Reversible phase transitions in self-assembled monolayers at the liquid-solid interface: temperature-controlled opening and closing of nanopores.
We present a variable-temperature study of monolayer self-assembly at the liquid-solid interface. By means of in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), reversible phase transitions from a nanoporous low-temperature phase to a more densely packed high-temperature phase are observed. The occurrence of the phase transition and the respective transition temperature were found to depend on the type of solvent and solute concentration. Estimates of the entropic cost and enthalpic gain upon monolayer self-assembly suggest that coadsorption of solvent molecules within the cavities of the nanoporous structure renders this polymorph thermodynamically stable at low temperatures. At elevated temperatures, however, desorption of these relatively weakly bound solvent molecules destabilizes the nanoporous polymorph, and the densely packed polymorph becomes thermodynamically favored. Interestingly, the structural phase transition provides external control over the monolayer morphology and, for the system under discussion, results in an effective opening and closing of supramolecular nanopores in a two-dimensional molecular monolayer.
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Theresienstrasse 41, 80333 Munich, Germany. rico.gutzler@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
Rico
R
Gutzler
Thomas
T
Sirtl
Jürgen F
JF
Dienstmaier
Kingsuk
K
Mahata
Wolfgang M
WM
Heckl
Michael
M
Schmittel
Markus
M
Lackinger
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D044367:Phase Transition; D016062:Porosity; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
D008567:Membranes, Artificial