https://is.muni.cz/el/1431/podzim2006/C7780/um/Read/2711172/SAM_str_grwth_ProgSurfSci00_151.pdf

Structure and growth of self-assembling monolayers

An anionic and a cationic bipolar amphiphile containing rigid biphenyl cores were synthesized. The compounds were dissolved in a mixture of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and water and pure water, respectively. When a solid substrate with a positively charged planar surface is immersed in the solution containing the negatively charged bipolar amphiphile, a monolayer of the amphiphile is adsorbed and due to its bipolar structure the surface charge is reversed. After rinsing in pure water the substrate is immersed in the solution containing the positively charged bipolar amphiphile. Again a monolayer is adsorbed but now the original surface charge is restored. By repeating both steps in a cyclic fashion alternating multilayer assemblies of both compounds are obtained. It is demonstrated that multilayer films, composed of at least 35 consecutively alternating layers, which corresponds to a total film thickness of 170 nm can be assembled.

Buildup of ultrathin multilayer films by a self-assembly process, 1 consecutive adsorption of anionic and cationic bipolar amphiphiles on charged surfaces

Since its invention a few years ago, the atomic force microscope has become one of the most widely used near-field microscopes. Surfaces of hard sample are imaged routinely with atomic resolution. Soft samples, however, remain challenging. An overview is presented on the application of atomic force microscopy to organic samples ranging from thin ordered films at molecular resolution to living cells. Fundamental mechanisms of the image formation are discussed, and novel imaging modes are introduced that exploit different aspects of the tip-sample interaction for local measurements of the micromechanical properties of the sample. As examples, images of Langmuir-Blodgett films, which map the local viscoelasticity as well as the friction coefficient, are presented.

From molecules to cells: imaging soft samples with the atomic force microscope

We have recently reported on the consecutive physisorption of anionic and cationic bipolar amphiphiles onto charged surfaces, adsorbed out of aqueous solutions [1]. Here, we extend our previous concept to multipolar compounds such as polyelectrolytes. In contrast to the bipolar amphiphile system, it is not necessary to separate single charges by a rigid unit, when the polyelectrolyte is adsorbed from sufficiently concentrated solutions. In this case the physisorbed layer does not bind with all ionic groups to the surface and exposes free ionic groups at the new film/solution interface. Therefore a polyelectrolyte layer can replace a layer of bipolar amphiphiles in the consecutive buildup of a multilayered assembly. The buildup of multilayers can then be described as follows: A solid substrate with a positively charged planar surface is immersed in the solution containing the negatively charged bipolar amphiphile, a monolayer of the amphiphile is adsorbed and due to its bipolar structure the surface charge is reversed. After rinsing in pure water the substrate is immersed in the solution containing the positively charged polyelectrolyte. Again a monolayer is adsorbed but now the original surface charge is restored. By repeating both steps in a cyclic fashion alternating multilayer assemblies of both compounds are obtained. In the same way multilayer assemblies can be prepared by using negatively charged polyelectrolytes and positively charged bipolar amphiphiles. It is demonstrated that multilayer films composed of at least 39 consecutively alternating layers, which corresponds to a total film thickness of 151 nm, can be assembled.

Buildup of Ultrathin Multilayer Films by a Self‐Assembly Process: II. Consecutive Adsorption of Anionic and Cationic Bipolar Amphiphiles and Polyelectrolytes on Charged Surfaces

Detection of receptor-ligand interactions is generally accomplished by indirect assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A direct colorimetric detection method based on a polydiacetylene bilayer assembled on glass microscope slides has been developed. The bilayer is composed of a self-assembled monolayer of octadecylsilane and a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer of polydiacetylene. The polydiacetylene layer is functionalized with an analog of sialic acid, the receptor-specific ligand for the influenza virus hemagglutinin. The sialic acid ligand serves as a molecular recognition element and the conjugated polymer backbone signals binding at the surface by a chromatic transition. The color transition is readily visible to the naked eye as a blue to red color change and can be quantified by visible absorption spectroscopy. Direct colorimetric detection by polydiacetylene films offers new possibilities for diagnostic applications and screening for new drug candidates or binding ligands.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/261/5121/585.full.pdf

R. Murray

Papers

Molecular monolayers and films. A panel report for the Materials Sciences Division of the Department of Energy