Physics Commons^™

The Interplay Between Symmetry And Static Dipoles With Adsorption On Molecular Substrates, Zhengzheng Zhang

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis presents evidence of preferential adsorption and the associated dipole-dipole interactions that can occur at molecule to molecule interfaces. The results are discussed in the context of the possibility of interactions caused by strong intrinsic dipoles when adsorbed on electrostatically biased substrates. Key is the discovery of lock and key adsorption chemistry by comparing the reversible absorption of the three isomers of di-iodobenzene (1,2-di-iodobenzene, 1,3-di-iodobenzene, and 1,4-di-iodobenzene) on molecular films of a quinonoid zwitterion. There is unequivocal evidence that the molecular adsorption and absorption of 1, 3-diiodobenzene is strongly favored at 150 K over the other isomers of di-iodobenzene. …