Studies of synthetic polypeptide‐water interactions using monolayer techniques

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Abstract
Molecular monolayers of a range of synthetic polypeptides spread at the air‐water interface have been investigated. Measurements of the surface pressure and surface potential are correlated with the chemical composition of the side chains. All the polymers are believed to be in the α‐helical conformation at the air‐water interface and the surface potential is accounted for principally by the interaction of the peptide groups with the underlying water; if however, there are ester groups in the side chains, an additional side chain‐water interaction is evident. The infrared absorption spectrum of water and alcohols adsorbed from the vapor on thick orientated specimens in the α‐helical conformation prepared from collapsed monolayers has also been investigated. The OH absorption of water, methanol and ethanol is dichroic and shows evidence of interactions similar to those required to account for the surface potential.