Mechanisms and kinetics of self-assembled monolayer formation

Recent applications of various in situ techniques have dramatically improved our understanding of the self-organization process of adsorbed molecular monolayers on solid surfaces. The process involves several steps, starting with bulk solution transport and surface adsorption and continuing with the two-dimensional organization 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 complication of long-chain molecules with many degrees of freedom.