Monolayers of Poly-γ-benzyl-l-glutamate N-Alkylamides

Abstract

Abstract To elucidate the effect of long alkyl chains on the surface properties of polypeptides, various poly-γ-benzyl-l-glutamate (PBLG) hexylamides or dodecylamides with different degrees of polymerization were synthesized and their monolayers were examined. PBLG-alkylamides with a low degree of polymerization form expanded type monolayers on water and their surface pressure-area (π-A) curves have two plateaus. The lower plateau in the π-A curve is not seen in the curves of PBLG-alkylamides with a degree of polymerization of more than 10. The lower plateau in the π-A curve is due to the behavior of the terminal alkyl groups. The effect of temperature on the properties of monolayers was examined. Structures formed in the monolayers were discussed.