An STM Study of Chemically Deposited Silver Nanoclusters on Mixed Self-Assembled Monolayers

Ulrich-Walter Grummt; Matthias Geissler; Till Drechsler; Harald Fuchs; Ralf Staub

doi:10.1002/(SICI)1521-3773(19981217)37:23<3286::AID-ANIE3286>3.0.CO;2-1

An STM Study of Chemically Deposited Silver Nanoclusters on Mixed Self-Assembled Monolayers

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 1998 Dec 17;37(23):3286-3289. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1521-3773(19981217)37:23<3286::AID-ANIE3286>3.0.CO;2-1.

Authors

Ulrich-Walter Grummt¹, Matthias Geissler¹, Till Drechsler², Harald Fuchs², Ralf Staub³

Affiliations

¹ Institut für Physikalische Chemie der Universität, Lessingstrasse 10, D-07743 Jena (Germany), Fax: (+49) 3641-948302.
² Physikalisches Institut der Universität Münster (Germany).
³ Institut für Angewandte Photophysik der Technischen Universität, Dresden (Germany).

Abstract

Small silver clusters Ag_n (primarily probably Ag₄ clusters which aggregate to Ag_n (400<n<2000)) are generated in the immediate vicinity of a four-electron reducing agent (based on hydroquinone) which is incorporated in a monolayer of long-chain alkanethiols. The hydroquinone derivative is oxidized to quinone (see the picture). Molecularly resolved scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images were obtained of self-assembled monolayers with and without silver clusters.

Keywords: Monolayers; Nanostructures; Scanning tunneling microscopy; Silver.