Specific interactions of yttrium and lanthanum ions with a fatty acid Langmuir monolayer were investigated using vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy. The trivalent ions were shown to interact with the charged form of the carboxylic acid group from nanomolar concentrations (<300 nM). Analysis of the spectral features from both the symmetric and the asymmetric carboxylate modes reveals the presence of at least three distinct coordination structures linked to specific binding configurations. Although the same species were identified for both La3+ and Y3+, they display a different concentration dependence, highlighting the ion-specificity of the interaction. From the analysis of the response of interfacial water molecules, the reversal of the surface charge, as well as the formation of yttrium hydroxide complexes, were detected upon increasing the amount of salt in solution. The binding interaction and kinetics of absorption are sensitive to the solution pH, showing a distinct ion speciation in the interfacial region when compared to the bulk. Changing the subphase pH or adding a monovalent background electrolyte that promotes deprotonation of the carboxylic acid headgroup could further improve the detection limit of La3+ and Y-3(+) to concentrations < 100 nM. These findings demonstrate that nM concentrations of trace metals contaminants, typically found on monovalent salts, can significantly influence the binding structure and kinetics in Langmuir monolayers.

Unlike counterion interactions with charged interfaces, the influence of co-ions is only scarcely reported in the literature. In this work, the effect of SCN- and the halide co-ions in the interactions of Na+ with carboxylic acid Langmuir monolayers is investigated by using vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy. At 1 M concentrations in the subphase, the identity of the anion is shown to have a remarkable influence on the charging behavior and degree of deprotonation of the monolayer, with ions ordering in the sequence I- > SCN- > Cl- approximate to Br-. The same trend is observed at both pH 6 and pH 9 when the monolayer is intrinsically more charged. Spectroscopic evidence is found for both the presence of I- and SCN- in the interfacial region at levels close to their detection limits. The results contradict electrostatic theories on charged interfaces where co-ions are not expected to play any significant role. The higher propensity for the large polarizable anions to deprotonate the monolayer is explained in terms of their ability to modify the cations affinity toward the carboxylic acid groups present at the surface.

Despite the importance of the hydrogen ion in a wide range of biological, chemical, and physical processes, its molecular structure in solution remains lively debated. Progress has been primarily hampered by the extreme diffuse nature of the vibrational signatures of hydrated protons in bulk solution. Using the inherently surface-specific vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy technique, we show that at selected negatively charged interfaces, a resolved spectral feature directly linked to the H3O+ core in an Eigen-like species can be readily identified in a biologically compatible pH range. Centered at ~2540 cm−1, the band is seen to shift to ~1875 cm−1 when forming D3O+ upon isotopic substitution. The results offer the possibility of tracking and understanding from a molecular perspective the behavior of hydrated protons at charged interfaces.

The molecular origin of overcharging at mineral oxide surfaces remains a cause of contention within the geochemistry, physics, and colloidal chemistry communities owing to competing "chemical" versus "physical" interpretations. Here, we combine vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy and streaming current measurements to obtain molecular and macroscopic insights into the pH-dependent interactions of calcium ions with a fused silica surface. In a 100 mM CaCl2 electrolyte, we observe evidence of charge neutralization at pH similar to 10.5, as deducted from a minimum in the interfacial water signal. Concurrently, adsorption of calcium hydroxide cations is inferred from the appearance of a spectral feature at similar to 3610 cm(-1). However, the interfacial water signal increases at higher pH, while adsorbed calcium hydroxide appears to remain constant, indicating that overcharging results from hydrated Ca2+ ions present within the Stern layer. These findings suggest that both specific adsorption of hydrolyzed ions and ion-ion correlations of hydrated ions govern silica overcharging with increasing pH.

Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy has been used to study the molecular properties upon compression of a highly charged arachidic acid Langmuir monolayer, which displays a first-order phase transition plateau in the surface pressure - molecular area (π-A) isotherm. By targeting vibrational modes from the carboxylic acid headgroup, alkyl chain, and interfacial water molecules, information regarding the surface charge, surface potential, type of ion pair formed, and conformational order of the monolayer could be extracted. The monolayer was found to be fully charged before reaching the 2D-phase transition plateau, where partial reprotonation, as well as the formation of COO⎺ Na+ contact-ion pairs, started to take place. After the transition, three headgroup species, mainly hydrated COO⎺, COOH, and COO⎺ Na+ contact-ion pairs could be identified and their proportions quantified. Comparison with theoretical models shows that predictions from the Gouy Chapman model are only adequate for the lowest surface charge densities (<-0.1 C/m2). In contrast, a modified Poisson-Boltzmann (MPB) model that accounts for finite-size of the cation, captures many of the experimental observables, including the partial reprotonation, and surface potential changes upon compression. The experimental results provide a quantitative molecular insight that could be used to test potential extensions to the theory.

Specific interactions between the carboxylic acid moiety and the monovalent salts CsCl, NaCl, and LiCl, have been investigated in Langmuir monolayers using vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) and complemented with coarse grained and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. By exploiting VSFS's intrinsic surface specificity, an emphasis was made on targeting headgroup vibrations of both its charged and uncharged forms as well as water molecules in the interfacial layer. The degree of deprotonation of the monolayer as a function of cation concentration and pH was experimentally determined and theoretically rationalized. Starting from 100 mM, the surface charge was overestimated by the Gouy-Chapman model and varied depending on the identity of the cation, highlighting the appearance of ion specific effects. Agreement could be found using a modified Poisson-Boltzmann model that takes into account steric effects, with a fitted effective ion-size compatible with the hydrated ion diameters. The relative affinity of the cations to the carboxylic acid moiety was pH dependent: at pH 4.5 they arranged in the order Cs+ 4 Na+ 4 Li+, but fully reversed (Li+ 4 Na+ 4 Cs+) at pH 9. Simulations yielded microscopic insight into the origin of this behavior, with the cations showing contrasting interaction preferences for either the uncharged carboxylic acid or the charged carboxylate. Sum frequency spectra also provided evidence that all cations remained hydrated when interacting with the charged headgroup, forming solvent-separated or solvent-shared ion pairs. However, for the specific case of 1 M Li+ at pH 9, contact ion pairs were formed. Finally, the remarkable effect of trace metal multivalent cations in the interpretation of experiments is briefly discussed. The results provide exciting new insights into the complex interactions of alkali metal cations with the biophysically relevant carboxylic acid moiety.

Ion specific effects at charged interfaces find numerous applications in colloidal sciences and play a vital role in many biological processes. Despite having been studied for over a century, starting with the work of F. Hofmeister in the 1880s, a comprehensive molecular  understanding remains elusive. It is currently believed that specific molecular interactions between ions and the various chemical functional groups, including the disruption of the interfacial water structure, are the key underlying steps. The research presented in this doctoral thesis focuses on the carboxylic acid moiety which is one of the chemical functionalities most frequently encountered at biological interfaces. Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS), a non-linear optical technique with an exquisite surface specificity, was used to investigate the interactions between the carboxylic acid moiety of a fatty acid Langmuir monolayer with monovalent (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺), divalent (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺), and trivalent (Y³⁺, La³⁺) cations. The studies also focused on understanding the remarkable effect of negatively charged co-ions (Cl^-, Br^-, I^-, SCN^-) on the cation-carboxylate interactions. Another key result of this work is the identification of resolved spectral features linked to the Eigen-like hydronium (H₃O⁺) cation at the charged carboxylic acid interface. VSFS allowed quantifying the surface charge, type of cation binding, and structural changes in the interfacial water molecules upon changes of the ion identity, concentration, and pH. The findings demonstrate that the physical-chemical properties of the interfacial layers reflect a subtle balance between molecular and electrostatic competitive interactions, providing new experimental quantitative insights for testing the suitability of extended new theories on charged interfaces and ion specific interactions.

The effect of SCN⎺ and the halide co-ions in the interactions of Na+ with carboxylic acid Langmuir monolayers has been investigated using vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS). At 1 M concentrations in the subphase, the identity of the anion is shown to have a remarkable effect on the degree of deprotonation of the monolayer, with ions ordering in the sequence I⎺ > SCN⎺ > Cl⎺≈Br⎺. The same trend is observed both at pH 6 and pH 9 when the monolayer is intrinsically more charged. Evidence for the presence of SCN⎺ in the interfacial region, albeit at low to negligible concentrations, was found after identifying the C≡N stretch just above the detection limits. The results contradict electrostatic theories on charged interfaces where co-ions are not expected to play any significant role. The higher propensity for the large polarizable anions to deprotonate the monolayer is explained in terms of their ability to change the surface hydronium ion concentration.