Biopolymer (Protein) and Synthetic Polymer Monolayers

Abstract

The adsorption of an amphiphile molecule at the water interface is ascribed to the alkyl part being attracted to the interface. It therefore becomes imperative to determine what kind of interfacial forces could be present in the case of molecules more complex than those of lipids, such as biopolymers (e.g., proteins, synthetic polyamino acids), synthetic polymers, and other polymers, such as cellulose. In the same context, it is of interest to determine whether any comparisons can be made between simple lipidlike molecules and biopolymers. Because of the great importance of biopolymers in everyday life, there exists a vast literature on the physical properties of biopolymers in solution. On the other hand, the interfacial properties of these biopolymers have not been investigated as extensively as they deserve to be.