The adsorption behaviors of V2O5 nanowires on binary mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMS) were investigated with variation of the mixing ratio of two differently terminated thiolates on Au. Hydroxyl-covered V2O5 nanowires showed a preferential adsorption on amine (NH2)terminated thiolates over methyl (CH3)-terminated ones. However, on the binary mixed SAM of NH2- and CH3-terminated thiols, the adsorption behavior did not follow a simple expectation based upon the electrostatic interaction. The total number of adsorbed V2O5 nanowires increased with the mote fraction of NH2-terminated thiolates UP to X-NH2 similar to 0.5, then it decreased with further increase of X-NH2,. The height distribution of adsorbed nanowires showed that the relative portion of the agglomerated wires thicker than 3.5 nm to individual wires thinner than 3.5 nm increased up to X-NH2 similar to 0.75 and then it decreased with further increase of X-NH2. The dispersion of molecules with polar-functional groups as well as the molecular ordering of mixed SAMS is attributed to such adsorption behaviors of V2O5 nanowires. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.