Detailed electrochemical and surface X-ray diffraction measurements shows that the Au(111)-(23xv3) reconstructed structure is converted to the Au(111)-(1x1) structure upon the formation of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of hexylthiol but the degree of the lifting of the Au(111) reconstructed structure is not linearly depended on the surface concentration of the thiol SAM, G. When G is less than ca. 0.35 nmol cm-2, i.e., ca. 45% of the full coverage, the degree of the reconstruction lifting is almost zero and the thiol seems to adsorb on the reconstructed surface in a lying-down structure. The degree of the reconstruction lifting drastically increases when G exceeds this value and the reconstruction is fully lifted to Au(111)-(1x1) structure when G is 0.77 nmol cm-2, i.e., the full coverage of the thiol SAM in standing-up configuration with the (v3xv3)R30� structure. The reconstruction lifting seems to be induced by the formation of the condensed phase of the SAM on the Au(111) surface with (v3xv3)R30� structure, which takes place when the surface concentration of the adsorbed thiol on the Au(111)-(23xv3) reconstructed structure reached the full coverage in the lying-down phase.

Structure transition of alkylthiol monolayer/Au(111) interface during the self-assembly process: Interplay between surface gold atoms and thiol molecules

247th National Meeting (2014)

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