Anna Werkovits, Simon B Hollweger, Max Niederreiter, Thomas Risse, Johannes J Cartus, Martin Sterrer, Sebastian Matera, Oliver T Hofmann
Despite the common expectation that conjugated organic molecules on metals adsorb in a flat-lying layer, several recent studies have found coverage-dependent transitions to upright-standing phases, which exhibit notably different physical properties. In this work, we argue that from an energetic perspective, thermodynamically stable upright-standing phases may be more common than hitherto thought. However, for kinetic reasons, this phase may often not be observed experimentally. Using first-principles kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, we find that the structure with lower molecular density is (almost) always formed first, reminiscent of Ostwald's rule of stages...
February 22, 2024: Journal of Physical Chemistry. C, Nanomaterials and Interfaces