Adsorption, orientation and thermal decomposition of copper(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate on rutile TiO2(1 1 0)

We have investigated the adsorption and thermal decomposition of copper hexafluoroacetylacetonate (CuII(hfac)2) on single crystal rutile TiO2(1 1 0). Low energy electron diffraction shows that room temperature saturation coverage of the CuII(hfac)2 adsorbate forms an ordered (2 × 1) over-layer. X-ray and ultra-violet photoemission spectroscopy of the saturated surface were recorded as the sample was annealed in a sequential manner to reveal decomposition pathways. The results show that the molecule dissociatively adsorbs by detachment of one of the two ligands to form hfac and CuI(hfac) which chemisorb to the substrate at 298 K. These ligands only begin to decompose once the surface temperature exceeds 473 K where Cu core level shifts indicate metallisation. This reduction from Cu(I) to Cu(0) takes place in the absence of an external reducing agent and without disproportionation and is accompanied by the onset of decomposition of the hfac ligands. Finally, C K-edge near edge X-ray absorption fine structure experiments indicate that both the ligands adsorb aligned in the 〈0 0 1〉 direction and we propose a model in which the hfac ligands adsorb on the 5-fold coordinated Ti atoms and the CuI(hfac) moiety attaches to the bridging O atoms in a square planar geometry. The calculated tilt angle for these combined geometries is approximately 10° to the surface normal.