Metal hybridization and electronic structure of Tris(8-hydroxyquinolato)aluminum (Alq₃)

Authors

Anthony N. Caruso, North Dakota State UniversityFollow
D. L. Schulz, North Dakota State University
Peter A. Dowben, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

9-26-2005

Comments

Published in Chemical Physics Letters 413:4-6 (September 26, 2005), pp. 321–325; doi 10.1016/j.cplett.2005.07.098 Copyright © 2005 Elsevier B.V. Used by permission. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00092614

Abstract

The metal-organic complex Tris(8-hydroxyquinolato)aluminum (Alq₃) has been studied by energy and light polarization dependent photoemission. Resonant photoemission was used to identify the molecular orbitals involved in metal chelation. When adsorbed on cobalt and gold surfaces, marked differences in the Alq₃ metal-to-ligand bonds were observed. The results indicate intramolecular aluminum-to-ligand bonding through the oxygen heteroatom when Alq₃ is adsorbed on gold, but through the nitrogen heteroatom when on cobalt. These results indicate that substrate interfacial complex formation plays an important role in the Alq₃ molecular configuration and intramolecular bonding.