Structure–property relationships for methyl-terminated alkyl self-assembled monolayers

Structure–property relationships for methyl-terminated alkyl self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are developed using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). NEXAFS C K-edge spectra are used to compute the dichroic ratio, which provides a quantitative measure of the molecular structure. AFM data are analyzed with an elastic adhesive contact model, modified by a first-order elastic perturbation method to include substrate effects, to extract the monolayer mechanical properties. Using this approach, the measured mechanical properties are not influenced by the substrate, which allows universal structure–property relationships to be developed for methyl-terminated alkyl SAMs.