A Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy Study of the Liquid−Gas Interface of Acetic Acid−Water Mixtures: 2. Orientation Analysis

Observing Nonpreferential Absorption of Linear and Cyclic Carbonate on the Silicon Electrode

Silicon is reported to be a promising anode material due to its high storage capacity and excellent energy conversion rate. Molecular-level insight into the interaction between silicon electrodes and electrolyte solutions is essential for understanding the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), but it is yet to be explored. In this study, we apply femtosecond sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy to investigate the initial adsorption of various pure and mixed electrolyte molecules on the silicon anode surface by monitoring the SFG signals from the carbonyl group of electrolyte molecules. When the silicon comes in contact with a pure carbonate solution, the linear carbonates of diethyl carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate adopt two conformations with opposite C═O orientations on the silicon interface while the cyclic carbonates of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate almost adopt one conformation with C═O bonds pointing toward the silicon electrode. When the silicon comes in contact with the mixed linear and cyclic carbonate solutions, the total SFG intensity from the mixed solutions is approximately 2∼5 times weaker than those of pure cyclic carbonates. The C═O bonds of cyclic carbonates point toward the silicon electrode, while the C═O bonds of linear carbonates face toward the bulk solution at the silicon/mixed solution interface. No preferential absorption behaviors of the linear and cyclic carbonate electrolytes on the silicon electrode are observed. Such findings may help to understand the mechanism by which the SEI formed on the silicon anode is unstable.

Surface Properties of Saponin-Chitosan Mixtures

The surface properties of saponin and saponin-chitosan mixtures were analysed as a function of their bulk mixing ratio using vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG), surface tensiometry and dilational rheology measurements. Our experiments show that saponin-chitosan mixtures present some remarkable properties, such as a strong amphiphilicity of the saponin and high dilational viscoelasticity. We believe this points to the presence of chitosan in the adsorption layer, despite its complete lack of surface activity. We explain this phenomenon by electrostatic interactions between the saponin as an anionic surfactant and chitosan as a polycation, leading to surface-active saponin-chitosan complexes and aggregates. Analysing the SFG intensity of the O-H stretching bands from interfacial water molecules, we found that in the case of pH 3.4 for a mixture consisting of 0.1 g/L saponin and 0.001 g/L chitosan, the adsorption layer was electrically neutral. This conclusion from SFG spectra is corroborated by results from surface tensiometry showing a significant reduction in surface tension and effects on the dilational surface elasticity strictly at saponin/chitosan ratios, where SFG spectra indicate zero net charge at the air-water interface.

Direct Observation and Quantitative Measurement of OH Radical Desorption During the Ultraviolet Photolysis of Liquid Nonanoic Acid

Ultraviolet (UV) photolysis of fatty acid surfactants─which cover the surfaces of atmospheric liquid aerosols and are found in the oceans─such as nonanoic acid (NA) has recently been suggested as a source of hydroxyl (OH) radicals in the troposphere. We used laser-induced fluorescence to directly observe OH radicals desorbed from the surface of neat liquid NA as a primary photoproduct following 213 nm irradiation. The upper limit of photoreaction cross section for the OH radical desorption was estimated to be 9.0(4.1) × 10^-22 cm², which is only 1.2 ± 0.8% of the photoreaction cross section established for the photolysis of gas-phase acetic acid monomers. Vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy for liquid NA revealed the hydrogen-bonded, cyclic, dimer structure of the NA molecules at the liquid surface. This dimerization can inhibit the formation of OH radicals and lead the present low photochemical reactivity of liquid NA.

OH Group Orientation Leads to Organosulfate Formation at the Liquid Aerosol Surface

Organosulfates (OSs) are well-known and ubiquitous constituents of atmospheric aerosol particles and have been used as secondary organic aerosol markers in many field studies. Hence, it is imperative to understand the formation of OS species in the atmosphere. Recently, hydroxy acids (HAs) and hydroxy acid sulfates have been extensively detected in the atmospheric environment. However, the reaction mechanism of HAs to form OSs is much less understood. In this work, we have mainly investigated the reaction of typical α-HAs, including glycolic acid (GA) and lactic acid (LA), and SO₃ at the liquid aerosol surface using quantum chemistry calculations and Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations. The OH group orientation of α-HAs at the air-water interface is found to exert a significant impact on the formation of OSs. The OH group pointing to the gas phase is obviously beneficial to the formation of OSs. Two key factors are discovered important to the reaction of α-HAs adsorbed on the liquid surface with SO₃: (a) the exposure position of the active site to the gas phase and (b) the reactivity of the exposed site to the attracted SO₃ molecule. Moreover, we found that the air-water interface exerts a significant influence on the physicochemical behaviors of GA and LA, especially on their OH group orientation, and thus leads to their different properties for the SO₃ colliding reaction. The presented reaction mechanism provides a new feasible pathway for the production of OSs at the liquid aerosol surface, which may have important impacts on the formation of organic aerosols.

All-experimental analysis of doubly resonant sum-frequency generation spectra for Franck–Condon and Herzberg–Teller vibronic modes

The transform technique applied to the analysis of doubly resonant sum-frequency generation (DR-SFG) spectra is extended to include Herzberg–Teller (HT) vibronic modes. The experimentally measured overlap spectral function generates all the energy resonant amplitudes of the DR-SFG excitation function for both Franck–Condon (FC) and HT modes. When FC modes dominate the DR-SFG spectra, a methodology is provided to perform efficient curve fitting and orientation analysis in order to extract FC activities of the various vibration modes from experimental spectra with the help of a molecular model. Determination of the FC or HT natures of the vibration modes from DR-SFG data is also shown to be possible through their visible line shapes with an appropriate choice of polarizations. As an example, experimental DR-SFG data suggest that a known HT-active mode in the vibronic structure of Rhodamine 6G monomers exhibits a FC behavior in molecular aggregates.

Accurate molecular orientation at interfaces determined by multimode polarization-dependent heterodyne-detected sum-frequency generation spectroscopy via multidimensional orientational distribution function

Many essential processes occur at soft interfaces, from chemical reactions on aqueous aerosols in the atmosphere to biochemical recognition and binding at the surface of cell membranes. The spatial arrangement of molecules specifically at these interfaces is crucial for many of such processes. The accurate determination of the interfacial molecular orientation has been challenging due to the low number of molecules at interfaces and the ambiguity of their orientational distribution. Here, we combine phase- and polarization-resolved sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy to obtain the molecular orientation at the interface. We extend an exponentially decaying orientational distribution to multiple dimensions, which, in conjunction with multiple SFG datasets obtained from the different vibrational modes, allows us to determine the molecular orientation. We apply this new approach to formic acid molecules at the air–water interface. The inferred orientation of formic acid agrees very well with ab initio molecular dynamics data. The phase-resolved SFG multimode analysis scheme using the multidimensional orientational distribution thus provides a universal approach for obtaining the interfacial molecular orientation.

Bulk Response of Carboxylic Acid Solutions Observed with Surface Sum-Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

We study the molecular properties of aqueous acetic acid and formic acid solutions with heterodyne-detected vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy (HD-VSFG). For acid concentrations up to ∼5 M, we observe a strong increase of the responses of the acid hydroxyl and carbonyl stretch vibrations with increasing acid concentration due to an increase of the surface coverage by the acid molecules. At acid concentrations >5 M we observe first a saturation of these responses and then a decrease. For pure carboxylic acids we even observe a change of sign of the Im[χ⁽²⁾] response of the carbonyl vibration. The decrease of the response of the hydroxyl vibration and the decrease and sign change of the response of the carbonyl vibration indicate the formation of cyclic dimers, which only show a quadrupolar bulk response in the HD-VSFG spectrum because of their antiparallel conformation. We also find evidence for the presence of a quadrupolar response of the CH vibrations of the acid molecules.

Freezing of Aqueous Carboxylic Acid Solutions on Ice

We study the properties of acetic acid and propionic acid solutions at the surface of monocrystalline ice with surface-specific vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) and heterodyne-detected vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy (HD-VSFG). When we decrease the temperature toward the eutectic point of the acid solutions, we observe the formation of a freeze concentrated solution (FCS) of the carboxylic acids that is brought about by a freeze-induced phase separation (FIPS). The freeze concentrated solution freezes on top of the ice surface as we cool the system below the eutectic point. We find that for freeze concentrated acetic acid solutions the freezing causes a strong decrease of the VSFG signal, while for propionic acid an increase and a blue-shift are observed. This different behavior points at a distinct difference in molecular-scale behavior when cooling below the eutectic point. We find that cooling of the propionic acid solution below the eutectic point leads to the formation of hydrogen-bonded dimers with an opposite alignment of the carboxylic acid O–H groups.

Treatment of tequila vinasse and elimination of phenol by coagulation-flocculation process coupled with heterogeneous photocatalysis using titanium dioxide nanoparticles

In this research, we are reporting the treatment of tequila vinasse by a coagulation-flocculation process coupled with heterogeneous photocatalysis using two types of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, i.e. (1) commercial nanoparticles, and (2) nanoparticles synthesized by sol-gel. The efficiency in the elimination of phenol, which is one of the most harmful contaminants in tequila vinasse, was also included in the evaluation of the treatment process. The synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles were annealed in air at 400°C for 1 h and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible and Raman spectroscopy. Anatase phase was observed in both samples, with a crystallite size of 22.5 and 9.8 nm for commercial and synthesized nanoparticles respectively. Tequila vinasse was characterized before and after the treatments by measuring physicochemical parameters such as pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), colour, total suspended solids (TSS), as well as using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy to identify the presence of organic compounds, and gas chromatography (GC) for phenol quantification. Raw vinasse was treated initially by coagulation-flocculation producing clarified vinasse, which in turn was treated by photocatalysis for 3 h using hydrogen peroxide as oxidizing agent. The use of synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles allowed the highest efficiencies, reaching reductions of 99.4%, 86.0%, and 70.0% for TSS, colour, and COD respectively. GC results showed the reduction of phenol concentrations in 89.7% with our synthesized nanoparticles in contrast to 82.7% reduction, with commercial titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Identifying Eigen-like hydrated protons at negatively charged interfaces

Despite the importance of the hydrogen ion in a wide range of biological, chemical, and physical processes, its molecular structure in solution remains lively debated. Progress has been primarily hampered by the extreme diffuse nature of the vibrational signatures of hydrated protons in bulk solution. Using the inherently surface-specific vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy technique, we show that at selected negatively charged interfaces, a resolved spectral feature directly linked to the H₃O⁺ core in an Eigen-like species can be readily identified in a biologically compatible pH range. Centered at ~2540 cm⁻¹, the band is seen to shift to ~1875 cm⁻¹ when forming D₃O⁺ upon isotopic substitution. The results offer the possibility of tracking and understanding from a molecular perspective the behavior of hydrated protons at charged interfaces.

Hydrated protons are always present in aqueous solution, but their molecular structure remains under debate. Here the authors use vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy to show that at negatively charged liquid–vapor interfaces, protons adopt a specific configuration characteristic of Eigen-like species.

Molecular insight into carboxylic acid-alkali metal cations interactions: reversed affinities and ion-pair formation revealed by non-linear optics and simulations

Specific interactions between the carboxylic acid moiety and the monovalent salts CsCl, NaCl, and LiCl, have been investigated in Langmuir monolayers using vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) and complemented with coarse grained and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. By exploiting VSFS's intrinsic surface specificity, an emphasis was made on targeting headgroup vibrations of both its charged and uncharged forms as well as water molecules in the interfacial layer. The degree of deprotonation of the monolayer as a function of cation concentration and pH was experimentally determined and theoretically rationalized. Starting from 100 mM, the surface charge was overestimated by the Gouy-Chapman model and varied depending on the identity of the cation, highlighting the appearance of ion specific effects. Agreement could be found using a modified Poisson-Boltzmann model that takes into account steric effects, with a fitted effective ion-size compatible with the hydrated ion diameters. The relative affinity of the cations to the carboxylic acid moiety was pH dependent: at pH 4.5 they arranged in the order Cs⁺ > Na⁺ > Li⁺, but fully reversed (Li⁺ > Na⁺ > Cs⁺) at pH 9. Simulations yielded microscopic insight into the origin of this behavior, with the cations showing contrasting interaction preferences for either the uncharged carboxylic acid or the charged carboxylate. Sum frequency spectra also provided evidence that all cations remained hydrated when interacting with the charged headgroup, forming solvent-separated or solvent-shared ion pairs. However, for the specific case of 1 M Li⁺ at pH 9, contact ion pairs were formed. Finally, the remarkable effect of trace metal multivalent cations in the interpretation of experiments is briefly discussed. The results provide exciting new insights into the complex interactions of alkali metal cations with the biophysically relevant carboxylic acid moiety.

Successive Surface Reactions on Hydrophilic Silica for Modified Magnetic Nanoparticle Attachment Probed by Sum-Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

Successive surface reactions on hydrophilic silica substrates were designed and performed to immobilize ethanolamine-modified magnetic ferrite-based nanoparticle (NP) for surface characterization. The various surfaces were monitored using sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. The surface of the hydrophilic quartz substrate was first converted to a vinyl-terminated surface by utilizing a silanization reaction, and then, the surface functional groups were converted to carboxylic-terminated groups via a thiol-ene reaction. The appearance and disappearance of the vinyl (═CH₂) peak at ∼2990 cm^-1 in the SFG spectra were examined to confirm the success of the silanization and thiol-ene reactions, respectively. Acyl chloride (-COCl) formation from carboxy (-COOH) functional group was then performed for further attachment of magnetic amine-functionalized magnesium ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) via amide bond formation. The scattered NPs attached on the modified silica substrate was then used to study the changes in the spectral profile of the ethanolamine modifier of the NPs for in situ lead(II) (Pb²⁺) adsorption at the solid-liquid interface using SFG spectroscopy. However, due to the limited number of NPs attached and sensitivity of SFG spectroscopy toward expected change in the modifier spectroscopically, no significant change was observed in the SFG spectrum of the modified silica with magnetic NPs during exposure to Pb²⁺ solution. Nevertheless, SFG spectroscopy as a surface technique successfully monitored the modifications from a clean fused substrate to -COCl formation that was used to immobilize the decorated magnetic nanoparticles. The method developed in this study can provide a reference for many surface or interfacial studies important for selective attachment of adsorbed organic or inorganic materials or particles.

Enhanced Acidity of Acetic and Pyruvic Acids on the Surface of Water

Understanding the acid-base behavior of carboxylic acids on aqueous interfaces is a fundamental issue in nature. Surface processes involving carboxylic acids such as acetic and pyruvic acids play roles in (1) the transport of nutrients through cell membranes, (2) the cycling of metabolites relevant to the origin of life, and (3) the photooxidative processing of biogenic and anthropogenic emissions in aerosols and atmospheric waters. Here, we report that 50% of gaseous acetic acid and pyruvic acid molecules transfer a proton to the surface of water at pH 2.8 and 1.8 units lower than their respective acidity constants p K_a = 4.6 and 2.4 in bulk water. These findings provide key insights into the relative Bronsted acidities of common carboxylic acids versus interfacial water. In addition, the work estimates the reactive uptake coefficient of gaseous pyruvic acid by water to be γ_PA = 0.06. This work is useful to interpret the interfacial behavior of pyruvic acid under low water activity conditions, typically found in haze aerosols, clouds, and fog waters.

Unanticipated Stickiness of α-Pinene

The adsorption of α-pinene to solid surfaces is an important primary step during the chemical conversion of this common terpene over mesoporous materials, as well as during the formation of atmospheric aerosols. We provide evidence of tight and loose physisorbed states of α-pinene bound on amorphous SiO₂ as determined by their adsorption entropy, enthalpy, and binding free energies characterized by computational modeling and vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. We find that adsorption is partially (40-60%) irreversible over days at 294-342 K and 1 ATM total pressure of helium, which is supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The distribution of α-pinene orientation remains invariant with temperature and partial pressure of α-pinene. Using the Redlich-Peterson adsorption model in conjunction with a van't Hoff analysis of adsorption isotherms recorded for up to 2.6 Torr α-pinene in 1 ATM total pressure of helium, we obtain ΔS°_ads, ΔH°_ads, and ΔG°_ads values of -57 (±7) J mol^-1 K^-1, -39 (±2) kJ mol^-1, and -22 (±5) kJ mol^-1, respectively, associated with the reversibly bound population of α-pinene. These values are in good agreement with density functional theory (DFT)-corrected force field calculations based on configurational sampling from MD simulations. Our findings are expected to have direct implications on the conversion of terpenes by silica-based catalysts and for the synthesis of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in atmospheric chambers and flow tubes.

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy of methacrylate-based functional monomers at the hydrophilic solid–liquid interface

An SFGVS study showed H-bonding interactions between the carbonyl groups of methacrylate liquid monomers and surface silanol groups of amorphous quartz.

Water at Interfaces

The interfaces of neat water and aqueous solutions play a prominent role in many technological processes and in the environment. Examples of aqueous interfaces are ultrathin water films that cover most hydrophilic surfaces under ambient relative humidities, the liquid/solid interface which drives many electrochemical reactions, and the liquid/vapor interface, which governs the uptake and release of trace gases by the oceans and cloud droplets. In this article we review some of the recent experimental and theoretical advances in our knowledge of the properties of aqueous interfaces and discuss open questions and gaps in our understanding.

Surface behavior of amphiphiles in aqueous solution: a comparison between different pentanol isomers

Molecular-level understanding of concentration-dependent changes in the surface structure of different amphiphilic isomers at the water–vapor interface was gained by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

In Situ and Real-Time SFG Measurements Revealing Organization and Transport of Cholesterol Analogue 6-Ketocholestanol in a Cell Membrane

Cholesterol organization and transport within a cell membrane are essential for human health and many cellular functions yet remain elusive so far. Using cholesterol analogue 6-ketocholestanol (6-KC) as a model, we have successfully exploited sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) to track the organization and transport of cholesterol in a membrane by combining achiral-sensitive ssp (ppp) and chiral-sensitive psp polarization measurements. It is found that 6-KC molecules are aligned at the outer leaflet of the DMPC lipid bilayer with a tilt angle of about 10°. 6-KC organizes itself by forming an α-β structure at low 6-KC concentration and most likely a β-β structure at high 6-KC concentration. Among all proposed models, our results favor the so-called umbrella model with formation of a 6-KC cluster. Moreover, we have found that the long anticipated flip-flop motion of 6-KC in the membrane takes time to occur, at least much longer than previously thought. All of these interesting findings indicate that it is critical to explore in situ, real-time, and label-free methodologies to obtain a precise molecular description of cholesterol's behavior in membranes. This study represents the first application of SFG to reveal the cholesterol-lipid interaction mechanism at the molecular level.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate adsorption onto positively charged surfaces: monolayer formation with opposing headgroup orientations

The adsorption and structure of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) layers onto positively charged films have been monitored in situ with vibrational sum-frequency-generation (SFG) spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing. Substrates with different charge densities and polarities used in these studies include CaF2 at different pH values as well as allylamine and heptylamine films deposited onto CaF2 and Au substrates by radio frequency glow discharge deposition. The SDS films were adsorbed from aqueous solutions ranging in concentration from 0.067 to 20 mM. In general the SFG spectra exhibited well resolved CH and OH peaks. However, at SDS concentrations between 1 and 8 mM the SFG CH and OH intensities decreased close to background levels. Combined data sets from molecular conformation, orientation, and order sensitive SFG with mass sensitive SPR suggest that the observed changes in SFG intensities above 0.2 mM are related to structural arrangements in the SDS layer. A model is proposed where the SFG intensity minimum between 1 and 8 mM is associated with a monolayer containing two headgroup orientations, one pointing toward the substrate and one pointing toward the solution phase. The SFG peaks observed at concentrations below 0.2 mM are dominated by the presence of adsorbed contaminants such as fatty alcohols (e.g., dodecanol), which are more surface active than SDS. As SDS solution concentration is increased above 1 mM SDS molecules are incorporated in the surface layer, with dodecanol continuing to be present in the surface layer for solution concentrations up to at least the critical micelle concentration.

Quantitative molecular level understanding of ethoxysilane at poly(dimethylsiloxane)/polymer interfaces

Because of the wide applications of silicone adhesives, it is important to study adhesion mechanisms of silicone elastomers to polymers. Adhesion properties are believed to be directly related to the molecular structures at the adhesive/substrate interfaces. To improve adhesion, adhesion promoters such as silanes are commonly used to modify the interfacial structures. It is difficult to study buried interfacial molecular structures between two materials in situ using conventional analytical techniques. In this study, sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was used to investigate molecular structures at buried silicone/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) interfaces. Environmental-friendly epoxysilanes including (3-glycidoxypropyl)triethoxysilane (γ-GPES), (3-glycidoxypropyl)methyldiethoxysilane (γ-GPDES), and (3-glycidoxypropyl)dimethylethoxysilane (γ-GPDMES) and their mixtures with methylvinylsiloxanol (MVS) were used as adhesion promoters to modify silicone adhesion properties to PET. Various PET/silane, PET/uncured silicone, and PET/cured silicone interfaces were examined. The interfacial structures deduced from SFG spectra were correlated to adhesion testing results. It was found that silane headgroup order at the polymer interfaces is an important factor for improving adhesion. The decrease of silane headgroup order due to chemical reaction and disordering of such groups at the polymer interfaces can be associated with improved adhesion. The molecular level understanding on polymer/adhesive interfacial structures helps to design and develop adhesion promoters and polymer adhesives with improved performance.

Elucidation of molecular structures at buried polymer interfaces and biological interfaces using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy has been developed into an important technique to study surfaces and interfaces. It can probe buried interfaces in situ and provide molecular level structural information such as the presence of various chemical moieties, quantitative molecular functional group orientation, and time dependent kinetics or dynamics at such interfaces. This paper focuses on these three most important advantages of SFG and reviews some of the recent progress in SFG studies on interfaces related to polymer materials and biomolecules. The results discussed here demonstrate that SFG can provide important molecular structural information of buried interfaces in situ and in real time, which is difficult to obtain by other surface sensitive analytical techniques.

Headgroup effect on silane structures at buried polymer/silane and polymer/polymer interfaces and their relations to adhesion

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was used to study the effect of silane headgroups on the molecular interactions that occur between poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and various epoxy silanes at the PET/silane and PET/silicone interfaces. Three different silanes were investigated: (3-glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (γ-GPS), (3-glycidoxypropyl) methyl-dimethoxysilane (γ-GPMS), and (3-glycidoxypropyl) dimethyl-methoxysilane (γ-GPDMS). These silanes share the same backbone and epoxy end group but have different headgroups. SFG was used to examine the interfaces between PET and each of these silanes, as well as silanes mixed with methylvinylsiloxanol (MVS). We also examined the interfaces between PET and uncured or cured silicone with silanes or silane-MVS mixtures. Silanes with different headgroups were found to exhibit a variety of methoxy group interfacial segregation and ordering behaviors at various interfaces. The effect of MVS was also dependent upon silane headgroup choice, and the interfacial molecular structures of silane methoxy headgroups were found to differ at PET/silane and PET/silicone interfaces. Epoxy silanes have been widely used as adhesion promoters for polymer adhesives; therefore, the molecular structures probed using SFG were correlated to adhesion testing results to understand the molecular mechanisms of silicone-polymer adhesion. Our results demonstrated that silane methoxy headgroups play important roles in adhesion at the PET/silicone interfaces. The presence of MVS can change interfacial methoxy segregation and ordering, leading to different adhesion strengths.

Peering at a buried polymer-crystal interface: probing heterogeneous nucleation by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) has been applied to investigate the selective crystallization of two forms of acetaminophen (ACM) on polymer surfaces. To our knowledge, this is the first account of SFG-VS being applied to study a polymer-crystal interface. SFG elucidates the molecular-level interactions governing phase selection at this buried interface, providing insight into the process of polymer-induced heteronucleation (PIHn) in solution as well as from the vapor phase. ACM heteronucleates from supersaturated aqueous solution in the metastable orthorhombic crystal form on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) surfaces, whereas the thermodynamically stable monoclinic crystal form is observed to form on poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) surfaces. When the ACM crystals were grown by sublimation, only the monoclinic form was observed on both PMMA and PBMA. SFG-VS results indicate that hydrogen bonds are formed between PMMA C═O groups and the orthorhombic ACM crystals at the PMMA-ACM interface. At PBMA-monoclinic ACM interfaces, no hydrogen bond formation was observed. This research demonstrates that SFG-VS can be used to probe molecular interactions at polymer-crystal interfaces. Understanding the interfacial molecular interactions will ultimately provide a rational basis for improving methods for polymorph discovery and selection based on heteronucleation on polymer surfaces.

Molecular structure upon compression and stability toward oxidation of Langmuir films of unsaturated fatty acids: a vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy study

Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) has been used to determine the stability toward oxidation in air of a series of unsaturated fatty acids, measuring as a function of time the changes in the chemical structure and conformational order of films spread on a Langmuir trough. The fatty acids studied consisted of a 20-carbon backbone with increasing numbers of cis double bonds in the chain: 11c-eicosenoic acid (20:1 EA, omega-9), 11c,14c-eicosadienoic acid (20:2 EA, omega-6), and 11c,14c,17c-eicosatrienoic acid (20:3 EA, omega-3). Measurements at constant surface pressure show that double bonds are lost from the surface region and that drops in intensity of the vinyl CH stretch are detectable within a few minutes of spreading the monolayer. The results are consistent with the fatty acid peroxidation free radical mechanism. The sum frequency spectra also reveal that what remains on the surface is conformationally more disordered with a larger number of gauche defects. The oxidation kinetics are found to be strongly dependent on the packing density of the monolayer, being more stable at higher pressures. Oxidation can be avoided by purging the system in an inert atmosphere. Finally, the molecular structure upon compression was tracked in unoxidized monolayers. The results suggest that the packing and orientation of the double bond sections of all three unsaturated fatty acids show remarkable similarities, with the direction of the double bonds approximately parallel to each other irrespective of the number of unsaturations in the chain, with the 20:3 EA probably forming "iron-angle" structures. The possibility of unsaturated chains in a "hairpin" configuration is discarded for area per molecules smaller than approximately 50 A(2), which corresponds to the lowest surface pressure measured with VSFS.

Mixtures of n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside and hexaoxyethylene dodecyl ether--surface properties, bulk properties, foam films, and foams

Mixtures of the two non-ionic surfactants hexaoxyethylene dodecyl ether (C(12)E(6)) and n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside (beta-C(12)G(2)) were studied with regard to surface properties, bulk properties, foam films, and foams. The reason for studying a mixture of an ethylene oxide (C(i)E(j)) and a sugar (C(n)G(m)) based surfactant is that despite being non-ionic, these two surfactants behave quite differently. Firstly, the physico-chemical properties of aqueous solutions of C(n)G(m) surfactants are less temperature-sensitive than those of C(i)E(j) solutions. Secondly, the surface charge density q(0) of foam films stabilized by C(n)G(m) surfactants is pH insensitive down to the so-called isoelectric point, while that of foam films stabilized by C(i)E(j) surfactants changes linearly with the pH. The third difference is related to interaction forces between solid surfaces. Under equilibrium conditions very high forces are needed to expel beta-C(12)G(2) from between thiolated gold surfaces, while for C(12)E(6) low loads are sufficient. Fourthly, the adsorption of C(12)E(6) and beta-C(12)G(2) on hydrophilic silica and titania, respectively, is inverted. While the surface excess of C(12)E(6) is large on silica and negligible on titania, beta-C(12)G(2) adsorbs very little on silica but has a large surface excess on titania. What is the reason for this different behaviour? Under similar conditions and for comparable head group sizes, it was found that the hydration of C(i)E(j) surfactants is one order of magnitude higher but on average much weaker than that of C(n)G(m) surfactants. Moreover, C(n)G(m) surfactants possess a rigid maltoside unit, while C(i)E(j) surfactants have a very flexible hydrophilic part. Indeed, most of the different properties mentioned above can be explained by the different hydration and the head group flexibilities. The intriguing question of how mixtures of C(i)E(j) and C(n)G(m) surfactants would behave arises organically. Thus various properties of C(12)E(6)+beta-C(12)G(2) mixtures in aqueous solution have been studied with a focus on the 1:1 mixture. The results are compared with those of the single surfactants and are discussed accordingly.

Gas-liquid interface of room-temperature ionic liquids

The organization of ions at the interface of ionic liquids and the vacuum is an ideal system to test new ideas and concepts on the interfacial chemistry of electrolyte systems in the limit of no solvent medium. Whilst electrolyte systems have numerous theoretical and experimental methods used to investigate their properties, the ionic liquids are relatively new and our understanding of the interfacial properties is just beginning to be explored. In this critical review, the gas-liquid interface is reviewed, as this interface does not depend on the preparation of another medium and thus produces a natural interface. The interface has been investigated by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy and ultra-high vacuum techniques. The results provide a detailed molecular-level view of the surface composition and structure. These have been complemented by theoretical studies. The combinations of treatments on this interface are starting to provide a somewhat convergent description of how the ions are organized at this neat interface (108 references).

Deducing 2D crystal structure at the liquid/solid interface with atomic resolution: a combined STM and SFG study

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG) has been applied to study two-dimensional (2D) crystals formed by an isophthalic acid diester on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, providing complementary measurements to scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and computational modeling. SFG results indicate that both aromatic and C=O groups in the 2D crystal tilt from the surface. This study demonstrates that a combination of SFG and STM techniques can be used to gain a more complete picture of 2D crystal structure, and it is necessary to consider solvent-2D crystal interactions and dynamics in the computer models to achieve an accurate representation of interfacial structure.

In situ molecular level studies on membrane related peptides and proteins in real time using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy has been demonstrated to be a powerful technique to study the molecular structures of surfaces and interfaces in different chemical environments. This review summarizes recent SFG studies on hybrid bilayer membranes and substrate-supported lipid monolayers and bilayers, the interaction between peptides/proteins and lipid monolayers/bilayers, and bilayer perturbation induced by peptides/proteins. To demonstrate the ability of SFG to determine the orientations of various secondary structures, studies on the interactions between different peptides/proteins (melittin, G proteins, alamethicin, and tachyplesin I) and lipid bilayers are discussed. Molecular level details revealed by SFG in these studies show that SFG can provide a unique understanding on the interactions between a lipid monolayer/bilayer and peptides/proteins in real time, in situ and without any exogenous labeling.

Forces and friction between hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces: Influence of oleate species

The atomic force microscope has been used to investigate normal surface forces and lateral friction forces at different concentrations of sodium oleate, a frequently used fatty acid in the deinking process. The measurements have been performed using the colloidal probe technique with bead materials consisting of cellulose and silica. Cellulose was used together with a printing ink alkyd resin and mica, whereas silica was used with a hydrophobized silica wafer. The cellulose-alkyd resin system showed stronger double layer repulsion and the friction was reduced with increasing surfactant concentration. The adhesive interaction disappeared immediately on addition of sodium oleate. The normal surface forces for cellulose-mica indicated no apparent adsorption of the sodium oleate however, the friction coefficient increased on addition of sodium oleate, which we ascribe to some limited adsorption increasing the effective surface roughness. The silica-hydrophobic silica system showed a completely different surface force behavior at the different concentrations. An attractive hydrophobic interaction was evident since the surfaces jumped into adhesive contact at a longer distance than the van der Waals forces would predict. The strong adhesion was reflected in the friction forces as a nonlinear relationship between load and friction and a large friction response at zero applied load. Indirect evidence of adsorption to the hydrophilic silica surface was also observed in this case, and QCM studies were performed to confirm the adsorption of material to both surfaces.