THE DEPOSITION OF TIO2 THIN-FILMS ON SELF-ASSEMBLY MONOLAYERS STUDIEDBY X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON-SPECTROSCOPY

The deposition of TiO2 films on silanized industrial glass surfaces wa s investigated by XPS. The results show that mercaptopropyltrimethoxys ilane was self-assembled on the industrial glass surface and the termi nal groups (-SH) were nearer to the air/silane interface than the sili con atoms. Longer treatment of SAMs with hydrogen peroxide in acetic a cid can make the conversion of the terminal groups in the top-most lay er into desirable sulfonate groups complete. TiO2 thin films are succe ssfully absorbed on self-assembly monolayers and titanium oxide with d ifferent oxidation states may exist in the thin films as-deposited on the surface of the self-assembly monolayers. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.