C. Magnus Johnson

Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy Studies of the Influence of Solutes and Phospholipids at Vapor/Water Interfaces Relevant to Biological and Environmental Systems

Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy Studies of the Influence of Solutes and Phospholipids at Vapor/Water Interfaces Relevant to Biological and Environmental Systems

Phospholipid Monolayers Probed by Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy: Instability of Unsaturated Phospholipids

The surface specific technique vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy has been applied to in situ studies of the degradation of Langmuir monolayers of 1,2-diacyl-phosphocholines with various degrees of unsaturation in the aliphatic chains. To monitor the degradation of the phospholipids, the time-dependent change of the monolayer area at constant surface pressure and the sum frequency intensity of the vinyl CH stretch at the carbon-carbon double bonds were measured. The data show a rapid degradation of monolayers of phospholipids carrying unsaturated aliphatic chains compared to the stable lipids carrying fully saturated chains when exposed to the ambient laboratory air. In addition, the degradation of the phospholipids can be inhibited by purging the ambient air with nitrogen. This instability may be attributed to spontaneous degradation by oxidation mediated by various reactive species in the air. To further elucidate the process of lipid oxidation in biological membranes artificial Langmuir monolayers probed by a surface specific spectroscopic technique as in this study can serve as a model system for studying the degradation/oxidation of cell membrane constituents.

Atmospheric Corrosion of Zinc by Organic Constituents I. The Role of the Zinc/Water and Water/Air Interfaces Studied by Infrared Reflection/Absorption Spectroscopy and Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy

The zinc oxide/water and water/air interfaces have been investigated in order to elucidate the role of these two interfaces in an atmospheric corrosion process. Vibrational sum frequency spectrosco ...

Atmospheric Corrosion of Zinc by Organic Constituents III. An Infrared Reflection-Absorption Spectroscopy Study of the Influence of Formic Acid

Atmospheric corrosion, the most common form of metal corrosion, occurs within the interfacial region between a solid, and the surrounding atmosphere. In fact three phases and two interfaces are involved: the gas, a thin liquid layer, a solid, the gas/liquid and the liquid/solid interfaces. In this thesis, the vapor/liquid and liquid/metal interfaces have been studied by the in-situ techniques vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS), and infrared reflection/absorption spectroscopy (IRAS). The main focus has been on characterization of the corrosive organic molecules formic acid, acetic acid, and acetaldehyde, at the two interfaces. Additionally, the headgroup of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been examined at the air/water interface. VSFS is an inherently surface sensitive laser spectroscopy technique, which provides vibrational spectra solely of the molecules residing at the surface of for example a liquid, despite the vast excess of the same molecules in the bulk. To obtain a comprehensive molecular picture of the organic compounds at the air/liquid interface, studies have been undertaken in several spectral regions, targeting the CH, C=O, C-O, OH, and SO3 stretching vibrations. Furthermore, the surrounding water molecules have been investigated in order to study hydration phenomena. Acetaldehyde has been determined to partly form a gem-diol (CH3CH(OH)2) at the air/water interface, whereas acetic acid forms various hydrogen-bonded species, with hydrated monomers at low concentrations and centrosymmetric cyclic dimers at high concentrations. Formic acid was found to form a different complex at very high concentrations, in addition to the species observed at low concentrations. Performing experiments with different polarizations of the laser beams has enabled the determination of the orientation of the interfacial molecules. The methyl group of acetic acid was concluded to be oriented close to the surface normal throughout the concentration range, whereas the tilt angle of the CH group of formic acid was determined to be ~35°. The SDS studies revealed that the headgroup orientation is constant in a wide range of concentrations, and also in the presence of sodium chloride. IRAS has provided information regarding the composition and kinetics of the corrosion products formed upon exposure of a zinc oxide surface to the organic compounds. The importance of the water adlayer on metal surfaces has been confirmed by the faster kinetics observed at higher relative humidities. Exposure to formic acid resulted in the formation of zinc formate, whereas both acetic acid and acetaldehyde formed zinc acetate upon reaction with the zinc oxide surface. However, the kinetics were faster for acetic acid than acetaldehyde, which was explained in terms of an acetate-induced zinc dissolution process and a more complicated reaction path involved in the acetaldehyde case to form the zinc acetate surface species. Scanning electron microscopy indicated the formation of radially growing reaction products for acetic acid and filiform corrosion for acetaldehyde.

Atmospheric Corrosion of Zinc by Organic Constituents II. Reaction Routes for Zinc-Acetate Formation

The acetic acid and acetaldehyde-induced atmospheric corrosion of a zinc surface was investigated by in situ infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy. Independent of the relative humidity, both ...

Monolayer Study by VSFS: In Situ Response to Compression and Shear in a Contact

Self-assembled octadecyltrichlorosilane ((OTS), CH3(CH2)17SiCl3) layers on hydroxyl-terminated silicon oxide (SiO2) were prepared. The monolayers were characterized with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurements; their conformation was studied before, during, and after contact with a polymer (either PDMS or PTFE) surface using the vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) technique. During contact, the effect of pressure was studied for both polymer surfaces, but in the case of PTFE, the effect of shear rate on the contact was simultaneously studied. The VSFS response of the monolayers with pressure was almost entirely due to changes in the real area of contact with the polymer and therefore the Fresnel factors, whereas sliding caused disorder in the previously all-trans monolayer, as evidenced by a significant increase in the population of gauche defects.

The Structure of Model Membranes Studied by Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy

The structure and order of insoluble Langmuir monolayers consisting of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DSPC or 18:0 PC) and the surrounding water molecules have been investigated by vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS). At surface pressures of 1, 15, and 57 mN/m corresponding to molecular areas of 53, 50, and 43 A2, respectively, the DSPC molecules formed a well ordered film. Both the VSF signal from the methyl stretching vibrations of the lipid and the surrounding water increased with enhanced surface pressure, as a result of the higher surface density and increased order of the system. Water molecules hydrating the polar parts of the headgroup and in close contact to the hydrocarbon groups of the lipid were observed in all three polarization combinations of the laser beams, and distinguished by their different vibrational frequencies.

Mixed monolayers of alkane thiols with polar terminal group on gold: Investigation of structure dependent surface properties

Adsorption of thiols with cationic or anionic terminal group on gold has been studied from mixed solutions of 11-Amino-1-undecanethiol (AUT) and 3-Mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angles. The goal is to probe the nature of such layers, and the additivity or otherwise of the pH responsiveness, with a view to evaluate their suitability as smart materials. For each of the two pure (unmixed) cases, ordered molecular monolayers are formed with sulfur binding to gold and the alkane chain pointing out from the surface as expected. Adsorption from the thiol mixtures, however, leads to a more complex behaviour. The surface concentration of thiols from the mixtures, as determined by QCM-D, is considerably lower than for the pure cases and it reaches a minimum at a 3:1 MPA/AUT relative concentration in the solution. The XPS results confirm a reduction in adsorbed amount in mixtures with the lowest overall intensity for the 3:1 ratio. Monolayers formed from mixtures display a wettability which is much lower and less pH sensitive. Collectively these results confirm that for adsorption from mixed systems, the configuration is completely different. Complex formation in the mixed solutions leads to the adsorption of molecules parallel to the surface in an axially in-plane configuration. This parallel layer of thiols is mechanically relatively robust to nano-shaving based on AFM measurements. These results will have a significant impact on the design of biomimetic surface coatings particularly when mixtures of oppositely charged molecules are present on the surface, as is commonly the case in biological, proteinaceous surfaces (e.g. hair and skin).

Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy on Polyelectrolyte Multilayers: Effect of Molecular Surface Structure on Macroscopic Wetting Properties.

Adsorption of a single layer of molecules on a surface, or even a reorientation of already present molecules, can significantly affect the surface properties of a material. In this study, vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) has been used to study the change in molecular structure at the solid-air interface following thermal curing of polyelectrolyte multilayers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(acrylic acid). Significant changes in the VSF spectra were observed after curing. These changes were accompanied by a distinct increase in the static water contact angle, showing how the properties of the layer-by-layer molecular structure are controlled not just by the polyelectrolyte in the outermost layer but ultimately by the orientation of the chemical constituents in the outermost layers.

Interactions between Model Cell Membranes and the Neuroactive Drug Propofol

Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) complemented by surface pressure isotherm and neutron reflectometry (NR) experiments were employed to investigate the interactions between propofol, a small amphiphilic molecule that currently is the most common general anaesthetic drug, and phospholipid monolayers. A series of biologically relevant saturated phospholipids of varying chain length from C18 to C14 were spread on either pure water or propofol (2,6-bis(1-methylethyl)phenol) solution in a Langmuir trough, and the change in the molecular structure of the film, induced by the interaction with propofol, was studied with respect to the surface pressure. The results from the surface pressure isotherm experiments revealed that propofol, as long as it remains at the interface, enhances the fluidity of the phospholipid monolayer. The VSF spectra demonstrate that for each phospholipid the amount of propofol in the monolayer region decreases with increasing surface pressure. Such squeeze out is in contrast to the enhanced interactions that can be exhibited by more complex amphiphilic molecules such as peptides. At surface pressures of 22-25 mN m-1, which are relevant for biological cell membranes, most of the propofol has been expelled from the monolayer, especially in the case of the C16 and C18 phospholipids that adopt a liquid condensed phase packing of its alkyl tails. At lower surface pressures of 5 mN m-1, the effect of propofol on the structure of the alkyl tails is enhanced when the phospholipids are present in a liquid expanded phase. Specifically, for the C16 phospholipid, NR data reveal that propofol is located exclusively in the head group region, which is rationalized in the context of previous studies. The results imply a non-homogeneous distribution of propofol in the plane of real cell membranes, which is an inference that requires urgent testing and may help to explain why such low concentration of the drug are required to induce general anaesthesia.