Surface functionalization by low-energy electron processing of molecular ices

Low-energy electron processing of condensed molecular films (also called ices) is an efficient method to induce functionalization of a substrate, and thereby to modify and adjust its electronic and chemical properties. This method takes advantage of a resonant mechanism specific to low-energy electrons (by opposition to photons), the dissociative electron attachment (DEA), the key process allowing the chemical selectivity to be directly and easily controlled by the kinetic energy of the processing electrons. The functionalization procedure is described and illustrated by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) results on the induced anchoring of CH₂CN organic chains on synthetic diamond by electron irradiation at 2 eV of condensed acetonitrile. The range of application of the proposed functionalization method is worth to be extended to other organic/inorganic interfaces, such as organic layers on metallic and semiconducting substrates.