Charge and adsorption height dependence of the self-metalation of porphyrins on ultrathin MgO(001) films

We have experimentally determined the adsorption structure, charge state, and metalation state of porphin, the fundamental building block of porphyrins, on ultrathin Ag(001)-supported MgO(001) films by scanning tunneling microscopy and photoemission spectroscopy, supported by calculations based on density functional theory. By tuning the substrate work function to values below and above the critical work function for charging, we succeeded in the preparation of 2H-P monolayers which contain negatively charged and uncharged molecules. It is shown that the porphin molecules self-metalate at room temperature, forming the corresponding Mg-porphin, irrespective of their charge state. This is in contrast to self-metalation of tetraphenyl porphyrin (TPP), which occurs on planar MgO(001) only if the molecules are negatively charged. The different reactivity is explained by the reduced molecule-substrate distance of the planar porphin molecule compared to the bulkier TPP. The results of this study shed light on the mechanism of porphyrin self-metalation on oxides and highlight the role of the adsorption geometry on the chemical reactivity.

On surface chemical reactions of free-base and titanyl porphyrins with r-TiO2(110): a unified picture

In this Perspective we present a comprehensive study of the multiple reaction products of metal-free porphyrins (2H-Ps) in contact with the rutile TiO₂(110) surface. In the absence of peripheral functionalization with specific linkers, the porphyrin adsorption is driven by the coordination of the two pyrrolic nitrogen atoms of the macrocycle to two consecutive oxygen atoms of the protruding O_br rows via hydrogen bonding. This chemical interaction favours the iminic nitrogen uptake of hydrogen from near surface layers at room temperature, thus yielding a stable acidic porphyrin (4H-P). In addition, a mild annealing (∼100 °C) triggers the incorporation of a Ti atom in the porphyrin macrocycle (self-metalation). We recently demonstrated that such a low temperature reaction is driven by a Lewis base iminic attack, which lowers the energy barriers for the outdiffusion of Ti interstitial atoms (Ti_int) [Kremer et al., Appl. Surf. Sci., 2021, 564, 150403]. In the monolayer (ML) range, the porphyrin adsorption site, corresponding to a TiO-TPP configuration, is extremely stable and tetraphenyl-porphyrins (TPPs) may even undergo conformational distortion (flattening) by partial cyclo-dehydrogenation, while remaining anchored to the O rows up to 450 °C [Lovat et al., Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 11694]. Here we show that, upon self-metalation, isolated molecules at low coverage may jump atop the rows of five-fold coordinated Ti atoms (Ti_5f). This configuration is associated with the formation of a new coordination complex, Ti-O-Ti_5f, as determined by comparison with the deposition of pristine titanyl-porphyrin (TiO-TPP) molecules. The newly established Ti-O-Ti_5f anchoring configuration is found to be stable also beyond the TPP flattening reaction. The anchoring of TiO-TPP to the Ti_5f rows is, however, susceptible to the cross-talk between phenyls of adjacent molecules, which ultimately drives the TiO-TPP temperature evolution in the ML range along the same pathway followed by 2H-TPP.

Phthalocyanine reactivity and interaction on the 6H-SiC(0001)-(3×3) surface by core-level experiments and simulations

The adsorption of phthalocyanine (H2Pc) on the 6H-SiC(0001)-(3×3) surface is investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations....

Interfacial Reactions of Tetraphenylporphyrin with Cobalt-Oxide Thin Films

We have studied the adsorption and interfacial reactions of 2H-tetraphenylporphyrin (2HTPP) with cobalt-terminated Co₃ O₄ (111) and oxygen-terminated CoO(111) thin films using synchrotron-radiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Already at 275 K, we find evidence for the formation of a metalated species, most likely CoTPP, on both surfaces. The degree of self-metalation increases with temperature on both surfaces until 475 K, where the metalation is almost complete. At 575 K the porphyrin coverage decreases drastically on the reducible cobalt-terminated Co₃ O₄ (111) surface, while higher temperatures are needed on the non-reducible oxygen-terminated CoO(111). The low temperature self-metalation is similar to that observed on MgO(100) surfaces, but drastically different from that observed on TiO₂ (110), where no self-metalation is observed at room temperature.

The fate of bromine after temperature-induced dehydrogenation of on-surface synthesized bisheptahelicene

The dehydrogenation of bisheptahelicene leads to specific products and induces desorption of the side-product bromine as hydrogen bromide.

The on-surface synthesis of bisheptahelicene by Ullmann coupling of 9-bromoheptahelicene on Au(111) and its temperature-induced dehydrogenation is studied using temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Specific dehydrogenation products of bisheptahelicene after loss of 6, 8 and 10 hydrogen atoms are identified, corresponding to molecules having undergone Diels–Alder transformations and intramolecular C–C coupling reactions. By combining with atomic hydrogen produced by dehydrogenation, the Ullmann coupling side-product bromine desorbs as HBr. H₂ desorption emerges only after all Br has desorbed. Such characteristic behavior is explained by a kinetic model which explicitly considers the coverage of transient atomic H on the surface. Heating experiments performed with saturated layers of different Br-containing molecules reveal that the onset of HBr desorption depends strictly on the dehydrogenation step and therefore on the structure of the molecules.

Interaction of free-base tetraphenylporphyrin with magnesium oxide: Influence of MgO morphology on metalation

Using x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, we investigated the self-metalation of free-base tetraphenylporphyrin (2HTPP) on thin MgO(100) films on Ag(100). The deposition of one monolayer 2HTPP on MgO results in the formation of magnesium(ii) tetraphenylporphyrin (MgTPP) at room temperature. We demonstrate that the efficiency of the reaction drastically depends on the morphology of the oxide layers. The latter is changed by varying the substrate temperature during the oxide growth. We observe the complete metalation of the 2HTPP monolayer when the MgO films are grown at 393 K. The increase of the growth temperature to 573 K leads to the reduction of the percentage of metalated molecules to ∼50%. We ascribe these results to the fact that MgTPP formation takes place through the hydroxilation of steps and defects on the MgO surface, which leads to an increase of the OH component in the O 1s line.

Structures and properties of porphyrin-based film materials part I. The films obtained via vapor-assisted methods

This review is devoted to porphyrin-based film materials. Various technological and scientific applications of ones are close to surface and interface related phenomena. In the part I of review the following topics are discussed the recent progress in field of submonolayers, monolayers and multilayers films on the vapor-solid interfaces, including results on (i) conformational behavior of adsorbed molecules, (ii) aggregation and surface phases formation, (iii) on-surface coordination networks, and (iv) on-surface chemical reactions. The examples of combined approaches to developing materials and porphyrin-based film materials application are also presented.

Ranking the Stability of Transition-Metal Complexes by On-Surface Atom Exchange

Surface-adsorbed macrocycles exhibit a number of interesting physical and chemical properties; many of them are determined by their transition-metal centers. The hierarchical exchange of the central metal atom in such surface-adsorbed complexes is demonstrated, specifically in the porphyrin-like macrocycle pyrphyrin adsorbed on Cu(111). Using scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that Cu as central metal atom is easily exchanged with Ni or Fe atoms supplied in trace amounts to the surface. Atom exchange of Ni centers with Fe atoms also occurs, with moderate yield. These results allow ranking the stability of the surface-adsorbed Cu, Ni, and Fe complexes. The fact that the atom exchange occurs at 423 K shows that surface-adsorbed macrocycles can be surprisingly easily transformed.

On the critical role of the substrate: the adsorption behaviour of tetrabenzoporphyrins on different metal surfaces

2HTPTBPs assemble into different supramolecular structures on different metal surfaces due to different molecule–substrate (molecule) interactions.

In vacuo interfacial tetrapyrrole metallation

The metallation of tetrapyrroles at well-defined surfaces under ultra-high vacuum conditions represents an unconventional synthesis approach to achieve tetrapyrrole-based metal-organic complexes and architectures. Different protocols, pioneered over the last decade, and now widely applied in several fields, provide an elegant route to metallo-tetrapyrrole systems often elusive to conventional procedures and give access and exquisite insight into on-surface tetrapyrrole chemistry. As highlighted by the functionality of metallo-porphyrins in biological or other environments and by the eminent role of metallo-phthalocyanines in synthetic materials, the control on the metal centres incorporated into the macrocycle is of utmost importance to achieve tailored properties in tetrapyrrole-based nanosystems. In the on-surface scenario, precise metallation pathways were developed, including reactions of tetrapyrroles with metals supplied by physical vapour deposition, chemical vapour deposition or the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope, and self-metallation by atoms of an underlying support. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of in vacuo tetrapyrrole metallation, addressing two-dimensional as well as three-dimensional systems. Furthermore, we comparatively assess the available library of on-surface metallation protocols and elaborate on the state-of-the-art methodology.

Metalation of tetraphenylporphyrin with nickel on a TiO2(110)-1 × 2 surface

The in situ metalation of tetraphenylporphyrin (2HTPP) with Ni on the reconstructed TiO2(110)-1 × 2 surface, resulting in the formation of adsorbed nickel(II)-tetraphenylporphyrin (NiTPP), has been investigated by synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy (SRPES), scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and ab initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The metalation can be realized at room temperature irrespective of the deposition order of Ni and 2HTPP, which however leads to different metalation degrees. Increasing the substrate temperature or Ni : 2HTPP ratio results in higher metalation degree, which ultimately reaches its limit at ∼85% (Ni : 2HTPP = 3 : 1) and ∼49% (Ni : 2HTPP = 1 : 1) for post- and pre-deposition of Ni, respectively. The reaction from 2HTPP to NiTPP is accompanied by changes of the molecular adsorption conformation and the adsorption site from a tilted two-lobed feature on added Ti2O3 rows to a four-lobed feature on top of troughs or cross-links of the TiO2(110)-1 × 2 surface. This interpretation of the STM data is supported by DFT-based STM simulations.

Surface-Mediated in Situ Metalation of Porphyrins at the Solid-Vacuum Interface

The investigation of porphyrin derivatives at the solid-vacuum interface has become a vivid research field with the prospect to tailor functional molecular architectures and as prototype examples to study the fundamental properties of porphyrin derivatives in regard to their vital role in many natural processes. The functional properties of the porphyrin derivatives are mainly determined by the central metal atom. Thus, the recent exploration of the surface-confined in situ metalation of porphyrins is an important step toward the realization of molecule-based functional devices. The corresponding metalation reaction of free base porphyrin derivatives can be conveniently realized in situ in ultrahigh vacuum by post- or predeposition of metal atoms or directly with substrate atoms in the so-called self-metalation. Moderate heating above room temperature (RT) might be necessary either to realize the transport of the metal to the porphyrin via diffusion or to overcome an activation barrier determined by the redox reaction itself. Surface science techniques like scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) are powerful tools to scrutinize the reaction and give valuable insights into the metalation process. For example, the completed metalation can be reflected in an enhanced apparent height of the corresponding porphyrin in STM or can be evidenced by characteristic changes in the N 1s region in XPS. These signatures allow monitoring of the progress of the metalation, and it was found that the reaction generally proceeds with very high yield. Surface diffusion of the coadsorbed metal atoms mediates the reaction and is crucial for the high yields of the corresponding reactions with pre- and postadsorbed metals. It was also demonstrated that the completed metalation can indeed significantly alter the adsorption behavior and the electronic properties and thus the functionality of the porphyrin molecules. These alterations can be used to monitor the kinetics of a particular porphyrin self-metalation reaction by STM and to estimate the activation barrier for that reaction based on isothermal measurements at different temperatures. Also TPD measurements of the H2 and D2 signals allow for the determination of corresponding activation energies for the metalation of free base porphyrins and their deuterized analogues. Gas phase DFT calculations of the metalation of the "bare" free base porphyrin macrocycle identify intermediate reaction steps with the transfer of the first hydrogen atom to the metal center being the main barrier to overcome. The values from these calculations are in fair agreement with experimentally determined ones. However, TPD based results indicate that exchanges of deuterium and hydrogen between the central nitrogen and the surface occur, which indicate an active role of the surface and challenge the findings from gas phase DFT. The in situ metalation of porphyrins at the solid-vacuum interface is established as a novel and convenient route to tailor functional molecular architectures. With different surface science techniques detailed insights into the surface-mediated metalation reaction were achieved for this class of prototype functional molecules.

Redox-active on-surface assembly of metal-organic chains with single-site Pt(II)

The formation and stabilization of well-defined transition-metal single sites at surfaces may open new routes to achieve higher selectivity in heterogeneous catalysts. Organic ligand coordination to produce a well-defined oxidation state in weakly reducing metal sites at surfaces, desirable for selective catalysis, has not been achieved. Here, we address this using metallic platinum interacting with a dipyridyl tetrazine ligand on a single crystal gold surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate the metal-ligand redox activity and are paired with molecular-resolution scanning probe microscopy to elucidate the structure of the metal-organic network. Comparison to the redox-inactive diphenyl tetrazine ligand as a control experiment illustrates that the redox activity and molecular-level ordering at the surface rely on two key elements of the metal complexes: (i) bidentate binding sites providing a suitable square-planar coordination geometry when paired around each Pt, and (ii) redox-active functional groups to enable charge transfer to a well-defined Pt(II) oxidation state. Ligand-mediated control over the oxidation state and structure of single-site metal centers that are in contact with a metal surface may enable advances in higher selectivity for next generation heterogeneous catalysts.

Coordination reaction between tetraphenylporphyrin and nickel on a TiO2(110) surface

Reaction of tetraphenylporphyrin with nickel on TiO₂(110) results in the formation of nickel(ii)-tetraphenylporphyrin and a 45° rotation of the molecule.

Self-terminating protocol for an interfacial complexation reaction in vacuo by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

The fabrication and control of coordination compounds or architectures at well-defined interfaces is a thriving research domain with promise for various research areas, including single-site catalysis, molecular magnetism, light-harvesting, and molecular rotors and machines. To date, such systems have been realized either by grafting or depositing prefabricated metal-organic complexes or by protocols combining molecular linkers and single metal atoms at the interface. Here we report a different pathway employing metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, as exemplified by the reaction of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin derivatives on atomistically clean Ag(111) with a metal carbonyl precursor (Ru3(CO)12) under vacuum conditions. Scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy reveal the formation of a meso-tetraphenylporphyrin cyclodehydrogenation product that readily undergoes metalation after exposure to the Ru-carbonyl precursor vapor and thermal treatment. The self-terminating porphyrin metalation protocol proceeds without additional surface-bound byproducts, yielding a single and thermally robust layer of Ru metalloporphyrins. The introduced fabrication scheme presents a new approach toward the realization of complex metal-organic interfaces incorporating metal centers in unique coordination environments.