Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic readout on heavy metal ions based on surface self assembly

A new method is reported for detecting heavy metal ions by using the self assembled monolayer (SAM) technique and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The p‐mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) served as the SERS readout molecule and the modified tag to attach on the smooth gold substrate as well as the tag of nanoparticles by the SAM method. Two carboxyl groups from MBA molecules which were attached respectively to gold substrate and gold nanoparticles were linked through the heavy metal ions (Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺) as bridge, and thus sandwich structure of ‘MBA modified gold substrate/heavy metal ions/MBA modified gold nanoparticles’ was built for detection. The observation of the oxidation peak of metal nanoparticles from cyclic voltammetry (CV) curve, gold nanoparticles from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and SERS signal of MBA from the sandwich structure indicated the existence of heavy metal ions. The difference in the wavenumbers of vibrational modes from MBA in the sandwich structure constructed by different could be used to identify different heavy metal ions. The assembled structure was rinsed by strong chelator of EDTA solution to remove the heavy metal ions from the sandwich structure and thus to obtain a fresh gold substrate modified with MBA for the cyclic detection. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Density functional theory study on the adsorption of alkali metal ions with pristine and defected graphene sheet

The graphene-based materials along with the adsorption of alkali metal ions are suitable for energy conversion and storage applications. Hence in the present work, we have investigated the structural and electronic properties of pristine and defected graphene sheet upon the adsorption of alkali metal ions (Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺) using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The presence of vacancies or vacancy defects enhances the adsorption of alkali ions than the pristine sheet. From the obtained results, it is found that the adsorption energy of Li⁺ on the vacancies defected graphene sheet is higher (3.05?eV) than the pristine (2.41?eV) and Stone–Wales (2.50?eV) defected sheets. Moreover, the pore radius of the pristine and defected graphene sheets are less affected by metal ions adsorption. The increase in energy gap upon the adsorption of metal ions is found to be high in the vacancy defected graphene than that of other sheets. The metal ions adsorption in the defective vacancy sheets has high charge transfer from metal ions to the graphene sheet. The bonding characteristic between the metal ions and graphene sheet are analysed using QTAIM analysis. The influence of alkali ions on the electronic properties of the graphene sheet is examined from the Total Density of States (TDOS) and Partial Density of States (PDOS).     

基于i-motifDNA构型变化和纳米金紫外-可见吸收光谱的pH测定研究

利用纳米金对DNA构型的区分效应设计了一种快速灵敏可视化的pH计。对i-motif DNA-纳米金体系的紫外可见吸收光谱变化进行了系统研究,考察了盐浓度、i-motif DNA浓度、四重体形成时间以及DNA序列对pH响应的影响。在既定条件下,纳米金的紫外-可见吸收光谱在pH 5.3～7.0范围内呈现规律性变化,在520nm处的吸光度逐渐增大,在700nm处的吸光度逐渐减小,纳米金的颜色逐渐由蓝紫色变化至红色。该pH计具有纳米金无需修饰、可视化、成本低、速度快等特点,有望用于某些pH值发生变化的生命过程的监测。     

The migration of alkali metal (Na+, Li+, and K+) ions in single crystalline vanadate nanowires: Rasch-Hinrichsen resistivity

We report the synthesis of single crystalline alkali metal vanadate nanowires, Li-vanadate (Li₄V₁₀O₂₇), Na-vanadate (NaV₆O₁₅), and K-vanadate (KV₄O₁₀) and their electrical properties in a single nanowire configuration. Alkali metal vanadate nanowires were obtained by a simple thermal annealing process with vanadium hydroxides(V(OH)₃) nanoparticles containing Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺ ions and further the analysis of the migration of charged particles (Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺) in vanadate by measuring the conductivity of them. We found that their ionic conductivities can be empirically explained by the Rasch-Hinrichsen resistivity and interpreted on the basis of transition state theory. Our results thus indicate that the Li ion shows the lowest potential barrier of ionic conduction due to its small ionic size. Additionally, Na-vanadate has the lowest ion number per unit V₂O₅, resulting in increased distance to move without collision, and ultimately in low resistivity at room temperature.     

Quantitative elucidation of macrocyclic effect on extraction-ability and -selectivity. Benzo-18-crown-6 and its open-ring analog 1,2-bis[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]benzene–alkali metal picrate systems

The constants of overall extraction equilibrium (K_ex) and partition (K_D,MLA) for various diluents and aqueous ion-pair formation (K_MLA) of alkali metal (Li–Cs) picrate (MA) 1:1:1 complexes (MLA) with benzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6) and its open-ring analogue 1,2-bis[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]benzene (AC·B18C6) were determined at 25 °C, L being B18C6 or AC·B18C6; the distribution constants of AC·B18C6 were measured at 25 °C. The partition behavior of AC·B18C6 and the MLA complexes closely obeys regular solution theory, omitting chloroform; the molar volumes and the solubility parameters of AC·B18C6 and the MLA complexes were determined. The extraction selectivities of AC·B18C6 and B18C6 for the alkali metal picrates increase in the order Li < Na < Cs < K or Rb < or ≈ Rb or K and Li  Na < Cs < Rb < K, respectively. The extraction selectivity of B18C6 for neighboring alkali metal ions in the periodic table is superior to that of AC·B18C6. The macrocyclic effect on the extraction-ability and -selectivity was quantitatively elucidated by the four fundamental equilibrium constants.     

Dissociation channels of silver bromide cluster Ag<Subscript>2</Subscript>Br,silver cluster Ag<Subscript>3</Subscript> and their ions studied by using alkali metal target

Various dissociation channels of silver bromide cluster ion Ag₂Br⁺ and silver cluster ion Ag₃ ⁺ were observed in high-energy collisionally-activated dissociation (CAD) using a Cs target. The fragment patterns of the high-energy CAD were compared with those of the metastable dissociation and low-energy CAD. The difference in the fragment patterns between the high-energy CAD and the other dissociation methods was explained in terms of the internal energy distributions. The dissociation mechanisms of neutral silver bromide cluster Ag₂Br and silver cluster Ag₃ were also investigated by charge inversion mass spectrometry using the Cs target. While the fragment ions AgBr^- and Ag₂ ^- were dominantly observed in the charge inversion spectrum of Ag₂Br⁺, the undissociated ion Ag₃ ^- was observed as a predominant peak in the case of Ag₃ ⁺. The dissociation behavior of Ag₂Br^* can be explained on the basis of the calculated thermochemical data. Contrary to this, the predominant existence of the undissociated Ag₃ ^- cannot be explained by the reported thermochemical data. The existence of undissociated Ag₃ ^- suggests that the dissociation barrier is higher than the internal energy of Ag₃ ^* (theoretical: 1.03 eV, experimental: 2.31 eV) estimated from the ionization potentials of Ag₃ and Cs.