Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Electrochemical Characterization Of Self-Assembled Monolayers On Gold Substrates Derived From Thermal Decomposition Of Monolayer-Protected Cluster Films, Michael C. Leopold, Tran T. Doan, Melissa J. Mullaney, Andrew F. Loftus, Christopher M. Kidd

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Networked films of monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs), alkanethiolate-stabilized gold nanoparticles, can be thermally decomposed to form stable gold on glass substrates that are subsequently modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) for use as modified electrodes. Electrochemical assessment of these SAM-modified gold substrates, including double-layer capacitance measurements, linear sweep desorption of the alkanethiolates, and diffusional redox probing, all show that SAMs formed on gold supports formed from thermolysis of MPC films possess substantially higher defect density compared to SAMs formed on traditional evaporated gold. The density of defects in the SAMs on thermolyzed gold is directly related to the strategies used to assemble …