Formation and cross-linking of fibrinogen layers monitored with in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry.

Thick matrices of fibrinogen with incorporation of a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor were covalently bonded on functionalized silicon surfaces using an ethyl-3-dimethyl-aminopropyl-carbodiimide and N-hydroxy-succinimide affinity ligand coupling chemistry. The growth of the structure was followed in situ using dynamic ellipsometry and characterized at steady-state with spectroscopic ellipsometry. The growth was compared with earlier work on ex situ growth of fibrinogen layers studied by single wavelength ellipsometry.

Total internal reflection ellipsometry: ultrahigh sensitivity for protein adsorption on metal surfaces.

Total internal reflection ellipsometry (TIRE) is used to study adsorption of human serum albumin and fibrinogen on thin gold films. TIRE shows very high sensitivity for protein monolayers adsorbed on metal surfaces when surface plasmon resonance effects are utilized. The measured data, expressed in ellipsometric angles psi and D are of several orders of magnitude larger in comparison with those from similar experiments performed with traditional ellipsometry.