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[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst
Published on: May 21, 2019
Coverage-driven dissociation of azobenzene on Cu(111): a route towards defined surface functionalization
Martin Willenbockel1, Reinhard J Maurer, Christopher Bronner
1Peter Grünberg Institut (PGI-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany. s.subach@fz-juelich.de.
Abstract:
We investigate the surface-catalyzed dissociation of the archetypal molecular switch azobenzene on the Cu(111) surface. Based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, normal incidence X-ray standing waves and density functional theory calculations a detailed picture of the coverage-induced formation of phenyl nitrene from azobenzene is presented. Furthermore, a comparison to the azobenzene/Ag(111) interface provides insight into the driving force behind the dissociation on Cu(111). The quantitative decay of azobenzene paves the way for the creation of a defect free, covalently bonded monolayer. Our work suggests a route of surface functionalization via suitable azobenzene derivatives and the on surface synthesis concept, allowing for the creation of complex immobilized molecular systems.
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