Unified theory of photoelectron and vibrational spectra of chemisorbed molecules on metal surfaces

Photoelectron spectra of diatomic molecules such as CO and N₂ weakly chemisorbed on metal surfaces exhibit a multitude of satellite lines due to multi-electron excitations in which the photoinduced hole is screened by charge transfer from the metal into the low-lying unoccupied level. Recently Heskett et al. [Surface Sci. 139 (1984) 558] noticed that in the systems which display the satellite lines, the molecular vibrational frequencies decrease with increasing molecular coverage, in contrast to what is expected from dipole-dipole coupling theory. They then claimed that instead of the 2π¹-metal bonding, the 5σ orbital is responsible for the bond to the substrate. This leads to a shift of the C-O stretching frequency to lower energy as the molecular coverage increases, since the 5σ orbital has an antibonding character with respect to the stretch vibration. Other experimental phenomena which should be taken into account are the negative shift and substantial broadening of the vibrational spectra of these molecules upon chemisorption on metal surfaces. Experimental results seem to reveal that the magnitude of negative shift and width increases with the strength of chemisorption, thereby suggesting that an unique mechanism is responsible for these vibrational properties. We propose a unified theory which enables us to understand these apparently unrelated electronic and vibrational properties in terms of the occupancy of the low-lying 2π¹ level in the neutral ground state and in vibrational excited states of the chemisorbed molecules. Also discussed is a change of the vibrational frequencies with coverage within the framework of the chemical frequency shift caused by charge transfer between the 2π¹ level and the metal.     

Study of adsorption states and interactions of CO on evaporated noble metal surfaces by infrared absorption spectroscopy: I. Silver

We have used infrared absorption spectroscopy to study the adsorption of CO at low temperature on evaporated silver films as a function of the coverage of CO and the deposition temperature of the silver. We observe two adsorption regimes when a cold silver film is exposed to CO gas. If the silver deposition temperature, (or the highest temperature at which the silver has been annealed), is above the threshold temperature of 150 K, then only physisorbed CO is observed. For sample temperatures below 25 K, these physisorbed molecules are oriented perpendicular to the metal surface. Films deposited at temperatures below 150 K, however, contain ≈ 0.01 monolayer of chemically active sites at which CO chemisorbs. The infrared band due to chemisorbed CO shifts to lower frequency with increasing coverage. We have analyzed this shift and separated the static and dynamic contributions. The static, chemical shift is caused in part by the change in the work function induced by surrounding adsorbates. The dynamics shift is fully explained by a dipole-dipole interaction; we find no evidence for a vibrational coupling through the metal. We have analyzed the vibrational polarizability and infrared absorption strength of the absorbed CO, and find no evidence for the infrared enhancement suggested by some theories of surface enhanced Raman scattering.     

The adsorption sites of CO on Ni(111) as determined by infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy

The adsorption of CO on Ni(111) has been studied using infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy combined with LEED, Auger electron spectroscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy and work function measurements. At low CO coverage (θ = 0.05) CO adsorbs on threefold sites with a strecthing frequency given by ω_CO = 1817 cm^?1. At θ = 0.30 all molecules have shifted to two-fold sites, and θ = 0.50, where a c(4 × 2) structure is observed, ω_CO = 1910 cm^?1. At θ = 0.57, with a (√7/2) × √7/2)R19.1° structure, one quarter of the molecules are adsorbed on top of the nickel atoms with the others in two-fold sites. Molecules bonded on the top sites give rise to a band at 2045 cm^?1. The frequency shift due to dipole-dipole interactions is small compared with the shift resulting from bonding to different crystallographic sites.     

Collective vibrational modes in isotopic mixtures of CO adsorbed on Cu (100)

Isotopic mixtures of CO adsorbed on Cu(100) have been studied by infrared spectroscopy. For mixtures of ¹²C¹⁶O/¹²C¹⁸O at a constant coverage of 0.5 it was found that the molecules constitute a collective vibrational system. The C-O stretching vibrations were studied as a function of composition of the overlayer and the data are successfully interpreted by a dipole — dipole coupling theory.     

The influence of crystallographic steps on coadsorption: CO---O/Ni(119)

On low index nickel surfaces, repulsive interactions between atomic oxygen and CO drive the phase separation of these species into oxygen-rich and CO-rich islands. Because these adsorbates interact differently with crystallographic steps, the size and the structure of these islands are modified on stepped surfaces. We have monitored coadsorption-induced changes in the distribution of CO with IRRAS, observing six different CO stretching bands which are assigned to distinct local chemisorption environments. When oxygen fully saturates sites along the step edge, the steps are completely blocked from CO adsorption and virtually all the CO population on the terraces shifts from atop to bridge sites. This terrace site shift is similarly accomplished by atomic oxygen chemisorbed at terrace sites. From these coadsorption-induced changes in CO site distributions, constrained by the 10 Å terrace width, we conclude the through-metal O---CO interaction responsible for this CO site shift must be operative over a range of 5 Å. At θ_o = 0.18 ML, when oxygen occupies, but does not fully saturate the step edge, a new CO adsorption site is created, with a characteristic frequency of 1750 cm⁻¹. This new site is assigned to CO bonded to kinks along the step edge based upon its low intensity ( geometric kink density), enhanced binding strength and sensitivity to oxygen coverage. At higher oxygen coverages, compression of the CO adlayer is observed, with CO shifting to asymmetric bridge sites. As saturation coverage is approached, CO occupies weakly bound sites in close proximity ( 3 Å) to O adatoms, with high characteristic frequencies of 2100 cm⁻¹.     

The influence of dipoles in intermediate layers on the electronic levels of physisorbed species studied by UPS

Angle-resolved UV photoelectron spectra were measured at 20 K on Xe/ N₂/X/Ni (110) multilayers in which X were chemisorbed H₂O, N₂ and CO molecules. The chemisorbed molecules change the work function by different amounts. The binding energy of Xe referred to the Fermi edge of the substrate is shifted according to these work-function changes, but it stays constant with respect to the vacuum level. This experiment proves that there is no measurable interaction between the photon created hole and the dipole of the chemisorbed molecule, in the final state of the photoemission process.     

Infrared spectra for co isotopes chemisorbed on Pt “111”: Evidence for strong absorbate coupling interactions

Previous results for ¹²C¹⁶O chemisorbed on a Pt“111” recrystallised ribbon revealed that the infrared absorption band due to the CO stretch appears at low coverages at 2063 cm^?1 and shifts to ~2100 cm^?1 at saturation coverage at 300 K. The cause of this shift is studied in the present work, by investigating the vibrational spectra from a variety of mixtures of ¹²C¹⁶O and ¹²C¹⁶O. The results show that there is a strong dipole-dipole coupling interaction between adsorbate molecules in the overlayer, and provide conclusive evidence that the 35 cm^?1 frequency shift observed with increasing coverage for ¹²C¹⁶O is attributable to coupling.     

Chemisorption of carbon monoxide on platinum {111}: Reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy

Reflection-adsorption infrared spectroscopy has been combined with thermal desorption and surface stoichiometry measurements to study the structure of CO chemisorbed on a {111}- oriented platinum ribbon under uhv conditions. Desorption spectra show a single peak at coverages > 10¹⁴ molecules cm^?2, with the desorption energy decreasing with increasing coverage up to 0.4 of a monolayer, and then remaining constant at ≈135 kJ mol^?1 until saturation. The “saturation” coverage at 300 K is 7 × 10¹⁴ molecules cm^?2, and no new low temperatures state is formed after adsorption at 120 K. Infrared spectra show a single very intense, sharp band over the spectral range investigated (1500 to 2100 cm^?1), which first appears at low coverages at 2065 cm^?1 and shifts continuously with increasing coverage to 2101 cm^?1 at 7 × 10¹⁴ molecules cm^?2. The halfwidth of the band at 2101 cm^?1 is 9.0 cm^?1, independent of temperature and only slightly dependent on coverage. The band intensity does not increase uniformly with increasing coverage, and hysteresis is observed between adsorption and desorption sequences in the variation of both the band intensity and frequency as a function of coverage. The frequency shift and the virtual invariance of the absorption band halfwidt with increasing coverage (Jespite recent LEED evidence for overlayer compression in this system) are attributed to strong dipole-dipole coupling in the overlayer.     

A comparison of the electronic properties of CO adsorbed on a thick copper film,and on a copper monolayer deposited on Ru(0001), as determined by metastable quenching spectroscopy

We use thermal desorption and metastable quenching spectroscopy to study the properties of CO chemisorbed on Ru(0001); on a Cu monolayer deposited on Ru(0001); and on a Cu film. We find that CO binds more strongly to the Cu monolayer than the Cu film; that the Penning ionization peaks of CO are more prominent on the film; and that addition of CO causes a greater lowering of the work function of the Cu film, than that of the Cu monolayer. We also observe that the 2π¹ emission of CO adsorbed on Ru(0001) has a double peak; that the saturation of Ru(0001) with CO seems to lead to CO tilting; and that the Penning spectrum of CO on Cu has two small features which have not been observed for CO adsorbed on other metals.     

Surface coverage measurements by sims for CO adsorption on a number of metals and for CO and H2S CO-adsorption on Ni(110), (100) and (111)

A detailed study of CO adsorption on Ni(100) utilizing static SIMS and a comparison of the data with surface coverage data from the literature shows that there is a linear relationship between CO coverage and the peak intensity ratios (MCO⁺/M⁺ and M₂CO⁺/M⁺₂) of the CO-containing secondary ions, in the region of coverage below which the adlayer becomes compressed. Adsorption isobares were obtained using the intensity ratios and from these, adsorption isosteres were derjved to give heats of adsorption as a function of coverage. These data are in very close agreement with the literature. Confirmatory data were obtained for this relationship for CO adsorption on polycrystalline Ni, Pd, Pt and Cu and Cu(100). The application of this technique of surface coverage measurements to a study of the extent to which H₂S coadsorption reduces the coverage of adsorbed CO on Ni(110), (100) and (111) shows that these faces are poisoned in the order (100) > (111) > (110). Surface coverage measurements on the non-closepacked (110) face are affected by the apparent insensitivity of SIMS to adsorbates located in the “channels”.     

Adsorption of CO on clean and oxygen covered Ni(111) surfaces

Adsorption of CO on Ni(111) surfaces was studied by means of LEED, UPS and thermal desorption spectroscopy. On an initially clean surface adsorbed CO forms a √3 × $\text{√3}\text{R30°}$ structure at θ = 0.33 whose unit cell is continuously compressed with increasing coverage leading to a c4 × 2-structure at θ = 0.5. Beyond this coverage a more weakly bound phase characterized by a $\text{√7}\text{2}$ × $\text{√7}\text{2R19°}$ LEED pattern is formed which is interpreted with a hexagonal close-packed arrangement (θ = 0.57) where all CO molecules are either in “bridge” or in single-site positions with a mutual distance of 3.3 Å. If CO is adsorbed on a surface precovered by oxygen (exhibiting an O 2 × 2 structure) a partially disordered coadsorbate 2 × 2 structure with θ_o = θ_co = 0.25 is formed where the CO adsorption energy is lowered by about 4 kcal/mole due to repulsive interactions. In this case the photoemission spectrum exhibits not a simple superposition of the features arising from the single-component adsorbates (i.e. maxima at 5.5 eV below the Fermi level with O_ad, and at 7.8 (5σ + 1π) and 10.6 eV (4σ) with CO_ad, respectively), but the peak derived from the CO 4σ level is shifted by about 0.3 eV towards higher ionization energies.     

SIMS study of the interaction of CO and O2 with K adsorbed on Au

SIMS was used to study the adsorption of potassium on a gold foil, and the interaction of O₂ and CO with potassium monolayers and submonolayers. The SIMS K⁺ signal decreased with increasing coverage of K in a manner which can be attributed to work function changes. Oxygen interacts readily with potassium monolayers and submonolayers. No evidence for the adsorption of CO on chemisorbed potassium was obtained. The results are compared with coadsorption studies on substrates other than gold.     

On the kinetics of oxygen adsorption on a Pt(111) surface

The kinetics of O₂ adsorption on a clean Pt(111) surface were investigated in the temperature range 214–400°C. The oxygen coverage was measured by CO titration as well as Auger electron spectroscopy both of which show the same dependence on O₂ exposure. The initial sticking coefficient on clean Pt(111) is 0.08–0.10 and decreases exponentially with increasing oxygen coverage. For θ > 0.23 a (2 × 2)-O LEED pattern was observed. The highest oxygen coverage obtained was approximately 0.45. A theoretical model was proposed which correlates the coverage dependence of the sticking coefficient with adsorbate interactions in the chemisorbed state. These interactions cause a coverage dependent activation energy of adsorption assuming the existence of a precursor state. Experiments dealing with the effect of carbon contamination on the sticking coefficient showed that the initial sticking coefficient decreases with increasing carbon coverage.     

The adsorption of CO on Ir(111) investigated with FT-IRAS

The adsorption of CO on Ir(111) has been investigated with Fourier transform infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy, temperature programmed desorption, and low-energy electron diffraction. At sample temperatures between 90 and 350 K, only a single absorption band, above 2000 cm⁻¹, has been observed at all CO coverages. For fractional coverages above approximately 0.2, the bandwidth becomes as narrow as 5.5 cm⁻¹. The linewidth is attributed mainly to inhomogeneous broadening at low CO coverages and to the creation of electron-hole pairs at higher CO coverages. The coverage-dependent frequency shift of the IR band can be described quantitatively using an improved dipolar coupling model. The contribution of the dipole shift and the chemical shift to the total frequency shift were separated using isotopic mixtures of CO. The chemical shift is positive with a constant value of approximately 12 cm⁻¹ for all coverages, whereas the dipole shift increases with coverage up to a value of 36 cm⁻¹ at a coverage of 0.5 ML.     

The adsorption of CO on Cu surfaces studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy

Electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS) in the energy range of electronic transitions (primary energy 30 < E₀ < 50 eV, resolution ΔE ≈ 0.3 eV) has been used to study the adsorption of CO on polycrystalline surfaces and on the low index faces (100), (110), (111) of Cu at 80 K. Also LEED patterns were investigated and thermal desorption was analyzed by means of the temperature dependence of three losses near 9, 12 and 14 eV characteristic for adsorbed CO. The 12 and 14 eV losses occur on all Cu surfaces in the whole coverage range; they are interpreted in terms of intramolecular transitions of the CO. The 9 eV loss is sensitive to the crystallographic type of Cu surface and to the coverage with CO. The interpretation in terms of d(Cu) → 2π¹(CO) charge transfer transitions allows conclusions concerning the adsorption site geometry. The ELS results are consistent with information obtained from LEED. On the (100) surface CO adsorption enhances the intensity of a bulk electronic transition near 4 eV at E₀ < 50 eV. This effect is interpreted within the framework of dielectric theory for surface scattering on the basis of the Cu electron energy band scheme.     

The adsorption of Xe and CO on a Cu (311) single crystal surface

LEED, electron energy loss spectroscopy and surface potential measurements have been used to study the adsorption of Xe and CO on Cu (311). Xe is adsorbed with a heat of 19 ± 2 kJ mol^/t-1. The complete monolayer has a surface potential of 0.58 V and a hexagonal close-packed structure with an interatomic distance of 4.45 ± 0.05 Å. CO gives a positive surface potential increasing with coverage to a maximum of 0.34 V and then falling to 0.22 V at saturation. The heat of adsorption is initially 61 ± 2 kJ mol^?1, falling as the surface potential maximum is approached to about 45 kJ mol^?1. At this coverage streaks appear in the LEED pattern corresponding to an overlayer which is one-dimensionally ordered in the [011&#x0304;] direction. Additional CO adsorption causes the heat of adsorption to decrease further and the overlayer structure to be compressed in the [011&#x0304;] direction. At saturation the LEED pattern shows extra spots which are tentatively attributed to domains of a new overlayer structure coexisting with the first. Electron energy loss spectra (EELS) of adsorbed CO show two characteristic peaks at 4.5 and 13.5 eV probably arising from transitions between the electronic levels of chemisorbed CO.     

Electron dynamics in H/Na/Cu(1 1 1) collisions

Surface adsorbates induce strong local perturbations in the electronic structure and potentials in their surroundings. Consequently, charge transfer processes between projectiles and adsorbate-covered surfaces are strongly affected. The theoretical calculations and experiment measurements reported herein are focused on the H⁻/Na/Cu(1 1 1) system. The electron dynamics at the Na/Cu(1 1 1) surface and the influence of Na adsorbates on the H⁻-Cu(1 1 1) charge transfer are treated and discussed in detail. The ion fractions are mainly influenced by the ion exit trajectories. At low Na coverage, they exhibit a maximum near the 60° exit angle from surface. The calculations and experimental data are in good agreement.     

Energy level shifts of CO chemisorbed and condensed on RH(111)

Energy level shifts of CO in different phases, gas, solid and chemisorbed on Rh(111) are compared. Between gaseous and solid CO a shift of the 4σ and 5σ derived molecular orbitals of about 2.7 eV to lower binding energies due to polarization is observed. A larger 1π – 4σ separation of the CO molecules condensed and chemisorbed on Rh(111) is observed with respect to the gas phase. A comparison of the binding energies of the three molecular orbitals in the different phases allows to estimate the bonding shift of the 5σ level to 2.7 eV.     

Microcontact printing of self-assembled monolayers to pattern the light-emission of polymeric light-emitting diodes

By patterning a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of thiolated molecules with opposing dipole moments on a gold anode of a polymer light-emitting diode (PLED), the charge injection and, therefore, the light-emission of the device can be controlled with a micrometer-scale resolution. Gold surfaces were modified with SAMs based on alkanethiols and perfluorinated alkanethiols, applied by microcontact printing, and their work functions have been measured. The molecules form a chemisorbed monolayer of only ∼1.5 nm on the gold surface, thereby locally changing the work function of the metal. Kelvin probe measurements show that the local work function can be tuned from 4.3 to 5.5 eV, which implies that this anode can be used as a hole blocking electrode or as a hole injecting electrode, respectively, in PLEDs based on poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) derivatives. By microcontact printing of SAMs with opposing dipole moments, the work function was locally modified and the charge injection in the PLED could be controlled down to the micrometer length scale. Consequently, the local light-emission exhibits a high contrast. Microcontact printing of SAMs is a simple and inexpensive method to pattern, with micrometer resolution, the light-emission for low-end applications like static displays. Both authors (J.J. Brondijk and X. Li) contributed equally.