Photoresponsive Surfaces with Two Independent Wavelength-Selective Functional Levels

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 24; no. 20; pp. 11872 - 11879
• Main Authors: Stegmaier, Petra, Alonso, José María, Campo, Aránzazu del
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 21.10.2008
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry, Physical - methods; Colloidal state and disperse state; Equipment Design; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes - pharmacology; General and physical chemistry; Light; Materials: Nano-and Mesostructured Materials, Polymers, Gels, Liquid Crystals, Composites; Microscopy, Fluorescence - methods; Models, Chemical; Photochemistry - methods; Silanes - chemistry; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet - methods; Surface physical chemistry; Surface Properties; Ultraviolet Rays; Protecting group; Modification; Binary compound; Dyes; Deprotection; Coumarin; Silica; Wavelength; Substrate; Amine; Sequential; Radiation effect; Fluorescence microscopy; Silane; Chromophore
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la802052u

Two photoremovable protecting groups, namely, nitroveratryloxycarbonyl (NVo) and diethylamino-coumarin-4-yl (DEACM), have been tested for wavelength-selective, independent removal. The chromophores were attached to the amine group of aminopropyltriethoxysilane and used for the modification of silica surfaces. A photolytic experiment on the photosensitive layers allowed us to identify the irradiation conditions for the selective cleavage of the chromophores. UV measurements revealed that the photolabile DEACM group can be cleaved off with UV light at 412 nm without damaging the NVo group. The NVo group could then be removed at 365 nm. Masked irradiation of substrates modified with a 1:1 molar mixture of both silanes allowed the generation of bifunctional patterns after the selective cleavage of DEACM and NVo in a sequential irradiation process. The deprotection reaction was confirmed by coupling two different fluorescent dyes to the liberated amine groups. The expected two-color pattern could be observed by fluorescence microscopy.