Anodic passivation of tin by alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers examined by cyclic voltammetry and coulometry

The self-assembly of medium chain length alkanethiol monolayers on polycrystalline Sn electrodes has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and coulometry. These studies have been performed in order to ascertain the conditions under which their oxidative deposition can be achieved directly on the oxide-free Sn surface, and the extent to which these electrochemically prepared self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) act as barriers to surface oxide growth. This work has shown that the potentials for their oxidative deposition are more cathodic (by 100-200 mV) than those for Sn surface oxidation and that the passivating abilities of these SAMs improve with increasing film thickness (or chain length). Oxidative desorption potentials for these films have been observed to shift more positively, and in a highly linear fashion, with increasing film thickness (~75 mV/CH2). Although reductive desorption potentials for the SAMs are in close proximity to those for reduction of the surface oxide (SnOx), little or no SnOx formation occurs unless the potential is made sufficiently anodic that the monolayers start to be removed oxidatively. Our coulometric data indicate that the charge involved with alkanethiol reductive desorption or oxidative deposition is consistent with the formation of a close-packed monolayer, given uncertainties attributable to surface roughness and heterogeneity phenomena. These experiments also reveal that the quantity of charge passed during oxidative desorption is significantly larger than what would be predicted for simple alkylsulfinate or alkylsulfonate formation, suggesting that oxidative removal involves a more complex oxidation mechanism. Analogous chronocoulometric experiments for short-chain alkanethiols on polycrystalline Au electrodes have evidenced similar oxidative charge densities. This implies that the mechanism for oxidative desorption on both surfaces may be very similar, despite the significant differences in the inherent dissolution characteristics of the two materials at the anodic potentials employed.