Search results for "interface"
showing 10 items of 2139 documents
Covalently bonded layer-by-layer assembly of multifunctional thin films based on activated esters.
2009
We demonstrate that chemically stable, multifunctional polymer thin films can be obtained using the layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition based on covalent bonds between adsorbing chains. Poly(pentafluorophenyl-4-vinylbenzoate) (P1) or poly(pentafluorophenylacrylate) (P2) polymers were assembled with poly(allyl amine) (PAAm) to yield LbL multilayer films through amide bond formation by the reaction between activated esters of P1 or P2 and amine groups in PAAm, which was quantitatively monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). It was found that the difference in the solubility of P1 and P2 against ethanol, which was used as the solvent for PAAm, during the LbL deposition yields…
Langmuir–Blodgett films based on inorganic molecular complexes with magnetic or optical properties
2005
Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of a great variety of molecular metal complexes with interesting magnetic or optical properties have been prepared in the last few years. Some of the results obtained by our group and others are summarized in this article. (i) LB films of polyoxometalates (POM) were first prepared taking advantage of the adsorption properties of these cluster anions along a positively charged monolayer of an organic surfactant spread in water. A correct choice of the POM allowed the preparation of LB films with magnetic, electrochromic, or luminescent properties. Besides this semiamphiphilic method, two new methods to prepare LB films of POMs have been developed by …
Adaptive Wetting-Adaptation in Wetting
2018
Many surfaces reversibly change their structure and interfacial energy upon being in contact with a liquid. Such surfaces adapt to a specific liquid. We propose the first order kinetic model to describe dynamic contact angles of such adaptive surfaces. The model is general and does not refer to a particular adaptation process. The aim of the proposed model is to provide a quantitative description of adaptive wetting and to link changes in contact angles to microscopic adaptation processes. By introducing exponentially relaxing interfacial energies and applying Young's equation locally, we predict a change of advancing and receding contact angles depending on the velocity of the contact line…
Homocoupling of terminal alkynes on calcite (10.4)
2018
Abstract On-surface synthesis has been identified as highly versatile strategy to prepare molecular structures on surfaces with single-atom precision. Inspired by the classical Glaser coupling, homocoupling of terminal alkynes has attracted great attention for on-surface synthesis. This coupling is known for providing a rigid and linear linkage, which is highly interesting for the synthesis of molecular wires. For molecular wire formation, non-conductive substrates are needed for electronic decoupling. So far, however, coupling of terminal alkynes has not been performed on a bulk insulator surface. Here, we present an atomic force microscopy study, indicating that 4,4″-diethynyl-[1,1′:4′,1″…
Micropatterning of neurons using organic substrates in culture
1997
Abstract In this study, we have used spatially defined surfaces of organic thin films to micropattern the outgrowth of central nervous system neurons in culture. Glass substrates were first chemically modified with synthetic peptides derived from an extra-cellular matrix protein laminin to couple a functionality that promotes a neuron-substrate interaction. The modification procedure was verified using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The functionality of the modified glass surfaces was examined by growing neurons dissociated from mammalian central nervous tissues in culture. Spatially defined surfaces of the peptide were then fabricated by selectively attaching the peptide to coplanar sur…
Self-organization of amphiphilic N-acylated linear polyethyleneimines: investigation of a reversible monolayer collapse
1996
Abstract Poly-N-4-decyloxybenzoylethyleneimine, highly crystalline in bulk, forms a stable monolayer at the air-water interface which undergoes a reversible collapse into a probable bilayer structure at higher surface pressures. We achieved transfer both from the monolayer and “bilayer” region of the polymer film at the water surface onto hydrophilic and hydrophobized quartz supports. Based on X-ray investigations on the deposited Langmuir-Blodgett films, a possible mechanism for the reversible collapse is proposed.
Photocleavable microcapsules built from photoreactive nanospheres.
2005
We show how photo-cross-linking of nanoparticles within the micrometer-sized thin oil shell of water-oil-water emulsion droplets leads to a new species of optically addressable microcontainers. The inner water droplet of these emulsions may contain drugs, dyes, or other water-soluble components, leading to filled containers. The thickness, mechanical stability, and light resistance of the container walls can be controlled in a simple way by the amount and adjustable photoreactivity of the nanoparticles. Importantly, the chemical bonds between the nanoparticles constituting the microcapsule shell can be cleaved photochemically by irradiation with UV light. This optically controlled destructi…
Affinity Distributions of a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Calculated Numerically by the Expectation-Maximization Method
2003
Affinity distributions are calculated from adsorption isotherm data obtained for the enantiomers of L- and D-phenylalanine anilide (PA) on native and thermally annealed polymers molecularly imprinted with L-PA. The calculation is obtained with an iterative algorithm called expectation-maximization that does not require prior fit of the data to an isotherm model before inversion and thus yields a distribution indicative of the data only. The results show bimodal distributions, suggestive of a two-site model describing relatively selective and nonselective adsorption modes of the L-enantiomer and a corresponding unimodal/nonselective adsorption mode for the D-enantiomer. The nonselective adso…
Covalently attached polymer mono- and multilayers on silanized glass substrates
1996
Abstract Applying grazing incidence FTIR and ellipsometry, the reaction of poly [(1-methyl-vinyl isocyanate)-alt-(maleic anhydride)](IAP) with amino-silanized glass and silicon oxide surfaces has been investigated. A reactive surface containing isocyanate and anhydride groups was formed after the adsorption of the polymer. The layer could be further functionalized using 2-aminoethanol. Multilayers could be built up by adsorbing a second layer of IAP onto an already reacted first layer of IAP.
Structured Nanoparticles from the Self-Assembly of Polymer Blends through Rapid Solvent Exchange
2017
Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study systematically the rapid mixing of a polymer blend in solution with a miscible nonsolvent. In agreement with experiments, we observe that polymers self-assemble into complex nanoparticles, such as Janus and core-shell particles, when the good solvent is displaced by the poor solvent. The emerging structures can be predicted on the basis of the surface tensions between the polymers as well as between the polymers and the surrounding liquid. Furthermore, the size of the nanoparticles can be independently tuned through the mixing rate and the polymer concentration in the feed stream; meanwhile, the composition of the nanoparticles can be c…