Photoswitching behavior of azobenzene-containing alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers on Au surfaces.
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.
Jung
Ulrich
U
Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Leibnizstr. 19, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
Filinova
Olena
O
Kuhn
Sonja
S
Zargarani
Dordaneh
D
Bornholdt
Claudia
C
Herges
Rainer
R
Magnussen
Olaf
O
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
D000473:Alkanes; D001391:Azo Compounds; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D006046:Gold; C009850:azobenzene