Molecular engineering of surfaces using self-assembled monolayers.
The self-assembly of molecules into structurally organized monolayers (SAMs) uses the flexibility of organic chemistry and coordination chemistry to generate well-defined, synthetic surfaces with known molecular and macroscopic properties. The process of designing monolayers with a specified structure gives a high level of control over the molecular-level composition in the direction perpendicular to a surface; soft lithographic technique gives useful (if lower) resolution in the plane of the surface. Alkanethiolates adsorbed on gold, silver, mercury, palladium and platinum are currently the best-defined systems of SAMs. They provide substrates for a number of applications-from studies of wetting and electron transport to patterns for growing mammalian cells. SAMs have made organic surfaces a central part of surface science. Understanding the principles by which they form, and connecting molecular-level structure with macroscopic properties, opens a wide range of areas to study and exploitation.
Whitesides
George M
GM
Harvard University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cambridge, MA 02138-2902, USA. gwhitesides@gmwgroup.harvard.edu
Kriebel
Jennah K
JK
Love
J Christopher
JC
D000327:Adsorption; D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D000473:Alkanes; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds