Nano-scale characterization of binary self-assembled monolayers under an ambient condition with STM and TERSElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4cc02754j

Gold surfaces were modified by benzyl-mercaptan (BM) and then partly replaced with benzenethiol (BT), which formed binary self-assembled monolayers (SAM). Initially BT randomly replaced BM in the monolayer, but at long exchange times >15 nm radius domains were observed with specific relative composition of BT and BM. Gold surfaces were modified by benzyl-mercaptan (BM) and then partly replaced with benzenethiol (BT), which formed binary self-assembled monolayers (SAM).