Absolute Orientation of Molecules with Competing Hydrophilic Head Groups at the Air/Water Interface Probed with Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

The constructive or destructive spectral interference between the molecular groups oriented up and down at the interface in the sum-frequency generation （SFG） spectra provides a direct measurement of the absolute orientation of these molecular groups. This simple approach can be employed to interrogate absolute molecular orientations other than using the complex absolute phase measurement in the SFG studies. We used the -CN group in the p-cyanophenol （PCP） molecule as the internal phase standard, and we measured the phases of the SFG fields of the -CN groups in the 3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-benzonitrile （35DMHBN） and 2,6-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-benzonitrile （26DMHBN） at the air/water interface by measuring the SFG spectra of the aqueous surfaces of the mixtures of the PCP, 35DMHBN, and 26DMHBN solutions. The results showed that the 35DMHBN had its -CN group pointing into the aqueous phase; while the 26DMHBN, similar to the PCP, had its -CN group pointing away from the aqueous phase. The tilt angles of the -CN group for both the 35DMHBN and 26DMHBN molecules at the air/water interface were around 25°-45° from the interface normal. These results provided insights on the understanding of the detailed balance of the competing factors, such as solvation of the polar head groups, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic effects, etc., on influencing the absolute molecular orientation at the air/water interface.     

和频与差频振动光谱实验构型的分析模拟

实验构型分析是定量分析和频振动光谱的基础.变换实验构型,不仅要考虑某一振动模式信号强度的大小,还要考虑不同构型下的信号检测效率.现有的和频振动光谱实验构型分析主要考虑前者.本文探讨实验构型分析中所涉及的信号检测效率问题,模拟在共向式和频(差频)及对射式和频(差频)振动光谱实验中选取何种实验构型对采集信号光更加合理有效.利用相干光学过程能量守恒和动量守恒原理,分析了入射角及入射光频率等因素对信号出射角的影响,并模拟了信号出射角与入射角及入射光频率的关系,得到了可选的入射角组合最多、出射角随入射光频率变化最小的实验构型.结果表明,和频振动光谱采取共向式实验构型,差频振动光谱采取对射式实验构型,有利于信号采集,进而有利于用实验构型分析方法对和频(差频)振动光谱进行定量研究.     

和频振动光谱研究多晶金电极/溶液界面乙腈分子取向的flip-flop行为

用和频振动光谱研究乙腈/金电极界面,观测到乙腈的甲基振动峰强度随施加的电极电势而变化.当电极电势越过零电荷电势（pzc）时,甲基振动峰符号发生反转,这意味着基团取向发生反转（flip-flop）.由此推断出乙腈分子在金电极界面的吸附构型.即在零电荷电势下,电极界面吸附的乙腈分子构型为甲基靠近电极表面而腈基远离电极表面;而高于零电荷电势则电极界面吸附的乙腈分子构型发生反转,变为腈基靠近电极表面而甲基远离电极表面的构型.     

Methanol Adsorption on TiO2 Film Studied by Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy (cited:2)

A broadband infrared surface sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) and an in situ UV excitation setup devoted to studying surface photocatalysis have been constructed. With a home-made compact high vacuum cell, organic contaminants on TiO₂ thin lm surface prepared by RF magnetron sputtering were in situ removed under 266 nm irradiation in 10 kPa O₂ atmosphere. We obtained the methanol spectrum in the CH₃ stretching vibration region on TiO₂ surface with changing the methanol pressure at room temperature. Features of both molecular and dissociative methanol, methoxy, adsorbed on this surface were resolved. The CH₃ symmetric stretching vibration frequency and Fermi resonance of molecular methanol is red-shifted by about 6?8 cm^-1 from low to high coverage. Moreover, the recombination of dissociative methanol and H on surfaces in vacuum was also observed. Our results suggest two equilibria exist: between molecular methanol in the gas phase and that on surfaces, and between molecular methanol and dissociative methanol on surfaces.     

和频振动光谱(SFG-VS)研究超铺展三甲基硅烷表面活性剂在空气/水界面的振动光谱和吸附

The C-H stretch vibrational spectra of the trisiloxane superspreading surfactant Silwet L-77((CH3)3Si-O-Si(CH3)(C3H6)(OCH2CH2)7-8OCH3)-O-Si(CH3)3) at the air/water interface are measured with the surface Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy (SFG-VS). The spectra are dominated with the features from the –Si-CH3 groups around 2905 cm-1 (symmetric stretch or SS mode) and 2957 cm-1 (mostly the asymmetric stretch or AS mode), and with the weak but apparent contribution from the -O-CH2- groups around 2880 cm-1 (symmetric stretch or SS mode). Comparison of the polarization dependent SFG spectra below and above the critical aggregate or micelle concentration (CAC) indicates that the molecular orientation of the C¡H related molecular groups remained unchanged at different surface densities of the Silwet L-77 surfactant. The SFG-VS adsorption isotherm suggested that there was no sign of Silwet L-77 bilayer structure formation at the air/water interface. The Gibbs adsorption free energy of the Silwet surfactant to the air/water interface is -42.2±0.8kJ/mol, indicating the unusually strong adsorption ability of the Silwet L-77 superspreading surfactant     

和频光谱研究油酸包覆的Fe3 O4 纳米颗粒

采用红外-可见和频振动光谱研究了表面包覆油酸分子的Fe3O4纳米颗粒, 得到了2种实验构型(构型1: 可见光入射角63°, 红外光入射角55°; 构型2: 可见光入射角45°, 红外光入射角55°)和3种偏振组合(ssp, ppp, sps)下的和频振动光谱, 比较了2种实验构型下和频光谱的特征, 通过偏振分析方法对各个光谱峰进行了归属.     

A Highly Sensitive Femtosecond Time-Resolved Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy System with Simultaneous Measurement of Multiple Polarization Combinations

Characterization of real-time and ultrafast motions of the complex molecules at surface and interface is critical to understand how interfacial molecules function. It requires to develop surface-sensitive, fast-identification, and time-resolved techniques. In this study, we employ several key technical procedures and successfully develop a highly sensitive femtosecond time-resolved sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) system. This system is able to measure the spectra with two polarization combinations (ssp and ppp, or psp and ssp) simultaneously. It takes less than several seconds to collect one spectrum. To the best of our knowledge, it is the fastest speed of collecting SFG spectra reported by now. Using the time-resolved measurement, ultrafast vibrational dynamics of the N-H mode of α-helical peptide at water interface is determined. It is found that the membrane environment does not affect the N-H vibrational relaxation dynamics. It is expected that the time-resolved SFG system will play a vital role in the deep understanding of the dynamics and interaction of the complex molecules at surface and interface. Our method may also provide an important technical proposal for the people who plan to develop time-resolved SFG systems with simultaneous measurement of multiple polarization combinations.     

Vibrational Spectroscopy of Surface Adsorbates by Sum Frequency Generation (SFG)

The vibrational spectroscopy by way of vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) has been made of formic acid adsorbed on MgO(001) surface and of n-alkyltrichlorosilanes chemisorbed on quartz plates. It was revealed that the species on the MgO surface was formate ion (HCOO⁺) with CH bonds standing vertical to the surface and that the different adsorption sites showed up on repeated cycles of adsorption-desorption processes. The results of chemisorbed films indicated that the g-t and/or g-t-g′ conformational scquences of n-alkyl chains occurred more frequently by the length of alkyl chain and that the surface hydroxyls, which are the sites of chemisorption, are ripped off by pre-exposure of substrate to oxygen plasma.     

Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectra of Perovskite Nanocrystals at the Single-Nanocrystal and Ensemble Levels

Determination of molecular structures of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite (OIHP) nanocrystals at the single-nanocrystal and ensemble levels is essential to understanding the mechanisms responsible for their size-dependent optoelectronic properties and the nanocrystal assembling process, but its detection is still a bit challenging. In this study, we demonstrate that femtosecond sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy can provide a highly sensitive tool for probing the molecular structures of nanocrystals with a size comparable to the Bohr diameter (~10 nm) at the single-nanocrystal level. The SFG signals are monitored using the spectral features of the phenyl group in (R-MBA)PbBr₃ and (R-MBA)₂PbI₄ nanocrystals (MBA: methyl-benzyl-ammonium). It is found that the SFG spectra exhibit a strong resonant peak at 3067±3 cm^-1 (ν₂ mode) and a weak shoulder peak at 3045±4 cm^-1 (ν_7a mode) at the ensemble level, whereas a peak of the ν₂ mode and a peak at 3025±3 cm^-1 (ν_20b mode) at the single-nanocrystal level. The nanocrystals at the single-nanocrystal level tend to lie down on the surface, but stand up as the ensemble number and the averaged sizes increase. This finding may provide valuable information on the structural origins for size-dependent photo-physical properties and photoluminescence blinking dynamics in nanocrystals.     

利用和频振动光谱研究空气/短链脂肪酸界面的分子取向

利用和频振动光谱(SFG-VS)方法检测了5种短链脂肪酸分子(乙酸、丙酸、正丁酸、正戊酸及正己酸)在空气/纯液体界面的结构, 得到了3种偏振组合(ssp, ppp, sps)下的和频振动光谱. 通过偏振选择定则对各个谱峰进行了指认和分析, 同时计算出空气/纯脂肪酸液体界面上脂肪酸分子的甲基取向角. 对比发现, 从丙酸到己酸, 分子甲基基团的界面取向角随碳链的增长略有增大. 并对其机理进行了分析.     

Laser Linewidth and Spectral Resolution in Infrared Scanning Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy System

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) is a robust technique for interfacial investigation at molecular level. The performance of SFG-VS mostly depends on the spectral resolution of the SFG system. In this research, a simplified function was deduced to calculate the spectral resolution of picosecond SFG system and the lineshape of SFG spectra based on the Guassian shaped functions of IR beam and visible beam. The function indicates that the lineshpe of SFG spectra from nonresonant samples can be calculated by the Guassian widths of both IR beam and visible beam. And the Voigt lineshape of SFG spectra from vibrational resonant samples can be calculated by the Homogeneous broadening (Lorentzian width) and Inhomogeneous broadening (Guassian width) of vibrational modes, as well as the Guassian widths of both IR beam and visible beam. Such functions were also applied to verify the spectral resolution of the polarization-resolved and frequency-resolved picosecond SFG-VS system which was developed by our group recently. It is shown that the linewidths of IR beams that generated from current laser system are about 1.5 cm^-1. The calculated spectral resolution of current picosecond IR scanning SFG-VS system is about 4.6 cm^-1, which is consist with he spctral resolution shown in the spectra of cholesterol monolayer (3.5-5 cm^-1).     

Aqueous Heterogeneity at the Air/Water Interface Revealed by 2D‐HD‐SFG Spectroscopy

Water molecules interact strongly with each other through hydrogen bonds. This efficient intermolecular coupling causes strong delocalization of molecular vibrations in bulk water. We study intermolecular coupling at the air/water interface and find intermolecular coupling 1) to be significantly reduced and 2) to vary strongly for different water molecules at the interface—whereas in bulk water the coupling is homogeneous. For strongly hydrogen‐bonded OH groups, coupling is roughly half of that of bulk water, due to the lower density in the near‐surface region. For weakly hydrogen‐bonded OH groups that absorb around 3500 cm^?1, which are assigned to the outermost, yet hydrogen‐bonded OH groups pointing towards the liquid, coupling is further reduced by an additional factor of 2. Remarkably, despite the reduced structural constraints imposed by the interfacial hydrogen‐bond environment, the structural relaxation is slow and the intermolecular coupling of these water molecules is weak.     

Theoretical Simulation of Vibrational Sum‐Frequency Generation Spectra from Density Functional Theory: Application to p‐Nitrothiophenol and 2,4‐Dinitroaniline

The molecular orientation of adsorbed molecules forming self‐assembled monolayers can be determined by combining vibrational sum‐frequency generation (SFG) measurements with quantum chemical calculations. Herein, we present a theoretical methodology used to simulate the SFG spectra for different combinations of polarizations. These simulations are based on calculations of the IR vectors and Raman tensors, which are obtained from density functional theory computations. The dependency of the SFG vibrational signature with respect to the molecular orientation is presented for the molecules p‐nitrothiophenol and 2,4‐dinitroaniline. It is found that a suitable choice of basis set as well as of exchange‐correlation (XC) functional is mandatory to correctly simulate the SFG intensities and consequently provide an accurate estimation of the adsorbed molecule orientation. Comparison with experimental data shows that calculations performed at the B3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p) level of approximation provide good agreement with experimental frequencies, and with IR and Raman intensities. In particular, it is demonstrated that polarization and diffuse functions are compulsory for reproducing the IR and Raman spectra, and consequently vibrational SFG spectra, of systems such as p‐nitrothiophenol. Moreover, the investigated XC functionals reveal their influence on the relative intensities, which show rather systematic variations with the amount of Hartree–Fock exchange. Finally, further aspects of the modeling are revealed by considering the frequency dependence of the Raman tensors.     

二价阳离子诱导细胞膜融合的和频光谱研究（英文）

细胞膜融合是一种重要的基础生物学过程,细胞的很多生物学功能都涉及到细胞膜的融合.二价阳离子可以通过与带负电磷脂的结合诱导磷脂膜的融合,然而,其详细的分子学机制目前还不太清楚.本文应用表/界面敏感的和频振动光谱结合动态光散射实验研究了磷脂分子层对二价金属离子(如Ca²⁺和Mg²⁺)暴露的响应.动态光散射实验测量的粒度分布结果显示Ca²⁺可以诱导囊泡间融合,而Mg²⁺的介导却不能导致磷脂膜的融合.为了应用和频光谱研究磷脂分子不同基团对金属离子的响应,本文设计了十八烷基三氯硅烷自组装单分子层/磷脂单分子层组成的混合模型膜系统进行和频振动光谱实验.实验发现,相比于Mg²⁺,Ca²⁺与磷脂头部基团PO₂^-有更强烈地相互作用,会更容易诱导细胞膜融合.和频光谱实验还显示,虽然两种金属阳离子没有与磷脂中C=O基团直接连接.但是Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺-PO₂^-...     

Molecular Structure and Dynamics of Water at the Water–Air Interface Studied with Surface‐Specific Vibrational Spectroscopy

Water interfaces provide the platform for many important biological, chemical, and physical processes. The water–air interface is the most common and simple aqueous interface and serves as a model system for water at a hydrophobic surface. Unveiling the microscopic (<1 nm) structure and dynamics of interfacial water at the water–vapor interface is essential for understanding the processes occurring on the water surface. At the water interface the network of very strong intermolecular interactions, hydrogen‐bonds, is interrupted and the density of water is reduced. A central question regarding water at interfaces is the extent to which the structure and dynamics of water molecules are influenced by the interruption of the hydrogen‐bonded network and thus differ from those of bulk water. Herein, we discuss recent advances in the study of interfacial water at the water–air interface using laser‐based surface‐specific vibrational spectroscopy.     

隐藏高分子界面及生物界面分子结构的和频振动光谱研究

界面的分子结构决定界面的性质.为了以优化界面的结构来改进材料的性质,原位实时地研究界面的分子结构是很重要的.近年来和频振动光谱已发展成为一个很有效及独特的手段来研究隐藏界面的分子结构,例如液/液界面、固/液界面及固/固界面等.这篇综述讨论了和频振动光谱在研究高分子界面及生物界面等复杂界面的分子结构上的应用.具体说来,本文论述了高分子表面在水里的分子结构变化,高分子及模型粘合促进剂硅烷在界面相互作用的分子机理和隐藏的高分子/高分子及高分子/金属界面的结构.另外,此文还将介绍不同二级结构的多肽及几个有代表性的蛋白分子在界面的结构.界面在诸如化学、生物、物理、材料科学及工程和纳米技术等许多领域都很重要.发展一个独特的能原位研究隐藏界面的分子结构的技术会有力地促进这些领域的研究及跨学科研究的发展.     

Geometrical Evolution and Formation of the Photoproduct in the Cycloreversion Reaction of a Diarylethene Derivative Probed by Vibrational Spectroscopy

The geometrical evolution of the reactant and formation of the photoproduct in the cycloreversion reaction of a diarylethene derivative were probed using time-resolved absorption spectroscopies in the visible to near-infrared and mid-infrared regions. The time-domain vibrational data in the visible region show that the initially formed Franck-Condon state is geometrically relaxed into the minimum in the excited state potential energy surface, concomitantly with the low-frequency coherent vibrations. Theoretical calculations indicate that the nuclear displacement in this coherent vibration is nearly parallel to that in the geometrical relaxation. Time-resolved mid-infrared spectroscopy directly detected the formation of the open-ring isomer with the same time constant as the decrease of the closed-ring isomer in the excited state minimum. This observation reveals that no detectable intermediate, in which the population is accumulated, is present between the excited closed-ring isomer and the open-ring isomer in the ground state.     

Interaction between Potassium Phosphate Bu er Solution and Modeling Cell Membrane Investigated by Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy (cited: 1)

Potassium phosphate buffer solution has been widely used in the biological experiments, which represents an important process of the interaction between ions and biomolecules, yet the in fluences of potassium phosphate on biomolecules such as the cell membrane are still poorly understood at the molecular level. In this work, we have applied sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy and carried out a detailed study on the interaction between potassium phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and negative 1,2-dimyristoyl-d₅₄-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] (d₅₄-DMPG) lipid bilayer in real time. The PBS-induced dynamic change in the molecular structure of d₅₄-DMPG lipid bilayer was monitored using the spectral features of CD₂, CD₃, lipid head phosphate, and carbonyl groups for the first time. It is found that K⁺ can bind to the cell membrane and cause the signal change of CD₂, CD₃, lipid head phosphate, and carbonyl groups quickly. Potassium PBS interacts with lipid bilayers most likely by formation of toroidal pores inside the bilayer matrix. This result can provide a molecular basis for the interpretation of the effect of PBS on the ion-assisted transport of protein across the membrane.