Mechanism of Formation of Au Vacancy Islands in Alkanethiol Monolayers on Au(111)

Autor:	G. E. Poirier
Rok vydání:	1997
Předmět:	Mesoscopic physics Chemistry Relaxation (NMR) Nucleation Nanotechnology Surfaces and Interfaces Condensed Matter Physics law.invention Adsorption Chemical physics law Vacancy defect Monolayer Electrochemistry General Materials Science Surface layer Scanning tunneling microscope Spectroscopy
Zdroj:	Langmuir. 13:2019-2026
ISSN:	1520-5827 0743-7463
DOI:	10.1021/la960777z
Popis:	Using an ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscope we have discovered evidence for a novel mechanism by which Au vacancy islands form during assembly of alkanethiol monolayers on Au(111). Our results suggest a model whereby excess Au atoms are forced out of the surface layer by relaxation of the compressed herringbone reconstruction. This creates adatoms on, and vacancies in, the surface layer. On large terraces the vacancies nucleate into islands while the adatoms migrate and adsorb at ascending step edges. At saturation coverage of alkanethiols the surface exhibits ≈6% of a monolayer of vacancy islands. These results show that complex interactions between the assembling thiols and the herringbone reconstruction influence the mesoscopic aspects of the final monolayer surface.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::c02e81ba5399cd01481afc2f725147bf https://doi.org/10.1021/la960777z Zobrazit plný text záznamu