Photodynamic Inactivation of <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">E. coli</Emphasis> PTCC 1276 Using Light Emitting Diodes: Application of Rose Bengal and Methylene Blue as Two Simple Models

The lack of a comparative study about potential of high-power light emitting diodes (LEDs) for photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of pathogenic microorganisms has remained as a challenging issue for researchers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to fill this gap through introduction of an efficient model for in vitro PDI in an aqueous medium. For this purpose, two individual 30 mW/cm² irradiation systems were designed using suitable sets of green and red LEDs. At another work, Methylene blue (MB) and Rose bengal (RB) as two simple models in the range of 5–150 μM were used in order to compare PDI of E. coli PTCC 1276 using red and green LED systems. Our results showed that a first-order mathematical model has the strength to describe the temporal variation of survival curves. Based on our results, when concentration of photosensitizer increased, the rate of inactivation for RB increased while MB depicted a maximum rate value at 25 μM. In a comparative study, optimum inactivation of E. coli PTCC 1276 obtained during 2- and 10-min irradiation of the LED systems using RB and MB at 150 and 25 μM, respectively. With regard to lower value of inactivation time and higher rate of inactivation for RB, use of simultaneous green high-power LEDs and RB is proposed as an efficient approach for PDI of pathogenic bacteria in future industrial applications.     

Bottom-up and top-down approach for periodic microstructures on thin oxide films by controlled photo-activated chemical processes

Micropatterned oxide films were fabricated by controlling the photo-induced processes, such as buckling driven wrinkle formation and photomigration, in the photo monomer-oxide precursor hybrid films. The photo-induced process depended on the wavelength of the illuminated light, that is to say, the penetration depth of the UV light for polymerization; a uniform illumination of 254 nm light from the incoherent black light induces the surface buckling which resulted in the self-organized formation of a long-range ordered surface wrinkle structure (bottom-up process). On the other hand, 325 nm or 365 nm illumination enables us to fabricate a microstructure by the conventional photolithography technique, such as the mask method or holographic illumination (top-down process). The simultaneous illumination of the black light (uniform, 254 nm) and the He–Cd laser (holographic, 325 nm) resulted in the formation of a 2D micropattern in which the holographic gratings are formed by the holographic illumination together with the array of dots by surface buckling. This result indicates that the present microfabrication offers an integration of the top-down and bottom-up approach to realize the simultaneous fabrication of multi-scale and complex microstructured thin oxide films for photonic applications.     

Fast and stable recording of birefringence and holographic gratings in an azo-polymethacrylate using a single nanosecond light pulse

Pulsed light-induced recording in azobenzene polymers has recently been studied due to its potential use in optical storage applications. In this paper we study the photoinduced birefringence (Deltan) and holographic grating recording in an azobenzene side chain liquid-crystalline polymethacrylate irradiating with a single 4 ns light pulse at 532 nm. For some irradiation conditions, Deltan grows in less than 50 ns reaching an essentially stable value of about 10(-2). Holographic gratings have been registered using intensity and polarization patterns. Fast response and stability, similar to those of Deltan, was observed in the holographic recording process. Both light-induced anisotropy and relief contributions have been found in the case of gratings recorded using intensity patterns, relief being the dominant contribution at high recording energies. Polarization gratings have been recorded using two orthogonally circularly polarized beams. The resultant gratings showed stable efficiencies up to 0.8% (measured at 633 nm in 1-mum-thick films) and no measurable relief was observed.     

Effects of different light irradiations on structure and optical properties of methoxy-substituted tetraphenylporphyrins

UV lamp, filtered halogen lamp (at 425 nm) and Green laser (532 nm) experiments on a series of meso-substituted tetra phenyl porphyrin, TPP, bearing methoxy peripheral groups together with a metal derivate of 3,4 dimethoxy TPP were lead to different protonation and aggregation structures. Properties of irradiated porphyrins were investigated using their absorption and emission spectra in dichloromethane solution. The results show that the optical properties of the TPP derivates depend on light irradiation source, which shows the tuning of the absorption and emission spectra of the TPP derivates. From the dynamic light scattering measurements, the size distribution of samples was estimated about 5–15 nm in solvent after irradiation. Atomic force microscopy images of deposited porphyrins on the glass surface were shown average particle size between 10 and 30 nm. Particularly, self-assembly of the porphyrin derivates was also observed when green laser was used. We suggest that the irradiation source plays an important role in the controlling of size and morphology of products, and we propose a self-organization model to explain the formation of the porphyrin nanostructures.     

A spiropyran with enhanced fluorescence: A bright,photostable and red-emitting calcium sensor

A rationally designed, pyrene-spiropyran hybrid Ca²⁺ sensor (Py-1) with enhanced fluorescence intensity compared to a standalone spiropyran analogue is presented. Importantly, Py-1 retains the characteristic red emission profile of the spiropyran, while fibre-based photostability studies show the sensor is stable after multiple cycles of photoswitching, without any sign of photodegradation. Such properties are of real advantage for cell-based sensing applications. An interesting observation is that, Py-1 presents with two excitation options; direct green excitation (532 nm) of the photoswitch for a red emission, and UV excitation (344 nm) of the component pyrene, which gives rise to distinct blue and red emissions. This proof-of-concept hybrid sensing system presents as a more general approach to brighter spiropyran-based sensors.     

Biphotonic recording effect of polarization gratings based on dye-doped liquid crystal films

This study investigates a holographic recording effect of biphotonic polarization gratings (BPGs) written on dye-doped liquid crystal (DDLC) films. One linearly polarized green light (λ_G = 514.5 nm) and a polarization-modulated interference pattern formed by two mutually coherent orthogonal (±45° with respect to the polarization of the green light) polarized red lights simultaneously excite the DDLC films to generate a BPG. The formation of BPGs depends primarily on the dichroism of the dye molecules and a sequence of mechanisms: photoisomerization, anisotropic adsorption and inhibition of dye adsorption. The cis-isomer absorbance-modulated distribution associated with the red polarization-modulation pattern induces the dye adsorption-modulated pattern, in turn, yielding the permanent BPG which generates a modulated twisted nematic (TN) structure pattern in the sample. It is found that each BPG is verified to be electrically switchable and thermally erasable. The switching time is in the order of milliseconds. Additionally, the recording time to form a BPG decreases with increasing intensity of the green pump beam.     

Cholesteric gratings induced by electric field in mixtures of liquid crystal and novel chiral ionic liquid

Formation of gratings upon alternating electric field in compositions of highly birefringent liquid crystal (LC) with novel chiral ionic liquid (CIL) enclosed in 10-µm-thick cells is studied. The compatibility of two organic components of the mixture is investigated. The grating is formed in 1–5% CIL mixtures and causes significant changes of the transmission of polarised light through the cells. Transmission of polarised λ = 633 nm light through the 5% CIL sample is studied with respect to frequency (1 Hz–3 MHz) and amplitude (up to 10 V) of alternating voltage and the results are used for sketch a voltage–frequency phase diagram. Two possible ways of formation of the gratings with perpendicular orientation to that formed from initial state are presented. Two twisting axes in the molecular alignments of the cholesteric LC gratings with perpendicular directions are proposed. Optical switch based on four different states of LC including two gratings with perpendicular directions is proposed. Moreover, behaviour of the rotation of a grating induced by AC field in hybrid planar-homeotropic cell is studied in two frequency regimes and rotation by more than 90° upon change of the AC field amplitude is observed.     

Thermally stable holographic surface relief gratings and switchable optical anisotropy in films of an azobenzene-containing polyelectrolyte

In a search for effective polymer film material for holographic surface patterning, commercially available azobenzene polyelectrolyte has been employed. Films of good optical quality in a wide range of thickness were produced. Optical dichroism up to 0.19 was induced upon irradiation with linearly polarized light. Surface relief gratings with amplitudes up to 630 nm and diffraction efficiency of 37% were inscribed by holographic exposure to the light of 488 nm. Due to the ionic nature of the material, the relief was stable at least up to the temperature of decomposition (ca. 200 degrees C) but could be erased and inscribed again by light.     

A novel process for holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal system via simultaneous photo-polymerization and siloxane network formation

Formation of transmission holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal gratings was studied for matrix components of trimethylolpropane triacrylate:trimethoxysilylmethyl methacrylate:1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (reactive diluent) in the range from 80:10:10,wt% to 10:80:10,wt% and E7 as nematic liquid crystal under the irradiation with Nd-YAG laser (532,nm). The optimum concentration of E7 in the recording solution was 35,wt% (65,wt% of matrix components) in presence of small amounts of radical photo-initiator system (Rose Bengal 0.05,wt%, NPG 0.1,wt%). When the concentration of methacrylate in matrix components was low (< 30%), gratings with apparently high diffraction efficiency could be fabricated both for trimethoxysilylmethyl methacrylate (cross-linkable by hydrolysis) and trimethylsilylmethyl methacrylate (non-cross-linkable by hydrolysis), although transiently high initial diffraction efficiency was observed by the non-equilibrium initial photo-polymerization of cross-linking components. Distinct difference was seen at higher concentration (> 50,wt%) of the methacrylates. Contrary to that gratings with reasonably high and stable diffraction efficiency were successfully fabricated with trimethoxysilylmethyl methacrylate, gratings with only low diffraction efficiency were obtained for non-cross-linkable trimethylsilylmethyl methacrylate. With higher concentration of photo-sensitizer and photo-initiator (0.2,wt%; 1.0,wt%), and shorter irradiation time, gratings with high diffraction efficiency could be fabricated only for the photo-initiator system of 3,3′-carbonylbis(7-diethylaminocoumarin) and diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate with shorter induction period (∼174,s). Grating with diffraction efficiency of 72% was obtained with trimethoxysilylpropyl acrylate (80,wt% in the matrix component) and 35,wt% E7. By increasing the concentration of diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate to 2,wt%, diffraction efficiency increased to 85% and induction period was shortened to 129,s, and low volume shrinkage of 8% was attained via simultaneous radical cross-linking of trimethylolpropane triacrylate and siloxane network formation of trimethoxysilyl groups of trimethoxysilylmethyl acrylate by atmospheric moisture catalyzed by cationic species produced from the initiator system. In SEM morphology, although gratings formed with high concentration of trimethoxysilylpropyl acrylate had some cracks in polymer matrix, the largest grating spacing indicating the lowest volume shrinkage and very regular and well-defined gratings were observed.     

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using different volumes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichodesma indicum</Emphasis> leaf extract and their antibacterial and photocatalytic activities

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were prepared by a green synthesis process, using Trichodesma indicum (T. indicum) leaf extract at different (5, 10 and 15 mL) concentrations. The formation of Ag NPs was confirmed by UV–Vis spectrophotometry with surface plasmon resonance at 443 nm. After this confirmation, the influence of leaf extract concentrations on the structural and surface morphological properties was studied. Along with their physical properties, antibacterial activity against pathogenic (B. cereus and E. coli) bacteria and photocatalytic de-colorization of methylene blue (MB) were examined. The XRD studies revealed that all the nanoparticles exhibited preferential orientation along the (111) plane of silver. The crystallite size decreases as the extract concentration is increased. From SEM images, it was found that the particles are spherical in shape and the size of the particles decreased drastically when the leaf extracts concentration is greater than 10 mL. The images strongly support the result observed from the SEM studies. FT-IR analysis showed that the plant compounds are involved in the reduction of Ag⁺ ions to Ag⁰. Ag NPs synthesized in 15 mL of leaf extract greatly resist the growth of both species and decomposed 82% of MB within 210 min. This ability of Ag NPs can be due to the small spherical-shaped particles and larger Ag⁺ ion release.     

以N,N-四(间联苯基)-4,4-联苯二胺为正孔传送材料的有机电致发光器件(英文)

用新的路径成功地合成了N,N -四(间联苯基)-4,4 -联苯二胺(m TBPBz).以m TBPBz作为正孔传送材料,探讨了它在有机电致发光器件中的应用.制作了结构为玻璃基板／ITO阳极(130nm)／m TBPBz(40nm)／Alq(60nm)／LiF(0.5nm)／Al阴极(100nm)的器件.结果显示:该有机电致发光器件的绿色发光来源于Alq层.10V时,它的最大亮度为9486cd／m2.证明了m TBPBz具有正孔传送性能,可作为电致发光材料使用.     

Comparative Effect of Low-intensity Laser Radiation in Green and Red Spectral Regions on Functional Characteristics of Sturgeon Sperm

A comparative study of the effect of low-intensity laser radiation in green (λ = 532 nm) and red (λ = 632.8 nm) spectral regions at equal average irradiance (3 mW cm⁻²) on functional characteristics of Siberian sturgeon spermatozoa is carried out. Confirmation of the photobiomodulation effect of the radiation is obtained by analyzing spermatozoa motility, percentage of motile spermatozoa and fertilization rate. It is shown that, depending on the energy dose, the laser radiation in red and green spectral regions can have both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on spermatozoa motility. Contrary to popular belief that the short-wavelength radiation has great prospects in reproductive biotechnologies (due to more efficient absorption of radiation by cellular chromophores and increased generation of ROS), convincing evidence of a more pronounced stimulatory effect of radiation in the red spectral region was obtained. For the first time, metal-free porphyrins capable of acting as endogenous photosensitizers generating ROS were detected and identified in animal sperm. Using luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, it is shown that the increased production of ROS capable of exerting an inhibitory effect on biological systems at high concentrations is among the possible reasons for reduction in the stimulatory effect of radiation when moving from red to green spectral region.     

A Label-Free Deoxyribozymes Resonance Rayleigh Scattering Assay for Trace Lead(II) Based on Nanogold Catalysis of Chloroauric Acid-Vitamin C Particle Reaction

In pH 7.2 Tris-HCl buffer solution, the substrate strand DNA (SDNA) was hybridized to the enzyme strand DNA (EDNA) forming a double strand DNA (dsDNA). The SDNA in dsDNA could be cleaved by lead(II) to release a cleavaged single-stranded (ssDNA) that prevented the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from forming a stable AuNPs-ssDNA conjugate. The unconjugated AuNPs were aggregated to form AuNP aggregation (AuNPsA) that appeared as a resonance Rayleigh scattering (RS) peak at 532 nm. When the lead(II) concentration increased, the AuNPs-ssDNA increased, the AuNPsA decreased, the color changed from blue to red, and the RS intensity at 532 nm decreased. The decreased RS intensity ΔI _532 nm was linear to the lead(II) concentration in the range of 0.67–60 nmol/L, with a detection limit of 0.3 nmol/L. The AuNPs-ssDNA exhibited a strong catalytic effect on the reaction between chloroauric acid and vitamin C (VC) that can be detected by an RS method at 620 nm. When the lead(II) concentration increased, the intensity at 620 nm increased, and the increased intensity ΔI _620 nm was linear to the lead(II) concentration in the range of 1.33–120 pmol/L, with a detection limit of 0.5 pmol/L. The proposed method was applied to detect lead(II) in water samples, with satisfactory results.     

Synthesis,structures, and electroluminescence properties of a 1D zinc(II) coordination polymer containing both dicyanamide and pyrazinamide ligands

A 1D coordination polymer, {[Zn(μ_1,5-dca)₂(PZA)₂](PZA)₂}_n (1), has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The coordination modes of the dicyanamide (dca) and the pyrazinamide (PZA) were inferred by IR spectroscopy. The complex was applied to organic electroluminescent (EL) devices as the emitting materials. The electroluminescent device of ITO/NPB (40 nm)/Zn polymer: CBP (30 nm) (30 nm)/BCP (15 nm)/Alq (30 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (100 nm) was fabricated. The EL device emits cyan light originating from this complex with high brightness and efficiencies. For 1, a maximum luminance of 34.9 cd/A was achieved at 9 V.     

A Sensitive Nanoporous Gold-Based Electrochemical DNA Biosensor for Escherichia coli Detection

A sensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a mixed monolayer structure self-assembled at nanoporous gold (NPG) electrode surface was prepared for Escherichia coli (E. coli) detection. The NPG was fabricated on gold electrode, onto which thiolated oligonucleotides (SH-DNA) and mercaptohexanol (MCH) were covalently linked forming a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The hybridization between the SH-DNA/MCH modified biosensor and E. coli DNA was monitored with differential pulse voltammetry measurement using methylene blue (MB) as the hybridization indicator. The biosensor can detect 1 × 10^?12 M DNA target and 50 cfu/μL E. coli without any nucleic acid amplification steps. The detection limit was lowered to 50 cfu/mL after 5.0 h of incubation.     

Processing of β-BaB2O4 Thin Films Through Metal Organics

β-BaB₂O₄ (β-BBO) thin films were successfully synthesized by the sol-gel method using metallo-organic compounds. A stable BBO precursor solution was prepared from barium metal and boron triethoxide or 2,4,6-triethoxycyclotriboroxane in a mixture solvent of ethanol and 2-ethoxyethanol. As-precipitated powder formed by hydrolysis of the precursor solutions crystallized to ψ phase, which was transformed to β phase at higher temperatures. The transformation temperatures of powders from ψ to β phase of the ethoxide system and the boroxane system were 600 and 680°C, respectively. The calcination of precursor films in a mixture gas of water and oxygen was found to decrease the crystallization temperature of β-BBO films on Pt sheet substrates. The precursor films prepared from the ethoxide system and the boroxane system crystallized to β-BBO on Pt (111)/glass substrates at 500 and 550°C, respectively. The BBO films on Pt(111)/glass substrates showed the strong (006) preferred orientation. The β-BBO films on Pt(111)/glass substrates showed the second harmonic generation (SHG) of the 532 nm light on irradiation with 1064 nm light. The SH power from the BBO films was correlated with the fundamental power through the square-law proportionality based on the theory. The SHG efficiency of the BBO films was dependent upon the film thickness.     

Sensitization of photopolymer materials by halogenated derivatives of xanthene and thioxanthene dyes in the pulsed recording mode

A holographic photopolymer material based on a poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix, the acrylamide monomer, and triethanolamine as an initiator was sensitized by the xanthene dyes erythrosine; thioeryth-rosine; eosin; thioeosin; thiofluorescein, 4-iodo-, 4,5-diiodo-, and 2,4,5-triiodofluorescein; and 4-bromo-, 4,5-dibromo-, and 2,4,5-tribromothiofluorescein. The quantum yields of photobleaching of these dyes in the polymer matrix were determined. Transmission phase gratings were recorded in the pulse mode (λ = 532 nm, t _p = 10 ns). The levels of the diffraction efficiency of holograms were measured, and the 4-bromo- or 4,5-dibromothiofluorescein-triethanolamine system was found to be the most effective photoinitiator.     

Particle Production in Reflection and Transmission Mode Laser Ablation: Implications for Laserspray Ionization

Particles were ablated from laser desorption and inlet ionization matrix thin films with a UV laser in reflection and transmission geometries. Particle size distributions were measured with a combined scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) system that measured particles in the size range from 10 nm to 20 μm. The matrixes investigated were 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA), sinapic acid (SA), 2,5-dihydroxy-acetophenone (DHAP), and 2-nitrophloroglucinol (NPG). Nanoparticles with average diameters between 20 and 120 nm were observed in both transmission and reflection geometry. The particle mass distribution was significantly different in reflection and transmission geometry. In reflection geometry, approximately equal mass was distributed between particles in the 20 to 450 nm range of diameters and particles in the 450 nm to 1.5 μm diameter range. In transmission mode, the particle mass distribution was dominated by large particles in the 2 to 20 μm diameter range. Ablation of inlet ionization matrices DHAP and NPG produced particles that were 3 to 4 times smaller compared with the other matrices. The results are consistent with ion formation by nanoparticle melting and breakup or melting and breakup of the large particles through contact with heated inlet surfaces.

Competitive Adsorption of Methylene Blue and Rhodamine B on Natural Zeolite: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies

A batch system was applied to study the adsorption behavior of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RB) in single and binary component systems on natural zeolite. In the single component systems, the zeolite presents higher adsorption capacity for MB than RB with the maximal adsorption capacity of 7.95×10^?5 and 1.26×10^?5 mol/g at 55°C for MB and RB, respectively. Kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption followed pseudo‐second‐ order kinetics and could be described by a two‐step diffusion process. For the single component systems, the adsorption isotherm could be fitted by the Langmuir model. In the binary component system, MB and RB exhibit competitive adsorption on the zeolite. The adsorption is approximately reduced to 50% and 60% of single component adsorption systems of MB and RB, respectively at an initial concentration of 6×10^?6 mol·L^?1 at 25°C. In the binary component system, kinetic and adsorption isotherm studies demonstrate that the experimental data are following pseudo‐second‐order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm and kinetic data are fairly described by a two‐step diffusion model. Effect of solution pH on adsorption of MB and RB in both single and binary component systems was studied and the results were described by electrostatic interactions.     

Peri-Anthracenethioindigo: A Scaffold for Efficient All-Red-Light and Near-Infrared Molecular Photoswitching**

Molecular photoswitching with red light is greatly desired to evade photodamage and achieve specific photoresponses. In virtually all reported cases however, only one switching direction uses red light while for the reverse switching, UV or visible light is needed. All-red-light photoswitching brings with it the clear advantage of pushing photoswitching to the limit of the low-energy spectrum, but no viable system is available currently. Here we report on peri-anthracenethioindigo (PAT) as molecular scaffold for highly efficient all-red-light photoswitching with an outstanding performance and property profile. The PAT photoswitch provides near-infrared (NIR) absorption up to 850 nm, large negative photochromism with more than 140 nm maxima shifts and changes color from green to blue upon irradiation with two shades of red light. Thermal stability of the metastable Z isomer is high with a corresponding half-life of days at 20 °C. Application in red-light responsive polymers undergoing pronounced and reversible green to blue color changes demonstrate spatially resolved photoswitching. The PAT photoswitch thus offers unique responsiveness to very low energy light together with predictable and large geometrical changes within a rigid molecular scaffold. We expect a plethora of applications for PAT in the near future, e.g. in materials, molecular machines or biological context.