title: Ordered Carboxylates on TiO2(110) Formed at Aqueous Interfaces.
abstract: As models for probing the interactions between TiO2surfaces and the dye molecules employed in dye-sensitized solar cells, carboxylic acids are an important class of molecules. In this work, we present a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) study of three small carboxylic acids (formic, acetic, and benzoic) that were reacted with the TiO2(110) surface via a dipping procedure. The three molecules display quite different adsorption behavior, illustrating the different interadsorbate interactions that can occur. After exposure to a 10 mM solution, formic acid forms a rather disordered formate overlayer with two distinct binding geometries. Acetic acid forms a well-ordered (2 × 1) acetate overlayer similar to that observed following deposition from vapor. Benzoic acid forms a (2 × 2) overlayer, which is stabilized by intermolecular interactions between the phenyl groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London , 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Grinter
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London , 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Woolcot
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London , 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Chi-Lun
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London , 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Geoff
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thornton