Dispersion Interactions Enable the Self-Directed Growth of Linear Alkane Nanostructures Covalently Bound to Silicon

• DOI: 10.1021/ja0460007
• Publication Date: 2004-12-08T05:52:47Z
• Authors: Gino A. DiLabio; Paul G. Piva; Peter Kruse; Robert A. Wolkow
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Current interest in methods for controllably adding organic molecules to silicon surfaces relates proposed hybrid silicon-organic devices. It was recently shown that a "self-directed" growth process, requiring only limited scanned probe intervention, has the potential permit rapid, parallel production of ordered molecular nanostructures on with predefined absolute position, structure, composition, and extent growth. The organic-silicon structures formed are bound by strong covalent interactions. In this work, we use scanning tunneling microscopy density functional theory techniques show molecule-surface dispersion interactions enable process play crucial role final configurations nanostructures.