Sum frequency generation (SFG) * Equal contributors. spectroscopy was used to deduce the orientation of the terminal methyl (CH3) group of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) at the air–solid and air–liquid interfaces at surface concentrations as low as 1% protonated molecules in the presence of 99% deuterated molecules. The SFG spectra of octadecanethiol (ODT) and deuterated octadecanethiol (d37ODT) SAMs on gold were used for analysis at the air–solid interface. However, the eicosanoic acid (EA) and deuterated EA (d39EA) SAMs on the water were analyzed at the air–liquid interface. The tilt angle of the terminal CH3group was estimated to be ∼39 ° for a SAM of 1% ODT : 99% d37ODT, whereas the tilt angle of the terminal CH3group of the 1% EA : 99% d39EA monolayer was estimated to be ∼32 °. The reliability of the orientational analysis at low concentrations was validated by testing the sensitivity of the SFG spectroscopy. A signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of ∼60 and ∼45 was obtained for the CH3symmetric stretch (SS) of 1% ODT : 99% d37ODT and 1% EA : 99% d39EA, respectively. The estimated increase in S/N ratio values, as a measure of the sensitivity of the SFG spectroscopy, verified the capacity to acquire the SFG spectra at low concentrations of interfacial molecules under ambient conditions. Overall, the orientational analysis of CH3SS vibrational mode was feasible at low concentrations of protonated molecules due to increased S/N ratio. In support, the improved S/N ratio on varying incident power density of the visible beam was also experimentally demonstrated.
- Award ID(s):
- 2203635
- PAR ID:
- 10515087
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Chemical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
- Volume:
- 127
- Issue:
- 39
- ISSN:
- 1520-6106
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 8456 to 8467
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
The geometry, arrangement, and orientation of a quaternary ammonium surfactant flanked by two methyl groups, a benzyl head, and an octyl tail, were assessed at the air-water and air-deuterium oxide (D2O) interfaces using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG). Remarkably, symmetric and asymmetric N-CH3 stretches (at ~2979 and ~3045 cm-1, respectively, in the SSP polarization combination) were visible in water but were negligible in deuterium oxide. We concluded that D2O addition triggers the average reorientation of the dimethyl amino units parallel to the interface, and possibly changes the overall conformation of the surfactant. A reduced number of gauche defects in the surfactant octyl chain is also observed in D2O. Tilt angles for the octyl chain (1.0 – 10.8º) are consistent with an ordered monolayer at the air-liquid interface.more » « less
-
The experimental sum frequency generation (SFG) spectrum is the response to an infrared pulse and a visible pulse and is a highly surface-sensitive technique. We treat the surface dangling OH bonds at the air/water interface and focus on the absolute SFG intensities for the resonant terms, a focus that permits insight into the consequences of some approximations. For the polarization combinations, the calculated linewidths for the water interface dangling OH SFG band at 3,700
are, as usual, too large, because of the customary neglect of motional narrowing. The integrated spectrum is used to circumvent this problem and justified here using a Kubo-like formalism and theoretical integrated band intensities rather than peak intensities. Only relative SFG intensities are usually reported. The absolute integrated SFG intensities for three polarization combinations for sum frequency, visible, and infrared beams are computed. We use molecular dynamics and the dipole and the polarizability matrix elements obtained from infrared and Raman studies of O vapor. The theoretical expressions for two of the absolute susceptibilities contain only a single term and agree with experiment to about a factor of 1.3, with no adjustable parameters. The Fresnel factors are included in that comparison. One of the susceptibilities contains instead four positive and negative terms and agrees less well. The expression for the SFG correlation function is normally derived from a statistical mechanical formulation using a time-evolving density matrix. We show how a derivation based on a two-field relaxation leads to the same final result. -
This work is devoted to deriving and implementing analytic second- and third-order energy derivatives with respect to the nuclear coordinates and external electric field within the framework of the hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics method with induced charges and dipoles (QM/DIM). Using these analytic energy derivatives, one can efficiently compute the harmonic vibrational frequencies, infrared (IR) and Raman scattering (RS) spectra of the molecule in the proximity of noble metal clusters/nanoparticles. The validity and accuracy of these analytic implementations are demonstrated by the comparison of results obtained by the finite-difference method and the analytic approaches and by the full QM and QM/DIM calculations. The complexes formed by pyridine and two sizes of gold clusters (Au18 and Au32) at varying intersystem distances of 3, 4, and 5 Å are used as the test systems, and Raman spectra of 4,4′-bipyridine in the proximity of Au2057 and Ag2057 metal nanoparticles (MNP) are calculated by the QM/DIM method and compared with experimental results as well. We find that the QM/DIM model can well reproduce the IR spectra obtained from full QM calculations for all the configurations, while although it properly enhances some of the vibrational modes, it artificially overestimates RS spectral intensities of several modes for the systems with very short intersystem distance. We show that this could be improved, however, by incorporating the hyperpolarizability of the gold metal cluster in the evaluation of RS intensities. Additionally, we address the potential impact of charge migration between the adsorbate and MNPs.more » « less
-
This paper summarizes the early research results on studying proteins and peptides at interfaces using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. SFG studies in the C—H stretching frequency region to examine the protein side-chain behavior and in the amide I frequency region to investigate the orientation and conformation of interfacial peptides/proteins are presented. The early chiral SFG research and SFG isotope labeling studies on interfacial peptides/proteins are also discussed. These early SFG studies demonstrate the feasibility of using SFG to elucidate interfacial molecular structures of peptides and proteins in situ, which built a foundation for later SFG investigations on peptides and proteins at interfaces.more » « less