Monolithic integration of optical waveguides for absorbance detection in microfabricated electrophoresis devices.

The fabrication and performance of an electrophoretic separation chip with integrated optical waveguides for absorption detection is presented. The device was fabricated on a silicon substrate by standard microfabrication techniques with the use of two photolithographic mask steps. The waveguides on the device were connected to optical fibers, which enabled alignment free operation due to the absence of free-space optics. A 750 microm long U-shaped detection cell was used to facilitate longitudinal absorption detection. To minimize geometrically induced band broadening at the turn in the U-cell, tapering of the separation channel from a width of 120 down to 30 microm was employed. Electrical insulation was achieved by a 13 microm thermally grown silicon dioxide between the silicon substrate and the channels. The breakdown voltage during operation of the chip was measured to 10.6 kV. A separation of 3.2 microM rhodamine 110, 8 microM 2,7-dichlorofluorescein, 10 microM fluorescein and 18 microM 5-carboxyfluorescein was demonstrated on the device using the detection cell for absorption measurements at 488 nm.     

Fulvalene-Based Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Ladder-Type Structures: Synthesis and Properties

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have found strong interest for their electronic properties and as model systems for graphene. While PAHs have been studied intensively as single units, here PAHs were constructed in ladder-type arrangements using cross-conjugated fulvalene and dithiafulvalene motifs as connecting units and moving forward a convenient synthetic approach for dimerizing (thio)ketones into olefins by the action of Lawesson's reagent. Some of the PAHs can also be regarded as “super-extended” tetrathiafulvalenes (TTFs) with some of the largest cores ever explored, being multi-redox systems that exhibit both reversible oxidations and reductions. Concomitant absorption redshifts were observed when expanding the ladder-type structures from one to two to three indenofluorene units, and optical and electrochemical HOMO-LUMO gaps were found to correlate linearly. Various conformations (and solid-state packing arrangements) were studied by X-ray crystallography and computations.     

X-ray microtomography for studying localized deformation in fine-grained geomaterials under triaxial compressionUtilisation de la microtomographie rayon X pour l'étude de la localisation des déformations dans les géomatériaux argileux sous sollicitation axisymétrique.

This Note presents a few selected results of an experimental testing program carried out at the ESRF in Grenoble, France. X-ray microtomography (with a spatial resolution of 14 μm) has been used to evaluate the onset and evolution of shear banding in a fine-grained stiff soil under deviatoric loading. It allowed detailed observations of strain localization in a specimen during the test, including the presence of more than one shear zone and a varying degree of dilatancy and/or crack opening. To cite this article: G. Viggiani et al., C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).     

Pressure versus Temperature Effects on Intramolecular Electron Transfer in Mixed‐Valence Complexes

Mixed‐valence trinuclear carboxylates, [M₃O(O₂CR)₆L₃] (M=metal, L=terminal ligand), have small differences in potential energy between the configurations M^IIM^IIIM^III?? M^IIIM^IIM^III??M^IIIM^IIIM^II, which means that small external changes can have large structural effects, owing to the differences in coordination geometry between M²⁺ and M³⁺ sites (e.g., about 0.2 Å for Fe? O bond lengths). It is well‐established that the electron transfer (ET) between the metal sites in these mixed‐valence molecules is strongly dependent on temperature and on the specific crystal environment; however, herein, for the first time, we examine the effect of pressure on the electron transfer. Based on single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data that were measured at 15, 90, 100, 110, 130, 160, and 298 K on three different crystals, we first unexpectedly found that our batch of Fe₃O (O₂CC(CH₃)₃)₆(C₅H₅N)₃ ( 1 ) exhibited a different temperature dependence of the ET process than previous studies of compound 1 have shown. We observed a phase transition at around 130 K that was related to complete valence trapping and Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed that this phase transition was governed by a subtle competition between C? H???π and π???π intermolecular interactions. Subsequent high‐pressure single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction at pressures of 0.15, 0.35, 0.45, 0.74, and 0.96 GPa revealed that it was not possible to trigger the phase transition (i.e., valence trapping) by a reduction of the unit‐cell volume, owing to this external pressure. We conclude that modulation of the ET process requires anisotropic changes in the intermolecular interactions, which occur when various directional chemical bonds are affected differently by changes in temperature, but not by the application of pressure.     

Host Perturbation in a β‐Hydroquinone Clathrate Studied by Combined X‐ray/Neutron Charge‐Density Analysis: Implications for Molecular Inclusion in Supramolecular Entities

X‐ray/neutron (X/N) diffraction data measured at very low temperature (15 K) in conjunction with ab initio theoretical calculations were used to model the crystal charge density (CD) of the host–guest complex of hydroquinone (HQ) and acetonitrile. Due to pseudosymmetry, information about the ordering of the acetonitrile molecules within the HQ cavities is present only in almost extinct, very weak diffraction data, which cannot be measured with sufficient accuracy even by using the brightest X‐ray and neutron sources available, and the CD model of the guest molecule was ultimately based on theoretical calculations. On the other hand, the CD of the HQ host structure is well determined by the experimental data. The neutron diffraction data provide hydrogen anisotropic thermal parameters and positions, which are important to obtain a reliable CD for this light‐atom‐only crystal. Atomic displacement parameters obtained independently from the X‐ray and neutron diffraction data show excellent agreement with a |ΔU| value of 0.00058 Ų indicating outstanding data quality. The CD and especially the derived electrostatic properties clearly reveal increased polarization of the HQ molecules in the host–guest complex compared with the HQ molecules in the empty HQ apohost crystal structure. It was found that the origin of the increased polarization is inclusion of the acetonitrile molecule, whereas the change in geometry of the HQ host structure following inclusion of the guest has very little effect on the electrostatic potential. The fact that guest inclusion has a profound effect on the electrostatic potential suggests that nonpolarizable force fields may be unsuitable for molecular dynamics simulations of host–guest interaction (e.g., in protein–drug complexes), at least for polar molecules.     

On the positronium yield enhancement in polyethylene in high electric fields

The enhancement of the positronium (Ps) formation in polyethylene on the application of an electric field above 0.35 MV cm^-1, measured by Bisi et al., is discussed in terms of the spur model of Ps formation. Apparently, two effects can explain the results, namely (1) Ps formation by positron reaction with electrons injected in the charging processes at a high field, and (2) field dependent thermionic emission of excess electrons and positron trapped in the positron spur. The Ps enhancement in high fields does not disprove the spur model, even if the heating up of the positrons in high fields is assumed to take place.     

Photochemical modification and patterning of SU-8 using anthraquinone photolinkers

Bioactive protein patterns and microarrays achieved by selective localization of biomolecules find various applications in biosensors, bio-microelectromechanical systems (bio-MEMS), and in basic protein studies. In this paper we describe simple photochemical methods to fabricate two-dimensional patterns on a Novolac A derivative polymer (SU-8) and, subsequently, their functionalization with biomolecules. Anthraquinone (AQ) derivatives are used to chemically modify and pattern SU-8 surfaces. Features as small as 20 mum are obtained when using uncollimated light. The X-Y spatial resolution of micropatterned AQ molecules is improved to 1.5 mum when a collimated light source is used. This micropatterning process will be important for the functionalization of MEMS-based biosensors. The method saves several processing steps and can be integrated in cleanroom fabrication thus avoiding contamination of the sensor surfaces.     

Reproducibility of serum protein profiling by systematic assessment using solid-phase extraction and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Protein profiling of human serum by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) is potentially a new diagnostic tool for early detection of human diseases, including cancer. Sample preparation is a key issue in MALDI MS and the analysis of complex samples such as serum requires optimized, reproducible methods for handling and deposition of protein samples. Data acquisition in MALDI MS is also a critical issue, since heterogeneity of sample deposits leads to attenuation of ion signals in MALDI MS. In order to improve the robustness and reproducibility of MALDI MS for serum protein profiling we investigated a range of sample preparation techniques and developed a statistical method based on repeated analyses for evaluation of protein-profiling performance of MALDI MS. Two different solid-phase extraction (SPE) methods were investigated, namely custom-made microcolumns and commercially available magnetic beads. Using these two methods, nineteen different sample preparation methods for serum profiling by MALDI MS were systematically tested with regard to matrix selection, stationary phase, selectivity, and reproducibility. Microcolumns were tested with regard to chromatographic properties; reversed phase (C8, C18, SDB-XC), ion-exchange (anion, weak cation, mixed-phase (SDB-RPS)) and magnetic beads were tested with regard to chromatographic properties; reversed phase (C8) or affinity chromatography (Cu-IMAC). The reproducibility of each sample preparation method was determined by enumeration and analysis of protein signals that were detected in at least six out of nine spectra obtained by three triplicate analyses of one serum sample.A candidate for best overall performance as evaluated by the number of peaks generated and the reproducibility of mass spectra was found among the tested methods. Up to 418 reproducible peaks were detected in one cancer serum sample. These protein peaks can be part of a possible diagnostic profile, suggesting that this sample preparation method and data acquisition approach is suitable for large-scale analysis of serum samples for protein profiling.