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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Quantifying the Binding Interactions Between Cu(II) and Peptide Residues in the Presence and Absence of Chromophores
Published on: April 5, 2022
The electronic structure and adsorption geometry of L-histidine on Cu(110)
Vitaliy Feyer1, Oksana Plekan, Tomás Skála
1Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Area Science Park, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5, I-34012 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy. vitaliy.feyer@elettra.trieste.it
Abstract:
The adsorption of L-histidine on clean and oxygen-covered Cu(110) surfaces has been studied by soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The valence band spectra, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen 1 s XPS and N K edge absorption spectra were measured for submonolayer, monolayer, and multilayer films. The spectra provide a detailed picture of the electronic structure and adsorption geometry at each coverage. In the monolayer, the histidine molecules are randomly oriented, in contrast to the submonolayer regime, where the molecules are coordinated to the copper surface with the imidazole functional group nearly parallel to, and strongly interacting with, the surface. The pi*/sigma* intensity ratio in NEXAFS spectra at the nitrogen edge varies strongly with angle, showing the imidazole ring is oriented. Adsorption models are proposed.
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