Band dispersion and empty electronic states in solid C60: Inverse photoemission and theory

Superatom Molecular Orbitals of Endohedral C82

Understanding superatom molecular orbital (SAMO) states in fullerene derivatives has been in the limelight ever since the first discovery of SAMOs owing to the fundamental interest in this topic as well as to the possible applications in molecular switches and other organic electronics. Nevertheless, very few reports have been published on SAMO states of larger fullerenes so far. Using density functional theory, we attempt to partially remedy this situation by presenting a study on SAMO states in C82 and its Ca and Sc endohedrally doped derivatives, comparing results with previous relevant findings for C60. We find that C82 possesses higher SAMO energies compared to C60, as associated with the symmetry of the molecule, and that endohedral doping leads to energetically favorable side positions of Ca and Sc inside the C82 cage. Among the two, Sc@C82 has more stable SAMO states compared to Ca@C82 as reflected by the shift in the density of states, while the charge states are found to be similar. In the case of the monolayer form, the pz- and 2s-SAMO orbitals overlap with the nearest neighbors, causing parabolic band dispersion with the formation of near free electron states and that the SAMO state energies move closer to the Fermi energy compared to the related molecules. These findings provide promising information about the distribution of SAMO states in C82 fullerene, which can be further relevant in studies of SAMO states of higher fullerenes and for coming applications of these systems.

The Concentration of C(sp3) Atoms and Properties of an Activated Carbon with over 3000 m2/g BET Surface Area

The alkaline activation of a carbonized graphene oxide/dextrin mixture yielded a carbon-based nanoscale material (AC-TR) with a unique highly porous structure. The BET-estimated specific surface area of the material is 3167 m2/g, which is higher than the specific surface area of a graphene layer. The material has a density of 0.34 g/cm3 and electrical resistivity of 0.25 Ω·cm and its properties were studied using the elemental analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray induced Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the plasmon excitation range. From these data, we derive an integral understanding of the structure of this material. The concentration of sp3 carbon atoms was found to be relatively low with an absolute value that depends on the measurement method. It was shown that there is no graphite-like (002) peak in the electron and X-ray diffraction pattern. The characteristic size of a sp2-domain in the basal plane estimated from the Raman spectra was 7 nm. It was also found that plasmon peaks in the EELS spectrum of AC-TR are downshifted compared to those of graphite.

Enhanced Magnetic Hybridization of a Spinterface through Insertion of a Two-Dimensional Magnetic Oxide Layer

Interfaces between organic semiconductors and ferromagnetic metals offer intriguing opportunities in the rapidly developing field of organic spintronics. Understanding and controlling the spin-polarized electronic states at the interface is the key toward a reliable exploitation of this kind of systems. Here we propose an approach consisting in the insertion of a two-dimensional magnetic oxide layer at the interface with the aim of both increasing the reproducibility of the interface preparation and offering a way for a further fine control over the electronic and magnetic properties. We have inserted a two-dimensional Cr₄O₅ layer at the C₆₀/Fe(001) interface and have characterized the corresponding morphological, electronic, and magnetic properties. Scanning tunneling microscopy and electron diffraction show that the film grows well-ordered both in the monolayer and multilayer regimes. Electron spectroscopies confirm that hybridization of the electronic states occurs at the interface. Finally, magnetic dichroism in X-ray absorption shows an unprecedented spin-polarization of the hybridized fullerene states. The latter result is discussed also in light of an ab initio theoretical analysis.

Submolecular Electroluminescence Mapping of Organic Semiconductors

The electroluminescence of organic films is the central aspect in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and widely used in current display technology. However, its spatial variation on the molecular scale is essentially unexplored. Here, we address this issue by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and present an in-depth study of the electroluminescence from thin C₆₀ films (<10 monolayers) on Ag(111) and Au(111) surfaces. Similar to an OLED, the metal substrate and STM tip inject complementary charge carriers that may recombine within the molecular film; however, the atomically defined charge injection by the tip enables mapping of the local electroluminescence down to the submolecular scale. We show that the radiative recombination in solid C₆₀ is restricted to various structural defects, whose emission characteristics can be addressed individually. The emission fine structure reveals a coupling to Jahn-Teller active vibrational modes of C₆₀, which implies that its parity-forbidden lowest singlet transition becomes locally allowed at the emission centers. At lateral distances of a few nanometers, only a weak emission from tip-induced plasmons is detectable. Their excitation evidences the injection of both charge carrier types and confirms that they are unable to recombine radiatively at positions far from structural defects. Finally, we demonstrate that the molecular orbital pattern visible in electroluminescence maps enables an unambiguous discrimination between the intrinsic radiative recombination of electron-hole pairs in the organic film and the technique-related emission of tip-induced plasmons. This capability is essential to consolidate STM as a tool to explore the light generation from organic films on the nanoscale.

Prospects of Spin Catalysis on Spin-Polarized Graphene Heterostructures

Extreme points on potential energy surfaces of Ni adatom on free-standing graphene and top:fcc and hcp:fcc graphene/Ni(111) heterostructures in different spin states were studied using periodic boundary conditions density functional theory approach. It was found that the spin states of the substrates strongly influence the energy of the Ni adatom extreme points on potential energy surface by decreasing (top:fcc heterostructure) or increasing (hcp:fcc heterostructure) the total energies of η1, η1′, and η2 Ni adatom coordinations on graphene. This phenomenon offers unique possibilities to control the potential energy surfaces of transition metal adatoms and promote surface chemical reactions using induced spin polarization of graphene substrates.

Two-dimensional van der Waals C60 molecular crystal

Two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides et al. have drawn extraordinary attention recently. For these 2D materials, atoms within their monolayer are covalently bonded. An interesting question arises: Can molecules form a 2D monolayer crystal via van der Waals interactions? Here, we first study the structural stability of a free-standing infinite C60 molecular monolayer using molecular dynamic simulations, and find that the monolayer is stable up to 600 K. We further study the mechanical properties of the monolayer, and find that the elastic modulus, ultimate tensile stress and failure strain are 55-100 GPa, 90-155 MPa, and 1.5-2.3%, respectively, depending on the stretching orientation. The monolayer fails due to shearing and cavitation under uniaxial tensile loading. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the monolayer are found to be delocalized and as a result, the band gap is reduced to only 60% of the isolated C60 molecule. Interestingly, this band gap can be tuned up to ±30% using strain engineering. Owing to its thermal stability, low density, strain-tunable semi-conducting characteristics and large bending flexibility, this van der Waals molecular monolayer crystal presents aplenty opportunities for developing novel applications in nanoelectronics.

Geometric and Electronic Structure of Fullerene Film Growth as a Function of Coverage

We have employed scanning tunneling microscopy at room and low temperature, i.e. 300, 50, and 5 K, to study the epitaxy and growth of fullerene films on the noble-metal surfaces Ag(110) and Au(110). Initial island growth occurs on terrace sites away from substrate step edges. Particularly at low temperatures where the rotational and vibrational movements of the fullerene molecules are frozen in, different intra-molecular topographic patterns become visible in ordered films, which are characteristic of particular adsorption sites. Complementary tunneling spectroscopy and direct and inverse photoemission measurements reveal distinct differences between the first adsorbed monolayer and additional fullerene layers indicating differences in bonding and charge transfer. Our results are compared to theoretical calculations.

C60-pentacene network formation by 2-D co-crystallization

We report experiments highlighting the mechanistic role of mobile pentacene precursors in the formation of a network C(60)-pentacene co-crystalline structure on Ag(111). This co-crystalline arrangement was first observed by low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) by Zhang et al. (Zhang, H. L.; Chen, W.; Huang, H.; Chen, L.; Wee, A. T. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 2720-2721). We now show that this structure forms readily at room temperature from a two-dimensional (2-D) mixture. Pentacene, evaporated onto Ag(111) to coverages of 0.4-1.0 ML, produces a two-dimensional (2-D) gas. Subsequently deposited C(60) molecules combine with the pentacene 2-D gas to generate a network structure, consisting of chains of close-packed C(60) molecules, spaced by individual C(60) linkers and 1 nm x 2.5 nm pores containing individual pentacene molecules. Spontaneous formation of this stoichiometric (C(60))(4)-pentacene network from a range of excess pentacene surface coverage (0.4 to 1.0 ML) indicates a self-limiting assembly process. We refine the structure model for this phase and discuss the generality of this co-crystallization mechanism.

The superatom states of fullerenes and their hybridization into the nearly free electron bands of fullerites

Motivated by the discovery of the superatom states of C60 molecules, we investigate the factors that influence their energy and wave function hybridization into nearly free electron bands in molecular solids. As the n = 3 solutions of the radial Schrodinger equation of the central attractive potential consisting of the short-range C atom core and the long-range collective screening potentials, respectively, located on the icosahedral C60 molecule shell and within its hollow core, superatom states are distinguished by their atom-like orbitals corresponding to different orbital angular momentum states (l = 0, 1, 2,...). Because they are less tightly bound than the pi orbitals, that is, the n = 2 states, which are often exploited in the intermolecular electron transport in aromatic organic molecule semiconductors, superatom orbitals hybridize more extensively among aggregated molecules to form bands with nearly free electron dispersion. The prospect of exploiting the strong intermolecular coupling to achieve metal-like conduction in applications such as molecular electronics may be attained by lowering the energy of superatom states from 3.5 eV for single chemisorbed C60 molecules to below the Fermi level; therefore, we study how the superatom state energies depend on factors such as their aggregation into 1D-3D solids, cage size, and exo- and endohedral doping by metal atoms. We find, indeed, that if the ionization potential of endohedral atom, such as copper, is sufficiently large, superatom states can form the conduction band in the middle of the gap between the HOMO and LUMO of the parent C60 molecule. Through a plane-wave density functional theory study, we provide insights for a new paradigm for intermolecular electronic interaction beyond the conventional one among the sp(n) hybridized orbitals of the organic molecular solids that could lead to design of novel molecular materials and quantum structures with extraordinary optical and electronic properties.

Polarized near-edge x-ray-absorption fine structure spectroscopy of C60-functionalized 11-amino-1-undecane thiol self-assembled monolayer: Molecular orientation and Evidence for C60 aggregation

Near-edge x-ray-absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy was adopted to probe the unoccupied electronic states of C60 anchored onto an organized assembly of 11-amino-1-undecane thiol on Au(111). The polarization dependence of the intensity of pi* resonance associated with C60 pi network revealed the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) system to be oriented with an average molecular tilt angle of 57 degrees with respect to the surface normal. Invoking the absence of solid-state band dispersion effects and in comparison to solid C60 and /or 1-ML C60/Au(111), the electronic structure of the resulting assembly was found dominated by spectral position shift and linewidth and intensity changes of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), LUMO+1, and LUMO+2 orbitals. The latter implied hybridization between N Pz of -NH2 group of thiolate SAM and pi levels of C60, resulting in a nucleophilic addition with a change in the symmetry of C60 from Ih to C1 in the SAM. Occurrence of a new feature at 285.3 eV in the NEXAFS spectrum, assigned previously to pi* graphitic LUMO, signified the formation of aggregated clusters, (C60)n of C60 monomer. Low tunneling current scanning tunneling microscopy confirmed them to be spherical and stable aggregates with n approximately 5.

Magnetic ordering in hexagonally bonded sheets with first-row elements

We report first-principles total-energy electronic-structure calculations in the density-functional theory performed for hexagonally bonded honeycomb sheets consisting of B, N, and C atoms. We find that the ground state of BNC sheets with particular stoichiometry is ferromagnetic. Detailed analyses of energy bands and spin densities unequivocally reveal the nature of the ferromagnetic ordering, leading to an argument that the BNC sheet is a manifestation of the flat-band ferromagnetism.

Energetics and electronic structures of encapsulated C60 in a carbon nanotube

We report total-energy electronic structure calculations that provide energetics of encapsulation of C60 in the carbon nanotube and electronic structures of the resulting carbon peapods. We find that the encapsulating process is exothermic for the (10,10) nanotube, whereas the processes are endothermic for the (8,8) and (9,9) nanotubes, indicative that the minimum radius of the nanotube for the encapsulation is 6.4 A. We also find that the C(60)@(10,10) is a metal with multicarriers each of which distributes either along the nanotube or on the C60 chain. This unusual feature is due to the nearly free electron state that is inherent to hierarchical solids with sufficient space inside.