Inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy of silane coupling agents

Inelastic electron tunnelling (IET) spectra are reported and assigned for some trialkoxysilanes adsorbed on aluminium oxide. Spectra of the triethoxysilanes have many common features, and there is some evidence that these compounds are attached to the oxide surface by their ethoxy groups. There are differences in the trimethoxysilane spectra which may be due to a reaction at the oxide surface during junction preparation