US EPA

1446001 

Journal Article 

Studies on the Effect of Solvents on Self-Assembled Monolayers Formed from Organophosphonic Acids on Indium Tin Oxide 

Chen, Xin; Luais, E; Darwish, N; Ciampi, S; Thordarson, P; Gooding, JJ 

2012 

1 

Langmuir
ISSN: 0743-7463
EISSN: 1520-5827 

28 

25 

9487-9495 

22621243 

10.1021/la3010129 

WOS:000305661400038 

The preparation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of
organophosphonic acids on indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces from different solvents (triethylamine,
ethyl ether, tetrahydofuran (THF), pyridine, acetone, methanol, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide
(DMSO), or water) has been performed with some significant differences observed. Cyclic
voltammetry (CV), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM),
and contact angle measurement demonstrated that the quality of SAMs depends critically on the
choice of solvents. Higher density, more stable monolayers were formed from solvents with low
dielectric constants and weak interactions with the ITO. It was concluded low dielectric solvents
that were inert to the ITO gave monolayers that were more stable with a higher density of surface
bound molecules because higher dielectric constant solvents and solvents that coordinate with the
surface disrupted SAM formation.