Low Surface Pressure Research Articles

Effect of the conditions of transfer on the structure and optical properties of Langmuir graphene oxide films during deposition on a substrate

The effect the solvent and transfer pressure of graphene oxide (SLGO) Langmuir–Blodgett films on the physicochemical properties of monolayers, and on their structural and optical properties, is studied. Examination of the physicochemical properties of SLGO monolayers on subphase surfaces that are formed from SLGO dispersions in different organic solvents reveals that monolayer behavior is virtually independent of the solvent. Electron microscope and optical studies show that the monolayers formed from SLGO dispersions in DMF and acetone have the highest transfer coefficients. It is concluded that the structural heterogeneity of the surfaces of graphene oxide films results from simultaneous effect of electrostatic interactions between graphene oxide particles and Van der Waals interactions with the solvation shell of the particles. Studies focusing on the effect the pressure of transferring a graphene oxide monolayer onto the surface of a solid substrate has on structural features of LB films show that films produced at low surface pressures have more homogeneous structures.

Modification of hysteresis behaviors of protein monolayer and the corresponding structures with the variation of protein surface charges

Successive compression-decompression cycles of the surface pressure (π) − specific molecular area (A) isotherms of protein (BSA) monolayers show that reversible hysteresis persists if the protein molecules contain effective positive or negative surface charges. However, for neutral condition, i.e., close to the isoelectric point of the protein, irreversibility in the hysteresis behaviour dominates. Out-of-plane structures obtained from the X-ray reflectivity analysis suggest that at lower surface pressure monomolecular layer of BSA is formed on the water surface. With increasing surface pressure, molecules start to lift-up from the water surface in such a way that semi-major axis makes an angle with the water surface. Depending on the surface pressure and surface charge of BSA, monomolecular or bimolecular layer of tilted BSA molecules is formed on the water surface, however, formation of bimolecular layer is observed when the pH is relatively closer to the BSA isoelectric point. After complete decompression, tilted monomolecular or bimolecular structures again transform into monomolecular layer as evidenced from the structural analysis of the films deposited at lower surface pressures in the second compression, however, structural hysteresis varies depending upon the subphase pH or protein surface charge. Structures obtained from the films deposited at first and second compressions at lower pressure implies that although structural dissimilarity is present but structural hysteresis is only present near the isoelectric point of BSA and becomes negligible below and above that pH. Competitive electrostatic and van der Waals interactions are responsible for such hysteresis behaviours and structural modifications.

Melting probes revisited – Ice penetration experiments under Mars surface pressure conditions

Melting probes as vehicles to explore terrestrial ice sheets have been designed and applied successfully since the early 1960’s. Later on, in the 1990’s, various proposals were made to apply such probes also as a means to explore ice sheets on other bodies of the solar system, e.g. Jupiter’s icy satellite Europa or the ice caps of Mars. For this type of subsurface probes the name cryobot has become common. We review both early developments and more recent efforts to develop probes for application in planetary environments, i.e. under low pressures and low temperatures. The current state of art as well as the pros and cons of the different concepts hitherto considered are described. While many tests with various probes have been done in terrestrial environments, experiments under low surface pressure conditions are rare. Therefore, we report here on lab tests with a simple melting probe under the range of pressure and temperature conditions that would be encountered on the surface of Mars and compare them with corresponding tests under a much lower gas pressure, possibly representative for icy satellites. The contribution of evaporation during the melting and its variation with surface pressure is also considered.All surface pressure measurements that have been performed on Mars up to now indicate a surface pressure above the water triple point pressure (612 Pa). This means that water ice always transforms into the liquid phase when warmed up to 0°C, before it evaporates into the ambient atmosphere. The temporary existence of the liquid phase around the heated tip of the cryobot allows good thermal conductance between probe and surrounding ice, which is an important pre-requisite for efficient melt penetration. Our experiments indicate that under all possible Mars surface pressures the liquid phase is present when the probe is heated up. This finding confirms experimentally that a probe as it was proposed by Paige (1992) for in situ exploration of the Mars north polar layers would work in the expected way, although the penetration velocity must be expected be lower than under Earth pressure conditions. A test with the same probe, but under an almost two orders of magnitude lower gas pressure than on Mars, still indicates the temporary existence of the liquid phase in the contact region between the probe and the surrounding ice.

Unit Cell Level Thickness Control of Single-Crystalline Zinc Oxide Nanosheets Enabled by Electrical Double-Layer Confinement.

Ionic layer epitaxy (ILE) has recently been developed as an effective strategy to synthesize nanometer thick 2D materials with a nonlayered crystal structure, such as ZnO. The packing density of the amphiphilic monolayer is believed to be a key parameter that controls the nanosheet nucleation and growth. In this work, we systematically investigated the growth behavior of single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets templated at the water-air interface by an anionic oleylsulfate monolayer with different packing densities. The thicknesses of ZnO nanosheets were tuned from one unit cell to four unit cells and exhibited good correlation with the width of Zn2+ ion concentration zone (the Stern layer) underneath the ionized surfactant monolayer. Further analysis of the nanosheet sizes and density revealed that the nanosheet growth was dominated by the steric hindrance from the surfactant monolayer at lower surface pressure, while the nucleation density became the dominating factor at higher surface pressure. The ZnO nanosheets exhibited a decreasing work function as the thickness reduced to a few unit cells. This research validated a critical hypothesis that the nanosheet growth is self-limited by the formation of a double layer of ionic precursors. This work will open up a new way toward controlled synthesis of novel 2D nanosheets from nonlayered materials with a thickness down to one unit cell.

Interaction between 17 α-ethynylestradiol hormone with Langmuir monolayers: The role of charged headgroups

The persistence of steroid hormones disposed of in the environment may pose risks to the health of humans and wildlife, which brings the need of understanding their mode of action, believed to occur in cell membranes. In this study, we investigate the molecular-level interactions between the synthetic hormone 17 α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and Langmuir monolayers that represent simplified cell membranes. In surface pressure isotherms, EE2 was found to expand the monolayers at low surface pressures of the positively charged dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DODAB), zwitterionic 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), negatively charged 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DPPG), and partially anionized stearic acid (StAc). The largest effects were observed for the charged DODAB and DPPG. At the pressure (30mN.m−1) corresponding to the molecular packing of a cell membrane, EE2 caused the compressibility modulus to decrease, again with the largest changes occurring for DODAB and DPPG. The effects from EE2 on the packing of the lipid molecules at this high pressure depended essentially on the size of the headgroups, with EE2 contributing to the area per lipid for StAc and DODAB, whose headgroups are small. EE2 interacted with the headgroups of all lipids and StAc, also affecting the ordering of the tails for DODAB, DPPG and DPPC, according to in situ polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). Based on the analysis with the two characterization methods, we propose a model for the EE2 positioning and molecular groups involved in the interaction, which should be relevant to unveil the endocrine disrupting action of EE2.

The Gulf Stream Convergence Zone in the Time-Mean Winds

Abstract The distribution of surface divergence in the northwest Atlantic is investigated using 10 years of satellite wind observations from QuikSCAT and a 1-yr simulation from the COAMPS atmospheric model. A band of time-mean surface convergence overlies the Gulf Stream [called here the Gulf Stream convergence zone (GSCZ)] and has been attributed previously to a local boundary layer response to Gulf Stream SST gradients. However, this analysis shows that the GSCZ results mainly from the aggregate impacts of strong convergence anomalies associated with storms propagating along the storm track, which approximately overlies the Gulf Stream. Storm surface convergence anomalies are one to two orders of magnitude greater than the time-mean convergence and produce a highly asymmetric divergence distribution skewed toward convergent winds. The sensitivity of the sign and magnitude of the time-mean divergence to extreme weather events is demonstrated through analysis using an extreme-value filter, conditional sampling based on rain occurrence, and comparison to its median and mode. Vertical velocity and surface pressure are likewise affected by strong storms, which are characterized by upward velocity and low surface pressure. Storms are thus an important process in shaping the mean state of the atmosphere in the northwest Atlantic. These results are difficult to reconcile with the prevailing view that SST “anchors” surface convergence, upward vertical velocity, and increased rain over the Gulf Stream through a local boundary layer adjustment mechanism.

Dynamic- and post-stall characteristics of pitching airfoils at extreme conditions

Post-stall flow structure and surface pressures are evaluated to determine the effects of large angles of attack, perching like manoeuvres on the flow about a NACA 0021 airfoil exposed to dynamic stall. Phase-averaged particle image velocimetry was performed to assess the load development during the constant angular velocity pitch-up motion and in post-stall conditions. Evaluation of the resultant aerodynamic loads indicates that initial airfoil rotation generates significant delays in force response. Furthermore, the reduced frequency is shown to influence the angle of attack at which deep stall is initiated, to the extent that fully separated flows are delayed to an angle of attack of 60°. Vortex structures are linked to lower surface pressures with increased angle of attack and also for post-stall flow conditions. Likewise, the presence of the vortex structures shifts the centre of pressure significantly along the airfoil chordline immediately after cessation of the airfoil rotation. At the maximum angle of attack, the centre of pressure is shown to move aft for fully separated flow conditions. The variation in location of the centre of pressure, not only changes the moment generation and aero-elastic characteristics of the airfoil, but also increases structural torsional loading and fluctuations that result in increased fatigue of helicopter rotor shafts and horizontal-axis wind turbines.

Anomalous behaviour of droplet coalescence in a two-dimensional complex system

Coalescence of myristic acid droplets on water surface is found to exhibit anomalous behaviour such as simultaneous increase of mean droplet size and droplet number with time at low surface pressure. The existing theories and models can describe droplet evolution at high surface pressure but fail to explain this anomaly at low surface pressure. We propose a more general model for coalescence that reproduces the anomaly at low surface pressure and agrees with other models at high surface pressure. Our model considers microscopic resolution, nucleation of droplets and desorption of droplets in addition to pure coalescence and can be applied to a wide variety of systems.

Self-assembly of hydrophobic gold nanoparticles and adhesion property of their assembled monolayer films

Monodispersed gold nanoparticles had been successfully fabricated and they could form highly ordered two-dimensional (2D) film beyond a critical surface pressure by using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technology. To study adhesion property of these AuNPs films, atomic force microscope (AFM) has been used in measuring the interaction force between AFM tip and the gold nanoparticle films deposited on the silicon wafer, and defined the force at the breaking point as the adhesive force between nanoparticle films and the substrate. It has been found that the adhesive force was an exponential function of the packing density of the AuNPs in the film. When the packing density is near to the saturated value, the adhesive force of gold nanoparticle monolayer could reach 675nN which is approximately 30-fold of that for the nanoparticles on the substrate at low surface pressure (5mN/m). It shows that the adhesive force of assembled nanoparticle films is quantitative sensitive with their packing density and our method could be used to detect defact of assembled nanoparticle films, which presents great potential application.

Cation-induced monolayer collapse at lower surface pressure follows specific headgroup percolation.

A Langmuir monolayer can be considered as a two-dimensional (2D) sheet at higher surface pressure which structurally deform with mechanical compression depending upon the elastic nature of the monolayer. The deformed structures formed after a certain elastic limit are called collapsed structures. To explore monolayer collapses at lower surface pressure and to see the effect of ions on such monolayer collapses, out-of-plane structures and in-plane morphologies of stearic acid Langmuir monolayers have been studied both at lower (≈6.8) and higher (≈9.5) subphase pH in the presence of Mg^{2+},Ca^{2+},Zn^{2+},Cd^{2+}, and Ba^{2+} ions. At lower subphase pH and in the presence of all cations, the stearic acid monolayer remains as a monolayer before collapse, which generally takes place at higher surface pressure (π_{c}>50mN/m). However, at higher subphase pH, structural changes of stearic acid monolayers occur at relatively lower surface pressure depending upon the specific dissolved ions. Among the same group elements of Mg^{2+},Ca^{2+}, and Ba^{2+}, only for Ba^{2+} ions does monolayer to multilayer transition take place from a much lower surface pressure of the monolayer, remaining, however, as a monolayer for Mg^{2+} and Ca^{2+} ions. For another same group elements of Zn^{2+} and Cd^{2+} ions, a less covered bilayer structure forms on top of the monolayer structure at lower surface pressure, which is evidenced from both x-ray reflectometry and atomic force microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms the presence of two coexisting conformations formed by the two different metal-headgroup coordinations and the monolayer to trilayer or multilayer transformation takes place when the coverage ratio of the two molecular conformations changes from the critical value (p_{c}) of ≈0.66. Such ion-specific monolayer collapses are correlated with the 2D lattice percolation model.

Physical properties of mixed Langmuir monolayers of polystyrene particles with poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) hairs and a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) polymer at an air/water interface

The effect of adding a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) polymer to a Langmuir monolayer of polystyrene particles carrying poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) hair (PDMA-PS particles) at air/water interfaces on the physical properties of the monolayer was studied. The addition of PHEMA to a PDMA-PS particle monolayer at an air/water interface gave a polymer-like monolayer at low surface pressures and a particle-like monolayer at high surface pressures. The PDMA-PS particles formed small aggregates that were dispersed throughout the PHEMA monolayer at low surface pressures, a result suggesting that the particles were trapped in the PHEMA network. Monolayers of closely packed particles were observed at higher surface pressures, suggesting that PHEMA was squeezed-out at higher surface pressures. The stiffness of the mixed monolayer was independent of the surface pressure, but increased as the ratio of PHEMA in the mixed monolayer increased. This increased stiffness was explained by the immobilization of the PDMA-PS particles by PHEMA.

Case study of the effects on coal seam gas well production with installation of well head compression (oil-flooded rotary screw type): early outcomes of an Australian trial of four wells in the Bowen Basin

This paper discusses the early outcomes of a trial of well head compression on coal seam gas (CSG) wells to lower surface pressure at the well head. This is a case study of four Johnson Controls Frick rotary screw compressor packages that were installed on CSG wells in an Origin Energy field in the Bowen basin and the early effects of lower well pressures on increased gas production due to the installation of compression. In mid-2016 Johnson Controls installed four compressor packages on Origin Energy wells with different characteristics (age, flow pressure), with a view of determining uplift of gas flow over the remaining life of the well, as well as operational issues with having well head compression. The expected versus actual uplift is compared for the different wells, with a view of providing some guidance on future potential wells that will benefit from this type of compression. Operational issues, such as effects on water flow, effect of oil and overall design considerations for well head compression, are also discussed.

Anionic and Cationic Silver Nanoparticle Binding Restructures Net-Anionic PC/PG Monolayers with Saturated or Unsaturated Lipids.

We have examined the interactions between polymer-coated anionic (Ag-COOH) and cationic (Ag-NH) silver nanoparticles, and net-anionic lipid monolayers using dynamic surface pressure measurements. Monolayers composed of saturated or monounsaturated mixtures of anionic phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipids (3:1 molar ratio) were used to determine how lipid packing and monolayer phase state influence the extent of nanoparticle binding and the monolayer response. Anionic Ag-COOH inserted into saturated dipalmitoyl-PC/PG (DPPC/DPPG) and dioleoyl-PC/PG (DOPC/DOPG) monolayers at a low initial surface pressure (10 mN m-1) and caused lipid condensation at high initial surface pressures (20 and 30 mN m-1). Hydrophobic interactions were responsible for insertion, while electrostatic and charge-dipole interactions with PCs were responsible for condensation. In contrast, cationic Ag-NH inserted only into saturated DPPC/DPPG monolayers and otherwise led to lipid condensation. For Ag-NH, adsorption was driven primarily by electrostatic interactions with PGs. Analysis of the subphase Ag and phosphorus concentrations confirmed that Ag-NH had a higher degree binding compared to Ag-COOH, and that the monolayer response was not due to lipid extraction.

Surface properties of polyene glycol phospholipid monolayers

We studied the surface properties of monolayers composed of polyunsaturated conjugated ethylene glycol phospholipids (carotenoid lipids), compared the data with monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) to which carotenoids were added and evaluated the impact of the unsaturated glycol lipids on monolayers with the glycerolipid DPPC. The carotenoid based glycol lipids formed monolayers at the air/water interface. Using the Langmuir method we obtained series of pressure-area (π-A) isotherms and determined the limiting area A per molecule of three glycol lipids, C30:9-C0A=42.6±1.4Å2, C30:9-C2A=76.1±2.5Ǻ2 and C30:9-C12A=354.0±12.0Å2 and their mixtures with DPPC at various mole fraction X. C30:9-C0 and C30:9-C2 did not affect significantly the shape of the isotherm, but caused their slight shift toward a lower and larger molecular area, respectively. C30:9-C12 at mole fractions X>0.02 affected the shape of isotherm. The compressibility modulus Cs−1 of monolayers depended on the surface pressure. Cs−1 value was substantially higher for DPPC monolayers in comparison with those of pure glycol lipids. At low surface pressure π=5–10mN/m and low mole fractions X<0.02 the glycol lipids formed complexes with DPPC; at higher surface pressure the separation of pure components took place. The dipole potential of the monolayers composed of cationic glycol lipids C30:9-C2 and C30:9-C12 was higher in comparison with those of zwitterionic DPPC and C30:9-C0. This may be connected with various contributions of dipole moments of the molecules and their orientation in the monolayer.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of a lipase from an Algerian isolated Staphylococcus aureus strain.

A Staphylococcus aureus strain, isolated from an Algerian biotope, secretes a non-induced lipase in the culture medium. The S. aureus lipase (SAL) was purified to homogeneity. Pure SAL is a monomeric protein (43 kDa). The 20 N-terminal amino acid residues showed a high degree of homology with other staphylococcal lipase sequences. SAL presents specific activities of about 1600 and 555 U mg-1 using tributyrin and olive oil emulsion as substrates, respectively. In contrast to other staphylococcal lipases previously characterized, SAL was stable at a pH range from 6 to 9 after 1 h incubation, and retained 50% of its activity after 10 min incubation at 50 °C. The purified enzyme was also characterized using monolayer technique. Lipase activity can be measured only when the surface pressure exceeds 15 mN m-1 . The critical surface pressure (πc ) measured with egg-PC films was estimated at 33 mN m-1 . SAL showed a preference for the distal ester groups of the diglyceride isomers at low surface pressure, for the adjacent ester groups at high surface pressure and a preference for the sn-3 position of the 2,3-sn-enantiomer of dicaprin. Cloned and sequenced gene part, encoding the mature lipase shows, in comparison with S. aureus lipase 3 (SAL3), a deletion of three residues (LKA) at the N-terminal extremity and a substitution of glycine 208 and isoleucine 226 with an arginine and leucine, respectively.

Kinetic behaviour of recombinant Fusarium solani lipases using monomolecular films: Effect of the heterologous expression

Two lipases from Fusarium solani, FSL and FSL2, were efficiently expressed in Pichia pastoris. To check the influence of the expression on interfacial properties of FSL and to study kinetic properties of FSL2, interfacial parameters of FSL2, native FSL, untagged recombinant and tagged recombinant forms of FSL were compared using the monomolecular film technique.Kinetic study on the dependence of the stereoselectivity of these lipases on the surface pressure was performed using three dicaprin isomers spread in the form of monomolecular films at the air-water interface. The FSL2 seems to have an important penetration power with a preference for adjacent ester groups and the heterologous expression accompanied or not with the N-His-tag extension on the FSL were found to modify the pressure preference and increase the catalytic hydrolysis rate of three dicaprin isomers. The heterologous expression was found to preserve the FSL regioselectivity without affecting its stereospecificity at high and low surface pressure. The evaluation of the recombinant expression Effects on Catalysis (REC), the N-Tag Effects on Catalysis (TEC), and the N-Tag and Recombinant expression Effects on Catalysis (TREC) showed that the heterologous expression was more efficient than the presence of the N-terminal tag extension on the FSL.

Morphology control through hierarchical phase separation in Langmuir monolayers of poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(n-butyl acrylate)

Precise morphology control of ultrathin films is one of the important issues in nanotechnology. To this end, we describe that various controlled morphologies of hierarchical phase separation can be attained using poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PMMA-b-PBA) monolayers spread on a water surface. At a low surface pressure, they were miscible, but upon compression, phase separated with a monolayer of the major component block spreading on the water surface, on top of which the minor component block separated out (hierarchical phase separation). The morphology of the minor component block separated out on top of the monolayer varied from a sphere/short string mixture, to long strings, and a mesh-like structure having a regular domain-domain spacing with the increasing content of the minor block, and the hierarchical phase separation was reversible depending on the surface pressure. However, these well-ordered hierarchical phase separations were observed only in the PBA-rich polymers, and a clear morphology was not observed in the PMMA-rich polymers, because of insufficient domain growth after the hierarchical phase separation for the PMMA-rich block copolymers which are more rigid than the PBA-rich polymers. Although the clear hierarchical phase separation was limited in flexible composition, we noted that the hierarchical phase separation provided a unique well-controlled morphology in the Langmuir monolayers.

Surface Physical Activity and Hydrophobicity of Designed Helical Peptide Amphiphiles Control Their Bioactivity and Cell Selectivity.

G(IIKK)3I-NH2 has been recently shown to be highly effective at killing bacteria and inhibiting cancer cell growth while remaining benign to normal host mammalian cells. The aim of this work is to evaluate how residue substitutions of Ala (A), Val (V), Glu (E), and Lys (K) for the N-terminal Gly (G) or C-terminal Ile (I) of G(IIKK)3I-NH2 affect the physiochemical properties and bioactivity of the variants. All substitutions caused the reduction of peptide hydrophobicity, while N-terminal substitutions had a less noticeable effect on the surface activity and helix-forming ability than C-terminal substitutions. N-terminal variants held potent anticancer activity but exhibited reduced hemolytic activity; these actions were related to the maintenance of their moderate surface pressures (12-16 mN m-1), while their hydrophobicity was reduced. Thus, N-terminal substitutions enhanced the cell selectivity of the mutants relative to the control peptide G(IIKK)3I-NH2. In contrast, C-terminal variants exhibited lower anticancer activity and much lower hemolytic activity except for G(IIKK)3V-NH2. These features were correlated well with their lower surface pressures (≤10 mN m-1) and decreased hydrophobicity. In spite of its very low helical content, the C-terminal variant G(IIKK)3V-NH2 still displayed potent anticancer activity while retaining high hemolytic activity as well, again correlating well with its relatively high surface pressure and hydrophobicity. These results together indicated that surface activity governs the anticancer activity of the peptides, but hydrophobicity influences their hemolytic activity. In contrast, helicity appears to be poorly correlated to their bioactivity. This work has demonstrated that N-terminal modifications provide a useful strategy to optimize the anticancer activity of helical anticancer peptides (ACPs) against its potential toxicity to mammalian host cells.

Efficient molecular packing of glycerol monostearate in Langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface

Understanding the molecular packing of glycerol monoesters at the air-water interface is relevant for various industries where their emulsifying characteristics are exploited. In this study, we show that glycerol monostearate (GMS) forms closely packed Langmuir monolayers, with an area per molecule of 19Å2 inferred from the surface pressure isotherms, similar to the value for stearic acid. The order parameter calculated from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicates that the closely packed GMS molecules are fully connected by hydrogen bonding, which is important for applications as emulsifier. The GMS monolayer had a compressional modulus typical of a liquid-expanded (LE) phase at low surface pressures (<30mNm−1), and of a liquid-condensed (LC) phase at higher pressures. The LE-LC phase transition was captured with Brewster angle microscopy images. Using in situ infrared measurements, we observed that the GMS chains were progressively organized with increasing surface pressure in the monolayer, again consistent with MD simulations. The importance of the chain size was confirmed in subsidiary experiments, in which glycerol monocaprylate did not form stable monolayers owing to its shorter chain. In summary, the combination of surface-specific methods to characterize Langmuir monolayers and MD simulations could illustrate the relevance of physicochemical properties of GMS for its emulsifying characteristics.

A synoptic climatology of strong along‐channel winds on the Coast of British Columbia, Canada

ABSTRACTA synoptic climatology using mean sea level pressure and 500‐hPa geopotential height composites is conducted for strong along‐channel winds that occur through five of the channels dissecting British Columbia's coast. Seasonal (winter, summer) and directional (inflow, air moving from the coast inland; outflow, air moving from inland towards the coast) partitioning of the winds, results in four distinct along‐channel winds that occur: summertime inflow, summertime outflow, wintertime inflow and wintertime outflow. Composite analyses using reanalysis data and in situ observations are used to examine each wind type at all locations. Wintertime composites produce patterns that are distinct from the overall winter climatology, in which outflows occur when an arctic surface high‐pressure area on the inland side of the coastal mountains is accompanied by the presence of an area of low surface pressure in the northeastern Pacific. Inflow composites in the winter indicate low‐pressure areas associated with mid‐latitude cyclones over the Gulf of Alaska. Summertime composites are similar to the overall summer climatology; therefore, other approaches are applied to explain these winds. We analyse 104 summertime inflow events at three locations using surface analysis charts for 13 summer seasons. The analysis reveals the importance of fronts at the time of inflows, with fronts associated with almost half of the events. Non‐hierarchical clustering analysis is applied for the summertime inflow events. The clustering analysis gives a better explanation of the summertime inflows than the composites. This is achieved by grouping events into different clusters, allowing for better illustration of the variance between the clusters.