Design of tethered bilayer lipid membranes, using wet chemistry via aryldiazonium sulfonic acid spontaneous grafting on silicon and chrome

We describe a bottom-up surface functionalization to design hybrid molecular coatings that tether biomembranes using wet chemistry. First, monolayer was formed by immersion in NH2-Ar-SO3H solution, allowing aryldiazonium salt radicals spontaneously bind it via strong C bonding. After formation of the air-stable and dense (–Ar-SO3H), subsequent activation used form highly reactive –Ar-SO2Cl groups nearly perpendicular monolayer. These can commercial surfactants, PEGylated oligomers other inexpensive molecules their -OH, -COOH, or -NH2 chain end-moieties, build coatings. Metal oxidized chromium, semi-conductor n-doped silicon (111), are substrates tested for this protocol aromatic organic monolayers at characterized X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS reveals unambiguously presence C–Cr C–Si bonds, ensuring robustness Functional sulfur (–SO3H) cover up 6.5×10?10 mol cm?2 interface 4.7×10?10 chromium interface. concentrations comparable classic values obtained when prefunctionalisation is driven electrochemistry on conductors. Tethered lipid membranes these were analyzed neutron reflectivity functionalized after solution vesicles fusion. Results indicate rather compact coating Brij anchor-harpoon maintain single bilayer above substrate, top hydrated PEO cushion.