D. Yan et al., Enhanced chain densities of n-alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers on gold from aqueous micellar solutions, LANGMUIR, 16(20), 2000, pp. 7562-7565
This Letter reports that n-alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs)
formed onto gold from aqueous micellar solutions of hexaethylene glycol mon
ododecyl ether (C12E6) exhibit greater overall chain densities and are more
electrochemically blocking than those formed from traditional organic solv
ents such as ethanol. As determined by reflectance infrared spectroscopy, t
he alkyl chains in SAMs formed from 10 mM C12E6(aq) are less canted on aver
age than those in SAMs formed from ethanol. This greater overall chain dens
ity for the water-borne SAMs is attributed to hydrophobic interactions betw
een alkyl chains during assembly. Consistent with a more defect-free struct
ure, the water-borne SAMs exhibit greater resistances against the diffusion
of redox probes than SAMs formed in ethanol.