Surface-assisted transient displacement charge technique. II. Effect of gases on photoinduced charge transfer in self-assembled monolayers

Surface-assisted photoinduced transient displacement charge (SPTDC) technique was used to study charge transfer in self-assembled monolayers of 7-diethylaminocoumarin covalently linked to an oxide surface in the atmosphere of different gases. The dipole signal was found to be opposite to that in solution and dependent on the nature of the gas and its pressure. The results were explained by collision-induced relaxation that impedes uninhibited tilting of molecules onto the surface. Collisions with paramagnetic oxygen induce intersystem crossing to long-lived triplet dipolar states of coumarin with the rate close to half of that for the collision rate.     

Cerebroside Langmuir monolayers originated from the echinoderms: II. Binary systems of cerebrosides and steroids

Two-component Langmuir monolayers formed on a subphase of 0.5M sodium chloride solution were investigated for two different cerebrosides (LMC-1 and LMC-2) with steroids of cholesterol (Ch) and cholesteryl sodium sulfate (Ch-S); i.e. LMC-1/Ch, LMC-1/Ch-S, LMC-2/Ch, and LMC-2/Ch-S were examined in terms of surface pressure (pi), the surface potential (DeltaV) and the dipole moment (mu( perpendicular)) as a function of surface area (A) by employing the Langmuir method, the ionizing electrode method, and the fluorescence microscopy. Surface potentials (DeltaV) of steroids were analyzed using the three-layer model proposed by Demchak and Fort. The miscibility of cerebrosides and steroids in the insoluble monolayers was examined by plotting the variation of the molecular area and the surface potential as a function of the steroid molar fraction (X(steroid)) based upon the additivity rule. From the A-X(steroid) and DeltaV(m)-X(steroid) plots, partial molecular surface area (PMA) and apparent partial molecular surface potential (APSP) were determined at the different surface pressures. The PMA and APSP with the mole fraction were discussed for the miscible system. Judging from the two-dimensional phase diagrams, they can be classified into two types. The first is a completely immiscible type; the combination of cerebrosides with cholesterol. The second is a negative azeotropic type, where cerebrosides and cholesteryl sodium sulfate are completely miscible both in the expanded state and in the condensed state. In addition, a regular surface mixture (the Joos equation for the analysis of the collapse pressure of two-component monolayers) allowed calculation of the interaction parameter (xi) and the interaction energy (-Delta epsilon) between the cerebrosides and Ch-S. The miscibility of cerebroside and steroid components in the monolayer state was also supported by fluorescence microscopy.     

Photoinitiated polymerization of styrene from self‐assembled monolayers on gold. II. Grafting rates and extraction

Ultrathin films of polystyrene (PS) were grown from self‐assembled monolayers by the “grafting‐from” technique. The initiating system consisted of a dithiol azobisisobutyronitrile‐type free‐radical initiator that was activated by irradiation at 300 nm. The thickness of the PS films ranged from 7 to 190 nm and could be controlled by varying the reaction time or the monomer concentration. The films were characterized by ellipsometry and Fourier transform‐reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy after Soxhlet extraction of residual physisorbed polymer. These films were unstable above 60 °C, and a water‐jacketed Soxhlet extractor was designed to maintain solvent temperatures below 45 °C during extraction. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3284–3291, 2002     

Effect of polymerized silicic acid on mixed lipid-protein monolayers used as cell-membrane models II. Pepsin-sphingomyelin films

Mixed pepsin-sphingomyelin films exhibit behavior typical of bidimensional systems whose components are miscible in all proportions. The non-polar chains of their components are believed to establish weak hydrophobic interactions. The dynamic compression-expansion II-A curves obtained in the presence of polysilicic acid differ from those recorded in its absence, which may arise from an ionic interaction whereby silicate ions accommodate themselves among the film molecules and bind strongly to the sphingomyelin molecules to form a rigid surface network in which the protein molecules are trapped.     

Self-assembled monolayers: solidification of carbamazepine in Form II at an interface

A self-assembled monolayer incorporating well-spaced biphenyl moieties initiates solidification of carbamazepine at its interface. A detailed analysis of the resulting crystals using X-ray powder diffraction, FTIR-ATR as well as thermomicroscopy, indicates a preference for its crystallization in trigonal (Form II) polymorph.     

Insoluble mixed monolayers : II. Protolytic equilibria and the influence of the pH on the collapse pressure

A general thermodynamic treatment is given for the protolytic equilibria in an insoluble monolayer, containing surfactant molecules with n ionizable protons and able to accept m more protons, and being spread at the liquid/gas interface. The correlation between the pH of the subphase liquid and the collapse pressure of the monolayer is discussed. By using the approximation of perfect solutions and of binary surface systems (protonated and deprotonated molecular species of the surfactant) several methods are proposed for deriving apparent surface acidity constants from experimental collapse pressure vs pH curves, in the case of both miscible in monolayer miscible in collapsed bulk phase and miscible in monolayer immiscible in collapsed bulk phase, type systems. Some of these methods are based on a complete perfect solution approximation (CA) taking into account the molar fraction of the subphase liquid in the monolayer and the others use “surfactant” approximation (SA), neglecting this molar fraction. The methods proposed are tested on monolayers of carotenoid pigments spread at aqueous solution/air interfaces. Results obtained by the different methods are rather close to each other, but the approximation CA is better than SA. The apparent surface acidity constants of different carotenoids are compared with each other and discussed in terms of molecular structure and electronic effects.     

Molecular aggregation within self-ordered monolayers.

The monolayer growth of pyrimido-pentaphenylbenzene (NPB) on Cu(111) is investigated by means of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (LT-STM). The pyrimidine side group gives rise to a pronounced resonant tunneling state and, furthermore, affects molecular self-ordering. Different molecular aggregates are formed inside the hexagonal closed packed monolayer. A structure model for the monolayer is proposed and the temperature dependence of this self-ordering process is investigated by varying the preparation temperature between 270 and 370 K. The intermolecular bonding of the aggregates is demonstrated by STM manipulation experiments. Moreover, different aggregations of the molecules induce characteristic energy shifts in the resonant tunneling state, as revealed by means of scanning tunneling spectroscopy.     

Zn(II)-induced conformational control of amphiphilic cavitands in langmuir monolayers

The reversible switching from the C(4v)-symmetric vase to the C(2v)-symmetric kite conformation of an amphiphilic resorcin[4]arene cavitand was induced by Zn(II) ion coordination. Langmuir monolayers were obtained of both conformers with the area per molecule increasing dramatically from 120 A(2) for the vase to 270 A(2) for the kite form. (1)H NMR spectroscopy in chloroform solution supports the formation of a stoichiometric kite-cavitand[radical dot](Zn(II))(2) complex, with the metal ions coordinating to pairs of neighbouring quinoxaline N-atoms.     

Mixed monolayers of Bauhinia monandra and concanavalin A lectins with phospholipids, part II

Isotherms of surface pressure and surface potential versus mean molecular area for dibehenoylphosphatidylcholine (DBPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE), and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) monolayers were shown to be greatly modified when these lipids were cospread with either Bauhinia monandra (BmoLL) or Concanavalin A (Con A) lectins. For the binary films of DBPC, DPPC, and DPPE cospread with each of these two lectins, there was both a displacement of the Pi-A and DeltaV-A isotherms toward higher molecular areas relative to pure lipids and an increase in the maximum surface potential values relative to the DeltaV-A relationships observed for the corresponding single-lectin systems. Both effects can be understood in terms of the occurrence of an explicit interaction between the lipids and the lectins. The plots of the corresponding compressibilities versus molecular areas reveal that, for all lipids but DOPC, the extent of this interaction was always larger for BmoLL than for Con A. The DPPC and DPPE mixed films with BmoLL differed in compressibility. Owing to the small DPPE polar headgroup, the DPPE-BmoLL film was much more incompressible than the DPPC-BmoLL mixed monolayer. However, for the DOPC-BmoLL and DOPC-Con A mixed films there was no evidence that an interaction between the lectins and the lipid took place, a fact attributed to the unsaturated character in the DOPC aliphatic chains, which leads to an expanded Pi-A isotherm.     

Phospholipid monolayers

Summary The action of polymerized silicic acid on lecithin and cephalin monolayers brings about changes in its physical state, molecular area, and pressure of collapse. These changes are more notable in the case of lecithins, varying not only with the substrate pH, but also with the length of the hydrocarbon chains of the fatty acids that esterify glycerol in the molecules of these substances. The different actions observed between silicic acid and the lecithin and cephalin monolayers are explained with the help of different models.With 11 figures     

Self-assembled monolayers of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole on gold: stripping voltammetric determination of Hg(II)

Monomolecular level modification of electrode surfaces through a self-assembly approach is, of late, gaining importance in view of its many functional applications in areas such as molecular electronics, molecular recognition, electron transfer studies and electroanalysis. Self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modification of a gold electrode with 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) has been achieved. On this modified electrode, anodic stripping voltammetric determination of mercury at ppm/sub-ppm level concentrations has been successfully attempted. Pre-concentration, prior to stripping, has been effected through a non-electrolytic process involving chemical interactions between MBI and Hg(II). The results are described and discussed with a plausible scheme.     

Formation and morphology of latex monolayers. Computer simulation studies

The results of computer simulations of monolayers created from monodisperse latex particles are presented and discussed. Layers are characterized by the normalized coverage,NC (the actual coverage of the surface related to its maximum possible coverage with particles), and by the average number of neighbors,ANN, calculated as the number of particles being in contact with a given one and averaged over all the particles on the surface. Variable parameters used in simulations include: the rate of particles deposition, the probability of lateral movements, the probability of desorption of particles adsorbed on the surface, the probability of covalent immobilization of adsorbed particles, and the on-sphere slip parameter, OSS (characterizing the scattering of a falling particle on the particles being already attached to the surface). Morphology of monolayers is qualitatively characterized by relations betweenANN andNC. It is shown that for all monolayers formed without adhesion (and without repulsion) between the particles adsorbed on the surface the dependence ofANN vs.NC is described by a characteristic master curve (regardless of the values of probabilities of desorption and lateral movements of particles). For the monolayers created including adhesive forces between the adsorbed particles the plots ofANN vs.NC lie above the master curve, while similar plots obtained for the layers made of particles showing various types of repulsive interactions are always placed below it. Thus, the dependencies ofANN vs.NC, derived from computer simulations, can be used for the determination of the character of the interparticle interactions in the real systems.     

Molecular self-assembled monolayers of ruthenium(II)-terpyridine dithiol complex on gold electrode and nanoparticles

We describe the formation of stable dithiol-bifunctionalized Ru(II)-terpyridine monolayer onto gold electrode. The coverage-dependent behavior onto gold electrode has been studied by electrochemical technique. The stability, surface charge coverage, and electron-transfer kinetics were assessed by cyclic voltammetry. Functionalized monolayer-protected Au clusters (MPCs) were also prepared. The spectroscopic characterization data of MPCs using UV-Vis and TEM techniques are discussed. TEM images showed that functionalized spherical nanoclusters of 4.7 ± 0.3 and 4.3 ± 0.2 nm were produced. The particle sizes are uniform with a narrow size distribution. The morphology of Au(1 1 1) metal surface modified with MPCs was imaged using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The nanoparticle layer exhibits a distinct surface morphology, irregularly shaped domains with dimensions from 20 to 60 nm and root mean square heights of 2.401 nm.