Dimer pinning and the assignment of semiconductor-adsorbate surface structures

It has been observed in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) that the adsorption of molecules on the (001) surface of a Group IV semiconductor can lead to an asymmetric ordering of the dimers immediately adjacent to the adsorbate. This so-called pinning may occur along the dimer row on only one, or both sides of the adsorbate. Here we present a straightforward methodology for predicting such pinning and illustrate this approach for several different adsorbate structures on the Si(001) surface. This approach extends earlier work by including the effects of coupling across the adsorbate as well as the nearest-neighbor interactions between the chemisorbed dimer and its adjacent dimers. The results are shown to be in excellent agreement with the room temperature experimental STM data. The examples also show how this approach can serve as a powerful tool for discriminating between alternative possible adsorbate structures on a dimerized semiconductor (001) surface, especially in cases of molecular adsorption where the STM measurements provide insufficient details of the underlying atomic structure.     

Supramolecular structures and dynamics of organic adsorbate layers at the solid-liquid interface

We report on atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies of the dynamic structure of adsorbate layers at the interface between highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and solutions of a fluorophore with two alkyl chains in phenyloctane. Layers grown above the saturation concentration showed a stable but highly corrugated surface. Below saturation an adsorbate film with a thickness of several molecular layers formed in equilibrium with the solution. The outer layers exhibit a dynamic supramolecular structure consisting of stripes with a spacing of 7 ± 1 nm. The cross-correlation analysis of several sequences of images revealed a characteristic reorganization time for the pattern of tens of seconds. By scanning at elevated forces (> 5 nN) the outer layers could be removed, thus revealing the structure of the first adsorbate layer, namely a stable stripe pattern. STM images of this first layer confirmed this stripe pattern and revealed details of the molecular arrangement at atomic resolution.     

Surface modification of III–V semiconductors: chemical processes and electronic properties

The possibilities of controlling the surface electronic properties of III–V semiconductors by varying the adsorption chemistry are analyzed. Variations of the adsorption process parameters and the adsorbate reactivity are able to affect the surface atomic and electronic structure of the semiconductor. The adsorbate reactivity is considered within the framework of the density functional theory using the reactivity indices. The easiest way to affect the reactivity of a particular adsorbate is to create a solvation shell around it, as is possible in both liquid solutions and the gas phase (microsolvation). Solvation of ions before their adsorption by different solvents affects considerably the relative nucleophility of the central atom in the ion, which results in a different charge transfer mechanism from the surface states on adsorption, and thus, in a different modification of the surface electronic structure of the semiconductor. The effect of halogen, sulfur and metal atoms reactivity on the electronic structure of the resulting adsorbate-covered surface of III–V semiconductor is discussed.     

O atom induced gradual deconstruction of the 23xradical3 Au(111) surface

He diffraction has been used to investigate changes in the surface morphology of reconstructed Au(111) when small quantities of O atoms are adsorbed. It is proposed that the electronegative oxygen removes charge from the surface, which causes the surface to revert to the (111) structure. The extent of this deconstruction is dependent on the initial O coverage and the surface temperature. These results further delineate and emphasize the delicate interplay of adsorbate coverage and surface structure for the oxygen-gold system, a topic of current high interest due to the remarkable and technologically relevant catalytic properties of gold interfaces and clusters spanning atomic through nanoscale dimensions.     

Molar volume and adsorption isotherm dependence of capillary forces in nanoasperity contacts

The magnitude of the capillary force at any given temperature and adsorbate partial pressure depends primarily on four factors: the surface tension of the adsorbate, its liquid molar volume, its isothermal behavior, and the contact geometry. At large contacting radii, the adsorbate surface tension and the contact geometry are dominating. This is the case of surface force apparatus measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments with micrometer-size spheres. However, as the size of contacting asperities decreases to the nanoscale as in AFM experiments with sharp tips, the molar volume and isotherm of the adsorbate become very important to capillary formation as well as capillary adhesion. This effect is experimentally and theoretically explored with simple alcohol molecules (ethanol, 1-butanol, and 1-pentanol) which have comparable surface tensions but differing liquid molar volumes. Adsorption isotherms for these alcohols on silicon oxide are also reported.     

On the structure of bilayer condensed phases confined between crystalline walls of triangular symmetry

Grand canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulation method is used to study the structure of Lennard-Jones fluids confined between the parallel walls, formed by the (111) planes of the face centered cubic crystal. Thin slit pores with a width allowing for the formation of only two atomic layers are considered. It is shown that the structure of confined solidlike phases is very sensitive to the pore width, the misfit between the size of adsorbate atoms and the size of surface lattice, as well as the corrugation of the surface potential. In particular, when the misfit between the adsorbate atoms and the surface lattice is very small, even a weakly corrugated surface potential highly stabilizes solidlike phases of triangular symmetry. On the other hand, in the case of large misfit the packing effects become a dominating factor and lead to the appearance of solidlike phases of different structures and symmetries.     

Unequal-sphere packing model for simulation of the uniaxially compressed iodine adlayer on Au(111)

A simple unequal-sphere packing (USP) model, based on pure geometrical principles, was applied to study the centered-rectangular iodine c(px radical3)R30 degrees adlayer on the Au(111) surface, well-known from surface X-ray structure (SXS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments. To reproduce the exact patterns observed in experiments, two selective conditions-minimum average adsorbate height and minimum adlayer roughness-were imposed. As a result, a series of adlayer patterns with c(px radical3)R30 degrees symmetry (2.3 < p < 3), with precise structural details, including atomic registry and identification of the p-bisector as the most likely trajectory for the iodine adatom movement during the so-called uniaxial compression phenomenon, were identified. In addition, using the same model, the difference between the iodine adlayer arranged in hexagonal and centered-rectangular c(px radical3)R30 degrees patterns, as in the case of Pt(111) and Au(111) surfaces, was investigated. Qualitative and quantitative comparison shows that iodine adatoms in these two arrangements differ significantly in atomic registry, distance from the substrate, and the adlayer corrugation. Our findings could be of special interest in the study of the nature of the iodine adatom bonding to different substrates (i.e., Au vs Pt).     

Atomic-Scale Insights into Electrode Surface Dynamics by High-Speed Scanning Probe Microscopy

Atomic-scale processes at electrode surfaces in liquid electrolytes are central elemental steps of electrochemical reactions. Detailed insights into the structure of these interfaces can be obtained with in situ scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopy. By increasing the time resolution of these methods into the millisecond range, highly dynamic processes at electrode surfaces become directly observable. This review gives an overview of in situ studies with video-rate scanning probe microscopy techniques. Firstly, quantitative investigations into the dynamic behaviour of individual adsorbed atoms and molecules are described. These reveal a complex dependence of adsorbate surface diffusion on potential and co-adsorbed species and provide data on adsorbate–adsorbate and adsorbate–substrate interactions in a liquid environment. Secondly, results on collective dynamic phenomena are discussed, such as molecular self-assembly, the dynamics of nanoscale structures, nucleation and growth, and surface restructuring due to phase-formation processes.     

Substrate induced ordered structures in monomolecular adlayers

The monolayer structure of 1,4-didodecylbenzene (DDB) at the interface between organic solutions and the basal planes of single crystalline MoSe₂ and MoS₂ has been investigated in situ by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), and compared to the corresponding monolayer structures on graphite, as well as to the monolayer structure of a long-chain alkane, dotriacontane. Common to the structures on all substrates is the fact that they are (1) close packed, (2) oriented relative to the substrate lattices, and (3) not simply commensurate to the substrates. However, details of the structures, including the unit cell symmetries, do depend on the particular substrate. It is concluded that for flexible and non-covalently bound chain molecules the atomic flatness of the substrate generally favours a high degree of order in the molecular adsorbate. The specific molecular structures depend on the particular surface properties of the substrate, i.e. lattice constants and corrugation of the adsorption potential across the surface. The less symmetric unit cells of DDB on the molybdenum dichalcogenides, when compared to the unit cell on graphite, is attributed to the larger corrugation in the adsorption potentials, which in turn is due to the larger lattice constants of the dichalcogenides.     

Classification of hexagonal adlayer arrangements by means of collective geometrical properties

Unequal-sphere packing model is applied for the simulation of large number of hexagonal adlayer structures with surface coverage between theta=13 and theta=1 on the hexagonal substrate, with atomic radius of the adsorbate and substrate atoms as the only input. Each structure is characterized with respect to collective adlayer properties: the average adlayer height and the adlayer roughness. The distribution of hexagonal arrangements is presented in a special plot, which can be used for identification and characterization of hexagonal adlayers of different surface coverages and atomic registries. The most likely structures are related to the extreme values of our model parameters. The usefulness of this methodology is successfully demonstrated by comparison with some real adsorbate-substrate systems, i.e., halogens and rare gases adsorbed on (111) surface. Besides the agreement with experimental results, our model offers new insight into the formation of atomic adlayers and detailed analysis of the atomic registry. We believe that our approach will be of use for identification of probable structures among the large number of combinatorial possibilities in theoretical studies and for better interpretation of experimental results (i.e., scanning-tunneling microscopy images of atomic adlayers).     

The amazing story of semiconductor surface structures

A brief indication of the history of the determination and prediction of the structure of semiconductor surfaces is given. Only clean surfaces are considered, although adsorbate structures exhibit analogous features. Many of these surfaces are reconstructed, i.e., the symmetry of their surface structure is lower than that of the corresponding bulk lattice plane. During the 1980s and 1990s, the detailed atomic geometries of many of these structures were determined. They exhibit a wide variety of atomic motifs, many of which are not familiar from either small molecule geometries or solid state structures. Theoretical predictions exist for a few of the most heavily studied structures, but even in these cases not all the details of the structures are accepted. The enormous literature on this topic can be comprehended by recognizing that the surface regions of semiconductors constitute a new class of two dimensional chemical compounds, restricted by the requirement that they fit epitaxically on the bulk crystalline substrate. Five principles govern the formation of these compounds for clean tetrahedrally coordinated semiconductors, guiding even a novice to a rudimentary understanding of the origin of the observed rich variety of surface structures. In the case of the cleavage surfaces additional scaling laws are satisfied which further buttress the concept that these surfaces are two dimensional compounds governed by coordination chemistry considerations which are distinct from those appropriate for either molecules or bulk solids.     

Theoretical and experimental insights into the electrochemical heavy metal ion sensing with nonconductive nanomaterials

Nonconductive nanomaterial is a type of modifiers widely used in electrochemical heavy metal ion detection. Despite a large number of studies devoted to the electrochemical stripping behaviors of modifiers, a clear picture regarding the structure–performance relationship is still lacking. Recently, benefiting from the development of fine-structure characterization techniques and density functional theory calculations, the atomic details on how the surface interaction between heavy metal ions and the modifiers leads to its high sensitivity have attracted much attention. This short review discusses the development and challenge of nanomaterial-based stripping behaviors in the determination of heavy metal ions and highlights the structure–performance relationship at the atomic level.     

Chemical Bonding State of Chlorine on Ag{100} as Determined by Angle-Resolved Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

The power of the angle-resolved ion desorption technique for straightforward characterization of surfaces is demonstrated. The structural sensitivity of secondary ion desorption has led to a successful application of angle-resolved ion sputtering yield measurements to the determination of the Cl chemical bonding structure on the Ag {100} surface. Angular distributions of the sputtered Cl^? ions show that chlorine dissociates at the surface to yield a bonding state of atomic form at the room temperature. Both the polar and the azimuthal angle dependencies of the sputter intensity for Ag⁺ and Cl^? ions reveal that the Cl adatom is chemi-sorbed high above the topmost substrate layer of Ag atoms. At all Cl exposures, the Ag-Cl bond is oriented along the <100> azimuth with the adsorbate occupying a C₄ symmetry site, not an a-top, a bridge, or a high symmetry site. Shadow-cone enhanced ion desorption spectra show that die geometrical structure of the Cl chemisorbed surface changes slightly as the exposure is increased.     

Electron scattering cross section on the surface of thin ag and au films induced by atomic deuterium adsorption

The electron scattering cross section on the surface of thin silver and gold films induced by adsorption of atomic deuterium under conditions when a single adsorption state is formed was determined. Adsorption of atomic deuterium carried out at 78 K on sintered thin silver (gold) films deposited on Pyrex glass under ultrahigh vacuum conditions was studied measuring the resistance changes DeltaR "in situ". The adsorption runs performed at various exposures were followed by thermal desorption. This allowed establishment of a correlation between DeltaR and the uptake of the adsorbate. BET measurements were performed to determine the real area of the thin films and calculate the density of the adsorbate on their surface. It was found that in agreement with Wissmann's equation1 a linear dependence of DeltaR on the density of the adsorbate nads exists within a large interval of the population (nads < or = 1 x 10(15) D adatoms/cm2 on silver and 7 x 10(14) D adatoms/cm2 on gold) available under our experimental conditions. On the basis of this equation the electron scattering cross section Aads induced by adsorption of atomic deuterium on sintered thin silver and gold films was calculated as reaching 4.75 x 10(-16) and 4.46 x 10(-16) cm2, respectively. A small isotope effect in the electron scattering cross section for adsorption of hydrogen on silver was observed: Aads = 5.48 x 10(-16) cm2.     

Organic bonding to silicon via a carbonyl group: new insights from atomic-scale images

The ability to covalently attach organic molecules to semiconductor surfaces in a controllable and selective manner is currently receiving much attention due to the potential for creating hybrid silicon-organic molecular-electronic devices. Here we use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory calculations to study the adsorption of a simple ketone [acetone; (CH(3))(2)CO] to the silicon (001) surface. We show both bias and time-dependent STM images and their agreement with total energy DFT calculations, simulated STM images, and published spectroscopic data. We investigate the stability of the resulting adsorbate structures with respect to temperature and applied STM tip bias and current. We demonstrate the ability to convert from the kinetically favored single-dimer alpha-H cleavage adsorbate structure to thermodynamically favored bridge-bonded adsorbate structures. This can be performed for the entire surface using a thermal anneal or, for individual molecules, using the highly confined electron beam of the STM tip. We propose the use of the carbonyl functional group to tether organic molecules to silicon may lead to increased stability of the adsorbates with respect to current-voltage characterization. This has important implications for the creation of robust single-molecule devices.     

The detection of the 2π* orbital of CO and NO chemisorbed on Ni(111) by surface penning ionization electron spectroscopy

We use surface Penning ionization spectroscopy (SPIES) to study the electronic properties of CO and NO adsorbed on Ni(111). In this experiment an atomic beam containing ground-state and 2 ¹S He atoms collides with the adsorbate covered Ni(111) surface. This causes the transfer of ≈20.6 eV energy into the electronic degrees of freedom of the adsorbate molecules, forcing them to emit electrons. The SPIE spectrum is obtained by analysing the energy of these electrons. The high surface sensitivity of this method allows us to measure the binding energy of the partly filled 2π* orbitals of CO and NO.     

Atomic Force Microscopy for Molecular Structure Elucidation

Using scanning probe microscopy techniques, at low temperatures and in ultrahigh vacuum, individual molecules adsorbed on surfaces can be probed with ultrahigh resolution to determine their structure and details of their conformation, configuration, charge states, aromaticity, and the contributions of resonance structures. Functionalizing the tip of an atomic force microscope with a CO molecule enabled atomic‐resolution imaging of single molecules, and measurement of their adsorption geometry and bond‐order relations. In addition, by using scanning tunneling microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy, the density of the molecular frontier orbitals and the electric charge distribution within molecules can be mapped. Combining these techniques yields a high‐resolution tool for the identification and characterization of individual molecules. The single‐molecule sensitivity and the possibility of atom manipulation to induce chemical reactions with the tip of the microscope open up unique applications in chemistry, and differentiate scanning probe microscopy from conventional methods for molecular structure elucidation. Besides being an aid for challenging cases in natural product identification, atomic force microscopy has been shown to be a powerful tool for the investigation of on‐surface reactions and the characterization of radicals and molecular mixtures. Herein we review the progress that high‐resolution scanning probe microscopy with functionalized tips has made for molecular structure identification and characterization, and discuss the challenges it will face in the years to come.     

Molecular Factors of Catalytic Selectivity

Selectivity—the production of one molecule out of many other thermodynamically feasible product molecules—is the key concept in developing clean processes that do not produce by‐products (green chemistry). Small differences in the potential‐energy barriers of single reaction steps control which reaction channel is more likely to yield the desired product molecule (selectivity), while the overall activation energy of the reaction controls the turnover rates (activity). Recent studies have demonstrated that tailoring parameters at the atomic or molecular level—such as the surface structures of active sites—gives turnover rates and reaction selectivities that depend on the nanoparticle size and shape. Here, we highlight seven molecular components that influence the selectivity of heterogeneous catalyst reactions on single‐crystal model surfaces and colloid nanoparticles: surface structure, adsorbate‐induced restructuring, adsorbate mobility, reaction intermediates, surface composition, charge transport, and oxidation states. We show the importance of the single factors by means of examples and describe in situ analyses that permit their roles in surface reactions to be investigated.     

Ultrafast charge transfer and atomic orbital polarization

The role of orbital polarization for ultrafast charge transfer between an atomic adsorbate and a substrate is explored. Core hole clock spectroscopy with linearly polarized x-ray radiation allows to selectively excite adsorbate resonance states with defined spatial orientation relative to the substrate surface. For c(4 x 2)S/Ru(0001) the charge transfer times between the sulfur 2s(-1)3p*+1 antibonding resonance and the ruthenium substrate have been studied, with the 2s electron excited into the 3p perpendicular* state along the surface normal and the 3p parallel* state in the surface plane. The charge transfer times are determined as 0.18+/-0.07 and 0.84+/-0.23 fs, respectively. This variation is the direct consequence of the different adsorbate-substrate orbital overlap.     

Morphological aspects of sulfate-induced reconstruction of Cu(1 1 1) in sulfuric acid solution: in situ STM study

Using in situ STM the atomic structure and the morphology of a Cu(1 1 1) surface exposed to a dilute sulfuric acid solution have been studied depending on the applied electrode potential. At anodic potentials near the onset of copper dissolution the electrode surface is reconstructed (expanded) caused by the specific adsorption of sulfate anions. The extent of the surface reconstruction strongly depends on the sulfate adsorption rate. Fast sulfate adsorption results in a mainly disordered sulfate adlayer on an unreconstructed copper surface. Conversely, slow sulfate adsorption produces a mainly reconstructed copper surface with a highly ordered sulfate/water coadsorption layer. This adsorbate structure shows an additional long-range Moiré modulation, due to a misfit between the first reconstructed and the second unreconstructed copper layer. This is verified by spectroscopy-like STM experiments, which allow the imaging not only of the adsorbate overlayer, but also of the underlying reconstructed substrate. This type of adsorbate-induced reconstruction is characterized by an expansion of the topmost copper layer. The kinetically slow process of reconstruction can be easily followed by dynamic STM measurements revealing a mass transport out of the topmost copper layer during the slow sulfate adlayer formation. Characteristically, new copper islands nucleate and grow, while the sulfate Moiré adlayer expands over the electrode surface. At cathodic electrode potentials the desorption of the sulfate adlayer is accompanied by the lifting of the surface reconstruction and the massive formation of surface defects, such as small pits and vacancy islands. A continuous cycling of the electrode potential leads to an enormous roughening of the surface morphology.