Nitro-substituted arene sulfenyl chlorides as precursors to the formation of aromatic SAMs.

The formation of aromatic SAMs on Au(111) using three nitro-substituted arene sulfenyl chlorides (4-nitrophenyl sulfenyl chloride (1), 2-nitrophenyl sulfenyl chloride (2), and 2,4-dinitrophenyl sulfenyl chloride (3)) is studied. The formation of SAMs and their quality are investigated as a function of the position of the nitro substituent(s) on the aromatic ring. The modified surfaces are characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PMIRRAS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results show that all three compounds are deposited on Au within very short times. The corresponding coverages are determined using CV. However, only compound 1 forms stable, long-range, well-ordered SAMs. The 4-nitrophenyl thiolate is adsorbed nearly vertically on the Au surface. Compounds 2 and 3 both form lower-quality SAMs where the adsorbed nitro-phenyl thiolates are more tilted. These SAMs are less stable than the ones obtained with the 4-nitrosubsituted precursor and decompose with time, leaving only sulfur on the gold surface.