基于电化学发光和阻抗技术研究DNA单碱基错配

单碱基错配的识别和稳定性差异在核酸多态性研究中至关重要。在同一电化学传感器平台上，采用电化学发光（ECL）和电化学阻抗（EIS）2种技术，协同研究DNA链中不同类型和不同位点的单碱基错配识别和稳定性差异。电极表面具有茎环构象的探针DNA与完全互补DNA、不同类型或不同位点单碱基错配DNA杂交前后的ECL和EIS信号强度变化有显著差异。信号强度变化可揭示单碱基错配识别的稳定性。结果表明，DNA链中心位点的C-A单碱基错配稳定性低于链两端的，靠近键合电极表面双链链端的C-A单碱基错配稳定性低于非键合电极表面双链链端的，同一中心位点C-X碱基对的稳定性顺序为C-G?C-T>C-A≥C-C。研究结果可为核酸多态性研究提供参考。     

Terahertz generation in quantum cascade structures by two-color deriving fields: An approach to reach inversion population via optical pumping

In this paper, a quantum cascade laser (QCL) design is proposed based on GaAs/AlGaAs material system, which simultaneously operates at three widely separated wavelengths (${\lambda }_1=11.1\mu m,{\lambda }_2=14.1\mu m$ and ${\lambda }_{THz}=60\mu m$). In the design, all the wavelength radiations are achieved by the engineering of the electronic spectrum via the quantum-well widths and the applied electric field in a single active region within a same waveguide. The mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelengths are obtained by adoption a dual-upper-state active region, and the proposed design aims to use both the mid-IR radiations as the coherent deriving fields to populate the upper THz lasing state to aid the THz-laser population inversion via optical pumping instead of direct electrical injection. A detailed analysis of electronic transport in the structure is carried out using a multi-level rate-equation model. The results show that the proposed structure offers an alternative approach to room temperature THz generation in QCLs.     

Acidity Modification of ZSM-5 for Methane Conversion in Co-feeding Method with MTA Reaction

Acidity plays a vital role in methane conversion by co-feeding method, which is one of the best strategies to improve the utilization and gentle the reaction conditions of methane. In this work, Zn, Ni, Mo, La, Ga, Fe and Co-impregnated ZSM-5 zeolites have been prepared with the same substitutions to variate the acidities and tested in co-aromatization of methanol with methane. It is demonstrated that the new medium-strong acid sites formed by metal and strong acid sites are the key role to activate methane in co-reaction. Zn-modified ZSM-5 catalyst is preferred to exhibit the best methane conversion of 12%, whose aromatic selectivity increases from 27.2% to 52.2% compared with that of HZSM-5. Besides, the addition of methane further improves the production of high-valued aromatics compared with methanol to aromatics (MTA) reaction.     

Coupling characteristics of laterally coupled gratings with slots

Laterally-coupled ridge-waveguide distributed feedback lasers fabricated without epitaxial regrowth steps have the advantages of process simplification and low cost. We present a laterally coupled grating with slots. The slots etched between the ridge and grating area are designed to suppress the lateral diffusion of carriers and to reduce the influence of the aspect-ratio-dependent-etching effect on the grating morphology in the etching process. Moreover, the grating height in this structure can be decreased to lower the aspect ratio significantly, which is advantageous over the conventional laterally coupled ridge waveguide gratings. The effects of five main structural parameters on the coupling characteristics of gratings are studied by MODE Solutions. It is found that varying the lateral width of the grating can be used as an effective way to tune the coupling strength; narrow slots (100 nm and 300 nm) and wide ridge (2 μm-4 μm) promote the stability of grating coupling coefficient and device performance. It is important to note that the grating bottom should be fabricated precisely. The comparative study of carrier distribution and mode field distribution shows that the introduction of narrow slots can strengthen the competitive advantage and stability of the fundamental mode.     

Highly sensitive perylene tetra-(alkoxycarbonyl) based colorimetric and ratiometric probes for fluorine detection

Fluoride anion (F^?) affects environmental, biological, and chemical processes significantly. Therefore, its detection has received increasing attention, and sensitive, effective, and convenient probes for F^? detection need to be developed urgently. In this work, two perylene tetra-(alkoxycarbonyl) (PTAC) based colorimetric and ratiometric probes, P1 and P2, were developed for the detection of F^?. The interactions between F^? and these two probes were investigated by absorption, electrochemistry, ¹H NMR, and density functional methods. Both the two probes were complexed with F^? with a ratio of 1:1. The detection limits of P1 and P2 were 0.22 μM and 0.87 μM, respectively. It was worth noting that the absorption peak of P1 showed a 190 nm red shift when sensing F^?, and P1 is the largest red shift value reported in F^? probes based on PTAC derivatives. This phenomenon was resulted from the unique configuration and deprotonation of P1 that can promote the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). This strategy provides an example for the development of other ion probes based on D-A type ICT mechanism.     

Application of advanced nuclear analytical techniques for the electrocatalyst's characterization: Paving the path for mechanistic investigations

As the application of electrocatalyst continues to expand, envisaging the hidden mechanisms occurring at various length scale affecting the catalytic efficiency became important. To enhance the stability of electrocatalyst and reduce the cost, it is of paramount importance to reveal the active site's dynamics (using in situ techniques for getting the real-time information) which directly affect the reactions such as oxygen evolution reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, and so on. Since such reactions are crucial for many engineering and scientific applications, in situ characterization techniques are required, which could capture such reactions happening at a different length and time scale. This article analyzes the recent progress made in the field of electrocatalyst's characterization using in situ neutron techniques. The article also paves the future path and has delineated the future challenges involved in multiscale correlative techniques (e.g., neutron techniques in the combination of synchrotron or microscopic techniques) used for getting the multiscale (atomic to micrometer range) mechanistic information about the electrocatalyst's working and degradation.     

Understanding the synthesis and reactivity of ADORable zeolites using NMR spectroscopy

Zeolites remain one of the most important classes of industrial catalysts used today, and with the urgent drive for the transition from petrochemical to renewable feedstocks, there is a renewed interest in developing new types of zeolite. Recent synthetic advances in the field have included the development of the assembly-disassembly-organisation-reassembly (ADOR) method. In this short review, we will discuss how solid-state NMR experiments can be used to probe the mechanism of the process by characterising the structure of the intermediates and products, show how ¹⁷O NMR spectroscopy can be used to probe the reactivity of ADORable zeolites and explain how this, in turn, can lead to fundamental questions of how zeolites behave in the presence of liquid water.     

A Stable Porphyrin Functionalized Graphite Electrode Used at the Oxygen Evolution Reaction Potential

Many researches have been devoted to rechargeable power generators that can store (but also release) energy. This availability is ensured through (e. g.) the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, (i) large values of the overpotentials and (ii) a progressive detriment of the anode (graphite) electrode limit the ultimate device. In view of enhancing the electrode performances, graphite was protected by following different strategies, which oblige to follow precise preparation protocols. Here, we prove that a thin layer of free-base porphyrin molecules is able to protect the underneath graphite electrode from detriment even if many (about 100) electrochemical cycles are performed.     

紫色球杆菌视紫红质光谱特性的机器学习研究

近年来，机器学习等人工智能技术被应用于蛋白质工程，其在蛋白质结构、功能预测、催化活性等研究中具有独特优势。在未知蛋白质结构的情况下，将蛋白质序列和功能特性与机器学习相结合，基于序列-活性关系（innovative sequence-activity relationship，ISAR）算法，将蛋白质氨基酸序列数字化，用快速傅里叶变换（fast four transform，FFT）进行预处理，再进行偏最小二乘回归建模，可在数据集较少情况下拟合得到最佳模型。通过机器学习对紫色球杆菌视紫红质（gloeobacter violaceus rhodopsin，GR）的突变体蛋白质氨基酸序列与光谱最大吸收波长进行建模，获得了最佳模型。用最佳索引LEVM760106建模得到的确定系数R² 为0.944，均方误差E为11.64。用小波变换进行的预处理，其R² 虽也约为0.944，但E大于11.64，不及FFT进行的预处理。方法较好地解决了蛋白质序列与功能特性之间的数学建模问题，在蛋白质工程中可为预测更优的突变体提供支持。     

Syntheses,crystal structures and properties of Cd(II) and Ag(I) complexes based on 2-p-methylphenyl-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole

Abstract

Complexes of [CdL₂(NO₃)₂]·1.5H₂O and [Ag₂(μ-L)₂(NO₃)₂] were synthesized by the reactions of 2-p-methylphenyl-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (L) with Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O and AgNO₃, respectively. Their structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The photophysical property and thermal stability were characterized by FT???IR, UV???Vis absorption, fluorescence, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Both complexes belong to the triclinic system with space group p???1. The central metal of [CdL₂(NO₃)₂]·1.5H₂O has a distorted octahedral geometry [CdN₄O₂], while two central Ag(I) atoms of [Ag₂(μ-L)₂(NO₃)₂] exhibit distorted tetrahedral geometries [AgN₃O].