Nanofabrication and electrochemical characterization of self-assembled monolayers sandwiched between metal nanoparticles and electrode surfaces

et al. ; Nanoscience and nanotechnology have reached the syllabi of many upper-division undergraduate and master-level courses all over the world. There is therefore a growing need for practical exercises that illustrate the fabrication, characterization, properties, and applications of nanomaterials. Here we describe an advanced-level laboratory experiment in which students had the opportunity to fabricate surfaces modified by ordered monolayers and nanostructured materials. The surface modification was quantified by means of a quartz crystal microbalance, while the electrochemical properties of the nanoarchitectures were assessed using cyclic voltammetry experiments. Electron transfer across self-assembled monolayers mediated by gold nanoparticles was presented as a topic for discussion, and consideration of potential practical applications of the observed phenomena (catalytic and electrocatalytic processes, as well as development of optical, (opto)electronic, and photovoltaic devices with enhanced properties) was proposed as a further reading exercise. ; Financial support from the Department of Physical Chemistry and DGA/Fondos Feder is acknowledge as well as CTQ2012-33198 and CTQ2013-50187-EXP grants. ; Peer Reviewed