Growth of Cu films on adsorbate-covered Pt(111)

The growth of copper films on Pt(111) covered with a monolayer of benzene coadsorbed with CO in a 2√3 × 5 structure was studied by temperature programmed desorption (TPD), high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). When copper was deposited directly from a hot filament onto the CO-benzene monolayer, the copper displaced the monolayer and came into direct contact with Pt. However, when a spacer layer of benzene was condensed on top of the monolayer prior to copper deposition and then thermally removed after the Cu was deposited, it was found that Cu formed three-dimensional islands that partially displaced the CO-benzene overlayer. At high coverages of Cu, the overlayer was completely displaced by Cu which could then wet the Pt(111) surface.