We report a study of the self-assembly of 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol monolayers on gold formed in n-hexane solution held at 60 °C for 30 min and in dark conditions. The valence band characteristics, the thickness of the layer, and the orientation of the molecules were analyzed at a synchrotron using high resolution photoelectron spectroscopy and near edge X-ray adsorption spectroscopy. These mea...

Self-assembled monolayer films based on iodobenzoyloxy-functionalized resorc[4]arenes were prepared on gold substrates to serve as model systems for future time-resolved studies of molecular recognition, a mechanism of outstanding importance in bioorganic systems. The film properties were tested using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and imaging ellipsometry...

The structure and conformation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) derived from the adsorption of a specifically designed double-chained partially fluorinated thiol having the formula 12,12,13,13,14,14,15,15,16,16,17,17,18,18,19,19,19-heptadecafluoro-2-tetradecylnona-decane-1-thiol (2) onto the surface of evaporated gold were examined by ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, polarization modu...

Azobenzene-containing compounds were covalently attached onto Si(111) surfaces via Si-O linkages using a two-step procedure. The modified Si(111) surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy measurements. The monolayer surface showed preferably chemical stability. Switchable photoisomerizability of azobenzene molecules...

We investigated the tribological interaction between polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and silicon oxide surfaces. A simple rig was designed to bring about a friction between the surfaces via sliding a piece of PTFE on a thermally oxidized silicon wafer specimen. A very mild inclination (~0.5°) along the sliding motion was also employed in order to monitor the tribological interaction in a gradual...

A theoretical and experimental study on the growth and properties of a ternary carbon-based material, CS x F y , synthesized from SF6 and C as primary precursors is reported. The synthetic growth concept was applied to model the possible species resulting from the fragmentation of SF6 molecules and the recombination of S-F fragments with atomic C. The possible species were further evaluated for...

Through the use of ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) and a single-sided solid oxide electrochemical cell (SOC), we have studied the mechanism of electrocatalytic splitting of water (H2O + 2e(-) → H2 + O(2-)) and electro-oxidation of hydrogen (H2 + O(2-) → H2O + 2e(-)) at ∼700 °C in 0.5 Torr of H2/H2O on ceria (CeO2-x) electrodes. The experiments reveal a transient build-...

BACKGROUND Xylan has been identified as a physical barrier which limits cellulose accessibility by covering the outer surface of fibers and interfibrillar space. Therefore, tracking xylan is a prerequisite for understanding and optimizing lignocellulosic biomass processes. RESULTS In this study, we developed a novel xylan tracking approach using a two-domain probe called OC15 which consists o...

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) have been electrochemically prepared in situ and in vacuo using two different electrochemical device configurations, containing an ionic liquid (IL), N-N-diethyl-N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)ammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, that serves both as reaction and as stabilizing media for the NPs. It was observed in both devices that Au NPs were created using an an...

To investigate the difference of surface oxygen element and oxygen-containing functional groups among coal dusts with different metamorphic degrees and their influence on surface wettability, a series of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments on 6 coal samples are carried out. The result demonstrates that the O/C ratio of coal surface shows an overall increasing trend compared with the re...