DIRECT OBSERVATION OF LONG-CHAIN ALKANE BILAYER FILMS ON GRAPHITE BY SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPY

The interface between a solution of hexatriacontane (n-C36H74) in decane and the basal plane of graphite has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy at room temperature. For the first time, we show that a second layer which is rotated by 60-degrees with respect to the first layer may grow at the interface. We demonstrate that the carbon skeleton of the molecule is parallel to the graphite surface. We propose a model for the arrangement of the molecular layers and an explanation for the origin of the second layer rotation.