Abstract
Self-assembly of methanethiol (CH3SH) on Au(1 1 1) was studied using scanning tunneling microscopy at T < 150 K when the S-H bond is intact. The CH3SH monolayer assumes a commensurate structure with a fenced((6, 2; 0, 2)) unit-cell. Only one of three possible azimuthal domains of the monolayer was observed with domain walls pinned at the rotational boundaries of the herringbone reconstruction. From a real-time observation of monolayer formation at T = 60 K we propose a phenomenological model for the growth of preferential domains, which is based on the interplay between molecular detachment from domain boundaries and anisotropic mass transport on the Au(1 1 1) surface due to its herringbone reconstruction.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2017-2024 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Surface Science |
| Volume | 602 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 15 2008 |
Funding
We gratefully acknowledge useful discussions with Prof. John T. Yates, Jr. and his support throughout the work. Funding for this work was provided by the W.M. Keck Foundation through the W.M. Keck Center for Molecular Electronics as well as a Grant from NEDO (Japan).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| W. M. Keck Foundation | |
| New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization |
Keywords
- CHSH
- Gold
- Methanethiol
- Real-time
- Scanning tunneling microscopy
- Self-assembly
- Surface diffusion