Functional organotrimethoxysilane derivative with strong intermolecular pi-pi interaction: one-pot grafting reaction on oxidized silicon substrates

Although the fabrication of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on an oxidized silicon substrate with special functionality is an important topic for various applications, it is still very difficult to obtain a densely grafted monolayer. With a newly synthesized organotrimethoxysilane containing a 1-cyano-1,2-bisbiphenyl-ethylene (CNMBE) moiety which provides a strong pi-pi intermolecular interaction, an SAM of well-ordered structure is readily obtained by a one-pot grafting reaction under mild conditions. The aggregation process of the CNMBE moiety, which induced a close packing of organosilane on the substrate, was visually monitored by the fluorescence of the monolayer grafted on quartz.