Spectroscopic and Microscopic Investigations of Phthalocyanine Aggregates on Au(111)

Krista Rachel Akiko Nishida

Self-assembled organic π systems are of interest because of their potential applications in light harvesting and electron transfer. Phthalocyanines (Pc) demonstrate desirable photonic and electronic properties, thus making them excellent candidates for functional nanostructures. The specific focus of this research has been the nanoscale aggregation of a metal-free organic dye, tetrasulfonic acid phthalocyanine (TSPc) and includes the use of UV-visible Spectroscopy, Resonance Light Scattering Spectroscopy (RLS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and ambient and ultra-high-vacuum Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy (STS). The UV-visible absorption studies show that TSPc aggregates upon dissolution in water and obeys Beer's Law within the concentration range of 10<super>-7</super>M to 10<super>-4</super>M, indicating that TSPc concentration has no further effect on aggregation in aqueous solution. In addition, both ionic strength in NaCl and pH changes in the presence of NaOH, HCl or acetic acid (HAc) do affect aggregation. The RSL studies confirm these effects of pH only in the presence of HAc. The XPS studies show that the ratio of non-protonated to protonated nitrogens does not change with decreasing solution pH. STM images of TSPc deposited from pH<1 solutions reveal ordered branched web-like assemblies hundreds of nanometers in length, generally 2 nm tall and having variable widths. STM imaging shows TSPc aggregates decrease in order as pH increases. STM images of TSPc deposited from solutions with pH>10 show monolayer coverage of TSPc in salt form. High-resolution UHV-STM images of TSPc aggregates deposited from pH 0 solution on Au(111) reveal detailed coherent columnar architecture with the phthalocyanine macrocycles orientated parallel to the substrate surface. OMTS was used to identify the HOMO and LUMO of the TSPc aggregates and the results are contrasted with the same molecular states in unsubstituted metallated phthalocyanines (MPc). The positions of the filled and the empty states of the TSPc are comparable to those of other unsubstituted MPc's indicating that the electronegative sulfonate substituents have minimal effect on the electronic properties of the macrocycle. The HOMO-LUMO separation of TSPc is slightly above 2 eV, a value consistent with the literature assignments for the Pc ring band gap.

Spectroscopic and Microscopic Investigations of Phthalocyanine Aggregates on Au(111)

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