Nonlinear optical response of a gold surface in the visible range: A study by two-color sum-frequency generation spectroscopy. II. Model for metal nonlinear susceptibility

We present a modeling of the nonlinear optical response of a metal surface in order to account for recent experimental results from two-color Sum-Frequency Generation experiments on gold. The model allows calculating the surface and bulk contributions, and explicitly separates free and bound electron terms. Contrary to the other contributions, the perpendicular surface component is strongly model-dependent through the surface electron density profiles. We consider three electron density schemes at the surface, with free and bound electrons overlapping or spilling out of the bulk, for its calculation. The calculated SFG signals from the metal rely only on bulk quantities and do not need an explicit definition of the density profiles. In the particular case of gold, when the free electrons overlap with the bound ones or spill out of the bulk, the free electron response completely dominates through the perpendicular surface terms. When the bound electrons spill out, the situation is more balanced, still in favor of the free electrons, with lower amplitudes and different dispersion lineshapes. As for silver, the free electron contributions dominate, and the calculated slow amplitude growth from blue to red follows the experimental trends

Nonlinear optical response of a gold surface in the visible range: A study by two-color sum-frequency generation spectroscopy. III. Simulations of the experimental SFG intensities

International audienceWe model the amplitude line shape and absolute phase of the infrared-visible sum-frequency signals produced by a thiolated polycrystalline gold surface as a function of the visible wavelength. We follow two hypotheses: in the interband scenario, the resonant features are attributed to interband transitions, whereas in the effective surface state scenario, they stem mostly from the excitation of surface transitions. We find that both scenarios lead to a satisfactory account of the experimental data and that only free electrons may spill out of the gold bulk, as expected. For the interband scenario, the balance between free and bound electron contributions to sum-frequency generation has to be adjusted to fit the data. The surface transitions are shown to take their origin inside gold and we investigate the surface states involved in such transitions, with a comparison to the silver surfaces. We finally provide a work program dedicated to discriminate between the two scenarios

Determining Nonlinear Optical Coefficients of Metals by Multiple Angle of Incidence Heterodyne-Detected Sum-Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

International audienceWe illustrate a technique by which heterodyne-detected sum-frequency generation spectroscopy is performed at multiple angles of incidence in order to decompose components of the second-order susceptibility tensor when all beams are polarized parallel to the plane of incidence. As an illustration we study the non-vibrationally resonant gold response. We benchmark our results by comparing with measurements obtained in a polarization scheme that isolates a single element of the susceptibility tensor. Our technique is particularly valuable in the case of metal substrates, where the surface selection rule often prevents spectra from being acquired in multiple beam polarizations

Nonlinear optical response of a gold surface in the visible range: A study by two-color sum-frequency generation spectroscopy. I. Experimental determination

International audienceWe experimentally determine the effective nonlinear second-order susceptibility of gold over the visible spectral range. To reach that goal, we probe by vibrational two-color sum-frequency generation spectroscopy the methyl stretching region of a dodecanethiol self-assembled monolayer adsorbed on a gold film. The sum-frequency generation spectra show a remarkable shape reversal when the visible probe wavelength is tuned from 435 to 705 nm. After correcting from Fresnel effects, the methyl stretching vibrations serve as an internal reference, allowing to extract the dispersion of the absolute phase and relative amplitude of the effective nonlinear optical response of gold in the visible range. Published by AIP Publishing. https://doi

The reduction of 4-nitrobenzene diazonium electrografted layer: An electrochemical study coupled to in situ sum-frequency generation spectroscopy

This work describes an electrochemical study of 4-nitrobenzene diazonium (4-NBD) reduction onto glassy carbon (GC) electrode coupled to in situ sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. After 4-NBD grafting at 0.3 V vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE) onto GC, SFG allowed a clear signal assigned to the symmetrical vibration mode of the nitro (NO2) groups to be observed at 1349 cm-1 or 1353 cm-1 depending on whether the spectrum was recorded in air or inside the solution. This result proved that 4-NBD grafting actually occurs at a potential as high as 0.3 V vs. SCE. The combination of SFG data and cyclic voltammetry (CV) also indicated that at such a potential, NO2 groups did not experience reduction process into hydroxylamine (NHOH) or amine (NH2) groups. The electrolysis of grafted NO2 moieties at -0.1 V was followed by CV and in situ by SFG. The exponential decay of the NO2 signal located at 1353 cm-1 vs. electrolysis time was in accordance with a charge transfer-limited reaction rate for a species immobilized at the electrode surface, and allowed a first order kinetic rate constant for NO2 reduction to be estimated k = 0.006 s-1. The integration of the peaks observed on the corresponding cyclic voltammograms (CVs) which were attributed to the NO/NHOH reversible system showed that the NO2 reduction produced both hydroxylamine and amine groups and was not quantitative. The fact that SFG spectroscopy was silent for long electrolysis time values suggested the remaining nitro groups to be located far from the electrode surface, as a consequence of an electron tunneling efficiency which decreased throughout the film thickness. Further electrolysis at -0.8 V allowed the remaining nitro groups to be reduced into NH2 with almost quantitative yields. All these results suggest the existence of a stratified layer during the electrolysis process, in which there is no limitation due to H+ diffusion in the organic film

Poly(I:C) induces intense expression of c-IAP2 and cooperates with an IAP inhibitor in induction of apoptosis in cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is increasing evidence that the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) is an interesting target for anti-cancer therapy. Unfortunately, most laboratory investigations about the impact of TLR3 stimulation on human malignant cells have been performed with very high concentrations - 5 to 100 μg/ml - of the prototype TLR3 ligand, poly(I:C). In a previous study focused on a specific type of human carcinoma - nasopharyngeal carcinoma - we have shown that concentrations of poly(I:C) as low as 100 ng/ml are sufficient to induce apoptosis of malignant cells when combined to a pharmacological antagonist of the IAP family based on Smac mimicry.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This observation prompted us to investigate the contribution of the IAP family in cell response to poly(I:C) in a variety of human malignant cell types.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We report a rapid, intense and selective increase in c-IAP2 protein expression observed under stimulation by poly(I:C)(500 ng/ml) in all types of human malignant cells. In most cell types, this change in protein expression is underlain by an increase in c-IAP2 transcripts and dependent on the TLR3/TRIF pathway. When poly(I:C) is combined to the IAP inhibitor RMT 5265, a cooperative effect in apoptosis induction and/or inhibition of clonogenic growth is obtained in a large fraction of carcinoma and melanoma cell lines.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Currently, IAP inhibitors like RMT 5265 and poly(I:C) are the subject of separate therapeutic trials. In light of our observations, combined use of both types of compounds should be considered for treatment of human malignancies including carcinomas and melanomas.</p

Spectroscopies par génération des fréquences somme et différence non conventionnelles: théories, expériences et applications

Ce travail présente les principes et quelques applications de la spectroscopie par génération de fréquence somme visible-infrarouge (SFG) non conventionnelle. Après avoir rappelé le cadre théorique de la SFG et son utilisation conventionnelle en tant que spectroscopie vibrationnelle aux interfaces isotropes, le manuscrit présente quelques résultats dans ce cadre en milieu électrochimique: électro-oxydation du méthanol et de l'éthanol sur platine monocristallin, rôle du CO adsorbé et de la structure de la surface de platine (orientation, ordre et défauts). Le caractère non conventionnel est ensuite décliné selon trois axes: non-isotropie de l'interface ; extension des domaines spectraux ; méthodes amplifiées. 1) L'isotropie de l'interface peut être brisée soit en orientant les molécules adsorbées, soit en brisant la symétrie miroir grâce à des molécules chirales. Une étude systématique de films fortement anisotropes d'assemblages supramoléculaires d'hélicènes bisquinones, associant spectroscopies d'absorptions infrarouge et UV-visible polarisées, permet de montrer comment séparer en SFG les contributions de l'anisotropie et de la chiralité. Les coefficients chiraux à l'origine du signal SFG deviennent prépondérants dans ces films. 2) Il est possible d'étendre les domaines spectraux utilisés en SFG de trois manières. Tout d'abord par l'utilisation de la spectroscopie par génération de la différence de fréquence (DFG), peu développée sur les montages SFG conventionnels mais qui apporte des renseignements complémentaires parfois indispensables à la SFG. Elle est utilisée en routine dans ce manuscrit. Ensuite par le couplage entre le montage SFG et le laser à électrons libres CLIO, qui permet d'étendre la gamme spectrale infrarouge vers les basses énergies tout en bénéficiant d'une grande puissance moyenne. Dans ce cadre, j'ai réalisé la première spectroscopie vibrationnelle par SFG de la liaison Pt-C sur un système Pt-CO. Enfin par le développement expérimental d'un bras visible accordable qui permet d'effectuer des mesures de SFG à deux couleurs accordables indépendamment, visible et infrarouge. Dans ce cadre, le faisceau visible peut entrer en résonance avec des transitions électroniques et l'infrarouge avec des transitions vibrationnelles, conduisant à une spectroscopie doublement résonante sondant les couplages électron-vibration. J'ai donc développé les modèles théoriques décrivant le couplage électron-vibration en SFG doublement résonante pour y inclure les effets de second ordre (distorsion et mélange de modes). 3) L'étude de matériaux produisant de petits signaux SFG (faibles quantités de matière, systèmes très symétriques, interfaces photosensibles) nécessite d'amplifier le processus optique. Outre la double résonance, il est possible d'utiliser des amplifications locales du champ électromagnétique. Des exemples ont été démontrés lors de l'excitation de plasmons de surface délocalisés ou de cavité Fabry-Pérot résonante. Cependant, la voie la plus prometteuse concerne l'exaltation du signal SFG par couplage au plasmon de surface localisé de nanostructures métalliques. Des exemples illustrent le potentiel de cette méthode en utilisant des nanoparticules d'or synthétisées par voie chimique, déposées sur un substrat plan et fonctionnalisées par une molécule sonde. Ces différentes approches non conventionnelles de la SFG sont finalement mises en perspective et des exemples de développements ultérieurs, en cours ou projetés, sont explicités