Breaking Down the Supramolecular Ensemble: Single-Molecule Studies of the Concentration Dependence of Main-Chain Supramolecular Polymer Molecular Weight Distributions on Surfaces

Michael J. Serpe; Jason R. Whitehead; Stephen L. Craig

doi:10.1071/CH09615

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Breaking Down the Supramolecular Ensemble: Single-Molecule Studies of the Concentration Dependence of Main-Chain Supramolecular Polymer Molecular Weight Distributions on Surfaces

Michael J. Serpe ^A ^B , Jason R. Whitehead ^A and Stephen L. Craig ^A ^C

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Department of Chemistry and Center for Biologically Inspired Materials and Material Systems, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0346, USA.

^B Present address: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta CA T6G 2G2, Canada.

^C Corresponding author. Email: Stephen.craig@duke.edu

Australian Journal of Chemistry 63(4) 624-626 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH09615
Submitted: 28 November 2009 Accepted: 19 January 2010 Published: 8 April 2010

Abstract

Single molecule atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies of oligonucleotide-based supramolecular polymers on surfaces are used to examine the molecular weight distribution of the polymers formed between a functionalized surface and an AFM tip as a function of monomer concentration. For the concentrations examined here, excellent agreement with a multi-stage open association model of polymerization is obtained, without the need to invoke additional contributions from secondary steric interactions at the surface.

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge NIH (ED-001307 and GM-85555), NSF (CBET 0835794), and Duke (GPNANO fellowship to J.R.W.) for support. We thank M. Rivera and R. Clark for useful conversations and technical advice.

References

Breaking Down the Supramolecular Ensemble: Single-Molecule Studies of the Concentration Dependence of Main-Chain Supramolecular Polymer Molecular Weight Distributions on Surfaces

Abstract

Acknowledgements

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