Pinning mass-selected Agn clusters on the TiO2(110)-1x1 surface via deposition at high kinetic energy.
We present the first scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study of the deposition of mass-selected silver clusters (Ag(n),n=1, 2, 3) on a rutile TiO(2)(110)-1x1 surface at room temperature under hard-landing conditions. Under hard-landing conditions, only small features are observed on the surface in all cases without sintering or surface damage. This suggests that the high impact energy of the clusters mainly dissipates as thermal energy in the substrate, resulting in the recovery of any initial impact-induced surface damage and the formation of bound clusters on the surface near the impact point. STM images indicate that Ag(1) binds on the bridging oxygen rows twice as often as on the Ti rows. Density-functional Theory (DFT) calculations are consistent with Ag(1) binding at either bridging oxygen vacancies or with two adjacent bridging oxygen atoms in the same bridging oxygen row. STM images of Ag(2) and Ag(3) depositions indicate almost exclusive binding centered on the Ti-atom rows. DFT calculations suggest that the Ag(2) and Ag(3) clusters are bound between two bridging oxygen rows, which is consistent with the STM observations.
Tong
Xiao
X
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
Benz
Lauren
L
Chrétien
Steeve
S
Kemper
Paul
P
Kolmakov
Andrei
A
Metiu
Horia
H
Bowers
Michael T
MT
Buratto
Steven K
SK