AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Surface Science Wednesday Sessions
       Session SS+EM-WeM

Paper SS+EM-WeM4
Tunneling Spectroscopy of Self-Assembled Monolayers of 1-adamantanethiolate on Single Crystal Metallic Substrates

Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 9:20 am, Room 202

Session: Self-Assembled Monolayers
Presenter: A.R. Kurland, The Pennsylvania State University
Authors: A.R. Kurland, The Pennsylvania State University
A.A. Dameron, The Pennsylvania State University
P. Han, The Pennsylvania State University
S.U. Nanayakkara, The Pennsylvania State University
P.S. Weiss, The Pennsylvania State University
Correspondent: Click to Email
We measure local barrier height and differential conductance using ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at 4 K to investigate the work function and local density of states, respectively, of individual adamantanethiolate molecules on a range of single crystal metallic substrates. These techniques allow us to probe specific electronic characteristics while simultaneously resolving the molecular lattice of the adamantanethiolate monolayers. Previously, we have shown that adamantanethiolate molecules form well-ordered hexagonally close-packed monolayers on the Au{111} surface. The complex and highly symmetric cage structure of adamantanethiolate results in weaker intermolecular interactions than those of alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers. Taking advantage of these properties, we have implemented adamantanethiolate molecules in thin-film molecular lattices and as nanolithography patterning inks. We aim to exploit and to incorporate the unique physical and electronic interactions of adsorbed adamantanethiolate to understand and to tailor self-assembled nanostructures.