Decomposition of alkanethiols adsorbed on Au (1 1 1) at low temperature

The adsorption and desorption of butanethiol (CH3(CH2)3SH: C4), hexanethiol (CH3(CH2)5SH: C6) and octanethiol (CH3(CH2)7SH: C8) on Au (1 1 1) under vacuum condition have been studied by temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Desorptions of thiolate radical species were observed for C6 and C8. Connecting the desorption temperatures of parent thiols from the ®rst layer and that of hydrogen, we were able to ®nd a condition for thiolate radicals to be desorbed from the surface. # 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.