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N-Heterocyclic carbene-based gold etchants
N-Heterocyclic carbene-based gold etchants
- Source :
- Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 865-871 (2023)
- Publication Year :
- 2023
- Publisher :
- Beilstein-Institut, 2023.
-
Abstract
- N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are an emerging alternative to thiols for the formation of stable self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold. We examined several different species that have been used to produce NHC-based monolayers on gold, namely 1,3-diisopropyl-5-nitrobenzimidazolium iodide, 1,3-diisopropyl-5-nitrobenzimidazolium hydrogen carbonate, bis(1,3-diisopropyl-5-nitrobenzimidazolium)gold(I) iodide, and 1,3-diisopropyl-5-nitrobenzimidazole-2-ylidene. Contrary to expectation, solutions containing the first two species in tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane caused visible loss of gold from thin-film-coated glass slides. The use of toluene solutions of all species resulted in no apparent dissolution of gold. We present scanning electron micrographs and elemental imaging analyses by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to examine the effect of solutions of each species on the gold film. This work highlights the risk of unwanted etching during some routes to NHC-based surface functionalization but also the potential for deliberate etching, with the outcome determined by choice of chemically synthesized organic species and solvent.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 21904286
- Volume :
- 14
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.1f72e0fb2e474a18bffa420be67c15ba
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.14.71