Synthesis and characterization of linear high molecular weight poly(amino-s-triazine)s

A two-phase polycondensation reaction was used to prepare high molecular weight linear poly-(amino-s-triazine)s from aminodichloro-s-triazines and diamines. These polymers contain a high concentration of melamine-type units in the polymer backbone. Molded specimens exhibited good mechanical properties and resistance to organic solvents. Dimethyl substitution at the exocyclic amino group led to a significant reduction in indentation resistance, strength, and modulus.     

Dewetting of unreacted epoxy/amine mixtures on silica

We employ a direct method, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), to determine experimentally the chemical compositions of the wetted and dewetted regions of an uncured epoxy thin film. Determining the composition of the dewetted region indicated the presence of a very thin sublayer of resin in what was thought to be a region devoid of resin. The capability of ToF-SIMS to probe small 65 x 65 microm(2) areas of the surface has permitted us to directly compare the SIMS spectra of the wetted and dewetted regions to the survey spectra of the reactants. This may indicate the strength of resin/silica interactions, which determine interface formation and properties.     

Stack the Bowls: Tailoring the Electronic Structure of Corannulene‐Integrated Crystalline Materials

We report the first examples of purely organic donor–acceptor materials with integrated π‐bowls (πBs) that combine not only crystallinity and high surface areas but also exhibit tunable electronic properties, resulting in a four‐orders‐of‐magnitude conductivity enhancement in comparison with the parent framework. In addition to the first report of alkyne–azide cycloaddition utilized for corannulene immobilization in the solid state, we also probed the charge transfer rate within the Marcus theory as a function of mutual πB orientation for the first time, as well as shed light on the density of states near the Fermi edge. These studies could foreshadow new avenues for πB utilization for the development of optoelectronic devices or a route for highly efficient porous electrodes.     

A Self‐Digitization Dielectrophoretic (SD‐DEP) Chip for High‐Efficiency Single‐Cell Capture,On‐Demand Compartmentalization,and Downstream Nucleic Acid Analysis

The design and fabrication of a self‐digitization dielectrophoretic (SD‐DEP) chip with simple components for single‐cell manipulation and downstream nucleic acid analysis is presented. The device employed the traditional DEP and insulator DEP to create the local electric field that is tailored to approximately the size of single cells, enabling highly efficient single‐cell capture. The multistep procedures of cell manipulation, compartmentalization, lysis, and analysis were performed in the integrated microdevice, consuming minimal reagents, minimizing contamination, decreasing lysate dilution, and increasing assay sensitivity. The platform developed here could be a promising and powerful tool in single‐cell research for precise medicine.     

Further studies on the application of vinylogous amides and β-halovinylaldehydes to the regiospecific synthesis of unsymmetrical,polyfunctionalized 2,3,4- and 1,2,3,4- substituted pyrroles

Highly functionalized pyrroles with appropriate regiochemical functionality represent an important class of marine natural products and potential drug candidates. We describe herein a detailed study of the reaction of α-aminoacid esters with vinylogous amides and also β-halovinylaldehydes for the regiospecific synthesis of 2,3,4-trisubstituted and 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted pyrroles. Since the vinylogous amides and β-halovinylaldehydes are readily available precursors, rapid access to a wide variety of unsymmetrically substituted pyrroles is accomplished via this methodology.     

Sub-ppt detection limits for copper ions with Gly-Gly-His modified electrodes

An electrochemical metal ion sensor has been developed with a detection limit of less than 0.2 ppt by the covalent attachment of the tripeptide Gly-Gly-His as a recognition element to a 3-mercaptopropionic acid modified gold electrode.     

Reactive uptake of acetic acid on calcite and nitric acid reacted calcite aerosol in an environmental reaction chamber

The heterogeneous chemistry of gas-phase acetic acid with CaCO(3)(calcite) aerosol was studied under varying conditions of relative humidity (RH) in an environmental reaction chamber. Infrared spectroscopy showed the loss of gas-phase reactant and the appearance of a gaseous product species, CO(2). The acetic acid is observed to adsorb onto the calcite aerosol through both a fast and a slow uptake channel. While the fast channel is relatively independent of RH, the slow channel exhibits enhanced uptake and reaction as the RH is increased. In additional experiments, the calcite aerosol was exposed to both nitric and acetic acids in the presence of water vapor. The rapid conversion of the particulate carbonate to nitrate and subsequent deliquescence significantly enhances the uptake and reaction of acetic acid. These results suggest a possible mechanism for observed correlations between particulate nitrate and organic acids in the atmosphere. Calcium rich mineral dust may be an important sink for simple organic acids.     

Micellization of Alkyltriphenylphosphonium Bromides in Ethylene Glycol and Diethylene Glycol + Water Mixtures: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Investigation

The thermodynamics of micellization and other micellar properties of alkyl- (C₁₀-, C₁₂-, C₁₄- and C₁₆-) triphenylphosphonium bromides in water + ethylene glycol (EG) (0 to 30% v/v) mixtures over a temperature range of 298 to 318 K and cetyltriphenylphosphonium bromide in water + diethylene glycol (DEG) mixtures (0 to 30% v/v) at 298 K have been studied conductometrically. In all cases, an increase in the percentage of co-solvent results in an increase in the cmc values. On the basis of these results, the thermodynamic parameters, the Gibbs energy (ΔG _m^o), enthalpy (ΔH _m^o) and entropy (ΔS _m^o) of micellization have been evaluated. In addition to the conductivity measurements, kinetic experiments have also been done to determine the dependence of observed rate constant for the nucleophilic substitution reaction of p-nitrophenyl acetate and benzohydroxamate ions in the presence of the surfactant cetyltriphenylphosphonium bromide with a varying concentration of EG and DEG ranging from 0 to 50% v/v at pH=7.9 and 300 K. All of the reactions followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. An increase in the surfactant concentration results in an increase in the reaction rate and for a given surfactant concentration, the rate constant decreases as the concentration of co-solvent in the mixture increases. The kinetic micellar effects have been explained by using the pseudophase model. The thermodynamic and structural changes originating from the presence of solvents control the micellar kinetic effects.     

High-throughput 3D spheroid culture and drug testing using a 384 hanging drop array

Culture of cells as three-dimensional (3D) aggregates can enhance in vitro tests for basic biological research as well as for therapeutics development. Such 3D culture models, however, are often more complicated, cumbersome, and expensive than two-dimensional (2D) cultures. This paper describes a 384-well format hanging drop culture plate that makes spheroid formation, culture, and subsequent drug testing on the obtained 3D cellular constructs as straightforward to perform and adapt to existing high-throughput screening (HTS) instruments as conventional 2D cultures. Using this platform, we show that drugs with different modes of action produce distinct responses in the physiological 3D cell spheroids compared to conventional 2D cell monolayers. Specifically, the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has higher anti-proliferative effects on 2D cultures whereas the hypoxia activated drug commonly referred to as tirapazamine (TPZ) are more effective against 3D cultures. The multiplexed 3D hanging drop culture and testing plate provides an efficient way to obtain biological insights that are often lost in 2D platforms.