Abstract
The adsorption of the sterically hindered β-diketonate complex Fe(dpm)3, where Hdpm = dipivaloylmethane, on Au(111) was investigated by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The high volatility of the molecule limited the growth of the film to a few monolayers. While UPS evidenced the presence of the β-diketonate ligands on the surface, the integrity of the molecule on the surface could not be assessed. The low temperature STM images were more informative and at submonolayer coverage they showed the presence of regular domains characterized by a flat morphology and height of ≈0.3 nm. Along with these domains, tetra-lobed features adsorbed on the kinks of the herringbone were also observed. DFT-simulated images of the pristine molecule and its possible decomposition products allowed to assess the partial fragmentation of Fe(dpm)3 upon adsorption on the Au(111) surface. Structural features with intact molecules were only observed for the saturation coverage. An ex situ prepared thick film of the complex was also investigated by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and features typical of high-spin iron(III) in octahedral environment were observed.
Highlights
A renewed interest in mononuclear metal complexes has recently arisen due to the observation that systems of this class can behave as single molecule magnets (SMMs) [1,2,3,4,5,6]
We present here a detailed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and photoelectron spectroscopy investigation, in the ultraviolet (UPS) and X-ray (XPS) ranges, on ultra-thin films of Fe(dpm)3 sublimated on Au(111) surfaces
The spectrum shape of the sample dosed for ca. 13 h remains practically unchanged if compared with the t3 deposition
Summary
A renewed interest in mononuclear metal complexes has recently arisen due to the observation that systems of this class can behave as single molecule magnets (SMMs) [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The low temperature STM images were more informative and at submonolayer coverage they showed the presence of regular domains characterized by a flat morphology and height of ≈0.3 nm. DFT-simulated images of the pristine molecule and its possible decomposition products allowed to assess the partial fragmentation of Fe(dpm)3 upon adsorption on the Au(111) surface.
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