Preparation of monomolecular layers of hemiquinones for electric field switching

The preparation of monomolecular films of hemiquinones on metal surfaces, for electric field switching experiments, is described. The method of preparation involved surface silylation with mercaptothiols followed by coupling to a hemiquinone through a dangling thiol group. The monolayers are covalently bound to the surface and contain hemiquinone molecules that are perpendicular to the metal surface. These films are currently being studied in actual switching experiments by a variety of methods.