Kinetic Analysis of the Effect of Crowding on AgNP Surface Bound NHS Ester Reactions with Imidazole

Nese, William

Kinetic Analysis of the Effect of Crowding on AgNP Surface Bound NHS Ester Reactions with Imidazole

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/56801

Author(s)

Nese, William

Date Issued

April 13, 2023

Abstract

The attachment of proteins as recognition systems is important for both the function and the design of most biosensors. However, crowding of molecules at the surface can often affect surface reactions such as these. Thus, the goal was to understand how surface crowding affects the speed and extent of reactions commonly used to tether proteins to a surface by adding various ratios of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) and thiophenol on surfaces. The kinetics of the reaction between solution-phase imidazole and a surface bound N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester of 4-MBA has been investigated using surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The rate constant and extent of reaction were monitored. The surface reactions were found to go nearly to completion with an average second order rate constant of 0.005 mM-1s-1, yet no clear relationship between surface crowding and percent conversion from NHS ester to imidazole was determined.

Major

Chemistry

First Reader(s)

Deckert, Alice A.