| Abstract
| - Self-assembled monolayers of a series of linear thiols containing a 1-thiaoligo(ethylene oxide) (TOEO)moiety, i.e., HS(EO)xR (where R = C10H21, EO = −CH2CH2O−, and x = 4−8), were prepared on polycrystallinegold and characterized by visible spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry, andsurface plasmon resonance. The TOEO segment was found to adopt a 7/2 helical structure oriented normalto the substrate for x = 5−7. Different structures were found for the other compounds in this series. Whenx = 4, the TOEO segment adopts a predominantly trans-extended conformation, whereas when x = 8, theTOEO appears to be disordered with some helical conformation. Monolayer thicknesses determined by SEare consistent with these structural changes. The significant increase in disorder with extension of thehydrophilic segment by two ethylene oxide units from 6 to 8 is potentially valuable for protein reconstitutionin supported hybrid bilayer constructs.
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