Abstract
The growth of gold on top of a n-alkane monolayer, which consists of lamellar assemblies with close-packed flat-lying chains, is observed by using scanning tunneling microscopy. The n-alkane monolayer sustains gold atoms,and penetration of the atoms into the monolayer is inhibited. The molecular conformation is unaffected and the arrangement is only slightly changed upon deposition of the gold atoms. Two-dimensional clusters are grown and a smooth monolayer is finally obtained. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2015.209]
