Search

Recent advances in operando-synchrotron-based X-ray techniques are making it possible to address fundamental questions related to complex proton-coupled electron transfer reactions, for instance, the electrocatalytic water splitting process. However, it is still a grand challenge to assess the ability of the different techniques to characterize the relevant intermediates, with minimal interference on the reaction mechanism. To this end, we have developed a novel methodology employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in connection with the liquid-jet approach to probe the electrochemical properties of a model electrocatalyst, [RuII(bpy)2(py)-(OH2)]2+, in an aqueous environment. There is a unique fingerprint of the extremely important higher-valence ruthenium−oxo species in the XPS spectra along the oxidation reaction pathway. Furthermore, a sequential method combining quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics is used to illuminate the underlying physical chemistry of such systems. This study provides the basis for the future development of in-operando XPS techniques for water oxidation reactions.

Unveiling the interplay of semiconducting organic molecules with their environment, such as inorganic materials or atmospheric gas, is the first step to designing hybrid devices with tailored optical, electronic or magnetic properties. The present article focuses on a double-decker lutetium phthalocyanine known as an intrinsic semiconducting molecule, holding a Lu ion in its center, sandwiched between two phthalocyanine rings. Carrying out experimental investigations by means of electron spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction and scanning probe microscopies together with advanced ab initio computations, allows us to unveil how this molecule interacts with weakly or highly reactive surfaces. Our studies reveal that a molecule-surface interaction is evidenced when molecules arc deposited on bare silicon or on gold surfaces together with a charge transferred from the substrate to the molecule, affecting to a higher extent the lower ring of the molecule. A new packing of the molecules on gold surfaces is proposed: an eclipse configuration in which molecules are flat and parallel to the surface, even for thick films of several hundreds of nanometers. Surprisingly, a robust tolerance of the double-decker phthalocyanine toward oxygen molecules is demonstrated, leading to weak chemisorption of oxygen below 100 K.

The starburst pi-conjugated molecule 4,4 ',4 ''-tris(N-3-methylphenyl-N-phenyl-amino)triphenylamine (C57H48N4, m-MTDATA), based on triphenylamine (TPA) building blocks, is widely used in optoelectronic devices due to its good electron-donor characteristics. The electronic structure of m-MTDATA was investigated for the first time in the gas phase by means of PhotoElectron Spectroscopy (PES) and Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The combination of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations with the experimental spectra provides a comprehensive description of the molecular electronic structure. Moreover, by comparing the results with previous TPA measurements, we could shed light on how the electronic structure evolves when the molecular size is increased. We found that the C 1s photoelectron spectra of m-MTDATA and TPA are similar, due to the balance of the counter-acting effects of the electronegativity of the N atoms and the delocalization of the amine lone-pair electrons. In contrast, the increased number of N atoms (i.e. N lone pairs) in m-MTDATA determines a three-peak feature in the outermost valence binding energy region with strong contributions by the N 2p(z) orbitals. We also obtained a decrease of the HOMO-LUMO gap for m-MTDATA, which points to improved electron donating properties of m-MTDATA with respect to TPA.

The effect of intermolecular H-bonding interactions on the local electronic structure of N-containing functional groups (amino group and pyridine-like N) that are characteristic of polymeric carbon nitride materials p-CN(H), a new class of metal-free organophotocatalysts, was investigated. Specifically, the melamine molecule, a building block of p-CN(H), was characterized by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The molecule was studied as a noninteracting system in the gas phase and in the solid state within a H-bonded network. With the support of DFT simulations of the spectra, it was found that the H-bonds mainly affect the N1s level of the amino group, leaving the N1s level of the pyridine-like N mostly unperturbed. This is responsible for a reduction of the chemical shift between the two XPS N1s levels relative to free melamine. Consequently, N K-edge NEXAFS resonances involving the amino N1s level also shift to lower photon energies. Moreover, the solid-state absorption spectra showed significant modification/quenching of resonances related to transitions from the amino N1s level to sigma* orbitals involving the NH2 termini.

Triphenylamine (TPA) and its thiophene-analog, N,N-diphenyl-2-thiophenamine (DPTA), are both well-known as electron-donating molecules implemented in optoelectronic devices such as organic solar cells and LEDs. Comprehensive valence and core level photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as near edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS), measurements have been performed on gas phase TPA and DPTA. The experimental results have been compared to density functional theory calculations, providing a detailed description of the molecular electronic structure. Specifically, the C 1s photoelectron lines of both TPA and DPTA were resolved in the different C atom contributions and their binding energies explained as the result of two counter-acting effects: (1) the electronegativity of the nitrogen atom (and sulfur atom in DPTA) and (2) the the N (and S in DPTA) lone-pair electrons. In addition, the C K-edge NEXAFS spectrum of DPTA reveals that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy position is affected differently if the core hole site is on the phenyl compared to the thiophene ring. The electron-donating properties of these two molecules are largely explained by the significant contribution of the N lone-pair electrons (p(z)) to the highest occupied molecular orbital. The contribution to the LUMO and to the empty density of states of the sulfur of the thiophene ring in DPTA explains the better performance of donor-pi-acceptor molecules containing this moiety and implemented in photoenergy conversion devices., Title in thesis list of papers: Lone Pair Delocalization Effect within Electron Donor Molecules:The Case of Triphenylamine (TPA) and Its Thiophene-Analog(DPTA)

The occupied and empty densities of states of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) were investigated by photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopies in the gas phase and in thin films deposited on a Au(111) surface. The comparison between the gas-phase results and density functional theory single-molecule simulations confirmed that the CoPc ground state is correctly described by the (2)A(1g) electronic configuration. Moreover, photon-energy-dependent valence photoemission spectra of both the gas phase and thin film confirmed the atomic character of the highest occupied molecular orbital as being derived from the organic ligand, with dominant contributions from the carbon atoms. Multiplet ligand-field theory was employed to simulate the Co L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy results.

A combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and density functional theory (DFT) study has been performed to characterize the adsorbate interaction of lutetium biphthalocyanine (LuPc2) molecules on the Si(100)-2 × 1 surface. Large molecule–substrate adsorption energies are computed and are found to compete with the molecule–molecule interactions of the double decker molecules. A particularly good matching between STM images and computed ones confirms the deformation of the molecule upon the absorption process. The comparison between DFT calculations and XP spectra reveals that the electronic distribution in the two plateaus of the biphthalocyanine are not affected in the same manner upon the adsorption onto the silicon surface. This finding can be of particular importance in the implementation of organic molecules in hybrid devices.

The remarkable excitonic effects in low dimensional materials in connection to large binding energies of excitons are of great importance for research and technological applications such as in solar energy and quantum information processing as well as for fundamental investigations. In this study, the unique electronic and excitonic properties of the two dimensional carbon network biphenylene carbon were investigated with GW approach and the Bethe-Salpeter equation accounting for electron correlation effects and electron-hole interactions, respectively. Biphenylene carbon exhibits characteristic features including bright and dark excitons populating the optical gap of 0.52 eV and exciton binding energies of 530 meV as well as a technologically relevant intrinsic band gap of 1.05 eV. Biphenylene carbon's excitonic features, possibly tuned, suggest possible applications in the field of solar energy and quantum information technology in the future.

A combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and density functional theory (DFT) study has been performed to characterize the adsorbate interaction of lutetium biphthalocyanine (LuPc2) molecules on the Si(100)-2 × 1 surface. Large molecule–substrate adsorption energies are computed and are found to compete with the molecule–molecule interactions of the double decker molecules. A particularly good matching between STM images and computed ones confirms the deformation of the molecule upon the absorption process. The comparison between DFT calculations and XP spectra reveals that the electronic distribution in the two plateaus of the biphthalocyanine are not affected in the same manner upon the adsorption onto the silicon surface. This finding can be of particular importance in the implementation of organic molecules in hybrid devices.

A combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and density functional theory (DFT) study has been performed to characterize the adsorbate interaction of lutetium biphthalocyanine (LuPc2) molecules on the Si(100)-2 × 1 surface. Large molecule–substrate adsorption energies are computed and are found to compete with the molecule–molecule interactions of the double decker molecules. A particularly good matching between STM images and computed ones confirms the deformation of the molecule upon the absorption process. The comparison between DFT calculations and XP spectra reveals that the electronic distribution in the two plateaus of the biphthalocyanine are not affected in the same manner upon the adsorption onto the silicon surface. This finding can be of particular importance in the implementation of organic molecules in hybrid devices.

A combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and density functional theory (DFT) study has been performed to characterize the adsorbate interaction of lutetium biphthalocyanine (LuPc2) molecules on the Si(100)-2 × 1 surface. Large molecule–substrate adsorption energies are computed and are found to compete with the molecule–molecule interactions of the double decker molecules. A particularly good matching between STM images and computed ones confirms the deformation of the molecule upon the absorption process. The comparison between DFT calculations and XP spectra reveals that the electronic distribution in the two plateaus of the biphthalocyanine are not affected in the same manner upon the adsorption onto the silicon surface. This finding can be of particular importance in the implementation of organic molecules in hybrid devices.

A combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and density functional theory (DFT) study has been performed to characterize the adsorbate interaction of lutetium biphthalocyanine (LuPc2) molecules on the Si(100)-2 × 1 surface. Large molecule–substrate adsorption energies are computed and are found to compete with the molecule–molecule interactions of the double decker molecules. A particularly good matching between STM images and computed ones confirms the deformation of the molecule upon the absorption process. The comparison between DFT calculations and XP spectra reveals that the electronic distribution in the two plateaus of the biphthalocyanine are not affected in the same manner upon the adsorption onto the silicon surface. This finding can be of particular importance in the implementation of organic molecules in hybrid devices.

The present work reports a photoelectron spectroscopy study of the low-energy region of the valence band of metal-free phthalocyanine (H2Pc) compared with those of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) and manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc). We have analysed in detail the atomic orbital composition of the valence band both experimentally, by making use of the variation in photoionization cross-sections with photon energy, and theoretically, by means of density functional theory. The atomic character of the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO), reflected on the outermost valence band binding energy region, is different for MnPc as compared to the other two molecules. The peaks related to the C 2p contributions, result in the HOMO for H2Pc and FePc and in the HOMO-1 for MnPc as described by the theoretical predictions, in very good agreement with the experimental results. The DFT simulations, discerning the atomic contribution to the density of states, indicate how the central metal atom interacts with the C and N atoms of the molecule, giving rise to different partial and total density of states for these three Pc molecules.

Despite the numerous studies dedicated to phthalocyanine molecules adsorbed on surfaces, in monolayer or thin film, very few works have been focused on the characterization of vapors of these molecules. In this article we present the C 1s, N 1s and Fe 2p photoemission results as well as N K-edge X-ray absorption data of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) in gas phase. Presented comparison of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy spectra of FePc films show a great similarity with the gas phase results, confirming the molecular character of thick films. The Fe2p photoemission spectrum of the gas phase FePc, shown for the first time, can be considered as a fingerprint of the Fe(II) ionic state of the central metal of the iron phthalocyanine. The performed multiplet calculations for describing the Fe 2p XP spectrum indicate 3Eg (a1g2eg32g1) state as the most probable ground state for thick film of iron phthalocyanine.

In this paper, we provide detailed insights into the electronic structure of the gas phase biphenylene molecule through core and valence spectroscopy. By comparing results of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) measurements with Delta SCF core-hole calculations in the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT), we could decompose the characteristic contributions to the total spectra and assign them to non-equivalent carbon atoms. As a difference with similar molecules like biphenyl and naphthalene, an influence of the localized orbitals on the relative XPS shifts was found. The valence spectrum probed by photoelectron spectroscopy at a photon energy of 50 eV in conjunction with hybrid DFT calculations revealed the effects of the localization on the electronic states. Using the transition potential approach to simulate the X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements, similar contributions from the non-equivalent carbon atoms were determined from the total spectrum, for which the slightly shifted individual components can explain the observed asymmetric features.

Low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies of metal-free phthalocyanine (H2Pc) adsorbed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) have shown ordered arrangement of molecules for low coverages up to 1 ML. Evaporation of H2Pc onto HOPG and annealing of the sample to 670 K result in a densely packed structure of the molecules. Arrangements of submonolayer, monolayer, and monolayer with additional adsorbed molecules have been investigated. The high resolution of our investigations has permitted us to image single molecule orientation. The molecular plane is found to be oriented parallel to the substrate surface and a square adsorption unit cell of the molecules is reported. In addition, depending on the bias voltage, different electronic states of the molecules have been probed. The characterized molecular states are in excellent agreement with density functional theory ground state simulations of a single molecule. Additional molecules adsorbed on the monolayer structures have been observed, and it is found that the second layer molecules adsorb flat and on top of the molecules in the first layer. All STM measurements presented here have been performed at a sample temperature of 70 K.

We have investigated the effect of intermolecular H- bonding interactions on the local electronic structure of N- functionalities, amino group and pyridine-like N, which are characteristic of a new class of metal-free polymeric photo-catalysts named graphitic carbon nitrides, g-C3N4. Specifically, we have performed a characterization of the melamine molecule, a building block of g-C3N4, combining X-ray photoemission (XPS) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The molecule has been studied in the gas phase, as non-interacting system, and in the solid state within a hydrogen bonded network. With the support of density functional theory (DFT) simulations of the spectra, we have found that the H-bonds mainly affect the N 1s level of the amino group, leaving the N 1s level of the pyridine-like N mostly unperturbed. This fact is responsible for a reduction of the chemical shift between the two XPS N 1s levels, compared to the free melamine. Consequently, N K-edge NEXAFS resonances involving the amino N 1s level also shift to lower photon energies. Moreover, the solid state absorption spectra have shown strong modification/quenching of resonances related with transitions from the amino N 1s level towards σ*orbitals involving the -NH2 terminations.

Photoelectron Spectroscopy (PES) and Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy have been used to investigate the occupied and empty density of states of biphenylene films of different thicknesses, deposited onto a Cu(111) crystal. The obtained results have been compared to previous gas phase spectra and single molecule density functional theory (DFT) calculations to get insights into the possible modification of the molecular electronic structure in the film induced by the adsorption on a surface. Furthermore, NEXAFS measurements allowed characterizing the variation of the molecular arrangement with the film thickness and helped to clarify the substrate- molecule interaction.

The starburst p-conjugated molecule based on triphenylamine (TPA) building block, 4,4',4" -Tris(N-3-methylphenyl-N-phenyl-amino)triphenylamine (m-MTDATA), is widely used in optoelectronic devices due to its electron-donating properties. The electronic structure of m-MTDATA was investigated in the gas-phase and when deposited in thin films on a Au(111) surface by means of PhotoElectron Spectroscopy (PES) and Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were compared to the experimental gas-phase results, providing a comprehensive description of the molecular electronic structure. Moreover, the results were compared with previous TPA measurements, shedding light on the electronic structure modification due to the increased molecular complexity. Similar to TPA, but more complex, the binding energy of the C 1s photoelectron line of m-MTDATA results from the balance of two counter-acting effects: (1) the electronegativity of the N atoms and (2) the delocalization of lone-pair electrons of the nitrogen. Compared to TPA, the outermost valence PE spectrum of m-MTDATA shows a 3-peak feature with N 2pz character and a lowering of the binding energy of the HOMO. When adsorbed on Au(111), the changes observed in PES and NEXAFS spectra with respect to the free molecules, can be explained by a significant modification of m-MTDATA molecular and electronic structure, due to the molecule-substrate interaction.

Triphenylamine (TPA) is a well-known electron donor molecule largely used in photovoltaics. In this article we analyze the electronic structure modifications due to the adsorption of the molecules at a monolayer coverage on a Au(111) surface. Only a weak interaction was observed between the TPA and the gold during the adsorption process, being impossible to get more than 1ML coverage at room temperature. The characterizations have been performed by core and valence Photoelectron Spectroscopy (PES) and Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The results were compared with our previous investigations on free TPA, and theoretical models were used to explain the changes of the electronic structure due to the adsorption on the metallic gold surface. The calculation confirms the weak interaction between the adsorbed TPA and the Au(111), with only a slight change of the twisting angle of the TPA phenyl rings. The resulting adsorption geometry can be used to explain the broadening of the C 1s PES line with respect to the gas-phase results and the expected absence of angle dependence in the C K-edge NEXAFS. However, a significant modification was observed in the N K-edge NEXAFS spectra of TPA/Au(111), showing a new pre-edge feature due to transitions involving out-of-plane orbitals. This pre-edge feature is ascribed to the interaction between the molecules and the surface, having a different character and energy position than the pre-edge observed for free TPA. A model, considering a TPA+ cation formed by a charge redistribution process between the adsorbate and the surface valence states seems to give a qualitative explanation of this pre-edge intensity. Since our calculations predict only a weak interaction between the TPA molecules and the gold surface, we propose that such a charge redistribution happens in the core-excited state created by photon absorption.

Photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy were used to investigate the occupied and empty density of states of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) in the gas phase and in thin films of different thicknesses, deposited onto a Au (111) single crystal. The comparison between experimental gas phase results and density functional theory single molecule simulations confirmed that the CoPc ground state is correctly described by the 2A1g electronic configuration. Moreover, the atomic character of the highest occupied molecular orbital of CoPc was addressed by performing photon energy dependent valence photoemission spectroscopy experiments on both CoPc gas phase and film samples. Our results clearly show that the highest occupied molecular orbital is derived only from the organic ligand, with mainly contribution from the carbon atoms. Multiplet ligand field theory was employed to simulate the Co L edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy results.