Adsorption mechanisms, structures, and growth regimes of an archetypal self-assembling system: Decanethiol on Au(111)

Abstract

We present a study using several techniques of the growth of decanethiol monolayers deposited on single-crystal gold surfaces. Through independent measurements of coverage, energetics, and structure as a function of the growth rate and temperature, we provide a quantitative, in-depth description of the molecular processes by which these aliphatic molecules “self-assemble” into highly ordered structures in the absence of a solvent. We find that the multiple-energy scales present in these systems produce distinct adsorption mechanisms, structures, and growth regimes, indicating a complexity that is likely to be a general characteristic of this broad class of self-assembling systems.