In situ scanning tunneling microscopy of 1,6-hexanedithiol, 1,9-nonanedithiol, 1,2-benzenedithiol, and 1,3-benzenedithiol adsorbed on Pt(111) electrodes

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were used to examine four dithiol molecules, including 1,6-hexanedithiol, 1,9-nonanedithiol, 1,2-benzenedithiol, and 1,3-benzenedithiol, adsorbed on well-ordered Pt(111) electrodes in 0.1 M HClO₄. The open-circuit potential (OCP) of Pt(111) electrodes decreased substantially from 0.95 to 0.3 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode) upon the adsorption of dithol molecules, which indicates that these adsorbates injected electrons into the Pt electrode. For all dithiol molecules, ordered adlattices of p(2 × 2) and (√3 × √3)R30° were formed when the dosing concentration was lower than 150μM and the potential of Pt(111) was more negative than 0.5 V. Raising the potential of Pt(111) from 0.1 to 0.4 V or more positive values could transform p(2 × 2) to (√3 × √3)R30° before it turned disarray. The insensitivity of the structure of dithiol adlayers with their chemical structures was explained by upright molecular orientation with the formation of one Pt-S bond per dithiol molecule. This molecular orientation was independent of the coverage of dithiol molecules, as nucleation seeds produced at the beginning of adsorption were also constructed with p(2 × 2). The triangular-shaped STM molecular resolution suggested 3-fold binding of sulfur headgroup on Pt(111). All dithiols were adsorbed so strongly on Pt(111) electrodes that switching the potential negatively to the onset of hydrogen evolution in 0.1 M HClO₄ or water reduction in 1 M KOH could not displace dithiol admolecules.