Atomically flat Au single crystals

We have prepared micrometer gold single-crystals of well-defined shapes which resemble triangular or hexagonal plates and different polyhedral particles. The orientation of the crystal faces was studied using electron and X-ray powder diffraction techniques, and a 111 orientation of the large faces of gold plates was experimentally confirmed. These crystals were prepared as suitable substrates for the preparation of carborane cluster self-assembled monolayers. The Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) investigation shows atomically flat surfaces suitable for studies with molecular resolution and modifications of these gold microplates with the thiolated carborane clusters such as the 1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane-dithiols [(SH)2-1,2-C2B10H10] have been reported.

These crystals have large 111 oriented and atomically flat faces. Both the crystallographic orientation and their flatness make them convenient substrates for investigation of self-assembled monolayers. The AFM image shows a flat surface with two mono-atomic step edges.

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Gold Micrometer Crystals Modified with Carboranethiol Derivatives. Base, T.; Bastl, Z.; Slouf, M.; Klementova, M.; Subrt, J.; Vetushka, A.; Ledinsky, M.; Fejfar, A.; Machacek, J.; Carr, M. J.; Londesborough, M. G. S. J. Phys. Chem. C 2008, 112, 14446-14455

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