An isolated silicon single chain end-grafted onto a substrate surface

We report atomic force microscopy images of one-dimensional silicon chains (polysilanes) individually bonded to a substrate surface [quartz glass (SiO2), sapphire (Al2O3), and Si(111)]. The sample was prepared by a one-to-one chemical reaction between a reactive anchor of alkylbromide on the surface and a polysilanyl lithium. We observed dot images with variable densities which depended on the reactive anchor density. Each dot, with a diameter of about 20 nm and a height of about 5 nm, corresponded to an isolated single polysilane molecule with a collapsed structure typical of usual end-grafted polymers under poor solvent conditions. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)00232-6].