AVS 56th International Symposium & Exhibition
    Biomaterial Interfaces Monday Sessions
       Session BI+NS-MoM

Paper BI+NS-MoM2
Geometry and Interactions: How Shape and Intermolecular Interactions Direct the Self-Assembly of Cage Molecules on Au{111}

Monday, November 9, 2009, 8:40 am, Room K

Session: Nanoparticles and Self Assembly
Presenter: J.N. Hohman, The Pennsylvania State University
Authors: J.N. Hohman, The Pennsylvania State University
M. Kim, The Pennsylvania State University
P. Zhang, The Pennsylvania State University
E.I. Morin, The Pennsylvania State University
V.E. Balema, The Sigma Aldrich Corporation
P.S. Weiss, The Pennsylvania State University
Correspondent: Click to Email
The self-assembly of cage molecules on metal surfaces enables the manipulation of interface chemistry while eliminating an entire class of defect modes commonly associated with straight-chain molecules such as the n-alkanethiols. The adamantanethiols and carboranethiols have similar geometries and unit cells on Au{111}, but exhibit striking differences in their behavior. We attribute these differences to their contrasting electronic structures and consequent intermolecular interactions. We have characterized the SAMs of positional isomers of several carboranethiols and adamantanethiols by scanning tunneling microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, grazing-incidence Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Kelvin probe microscopy, and contact-angle goniometry. We discuss how geometry and intermolecular interactions play competing roles in determining monolayer assembly and stability.