Influence of reconstruction on the structure of self-assembled normal-alkane monolayers on Au(111) surfaces

Ordered normal-alkane monolayers of lamellar structures are found to form in the interface between alkane solutions and the reconstructed Au (111) surfaces. The boundaries of the lamellae may exhibit a zigzag shape. In the alkane monolayers, two kinds of packing of the alkane molecules are observed. The packing patterns are correlated to the structure of the gold surface and the molecular lengths of the alkanes. The orientation of alkane molecules is gently disturbed by the reconstructed gold ridges. Furthermore, the lamellar boundaries are located on the elbow positions of the reconstructed gold surfaces for long-chain alkanes. These results demonstrate that the structures of self-assembled monolayers of normal alkanes are sensitive to the structures of the Au (111) surfaces.