Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026

A Technique to Functionalize and Self-assemble Macroscopic Nanoparticle-ligand Monolayer Films onto Template-free Substrates
Published on: May 9, 2014
Structure of thiol self-assembled monolayers commensurate with the GaAs (001) surface
Oleksandr Voznyy1, Jan J Dubowski
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Centre of Excellence for Information Engineering, Universitt de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada.
Abstract:
Observed properties of thiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on GaAs (001) surfaces can be explained by the presence of surface reconstructions, but their exact form is generally unknown. We propose a new approach to modeling the SAM-surface interface based on using alkanethiol dense packing structures as a starting point and adjusting the surface reconstruction to accommodate them. Obtained in such a way, model SAMs adsorb along the trenches in the [110] direction and exhibit a 19 degrees tilt and +/- 45 degrees twist angles, in agreement with available experimental data. The molecules of the SAM bind to both Ga and As, and cover only 50% of the available surface sites. The requirements for the SAM formation process to achieve the proposed structures are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Structure and Nomenclature of Thiols and Sulfides
Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures
Preparation and Reactions of Thiols
Protein Complex Assembly
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
Additional Subnuclear Structures
The nucleus contains many membrane-less subnuclear organelles or nuclear bodies, such as nucleoli, Cajal bodies, speckles,...

