Metal-organic coordination interactions in Fe-terephthalic acid networks on Cu(100)

Metal-organic coordination interactions are prime candidates for the formation of self-assembled, nanometer-scale periodic networks with room-temperature structural stability. We present X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy measurements of such networks at the Cu(100) surface which provide clear evidence for genuine metal-organic coordination. This is evident as binding energy shifts in the O 1s and Fe 3p photoelectron peaks, corresponding to O and Fe atoms involved in the coordination. Our results provide the first clear evidence for charge-transfer coordination in metal-organic networks at surfaces and demonstrate a well-defined oxidation state for the coordinated Fe ions.