Synthesis, Properties, and Two-Dimensional Adsorption Characteristics of 5-Amino[6]hexahelicene.

A convergent synthesis of racemic 5-amino[6]hexahelicene is described. Cross-coupling reactions are used to assemble a pentacyclic framework, and a metal-catalyzed ring-closure comprises the final step. The enantiomers were separated by means of chromatography and the absolute configurations were assigned by comparison of the CD spectra with hexahelicene. The t1/2  value for racemization at 210 °C was approximately 1 hour. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements were carried out on enantiopure and racemic samples of aminohelicene on Au(111) under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions.

Self-assembly of alkanedithiols on Au(111) from solution: effect of chain length and self-assembly conditions.

A comparative study on the adsorption of buthanedithiol (BDT), hexanedithiol (HDT), and nonanedithiol (NDT) on Au(111) from ethanolic and n-hexane solutions and two different preparation procedures is presented. SAM characterization is based on reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy, electrochemistry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and time of flight direct recoil spectroscopy. Results indicate that one can obtain a standing-up phase of dithiols and that the amount of the precursor lying-down phase decreases from BDT to NDT, irrespective of the solvent and self-assembly conditions. A good ordering of the hydrocarbon chains in the standing-up configuration is observed for HDT and NDT when the system is prepared in degassed n-hexane with all operations carried out in the dark. Disulfide bridges at the free SH terminal groups are formed for HDT and to a lesser extent for NDT prepared in ethanol in the presence of oxygen, but we found no evidence of ordered multilayer formation in our experiments. No disulfides were observed for BDT that only forms the lying-down phase. Our results demonstrate the key role of the chain length and the procedure (solvent nature and oxygen presence) in controlling the surface structure and chemistry of SAMs dithiols on Au(111).

Room-temperature kinetics of short-chain alkanethiol film growth on Ag(111) from the vapor phase.

We have used time-of-flight (TOF) direct recoiling spectroscopy (DRS) to follow propanethiol adsorption at 300 K from the vapor phase on an Ag(111) surface, for exposures ranging from 10(-1) to 10(5) L. Results show that the adsorption proceeds with changes in the sticking coefficient, consistent with at least three phases. At low exposures, the alkanethiol molecules adsorb with high probability at defect sites, followed by a slower growth mode that essentially covers the whole surface. A third change in the sticking coefficient is associated with the final saturation stage, corresponding to a thicker layer related to molecules in a more upright orientation. The adsorption kinetics for hexanethiol is similar to that of propanethiol but taking place at higher rates, stressing the importance of the hydrocarbon chain length in the growth process. ISS-TOF measurements during thermal desorption show that most of the C, H, and S go away together, suggesting that the molecules adsorb and desorb from flat regions without S-C bond cleavage. Fitting the desorption maximum at 450 K with a first-order desorption curve gives a desorption energy of 1.43 eV. A small final S content that is correlated with the initial Ag(111) surface roughness is observed after desorption.

Chiral expression of adsorbed (MP) 5-amino[6]helicenes: from random structures to dense racemic crystals by surface alloying.

The chiral expression of a molecule on a surface is driven from a random solid solution on Cu(100) to a racemic crystal on a Sn/Cu(100) alloy. Density functional theory simulations reveal how the growth of the racemate is influenced by the underlying surface.

Van der Waals interactions in the self-assembly of 5-amino[6]helicene on Cu(100) and Au(111).

A combination of Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy and Density Functional Theory simulations highlights the role of van der Waals interactions in the self-assembly of an aminohelicene on Cu(100) and Au(111).

Gas phase formation of dense alkanethiol layers on GaAs(110).

We present a study of the growth and thermal stability of hexanethiol (C6) films on GaAs(110) by direct recoil spectroscopy with time-of-flight analysis. We compare our results with the better known case of C6 adsorption on Au(111). In contrast to the two-step adsorption kinetics observed for Au surfaces after lengthy exposures, data for C6 adsorption on the GaAs(110) surface are consistent with the formation of a single dense phase of C6 molecules at lower exposures. On the contrary, in solution preparation, dense phases can only be obtained on GaAs for long alkanethiols and after lengthy immersions. The C6 layer has a first desorption peak at 325 K, where partial desorption of the alkanethiol molecules takes place. Fits to the desorption curves result in a 1 eV adsorption energy, in agreement with a chemisorption process. Increasing the temperature to 500 K results in the S-C bond scission with only S remaining on the GaAs(110) surface. The possibility of forming dense, short-alkanethiol layers on semiconductor surfaces from the vapor phase could have a strong impact for a wide range of self-assembled monolayer applications, with only minimal care not to surpass room temperature once the layer has been formed in order to avoid molecular desorption.