Colliding Self-Assembly Waves in Organosilane Monolayers

Author(s)

K Efimenko, Ali Ozcam, Jan Genzer, Daniel A. Fischer, Frederick R. Phelan Jr., Jack F. Douglas

Abstract

Colliding autocatalytic wave-fronts of organosilane (OS) layer self-assembly are generated through the controlled positioning of sources of the volatile OS material at the edges of a silica wafer and through adjustment of the container dimensions in which the wafer-source system is placed. The concentration profiles and molecular orientation of the OSs of colliding wave-fronts are assessed by means of combinatorial near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. For systems involving waves made of the same OS precursor (homogeneous systems), the shapes and positions of both fronts on the surface are centro-symmetrical. In contrast, heterogeneous systems, involving OSs having different chemistries and head-groups, exhibit highly non-symmetrical concentration profiles on the substrate. We discuss effects relevant to understanding these wave-front collision phenomena.

Citation

Soft Matter Gradient Surfaces: Methods & Applications

Publisher Info

Wiley, New York, NY

Pub Type

Books

Keywords

fluctuation-induced interfacial broadening, frontal self-assembly, mean-field Fisher Kolmogorov equation, reaction diffusion fronts, self-assembled monolayers

Citation

Efimenko, K. , Ozcam, A. , Genzer, J. , Fischer, D. , Phelan, F. and Douglas, J. (1970), Colliding Self-Assembly Waves in Organosilane Monolayers, Wiley, New York, NY (Accessed October 11, 2025)