Microsensor Chip Integrated with Gold Nanoparticles‐Modified Ultramicroelectrode Array for Improved Electroanalytical Measurement of Copper Ions

This paper presents a microsensor chip integrated with a gold nanoparticles‐modified ultramicroelectrode array (UMEA) as the working electrode for the detection of copper ions in water. The microsensor chip was fabricated with Micro‐Electromechanical System technique. Gold nanoparticles were electrodeposited onto the surface of UMEA at a constant potential of ?0.3 V. The ratio d/R_b of interelectrode spacing (d) over the individual electrode’s radius (R_b) was investigated to improve the electrochemical performance. The UMEA with a d/R_b of 20 showed the best hemispherical diffusion mode, resulted in fast response time and high current response. The gold nanoparticles increased the active surface area of UMEA by not changing the geometries of UMEA, and the current response was increased further. Incorporating the optimized characteristic of UMEA and gold nanoparticles, the microsensor showed a good linear range from 0.5 to 200 µg L^?1 of copper ions in the acetate buffer solutions with the method of square wave stripping voltammetry. Compared with the gold nanoparticles‐modified disk electrode, the gold nanoparticles‐modified UMEA showed higher sensitivity (0.024 µA mm^?2 µg^?1 L) and lower limit of detection (0.2 µg L^?1). Water samples from river water and tap water were analyzed by the microsensor chip with recovery ranging from 100.7 % to 107.8 %.     

Theoretical study on the interaction of glutathione with group IA (Li+, Na+, K+), IIA (Be2+, Mg2+, Ca2+), and IIIA (Al3+) metal cations

The structures and energies of complexes obtained upon interaction between glutathione (GSH) and alkali (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺), or alkaline earth metal (Be²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺), or group IIIA (Al³⁺) cations were studied using quantum chemical density functional theory. The characteristics of the interactions between GSH and the metal cations at different nucleophilic sites of GSH were examined selecting systematically, both mono- and multi-coordinating were taken into account. The results indicated that the heteroatom of GSH, the radius and charge of metal ion, and the coordination number of the metal cation with the ligand played important roles in determining the stability of these complexes. Moreover, the intramolecular hydrogen migration in GSH could be promoted by the metal cations during coordination reaction. Furthermore, the Al³⁺ cation might catalyze the decarboxylation reaction and stimulate the formation of covalent bond between S atom and adjacent O atom of GSH.     

Convenient One‐Pot Procedures for the Synthesis of 2,2′:6′,2″‐Terpyridine

One‐pot reactions to produce 2,2′:6′,2″‐terpyridine (tpy) under mild conditions are described under both solventless and solvent‐assisted conditions. Tpy can be obtained in 32% yield in a simple one‐pot reaction, which can readily be scaled‐up to give large quantities of tpy. These new approaches are superior to those previously described because of the fast and efficient synthesis and purification of tpy.     

Determining coastal mixing rates of western Taiwan Strait using 224Ra

²²⁴Ra concentrations in the coastal sea water of western Taiwan Strait in winter were measured using Mn-fiber adsorption—successive emanation scintillation method. ²²⁴Ra activities in the seawater of the western Taiwan Strait varied from 0.90 to 16.25 Bq/m³ with an average of 4.60 Bq/m³. The horizontal and vertical distributions of ²²⁴Ra were studied. The distributions of ²²⁴Ra in the surface water decreased gradually with increasing distance offshore. The apparent horizontal and vertical eddy diffusion coefficients estimated from the one dimensional steady state model of ²²⁴Ra were (5.0–55.4) × 10⁶cm²/s and (4.0–51.7) cm²/s, respectively.     

Enhanced orientation of PEO polymer chains induced by nanoclays in electrospun PEO/clay composite nanofibers

Polymer fibers composed of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and nanoclay were fabricated by electrospinning. The morphology of the composite nanofibers was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), which showed aligned nanoclays in the fibers. Polarized Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy revealed that the PEO chains in the composite fibers exhibit a higher degree of orientation than that in PEO nanofibers containing no nanoclay. It is believed that spatial confinement is present in the electrospun nanofibers, which results in the enforcement of the mutual restriction. The anisotropic hierarchical nanostructure may have potential applications in optics, mechanical materials, and biomedical materials for cell culture.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of β-carboline derivatives using McbA,a new ATP-dependent amide synthetase

McbA was characterized in vitro as a novel amide synthetase in the marinacarbolines A–D biosynthetic pathway, catalyzing amide bond formation between 1-acetyl-3-carboxy-β-carboline (1a) and substituted-β-phenethylamines (1b, 2b, 3b) and tryptamine (4b) in an ATP-dependent manner. Enzyme kinetic analyses highlight β-phenethylamine as the most suitable amine donor. McbA showed broad substrate compatibility with substituted amines; 10 new β-carboline analogues were chemoenzymatically generated.     

Cu催化的单电子转移活性自由基聚合制备石墨烯/聚N,N-二甲基丙烯酰胺复合体系

以天然石墨为起始原料,采用改进的Hummer方法,通过强酸氧化水解和超声分散制备了氧化石墨烯,然后通过肼还原和重氮化反应得到含有羟基的石墨烯(G-OH),再通过酯化反应在石墨烯表面上引入了α-氯代羰基,从而得到了含有单电子转移活性自由基聚合(SET-LRP)引发基团的石墨烯(G-Cl).最后,在石墨烯表面原位引发N,N-二甲基丙烯酰胺(DMAA)单体的SET-LRP聚合,得到了G-PDMAA复合材料,G-PDMAA在常规的有机溶剂和水中具有良好的分散性.     

新型吡唑肟衍生物的设计、合成与杀虫活性研究

为寻找高效与低毒的吡唑肟活性物质,设计合成了9个未见文献报道的新型吡唑肟化合物,通过¹H NMR、¹³C NMR及元素分析等方法确证了其目标物的结构。初步生物活性测试数据显示,在500µg/mL浓度下,目标化合物6a~6i对粘虫均有较好的杀虫效果,其杀死率均为100%,与对照药啶虫丙醚的防效相当,值得进一步深入研究。     

Ultrafast Fluorescence Spectroscopy via Upconversion and Its Applications in Biophysics

In this review, the experimental set-up and functional characteristics of single-wavelength and broad-band femtosecond upconversion spectrophotofluorometers developed in our laboratory are described. We discuss applications of this technique to biophysical problems, such as ultrafast fluorescence quenching and solvation dynamics of tryptophan, peptides, proteins, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), and nucleic acids. In the tryptophan dynamics field, especially for proteins, two types of solvation dynamics on different time scales have been well explored: ~1 ps for bulk water, and tens of picoseconds for “biological water”, a term that combines effects of water and macromolecule dynamics. In addition, some proteins also show quasi-static self-quenching (QSSQ) phenomena. Interestingly, in our more recent work, we also find that similar mixtures of quenching and solvation dynamics occur for the metabolic cofactor NADH. In this review, we add a brief overview of the emerging development of fluorescent RNA aptamers and their potential application to live cell imaging, while noting how ultrafast measurement may speed their optimization.