Adsorption structure and bonding of trimesic acid on Cu(100)

Combining scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation, we have studied the adsorption and growth of trimesic acid (TMA, 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid, C6H3(COOH)3) on Cu(100) in a wide range of coverages (from submonolayer to multilayer ones) at room temperature and after subsequent annealing. A series of coverage-dependent TMA structures, transitions between these structures, and their properties are characterized, demonstrating the interplay between the bonding, orientation, and deprotonation reaction of adsorbed species. In particular, it is shown that the degree of deprotonation in TMA overlayers depends on the amount of deposited molecules non-monotonously, and that such behavior is well consistent with the formation mechanism proposed for the TMA/Cu(100) system. The results provide a good platform for further understanding of non-covalent interactions and self-assembly phenomena underlying the growth of supramolecular nanoassemblies of aromatic carboxylic (benzenecarboxylic) acids on metallic substrates.