Chemisorption of the heterocyclic 2-naphthyl-Delta(2)-1,3,4-oxadiazoline-5-thione(NOXD) self-assembled on Au (111) from ethanol solution is described using infrared, ultraviolet, and photoluminescence spectra and electrochemical characteristic, it is concluded that the aromatic molecule can bond to Au (111) in the thiolate form and fabricate densely packed monolayer by its structural isomerization. There was more blue shift of photoluminescence for the self-assembled films than that of the isomers in alkali ethanol solution. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.