Studies on the effect of solvents on self-assembled monolayers formed from organophosphonic acids on indium tin oxide

Authors

Xin Chen
Erwann Luais, University of New South Wales
Nadim A. Darwish, University of New South WalesFollow
Simone Ciampi, University of New South WalesFollow
Pall Thordarson, University of New South WalesFollow
J Justin Gooding, University of New South WalesFollow

RIS ID

105122

Publication Details

Chen, X., Luais, E., Darwish, N., Ciampi, S., Thordarson, P. & Gooding, J. Justin. (2012). Studies on the effect of solvents on self-assembled monolayers formed from organophosphonic acids on indium tin oxide. Langmuir: the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, 28 (25), 9487-9495.

Abstract

The preparation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of organophosphonic acids on indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces from different solvents (triethylamine, ethyl ether, tetrahydofuran (THF), pyridine, acetone, methanol, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or water) has been performed with some significant differences observed. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and contact angle measurement demonstrated that the quality of SAMs depends critically on the choice of solvents. Higher density, more stable monolayers were formed from solvents with low dielectric constants and weak interactions with the ITO. It was concluded low dielectric solvents that were inert to the ITO gave monolayers that were more stable with a higher density of surface bound molecules because higher dielectric constant solvents and solvents that coordinate with the surface disrupted SAM formation. 2012 American Chemical Society.