Self-assembled monolayers of 1,4-diisocyanobenzene on gold were used to bind ruthenium phthalocyanines
to the surface by axial ligation of the macrocycle with isocyanide groups pointing out from the SAM. The
1,4-diisocyanobenzene SAM and the RuPc-1,4-diisocyanobenzene bilayer were characterized by ellipsometry,
IRRAS, XPS, and SPM. The grafting of RuPc to the SAM is stable. The thickness of the film increases from
10 to 15 Å upon RuPc ligation. IRRAS reveals that both ends of the 1,4-diisocyanobenzene are affected by
the N⋮C to metal interaction occurring at the other end. XPS indicates that each RuPc macrocycle covers
∼12 1,4-diisocyanobenzene molecules in the bilayer.