Effect of molecular binding to a semiconductor on metal/molecule/semiconductor junction behavior

Diodes made by (indirectly) evaporating Au on a monolayer of molecules that are adsorbed chemically onto GaAs, via either disulfide or dicarboxylate groups, show roughly linear but opposite dependence of their effective barrier height on the dipole moment of the molecules. We explain this by Au-molecule (electrical) interactions not only with the exposed end groups of the molecule but also with its binding groups. We arrive at this conclusion by characterizing the interface by in situ UPS-XPS, ex situ XPS, TOF-SIMS, and Kelvin probe measurements, by scanning microscopy of the surfaces, and by current-voltage measurements of the devices. While there is a very limited interaction of Au with the dicarboxylic binding groups, there is a much stronger interaction with the disulfide groups. We suggest that these very different interactions lead to different (growth) morphologies of the evaporated gold layer, resulting in opposite effects of the molecular dipole on the junction barrier height.     

Energy level alignment at organic semiconductor/metal interfaces: effect of polar self-assembled monolayers at the interface

We determined the shifts in the energy levels of approximately 15 nm thick poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] films deposited on various substrates including self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified Au surfaces using photoelectron spectroscopy. As the unmodified substrates included Au, indium tin oxide, Si (with native oxide), and Al (with native oxide), a systematic shift in the detected energy levels of the organic semiconductor was observed to follow the work function values of the substrates. Furthermore, we used polar SAMs to alter the work function of the Au substrates. This suggests the opportunity to control the energy level positions of the organic semiconductor with respect to the electrode Fermi level. Photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that, by introducing SAMs on the Au surface, we successfully increased and decreased the effective work function of Au surface. We found that in this case, the change in the effective work function of the metal surface was not reflected as a shift in the energy levels of the organic semiconductor, as opposed to the results achieved with different substrate materials. Our study showed that when a substrate is modified by SAMs (or similarly by any adsorbed molecules), a new effective work function value is achieved; however, it does not necessarily imply that the new modified surface will behave similar to a different metal where the work function is equal to the effective work function of the modified surface. Various models and their possible contribution to this result are discussed.     

Measurements of electron-transfer rates of charge-storage molecular monolayers on Si(100). Toward hybrid molecular/semiconductor information storage devices

Redox kinetics were measured for two electroactive molecules attached to Si(100) surfaces, a ferrocene (Fc-BzOH) and a Zn(II) trimesitylporphyrin (Por-BzOH). Each molecule was derivatized with a benzyl alcohol linker for attachment to the Si surface via the formation of a Si-O bond. A complete protocol was developed for the preparation of stable Si(100) surfaces derivatized with the electroactive molecules. The redox-kinetic measurements were performed on the resulting Fc-BzOH and Por-BzOH monolayers to probe (1) the rate of electron transfer (k0) for oxidation in the presence of applied potentials and (2) the rate of charge dissipation after the applied potential is disconnected (in the form of a charge-retention half-life t1/2). The k0 values for the two types of monolayers were found to be similar to one another as were the t1/2 values. Perhaps more importantly, the electron-transfer rates for both the Fc-BzOH and the Por-BzOH monolayers differ from the charge-dissipation rates by approximately 6 orders of magnitude and are strongly dependent on the surface concentration of the electroactive species. For the Por-BzOH monolayers on Si(100), the k0 and t1/2 values and their trends as a function of surface coverage were determined to be similar to those previously measured for the analogous thiol-derivatized molecule assembled on Au(111). In contrast, the Fc-BzOH monolayers on Si(100) were found to exhibit much slower electron-transfer and charge-dissipation rates than those in the corresponding thiol-Au(111) case. Two alternative hypotheses are advanced to explain both the diminution in rates with increased surface coverage and the contrasting behavior with the analogous thiols on Au, one based on space-charge effects at the monolayer-solution interface, and a second relying on changes in distance of the redox centers from the surface as modulated by the orientation of the linking chains. Collectively, the ability to prepare and study stable, electroactive molecular media on Si(100) is likely to be key in the development of hybrid molecular/semiconductor devices.     

Ratiometric,filter-free optical sensor based on a complementary metal oxide semiconductor buried double junction photodiode

We report a complementary metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuit (CMOS IC) with a buried double junction (BDJ) photodiode that (i) provides a real-time output signal that is related to the intensity ratio at two emission wavelengths and (ii) simultaneously eliminates the need for an optical filter to block Rayleigh scatter. We demonstrate the BDJ platform performance for gaseous NH₃ and aqueous pH detection. We also compare the BDJ performance to parallel results obtained by using a slew scanned fluorimeter (SSF). The BDJ results are functionally equivalent to the SSF results without the need for any wavelength filtering or monochromators and the BDJ platform is not prone to errors associated with source intensity fluctuations or sensor signal drift.     

Controlling the properties of self-assembled monolayers by substrate curvature

Properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be tailored by the curvature of the underlying surface. This is so because on a curved support the density of SAM headgroups is always smaller than that of the surface-attachment sites. This density difference increases with increasing curvature and is most pronounced for SAMs formed on nanoscopic particles. This Perspective describes systems in which nanoscale curvature causes pronounced changes in the pK(a) of acid-presenting SAMs or in the electrochemical potential of redox-active molecules (including supramolecular "switches") attached to nanoparticles. It is suggested that in nanoparticles having regions of different curvature these geometrical differences can translate into site-selective charging; such "patchy" particles could be used as building blocks of pH-sensitive assemblies.     

Surface-bound porphyrazines: controlling reduction potentials of self-assembled monolayers through molecular proximity/orientation to a metal surface

We report the preparation of two novel H2[pz(An;B(4-n))] porphyrazines (pzs) which were designed to position themselves quite differently when attached to a surface: one to form a standard self-assembled monolayer (SAM) roughly perpendicular to a surface, the other to lie horizontally along a surface. As the former, we synthesized a pz, 1, where one pyrrole group is functionalized with two thioethers terminated in mercaptides (SR, R = (CH2)3CONH(CH2)2S-), each protected as a disulfide, and -S-Me is attached to the other pyrrole sites; the latter is a pz, 2, with dialkoxybenzo groups fused to two trans-pyrroles of the pz ring, and SR groups are attached to the other pair of pyrroles. Nanostructures of 1 and 2 were successfully patterned on gold surfaces via dip-pen nanolithography, and the predicted molecular orientation of the resulting structures was confirmed by topographic AFM images. The two pzs exhibit similar reduction potentials in solution. Both show large shifts in potential upon surface binding, with the magnitude of the shift depending on the proximity/orientation of the pz to the surface. The first reduction potential of the "vertically" aligned 1 shifts by ca. +430 mV when incorporated in a binary pz/hexanethiol SAM, while that for 2, which lies flat, shifts by ca. +800 mV; the potential thus shifts by ca. +370 mV upon taking a given pz that stands atop a two-legged insulating "standoff" in a traditional SAM and "laying it down". We suggest these observed effects can be explained by image-charge energetics, and this is supported by a simple model.     

Molecular monolayer-mediated control over semiconductor surfaces: evidence for molecular depolarization of silane monolayers on Si/SiO(x)

We show that, for molecules with particularly strong dipoles, their organization into a monomolecular layer can lead to depolarization, something that limits the range over which the substrate's work function can be changed. It appears that, with molecules, depolarization is achieved by changes in orientation and conformation, rather than by charge transfer to the substrate as is common for atomic layers.     

Surface potential switching by metal ion complexation/decomplexation using bipyridinethiolate monolayers on gold

Surface potential switching on gold(111) surfaces is induced by complexation/decomplexation reactions of a bipyridine (BP) derivative and palladium(II) chloride, as observed by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM). On the basis of the theoretical predictions, a 4-(5-phenylethynyl-2,2'-bipyridine-5'-yl-ethynyl)benzenethiol (PhBP) derivative was synthesized and used as an active monolayer to catch transition metal ions. By using the microcontact printing (CP) technique, micron-size patterned PhBP monolayers, which act as effective hosts to coordinate palladium(II) chloride, were prepared on gold(111) surfaces. The KFM signal decreases by complexation of the Pd(II) chloride in PhBP monolayers and is recovered by removal of Pd ions using an ethylenediamine solution, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This process is reversible, indicating that the surface potential switching is realized by complexation/decomplexation of Pd(II). A CP PhBP monolayer, when it detects the target palladium ion, shows sensitivity for the picomolar level detection judged from surface potential changes in KFM measurements. The dipole moment estimated by the surface potentials is much smaller than the calculated value, indicating that mechanisms for the reduction of the surface dipole moment exist in real monolayers prepared by the CP method.     

Radiation damage to alkyl chain monolayers on semiconductor substrates investigated by electron spectroscopy

Monolayers of alkyl chains, attached through direct Si-C bonds to Si(111), via phosphonates to GaAs(100) surfaces, or deposited as alkyl-silane monolayers on SiO2, are investigated by ultraviolet and inverse photoemission spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from a He discharge lamp, or to a beam of energetic electrons, leads to significant damage, presumably associated with radiation- or electron-induced H-abstraction leading to carbon-carbon double-bond formation in the alkyl monolayer. The damage results in an overall distortion of the valence spectrum, in the appearance of (occupied) states above the highest occupied molecular orbital of the alkyl molecule, and in a characteristic (unoccupied state) pi resonance at the edge of the carbon absorption peak. These distortions present a serious challenge for the interpretation of the electronic structure of the monolayer system. We show that extrapolation to zero damage at short exposure times eliminates extrinsic features and allows a meaningful extraction of the density of state of the pristine monolayer from spectroscopy measurements.     

Controlled modulation of conductance in silicon devices by molecular monolayers

We have controllably modulated the drain current (I(D)) and threshold voltage (V(T)) in pseudo metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) by grafting a monolayer of molecules atop oxide-free H-passivated silicon surfaces. An electronically controlled series of molecules, from strong pi-electron donors to strong pi-electron acceptors, was covalently attached onto the channel region of the transistors. The device conductance was thus systematically tuned in accordance with the electron-donating ability of the grafted molecules, which is attributed to the charge transfer between the device channel and the molecules. This surface grafting protocol might serve as a useful method for controlling electronic characteristics in small silicon devices at future technology nodes.     

Controlling molecular weight distributions of polyethylene by combining soluble metallocene/MAO catalysts

A critical look at the possibility of controlling the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of polyolefins by combining metallocene/methylalumoxane (MAO) catalysts is offered. Catalysts investigated were bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride (Cp₂ZrCl₂), its titanium and hafnium analogues (Cp₂TiCl₂ and Cp₂HfCl₂), as well as rac-ethylenebis(indenyl)zirconium dichloride (Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂). As observed by other researchers, the MWD of polyethylene can be manipulated by combining soluble catalysts, which on their own produce polymer with narrow MWD but with different average molecular weights. Combined in slurry polymerization reactors, the catalysts in consideration produce ethylene homopolymer just as they would independently. Unimodal or bimodal MWDs can be obtained. This effect can be mimicked by blending polymers produced by the individual catalysts. We demonstrate how a variability in catalyst activity translates into a variability in MWD when mixing soluble catalysts in polymerization. Such a variability in MWD must be considered when setting goals for MWD control. We introduce a more quantitative approach to controlling the MWD using this method. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 831–840, 1998     

Approaching charge balance in organic light-emitting diodes by tuning charge injection barriers with mixed monolayers

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of binary mixtures of 1-butylphosphonic acid and the trifluoromethyl-terminated analogue (4,4,4-trifluoro-1-butylphosphonic acid) were formed on ITO surfaces to tune the work function of ITO over a range of 5.0 to 5.75 eV by varying the mixing ratio of the two adsorbents. The mixed SAM-modified ITO surfaces were used as the anode in the fabrication of OLED devices with a configuration of ITO/SAM/HTL/Alq3/MX/Al, where HTL was the NPB or BPAPF hole-transporting layer and MX was the LiF or Cs(2)CO(3) injection layer. It was shown that, depending on the HTL or MX used, the maximum device current and the maximum luminance efficiency occurred with anodes of different modifications because of a shift in the point of hole/electron carrier balance. This provides information on the charge balance in the device and points to the direction to improve the performance.     

Promotion of deep tunneling through molecular barriers by electronic-nuclear coupling

Deep electronic tunneling through molecular barriers in donor-bridge-acceptor complexes is studied using an analytically solvable model. The effective tunneling matrix element is formulated as a sum over vibronic tunneling pathways. For a symmetric system the frequency of tunneling oscillations is shown to increase with the strength of electronic-nuclear coupling at the bridge, the number of electronic-nuclear coupling sites, or the frequency of a bridge vibration. Acceleration by several orders of magnitude is demonstrated within the range of realistic molecular parameters.     

Collective molecular precession induced by rotating illumination in photosensitive langmuir monolayers

Langmuir monolayers of an amphiphilic azobenzene derivative exhibit easily perturbable mesophases with long-range orientational order that couples strongly to linearly polarized light, resulting in symmetric photoaligned textures. Controlled rotation of the polarization plane induces continuous collective precession of the molecular field, which reveals the shear-thinning nature of the surface rotational viscosity. The dynamics is controlled by a balance between the strength of the optical coupling and viscous dissipation so that an increase in the rotational velocity results in a dampening of the synchronous anharmonic oscillations of the orientational field, as revealed by a space-time analysis of the Brewster angle microscopy images.     

Electrocatalysis by foreign metal monolayers: Oxidation of formic acid on palladium

Catalytic effects of foreign metal monolayers deposited at underpotentials have been found for the oxidation of formic acid on palladium electrode. Palladium is known to form no poisoning species in oxidation of HCOOH. However, the auto-inhibition of the reaction is found, caused most probably by a species _xC_x(OH)₂. Submonolayer amounts of Pb, Bi, Cd, Tl, Ag and Cu electrosorbed at underpotentials exhibited significant catalytic effects which could be explained by the so-called “third-body” effect in terms of a previously published semiquattitative model. The results have bearing on the understanding of the catalytic effects observed under comparable conditions on platinum and rhodium. Since these effects are orders of magnitude larger than those on palladium, the “third-body” effect probably plays only a minor role at the other two noble metals.     

Electrocatalysis by foreign metal monolayers: Oxidation of formic acid on platinum

It was demonstrated that some foreign metal monolayers formed by underpotential deposition have pronounced catalytic effects on the oxidation of formic acid on platinum. The explanation of these effects was sought within the framewor of existing data on the formic acid oxidation and the underpotential deposition. It was found that the catalytic effect of foreign metal monolayers originates in the decrease of hydrogen adsorption thus preventing the formation of the main poisoning species COH. At the same time these experiments confirm the previously postulated mechanism of formation of the poisoning species involving adsorbed hydrogen.     

Polymer microgels: reactors for semiconductor, metal, and magnetic nanoparticles

We report a strategy for the production of materials with structural hierarchy. The approach employs polymer microgels as templates for the synthesis of semiconductor, metal, or magnetic nanoparticles (NPs). We show that NPs with predetermined dimensions and size-dependent properties can be synthesized by using a very delicate balance between the reaction conditions, the composition and the structure of microgel templates, and the concentration of NPs in the microgel. Postheat treatment of microgels doped with semiconductor nanoparticles reduces NP polydispersity and allows control of their photoluminescence. Microgel templates are particularly beneficial in the synthesis of polymer microspheres heavily loaded with monodisperse superparamagnetic Fe(3)O(4) NPs. Hybrid submicrometer-size microgels have promising potential applications in photonics, catalysis, and separation technologies.     

Electrochemical fabrication of metal/organic/metal junctions for molecular electronics and sensing applications

A simple electrochemical approach was used for fabricating electrode/metal nanowire/(molecule or polymer)/electrode junctions for sensing or molecular electronics applications. The procedure for fabricating these molecule-based devices involves electropolymerization of phenol or chemisorption of alkanethiols on one set of electrodes (E1) and electrodeposition of Ag metal nano/microwires on a second electrode (E2) which is ～5 μm away from E1. Under appropriate deposition conditions, Ag nanowires grow from E2 and cross over to E1, forming a E1/(molecule or polymer)/Ag nanowire (NW)/E2 junction. The junction resistance was controlled by (1) electrodepositing polyphenol of varied densities on E1 and (2) assembling alkanethiols of different chain lengths on E1. Ag NWs at high resistance E1/polyphenol/Ag NW/E2 junctions functionalized with Pd monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) responded fast and reversibly to H(2) concentrations as low as 0.11% in a nitrogen carrier gas by a resistance decrease, likely due to volume expansion of the Pd nanoparticles, demonstrating the use of these electrochemically fabricated junctions for gas sensing applications.     

Plasmonic metal/semiconductor hybrid nanomaterials for solar to chemical energy conversion

Plasmonic nanomaterials are sources of light,heat and electrons at nanometer scale.Given the outstand-ing performance in harvesting and converting solar energy ...     

Interfacial molecular recognition of dissolved thymine by medium chain dialkyl melamine-type monolayers

Systems consisting of an amphiphilic melamine-type monolayer and a pyrimidine derivative dissolved in the aqueous subphase are good candidates for the formation of interfacial supramolecular assemblies by molecular recognition of hydrogen-bond nonsurface-active species. In the present work, the change in the thermodynamic, phase, and structural properties as a result of molecular recognition of dissolved thymine by 2,4-di(n-undecylamino)-6-amino-1,3,5-triazine (2 C11H23-melamine) monolayers is studied. The combination of surface pressure studies with Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) imaging and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) measurements is optimal for the characterization of the change in structure and phase behavior at the interfacial recognition process. The molecular recognition of the nonsurface-active thymine dissolved in aqueous subphase changes drastically the characteristic features (surface pressure-area isotherms, morphology of the condensed phase domains) of the 2 C11H23-melamine monolayer. It is demonstrated that the kinetics of the recognition process affect largely the main characteristics (phase behavior, morphology of the condensed phase domains) of the interfacial system. The monolayers of 2 C11H23-melamine-thymine assemblies form dumbbell-shaped condensed phase domains not yet observed in other Langmuir monolayers so far. GIXD results show that the molecular recognition of thymine causes only quantitative changes in the two-dimensional lattice structure. Complementary hydrogen bonding of two thymine molecules by one 2 C11H23-melamine molecule is concluded from the chemical structure of both components. Additional information about the nature of the hydrogen bonding on the basis of supramolecular assemblies is obtained by using the quantum chemical PM3 approximation. Energy and lengths of the hydrogen bonds of the optimized thymine-2 C11H23-melamine-thymine structure are calculated.