title: Hydration of oligo(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayers studied using polarization modulation infrared spectroscopy.
abstract: The interaction with water of protein-resistant monolayers (SAMs), self-assembled from (triethylene glycol) terminated thiol HS(CH2)11(OCH2CH2)3OMe solutions, was studied using in and ex situ polarization-modulated Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In particular, shifts in the position of the characteristic C-O-C stretching vibration were observed after the monolayers had been exposed to water. The shift in frequency increased when the SAM was observed in direct contact with a thin layer of water. It was found that the magnitude of the shift also depended on the surface coverage of the SAM. These findings suggest a rather strong interaction of oligo(ethylene glycol) SAMs with water and indicate the penetration of water into the upper region of the monolayer.
authors.affiliation: Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K.
authors.forename: M W A
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Skoda
authors.forename: R M J
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schreiber
mesh_terms: D019855:Ethylene Glycol / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012996:Solutions; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D019855:Ethylene Glycol