Rhodium deposition onto a 4-mercaptopyridine SAM on Au(111)

Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidation Reaction on a 4-Mercaptopyridine Self-Assembled Monolayer on Au(111) Metallized by Platinum Nanoislands

A systematic investigation of the hydrogen peroxide oxidation reaction (HPOR) in phosphate buffer (pH = 7.3) on an Au(111) single crystal modified with a 4-mercaptopyridine self-assembled monolayer (SAM) has been conducted before and after metallization with Pt. While bare Au(111) shows considerable electrocatalytic activity towards the HPOR, the inhibition of the oxidation reaction after modification with the SAM implies that adsorbed 4-mercaptopyridine molecules do not catalyze the HPOR. However, SAM-modified Au(111) recovers catalytic activity for the HPOR already after a single metallization step fabricating Pt islands on-top. Hydrogen peroxide (HP) may then either react at the (non-metallic) Pt nanoislands or on reactivated Au sites, made accessible by structural changes of the SAM induced by the metallization. The shape of the voltammetric profiles for the HPOR on repeatedly metallized SAMs suggests that the contribution of Au to the total current density gradually diminishes with increasing Pt coverage while the contribution of the Pt islands increases. The electrochemical behavior is dominated by the Pt islands at a coverage of 0.5 ML obtained by three subsequent metallization steps.

Graphical abstract

Nanofabrication Techniques in Large-Area Molecular Electronic Devices

The societal impact of the electronics industry is enormous—not to mention how this industry impinges on the global economy. The foreseen limits of the current technology—technical, economic, and sustainability issues—open the door to the search for successor technologies. In this context, molecular electronics has emerged as a promising candidate that, at least in the short-term, will not likely replace our silicon-based electronics, but improve its performance through a nascent hybrid technology. Such technology will take advantage of both the small dimensions of the molecules and new functionalities resulting from the quantum effects that govern the properties at the molecular scale. An optimization of interface engineering and integration of molecules to form densely integrated individually addressable arrays of molecules are two crucial aspects in the molecular electronics field. These challenges should be met to establish the bridge between organic functional materials and hard electronics required for the incorporation of such hybrid technology in the market. In this review, the most advanced methods for fabricating large-area molecular electronic devices are presented, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Special emphasis is focused on bottom-up methodologies for the fabrication of well-ordered and tightly-packed monolayers onto the bottom electrode, followed by a description of the top-contact deposition methods so far used.

Density Functional Theory Study of Pd Aggregation on a Pyridine-Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayer

By using density functional theory calculations, the initial steps towards Pd metal cluster formation on a pyridine-terminated self-assembled monolayer (SAM) consisting of 3-(4-(pyridine-4-yl)phenyl)propane-1-thiol on an Au(1 1 1) surface are investigated. Theoretical modelling allows the investigation of structural details of the SAM surface and the metal/SAM interface at the atomic level, which is essential for elucidating the nature of Pd-SAM and Pd-Pd interactions at the liquid/solid interface and gaining insight into the mechanism of metal nucleation in the initial stage of electrodeposition. The structural flexibility of SAM molecules was studied first and the most stable conformation was identified, planar molecules in a herringbone packing, as the model for Pd adsorption. Two binding sites are found for Pd atoms on the pyridine end group of the SAM. The strong interaction between Pd atoms and pyridines illustrates the importance of SAM functionalisation in the metal nucleation process. Consistent with an energetic driving force of approximately -0.3 eV per Pd atom towards Pd aggregation suggested by static calculations, a spontaneous Pd dimerisation is observed in ab initio molecular dynamic studies of the system. Nudged elastic band calculations suggest a potential route with a low energy barrier of 0.10 eV for the Pd atom diffusion and then dimerisation on top of the SAM layer.

Coordination controlled electrodeposition and patterning of layers of palladium/copper nanoparticles on top of a self-assembled monolayer

A scheme for the generation of bimetallic nanoparticles is presented which combines electrodeposition of one type of metal, coordinated to a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), with another metal deposited from the bulk electrolyte. In this way PdCu nanoparticles are generated by initial complexation of Pd²⁺ to a SAM of 3-(4-(pyridine-4-yl)phenyl)propane-1-thiol (PyP3) on Au/mica and subsequent reduction in an acidic aqueous CuSO₄ electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that the onset of Cu deposition is triggered by Pd reduction. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) shows that layers of connected particles are formed with an average thickness of less than 3 nm and lateral dimensions of particles in the range of 2 to 5 nm. In X-ray photoelectron spectra a range of binding energies for the Pd 3d signal is observed whereas the Cu 2p signal appears at a single binding energy, even though chemically different Cu species are present: normal and more noble Cu. Up to three components are seen in the N 1s signal, one originating from protonated pyridine moieties, the others reflecting the SAM-metal interaction. It is suggested that the coordination controlled electrodeposition yields layers of particles composed of a Pd core and a Cu shell with a transition region of a PdCu alloy. Deposited on top of the PyP3 SAM, the PdCu particles exhibit weak adhesion which is exploited for patterning by selective removal of particles employing scanning probe techniques. The potential for patterning down to the sub-10 nm scale is demonstrated. Harnessing the deposition contrast between native and PdCu loaded PyP3 SAMs, structures thus created can be developed into patterned continuous layers.

Influence of water on the properties of an Au/Mpy/Pd metal/molecule/metal junction

The geometric and electronic structure of the metal-molecule interface in metal/molecule/metal junctions is of great interest since it affects the functionality of such units in possible nanoelectronic devices. We have investigated the interaction between water and a palladium monolayer of a Au(111)/4-mercaptopyridine/Pd junction by means of DFT calculations. A relatively strong bond between water and the palladium monolayer of the Au/Mpy/Pd complex is observed via a one-fold bond between the oxygen atom of the water molecule and a Pd atom. An isolated H(2)O molecule adsorbs preferentially in a flat-lying geometry on top of a palladium atom that is at the same time also bound to the nitrogen atom of a Mpy molecule of the underlying self-assembled monolayer. The electronic structure of these Pd atoms is considerably modified which is reflected in a reduced local density of states at the Fermi energy. At higher coverages, water can be arranged in a hexagonal ice-like bilayer structure in analogy to water on bulk metal surfaces, but with a much stronger binding which is dominated by O-Pd bonds.

Formation of a 1,8-octanedithiol self-assembled monolayer on Au(111) prepared in a lyotropic liquid-crystalline medium

A characterization of the 1,8-octanedithiol (ODT) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formed from a Triton X-100 lyotropic medium has been conducted by electrochemical techniques. It is found that an ODT layer of standing-up molecules is obtained at short modification time without removing oxygen from the medium. The electrochemical study shows that the ODT layer formed after 15 min of modification time has similar electron-transfer blocking properties to the layers formed from organic solvents at much longer modification times. On the basis of XPS data, it is demonstrated that the inability to bind gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is due to the presence of extra ODT molecules either interdigited or on top of the layer. Treatment consisting of an acid washing step following the formation of the ODT-Au(111) SAM produces a layer that is able to attach AuNPs as demonstrated by electrochemical techniques and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images.

Adsorption of 4-mercaptopyridine on Au(111: a periodic DFT study

We have studied the adsorption of 4-mercaptopyridine (Mpy) on Au(111) using periodic density functional theory calculations. Isolated Mpy molecules adsorb preferentially at near-bridge sites in a tilted configuration. The interaction with water influences the adsorption of Mpy only weakly whereas the binding of ions to Mpy can lead to substantial structural changes in the Mpy adsorption geometry. At higher coverages, the molecules become more upright in order to allow for a denser packing in the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Simulated STM images of the 7 x mean square root of 3 and 5 x mean square root of 3 structures compare favorably with experimental results. Using an ab initio thermodynamics approach, we determined the most stable molecular structure as a function of the chemical potential of mercaptopyridine. The stability of the 7 x mean square root of 3 structure is confirmed, but the experimentally observed 5 x mean square root of 13 structure does not appear to be a thermodynamically stable structure. Several possible reasons for the discrepancy between theory and experiment are discussed.