1. Visualization of hydrophobic polyelectrolytes using atomic force microscopy in solution
- Author
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Michel Rawiso, Axel Gromer, Mounir Maaloum, Institut Charles Sadron (ICS), Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Réseau nanophotonique et optique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Matériaux et nanosciences d'Alsace (FMNGE), and Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Persistence length ,Bilayer ,Charge density ,02 engineering and technology ,Surfaces and Interfaces ,010402 general chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,01 natural sciences ,Polyelectrolyte ,0104 chemical sciences ,Polystyrene sulfonate ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,Monolayer ,Polymer chemistry ,Electrochemistry ,General Materials Science ,Mica ,0210 nano-technology ,Lipid bilayer ,[PHYS.COND.CM-SCM]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Soft Condensed Matter [cond-mat.soft] ,Spectroscopy ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS - Abstract
We have used atomic force microscopy to study the morphology of hydrophobic polyelectrolytes adsorbed on surfaces. The polyelectrolytes consisted of polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) chains made with three charge densities: 32%, 67%, and 92%. They were adsorbed on two types of surfaces: mica, and phospholipid bilayers made of mixed neutral and cationic lipids. We show that the chains with a low charge density (32%) are collapsed in spherical globules while highly charged chains (67% and 92%) are fully extended. End-to-end distances and contour lengths of the extended chains were measured. Statistical analysis shows that the persistence length of these chains depends on the surface where they adsorb. On lipid bilayers, highly ordered monolayers are formed upon increase of the proportion of cationic phospholipids. These results show that highly charged PSS chains behave in a similar manner than the stiffer, hydrophilic DNA when adsorbed on surfaces. It could lead to the design of new types of nanostructured surfaces using polyelectrolyte molecules synthesized with specific properties.
- Published
- 2008