than NN to Zr. Yttrium segregation to step edges on the YSZ surface does not lower the surface formation energy of the stepped surface below that of the flat (111) termination, suggesting that the stability of YSZ surface steps observed experimentally is due to kinetic barriers for surface re-ordering.     

Under-coordinated atoms induced local strain, quantum trap depression and valence charge polarization at W stepped surfaces

We have explored the effects of atoms under-coordination on surface structure relaxation, binding energy shift of W stepped surfaces and valence charge polarization by the method of incorporating bond order-length-strength (BOLS) correlation mechanism into high-resolution X-ray photoluminescence spectra (XPS) measurements as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Results show that the 4f_7/2 energy levels of bulk, surface skin and step edge W atoms shift deeper from 2.17 to 2.69 eV with respect to that of the isolated W (28.91±0.01 eV) atoms, while the valence charge energy shift upper from inner to outer layer and from bulk to stepped edge. The surface bond contraction occurs around under-coordinated atoms after geometry relaxation calculation. Consistency among BOLS calculations, DFT calculation and experimental measurements clarifies that the surface bond contraction and consolidation due to the effects of under-coordination atoms induce potential trap depression, which provides perturbation to the Hamiltonian and hence contributes to the surface core level shift deeper, and that the surface valence charge are polarized by the densely trapped core-level electrons to upper energy.     

Rule for structures of open metal surfaces

We present a clear and simple rule for determining the relaxation sequences on open (stepped, vicinal, or high-Miller-index) metal surfaces. At the bulk-truncated configuration of a surface, a surface slab is defined where the coordination of atoms is reduced from the bulk. The rule predicts that the interlayer spacings within this slab contract, while the interlayer spacing between this slab and the substrate expands. By first-principles calculations, we show that this rule is obeyed on all open Cu surfaces with interlayer spacings down to about 0.5 A. We also illustrate a direct relation of the relaxation sequences to the charge redistribution on these surfaces, which is demonstrated to be driving the multilayer relaxations. The applicability of the rule can be extended to other fcc and bcc metals, including unreconstructed and missing-row surfaces.     

Low-dimensional electronic states at silicon surfaces

Self-assembled atomic chains can be triggered at stepped Si(111) surfaces by adding sub-monolayer amounts of metals, such as gold, silver, platinum, alkali metals, alkaline earths, and rare earths. A common feature of all these structures is the honeycomb chain, a graphitic strip of Si atoms at the step edge that is lattice matched in the direction parallel to the edge but completely mismatched perpendicular to it. This honeycomb chain drives one-dimensional surface reconstructions even on the flat Si(111) surface, breaking its three-fold symmetry. Particularly interesting are metallic chain structures, such as those induced by gold. The Au atoms are locked rigidly to the Si substrate but the electrons near the Fermi level completely decouple from the substrate because they lie in the band gap of silicon. The electronic structure of one-dimensional electrons is predicted to be qualitatively different from that of higher dimensions, since electrons cannot avoid each other when moving along the same line. The single-electron picture has to be abandoned, making way for collective excitations, such as spinons and holons, where the spins and charges of electrons become separated. Although such excitations have yet to be confirmed definitively, the band structure seen in angle-resoled photoemission exhibits a variety of unusual features, such as a fractional electron count and a doublet of nearly half-filled bands. Chains of tunable spins can be created with rare earths. The dimensionality can be controlled by adjusting the step spacing with intra- and inter-chain coupling ratios from 10:1 to >70:1. Thus, metal-induced chain structures on stepped silicon provide a versatile class of low-dimensional materials for approaching the one-dimensional limit and exploring the exotic electronic states predicted for one dimension. PACS 73.20.At; 71.10.Pm; 79.60.Jv; 81.07.Vb; 73.21.Hb     

Molecular-orbital models for the catalytic activity and selectivity of coordinatively unsaturated platinum surfaces and complexes

Electronic structures have been calculated for 5-, 6-, and 10-atom Pt clusters, as well as for a Pt(PH₃)₄ coordination complex, using the self-consistent-field X-alpha scattered-wave (SCF-Xα-SW) molecular-orbital technique. The 10-atom cluster models the local geometry of a flat, unreconstructed Pt(100) surface, while the 5- and 6-atom clusters show features of a stepped Pt surface. Pt(PH₃)₄ resembles the chemically similar homogeneous catalyst Pt(PPh₃)₄. Common to all these coordinatively unsaturated complexes are orbitals lying near or coinciding with the highest occupied molecular orbital (“Fermi level”) which show pronounced d lobes pointing directly into the vacuum. Under the hypothesis that these molecular orbitals are mainly responsible for the chemical activities of the above species, one can account for the relative similarities and differences in catalytic activity and selectivity displayed by unreconstructed Pt(100) surfaces, stepped Pt surfaces or particles, and isolated Pt(PPh₃)₄ coordination complexes. The relevance of these findings to catalyst-support interactions is also discussed. Finally, relativistic corrections to the electronic structures are calculated and their implications on catalytic properties discussed.     

On the local densities of states on flat and stepped Pt surfaces

The electronic structure of the d band of both flat and stepped Pt surfaces is investigated within the tight-binding approximation, using a moment method. A sharp surface virtual bound state peak is found in the local density of states at the protruding edge of the stepped surfaces and the symmetry of states near the Fermi level are found to be rather dependent on the geometry of the surface. Possible connections with experiments are briefly discussed.     

Adsorption of tungsten on stepped tungsten surfaces studied by work function measurement

Work function measurements have been performed during the deposition of W on the (110)W plane and several stepped W surfaces with (110) terraces and different terrace width. For each sample the work function decreases with growing coverage. The total work function drop diminishes strongly with decreasing terrace width. The results are interpreted in terms of a reduced nucleation process on stepped surfaces as compared to the flat (110) plane. The step edges act as sinks for the deposited adatonis and cause in their proximity a “dead” zone for nuclei formation. Details of the work function change with coverage are discussed in terms of an edge roughening effect on stepped surfaces.     

Dangling bond modulating the electronic and magnetic properties of zigzag SiGe nanoribbon

First-principles nonmagnetic calculations reveal a metallic character in zigzag SiGe nanoribbons (ZSiGeNRs) regardless of their width. The partial DOS projected onto the Si and Ge atoms of ZSiGeNR shows that a sharp peak at the Fermi level is derived from the edge Si and Ge atoms. The charge density contours show the Si–Ge bond is covalent bond, while for the Si–H bond and Ge–H bond, the valence charges are strongly accumulated around H atoms due to their stronger 1 s potential and the higher electronegativity of 2.20 than that of 1.90 for Si atom and 2.01 for Ge atom, so that a significant charge transformation from Si or Ge atoms to H atoms and thus an ionic binding feature. Spin–polarization calculations show that the band structures of ZSiGeNR are modified by the dangling bonds. Compared with perfect ZSiGeNR which is a ferrimagnetic semiconductor, the bands of the ZSiGeNRs with bare Si edge, bare Ge edge, and bare Si and Ge edges shift up and nearly flat extra bands appear at the Fermi level. The ZSiGeNR with bare Si edge or bare Ge edge is a ferrimagnetic metal, while ZSiGeNR with bare Si and Ge edges is a nonmagnetic metal.     

Cu台阶面多层弛豫的第一性原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理赝势平面波方法对Cu(311),(511),(331)和(221)四个高指数台阶表面的弛豫结构和弛豫后表面各层的电子特性进行了系统研究.发现四个台阶面的层间弛豫规律依次为-+-…,--+-…,--+-…和---+-…,与其平台-阶梯n(hkl)×(uvw)的表示法2(100)×(111),3(100)×(111),3(111)×(111)和4(111)×(111)中的原子排数n相关,即     

The instability of vicinal electrode surfaces against step bunching II: Theory

It is shown that vicinal surfaces with a regular step array in contact with an electrolyte are intrinsically unstable against a phase separation into areas of flat terraces and areas of step bunches. The effect is caused by the step dipole moment which lowers the potential of zero charge (pzc) of stepped surfaces. Specific calculations performed for vicinal surfaces of silver are qualitatively in keeping with experimental observations. Step bunching is likewise expected for vicinal surfaces of gold and platinum.     

Theoretical studies of hydrogen molecule adsorption on flat and stepped platinum surfaces

Theoretical calculations have been applied to the adsorption of hydrogen molecule on flat and stepped platinum surfaces. The method of large unit cell is modified to deal with the stepped surface as well as the flat one. This method is free from the boundary effect which is inevitable in the cluster method. The results calculated for the d-band width and the highest occupied level are in good agreement with the experiments. For the dissociative adsorption, the bottom of the step site is the most favorable, and the result is attributed to the extra orbital interactions at this site.     

Force sum rules for stepped surfaces of jellium

The Budd-Vannimenus theorem for jellium surface is generalized for stepped surfaces of jellium. Our sum rules show that the average value of the electrostatic potential over the stepped jellium surface equals the value of the potential at the corresponding flat jellium surface. Several sum rules are tested with numerical results obtained within the Thomas-Fermi model of stepped surfaces.     

The adsorption of CO on transition metal clusters: A case study of cluster surface chemistry

We present a discussion of recent experimental studies on the interaction of single CO molecules with transition metal clusters in the gas-phase, typically in the size range of 3 to more than 20 atoms, emphasizing specifically the insights gained from vibrational spectroscopy. Trends across the transition metals (TM) for molecular vs. dissociative chemisorption as well as for adsorption geometries are discussed and compared with the behaviour of CO adsorbed on extended surfaces. The dependence of the frequency of the internal CO stretch vibration on the size and charge of the cluster enables one to gauge quantitatively the effects of charge transfer between deposited nanoparticles and the substrate as well as of electron transfer due to the binding of co-adsorbed species.     

Interaction of water with stepped Co(0001): how is it different from flat Co(0001)?

The adsorption and dissociation of water monomer and dimer on stepped Co(0001) surface were studied by means of first-principles calculations. Present results indicate that the adsorption strength of water is greatly enhanced by the presence of step, while the activity of water monomer dissociation does not exhibit a noticeable improvement. Nevertheless, water dimer partial dissociation on stepped Co(0001) is more active than on flat Co(0001), and the promotion of oxygen atom on O–H bond cleavage of H₂O is more prominent on stepped surface than on flat Co(0001). The findings reveal the importance of low coordinated surface atoms on metallic catalysts and the vital role of surface rippling on water dissociation. Together with previous reports, the activity of water dissociation on cobalt-based catalytic surfaces depends dominantly on O-containing species like oxygen atom, H₂O or hydroxyl.     

Electronic structure of gold nanoclusters on oxidized Ni(755) surface

The electronic energy structure of gold nanoclusters grown on oxidized single-crystal stepped surface Ni(755) is studied. It is shown that oxidation of the stepped Ni(755) surface results in the formation of a well-ordered continuous structure O(2 × 2) similar to that grown on a flat Ni(111) single-crystal surface. Evaporation of gold on such a surface leads to the formation of gold nanoclusters of a size determined by the size of the terraces on the Ni(755) surface. A comparison of the photoelectron spectra of the Au 4f _{5/2, 7/2} core levels in clusters grown on clean and oxidized Ni(755) surfaces reveals that the spectra obtained for a gold cluster system on an oxidized Ni(755) surface contain not only the spectral components characteristic of metallic gold but also additional components of Au^+δ. It is assumed that additional components for gold clusters on the oxidized Ni(755) surface originate from partial oxidation of gold atoms with the participation of defects inherent in the stepped relief of the nickel substrate.     

Kinetic pathway for the formation of fe nanowires on stepped Cu111 surfaces

We report the discovery of a novel kinetic pathway for the formation of one-dimensional Fe nanowires of single atom width on stepped Cu(111) surfaces. This pathway, identified through extensive total-energy calculations within density functional theory, establishes that the stable structure involves a row of Fe atoms on the upper edge of a step. The formation of the surface wire is preceded by facile incorporation of an initial row of Fe atoms into the surface layer at one lateral lattice constant away from the step edge, which then acts as an attractor for the second exposed row of atoms. The resulting wire structure provides a natural interpretation of existing experimental results. We also explore the applicability of this mechanism in the formation of other related systems.     

Geometrical and chemical environment effects on the magnetism of stepped surfaces of V and V over Fe

By means of a real-space tight-binding calculation we obtain the spin-polarization of vicinal (1, 0, 2n?1) vanadium surface, and of one V layer deposited on vicinal (1, 0, 2n?1) iron surfaces (n=1,2,3,4). These geometries can be viewed as a staircase on the (001) surface with steps of monoatomic height andn-atoms width. Forn≤2, the pure V stepped surfaces do not show magnetism which is consistent with the absence of spinpolarization at the (101) surface. By contrast, magnetism is always obtained when a V monolayer is deposited on Fe stepped substrate, which is due to the hybridization of d-orbitals of V and Fe. Furthermore, in all the cases where magnetism is obtained, the surface V atoms at the edge of the step result to be antiferromagnetically coupled with all kink atoms. The effect of this local defect on the magnetic structure seems to remain when approaching the (001) surface (n→∞).     

A density functional study of adsorption of sodium-chloride overlayers on a stepped and a flat copper surface

The adsorption properties of sodium-chloride monolayers and bilayers on the flat (1 0 0) surface and the stepped (3 1 1) surface of copper have been investigated using density functional calculations. We have identified both electrostatic and covalent contributions to the bonding between the overlayers and the substrate. The larger corrugation of the electrostatic potential on the stepped surface than on the flat surface makes the adsorption stronger on the stepped surface than on the flat surface and favours the adsorption of the chlorine atom on top of a copper atom in the steps of the stepped surface. A further stabilisation of this bonding geometry is obtained from the formation of weak covalent bond between these two atoms. A simple “image charge” model for the bonding is found to break down in this case. The large geometric buckling of the monolayer on the stepped surface is predicted to give rise to a large difference between the work functions of the monolayer and the bilayer.     

Theoretical study of the chemisorption of H2 on boron cluster surfaces

“Ab initio” RHF calculations are used to investigate the chemisorption of a H₂ molecule on boron cluster surfaces. Potential energy surfaces and electron charge difference density plots are given. The results obtained indicate that the H₂ molecule in certain cases is dissociated on the surface, and that the hydrogen atoms are individually bound to different boron atoms. It is also found that the chemisorbed hydrogen atoms can move almost freely in certain directions parallel to the boron surface.