Self-assembly of organometallic clusters onto the surface of gold

We report the preparation and characterization of thin films generated via the solution-phase self-assembly of organometallic chalcogen-containing cluster compounds onto the surface of gold. The following anionic complexes were used as thin film precursors: [Fe-3(CO)(9)E](2-) and [HFe3(CO)(9)E](-), where E=S, Se, and Te. The films were prepared by adsorption from organic solvents (i.e. methanol, acetonitrile, acetone, and dicholoromethane) onto evaporated gold and were characterized by ellipsometry, polarization-modulation infrared reflect ion-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The data demonstrate that the clusters strongly attach to gold and that the films most likely exist as bilayers rather than monolayers. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.