Infrared absorption spectroscopic and DFT calculation studies on the adsorption structures of nitromethane on the single crystals of Cu and Ag

The adsorption structures of nitromethane on Ag(1 1 0), Ag(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 1 1) at 80 K were studied by using infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) and non-local density functional theory (DFT) calculation performed on nitromethane/Cu(1 1 0) and nitromethane/Cu(1 1 1) cluster models. Upon increasing exposure levels, the adsorbate on each substrate exhibits discrete spectral changes, characterizing sub-monolayer and/or monolayer, amorphous and multilayer (crystalline) states. The DFT calculation successively simulated the IRA spectra of nitromethane on the copper substrates, suggesting that nitromethane adsorbs on Cu(1 1 0) through an on-top coordination with one of the oxygen atom of the NO2 group to the Cu atom and that nitromethane adsorbs on Cu(1 1 1) through a bridging coordination of the oxygen atom. In both states nitromethane takes an eclipsed form with the molecular plane perpendicular to the substrates surface and the hydrogen atom pointing to the surface in the molecular plane plays an important role in stabilizing the adsorption states in addition to the coordination interaction.