Single-step DNA immobilization on antifouling self-assembled monolayers covalently bound to silicon (111)

Hydrosilylation of alkenes with epoxide-terminated tri(ethylene oxide) moieties on Si-H surfaces yields homogeneous monolayers for the efficient coupling of biomolecules. The wetting properties of the epoxide-functionalized surface allow for the spotting of solutions of biomolecules, making the surface amenable to microarraying. Immobilization of thiolated DNA was achieved in a single step to fabricate biorecognition interfaces showing the hybridization of complementary DNA at low concentrations and negligible binding of noncomplementary DNA.     

Spectroelectrochemical detection of phenothiazine and phenoxazine derivatives covalently bound to self-assembled cystamine monolayers

The phenothiazine derivatives, Toluidine Blue O and Azur A, and the phenoxazine derivative Nile Blue were bound covalently to self-assembled cystamine monolayers chemisorbed on gold electrodes by derivatization of the surface amino groups with two different bifunctional spacers: terephthaloyl chloride and 1,6-hexamethylene-diisocyanate.The formation of the amido- and urea-derivatives of the parent compounds after covalent immobilization induces a shift of their redox potentials towards more positive values which can easily be detected by cyclic voltammetry.UV-Vis difference spectroelectrochemistry has been used to characterize the electroactive species immobilized onto transparent gold electrode surfaces in both oxidation states. In every case, the oxidized-minus-reduced (and reduced-minus-oxidized) difference spectra of the immobilized redox species show a shift of the UV maxima towards longer wavelengths and a shift of the Vis maximum towards shorter wavelengths when compared with their parent compounds. Each redox species showed different optical characteristics depending on the spacer used for immobilization.For phenothiazine derivatives immobilized with 1,6-hexamethylene di-isocyanate the total surface coverages obtained by optical methods were close to those obtained by cyclic voltammetry. However, for the same derivatives immobilized with terephthaloyl chloride, and for Nile Blue, independently of the spacer used, higher surface coverages were found by optical methods than by cyclic voltammetry.     

Electrocatalytical oxidation of hydroquinone with ferrocene covalently bound to L-cysteine self-assembled monolayers on a gold electrode

The preparation of a gold electrode modified by ferrocenecarboxylic acid (FcA) covalently bound to L-cysteine self-assembled monolayer (FcA-SAM) is described. The modified electrode shows an excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of hydroquinone (QH2) and accelerates the electron transfer rate. The anodic overpotential is reduced by ca. 290 mV compared to those obtained at bare gold electrodes. The charge transfer coefficient and the apparent surface electron transfer rate constant for the redox couple of Q/QH2 at the modified electrode are found to be 0.425 and 0.96 s(-1), respectively. The catalytic current response of DPV increases linearly with the QH2 concentration from 5.7 x 10(-7) to 3.2 x 10(-4) M. The estimation of QH2 in a simulative sample is satisfactory. The method is simple, quick, and sensitive.     

Hydroxide ion adsorption on self-assembled monolayers

It is argued, on the basis of density functional calculations, that a self-assembled monolayer of oligo(ethylene glycol) or n-alkanes in contact with water will preferentially adsorb hydroxyl ions (either from autoionization of water or added to the solution) on both methoxy- and hydroxide-terminated endgroups, thus charging the surface region of the SAM negatively with an estimated charge density of about 1 microC/cm(2) in agreement with recent experiments. The negative charging can explain long-ranged forces between opposing SAM surfaces. On dense SAMs, hydroxyl ions are highly mobile. Hydronium ions can absorb by penetration into the SAM provided there is enough lateral space for their encapsulation. The important role of hydration is demonstrated by calculating the excess binding energy of adsorption using a Born-Haber cycle.     

Tuning molecule-surface interactions with sub-nanometer-thick covalently bound organic monolayers

Measurements of the thermal desorption of methyl bromide (MeBr) from bare and RS-functionalized GaAs(110), where R = CH3 and CH3CH2, reveal marked systematic changes in molecule-surface interactions. As the thickness of the organic spacer layer is increased, the electrostatic MeBr-GaAs(110) interaction decreases, lowering the activation energy for desorption, Ed, as well as decreasing the critical coverage required for nucleation of bulklike MeBr. On the CH3CH2S-functionalized surface, Ed is lowered to a value roughly equal to that for desorption from three-dimensional (3-D) clusters; because the kinetics of desorption of isolated molecules differs from that for desorption from clusters, desorption of isolated molecules from the organic surface occurs at a lower temperature than desorption from the clusters. Thus, the "monolayer" desorption wave occurs at a lower temperature than the "multilayer" desorption wave. These results illustrate the role that organic chain length in nanometer-scale thin films can play in alteration of the delicate balance of interfacial interactions.     

Self-assembly of high-quality covalently bound organic monolayers onto silicon

A very mild method has been developed to obtain covalently attached alkyl monolayers from the attachment of 1-alkynes onto hydrogen-terminated silicon surfaces at room temperature in the dark. Apart from being the mildest method reported so far for the preparation of such monolayers, their quality, as indicated by water contact angles, XPS, and infrared spectroscopy, equals within experimental error that of the best reported alkyl monolayers on silicon.     

共价作用于自组装膜修饰电极表面的多巴胺电化学行为研究

在过去的半个世纪里,由于多巴胺 (DA)在神经传导中的重要作用,引起了分析工作者尤其是电分析工作者的广泛兴趣.     

Synthesis and chemical modification of magnetic nanoparticles covalently bound to polystyrene-SiCl2-poly(2-vinylpyridine)

The present article offers a new approach to create a multifunctional material based on magnetic nanoparticles, which can be dispersed in aqueous and organic media. The preparation of this material was performed by binding covalently polymer chains based on a reactive diblock-copolymer of the polystyrene-SiCl₂-poly(2-vinylpyridine) type, with average molecular weight per number (M_n) equal to 14,700 g/mol and a polydispersity index (PDI) less than 1.1, onto the surface of γ-Fe₂O₃ magnetic nanoparticles. The dichlorosilane moiety of the diblock-copolymer reacted with the  OH groups of the magnetic nanoparticles immobilizing the polymer chain onto its surface. This reaction was monitored by FTIR and the polymer grafting density was determined by TGA and BET. Dynamic light scattering revealed that the hydrodynamic diameter of the nanoparticles increased after immobilizing the polymer. Contact angle measurements demonstrated the ability of the hybrid material to interact with organic and aqueous media allowing its dispersion in solvents with different polarities. This property was used to prepare a magnetically active emulsion. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1668–1675, 2010     

Electron transfer dynamics of cytochrome c bound to self-assembled monolayers on silver electrodes.

Cytochrome c (Cyt-c) was electrostatically immobilised on Ag electrodes coated with self-assembled monolayers (SAM) that are formed by omega-carboxyl alkanethiols with different alkyl chain lengths (C(x)). Surface enhanced resonance Raman (SERR) spectroscopy demonstrated that electrostatic binding does not lead to conformational changes of the heme protein under the conditions of the present experiments. Employing time-resolved SERR spectroscopy, the rate constants of the heterogeneous electron transfer (ET) between the adsorbed Cyt-c and the Ag electrode were determined for a driving force of zero electronvolts. For SAMs with long alkyl chains (C(16), C(11)), the rate constants display a normal exponential distance dependence, whereas for shorter chain lengths (C(6), C(3), C(3)), the ET rate constant approaches a constant value (ca. 130 s(-1)). The onset of the non-exponential distance-dependence is paralleled by an increasing kinetic H/D effect, indicating a coupling of the redox reaction with proton transfer (PT) steps. This unusual kinetic behaviour is attributed to the effect of the electric field at the Ag/SAM interface that increasingly raises the energy barrier for the PT processes with decreasing distance of the adsorbed Cyt-c from the electrode. The distance-dependence of the electric field strength is estimated on the basis of a simple electrostatic model that can consistently describe the redox potential shifts of Cyt-c as determined by stationary SERR spectroscopy for the various SAMs. At low electric fields, PT is sufficiently fast so that rate constants, determined as a function of the driving force, yield the reorganisation energy (0.217 electronvolts) of the heterogeneous ET.     

Phosphonate-anchored monolayers for antibody binding to magnetic nanoparticles

Targeted delivery of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) to a specific tissue can be achieved by conjugation with particular biological ligands on an appropriately functionalized IONP surface. To take best advantage of the unique magnetic properties of IONPs and to maximize their blood half-life, thin, strongly bonded, functionalized coatings are required. The work reported herein demonstrates the successful application of phosphonate-anchored self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as ultrathin coatings for such particles. It also describes a new chemical approach to the anchoring of antibodies on the surface of SAM-coated IONPs (using nucleophilic aromatic substitution). This anchoring strategy results in stable, nonhydrolyzable, covalent attachment and allows the reactivity of the particles toward antibody binding to be activated in situ, such that prior to the activation the modified surface is stable for long-term storage. While the SAMs do not have the well-packed crystallinity of other such monolayers, their structure was studied using smooth model substrates based on an iron oxide layer on a double-side polished silicon wafer. In this way, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, and contact angle goniometry (tools that could not be applied to the nanoparticles' surfaces) could contribute to the determination of their monomolecular thickness and uniformity. Finally, the successful conjugation of IgG antibodies to the SAM-coated IONPs such that the antibodies retain their biological activity is verified by their complexation to a secondary fluorescent antibody.     

Strong resistance of oligo(phosphorylcholine) self-assembled monolayers to protein adsorption

In this work, we demonstrate the strong resistance of oligo(phosphorylcholine) (OPC) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to protein adsorption and cell adhesion. OPC SAMs were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and protein adsorption was measured using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. Results are compared with those of phosphorylcholine (PC) SAMs. Despite the existence of negative charge on OPC SAMs and the simple synthesis procedure of OPC thiols, OPC SAMs resist protein adsorption as effectively as or better than PC SAMs formed from highly purified PC thiols. The ease of their preparation and the effectiveness of their function make OPC SAMs an attractive alternative for creating nonfouling surfaces.     

Single-component and mixed ferrocene-terminated alkyl monolayers covalently bound to Si(111) surfaces

Self-assembled ferrocene monolayers covalently bound to monocrystalline Si(111) surfaces have been prepared from the attachment of an amine-substituted ferrocene derivative to a pre-assembled acid-terminated alkyl monolayer using carbodiimide coupling. This derivatization strategy yielded nanometer-scale clean, densely packed monolayers, with the ferrocene units being more than 20 A from the semiconductor surface. The amount of immobilized electroactive units could be varied in the range 2 x 10(-11) to approximately 3.5 x 10(-10) mol cm(-2) by diluting the ferrocene-terminated chains by inert n-decyl chains. The highest coverage obtained for the single-component monolayer corresponded to 0.25-0.27 bound ferrocene per surface silicon atom. The electrochemical characteristics of the mixed n-decyl/ferrocene-terminated monolayers were found to not depend significantly on the surface coverage of ferrocene units. The reversible one-electron wave of the ferrocene/ferrocenium couple was observed at E degrees ' = 0.50 +/- 0.01 V vs SCE, and the rate constant of electron transfer kapp was about 50 s(-1).     

Electron transfer dynamics of iridium oxide nanoparticles attached to electrodes by self-assembled monolayers

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of carboxylated alkanethiolates (-S(CH(2))(n-1)CO(2)(-)) on flat gold electrode surfaces are used to tether small (ca. 2 nm d.) iridium(IV) oxide nanoparticles (Ir(IV)O(X) NPs) to the electrode. Peak potential separations in cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the nanoparticle Ir(IV/III) wave, in pH 13 aqueous base, increase with n, showing that the Ir(IV/III) apparent electron transfer kinetics of metal oxide sites in the nanoparticles respond to the imposed SAM electron transfer tunneling barrier. Estimated apparent electron transfer rate constants (k(app)(0)) for n = 12 and 16 are 9.8 and 0.12 s(-1). Owing to uncompensated solution resistance, k(app)(0) for n = 8 was too large to measure in the potential sweep experiment. For the cathodic scans, coulometric charges under the Ir(IV/III) voltammetric waves were independent of potential scan rate, suggesting participation of all of the iridium oxide redox sites (ca. 130 per NP) in the NPs. These experiments show that it is possible to control and study electron transfer dynamics of electroactive nanoparticles including, as shown by preliminary experiments, that of the electrocatalysis of water oxidation by iridium oxide nanoparticles.     

Alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers as functional spacers to resist protein adsorption upon Au-coated nerve microelectrode

Alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of varied chain lengths were adsorbed upon Au-coated nerve microelectrodes and employed as protein-resistant spacers. The microelectrode spiraled as a cuff type can be used for restoring motor function via electrical stimulation on the peripheral nerve system; however, an increase of electrode impedance might occur during implantation. In this work, a thin-film SAMs treatment upon Au/polyimide (PI) surface of the microelectrode provided a hydrophobic characteristic, which retarded protein adsorption at the initial stage and subsequent pileup (or thickening) process. The protein-resistant effect exhibited comparable SAMs of different chain lengths adsorbed upon Au/PI surfaces. The increase of electrode impedance as a function of protein deposition time was mainly correlated with the addition of reactance that was associated with the pileup thickness of the deposited protein. Particularly, the SAMs-modified surface was capable to detach a significant portion of the accumulated protein from the protein-deposited SAMs/Au/PI, whereas the protein-deposited layers exhibited firm adhesion upon Au/PI surface. It is therefore very promising to apply thin-film SAMs adsorbed upon Au-coated surface for bioinvasive devices that have the need of functional electrical stimulations or sensing nerve signals during chronic implantation.     

Electrochemical behaviors of novel electroactive Au nanoparticles protected by self-assembled monolayers

There has been substantial recent interest in studying monolayer-protected gold clusters (MPCs) owing to their diverse applications. The present work is an electrochemical study of novel gold nanoparticles covered with a monolayer of mercapto-dodecanol ended chloro-dicyano-quinone (HS-C12O-CDQ), which was adsorbed on the electrode (CDQ-MPCs film). Our findings reveal a redox behavior for CDQ-MPCs film similar to the solution electrochemistry of dichloro-dicyano-quinone. Furthermore, a diffusion-like mechanism was found for electron transfer, which may have occurred due to proton diffusion towards or outwards the electrode through the film casted. Chronoamperometry confirmed diffusion behavior of the ET process. Finally, EIS was used to find the rate constant of ET process for the redox reaction that occurred and the contribution of MPCs in total interfacial capacitance.     

Mixed charged zwitterionic self-assembled monolayers as a facile way to stabilize large gold nanoparticles

Here we report a facile way of stabilizing large gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by mixed charged zwitterionic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The citrate-capped AuNPs with diameters ranging from 16 nm to even ～100 nm are well stabilized via a simple place exchange reaction with a 1:1 molar ratio mixture of negatively charged sodium 10-mercaptodecanesulfonic acid (HS-C10-S) and positively charged (10-mercaptodecyl)-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (HS-C10-N4). The 16 nm AuNPs protected by mixed charged zwitterionic SAMs not only show much better stability than the single negatively or positively charged AuNPs, but also exhibit exciting stability as well as those modified by monohydroxy (1-mercaptoundec-11-yl) tetraethylene glycol (HS-C11-EG4). Importantly, 16 nm AuNPs protected by mixed SAMs exhibit good stability in cell culture medium with 10% FBS and strong protein resistance, especially with excellent resistance against plasma adsorption. Moreover, the mixed charged zwitterionic SAMs are also able to well-stabilize larger AuNPs with a diameter of 50 nm, and to help remarkably improve their stability in saline solution compared with HS-C11-EG4 protected ones. When it comes to AuNPs with a diameter of 100 nm, the mixed charged zwitterionic SAM protected nanoparticles retain a smaller hydrodynamic diameter and even better long-term stability than those modified by mercaptopolyethylene glycol (M(w) = 2000, HS-PEG2000). The above results demonstrated that the mixed charged zwitterionic SAMs are able to have a similar effect on stabilizing the large gold nanoparticles just like the single-component zwitterionic SAMs. Concerning its ease of preparation, versatility, and excellent properties, the strategy based on the mixed charged zwitterionic SAM protection might provide a promising method to surface tailoring of nanoparticles for biomedical application.     

Conglomerate crystallization on self-assembled monolayers

In this communication, we demonstrate that chiral self-assembled monolayers can be used for polymorphism control of chiral crystals. We studied the crystallization of DL-glutamic acid on chiral self-assembled monolayers and showed that crystallization of DL-glutamic acid on the chiral SAMs resulted in stabilization of the metastable conglomerate form.     

Enantioselective adsorption of phenylalanine onto self-assembled monolayers of 1,1'binaphthalene-2,2'-dithiol on gold

Self-assembled monolayer of atropisomeric compound, 1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'-dithiol (BNSH), provides a field for chiral discrimination. The two-dimensional chiral arrangement with screw-like units, each of which is composed of three BNSH molecules, plays an important role in the enantioselectivity of adsorption of phenylalanine, as revealed by a quartz crystal microbalance technique.     

Formation of ordered self-assembled monolayers by adsorption of octylthiocyanates on Au(111)

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were formed by the spontaneous adsorption of octythiocyanate (OTC) on Au(111) using both solution and ambient-pressure vapor deposition methods at room temperature and 50 degrees C. The surface structures and adsorption characteristics of the OTC SAMs on Au(111) were characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The STM observation showed that OTC SAMs formed in solution at room temperature have unique surface structures including the formation of ordered and disordered domains, vacancy islands, and structural defects. Moreover, we revealed for the first time that the adsorption of OTC on Au(111) in solution at 50 degrees C led to the formation of SAMs containing small ordered domains, whereas the SAMs formed by vapor deposition at 50 degrees C had long-range ordered domains, which can be described as (radical3 x 2 radical19)R5 degrees structures. XPS measurements of the peaks in the S 2p and N 1s regions for the OTC SAMs showed that vapor deposition is the more effective method as compared to solution deposition for obtaining high-quality SAMs by adsorption of OTC on gold. The results obtained will be very useful in understanding the SAM formation of organic thiocyanates on gold surfaces.     

Immunosensor interface based on physical and chemical immunoglobulin G adsorption onto mixed self-assembled monolayers

An immunosensor interface based on mixed hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of methyl and carboxylic acid terminated thiols with covalently attached human Immunoglobulin G (hIgG), is investigated. The densely packed and organised SAMs were characterised by contact angle measurements and cyclic voltammetry. The effect of the non-ionic surfactant, Tween 20, in preventing nonspecific adsorption is addressed by ellipsometry during physical and covalent hIgG immobilization on pure and mixed SAMs, respectively. It is clearly demonstrated that nonspecific adsorption due to hydrophobic interactions of hIgG on methyl ended groups is totally inhibited, whereas electrostatic/hydrogen bonding interactions with the exposed carboxylic groups prevail in the presence of surfactant. Results of ellipsometry and Atomic Force Microscopy, reveal that the surface concentration of covalently immobilized hIgG is determined by the ratio of COOH / CH(3)-terminated thiols in SAM forming solution. Moreover, the ellipsometric data demonstrates that the ratio of bound anti-hIgG / hIgG depends on the density of hIgG on the surface and that the highest ratio is close to three. We also report the selectivity and high sensitivity achieved by chronoamperometry in the detection of adsorbed hIgG and the reaction with its antibody.