Interlayer cohesive energy of graphite from thermal desorption of polyaromatic hydrocarbons

Renju Zacharia, Hendrik Ulbricht, and Tobias Hertel
Phys. Rev. B 69, 155406 – Published 12 April 2004
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Abstract

We have studied the interaction of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the basal plane of graphite using thermal desorption spectroscopy. Desorption kinetics of benzene, naphthalene, coronene, and ovalene at submonolayer coverages yield activation energies of 0.50 eV, 0.85 eV, 1.40 eV, and 2.1 eV, respectively. Benzene and naphthalene follow simple first order desorption kinetics while coronene and ovalene exhibit fractional order kinetics owing to the stability of two-dimensional adsorbate islands up to the desorption temperature. Preexponential frequency factors are found to be in the range 10141021s1 as obtained from both Falconer-Madix (isothermal desorption) analysis and Antoine’s fit to vapor pressure data. The resulting binding energy per carbon atom of the PAH is 52±5 meV and can be identified with the interlayer cohesive energy of graphite. The resulting cleavage energy of graphite is 61±5 meV/atom, which is considerably larger than previously reported experimental values.

  • Received 22 August 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.69.155406

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Renju Zacharia1, Hendrik Ulbricht1, and Tobias Hertel1,2

  • 1Department of Physical Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
  • 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA

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Vol. 69, Iss. 15 — 15 April 2004

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