Formation of covalent Si–N linkages on pyrrole functionalized Si(100)-(2×1)

The covalent attachment of a pyrrolyl monolayer has been efficiently achieved by directly exposing pyrrole molecules to the clean Si(100)-(2×1) surface. The high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies show that the robust pyrrolyl monolayer is directly bonded to the Si(100) surface via the Si–N linkage with the preservation of the pyrrolyl ring structure. The as-prepared pyrrole-modified silicon surfaces can serve as templates for further electrochemical polymerization of polypyrrole thin films onto silicon substrates, providing new opportunity for fabrication of new polypyrrole/silicon heterojunctions with improved performance.