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Electronic structure of C60 on Au(887)
F Schiller1, M Ruiz-Osés, J E Ortega
1Donostia International Physics Center, Paseo Manuel Lardizabal 4, E-20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. schiller@sc.ehu.es
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|October 18, 2006
Summary
We studied C60 on gold surfaces, finding a consistent 2.7 eV highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gap. Gap states observed at lower coverages diminish as fullerene coverage increases.
Area of Science:
- Surface Science
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Understanding the electronic properties of fullerene films is crucial for molecular electronics.
- Gold surfaces are common substrates for studying molecular adsorption and self-assembly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the electronic structure of C60 adsorbed on a vicinal Au(111) surface.
- To determine how fullerene coverage affects the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels.
Main Methods:
- Photoemission spectroscopy
- X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS)
- Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STS)
Main Results:
- STS confirmed a 2.7 eV HOMO-LUMO gap at 0.5 and 1 ML C60 coverage.
- NEXAFS revealed HOMO-LUMO gap states in the 0.5 ML nanomesh structure, attributed to C60 cluster edges.
- A rigid shift in HOMO-LUMO peaks and quenching of gap states were observed with increasing coverage from 0.5 to 1 ML.
Conclusions:
- The electronic structure of C60 on Au(111) is coverage-dependent.
- Gap states exist at lower coverages and are suppressed at higher coverages.
- The findings provide insights into the electronic behavior of fullerene films on metallic substrates.
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