Chemisorption and fragmentation of C60 on Pt(111) and Ni(110)

Observation of a Metastable Honeycomb Arrangement of C60 on Ni(111) with (7 × 7) Periodicity: Tailoring an Interface for Organic Spintronics

Hybrid nanostructures in which organic molecules are interfaced with metal surfaces hold promise for the discovery of intriguing physical and chemical phenomena, as well as for the development of innovative devices. In this frame, it is crucial to understand the interplay between the structural details of the interface and the electronic properties of the system. Here, an experimental investigation of the C₆₀/Ni(111) interface is performed by means of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). The deposition of C₆₀ at room temperature, followed by high-temperature annealing, promotes the stabilization of two different phases. A hitherto unreported phase forming a (7 × 7) honeycomb overlayer coexists with the well-known (4 × 4) reconstruction. Highly resolved STM images disclose the adsorption geometry of the molecules for both phases. STS reveals that the electronic properties of C₆₀/Ni(111) are strongly influenced by the morphology of the interface, suggesting the possibility of tuning the electronic properties of the organic/inorganic heterostructures by adjusting the structural coupling with the substrate. This achievement can be important for hybrid magnetic interfaces, where the harmonization between the molecular and the magnetic orders can enhance the development of hybrid magnetic states.

Tunable Kondo Resonance at a Pristine Two-Dimensional Dirac Semimetal on a Kondo Insulator

The proximity of two different materials leads to an intricate coupling of quasiparticles so that an unprecedented electronic state is often realized at the interface. Here, we demonstrate a resonance-type many-body ground state in graphene, a nonmagnetic two-dimensional Dirac semimetal, when grown on SmB₆, a Kondo insulator, via thermal decomposition of fullerene molecules. This ground state is typically observed in three-dimensional magnetic materials with correlated electrons. Above the characteristic Kondo temperature of the substrate, the electron band structure of pristine graphene remains almost intact. As temperature decreases, however, the Dirac Fermions of graphene become hybridized with the Sm 4f states. Remarkable enhancement of the hybridization and Kondo resonance is observed with further cooling and increasing charge-carrier density of graphene, evidencing the Kondo screening of the Sm 4f local magnetic moment by the conduction electrons of graphene at the interface. These findings manifest the realization of the Kondo effect in graphene by the proximity of SmB₆ that is tuned by the temperature and charge-carrier density of graphene.

Controlled Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene on Ruthenium from Azafullerene

The controlled synthesis of high-quality nitrogen (N) doped single layer graphene on the Ru(0001) surface has been achieved using the N-containing sole precursor azafullerence (C₅₉NH). The synthesis process and doping properties have been investigated on the atomic scale by combining scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. We find for the first time that the concentration of N-related defects on the N-doped graphene/Ru(0001) surface is tunable by adjusting the dosage of sole precursor and the number of growth cycles. Two primary types of N-related defects have been observed. The predominant bonding configuration of N atoms in the obtained graphene layer is pyridinic N. Our findings indicate that the synthesis from heteroatom-containing sole precursors is a very promising approach for the preparation of doped graphene materials with controlled doping properties.

Quasi-ordered C60 molecular films grown on the pseudo-ten-fold (1 0 0) surface of the Al13Co4 quasicrystalline approximant

The growth of C60 films on the pseudo-ten-fold (1 0 0) surface of the orthorhombic Al13Co4 quasicrystalline approximant was studied experimentally by scanning tunneling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction and photoemission spectroscopy. The (1 0 0) surface terminates at bulk-planes presenting local atomic configurations with five-fold symmetry-similar to quasicrystalline surfaces. While the films deposited at room temperature were found disordered, high-temperature growth (up to 693 K) led to quasi-ordered molecular films templated on the substrate rectangular unit mesh. The most probable adsorption sites and geometries were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A large range of adsorption energies was determined, influenced by both symmetry and size matching at the molecule-substrate interface. The quasi-ordered structure of the film can be explained by C60 adsorption at the strongest adsorption sites which are too far apart compared to the distance minimizing the intermolecular interactions, resulting in some disorder in the film structure at a local scale. Valence band photoemission indicates a broadening of the molecular orbitals resulting from hybridization between the substrate and overlayer electronic states. Dosing the film at temperature above 693 K led to molecular damage and formation of carbide thin films possessing no azimuthal order with respect to the substrate.

Synthesis of single layer graphene on Cu(111) by C60 supersonic molecular beam epitaxy

High kinetic energy impacts between inorganic surfaces and molecular beams seeded by organics represent a fundamental tool in materials science, particularly when they activate chemical–physical processes leading to nanocrystals' growth.

Incorporating single molecules into electrical circuits. The role of the chemical anchoring group

Constructing electronic circuits containing singly wired molecules is at the frontier of electrical device miniaturisation. Understanding the behaviour of different anchoring groups is key to this goal because of their significant role in determining the properties of the junction.

Effects of electron-vibration coupling in transport through single molecules

Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we study the transport of electrons through C(60) molecules on different metal surfaces. When electrons tunnel through a molecule, they may excite molecular vibrations. A fingerprint of these processes is a characteristic sub-structure in the differential conductance spectra of the molecular junction reflecting the onset of vibrational excitation. Although the intensity of these processes is generally weak, they become more important as the resonant character of the transport mechanism increases. The detection of single vibrational levels crucially depends on the energy level alignment and lifetimes of excited states. In the limit of large current densities, resonant electron-vibration coupling leads to an energy accumulation in the molecule, which eventually leads to its decomposition. With our experiments on C(60) we are able to depict a molecular scale picture of how electrons interact with the vibrational degrees of freedom of single molecules in different transport regimes. This understanding helps in the development of stable molecular devices, which may also carry a switchable functionality.

First-principles study on the reconstruction induced by the adsorption of C60 on Pt(111)

The adsorption of C60 on a Pt(111) surface and the origins of the √13 × √13R13.9° or 2√3 × 2√3R30° reconstruction of the C60/Pt(111) system have been investigated by means of first-principles calculations. In agreement with the experimental observations, our calculations reveal that the C60 molecule binds covalently on the Pt(111) surface. The C60 molecule adsorbs on the Pt(111) surface with the center of a hexagonal ring located on top of a surface Pt atom. The surface Pt atom can be removed easily, forming a Pt vacancy upon the adsorption of C60 molecule. Our calculation results show that the strong covalent bonds between C60 and the Pt(111) surface and the formation of adatom-vacancy pairs in the C60/Pt(111) system may be the main driving forces promoting the substrate reconstructing pattern observed in experiments.

Transforming C60 molecules into graphene quantum dots

The fragmentation of fullerenes using ions, surface collisions or thermal effects is a complex process that typically leads to the formation of small carbon clusters of variable size. Here, we show that geometrically well-defined graphene quantum dots can be synthesized on a ruthenium surface using C(60) molecules as a precursor. Scanning tunnelling microscopy imaging, supported by density functional theory calculations, suggests that the structures are formed through the ruthenium-catalysed cage-opening of C(60). In this process, the strong C(60)-Ru interaction induces the formation of surface vacancies in the Ru single crystal and a subsequent embedding of C(60) molecules in the surface. The fragmentation of the embedded molecules at elevated temperatures then produces carbon clusters that undergo diffusion and aggregation to form graphene quantum dots. The equilibrium shape of the graphene can be tailored by optimizing the annealing temperature and the density of the carbon clusters.

He/Ar-atom scattering from molecular monolayers: C60/Pt(111) and graphene/Pt(111)

Supersonic He and Ar atomic beam scattering from C(60) and graphene monolayers adsorbed on a Pt(111) surface are demonstrated in order to obtain detailed insight into a gas-molecule collision that has not been studied in detail so far. The effective masses and phonon spectral densities of the monolayers seen by different projectiles are discussed based on classical models such as the hard cube model and the recently developed smooth surface model. Large effective masses are deduced for both the monolayers, suggesting collective effects of surface atoms in the single collision event. The effective Debye temperature of graphene was found to be similar to that reported in highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), indicating that the graphene is decoupled well from the Pt substrate. A much smaller Debye-Waller factor was found for the C(60) layer, probably reflecting the strong C(60)-Pt(111) interaction.

Metallization of the C60/Rh(100) interface revealed by valence photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations

The electronic structure of single and multiple layers of C(60) molecules deposited on a Rh(100) surface is investigated by means of valence photoemission spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The binding of the fullerene monolayer to the metal surface yields the appearance of a new state in the valence band spectrum crossing the Fermi level. Insight into the metallization of the metal/fullerene interface is provided by the calculated electronic structure that allows us to correlate the measured interface state with a strong hybridization between the Rh metal states and the highest and lowest molecular orbitals. This results in a net charge transfer of approximately 0.5e-0.6e from the metal to the p states of the interfacial C atoms. The charge transfer is shown to be very short range, involving only the C atoms bound to the metal. The electronic structure of the second C(60) layer is already insulating and resembles the one measured for C(60) multilayers supported by the same substrate or calculated for fullerenes isolated in vacuum. The discussion of the results in the context of other C(60)/metal systems highlights the distinctive electronic properties of the molecule/metal interface determined by the Rh support.

Resonant electron heating and molecular phonon cooling in single C60 junctions

We study heating and heat dissipation of a single C(60) molecule in the junction of a scanning tunneling microscope by measuring the electron current required to thermally decompose the fullerene cage. The power for decomposition varies with electron energy and reflects the molecular resonance structure. When the scanning tunneling microscope tip contacts the fullerene the molecule can sustain much larger currents. Transport simulations explain these effects by molecular heating due to resonant electron-phonon coupling and molecular cooling by vibrational decay into the tip upon contact formation.

Covalent bonding and hole-electron Coulomb interaction U in C(60) on Be(0001) surfaces

We have investigated the bonding nature and hole-electron Coulomb interaction U in thin C(60) films on Be(0001) surfaces using valence-band and core-level photoemission, inverse photoemission, and near-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopies. The C(60) monolayer had strong covalent bonding with the Be substrate, producing a nearly insulating film, in contrast to a metallic overlayer due to charge transfer observed on many other metallic surfaces. The effect of polarization of surrounding molecules and the image potential decreases the energy gap and U, but the bonding-antibonding contribution increases the gap at the interface. The measured U in thin solid films agrees well with a model calculation using gas-phase values. The deduced hole-electron attraction on the surface is about 0.7 eV larger than the reported hole-hole repulsion determined by Auger spectroscopy. On the basis of the surface-solid difference, the newly estimated value of U for hole-hole correlation places doped C(60) compounds nearer the metallic side of a Mott transition.

Electronic structure of C60 on Au(887)

We present an analysis of the electronic structure of C60 adsorbed on a vicinal Au(111) surface at different fullerene coverages using photoemission, x-ray absorption, and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STS). STS provides a straightforward determination of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels with respect to the Fermi energy. At C60 coverages of 0.5 and 1 ML a 2.7 eV wide HOMO-LUMO gap is found. The near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectrum for the 0.5 ML C60 nanomesh structure displays a significant intensity at the low energy side of the LUMO exciton peak, which is explained as due to absorption into HOMO-LUMO gap states localized at individual C60 cluster edges. From 0.5 to 1 ML we observe a rigid shift of the HOMO-LUMO peaks in the STS spectra and an almost complete quenching of the gap states feature in NEXAFS.

X-ray-diffraction characterization of Pt(111) surface nanopatterning induced by C60 adsorption

Understanding the adsorption mechanisms of large molecules on metal surfaces is a demanding task. Theoretical predictions are difficult because of the large number of atoms that have to be considered in the calculations, and experiments aiming to solve the molecule-substrate interaction geometry are almost impossible with standard laboratory techniques. Here, we show that the adsorption of complex organic molecules can induce perfectly ordered nanostructuring of metal surfaces. We use surface X-ray diffraction to investigate in detail the bonding geometry of C(60) with the Pt(111) surface, and to elucidate the interaction mechanism leading to the restructuring of the Pt(111) surface. The chemical interaction between one monolayer of C(60) molecules and the clean Pt(111) surface results in the formation of an ordered sqrt[13] x sqrt[13]R13.9 degrees reconstruction based on the creation of a surface vacancy lattice. The C(60) molecules are located on top of the vacancies, and 12 covalent bonds are formed between the carbon atoms and the 6 platinum surface atoms around the vacancies. In-plane displacements induced on the platinum substrate are of the order of a few picometres in the top layer, and are undetectable in the deeper layers.