Application of functionalized CdS nanoparticles as fluorescence probe in the determination of nucleic acids

Nanometer-sized fluorescent particles were successfully synthesized. The nanoparticles have a narrow, tunable, symmetric emission spectrum and a broad, continuous excitation spectrum. They are also photochemically stable. A synchronous fluorescence method was developed for the rapid determination of DNA with functionalized CdS as a fluorescence probe, based on the synchronous fluorescence quenching of functionalized CdS in the presence of DNA. Maximum fluorescence is produced at pH 7.0, with maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of 360 and 620 nm, respectively. The maximum emission wavelength of synchronous fluorescence is 354 nm when delta lambda = 260 nm. Under optimum conditions, the calibration graphs are linear over the range 0-3.5 microg mL(-1) for calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) and 0.2-3.0 microg mL(-1) for fish sperm DNA. The corresponding detection limit is 0.01 microg mL(-1) for CT-DNA and 0.02 microg mL(-1) for fish sperm DNA. The relative standard deviation of seven replicate measurements is 2.2% for 1 microg mL(-1) calf thymus DNA and 2.4% for 1 microg mL(-1) fish sperm DNA. The method is simple, rapid and sensitive. The recovery and relative standard deviation are very satisfactory.     

Selectrode--the universal ion-selective electrode-V. Complex formation studies with the Cu(II) Selectrode

The Cu(II) Selectrode, calibrated in a series of Cu(II) buffers at various pH levels, has been used for the determination of the stability constants of the Cu(II) complexes of glycine and EGTA at an ionic strength of 0.1. Methods for the calculation of the stability constants of chelate complexes from pH and pM values are presented. The values obtained compare very favourably with those recorded in the literature. For the Cu(II)-EGTA system, for which only a few stability constants have been determined, the following constants were found: logK(Cu, L)(CuL) = 16.80; logK(H, CuL)(CuHL) = 5.30; logK(2H, CuL)(CuH2L) = 7.64; logK(H, CuHL)(CuH2L) = 2.34; logK(Cu, HL)(CuHL) = 12.56; and logK(Cu, H2L)(CuH2L) = 5.97. Examples of the application of the Cu(II) Selectrode in replacement reactions are illustrated.     

Characterization of melittin binding to Euplotes octocarinatus centrin

In the presence of 1.0mM Ca(2+), the interaction between Euplotes octocarinatus centrin (EoCen) and melittin (ME) was studied by means of fluorescence spectra. In 0.1M N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethanesulfonic acid (Hepes) and 150mM NaCl at pH 7.4, fluorescence peak of ME was observed at about 353nm indicating that micro-environment of Tryptophan (Trp) residue in ME was hydrophilic. With the addition of 3.2x10(-4)M calcium saturated EoCen (holoEoCen), the peak of ME was blue-shifted to 339nm, which may be resulted from micro-environmental changes of the peptide. At the same time, fluorescence emission of ME was increased significantly suggesting that new complex of ME-holoEoCen was formed under the experimental conditions. Based on the fluorescence titration curves, the 1:1 stoichiometric ratio of holoEoCen to ME was confirmed. In addition, the conditional binding constant of holoEoCen with ME was calculated to be logK(ME-holoEoCen)=6.59+/-0.14.     

Comparative study of the water oxidizing reactions and the millisecond delayed chlorophyll fluorescence in photosystem II at different pH

Water splitting activity, the multiline EPR signal associated with S(2)-state of the CaMn(4)-cluster and the fast and slow phases of the induction curve of the millisecond delayed chlorophyll fluorescence from photosystem II (PSII) in the pH range of 4.5-8.5 were studied in the thylakoid membranes and purified PSII particles. It has been found that O(2) evolution and the multiline EPR signal were inhibited at acidic (pK approximately 5.3) and alkaline (pK approximately 8.1) pH values, and were maximal at pH 6.0-7.0. Our results indicate that the loss of O(2) evolution and the S(2)-state multiline EPR signal associated with the decrease of the millisecond delayed chlorophyll fluorescence only in alkaline region (pH 7.0-8.5). Possible correlations of the millisecond delayed chlorophyll fluorescence components with the donor side reactions in PSII are discussed.     

Classification of edible and lampante virgin olive oil based on synchronous fluorescence and total luminescence spectroscopy

Total luminescence and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopies were tested as regards their ability to differentiate edible from lampante virgin olive oils. Total luminescence spectra were recorded by measuring the emission spectra in the range 350-720 nm at excitation wavelengths from 320 to 535 nm. The synchronous fluorescence spectra of 41 edible and 32 lampante virgin olive oils were acquired by synchronous scanning the excitation and emission monochromator maintained at an offset value of 80 nm. Classification of virgin olive oils based on their synchronous fluorescence spectra was performed by hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis using the spectral range of 429-545 nm. Principal component analysis provided better discrimination between the two classes, without any classification error, while hierarchical cluster analysis allowed 97.3% correct classification. These results indicate the capability of fluorescence techniques to differentiate virgin olive oils according to their quality.     

2-{[1-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)methylidene]amino}benzoic acid immobilized Amberlite XAD-16 as metal extractant

2-{[1-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)methylidene]amino}benzoic acid (DMABA) was loaded on Amberlite XAD-16 (AXAD-16) via azo linker and the resulting resin AXAD-16-DMABA explored for enrichment of Zn(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Fe(III) and Co(II). The optimum pH values for extraction are 6.5-7.0, 5.0-6.0, 5.5-7.5, 5.0-6.5, 6.5-8.0, 5.5-7.0, 4.0-5.0 and 6.0-7.0, respectively. The sorption capacity was found between 97 and 515 μmol g⁻¹ and the preconcentration factors from 100 to 450. Tolerance limits for foreign species are reported. The kinetics of sorption is fast as t_1/2 is ≤5 min. The chelating resin can be reused for 50 cycles of sorption-desorption without any significant change (<1.5%) in the sorption capacity. The limit of detection values (blank +3 s) are 1.12, 1.38, 1.76, 0.67, 0.77, 2.52, 5.92 and 1.08 μg L⁻¹ for Zn(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Fe(III) and Co(II), respectively. The enrichment on AXAD-16-DMABA coupled with monitoring by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) is used to determine all the metal ion ions in river and synthetic water samples, Co in vitamin tablets and Zn in milk samples.     

Speciation of Co(II), Co(III), and Cu(II) in ethylenediamine solutions by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoretic (CE) method for the speciation of Co(II), Co(III), and Cu(II) in electroless copper-plating baths containing ethylenediamine (En) has been developed. The method is based on the selective pre-capillary derivatization of Co(II) with 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) followed by CE separation of stable [CoPhen(3)](2+), [CoEn(3)](3+), and [CuEn(2)](2+) chelates. The proposed derivatization procedure protects Co(II) from oxidation by dissolved oxygen and enables rapid determination of all three metal species within a single run. The optimized separations were carried out in a fused silica capillary (57 cmx75-microm I.D.) filled with an ethylenediamine sulfate electrolyte (20 mmol L(-1) H(2)SO(4), pH 7.0 with En, applied voltage +30 kV) using direct UV detection at 214 nm. The detection limits for a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 and 10 s, hydrodynamic injections were 5x10(-6) mol L(-1) for Cu(II), 1x10(-6) mol L(-1) for Co(III), and 4x10(-7) mol L(-1) for Co(II). Application of the method to the speciation of Co(II), Co(III), and Cu(II) in copper-plating bath samples is also demonstrated.     

Second derivative spectrophotometric method for simultaneous determination of cobalt, nickel and iron using 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol

A simple, sensitive and rapid derivative spectrophotometric method using 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol (5-Br-PADAP) has been developed for simultaneous determination of Co(II), Ni(II) and Fe(II) which have very similar chemical behavior and appear together in many real samples. The complexes of all these metal ions with 5-Br-PADAP were formed immediately at pH 7.0 ammonium acetate buffered solution and were stable for at least 24 h. Second derivative spectra were selected for evaluation, because working wavelength determination was more precise and spectral overlap was less than in the ordinary and first derivative spectra. Three wavelengths at which the complexes exhibit extremum ²D values for Co(II), Ni(II) and Fe(II) were selected as analytical wavelengths, i.e., 640, 600 and 740 nm, respectively. Calibration curves drawn with zero-to-peak values at mentioned wavelengths were linear between 80 and 2000 ng ml⁻¹ for each metal ion. Concentrations of Co(II) and Ni(II) were calculated from the total ²D values and the sum of the linear equations for these three cations at 640 and 600 nm, after Fe(II) assay by making use of the ²D value at 740 nm. Limits of detection (LOD) for Co(II), Ni(II) and Fe(II) were 2.7, 13.9 and 3.0 ng ml⁻¹, respectively. The method has been applied to tool steel and heater resistance wire samples successfully.     

Fluorescence quenching of three molecular weight fractions of a soil fulvic acid by UO(2)(II)

A soil fulvic acid isolated from a Korean forest was divided into three different molecular weight fractions (F1: less than 220 Da; F2: 220-1000 Da; and F3: 1000-4000 Da) by gel filtration chromatography and the fractions were studied by synchronous fluorescence (SyF) spectroscopy. Analysis of the SyF spectra for the fulvic acid fractions showed that the fractions with molecules of larger sizes have a higher content of condensed aromatic compounds. The information about their interaction with UO(2)(II) ions in an aqueous solution (100 mg l(-1) of fulvic acid, in 0.1 M NaClO(4) at pH 3.5) was obtained from the measurement of SyF spectra at increasing concentrations of metal ions. Self-modeling mixture analysis of the quenching spectra gives two distinct peak components having a maximum peak position of 386 (type I) and 498 nm (type II) for all the size-fractionated fulvic acids. From the analysis of the quenching profiles of the peaks, using a non-linear method, the concentration of binding sites (C(L)), and the corresponding stability constants (logK) were calculated. The stability constants of the UO(2)(II)-fulvate complexes ranged from 4.10 to 5.33, and increased with higher molecular weight fractions, which indicates a stronger affinity for UO(2)(II) in the fraction with molecules of larger size.     

Activation free energy of Zn（Ⅱ）,Co（Ⅱ） binding to metallo-β-lactamase ImiS

In an effort to understand the recombination of a B2 metallo-β-lactamase（MβL）,the binding of metals to apo-ImiS was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence spectra.The binding of Zn（Ⅱ）,Co（Ⅱ） to apo-lmiS resulted in activation free energies △G_≠~θ values of 93.719 and 92.948 kJ mol~（-1）,respectively,and increasing of fluorescence intensity at maxima emission of 340 nm.     

Biosorption of cadmium,copper, lead and zinc by inactive biomass of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Pseudomonas Putida</Emphasis>

The accumulation of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) at mg L(-1) concentration levels by inactive freeze-dried biomass of Pseudomonas Putida has been investigated. These metals could be efficiently removed from diluted aqueous solutions. A contact time of 10 min was sufficient to reach equilibrium. The pH has a strong effect on metal biosorption and the optimal pH values were 6.0, 5.0-6.0, 6.0-6.5 and 7.0-7.5 for Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) respectively. Under these conditions there was 80% removal for all metals studied. The process of biosorption can be described by a Langmuir-type adsorption model. This model accounts for 98% of the data variance. The K(A) and q(max) parameters for each metal are strongly correlated (at confidence levels greater than 98%) with the metal acidity, quantified by the constant of the corresponding M(OH)(+) complex, thus confirming previous assertions by other authors.     

Synthesis and coordination properties of new macrocyclic ligands: equilibrium studies and crystal structures

The synthesis and characterization of two new macrocyclic ligands, the bis-macrocyclic compound 2,6-bis(1,4,13-triaza-7,10-dioxacyclopentadec-1-ylmethyl)phenol (L) and 38-methoxy-1,4,13,16,19,28-hexaaza-7,10,22,25-tetraoxatricyclo[14.14.7.1(32,36)]octatriconta-32,34,Delta(36,38)-triene (L1) are reported. Equilibrium studies of basicity and coordination properties toward metal ions such as Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) were performed for ligand by potentiometric measurements in aqueous solution (298.1 +/- 0.1 K, I= 0.15 mol dm(-3)). L behaves as a hexaprotic base (logK(1)= 10.93, logK(2)= 9.70, logK(3)= 8.79, logK(4)= 8.05, logK(5)= 6.83, logK(6)= 2.55). All metal ions form stable mono- and dinuclear complexes: logK(MLH(-1))= 25.61 for Cu(II), 15.37 for Zn(II), 12.58 for Cd(II) and 13.79 for Pb(II); logK(M(2)LH(-1))= 31.61 for Cu(II), 23.38 for Zn(II), 24.49 for Cd(II) and 23.68 for Pb(II). All these dinuclear species show a great tendency to add the OH(-) group: the equilibrium constant for the addition reaction was found to be logK(M(2)LH(-1)OH)= 4.77 for Cu(II), 5.66 for Zn(II), 2.8 for Cd(II) and 3.18 for Pb(II). In the case of Ni(II), kinetic inertness prevents the possibility of solution studies. The dinuclear solid adducts [Ni(2)H(-1)L(N(3))(3)].EtOH and [Cu(2)H(-1)L(N(3))](ClO(4))(2) were characterized by X-ray analysis.     

Facile synthesis of water-soluble and size-homogeneous cadmium selenide nanoparticles and their application as a long-wavelength fluorescent probe for detection of Hg(II) in aqueous solution

Highly luminescent uncoated water-soluble and mono-disperse CdSe nanoparticles (NPs) have been prepared facilely. Uncoated CdSe core NPs possessing a good size distribution was accompanied with long wavelength of fluorescence emission. It is interesting to note that these functionalized NPs are soluble in water medium stably for more than 1 month, and no significant changes were found in the optical characteristics in comparison with fresh CdSe NPs prepared. The functionalized CdSe NPs exhibited strong specific affinity for mercury(II) through their surface functional groups. Based on the significant quenching of fluorescence emission of functionalized CdSe NPs with a long-wavelength 630nm, a simple, rapid and specific detection for Hg(II) was proposed. Under optimum conditions, the response of linearly proportional to the concentration of Hg(II) is between 0mol/L and 1.25x10(-6)mol/L, and the limit of detection is 4.50x10(-9)mol/L. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of six replicate measurements is 2.0% for 2.0x10(-7)mol/L of Hg(II). In terms of fluorescence quenching at 630nm of CdSe NPs, no obvious wavelength shift or no new emission band in presence of Hg(II) at pH 7.50 of phosphate buffer solution were found; furthermore, a significant reduction in absorbance at 230nm of CdSe NPs was first observed in our work. We could speculate that Hg(II) as an effective quencher (even at low concentration) for functionalized CdSe NPs emission suggests that it is capable of directly intercepting one of the charge carriers, thus disrupting the recombination process.     

Simultaneous determination of norfloxacin and lomefloxacin in milk by first derivative synchronous fluorescence spectrometry using Al (III) as an enhancer

A novel method for the simultaneous determination of norfloxacin (NFLX) and lomefloxacin (LFLX) in milk samples was developed by using first derivative synchronous fluorimetry. The synchronous fluorescence (Δλ=160 nm) spectra and first derivative synchronous fluorescence spectra of NFLX, LFLX and their mixture were studied. The zero-crossing method was utilized to measure the first derivative value of the derivative spectrum. The zero-crossing points were located at 275.0 nm for NFLX and at 283.8 nm for LFLX, in first derivative synchronous fluorescence spectra. Therefore, 283.8 nm and 275.0 nm were selected for the determination of NFLX and LFLX. The first derivative values varied linearly with the concentrations in the range of 1.68×10(-8)-5.64×10(-6) mol L(-1) for NFLX and 1.89×10(-8)-6.19×10(-6) mol L(-1) for LFLX. The detection limits were 5.03×10(-9) mol L(-1) for NFLX and 7.58×10(-9) mol L(-1) for LFLX. The proposed method is reliable, selective and sensitive, and has been used successfully in the simultaneous determination of NFLX and LFLX in milk samples, whose results were in good agreement with those obtained by HPLC.     

导数同步荧光法同时测定1-萘胺和2-萘胺

为同时测定2种萘胺异构体的含量,研究了1-萘胺和2-萘胺的同步荧光光谱及其一阶导数同步荧光光谱,利用零交点法避免了它们之间的干扰。在pH=7.5的KH2PO4-NaOH缓冲溶液中,波长差为120 nm的条件下,测定了1-萘胺和2-萘胺的同步荧光。进一步对2种萘胺的同步光谱做一阶导数处理,分别在1-萘胺和2-萘胺的导数同步荧光光谱为零的259和290 nm处读取另一种异构体的信号值。该值与浓度呈线性关系,线性范围均在4.0×10-7～2.0×10-5 mol/L;1-萘胺和2-萘胺的检出限分别是4.0×10-8和2.9×10-8 mol/L;RSD均在5%以下。该方法用于产品中2种萘胺的同时测定,获得满意结果。     

A new fluorescent probe for zinc(II): an 8-hydroxy-5-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonylquinoline-pendant 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane

A new fluorescent probe for Zn2+, namely, 8-hydroxy-5-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonylquinolin-2-ylmethyl-pendant cyclen (L8), was designed and synthesized (cyclen=1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane). By potentiometric pH, 1H NMR, and UV spectroscopic titrations, the deprotonation constants pKa1-pKa6 of L(8)4 HCl were determined to be <2, <2, <2 (for amino groups of the cyclen and quinoline moieties), 7.19+/-0.05 (for 8-OH of the quinoline moiety), 10.10+/-0.05, and 11.49+/-0.05, respectively, at 25 degrees C with I=0.1 (NaNO3). The results of 1H NMR, potentiometric pH, and UV titrations, as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, showed that L8 and Zn2+ form a 1:1 complex [Zn(H-1L8)], in which the 8-OH group of the quinoline ring of L8 is deprotonated and coordinates to Zn2+, in aqueous solution at neutral pH. On addition of one equivalent of Zn2+ and Cd2+, the fluorescence emission of L8 (5 microM) at 512 nm in aqueous solution at pH 7.4 [10 mM HEPES with I=0.1 (NaNO3)] and 25 degrees C increased by factors of 17 and 43, respectively. We found that the cyclen moiety has the unique property of quenching the fluorescence emission of the quinolinol moiety when not complexed with metal cations, but enhancing emission when complexed with Zn2+ or Cd2+. In addition, the Zn2+-L8 complex [Zn(H-1L8)] is much more thermodynamically and kinetically stable (Kd{Zn(H-1L8)}=[Zn2+]free[L8]free/[Zn(H-1L8)]=8 fM at pH 7.4) than the Zn2+ complexes of our previous Zn2+ fluorophores ([Zn(H-1L2)] and [Zn(L3)]). Furthermore, formation of [Zn(H-1L8)] is much faster than those of [Zn(H-1L2)] and [Zn(L3)]. The staining of early-stage apoptotic cells with L8 is also described.     

Solid phase extractive preconcentration of trace metals using p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene-1,2-crown-4-anchored chloromethylated polymeric resin beads

5,11,17,23-Tetrakis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-25,26-dihydroxy-27,28-crown-4-calix[4]arene in the cone conformation was synthesized. This p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene-1,2-crown-4 compound was then anchored with Merrifield chloromethylated resin beads. The modified polymeric resin was characterized by ¹H NMR, FT-IR and elemental analysis and used successfully for the separation and preconcentration of Cu(II), Cd(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) prior to their determination by FAAS. Effective extraction conditions were optimized in both batch and column methods. The resin exhibits good separating ability with maximum between pH 6.0-7.0 for Cu(II), pH 6.0 for Cd(II), pH 5.0 for Co(II), pH 4.0-4.5 for Ni(II), and pH 4.5 for Zn(II). The elution studies were carried out with 0.5 mol L⁻¹ HCl for Cu(II), Co(II) and Co(II), 1.0 mol L⁻¹ HCl for Cd(II) and Zn(II). The sorption capacity, preconcentration factor and distribution coefficient of each metal ion were determined. The detection limits were 1.10, 1.25, 1.83, 1.68 and 2.01 μg L⁻¹ for Cu(II), Cd(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II). The influence of several ions on the resin performance was also investigated. The validity of the proposed method was checked for these metal ions in NIST standard reference material 2709 (San Joaquin Soil) and 2711 (Montana Soil).     

Investigation of the spectral properties of a squarylium near-infrared dye and its complexation with Fe(III) and Co(II) ions.

The spectral features of the squarylium dye NN525 in different solutions and its complexation with several metal ions were investigated. The absorbance maximum of the dye is at 669 nm in tetrahydrofuran. This value matches the output of a commercially available laser diode (650 nm), thus making use of such a source practical for excitation. The emission maximum of the dye in tetrahydrofuran is at 676 nm. The addition of either Fe(III) ion or Co(II) ion resulted in fluorescence quenching of the dye. The detection limit is 6.24 x 10(-8) M for Fe(III) ion and 1.55 x 10(-8) M for Co(II) ion. The molar ratio of the metal to the dye was established to be 1:1 for both metal ions. The stability constant Ks of the metal-dye complex was calculated to be 3.14 x 10(6) M(-1) for the Fe-dye complex and 2.64 x 10(5) M(-1) for the Co-dye complex.     

UV and fluorescence spectral changes induced by neodymium binding of N,N'-ethylenebis[2-(o-hydroxyphenolic)glycine] and N,N'-di(2-hydroxybenzyl)ethylenediamine-N,N' diacetic acid

In 0.01 M 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (Hepes), pH 7.4 and room temperature, the binding of neodymium to N,N'-ethylenebis[2-(o-hydroxyphenolic)glycine] (EHPG), or N,N'-di(2-hydroxybenzyl)ethylenediamine-N,N' diacetic acid (HBED) had been studied from 210 to 330 nm by means of difference UV spectra. Two peaks at 240 and 292 nm appear in difference UV spectra after neodymium binding to EHPG or HBED. The 1:1 stable complex can be confirmed from spectral titration curves. The molar extinction coefficient of Nd-EHPG and Nd-HBED complexes are Deltaepsilon(Nd-EHPG)=(12.93+/-0.21) x 10(3)cm(-1)M(-1), Deltaepsilon(Nd-HBED)=(14.45+/-0.51) x 10(5)cm(-1)M(-1) at 240 nm, respectively. Using EDTA as a competitor, the conditional equilibrium constants of the complexes are logK(Nd-EHPG)=11.89+/-0.09 and logK(Nd-HBED)=12.19+/-0.15, respectively. At the same conditions, fluorescence measurements show that neodymium binding to EHPG leads to a quenching of the fluorescence of EHPG at near 310 nm. However, there is no obvious fluorescence change of HBED at 318 nm with the binding of neodymium to HBED.     

Synchronous fluorescence determination of human serum albumin with methyl blue as a fluorescence probe

A new synchronous fluorescence scan analysis was developed for the determination of HSA with high sensitivity with a triphenylmethane acid dye methyl blue as a fluorescence probe. When Deltalambda=140 nm, the synchronous fluorescence peak of methyl blue is located at 323 nm and the synchronous fluorescence intensity of the methyl blue is significantly increased in the presence of trace HSA due to the complex formed between methyl blue and HSA at pH 4.1. Under optimal conditions, the calibration graphs are linear over the range 0.03-266.0 and 266.0-665.0 microg mL(-1) for human serum albumin (HSA). Limit of determination were 0.03 microg mL(-1) for HSA. In the detection of HSA in human serum samples, this method gave values close the clinical data got from hospital.