Monolayer of Hydrazine Facilitates the Direct Covalent Attachment of C60 Fullerene to a Silicon Surface.

The development of oxygen-free organic-inorganic interfaces has led to new schemes for the functionalization of silicon surfaces with nitrogen-based chemical groups. However, building layers of large structures directly on this functionalized surface has remained elusive. This work confirms the path to form a stable interface between silicon and buckminsterfullerene C60 based on covalent chemical bonds. The starting point for this modification is the hydrazine-reacted Si(111) surface with the diamine functionality, which is further reacted directly with the C60 molecules. The chemistry of this process is confirmed spectroscopically and microscopically and can be used to form organic-inorganic interfaces separated by a single layer of nitrogen.