Abstract: Long-chain alkanol, 1-C18H37OH, adsorbed from solution onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and formed ordered, oriented monolayer films at room temperature in air. The formation and structure of 1-octadecanol self-assembledmonolayers (SAMs) on HOPGwere examined using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), contact angle measurement, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Our experimental results indicated that 1-octadecanol SAMs grew in domains, with molecules arranged either horizontally or vertically on the substrate. Moreover, the permutation means of the molecule showed relevance to the surface coverage of 1-octadecanol SAMs on the HOPG.

Key words: HOPG, SAMs, STM, Contact angle, XPS