How do molecular monolayers spontaneously organize on solid surfaces? This review synthesizes recent advances in understanding the self-assembly process, highlighting the roles of solution transport, surface adsorption, and two-dimensional organization. The article offers insights into the complex interplay of factors governing monolayer formation. The process involves several steps, starting with bulk solution transport and surface adsorption and continuing with the two-dimensional organization on the substrate. The authors describe how this process can involve passage through one or more intermediate surface phases and can often be described using two-dimensional nucleation and growth models. This rich picture combines elements of surfactant adsorption at interfaces and epitaxial growth with the additional complication of long-chain molecules with many degrees of freedom.
As a review published in the Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, this paper aligns perfectly with the journal's focus on providing comprehensive overviews of current research in physical chemistry. By discussing the mechanisms and kinetics of self-assembled monolayer formation, the review addresses a fundamental topic in surface science and materials chemistry.