Patent ID: 7297557

Claim:
A method of attaching a molecular layer to a substrate, the method comprising: attaching at least one temporary protecting group to a molecule having a molecular switching moiety, the switching moiety having first and second connecting groups attached to opposed ends of the moiety, the at least one temporary protecting group attached to at least one of the first and second connecting groups so as to cause the opposed ends of the switching moiety to exhibit a difference in hydrophilicity such that one of the ends remains at at least one of a water/solvent interface and a water/air interface, and the other end remains in air during a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) process; forming an LB film of the molecule on the at least one of a water/solvent interface and a water/air interface; removing the at least one temporary protecting group; and passing the substrate through the Langmuir-Blodgett film to form the molecular layer chemically bonded on the substrate; wherein the difference in hydrophilicity between the opposed ends of the switching moiety causes formation of a substantially well-oriented, uniform LB film at the at least one of the water/solvent interface and the water/air interface.