Structure and Bonding of the Multifunctional Amino Acid l-DOPA on Au(110)

In investigations of the proteins which are responsible for the surface adhesion of the blue mussel Mytilus
edulis, an unusually frequent appearance of the otherwise rare amino acid 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-l-alanine
(l-DOPA) has been observed. This amino acid is thought to play a major role in the mechanism of mussel
adhesion. Here we report a detailed structural and spectroscopic investigation of the interface between l-DOPA
and a single-crystalline Au(110) model surface, with the aim of understanding fundamentals about the surface
bonding of this amino acid and its role in mussel adhesion. Molecular layers are deposited by organic molecular
beam deposition (OMBD) in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment. The following experimental techniques have
been applied:  ex situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),
low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and
scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Vibrational spectra of isolated l-DOPA molecules and the zwitterionic
bulk have been calculated using density functional theory (DFT). The predicted modes are assigned to observed
spectra, allowing conclusions regarding the molecule−substrate and molecule−molecule interactions at the
l-DOPA/Au(110) interface. We find that zwitterionic l-DOPA forms a monochiral, one-domain commensurate
monolayer on Au(110), with the catechol rings on top of [11̄0] gold rows, oriented parallel to the surface.
The (2 × 1)-Au(110) surface reconstruction is not lifted. The carboxylate group is found in a bidentate or
bridging configuration, the amino group is tilted out of the surface plane, and the hydroxyl groups do not
dehydrogenate on Au(110). Similar to the case for the bulk, molecules form dimers on Au(110). However,
the number of hydrogen bridge bonds between l-DOPA molecules is reduced as compared to the bulk. Thicker
layers which are deposited onto the commensurate interface do not order in the bulk structure. In conclusion,
our study shows that the aromatic ring system of l-DOPA functions as a surface anchor. Since it is also
known that the hydroxyl groups support cross-link reactions between l-DOPA residues in the mussel glue
protein, we can conclude that the catechol ring supports surface adhesion of mussel proteins via two independent
functions.