Close‐Packed Two‐Dimensional Silver Nanoparticle Arrays: Quadrupolar and Dipolar Surface Plasmon Resonance Coupling

Silver nanoparticles (NPs) ranging in size from 40 to 100 nm were prepared in high yield by using an improved seed‐mediated method. The homogeneous Ag NPs were used as building blocks for 2D assembled Ag NP arrays by using an oil/water interface. A close‐packed 2D array of Ag NPs was fabricated by using packing molecules (3‐mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane) to control the interparticle spacing. The homogeneous 2D Ag NP array exhibited a strong quadrupolar cooperative plasmon mode resonance and a dipolar red‐shift relative to individual Ag NPs suspended in solution. A well‐arranged 2D Ag NP array was embedded in polydimethylsiloxane film and, with biaxial stretching to control the interparticle distance, concomitant variations of the quadrupolar and dipolar couplings were observed. As the interparticle distance increased, the intensity of the quadrupolar cooperative plasmon mode resonance decreased and dipolar coupling completely disappeared. The local electric field of the 2D Ag NP array was calculated by using finite difference time domain simulation and qualitatively showed agreement with the experimental measurements.     

Ratiometric Detection of microRNA Using Hybridization Chain Reaction and Fluorogenic Silver Nanoclusters

miRNA (miR)-155 is a potential biomarker for breast cancers. We aimed at developing a nanosensor for miR-155 detection by integrating hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and silver nanoclusters (AgNCs). HCR serves as an enzyme-free and isothermal amplification method, whereas AgNCs provide a built-in fluorogenic detection probe that could simplify the downstream analysis. The two components were integrated by adding a nucleation sequence of AgNCs to the hairpin of HCR. The working principle was based on the influence of microenvironment towards the hosted AgNCs, whereby unfolding of hairpin upon HCR has manipulated the distance between the hosted AgNCs and cytosine-rich toehold region of hairpin. As such, the dominant emission of AgNCs changed from red to yellow in the absence and presence of miR-155, enabling a ratiometric measurement of miR with high sensitivity. The limit of detection (LOD) of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor is 1.13 fM in buffered solution. We have also tested the assay in diluted serum samples, with comparable LOD of 1.58 fM obtained. This shows the great promise of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor for clinical application.     

Tips and Tricks for the Surface Engineering of Well-Ordered Morphologically Driven Silver-Based Nanomaterials

Particularly-shaped silver nanostructures are successfully applied in many scientific fields, such as nanotechnology, catalysis, (nano)engineering, optoelectronics, and sensing. In recent years, the production of shape-controlled silver-based nanostructures and the knowledge around this topic has grown significantly. Hence, on the basis of the most recent results reported in the literature, a critical analysis around the driving forces behind the synthesis of such nanostructures are proposed herein, pointing out the important role of surface-regulating agents in driving crystalline growth by favoring (or opposing) development along specific directions. Additionally, growth mechanisms of the different morphologies considered here are discussed in depth, and critical points highlighted.     

Nano-sized Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes and their use as a precursor for synthesis of CuO and ZnO nanoparticles: A study on their sonochemical synthesis,characterization, and DNA-binding/cleavage,anticancer, and antimicrobial activities

Two new divalent copper (C1) and zinc (C2) chelates having the formulae [M(PIMC)₂] (where M = Cu(II), Zn(II) and PIMC = Ligand [(E)-3-(((3-hydroxypyridin-2-yl)imino)methyl)-4H-chromen-4-one] were obtained and characterized by several techniques. Structures and geometries of the synthesized complexes were judged based on the results of alternative analytical and spectral tools supporting the proposed formulae. IR spectral data confirmed the coordination of the ligands to the copper and zinc centers as monobasic tridentate in the enol form. Thermal analysis, UV-Vis spectra and magnetic moment confirmed the geometry around the copper center to be tetrahedral, square pyramidal and octahedral. Study of the binding ability of the synthesized compounds with Circulating tumor DNA (CT-DNA) bas been evaluated applying UV-Vis spectral titration and viscosity measurements. The copper and zinc oxides were achieved from the copper and zinc nano-particles structures Schiff base complexes as the raw material after calcination for 5 hr at 600°C. On the other hand, synthesized of C1 and C2 NPs were used as suitable precursors to the preparation of CuO and ZnO NPs. Finally, the synthesized of the two complexes exhibited enhanced activity against the tested bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia Coli) and fungal strains (Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus) as compared to HPIMC. Among all these synthesized compounds, C1 exhibits good cleaving ability compared to other newly synthesized C2.     

Functionalized Silver-Ion-Mediated α-dC/β-dC Hybrid Base Pairs with Exceptional Stability: α-d-5-Iodo-2′-Deoxycytidine and Its Octadiynyl Derivative in Metal DNA

Silver-mediated α-dC–Ag⁺–β-dC hybrid base pairs decorated with 5-iodo- or 5-octadiynyl residues are well accommodated in duplex DNA. A strong T_m increase and favorable thermodynamic data for duplex DNA were observed after addition of silver ions. The phenomenon is particularly obvious when both nucleobases of the base pairs are functionalized. Neither the position of the base pair, nor the type of 5-substituent had a negative influence. On the contrary, functionalization of conventional silver-mediated β-dC–Ag⁺–β-dC homo base pairs showed a negative impact induced by the bulky substituents. To this end, cytosine modified 12-mer oligodeoxynucleotides were prepared by solid-phase synthesis employing new α-anomeric 2′-deoxycytidine phosphoramidites. A multigram scale synthesis was developed for 5-iodo-α-d -2′-deoxycytidine ( 1 ) employing the direct glycosylation of cytosine with Hoffer's α-d -halogenose followed by separation of anomeric DMT nucleosides. Regarding base-pair stability and functionalization silver-mediated α/β-dC hybrid base pairs were found to be superior to β/β-dC homo pairs. According to their extraordinary properties, they might find applications in DNA diagnostics, material science, or nanotechnology.     

直接置换法制备包覆型纳米铜-银双金属粉末

 以AgNO₃为主盐，采用直接置换法初步制备了包覆型纳米铜-银双金属粉末，分析了工艺条件对包覆效果的影响，并用透射电子显微镜、X射线能量色散谱仪和X射线衍射仪进行了表征。实验结果表明：纳米铜-银双金属粉末为包覆型结构，平均粒径约70 nm，分散性较好，表面银的原子分数达到74.28%。在洗涤过程中加入一定量的保护剂，有效解决了纳米铜粉的氧化问题。     

The structure of CeAlO3 by Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data

The room temperature structure of perovskite CeAlO₃ has been reinvestigated by X-ray powder diffraction. The Rietveld refinement has confirmed the tetragonal symmetry; but revealed a super cell, a=5.32489(6) Å and c=7.58976(10) Å, with the space group I4/mcm. In CeAlO₃, the distortion from the ideal cubic perovskite is caused by the cooperative tilting of the AlO₆ octahedra around the primitive cubic [001]_p-axis.     

Radioactive Tracer Study of the Displacement of Iodine Adatoms from Platinized Platinum Electrode by Carbon Monoxide

Radioactive tracer studies confirm the earlier electrochemical results that carbon monoxide can virtually completely displace iodine adatoms. For the first time, it is found that iodine adatoms are not displaced by carbon monoxide when iodide anions are adsorbed in the presence of an upd silver monolayer. The possible reasons for the effect observed are discussed.     

New Plasmon Waveguides Composed of Twin Metal Wedges with a Nano Gap

We have numerically shown the existence of coupled wedge plasmons (CWPs) which propagates along a nano gap of a twin metal wedge. The CWPs are formed by wedge plasmons which can interact with each other. The dispersion relations of the wavenumber, propagation distance, and beam area of CWPs, are described and show that the characteristics of CWPs are similar to those of wedge plasmons and of gap plasmons. We also propose a new plasmon waveguide composed of twin metal wedges with a nano gap.     

Ag纳米颗粒的光吸收和透射电镜研究

用硼氢化钠作还原剂,制备出两种相对稳定的含银纳米颗粒的水溶胶,用透射电镜（TEM）和光学吸收谱对这些颗粒进行了表征.当被还原的银离子较少时,所形成的银纳米颗粒较小,吸收峰呈现二极等离子体共振吸收峰.当被还原的银离子较多时,银纳米颗粒尺寸变大,并出现二极和四极共振吸收峰.在Ag纳米颗粒形成后,对其溶液稀释,发现其峰形保持不变,而峰位会出现红移,最大红移量可达到10 nm.透射电镜研究表明,低浓度溶胶中的Ag纳米颗粒尺寸较为均匀,平均直径12 nm.高浓度溶胶中的纳米颗粒尺寸呈双尺寸分布特点,少量颗粒直径小于14 nm,大部分颗粒直径大于20 nm.