Adsorption and desorption behaviors of ssDNA molecules on mica surface by surface forces apparatus

An approach for studying the adsorption and desorption behaviors of single-stranded DNA（ ssDNA） molecules on the mica surface by the surface forces apparatus（ SFA） is reported,which can be used to characterize the precise thickness,configuration and mechanical properties of ssDNA layers on the mica surface at a certain buffer solution. The formation of ss DNA layers is first studied by tuning the ssDNA concentrations, and the experimental results indicate that the ss DNA concentration of 100 ng / μL is ideal for forming a ssDNA monolayer structure on the mica surface, and the hardwall value measured to be 1.04 nm under this circumstance is regarded as the thickness of the ssDNA monolayer confined on mica. The desorption behavior of ssDNA molecules from the mica surface is further studied by observing and comparing different shapes of the force-distance curves under certain conditions. It is found that the desorption of ss DNA molecules from the mica surface occurs as the monovalent salts are added into the gap buffer. It is inferred that the competition effect between monovalent and divalent salts can induce the release of ssDNA from substrate.The results also reveal that 10 mmol / L monovalent salts（ Na~＋）is sufficient for the desorption of ssDNA from mica. This work provides an applicable method to study the binding mechanism of ss DNA molecules on inorganic substrates.

Study of ss-DNA Adsorption and Nano-mechanical Properties on Mica Substrate with Surface Forces Apparatus

Many DNA?based devices need to build stable and controllable DNA films on surfaces. However, the most com?monly used method of film characterization, namely, the probe?like microscopes which may destroy the sample and substrate. Surface Forces Apparatus(SFA) technique, specializing in surface interaction studies, is introduced to investigate the e ects of DNA concentration on the formation of single?stranded DNA(ss?DNA) film. The result demonstrates that 50 ng/μL is the lowest concentration that ss?DNA construct a dense layer on mica. Besides, it is also indicated that at di erent DNA concentrations, ss?DNA exhibit diverse morphology: lying flat on surface at 50 ng/μL while forming bilayer or cross?link at 100 ng/μL, and these ss?DNA structures are stable enough due to the repeatabil?ity even under the load of 15 mN/m. At the same time, an obvious adhesion force is measured:/m at 100 ng/μL, respectively, which is attributed to the ion?correlation e ect. M-6.5 mN/m at 50 ng/μL and-5.3 mNoreover, the atomic force microscopy(AFM) images reveal the entire surface is covered with wormlike ss?DNA and the measured surface roughness(1.8±0.2 nm) also matches well with the film thickness by SFA. The desorption behaviors of ss?DNA layer from mica surface occur by adding sodium salt into gap bu er, which is mainly ascribed to the decreased ion?ion cor?relation force. This paper employing SFA and AFM techniques to characterize the DNA film with flexibility and stable mechanical ability achieved by ion bridging method, is helpful to fabricate the DNA?based devices in nanoscale.

Force measurement between mica surfaces in electrolyte solutions

The forces between two molecularly smooth mica surfaces are measured in monovalent and divalent cations electrolyte solutions by a surface force apparatus （SFA）. The properties of K＋, Na＋, and Mg2＋ between molecularly smooth mica surfaces are investigated. The Derjagui-Landau- Verwey-Overbeek （DLVO） force and the hydration force are detected in the experiment. The results show that in lower concentrations of a monovalent electrolyte solution （about 10-4 mol/L）, the force curves are completely in good agreement with those computed by the DLVO theory. However, additional short-range repulsive forces which deviate from the DLVO theory are observed when the concentrations of cations are above the critical bulk concentration, which is different for each electrolyte. The results show the properties of these cations on both the screening effect adsorbed on the mica surface and the hydration in solution. From the results, the interaction energy between two hydrated ions of potassium or sodium can also be estimated.

Intermolecular and Surface Interactions in Engineering Processes

Interactions involving chemical reagents,solid particles,gas bubbles,liquid droplets,and solid surfaces in complex fluids play a vital role in many engineering processes,such as froth flotation,emulsion and foam formation,adsorption,and fouling and anti-fouling phenomena.These interactions at the molecular,nano-,and micro scale significantly influence and determine the macroscopic performance and efficiency of related engineering processes.Understanding the intermolecular and surface interactions in engineering processes is of both fundamental and practical importance,which not only improves production technologies,but also provides valuable insights into the development of new materials.In this review,the typical intermolecular and surface interactions involved in various engineering processes,including Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek(DLVO)interactions(i.e.,van der Waals and electrical doublelayer interactions)and non-DLVO interactions,such as steric and hydrophobic interactions,are first introduced.Nanomechanical techniques such as atomic force microscopy and surface forces apparatus for quantifying the interaction forces of molecules and surfaces in complex fluids are briefly introduced.Our recent progress on characterizing the intermolecular and surface interactions in several engineering systems are reviewed,including mineral flotation,petroleum engineering,wastewater treatment,and energy storage materials.The correlation of these fundamental interaction mechanisms with practical applications in resolving engineering challenges and the perspectives of the research field have also been discussed.

Effects of ion-ion correlations on surface charge inversion in mixture electrolyte solutions

As the structure of electrical double layer(EDL)is crucial for the transport properties of ions in micro/nanochannels,to demonstrate the effects of the ion-ion correlations on EDL structures in mixture electrolyte solutions,the interaction forces between two mica surfaces immersed in different volume fractions of LaCl3/KCl and LaCl3/MgCl2 mixture solutions with a total ionic strength of 10^-4 mol/L were measured using a surface forces apparatus(SFA).The results reveal that the surface charge of mica surfaces can be inversed at a critical concentration of La^3+ions in electrolyte solutions,due to the correlations between La^3+ions.The addition of monovalent has negligible effects on ion-ion correlations,while the charge inversion was slightly suppressed by introducing the divalent ions.The mechanism of charge inversion in mixture electrolyte solutions was analyzed based on the strongly correlated liquid(SCL)theory.These findings provide implications for understanding the effects of ion-ion correlations on EDL structures,surface charge properties,and ion transportation.

Pressure-induced strongadhesion between chitosan nanofilms

The surface and adhesion forces between chitosan- coated mica surfaces in an acetic acid buffer solution were measured using a surface force apparatus （SFA）. The force- distance profiles were obtained under different pressure conditions. It was found that the chitosan was adsorbed on the mica surface and formed a stable nanofilm under acid conditions. The adsorbed chitosan nanofilms induced a short- range monotonically steric force when two such surfaces came close in the acid buffer. The adhesion forces between the two chitosan-coated mica surfaces varied with the loads. Strong adhesion between the two chitosan-coated mica surfaces was observed at high pressure. Such pressure-dependent adhesion properties are most likely related to the molecular configurations and hydrogen bonds reordering under high confinement.

Tunable Self-assembled Weak Polyelectrolyte Brushes

The authors have investigated the pH and ionic strength response of self-assembled layers formed by adsorption of amphiphilic weak polyelectrolytes. Using the SFA （Surface Forces Apparatus） the authors measured force-distance profiles of poly （isoprene）-poly （acrylic acid） block copolymers adsorbed on mica. Also by Atomic Force Microscopy the authors captured single polyelectrolyte molecule adsorbed on a surface. The effect of salt concentration （Cs） and pH upon the height of the brush layers was explored mainly by measuring the forces between two adsorbed polyelectrolyte brushes. At pH = 4 our results are in good agreement with the scaling prediction L0 ∝Cs-1/3 Changing the pH from 4 to 10 causes a remarkable swelling of the polymer layer, but only a weak dependence on salt concentration was detected at the higher pH. This can be attributed to the degree of dissociation, which depends on the local pH value. At low pH the polyelectrolyte chains have a low charge density, while on increasing the pH the degree of dissociation rises, and the increased charge density is followed by swelling of the adsorbed layer. The local concentration of ions in the brush is now greater than that of pH = 4 and approximately equivalent to 0.3 M. So the swelling is only weakly dependent on salt concentration in the range 0.01-1.0 M. The results demonstrate the tunable nature of such self-assembled polyelectroiyte brushes whose height and range of interactions, can be systematically controlled by adjusting the pH and ionic strength of the medium.

Inter-and intramolecular adhesion mechanisms of mussel foot proteins

Mussel foot proteins(Mfps) secreted in the byssal plaque of marine mussels are widely researched for their relevance to mussel adhesion in water. As the abundant residue in the amino acid sequences of major adhesive proteins, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine(Dopa) or its catecholic moiety plays a key role in both Mfp binding to surface and cohesive cross-linking of Mfps in byssal plaques. The binding performance of an Mfp significantly depends on the content and redox state of Dopa, whereas the types of interaction vary in line with different surface chemistries and p H conditions. Thorough understanding of mussel adhesion from a molecular perspective is crucial to promote the application of synthetic mussel-bionic adhesives. This article presents a brief review of the research progress on the adhesion mechanisms of Mfps, which further emphasizes the contributions of Dopamediated interactions and considers other amino acids and factors. The involved inter-and intramolecular interactions are responsible for not only the diverse adhesion capacities of an adhesive byssal plaque as mussel's adhesion precursor but also the formation and properties of the plaque structure.