Investigation of orientation and packing of H8Si8O12 arrays on graphite by scanning tunneling microscopy

The layer structures of H₈Si₈O₁₂ molecules on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. Two kinds of ordered assemblies of H₈Si₈O₁₂ monolayers are observed, with a unit cell of 6.5 Å × 6.5 Å and 7.2 Å × 9.4 Å, respectively. On the basis of the shapes and sizes of the H₈Si₈O₁₂ STM images and the heights of the H₈Si₈O₁₂ monolayers, H₈Si₈O₁₂ can be adsorbed with one face of its cage structure in contact with the substrate surface or with a tilted orientation.