研究领域

Analytical Chemistry Bioanalytical Chemistry Biophysical Chemistry Environmental Chemistry Materials Chemistry Nano Chemistry Optics and Imaging Physical Chemistry Sensor Science Surface Chemistry Sustainable Chemistry

Understanding molecular surface/interface structures of polymers and proteins is important for many applications and processes, such as biomaterial design, anti-biofouling control, bio-adhesion, modern micro- and nano-electronic devices, nano-imprinting, and blood coagulation. We are investigating such molecular level interfacial structures of polymers and proteins by using state-of-the-art techniques including sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM), supplemented by other techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), FTIR-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy, contact angle goniometry, Raman scattering, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Research in our group is highly interdisciplinary and includes many aspects of modern science such as analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, materials chemistry, surface science, laser techniques, nonlinear optics, molecular spectroscopy, microscopy, and nano-technology. Substantial progress has been made to achieve understanding of molecular level structures of bulk proteins, due to improvements of modern analytical techniques, such as X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. However elucidation of molecular structures of proteins at interfaces is still a difficult task. In our group, detailed molecular structures of interfacial proteins at various interfaces in situ are being investigated using SFG, AFM and other techniques. For example, interfacial structural changes of factor XII after adsorption onto a surface is being studied to understand the molecular mechanism of blood coagulation initiation on foreign surfaces. Interactions between mussel adhesive proteins and various polymer surfaces are being examined to help design effective fouling control/release coatings for vessels and equipment in the marine environment. Interfacial structures of various model proteins and their isotope labeled analogues are being investigated to validate SFG as a powerful technique to elucidate molecular structures of interfacial proteins. Structures of membrane proteins are also under study. At the same time, responses of biomedical polymer surfaces to water and various biological molecules are being explored, which provides important information for the deign of biomaterials with improved biocompatibility. In addition, surface structures of polymer coatings of biosensors have been elucidated. In our group, we are also using SFG, AFM and other supplemental techniques to study buried interfaces involving polymer materials at the molecular level. For example, interfaces between various polymers and surfactants, self-assembled monolayers, as well as adhesion promoters have been investigated. Understanding the fundamentals of such interfacial structures is vital in many important applications including adhesion, coatings, nano-imprinting, surfactants, lithography, and liquid crystal displays. In addition, molecular details and kinetics of nano-diffusion have been elucidated in our group. Research in our group also involves the application of SFG and AFM to study nano-materials. We are studying interfacial structures of poly (lactic acid) nano-fibrous tissue templates and their interactions with the human body. We hope that we can develop these nano-materials into next-generation scaffolds for tissue regeneration.

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Chi Zhang, Joshua Jasensky, Jing Wu and Zhan Chen, “Combining surface sensitive vibrational spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy to study biological interfaces ”, Proc. of SPIE, 2014, 8947 894712:1-8 Chuan Leng, Xiaofeng Han, Qing Shao, Yongheng Zhu, Yuting Li, Shaoyi Jiang, and Zhan Chen, “In situ Probing of the Surface Hydration of Zwitterionic Polymer Brushes: Structural and Environmental Effects”, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118, 15840–15845. Jintao Yang, Mingzhen Zhang, Hong Chen, Yung Chang, Zhan Chen, and Jie Zheng, “Probing the Structural Dependence of Carbon Space Lengths of Poly(N-hydroxyalkyl acrylamide)-Based Brushes on Antifouling Performance”, Biomacromolecules, 2014, 15, 2982–2991. Xiaolin Lu, John N. Myers, and Zhan Chen, “Molecular Ordering of Phenyl Groups at the Buried Polystyrene/Metal Interface”, Langmuir, 2014, 30, 9418–9422. Xiaodong Zhang, Fu-Gen Wu, Peidang Liu, Ning Gu, and Zhan Chen, “Enhanced fluorescence of gold nanoclusters composed of HAuCl4 and histidine by glutathione: glutathione detection and selective cancer cell imaging”, Small, 2014, 10, 5170–5177. Fu-Gen Wu, Pei Yang, Chi Zhang, Bolin Li, Xiaofeng Han, Minghu Song, and Zhan Chen, “Molecular Interactions between Amantadine and Model Cell Membranes”, Langmuir, 2014, 30, 8491–8499. Fu-Gen Wu, Pei Yang, Chi Zhang, Xiaofeng Han, Minghu Song, and Zhan Chen, “Investigation of Drug–Model Cell Membrane Interactions Using Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy: A Case Study of Chlorpromazine”, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118, 17538–17548. Mohit Goel, E. Neil G. Marsh, Zhan Chen, and Nicholas L. Abbott, “Comparison of the Influence of Humidity and d-Mannitol on the Organization of Tetraethylene Glycol-Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayers and Immobilized Antimicrobial Peptides”,Langmuir, 2014, 30, 7143–7151. Jeanne M. Hankett, Xiaolin Lu, Yuwei Liu, Emily Seeley and Zhan Chen, “Interfacial molecular restructuring of plasticized polymers in water”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014,16, 20097-20106. Xiaoxian Zhang1, John N. Myers1, Jeffery D. Bielefeld, Qinghuang Lin, and Zhan Chen, “In Situ Observation of Water Behavior at the Surface and Buried Interface of a Low-K Dielectric Film”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2014, 6, 18951–18961. Chi Zhang, John N. Myers, and Zhan Chen, “Molecular Behavior at Buried Epoxy/Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Interface”, Langmuir, 2014, 30, 12541–12550. Z. Wang, X. Han, N. He, Z. Chen, C. L. Brooks III, “Environmental Effect on Surface Immobilized Biological Molecules”, J. Phys. Chem. B 2014, 118, 12176–12185. B. Li, X. Lu, Y. Ma, Z. Chen, “Thermo- and pH-responsive behaviors of aqueous poly(acrylic acid)/poly(4-vinylpyridine) complex material characterized by ATR-FTIR and UV–Vis Spectroscopy”, Europ. Polym. J., 2014, 60, 255-261. B. Li, X. Lu, X. Han, F. Wu, J. N. Myers, Z. Chen, “Interfacial Fresnel Coefficients and Molecular Structures of Model Cell Membranes: From a Lipid Monolayer to a Lipid Bilayer”, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118, 28631-28639. L. Shen, N. Ulrich, C. Mello, Z. Chen, “Determination of Conformation and Orientation of Immobilized Peptides and Proteins at Buried Interfaces”, Chem. Phys. Lett., 2015, 619, 247-255. X. Zhang, Y. Li, J.M. Hankett, Z. Chen, “Molecular Interfacial Structure and Plasticizer Migration Behavior of “Green” Plasticized Poly (vinyl chloride)”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys, 2015, in press J. N. Myers, X. Zhang, J. Bielefeld, Q. Lin, Z. Chen, “Nondestructive in Situ Characterization of Molecular Structures at the Surface and Buried Interface of Silicon-Supported Low k Dielectric Films”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2015, in press J. N. Meyers, Z. Chen, “Surface plasma treatment effects on the molecular structure at polyimide/air and buried polyimide/epoxy interfaces”, Chin. Chem. Lett., 2015, in press L. Soblosky, A. Ramamoorthy, Z. Chen, “Membrane Interaction of Antimicrobial Peptides Using E. coli Lipid Extract as Model Bacterial Cell Membranes and SFG Spectroscopy”, Chem. Phys. Lipids, 2015, in press Q. Burlingame, X. Tong, J. Hankett, M. Slootsky, Z. Chen, S. R. Forrest, “Photochemical Origins of Burn-in Degradation in Small Molecular Weight Organic Photovoltaic Cells”, Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, in press