EFFECT OF BIPHENYL AND NAPHTHYL GROUPS ON THE STRUCTURE OF SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS - PACKING, ORIENTATION, AND WETTING PROPERTIES

The self-assembling behavior of a series of 4-alkoxybiphenyl-4'-carboxylic acid and 6-alkoxy-2-naphthoic acid compounds on the surfaces of Ag and Cu was studied. The structure of the monolayer film was probed with ellipsometry, reflection absorption IR spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. The effect of aromatic chromophores on the packing, orientation of the molecular assembly, and wetting properties of the monolayer film was investigated. These monolayer structures were compared with those of n-alkanoic acids and n-alkanethiols to deduce the packing mechanism of carboxylic acid adsorption on metal oxides.