Self-assembled monolayers of an oligo(ethylene oxide) disulfide and its corresponding thiol assembled from water: characterization and protein resistance.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of the disulfide [S(CH2CH2O)6CH3]2 ([S(EO)6]2) on Au from 95% ethanol and from 100% water are described. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy indicate that the [S(EO)6]2 films are similar to the disordered films of HS(CH2CH2O)6CH3 ((EO)6) and HS(CH2)3O(CH2CH2O)5CH3 (C3EO5) at their protein adsorption minima. The [S(EO)6]2 SAMs exhibit constant film thickness (d) of 1.2 +/- 0.2 nm over long immersion times (up to 20 days) and do not attain the highly ordered, 7/2 helical structure of the (EO)6 and C3EO5 SAMs (d = 2.0 nm). Exposure of these self-limiting [S(EO)6]2 SAMs to bovine serum albumin show high resistance to protein adsorption.