Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy studies on polymer surfaces/interfaces and polymer-protein interactions

COLL 92

Zhan Chen, Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy has been applied to investigate various polymer and polymer blend surfaces in air. Molecular level information about surface structures such as the average orientation and orientation distribution of surface dominating functional groups can be deduced. SFG has also been used to study polymer surface structures in water. SFG studies demonstrated that different surface restructuring behavior has been detected on different polymer surfaces in water. Such surface restructuring behavior can be quantified using SFG. SFG studies on polymer/protein solution interfaces indicate that it is feasible to monitor the conformational changes of interfacial protein molecules at the solid/liquid interface. Detailed conformational changes of protein molecules after contacting different polymer surfaces have been detected. Kinetics of such conformational changes of the same protein at different polymer surfaces has been compared. The polymer surface structural changes after contact with protein solution has also been elucidated using SFG.