Abstract
The asymmetric and achiral character of caffeine (C8H10N4O2) leads to two on-surface chiralities which has an impact on its on-surface formation. An analysis of its on-surface behavior reveals new insights of its crystallite growth. In this study the structural formation of caffeine monolayers on a Au(111) surface was analyzed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The monolayers were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and analyzed at room temperature. Caffeine molecules self-assemble in a quasihexagonal phase on Au(111) similar to the high-temperature α phase. Two mirrored hexagonal domains are present with respect to the surface. Within the XPS measurements, no strong surface interaction was found. Therefore, a theoretical analysis of a hypothetical free-standing caffeine monolayer structure was performed by ab initio simulations. We found that a caffeine monolayer with three molecules per unit cell is preferable to one with just a single molecule, as could be expected from the LEED pattern.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 245414 |
Journal | Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics |
Volume | 101 |
Issue number | 24 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 11 Jun 2020 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
Fields of Expertise
- Advanced Materials Science
Cooperations
- NAWI Graz