Surface Characterization of Adamantylethyltrichlorosilane (AdSi) Coatings on Aluminum

. Surface characterization techniques were used to evaluate adamantylethyltrichlorosilane (AdSi) as a potential coating to provide surface protection or as an initiator for diamond-like thin films. FT-IR and FT-Raman results indicate that, after formation and heating, the coating system has developed a cross-linked siloxane network. Quartz crystal microbalance and contact angle measurements were used to monitor the adsorption rates and the effect coverage of AdSi on oxidized aluminum (Al) surfaces. A concentration-dependent adsorption rate from hexane and ethanol/acetic acid solutions was observed. It was also evident that multilayer formation was occurring, probably due to the highly reactive chlorosilane functional groups.