Sum frequency generation studies of surfaces of high-surface-area powdered materials

We report the first observation of sum frequency generation (SFG) photons on high-surface-area powders, critically important materials in heterogeneous catalysis. We utilize SFG in total internal reflection (TIR) geometry and show that the TIR-SFG approach markedly reduces the destructive interference associated with nonlinear optical spectroscopy of small particle surfaces, making SFG studies of high-surface-area powders possible. The index of refraction of materials and their distance from the TIR-SFG prism are key parameters in generating and detecting the sum frequency signal. We find that TIR-SFG is highly sensitive to capillary condensation. To demonstrate the capability of the TIR-SFG technique, we measure the thermodynamics of methanol adsorption and desorption on high-surface-area SiO2.     

Adsorption of SDS and PEG on calcium fluoride studied by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from aqueous solution onto a calcium fluoride substrate (CaF(2)), in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) of different molecular weights, has been investigated using the interface specific nonlinear optical technique of sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. Spectra of adsorbed SDS (in the C-H stretching region) were recorded at the surface of a CaF(2) prism in contact with SDS solutions at concentrations up to the cmc (8 mM) of the pure surfactant and in contact with binary solutions containing SDS and PEG with molecular weights from 400 to 12 000. In contrast with SFG spectra from the same combinations of surfactant and polymer on a hydrophobic surface, there was no evidence of spectra arising from the actual polymer adsorbed on CaF(2) at any polymer molecular weight either in the absence or presence of surfactant. However, there was indirect evidence for the presence of adsorbed polymer from changes in the SDS SFG spectra in the presence of polymer compared with spectra when the polymer was absent. The SFG spectra of SDS at 0.8 mM were closely similar to each other at all polymer molecular weights and different from the spectra in the absence of the polymer. The spectral differences between the polymer present and polymer absent was much smaller when the solution concentration of surfactant was 8 mM.     

Molecular packing of lysozyme,fibrinogen, and bovine serum albumin on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces studied by infrared-visible sum frequency generation and fluorescence microscopy

Infrared-visible sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, in combination with fluorescence microscopy, was employed to investigate the surface structure of lysozyme, fibrinogen, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbed on hydrophilic silica and hydrophobic polystyrene as a function of protein concentration. Fluorescence microscopy shows that the relative amounts of protein adsorbed on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces increase in proportion with the concentration of protein solutions. For a given bulk protein concentration, a larger amount of protein is adsorbed on hydrophobic polystyrene surfaces compared to hydrophilic silica surfaces. While lysozyme molecules adsorbed on silica surfaces yield relatively similar SFG spectra, regardless of the surface concentration, SFG spectra of fibrinogen and BSA adsorbed on silica surfaces exhibit concentration-dependent signal intensities and peak shapes. Quantitative SFG data analysis reveals that methyl groups in lysozyme adsorbed on hydrophilic surfaces show a concentration-independent orientation. However, methyl groups in BSA and fibrinogen become less tilted with respect to the surface normal with increasing protein concentration at the surface. On hydrophobic polystyrene surfaces, all proteins yield similar SFG spectra, which are different from those on hydrophilic surfaces. Although more protein molecules are present on hydrophobic surfaces, lower SFG signal intensity is observed, indicating that methyl groups in adsorbed proteins are more randomly oriented as compared to those on hydrophilic surfaces. SFG data also shows that the orientation and ordering of phenyl rings in the polystyrene surface is affected by protein adsorption, depending on the amount and type of proteins.     

Sum frequency generation surface spectra of ice, water, and acid solution investigated by an exciton model

A new computational scheme is presented for calculation of sum frequency generation (SFG) spectra, based on the exciton model for OH bonds. The scheme is applied to unified analysis of the SFG spectra in the OH-stretch region of the surfaces of ice, liquid water, and acid solution. A significant role of intermolecularly coupled collective modes is pointed out. SFG intensity amplification observed for acid solutions in the H-bonded OH-stretch region is reproduced qualitatively and accounted for by enhanced orientational preference "into the surface" of the H(2)O bisectors within the hydronium solvation shell.     

Structural information of mussel adhesive protein Mefp-3 acquired at various polymer/Mefp-3 solution interfaces

Mytilus edulis foot protein Mefp-3 serves as a primer in the formation of adhesive plaques that attach the mussel to solid surfaces in its immediate environment. The adsorption behavior of this protein on various materials of different hydrophobicity was studied using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. By collecting SFG signals from side chains of these amino acids and from secondary structures of the protein, we have determined that this protein adopts different conformations at different interfaces, depending on hydrophobicity of the contact medium and specific chemical group interactions. We have also demonstrated that SFG has the potential to track the interfacial conformations of a single amino acid in a protein.     

Study of the dynamics of surface molecules by time-resolved sum-frequency generation spectroscopy

Sum-frequency generation (SFG) is a nonlinear laser-spectroscopy technique suitable for analysis of adsorbed molecules. The sub-monolayer sensitivity of SFG spectroscopy enables vibrational spectra to be obtained with high specificity for a variety of molecules on a range of surfaces, including metals, oxides, and semiconductors. The use of ultra-short laser pulses on time-scales of picoseconds also makes time-resolved measurements possible; this can reveal ultrafast transient changes in molecular arrangements. This article reviews recent time-resolved SFG spectroscopy studies revealing site-hopping of adsorbed CO on metal surfaces and the dynamics of energy relaxation at water/metal interfaces. Time-resolved sum frequency generation spectroscopy at surfaces with non-resonant laser pulse irradiation     

Structure and reactivity of alkoxycarbonyl (ester)-terminated monolayers on silicon: sum frequency generation spectroscopy

Carboxylic acid-terminated monolayers on crystalline silicon surfaces can be readily modified with biological macromolecules for the fabrication of semiconductor-based biosensing devices. They were prepared by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of alkoxycarbonyl (ester)-terminated monolayers and studied by vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. The C-H vibration region of the SFG spectra consists of strong methyl bands with significant contributions from methylene stretching modes, indicating that these monolayers are generally ordered but with considerable gauche defects in the alkyl chains in comparison with n-alkyl monolayers. After hydrolysis, the methylene stretching modes prevail, with "residues" of the methyl bands, indicating incomplete hydrolysis and disruption of the monolayer structure. This work demonstrates that SFG is capable of providing quantitative information on structure-reactivity correlations in organic monolayers.     

Spectroscopic and computational studies of aqueous ethylene glycol solution surfaces

The combination of Monte Carlo, ab initio, and DFT computational studies of ethylene glycol (EG) and EG-water hydrogen-bonding complexes indicate that experimental vibrational spectra of EG and EG-water solution surfaces have contributions from numerous conformations of both EG and EG-water. The computed spectra, derived from harmonic vibrational frequency calculations and a theoretical Boltzmann distribution, show similarity to the experimental surface vibrational spectra of EG taken by broad-bandwidth sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. This similarity suggests that, at the EG and aqueous EG surfaces, there are numerous coexisting conformations of stable EG and EG-water complexes. A blue shift of the CH2 symmetric stretch peak in the SFG spectra was observed with an increase in the water concentration. This change indicates that EG behaves as a hydrogen-bond acceptor when solvated by additional water molecules. This also suggests that, in aqueous solutions of EG, EG-EG aggregates are unlikely to exist. The experimental blue shift is consistent with the results from the computational studies.     

Broadband sum frequency generation with two regenerative amplifiers: temporal overlap of femtosecond and picosecond light pulses.

Sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy is a valuable tool for studying interfaces such that the boundary between two adjoining phases can be probed with minimal interference from the adjacent bulk material. More recently, broad-bandwidth sum frequency generation (BBSFG) techniques are being explored. This technique using IR broad-bandwidth fs pulses overlapped with narrow-bandwidth ps pulses to obtain BBSFG spectra is described. In the BBSFG system design presented here, the fs pulse and the ps pulse that are generated in separate regenerative amplifiers are overlapped temporally. This temporal overlap process is discussed. In addition, images of the sum frequency response demonstrate its viability. The new approach in experimental design described here for this emerging technology, BBSFG, has application for studying time-dependent processes at interfaces that inherently produce low SFG signal levels such as air-aqueous interfaces.     

Molecular orientation of asphaltenes and PAH model compounds in Langmuir-Blodgett films using sum frequency generation spectroscopy

Asphaltenes are an important class of compounds in crude oil whose surface activity is important for establishing reservoir rock wettability which impacts reservoir drainage. While many phenomenological interfacial studies with crude oils and asphaltenes have been reported, there is very little known about the molecular level interactions between asphaltenes and mineral surfaces. In this study, we analyze Langmuir-Blodgett films of asphaltenes and related model compounds with sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. In SFG, the polarization of the input (vis, IR) and output (SFG) beams can be varied, which allows the orientation of different functional groups at the interface to be determined. SFG clearly indicates that asphaltene polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are highly oriented in the plane of the interface and that the peripheral alkanes are transverse to the interface. In contrast, model compounds with oxygen functionality have PAHs oriented transverse to the interface. Computational quantum chemistry is used to support corresponding band assignments, enabling robust determination of functional group orientations.     

Molecular structure and OH-stretch spectra of liquid water surface

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate typical coordination shells of molecules in the liquid water surface, for two potential energy surfaces. The major undercoordinated species found in the surface include three-coordinated H2O with either a dangling-H or a dangling-O atom and two-coordinated H2O with one hydrogen bond via H, and another via O. Vibrational signatures of the different coordinations are calculated. The 3400 cm(-1) band in the surface sum frequency generation (SFG) spectrum is assigned to four-coordinated molecules within the surface layer. The low-frequency wing of the OH-stretch band, near 3200 cm(-1) in the SFG spectrum, is proposed to be due to collective excitations of a relatively small number of intermolecularly coupled O-H bond vibrations.     

Ordered adsorption of coagulation factor XII on negatively charged polymer surfaces probed by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Electrostatic interactions between negatively charged polymer surfaces and factor XII (FXII), a blood coagulation factor, were investigated by sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, supplemented by several analytical techniques including attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), ζ-potential measurement, and chromogenic assay. A series of sulfonated polystyrenes (sPS) with different sulfonation levels were synthesized as model surfaces with different surface charge densities. SFG spectra collected from FXII adsorbed onto PS and sPS surfaces with different surface charge densities showed remarkable differences in spectral features and especially in spectral intensity. Chromogenic assay experiments showed that highly charged sPS surfaces induced FXII autoactivation. ATR-FTIR and QCM results indicated that adsorption amounts on the PS and sPS surfaces were similar even though the surface charge densities were different. No significant conformational change was observed from FXII adsorbed onto surfaces studied. Using theoretical calculations, the possible contribution from the third-order nonlinear optical effect induced by the surface electric field was evaluated, and it was found to be unable to yield the SFG signal enhancement observed. Therefore it was concluded that the adsorbed FXII orientation and ordering were the main reasons for the remarkable SFG amide I signal increase on sPS surfaces. These investigations indicate that negatively charged surfaces facilitate or induce FXII autoactivation on the molecular level by imposing specific orientation and ordering on the adsorbed protein molecules. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Rubbing-induced anisotropy of long alkyl side chains at polyimide surfaces

Molecular organization at polyimide surfaces used as alignment layers in liquid crystal displays was investigated using vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. We focus on the orientation of the long alkyl side groups at the polymer surface using polarization-selected SFG spectra of the CH(3)- and CH(2)-stretch modes of the side chain. Mechanical rubbing and baking, an accepted industrial procedure used to produce pretilt of the liquid crystal, was found to induce pronounced azimuthal anisotropy in the orientational distribution of the alkyl side chains. Orientational analysis of the SFG vibrational spectra in terms of the azimuthal and tilt angles (in and out of plane, respectively) of the alkyl side chains shows their preferential tilt along the rubbing direction, with the azimuthal distribution narrower for stronger rubbed polymer samples.     

Effect of dehydration on the interfacial water structure at a charged polymer surface: negligible χ(3) contribution to sum frequency generation signal

Interfacial water structure at charged surfaces plays a key role in many physical, chemical, biological, environmental, and industrial processes. Understanding the release of interfacial water from the charged solid surfaces during dehydration process may provide insights into the mechanism of protein folding and the nature of weak molecular interactions. In this work, sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS), supplemented by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements, has been applied to study the interfacial water structure at polyelectrolyte covered surfaces. Poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) chains are grafted on solid surfaces to investigate the change of interfacial water structure with varying surface charge density induced by tuning the solution pH. At pH ≤ 7.1, SFG-VS intensity is linear to the loss of mass of interfacial water caused by the dehydration of PDMAEMA chains, and no reorientation of the strongly bonded water molecules is observed in the light of χ(ppp)/χ(ssp) ratio. χ((3)) contribution to SFG signal is deduced based on the combination of SFG and QCM results. It is the first direct experimental evidence to reveal that the χ((3)) has a negligible contribution to SFG signal of the interfacial water at a charged polymer surface.     

Surface plasma treatment effects on the molecular structure at polyimide/air and buried polyimide/epoxy interfaces

Polyimides are widely used as chip passivation layers and organic substrates in microelectronic packaging. Plasma treatment has been used to enhance the interfacial properties of polyimides, but its molecularmechanism is not clear. In this research, the effects of polyimide surface plasma treatment on the molecular structures at corresponding polyimide/air and buried polyimide/epoxy interfaces were investigated in situ using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. SFG results show that the polyimide backbone molecular structure was different at polyimide/air and polyimide/epoxy interfaces before and after plasma treatment. The different molecular structures at each interface indicate that structural reordering of the polyimide backbone occurred as a result of plasma treatment and contact with the epoxy adhesive. Furthermore, quantitative orientation analysis indicated that plasma treatment of polyimide surfaces altered the twist angle of the polyimide backbone at corresponding buried polyimide/epoxy interfaces. These SFG results indicate that plasma treatment of polymer surfaces can alter the molecular structure at corresponding polymer/air and buried polymer interfaces.     

Adsorption of 1- and 2-butylimidazoles at the copper/air and steel/air interfaces studied by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The structure of thin films of 1- and 2-butylimidazoles adsorbed on copper and steel surfaces under air was examined using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy in the ppp and ssp polarizations. Additionally, the SFG spectra of both isomers were recorded at 55 °C at the liquid imidazole/air interface for reference. Complementary bulk infrared, reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), and Raman spectra of both imidazoles were recorded for assignment purposes. The SFG spectra in the C-H stretching region at the liquid/air interface are dominated by resonances from the methyl end group of the butyl side chain of the imidazoles, indicating that they are aligned parallel or closely parallel to the surface normal. These are also the most prominent features in the SFG spectra on copper and steel. In addition, both the ppp and ssp spectra on copper show resonances from the C-H stretching modes of the imidazole ring for both isomers. The ring C-H resonances are completely absent from the spectra on steel and at the liquid/air interface. The relative intensities of the SFG spectra can be interpreted as showing that, on copper, under air, both butylimidazoles are adsorbed with their butyl side chains perpendicular to the interface and with the ring significantly inclined away from the surface plane and toward the surface normal. The SFG spectra of both imidazoles on steel indicate an orientation where the imidazole rings are parallel or nearly parallel to the surface. The weak C-H resonances from the ring at the liquid/air interface suggest that the tilt angle of the ring from the surface normal at this interface is significantly greater than it is on copper.     

Surface restructuring behavior of various types of poly(dimethylsiloxane) in water detected by SFG

Surface structures of several different poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) materials, tetraethoxysilane-cured hydroxy-terminated PDMS (TEOS-PDMS), platinum-cured vinyl-terminated PDMS (Pt-PDMS), platinum-cured vinyl-terminated poly(diphenylsiloxane)-co-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDPS-co-PDMS), and PDMS-co-polystyrene (PDMS-co-PS) copolymer in air and water have been investigated by sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. The SFG spectra collected from all PDMS surfaces in both air and water are dominated by methyl group stretches, indicating that all the surfaces are mainly covered by methyl groups. Other than surface-dominating methyl groups, some -Si-CH2-CH2- moieties on the Pt-PDMS surface have also been detected in air, which are present at cross-linking points. Information about the average orientation angle and angle distribution of the methyl groups on the PDMS surface has been evaluated. Surface restructuring of the methyl groups has been observed for all PDMS surfaces in water. Upon contacting water, the methyl groups on all PDMS surfaces tilt more toward the surface. The detailed restructuring behaviors of several PDMS surfaces in water and the effects of molecular weight on restructuring behaviors have been investigated. For comparison, in addition to air and water, surface structures of PDMS materials mentioned above in a nonpolar solvent, FC-75, have also been studied. By comparing the different response of phenyl groups to water on both PDPS-co-PDMS and PS-co-PDMS surfaces, we have demonstrated how the restructuring behaviors of surface phenyl groups are affected by the structural flexibility of the molecular chains where they are attached.     

First acid dissociation at an aqueous H2SO4 interface with sum frequency generation spectroscopy

The vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectra of the air-liquid interface of H2SO4-H2O solutions over a wide range of concentrations are measured in the SO stretching region (1000-1300 cm(-1)). The analogy of the concentration dependence of Raman and SFG is indicative of a nearly identical behavior of the first acid dissociation at the air-liquid interface as in the bulk.     

Time evolution studies of the H2O/quartz interface using sum frequency generation, atomic force microscopy, and molecular dynamics

Many interfacial studies on solid surfaces, for example, quartz/water, assume that a standard cleaning procedure regenerates the surface reproducibly. In the reported work, the results of two surface specific techniques, sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, show that the effects of prolonged exposure to Nanopure water and to pH 10 NaOH are distinctly different. In conjunction with the experimental data, molecular mechanics is used to correlate the SFG spectral frequencies to the hydrogen stretching vibrations of the surface-bound water molecules. It is found that after 17 days of soaking in water, water molecules penetrate into the SiO2 matrix to produce a swollen and amorphous layer; it is likely that broken Si-O bonds from the polishing process serve as nucleation sites for hydration and swelling. Disorder introduced in the interfacial water layer is detected by the rising intensity of the weakly hydrogen-bonded SFG peak at 3450 cm(-1). Dominance of the 3450 cm(-1) is absent in a pH 10, NaOH-soaked quartz disk, indicating that the strong hydrogen-bonded network in water remains intact.     

In situ adsorption studies of a 14-amino acid leucine-lysine peptide onto hydrophobic polystyrene and hydrophilic silica surfaces using quartz crystal microbalance, atomic force microscopy, and sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The adsorption of a 14-amino acid amphiphilic peptide, LK14, which is composed of leucine (L, nonpolar) and lysine (K, charged), on hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) and hydrophilic silica (SiO2) was investigated in situ by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. The LK14 peptide, adsorbed from a pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution, displayed very different coverage, surface roughness and friction, topography, and surface-induced orientation when adsorbed onto PS versus SiO2 surfaces. Real-time QCM adsorption data revealed that the peptide adsorbed onto hydrophobic PS through a fast (t < 2 min) process, while a much slower (t > 30 min) multistep adsorption and rearrangement occurred on the hydrophilic SiO2. AFM measurements showed different surface morphologies and friction coefficients for LK14 adsorbed on the two surfaces. Surface-specific SFG spectra indicate very different ordering of the adsorbed peptide on hydrophobic PS as compared to hydrophilic SiO2. At the LK14 solution/PS interface, CH resonances corresponding to the hydrophobic leucine side chains are evident. Conversely, only NH modes are observed at the peptide solution/SiO2 interface, indicating a different average molecular orientation on this hydrophilic surface. The surface-dependent difference in the molecular-scale peptide interaction at the solution/hydrophobic solid versus solution/hydrophilic solid interfaces (measured by SFG) is manifested as significantly different macromolecular-level adsorption properties on the two surfaces (determined via AFM and QCM experiments).