The atomic force microscope as a mechano–electrochemical pen

• Christian Obermair,
• Andreas Wagner and
• Thomas Schimmel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 659–664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.70

• chemical bonds mechanically [17][18]. As the experiments have been performed under environmental conditions, especially in the presence of oxygen, the formation of a surface layer on the gold substrate involving copper oxide/hydroxide and/or other compounds such as thiols is possible. The alternative

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopic imaging of patterned thiol monolayers

• Johannes Stadler,
• Thomas Schmid,
• Lothar Opilik,
• Phillip Kuhn,
• Petra S. Dittrich and
• Renato Zenobi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 509–515, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.55

• Raman spectroscopy (TERS) was used to measure the distribution of two isomeric thiols (2-mercaptopyridine (2-PySH) and 4-mercaptopyridine (4-PySH)) in a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a gold surface. From a patterned sample created by microcontact printing, an image with full spectral information in

• the lateral resolution of TERS was not used to its full potential, but, by exploiting the signal enhancement, weak scatterers could be identified over a larger area. Thiols are used for several purposes. They can form a very thin protective layer on metal surfaces [8] or can be employed in sensorics

• [9][10]. Moreover, thiols have been suggested as components in molecular electronics [11]. Thiols are commercially available in a wide chemical diversity and can easily be linked to a variety of (bio-)molecules using simple chemistry. Thus, they may be used to pattern and functionalize entire

Recrystallization of tubules from natural lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) wax on a Au(111) surface

• Sujit Kumar Dora and
• Klaus Wandelt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 261–267, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.30

• and is a well known substrate for the study of self-assembly of a number of different organic molecules, e.g., long chain alkanes [12][13], both aliphatic and aromatic thiols [14][15][16], substituted porphyrins [17][18], substituted pyridines [19], 1-nitronapthalene [20], saccharin [21], substituted