Study on the separation of amino acids in modified poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchips

A mixture of five amino acids including arginine, histidine, phenylalanine, serine and glutamic acid was successfully separated in microchip capillary electrophoresis and detected with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detector. These amino acids were labeled with 5-(4, 6-dichloro-s-triazin-2-ylamino) fluorescein (DTAF). The analyses were performed on two kinds of modified poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchips. One kind of chip was simply treated with oxygen plasma (OP-chip), and the other was further modified by coating double layers of non-ionic polymer poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) after plasma oxidization (PVA-chip). The derivatization condition of amino acids by DTAF was optimized. The properties of the two modified PDMS microchips were studied and separation conditions, such as the buffer pH, buffer concentration and separation voltage, were also optimized. The column efficiencies of the two microchips were in the range of 193,000–1,370,000 plates/m. The DTAF-labeled amino acids were sufficiently separated within 50 s and 90 s in 2.5 cm channels on OP-chip and PVA-chip, respectively.     

Rhodamine B aggregation in self-assembled multilayers induced by polyelectrolyte and interfacial fluorescence recognition for DNA

Photophysical properties of Rhodamine B bound to water-soluble polyanion sodium poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) in solution and Quartz/APES/PSS/RB SAMs were investigated. Experiments showed that Rhodamine B aggregated in Quartz/APES/PSS/RB SAMs and its fluorescence behavior was different from that in Quartz/APES/RB SAMs without PSS. The constructed Quartz/APES/PSS/RB SAMs were applied for label-free interfacial fluorescence sensing of DNA with extremely high sensitivity.     

Nanocomposite-based lignocellulosic fibers 1. Thermal stability of modified fibers with clay-polyelectrolyte multilayers

The layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly process of creating highly structured thin films derived from layers of polyelectrolytes and nanoparticles was adopted in this study to modify the surface of lignocellulosic fibers. Aqueous dispersions of clay nanoplatelets were created with ultrasonication and characterized with dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy in which confirmed the presence of individual clay nanoplatelets. Film thickness of never-dried clay and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) multilayers was studied with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Using identical LbL deposition parameters, a slurry of steam-exploded wood fibers was modified by alternate adsorption of PDDA and clay with multiple rinsing steps after each adsorption cycle. Zeta potential measurements were used to characterize the fiber surface charges after each adsorption step while SEM images revealed that the LbL film masked the cellulose microfibril structure. Using a thermogravimetric analyzer, LbL modified steam-exploded wood fibers were observed to attain increased thermal stability relative to the unmodified material tested in both air and nitrogen atmospheres. Significant char for the LbL clay coated steam-exploded wood suggests the multilayer film serves as a barrier creating an insulating layer to prevent further decomposition of the material. This nanotechnology may have a positive impact on the processing of lignocellulosic fibers in thermoplastic matrices, designing of paper-based overlays for building products, and modification of cellulosic fibers for textiles.     

Permanent gold nanoparticle coatings on polyelectrolyte multilayer modified capillaries for open-tubular capillary electrochromatography

This paper reports on a new strategy to coat fused silica capillaries through ionic adsorption of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) modified capillary wall. The coating was constructed in situ by alternating rinses with positively charged poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride), negatively charged poly(sodium-4-styrenesulfonate), and positively charged AuNPs. After self-assembly of n-octadecanethiol onto the surface of AuNPs, the modified capillary was investigated as a new medium for the separation of neutral analytes and proteins in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC). The surface coverage of the capillary wall was increased using the high density of AuNPs which were dynamically capped with 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP). The chromatographic performance of the column coated with positively charged AuNPs was remarkably improved compared with a column modified with negatively charged AuNPs. The coating was robust over more than 810 runs in this study and also showed high stability against 0.01 M NaOH, 0.01 M HCl, and electrolyte concentrations up to 70 mM. The run-to-run, day-to-day, and capillary-to-capillary reproducibilities of electroosmotic flow were satisfying with relative standard deviation values of less than 1% in all cases. The AuNP-coated PEM modified capillary column not only showed good performance for neutral analytes but also was suitable for the analysis of both basic and acidic proteins.     

Effect of new melamine-terephthaldehyde resin modified graphene oxide on thermal and mechanical properties of PVC

In this study a new melamine-terephthaldehyde resin modified graphene oxide was synthesized and used as a reinforcement of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Characterization, morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were examined by means of attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter and tensile properties. The first hydrochloric acid releasing data of poly(vinyl chloride) was removed by incorporation of the modified graphene oxide as compare to the neat polymer. The temperatures at 2 wt% losses, main decomposition temperatures, maximum decomposition temperatures, also shift to higher temperature in the corresponding nanocomposites as compared to the neat PVC. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the nanocomposite films was increased as compared to the neat PVC. The interesting results in crystallinity of PVC were observed with adding 5 wt% of the modified graphene oxide.     

Separation of proteins on surface-modified poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices

Separation and detection of proteins have been realized on nonionic surfactant-modified poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfabricated devices with end-column amperometric detection. The hydrophobic PDMS channels are turned into hydrophilic ones after being modified with Brij35 and facilitate the separation of proteins. The coating can remarkably reduce the adsorption of large protein molecules and is stable in the range of pH 6-12. The detection of proteins in such channels needs less rinsing time and thus efficiency is raised. Even large molecules of proteins can also be detected with better reproducibility and enhanced plate numbers. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the migration time for glucose oxidase (GOD) is 2.2% (n = 19). Separation of GOD and myoglobin has been developed in modified channels. Predominant operational variables, such as the coating conditions, the concentration of surfactant and buffer, are studied in detail.     

Screen-printed electrodes as impedimetric immunosensors for the detection of anti-transglutaminase antibodies in human sera

The concentration of anti-transglutaminase antibodies in human sera is an important analytical marker for the diagnosis of the autoimmune disorder celiac disease. In this work, an immunosensor for the electrochemical detection of anti-transglutaminase antibodies in human sera was developed. The immunosensor is based on the immobilization of transglutaminase onto screen-printed gold electrodes which were covered with a polyelectrolyte layer of poly (sodium-4-styrensulfonic acid). The antigen-antibody interaction was evaluated using an amplification step: incubation with peroxidase (POD)-labeled immunoglobulins and subsequent biocatalytic oxidation of 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole (AEC). Changes in the interfacial properties of the sensor electrode were determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Impedance spectra could be fitted to a Randles equivalent circuit containing a constant phase element (CPE). Furthermore, it was shown that impedance measurements could be simplified by performing EIS at only two selected frequencies, without loss of reliability. Incubation of these disposable immunosensor chips with various anti-transglutaminase antibody concentrations resulted in changes in their charge transfer resistance (R_ct). Thereby, a calibration graph could be established. Finally, immunosensors were used for characterizing different human sera with respect to their anti-transglutaminase autoantibody concentration of the IgG and IgA type.     

Control of the EOF in CE using polyelectrolytes of different charge densities

The control of the EOF direction and magnitude remains one of the more challenging issues for the optimization of separations in CE. In this work, we investigated the possibility to use variously charged polyanions for a fine-tuning of the EOF using polyelectrolyte multilayers. For that purpose, polyanions of poly(acrylamide-co-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate) (PAMAMPS) with different chemical charge rates varying between 3 and 100% were used. These copolymers are statistic hydrophilic copolymers of acrylamide (AM) and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate (AMPS). The study of the influence of the chemical charge rate (AMPS molar proportion in the copolymer) on the electroosmotic mobility (mu(eo)) of a capillary modified by a polyelectrolyte bilayer (polycation/PAMAMPS) revealed that the fine-tuning of the EOF was possible, at least for cathodic or slightly anodic EOF (micro(eo) from -5 x 10(-5) to +35 x 10(-5) cm(2)V(-1)s(-1)). Electroosmotic mobility values were compared with the free-draining electrophoretic mobilities of the PAMAMPS constituting the last layer of the capillary coating. The stability of the EOF is discussed in detail on the basis of successive determinations of electroosmotic mobility and migration times. The application to the separation of a model peptide mixture demonstrated the interest (and the simplicity) of this approach for optimizing resolution and analysis time. Experimental resolutions were compared to the theoretical ones that we would obtain on a fused-silica capillary having the same EOF as the coated capillary.     

Simultaneous determination of nitrophenol isomers at the single-wall carbon nanotube compound conducting polymer film modified electrode

One of the challenging areas of electrochemistry and electroanalytical chemistry is the simultaneous determination of isomers at the same electrode. Con- ventional electrode only possesses a single function of electron transfer; therefore, it is difficult…     

A sol-gel immobilization of nano and micron size sorbents in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchannels for microscale solid phase extraction (SPE)

Sorbent particles consisting of nano and micro silica, and micron size octadecylsilica (ODS) were immobilized using sol-gel chemistry onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic channels to serve as μ-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) devices. Extraction, preconcentration and purification of biological and chemical analytes were carried out using these. Micro and nano scale silica-immobilized μ-SPE were used for the extraction/purification of DNA from recombinant Escherichia coli crude lysate. The average DNA recovery was 77 ± 9% (X ± R.S.D.) for the micron size silica particles and 70 ± 5% (X ± R.S.D.) for the nano silica particles. The extracted DNA could be amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) whereas the DNA from the crude lysate solution could not be. This was a testimony to the purification capability of the μ-SPE device. ODS immobilized μ-SPE were used to study the extraction efficiency (EE) and enhancement factor (EF) for three groups of organic compounds, aromatics, phenols and carboxylic acids. They showed poor recovery and low enrichment because the analytes sorbed into the PDMS and were not quantitatively extracted.     

Detection of Uric Acid in the Presence of Dopamine and High Concentration of Ascorbic Acid Using PDDA Modified Graphite Electrode

The properties of graphite electrode (Gr) modified with poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA) for the detection of uric acid (UA) in the presence of dopamine (DA) and high concentration of ascorbic acid (AA) have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The polymer modified graphite electrode was prepared by a very simple method just by immersing the graphite electrode in PDDA solution for 20 minutes. The PDDA/Gr modified electrode displayed excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of UA, DA and AA compared to that at the bare graphite electrode. The electrochemical oxidation signals of UA, DA and AA are well resolved into three distinct peaks with peak potential separations of 220 mV, 168 mV and 387 mV between AA‐DA, DA‐UA and AA‐UA respectively in cyclic voltammetry studies and the corresponding peak potential separations are 230 mV, 130 mV and 354 mV respectively in differential pulse voltammetry. The lowest detection limits obtained for UA, DA and AA were 1×10^?7 M, 2×10^?7 M and 800×10^?9 M respectively. The PDDA/Gr electrode efficiently eliminated the interference of DA and a high concentration of AA in the determination of UA with good selectivity, sensitivity and reproducibility. The modified electrode was also successfully applied for simultaneous determination of UA, DA and AA in their ternary mixture.     

A fast and highly sensitive detection of cholesterol using polymer microfluidic devices and amperometric system

In this work, the rapid detection of cholesterol using poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip capillary electrophoresis, based on the coupling of enzymatic assays and electrochemical detection, was developed. Direct amperometric detection for poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchip capillary electrophoresis was successfully applied to quantify cholesterol levels. Factors influencing the performance of the method (such as the concentration and pH value of buffer electrolyte, concentration of cholesterol oxidase enzyme (ChOx), effect of solvent on the cholesterol solubility, and interferences) were carefully investigated and optimized. The migration time of hydrogen peroxide, product of the reaction, was less than 100 s when using 40 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 as the running buffer, a concentration of 0.68 U/mL of the ChOx, a separation voltage of +1.6 kV, an injection time of 20 s, and a detection potential of +0.5 V. PDMS microchip capillary electrophoresis showed linearity between 38.7 μg/dL (1 μM) and 270.6 mg/dL (7 mM) for the cholesterol standard; the detection limit was determined as 38.7 ng/dL (1 nM). To demonstrate the potential of this assay, the proposed method was applied to quantify cholesterol in bovine serum. The percentages of recoveries were assessed over the range of 98.9-101.8%. The sample throughput was found to be 60 samples per hour. Therefore, PDMS microchip capillary electrophoresis, based on the coupling of enzymatic assays and electrochemical detection, is very rapid, accurate and sensitive method for the determination of cholesterol levels.     

Polymer colloids formed by polyelectrolyte complexation of vinyl polymers and polysaccharides in aqueous solution

The polyelectrolyte complex formed from the polyanion and polycation was studied by turbidimetry, static and electrophoretic light scattering, and elementary analysis. Sodium salts of polyacrylate (PA) and heparin (Hep) were chosen as the polyanion, and hydrochloric salts of poly(vinyl amine) (PVA) and chitosan (Chts) as the polycation. Although these vinyl polymers and polysaccharides have remarkably different backbone chemical structures and linear charge densities, all the four combinations PA-PVA, PA-Chts, Hep-PVA, and Hep-Chts provide almost stoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes which are slightly charged owing to the adsorption of the excess polyelectrolyte component onto the neutral complex. The charges stabilize the complex colloids in aqueous solution of a non-stoichiometric mixture, and the aggregation number of the complex colloids increases with approaching to the stoichiometric mixing ratio. The mixing ratio dependence of the aggregation number for the four complexes is explained by the model proposed in the previous study.     

HPLC separation of positional isomers on a dodecylamine-N, N-dimethylenephosphonic acid modified zirconia stationary phase

The chromatographic performance of a new zirconia stationary phase (DPZ) modified with dodecylamine-N,N-dimethylenephosphonic acid (DDPA) is studied by using positional isomers as probes. The DDPA modified zirconia via one phosphonic group has a polar inner-layer and a non-polar outer-layer on its surface. The alkyl chain of outer-layer provides the hydrophobic interaction, while the polar inner-layer that consists of an amine group and a free phosphonic group provided dipolar and ion-exchange/columbic repellent interaction sites. The effects of methanol content, ionic strength and pH of mobile phase on capacity factors of the solutes are studied in detail, and baseline separations of toluidine, nitroaniline, aminophenol, dihydroxybenzene, and nitrophenol isomers were achieved on the new zirconia stationary phase. In addition, retention mechanism of the isomers on the DDPA-modified zirconia stationary phase is also proposed.     

多巴胺在聚中性红修饰碳纤维微电极上的电化学行为

利用电聚合方法制备了聚中性红(PNR)修饰碳纤维微电极.根据循环伏安(CV)、电位阶跃实验结果,得出了多巴胺(DA)在PNR膜中的表观扩散系数D0=7.0×10-9cm2/s、膜表面表观标准电子转移速率常数κ=0.55 cm/s;该电极对DA响应灵敏,对抗坏血酸具有良好的抗干扰能力,可望用于活体中DA的测定.     

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection for rapid measurement of acetaminophen and its hydrolysate

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection has been used for rapid separation and determination of acetaminophen and its hydrolysate, i.e. p-aminophenol. A Pt ultramicroelectrode with a diameter of 10 m positioned at the outlet of the separation channel was used as a working electrode for amperometric detection. Factors influencing separation and detection were investigated and optimized. Results show that acetaminophen and p-aminophenol can be well separated within 35 s with RSD<1% for migration time and <7% for detection current for both analytes. Detection limits for both analytes are estimated to be 5.0 mol L^–1 (approximately 0.1 fmol) at S/N=3. This method has been successfully applied to the detection of traces of p-aminophenol in paracetamol tablets.     

Entrapment Efficiency of All-trans Retinoic Acid in Surfactant Vesicles

Spontaneous vesicles of dicetyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DCDAC) and its mixture with sodium bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) are observed respectively in ethanol-water mixed solvents, which have been demonstrated by negative-staining transmission electric microscope (TEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). Ethanol can promote the vesicle formation, especially to pure DCDAC surfactant system. The entrapment efficiency of the vesicles to all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) was measured by the first order derivative spectrophotometry method. The entrapment efficiency of ATRA reaches 22% in 0.5 ethanol volume ratio solution when the concentration of DCDAC is 2.5 × 10^?3 mol/L. In the same solvents, the entrapment efficiency could be as high as 62% in 1:9 (molar ratio) DCDAC/AOT mixtures when the total concentration of surfactants is 3.0 × 10^?3 mol/L.     

Electrophoretic separations in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchips using a mixture of ionic and zwitterionic surfactants

The use of mixtures of ionic and zwitterionic surfactants in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchips is reported. The effect of surfactant concentration on electroosmotic flow (EOF) was studied for a single anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS), a single zwitterionic surfactant (N-tetradecylammonium-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate, TDAPS), and a mixed SDS/TDAPS surfactant system. SDS increased the EOF as reported previously while TDAPS showed an initial increase in EOF followed by a reduction at higher concentrations. When TDAPS was added to a solution containing SDS, the EOF decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. The EOF for all three surfactant systems followed expected pH trends, with increasing EOF at higher pH. The mixed surfactant system allowed tuning of the EOF across a range of pH and concentration conditions. After establishing the EOF behavior, the adsorption/desorption kinetics were measured and showed a slower adsorption/desorption rate for TDAPS than SDS. Finally, the separation and electrochemical detection of model catecholamines in buffer and reduced glutathione in red blood cell lysate using the mixed surfactant system were explored. The mixed surfactant system provided shorter analysis times and/or improved resolution when compared to the single surfactant systems.     

基于氨基柱的反相/正相液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱法测定纺织品中的二硬脂基二甲基氯化铵

建立了纺织品中二硬酯基二甲基氯化铵(DSDMAC)的反相(RP)/正相(NP)液相色谱-电喷雾串联四极杆质谱(LC-ESI-MS/MS)的分析方法。选用甲醇为提取溶剂,确定了超声功率为420 W、提取温度为70 ℃的超声波辅助提取条件,实现了30 min快速提取样品中的DSDMAC。建立了基于氨基柱的反相和正相两套液相色谱分离系统,采用LC-MS/MS的选择反应监测(SRM)模式检测3个DSDMAC组分。结果显示: RPLC和NPLC对DSDMAC的检出限(S/N=3)分别为0.1 mg/kg和0.01 mg/kg。采用RPLC-MS/MS为定量方法,对8种不同的空白纤维纺织品的添加回收率为85.5%～103%(n=5);平行测试的相对标准偏差(RSD)为4.18%～12.8%(n=5)。5家外部实验室分别采用上述方法对2种参考样品中的DSDMAC进行检测,实验室间测定的RSD分别为7.3%和9.4%。该方法快速、准确、稳定,适用于纺织品中DSDMAC的检测。     

超声萃取/液相色谱-串联质谱法测定染整助剂中的二硬脂基二甲基氯化铵

建立了超声辅助萃取/液相色谱-串联质谱( LC - MS/MS)测定染整助剂中二硬脂基二甲基氯化铵(DSDMAC)的方法.将样品以甲醇为萃取溶剂进行超声萃取,萃取液经过滤后采用LC-MS/MS测定.采用电喷雾离子源,定性离子对为m/z 550.5/298.3、522.5/298.3、522.5/270.3、494.5/...