Maksymovych Peter, Sorescu Dan C, Yates John T
Surface Science Center, Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.
Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Oct 6;97(14):146103. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.146103.
Microscopic evidence for Au-adatom-induced self-assembly of alkanethiolate species on the Au(111) surface is presented. Based on STM measurements and density-functional theory calculations, a new model for the low-coverage self-assembled monolayer of alkanethiolate on the Au(111) surface is developed, which involves the adsorbate complexes incorporating Au adatoms. It is also concluded that the Au(111) herringbone reconstruction is lifted by the alkanethiolate self-assembly because the reconstructed surface layer provides reactive Au adatoms that drive self-assembly.
