Interference Effects in Sum Frequency Vibrational Spectra of Thin Polymer Films: An Experimental and Modeling Investigation

Phase of the second-order susceptibility in vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy: Origins, utility, and measurement techniques

Vibrational sum frequency generation can provide valuable structural information at surfaces and buried interfaces. Relating the measured spectra to the complex-valued second-order susceptibility χ(2) is at the heart of the technique and a requisite step in nearly all subsequent analyses. The magnitude and phase of χ(2) as a function of frequency reveal important information about molecules and materials in regions where centrosymmetry is broken. In this tutorial-style perspective, the origins of the χ(2) phase are first described, followed by the utility of phase determination. Finally, some practical methods of phase extraction are discussed.

Vibronic coupling of Rhodamine 6G molecules studied by doubly resonant sum frequency generation spectroscopy with narrowband infrared and broadband visible

Doubly resonant sum frequency generation (DR-SFG) serves as a potent characteristic technique for probing the electronic spectra and vibronic coupling of molecules on surfaces. In this study, we successfully developed a novel infrared (IR)-white light (WL) DR-SFG spectroscopy based on narrowband IR and tunable broadband WL. This novel method was employed to explore the excitation spectrum and vibronic couplings of sub-monolayer Rhodamine 6G molecules. Our findings elucidate that the xanthene skeleton vibrational modes exhibit strong coupling with the S0-S1 electronic transition. Notably, we observed not only the 0-0 transition of the S0-S1 electronic continuum but also the 0-1 transition, a first time observation in the realm of DR-SFG spectroscopy. This advanced DR-SFG spectroscopy methodology facilitates a more sensitive examination of electronic spectra and the coupling between electronic transitions and vibrational modes, heralding a significant advancement in the understanding of molecular interactions on surfaces.

Studying Molecular Rearrangement of P1 Dye at a Passivating Alumina Surface Using Vibrational Sum-Frequency Generation Spectroscopy: Effect of Atomic-Level Roughness

The effect of roughness and thickness of alumina layers, mimicking the passivation layer commonly used in dye-sensitized photoelectrodes, on the molecular adsorption of P1 dye, 4-(bi(4-(2,2-dicyano-vinyl)-thiophene-2-yl]-phenyl]-aminobenzoic acid) has been studied using surface-sensitive vibrational sum frequency generation(VSFG) spectroscopy. The VSFG spectra reveal the formation of poorly ordered dye layers on relatively rough surfaces where XPS measures a higher dye loading. Furthermore, these poorly ordered dye molecules are responsible for the generation of trapped electronic states as probed by successive photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Surface sensitive VSFG spectroscopy in combination with XPS and PL measurements provide complementary spectral information on ordering of the adsorbed dyes, their density on the surface and electronic states of the adsorbed monolayer which are prerequisite for improving our understanding of molecularly functionalized photoelectrodes and their further development.

Spectroscopically Detecting Molecular-Level Bonding Formation between an Epoxy Formula and Steel

The formation of the interfacial adhesion between an epoxy adhesive and a substrate was normally accompanied by the epoxy curing process on the substrate. Although the debate on the formation mechanism of the interfacial adhesion is still ongoing, this issue can causally be resolved by studying the interfacial structural formation between the epoxy adhesive and the substrate. Herein, to reveal the interfacial structural formation of a representative formula composed of epoxy (digylcidyl ether of biphenyl A, DGEBA) and amine hardener (2,2'-(ethylenedioxy) diethylamine, EDDA) with the steel substrate upon curing and postcuring treatments, sum-frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy with a sandwiched transparent window/epoxy adhesive/steel setup was applied to detect and track the buried molecular-level structures at the epoxy adhesive/steel interface. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) experiment was performed to probe the intentionally exposed interface to disclose the occurring interfacial chemical reaction. The reaction between the epoxy groups and the steel-surface OH groups and the molecular reconstruction of interfacial epoxy methyl groups upon curing and postcuring steps were confirmed. The latter also indirectly indicated the formation of the additional hydrogen bonding and the former bonding reaction at the interface. The above two spectroscopic experimental results matched up with the further examination of the adhesion strength. Therefore, this work elucidates the formation of the interfacial bonding between the epoxy formula and the steel substrate upon curing and postcuring treatments at the molecular level, thus providing an in-depth insight into the origin of the interfacial adhesion.

Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy of thin film interfaces

We describe a basic theoretical treatment of how film-substrate and substrate-environment (air, water, and solution) interfaces can be selectively probed by controlling the film thickness and beam angles in a visible-infrared sum frequency generation experiment. In this model, we also account for the unique interfacial environment that may have optical properties that differ from the adjacent bulk phases. We see that this affects components of the electric field that are perpendicular to the surface such as when p-polarized light is used. We then provide an example using the glass-polydimethylsiloxane-air system and model the fields at both surfaces of the polymer. This is followed by some practical considerations for setting up such experiments and some typical experimental results.

Molecular-Level Correlation between Spectral Evidence and Interfacial Bonding Formation for Epoxy Adhesives on Solid Substrates

Interfacial bonding strength of an epoxy-based adhesive depends on the interfacial interaction between the adhesive and the substrate. Normally, the curing process at the interface accompanied by the interfacial bonding formation is different from that in the bulk, and it is still a big challenge to probe the interfacial bonding formation at a molecular level. In this study, to trace the interfacial structural evolution of a representative formula of epoxy (digylcidyl ether of biphenyl A, DGEBA) and amine hardener [1,2-bis(2-aminoethoxy)ethane, EDDA] with the sapphire and silica substrates upon curing and post-curing steps, sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy is employed to detect the molecular-level interfacial structural information. For the sapphire substrate, upon curing, backbone methylene (CH₂) stretching signals decrease, indicating the formation of a rigid chain network structure and thus losing the local methylene order, while vibrational signals of the sapphire surface hydroxyl (OH) groups (including hydrogen-bonded and unbonded) increase significantly, indicating the formation of a strong hydrogen-bonding and polar interaction between the epoxy adhesive and the sapphire surface. Upon post-curing, increased backbone CH₂ signals and decreased sapphire OH signals suggest interfacial chemical bonding formation due to the reaction between the epoxy rings and the sapphire surface OH groups. Orientation analysis confirms the enhanced ordering of the sapphire surface OH groups upon curing and post-curing, in comparison to the uncured epoxy formula. As for the fused silica, weak vibrational signals of the methylene (CH₂) and methyl (CH₃) groups are observed before curing, while both of them increase slightly for the cured and post-cured epoxy formulae, suggesting relatively less hydrophilic nature of the silica surface compared to that of the sapphire surface, also evidenced by the very weak OH signals upon curing and post-curing. Further measurement on the adhesion strength matches up with the above spectroscopic experimental results, substantiating the correlation between the macroscopic bonding strength of the epoxy adhesive and the microscopic molecular-level structure.

Study of the molecular orientation of steroidal side chains at polyimide surfaces using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The molecular orientation of steroidal side chains at rubbed polyimide (PI) surfaces is studied by sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. The main objective is to find a correlation between the molecular structure of the PI film and the liquid crystal alignment on the polymer. Analysis of the SFG spectra shows that rubbing of the polymer film appears to cause conformational changes in the methyl group of the polymer side chain near the steroidal structure. However, rubbing does not significantly influence the orientation of the isopropyl group at the end of the polymer side chain. This shows that the liquid crystal alignment is not correlated with the orientation of the isopropyl group.

Sensitivity of sum frequency generation experimental conditions to thin film interference effects

Sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy has furthered our understanding of the chemical interfaces that guide key processes in biology, catalysis, environmental science, and energy conversion. However, interpreting SFG spectra of systems containing several internal interfaces, such as thin film electronics, electrochemical cells, and biofilms, is challenging as different interfaces within these structures can produce interfering SFG signals. One potential way to address this issue is to carefully select experimental conditions that amplify the SFG signal of an interface of interest over all others. In this report, we investigate a model two-interface system to assess our ability to isolate the SFG signal from each interface. For SFG experiments performed in a reflective geometry, we find that there are few experimental conditions under which the SFG signal originating from either interface can be amplified and isolated from the other. However, by performing several measurements under conditions that alter their interference, we find that we can reconstruct each signal even in cases where the SFG signal from one interface is more than an order of magnitude smaller than its counterpart. The number of spectra needed for this reconstruction varies depending on the signal-to-noise level of the SFG dataset and the degree to which different experiments in a dataset vary in their sensitivity to each interface. Taken together, our work provides general guidelines for designing experimental protocols that can isolate SFG signals stemming from a particular region of interest within complex samples.

Vibrational Sum Frequency Generation Study of the Interference Effect on a Thin Film of 4,4'-Bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (CBP) and Its Interfacial Orientation

Molecular organization of vapor-deposited organic molecules in the active layer of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) has been a matter of great interest as it directly influences various optoelectronic properties and the overall performance of the devices. Contrary to the general assumption of isotropic molecular orientation in vacuum-deposited thin-film OLEDs, it is possible to achieve an anisotropic molecular distribution at or near the surface under controlled experimental conditions. In this study, we have used interface-specific vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy to determine the orientation of a low-molecular weight OLED material, 4,4'-bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (CBP), at free (air) and buried (CaF₂) interfaces. VSFG spectra were measured at four different polarization combinations for five different thicknesses of the CBP film. The spectral shift and VSFG intensity changes with the film thickness can be accurately modeled by considering the optical interference effect of the signals coming from the CBP/air and CBP/CaF₂ interfaces. A global fitting of the experimental spectra for all thicknesses along with theoretical simulations reveal that the long molecular axis of CBP is oriented at an angle of ∼58° (47-70°) from the surface normal at the air/CBP interface, whereas at the CBP/CaF₂ interface, the angle is ∼48° (43-52°). Such a change in the angle (∼10°) suggests that the CBP molecule tends to orient more vertically (edge-on) at the buried CaF₂ interface, which may be attributed to the intermolecular π-π stacking interaction between adjacent CBP molecules.

Interfacial Irreversibly and Loosely Adsorbed Layers Abide by Different Evolution Dynamics

Within the interfacial region of the substrate, polymer chains can form the inner irreversibly adsorbed and outer loosely adsorbed layers upon annealing. Owing to their different constrained environments, the evolution dynamics of the two layers are supposedly different. To trace such evolution dynamics, we thus resorted to sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, using polystyrene (PS) with a series of molar masses on sapphire substrates. By plotting the integrated SFG intensity as a function of the annealing time, we found that the inner irreversibly adsorbed layer had two segmental evolution processes (replacement and local structural relaxation), and the outer loosely adsorbed layer had the monotonical evolution dynamics (structural relaxation), with both evolving toward the dissipation of the interfacial molecular order of the backbones. A critical evolution time was defined for the inner irreversibly adsorbed layer, and a characteristic relaxation time was defined for the outer loosely adsorbed layer. With respect to the molar mass, phenomenologically, both the critical evolution time and the characteristic relaxation time show an asymptotic increase. In summary, this SFG investigation provides the first-hand experimental data on understanding the structural evolution dynamics of the interfacial adsorbed polymer chains, which would gradually split up into the irreversibly adsorbed layer and loosely adsorbed layer upon annealing.

Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy for Characterization of Buried Polymer Interfaces

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) has become one of the most appealing technologies to characterize molecular structures at interfaces. In this focal point review, we focus on SFG-VS studies at buried polymer interfaces and review many of the recent publications in the field. We also cover the essential theoretical background of SFG-VS and discuss the experimental implementation of SFG-VS.

Illustrating consistency of different experimental approaches to probe the buried polymer/metal interface using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

In this paper, we demonstrate our ability to directly probe the molecular structures of the buried polymer/metal interface using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. Spectroscopic data from different experimental approaches were compared and analyzed to deduce the molecular ordering information at a buried polymer/metal interface, i.e. the poly(n-butyl methylacrylate) (PBMA)/silver (Ag) interface. Solid spectroscopic evidence suggested that we successfully detected the molecular vibrational signals generated from the buried PBMA/Ag interface. It was found that the side butyl methyl groups at the PBMA/Ag interface are polar-ordered and have different orientational ordering from those at the PBMA surface in air. We believe that this study will provide a useful experimental and analytical framework for the SFG spectroscopy to probe the buried polymer/metal interfaces in the future.

Interfacial molecular restructuring of plasticized polymers in water

We present a means to study the molecular changes of the top and bottom of polymers contacted to water simultaneously in situ. Plasticizers were found to transfer from polymer surfaces to water in minutes.

Structural origins of chiral second-order optical nonlinearity in collagen: amide I band

The molecular basis of nonlinear optical (NLO) chiral effects in the amide I region of type I collagen was investigated using sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy; chiral and achiral tensor elements were separated using different input/output beam polarization conditions. Spectra were obtained from native rat tail tendon (RTT) collagen and from cholesteric liquid crystal-like (LC) type I collagen films. Although RTT and LC collagen both possess long-range order, LC collagen lacks the complex hierarchical organization of RTT collagen. Their spectra were compared to assess the role of such organization in NLO chirality. No significant differences were observed between RTT and LC with respect to chiral or achiral spectra. These findings suggest that amide I NLO chiral effects in type I collagen assemblies arise predominantly from the chiral organization of amide chromophores within individual collagen molecules, rather than from supramolecular structures. The study suggests that sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy may be uniquely valuable in exploring fundamental aspects of chiral nonlinearity in complex macromolecular structures.

Chilling out: a cool aqueous environment promotes the formation of gas-surface complexes

SO(2), an important atmospheric pollutant, has been implicated in environmental phenomena such as acid rain, climate change, and cloud formation. In addition, SO(2) is fundamentally interesting because it forms spectroscopically identifiable complexes with water at aqueous surfaces. Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) is used here to further investigate the mechanism by which SO(2) adsorbs to water at tropospherically relevant temperatures (0-23 °C). The spectral results lead to two important conclusions. SO(2) surface affinity is enhanced at colder temperatures, with nearly all of the topmost water molecules showing evidence of binding to SO(2) at 0 °C as compared to a much lower fraction at room temperature. This surface adsorption results in significant changes in water orientation at the surface, but is reversible at the temperatures examined here. Second, the SO(2) complex formation at aqueous surfaces is independent of aqueous solution acidity. One challenge in previous uptake studies was the ability to distinguish between the effects of surface adsorption as compared to bulk accommodation. The surface and vibrational specificity of these studies make this distinction possible, allowing a selective study of how the aqueous properties temperature and pH influence SO(2) surface affinity.

Surface orientation of phenyl groups in poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) and in poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate):poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) mixture examined by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was used to investigate the surface phenyl ring orientations of spin-coated poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSSNa) and of PSSNa in the spin-coated polymer material Baytron P. Baytron P is a commercially available conducting polymer suspension with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and PSSNa in water, which is widely used in organic electronic devices. SFG spectra collected using different polarization combinations showed that the twist angles for the phenyl groups on the spin-coated PSSNa and Baytron P surfaces were not random; therefore, both the twist and tilt angles needed to be deduced in order to determine their respective phenyl group orientations. Results indicated that on the PSSNa surface, the para-substituted phenyl ring has a tilt angle of 47.5 degrees +/- 5.3 degrees and a twist angle of 58.8 degrees +/- 8.2 degrees. The tilt and twist angles, 48.2 degrees +/- 3.6 degrees and 65.2 degrees +/- 4.0 degrees, respectively, were determined for the Baytron P phenyl ring, which were not very different from those of PSSNa phenyl groups on the surface.

Sum frequency generation and solid-state NMR study of the structure, orientation, and dynamics of polystyrene-adsorbed peptides

The power of combining sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy to quantify, with site specificity and atomic resolution, the orientation and dynamics of side chains in synthetic model peptides adsorbed onto polystyrene (PS) surfaces is demonstrated in this study. Although isotopic labeling has long been used in ssNMR studies to site-specifically probe the structure and dynamics of biomolecules, the potential of SFG to probe side chain orientation in isotopically labeled surface-adsorbed peptides and proteins remains largely unexplored. The 14 amino acid leucine-lysine peptide studied in this work is known to form an alpha-helical secondary structure at liquid-solid interfaces. Selective, individual deuteration of the isopropyl group in each leucine residue was used to probe the orientation and dynamics of each individual leucine side chain of LKalpha14 adsorbed onto PS. The selective isotopic labeling methods allowed SFG analysis to determine the orientations of individual side chains in adsorbed peptides. Side chain dynamics were obtained by fitting the deuterium ssNMR line shape to specific motional models. Through the combined use of SFG and ssNMR, the dynamic trends observed for individual side chains by ssNMR have been correlated with side chain orientation relative to the PS surface as determined by SFG. This combination provides a more complete and quantitative picture of the structure, orientation, and dynamics of these surface-adsorbed peptides than could be obtained if either technique were used separately.

Surface structures of an amphiphilic tri-block copolymer in air and in water probed using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy has been applied to investigate surface structures of an amphiphilic surface-active block copolymer (SABC) film deposited on a CaF(2) substrate, in air and in water in situ. Developed as a surface-active component of an antifouling coating for marine applications, this amphiphilic triblock copolymer contains both hydrophobic fluorinated alkyl groups as well as hydrophilic ethoxy groups. It was found that surface structures of the copolymer film in air and in water cannot be probed directly using the SFG experimental geometry we adopted because SFG signals can be contributed from the polymer/air (or polymer/water) interface as well as the buried polymer/CaF(2) substrate interface. Using polymer films with varied thicknesses, structural information about the polymer surfaces in air and in water can be deduced from the detected SFG signals. With SFG, surface restructuring of this polymer has been observed in water, especially the methyl and methylene groups change orientations upon contact with water. However, the hydrophobic fluoroalkyl group was present on the surface in both air and water, and we believe that it was held near the surface in water by its neighboring ethoxy groups.

Structural degradation at the surface of a TiO(2)-based nanomaterial used in cosmetics

A number of commercialized nanomaterials incorporate TiO(2) nanoparticles. Studying their structural stability in media mimicking the environment or the conditions of use is crucial in understanding their potential eco-toxicological effects. We focused here on a hydrophobic TiO(2) nanoparticle-based formulation used in cosmetics: T-Lite SF. It is composed of a TiO(2) core, coated with two successive protective layers of Al(OH)(3), and polydimethylsiloxane. Soon after contact with water (pH = 5, low ionic strength), the T-Lite SF becomes hydrophilic and form aggregates. During this aging, 90%wt of the total Si of the organic layer is desorbed, and the PDMS remaining at the surface is oxidized. The Al(OH)(3) layer is also affected but remains sorbed at the surface. This remaining Al-based layer still protects from the production of superoxide ions from the photoactive/phototoxic TiO(2) core in our experimental conditions.

Surface segregation of fluorinated moieties on random copolymer films controlled by random-coil conformation of polymer chains in solution

The relationship between solution properties, film-forming methods, and the solid surface structures of random copolymers composed of butyl methacrylate and dodecafluorheptyl methylacrylate (DFHMA) was investigated by contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy, and surface tension measurements. The results, based on thermodynamic considerations, demonstrated that the random copolymer chain conformation at the solution/air interface greatly affected the surface structure of the resulting film, thereby determining the surface segregation of fluorinated moieties on films obtained by various film-forming techniques. When the fluorinated monomer content of the copolymer solution was low, entropic forces dominated the interfacial structure, with the perfluoroalkyl groups unable to migrate to the solution/air interface and thus becoming buried in a random-coil chain conformation. When employing this copolymer solution for film preparation by spin-coating, the copolymer chains in solution were likely extended due to centrifugal forces, thereby weakening the entropy effect of the polymer chains. Consequently, this resulted in the segregation of the fluorinated moieties on the film surface. For the films prepared by casting, the perfluoroalkyl groups were, similar to those in solution, incapable of segregating at the film surface and were thus buried in the random-coil chains. When the copolymers contained a high content of DFHMA, the migration of perfluoroalkyl groups at the solution/air interface was controlled by enthalpic forces, and the perfluoroalkyl groups segregated at the surface of the film regardless of the film-forming technique. The aim of the present work was to obtain an enhanced understanding of the formation mechanism of the chemical structure on the surface of the polymer film, while demonstrating that film-forming methods may be used in practice to promote the segregation of fluorinated moieties on film surfaces.

Polymer surface reorientation after protein adsorption

Surface side-chain orientation changes of two polymers have been observed upon protein adsorption using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy. Side-chain-deuterated poly(ethyl methacrylate) and poly(n-butyl methacrylate) were contacted with five protein solutions: albumin, fibrinogen, ubiquitin, cytochrome c, and lysozyme. The CD(3)/CD(2) symmetric stretch ratios of the surface polymer side chains in contact with these different media were compared to each other and to that of the polymer contacting air or phosphate buffered saline. The adsorption of different proteins to the surfaces resulted in polymer side-chain orientations slightly different from each other, with orientations between the air and buffer cases.

Molecular level structures of poly(n-alkyl methacrylate)s with different side chain lengths at the polymer/air and polymer/water interfaces

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy has been successfully applied to study molecular structures of several poly(n-alkyl methacrylate)s (PAMAs) with different side chain lengths at the PAMA/air and PAMA/water interfaces. We have observed that the ester side chains from all PAMAs always dominate the interface, but the orientation information of the methyl end group on the side chains varies, depending on the length of the side chain. The contributions from methylene groups on the side chains have been evaluated, and the surface structures have been related to the surface tension of these polymers. Different water restructuring behaviors have been observed for different PAMAs. This phenomenon and its reversibility are strongly dependent on the glass transition temperature of each polymer, which is influenced by the side chain length. Detailed data fitting and analysis has been discussed.

Polarization and experimental configuration analyses of sum frequency generation vibrational spectra, structure, and orientational motion of the air/water interface

Here we report a detailed study on spectroscopy, structure, and orientational distribution, as well as orientational motion, of water molecules at the air/water interface, investigated with sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS). Quantitative polarization and experimental configuration analyses of the SFG data in different polarizations with four sets of experimental configurations can shed new light on our present understanding of the air/water interface. Firstly, we concluded that the orientational motion of the interfacial water molecules can only be in a limited angular range, instead of rapidly varying over a broad angular range in the vibrational relaxation time as suggested previously. Secondly, because different vibrational modes of different molecular species at the interface has different symmetry properties, polarization and symmetry analyses of the SFG-VS spectral features can help the assignment of the SFG-VS spectra peaks to different interfacial species. These analyses concluded that the narrow 3693 cm(-1) and broad 3550 cm(-1) peaks belong to C(infinityv) symmetry, while the broad 3250 and 3450 cm(-1) peaks belong to the symmetric stretching modes with C2v symmetry. Thus, the 3693 cm(-1) peak is assigned to the free OH, the 3550 cm(-1) peak is assigned to the singly hydrogen-bonded OH stretching mode, and the 3250 and 3450 cm(-1) peaks are assigned to interfacial water molecules as two hydrogen donors for hydrogen bonding (with C2v symmetry), respectively. Thirdly, analysis of the SFG-VS spectra concluded that the singly hydrogen-bonded water molecules at the air/water interface have their dipole vector directed almost parallel to the interface and is with a very narrow orientational distribution. The doubly hydrogen-bonded donor water molecules have their dipole vector pointing away from the liquid phase.

Conformational Changes of Fibrinogen after Adsorption

The adsorption behavior of fibrinogen to two biomedical polyurethanes and a perfluorinated polymer has been investigated. Changes in the secondary structure of adsorbed fibrinogen were monitored using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG). SFG measurements were performed in the amide I range as well as in the C-H/N-H stretching range. Amide I signals from SFG demonstrate that fibrinogen has post-adsorption conformational changes that are dependent upon the polymer surface properties. For example, strong attenuation of the amide I and N-H stretching signals with increasing residence time was observed for fibrinogen adsorbed to poly(ether urethane) but not for the other two polymers. This change is not readily observed by ATR-FTIR. Differences in the observed spectral changes for fibrinogen adsorbed to each polymer are explained by different initial binding mechanisms and post-adsorption conformational changes.

Potential Dependent Organization of Water at the Electrified Metal−Liquid Interface

In situ infrared visible sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) is used to examine the structure of water at the Ag-water interface in NaF and KF electrolyte solutions. Water is observed in environments associated with both the electrode surface and the diffuse double layer. Peaks are observed that are correlated with low-order water, water interacting with electrolyte ions, specifically adsorbed water to the electrode surface, and hydronium. Spectra obtained from a thiol-modified Ag surface enabled discrimination between surface-bound water and that in the double layer. The water organization is dependent on applied potential, with the observed intensities for specifically adsorbed and ion solvating water diminishing near the pzc.

Sum Frequency Generation from Langmuir−Blodgett Multilayer Films on Metal and Dielectric Substrates

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectra of cadmium arachidate multilayer films adsorbed on a substrate with high nonresonant susceptibility, i.e., gold, and on a low nonresonant susceptibility substrate, i.e., fused quartz, have been investigated in the C-H stretching region in air. The films were formed by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition and their spectra recorded using SFG spectrometers employing both 532-nm nanosecond and 800-nm femtosecond lasers, with counter-propagating and co-propagating beam geometries, respectively. Both kinds of substrate were rendered hydrophobic by coating them with per-deuterated octadecanethiol (gold) or per-deuterated cadmium arachidate (fused quartz) monolayers. Single per-protonated arachidate layers in otherwise per-deuterated 10-layer films were used to show that the SFG resonances arise only from the topmost and lowermost layers in a LB film comprised of an even number of per-protonated layers, although the SFG spectra from the two hydrophobic substrates are different from each other. The differences in the spectra from the same ten-layer per-protonated films deposited on the two types of hydrophobic substrate have been explained in terms of a simple model that accounts for resonant and nonresonant contributions.

Development of a Biologically Relevant Calcium Phosphate Substrate for Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

A novel biologically relevant composite substrate has been prepared consisting of a calcium phosphate (CaP) layer formed by magnetron sputter-coating from a hydroxyapatite (HA) target onto a gold-coated silicon substrate. The CaP layer is intended to mimic tooth and bone surfaces and allows polymers used in oral care to be deposited in a procedure analogous to that used for dental surfaces. The polymer cetyl dimethicone copolyol (CDC) was deposited onto the CaP surface of the substrate by Langmuir Blodgett deposition, and the structure of the adsorbed layer was investigated by the surface specific technique of sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. The gold sublayer provides enhancement of the SFG signal arising from the polymer but plays no part in the adsorption of the polymer. The surface morphology of the substrate was investigated using SEM and AFM. The surface roughness was commensurate with that of the thermally evaporated gold sublayer and uniform over areas of at least 36 mum(2). The chemical composition of the CaP-coated surface was determined by FTIR and TOF-SIMS. It was concluded that the surface is primarily calcium phosphate present as a mixture of amorphous, non-hydroxylated phases rather than solely stoichiometric hydroxyapatite. The SFG spectra from CDC on CaP were closely similar, both in resonance wavenumbers and in their relative intensities, with spectra of thin films of CDC recorded directly on gold. Application of previous analysis of the spectra of CDC on gold therefore enabled interpretation of the polymer orientation and conformation on the CaP substrate.

Detection of chiral sum frequency generation vibrational spectra of proteins and peptides at interfaces in situ

In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility to collect off-electronic resonance chiral sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectra from interfacial proteins and peptides at the solid/liquid interface in situ. It is difficult to directly detect a chiral SFG vibrational spectrum from interfacial fibrinogen molecules. By adopting an interference enhancement method, such a chiral SFG vibrational spectrum can be deduced from interference spectra between the normal achiral spectrum and the chiral spectrum. We found that the chiral SFG vibrational spectrum of interfacial fibrinogen was mainly contributed by the beta-sheet structure. For a beta-sheet peptide tachyplesin I, which may be quite ordered at the solid/liquid interface, chiral SFG vibrational spectra can be collected directly. We believe that these chiral signals are mainly contributed by electric dipole contributions, which can dominate the chiroptical responses of uniaxial systems. For the first time, to our knowledge, this work indicates that the off-electronic resonance SFG technique is sensitive enough to collect chiral SFG vibrational spectra of interfacial proteins and peptides, providing more structural information to elucidate interfacial protein and peptide structures.

Determination of Structure and Energetics for Gibbs Surface Adsorption Layers of Binary Liquid Mixture 1. Acetone + Water

The orientation, structure, and energetics of the vapor/acetone-water interface are studied with sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS). We used the polarization null angle (PNA) method in SFG-VS to accurately determine the interfacial acetone molecule orientation, and we found that the acetone molecule has its C=O group pointing into bulk phase, one CH3 group pointing up from the bulk, and the other CH3 group pointing into the bulk phase. This well-ordered interface layer induces an antiparallel structure in the second layer through dimer formation from either dipolar or hydrogen bond interactions. With a double-layer adsorption model (DAM) and Langmuir isotherm, the adsorption free energies for the first and second layer are determined as deltaG degrees (ads,1) = - 1.9 +/- 0.2 kcal /mol and deltaG degrees (ads,2) = - 0.9 +/- 0.2 kcal /mol, respectively. Since deltaG degrees (ads,1) is much larger than the thermal energy kT = 0.59 kcal /mol, and deltaG degrees (ads,2) is close to kT, the second layer has to be less ordered. Without either strong dipolar or hydrogen bonding interactions between the second and the third layer, the third layer should be randomly thermalized as in the bulk liquid. Therefore, the thickness of the interface is not more than two layers thick. These results are consistent with previous MD simulations for the vapor/pure acetone interface, and undoubtedly provide direct microscopic structural evidences and new insight for the understanding of liquid and liquid mixture interfaces. The experimental techniques and quantitative analysis methodology used for detailed measurement of the liquid mixture interfaces in this report can also be applied to liquid interfaces, as well as other molecular interfaces in general.