Adsorption of L-cysteine on rutile TiO2(110)

We have used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the adsorption of L-cysteine on a rutile TiO2(110) surface at room temperature and − 65 °C. For the molecules in direct contact with the surface our results suggest that the molecules bind dissociatively to the fivefold-coordinated Ti atoms of the surface through their deprotonated carboxylic groups. A second, dissociative interaction occurs between the molecular thiol groups and the surface. It is attributed to a dissociative bond to the bridging oxygen vacancies. Most likely, the thiol groups are deprotonated and a bond is formed between the thiolates and defects. In an alternative scenario, the C–S bond is cleaved and atomic sulfur binds to the defects. With regard to the molecular amino groups, they remain neutral at the lowest investigated coverages (0.3–0.5 ML), but already starting from around 0.7 ML nominal coverage protons are being transferred to them. The fraction of protonated amino groups increases with coverage and becomes dominating in multilayers prepared at room temperature and − 65 °C. In these multilayers the carboxylic groups are deprotonated.