Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > New opportunities from old chemistry in surface science

Abstract:
Amines, when mixed with carbon disulfide, can bond to gold more robustly than thiols

New opportunities from old chemistry in surface science, say Purdue chemists

West Lafayette, IN | May 26, 2005

Some century-old chemistry could have a strong impact on important issues in biosensors and other nanotech devices, according to a Purdue University research group.

A team led by Alexander Wei has shown that amines, a large and important class of organic molecules, when mixed with carbon disulfide, can bond to gold more robustly than thiols, which are commonly used materials for giving new functions to metal surfaces. Gold surfaces are often used as baseplates of sensors and in nanomaterials, and scientists have been searching for stable organic coatings they can attach to gold to form an interface between the organic and inorganic worlds. The group's findings suggest that amines may be the best candidate group of such materials.

"Amines could allow us to expand the range of molecules which can be incorporated into sensors for the biotech field," said Wei, who is an associate professor of chemistry in Purdue's College of Science. "Amines react with carbon disulfide to form dithiocarbamates (DTCs) and appear to be better suited for coating surfaces than thiols, which have been the standard thus far. The DTC chemistry itself has been around for over 100 years, but we think it can offer many opportunities for current applications in biosensors and nanotechnology."

Wei performed the study with his Purdue colleagues Yan Zhao, Waleska Pérez-Segarra and Qicun Shi. Their work appeared in this week's (Vol. 127, No. 20) issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Nanotechnologists and other materials scientists use gold as an interface between electronic components and organic or biomolecular substances. Gold's conductivity and resistance to corrosion makes it an ideal surface for attaching molecules that can detect the presence of proteins in the blood that indicate disease, for example.

"Up to this point, the standard practice has been to modify gold surfaces with thiols, because they are relatively easy to work with and form coatings quickly," Wei said. "Thiols are well known to adsorb, or stick, onto gold surfaces to form highly uniform films with adjustable surface properties. But a drawback to thiols is their intermittent hold on the surface, and the relatively weak chemical bond makes them less attractive for applications that require environmentally durable coatings."

Wei's team found that converting amines into DTCs empower them with an ability to grasp gold surfaces with a strength that thiols do not possess.

"As DTCs, the amines are armed with a 'pincer' made of two sulfur atoms," Wei said. "Thiols are typically bonded to gold by one sulfur atom, like pins stuck in a gold pincushion. DTCs are more like a vice grip, so we hope they will last longer on the gold."

Wei said that although DTCs have been around for a long time, their application to surface chemistry has been overlooked and is long overdue. But Wei cautions that further studies are needed to establish the full scope and limitations of DTCs for various applications.

Wei is associated with Purdue's Birck Nanotechnology Center, which will be one of the largest university facilities in the nation dedicated to nanotechnology research when construction is completed in the summer of 2005. Nearly 100 groups associated with the center are pursuing diverse research topics such as nanometer-sized machines, advanced materials for nanoelectronics and nanoscale biosensors.

Writer: Chad Boutin, (765) 494-2081, cboutin@purdue.edu

Source: Alexander Wei, alexwei@purdue.edu

####

Contact:
Purdue News Service
(765) 494-2096
purduenews@purdue.edu

Copyright © Purdue University

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

Possible Futures

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Sensors

$900,000 awarded to optimize graphene energy harvesting devices: The WoodNext Foundation's commitment to U of A physicist Paul Thibado will be used to develop sensor systems compatible with six different power sources January 12th, 2024

A color-based sensor to emulate skin's sensitivity: In a step toward more autonomous soft robots and wearable technologies, EPFL researchers have created a device that uses color to simultaneously sense multiple mechanical and temperature stimuli December 8th, 2023

New tools will help study quantum chemistry aboard the International Space Station: Rochester Professor Nicholas Bigelow helped develop experiments conducted at NASA’s Cold Atom Lab to probe the fundamental nature of the world around us November 17th, 2023

TU Delft researchers discover new ultra strong material for microchip sensors: A material that doesn't just rival the strength of diamonds and graphene, but boasts a yield strength 10 times greater than Kevlar, renowned for its use in bulletproof vests November 3rd, 2023

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project