Spectroscopic Characterization and Modeling of Methyl- and Hydrogen-Terminated Oligo (ethylene glycol) Self-Assembled Monolayers

Two series of oligo (ethylene glycol) (OEG) thiol compounds HS-(CH2CH2O)nR with R = CH3, H and n = 5, 6, 7, have been synthesized and used to form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold. The data from null ellipsometry, infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy and ab initio calculations of this type of OH- and CH3-terminated OEG SAMs are used to examine the rarely addressed in-SAM orientation of oligo (ethylene glycols) and to provide detailed assignments of infrared bands in the fingerprint and CH-stretching regions. Based on these results, a new spectral band has been observed at 2947 cm-1 and identified by the firstprinciple calculations as localized vibrations that are specific for hydrogen-terminated OEG thiolate SAMs. This band can be used as an indicator of a high crystalline like ordering. It is further more stressed that theory agrees with the experimentally obtained CH-stretching spectra remarkably well if, and only if, the OEG helix axis within studied SAMs is tilted by about 20o with respect to the surface normal.