In Situ Dynamic Monitoring of Electrochemical Oxidative Adsorption and Reductive Desorption Processes of a Self-Assembled Monolayer of Hexanethiol on a Au(111) Surface in KOH Ethanol Solution by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Abstract

Electrochemical oxidative formation and reductive desorption processes of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of hexanethiol on a Au(111) surface in KOH ethanol solutions containing various concentrations of hexanethiol were investigated by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy in real time. The generation and disappearance of vacancy islands (VIs), corresponding to the formation and desorption of the SAM, respectively, were observed as anodic and cathodic current, respectively, flowed when the thiol concentration was higher than ca. 1 microM. When the VIs disappeared after the reductive desorption of the SAMs, the herringbone structure corresponding to the (radical3 x 23) structure of Au(111), was observed on the surface, indicating that a clean reconstructed surface was exposed even in the hexanethiol ethanol solution. During both oxidative adsorption and reductive desorption of the SAMs, the shape of the steps of the gold substrate changed drastically and the step lines became parallel to the 121 direction of the Au(111) surface, suggesting that gold atoms on the surface were extremely mobile during these processes. The coalescence of adjacent vacancy islands and growth of larger islands triangular in shape accompanied with the disappearance of nearby smaller islands were observed, confirming that the VIs grew according to the Ostward ripening model.