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The electron energy loss spectra of gaseous thiophene and thiolane in the regions of S 2p, S 2s, and C 1s are presented along with the x-ray photoelectron yield (NEXAFS) spectra of both gases in the region of S 1s excitation. The thiophene spectra are compared to the corresponding NEXAFS spectra of solid (multilayer) and monolayer thiophene on Pt (111). MS-Xα calculations of the C 1s, S 2p, and S 1s excitation spectra of free thiophene are also reported. Intercomparison of the gas, surface, and calculated spectra allows a complete interpretation of the spectral features and facilitates determination of the molecular orientation of thiophene with respect to the surface in both the compressed [thiophene on Pt (111) at 150 K] and relaxed [thiophene on Pt (111) at 180 K] monolayer phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

K shell excitation spectra of the aromatic molecules benzene and pyridine in the gas phase are compared to those for the solids (ices) and for monolayers chemisorbed on Pt(111). The gas phase and solid spectra are essentially identical and even the spectra for the chemisorbed molecules exhibit the same resonances. Because of the orientation of the molecules upon chemisorption the latter spectra show a strong polarization dependence as a function of x-ray incidence. This polarization dependence in conjunction with a multiple scattering Xα calculation for the benzene molecule allows us to assign the origin of all K shell resonances. The resonances are found to arise from transitions to π* antibonding orbitals and to σ* shape resonances in the continuum. The shape resonances are characterized by potential barriers in high (l=5 and 6) angular momentum states of the excited photoelectron. The polarization dependence and energy position of the resonances allow the molecular orientation on the surface to be determined and show that the change in the carbon–carbon bond length is less than 0.02 Å. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of ethylene on Pt(111) at 90 and 300 K have been measured and compared to the spectra calculated using the multiple scattering Xα method for cluster models of adsorbed ethylene and ethylidyne. The results indicate that ethylene is adsorbed in the di-σ configuration (sp3 hybridization) at 90 K, and that the π* orbital retains its identity in this configuration, with no component along the C–C axis. The spectrum obtained at 300 K is attributed to ethylidyne (CCH3) and the calculated spectrum for a cluster consisting of this species bonded symmetrically to three Pt atoms is in good agreement with experiment. The calculations show that the multiple scattering molecular cluster approach is a useful technique for interpreting the NEXAFS spectra of adsorbed molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon K-shell excitation spectra of gaseous cyclic hydrocarbons, both saturated (cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclopentane, cyclohexane) and unsaturated (cyclopentene, cyclohexene, and cyclooctatetraene), have been recorded by electron energy loss spectroscopy under dipole-dominated conditions. These are compared to the NEXAFS spectra of multilayers and monolayers of C4H8, C5H8, C6H12, and C8H8 on Pt(111). Multiple scattering Xα calculations of the spectra of cyclopropane, cyclobutane, and cyclohexane are also reported. In most cases the gas and solid spectra are essentially the same indicating that intramolecular transitions dominate in the condensed phase. The NEXAFS polarization dependence of the condensed phases has assisted spectral assignments and the determination of the molecular orientation in the monolayer phase. In the saturated species a sharp feature about 3 eV below the carbon 1s ionization threshold is identified as a transition to a state of mixed Rydberg/valence character with the π*(CH2) valence component dominating. Except for cyclopropane the positions of the main σ * resonances correlate with the C–C bond lengths in a manner similar to that reported previously for noncyclic aliphatic molecules. In the spectra of monolayer C6H12, C5H8, and C8H8 spectral broadening and weak additional features are observed which are attributed to molecule–surface interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]