Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) consist of a single layer of molecules that form long-range order due to intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. Manipulation of mixed SAMs have the potential to control the functionality of a surface by facilitating multi-molecule organization. We study the effects of ultraviolet radiation on a mixed-monolayer of anthracene dicarboxylic acid  and octanethiol using scanning tunneling microscopy. The ultraviolet light disrupts the SAM by removing individual octanethiol molecules and reorganizing the monolayer. Initial exposure creates highly disordered regions on the surface, but prolonged exposure restores order by reorganizing the octanethiol into ordered domains. The ability to manipulate and control SAMs shows exciting potential for their use in next-generation molecularly based devices.

Successive ultraviolet irradiation of mixed monolayers removes molecules and re-orders self-assembled domains

256th National Meeting (2018)

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