Quantitative IR readout of fulgimide monolayer switching on Si(111) surfaces

Abstract

Creating photoactive monolayers of photochromes is of considerable technological interest. This paper describes the construct of fulgimide monolayers on silicon surfaces and presents a quantitative IR analysis studies of their composition and switching properties. The scheme on top shows the structure of the starting C-form terminated Si(111) surface and the graph below sketches the surface composition at the photostationnary states under visisble and UV irradiation, as derived from in situ IR spectroscopy after several UV/vis irradiation cycles.