Analysis of Self-Assembled Monolayers by Thermal Desorption Mass Spectrometry: Neighborhood Interaction and Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange

Abstract

Two ideas for characterizing the local structure in mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were introduced. First, to use thermal desorption mass spectrometry (TD-MS) to probe nearest neighborhoods in the mixed monolayers. Second, to use hydrogen/deuterium exchange as a probe of the accessibility of acidic protons to exchange. Neighborhood interactions provided an opportunity to observe microscopic phase changes at the SAMs surface as a function of the OH-terminal ratio. H/D exchange between surficial OH-terminal SAMs and D₂O was successfully observed. H/D exchange was of importance in characterizing the surface properties and molecular basis interactions for the design of bio-interface structures using self-assembled monolayers.