Chemical grafting of biphenyl self-assembled monolayers on ultrananocrystalline diamond.
We have investigated the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 4'-nitro-1,1-biphenyl-4-diazonium tetrafluoroborate (NBD) onto ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) thin films. In contrast to the common approach to modify diamond and diamond-like substrates by electrografting, the SAM was formed from the saturated solution of NBD in acetonitrile by pure chemical grafting. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) have been used to verify the direct covalent attachment of the 4'-nitro-1,1-biphenyl (NB) SAM on the diamond substrate via stable C-C bonds and to estimate the monolayer packing density. The results confirm the presence of a very stable, homogeneous and dense monolayer. Additionally, the terminal nitro group of the NB SAM can be readily converted into an amino group by X-ray irradiation as well as electrochemistry. This opens the possibility of in situ electrochemical modification as well as the creation of chemical patterns (chemical lithography) in the SAM on UNCD substrates and enables a variety of consecutive chemical functionalization for sensing and molecular electronics applications.
Lud
Simon Q
SQ
Walter Schottky Institut, Technische Universität München, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
Steenackers
Marin
M
Jordan
Rainer
R
Bruno
Paola
P
Gruen
Dieter M
DM
Feulner
Peter
P
Garrido
Jose A
JA
Stutzmann
Martin
M