Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 29: Posters: Biopolymers \& Biomaterials

BP 29.13: Poster

Thursday, March 17, 2011, 17:15–20:00, P3

The influence of van der Waals forces on protein adsorption kinetics — •Almuth Hoffmann, Hendrik Hähl, and Karin Jacobs — Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, D-66041 Saarbrücken, Germany

In contact with an aqueous solution of proteins, any surface is instantly covered by a thin layer of proteins. It is of great interest for many biological and biomedical applications to understand and control this adsorption process that depends on many parameters.

Concentrating on the influence of the substrate on the adsorption, the surface chemistry has been focus of many studies. Protein adsorption is mainly influenced by short-range forces arising from the surface chemistry and Coulomb interaction. Yet, it could be shown that van der Waals forces influence the adsorption kinetics. By a variation of the oxide layer thickness on a Si wafer, however, it could be shown that also van der Waals forces influence the adsorption kinetics [1,2].

Monte Carlo simulations explain the kinetics with a multi step process composed of the actual adsorption and subsequent surface processes. These simulations suggest that a variation of the van der Waals forces influences the time constant of the surface processes. Fitting the experimental curves with an appropriate model yields the time constants of the various processes involved and shows the influence of the vdW forces.

[1] A. Quinn et al., EPL 81 (2008) 56003.

[2] Y. Schmitt, H. Hähl et al., Biomicrofluidics 4 (2010) 032201.