Effect of nanometer surface morphology on surface stress and adsorption kinetics of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers

Altered Brain Network Connectivity Underlies Persistent Post-Traumatic Headache following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Youth

Post-traumatic headaches (PTHs) are associated with mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) and may predict the persistence of concussion symptoms. Altered brain networks implicated in brain injury and the affective components of headache-related pain may underlie the resolution of PTH. This is a hypothesis-generating investigation to evaluate the extent to which pain symptom reporting and functional brain changes are different in a cohort of young mTBI patients with resolved (PTH-R) and persistent (PTH-P) post-traumatic headache symptoms relative to healthy controls. This was a cross-sectional investigation involving 59 participants between the ages of 12-24 (PTH-P, n = 21; PTH-R, n = 18; healthy control, n = 20). Participants had no significant history of pre-existing headaches, chronic pain, or psychiatric neurological conditions. The primary outcome was resting-state functional connectivity (RS-Fc) alterations between cohorts. Secondary outcomes were self-reported pain-related symptoms. Elevated scores were reported for fear of pain in both PTH cohorts. Using a false discovery rate of p = 0.05, the PTH-P cohort showed altered connectivity relative to healthy controls in brain regions such as the frontal, temporal, and cerebellar regions, as well as sub-cortical regions including the amygdala and accumbens. The PTH-R cohort showed altered RS-Fc between cerebellar and temporal lobe sub-regions. Our results indicate that a core network of brain regions implicated in the affective pain response are functionally altered in PTH cohorts. Results should be interpreted given limitations on sample size and multiple comparisons. Despite the resolution of symptoms, persons who experience PTH may experience ongoing functional brain abnormalities, which may underlie symptom chronification.

The influence of fractional surface coverage on the core-core separation in ordered monolayers of thiol-ligated Au nanoparticles

We report the results of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) measurements from water supported Langmuir monolayers of gold nanoparticles ligated with dodecanethiol (12 carbons), tetradecanethiol (14 carbons), hexadecanethiol (16 carbons), and octadecanethiol (18 carbons). These monolayers are formed from solutions with varying concentrations of the respective thiols. We show that equilibrium between adsorbed thiol molecules and the thiols in the bulk solution implies fractional coverage of the Au nanoparticle core. We also show that the nanoparticle-nanoparticle separation and the correlation length of particles in these ordered films increases with thiol concentration in the parent solution, and that excess thiol can be found in the space between particles as well as in islands away from the particles. Using the equilibrium constant relating ligand solution concentration and nanoparticle surface coverage of the gold core by the ligand molecules, we interpret the way in which varying thiol concentration affects the nanoparticle-nanoparticle separation as a function of surface coverage of the gold core by the ligand molecules.

Electrocapillary coupling at rough surfaces

The surface roughness of an electrode has a strong impact on the apparent value of electrocapillary coupling coefficient, ς_eff, which relates the response of electrode potential to tangential strain.

Genetic architecture of resilience of executive functioning

The genetic basis of resilience, defined as better cognitive functioning than predicted based on neuroimaging or neuropathology, is not well understood. Our objective was to identify genetic variation associated with executive functioning resilience. We computed residuals from regression models of executive functioning, adjusting for age, sex, education, Hachinski score, and MRI findings (lacunes, cortical thickness, volumes of white matter hyperintensities and hippocampus). We estimated heritability and analyzed these residuals in models for each SNP. We further evaluated our most promising SNP result by evaluating cis-associations with brain levels of nearby (±100 kb) genes from a companion data set, and comparing expression levels in cortex and cerebellum from decedents with AD with those from other non-AD diseases. Complete data were available for 750 ADNI participants of European descent. Executive functioning resilience was highly heritable (H² = 0.76; S.E. = 0.44). rs3748348 on chromosome 14 in the region of RNASE13 was associated with executive functioning resilience (p-value = 4.31 × 10⁻⁷). rs3748348 is in strong linkage disequilibrium (D' of 1.00 and 0.96) with SNPs that map to TPPP2, a member of the α-synuclein family of proteins. We identified nominally significant associations between rs3748348 and expression levels of three genes (FLJ10357, RNASE2, and NDRG2). The strongest association was for FLJ10357 in cortex, which also had the most significant difference in expression between AD and non-AD brains, with greater expression in cortex of decedents with AD (p-value = 7 × 10⁻⁷). Further research is warranted to determine whether this signal can be replicated and whether other loci may be associated with cognitive resilience.

A three-layer model of self-assembly induced surface-energy variation experimentally extracted by using nanomechanically sensitive cantilevers

This research is aimed at elucidating surface-energy (or interfacial energy) variation during the process of molecule-layer self-assembly on a solid surface. A quasi-quantitative plotting model is proposed and established to distinguish the surface-energy variation contributed by the three characteristic layers of a thiol-on-gold self-assembled monolayer (SAM), namely the assembly-medium correlative gold/head-group layer, the chain/chain interaction layer and the tail/medium layer, respectively. The data for building the model are experimentally extracted from a set of correlative thiol self-assemblies in different media. The variation in surface-energy during self-assembly is obtained by in situ recording of the self-assembly induced nanomechanical surface-stress using integrated micro-cantilever sensors. Based on the correlative self-assembly experiment, and by using the nanomechanically sensitive self-sensing cantilevers to monitor the self-assembly induced surface-stressin situ, the experimentally extracted separate contributions of the three layers to the overall surface-energy change aid a comprehensive understanding of the self-assembly mechanism. Moreover, the quasi-quantitative modeling method is helpful for optimal design, molecule synthesis and performance evaluation of molecule self-assembly for application-specific surface functionalization.

Approaches to increasing surface stress for improving signal-to-noise ratio of microcantilever sensors

Microcantilever sensor technology has been steadily growing for the last 15 years. While we have gained a great amount of knowledge in microcantilever bending due to surface stress changes, which is a unique property of microcantilever sensors, we are still in the early stages of understanding the fundamental surface chemistries of surface-stress-based microcantilever sensors. In general, increasing surface stress, which is caused by interactions on the microcantilever surfaces, would improve the S/N ratio and subsequently the sensitivity and reliability of microcantilever sensors. In this review, we will summarize (A) the conditions under which a large surface stress can readily be attained and (B) the strategies to increase surface stress in case a large surface stress cannot readily be reached. We will also discuss our perspectives on microcantilever sensors based on surface stress changes.

Self-assembled monolayers of thiols and dithiols on gold: new challenges for a well-known system

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols and dialkanethiols on gold are key elements for building many systems and devices with applications in the wide field of nanotechnology. Despite the progress made in the knowledge of these fascinating two-dimensional molecular systems, there are still several "hot topics" that deserve special attention in order to understand and to control their physical and chemistry properties at the molecular level. This critical review focuses on some of these topics, including the nature of the molecule-gold interface, whose chemistry and structure remain elusive, the self-assembly process on planar and irregular surfaces, and on nanometre-sized objects, and the chemical reactivity and thermal stability of these systems in ambient and aqueous solutions, an issue which seriously limits their technological applications (375 references).

Nanomechanical Cantilever Array Sensors

Microfabricated cantilever sensors have attracted much interest in recent years as devices for the fast and reliable detection of small concentrations of molecules in air and solution. In addition to application of such sensors for gas and chemical-vapor sensing, for example as an artificial nose, they have also been employed to measure physical properties of tiny amounts of materials in miniaturized versions of conventional standard techniques such as calorimetry, thermogravimetry, weighing, photothermal spectroscopy, as well as for monitoring chemical reactions such as catalysis on small surfaces. In the past few years, the cantilever-sensor concept has been extended to biochemical applications and as an analytical device for measurements of biomaterials. Because of the label-free detection principle of cantilever sensors, their small size and scalability, this kind of device is advantageous for diagnostic applications and disease monitoring, as well as for genomics or proteomics purposes. The use of microcantilever arrays enables detection of several analytes simultaneously and solves the inherent problem of thermal drift often present when using single microcantilever sensors, as some of the cantilevers can be used as sensor cantilevers for detection, and other cantilevers serve as passivated reference cantilevers that do not exhibit affinity to the molecules to be detected.

Redox actuation of a microcantilever driven by a self-assembled ferrocenylundecanethiolate monolayer: an investigation of the origin of the micromechanical motion and surface stress

The electrochemically induced motion of free-standing microcantilevers is attracting interest as micro/nanoactuators and robotic devices. The development and implementation of these cantilever-based actuating technologies requires a molecular-level understanding of the origin of the surface stress that causes the cantilever to bend. Here, we report a detailed study of the electroactuation dynamics of gold-coated microcantilevers modified with a model, redox-active ferrocenylundecanethiolate self-assembled monolayer (FcC(11)SAu SAM). The microcantilever transducer enabled the observation of the redox transformation of the surface-confined ferrocene. Oxidation of the FcC(11)SAu SAM in perchlorate electrolyte generated a compressive surface stress change of -0.20 +/- 0.04 N m(-1), and cantilever deflections ranging from approximately 0.8 microm to approximately 60 nm for spring constants between approximately 0.01 and approximately 0.8 N m(-1). A comparison of the charge-normalized surface stress of the FcC(11)SAu cantilever with values published for the electrochemical oxidation of polyaniline- and polypyrrole-coated cantilevers reveals a striking 10- to 100-fold greater stress for the monomolecular FcC(11)SAu system compared to the conducting polymer multilayers used for electroactuation. The larger stress change observed for the FcC(11)SAu microcantilever is attributable to steric constraints in the close-packed FcC(11)SAu SAM and an efficient coupling between the chemisorbed FcC(11)S- monolayer and the Au-coated microcantilever transducer (vs physisorbed conducting polymers). The microcantilever deflection vs quantity of electrogenerated ferrocenium obtained in cyclic voltammetry and potential step/hold experiments, as well as the surface stress changes obtained for mixed FcC(11)S-/C(11)SAu SAMs containing different populations of clustered vs isolated ferrocenes, have permitted us to establish the molecular basis of stress generation. Our results strongly suggest that the redox-induced deflection of a FcC(11)SAu microcantilever is caused by a monolayer volume expansion resulting from collective reorientational motions induced by the complexation of perchlorate ions to the surface-immobilized ferroceniums. The cantilever responds to the lateral pressure exerted by an ensemble of reorienting ferrocenium-bearing alkylthiolates upon each other rather than individual anion pairing events. This finding has general implications for using SAM-modified microcantilevers as (bio)sensors because it indicates that the cantilever responds to collective in-plane molecular interactions rather than reporting individual (bio)chemical events.

Ozonization and cyclic voltammetry as efficient methods for the regeneration of gelatin-coated SPR chips

The application of ozonization and cyclic voltammetry for the regeneration of gold chips containing a chemisorbed gelatin layer is reported. The efficiency of the regeneration process was analyzed using various surface analysis techniques indicating a complete removal of the biopolymer layer. The current findings open up perspectives for regeneration and multiple application of gold chips for SPR measurements.

Cantilever bending with rough surfaces

We show that the response of the curvature of cantilevers to changes in their surface stress depends significantly on the topology of the surface. The origin is the transverse coupling between the out-of-plane and in-plane components of the surface-induced stress. Deliberate structuring of the surface allows the magnitude and even sign of the cantilever response to be tuned, and experiments measuring the surface stress on nominally planar surfaces require a correction when there is roughness.

Measurement of Mechanical Properties of Cantilever Shaped Materials

Microcantilevers were first introduced as imaging probes in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) due to their extremely high sensitivity in measuring surface forces. The versatility of these probes, however, allows the sensing and measurement of a host of mechanical properties of various materials. Sensor parameters such as resonance frequency, quality factor, amplitude of vibration and bending due to a differential stress can all be simultaneously determined for a cantilever. When measuring the mechanical properties of materials, identifying and discerning the most influential parameters responsible for the observed changes in the cantilever response are important. We will, therefore, discuss the effects of various force fields such as those induced by mass loading, residual stress, internal friction of the material, and other changes in the mechanical properties of the microcantilevers. Methods to measure variations in temperature, pressure, or molecular adsorption of water molecules are also discussed. Often these effects occur simultaneously, increasing the number of parameters that need to be concurrently measured to ensure the reliability of the sensors. We therefore systematically investigate the geometric and environmental effects on cantilever measurements including the chemical nature of the underlying interactions. To address the geometric effects we have considered cantilevers with a rectangular or circular cross section. The chemical nature is addressed by using cantilevers fabricated with metals and/or dielectrics. Selective chemical etching, swelling or changes in Young's modulus of the surface were investigated by means of polymeric and inorganic coatings. Finally to address the effect of the environment in which the cantilever operates, the Knudsen number was determined to characterize the molecule-cantilever collisions. Also bimaterial cantilevers with high thermal sensitivity were used to discern the effect of temperature variations. When appropriate, we use continuum mechanics, which is justified according to the ratio between the cantilever thickness and the grain size of the materials. We will also address other potential applications such as the ageing process of nuclear materials, building materials, and optical fibers, which can be investigated by monitoring their mechanical changes with time. In summary, by virtue of the dynamic response of a miniaturized cantilever shaped material, we present useful measurements of the associated elastic properties.

Microcantilever-Based Sensors: Effect of Morphology, Adhesion, and Cleanliness of the Sensing Surface on Surface Stress

The surface stress response of micromechanical cantilever-based sensors was studied as a function of the morphology, adhesion, and cleanliness of the gold sensing surface. Two model systems were investigated: the adsorption of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers at the gas-solid interface and the potential-controlled adsorption of anions at the liquid-solid interface. The potential-induced surface stress, on a smooth and continuous polycrystalline Au(111)-textured microcantilever in 0.1 M HClO4, is in excellent agreement with macroscopic Au(111) single-crystal electrode results. It is shown that ambient contaminants on the sensing surface dramatically alter the surface stress-potential response. This observation can be misinterpreted as evidence that for polycrystalline Au(111) microcantilever electrodes, surface stress is dominated by surface energy change. Results for anions adsorption on gold are in contrast to the gas-phase model system. We demonstrate that the average grain size of the gold sensing surface strongly influences the magnitude of the surface stress change induced by the adsorption of octanethiol. A 25-fold amplification of the change in surface stress is observed on increasing the average gold grain size of the sensing surface from 90 to 500 nm.

Readout of micromechanical cantilever sensor arrays by Fabry-Perot interferometry

The increasing use of micromechanical cantilevers in sensing applications causes a need for reliable readout techniques of micromechanical cantilever sensor (MCS) bending. Current optical beam deflection techniques suffer from drawbacks such as artifacts due to changes in the refraction index upon exchange of media. Here, an adaptation of the Fabry-Perot interferometer is presented that allows simultaneous determination of MCS bending and changes in the refraction index of media. Calibration of the instrument with liquids of known refraction index provides an avenue to direct measurement of bending with nanometer precision. Versatile construction of flow cells in combination with alignment features for substrate chips allows simultaneous measurement of two MCS situated either on the same, or on two different support chips. The performance of the instrument is demonstrate in several sensing applications, including adsorption experiments of alkanethioles on MCS gold surfaces, and measurement of humidity changes in air.