Blocking of Disulfide Adsorption by Coadsorbing omega-Functionalized Alkane Thiols Revealed by Wet Stamping and Fluorescence Microscopy

When alkane thiols and disulfides coadsorb onto gold, they do not necessarily create a mixed monolayer. In particular, when thiols are terminated in groups capable of hydrogen bonding, they can altogether eliminate adsorption of disulfides. Such elimination can be observed directly by using fluorescently labeled disulfides and monitoring their adsorption (or lack of) by fluorescence microscopy. These experiments suggest a mechanism in which adsorption of thiols is facilitated by hydrogen bonding