Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) may be derivatized on its periphery by covalently attaching χ-active NLO chromophores at the termini of its sidechains and thereby give a new class of SHG materials. The inherent liquid crystalline properties of concentrated solutions of α-helical PBLG may be exploited to establish unique supramolecular structures prior to E-field poling. When PBLG is derivatized at its N-terminus with lipoic acid, it will self-assemble on gold to give a thin film. Angle-dependent XPS, ellipsometry, contact angle measurements, and grazing angle IR reflection-absorption spectroscopy give quantitative information about the orientation of the polypeptide α-helices relative to the substrate surface. Consequently, polypeptides, in particular, Merrifield-synthesized or recombinant DNA-expressed synthetic polypeptides, present a novel fabrication route to thin films wherein molecular-engineered functionalities (chemical, electrical, or optically active species) may be encoded into the macromolecule's primary structure and subsequently expressed spatially via the spontaneous self-organization of these rod-like polymers.