self - assembled organic ligand monolayers on the surface of a metal oxide or silicon oxide substrate overlayer , wherein transition metal atoms selected from group iv , group v or group vi of the periodic chart are covalently bonded to the surface oxygens of the substrate , and each transition metal atom is further covalently bonded to one or more of the organic ligands of the monolayer , thereby covalently bonding the organic monolayer to the substrate overlayer . methods of forming the self - assembled organic ligand monolayers of the present invention are also disclosed .