Nanoadhesion on rigid methyl-terminated biphenyl thiol monolayers: a high-rate dynamic force spectroscopy study.
Nanoadhesion on a self-assembled monolayer of 4-methyl-4'-mercaptobiphenyl is measured using a modified atomic force microscope. The dependence of the adhesion force on the loading rate is analyzed with the Dudko-Hummer-Szabo model, and the kinetic and interaction potential parameters for a single terminal group are extracted. The energy and location of the activation barrier suggest that the adhesion is dominated by van der Waals dispersion forces. The humidity effect on the nanoadhesion is also studied. The results are compared with previously measured values for methyl-terminated alkane thiols and the influence of the thiol rigidity on the adhesion force is discussed.
Institute of Physics, Poznan University of Technology, Nieszawska 13A, PL-60965 Poznan, Poland.
Hubert
H
Gojzewski
Michael
M
Kappl
Gunnar
G
Kircher
Wojciech
W
Koczorowski
Hans-Jürgen
HJ
Butt
Arkadiusz
A
Ptak