Photochemical grafting of methyl groups on a Si(1 1 1) surface using a Grignard reagent

•Methyl groups were photochemically grafted on an n-type Si.•The grafting rate was high when high illumination intensity was used.•The grafting rate was high when substrate with low dopant concentration was used.•The methyl-terminated Si has an atomically flat and hydrophobic surface.•The electron affinity of the methylated surface is lower than the bulk Si.

The photochemical grafting of methyl groups onto an n-type Si(1 1 1) substrate was successfully achieved using a Grignard reagent. The preparation involved illuminating a hydrogen-terminated Si(1 1 1) that was immersed in a CH3MgBr-THF solution. The success was attributed to the ability of the n-type hydrogenated substrate to produce holes on its surface when illuminated. The rate of grafting methyl groups onto the silicon surface was higher when a larger illumination intensity or when a substrate with lower dopant concentration was used. In addition, the methylated layer has an atomically flat structure, has a hydrophobic surface, and has electron affinity that was lower than the bulk Si.

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