Deciphering the Adsorption Mechanisms of RGD Subunits: L-Aspartic Acid on Cu(110)
Abstract
In this work we present a detailed surface science characterization of L-Aspartic acid adsorption on a Cu(110) surface. We replaced the traditional sublimation method to obtain molecular films by dosing aspartic acid directly from an aqueous solution through an Electrospray Ionization (ESI) device. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Polarization Modulation Reflection Absorption Infra Red Spectroscopy (PM-RAIRS) evidenced different adsorption states ranging from sub-monolayer regime up to multilayers. Molecules-substrate interactions guide the creation of the pattern observed in the sub-monolayer, but molecule-molecule interactions are prevailing from a certain coverage stage, promoting the overlayer growth while leaving exposed areas of bare copper. This is evidenced by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) results, showing that single aspartic acid molecules self-organize in a 2D chiral network at low coverage and start originating new molecular layers even before a saturated monolayer has been reached.
Origin | Files produced by the author(s) |
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