Evaluation of the activity of ß-glucosidase immobilized on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with a microfluidic flow injection analyzer with embedded optical fibers.

ß-glucosidase from almonds was immobilized on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microdevice by covalent chain using 3-aminopropyltrietoxysilane and glutaraldehyde. Enzymatic activity was evaluated using p-nitro-phenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside dissolved in a 0.01 M pH 5.0 phosphate solution at 45 °C measuring the reaction product (p-nitrophenol) at 410 nm. The microdevice consisted of two parts: the one part where the enzymatic reaction was carried out and a second part where pH was adjusted at 10, with NaOH. The reaction product was measured at the microchip exit using two optical fibers which were aligned facing each other with a gap of 7 mm, between both tips using guides located perpendicular to the flow outlet. A water bath was used to carry out the enzymatic reaction on the microdevice at 45 °C. The enzymatic surface of the PDMS microdevice was 1.15 cm2 and the immobilized ß-glucosidase amount on the microdevice was of 1.17 µg/cm2. The calculated kinetics parameters were: Km 2.5 mM; Vmax 2.2 mM/min; Kcat 908.3/min and Kcat/Km 363.3/mM min. The immobilized enzyme is very stable decreasing only 5% the first 15 days; on the 30th day, the activity was 69%, regarding the initial activity.

Molecular engineering and measurements to test hypothesized mechanisms in single molecule conductance switching.

Six customized phenylene-ethynylene-based oligomers have been studied for their electronic properties using scanning tunneling microscopy to test hypothesized mechanisms of stochastic conductance switching. Previously suggested mechanisms include functional group reduction, functional group rotation, backbone ring rotation, neighboring molecule interactions, bond fluctuations, and hybridization changes. Here, we test these hypotheses experimentally by varying the molecular designs of the switches; the ability of the molecules to switch via each hypothetical mechanism is selectively engineered into or out of each molecule. We conclude that hybridization changes at the molecule-surface interface are responsible for the switching we observe.

Molecular engineering of the polarity and interactions of molecular electronic switches.

We have investigated and learned to control switching of oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s embedded in amide-containing alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers on Au{111}. We demonstrate bias-dependent switching of the oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s as a function of the interaction between the dipole moment of the oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s and the electric field applied between the scanning tunneling microscope tip and the substrate. We are able to invert the polarity of the switches by altering their design-inverting their dipole moments. For appropriately designed switches and matrix molecules, the conductance states are stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen bonding. These results further support the hypothesis that conductance switching in these molecules is due to hybridization changes at the molecule-substrate bonds due to tilting of the switch molecules.

Cross-step place-exchange of oligo(phenylene-ethynylene) molecules.

We have observed nitro-functionalized oligo(phenylene-ethynylene) molecules exhibiting motion up and down Au{111} substrate monatomic step edges within host self-assembled monolayers of n-alkanethiols, independent of previously observed conductance switching. Single molecules have been imaged with scanning tunneling microscopy to place-exchange reversibly between the top and bottom of monatomic substrate step edges.

Orthogonally functionalized oligomers for controlled self-assembly.

The synthesis of molecules terminated with complementary thiol-protecting groups is described. The target compounds contain functionalities on one end known to form self-assembled monolayers on metal surfaces while at the other end an intact thioacetate is present whereby self-assembly may again occur after an in situ deprotection. Self-assembly data is reported for selected compounds to assess their efficacy in surface adhesion.

Direct covalent grafting of conjugated molecules onto Si, GaAs, and Pd surfaces from aryldiazonium salts.

Using aryldiazonium salts that are air-stable and easily synthesized, we describe here a one-step, room-temperature route to direct covalent bonds between pi-conjugated organic molecules on three material surfaces: Si, GaAs, and Pd. The Si can be in the form of single crystal Si including heavily doped p-type Si, intrinsic Si, heavily doped n-type Si, on Si(111) and Si(100), and on n-type polycrystalline Si. The formation of the aryl-metal or aryl-semiconductor bond attachments was confirmed by corroborating evidence from ellipsometry, reflectance FTIR, XPS, cyclic voltammetry, and AFM analyses of the surface-grafted monolayers. A data-encompassing explanation for the mechanism suggests a diazonium activation by reduction at the open circuit potential, with aryl radical secondary products bonding to the surface. The synthetic details are included for preparing the surface-grafted monolayers and the precursor diazonium salts. This spontaneous diazonium activation reaction offers an attractive route to highly passivating, robust monolayers and multilayers on many surfaces that allow for strong bonds between carbon and surface atoms with molecular species that are near perpendicular to the surface.