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.     

A paper-based resonance energy transfer nucleic acid hybridization assay using upconversion nanoparticles as donors and quantum dots as acceptors

Monodisperse aqueous upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) were covalently immobilized on aldehyde modified cellulose paper via reduction amination to develop a luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET)-based nucleic acid hybridization assay. This first account of covalent immobilization of UCNPs on paper for a bioassay reports an optically responsive method that is sensitive, reproducible and robust. The immobilized UCNPs were decorated with oligonucleotide probes to capture HPRT1 housekeeping gene fragments, which in turn brought reporter conjugated quantum dots (QDs) in close proximity to the UCNPs for LRET. This sandwich assay could detect unlabeled oligonucleotide target, and had a limit of detection of 13 fmol and a dynamic range spanning nearly 3 orders of magnitude. The use of QDs, which are excellent LRET acceptors, demonstrated improved sensitivity, limit of detection, dynamic range and selectivity compared to similar assays that have used molecular fluorophores as acceptors. The selectivity of the assay was attributed to the decoration of the QDs with polyethylene glycol to eliminate non-specific adsorption. The kinetics of hybridization were determined to be diffusion limited and full signal development occurred within 3 min.     

Elucidating the Influence of Electrical Potentials on the Formation of Charged Oligopeptide Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on oligopeptides have garnered immense interest for a wide variety of innovative biomedical and electronic applications. However, to exploit their full potential, it is necessary to understand and control the surface chemistry of oligopeptides. Herein, we report on how different electrical potentials affect the adsorption kinetics, stability and surface coverage of charged oligopeptide SAMs on gold surfaces. Kinetic analysis using electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (e-SPR) reveals a slower oligopeptide adsorption rate at more positive or negative electrical potentials. Additional analysis of the potential-assisted formed SAMs by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that an applied electrical potential has minimal effect on the packing density. These findings not only reveal that charged oligopeptides exhibit a distinct potential-assisted assembly behaviour but that an electrical potential offers another degree of freedom in controlling their adsorption rate.     

ParaHydrogen Polarized Ethyl-[1-13C]pyruvate in Water,a Key Substrate for Fostering the PHIP-SAH Approach to Metabolic Imaging

An efficient synthesis of vinyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate has been reported, from which ¹³C hyperpolarized (HP) ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate has been obtained by means of ParaHydrogen Induced Polarization (PHIP). Due to the intrinsic lability of pyruvate, which leads quickly to degradation of the reaction mixture even under mild reaction conditions, the vinyl-ester has been synthesized through the intermediacy of a more stable ketal derivative. ¹³C and ¹H hyperpolarizations of ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate, hydrogenated using ParaHydrogen, have been compared to those observed on the more widely used allyl-derivative. It has been demonstrated that the spin order transfer from ParaHydrogen protons to ¹³C, is more efficient on the ethyl than on the allyl-esterdue to the larger J-couplings involved. The main requirements needed for the biological application of this HP product have been met, i. e. an aqueous solution of the product at high concentration (40 mM) with a good ¹³C polarization level (4.8 %) has been obtained. The in vitro metabolic transformation of the HP ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate, catalyzed by an esterase, has been observed. This substrate appears to be a good candidate for in vivo metabolic investigations using PHIP hyperpolarized probes.     

Melamine–Barbiturate Supramolecular Assembly as a pH-Dependent Organic Radical Trap Material

In the last two decades, a large number of self-assembled materials were synthesized and they have already found their way into large-scale industry and science. Hydrogen-bond-based supramolecular adducts are found to have unique properties and to be perfect host structures for trapping target molecules or ions. Such chemical systems are believed to resemble living matter and can substitute a living cell in a number of cases. Herein, a report on an organic material based on supramolecular assembly of barbituric acid and melamine is presented. Surprisingly, the structure is found to host and stabilize radicals under mild conditions allowing its use for biological applications. The number of free radicals is found to be easily tuned by changing the pH of the environment and it increases when exposed to light up to a saturation level. We describe a preparation method as well as stability properties of melamine–barbiturate self-assembly, potentiometric titration, and hydrogen ions adsorption data and EPR spectra concerning the composite.     

共振瑞利散射法对普萘洛尔特效适配体系的手性分析

本文提出了对于手性药物普萘洛尔手性识别和手性分析的新方法。 该方法引用基于氧化石墨烯的指数富集配体系统进化筛选技术(GO-SELEX),经过10轮优化筛选出对心血管药物普萘洛尔有高度亲和力的特效适配体。 然后通过共振瑞利散射光谱法(RRS)对反应体系进行特效性检测,实验表明S-普萘洛尔和R-普萘洛尔有迥然不同的光谱差异,S-普萘洛尔与特效适配体结合后的RRS显著增强,而R-普萘洛尔与适配体结合后的RRS几乎没有变化。 据此可以对心血管药物手性普萘洛尔进行有效的手性识别。 在考察反应体系和实验条件的基础上,可对S-普萘洛尔进行实验检测,同时对外消旋体中的R-普萘洛尔进行计算分析。 实验对S-普萘洛尔的线性范围为5~275 nmol/L,检测限为0.5 nmol/L。 方法应用于外消旋药片的分析检测,结果令人满意。 实验表明,RRS检测特效适配体结合的手性靶标体系会彰显不同的光谱差异,从而可对手性对映体进行手性识别,尤其是可利用其光谱差异实现同时测定的手性分析,方法可在特殊情形下不经分离而同时测定手性对映体,具有推广应用价值。     

Analytical and numerical studies for Seiches in a closed basin with bottom friction

A standing wave oscillation in a closed basin, known as a seiche, could cause destruction when its period matches the period of another wave generated by external forces such as wind, quakes, or abrupt changes in atmospheric pressure. It is due to the resonance phenomena that allow waves to have higher amplitude and greater energy, resulting in damages around the area. One condition that might restrict the resonance from occurring is when the bottom friction is present. Therefore, a modified mathematical model based on the shallow water equations will be used in this paper to investigate resonance phenomena in closed basins and to analyze the effects of bottom friction on the phenomena. The study will be conducted for several closed basin shapes. The model will be solved analytically and numerically in order to determine the natural resonant period of the basin, which is the period that can generate a resonance. The computational scheme proposed to solve the model is developed using the staggered grid finite volume method. The numerical scheme will be validated by comparing its results with the analytical solutions. As a result of the comparison, a rather excellent compatibility between the two results is achieved. Furthermore, the impacts that the friction coefficient has on the resonance phenomena are evaluated. It is observed that in the prevention of resonances, the bottom friction provides the best performance in the rectangular type while functioning the least efficient in the triangular basin. In addition, non-linearity effect as one of other factors that provide wave restriction is also considered and studied to compare its effect with the bottom friction effect on preventing resonance.     

参外联合激励下的簇发振荡及其机理

当周期激励频率远小于系统固有频率时，会存在快慢耦合效应，与单项激励不同，参外联合激励不仅会导致快子系统平衡曲线和分岔行为的复杂化，也会产生一些特殊的非线性现象，为此，本文以两耦合Hodgkin-Huxley细胞模型为例，引入周期参外联合激励，探讨在频域不同尺度耦合时该系统的簇发振荡的特点及其分岔机制．通过建立相应的快慢子系统，得到慢变参数变化下的快子系统的各种分岔模式以及相应的分岔行为，结合转换相图，揭示耦合系统随激励幅值变化时的动力学行为及其机理．研究表明，在激励幅值较小时，系统表现为概周期振荡，两频率分别近似于快子系统平衡曲线由Hopf分岔引起的两稳定极限环的振荡频率．概周期解随激励幅值的增加进入簇发振荡，导致这些簇发振荡的主要原因是在慢变参数变化的部分区间内，存在唯一稳定的平衡曲线，使得系统的轨迹逐渐趋向该平衡曲线，产生沉寂态，并随着慢变参数的变化，由分岔进入激发态．同时，快子系统中参与簇发振荡的稳定吸引子随激励幅值的变化也会不同，导致不同形式的簇发振荡．另外，与单项激励下的情形不同，联合激励时快子系统的部分稳定吸引子掩埋在其它稳定吸引子内，从而失去对簇发振荡的影响．     

A combination of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and surface plasmon resonance sensing of gold nanoparticles for the determination of ziram pesticide

We have developed a reliable, fast, and highly sensitive analytical method utilizing dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and gold nanoparticles probes for ziram (zinc bis(dimethyldithiocarbamate)) determination. The method is based on the in situ formation of gold nanoparticles in carbon tetrachloride as an organic phase. It was found that the trace levels of ziram influenced the formation of gold nanoparticles, leading to absorbance change of a sedimented phase. The results of the colorimetric ziram determination were in the concentration range of 0.12–2.52 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 0.06 ng/mL. The formation of the stable and dispersed gold nanoparticles in the organic phase provides a good precision for dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method, resulting in the relative standard deviation of 3.8 and 1.2% for 0.56 and 1.58 ng/mL of ziram, respectively. This method has been successfully used for the ziram determination in samples of well and river water, soil, potato, carrot, wheat, and paddy soil.