Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Layer-by-layer Synthesis and Transfer of Freestanding Conjugated Microporous Polymer Nanomembranes
Published on: December 15, 2015
On the role of functional groups in the formation of diazonium based covalent attachments: dendritic vs.
Thi Mien Trung Huynh1, Kazukuni Tahara2, Steven De Feyter3
1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Quy Nhon University 170 An Duong Vuong Quy Nhon Vietnam huynhthimientrung@qnu.edu.vn.
Abstract:
Multilayered growth is often observed upon electrografting aryl diazonium derivatives on graphitic substrates due to the reactive nature of aryl radicals. The mechanism of the multilayer formation has been investigated either by measuring the thickness of the grafted layer, the charge transfer, or via simulations. Spectroscopy and in particular microscopy approaches are underrepresented. Herein, we demonstrate a comparative characterization of the multilayer growth of two diazonium derivatives on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using a combination of cyclic voltammetry, atomic force microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. While dendritic growth is observed for 4-nitro phenyl diazonium (4-NBD), 4-carboxy phenyl diazonium (4-CBD) shows layer-by-layer growth upon increasing the molecular concentration, revealing the impact of the functional groups on the growth mechanism.
Related Concept Videos
Diazonium Group Substitution: –OH and –H
1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Mechanism
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Aryldiazonium Salts to Azo Dyes: Diazo Coupling
Valence Bond Theory

