Self-assembled monolayer of o-aminothiophenol on Fe(1 1 0) surface: a combined study by electrochemistry, in situ STM, and molecular simulations

Electrochemical measurements, in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observation, and molecular mechanics (MM) simulations were performed to study the physiochemical properties such as the corrosion-inhibition effect and the optimal packing structure of o-aminothiophenol (OATP) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formed on Fe(1 1 0) surface in 0.1 M NaClO₄ solution. The formation of OATP SAMs drastically depressed the Faradaic processes at the Fe(1 1 0) surface and reduced the electrical double-layer capacitance at the electrode/electrolyte interface, revealing the anticorrosion property and the blocking behavior of OATP adlayers. Two-dimensional ordered molecular arrays of OATP on Fe(1 1 0) surface with a p(2 × 2) commensurate structure were observed by STM measurements. MM calculations showed that the p(2 × 2) packing pattern is indeed the preferable structure for OATP molecules adsorbed on Fe(1 1 0), in accordance with STM experiments. The OATP SAM on Fe(1 1 0) is ≈0.50 nm in thickness and with a dielectric constant of ∼7.0.