Self-Assembled Monolayers for Diagnostics & Sensing
Process Measurements Divsion, Process Sensing Group
In this project self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are being investigated as model systems to develop fundamental, quantitative knowledge of a variety of diagnostic and
sensing reactions of ultrathin films. Ultrathin film measurement methods are also being developed to correlate molecular-scale structure of SAMs with their diagnostic and sensing performance.
Most of the work in this project has focused on alkanethiol monolayers self-assembled on gold surfaces.
Alkanethiol molecules chemisorb on gold surfaces through the thiol headgroup to reproducibly form densely-packed, robust, often crystalline monolayer films.
The surface chemical and physical properties of the monolayer films are controlled precisely by varying the terminal chemical functionality of the alkanethiol molecule.
Desired molecular recognition properties can be imparted to a SAM for sensing applications by proper selection of the alkanethiol terminal functional group.
