The
monomolecular assembly of 1,8,13-tricarboxytriptycene (Trip-CA)
on a test oxide substrate, represented by indium tin oxide (ITO),
was studied. For this purpose, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, near-edge
X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, contact angle goniometry,
and work function measurements were used. The quality and the parameters
of the resulting self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were found to depend
strongly on the preparation conditions, with an elevated preparation
temperature (50 °C) and post-annealing at an optimal temperature
(100 °C) being the most favorable factors. Analysis of the data
favors a monodentate bonding configuration for individual CA groups
of Trip-CA and a tripodal bonding mode for the molecules as a whole,
even though a certain heterogeneity of bonding configurations cannot
be excluded. The molecules exhibit a moderate orientational order
with an average tilt angle of 32.5°. Because of the nonpolar
character of the triptycene backbone, the decoration of ITO with Trip-CA
does not result in a significant change of the work function, which
speaks for the introduction of polar tail groups at the application
of this platform to electrostatic interface engineering.