Francesco Allegretti

Homo-coupling of terminal alkynes on a noble metal surface

The covalent linking of acetylenes presents an important route for the fabrication of novel carbon-based scaffolds and two-dimensional materials distinct from graphene. To date few attempts have been reported to implement this strategy at well-defined interfaces or monolayer templates. Here we demonstrate through real space direct visualization and manipulation in combination with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations the Ag surface-mediated terminal alkyne C(sp)-H bond activation and concomitant homo-coupling in a process formally reminiscent of the classical Glaser-Hay type reaction. The alkyne homo-coupling takes place on the Ag(111) noble metal surface in ultrahigh vacuum under soft conditions in the absence of conventionally used transition metal catalysts and with volatile H(2) as the only by-product. With the employed multitopic ethynyl species, we demonstrate a hierarchic reaction pathway that affords discrete compounds or polymeric networks featuring a conjugated backbone. This presents a new approach towards on-surface covalent chemistry and the realization of two-dimensional carbon-rich or all-carbon polymers.

Surface-assisted Dehydrogenative Homocoupling of Porphine Molecules

The templated synthesis of porphyrin dimers, oligomers, and tapes has recently attracted considerable interest. Here, we introduce a clean, temperature-induced covalent dehydrogenative coupling mechanism between unsubstituted free-base porphine units yielding dimers, trimers, and larger oligomers directly on a Ag(111) support under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. Our multitechnique approach, including scanning tunneling microscopy, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure and photoelectron spectroscopy complemented by theoretical modeling, allows a comprehensive characterization of the resulting nanostructures and sheds light on the coupling mechanism. We identify distinct coupling motifs and report a decrease of the electronic gap and a modification of the frontier orbitals directly associated with the formation of triply fused dimeric species. This new on-surface homocoupling protocol yields covalent porphyrin nanostructures addressable with submolecular resolution and provides prospective model systems towards the exploration of extended oligomers with tailored chemical and physical properties.

Low-dimensional oxide nanostructures on metals: Hybrid systems with novel properties

Oxide nanostructures in low dimensions on well-defined metal surfaces form novel hybrid systems with tremendous potential and impact in fundamental research and for the emerging nanotechnologies. In contrast to bulk materials low-dimensional oxide nanostructures not only involve a large number of undercoordinated atoms but their interaction with the metal substrate also provides constraints on their structure and morphology and often yields elastic strain and/or uncompensated charge. These factors modify significantly the physical and chemical properties of the nanophases as compared to bulk oxides. In this review the authors will examine critically the available data with respect to structure-property relationships of metal-supported oxide nanostructures in reduced dimensions. The connection between structure, elastic strain, and charge transfer on the one hand, and electronic and magnetic behavior on the other one, will be discussed. The novel chemical properties of the oxide-metal nanostructure systems will provide another focus of this review.

How Surface Bonding and Repulsive Interactions Cause Phase Transformations: Ordering of a Prototype Macrocyclic Compound on Ag(111)

We investigated the surface bonding and ordering of free-base porphine (2H-P), the parent compound of all porphyrins, on a smooth noble metal support. Our multitechnique investigation reveals a surprisingly rich and complex behavior, including intramolecular proton switching, repulsive intermolecular interactions, and density-driven phase transformations. For small concentrations, molecular-level observations using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy clearly show the operation of repulsive interactions between 2H-P molecules in direct contact with the employed Ag(111) surface, preventing the formation of islands. An increase of the molecular coverage results in a continuous decrease of the average intermolecular distance, correlated with multiple phase transformations: the system evolves from an isotropic, gas-like configuration via a fluid-like phase to a crystalline structure, which finally gives way to a disordered layer. Herein, considerable site-specific molecule-substrate interactions, favoring an exclusive adsorption on bridge positions of the Ag(111) lattice, play an important role. Accordingly, the 2D assembly of 2H-P/Ag(111) layers is dictated by the balance between adsorption energy maximization while retaining a single adsorption site counteracted by the repulsive molecule-molecule interactions. The long-range repulsion is associated with a charge redistribution at the 2H-P/Ag(111) interface comprising a partial filling of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, resulting in long-range electrostatic interactions between the adsorbates. Indeed, 2H-P molecules in the second layer that are electronically only weakly coupled to the Ag substrate show no repulsive behavior, but form dense-packed islands.

Investigating the molecule-substrate interaction of prototypic tetrapyrrole compounds: Adsorption and self-metalation of porphine on Cu(111)

We report on the adsorption and self-metalation of a prototypic tetrapyrrole compound, the free-base porphine (2H-P), on the Cu(111) surface. Our multitechnique study combines scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) results with near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data whose interpretation is supported by density functional theory calculations. In the first layer in contact with the copper substrate the molecules adsorb coplanar with the surface as shown by angle-resolved NEXAFS measurements. The quenching of the first resonance in the magic angle spectra of both carbon and nitrogen regions indicates a substantial electron transfer from the substrate to the LUMO of the molecule. The stepwise annealing of a bilayer of 2H-P molecules sequentially transforms the XP and NEXAFS signatures of the nitrogen regions into those indicative of the coordinated nitrogen species of the metalated copper porphine (Cu-P), i.e., we observe a temperature-induced self-metalation of the system. Pre- and post-metalation species are clearly discriminable by STM, corroborating the spectroscopic results. Similar to the free-base porphine, the Cu-P adsorbs flat in the first layer without distortion of the macrocycle. Additionally, the electron transfer from the copper surface to the molecule is preserved upon metalation. This behavior contrasts the self-metalation of tetraphenylporphyrin (2H-TPP) on Cu(111), where both the molecular conformation and the interaction with the substrate are strongly affected by the metalation process.

Chemical Transformations Drive Complex Self-Assembly of Uracil on Close-Packed Coinage Metal Surfaces

We address the interplay of adsorption, chemical nature, and self-assembly of uracil on the Ag(111) and Cu(111) surfaces as a function of molecular coverage (0.3 to 1 monolayer) and temperature. We find that both metal surfaces act as templates and the Cu(111) surface acts additionally as a catalyst for the resulting self-assembled structures. With a combination of STM, synchrotron XPS, and NEXAFS studies, we unravel a distinct polymorphism on Cu(111), in stark contrast to what is observed for the case of uracil on the more inert Ag(111) surface. On Ag(111) uracil adsorbs flat and intact and forms close-packed two-dimensional islands. The self-assembly is driven by stable hydrogen-bonded dimers with poor two-dimensional order. On Cu(111) complex structures are observed exhibiting, in addition, a strong annealing temperature dependence. We determine the corresponding structural transformations to be driven by gradual deprotonation of the uracil molecules. Our XPS study reveals unambiguously the tautomeric signature of uracil in the contact layer and on Cu(111) the molecules deprotonation sites. The metal-mediated deprotonation of uracil and the subsequent electron localization in the molecule determine important biological reactions. Our data show a dependence between molecular coverage and molecule-metal interaction on Cu(111), as the molecules tilt at higher coverages in order to accommodate a higher packing density. After deprotonation of both uracil N atoms, we observe an adsorption geometry that can be understood as coordinative anchoring with a significant charge redistribution in the molecule. DFT calculations are employed to analyze the surface bonding and accurately describe the pertaining electronic structure.

Synthesis of Pyrene-Fused Pyrazaacenes on Metal Surfaces: Toward One-Dimensional Conjugated Nanostructures.

We investigated the synthesis of one-dimensional nanostructures via Schiff base (imine) formation on three close-packed coinage metal (Au, Ag, and Cu) surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. We demonstrate the feasibility of forming pyrene-fused pyrazaacene-based oligomers on the Ag(111) surface by thermal annealing of tetraketone and tetraamine molecules, which were designed to afford cyclocondensation products. Direct visualization by scanning tunneling microscopy of reactants, intermediates, and products with submolecular resolution and the analysis of their statistical distribution in dependence of stoichiometry and annealing temperature together with the inspection of complementary X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy signatures provide unique insight in the reaction mechanism, its limitations, and the role of the supporting substrate. In contrast to the reaction on Ag(111), the reactants desorb from the Au(111) surface before reacting, whereas they decompose on the Cu(111) surface during the relevant thermal treatment.

Structural and vibrational properties of two-dimensional MnxOy layers on Pd(100) : Experiments and density functional theory calculations

Using different experimental techniques combined with density functional based theoretical methods we have explored the formation of interface-stabilized manganese oxide structures grown on Pd(100) at (sub)monolayer coverage. Amongst the multitude of phases experimentally observed we focus our attention on four structures which can be classified into two distinct regimes, characterized by different building blocks. Two oxygen-rich phases are described in terms of MnO(111)-like O-MnO trilayers, whereas the other two have a lower oxygen content and are based on a MnO(100)-like monolayer structure. The excellent agreement between calculated and experimental scanning tunneling microscopy images and vibrational electron energy loss spectra allows for a detailed atomic description of the explored models.

Orbital-Symmetry-Dependent Electron Transfer through Molecules Assembled on Metal Substrates.

Femtosecond charge-transfer dynamics in self-assembled monolayers of cyano-terminated ethane-thiolate on gold substrates was investigated with the core hole clock method. By exploiting symmetry selection rules rather than energetic selection, electrons from the nitrogen K-shell are state-selectively excited into the two symmetry-split π* orbitals of the cyano end group with X-ray photons of well-defined polarization. The charge-transfer times from these temporarily occupied orbitals to the metal substrate differ significantly. Theoretical calculations show that these two π* orbitals extend differently onto the alkane backbone and the anchoring sulfur atom, thus causing the observed dependence of the electron-transfer dynamics on the symmetry of the orbital.

Self-terminating protocol for an interfacial complexation reaction in vacuo by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition.

The fabrication and control of coordination compounds or architectures at well-defined interfaces is a thriving research domain with promise for various research areas, including single-site catalysis, molecular magnetism, light-harvesting, and molecular rotors and machines. To date, such systems have been realized either by grafting or depositing prefabricated metal-organic complexes or by protocols combining molecular linkers and single metal atoms at the interface. Here we report a different pathway employing metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, as exemplified by the reaction of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin derivatives on atomistically clean Ag(111) with a metal carbonyl precursor (Ru3(CO)12) under vacuum conditions. Scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy reveal the formation of a meso-tetraphenylporphyrin cyclodehydrogenation product that readily undergoes metalation after exposure to the Ru-carbonyl precursor vapor and thermal treatment. The self-terminating porphyrin metalation protocol proceeds without additional surface-bound byproducts, yielding a single and thermally robust layer of Ru metalloporphyrins. The introduced fabrication scheme presents a new approach toward the realization of complex metal-organic interfaces incorporating metal centers in unique coordination environments.