Molecules In Direct Contact Research Articles

Application of surface-layer matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging to pharmaceutical-loaded poly(ester urea) films

Polymer thin films are often used in transdermal patches as a method of continuous drug administration for patients with chronic illness. Understanding the drug segregation and distribution within these films is important for monitoring proper drug release over time. Surface-layer matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (SL-MALDI-MSI) is a unique analytical technique that provides an optical representation of chemical compositions that exist at the surface of polymeric materials. Solvent-free sublimation is employed for application of matrix to the sample surface, so that only molecules in direct contact with the matrix layer are detected. Here, these methodologies are utilized to visualize variations in drug concentration at both the air and substrate interface in pharmaceutical-loaded polymer films.

C–C Coupling of Carbene Molecules on a Metal Surface in the Presence of Water

A novel surface-confined C-C coupling reaction involving two carbene molecules and a water molecule was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy in real space. Carbene fluorenylidene was generated from diazofluorene in the presence of water on a silver surface. While in the absence of water, fluorenylidene covalently binds to the surface to form a surface metal carbene, and water can effectively compete with the silver surface in reacting with the carbene. Water molecules in direct contact with fluorenylidene protonate the carbene to form the fluorenyl cation before the carbene can bind to the surface. In contrast, the surface metal carbene does not react with water. The fluorenyl cation is highly electrophilic and draws electrons from the metal surface to generate the fluorenyl radical which is mobile on the surface at cryogenic temperatures. The final step in this reaction sequence is the reaction of the radical with a remaining fluorenylidene molecule or with diazofluorene to produce the C-C coupling product. Both a water molecule and the metal surface are essential for the consecutive proton and electron transfer followed by C-C coupling. This C-C coupling reaction is unprecedented in solution chemistry.

Exploring Routes to Enhance the Calculation of Free Energy Differences via Non-Equilibrium Work SQM/MM Switching Simulations Using Hybrid Charge Intermediates between MM and SQM Levels of Theory or Non-Linear Switching Schemes.

Non-equilibrium work switching simulations and Jarzynski's equation are a reliable method for computing free energy differences, ΔAlow→high, between two levels of theory, such as a pure molecular mechanical (MM) and a quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) description of a system of interest. Despite the inherent parallelism, the computational cost of this approach can quickly become very high. This is particularly true for systems where the core region, the part of the system to be described at different levels of theory, is embedded in an environment such as explicit solvent water. We find that even for relatively simple solute-water systems, switching lengths of at least 5 ps are necessary to compute ΔAlow→high reliably. In this study, we investigate two approaches towards an affordable protocol, with an emphasis on keeping the switching length well below 5 ps. Inserting a hybrid charge intermediate state with modified partial charges, which resembles the charge distribution of the desired high level, makes it possible to obtain reliable calculations with 2 ps switches. Attempts using step-wise linear switching paths, on the other hand, did not lead to improvement, i.e., a faster convergence for all systems. To understand these findings, we analyzed the solutes' properties as a function of the partial charges used and the number of water molecules in direct contact with the solute, and studied the time needed for water molecules to reorient themselves upon a change in the solute's charge distribution.

Hydration of the neurotransmitter [formula omitted]-aminobutyric acid and its isomer [formula omitted]-aminobutyric acid

Room-temperature aqueous solutions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its isomer α-aminobutyric acid (AABA) were studied with broad-band dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) and statistical mechanics (1D-RISM and 3D-RISM) calculations. Comparison of the first-shell coordination numbers from 3D-RISM with the total effective hydration numbers from DRS revealed that for both solutes only about half of the H2O molecules in direct contact with the solute are affected in their dynamics. Whereas for GABA ∼10 of them are moderately retarded by a factor of ∼2–3 compared to bulk water and only ∼1–2 effectively frozen at vanishing solute concentration, AABA appears to be more strongly hydrated with only ∼6 moderately retarded but ∼6 H2O frozen by the solute molecule. This is reflected in the effective solute dipole moments.

A light-mediated covalently patterned graphene substrate for graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS).

We report covalently patterned graphene with acetic acid as a new potential candidate for graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS). Rhodamine 6G molecules in direct contact with the covalently modified region show an enormous enhancement (∼25 times) compared to the pristine region at 532 nm excitation. The GERS enhancement with respect to the layer thickness of the probed molecule, excitation wavelength, and covalently attached groups is discussed.

Anomalous Light-Induced Spin-State Switching for Iron(II) Spin-Crossover Molecules in Direct Contact with Metal Surfaces.

Light-induced spin-state switching is one of the most attractive properties of spin-crossover materials. In bulk, low-spin (LS) to high-spin (HS) conversion via the light-induced excited spin-state trapping (LIESST) effect may be achieved with a visible light, while the HS-to-LS one (reverse-LIESST) requires an excitation in the near-infrared range. Now, it is shown that those phenomena are strongly modified at the interface with a metal. Indeed, an anomalous spin conversion is presented from HS state to LS state under blue light illumination for FeII spin-crossover molecules that are in direct contact with metallic (111) single-crystal surfaces (copper, silver, and gold). To interpret this anomalous spin-state switching, a new mechanism is proposed for the spin conversion based on the light absorption by the substrate that can generate low energy valence photoelectrons promoting molecular vibrational excitations and subsequent spin-state switching at the molecule-metal interface.

Anomalous Light‐Induced Spin‐State Switching for Iron(II) Spin‐Crossover Molecules in Direct Contact with Metal Surfaces

AbstractLight‐induced spin‐state switching is one of the most attractive properties of spin‐crossover materials. In bulk, low‐spin (LS) to high‐spin (HS) conversion via the light‐induced excited spin‐state trapping (LIESST) effect may be achieved with a visible light, while the HS‐to‐LS one (reverse‐LIESST) requires an excitation in the near‐infrared range. Now, it is shown that those phenomena are strongly modified at the interface with a metal. Indeed, an anomalous spin conversion is presented from HS state to LS state under blue light illumination for FeII spin‐crossover molecules that are in direct contact with metallic (111) single‐crystal surfaces (copper, silver, and gold). To interpret this anomalous spin‐state switching, a new mechanism is proposed for the spin conversion based on the light absorption by the substrate that can generate low energy valence photoelectrons promoting molecular vibrational excitations and subsequent spin‐state switching at the molecule–metal interface.

Correction to Temperature-, Light-, and Soft X-ray-Induced Spin Crossover in a Single Layer of FeII-Pyrazolylborate Molecules in Direct Contact with Gold

Correction to Temperature-, Light-, and Soft X-ray-Induced Spin Crossover in a Single Layer of Fe^II-Pyrazolylborate Molecules in Direct Contact with Gold

Highly Efficient and Bidirectional Photochromism of Spirooxazine on Au(111)

Controlling molecules in direct contact with surfaces is central to molecular electronics. Photochromic molecules immobilized and contacted by a surface promise to provide remote control on the molecular level using light. Combining X-ray absorption spectroscopy, differential reflectance spectroscopy, and density functional theory, we demonstrate highly efficient and bidirectional photochromism of a spirooxazine molecular switch in direct contact with a Au(111) surface. The ring-opening reaction by UV light is 2 orders of magnitude more efficient than previously reported for other surface-adsorbed systems, and even more importantly, the red-light-induced ring-closing is accessible even in contact with a metal surface. This opens new prospects for applications by utilizing the gold surface with directly adsorbed functional units consisting of molecular photochromic switches.

Temperature-, Light-, and Soft X-ray-Induced Spin Crossover in a Single Layer of FeII-Pyrazolylborate Molecules in Direct Contact with Gold

Understanding the properties of spin-crossover molecules in direct contact with metals is crucial for their future integration in electronic and spintronic devices. By X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we investigate the properties of FeII((3,5-(CH3)2Pz)3BH)2 molecules in the form of monolayer islands on a metallic substrate, namely, Au(111). We demonstrate that the spin-crossover transition can be thermally induced from the high spin state to a mixed spin state phase containing one-third of high-spin-state and two-thirds of low-spin-state molecules in agreement with previous work by scanning tunneling microscopy. In addition, at 4.4 K, the spin crossover from the low spin state to the high spin state can also be induced by X-ray and by light excitations.

The effect of interface-induced structural properties of the pentacene accumulation layer on the threshold voltage: Pentacene monolayer transistors

The effect of pentacene/gate dielectric interface-induced structural properties of a pentacene monolayer (ML) close to the SiO2 gate dielectric on the threshold voltage in the field effect transistor (FET) and van der Pauw was addressed using atomic force microscopy and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). Our study reveals that large negative threshold voltage found in FET and van der Pauw devices is not closely correlated to the molecular orientation and the grain size of pentacene molecules in direct contact with the SiO2 gate dielectric. In concluding our finding, NEXAFS results in the ultrathin pentacene film within the carrier accumulation thickness regime, characterized by Debye length, were correlated to the magnitude of the threshold voltage from field effect devices. Our work motivates finding and visualizing interface-induced structural properties that are directly correlated to the magnitude of the threshold voltage.

Spin crossover in Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 complexes on metallic surfaces

In this review, we give an overview on the spin crossover of Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 complexes adsorbed on Cu(100), Cu2N/Cu(100), Cu(111), Co/Cu(111), Co(100), Au(100), and Au(111) surfaces. Depending on the strength of the interaction of the molecules with the substrates, the spin crossover behavior can be drastically changed. Molecules in direct contact with non-magnetic metallic surfaces coexist in both the high- and low-spin states but cannot be switched between the two. Our analysis shows that this is due to a strong interaction with the substrate in the form of a chemisorption that dictates the spin state of the molecules through its adsorption geometry. Upon reducing the interaction to the surface either by adding a second molecular layer or inserting an insulating thin film of Cu2N, the spin crossover behavior is restored and molecules can be switched between the two states with the help of scanning tunneling microscopy. Especially on Cu2N, the two states of single molecules are stable at low temperature and thus allow the realization of a molecular memory. Similarly, the molecules decoupled from metallic substrates in the second or higher layers display thermally driven spin crossover as has been revealed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Finally, we discuss the situation when the complex is brought into contact with a ferromagnetic substrate. This leads to a strong exchange coupling between the Fe spin in the high-spin state and the magnetization of the substrate as deduced from spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy and ab initio calculation.

Graphene-Based Enhanced Raman Scattering toward Analytical Applications

Due to the single-molecule sensitivity and the capability of chemical fingerprints recognition, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been an attractive analytical technique used in various fields. However, SERS sensing still suffers from several problems, including the heterogeneous adsorption of molecules on SERS substrates, the spectral fluctuation of molecules, the photo/chemical reactions of molecules in direct contact with metal, and the continuum spectral background originated from fluorescence or photocarbonization. Such problems greatly hinder its practical applications, in particular, in SERS quantification. Graphene, the star of the two-dimensional (2D) materials family, can be used for Raman enhancement, termed as graphene-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (G-SERS). In this review, we will introduce the discovery of graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS), the chemical enhancement, and its extension to other 2D materials beyond graphene. Then we will concentrate on graphene-base...

Relativity of Electron and Energy Transfer Contributions in Nanoparticle-Induced Fluorescence Quenching

Metallic nanostructures are known to drastically modify the spontaneous emission of molecular probes placed in their vicinity. The main critical parameters that modify the spontaneous rate of emission of organic fluoroprobes near metallic nanostructures are the location of the fluoroprobes around the particle, its separation from the metal surface, and the molecular dipole orientation with respect to the particle surface. Depending on its relative position and orientation with respect to the nanostructures, the fluoroprobe may experience an enhanced or suppressed electric field, leading to a higher or lower excitation rate, respectively, in comparison to a fluoroprobe in free space. The fluorescence of molecules in direct contact with the metal is completely quenched. Possible deactivation pathways of the photoexcited fluoroprobes near metal nanostructures could be enunciated as the intermolecular interactions, electron transfer, energy transfer, and the emission from the molecular probes near the metal s...

Highly Efficient Thermal and Light-Induced Spin-State Switching of an Fe(II) Complex in Direct Contact with a Solid Surface.

Spin crossover (SCO) complexes possess a bistable spin state that reacts sensitively to changes in temperature or excitation with light. These effects have been well investigated in solids and solutions, while technological applications require the immobilization and contacting of the molecules at surfaces, which often results in the suppression of the SCO. We report on the thermal and light-induced SCO of [Fe(bpz)2phen] molecules in direct contact with a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface. We are able to switch on the magnetic moment of the molecules by illumination with green light at T = 6 K, and off by increasing the temperature to 65 K. The light-induced switching process is highly efficient leading to a complete spin conversion from the low-spin to the high-spin state within a submonolayer of molecules. [Fe(bpz)2phen] complexes immobilized on weakly interacting graphite substrates are thus promising candidates to realize the vision of an optically controlled molecular logic unit for spintronic devices.

Interfacial Engineering of P3HT/ZnO Hybrid Solar Cells Using Phthalocyanines: A Joint Theoretical and Experimental Investigation

Atomistic simulations and experimental investigations are combined to study heterojunction interfaces of hybrid polymer solar cells, with the aim to better understand and precisely predict their photovoltaic properties. The focus is on a hybrid ternary model system based on a poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc)/ZnO interface, in which a ZnPc interlayer is applied to improve the performance of the hybrid interface. Theoretical predictions of the ternary system are validated against the properties of a concrete P3HT/ZnPc/ZnO planar heterojunction device. The theoretical predictions closely agree with the photovoltaic properties obtained in P3HT/ZnPc/ZnO solar cells, indicating the strength of the method for modeling hybrid heterojunction interfaces. The theoretical and experimental results reveal that: i) ZnPc molecules in direct contact with a ZnO surface insert new energy levels due to a strong ZnPc/ZnO coupling, ii) electron injection from these new energy levels of ZnPc into ZnO is highly efficient, iii) the ZnPc/ZnO coupling strongly influences the energy levels of the ZnO and P3HT leading to a reduction of the open circuit voltage, and iv) charge carrier recombination at the P3HT/ZnO interface is reduced by the ZnPc interlayer. The intercalation of ZnPc leads to an increase in photocurrent as well as to an overall increase in power conversion.

Influence of Hydrogen Bonding on the Structure of the (001) Corundum–Water Interface. Density Functional Theory Calculations and Monte Carlo Simulations

Density functional theory calculations and classical Monte Carlo simulations are applied to study the behavior of water in contact with a hydroxylated corundum (001) surface. Using DFT with periodic boundary conditions at T = 0 K, we systematically study the influence of the number of water molecules on the surface geometry and on the structure of the contact water layer. Only little effect of the thickness of the water layer on the geometry of the surface hydroxyl groups is observed. On the other hand, the molecules in the second layer have strong influence on the arrangement of water molecules in direct contact with the solid surface. In order to mimic macroscopic systems at room temperature, we perform inhomogeneous MC simulations of model corundum surface in contact with the water phase modeled by SPC/E model. The water molecules are classified according to their hydrogen-bonded partners into several groups. It is found that the preferential orientation of interfacial water molecules is primarily determined by the type of their hydrogen bonding. The hydroxyl groups at the corundum surface can serve as hydrogen bond donor or acceptor, depending on their orientation. No surface hydroxyls are found to coordinate two water molecules at the same time. On the other hand, water molecules coordinated by two different surface groups appear in MC simulations.

Abrupt Coverage-Induced Enhancement of the Self-Metalation of Tetraphenylporphyrin with Cu(111)

Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), the coverage-dependent self-metalation of 2H-tetraphenylporphyrin (2HTPP) with Cu on Cu(111) at 400 K has been studied. At low coverages the porphyrin molecules are adsorbed as isolated molecules, and the rate of metalation is slow. As the coverage is increased beyond ∼0.36 molecules/nm2, a supramolecular checkerboard structure is formed, with every second molecule slightly elevated above the surface. The appearance of this checkerboard structure coincides with a dramatic increase in the rate of metalation. This enhancement is attributed to a smaller activation barrier for the elevated molecules, which have an internal conformation similar to that of the free molecule, whereas the less reactive molecules in direct contact with the surface are strongly distorted.

Folding thermodynamics of the hybrid‐1 type intramolecular human telomeric G‐quadruplex

Guanine-rich DNA sequences that may form G-quadruplexes are located in strategic DNA loci with the ability to regulate biological events. G-quadruplexes have been under intensive scrutiny owing to their potential to serve as novel drug targets in emerging anticancer strategies. Thermodynamic characterization of G-quadruplexes is an important and necessary step in developing predictive algorithms for evaluating the conformational preferences of G-rich sequences in the presence or the absence of their complementary C-rich strands. We use a combination of spectroscopic, calorimetric, and volumetric techniques to characterize the folding/unfolding transitions of the 26-meric human telomeric sequence d[A3G3(T2AG3)3A2]. In the presence of K+ ions, the latter adopts the hybrid-1 G-quadruplex conformation, a tightly packed structure with an unusually small number of solvent-exposed atomic groups. The K+-induced folding of the G-quadruplex at room temperature is a slow process that involves significant accumulation of an intermediate at the early stages of the transition. The G-quadruplex state of the oligomeric sequence is characterized by a larger volume and compressibility and a smaller expansibility than the coil state. These results are in qualitative agreement with each other all suggesting significant dehydration to accompany the G-quadruplex formation. Based on our volume data, 432±19 water molecules become released to the bulk upon the G-quadruplex formation. This large number is consistent with a picture in which DNA dehydration is not limited to water molecules in direct contact with the regions that become buried but involves a general decrease in solute-solvent interactions all over the surface of the folded structure.

Ultrasonic and Densimetric Characterization of the Association of Cyclic AMP with the cAMP-Binding Domain of the Exchange Protein EPAC1

We employed a combination of densimetric and ultrasonic velocimetric techniques to characterize the volumetric properties of the association of the cAMP-binding domain (CBD) of EPAC1 with cAMP at 25 °C in a pH 7.6 buffer. The binding of cAMP to the CBD of EPAC1 is accompanied by changes in volume, ΔV, and adiabatic compressibility, ΔKS, of -59 ± 4 cm(3) mol(-1) and (34 ± 9) × 10(-4) cm(3) mol(-1) bar(-1), respectively. We use these volumetric results in conjunction with the structural data to estimate a change in hydration, Δnh, accompanying the binding. We calculate that approximately 103 water molecules are released to the bulk from the associating surfaces of the protein and the ligand. This number is ∼30% larger than the number of water molecules in direct contact with the associating surfaces while also being within the error of our Δnh determination. Therefore, we conclude that cAMP binding to EPAC1 may involve, in addition to the waters from within the first coordination sphere, also some waters from the second coordination sphere of the protein and cAMP. Our analysis of the compressibility data reveals that the protein becomes more rigid and less dynamic upon the cAMP binding as reflected in a 4 ± 0.5% decrease in its intrinsic coefficient of adiabatic compressibility. Finally, we estimate the hydration, ΔShyd, and configurational, ΔSconf, contributions to the binding entropy, ΔSb. We find that the binding entropy is determined by the fine balance between the ΔShyd and ΔSconf terms. In general, we discuss insights that are derived from a combination of volumetric and structural properties, in particular, emphasizing how measured changes in volume and compressibility can be interpreted in terms of hydration and dynamic properties of EPAC1 in its apo- and holo-forms.