We have studied the effect of three template coat molecules on the ground 5 2 S and 5 2 P excited states of 87 Rb. We studied the interaction between the coat molecules and 87 Rb in terms of the ground state electric field at various inter-species distances. We found that the coat molecules influence the energy shifts (energy at distance R minus dissociated energy for each state) and vertical transition energies to different degrees. The energy shift of the ground state is affected by the three coat molecules in rank MeTS > ethene > ethane. The energy shifts and transition energies of the excited state show that it is split into two lowerand one higher-lying states, with the former being stabilised (red-shifted) and the latter destabilised (blue-shifted). The ethene coat stabilises the lower two states by the largest extent; the ethane coat destabilises the third state by the largest extent. The character and magnitude of the energy splitting may have a bearing on the design of magnetometer cell coats in terms of the interaction with a pumped state of 87 Rb (or another alkali atom) and its lifetime.