1999-08-12
10:15 at CLA J1

The Influence of Molecular Structure and Composition on the Frictional Properties of Organic Thin Films

Scott S. Perry

University of Houston, Texas, USA

The frictional properties of thin organic films have been investigated on a molecular scale as a function of structure and composition. This has been achieved by combining two recently developed techniques that operate at the subnanometer scale: control of the interfacial composition through molecular self-assembly and tribological measurements performed with the atomic force microscope. With this approach, we are able to control or measure the specific chemical composition and structure of systematically different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and to correlate changes in composition and structure to the frictional properties of these molecularly thin films. Examples will be drawn from both hydrogenated and fluorinated thin film systems to illustrate the relative contributions of composition and structure to frictional properties.