Preparation of 1,3,5-trithia-2,4,6-triazapentalenyl films on gold surfaces

Thin films of 1,3,5-trithia-2,4,6-triazapentalenyl (TTTA) were prepared on gold surfaces by “dry” and “wet” processes and were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. Vacuum deposition and self-assembly method were used as dry and wet processes, respectively. In the dry process, the S 2p XPS spectra show the formation of SAu bond between TTTA molecules and gold surfaces. In addition, UPS measurements revealed that TTTA molecules are closely packed without decomposition. In the wet process, the adsorption kinetics monitored by SPR indicates that TTTA molecules are strongly bound to gold surfaces. The thickness of TTTA films from ethanol and hexane solutions was 1.3 nm and 1.8 nm, respectively, which suggests multilayer formation.