title: Molecular relaxation dynamics of self-assembled monolayers.
abstract: Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy is used to quantify molecular motion in alkylsilane SAMs coated on porous glass over a broad temperature range, -30 to -150 degrees C. Systematic measurements using SAMs with variable coating densities allow us to determine the effect of monolayer disorder on molecular mobility in thin molecular films. A relaxation process with an activation energy of approximately 25 kJ/mol is found to dominate dynamics of SAM-chain segments near the substrate. By introducing polar CN groups at the ends of the chain, we show that the relaxation process in the monolayer canopy can be isolated and studied. This approach can be generalized to other substituent polar groups to probe localized relaxation dynamics in surface-grafted monolayer films.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-5201, USA.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lynden A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Archer