ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we report our effort to fabricate “gemini”-structured cationic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) composed of quaternary ammonium (QA) sulfur derivatives. In these gemini SAMs, two molecules bearing resembling molecular structures are chemically combined, where the orientation and distance between QA groups are specified by covalent bondings with an ethylene spacer. We found that l-tartaric acid, a probe molecule with two carboxyl groups having the same distance as the ethylene unit, exhibits a strong affinity to the gemini surface. We also found that chiral surfaces fabricated by immobilization of tartaric acid enantiomers (l, d, or meso) on the gemini surface has potential for optical resolution of a racemate via a preferential crystal growth at solid-liquid interface.
