Origin of C60 surface reconstruction resolved by atomic force microscopy

Forcieri, Leonardo; Taylor, Simon; Moriarty, Philip; Jarvis, Samuel P.

Abstract

Surface adsorption of C60 affects its chemical and electronic properties. Numerous studies have reported observation of bright and dark fullerenes on metal surfaces that suggest extensive surface reconstruction; however, the underpinning mechanism of the reconstruction remains under debate. Here we report tip-functionalized noncontact atomic force microscope measurements which unambiguously reveal that C60 fullerenes adsorb with three well-defined adsorption heights on the Cu(111) surface, consistent with theoretical reports of top-layer hollow sites, single-atom vacancies, and surface nanopits. Using single-molecule resolution Δf(z) measurements we identify well-defined adsorption heights specific to each site, confirming the presence of a complex vacancy model for C60 monolayers on metal surfaces.

Citation

Forcieri, L., Taylor, S., Moriarty, P., & Jarvis, S. P. (2021). Origin of C60 surface reconstruction resolved by atomic force microscopy. Physical Review B, 104(20), Article 205428. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.104.205428

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 1, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Nov 22, 2021
• Publication Date: Nov 15, 2021
• Deposit Date: Feb 18, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 18, 2022
• Journal: Physical Review B
• Print ISSN: 2469-9950
• Electronic ISSN: 2469-9969
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 104
• Issue: 20
• Article Number: 205428
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.104.205428
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/7352971
• Publisher URL: https://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.104.205428