Monolayer characterization

Figure 4. Principle of monolayer characterization via surface pressure (n)-area (A) isotherms (a) gaseous phase, (b) liquid expanded phase, (c) condensed phase (head packing), (d) condensed phase...

SA monolayers were prepared by immersing the substrates in the n-alkanoic acid/HD solutions for a predetermined period of time. After removal from the solutions, any remaining liquid droplets on the surface or the edges of the substrates were blown off with a nitrogen jet. For the equilibrium monolayer characterization, relatively high solution concentration (>10 3M) were used. For time-dependent kinetic studies, stearic acid (C]g) solutions of concentrations between 10 2 and 10 6M were used. Immersion times from a few seconds up to 24 hours were used. 

Zhang, J.D., WeHnder, A.C., Chi, Q., and Ulstrup, J. (2011) Electrochemically controlled self-assembled monolayers characterized with molecular and sub-molecular resolution. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 13, 5525-5545. 

Dong, P., and Un, Z.H. (2002) SERS smdies of self-adsorbed DNA monolayer -characterization of adsorption orientation of oligonucleotide probes and their hybridized helices on gold substrate. Chemical Physics Letters, 354, 458-465. 

Serpinet, using the inverse gas chromatography method, demonstrated the existence of oriented monolayers of long-chain hydrocarbons on silica gel surface [13], on the other hand Untz [31] showed that hydrocarbons also form solid condensed and liquid expanded monolayers on glycerol but not on the water surface. However, the addition of some amount of amphiphilic molecules to the hydrocarbon provokes the mixed monolayer formation on the water surface. The phase transition in such a monolayer occurs at the temperature higher than the melting point of bulk hydrocarbon. It also appeared that the monolayers characterized by 1 1 ratio of hydrocarbon to alcohol molecules were particularly stable [41]. 

Unique information about the unit cell in quasi-crystaUine monolayers can be obtained from X-ray °, neutron , heUum or low energy electron diffraction (LEED) data. In the grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) experiment the beam is directed at the coated surface at a low angle and experiences total internal reflection from the metal support underneath the monolayer. The analysis of reflectivity and diffraction pattern of this reflected beam provides information about the molecular structure of the crystalline films, the thickness and refractive index of the layers and the roughness of the surface s . These experiments, however, require sophisticated and expensive equipment and are not therefore used routinely for monolayer characterization. 

Electrochemical measurements with the thiol-coated gold surface acting as an electrode can provide very important information about the integrity and order of the monolayer . Two main phenomena are usually used for monolayer characterization capacitance measurements (with cychc voltammetry or impedance spectroscopy) and heterogeneous electron transfer (cychc voltammetry). The electrode in contact with solution acts as a capacitor whose capacitance strongly depends on the distance between the electrolyte and the metal surface, i.e. the thickness of the monolayer . Therefore, for well-packed monolayers which are impermeable for electrolyte, the measured capacitance can be used to calculate the thickness of a monolayer. These data are usually in good agreement with the thickness measured by other methods. 

In the case of Langmuir monolayers, film thickness and index of refraction have not been given much attention. While several groups have measured A versus a, [143-145], calculations by Knoll and co-workers [146] call into question the ability of ellipsometry to unambiguously determine thickness and refractive index of a Langmuir monolayer. A small error in the chosen index of refraction produces a large error in thickness. A new microscopic imaging technique described in section IV-3E uses ellipsometric contrast but does not require absolute determination of thickness and refractive index. Ellipsometry is routinely used to successfully characterize thin films on solid supports as described in Sections X-7, XI-2, and XV-7. 

The external reflection of infrared radiation can be used to characterize the thickness and orientation of adsorbates on metal surfaces. Buontempo and Rice [153-155] have recently extended this technique to molecules at dielectric surfaces, including Langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface. Analysis of the dichroic ratio, the ratio of reflectivity parallel to the plane of incidence (p-polarization) to that perpendicular to it (.r-polarization) allows evaluation of the molecular orientation in terms of a tilt angle and rotation around the backbone [153]. An example of the p-polarized reflection spectrum for stearyl alcohol is shown in Fig. IV-13. Unfortunately, quantitative analysis of the experimental measurements of the antisymmetric CH2 stretch for heneicosanol [153,155] stearly alcohol [154] and tetracosanoic [156] monolayers is made difflcult by the scatter in the IR peak heights. 

There has been much activity in the study of monolayer phases via the new optical, microscopic, and diffraction techniques described in the previous section. These experimental methods have elucidated the unit cell structure, bond orientational order and tilt in monolayer phases. Many of the condensed phases have been classified as mesophases having long-range correlational order and short-range translational order. A useful analogy between monolayer mesophases and die smectic mesophases in bulk liquid crystals aids in their characterization (see [182]). 

Adsorption isotherms are by no means all of the Langmuir type as to shape, and Brunauer [34] considered that there are five principal forms, as illustrated in Fig. XVII-7. TVpe I is the Langmuir type, roughly characterized by a monotonic approach to a limiting adsorption at presumably corresponds to a complete monolayer. Type II is very common in the case of physical adsorption... 

Monolayers of alkanetliiols adsorbed on gold, prepared by immersing tire substrate into solution, have been characterized by a large number of different surface analytical teclmiques. The lateral order in such layers has been investigated using electron [1431, helium [144, 1451 and x-ray [146, 1471 diffraction, as well as witli scanning probe microscopies [122, 1481. Infonnation about tire orientation of tire alkyl chains has been obtained by ellipsometry [149], infrared (IR) spectroscopy [150, 151] and NEXAFS [152]. 

Porter M D, Bright T B, Allara D L and Chidsey C E D 1987 Spontaneously organized molecular assemblies. 4. Structural characterization of normal-alkyl thiol monolayers on gold by optical ellipsometry, infrared-spectroscopy, and electrochemistry J. Am. Chem. Soc. 109 3559-68... 

Nuzzo R G, Dubois L FI and Allara D L 1990 Fundamental-studies of microscopic wetting on organic-surfaces. 1. formation and structural characterization of a self-consistent series of polyfunctional organic monolayers J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112 558-69... 

Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) surface science methods allow preparation and characterization of perfectly clean, well ordered surfaces of single crystalline materials. By preparing pairs of such surfaces it is possible to fonn interfaces under highly controlled conditions. Furthennore, thin films of adsorbed species can be produced and characterized using a wide variety of methods. Surface science methods have been coupled with UHV measurements of macroscopic friction forces. Such measurements have demonstrated that adsorbate film thicknesses of a few monolayers are sufficient to lubricate metal surfaces [12, 181. 

Grabar K C ef a/1997 Nanoscale characterization of gold colloid monolayers—a comparison of four techniques Anal. Chem. 69 471... 

Films or membranes of silkworm silk have been produced by air-drying aqueous solutions prepared from the concentrated salts, followed by dialysis (11,28). The films, which are water soluble, generally contain silk in the silk I conformation with a significant content of random coil. Many different treatments have been used to modify these films to decrease their water solubiUty by converting silk I to silk II in a process found usehil for enzyme entrapment (28). Silk membranes have also been cast from fibroin solutions and characterized for permeation properties. Oxygen and water vapor transmission rates were dependent on the exposure conditions to methanol to faciUtate the conversion to silk II (29). Thin monolayer films have been formed from solubilized silkworm silk using Langmuir techniques to faciUtate stmctural characterization of the protein (30). ResolubiLized silkworm cocoon silk has been spun into fibers (31), as have recombinant silkworm silks (32). 

Therefore, monolayers may consist of two different chemisorption modes ordered in different domains, simultaneously coexisting homogeneous clusters, each characterized by a different conformer in their unit cell. This may explain the observation of 2D Hquid in butane- and hexanethiolate monolayers on gold (278), where VDW interactions do not provide enough cohesive energy to allow for small domains to coexist as a 2D soHd. 

For ultrathin epitaxial films (less than "100 A), Grazingincidence X-ray Diffraction (GrXD) is the preferred method and has been used to characterize monolayer films. Here the incidence angle is small ("0.5°) and the X rays penetrate only "100-200 A into the specimen (see below). The exit angle of the diffracted X rays is also small and structural information is obtained about (hkl) planes perpendicular to the specimen sur e. Thus, GIXD complements those methods where structural information is obtained about planes parallel to the surface (e.g., Bra -Brentano and DCD). 

The principal applications of REELS are thin-film growth studies and gas-surface reactions in the few-monolayer regime when chemical state information is required. In its high spatial resolution mode it has been used to detect submicron metal hydride phases and to characterize surface segregation and difRision as a function of grain boundary orientation. REELS is not nearly as commonly used as AES orXPS. 

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