Progress in Surface Science最新文献

Metal–organic coordination structures are materials comprising reticular metal centers and organic linkers in which the two constituents bind with each other via metal–ligand coordination interaction. The underlying chemistry is more than a century old but has attracted tremendous attention in the last two decades owing to the rapidly development of metal–organic (or porous coordination) frameworks. These metal-coordination materials exhibit extraordinarily versatile topologies and many potential applications. Since 2002, this traditionally three-dimensional chemistry has been extended to two-dimensional space, that is, to synthesize metal–organic coordination structures directly on solid surfaces. This endeavor has made possible a wide range of so-called surface-confined metal–organic networks (SMONs) whose topology, composition, property and function can be tailored by applying the principle of rational design. The coordination chemistry manifests unique characteristics at the surfaces, and in turn the surfaces provide additional control for design structures and properties that are inaccessible in three-dimensional space.

In this review, our goal is to comprehensively cover the progress made in the last 15 years in this rapidly developing field. The review summarizes (1) the experimental and theoretical techniques used in this field including scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, density functional theory, and Monte Carlo and kinetic Monte Carlo simulation; (2) molecular ligands, metal atoms, substrates, and coordination motifs utilized for synthesizing SMON; (3) representative SMON structures with different topologies ranging from finite-size discrete clusters to one-dimensional chains, two-dimensional periodical frameworks and random networks; and (4) the properties and potential applications of SMONs. We conclude the review with some perspectives.

Adsorption geometry and stability of organic molecules on surfaces are key parameters that determine the observable properties and functions of hybrid inorganic/organic systems (HIOSs). Despite many recent advances in precise experimental characterization and improvements in first-principles electronic structure methods, reliable databases of structures and energetics for large adsorbed molecules are largely amiss. In this review, we present such a database for a range of molecules adsorbed on metal single-crystal surfaces. The systems we analyze include noble-gas atoms, conjugated aromatic molecules, carbon nanostructures, and heteroaromatic compounds adsorbed on five different metal surfaces. The overall objective is to establish a diverse benchmark dataset that enables an assessment of current and future electronic structure methods, and motivates further experimental studies that provide ever more reliable data. Specifically, the benchmark structures and energetics from experiment are here compared with the recently developed van der Waals (vdW) inclusive density-functional theory (DFT) method, DFT + vdW^surf. In comparison to 23 adsorption heights and 17 adsorption energies from experiment we find a mean average deviation of 0.06 Å and 0.16 eV, respectively. This confirms the DFT + vdW^surf method as an accurate and efficient approach to treat HIOSs. A detailed discussion identifies remaining challenges to be addressed in future development of electronic structure methods, for which the here presented benchmark database may serve as an important reference.

Superhydrophobic films were prepared using dispersions of fluorinated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or nanofibers (CNFs) in toluene. The grafting of polystyrene allowed stable dispersions to be obtained. The grafting of polystyrene (PS), polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyaniline (PANI) onto nanofibers and MWCNTs was first evidenced by solid state NMR and Infrared Spectroscopy. The graft polymerization of styrene, acrylic acid and aniline monomers was initiated by radicals (dangling bonds) formed due to the initial fluorination. The process appeared as highly versatile and efficient for different polymers. The consumption of those radicals in the course of grafting was evidenced by EPR, through decrease of the spin density. The hydrophobic/hydrophilic character was tuned according to the grafted polymer nature, i.e. hydrophobic with PS or hydrophilic with PAA. Finally, in order to reach superhydrophobicity, films were prepared from CNFs or MWCNTs, irrespective of their average diameter, that allowed adequate structuring of the surface. The presence of fluorine atoms on their surface also favors superhydrophobicity. Water contact angles of 155 ± 2° and 159 ± 2° were measured for the films casted from fluorinated CNFs or MWCNTs with grafted polystyrene, respectively.

Semiconducting nanowires (NWs) are firm candidates for novel nanoelectronic devices and a fruitful playground for fundamental physics.

Ultra-thin nanowires, with diameters below 10 nm, present exotic quantum effects due to the confinement of the wave functions, e.g. widening of the electronic band-gap, deepening of the dopant states. However, although several reports of sub-10 nm wires exist to date, the most common NWs have diameters that range from 20 to 200 nm, where these quantum effects are absent or play a very minor role. Yet, the research activity on this field is very intense and these materials still promise to provide an important paradigm shift for the design of emerging electronic devices and different kinds of applications. A legitimate question is then: what makes a nanowire different from bulk systems? The answer is certainly the large surface-to-volume ratio.

In this article we discuss the most salient features of surface physics and chemistry in group-IV semiconducting nanowires, focusing mostly on Si NWs. First we review the state-of-the-art of NW growth to achieve a smooth and controlled surface morphology. Next we discuss the importance of a proper surface passivation and its role on the NW electronic properties. Finally, stressing the importance of a large surface-to-volume ratio and emphasizing the fact that in a NW the surface is where most of the action takes place, we discuss molecular sensing and molecular doping.

Molecular oxygen (O₂) is a paramagnetic linear molecule, yet the effect of its molecular alignment and electron spin on the dynamics of O₂ adsorption has remained unclear. Recently, it has been however shown that the use of magnetic hexapolar field allows us to prepare a single spin-rotational state [($J\text{,}M$) = (2, 2)] selected O₂ beam for which both the molecular alignment and the spin state of O₂ are well defined. State-resolved studies of O₂ sticking on Si(1 0 0), Al(1 1 1), Ni(1 1 1) surfaces conducted with this beam have clarified that the O₂ sticking probability depends strongly on the molecular alignment and the spin orientation of O₂ relative to the surface. The mechanism of O₂ adsorption on Al(1 1 1) has been disputed in the past few decades, but the observed steric effect has provided a reasonable picture for it. The preparation method of the state-selected O₂ beam and its application to the alignment- and spin-resolved O₂ sticking studies are reviewed.

Graphene, a single atomic layer of graphite, has been the focus of recent intensive studies due to its novel electronic and structural properties. Metals grown on graphene also have been of interest because of their potential use as metal contacts in graphene devices, for spintronics applications, and for catalysis. All of these applications require good understanding and control of the metal growth morphology, which in part reflects the strength of the metal–graphene bond. Also of importance is whether the interaction between graphene and metal is sufficiently strong to modify the electronic structure of graphene. In this review, we will discuss recent experimental and computational studies related to deposition of metals on graphene supported on various substrates (SiC, SiO₂, and hexagonal close-packed metal surfaces). Of specific interest are the metal–graphene interactions (adsorption energies and diffusion barriers of metal adatoms), and the crystal structures and thermal stability of the metal nanoclusters.

Interfaces are the birthplace of a multitude of fascinating discoveries in fundamental science, and have enabled modern electronic devices, from transistors, to lasers, capacitors or solar cells. These interfaces between bulk materials are always bi-dimensional (2D) ‘surfaces’. However the advent of graphene and other 2D crystals opened up a world of possibilities, as in this case the interfaces become one-dimensional (1D) lines. Although the properties of 1D nanoribbons have been extensively discussed in the last few years, 1D interfaces within infinite 2D systems had remained mostly unexplored until very recently. These include grain boundaries in polycrystalline samples, or interfaces in hybrid 2D sheets composed by segregated domains of different materials (as for example graphene/BN hybrids, or chemically different transition metal dichalcogenides). As for their 2D counterparts, some of these 1D interfaces exhibit polar characteristics, and can give rise to fascinating new physical properties. Here, recent experimental discoveries and theoretical predictions on the polar discontinuities that arise at these 1D interfaces will be reviewed, and the perspectives of this new research topic, discussed.

The phase transition of VO₂ from a monoclinic insulator to a rutile metal, which occurs thermally at $T_{\text{C}}$ = 340 K, can also be driven by strong photoexcitation. The ultrafast dynamics during this photoinduced phase transition (PIPT) have attracted great scientific attention for decades, as this approach promises to answer the question of whether the insulator-to-metal (IMT) transition is caused by electronic or crystallographic processes through disentanglement of the different contributions in the time domain. We review our recent results achieved by femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron, optical, and coherent phonon spectroscopy and discuss them within the framework of a selection of latest, complementary studies of the ultrafast PIPT in VO₂. We show that the population change of electrons and holes caused by photoexcitation launches a highly non-equilibrium plasma phase characterized by enhanced screening due to quasi-free carriers and followed by two branches of non-equilibrium dynamics: (i) an instantaneous (within the time resolution) collapse of the insulating gap that precedes charge carrier relaxation and significant ionic motion and (ii) an instantaneous lattice potential symmetry change that represents the onset of the crystallographic phase transition through ionic motion on longer timescales. We discuss the interconnection between these two non-thermal pathways with particular focus on the meaning of the critical fluence of the PIPT in different types of experiments. Based on this, we conclude that the PIPT threshold identified in optical experiments is most probably determined by the excitation density required to drive the lattice potential change rather than the IMT. These considerations suggest that the IMT can be driven by weaker excitation, predicting a transiently metallic, monoclinic state of VO₂ that is not stabilized by the non-thermal structural transition and, thus, decays on ultrafast timescales.

Hydrogen(H)-bond dynamics are involved in many elementary processes in chemistry and biology. Because of its fundamental importance, a variety of experimental and theoretical approaches have been employed to study the dynamics in gas, liquid, solid phases, and their interfaces. This review describes the recent progress of direct observation and control of H-bond dynamics in several model systems on a metal surface by using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). General aspects of H-bond dynamics and the experimental methods are briefly described in chapter 1 and 2. In the subsequent four chapters, I present direct observation of an H-bond exchange reaction within a single water dimer (chapter 3), a symmetric H bond (chapter 4) and H-atom relay reactions (chapter 5) within water–hydroxyl complexes, and an intramolecular H-atom transfer reaction (tautomerization) within a single porphycene molecule (chapter 6). These results provide novel microscopic insights into H-bond dynamics at the single-molecule level, and highlight significant impact on the process from quantum effects, namely tunneling and zero-point vibration, resulting from the small mass of H atom. Additionally, local environmental effect on H-bond dynamics is also examined by using atom/molecule manipulation with the STM.