Exposure of a Au(111) surface to ethynylbenzene in solution leads to the formation of a bound monolayer. A chemisorption process occurs to give a stable layer consisting of oxygen-containing hydrocarbon species. Ethynylbenzene itself does not oxidize under the deposition conditions indicating that the gold surface facilitates the oxidation process. Calculations show that ethynylbenzene and its oxidation products phenylacetic acid and phenyloxirane have positive binding energies to the gold surface. 1,4-Diethynylbenzene also binds to Au(111) and anchors gold nanoparticles deposited from solution to form dense, semiregular arrays.

Ethynylbenzene monolayers on gold surfaces form stable, oxygen-containing hydrocarbon layers that facilitate the oxidation process and anchor gold nanoparticles.

Paper

Ethynylbenzene monolayers on gold: a metal-molecule binding motif derived from a hydrocarbon.

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