Fabrication of ordered metallic and magnetic heterostructured DNA-Nanoparticle hybrids

Here we provide a method based on enzymatically catalyzed reactions to cleave and ligate DNA molecules coated with nanoparticles to fabricate multi-component structures. This is done by simultaneously digesting two solutions of nanoparticle coated DNA, one with iron oxide particles the other gold particles, which yields short DNA fragments with complementary single stranded overhangs. When added together and re-attached using ligase enzymes multi-component nanoparticle coated structures are formed providing a novel method to fabricate complicated nanoparticle arrangements from the bottom up. We evaluated the fabrication by characterizing the samples with gel electrophoresis and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The electrophoresis provides proof that the coated DNA molecules were digested with restriction enzymes and ligated by the T4 ligase enzymes. MFM experiments allow us to visualize the multi-component strands and analyze the magnetic versus metallic segments.     

Determination of estradiol in human serum using magnetic particles-based chemiluminescence immunoassay

A magnetic particles (MPs)-based chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) with high sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility was proposed for the evaluation of estradiol (E₂) in human sera. The MPs coated with secondary antibody were used as dispersed solid phase for the immunoassay, and the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-luminol-H₂O₂ chemiluminescent system with high sensitivity was chosen as the detection system. The method showed specific recognition to E₂, without cross-reaction for the major steroids, including estrone (E₁), estriol (E₃), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione, and testosterone (T), which was commonly found in human serum. The addition of sodium trichloracetate (Na-TCA) in the enzyme buffer as a blocking agent contributed to the realization of direct analysis of E₂ in human serum without extraction. Besides, the effects of several physicochemical parameters, including the dilution ratios of E₂-6-HRP conjugate and anti-E₂ polyclonal antibody, immunoreaction time, chemiluminescent (CL) substrate volume, volume of MPs, and CL reaction time, were studied and optimized. The proposed method had a detection limit of 2.51 pg mL⁻¹ with a larger working range of 15-1000 pg mL⁻¹. The inter-assay and intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) were both less than 15%. The average recoveries of three different spiked concentration samples were 93.3, 106 and 101%, respectively. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of E₂ in 105 human sera and showed a good correlation compared with the commercial radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit with a correlative coefficient of 0.9892. This method has exhibited great potential in the fabrication of diagnostic kit and could be used in the clinical analysis of E₂ in human serum.     

Control of aqueous droplets using magnetic and electrostatic forces

Basic control operations were successfully performed on an aqueous droplet using both magnetic and electrostatic forces. In our droplet-based microfluidics, magnetic beads were incorporated in an aqueous droplet as a force mediator. This report describes droplet anchoring and separation of the beads from the droplet using a combination of magnetic and electrostatic forces. When an aqueous droplet is placed in an oil-filled reservoir, the droplet sinks to the bottom, under which an electrode had been placed. The droplet was adsorbed (or anchored) to the bottom surface on the electrode when a DC voltage was applied to the electrode. The magnetic beads were removed with magnetic force after the droplet had been anchored. Surfactant addition into droplet solution was very effective for the elimination of electric charge, which resulted in the stable adsorption of a droplet to hydrophobic substrate under an applied voltage of DC 0.5-3 kV. In a sequential process, small volume of aqueous liquid was successfully transferred using both magnetic and electrostatic forces.     

Thermosensitive and control release behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid)/nano-Fe3O4 magnetic composite latex particle that is synthesized by a novel method

In this study, a novel method was used to synthesize the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid)/Fe₃O₄ (poly(NIPAAm-AA)/Fe₃O₄) magnetic composite latex. The crosslinked poly(NIPAAm-AA) polymer latex particles were first synthesized by the method of soapless emulsion polymerization, then Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions were introduced to bond with the -COOH groups of AA segments in poly(NIPAAm-AA) polymer latex particles. Further by a reaction with NH₄OH, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were generated in situ. The concentrations of acrylic acid (AA), crosslinking agent (N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA)), and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were important factors to influence the morphology and lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of poly(NIPAAm-AA)/Fe₃O₄ magnetic composite latex particles. The poly(NIPAAm-AA)/Fe₃O₄ latex particles were used as a thermosensitive drug carrier to load caffeine. The control release of caffeine was studies. Morphology-based schematic models were proposed to explain the control release behavior of the composite particles with different compositions. Moreover, the protein (albumin, acetylated from bovine serum (BSA)) was bound on the surface of poly(NIPAAm-AA)/Fe₃O₄ composite latex particles. The effects of AA, crosslinking agent and Fe₃O₄ contents on the amount of BSA binding were investigated at different temperatures and pH values. The composition-morphology-BSA conjugation relationship was established.     

含双噻唑自组装膜的制备及磁性能研究

以2,2′-二氨基-4,4′-联噻唑(DABT)和苯酚为原料合成了新型的偶氮化合物2,2′-对苯酚偶氮基-4,4′-联噻唑(BTDP),将其与聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵(PDDA)在聚乙烯(PE)膜上进行层层自组装,并与过渡金属离子进行了配位.UV-Vis和FT-IR表征发现这种膜可以均匀的进行组装,且能较好的与金属离子配位.多功能材料物理特性测量系统(physical property measurement system,PPMS)测定配合物的磁性能,测试结果表明,与两者溶液直接混合后沉淀配合物的磁性相比,在PE膜上形成的自组装膜配合物的磁性能有较大幅度的提高.     

含氨基和环氧基双功能基的聚合物刷磁性微球的制备及对青霉素G酰化酶的固定化

在内部分散超顺磁性Fe3O4纳米粒子的二乙烯苯交联聚丙烯酸微球表面引入原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)引发剂,引发聚合向微球表面分别引入P(GMMA-r-DMAEMA-r-GMA)、P(GMMA-r-DMAEMA)和P(GMMA-r-GMA)无规共聚物刷(GMMA为甲基丙烯酸甘油单酯,DMAEMA为甲基丙烯酸-N,N-二甲氨基乙酯,GMA为甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯),聚合物刷中GMMA链节的作用是使聚合物刷具有亲水性,DMAEMA引入氨基,GMA引入环氧基.研究了青霉素G酰化酶在这些载体上的固定化和其酶活性.结果表明,同时引入环氧基和氨基的P(GMMA-r-DMAEMA-r-GMA)刷磁性微球固定化青霉素G酰化酶的活性和活性收率都最高,其固定化动力学比只含环氧基P(GMMA-r-GMA)刷磁性微球的好.固定化酶比自由酶更耐热,固定化酶的最佳pH值比自由酶的略高,固定化酶重复使用10次后其活性保留70%.     

FMBen（FM=Fe,Co,Ni;n=1-12）团簇结构和电子性质

采用密度泛函理论中的广义梯度近似对FMBen(FM=Fe,Co,Ni;n=1-12)团簇的几何构型进行优化,并对能量、频率和磁性进行了计算,同时考虑了电子的自旋多重度.结果表明,纯铍团簇的幻数是由电子的壳层模型确定,而FMBen团簇的幻数主要由几何效应来解释;掺杂铁磁性的过渡金属(Fe,Co,Ni)提高了纯团簇的稳定性.二阶能量差分表明FMBen(FM=Fe,Co,Ni)的幻数分别为5,10;5,10;4,10.通过对磁性质的研究发现掺杂不同的过渡金属时,磁矩出现了不同的变化规律.     

Fe_3O_4纳米粒子与慢病毒载体共同感染内皮祖细胞的促血管新生和MRI示踪的应用

采用化学共沉淀法制备了柠檬酸钠修饰Fe_3O_4纳米粒子(NPs),使用胎牛血清(FBS)改善Fe_3O_4NPs的分散性.实验表明Fe_3O_4NPs尺寸均匀,且具有良好的稳定性,FBS浓度小于5%(体积分数)时,Fe_3O_4NPs无聚集沉淀;在300 K下,饱和磁化强度达到74.86×10~(-3)A·m~2/g(74.86 emu/g);核磁共振T2序列成像时,75μg/m L Fe_3O_4NPs与慢病毒载体(LV)共同标记内皮祖细胞(EPCs)成像效果良好;而且EPCs具有稳定过表达目的基因血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)的能力.利用Fe_3O_4NPs与LV共同感染EPCs,可有效促进大鼠血管生成.说明修饰后的EPCs兼具核磁共振成像(MRI)示踪和促血管生成双重功能.     

The effect of quenching from different temperatures on Bi0.88Sb0.12 alloy

Structural, thermal, resistive and magnetic properties of melt quenched Bi_0.88Sb_0.12 alloys are reported. The samples are heated at three different temperatures, followed by rapid quenching in liquid nitrogen. Large temperature difference between liquidus and solidus lines, led to microscopic in-homogeneity in the alloy. The effect of quenching from different temperatures in polycrystalline Bi_0.88Sb_0.12 alloy has been studied. The parameters such as strain, unit cell volume, and resistivity are found to increase with temperature. Thermal variation of resistivity depicts non-monotonic temperature dependence. The total negative susceptibility increases and band gap of semiconducting Bi_0.88Sb_0.12 samples decreases with increasing temperature.     

Size-dependent magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles

Uniform iron oxide nanoparticles in the size range from 10 to 24 nm and polydisperse 14 nm iron oxide particles were prepared by thermal decomposition of Fe(III) carboxylates in the presence of oleic acid and co-precipitation of Fe(II) and Fe(III) chlorides by ammonium hydroxide followed by oxidation, respectively. While the first method produced hydrophobic oleic acid coated particles, the second one formed hydrophilic, but uncoated, nanoparticles. To make the iron oxide particles water dispersible and colloidally stable, their surface was modified with poly(ethylene glycol) and sucrose, respectively. Size and size distribution of the nanoparticles was determined by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and X-ray diffraction. Surface of the PEG-functionalized and sucrose-modified iron oxide particles was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Magnetic properties were measured by means of vibration sample magnetometry and specific absorption rate in alternating magnetic fields was determined calorimetrically. It was found, that larger ferrimagnetic particles showed higher heating performance than smaller superparamagnetic ones. In the transition range between superparamagnetism and ferrimagnetism, samples with a broader size distribution provided higher heating power than narrow size distributed particles of comparable mean size. Here presented particles showed promising properties for a possible application in magnetic hyperthermia.