Reversible binding of metal ions onto bacterial layers revealed by protonation-induced ATR-FTIR difference spectroscopy

The ability of microorganisms to adhere to abiotic surfaces and the potentialities of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy have been exploited to study protonation and heavy metal binding events onto bacterial surfaces. This work represents the first attempt to apply on bacteria the recently developed method known as perfusion-induced ATR-FTIR difference spectroscopy. Such a technique allows measurement of even slight changes in the infrared spectrum of the sample, deposited as a thin layer on an ATR crystal, while an aqueous solution is perfused over its surface. Solutions at different pH have been used for inducing protonation/deprotonation of functional groups lying on the surface of Rhodobacter sphaeroides cells, chosen as a model system. The interaction of Ni(2+) with surface protonable groups of this microorganism has been investigated with a double-difference approach exploiting competition between nickel cations and protons. Protonation-induced difference spectra of simple model compounds have been acquired to guide band assignment in bacterial spectra, thus allowing identification of major components involved in proton uptake and metal binding. The data collected reveal that carboxylate moieties on the bacterial surface of R. sphaeroides play a role in extracellular biosorption of Ni(2+), establishing with this ion relatively weak coordinative bonds.     

Sodium or lithium ion-binding-induced structural changes in the K-ring of V-ATPase from Enterococcus hirae revealed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

V-ATPase from Enterococcus hirae forms a large supramolecular protein complex (total molecular weight ～700,000) and physiologically transports Na(+) and Li(+) across a hydrophobic lipid bilayer. Stabilization of these cations in the binding site has been discussed on the basis of X-ray crystal structures of a membrane-embedded domain, the K-ring (Na(+)- and Li(+)-bound forms). Here, sodium or lithium ion-binding-induced difference IR spectra of the intact V-ATPase have for the first time been measured at physiological temperature under a sufficient amount of hydration. The results suggest that sodium or lithium ion binding induces the deprotonation of Glu139, a hydrogen-bonding change in the tyrosine residue, and a small conformational change in the K-ring. These structural changes, especially the deprotonation of Glu139, are considered to be important for reducing energetic barriers to the transport of cations through the membrane.     

In situ evaluation of breast cancer cell growth with 3D ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

A 3D attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is applied to the in situ monitoring of the growth of breast cancer cell (MCF-7) on a ZnSe surface. The good biocompatibility of the ZnSe crystal results in a tight adhesion of the cells on the surface, with corresponding remarkable IR signals. The series spectrum curves are corresponding to each stage of the cell growth, elucidating the distinguishing phase of the cell cycle. The characteristic absorbance bands of MCF-7 breast cancer cells shift in comparison to the spectra of breast normal cells. However, no changes are observed as compared to the spectra of dead cells with those of the live cells.     

Analytical characterization of polymers used in conservation and restoration by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

In the last few decades many new polymers have been synthesized that are now being used in cultural heritage conservation. The physical and chemical properties and the long-term behaviors of these new polymers are determined by the chemical composition of the starting materials used in their synthesis along with the nature of the substances added to facilitate their production. The practical applications of these polymers depend on their composition and form (foam, film, sheets, pressure-sensitive adhesives, heat-seal adhesives, etc.). Some materials are used in restoration works and others for the exhibition, storage and transport of works of art. In all cases, it is absolutely necessary to know their compositions. Furthermore, many different materials that are manufactured for other objectives are also used for conservation and restoration. The technical information about the materials provided by the manufacturer is usually incomplete, so it is necessary to analytically characterize such materials. FTIR spectrometry is widely used for polymer identification, and, more recently, ATR–FTIR has been shown to give excellent results. This paper reports the ATR-FTIR analysis of samples of polymeric materials used in the conservation of artworks. These samples were examined directly in the solid material without sample preparation.     

Direct detection of formate ligation in cytochrome c oxidase by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

The IR signature of binding of formate to the heme a(3-)Cu(B) binuclear site of bovine cytochrome c oxidase has been obtained by perfusion ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The data show unequivocally that formate binds in its anionic form despite its binding being electroneutral overall. The bound formate can be distinguished from free ligand by the binding-induced sharpening and downshifting of vibrational bands. Formate ligation also causes shifts of vibrational modes of heme a(3) and its substituents and perturbation of histidine residues. The association of the accompanying protonation change with a carboxylate or tyrosine can be ruled out and may involve a histidine metal ligand or, more likely, a simple displacement into the bulk phase of a hydroxide ligand to heme a(3) or CU(B), a reaction which would account for stoichiometric proton uptake and maintenance of net charge within the binuclear center domain.     

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy of a single endothelial cell

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) with the use of a slide-on germanium accessory followed by chemometric analysis allowed for providing meaningful information about the biochemical composition of a single endothelial cell. In this work, the methodology of the ATR-FTIR measurements of dried cells and dried cells immersed in water solution is presented. The contact of the cell and Ge crystal was set up manually and monitored through the integration of the amide I band. Additionally, the cell imaging in transreflection mode was tested, but the spectral differences between sub-cellular structures were not prominent in the registered spectra. It has been shown that the ATR-FTIR method gives better results due to the increased spatial resolution and S/R ratio as well as small contribution of the optical artifacts.     

Probing proton dissociation in ionic polymers by means of in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

The hydration process of cationic membrane protogenic groups was investigated using in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The aim of this study is to provide a relationship between the hydration degree of the membrane and the dissociation state of exchange sites inside the polymer material. IR spectra were recorded by means of an environmental device specifically manufactured to allow the control of water vapour pressure in equilibrium with the sample. The behaviour of Nafion 112 and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (S-PEEK), in both proton and sodium forms, was compared. IR data, analyzed and fitted in the 800-1850 cm(-1) spectral range, gave precise information on the assignment of sulfonic group vibrational modes. The results of this study improve the understanding of the transition phenomena between dissociated and undissociated states of the grafted sites in protonic conductors.     

Spectral characteristics of ethylene sorbed by silver-containing ionic liquids studied by in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

The spectral characteristics of ethylene absorbed by ionic liquids (ILs) containing silver ions were studied by in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy at high pressure. Three different states of ethylene were observed based on the band shift of out-of-plane bending vibrations (ωCH₂) due to van der Waals interactions, hydrogen bonds, and π-complex formation with silver ions. Thus, ethylene can be used as an IR-sensitive probe molecule for characterizing interactions with ILs and other substances.     

Assessment of dentifrice adulteration with diethylene glycol by means of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

A direct and fast method for determination of the adulterant diethylene glycol (DEG) in toothpaste and gel dentifrices combining attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy with partial least squares (PLS) regression has been proposed. Considering the high heterogeneity of dentifrices available in the market, the possibility of reducing the number of calibration samples for PLS was evaluated. Similar prediction performance was achieved by both employing a large calibration set of 20 dentifrices spiked with different amounts of DEG and a reduced calibration set of seven ones selected by means of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The feasibility of using the simple calibration model to predict DEG adulteration in a wide variety of unknown dentifrice samples increases the applicability of the proposed method. With this approach, DEG was quantified with a root mean squared error of prediction value of 1.1% for a validation set of 40 different dentifrices containing DEG in the range 0–16% (w:w).     

Orientation of molecular groups of fibers in nonoriented samples determined by polarized ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

A method based on polarized attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is proposed for determining the infrared dichroic absorption ratio of a single fiber from a sample deposited flat on a germanium crystal without the requirement of fiber orientation. The method shows its efficiency on cellulose fibers of paper and has been applied to protein fibers (type I collagen and β-amyloid) and polysaccharide fibers (cellulose and starch). The method gives access to the dichroic ratio of strong absorptions bands, which is not easily accessible with conventional absorption techniques. Then, the orientation of the molecular groups of organic fibers can be easily determined by polarized ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. By extension, this method will be useful to determine the molecular orientation of fibers in structured complex samples, such as biological tissues and plants. Spatially resolved information on the organization of the fiber network will be easily extracted by utilizing a focal plane array detector for imaging measurements.     

Reversible switching of protein uptake and release at polyelectrolyte multilayers detected by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

The reversible switching of uptake and release of the proteins lysozyme (LYZ, IEP = 11.1) and human serum albumin (HSA, IEP = 4.8) at the surface attached polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) consisting of poly(ethylene-imine) (PEI) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAC) is shown. Protein adsorption could be switched by pH setting due to electrostatic interaction. Adsorption of positively charged LYZ at PEM-6 took place at pH = 7.3, where the outermost PAC layer was negatively charged. Complete desorption was obtained at pH = 4, where the outermost PAC layer was neutral. Additionally the charge state of the last adsorbed PAC layer in dependence of the pH of the medium could be determined in the ATR-FTIR difference spectra by the ν(COO⁻) and ν(C=O) band due to carboxylate and carboxylic acid groups. Adsorption of negatively charged HSA at PEM-7 was achieved at pH = 7.3, where the outermost PEI layer was positively charged. Part desorption was obtained at pH = 10, where the outermost PEI layer was neutral. PEM of PEI/PAC may be used for the development of bioactive and bionert materials and protein sensors.     

Intercalator-DNA interactions revealed by NIR surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Using 1064 nm excited surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) a well known intercalator, ethidium bromide (EB), and a structurally related compound, 4-methyl-2,7-diamino-5,10-diphenyl-4,9-diazapyrenium hydrogensulfate (ADAP), have been studied. Concentration dependent SERS spectra of both aromatic species (1 × 10⁻⁷-5 × 10⁻⁵ M) indicated existence of dimeric associates at high concentration and an equilibrium shift towards monomers with a concentration decrease. Interactions of the intercalating molecules with DNA have been studied for various intercalator/DNA (base pair) molar ratios ranging from 10/1 to 1/10. In colloidal samples containing an intercalator in excess relative to DNA binding sites (from 10/1 to 2/1) enhancement of the Raman scattering gradually weakened, indicating a decrease in a number of free molecules adsorbed on the metal surface due to binding with DNA. At the drug/DNA ratios of 1/2 and 1/5 weaker but observable SERS bands indicated insertion of the drug molecules between the base pairs (intercalation strongly diminished interaction of the drug molecules with metal surface) as well as non-intercalative binding of the drug molecules able to stay in closer contact with a metal surface. A total intercalation of EB and ADAP molecules (intercalator/DNA of 1/7 and 1/10) resulted in almost complete loss of the SERS signal. Intensity of the SERS spectra of the intercalator/DNA complexes relative to the SERS intensity of the free intercalating molecules diminished to a lesser degree for ADAP/DNA than for EB/DNA. The obtained difference was attributed to a larger aromatic surface of the ADAP molecules which, although intercalated, could be positioned near the enhancing nanoparticles, unlike the smaller EB molecules which were deeply inserted within the DNA helix.     

Heterogeneous exciton dynamics revealed by two-dimensional optical spectroscopy

We show that optical two-dimensional (2D) spectroscopy can recover ultrafast heterogeneous dynamics of closely spaced delocalized exciton states from a molecular exciton manifold characterized by a single absorption band. The complete experimental third-order nonlinear optical response from room-temperature J-aggregates in liquid phase is reproduced for the first time with self-consistent Frenkel exciton theory combined with modified Redfield theory. We show that exciton relaxation between the exciton states and nuclear-motion-induced exchange-narrowed energy fluctuations of individual delocalized exciton states can be distinguished because these two processes lead to a distinctively different evolution of the absolute 2D spectrum. Our technique also allows recovery of the variation of the exciton relaxation rates as well as the degree of exciton delocalization across the absorption band.     

Aggregation of polyene antibiotics as revealed by absorption spectroscopy

Methanolic solutions of the heptaene macrolide antibiotics, namely amphotericin B and hamycin, are molecular dispersions. These polyenes were found to be self-aggregated in neutral aqueous solution. The aggregates of hamycin dissociate in acidic or basic aqueous solutions. The smaller chain aliphatic alcohols have a higher solvating power for hamycin.     

Flexibility of phenylene oligomers revealed by single molecule spectroscopy

The rigidity of a p-phenylene oligomer (p-terphenyl) has been investigated by single molecule confocal fluorescence microscopy. Two different rylene diimide dyes attached to the terminal positions of the oligomer allowed for wavelength selective excitation of the two chromophores. In combination with polarization modulation the spatial orientation of the transition dipoles of both end groups could be determined independently. We have analyzed 597 single molecules in two different polymer hosts, polymethylmethacrylate and Zeonex. On average we find a 22 degrees deviation from the linear gas phase geometry (T = 0 K), indicating a rather high flexibility of the p-phenylene oligomer independent of the matrix. To substantiate our experimental results, we have performed quantum chemical calculations at the density functional theory level for the molecular geometry and the electronic excitations. Our findings are in agreement with former experiments on the persistence length of poly(p-phenylenes).     

Polyelectrolyte complex layers: a promising concept for anti-fouling coatings verified by in-situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

In-situ attenuated total reflection (ATR)-FTIR spectroscopy enabled studies on the interaction between the differently charged model proteins human serum albumin, lysozyme, immunoglobulin G and multilayer assemblies, which were deposited by alternating adsorption of poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(acrylic acid) onto Si crystals. Low adsorbed protein amounts were observed if the top polyelectrolyte layer and the protein were equally charged, whereas enhanced protein adsorption occurred for electrostatic attraction between protein and top polyelectrolyte layer.     

Formation of assemblies comprising Ru-polypyridine complexes and CdSe nanocrystals studied by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and DFT modeling

The interaction between CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) passivated with trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) ligands and a series of Ru-polypyridine complexes-[Ru(bpy)(3)](PF(6))(2) (1), [Ru(bpy)(2)(mcb)](PF(6))(2) (2), [Ru(bpy)(mcb)(2)](BarF)(2) (3), and [Ru(tpby)(2)(dcb)](PF(6))(2) (4) (where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, mcb = 4-carboxy-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine, tbpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine; dcb = 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine, and BarF = tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate)-was studied by attenuated total reflectance FTIR (ATR-FTIR) and modeled using density functional theory (DFT). ATR-FTIR studies reveal that when the solid film of NCs is exposed to an acetonitrile solution of 2, 3, or 4, the complexes chemically bind to the NC surface through their carboxylic acid groups, replacing TOPO ligands. The corresponding spectral changes are observed on a time scale of minutes. In the case of 2, the FTIR spectral changes clearly show that the complex adsorption is associated with a loss of proton from the carboxylic acid group. In the case of 3 and 4, deprotonation of the anchoring group is also detected, while the second, "spectrator" carboxylic acid group remains protonated. The observed energy difference between the symmetric, ν(s), and asymmetric, ν(as), stretch of the deprotonated carboxylic acid group suggests that the complexes are bound to the NC surface via a bridging mode. The results of DFT modeling are consistent with the experiment, showing that for the deprotonated carboxylic acid group the coupling to two Cd atoms via a bridging mode is the energetically most favorable mode of attachment for all nonequivalent NC surface sites and that the attachment of the protonated carboxylic acid is thermodynamically significantly less favorable.     

ATR-FTIR在研究环境固液微界面吸附过程中的应用

微界面吸附过程是许多环境微界面反应的初始步骤或关键步骤。通过原位分析方法实时研究环境微界面吸附过程,可以获得更直接的界面反应信息和更可靠的反应机制证据,对于认识污染物在环境中分配转化和迁移传输规律有着重要意义。衰减全反射红外光谱技术由于其独特的采样原理、简便的制样方法和广泛的适应性,正逐渐成为研究微界面反应的一个有力工具。本文在简要介绍原位衰减全反射红外光谱的技术原理的基础上,综述其在环境微界面吸附过程,尤其是矿物-水界面吸附过程中的应用,并探讨其在环境微界面过程研究中的发展前景。