Simple devices that contain alkanethiolate monolayers sandwiched betwe
en conducting films were prepared by fixing a gold film to the surface
of an alkanethiolate monolayer (on a gold substrate) with silver pain
t. These devices, and similar devices that did not contain alkanethiol
ate monolayers, were tested as resistors in d.c. circuits. The devices
that contained octadecanethiolate monolayers had resistances of appro
ximately 10(12) Ohm, 10 orders of magnitude higher than the resistance
of devices that contained no monolayers. Sulfur-terminated alkanethio
late monolayers were prepared by treatment of carboxylic acid-terminat
ed monolayers with vapours of thionyl chloride followed by vapours of
hexane-1,6-dithiol. Attempts to use the sulfur-containing groups at th
e surface of this monolayer as 'molecular glue' to attach a flexible g
old film to the surface of the monolayer were unsuccessful.