Title
Electrochemical and thermal grafting of alkyl grignard reagents onto (100) silicon surfaces
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-3-2009
Abstract
Passivation of (100) silicon surfaces using alkyl Grignard reagents is explored via electrochemical and thermal grafting methods. The electrochemical behavior of silicon in methyl or ethyl Grignard reagents in tetrahydrofuran is investigated using cyclic voltammetry. Surface morphology and chemistry are investigated using atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results show that electrochemical pathways provide an efficient and more uniform passivation method relative to thermal methods, and XPS results demonstrate that electrografted terminations are effective at limiting native oxide formation for more than 55 days in ambient conditions. A two-electron per silicon mechanism is proposed for electrografting a single (1:1) alkyl group per (100) silicon atom. The mechanism includes oxidation of two Grignard species and subsequent hydrogen abstraction and alkylation reaction resulting in a covalent attachment of alkyl groups with silicon.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
First Page
12750
Last Page
6
Recommended Citation
Vegunta, S. S., Ngunjiri, J. N., & Flake, J. C. (2009). Electrochemical and thermal grafting of alkyl grignard reagents onto (100) silicon surfaces. Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, 25 (21), 12750-6. https://doi.org/10.1021/la9018103