The self-assembly of a layered material: metal-alkanethiolate bilayers

Layered materials composed of metal-alkanethiolate units have been synthesi zed and characterized. The self-assembly occurs at the interface between a metal-ion-containing aqueous phase and an alkanethiol-containing organic ph ase. Key features of the structure have been determined from X-ray diffract ion and infrared spectroscopy measurements. The highly ordered bilayers are characterized by tilted, all-trans alkyl chains. A new model for the inpla ne structure has been presented, which is based on a hexagonal arrangement of metal atoms in the central plane.