{"id":{"repo_id":"birmingham","oai_identifier":"oai:etheses.bham.ac.uk:1190"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/birmingham/oai:etheses.bham.ac.uk:1190","repository":{"repo_id":"birmingham","name":"University of Birmingham","base_url":"https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"A variable temperature scanning tunneling microscopy study of organizing C60 molecules on nanostructured gold surface","abstract":"The nucleation and growth of C\\(_{60}\\) molecular nanostructures on the Au (111) surface are studied under various conditions using variable temperature UHV STM. At room temperature, the C\\(_{60}\\)/Au interface exhibits rich features observed in the STM images, for instance the lifting of the reconstruction and the appearance of dim molecules in the close-packed C\\(_{60}\\) overlayer. Furthermore, the structural changes at the interface result in different bonding configurations of the adsorbed C\\(_{60}\\) molecules, of which the strong bonding configuration can retain individual C\\(_{60}\\) molecules on the elbow sites even at room temperature. This further leads to C\\(_{60}\\) island nucleation at unexpected location. C\\(_{60}\\) molecules deposited at reduced temperatures, 47 K and 180 K, respectively, do not induce atomic rearrangement of the Au (111) surface. The C\\(_{60}\\) molecules are bonded to the intact reconstructed surface. However, the nucleation site and the island growth mode are still determined by the reconstruction pattern of the substrate. By increasing the C\\(_{60}\\) coverage step-by-step and comparing with the growth scenario observed at the two temperatures, the details of the intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions are revealed. Temperature dependent processes for the C\\(_{60}\\)/Au (111) system are studied by gradually raising the sample temperature from 47 K to room temperature. Diffusion is activated at ~160 K leading to ripening of the C\\(_{60}\\) molecular structures. At higher temperatures, when a large number of C\\(_{60}\\) molecules are released from the elbow sites, C\\(_{60}\\) clusters with a magic number of seven are formed. These clusters only diffuse within the FCC regions of the surface with their diffusing direction confined by the reconstruction ridges (the DLs). The ripening process is also studied at room temperature over a long timescale. A combination of Ostwald ripening and Smoluchowski ripening process is observed.","abstract_html":"The nucleation and growth of C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> molecular nanostructures on the Au (111) surface are studied under various conditions using variable temperature UHV STM. At room temperature, the C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span>/Au interface exhibits rich features observed in the STM images, for instance the lifting of the reconstruction and the appearance of dim molecules in the close-packed C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> overlayer. Furthermore, the structural changes at the interface result in different bonding configurations of the adsorbed C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> molecules, of which the strong bonding configuration can retain individual C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> molecules on the elbow sites even at room temperature. This further leads to C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> island nucleation at unexpected location. C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> molecules deposited at reduced temperatures, 47 K and 180 K, respectively, do not induce atomic rearrangement of the Au (111) surface. The C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> molecules are bonded to the intact reconstructed surface. However, the nucleation site and the island growth mode are still determined by the reconstruction pattern of the substrate. By increasing the C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> coverage step-by-step and comparing with the growth scenario observed at the two temperatures, the details of the intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions are revealed. Temperature dependent processes for the C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span>/Au (111) system are studied by gradually raising the sample temperature from 47 K to room temperature. Diffusion is activated at ~160 K leading to ripening of the C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> molecular structures. At higher temperatures, when a large number of C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> molecules are released from the elbow sites, C<span class=\"etd-inline-math\"><sub>60</sub></span> clusters with a magic number of seven are formed. These clusters only diffuse within the FCC regions of the surface with their diffusing direction confined by the reconstruction ridges (the DLs). The ripening process is also studied at room temperature over a long timescale. A combination of Ostwald ripening and Smoluchowski ripening process is observed.","abstract_has_math":true,"creators":["Zhang, Xin"],"institution":"University of Birmingham","degree_name":"d_ph","degree_level":"d_ph","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-12","date_published":"2010-12","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:11:23Z","subjects":["QC Physics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.sponsor","label":"Sponsor","values":["na"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Zhang, Xin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2010-12"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010-12"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["College of Engineering & Physical Sciences","School of Physics and Astronomy"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Birmingham"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1190/"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["d_ph"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["d_ph"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["QC Physics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1190/1/Zhang10PhD.pdf","http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1190/2/Decl_IS_Zhang10PhD.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The nucleation and growth of C\\(_{60}\\) molecular nanostructures on the Au (111) surface are studied under various conditions using variable temperature UHV STM. At room temperature, the C\\(_{60}\\)/Au interface exhibits rich features observed in the STM images, for instance the lifting of the reconstruction and the appearance of dim molecules in the close-packed C\\(_{60}\\) overlayer. Furthermore, the structural changes at the interface result in different bonding configurations of the adsorbed C\\(_{60}\\) molecules, of which the strong bonding configuration can retain individual C\\(_{60}\\) molecules on the elbow sites even at room temperature. This further leads to C\\(_{60}\\) island nucleation at unexpected location. C\\(_{60}\\) molecules deposited at reduced temperatures, 47 K and 180 K, respectively, do not induce atomic rearrangement of the Au (111) surface. The C\\(_{60}\\) molecules are bonded to the intact reconstructed surface. However, the nucleation site and the island growth mode are still determined by the reconstruction pattern of the substrate. By increasing the C\\(_{60}\\) coverage step-by-step and comparing with the growth scenario observed at the two temperatures, the details of the intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions are revealed. Temperature dependent processes for the C\\(_{60}\\)/Au (111) system are studied by gradually raising the sample temperature from 47 K to room temperature. Diffusion is activated at ~160 K leading to ripening of the C\\(_{60}\\) molecular structures. At higher temperatures, when a large number of C\\(_{60}\\) molecules are released from the elbow sites, C\\(_{60}\\) clusters with a magic number of seven are formed. These clusters only diffuse within the FCC regions of the surface with their diffusing direction confined by the reconstruction ridges (the DLs). The ripening process is also studied at room temperature over a long timescale. A combination of Ostwald ripening and Smoluchowski ripening process is observed."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A variable temperature scanning tunneling microscopy study of organizing C60 molecules on nanostructured gold surface"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.sponsor":["na"],"dc:creator":["Zhang, Xin"],"dc:date":["2010-12"],"dc:date.issued":["2010-12"],"dc:description.abstract":["The nucleation and growth of C\\(_{60}\\) molecular nanostructures on the Au (111) surface are studied under various conditions using variable temperature UHV STM. At room temperature, the C\\(_{60}\\)/Au interface exhibits rich features observed in the STM images, for instance the lifting of the reconstruction and the appearance of dim molecules in the close-packed C\\(_{60}\\) overlayer. Furthermore, the structural changes at the interface result in different bonding configurations of the adsorbed C\\(_{60}\\) molecules, of which the strong bonding configuration can retain individual C\\(_{60}\\) molecules on the elbow sites even at room temperature. This further leads to C\\(_{60}\\) island nucleation at unexpected location. C\\(_{60}\\) molecules deposited at reduced temperatures, 47 K and 180 K, respectively, do not induce atomic rearrangement of the Au (111) surface. The C\\(_{60}\\) molecules are bonded to the intact reconstructed surface. However, the nucleation site and the island growth mode are still determined by the reconstruction pattern of the substrate. By increasing the C\\(_{60}\\) coverage step-by-step and comparing with the growth scenario observed at the two temperatures, the details of the intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions are revealed. Temperature dependent processes for the C\\(_{60}\\)/Au (111) system are studied by gradually raising the sample temperature from 47 K to room temperature. Diffusion is activated at ~160 K leading to ripening of the C\\(_{60}\\) molecular structures. At higher temperatures, when a large number of C\\(_{60}\\) molecules are released from the elbow sites, C\\(_{60}\\) clusters with a magic number of seven are formed. These clusters only diffuse within the FCC regions of the surface with their diffusing direction confined by the reconstruction ridges (the DLs). The ripening process is also studied at room temperature over a long timescale. A combination of Ostwald ripening and Smoluchowski ripening process is observed."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1190/1/Zhang10PhD.pdf","http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1190/2/Decl_IS_Zhang10PhD.pdf"],"dc:publisher.department":["College of Engineering & Physical Sciences","School of Physics and Astronomy"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Birmingham"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1190/"],"dc:subject":["QC Physics"],"dc:title":["A variable temperature scanning tunneling microscopy study of organizing C60 molecules on nanostructured gold surface"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["d_ph"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["d_ph"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:11:23Z"}