Ozonolysis Is the Primary Cause of UV Photooxidation of Alkanethiolate Monolayer

Self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols o­n metal surfaces are know to oxidize when irradiated with UV light in air--a reaction that could be exploited in photolithography--but the oxidation mechanism has been uncertain. Two independent research groups now have shown that, at low UV light fluxes, chemical oxidation by ozone is responsible, rather than direct UV photooxidation. Paul W. Bohn and co-workers used surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy to follow the assembly of hexadecanethiol monolayers o­n gold and their subsequent removal by UV radiation or ozonolysis.

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