STABILIZATION OF SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS OF CARBOXYLIC-ACIDS ON NATIVE OXIDES OF METALS

Alkanoic acids adsorb weakly to the native oxide surface of aluminum. Treating the oxide surface first with an alkoxide of zirconium provide s for strong subsequent adsorption of the alkanoic acid. The formation of an interfacial zirconium carboxylate gives rise to this strong adh esion. A combination of quartz crystal microbalance and ultrahigh-vacu um IR spectroscopic techniques were used to establish the stoichiometr y and structural features of the interfacial zirconium carboxylate fil m.