Abstract
Cholesteryl-L-glutamate (CLG) thin films were investigated when deposited on pure water and on saturated solutions of water soluble amino acids, to test the capacity of the CLG monolayer to recognize and incorporate amino acids from the subphase. Analysis of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements indicates that the hydrophobic amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are adsorbed between the glutamate moieties, within the CLG crystalline monolayer, but also around their domains, forming, for L-Leu and D-Val, crystalline bilayers. The presence of Cu2+ ions in the aqueous subphase enhances the crystallinity of the CLG monolayer without overly affecting the lateral packing, by bridging glutamate moieties on neighbor molecules. When amino acids are injected in a Cu2+ containing solution, the domain size of the mixed monolayers formed with the CLG molecules and hydrophobic amino acids is drastically increased.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 683-690 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Crystal Growth and Design |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2003 Sept |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemistry(all)
- Materials Science(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics