A microfabricated capillary electrophoresis chip with multiple buried optical fibers and microfocusing lens for multiwavelength detection

We present a new microfluidic device utilizing multiwavelength detection for high-throughput capillary electrophoresis (CE). In general, different fluorescent dyes are only excited by light sources with appropriate wavelengths. When excited by an appropriate light source, a fluorescent dye emits specific fluorescence signals of a longer wavelength. This study designs and fabricates plastic micro-CE chips capable of performing multiple-wavelength fluorescence detection by means of multimode optic fiber pairs embedded downstream of the separation channel. For detection purposes, the fluorescence signals are enhanced by positioning microfocusing lens structures at the outlets of the excitation fibers and the inlets of the detection fibers, respectively. The proposed device is capable of detecting multiple samples labeled with different kinds of fluorescent dyes in the same channel in a single run. The experimental results demonstrate that various proteins, including bovine serum albumin and beta-casein, can be successfully injected and detected by coupling two light sources of different wavelengths to the two excitation optic fibers. Furthermore, the proposed device also provides the ability to measure the speed of the samples traveling in the microchannel. The developed multiwavelength micro-CE chip could have significant potential for the analysis of DNA and protein samples.     

Theoretical study of “deep” fragmentation of hemin ion with successive loss of methyl and vinyl groups

The electronic and geometric structures, energy stability, normal mode frequencies, and spin density distribution have been calculated by the density functional theory B3LYP method with the Gen = 6-31+G*(Fe) + 6-31G(C,H,N,O), 6-31G*, and 6-311++G** basis sets for the deep fragmentation products of the free hemin ion with successive removal of methyl and vinyl groups in the electronic states with different multiplicities. The computation results are compared with the available experimental data and previous computation results for the fragmentation products of the isolated heme molecule and hemin ion with removal of carboxymethyl groups. The trends in the behavior of these properties are analyzed as a function of multiplicity, external charge, and the number of peripheral substituents at the porphyrin core.     

Determination of adrenaline by using inhibited Ru(bpy)3 electrochemiluminescence

Adrenaline was found to inhibit strongly the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) from the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/tripropylamine system when a working Pt electrode was maintained at 1.05 V (versus Ag/AgCl) in pH 8.0 phosphate buffer. On this basis, a flow injection (FI) procedure with inhibited electrochemiluminescence detection has been developed for determination of adrenaline. The method exhibited a good reproducibility, sensitivity, and stability with a detection limit (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) of 7.0×10⁻⁹ mol l⁻¹ and dynamic concentration range of 2×10⁻⁸ to 1×10⁻⁴ mol l⁻¹. The relative standard deviation was 2.2% for 1.0×10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ adrenaline (n=11). The method was successfully applied to the determination of adrenaline in pharmaceutical samples. Moreover, ECL emission spectra, UV-Vis absorption spectra and cyclic voltammograms of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/tripropylamine/adrenaline were studied. The inhibition mechanism has been proposed as the interaction of electrogenerated Ru(bpy)₃^2+* and the o-benzoquinone derivatives, adrenochrome and adrenalinequinone, at the electrode surface.     

Reaction from isomeric parent ions in the dissociation of dimethylpyrroles

The major dissociation pathways of the [M-H]⁺ (loss of NH₃ or CH₄) and the [M+H]⁺ (loss of NH₃ or CH₃) ions from dimethylpyrroles have been determined to occur from isomeric parent ions. For the [M-H]⁺ ion (formed by loss of a methyl hydrogen), loss of NH₃ leads to the formation of the phenylium ion and is preceded by consecutive carbon ring expansions followed by a ring contraction to form protonated aniline. Loss of CH₄ occurs after the first carbon ring expansion, which forms protonated picoline. The relative partitioning between the two dissociation paths depends upon the internal energy content of the parent ion; the highest point on the potential energy surface is the second ring expansion step. The [M+H]⁺ ion reacts through a similar pathway via dihydro analogs of picoline and aniline. The proposed reaction pathways are supported by results of semiempirical molecular orbital calculations.