Photoinduced reduction of surface states in Fe:ZnO.

We report on the electronic structure of nano-crystalline Fe:ZnO, which has recently been found to be an efficient photocatalyst. Using resonant photoemission spectroscopy, we determine the binding energy of Fe 3d states corresponding to different valencies and coordination of the Fe atoms. The photo-activity of ZnO reduces Fe from 3+ to 2+ in the surface region of the nano-crystalline material due to the formation of oxygen vacancies. Electronic states corresponding to low-spin Fe(2+) are observed and attributed to crystal field modification at the surface. These states are potentially important for the photocatalytic sensitivity to visible light due to their location deep in the ZnO bandgap. X-ray absorption and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy suggest that Fe is only homogeneously distributed for concentrations up to 3%. Increased concentrations does not result in a higher concentration of Fe ions in the surface region. This is limiting the photocatalytic functionality of ZnO, where the most efficient Fe doping concentration has been shown to be 1%-4%.

Potassium-intercalated H2Pc films: alkali-induced electronic and geometrical modifications.

X-ray spectroscopy studies of potassium intercalated metal-free phthalocyanine multilayers adsorbed on Al(110) have been undertaken. Photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show the presence of several charge states of the molecules upon K intercalation, due to a charge transfer from the alkali. In addition, the comparison of valence band photoemission spectra with the density functional theory calculations of the density of states of the H(2)Pc(-) anion indicates a filling of the formerly lowest unoccupied molecular orbital by charge transfer from the alkali. This is further confirmed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies, which show a decreased density of unoccupied states. XAS measurements in different experimental geometries reveal that the molecules in the pristine film are standing upright on the surface or are only slightly tilted away from the surface normal but upon K intercalation, the molecular orientation is changed in that the tilt angle of the molecules increases.

A spin- and angle-resolving photoelectron spectrometer.

A new type of hemispherical electron energy analyzer that permits angle and spin resolved photoelectron spectroscopy has been developed. The analyzer permits standard angle resolved spectra to be recorded with a two-dimensional detector in parallel with spin detection using a mini-Mott polarimeter. General design considerations as well as technical solutions are discussed and test results from the Au(111) surface state are presented.

Changing adsorption mode of FePc on TiO2(110) by surface modification with bipyridine.

Surface modification of reactive oxide substrates to obtain a less strongly interacting template for dye adsorption may be a way to enhance performance in dye-sensitized solar cells. In this work, we have investigated the electronic and structural properties of 4,4(')-bipyridine (bipy) as modifier adsorbed on the TiO(2)(110) surface. The modified surface is then coated with iron phthalocyanine (FePc) and the properties of this heterostructure are investigated with synchrotron based photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. We find that a saturated monolayer consisting of standing bipy molecules with one nitrogen atom pointing outward is formed on the oxide surface. FePc adsorb in molecular chains along the [001] direction on top of bipy and ordered in a tilted arrangement with adjacent molecules partially overlapping. Already from the first layer, the electronic properties of FePc resemble those of multilayer films. FePc alone is oxidized on the TiO(2)(110) surface, but preadsorbed bipy prevents this reaction. The energy level lineup at the interface is clarified.

Ordered phthalocyanine superstructures on Ag(110).

Organic-metal interfaces, in particular, self-assembling systems, are interesting in the field of molecular electronics. In this study, we have investigated the formation of the Ag(110)-iron phthalocyanine (FePc) interface in a coverage range of less than 1 and up to 2 ML using synchrotron based photoelectron spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction. As-deposited FePc forms a densely packed first layer exhibiting a 3 x 2c(6 x 2) symmetry. Upon thermal treatment the order at the interface is modified depending on the initial FePc coverage, resulting in less densely packed but still ordered superstructures. The first monolayer is relatively strongly bound to the substrate, leading to the formation of an interface state just below the Fermi level. The highest occupied molecular orbital of FePc in the second layer is found at 1 eV higher binding energy compared to the interface state.