Topographical and Chemical Imaging of a Phase Separated Polymer Using a Combined Atomic Force Microscopy/Infrared Spectroscopy/Mass Spectrometry Platform.

In this paper, the use of a hybrid atomic force microscopy/infrared spectroscopy/mass spectrometry imaging platform was demonstrated for the acquisition and correlation of nanoscale sample surface topography and chemical images based on infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The infrared chemical imaging component of the system utilized photothermal expansion of the sample at the tip of the atomic force microscopy probe recorded at infrared wave numbers specific to the different surface constituents. The mass spectrometry-based chemical imaging component of the system utilized nanothermal analysis probes for thermolytic surface sampling followed by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization of the gas phase species produced with subsequent mass analysis.

Cooperative, reversible self-assembly of covalently pre-linked proteins into giant fibrous structures.

We demonstrate a simple bioconjugate polymer system that undergoes reversible self-assembling into extended fibrous structures, reminiscent of those observed in living systems. It is comprised of green fluorescent protein (GFP) molecules linked into linear oligomeric strands through click step growth polymerization with dialkyne poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and dynamic light scattering revealed that such strands form high persistence length fibers, with lengths reaching tens of micrometers, and uniform, sub-100 nm widths.

Synthesis of a 2,2'-bipyridyl functionalized oligovinylene-phenylene using Heck and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions and X-ray crystal structure of E-(4-(4-bromostyryl)phenyl)(methyl)sulfane.

The synthesis of a new 2,2'-bipyridyl functionalized oligovinylenephenylene (OVP-5) containing a methyl protected thiol using Heck coupling and the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction and is described. A key step involving a diisopropylcarbodiimide promoted dehydration of a stable β-hydroxyphosphonate intermediate was identified. The structure of precursor E-(4-(4-bromostyryl)phenyl)(methyl)sulfane was determined using X-ray crystallography.

On the detection of single bond ruptures in dynamic force spectroscopy by AFM.

Force spectroscopy is a novel tool in physical chemistry and biophysics. This methodology is aimed at providing kinetic parameters of dissociation at a single-molecule level by rupturing molecular bonds subjected to different loading rates. One persistent problem in the implementation of this methodology is a question about the single-bond nature of the rupture events detected in experiments based on atomic force microscopy.