Polymer surface reorientation after protein adsorption

Surface side-chain orientation changes of two polymers have been observed upon protein adsorption using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy. Side-chain-deuterated poly( ethyl methacrylate) and poly(n-butyl methacrylate) were contacted with five protein solutions: albumin, fibrinogen, ubiquitin, cytochrome c, and lysozyme. The CD3/CD2 symmetric stretch ratios of the surface polymer side chains in contact with these different media were compared to each other and to that of the polymer contacting air or phosphate buffered saline. The adsorption of different proteins to the surfaces resulted in polymer side-chain orientations slightly different from each other, with orientations between the air and buffer cases.