Probing the Orientation of β‑Lactoglobulin on Gold Surfaces Modified by Alkyl Thiol Self-Assembled Monolayers

The adsorption of a globular protein on chemically well controlled surfaces was investigated in order to correlate its orientation to the surface properties. To this end, three different alkyl thiols, differing by their end group (−COOH, −CH₃, and −NH₂), were used to build up self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold substrates. β-Lactoglobulin (βLG) was then adsorbed on these SAMs by immersion in a phosphate buffer solution. The surface modification with alkyl thiols and the subsequent adsorption of proteins were characterized <i>ex situ</i> by polarization modulated infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adsorption behavior of proteins was also monitored <i>in situ</i> using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation measurements (QCM-D). Direct evidence regarding the protein orientation in the adsorbed state was obtained by means of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Principal component analysis (PCA), performed on the ToF-SIMS results, enables to separate the samples and shows that the proteins display different distributions of amino acids at the surface depending on the conditioning thiol layer. Our results revealed that the adsorption mode of the protein is influenced by the thiol end groups, and specific orientations of the protein on the surface are proposed for the different substrates

Design of Mixed PEO/PAA Brushes with Switchable Properties Toward Protein Adsorption

Adsorption of proteins at interfaces is an ubiquitous phenomenon of prime importance. Layers of poly­(ethylene oxide) (PEO) are widely used to repel proteins. Conversely, proteins were shown to adsorb deeply into brushes of poly­(acrylic acid) (PAA), and their subsequent partial release could be triggered by a change of pH and/or ionic strength (I). Mixed brushes of these polymers are thus promising candidates to tune protein adsorption onto new smart surfaces. In this work, the synthesis of such mixed brushes was performed based on a “grafting to” approach, the two polymers being either grafted sequentially or simultaneously. Detailed characterization of the obtained brushes using static water contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and polarization–modulation reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy is presented. While sequential grafting of the two polymers for different reactions times did not give rise to a broad range of composition of mixed brushes, simultaneous grafting of the polymers from solutions with different compositions allows for the synthesis of a range of mixed brushes (mass fraction of PEO in the mixed brushes from 0.35 to 0.65). A key example is then chosen to illustrate the switchable behavior of a selected mixed PEO/PAA brush toward albumin adsorption. The adsorption behavior was monitored with a quartz crystal microbalance. The mixed brush could adsorb high amounts of albumin, but 86% of the adsorbed protein could then be desorbed upon pH and I change. The obtained properties are thus a combination of the ones of PEO and PAA, and a highly switchable behavior is observed toward protein adsorption