title: Effects of oxygen adsorption on the surface state of epitaxial silicene on Ag(111).
abstract: Epitaxial silicene, which is one single layer of silicon atoms packed in a honeycomb structure, demonstrates a strong interaction with the substrate that dramatically affects its electronic structure. The role of electronic coupling in the chemical reactivity between the silicene and the substrate is still unclear so far, which is of great importance for functionalization of silicene layers. Here, we report the reconstructions and hybridized electronic structures of epitaxial 4 × 4 silicene on Ag(111), which are revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The hybridization between Si and Ag results in a metallic surface state, which can gradually decay due to oxygen adsorption. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy confirms the decoupling of Si-Ag bonds after oxygen treatment as well as the relatively oxygen resistance of Ag(111) surface, in contrast to 4 × 4 silicene [with respect to Ag(111)]. First-principles calculations have confirmed the evolution of the electronic structure of silicene during oxidation. It has been verified experimentally and theoretically that the high chemical activity of 4 × 4 silicene is attributable to the Si pz state, while the Ag(111) substrate exhibits relatively inert chemical behavior.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2525, Australia.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2525, Australia.
authors.forename: Jincheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2525, Australia.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2525, Australia.
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Nian
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jiaou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Nanosystem Research Institute (NRI), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 2, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2525, Australia.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2525, Australia.
authors.forename: Shi Xue
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Dou