Investigation of the Impact of Cross-Polymerization on the Structural and Frictional Properties of Alkylsilane Monolayers Using Molecular Simulation

Abstract

Cross-linked chemisorbed n-alkylsilane (CH3(CH2)n−1Si(OH)3) monolayers on amorphous silica surfaces have been studied and their structural properties and frictional performance were compared to those of equivalent monolayers without cross-linkages. The simulations isolated for the first time the effects of both siloxane cross-linkages and the fraction of chains chemisorbed to the surface, providing insight into a longstanding fundamental question in the literature regarding molecular-level structure. The results demonstrate that both cross-linkages and the fraction of chemisorbed chains affect monolayer structure in small but measurable ways, particularly for monolayers constructed from short chains; however, these changes do not appear to have a significant impact on frictional performance.

Keywords

• molecular dynamics
• tribology
• surface science
• self-assembled monolayers
• cross-polymerization
• adsorption
• chemisorption
• physisorption