A combined streaming-potential optical reflectometer for studying adsorption at the water/solid surface

A novel in-situ streaming-potential optical reflectometry apparatus (SPOR) was constructed and utilized to probe the molecular architecture of aqueous adsorbates on a negatively charged silica surface. By combining optical reflectometry and electrokinetic streaming potentials, we measure simultaneously the adsorption density, gamma, and zeta potential, zeta, in a rectangular flow cell constructed with one transparent wall. Both dynamic and equilibrium measurements are possible, allowing the study of sorption kinetics and reversibility. Using SPOR, we investigate the adsorption of a classic nonionic surfactant (pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether, C12E5), a simple cationic surfactant (hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) of opposite charge to that of the substrate surface, and two cationic polyelectrolytes (poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate), PDAEMA; (poly(propyl methacrylate) trimethylammonium chloride, MAPTAC). For the polyethylene oxide nonionic surfactant, bilayer adsorption is established above the critical micelle concentration (cmc) both from the adsorption amounts and from the interpretation of the observed zeta potentials. Near adsorption saturation, CTAB also forms bilayer structures on silica. Here, however, we observe a strong charge reversal of the surface. The SPOR data, along with Gouy-Chapman theory, permit assessment of the net ionization fraction of the CTAB bilayer at 10% so that most of the adsorbed CTAB molecules are counterion complexed. The adsorption of both C12E5 and CTAB is reversible. The adsorption of the cationic polymers, however, is completely irreversible to a solvent wash. As with CTAB, both PDAEMA and MAPTAC demonstrate strong charge reversal. For the polyelectrolyte molecules, however, the adsorbed layer is thin and flat. Here also, a Gouy-Chapman analysis shows that less than 20% of the adsorbed layer is ionized. Furthermore, the amount of charge reversal is inversely proportional to the Debye length in agreement with available theory. SPOR provides a new tool for elucidating aqueous adsorbate molecular structure at solid surfaces.     

Influence of surface roughness on cetyltrimethylammonium bromide adsorption from aqueous solution

The influence of surface roughness on surfactant adsorption was studied using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). The sensors employed had root-mean-square (R) roughness values of 2.3, 3.1, and 5.8 nm, corresponding to fractal-calculated surface area ratios (actual/nominal) of 1.13, 1.73, and 2.53, respectively. Adsorption isotherms measured at 25 °C showed that adsorbed mass of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide per unit of actual surface area below 0.8 cmc, or above 1.2 cmc, decreases as the surface roughness increases. At the cmc, both the measured adsorbed amount and the measured dissipation increased dramatically on the rougher surfaces. These results are consistent with the presence of impurities, suggesting that roughness exacerbates well-known phenomena reported in the literature of peak impurity-related adsorption at the cmc. The magnitude of the increase, especially in dissipation, suggests that changes in adsorbed amount may not be the only reason for the observed results, as aggregates at the cmc on rougher surfaces are more flexible and likely contain larger amounts of solvent. Differences in adsorption kinetics were also found as a function of surface roughness, with data showing a second, slower adsorption rate after rapid initial adsorption. A two-rate Langmuir model was used to further examine this effect. Although adsorption completes faster on the smoother surfaces, initial adsorption at zero surface coverage is faster on the rougher surfaces, suggesting the presence of more high-energy sites on the rougher surfaces.     

Fibronectin adsorption on tantalum: the influence of nanoroughness

The complex mechanisms of protein adsorption at the solid-liquid interface is of great importance in many research areas, including protein purification, biocompatibility of medical implants, biosensing, and biofouling. The protein adsorption process depends crucially on both the nanoscale chemistry and topography of the interface. Here, we investigate the adsorption of the cell-binding protein fibronectin on flat and nanometer scale rough tantalum oxide surfaces using ellipsometry and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). On the flat tantalum oxide surfaces, the interfacial protein spreading causes an increase in the rigidity and a decrease in the thickness of the adsorbed fibronectin layer with decreasing bulk protein concentration. For the tantalum oxide surfaces with well-controlled, stochastic nanometer scale roughness, similar concentration effects are observed for the rigidity of the fibronectin layer and saturated fibronectin uptake. However, we find that the nanorough tantalum oxide surfaces promote additional protein conformational changes, an effect especially apparent from the QCM-D signals, interpreted as an additional stiffening of the formed fibronectin layers.     

Effect of adsorbed layer surface roughness on the QCM-D response: focus on trapped water

The effect of surface roughness on the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) response was investigated with emphasis on determining the amount of trapped water. Surfaces with different nanoroughnesses were prepared on silica by self-assembly of cationic surfactants with different packing parameters. We used surfactants with quaternary ammonium bromide headgroups: the double-chained didodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12)2DAB (DDAB), the single-chained hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide C16TAB (CTAB), and dodecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide C12TAB (DTAB). The amount of trapped water was obtained from the difference between the mass sensed by QCM-D and the adsorbed amount detected by optical reflectometry. The amount of water, which is sensed by QCM-D, was found to increase with the nanoroughness of the adsorbed layer. The water sensed by QCM-D cannot be assigned primarily to hydration water, because it differs substantially for adsorbed surfactant layers with similar headgroups but with different nanoscale topographies.     

Dynamics of fibronectin adsorption on TiO2 surfaces

In the present work we analyze the dynamics of fibronectin (FN) adsorption on two different stable titanium oxides, with varied surface roughness, and chemically similar to those used in clinical practice. The two types of titanium oxide surfaces used were TiO2 sputtered on Si (TiO2 sp) and TiO2 formed on commercially pure titanium after immersion in H2O2 (TiO2 cp). Surface characterization was previously carried out using different techniques (Sousa, S. R.; Moradas-Ferreira, P.; Melo, L. V.; Saramago, B.; Barbosa, M. A. Langmuir 2004, 20 (22), 9745-9754). Imaging and roughness analysis before and after FN adsorption used atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping mode, in air, and in magnetic alternating current mode, in liquid (water). FN adsorption as a function of time was followed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), by radiolabeling of FN with 125I (125I-FN), and by ellipsometry. Exchangeability studies were performed using FN and HSA. AFM roughness analysis revealed that, before FN adsorption, both TiO2 surfaces exhibited a lower root-mean-square (Rq) and maximum peak with the depth of the maximum valley (Rmax) roughness in air than in water, due to TiO2 hydration. After protein adsorption, the same behavior was observed for the TiO2 sp substrate, while Rq and Rmax roughness values in air and in water were similar in the case of the TiO2 cp substrate, for the higher FN concentration used. Surface roughness was always significantly higher on the TiO2 cp surfaces. AFM led to direct visualization of adsorbed FN on both surfaces tested, indicating that after 10 min of FN incubation the TiO2 sp surface was partially covered by FN. The adsorbed protein seems to form globular aggregates or ellipsoids, and FN aggregates coalesce, forming clusters as the time of adsorption and the concentration increase. Radiolabeling of FN revealed that a rapid adsorption occurs on both surfaces and the amount adsorbed increased with time, reaching a maximum after 60 min of incubation. Time dependence is also observed for the evolution of the atomic (%) of N determined by XPS and by the increase of the thickness by ellipsometry. TiO2 cp adsorbs more FN than the TiO2 sp surfaces, after 60 min of adsorption, as shown by the radiolabeling data. FN molecules are also more strongly attached to the former surface as indicated by the exchangeability studies. The overall results provide novel evidence that FN spontaneously adsorbs as a self-assembly at TiO2 surfaces as a function of time. The aggregate structure is an intermediate feature shared by some protein fibrillar assemblies at interfaces, which is believed to promote cell adhesion and cytoskeleton organization (Pellenc, D.; Berry, H.; Gallet, O. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2006, 298 (1), 132-144. Maheshwari, G.; Brown, G.; Lauffenburger, D. A.; Wells, A.; Griffith, L. G. J. Cell Sci. 2000, 113 (10), 1677-1686).     

A comparative study of surfactant adsorption on model surfaces using the quartz crystal microbalance and the ellipsometer

The nature of hexaethylene glycol mono-n-tetradecyl ether (C(14)EO(6)) layers adsorbed onto different model surfaces was systematically investigated by means of QCM-D (quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation) and ellipsometry. The amount of non-ionic surfactant adsorbed is determined both at hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. In particular, the substrates employed were hydrophilic silica, hydrophobized silica (using dimethyldichlorosilane), and hydrophobized gold surfaces (using 10-thiodecane and 16-thiohexadecane). It was shown that the frequency shift obtained from the QCM-D experiments results in an overestimation of the adsorbed mass. This is attributed to two different effects, viz. water that is coupled to the adsorbed layer due to hydration of the polar region of the surfactant and second water that for other reasons is trapped within the adsorbed layer. Furthermore, from the ellipsometry data the adsorbed layer thickness is determined. By combining the thickness information and the dissipation parameter (obtained from the QCM-D experiments), we note that the dissipation parameter is insufficient in describing the viscoelastic character of thin surfactant films.     

Bovine serum albumin adsorption on nano-rough platinum surfaces studied by QCM-D

The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on platinum surfaces with a root-mean-square roughness ranging from 1.49nm to 4.62nm was investigated using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). Two different BSA concentrations, 50microg/ml and 1mg/ml, were used, and the adsorption studies were complemented by monitoring the antibody interaction with the adsorbed BSA layer. The adsorption process was significantly influenced by the surface nano-roughness, and it was observed that the surface mass density of the adsorbed BSA layer is enhanced in a non-trivial way with the surface roughness. From a close examination of the energy dissipation vs. frequency shift plot obtained by the QCM-D technique, it was additionally observed that the BSA adsorption on the roughest surface is subject to several distinct adsorption phases revealing the presence of structural changes facilitated by the nano-rough surface morphology during the adsorption process. These changes were in particular noticeable for the adsorption at the low (50microg/ml) BSA concentration. The results confirm that the nano-rough surface morphology has a significant influence on both the BSA mass uptake and the functionality of the resulting protein layer.     

Adsorption of bacteria and polycations on model surfaces of cellulose, hemicellulose and wood extractives studied by QCM-D

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used as the tools to study the adsorption of bacteria onto surfaces of silica and polystyrene coated with materials related to papermaking. Cationic polyelectrolytes used as fixatives and retention aids in paper industry were found to promote irreversible adsorption of the ubiquitous white water bacterium, Pseudoxanthomonas taiwanensis, onto model surfaces of cellulose (pH 8). The high charged low molecular weight polyelectrolyte, poly(diallyldimethyl) ammonium chloride (pDADMAC) adsorbed to silica surface as a flat and rigid layer, whereas the low charged cationic polyacryl amide (C-PAM) of high molecular weight adsorbed as a thick and loose layer. AFM images showed that the polyelectrolytes accumulated as layers around each bacterial cell. In the presence of wood hemicellulose (O-acetyl-galactoglucomannan) the bacteria adsorbed massively, as large, tightly packed rafts (up to 0.05mm in size) onto the polystyrene crystal surface coated with wood extractives (pH 4.7). AFM and FESEM micrographs also showed large naked areas (with no bacteria) in between the bacterial rafts on the crystal surface. In this case, QCM-D only incompletely responded to the massiveness of the bacterial adsorption. The results indicate that cationic polymers can be used to increase the retention of bacteria from the process water onto the fibre web and that, depending on the balance between hemicelluloses and wood extractives and pH of the process waters, bacteria can be drawn from process waters onto surfaces.     

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and surface plasmon resonance studies of carboxymethyl cellulose adsorption onto regenerated cellulose surfaces

Adsorption of anionic polyelectrolytes, sodium salts of carboxymethyl celluloses (CMCs) with different degrees of substitution (DS = 0.9 and 1.2), from aqueous electrolyte solutions onto regenerated cellulose surfaces was studied using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments. The influence of both calcium chloride (CaCl(2)) and sodium chloride (NaCl) on CMC adsorption was examined. The QCM-D results demonstrated that CaCl(2) (divalent cation) caused significantly greater CMC adsorption onto regenerated cellulose surfaces than NaCl (monovalent cation) at the same ionic strength. The CMC layers adsorbed onto regenerated cellulose surfaces from CaCl(2) solutions exhibited greater stability upon exposure to flowing water than layers adsorbed from NaCl solutions. Both QCM-D and SPR results showed that CMC adsorption onto regenerated cellulose surfaces from CaCl(2) solutions increased with increasing CaCl(2) concentration up to the solubility limit (10 mM). Voigt-based viscoelastic modeling of the QCM-D data indicated that the CMC layers adsorbed onto regenerated cellulose surfaces had shear viscosities of η(f) ≈ 10(-3) N·s·m(-2) and elastic shear moduli of μ(f) ≈ 10(5) N·m(-2). Furthermore, the combination of SPR spectroscopy and QCM-D showed that the CMC layers contained 90-95% water. Adsorption isotherms for CMCs in CaCl(2) solutions were also obtained from QCM-D and were fit by Freundlich isotherms. This study demonstrated that CMC adsorption from CaCl(2) solutions is useful for the modification of cellulose surfaces.     

Influence of nanotopography on phospholipid bilayer formation on silicon dioxide

We have investigated the effect of well-defined nanoscale topography on the 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) lipid vesicle adsorption and supported phospholipid bilayer (SPB) formation on SiO2 surfaces using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Unilamellar lipid vesicles with two different sizes, 30 and 100 nm, were adsorbed on pitted surfaces with two different pit diameters, 110 and 190 nm, as produced by colloidal lithography, and the behavior was compared to results obtained on flat surfaces. In all cases, complete bilayer formation was observed after a critical coverage of adsorbed vesicles had been reached. However, the kinetics of the vesicle-to-bilayer transformation, including the critical coverage, was significantly altered by surface topography for both vesicle sizes. Surface topography hampered the overall bilayer formation kinetics for the smaller vesicles, but promoted SPB formation for the larger vesicles. Depending on vesicle size, we propose two modifications of the precursor-mediated vesicle-to-bilayer transformation mechanism used to describe supported lipid bilayer formation on the corresponding flat surface. Our results may have important implications for various lipid-membrane-based applications using rough or topographically structured surfaces.     

Fibronectin and bovine serum albumin adsorption and conformational dynamics on inherently conducting polymers: a QCM-D study

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was employed to characterize the adsorption of the model proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fibronectin (FN), to polypyrrole doped with dextran sulfate (PPy-DS) as a function of DS loading and surface roughness. BSA adsorption was greater on surfaces of increased roughness and was above what could be explained by the increase in surface area alone. Furthermore, the additional mass adsorbed on the rough films was concomitant with an increase in the rigidity of the protein layer. Analysis of the dynamic viscoelastic properties of the protein adlayer reveal BSA adsorption on the rough films occurs in two phases: (1) arrival and initial adsorption of protein to the polymer surface and (2) postadsorption molecular rearrangement to a more dehydrated and compact conformation that facilitates further recruitment of protein to the polymer interface, likely forming a multilayer. In contrast, FN adsorption was independent of surface roughness. However, films prepared from solutions containing the highest concentration of DS (20 mg/mL) demonstrated both an increase in adsorbed mass and adlayer viscoelasticity. This is attributed to the higher DS loading in the conducting polymer film resulting in presentation of a more hydrated molecular structure indicative of a more unfolded and bioactive conformation. Modulating the redox state of the PPy-DS polymers was shown to modify both the adsorbed mass and viscoelastic nature of FN adlayers. An oxidizing potential increased both the total adsorbed mass and the adlayer viscoelasticity. Our findings demonstrate that modification of polymer physicochemical and redox condition alters the nature of protein-polymer interaction, a process that may be exploited to tailor the bioactivity of protein through which interactions with cells and tissues may be controlled.     

Chitosan adsorption on hydroxyapatite and its role in preventing acid erosion

Polymer adsorption onto an artificial saliva (AS) layer is investigated using quartz-crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and chitosan as the model polymer. QCM-D is utilized in an innovative manner to monitor in situ adsorption of chitosan (CH) onto a hydroxyapatite (HA) coated crystal and to examine the ability of the adsorbed layer to "protect" the HA upon sequential exposure to acidic solutions. After deposition of a thin AS layer (16nm), the total thickness on the HA substrate increases to 37nm upon exposure to CH at pH 5.5 for 10min. Correspondingly, the surface charge changes from negative (i.e., AS) to positive, consistent with the adsorption the polycationic CH onto or into the AS layer. Upon exposure to an oxidizing agent, the chitosan cross-links and collapses as noted by a decrease in thickness to 10nm and an increase in the shear modulus by an order of magnitude. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to determine the surface morphology and RMS roughness of the coated and HA surfaces after citric acid challenges. Both physisorbed and cross-linked chitosan are demonstrated to limit and prevent the erosion of HA, respectively.     

Characterization of layer-by-layer self-assembled multilayer films of diblock copolymer micelles

The in situ layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly of low Tg diblock copolymer micelles onto a flat silica substrate is reported. The copolymers used here were a cationic poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (50qPDMA-PDEA; 50q refers to a mean degree of quaternization of 50 mol % for the PDMA block) and zwitterionic poly(methacrylic acid)-block-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PMAA-PDEA), which has anionic character at pH 9. Alternate deposition of micelles formed by these two copolymers onto a silica substrate at pH 9 was examined. The in situ LbL buildup of the copolymer micelle films was monitored using zeta potential measurements, optical reflectometry, and a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). For a six layer deposition, complete charge reversal was observed after the addition of each layer. The OR data indicated clearly an increase in adsorbed mass with each additional micelle layer and suggest that some interdiffusion of copolymer chains between layers and/or an increase in the film roughness, and hence in the effective surface area of the micellar multilayers, must take place as the film is built up. QCM-D data indicated that the self-assembled micellar multilayers on a flat silica substrate undergo structural changes over a prolonged period. This is attributed to longer-term interdiffusion of the copolymer chains between the outer two layers after the initial adsorption of each layer is complete. The QCM-D data further suggest that the outer adsorbed layers adopt a progressively more extended conformation, particularly for the higher numbered layers. The morphology of each successive layer was characterized using in situ soft-contact atomic force microscopy, and micelle-like surface aggregates are clearly observed within each layer of the complex film, suggesting the persistence of aggregate structures throughout the multilayer structure.     

Dibenzodioxin adsorption on inorganic materials

Dibenzodioxin adsorption/desorption on solid surfaces is an important issue associated with the formation, adsorption, and emission of dioxins. Dibenzodioxin adsorption/desorption behaviors on inorganic materials (amorphous/mesoporous silica, metal oxides, and zeolites) were investigated using in situ FT-IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. Desorption temperatures of adsorbed dibenzodioxin are very different for different kinds of inorganic materials: approximately 200 degrees C for amorphous/mesoporous silica, approximately 230 degrees C for metal oxides, and approximately 450 degrees C for NaY and mordenite zeolites. The adsorption of dibenzodioxin can be grouped into three categories according to the red shifts of the IR band at 1496 cm(-1) of the aromatic ring for the adsorbed dibenzodioxin: a shift of 6 cm(-1) for amorphous/mesoporous silica, a shift of 10 cm(-1) for metal oxides, and a shift of 14 cm(-1) for NaY and mordenite, suggesting that the IR shifts are proposed to associated with the strength of the interaction between adsorbed dibenzodioxin and the inorganic materials. It is proposed that the dibenzodioxin adsorption is mainly via the following three interactions: hydrogen bonding with the surface hydroxyl groups on amorphous/mesoporous silica, complexation with Lewis acid sites on metal oxides, and confinement effect of pores of mordenite and NaY with pore size close to the molecular size of dibenzodioxin.     

New theoretical framework for designing nonionic surfactant mixtures that exhibit a desired adsorption kinetics behavior

How does one design a surfactant mixture using a set of available surfactants such that it exhibits a desired adsorption kinetics behavior? The traditional approach used to address this design problem involves conducting trial-and-error experiments with specific surfactant mixtures. This approach is typically time-consuming and resource-intensive and becomes increasingly challenging when the number of surfactants that can be mixed increases. In this article, we propose a new theoretical framework to identify a surfactant mixture that most closely meets a desired adsorption kinetics behavior. Specifically, the new theoretical framework involves (a) formulating the surfactant mixture design problem as an optimization problem using an adsorption kinetics model and (b) solving the optimization problem using a commercial optimization package. The proposed framework aims to identify the surfactant mixture that most closely satisfies the desired adsorption kinetics behavior subject to the predictive capabilities of the chosen adsorption kinetics model. Experiments can then be conducted at the identified surfactant mixture condition to validate the predictions. We demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed theoretical framework through a realistic case study by identifying a nonionic surfactant mixture consisting of up to four alkyl poly(ethylene oxide) surfactants (C(10)E(4), C(12)E(5), C(12)E(6), and C(10)E(8)) such that it most closely exhibits a desired dynamic surface tension (DST) profile. Specifically, we use the Mulqueen-Stebe-Blankschtein (MSB) adsorption kinetics model (Mulqueen, M.; Stebe, K. J.; Blankschtein, D. Langmuir 2001, 17, 5196-5207) to formulate the optimization problem as well as the SNOPT commercial optimization solver to identify a surfactant mixture consisting of these four surfactants that most closely exhibits the desired DST profile. Finally, we compare the experimental DST profile measured at the surfactant mixture condition identified by the new theoretical framework with the desired DST profile and find good agreement between the two profiles.     

Adsorption behavior of hydrophobin and hydrophobin/surfactant mixtures at the air-water interface

The adsorption of the surface-active protein hydrophobin, HFBII, and the competitive adsorption of HFBII with the cationic, anionic, and nonionic surfactants hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB, sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, and hexaethylene monododecyl ether, C(12)E(6), has been studied using neutron reflectivity, NR. HFBII adsorbs strongly at the air-water interface to form a dense monolayer ～30 ? thick, with a mean area per molecule of ～400 ?(2) and a volume fraction of ～0.7, for concentrations greater than 0.01 g/L, and the adsorption is independent of the solution pH. In competition with the conventional surfactants CTAB, SDS, and C(12)E(6) at pH 7, the HFBII adsorption totally dominates the surface for surfactant concentrations less than the critical micellar concentration, cmc. Above the cmc of the conventional surfactants, HFBII is displaced by the surfactant (CTAB, SDS, or C(12)E(6)). For C(12)E(6) this displacement is only partial, and some HFBII remains at the surface for concentrations greater than the C(12)E(6) cmc. At low pH (pH 3) the patterns of adsorption for HFBII/SDS and HFBII/C(12)E(6) are different. At concentrations just below the surfactant cmc there is now mixed HFBII/surfactant adsorption for both SDS and C(12)E(6). For the HFBII/SDS mixture the structure of the adsorbed layer is more complex in the region immediately below the SDS cmc, resulting from the HFBII/SDS complex formation at the interface.     

Adsolubilization of toluene and acetophenone as a function of surfactant adsorption

Adsolubilization, solubilization of organic compounds into adsorbed surfactant aggregates, has attracted much attention in the past few years. It is being explored for a variety of new commercial applications including the formation of engineered surfaces, pharmaceutical applications, and nanotechnology. Adsolubilization is strongly influenced by the amount of adsorbed surfactant, which in turn depends upon pH, ionic strength, and surfactant type and concentration. In this study, the adsorption of a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on precipitated silica and the adsolubilization of organic solutes (toluene and acetophenone) into the adsorbed surfactant aggregates were examined as a function of surfactant adsorption at two pH values (5 and 8). Three levels of surfactant adsorption, corresponding to equilibrium concentration low in region II, high in region II, and low in region III of the adsorption isotherm, and the adsolubilization of toluene and acetophenone were investigated both in single- and mixed-solute systems. The results showed that the adsorption of CTAB depended strongly on pH and for each pH the adsolubilization increased with increasing surface adsorption. However, the adsolubilization behaviors of the adsorbed CTAB aggregates in different adsorption regions were quite distinct, suggesting that the structural arrangement of the surfactant aggregates may play an important part in addition to the amount of adsorbed surfactant. This phenomenon was more noticeable at low surfactant adsorption than at higher surface adsorption. In mixed-solute systems, the presence of acetophenone had little effect on the toluene adsolubilization. In contrast, a synergetic effect was observed in the adsolubilization of acetophenone in the presence of toluene.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of surfactants at the silica-water interface: anionic vs nonionic headgroups

Understanding surfactant adsorption on surfaces at the molecular level will provide us with the ability to design specific surfactants for surface modification. We conducted molecular dynamics simulations for sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C(12)E(6)) adsorbed on silica substrates with varying degree of hydroxylation. Our results shed light on the effects of hydroxylation on the surfactant aggregate morphology. The discrete charge distribution on the substrate surface appears to dictate both surfactant adsorption and aggregate morphology. The differences in aggregate morphology observed for anionic SDS and non-ionic C(12)E(6) on silica substrates are discussed quantitatively and compared to available experimental data.     

Ellipsometry studies of fibronectin adsorption

The adsorption of fibronectin on a series of different surfaces was investigated with in situ ellipsometry. For silica and methylated silica, the adsorbed amount (Γ), the adsorbed layer thickness (δ_el) and the mean adsorbed layer refractive index (n_f) were obtained by a procedure involving studies of the bare substrate at two different ambient refractive indices, as well as four-zone averaging. It was found that the adsorbed amount of fibronectin was the same (1.9 ± 0.1 mg m⁻²) on both silica and methylated silica surfaces. However, the adsorbed layers formed on methylated silica were more extended and had a lower average protein concentration than those formed on silica. Furthermore, on both silica and methylated silica, an increasing adsorbed amount is achieved both by a denser packing of the fibronectin molecules and by a growth of the adsorbed layer normal to the surface. Furthermore, the adsorption of fibronectin on lipid surfaces was investigated. It was found that the adsorption of fibronectin on phosphatidic acid was quite significant (2.2 ± 0.2 mg m⁻²), while that on phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine was much smaller (all 0.1 ± 0.05 mg m⁻²). These results are correlated to findings on the adsorption of fibrinogen on these surfaces, as well as on the opsonization of lipid-stabilized colloidal particles.     

Study of film structure and adsorption kinetics of polyelectrolyte multilayer films: effect of pH and polymer concentration

The alternate adsorption of polycation poly(allylamine hydrochloride)(PAH) and the sodium salt of the polymeric dye poly(1-[ p-(3'-carboxy-4'-hydroxyphenylazo)benzenesulfonamido]-1,2-ethandiyl)(PCBS) on quartz crystals coated with silica was studied to understand the structural properties and adsorption kinetics of these films using a combination of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), absorbance, and ellipsometry measurements. In-situ deposition of the polycation PAH on QCM crystals was monitored, followed by rinsing with water and then deposition of the polyanion PCBS. The effects of polymer concentration and pH on film structure, composition and adsorption kinetics were probed. The polymers were adsorbed at neutral pH conditions and at elevated pH conditions where PAH was essentially uncharged to obtain much thicker films. The change in the resonant frequency, Deltaf, of the QCM-D showed a linear decrease with the number of bilayers, a finding consistent with absorbance and ellipsometric thickness measurements which showed linear growth of film thickness. By using the Delta f ratios of PCBS to PAH, the molar ratios of repeat units of PCBS to PAH in the bilayer films as determined by QCM-D were approximately 1:1 at polyelectrolyte concentrations 5-10 mM repeat unit, indicating complete dissociation of the ionic groups. The frequency and dissipation data from the QCM-D experiments were analyzed with the Voigt model to estimate the thickness of the hydrated films which were then compared with thicknesses of dry films measured by ellipsometry. This led to estimates of the water content of the films to be approximately 45 wt %. In addition to the QCM-D, some films were also characterized by a QCM which measures only the first harmonic without dissipation monitoring. For the deposition conditions studied, the deposited mass values measured by the QCM's first harmonic were similar to the results obtained using higher harmonics from QCM-D, indicating that the self-assembled polyelectrolyte films were rigid.