Self-assembled monolayers of 1,4-diisocyanobenzene on gold were used to bind ruthenium phthalocyanines to the surface by axial ligation of the macrocycle with isocyanide groups pointing out from the SAM. The 1,4-diisocyanobenzene SAM and the RuPc-1,4-diisocyanobenzene bilayer were characterized by ellipsometry, IRRAS, XPS, and SPM. The grafting of RuPc to the SAM is stable. The thickness of the film increases from 10 to 15 Angstrom upon RuPc ligation. IRRAS reveals that both ends of the 1,4-diisocyanobenzene are affected by the N=C to metal interaction occurring at the other end. XPS indicates that each RuPc macrocycle covers similar to 12 1,4-diisocyanobenzene molecules in the bilayer.