Organic monolayers chemisorbed on gold observed by scanning probe microscopy

Scanning force (SFM) and scanning tunneling (STM) microscopies are suitable techniques for the investigation of the structure of organic monolayers. Results are presented on thioalkane monolayers and thiolipid monolayers on gold. Both molecules attach covalently to the gold surface. STM images of the self assembled dodecanethiol layer display the molecular order of the film and reveal the presence of defects at the molecular scale. Moreover, domains and domain boundaries can be distinguished. Thiolipid layers on gold have been observed by SFM. The monolayer separates in solid-analogous star shaped domains and fluid-analogous domains. Imaging under water demonstrates the stability of the layer.     

Expedient generation of patterned surface aldehydes by microfluidic oxidation for chemoselective immobilization of ligands and cells

An expedient and inexpensive method to generate patterned aldehydes on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiolates on gold with control of density for subsequent chemoselective immobilization from commercially available starting materials has been developed. Utilizing microfluidic cassettes, primary alcohol oxidation of tetra(ethylene glycol) undecane thiol and 11-mercapto-1-undecanol SAMs was performed directly on the surface generating patterned aldehyde groups with pyridinium chlorochromate. The precise density of surface aldehydes generated can be controlled and characterized by electrochemistry. For biological applications, fibroblast cells were seeded on patterned surfaces presenting biospecifc cell adhesive (Arg-Glyc-Asp) RGD peptides.     

Self-assembled monolayers on mercury probed in a modified surface force apparatus

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of three thiol compounds formed on mercury are investigated by a combination of cyclic voltammetry, electrocapillary curves, and a novel method of measuring electrical double-layer properties. The last method involves a modified surface force apparatus in which a flat mica surface is pressed down toward a fixed mercury drop held beneath it, while both are immersed in aqueous electrolyte solution. Optical interference measurements are made of the mica-mercury separation as a function of electrical potential applied to the mercury, which yields information on the double-layer interaction between the two surfaces. Mercury is decorated by SAMs of 11-mercapto-1-undecanoic acid, which is shown to bring negative charge to the mercury/aqueous interface due to dissociation of the carboxylic acid groups; 11-mercapto-1-undecanol, which although it is uncharged changes the dipole potential of the interface; and 1-undecanethiol, which likewise changes the dipole potential, but by a different amount. The difference between the changes in dipole potential (90 mV) can be related to the different terminal groups of these two SAMs, -CH3 compared to -OH, that are in contact with the aqueous phase.     

Efficient Two-Step Synthesis of 11,11′-Dithiobis[1-(2-bromo-2-methylpropionyloxy)undecane], a Conventional Initiator for Grafting Polymer Brushes from Gold Surfaces via ATRP

11,11′-Dithiobis[1-(2-bromo-2-methylpropionyloxy)undecane], a conventional initiator for grafting polymers from gold surfaces, was synthesized in two steps from 11-mercapto-1-undecanol in 88–92% overall yield. Oxidative dimerization of 11-mercapto-1-undecanol with a catalytic amount of sodium iodide and 30% hydrogen peroxide in ethyl acetate proceeded in 96% yield. Esterification with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide in dichloromethane was clean and almost quantitative (92% yield) with pyridine used as base, whereas triethylamine gave a messy reaction (64% yield). Alternatively, esterification with 2-bromo-2-methyl-propanoic acid in dichloromethane occurred readily under Steglich's conditions with N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and a catalytic amount of dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP; 88% yield).     

STM study of mixed alkanethiol/biphenylthiol self-assembled monolayers on Au(111)

A method is presented for depositing mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of dodecanethiol (C12) and 4'-methyl-1,1'-biphenyl-4-butane (H3C-C6H4-C6H4-(CH2)4-SH, BP4) by insertion of BP4 into a closely packed SAM of dodecanethiol on Au(111). Insertion takes place at defect sites such as domain boundaries or etch pits in the gold surface that are characteristic of C12 monolayers on gold. With a lower probability, insertion also occurs beside defect sites inside dodecanethiol domains. Insertion at defect sites results in domains of BP4, whereas insertion into C12 domains leads to isolated BP4 molecules. The isolated BP4 molecules are shown not to move at room temperature. By comparing the apparent height of the isolated BP4 molecules and BP4 domains, it is proposed that the isolated molecules have the same conformation as in the full-coverage phase. A simple two-layer model is proposed to characterize the current transport through BP4. The decay constant beta for the phenylene groups is deduced from the apparent STM heights of the inserted BP4 islands compared to the STM heights of the C12 closely packed monolayers.     

Effect of amino,hydroxyl, and carboxyl terminal groups of alkyl chains of self-assembled monolayers on the adsorption pattern of gold nanoparticles

The adsorption pattern of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on functionalized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) produced on a Au(111) surface was characterized. The Au(111) was modified with 11-amino-1-undecanethiol hydrochloride (AUT), 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (MUT), or 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) at an elevated temperature and pressure. The AuNPs aggregated on the AUT-SAM surface, whereas they were well dispersed on the MUT-SAM surface and localized on the MUA-SAM surface. The results suggest that interactions between AuNPs differ according to the degree of peeling of citrate-layer-capped AuNPs. The degree of peeling, which is related to both the surface randomness of the SAMs and the functional characteristics of the terminal group of each SAM, was discussed on the basis of scanning tunneling microscopy observations, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses, and contact angle measurements. Our study shows that AuNP patterns can be controlled by changing the terminal group of the alkyl thiol SAM on a Au(111) surface.     

The fate of sulfur-bound hydrogen on formation of self-assembled thiol monolayers on gold: (1)H NMR spectroscopic evidence from solutions of gold clusters

It is demonstrated that thiols can adsorb to gold without losing hydrogen. Dodecyl sulfide-capped gold clusters have been prepared and subjected to ligand exchange reactions in perdeuterated benzene by addition of dodecanethiol and subsequently dodecyl disulfide. It is shown by 1H NMR spectroscopy that dodecanethiol molecules are readily taken up as ligands producing characteristic broad signals corresponding to the alpha-methylene and S-H protons, with chemical shifts close to those found for thiol in solution; these signals are absent in spectra of thiolate-capped clusters. Addition of excess disulfide to such clusters capped with both dialkyl sulfides and thiols leads to the appearance of sharp signals for free dialkyl sulfide and intact thiol. Amounts of thiols up to 50% of the ligand shell are, however, taken up by the clusters under rapid and irreversible loss of hydrogen.     

Supported phospholipid membrane interactions with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation measurements were conducted for a 98/2 mole ratio of 1,2-dielaidoylphosphocholine (DEPC) and 1,2-dimyristoylphosphoglycerol (DMPG) on silica, gold, and a self-assembled monolayer of 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (11MU) and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11MUA) at 50 mol % each. This study demonstrates that vesicles composed of DEPC and DMPG at 98 and 2 mol %, respectively, formed a supported bilayer with unruptured vesicles present when adsorbed onto the self-assembled monolayer. Also, the partially formed supported bilayer apparently deadsorbed in the presence of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, suggesting that surface-bilayer interactions are weaker on a hydrophilic modified gold surface composed of 50/50 11MU/11MUA than the surface-bilayer interactions on silica.     

Control of alkanethiolate monolayer structure using vapor-phase annealing

We describe an annealing procedure for self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that uses vapor-phase molecules to modify the local domain structure. Existing SAMs of decanethiolate on Au{111} were annealed using vapor-phase dodecanethiol molecules, so that the original and newly introduced molecules could be distinguished using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Molecules deposited from the vapor phase inserted at existing monolayer defect sites and domain boundaries, and at substrate step edges forming discrete network-like domains. The SAM molecular lattice can be preserved across molecular terrace boundaries between the decanethiolate and dodecanethiolate domains. Candidate molecular electronic component molecules were inserted from solution in the decanethiolate matrix as isolated molecules. These inserted molecules could then be surrounded by dodecanethiolate molecules introduced from the vapor phase, thus demonstrating a method for controlling the local environment of inserted molecules.     

Synthesis and electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization of biicosahedral Au25 clusters

The synthesis and electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization of biicosahedral Au(25) clusters with a composition of [Au(25)(PPh(3))(10)(thiolate)(5)Cl(2)](2+) are described. The biicosahedral Au(25) clusters protected with various types of thiol ligands including alkanethiols, 2-phenylethanethiol, 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, and 11-mercapto-1-undecanol were synthesized in high yields using a one-step, one-phase procedure in which Au(PPh(3))Cl is reduced with tert-butylamine-borane in the presence of the thiol ligand in a 3:1 v/v chloroform/ethanol solution. All biicosahedral Au(25) clusters prepared exhibit characteristic optical absorption and photoluminescence properties. The emission energy is found to be substantially smaller than the optical absorption energy gap of 1.82 eV, indicating a subgap energy luminescence. The electrochemical HOMO-LUMO gap (~1.54 eV) of the clusters is also substantially smaller than the optical absorption energy gap but rather similar to the emission energy. These electrochemical and optical properties of the biicosahedral Au(25) clusters are distinctly different from those of the Au(25)(thiolate)(18) clusters.     

Chemistry on surface-confined molecules: an approach to anchor isolated functional units to surfaces.

The synthesis of surface-confined, nanometer-sized dendrimers and Au nanoparticles was performed starting from single Pd(II) pincer adsorbate molecules (10) embedded as isolated species into 11-mercapto-1-undecanol and decanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold. The coordination of monolayer-protected Au nanoclusters (MPCs) bearing phosphine moieties at the periphery (13), or dendritic wedges (8) having a phosphine group at the focal point, to SAMs containing individual Pd(II) pincer molecules was monitored by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM AFM). The individual Pd(II) pincer molecules embedded in the decanethiol SAM were visualized by their coordination to phosphine MPCs 13; isolated objects with a height of 3.5 +/- 0.7 nm were observed by TM AFM. Reaction of these embedded Pd(II) pincer molecules with the dendritic wedge 8 yielded individual molecules with a height of 4.3 +/- 0.2 nm.     

Alkylthiol gold nanoparticles in sol-gel-based open tubular capillary electrochromatography

A novel open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OTCEC) column was prepared by immobilizing dodecanethiol gold nanoparticles on prederivatised fused-silica capillary columns with sol-gel technology. 3-Mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) was selected as sol-gel precursor to develop a sol-gel layer on the inner wall of the capillary, prior to assembly of dodecanethiol gold nanoparticles onto the generated sol-gel layer through specific interaction between the gold nanoparticles and surface terminating thiol groups. The electrochromatographic behaviour of the sol-gel gold nanoparticle capillary was compared with a gold nanoparticle capillary prepared via MPTMS surface functionalisation, through variation of the percentage of the organic modifier, pH, and separation voltage. Efficient separation for a "reversed-phase" test mixture of thiourea, naphthalene, and biphenyl and for selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was obtained on the sol-gel based gold nanoparticle capillaries. OTCEC separations of three selected drug substances (propiophenone, benzoin, and warfarin) were also demonstrated. Scanning electron microscopy was used for the characterization of the sol-gel gold nanoparticle capillary surface. The results confirm that dodecanethiol gold nanoparticles, bound on the sol-gel-based inner layer of fused-silica capillary, can provide sufficient solute-bonded phase interactions for OTCEC with reproducible retention as well as characteristic reversed-phase behaviour.     

Order and composition of methyl-carboxyl and methyl-hydroxyl surface-chemical gradients

A detailed infrared and XPS characterization of surface-chemical gradients of dodecanethiol with 11-mercaptoundecanol or 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid self-assembled on gold, is reported. Gradients were prepared using a simple, two-step process previously reported from our laboratory, which involves a controlled immersion of a polycrystalline gold substrate in a dilute (5 microM) solution of one component and a subsequent back-filling with the other. FTIR measurements show that a single-component gradient of dodecanethiol is composed of disordered, liquidlike alkyl chain conformations. Such a gradient, when back-filled with a complementary thiol, having either a hydroxyl or carboxyl end-group, yields two-component gradients that show similar changes in wettability along their lengths. However, while gradients composed of methyl and hydroxyl end-groups show a well-ordered alkyl chain structure over their entire length, methyl-carboxyl gradients exhibit a greater conformational disordering toward the carboxyl-rich end.     

Mixed monolayer coverage on gold nanoparticles for interfacial stabilization of immiscible fluids

Gold nanoparticles covered with a mixed monolayer of n-dodecanethiol and 11-mercapto-1-undecanol were prepared and found to mediate the oil-water interface, providing access to stable water droplets in oil.     

Direct electrochemistry of Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellobiose dehydrogenase covalently attached onto gold nanoparticle modified solid gold electrodes

Achieving efficient electrochemical communication between redox enzymes and various electrode materials is one of the main challenges in bioelectrochemistry and is of great importance for developing electronic applications. Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) is an extracellular flavocytochrome composed of a catalytic FAD containing dehydrogenase domain (DH(CDH)), a heme b containing cytochrome domain (CYT(CDH)), and a flexible linker region connecting the two domains. Efficient direct electron transfer (DET) of CDH from the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PcCDH) covalently attached to mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified gold nanoparticle (AuNP) electrode is presented. The thiols used were as follows: 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP), 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA), 4-mercaptophenol (4-MP), 11-mercapto-1-undecanamine (MUNH(2)), 11-mercapto-1-undecanoic acid (MUCOOH), and 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (MUOH). A covalent linkage between PcCDH and 4-ATP or MUNH(2) in the mixed SAMs was formed using glutaraldehyde as cross-linker. The covalent immobilization and the surface coverage of PcCDH were confirmed with surface plasmon resonance (SPR). To improve current density, AuNPs were cast on the top of polycrystalline gold electrodes. For all the immobilized PcCDH modified AuNPs electrodes, cyclic voltammetry exhibited clear electrochemical responses of the CYT(CDH) with fast electron transfer (ET) rates in the absence of substrate (lactose), and the formal potential was evaluated to be +162 mV vs NHE at pH 4.50. The standard ET rate constant (k(s)) was estimated for the first time for CDH and was found to be 52.1, 59.8, 112, and 154 s(-1) for 4-ATP/4-MBA, 4-ATP/4-MP, MUNH(2)/MUCOOH, and MUNH(2)/MUOH modified electrodes, respectively. At all the mixed SAM modified AuNP electrodes, PcCDH showed DET only via the CYT(CDH). No DET communication between the DH(CDH) domain and the electrode was found. The current density for lactose oxidation was remarkably increased by introduction of the AuNPs. The 4-ATP/4-MBA modified AuNPs exhibited a current density up to 30 μA cm(-2), which is ～70 times higher than that obtained for a 4-ATP/4-MBA modified polycrystalline gold electrode. The results provide insight into fundamental electrochemical properties of CDH covalently immobilized on gold electrodes and promote further applications of CDHs for biosensors, biofuel cells, and bioelectrocatalysis.     

Exchange of Methyl‐ and Azobenzene‐Terminated Alkanethiols on Polycrystalline Gold Studied by Tip‐Enhanced Raman Mapping

Mixed thiol self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) presenting methyl and azobenzene head groups were prepared by chemical substitution from the original single‐component n‐decanethiol or [4‐(phenylazo)phenoxy]hexane‐1‐thiol SAMs on polycrystalline gold substrates. Static contact‐angle measurements were carried out to confirm a change in the hydrophobicity of the functionalized surfaces following the exchange reaction. The mixed SAMs presented contact‐angle values between those of the more hydrophobic n‐decanethiol and the more hydrophilic [4‐(phenylazo)phenoxy]hexane‐1‐thiol single‐component SAMs. By means of tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) mapping experiments, it was possible to highlight that molecular replacement takes place easily and first at grain boundaries: for two different mixed SAM compositions, TERS point‐by‐point maps with <50 nm step sizes showed different spectral signatures in correspondence to the grain boundaries. An example of the substitution extending beyond grain boundaries and affecting flat areas of the gold surface is also shown.     

Electrocrystallization of rhodium clusters on thiolate-covered polycrystalline gold

This study reports on the electrochemical deposition of rhodium metal clusters on a polycrystalline gold electrode, modified with a monolayer of dodecanethiol through self-assembly from solution. The deposition process was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. It is shown that the presence of the thiol monolayer drastically alters the nucleation and growth mechanism compared with the mechanism on the bare gold electrode. The small uncovered gold domains, located at the imperfections in the thiolate monolayer which are induced by the gold nanoroughness, act as nucleation sites for small rhodium clusters. At longer times, these clusters can outgrow the organic monolayer. The resulting surface morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Rhodium electrocrystallization on the bare gold substrate resulted in an ensemble of a very large amount of very small clusters that are difficult to distinguish from the gold roughness. In contrast, in the presence of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of dodecanethiol covalently attached to the gold electrode, the resulting deposit consisted of an ensemble of hemispherical particles. The size distribution of the rhodium particles obtained by using double step chronoamperometry was compared to the ones obtained with cyclic voltammetry and "classical" chronoamperometry. It is shown by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that the SAM is still present after rhodium deposition on the thiolate-covered gold substrate. Because the rhodium clusters are directly attached to the gold substrate and can thus easily be electrified, the resulting interface could be used as a composite electrode consisting of a random array of gold supported rhodium nano/microparticles separated from each other by an organic phase. On the other hand, it is shown that the SAM is easily removed by electrochemical oxidation without dissolving the rhodium clusters and, thus, leaving a different array of rhodium clusters on the gold surface compared with the topography obtained in the absence of the SAM. From this point of view, substrate modification with such "removable" organic monolayers was found to be an interesting tool to tune the nano- or microtopography of electrochemically deposited rhodium.     

Multichannel surface plasmon resonance imaging and analysis of micropatterned self-assembled monolayers and protein affinity interactions

Multichannel images of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid and 11-mercapto-1-undecanol self-assembled monolayers together with a biospecific interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)/anti-IFN-gamma antibody immunoaffinity interaction were observed by the two-dimensional surface plasmon resonance (2D-SPR) imaging system. With the fabricated 2D-SPR imaging system, adopting a white light source in combination with a narrow band-pass filter, sharp images were resolved, minimizing the diffraction patterns on the resulting images. Micropatterning of self-assembled monolayers was acheived by exploiting the UV photolysis of thiol bonding, instead of conventional photolithography. The line profile calibration of the image contrast with ellipsometric analysis enabled us to discriminate the change in monolayer thickness within a sub-nanometer scale. For the protein interactions on the surface, the biospecific affinity recognition reaction of IFN-gamma antigen with surface-immobilized antibody was analyzed. Through the signal amplification strategy based on the enzyme-catalyzed precipitation reaction in a sandwich-type immunoassay, biospecific antigen binding was found detectable down to a concentration of 1 ng/mL.     

Synthesis, surface modification, and multilayer construction of mixed-monolayer-protected CdS nanoparticles

Herein, we describe a study aimed at synthesizing mixed-monolayer-protected CdS nanoparticles and investigating the reactivity of surface-bound functional groups in order to facilitate the immobilization of nanoparticles on a solid substrate as well as the construction of a three-dimensional nanocomposite. CdS nanoparticles initially prepared by the reverse micelle method were used to modify nanoparticle surfaces with 1-decanethiol molecules by ligand exchange. Subsequently, 11-mercapto-1-undecanol was partially incorporated by a place exchange reaction, thereby providing stable, mixed-monolayer-protected CdS nanoparticles. The nanoparticles obtained at each step were characterized by FT-IR and UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and elemental analysis. The reactivity of surface hydroxyl groups was verified by a reaction with isocyanate-bearing molecules that provide carbamate bonds in high yields at ambient temperature. The obtained mixed-monolayer-protected nanoparticles were also successfully immobilized on a glass substrate through a carbamate-bond-forming reaction that could be further utilized for multilayer construction in a layer-by-layer fashion.     

Development and evaluation of gold-centered monolayer protected nanoparticle stationary phases for gas chromatography

The current status for the development of novel open-tubular gas chromatography (GC) stationary phases consisting of thin films of gold-centered monolayer protected nanoparticles (MPNs) is reported. Dodecanethiol MPNs, in which the monolayer is dodecanethiol linked to the gold nanoparticle, have shown great promise as a GC stationary phase with efficient columns having been produced in a variety of capillary i.d.'s with stationary phase film depths ranging from 10 to 60 nm, +/-2 nm at a given film depth. Stationary phase operational parameters are discussed including maximum operating temperature, sample capacity, and stationary phase lifetime and robustness. An overview of the general method employed for column production is also included. The sample capacity was determined for a 2.5 m, 250 microm i.d. column with a stationary phase film thickness of 40 nm, at 50 degrees C using anisole (k' = 1.86) as the probe analyte. The sample capacity was experimentally found to be 2.3 ng under these conditions, similar to values reported for thicker, polymer stationary phases. The efficiency of the dodecanethiol MPN stationary phase was determined with a 100 microm i.d. capillary and found to have a reduced plate height hmin value of 0.95 for octane (k' = 0.68). Areas of application illustrated and discussed utilizing the dodecanethiol MPN stationary phase include complementary separations such as two-dimensional GC (GC x GC), potential utilization within a model system for a micro-fabricated GC (microGC), as well as efficient single dimension high-speed separations. Initial development of polar stationary phases utilizing 4-chlorobenzenethiol MPNs and 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzenethiol MPNs is discussed. Included is a selectivity comparison of the retention behavior of the 4-chlorobenzenethiol MPN stationary phase and the dodecanethiol MPN stationary phase.