Improving the fluorometric determination of the cancer biomarker 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine by using a 3D DNA nanomachine

The authors describe a fluorometric method for improving the determination of the cancer biomarker 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). A nicking endonuclease (NEase)-powered 3-D DNA nanomachine was constructed by assembling hundreds of carboxyfluorescein-labeled single strand oligonucleotides (acting as signal reporter) and tens of swing arms (acting as single-foot DNA walkers) on a gold nanoparticle (AuNP). The activity of this DNA nanomachine was controlled by introducing the protecting oligonucleotides. In the presence of aptamer against 8-OHdG, the protecting oligonucleotides are removed from the swing arms by toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction. In the next step, detached DNA walker hybridizes to the labelled DNA so that the DNA nanomachine becomes activated. Special sequences of signal reporter in the formed duplex can be recognized and cleaved by NEase. As a result, the DNA walker autonomously and progressively moves along the surface of the AuNP, thereby releasing hundreds of signal reporters and causing a rapid increase in green fluorescence. This 3-D nanomachine is highly efficient because one aptamer can release hundreds of signal reporters. These unique properties allowed for the construction of a DNA nanomachine-based method for sensitively detecting 8-OHdG in concentrations as low as 4 pM. This is three orders of magnitude lower compared to previously reported methods.

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Graphical abstract Schematic of a fluorometric method for determination of the cancer biomarker 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine. A nicking endonuclease powered 3D-DNA nanomachine was used to improve the sensitivity. Limit of detection is three orders of magnitude lower than reported methods.

     

Insight into copper-catalyzed decarboxylative thiolation of carboxylic acids in the gas phase

Organocopper complexes bearing bidentate nitrogen ligands were synthesized in the gas phase by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Gas-phase decarboylative thiolation reaction was carried out in the ion-trap analyzer by collision-induced dissociation and ion-molecule reaction. The carboxylic acids were finally converted to thioethers as a neutral loss via collision-induced dissociation. During this process, copper acetate acted as a catalyst, and the valence state change of copper was observed. Meanwhile, the mechanism of decarboxylative thiolation was examined. This reaction was also suitable for different carboxylic acids and bidentate nitrogen ligands in the gas phase.     

BINOL-phosphoric acids-catalyzed furylogous pinacol rearrangement of 1-[5-(hydroxy-diaryl-methyl)-furan-2-yl]-cyclobutanols into spiro cyclopentanones

A BINOL-phosphoric acid-catalyzed furylogous Pinacol rearrangement is developed. This reaction produces spiro cyclopentanone in good yields under mild conditions. The enantioselective version of this reaction is also investigated using chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) as the catalyst.     

Oriented Antibody Immobilization and Immunoassay Based on Boronic Acid-containing Polymer Brush

High sensitive immunoassay platforms have gained intense attention due to their vital roles in early-stage disease diagnosis and therapeutic information feedback.Although random covalent-binding of antibody has been widely adopted in immunoassays due to its simplicity and effectiveness,it readily loses its activity and fails to exhibit high antigen-binding capacity.In this work,copolymer of zwitterionic sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) brushes were immobilized onto inert polypropylene (PP) via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) based on biomimetic dopamine pretreatment.Subsequently,boronic acid (BA) groups were covalently bonded via active GMA units,followed by the introduction of oriented immobilization of antibody.Owing to the oriented immobilization of antibody facilitated by BA groups in polymer brush,the bioactivity of antibody is well preserved,which endows the surface with significantly enhanced antigen-binding capacity.Moreover,the existence of SBMA segments in polymer brushes renders the surface high resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption,significantly alleviating the signal interference of antigen recognition.This strategy could find potential applications in developing high sensitive immunoassay platforms based on the different substrates.     

纳米银对水中三价砷的催化氧化研究

纳米银由于具有优良的杀菌性能,越来越多地用到饮用水消毒等领域.其作为杀菌剂主要针对饮用水中细菌超标以及水处理膜组件中存在的膜污染（菌污染）等问题.然而,由于AgNPs具有良好的光催化活性,可能会影响水处理系统中共存无机砷[As（Ⅲ）和As（V）]的形态转化.本研究采用液相色谱-电感耦合等离子质谱联用技术（HPLC-ICP/MS）测定As（Ⅲ）和As（V）,系统考察了水相中AgNPs对As（Ⅲ）和As（V）的吸附性能,体系pH值、NOM及共存离子（以Ca²⁺为例）等环境因素以及AgNPs的粒径和包覆剂等对As（Ⅲ）形态变化的影响.结果表明,AgNPs对As（Ⅲ）不存在物理吸附,但对As（Ⅲ）的氧化具有明显的催化作用.体系pH大于7.0时,AgNPs开始呈现对As（Ⅲ）氧化的显著催化作用,NOM、Ca²⁺、光照等环境因素均在一定程度上促进As（Ⅲ）的形态转化.此外,该过程与AgNPs本身的性质密切相关,粒径越小其催化性越好,PVP/CTS包覆AgNPs对As（Ⅲ）的催化氧化反应速率常数（k＝15.82×10^－2 h^－1）为柠檬酸包覆AgNPs的2倍.最后,在实际环境水样中验证了AgNPs对As（Ⅲ）的催化氧化.以上研究结果表明,水处理系统中的AgNPs在杀菌抑菌的同时,还能够促使As（Ⅲ）向低毒As（V）的转化,为As污染的去除提供了新的思路.     

Efficient Synthesis of Five Types of Heterocyclic Compounds via Intramolecular Elimination Using Ultrasound‐Static Heating Technique

An experimental technique, ultrasound‐static heating, has been developed for the efficient synthesis of heterocyclic compounds. The technique involves ultrasonic irradiation and static heating processes. First, the ultrasonic irradiation process is performed to form an intermediate of the heterocyclic compound under mild conditions and the subsequent static heating process (heating the intermediate under solvent‐free conditions without stirring) produces the target heterocyclic compounds via intramolecular elimination.     

Comparison of the Electrochemical and Luminescence Properties of Two Carbazole‐Based Phosphine Oxide EuIII Complexes: Effect of Different Bipolar Ligand Structures

The photoluminescence (PL), electrochemical, and electroluminescence (EL) properties of Eu^III complexes, [Eu(cppo)₂(tta)₃] ( 1 ) and [Eu(cpo)₂(tta)₃] ( 2 ; TTA=2‐thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) with two carbazole‐based phosphine oxide ligands, 9‐[4‐(diphenylphosphinoyl)phenyl]‐9H‐carbazole (CPPO) and 9‐(diphenylphosphoryl)‐9H‐carbazole (CPO), which have different bipolar structures, donor–π‐spacer–acceptor (D–π–A) or donor–acceptor (D–A) systems respectively, are investigated. The CPPO with D–π–A architecture has improved PL properties, such as higher PL efficiency and more efficient intramolecular energy transfer, than CPO with the D–A architecture. Gaussian simulation proved the bipolar structures and the double‐carrier injection ability of the ligands. The carrier injection abilities of triphenylphosphine oxide, CPO, and CPPO are gradually improved. Notably, the Gaussian and electrochemical investigations indicate that before and after coordination, the carrier injection ability of the ligands show remarkable changes because of the particularity of the D‐π–A and D–A systems. The electrochemical studies demonstrate that coordination induces the electron cloud to migrate from electron‐rich carbazole to electron‐poor diphenylphosphine oxide, and consequently increases the electron‐cloud density on diphenylphosphine oxide, which weakens its ability for electron affinity and induces the elevation of LUMO energy levels of the complexes. Significantly, the π‐spacer in the D–π–A system exhibits a distinct buffer effect on the variation of the electron‐cloud density distribution of the ligand, which is absent in the D–A system. It is demonstrated that the adaptability of the D–π–A systems, especially for coordination, is stronger than that of D–A systems, which facilitates the modification of the complexes by designing multifunctional ligands purposefully. 1 seems favorable as the most efficient electroluminescent Eu^III complex with greater brightness, higher efficiencies, and more stable EL spectra than 2 . These investigations demonstrate that the phosphine oxide ligands with D–π–A architecture are more appropriate than those with D–A architecture to achieve multifunctional electroluminescent Eu^III complexes.     

An evaluation of the dyeing behavior of sol–gel silica doped with direct dyes

A new dyeing process of sol–gel silica doped with direct dyes is investigated for improving color strength (K/S value) and dyeing fastness. Cotton fabrics are dyed in this direct dye silica solution. The results indicate that the K/S value of C.I. Direct Blue 86 and C.I. Direct Red 23 are enhanced by 12.8% and 16.8%, respectively. For C.I. Direct Blue 86, the washing staining fastness is improved by half a grade, and the rubbing fastness and the washing change fastness are enhanced by one grade, respectively. Compared to the fabric fixed with fixing reagent MMF-1, the K/S value is improved by about 23.7% and the wet rubbing fastness and washing change fastness are enhanced by half a grade. The formation of uniform continuous layers on the fiber surface dyed with direct dye silica solution is revealed by video microscope, and the calculated sol–gel weight gain on the fabric is 4.6%.     

Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐based comb‐type grafted hydrogel with rapid response to blood glucose concentration change at physiological temperature

A new type of glucose‐responsive hydrogel with rapid response to blood glucose concentration change at physiological temperature has been successfully developed. The polymeric hydrogel contains phenylboronic acid (PBA) groups as glucose sensors and thermo‐responsive poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) groups as actuators. The response rate of the hydrogel to environmental glucose concentration change was significantly enhanced by introducing grafted poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐3‐acrylamidophenylboronic acid) [poly(NIPAM‐co‐AAPBA)] side chains onto crosslinked poly(NIPAM‐co‐AAPBA) networks for the first time. The synthesized comb‐type grafted poly(NIPAM‐co‐AAPBA) hydrogels showed satisfactory equilibrium glucose‐responsive properties, and exhibited much faster response rate to glucose concentration change than normal type crosslinked poly(NIPAM‐co‐AAPBA) hydrogels at physiological temperature. Such glucose‐responsive hydrogels with rapid response rate are highly attractive in the fields of developing glucose‐responsive sensors and self‐regulated drug delivery systems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of CoMCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves obtained by the microwave irradiation method

CoMCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves with different amounts of cobalt were synthesized via the microwave irradiation method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N₂ adsorption-desorption technique, and thermal and hydrothermal stabilities of synthesized CoMCM-41 samples were also investigated. Results show that these synthesized materials have typical mesoporous structure of MCM-41. Also, specific surface area and pore volume of synthesized CoMCM-41 decrease with increasing amount of cobalt added, and mesoporous ordering also decreases. When the molar ratio of SiO₂:CoO in the starting material is 1.0:0.05, mesoporous ordering of synthesized CoMCM-41 is the best among the four doping contents. On the other hand, results of thermal and hydrothermal tests show that CoMCM-41 after calcination at 750 °C for 3 h or hydrothermal treatment at 100 °C for 5 days still retains mesostructure. However, mesoporous framework is entirely damaged after calcination at 850 °C for 3 h.