Adsorption energy of iron-phthalocyanine on crystal surfaces

The adsorption energy of iron-phthalocyanine (FePc) deposited on different crystal surfaces is studied by thermal desorption spectroscopy. A thin film of molecules has been absorbed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), on graphene epitaxially grown on Ir(111), and on Au(110). Activation energies for the desorption of a molecular thin film and for the FePc single layer are determined at the three surfaces. The desorption temperature measured for the thin films is only slightly dependent on the substrate, since it is mostly dominated by molecule-molecule interactions. A definitely different desorption temperature is found at the single-layer coverage: we find an increasing desorption temperature going from HOPG, to graphene/Ir, to the Au(110) surface. The different adsorption energies of the first FePc layer in contact with the substrate surface are discussed taking into account the interaction and the growth morphology.