Surface alignment of the N-octadecylazatriquinacenium cation as determined by sum frequency generation on the surface of H2O and D2O

Triquinacene is cyclic triene with the potential to photodimerize to the spherical hydrocarbon dodecahedrane. The orientation of a triquinacene-based amphiphile at the air-water interface has been studied by the surface sensitive vibrational sum frequency generation technique, which suggests that the dimerization of triquinacene may be possible in an aqueous monolayer.