Tailoring Plasmonic Fields with Shape-Controlled Single-Crystal Gold Metasurfaces

Geometry and crystallinity play a critical role in the wavelength-dependent optical responses and plasmonic local near-field distributions of metallic nanostructures. Nevertheless, the ability to tailor the shape and position of crystalline metal surface nanostructures has remained a challenge that limits control of their enhanced local fields and represents a barrier to harnessing their individual and collective responses. Here, we describe a solution deposition method in the presence of anionic additives, which yields shape-controlled, single-crystal plasmonic gold nanostructures on Ag(100) and Au(100) substrates. Use of SO42- ions yields smooth Au(111)-faceted square pyramids with large plasmonic Raman enhancements. Halide additives produce textured hillocks comprising edge- and screw-type dislocations (Cl-), or platelets with large-area Au(100) terraces and (110) step edges (Br-), while SO42- and Br- additive combinations provide Au(110)-faceted square pyramids. With lithographic patterning, this chemistry yields metal deposition with precise geometry and location control to provide single-crystal, plasmonic gold metasurfaces with tailored optical response. The appropriately designed metasurfaces can then generate large Raman scattering enhancements, far greater than high density gold square pyramids with random surface disposition. Shape-controlled single-crystal plasmonic metasurfaces will thus offer opportunities to tune the characteristics of nanostructures, providing enhanced optical, photocatalytic, and sensory response.

Structure of the (Bi)carbonate Adlayer on Cu(100) Electrodes

(Bi)carbonate adsorption on Cu(100) in 0.1 M KHCO₃ has been studied by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy. Coexistence of different ordered adlayer phases with ( 2 ${\sqrt{2}}$ ×6 2 ${\sqrt{2}}$ )R45° and (4×4) unit cells was observed in the double layer potential regime. The adlayer is rather dynamic and undergoes a reversible order-disorder phase transition at 0 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode. Density functional calculations indicate that the adlayer consists of coadsorbed carbonate and water molecules and is strongly stabilized by liquid water in the adjacent electrolyte.

Identification of electrochemically adsorbed species via electrochemical microcalorimetry: sulfate adsorption on Au(111)

We investigate compositional changes of an electrochemical interface upon polarization with electrochemical microcalorimetry. From the heat exchanged at a Au(111) electrode upon sulfate adsorption, we determine the reaction entropy of the adsorption process for both neutral and acidic solutions, where the dominant species in solution changes from SO₄²⁻ to HSO₄⁻. In neutral solution, the reaction entropy is about 40 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ more positive than that in acidic solution over the complete sulfate adsorption region. This entropy offset is explicable by a deprotonation step of HSO₄⁻ preceding sulfate adsorption in acidic solution, which shows that the adsorbing species is SO₄* in both solutions. The observed overall variation of the reaction entropy in the sulfate adsorption region of ca. 80 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ indicates significant sulfate‐coverage dependent entropic contributions to the Free Enthalpy of the surface system.

Adsorption of Acetate on Au(111): An in-situ Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy Study and Implications on Formic Acid Electrooxidation

The adsorption of acetate on an Au(111) electrode surface in contact with acetic acid at pH 2.7 was imaged in-situ using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). Two different ordered structures were imaged for acetate adsorbed in the bidentate configuration on the unreconstructed 1 × 1 surface at 0.95 V (vs. the saturated calomel electrode, SCE). The first structure, ( 19 × 19 ) R 23 . 45 ∘ , is metastable and transforms at constant potential within 20 minutes to a ( 2 × 2 ) structure, which is thermodynamically more favourable. The ( 2 × 2 ) acetate adlayer starts to form at step edges and propagates via nucleation and growth onto terraces. The findings from in-situ STM are in agreement with the electrochemical behaviour of acetate on Au(111) characterized by voltammetry. A comparison is made with formate adsorption on Au(111). While acetate is not reactive, in contrast to formate, it can act as a spectator species in formic acid electrooxidation.

Compression-Induced Conformation and Orientation Changes in an n-Alkane Monolayer on a Au(111) Surface

The influence of the preparation method and adsorbed amount of n-tetratetracontane (n-C₄₄H₉₀) on its orientation in a monolayer on the Au(111) surface is studied by near carbon K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (C K-NEXAFS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) under ultrahigh vacuum, and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) at the electrochemical interface in sulfuric acid solution. The n-C₄₄H₉₀ molecules form self-assembled lamellar structures with the chain axis parallel to the surface, as observed by STM. For small amounts adsorbed, the carbon plane is parallel to the surface (flat-on orientation). An increase in the adsorbed amount by ∼10-20% induces compression of the lamellar structure either along the lamellar axis or alkyl chain axis. The compressed molecular arrangement is observed by STM, and induced conformation and orientation changes are confirmed by in situ IRAS and C K-NEXAFS.

SEIRAS Studies of Water Structure in a Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Film Adsorbed at a Gold Electrode Surface

Surface-enhanced infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) was used to investigate the structure of water that is incorporated within a film of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) adsorbed at a thin gold nanoparticle film deposited onto a silicon substrate. Previous studies on a Au(111) electrode surface showed that SDS molecules form long-range ordered hemicylindrical hemimicelles (phase I) for potentials -0.2 ≤ E ≤ 0.45 V vs Ag/AgCl and a disordered bilayer (phase II) for potentials E ≥ 0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl. The SEIRA spectra demonstrated that the hemimicellar film is water-rich and contains both a network of hydrogen-bonded water and a disturbed network of hydrogen bonds consisting of monomeric and dimeric water in the hydrophobic region of the film. No network water was observed in phase II of the film. However, SEIRAS data showed that sulfate groups in the disordered bilayer are hydrated. The SEIRAS spectra of the film of SDS were compared to the previously measured spectra obtained using subtractively normalized interfacial Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (SNIFTIRS). The complementarity of the spectroscopic information obtained by these two techniques was demonstrated.

Non-covalent interactions at electrochemical interfaces: one model fits all?

The shift with increasing concentration of alkali-metal cations of the potentials of both the spike and the hump observed in the cyclic voltammograms of Pt(111) electrodes in sulfuric acid solutions is shown to obey the simple model recently developed by us to explain the effect of non-covalent interactions at the electrical double layer. The results suggest that the model, originally developed to describe the effect of alkali-metal cations on the cyclic voltammogram of cyanide-modified Pt(111) electrodes, is of general applicability and can explain quantitatively the effect of cations on the properties of the electrical double layer.

Synthesis of thiolated Ag/Au bimetallic nanoclusters exhibiting an anti-galvanic reduction mechanism and composition-dependent fluorescence

We report a direct one-pot approach, employing 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA) as a reducing and capping agent, for the preparation of fluorescent Ag/Au bimetallic nanoclusters (Ag/AuNCs) from HAuCl4 and AgNO3 in basic aqueous solution at room temperature. Unlike the monocomponent 11-MUA-AgNCs with negligible fluorescence, the as-prepared 11-MUA-Ag/AuNCs exhibit similar average diameters of ∼1.8 nm but much stronger and tunable fluorescence by varying the concentration ratios of AgNO3 to HAuCl4 in the synthesis. The quantum yield of the 11-MUA-Ag/AuNCs can reach 6.81% at a Ag-to-Au molar ratio of 1 : 2, nearly 3-fold higher than the monocomponent 11-MUA-AuNCs (2.38%) of similar sizes. More importantly, the occurrence of the reaction between Ag(+) ions and Au(0) of 11-MUA-AuNCs (which is opposite to the classic galvanic theory) and the coexistence of Ag(0) and Au(+) in the final NC products, are revealed by thorough analysis of XPS data. The anti-galvanic reduction, that is, metal ions are replaced by less reactive metals, has been further demonstrated through the reaction between the as-obtained purified monocomponent 11-MUA-AuNCs and Ag(+) ions. Direct electrochemical insights into the anti-galvanic reduction mechanism were provided by cyclic voltammetry characterizations of the NCs, and the universality of the anti-galvanic reduction was tested by preparing thiolated Pt/Au bimetallic NCs using platinum instead of silver in our synthetic system.

Quantitative studies of adsorbate dynamics at noble metal electrodes by in situ Video-STM

The surface diffusion of adsorbates at electrochemical interfaces is studied by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy with high temporal resolution, using sulfur and methyl thiolate on c(2 × 2) Cl covered Cu(100), Ag(100), and Au(100) electrode surfaces in 0.01 M HCl solution as an example. While on Au(100) quantitative studies were not possible because of the slow dynamics and high surface defect density, on Cu(100) and Ag(100) a pronounced exponential increase of the jump rates of isolated adsorbates toward more negative potentials was found, indicating a linear decrease of the tracer diffusion barriers with potential. The potential dependence is independent of the adsorbate species, but differs for Cu(100) and Ag(100) substrates. These trends can be explained by electrostatic contributions to the diffusion barrier, caused by the interaction of the adsorbates with the field of the electrochemical double layer, if the presence of the chloride coadsorbate layer is taken into account.

Adsorption and assembly of ions and organic molecules at electrochemical interfaces: nanoscale aspects

We describe the history of electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and advances made in this field during the past 20 years. In situ STM allows one to monitor various electrode processes, such as the underpotential deposition of copper and silver ions; the specific adsorption of iodine and sulfate/bisulfate ions; electrochemical dissolution processes of silicon and gold single-crystal surfaces in electrolyte solutions; and the molecular assembly of metalloporphyrins, metallophthalocyanines, and fullerenes, at atomic and/or molecular resolution. Furthermore, a laser confocal microscope, combined with a differential interference contrast microscope, enables investigation of the dynamics of electrochemical processes at atomic resolution.

Structure of Momolayers of Silicotungstate Anions on Ag(111) and Au(111) Electrode Surfaces

α-Dodecatungstosilicate (α-SiW12O404−) anions form ordered monolayers on Ag(111) and Au(111) surfaces. In-situ STM images reveal that the silicotungstate ion forms a square adlattice with an intermolecule spacing of 10.2 ± 0.5 Å on both Ag and Au surfaces. Additional structures exhibiting either row or rhombic motifs are observed on Au electrodes. The structure of the adlattices can be modeled using a simple model which maximizes the coordination of the silicotungstate ion to the electrode while maintaining van der Waals contacts between terminal oxygens of adjacent silicotungstates.

Electrochemical modification of surface morphology of Au/Ti bilayer films deposited on a Si prism for in situ surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA)-active Au/Ti bilayer films sputter deposited on Si substrates have been prepared by an electrochemical annealing (ECA) treatment for the first time. The application of Au/Ti bilayer films on Si substrates to the spectroscopic technique is a promising alternative to the conventional technique using directly deposited Au films on Si substrates, offering excellent adhesive durability of the deposited metal films. However, Au/Ti bilayer films have never been selected for the spectroscopy technique because the films in the as-prepared state exhibit relatively smooth surface morphology: the excitation of the localized surface plasmon is vital to achieving SEIRA enhancements but could hardly be observed on the smooth morphology. It is shown by ex situ scanning tunneling microscopy measurements that the unfavorable smooth morphology of the as-prepared Au/Ti bilayer films can be modified by the ECA treatment to a reasonably rough, island-structure morphology similar to that of the conventional SEIRA-active Au films. In situ infrared absorption spectroscopy of adsorbed sulfate anions has been conducted on the Au/Ti bilayer film both before and after ECA treatment. The spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the SEIRA activity of the film after being subjected to the treatment is significantly improved so that the technique could detect adsorbates on the film electrodes even with the submonolayer coverage. As an additional benefit, the ECA treatment has brought about a substantial increase in the fraction of Au(111) domains on the polycrystalline Au film surfaces. Accordingly, this approach enables us to prepare SEIRA-active Au films having sufficient adhesion to the Si substrates as well as the highly preferred (111) orientation.

Physical Electrochemistry: Recent Developments

Modern surface-science techniques like scanning tunnelling microscopy and the use of single-crystal electrodes with atomically well-defined surface structures allow a view of electrochemical interfaces and of simple electrochemical reactions at a level of sophistication unheard of at the time of Wilhelm Ostwald.

DFT Studies on the Nature of Coadsorbates on SO4 2-/Au(111)

Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies were performed on the adsorption of sulfate on Au(111). Focusing on the well-known (√3 × √7)R19.1° structure reported by various surface sensitive techniques, the coadsorption of H3O+ and/or H2O has been considered in different combinations. The calculated binding energies show that the coadsorption of a single H3O+ per sulfate is the most stable configuration, which is in agreement with experimental observations. Further, we find that in the case of coadsorption of both H3O+ and H2O along with sulfate, one of the protons of hydronium moves to sulfate, finally leading to bisulfate with two coadsorbed water molecules. Besides the morphology and energetics of the different configurations, we also discuss the nature of the surface bonds by analyzing the charge density distribution.

Superstructures and order-disorder transition of sulfate adlayers on Pt(111) in sulfuric acid solution

The surface structure of Pt(111) in a 0.1 M H2SO4 electrolyte was investigated in the potential range of sulfate adsorption with electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and cyclic voltammetry. Two ordered anion structures were observed coexisting in the potential range between 0.49 and 0.79 V (vs RHE): the well-known (radical3xradical7)R19.1 degrees superstructure with an anion coverage of 0.20 monolayer and a new, high-density (3x1) superstructure with a coverage of 0.33 monolayer. Both superstructures undergo a reversible order-disorder transition at 0.8 V. Simultaneous imaging of the adsorbed ions and of topographic details of the Pt substrate lattice allows us to study the local adsorption geometry of the sulfate. In the (radical3xradical7)R19.1 degrees, structure the sulfate ions are adsorbed close to depressions in the STM image of the Pt substrate which may be identified with face-centered cubic (fcc) hollow sites. In addition to the sulfate ions, a coadsorbed species, possibly water molecules, is observed in the unit cell of the (radical3xradical7)R19.1 degrees superstructure. Preliminary potentiodynamic STM data indicate that the transformation of the ordered sulfate adlayer into a disordered structure at 0.8 V is not directly related to adsorption/desorption features in the voltammogram commonly attributed to the adsorption/desorption of OH, and that the sulfate adlayer remains on the surface for potentials well above the adsorption potentials of OH.