SCANNING-TUNNELING-MICROSCOPY STUDIES OF SOLVENT EFFECTS ON THE ADSORPTION AND MOBILITY OF TRIACONTANE TRIACONTANOL MOLECULES ADSORBED ON GRAPHITE

Solutions of triacontane/triacontanol in different solvents have been investigated to determine the importance of the long chain hydrocarbon functional group and the solvent in mediating the probability of sticking to a graphite surface. The scanning tunneling microscopy images obtained on graphite for these mixtures suggest that the triacontane and triacontanol molecules phase separate on the surface into ''pure'' alcohol and alkane regions with a preferential deposition of alcohol molecules over alkane molecules. The nature of the solvent has a dramatic effect on the mobility and sticking probability of the molecules on the surface.