Thermal and photochemical reactivity of oxygen atoms on gold nanocluster surfaces

Reduction of oxidized gold nanoclusters by exposures to foreign gases and irradiation of UV photons has been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Gold nanoclusters with narrow size distributions protected by alkanethiolate ligands were deposited on a TiO₂(1 1 0) surface with dip coating. Oxygen plasma etching was used for removal of alkanethiolate ligands and oxidization of gold clusters. The oxidized gold clusters were exposed to CO, C₂H₂, C₂H₄, H₂, and hydrogen atoms. Although, C₂H₄ and H₂ did not show any indications of reduction of oxidized gold clusters, CO, C₂H₂, and hydrogen atoms reduced the oxides on gold cluster surfaces. Among them, hydrogen atoms were most effective for reduction. Irradiation of UV photons around 400 nm could also reduce the oxidized gold clusters. The photochemical reduction mechanism was proposed as follows. The photo-reduction was initiated by electronic excitation of gold clusters and oxygen atoms activated reacted with carbon atoms at the surfaces of gold clusters. Carbon species were likely absorbed in gold clusters or remained at the boundaries between gold clusters when gold clusters agglomerated during oxygen plasma exposures. As the photochemical reduction progressed, carbon atoms segregated to the surfaces of gold clusters.     

On the way to sol–gels: an analysis of the intra‐ and intermolecular hydrogen bonding in [Ba(OH)I(H2O)4]

We have been able, via a new synthetic route, to obtain a complete crystal structure of the title compound, tetra­aqua­barium hydro­xide iodide, [Ba(OH)I(H₂O)₄], for which the heavy atoms only were characterized by Kellersohn, ­Beckenkamp & Lutz [Z. Naturforsch. TeilB (1991), 46 , 1279–1286]. In the present results, the H‐atom positions could be located using X‐ray data collection at low temperature. A three‐dimensional network is built up via hydrogen bonds. It was also observed that the title compound undergoes hy­drolysis and might therefore be regarded as an intermediate in the formation of sol–gels, starting from BaI₂ and leading to [Ba(OH)₂(H₂O)_x].     

Das Vertauschen der Risse

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Monitoring the heterogeneity in single cell responses to drugs using electrochemical impedance and electrochemical noise

Impedance spectroscopy is a widely used technique for monitoring cell–surface interactions and morphological changes, typically based on averaged signals from thousands of cells. However, acquiring impedance data at the single cell level, can potentially reveal cell-to-cell heterogeneity for example in response to chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin. Here, we present a generic platform where light is used to define and localize the electroactive area, thus enabling the impedance measurements for selected single cells. We firstly tested the platform to assess phenotypic changes in breast cancer cells, at the single cell level, using the change in the cell impedance. We next show that changes in electrochemical noise reflects instantaneous responses of the cells to drugs, prior to any phenotypical changes. We used doxorubicin and monensin as model drugs and found that both drug influx and efflux events affect the impedance noise signals. Finally, we show how the electrochemical noise signal can be combined with fluorescence microscopy, to show that the noise provides information on cell susceptibility and resistance to drugs at the single cell level. Together the combination of electrochemical impedance and electrochemical noise with fluorescence microscopy provides a unique approach to understanding the heterogeneity in the response of single cells to stimuli where there is not phenotypic change.

A light addressable single-cell impedance technique for cell adhesion monitoring and measurement of a cell''s drug response based on electrochemical noise is introduced.     

An Automated Approach to Luminescence Lifetime and Intensity Titrations

An apparatus is described for the automated collection of luminescence emission decay curves over a wide range of analyte concentrations. The decay curves allow for determination of the excited-state lifetime or calculated steady-state intensity of a luminophore as a function of the analyte concentration. The data presented here demonstrate the use of the apparatus for pH titrations.