Probing Surface Chemistry at an Atomic Level; Decomposition of 1-Propanethiol on GaP(001)(2×4) Investigated by STM, XPS, and DFT

Abstract

The adsorption and decomposition mechanisms for 1-propanethiol on a Ga-rich GaP(001) (2 × 4) surface are investigated at an atomic level using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Using a combination of experimental and theoretical tools, we probe the detailed structures and energetics of a series of reaction intermediates in the thermal decomposition pathway from 130 to 773 K. At 130 K, the propanethiolate adsorbates are observed at the edge gallium sites, with the thiolate–Ga bonding configuration maintained up to 473 K. Further decomposition produces two new surface features, Ga–S–Ga and P-propyl species at 573 K. Finally, S-induced (1 × 1) and (2 × 1) reconstructions are observed at 673–773 K, which are reportedly associated with arrays of surface Ga–S–Ga bonds and subsurface diffusion of S. To understand the observed site-selectivity on the hydrogen dissociation of the thiol molecule at 130 K, the two most likely dissociation pathways (Ga–P vs Ga–Ga dimer sites) are investigated using DFT Gibbs energy calculations. While the theory predicts the kinetic advantage for the dissociation reaction occurring on the Ga–P dimer (Lewis acid–base combination), we only observed dissociation products on the Ga–Ga dimer (Lewis acid). The DFT calculations clarify that the reversible thiolate diffusion along the Ga dimer row prevents recombinative desorption, which is probable on the Ga–P dimer. Together with experimental and theoretical results, we suggest a thermal decomposition mechanism for the thiol molecule with atomic-level structural details.