USE OF X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON-SPECTROSCOPY TO STUDY PROTEIN ADSORPTION TO MICA SURFACES

X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to study protein adsorption to mica substrates. The presence of the protein could be detected by a N 1s signal in the wide-field spectrum. Quantification of the amount of protein adsorbed was achieved by two methods: energy-resolved and angle-resolved depth profiling. The two techniques yield similar data but the results obtained from energy-resolved depth profiling were more scattered and had a larger error. Several proteins have been studied and the amount of material adsorbing was between 1 and 5 mg m-2, which is consistent with other data for protein adsorption. For concanavalin A and bovine serum albumin the degree of protein adsorption is not inconsistent with a monolayer of adsorbed protein molecules. © 1992.