INVESTIGADORES
FRECHERO Marisa Alejandra
artículos
Título:
Effect of Ionization on the Behavior of n‑Eicosanephosphonic Acid Monolayers at the Air/Water Interface. Experimental Determinations and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Autor/es:
E. SCHULZ; A. PIÑEIRO; MIÑONES, J.; MIÑONES TRILLO, J.; M. A. FRECHERO; PIERONI, O.; SCHULZ, P.
Revista:
LANGMUIR
Editorial:
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
Referencias:
Lugar: Washington; Año: 2015 p. 2269 - 2280
ISSN:
0743-7463
Resumen:
Monolayers of n-eicosanephosphonic acid, EPA, were studied using a Langmuir balance and a Brewster angle microscope at different subphase pH values to change the charge of the polar headgroups (Zav) from 0 to −2. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) results for |Zav| = 0, 1,and 2 were compared with the experimental ones. EPA monolayers behave as mixtures of mutually miscible species (C20H41−PO3H2, C20H41−PO3H−, and C20H41−PO3 2−, depending on the subphase pH). The order and compactness of the monolayers decrease when increasing |Zav|, while go from strongly interconnected by phosphonic−phosphonic hydrogen bonds (|Zav| = 0−0.03) through an equilibrium between the total cohesive energy and the electrostatic repulsion between the charged polar groups (0.03 < |Zav| < 1.6) to an entirely ionic monolayer (|Zav| ≈ 2). MDS reveal for |Zav| = 0 that the chains form spiralled nearly rounded structures induced by the hydrogenbonded network. When |Zav| ≈ 1 fingering domains were identified. When Z ≈ 2, the headgroups are more disordered and distanced, not only in the xy plane but also in the z direction, forming a rough layer and responding to compression with a large plateau in the isotherm. The monolayers collapse behavior is consistent with the structures and domains founds in the differentionization states and their consequent in-plane rigidity: there is a transition from a solid-like response at low pH subphases to afluid-like response at high pH subphases. The film area in the close-packed state increases relatively slow when the polar headgroups are able to form hydrogen bonds but increases to near twice that this value when |Zav| ≈ 2. Other nanoscopic properties of monolayers were also determined by MDS. The computational results confirm the experimental findings and offer a nanoscopic perspective on the structure and interactions in the phosphonate monolayers.