1-Phenyl-1-propyne on Cu(111): TOFMS TPD, XPS, UPS, and 2PPE Studies

The bonding properties of 1-phenyl-1-propyne (PP, C6H5CCCH3) on Cu(111) at 100 K have been studied using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and X-ray, ultraviolet, and two-photon photoemission spectroscopies (XPS, UPS, and 2PPE). In TPD, there is no evidence for dissociation. Multilayer desorption occurs at 187 K, and monolayer desorption occurs at 320 (83.5 kJ/mol) and 390 K (102.4 kJ/mol), with the latter dominating. Based on the calibrated C(1s) XPS, the saturation monolayer coverage is one PP per four surface Cu atoms. The broad and asymmetric C(1s) intensity profile of the monolayer can be resolved into three symmetric components, with peaks at 283.6, 284.5, and 285.2 eV and intensities of 2:6:1, respectively. These are attributed, respectively, to acetylenic carbons bound to Cu, phenyl, and methyl carbons. The monolayer valence band ultraviolet photoemission spectrum profile contains four resonances attributable to PP perturbed by interactions with the Cu(111) substrate. With the exception of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) that is shifted by 0.4 eV, these are uniformly shifted by 1 eV further from the Fermi level for the multilayer. Calculated electron density plots of the occupied orbitals coupled with UPS profiles suggest a spectator role for the phenyl group and bonding to Cu via the acetylenic carbons. The adsorption of 1.0 monolayer (ML) of PP on Cu(111) lowers the work function by 0.85 eV. Using 2PPE, two unoccupied orbitals were identified at 1.0 (U1*-LUMO) and 0.6 eV (U2*-image state) below the vacuum level. A chemisorption model consistent with these spectroscopic results and the major chemisorption peak in TPD involve di-sigma-bonding of the acetylenic carbons to a pair of second-nearest neighbor surface Cu atoms (cross-bridge).