Deposition of Ag nanoparticles on fluoroalkylsilane self-assembled monolayers with varying chain length

Silver nanoparticles were prepared by means of electron beam evaporation of silver on top of self-assembled fluoroalkylsilane monolayers with different fluoroalkyl chain length. The surface properties of the different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were evaluated by surface energy measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The morphology of the silver nanostructures, characterized by their size, size distribution, shape and interparticle separation, was observed to be dependent on the chemical composition, fluoroalkyl chain length and surface energy of the sub-layer as well as the degradation of the monolayer during the deposition process. The resulting morphology of the evaporated Ag nanostructures on the different surfaces could be explained based on the basis of surface energy and the role of ordering, disordering and defects of the monolayers caused by the impinging silver atoms during evaporation. Depending on the fluoroalkyl chain length significant changes in the chemical and physical structure of the SAMs after the evaporation process could be detected.