title: Mixed monolayers of alkane thiols with polar terminal group on gold: Investigation of structure dependent surface properties.
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Stockholm SE-100 44, Sweden; KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Material Physics, MNF, ICT, Stockholm SE-164 40, Sweden.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Besharat
authors.affiliation: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Stockholm SE-100 44, Sweden.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wakeham
authors.affiliation: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Stockholm SE-100 44, Sweden.
authors.forename: C Magnus
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: L'Oréal Research and Innovation, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France.
authors.forename: Gustavo S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Luengo
authors.affiliation: L'Oréal Research and Innovation, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greaves
authors.affiliation: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Stockholm SE-100 44, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Odnevall Wallinder
authors.affiliation: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Material Physics, MNF, ICT, Stockholm SE-164 40, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Göthelid
authors.affiliation: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Stockholm SE-100 44, Sweden; SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Chemistry, Materials and Surfaces, Box 5607, SE-114 86 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: mark@kth.se.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Rutland
mesh_terms: D015097:3-Mercaptopropionic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000327:Adsorption; D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D058525:Quartz Crystal Microbalance Techniques; D055672:Static Electricity; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry*; D013500:Surface Tension; D013816:Thermodynamics; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: C510729:11-amino-1-undecanethiol; D000473:Alkanes; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013455:Sulfur; D006046:Gold; D015097:3-Mercaptopropionic Acid
keywords: Atomic force microscopy (AFM); Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D); Self-assembled monolayer (SAM); Thiols; X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)