Anchoring of sulfur-containing alkylphosphonic and semifluorinated alkylphosphonic molecules on a polycrystalline aluminum substrate

• Published in: Surface and interface analysis Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 85 - 96
• Main Authors: Fonder, G., Delhalle, J., Essahli, M., Ameduri, B., Mekhalif, Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-02-2008; Wiley
• Subjects: aluminum; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; electrochemical polarization curves; Electron and ion emission by liquids and solids; impact phenomena; Exact sciences and technology; Infrared and Raman spectra; Infrared and raman spectra and scattering; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Photoemission and photoelectron spectra; Physics; PM-IRRAS; self-assembled monolayers; Self-assembly; sulfur-containing alkylphosphonic acids; XPS; Polarization diagram; electrochemical polarization curves; Pinning; Surface treatments; sulfur-containingalkylphosphonicacids; Aluminium; Infrared spectra; aluminum; Self-assembly; Reflection spectrum; PM-IRRAS; self-assembledmonolayers; Cleavage; XPS; Phosphonic acid derivatives; Absorption spectra; X-ray photoelectron spectra
• ISSN: 0142-2421; 1096-9918
• DOI: 10.1002/sia.2762

Self‐assembly on a polycrystalline aluminum substrate of two sulfur‐containing alkylphosphonic acids, CH3(CH2)11S (CH2)2PO(OH)2, and CF3(CF2)7(CH2)2S(CH2)2PO(OH)2, has been compared with CH3(CH2)15PO(OH)2. The reaction of the phosphonic head groups with the hydroxyls at the alumina surface to form phosphonates was studied with X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and polarization modulation infrared reflection‐absorption spectroscopy (PM‐IRRAS). Barrier effects of the resulting layers was assessed by electrochemical polarization curves. With the conditions used in the present work for the self‐assembly reaction, it appears that the sulfur‐containing molecules do not perform as well as CH3(CH2)15PO(OH)2 in terms of film quality. Questions are raised about the possibility that the sulfur‐containing molecules could undergo cleavage during surface modification. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.