Front Cover: Enhancement of dielectrophoresis-based particle collection from high conducting fluids due to partial electrode insulation

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a successful method to recover nanoparticles from different types of fluid. The DEP force acting on these particles is created by an electrode microarray that produces a nonuniform electric field. To apply DEP to a highly conducting biological fluid, a protective hydrogel coating over the metal electrodes is required to create a barrier between the electrode and the fluid. This protects the electrodes, reduces the electrolysis of water, and allows the electric field to penetrate into the fluid sample. We observed that the protective hydrogel layer can separate from the electrode and form a closed domed structure and that collection of 100 nm polystyrene beads increased when this occurred. To better understand this collection increase, we used COMSOL Multiphysics software to model the electric field in the presence of the dome filled with different materials ranging from low-conducting gas to high conducting phosphate-buffered saline fluids. The results suggest that as the electrical conductivity of the material inside the dome is reduced, the whole dome acts as an insulator which increases electric field intensity at the electrode edge. This increased intensity widens the high-intensity electric field factor zone resulting in increased collection. This informs how dome formation results in increased particle collection and provides insight into how the electric field can be intensified to the increase collection of particles. These results have important applications for increasing the recovery of biologically-derived nanoparticles from undiluted physiological fluids that have high conductance, including the collection of cancer-derived extracellular vesicles from plasma for liquid biopsy applications.     

电场下离子型聚合物复合囊泡结构变化的分子动力学模拟

利用粗粒化分子动力学模拟研究了电场作用下离子型聚合物复合囊泡形变与破裂的过程.定量分析了囊泡破裂过程中的结构变化,包括囊泡的形变程度、破裂速度、组分分布以及破裂后的结构.研究表明,电场强度较弱时,囊泡表面所吸附的聚电解质首先脱落,囊泡由球形结构转变为椭球结构.随着电场强度增大,离聚物的离子侧基发生重新排布,囊泡表面电荷的有序结构被破坏,导致囊泡的结构无法维持而破裂,囊泡塌缩,分裂形成离聚物团簇,并进一步破裂为小尺寸的离聚物聚集体,均匀分散于溶液中.本文利用分子动力学模拟明确了电场中离子型高分子复合囊泡破裂过程的分子机理,为药物释放技术的优化及发展提供了理论支持.     

大学基础化学教学中的知其所以然*

针对大学本科一年级基础化学如“化学概论”等课程教学中,学生对于不断出现的专业名词及物理化学含义的理解问题,以“焓”“熵”等外来词汇以及角动量l、能级分裂单位“Dq”等缩写为例,从专业名词来源开始讲解,使学生在学习过程中既知其然又知其所以然,更好地理解化学专业词汇,尤其是外来词汇的内涵与物理化学意义。     

理论研究晶体场效应和电荷转移效应对Co2+的2p电子X射线L2,3吸收边光谱的影响

运用多重态计算方法研究了在正八面体对称性的晶体场中Co²⁺离子的2p电子X射线L_2,3吸收边光谱, 研究了Co²⁺离子和周围的配位离子之间的正八面体(O_h)晶体场效应和相应的电荷转移效应对于吸收光谱的影响. 系统讨论了在多重态计算中起作用的所有物理参数对CoO和CoCl₂的X射线吸收光谱特性的特定影响及其物理机制. 将计算得出的光谱数据和同样具有O_h对称性结构Co²⁺离子的CoO和CoCl₂实验光谱数据进行了对比, 在实验光谱数据中发现的特征被确定为来自不同自旋态, 并且光谱强度的变化与晶体场的强度相关, 揭示了其中包含的电荷转移效应. 本文为低对称性复杂系统的多重态计算提供了一个基础的参考标准, 可以适用于含有钴元素或其它过渡金属的复杂体系的X射线吸收光谱的理论计算.     

基于新型纳米传感材料的DNA生物传感器的应用

DNA是构建纳米技术和生物传感技术新设备的良好构建体。DNA生物传感器由于具有灵敏度高、选择性好等特点,近年来获得了飞速发展。研究发现,金属纳米粒子(MNPs)、碳基纳米材料等一系列纳米材料在传感器设计中提高了电化学DNA传感器的传感性能。本文侧重介绍了场效应晶体管、石墨烯、碳纳米管等新型纳米传感材料,以及基于这些材料的DNA生物传感器的最新进展,最后展望了DNA生物传感器的应用前景。     

Modeling of Solute-Solvent Interactions Using an External Electric Field—From Tautomeric Equilibrium in Nonpolar Solvents to the Dissociation of Alkali Metal Halides

An implicit account of the solvent effect can be carried out using traditional static quantum chemistry calculations by applying an external electric field to the studied molecular system. This approach allows one to distinguish between the effects of the macroscopic reaction field of the solvent and specific solute–solvent interactions. In this study, we report on the dependence of the simulation results on the use of the polarizable continuum approximation and on the importance of the solvent effect in nonpolar solvents. The latter was demonstrated using experimental data on tautomeric equilibria between the pyridone and hydroxypyridine forms of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-pyridine in cyclohexane and chloroform.     

1,3,5-Triaza-7-Phosphaadamantane (PTA) as a 31P NMR Probe for Organometallic Transition Metal Complexes in Solution

Due to the rigid structure of 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA), its ³¹P chemical shift solely depends on non-covalent interactions in which the molecule is involved. The maximum range of change caused by the most common of these, hydrogen bonding, is only 6 ppm, because the active site is one of the PTA nitrogen atoms. In contrast, when the PTA phosphorus atom is coordinated to a metal, the range of change exceeds 100 ppm. This feature can be used to support or reject specific structural models of organometallic transition metal complexes in solution by comparing the experimental and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculated values of this ³¹P chemical shift. This approach has been tested on a variety of the metals of groups 8–12 and molecular structures. General recommendations for appropriate basis sets are reported.     

受限于两平行板间的对称星形共聚物Am Bm熔体相行为的格子自洽场理论研究

采用格子自洽场理论计算研究了受限于2个平行板间的对称星形共聚物AmBm(m=1,2,3,4,5)熔体形成的层状相结构.在给定的相互作用下(χNAB不变,χ为Flory-Huggins相互作用参数,NAB=(N?1)/m为单个聚合物分子中一对AB臂的总链节数目),针对平行板间距为体相周期的情况,系统考察了共聚物链长N和单个聚合物分子中A(或B)臂数目m对受限层结构细节及层取向的影响.由计算结果,当N或NAB不变时,受限层的归一化界面宽度随m的增大而减小.受限板为中性时,垂直层结构的单链自由能比平行层结构的低.随着板对共聚物中一种嵌段的选择作用Λ的增大,体系发生垂直层到平行层的转变,该转变为一阶相变.当m不变时,N越小,上述转变出现在越大的Λ值处,体系越容易保持垂直层结构.并且N越小,层状结构周期越小.当N或NAB不变时,m越大体系越容易保持垂直层结构.总之,星形共聚物的链长越短、臂数越多时,垂直层稳定的Λ区间越大、层状结构的界面宽度越小.这些结论可以指导刻蚀应用中对体系参数的选择.     

桥连对嵌段共聚物自组装的调控

通过嵌段共聚物自组装形成“桥连”是制备具有优异力学性能的网络结构的有效途经, 具有重要的应用价值. 但是, 过去的研究工作很少讨论“桥连”对嵌段共聚物自组装行为本身的影响. 该研究评论主要总结了最近几年利用“桥连”对嵌段自组装行为进行调控的工作进展. 作者设计了BABCB三组分线性多嵌段共聚物, 当其自组装形成二元“介观晶体”(球、柱)结构时, 中间B嵌段连接A和C相区(嵌段聚集成的“大原子”), 自然地形成桥连; 减小中间桥连B嵌段的相对长度, 就可以增加其拉伸程度, 从而降低介观晶体的配位数; 另外, 两个末端B嵌段的相对长度可以直接调控A和C“大原子”之间的相对配位数. 基于这两个机理, 自洽场理论计算预测了各种配位数相等和不相等的二元介观晶体结构. 进一步, 将“拉伸桥连”概念拓展到AB型嵌段共聚物体系中, 并且通过多臂星型嵌段共聚物分子结构中的“组合构型熵效应”在AB型嵌段共聚物中形成高比率的桥连构型, 使传统的六角柱状结构转变为了四配位的四方柱状和三配位的石墨烯类柱状结构. 未来, 在ABC三组分嵌段共聚物体系的设计中引入拓扑结构以及使用共混等方法, 有望在介观尺度重铸大多数已知的原子/离子二元晶体结构, 甚至超越原子/离子晶体结构.     

多元杂环萘二酰亚胺衍生物的合成及其场效应性能研究

杂环修饰的萘二酰亚胺(NDI)类化合物由于其独特的光电性能被研究人员广泛关注,并应用于有机场效应晶体管(OFETs)、有机太阳能电池中(OSCs)、传感器等领域。但是含有给受体单元的多元杂环萘二酰亚胺衍生物的合成并不容易,本文通过简单高效的方法设计合成了含有氮、硫原子的11个杂环类萘二酰亚胺衍生物,并通过紫外可见吸收光谱、循环伏安曲线和X射线衍射对其进行了物性研究。通过溶液旋涂法,制备了该材料的底栅底接触场效应晶体管器件,在空气中表现出p型半导体性能,当退火温度为140 ℃时性能达到最优,其空穴迁移率为0.2 cm_²?V_^-1?s_^-1。