M ECHANISMS AND K INETICS OF S ELF -A SSEMBLED M ONOLAYER F ORMATION

Abstract

Recent applications of various in situ techniques have dramatically im- provedour understanding of the self-organization process of adsorbed molecularmono- layers on solid surfaces. The process involves several steps, starting with bulk solution transport and surface adsorption and continuing with the two-dimensional organiza- tion on the substrate of interest. This later process can involve passage through one or more intermediate surface phases and can often be described using two-dimensional nucleation and growth models. A rich picture has emerged that combines elements of surfactant adsorption at interfaces and epitaxial growth with the additional complica- tion of long-chain molecules with many degrees of freedom.