Separating octadecyltrimethoxysilane hydrolysis and condensation at the air/water interface through addition of methyl stearate

The hydrolysis and condensation of octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) at the air/water interface were monitored through molecular area changes at a constant surface pressure of 10 mN/m. The onset of condensation was delayed through the addition of methyl stearate (SME) acting as an inert filler molecule. In the absence of SME, complete gelation of OTMS required 30 h, during which time OTMS condensation occurred concomitantly with hydrolysis. In the presence of SME, the OTMS monolayer gelation rate increased in proportion to the amount of SME present. A 1:6 OTMS:SME molar ratio resulted in monolayer gelation within 30 min, suggesting completion of monomer hydrolysis prior to condensation. These findings indicate that lability of OTMS to hydrolysis at the air/water interface is governed by steric and conformational constraints at the silicon atom site, with monomeric OTMS being much more reactive than oligomeric OTMS. Fluorescence microscope images demonstrated that the OTMS condensed domain size also decreased with increasing SME concentrations, further implicating SME's role as an inert filler.