Modulation of the Work Function in Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Metal Nanoparticles and Poly-l-lysine on Modified Au Surfaces

Layered surface: Particles with a diameter smaller than 10 nm can be organised in ordered multilayers that feature regular fluctuations of the work function. While the amplitude of the modulation is determined by the properties of the polypeptide and the layer-by-layer ordering, the work function of the nanoparticle-terminated surface is determined by the nature of the metal particle and its surface functionalisation (see graphic).