Modification of Mechanical Strength of Octadecylphosphonic Acid on Mica by Hydrogen Bombardment

Ripon Kumar Dey *

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Nanotechnology), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

Well-controlled, well-ordered and uniform Octadecylphosphonic acid (OPA) LB films on cleaved mica surfaces was formed, and their mechanical properties were characterized. A novel technology has been pioneered which utilizes a kinematic collision driven hydrogen abstraction using hyperthermal hydrogen molecules to induce cross-linking of hydrocarbon chains. The hyperthermal hydrogen-driven approach with proton energy as low as 5eV can induce cross-linking of the adsorbed OPA and can modify the hydrocarbon long chain chemical bonding formula and the actual ordered Langmuir-Blodgett lattice into an array of clusters of the virgin film. By increasing the kinematics-driven reaction time at fixed bombardment energy and at a modified fluence which initiates the degree of cross-linking can control the nanocluster growth of OPA thin film. Consequently, with a controllable bombardment condition with a function of fluence can modify the cluster shape and modify the mechanical strength as well.

 

Keywords: Langmuir-blodgett film, atomic force microscopy, self-assembled monolayers, octadecylphosphonic acid, contact angle, hydrogen bombardment


How to Cite

Kumar Dey, Ripon. 2013. “Modification of Mechanical Strength of Octadecylphosphonic Acid on Mica by Hydrogen Bombardment”. Physical Science International Journal 3 (4):330-47. https://journalpsij.com/index.php/PSIJ/article/view/163.