ADSORPTION AND BONDING OF MOLECULAR ICOSAHEDRA ON CU(100)

Closo-1,2-dicarbadodecaborane (C2B10H12, Otherwise known as orthocarbo rane) adsorption and bonding on Cu(100) were investigated over the sub strate temperature range 150 to 400 K using atomic beam scattering (AB S), photoemission and Auger electron spectroscopy. At 150-180 K, ortho carborane adsorbed molecularly with one or two carbon atoms forming bo nds with the copper surface in the monolayer coverage range. The molec ular orientation within the film becomes more disoriented as coverage is increased above 1 monolayer. For adsorption at 250 K or higher, the re is clear evidence that orthocarborane dissociatively adsorbs on the Cu(100) surface. The photoemission features attributable to the ortho carborane molecular orbitals have been compared with gas phase measure ments and theory.