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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
A Technique to Functionalize and Self-assemble Macroscopic Nanoparticle-ligand Monolayer Films onto Template-free Substrates
Published on: May 9, 2014
Structure and composition of binary monolayers self-assembled from sodium 2-mercaptoetanosulfonate and
Mateusz L Donten1, Agata Królikowska, Jolanta Bukowska
1Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteur Street 1, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland.
Abstract:
Voltammetric reductive desorption, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were used to determine the composition and structure of mixed, two-component monolayers of sodium 2-mercaptoetanosulfonate (MES) and mercaptoundecanol (MUL) on silver and gold supports. Monolayers were prepared by self assembling from ethanolic solutions of varying composition. Preferred adsorption of MUL was found in the electrochemical experiments on Au(111). The presence of two well-separated reductive desorption peaks in the voltammograms of the mixed monolayers on Au(111) indicated the existence of MES-rich and MUL-rich phases in a wide range of solution compositions. STM imaging confirmed formation of a few-nanometer-wide thiol domains for xMES greater than 0.5 in the solution used for SAMs preparation. On the contrary, SERS experiments pointed at dominant adsorption of MES on rough Ag and Au substrates. Nearly exclusive adsorption of the MES for xMES greater than 0.5 was observed on the rough Ag surface.
