Highly stable and reusable imprinted artificial antibody used for in situ detection and disinfection of pathogens

Sandwich ELISA methods have been widely used for biomarker and pathogen detection because of their high specificity and sensitivity. However, the main drawbacks of this assay are the cost, the time-consuming procedure for the isolation of antibodies and their poor stability. To overcome these restrictions, we herein fabricated artificial antibodies based on imprinting technology and developed a sandwich ELISA for pathogen detection. Both the capture and detection antibodies were obtained via an in situ method, with simplicity, rapidity and low cost. The peroxidase mimics, the CeO₂ nanoparticles, as signal generators were integrated with the detection antibody. The fabricated artificial antibodies exhibited not only natural antibody-like binding affinities and selectivities, but also superior stability and reusability. The detection limit was about 500 CFU mL^–1, which is much lower than that of traditional ELISA methods (10⁴ to 10⁵ CFU mL^–1). Furthermore, the capture antibody can disinfect pathogens in situ.     

Is a polymer semiconductor having a “perfect” regular structure desirable for organic thin film transistors?

This study utilized high temperature NMR and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-ToF) mass spectrometry to reveal that appreciable amounts of structural defects are present in the diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)–quaterthiophene copolymers (PDQT) synthesized by the Stille coupling polymerization with Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂, Pd₂(dba)₃/P(o-tol)₃, and Pd(PPh₃)₄ catalyst systems. It was proposed that these structural defects were produced via homocoupling side reactions of the C–Br bonds and the organostannane species. Model Stille coupling reactions further substantiated that the amount of structural defects are catalyst-dependent following the order of Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂ > Pd₂(dba)₃/P(o-tol)₃ > Pd(PPh₃)₄. To verify the structural assignments, “perfect” structurally regular PDQT polymers were prepared using Yamamoto coupling polymerization. When compared to the structurally regular polymers, the polymers containing defects exhibited notable redshifts in their absorption spectra. Surprisingly, the “perfect” structurally regular polymers showed poor molecular ordering in thin films and very low charge transport performance as channel semiconductors in organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). On the contrary, all the “defected” polymers exhibited much improved molecular ordering and significantly higher charge carrier mobility.     

DNA based multi-copper ions assembly using combined pyrazole and salen ligandosides

The DNA structure is an ideal building block for the construction of functional nano-objects. In this direction, metal coordinating base pairs (ligandosides) are an appealing tool for the future specific functionalization of such nano-objects. We present here a study, in which we combine the metal ion coordinating pyrazole ligandoside with the interstrand crosslinking salen ligandoside system. We show that both ligandosides, when combined, are able to create stable multi-copper ion complexing DNA double helix structures in a cooperative fashion.     

A two‐dimensional layered CdII coordination polymer with a three‐dimensional supramolecular architecture incorporating mixed multidentate N‐ and O‐donor ligands

The combination of N‐heterocyclic and multicarboxylate ligands is a good choice for the construction of metal–organic frameworks. In the title coordination polymer, poly[bis{μ₂‐1‐[(1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl)methyl]‐1H‐tetrazole‐κ²N³:N⁴}(μ₄‐butanedioato‐κ⁴O¹:O^1′:O⁴:O^4′)(μ₂‐butanedioato‐κ²O¹:O⁴)dicadmium], [Cd(C₄H₄O₄)(C₉H₈N₆)]_n, each Cd^II ion exhibits an irregular octahedral CdO₄N₂ coordination geometry and is coordinated by four O atoms from three carboxylate groups of three succinate (butanedioate) ligands and two N atoms from two 1‐[(1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl)methyl]‐1H‐tetrazole (bimt) ligands. Cd^II ions are connected by two kinds of crystallographically independent succinate ligands to generate a two‐dimensional layered structure with bimt ligands located on each side of the layer. Adjacent layers are further connected by hydrogen bonding, leading to a three‐dimensional supramolecular architecture in the solid state. Thermogravimetric analysis of the title polymer shows that it is stable up to 529 K and then loses weight from 529 to 918 K, corresponding to the decomposition of the bimt ligands and succinate groups. The polymer exhibits a strong fluorescence emission in the solid state at room temperature.     

A three‐dimensional coordination polymer based on the Zn4(μ3‐OH)2 unit: poly[[(μ4‐benzene‐1,4‐dicarboxylato)bis(μ3‐benzene‐1,4‐dicarboxylato)bis(μ3‐hydroxido)bis(1,10‐phenanthroline‐5,6‐dione)tetrazinc] dihydrate]

The title compound, {[Zn₄(C₈H₄O₄)₃(OH)₂(C₁₂H₆N₂O₂)₂]·2H₂O}_n, has been prepared hydrothermally by the reaction of Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O with benzene‐1,4‐dicarboxylic acid (H₂bdc) and 1,10‐phenanthroline‐5,6‐dione (pdon) in H₂O. In the crystal structure, a tetranuclear Zn₄(OH)₂ fragment is located on a crystallographic inversion centre which relates two subunits, each containing a [ZnN₂O₄] octahedron and a [ZnO₄] tetrahedron bridged by a μ₃‐OH group. The pdon ligand chelates to zinc through its two N atoms to form part of the [ZnN₂O₄] octahedron. The two crystallographically independent bdc²⁻ ligands are fully deprotonated and adopt μ₃‐κO:κO′:κO′′ and μ₄‐κO:κO′:κO′′:κO′′′ coordination modes, bridging three or four Zn^II cations, respectively, from two Zn₄(OH)₂ units. The Zn₄(OH)₂ fragment connects six neighbouring tetranuclear units through four μ₃‐bdc²⁻ and two μ₄‐bdc²⁻ ligands, forming a three‐dimensional framework with uninodal 6‐connected α‐Po topology, in which the tetranuclear Zn₄(OH)₂ units are considered as 6‐connected nodes and the bdc²⁻ ligands act as linkers. The uncoordinated water molecules are located on opposite sides of the Zn₄(OH)₂ unit and are connected to it through hydrogen‐bonding interactions involving hydroxide and carboxylate groups. The structure is further stabilized by extensive π–π interactions between the pdon and μ₄‐bdc²⁻ ligands.     

Universal arcs in local tournaments

An arc $uv$ of a digraph $D$ is called universal if $uv$ and $w$ are in a common cycle for any vertex $w$ of $D$. In this paper we characterize local tournaments whose every arc is universal.     

Algorithm of Barrier Objective Penalty Function

In this paper, an algorithm of barrier objective penalty function for inequality constrained optimization is studied and a conception–the stability of barrier objective penalty function is presented. It is proved that an approximate optimal solution may be obtained by solving a barrier objective penalty function for inequality constrained optimization problem when the barrier objective penalty function is stable. Under some conditions, the stability of barrier objective penalty function is proved for convex programming. Specially, the logarithmic barrier function of convex programming is stable. Based on the barrier objective penalty function, an algorithm is developed for finding an approximate optimal solution to an inequality constrained optimization problem and its convergence is also proved under some conditions. Finally, numerical experiments show that the barrier objective penalty function algorithm has better convergence than the classical barrier function algorithm.     

Molecular engineering tuning optoelectronic properties of thieno[3,2-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>]thiophenes-based electrochromic polymers

Thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (TT) monomers end-capped with 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) moieties are electropolymerized to form π-conjugated polymers with distinct electrochromic (EC) properties. Steric and electronic factors (electron donor and acceptor substituents) in the side groups of the TT core, as well as the structure of the polymer backbone strongly affect the electrochemical and optical properties of the polymers and their electrochromic characteristics. The studied polymers show low oxidation potentials, tunable from–0.78 to +0.30 V (vs. Fc/Fc⁺) and the band gaps from 1.46 to 1.92 eV and demonstrate wide variety of color palettes in polymer films in different states, finely tunable by structural variations in the polymer backbone and the side chains. EC materials of different colors in their doped/dedoped states have been developed (violet, deep blue, light blue, green, brown, purple-red, pinkish-red, orange-red, light gray, cyan and colorless transparent). High optical contrast (up to 79%), short response time (0.57–0.80 s), good cycling stability (up to 91% at 2000 cycles) and high coloration efficiency (up to 234.6 cm² C^–1) have been demonstrated and the influence of different factors on the above parameters of EC polymers have been discussed.