T. Wandlowski et al., THE SURFACE-STRUCTURE OF AU(111) IN THE PRESENCE OF ORGANIC ADLAYERS - A COMBINED ELECTROCHEMICAL AND SURFACE X-RAY-SCATTERING STUDY, Journal of electroanalytical chemistry [1992], 409(1-2), 1996, pp. 155-164
In situ X-ray scattering studies of the Au(111) electrode surface have
been carried out in KClO4 solutions containing uracil, pyridine or 2,
2'-bipyridine using grazing incident-angle diffraction. At sufficientl
y negative potentials, the (p x root 3) surface reconstruction forms w
ith a stripe separation p = 23. The formation of a two-dimensional con
densed uracil film or a complete monolayer of planar oriented pyridine
or 2,2'-bipyridine hinders the lifting of the reconstruction. Whereas
the stripe separation increases continuously over a 0.6 V range in th
e base electrolyte, the presence of the organic compounds blocks this
process considerably. Only a small, step-like increase in p is observe
d, where the adlayer is disordered. There exists a 0.7 V hysteresis be
tween the lifting and the subsequent formation of the reconstruction.
The(p x root 3) phase reappears at potentials where a 'gas-like' adlay
er is formed once again. Cyclic diffractograms and potential step meas
urements have been employed to study the time dependence of these subs
trate transitions for the system uracil/Au(111).