Self-assembly of organic molecules at metal surfaces

Adsorption and self-assembly of organic molecules at surfaces is a key issue in nanoscience and nanotechnology for the many possible uses of hybrid organic-inorganic interfaces. Depending on the nature of the molecules, applications are foreseen in the fields of molecular electronics, sensoristics, pharmacology, biocompatibility, hygiene and biofouling. As a consequence, there has been a large effort in the last few years to determine the structure of the layers and to unravel the mechanisms at the basis of the self-assembly process.