Direct detection of low-concentration NO in physiological solutions by a new GaAs-based sensor

Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a signal molecule in the nervous system, as a defense against infections, as a regulator of blood pressure, and as a gate keeper of blood flow to different organs. In vivo, it is thought to have a lifetime of a few seconds. Therefore, its direct detection at low concentrations is difficult. We report on a new type of hybrid, organic-semiconductor, electronic sensor that makes detection of nitric oxide in physiological solution possible. The mode of action of the device is described to explain how its electrical resistivity changes as a result of NO binding to a layer of native hemin molecules. These molecules are self-assembled on a GaAs surface to which they are attached through a carboxylate binding group. The new sensor provides a fast and simple method for directly detecting NO at concentrations down to 1 microM in physiological aqueous (pH=7.4) solution at room temperature.     

Semi-analytic method for slow light photonic crystal waveguide design

We present a semi-analytic method to calculate the dispersion curves and the group velocity of photonic crystal waveguide modes in two-dimensional geometries. We model the waveguide as a homogenous strip, surrounded by photonic crystal acting as diffracting mirrors. Following conventional guided-wave optics, the properties of the photonic crystal waveguide may be calculated from the phase upon propagation over the strip and the phase upon reflection. The cases of interest require a theory including the specular order and one other diffracted reflected order. The computational advantages let us scan a large parameter space, allowing us to find novel types of solutions.     

Light-activated antibacterial surfaces comprise photosensitizers

Antibacterial surfaces were prepared using a base polyethylene sheet topped with a layer containing a mixed powder of poly (vinylidene fluoride) and photosensitizers (PSs). A crimpled stamp was placed on the mixed powder, and then it was passed through a heating and pressing device. The three chosen PSs were rose bengal, toluidine blue O and methylene blue. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed that the PS surface texture was coarse and highly developed. Measurement of the apparent contact angles of the droplets deposited on the PS surfaces using goniometry showed that all three surfaces were hydrophobic. Photodynamic analysis of the surfaces into which the PSs were incorporated indicated significant reactive oxygen species formation after illumination with light fluency rate of 1.46 mW cm(-2) for 30 min. Photodynamic inactivation assays performed in nutrient broth demonstrated more than 4 log reduction of the attached Escherichia coli after illumination (1.46 mW cm(-2)) for 24 h when the inoculum was 10(3) CFU mL(-1). However, more than 4 log reduction of Staphylococcus aureus occurred even when the cultures were illuminated for only 6 h. Our results provide an inexpensive, simple, state-of-the-art method for preparing antibacterial surfaces that may help prevent infections in hospital surroundings and in some medical devices.     

Modeling the nonradiative decay rate of electronically excited thioflavin T

A computational model of nonradiative decay is developed and applied to explain the time-dependent emission spectrum of thioflavin T (ThT). The computational model is based on a previous model developed by Glasbeek and co-workers (van der Meer, M. J.; Zhang, H.; Glasbeek, M. J. Chem. Phys. 2000, 112, 2878) for auramine O, a molecule that, like ThT, exhibits a high nonradiative rate. The nonradiative rates of both auramine O and ThT are inversely proportional to the solvent viscosity. The Glasbeek model assumes that the excited state consists of an adiabatic potential surface constructed by adiabatic coupling of emissive and dark states. For ThT, the twist angle between the benzothiazole and the aniline is responsible for the extensive mixing of the two excited states. At a twist angle of 90°, the S(1) state assumes a charge-transfer-state character with very small oscillator strength, which causes the emission intensity to be very small as well. In the ground state, the twist angle of ThT is rather small. The photoexcitation leads first to a strongly emissive state (small twist angle). As time progresses, the twist angle increases and the oscillator strength decreases. The fit of the experimental results by the model calculations is good for times longer than 3 ps. When a two-coordinate model is invoked or a solvation spectral-shift component is added, the fit to the experimental results is good at all times.     

Physics and engineering of peptide supramolecular nanostructures

The emerging "bottom-up" nanotechnology reveals a new field of bioinspired nanomaterials composed of chemically synthesized biomolecules. They are formed from elementary constituents in supramolecular structures by the use of a developed nature self-assembly mechanism. The focus of this perspective paper is on intrinsic fundamental physical properties of bioinspired peptide nanostructures and their small building units linked by weak noncovalent bonds. The observed exceptional optical properties indicate a phenomenon of quantum confinement in these supramolecular structures, which originates from nanoscale size of their elementary building blocks. The dimensionality of the confinement gives insight into intrinsic packing of peptide supramolecular nanomaterials. QC regions, revealed in bioinspired nanostructures, were found by us in amyloid fibrils formed from insulin protein. We describe ferroelectric and related properties found at the nanoscale based on original crystalline asymmetry of the nanoscale building blocks, packing these structures. In this context, we reveal a classic solid state physics phenomenon such as reconstructive phase transition observed in bioorganic peptide nanotubes. This irreversible phase transformation leads to drastic reshaping of their quantum structure from quantum dots to quantum wells, which is followed by variation of their space group symmetry from asymmetric to symmetric. We show that the supramolecular origin of these bioinspired nanomaterials provides them a unique chance to be disassembled into elementary building block peptide nanodots of 1-2 nm size possessing unique electronic, optical and ferroelectric properties. These multifunctional nanounits could lead to a new future step in nanotechnology and nanoscale advanced devices in the fields of nanophotonics, nanobiomedicine, nanobiopiezotronics, etc.     

Mobility edge phenomenon in a Hubbard chain: A mean field study

We show that a tight-binding one-dimensional chain composed of interacting and non-interacting atomic sites can exhibit multiple mobility edges at different values of carrier energy in presence of external electric field. Within a mean field Hartree–Fock approximation we numerically calculate two-terminal transport by using Green?s function formalism. Several cases are analyzed depending on the arrangements of interacting and non-interacting atoms in the chain. The analysis may be helpful in designing mesoscale switching devices.     

Eigenfunction Statistics for a Point Scatterer on a Three-Dimensional Torus

In this paper, we study eigenfunction statistics for a point scatterer (the Laplacian perturbed by a delta-potential) on a three-dimensional flat torus. The eigenfunctions of this operator are the eigenfunctions of the Laplacian which vanish at the scatterer, together with a set of new eigenfunctions (perturbed eigenfunctions). We first show that for a point scatterer on the standard torus all of the perturbed eigenfunctions are uniformly distributed in configuration space. Then we investigate the same problem for a point scatterer on a flat torus with some irrationality conditions, and show uniform distribution in configuration space for almost all of the perturbed eigenfunctions.     

Revisiting Landauʼs density theorems for Paley–Wiener spaces

We present a surprisingly simple approach to Landau?s density theorems for sampling and interpolation, which provides stronger versions of these results. In particular, we extend the interpolation theorem to unbounded spectra.     

A comparison of Raman scattering,resonance Raman scattering,and fluorescence from molecules adsorbed on silver island films

The enhancement of Raman scattering (RS), resonance Raman scattering (RRS), and fluorescence from molecules adsorbed on silver-island films is reported. A heirarchy of enhancements is found: 10⁵ for RS, 10³ for RRS, and 0.1–10 for fluorescence, depending on the quantum yield of the free molecule. Using the framework of the electromagnetic theory of surface-enhanced Raman scattering, generalized to treat molecular resonance phenomena, we develop a unified picture of the role of the surface plasmon resonances, and the surface-induced damping, in the light scattering processes. The observed heirarchy of enhancements is shown to have important spectroscopic consequences.     

Excitation and emission of metal electrons in atom-surface collisions

Electron-hole pair excitation and ionization probabilities are calculated for atomic collisions with metal surfaces at high incident energies. The method adopted is based on a Sudden Collision Approximation, and a realistic model is employed for the bound and continuum electronic states involved. The parameters used in the calculations are for Ar, He, H atoms impinging on a Li surface at 300 eV. The main results are: (1) Only single electron-hole pair excitations are important; multiple pair contributions are small. (2) The transitions are dominated by the behavior of the electronic wavefunctions in the tunneling region and may serve as a probe of this regime. (3) The excitation efficiency is in the order H ? Ar ? He, the effectiveness of hydrogen being due to its stronger, longer-range coupling. (4) The maximum excitation probabilities are for electrons ejected with relatively low excess energies. (5) Total transition probabilities are about 0.5 per collision for H, and about 0.1 for Ar, indicating that these are important, easily detectable processes. Experiments in this field should provide important information on electronic wavefunctions at the metal-gas interface, and on gas-metal interactions at high energies.