Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy characterization of the covalent bonding between a carbon surface and aryl groups.

Grafting of aryl layers derived from aryl diazonium salts onto glassy carbon electrodes is observed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS). The grafting occurs spontaneously when a glassy carbon plate is immersed into a solution of aryl diazonium salt and can be enhanced by biasing the carbon plate at a potential a little more negative than the diazonium salt reduction. C-C and C-O covalent bonding are believed to be responsible for the strong attachment of these layers onto the carbon substrate. Fragments containing aryl dimers, trimers, or tetramers are also observed. A mechanism is proposed to account for the formation of these polymeric chains.