STM observations of organometallic complexes on the TiO2(1 1 0) and Si(1 1 1) surfaces

Gas-phase grafting of organometallic complexes is a relatively new technique for preparing supported metal catalysts. In order to understand the initial stage in this method, we have performed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observations of organo-gold and -iridium complexes adsorbed on TiO2(1 1 0) and Si(1 1 1) surfaces before and after annealing in an ultra-high vacuum. The STM observations revealed that the surface structure was strongly dependent on the interaction between the surface and individual molecules, and the presence of oxygen atoms on the surface.