Scanning tunneling microscopy observation of binary monolayers of 10,12-ticosadiynoic acid and stearic acid deposited by horizontal lifting method

Langmuir-Blodgett binary monolayers of 10,1 2-tricosadiynoic acid and stear ic acid were deposited onto a surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite by the horizontal lifting method. The deposition was performed at a low su rface pressure in order to achieve a parallel molecular arrangement. Scanni ng tunneling microscopy revealed a variety of molecular patterns inside the two-component monolayers. These patterns could be grouped into "phase sepa ration patterns", in which microscopically pure 10,I 2-tricosadiynoic acid and stearic acid were observable, and "alternating patterns", in which lame llae of the two types of molecules appeared alternately. Consequently, the possibility of controlling the spatial distribution of the diacetylene comp ounds on the solid surface has been demonstrated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.