This work was supported by the Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant (EP7). P. D. acknowledges the support of the Israel Council for Higher Education.

1. Tip Modification
<ol>
	<li>Purchase silicon nitride (Si3N4) AFM cantilevers with silicon tips (nominal cantilever radius of ~2 nm).</li>
	<li>Clean each AFM cantilever by dipping in anhydrous ethanol for 20 min. Dry at room temperature. Then treat the cantilevers by exposing them to O2 plasma for 5 min.</li>
	<li>Suspend the clean tips above (3 cm) a solution containing methyltriethoxysilane and 3-(aminopropyl) triethoxysilane in a ratio of 15:1 (v/v) in a desiccator under an inert atmosphere (either nitrogen or argon) and connect the desiccator to a vacuum pump. Vacuum for 2 h to form a monolayer of these two types of mixed silane compounds.</li>
	<li>Use a metallic tip holder (fabricated for this process) to place the tips on a hot plate. Then dry the tips for 10 minutes at 70 &#176;C under atmospheric conditions. Before use, clean the hot plate, metallic holder and tweezers using ethanol.</li>
	<li>Cool the tips at room temperature, and then immerse the tips into a solution of Fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl-PEG-N-hydroxysuccinimide (Fmoc-PEG-NHS, MW 5,000 Da) at a concentration of 5 mM in chloroform containing 0.5% (v/v) triethylamine for 1 h at room temperature.</li>
	<li>Dip the tips in chloroform for 5 min and then dip it in dimethylformamide (DMF) for additional 5 min. In order to deprotect the Fmoc group of the attached PEG molecules, dip the tips in 20% piperidine (v/v) in DMF for 30 min. Dip the tips in DMF for 4 min and then in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) for additional 4 min. Repeat the sequential dipping three times.</li>
	<li>For coupling of amino acids, immerse the tips into a solution containing N-terminal protected amino acid (AA) / diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) / 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium hexafluophosphate (HBTU), in a molar ratio of 1:1:1 at a total concentration of 30 mM in 5 mL NMP for 1.5 h.</li>
	<li>For peptide coupling, dip the tips into a 5 mL solution containing 40 mg of the protected peptide (N terminal and side chains, for example Fmoc-Gln(Trt)-Pro-Ala-Ser(tBu)-Ser(tBu)-Arg(pbf)-Tyr(tBu)-COOH.), 15 mg 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (HBTU), and 5 mL of DIPEA in NMP for 2 h.</li>
	<li>Dip the tips in NMP for 4 min. Then, to protect the reaming free/unreacted NH2 by the acetyl group, dip the tips for 30 min in a mixture of acetic anhydride/DIPEA at a molar ratio 4:1 and a total concentration of 0.65 M in NMP.</li>
	<li>For peptide coupling, perform two additional steps.
	<ol>
		<li>In order to deprotect the side chains of the peptide, immerse the tips into a solution containing 95% TFA, 2.5% triisopropylsilane, and 2.5% water for 1 h, and then wash with chloroform and DMF.</li>
		<li>In order to remove the Fmoc group of the peptide, immerse the tips into 20% piperidine (v/v) in DMF for 30 min.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Sequentially dip the peptide/amino acid-functionalized tips for four min each in DMF (for peptides) or NMP (for amino acids), chloroform, 50% ethanol and water. Finally dry the tip in air.</li>
</ol>
2. Surface Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Prepare mica. Cleave the substrates (9.9 mm diameter) before each use by using scotch tape. Then, wash the surfaces with triple distilled water (TDW).</li>
	<li>Prepare TiO2-coated silicon.
	<ol>
		<li>Cut the silicon wafer (100) into 2 cm squares using a diamond pen.</li>
		<li>Place the substrate in a 15 mL test tube filled with acetone and sonicate it for five minutes in an ultrasonic bath. Then, place this surface in a 15 mL test tube filled with isopropanol and sonicate it for 5 min. Dry the substrate using nitrogen.</li>
		<li>Dissolve the surfactant (e.g., Byk-348) in ethanol to prepare a 5% (weight/volume) solution. Then, add 0.02 mL of the surfactant solution to a 2 mL of 30% TiO2 dispersion.</li>
		<li>From the resulting solution, drop-cast 0.2 mL on a clean Si substrate.</li>
		<li>Anneal these drop-casted surfaces at 250 &#176;C for 2 h in air.41</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. Single-molecule Force Spectroscopy Measurements
<ol>
	<li>Attach the desired surface to a metallic holder of the AFM with commercially available two-component glue. Place the metallic holder in the glass holder of the AFM, which is shaped as a small Petri&#160;dish. Fill this holder with Tris buffer (50 mM pH = 7.4) or any desired medium. Then, place the holder on the AFM stage below the tip holder.</li>
	<li>Calibrate the AFM cantilevers with spring constants ranging from 10 to 30 pN/nm using the thermal fluctuation method26 (included in the AFM software) with an absolute uncertainty of about 10%.</li>
	<li>Measure the force of the interaction by approaching the amino acid or peptide-functionalized tip to the substrate until it is in contact with the substrate with a compression force of ~200 pN and then immediately retract the tip at various speeds, from 0.1 to 0.8 &#181;m/s, for a distance of ~200 nm.</li>
</ol>
4. Data Analysis
<ol>
	<li>Convert the deflection values (V) to force by multiplying the photodiode sensitivity (V/m) and using the experimentally determined spring constant.42 This is done automatically by the AFM software.
	<ol>
		<li>To obtain F-D curves with one single molecule events, record several hundreds of curves (800-1,500). Obtain two peaks in a single-molecule curve: the first peak indicates nonspecific interactions between the tip and the surface and the second peak corresponds to the specific interaction of the molecule with the surface. When, the F-D curve contain more than these two peaks, discard them from the calculation of the most probable force. 
		NOTE: Only single adhesion events are taken into an account (from 10 to 30% of the curves).43</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>To calculate the apparent loading rate, fit at least 50 force vs. distance curves with the worm-like chain (WLC) model44 just prior to the rupture to obtain a set of loading rates, which are then used for preparing histograms of the apparent loading rates. Derive the unbinding forces between the peptides/amino acids and surface from the jump in force after separating the cantilever from the substrate.</li>
</ol>

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Steps 1.3, 1.4 and 1.7 in the protocol should be carried out with extensive care and in a very gentle manner. In step 1.3, the tip should not be in contact with the silane mixture and the silanization process should be carried out in an inert atmosphere (moisture free).45 This is done in order to prevent multilayer formation and because silane molecules readily undergo hydrolysis in the presence of moisture.45
In step 1.4, the temperature and tim...

The interaction between proteins and inorganic minerals leads to the construction of composite materials with distinctive properties. This includes materials with high mechanical strength or unique optical properties.1,2 For example, the combination of the protein collagen with the mineral hydroxyapatite generates either soft or hard bones for different functionalities. 3 Short peptides can also bind inorganic materials with high specificity. 4,5,6 The specificity of these peptides has been used for designing new magnetic and electronic materials,7,8,9 fabricating nanostructured materials, growing crystals, 10 and synthesizing nanoparticles.11Understanding the mechanism underlying interactions between peptides or proteins and inorganic materials will therefore allow us to design new composite materials with improved adsorptive properties. In addition, since the interphase of implants with an immune response is mediated by proteins, better understanding the interactions of proteins with inorganic materials will improve our ability to design implants. Another important area that involves proteins interacting with inorganic surfaces is the fabrication of antifouling materials.12,13,14,15 Biofouling is an undesirable process in which organisms attach to a surface. It has many detrimental implications on our lives. For example, biofouling of bacteria on medical devices leads to hospital-acquired infections. Biofouling of marine organisms on boats and large ships increases the consumption of fuel.12,16,17,18
Single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS), using an AFM, can directly measure the interactions between an amino acid or a peptide with a substrate.19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26 Other methods such as phage display,27,28 quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)29or surface plasmon resonance (SPR)29,30,31,32,33 measure the interactions of peptides and proteins to inorganic surfaces in bulk.34,35,36 This means that the results obtained by these methods relate to ensembles of molecules or aggregates. In SMFS, one or very few molecules are fixed to the AFM tip and their interactions with the desired substrate is measured. This approach can be expanded to study protein folding by pulling the protein from the surface. In addition, it can be used to measure interactions between cells and proteins and the binding of antibodies to their ligands.37,38,39,40 This paper describes in detail how to attach either peptides or amino acids to the AFM tip using silanol chemistry. In addition, the paper explains how to perform force measurements and how to analyze the results.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="638">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="173">
			<td height="173" style="height:173px;width:164px;">Silicon nitride (Si3N4) AFM cantilevers with silicon tips</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Bruker (Camarilo, CA, USA)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">MSNL10, nominal cantilevers radius ~2 nm&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="106">
			<td height="106" style="height:106px;width:164px;">Methyltriethoxysilane&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Acros Organics (New Jersey, USA)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">For Silaylation of the AFM tip&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="106">
			<td height="106" style="height:106px;width:164px;">3-(Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Sigma-Aldrich (Jerusalem, Israel)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used for tip modification&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="106">
			<td height="106" style="height:106px;width:164px;">Triisopropylsilane</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Sigma-Aldrich (Jerusalem, Israel)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used for tip modification</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="85">
			<td height="85" style="height:85px;width:164px;">N-Ethyldiisopropylamine</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Alfa-Aesar (Lancashire, UK)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used for tip modification</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="85">
			<td height="85" style="height:85px;width:164px;">Triethylamine</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Alfa-Aesar (Lancashire, UK)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used for tip modification</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="85">
			<td height="85" style="height:85px;width:164px;">Piperidine</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Alfa-Aesar (Lancashire, UK)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used for tip modification</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="232">
			<td height="232" style="height:232px;width:164px;">Fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl-PEG-N-hydroxysuccinimide&#160; (Fmoc-PEG-NHS)</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Iris Biotech GmbH (Deutschland, Germany)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used as the covalent flexible linker&#160; (MW = 5000 Da)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="253">
			<td height="253" style="height:253px;width:164px;">2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3,-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (HBTU)</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Alfa Aser (Heysham, England)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used as a coupling reagent.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="148">
			<td height="148" style="height:148px;width:164px;">N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Acros Organics (New Jersey, USA)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used as Solvent in Tip modification procedure</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="148">
			<td height="148" style="height:148px;width:164px;">DMF (dimethylformamide)</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Merck (Darmstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">Used as Solvent in Tip modification procedure</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="106">
			<td height="106" style="height:106px;width:164px;">Trifluoro acetic acid (TFA)</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Merck (Darmstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="106">
			<td height="106" style="height:106px;width:164px;">Acetic anhydride</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Merck (Darmstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="106">
			<td height="106" style="height:106px;width:164px;">Peptides</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">GL Biochem (Shanghai, China).</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="106">
			<td height="106" style="height:106px;width:164px;">Phenylalanine and Tyrosine&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Biochem (Darmstadt, Germany)&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="240">
			<td height="361" rowspan="7" style="height:361px;width:164px;">30% TiO2 dispersion in the mixture of solvent 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy) ethanol (DEGME) and Ethyl 3-Ethoxypropionate (EEP)</td>
			<td rowspan="7" style="width:147px;">Applied Vision Laboratories (Jerusalem, Israel)</td>
			<td rowspan="7" style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td rowspan="7" style="width:264px;">(30%) in the mixture of solvent 2-(2 Methoxyethoxy) ethanol (DEGME) and Ethyl 3-Ethoxypropionate (EEP)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
		</tr>
		<tr height="148">
			<td height="148" style="height:148px;width:164px;">Mica substrates</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">TED PELLA, INC. (Redding, California, USA)</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
			<td style="width:264px;">9.9 mm diameter</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

insights into the interactions of amino acids and peptides with inorganic materials using single-molecule force spectroscopy

The interactions between proteins or peptides and inorganic materials lead to several interesting processes. For example, combining proteins with minerals leads to the formation of composite materials with unique properties. In addition, the undesirable process of biofouling is initiated by the adsorption of biomolecules, mainly proteins, on surfaces. This organic layer is an adhesion layer for bacteria and allows them to interact with the surface. Understanding the fundamental forces that govern the interactions at the organic-inorganic interface is therefore important for many areas of research and could lead to the design of new materials for optical, mechanical and biomedical applications. This paper demonstrates a single-molecule force spectroscopy technique that utilizes an AFM to measure the adhesion force between either peptides or amino acids and well-defined inorganic surfaces. This technique involves a protocol for attaching the biomolecule to the AFM tip through a covalent flexible linker and single-molecule force spectroscopy measurements by atomic force microscope. In addition, an analysis of these measurements is included.

Figure 1 exhibits the tip modification procedure. In the first step, a plasma treatment changes the surface of the silicon nitride tip. The tip presents OH groups. These groups will then react with the silanes. At the end of this step, the surface of the tip will be covered by free -NH2 groups. These free amines will then react with Fmoc -PEG-NHS, a covalent linker. The Fmoc group of the PEG linker is removed by pipyridine, a deprotecting reagent. Finally, the ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Insights into the Interactions of Amino Acids and Peptides with Inorganic Materials Using Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy at JoVE.com

Insights into the Interactions of Amino Acids and Peptides with Inorganic Materials Using Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy

Here we present a protocol to measure the force of interactions between a well-defined inorganic surface and either peptides or amino acids by single-molecule force spectroscopy measurements using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The information obtained from the measurement is important to better understand the peptide-inorganic material interphase.

The interactions between proteins or peptides and inorganic materials lead to several interesting processes. For example, combining proteins with minerals ...

insights-into-interactions-amino-acids-peptides-with-inorganic

Research

JoVE Journal

Chemistry

8.0K Views.  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Here we present a protocol to measure the force of interactions between a well-defined inorganic surface and either peptides or amino acids by single-molecule force spectroscopy measurements using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The information obtained from the measurement is important to better understand the peptide-inorganic material interphase.

Video: Insights into the Interactions of Amino Acids and Peptides with Inorganic Materials Using Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy

Formation of Ordered Biomolecular Structures by the Self-assembly of Short Peptides

In nature, complex functional structures are formed by the self-assembly of biomolecules under mild conditions. Understanding the forces that control self-assembly and mimicking this process in vitro will bring about major advances in the areas of materials science and nanotechnology. Among the available biological building blocks, peptides have several advantages as they present substantial diversity, their synthesis in large scale is straightforward, and they can easily be modified with biological and chemical entities1,2. Several classes of designed peptides such as cyclic peptides, amphiphile peptides and peptide-conjugates self-assemble into ordered structures in solution. Homoaromatic dipeptides, are a class of short self-assembled peptides that contain all the molecular information needed to form ordered structures such as nanotubes, spheres and fibrils3-8. A large variety of these peptides is commercially available.
This paper presents a procedure that leads to the formation of ordered structures by the self-assembly of homoaromatic peptides. The protocol requires only commercial reagents and basic laboratory equipment. In addition, the paper describes some of the methods available for the characterization of peptide-based assemblies. These methods include electron and atomic force microscopy and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Moreover, the manuscript demonstrates the blending of peptides (coassembly) and the formation of a &#34;beads on a string&#34;-like structure by this process.9 The protocols presented here can be adapted to other classes of peptides or biological building blocks and can potentially lead to the discovery of new peptide-based structures and to better control of their assembly.

This paper describes the formation of highly ordered peptide-based structures by the spontaneous process of self-assembly. The method utilizes commercially available peptides and common lab equipment. This technique can be applied to a large variety of peptides and may lead to the discovery of new peptide-based assemblies.

In nature, complex functional structures are formed by the self-assembly of biomolecules under mild conditions. Understanding the forces that control ...

Preparation of Silica Nanoparticles Through Microwave-assisted Acid-catalysis

Microwave-assisted synthetic techniques were used to quickly and reproducibly produce silica nanoparticle sols using an acid catalyst with nanoparticle diameters ranging from 30-250 nm by varying the reaction conditions. Through the selection of a microwave compatible solvent, silicic acid precursor, catalyst, and microwave irradiation time, these microwave-assisted methods were capable of overcoming the previously reported shortcomings associated with synthesis of silica nanoparticles using microwave reactors. The siloxane precursor was hydrolyzed using the acid catalyst, HCl. Acetone, a low-tan &#948; solvent, mediates the condensation reactions and has minimal interaction with the electromagnetic field. Condensation reactions begin when the silicic acid precursor couples with the microwave radiation, leading to silica nanoparticle sol formation. The silica nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering data and scanning electron microscopy, which show the materials&#39; morphology and size to be dependent on the reaction conditions. Microwave-assisted reactions produce silica nanoparticles with roughened textured surfaces that are atypical for silica sols produced by St&#246;ber&#39;s methods, which have smooth surfaces.

Silica nanoparticles were prepared using acid-catalysis of a siloxane precursor and microwave-assisted synthetic techniques resulting in the controlled growth of nanomaterials ranging from 30-250 nm in diameter. The growth dynamics can be controlled by varying the initial silicic acid concentration, time of the reaction, and temperature of reaction.

Microwave-assisted synthetic techniques were used to quickly and reproducibly produce silica nanoparticle sols using an acid catalyst with nanoparticle ...

The Synthesis of [Sn10(Si(SiMe3)3)4]2- Using a Metastable Sn(I) Halide Solution Synthesized via a Co-condensation Technique

The number of well-characterized metalloid tin clusters, synthesized by applying the disproportionation of a metastable Sn(I) halide in the presence of a sterically demanding ligand, has increased in recent years. The metastable Sn(I) halide is synthesized at&#160;&#34;outer space conditions&#34; via the preparative co-condensation technique. Thereby, the subhalide is synthesized in an oven at high temperatures, around 1,300 &#176;C, and at reduced pressure by the reaction of elemental tin with hydrogen halide gas (e.g., HCl). The subhalide (e.g., SnCl) is trapped within a matrix of an inert solvent, like toluene at -196 &#176;C. Heating the solid matrix to -78 &#176;C gives a metastable solution of the subhalide. The metastable subhalide solution is highly reactive but can be stored at -78 &#176;C for several weeks. On heating the solution to room temperature, a disproportionation reaction occurs, leading to elemental tin and the corresponding dihalide. By applying bulky ligands like Si(SiMe3)3, the intermediate metalloid cluster compounds can be trapped before complete disproportionation to elemental tin. Hence, the reaction of a metastable Sn(I)Cl solution with Li-Si(SiMe3)3 gives [Sn10(Si(SiMe3)3)4]2- 1 as black crystals in high yield. 1 is formed via a complex reaction sequence including salt metathesis, disproportionation, and degradation of larger clusters. Further, 1 can be analyzed by various methods like NMR or single crystal X-ray structure analysis.

The Synthesis of [Sn10SiSiMe334]2- Using a Metastable SnI Halide Solution Synthesized via a Co-condensation Technique

The disproportionation reaction of a metastable Sn(I) chloride solution, obtained via the preparative co-condensation technique, is used for the synthesis of a metalloid tin cluster compound.

The number of well-characterized metalloid tin clusters, synthesized by applying the disproportionation of a metastable Sn(I) halide in the presence of a ...

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

We demonstrate a method for the synthesis of cyclic polymers and a protocol for characterizing their diffusive motion in a melt state at the single molecule level. An electrostatic self-assembly and covalent fixation (ESA-CF) process is used for the synthesis of the cyclic poly(tetrahydrofuran) (poly(THF)). The diffusive motion of individual cyclic polymer chains in a melt state is visualized using single molecule fluorescence imaging by incorporating a fluorophore unit in the cyclic chains. The diffusive motion of the chains is quantitatively characterized by means of a combination of mean-squared displacement (MSD) analysis and a cumulative distribution function (CDF) analysis. The cyclic polymer exhibits multiple-mode diffusion which is distinct from its linear counterpart. The results demonstrate that the diffusional heterogeneity of polymers that is often hidden behind ensemble averaging can be revealed by the efficient synthesis of the cyclic polymers using the ESA-CF process and the quantitative analysis of the diffusive motion at the single molecule level using the MSD and CDF analyses.

A protocol for the synthesis and characterization of diffusive motion of cyclic polymers at the single molecule level is presented.

We demonstrate a method for the synthesis of cyclic polymers and a protocol for characterizing their diffusive motion in a melt state at the single ...

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy as a Tool for Electrochemical Rate Constant Estimation

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used for advanced characterization of organic electroactive compounds along with cyclic voltammetry (CV). In the case of fast reversible electrochemical processes, current is predominantly affected by the rate of diffusion, which is the slowest and limiting stage. EIS is a powerful technique that allows separate analysis of stages of charge transfer that have different AC frequency response. The capability of the method was used to extract the value of charge transfer resistance, which characterizes the rate of charge exchange on the electrode-solution interface. The application of this technique is broad, from biochemistry up to organic electronics. In this work, we are presenting the method of analysis of organic compounds for optoelectronic applications.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of species that undergo reversible oxidation or reduction in solution was used for determination of rate constants of oxidation or reduction.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used for advanced characterization of organic electroactive compounds along with cyclic voltammetry (CV). ...

Determination of Thermodynamic Properties of Alkaline Earth-liquid Metal Alloys Using the Electromotive Force Technique

A novel electrochemical cell based on a CaF2 solid-state electrolyte has been developed to measure the electromotive force (emf) of binary alkaline earth-liquid metal alloys as functions of both composition and temperature in order to acquire thermodynamic data. The cell consists of a chemically stable solid-state CaF2-AF2 electrolyte (where A is the alkaline-earth element such as Ca, Sr, or Ba), with binary A-B alloy (where B is the liquid metal such as Bi or Sb) working electrodes, and a pure A metal reference electrode. Emf data are collected over a temperature range of 723 K to 1,123 K in 25 K increments for multiple alloy compositions per experiment and the results are analyzed to yield activity values, phase transition temperatures, and partial molar entropies/enthalpies for each composition.

This protocol describes the measurement of the electromotive force of alkaline-earth elements in liquid metal alloys at high temperatures (723-1,123 K) to determine their thermodynamic properties, including activity, partial molar entropy, partial molar enthalpy, and phase transition temperatures, over a wide composition range.

A novel electrochemical cell based on a CaF2 solid-state electrolyte has been developed to measure the electromotive force (emf) of binary alkaline ...

Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy

Water/solid interfaces are ubiquitous and play a key role in many environmental, biophysical, and technological processes. Resolving the internal structure and probing the hydrogen-bond (H-bond) dynamics of the water molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces are fundamental issues of water science, which remains a great challenge owing to the light mass and small size of hydrogen. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is a promising tool for attacking these problems, thanks to its capabilities of sub-&#197;ngstr&#246;m spatial resolution, single-bond vibrational sensitivity, and atomic/molecular manipulation. The designed experimental system consists of a Cl-terminated tip and a sample fabricated by dosing water molecules in situ onto the Au(111)-supported NaCl(001) surfaces. The insulating NaCl films electronically decouple the water from the metal substrates, so the intrinsic frontier orbitals of water molecules are preserved. The Cl-tip facilitates the manipulation of the single water molecules, as well as gating the orbitals of water to the proximity of Fermi level (EF) via tip-water coupling. This paper outlines the detailed methods of submolecular resolution imaging, molecular/atomic manipulation, and single-bond vibrational spectroscopy of interfacial water. These studies open up a new route for investigating the H-bonded systems at the atomic scale.

Here, we present a protocol to investigate the structure and dynamics of interfacial water at the atomic scale, in terms of submolecular resolution imaging, molecular manipulation, and single-bond vibrational spectroscopy.

Water/solid interfaces are ubiquitous and play a key role in many environmental, biophysical, and technological processes. Resolving the internal ...

Elemental-sensitive Detection of the Chemistry in Batteries through Soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering

Energy storage has become more and more a limiting factor of today's sustainable energy applications, including electric vehicles and green electric grid based on volatile solar and wind sources. The pressing demand of developing high-performance electrochemical energy storage solutions, i.e., batteries, relies on both fundamental understanding and practical developments from both the academy and industry. The formidable challenge of developing successful battery technology stems from the different requirements for different energy-storage applications. Energy density, power, stability, safety, and cost parameters all have to be balanced in batteries to meet the requirements of different applications. Therefore, multiple battery technologies based on different materials and mechanisms need to be developed and optimized. Incisive tools that could directly probe the chemical reactions in various battery materials are becoming critical to advance the field beyond its conventional trial-and-error approach. Here, we present detailed protocols for soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (sXAS), soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (sXES), and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) experiments, which are inherently elemental-sensitive probes of the transition-metal 3d and anion 2p states in battery compounds. We provide the details on the experimental techniques and demonstrations revealing the key chemical states in battery materials through these soft X-ray spectroscopy techniques.

Here, we present a protocol for typical experiments of soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (sXAS) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) with applications in battery material studies.

Energy storage has become more and more a limiting factor of today's sustainable energy applications, including electric vehicles and green electric grid ...

DNA Origami-Mediated Substrate Nanopatterning of Inorganic Structures for Sensing Applications

Structural DNA nanotechnology provides a viable route for building from the bottom-up using DNA as construction material. The most common DNA nanofabrication technique is called DNA origami, and it allows high-throughput synthesis of accurate and highly versatile structures with nanometer-level precision. Here, it is shown how the spatial information of DNA origami can be transferred to metallic nanostructures by combining the bottom-up DNA origami with the conventionally used top-down lithography approaches. This allows fabrication of billions of tiny nanostructures in one step onto selected substrates. The method is demonstrated using bowtie DNA origami to create metallic bowtie-shaped antenna structures on silicon nitride or sapphire substrates. The method relies on the selective growth of a silicon oxide layer on top of the origami deposition substrate, thus resulting in a patterning mask for following lithographic steps. These nanostructure-equipped surfaces can be further used as molecular sensors (e.g., surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)) and in various other optical applications at the visible wavelength range owing to the small feature sizes (sub-10 nm). The technique can be extended to other materials through methodological modifications; therefore, the resulting optically active surfaces may find use in development of metamaterials and metasurfaces.

Here, we describe a protocol to create discrete and accurate inorganic nanostructures on substrates using DNA origami shapes as guiding templates. The method is demonstrated by creating plasmonic gold bowtie-shaped antennas on a transparent substrate (sapphire).

Structural DNA nanotechnology provides a viable route for building from the bottom-up using DNA as construction material. The most common DNA ...

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single molecule force spectroscopy is an ideal tool for investigating the interactions between a single polymer and surfaces. For a true single molecule experiment, covalent attachment of the probe molecule is essential because only then can hundreds of force-extension traces with one and the same single molecule be obtained. Many traces are in turn necessary to prove that a single molecule alone is probed. Additionally, passivation is crucial for preventing unwanted interactions between the single probe molecule and the AFM cantilever tip as well as between the AFM cantilever tip and the underlying surface. The functionalization protocol presented here is reliable and can easily be applied to a variety of polymers. Characteristic single molecule events (i.e., stretches and plateaus) are detected in the force-extension traces. From these events, physical parameters such as stretching force, desorption force and desorption length can be obtained. This is particularly important for the precise investigation of stimuli-responsive systems at the single molecule level. As exemplary systems poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM) and polystyrene (PS) are stretched and desorbed from SiOx (for PEG and PNiPAM) and from hydrophobic self-assembled monolayer surfaces (for PS) in aqueous environment.

Covalent attachment of probe molecules to atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever tips is an essential technique for the investigation of their physical properties. This allows us to determine the stretching force, desorption force and length of polymers via AFM-based single molecule force spectroscopy with high reproducibility.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single molecule force spectroscopy is an ideal tool for investigating the interactions between a single polymer and ...