Communication: No guidance needed: Ordered structures and transformations of thin methanol ice on hydrophobic surfaces

Abstract

A clear knowledge of structures is essential to the understanding and potential control of complex interfacial phenomena that involve multiple intermolecular and surface interactions of different strengths. Molecules with the ability to form hydrogen bonds are often of particular interest. Here, we report the observation of 2- and 3-dimensional ordered assemblies of methanol molecules on hydrophobic silicon surfaces, using reflection high-energy electron diffraction. Direct structure probing reveals that the crystallization temperatures and the structural transformations of the hydrogen-bonded networks are far beyond a single-stage description and strongly depend on the thermal annealing procedures used. Such results elucidate the unique self-assembling behavior of interfacial methanol even without much guidance from the smooth substrate.