Self-assembled monolayers of dioctyl diselenides on Au(111)

Abstract

The surface structure, electrochemical behavior, and wetting property of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed by dioctyl diselenide (DODSe) on Au(111) were investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and contact angle measurements. In contrast to the formation of well-ordered SAMs by octanethiol on Au(111), the SAMs formed by DODSe have a disordered phase and many unusual vacancy islands (VIs). In addition, the formation of DODSe SAMs is largely influenced by the solution concentration used. DODSe SAMs formed in 5 μM and 50 μM solutions have two mixed domains consisting of missing-row ordered phases and disordered phases, while DODSe SAMs formed in 1 mM and 5 mM solutions have only disordered phases with an abnormally high VI fraction of 22-24%. We also found that the wetting property and electrochemical behavior of DODSe SAMs on Au(111) are markedly influenced by the formation of ordered SAMs and the density of VIs.