Presidential Young Investigators Award: Modification of Protein Structure Near Charged Surfaces

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The focus of this PYI research is on achieving a fundamental understanding of thin films and Interfacial Transport by utilization of state-of-the-art NMR techniques. Several diverse areas of focus are: Hydrogen in SiO2 Thin Films and at Si/SiO2 Interfaces - The use of 100 A thick films and lower growth temperatures in integrated circuit manufacture leads to increased hydrogen incorporation. In SiO2 films, hydrogen is proposed to pasivate electrical defects, modify oxidation kinetics, and alter film properties. Crystalline Diamond Thin Films - Improved understanding of diamond nucleation and growth is needed in order to deposit single crystalline films over large areas, as desired for semiconductor applications. Photoresist Thin Films - Efforts to optimize and control microlithographic processes are influenced by the density variations and motion in polymeric photoresist films. Proteins Near Charge Interfaces - Transport across biological membranes and several bioseparation and biocatalysis techniques involve proteins near charged interfaces. Changes in tertiary protein structure induced by thorough preferential interaction with charged and polar protein segments can be observed directly with NMR. Reversed micelles, having few chemical components and large surface areas, provide a relatively simple system for initial study. A fundamental understanding of thin films and interfaces is a crucial components of process optimization in the microelectronics and biotechnology industries. Unique and valuable information is elucidated through the application of selected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to study the atomic scale structure of thin films and interfaces. This knowledge can be used to develop and test atomistic models of film growth and interfacial chemistry, with the ultimate goal of tailoring chemical processes for desired application.