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Updated: May 25, 2026

Self-Assembly of Hybrid Lipid Membranes Doped with Hydrophobic Organic Molecules at the Water/Air Interface
Published on: May 1, 2020
Switchable self-assembly of a bioinspired alkyl catechol at a solid/liquid interface: competitive interfacial,
Javier Saiz-Poseu1, Jordi Faraudo, Antoni Figueras
1Centro de Investigación en Nanociencia y Nanotecnología (ICN-CSIC), Esfera UAB, Edificio CM7, Campus UAB, 08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
The large tendency of catechol rings to adsorb on surfaces has been studied by STM experiments with molecular resolution combined with molecular-dynamics simulations. The strong adhesion is due to interactions with the surface and solvent effects. Moreover, the thermodynamic control over the differential adsorption of 1 and the nonanoic solvent molecules has been used to induce a new temperature-induced switchable interconversion. Two different phases that differ in their crystal packing and the presence of solvent molecules coexist upon an increase or decrease in the temperature. These results open new insight into the behavior of catechol molecules on surfaces and 2D molecular suprastructures.
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