Submonolayers, self-assembled

Chemically prepared colloidal gold nanoparticles were immobilized as a submonolayer on Au(lll) surface modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 4-aminothiophenol [14]. This submonolayer of Au nanoparticles was subsequently characterized using STM. 

A monolayer or submonolayer is formed when chemisorption or chemical reaction occurs, or when a self-assembly method is applied, however, further layers can be developed on top of the primary layer. Usually multilayer films are formed when polymers are deposited on a conductor surface by -> electropolymerization, by solvent evaporation, or other methods. Further modification of a polymer film is also often used, e.g., by incorporation of enzymes. 

Doudevski I, Hayes WA, Schwartz DK (1998) Submonolayer island nucleation and growth kinetics during self-assembled monolayer formation. Phys Rev Lett 81 4927-4930... 

Figure 5 An STM topographical image of self-assembled submonolayer of dodecanethiol chemisorbed onto an atomically flat gold surface. The herringbone pattern results from the two-dimensional nucleation of the thiols on the surface (laying down of the carbon chains on the gold surface following Au-S chemical bond formation).

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