TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-assembled structures of alkanethiols on gold-coated cantilever tips and substrates for atomic force microscopy
T2 - Molecular organisation and conditions for reproducible deposition
AU - Lamprou, Dimitrios A.
AU - Smith, James R.
AU - Nevell, Thomas G.
AU - Barbu, Eugen
AU - Willis, Colin R.
AU - Tsibouklis, John
PY - 2010/1/1
Y1 - 2010/1/1
N2 - Measurements of surface-liquid interactions (contact-angle goniometry) and tip-surface adhesion forces (atomic force microscopy) combined with infrared spectroscopic studies have been used to investigate surface-preparation and solution-deposition conditions for the reproducible formation of self-assembled molecular structures on gold-coated tips and substrates for atomic force microscopy. Preliminary data show that surface-saturated self-assembled monolayers form reproducibly on prolonged (>20 h) exposure of gold-coated glass substrates to ethanolic solutions of ω-functionalised alkanethiols in the concentration range 80-160 mmol dm-3. The data also show that exposure for 16 h to alkanethiol concentrations in the range 160-240 mmol dm-3 promote bilayer formation whereas concentrations of 240-320 mmol dm-3 result in the deposition of multilayers, the average orientation of which is parallel to that of the first molecular layer; the use of parent 1-undecanethiol solutions at concentrations of 1-80 mmol dm-3 results in incomplete monolayer coverage.
AB - Measurements of surface-liquid interactions (contact-angle goniometry) and tip-surface adhesion forces (atomic force microscopy) combined with infrared spectroscopic studies have been used to investigate surface-preparation and solution-deposition conditions for the reproducible formation of self-assembled molecular structures on gold-coated tips and substrates for atomic force microscopy. Preliminary data show that surface-saturated self-assembled monolayers form reproducibly on prolonged (>20 h) exposure of gold-coated glass substrates to ethanolic solutions of ω-functionalised alkanethiols in the concentration range 80-160 mmol dm-3. The data also show that exposure for 16 h to alkanethiol concentrations in the range 160-240 mmol dm-3 promote bilayer formation whereas concentrations of 240-320 mmol dm-3 result in the deposition of multilayers, the average orientation of which is parallel to that of the first molecular layer; the use of parent 1-undecanethiol solutions at concentrations of 1-80 mmol dm-3 results in incomplete monolayer coverage.
KW - Alkanethiols
KW - Atomic force microscopy
KW - Infrared spectroscopy
KW - Multilayer deposition
KW - Self-assembly
KW - Surface energy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=72549103274&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apsusc.2009.10.045
DO - 10.1016/j.apsusc.2009.10.045
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:72549103274
VL - 256
SP - 1961
EP - 1968
JO - Applied Surface Science
JF - Applied Surface Science
SN - 0169-4332
IS - 6
ER -