Enhanced Infrared Absorption of C₆₀ on Thin Evaporated Pd Island Films

Abstract

Infrared transmission spectra of C60 multilayers on thin Pd films deposited onto surface‐oxidized Si(100) and hydrogen‐terminated Si(111) substrates are reported. In both cases, the spectra in the 1500–1100 cm−1 region exhibited bands at 1444, 1429, and 1182 cm−1 due, respectively, to the Ag (2), T1u (4), and T1u (3) modes. The appearance of the Ag (2) mode, which is originally infrared inactive (Raman active), reveals electron transfer from the metal to chemisorbed C60. Indeed, increasing the thickness of C60, the Ag (2) mode intensity saturated more rapidly than the T1u (4) and T1u (3) modes. The originally infrared active T1u (4) and T1u (3) modes were enhanced in intensity depending upon the Pd thickness. Actually, while both substrates gave nearly the same magnitude of enhancement, the optimum Pd thickness was smaller on the hydrogen‐terminated surface than on the surface‐oxidized surface. On the other hand, the Ag (2) mode was less intense on the hydrogen‐terminated surface than on the oxidized surface, suggestive of a shortage of chemisorbed C60 and thus pointing out the importance of the metal film morphology. Indeed, Pd films deposited on the two substrates gave rise to quite different AFM images. We also show that, regardless of the substrate, the Ag (2) mode is an order of magnitude smaller than for Ag deposition, though no remarkable intensity differences were observed with respect to the T1u (4) and T1u (3) modes.

Nanocarbons in different structural dimensions (0–3D) for phenol adsorption and metal-free catalytic oxidation

“…3). Two modes of T 1u (3) at 1181 cm −1 and T 1u (4) at 1427 cm −1 can be observed on C 60 [33,34], corresponding to the tangential motion of the carbon atoms. It was also observed that fullerene has a stable carbon structure [35,36].…”