Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopic study on the interface electronic structure of the L‐cysteine on Pd surface

Abstract

L-cysteine is one of the most versatile biomolecules with a unique metal-binding ability. L-cysteine has an outstanding role in the bioelectronics field as a linker between proteins of biomolecules and metal electrodes of the inorganic metals through multiple functional groups. The interface electronic structures between L-cysteine with metals deserve further investigation for applications in bioelectronics. However, the interface electronic structures of L-cysteine and metals have not been well understood. We have previously reported the existence of a new state between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of L-cysteine and the Fermi level of the metals for L-cysteine/Au(111), L-cysteine/Ag(111), and L-cysteine/Cu(111) using photoemission spectroscopy and attributed the formation of the new state to an interaction of the d band with HOMO of L-cysteine. In this study, the electronic structure at the interfaces of L-cysteine on a Palladium (Pd) surface is investigated by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) using synchrotron radiation including work function, secondary electron cutoff (SECO), and HOMO onset; the position of an interface state, charge injection barrier, and ionization energy are estimated. It is observed that thin-film spectra of L-cysteine on Pd surfaces in the valance top region are different from the L-cysteine thick films, and this can be attributed to an interaction between a sulfur-originated state of L-cysteine HOMO with Pd d orbitals. Also, a 0.6-eV SECO shift is estimated due to the charge transferring between L-cysteine and Pd. The results of SECO further confirm the weakening of the Pd-sulfur bond with increasing L-cysteine coverage on Pd.