title: Photoswitching behavior of azobenzene-containing alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers on Au surfaces.
abstract: The photoisomerization of self-assembled monolayers of azobenzene-containing alkanethiols, as well as of mixed monolayers of these substances with n-alkanethiol spacer molecules on Au surfaces, was studied by photoelectrochemical measurements and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. A strong dependence on the molecular structure of the adsorbates was found, specifically on the linker between the azobenzene moiety and the alkanethiol: while molecules with an amide group were photoinactive, those with an ether group exhibited pronounced, reversible photoisomerization in pure and mixed adlayers. Both trans-cis and cis-trans isomerization followed first-order kinetics with time constants that suggest high quantum efficiencies for these processes.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Leibnizstr. 19, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Olena
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Filinova
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Dordaneh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zargarani
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bornholdt
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herges
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Magnussen
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010316:Particle Size; D010777:Photochemistry; D011789:Quantum Theory; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D001391:Azo Compounds; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D006046:Gold; C009850:azobenzene