C60 adsorption on Cu(110) studied by optical spectroscopy

The formation of the interface between C₆₀ thin films and the Cu(110) surface has been investigated in situ using reflectance difference spectroscopy (RDS). The electronic interaction between C₆₀ molecules in the first monolayer and the substrate inhibits low‐energy intramolecular transitions, whereas the C₆₀ molecules above the first monolayer are effectively decoupled from the substrate. The morphology of C₆₀ thin films prepared at room temperature is thermally stable up to 500 K. Above this threshold, optical spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) indicate the formation of rather large three dimensional C₆₀ islands on a one monolayer thick wetting layer. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)