Self-assembly of methanethiol on the reconstructed Au(111) surface
Abstract
We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of molecular methanethiol (CH(3)SH) adsorption on the reconstructed Au(111) surface in the temperature range between 90 and 300 K in UHV. We find that the simplest thiol molecules form two stable self-assembled monolayer (SAM) structures that are created by distinct processes. Below 120 K, a solid rectangular phase, preserving the herringbone reconstruction, emerges from individual chains of spontaneously formed dimers. At higher adsorption temperatures below 170 K, a close-packed phase forms via dissociative CH(3)SH adsorption and the formation of Au adatoms that are not incorporated into the SAM. We show that the combination of a strong substrate-mediated interaction with nondissociative dimerization and temperature activated removal of the Au(111) reconstruction drives the large-scale assembly of molecular CH(3)SH into two distinct phases.
Department
Physics
Publication Date
8-3-2009
Journal Title
Physical Review B
Publisher
AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOC
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1103/PhysRevB.80.081401
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Nenchev, Georgi; Diaconescu, Bogdan; Hagelberg, Frank; and Pohl, Karsten, "Self-assembly of methanethiol on the reconstructed Au(111) surface" (2009). Physical Review B. 111.
https://scholars.unh.edu/physics_facpub/111
Rights
© 2009 The American Physical Society