WFU Physics Colloquium

TITLE: Molecular dynamics within self-assembled monolayers

SPEAKER: Professor Laura I. Clarke,

TIME: Thursday Oct. 9, 2008 at 4:00 PM

PLACE: Room 101 in Olin Physical Laboratory

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are a ubiquitous tool in research and have current or proposed uses in many technological areas, including nanoparticle stabilization, commercial chromatography, and surface modification of biomaterials. However, despite their wide-spread use, few experimental investigations have addressed molecular motion within such films, due to the intrinsically small signal generated by a monolayer of molecules. In this talk, I'll discuss our experimental studies of molecular dynamics within SAMs using cryogenic, surface-specific, highly sensitive dielectric spectroscopy and the connection between this work and fundamental science, such as dipolar and physical glass transitions in a quasi-two-dimensional environment. I'll focus on dynamics within alkylsiloxane monolayers and discuss changes in molecular motion as a function of molecule type, density, film preparation technique, and thermal annealing.