Molecular orientation of organic thin films on dielectric solid substrates: a phase-sensitive vibrational SFG study

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2015 Jul 21;17(27):18072-8. doi: 10.1039/c5cp02702k.

Abstract

Broadband phase-sensitive vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy was utilized to study the molecular orientation of molecules adsorbed on dielectric solid substrates. A gold thin film was employed to generate a SFG signal as a local oscillator (LO). To simplify the phase measurement, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) was used as a standard sample for phase correction of the phase-sensitive SFG measurements on the solid/air interface. It was demonstrated that the absolute orientation of molecules in the LB films on a fused quartz surface can be clearly distinguished by phase-sensitive SFG measurement. In addition, the observation on the SAM of d35-OTS reveals that the two C-H stretching modes for α-CH2 group are in opposite phase. Furthermore, by using the present phase-sensitive SFG setup, the orientation flipping of water molecules on positively and negatively charged solid/liquid interface can be distinguished.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air
  • Electrolytes / chemistry
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Silanes / chemistry*
  • Spectrophotometry, Infrared
  • Surface Properties
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Electrolytes
  • Silanes
  • Water
  • octadecyltrichlorosilane
  • Gold