A label-free gold-nanoparticle-based SERS assay for direct cyanide detection at the parts-per-trillion level

Cyanide is an extremely toxic lethal poison known to humankind. Developing rapid, highly sensitive, and selective detection of cyanide from water samples is extremely essential for human life safety. Driven by the need, here we report a gold-nanoparticle-based label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) system for highly toxic cyanide ion recognition in parts-per-trillion level and to examine gold-nanoparticle-cyanide interaction. We have shown that the SERS assay can be used to probe the gold nanoparticle dissociation process in the presence of cyanide ions. Our experimental data indicates that gold-nanoparticle-based SERS can detect cyanide from a water sample at the 110 ppt level with excellent discrimination against other common anions and cations. The results also show that the SERS probe can be used to detect cyanide from environmental samples.     

Thioether-functionalized mesoporous fiber membranes: sol-gel combined electrospun fabrication and their applications for Hg2+ removal

Mesoporous polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/SiO(2) composite nanofiber membranes functionalized with thioether groups have been fabricated by a combination method of sol-gel process and electrospinning. The precursor sol was synthesized by one-step co-condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)propane tetrasulfide (BTESPTS, (CH(3)CH(2)O)(3)Si(CH(2))(3)S-S-S-S(CH(2))(3)Si-(OCH(2)CH(3))(3)), with the triblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (P123, EO(20)PO(70)EO(20)) as template. After the addition of PVP, nanofiber membranes were prepared by electrospinning. The membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms, and an Elementar Vario EL analyzer. The composites were used as highly selective adsorbents for Hg(2+) due to the modification with thioether groups (-S-), and were conveniently separated from the waste water. The composite could be regenerated through acidification.     

Mapping molecular conformations with multiple-mode two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy

The multiple-mode two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectrum in a broad frequency range from 1000 to 3200 cm(-1) of a 1-cyanovinyl acetate solution in CCl(4) is reported. By analyzing its relative orientations of the transition dipole moments of normal modes that cover vibrations of all chemical bonds, the three-dimensional molecular conformations and their population distributions of 1-cyanovinyl acetate are obtained, with the aid of quantum chemistry calculations that translate the experimental transition dipole moment cross angles into the cross angles among chemical bonds.     

Label-free fluorescent detection of Cu(II) ions based on DNA cleavage-dependent graphene-quenched DNAzymes

We developed a novel and general methodology to design a label-free fluorescent Cu(II) sensor based on internal DNA cleavage and an extrinsic fluorophore in a graphene/DNAzymes complex with high sensitivity and selectivity.     

Imidazole-modified porphyrin as a pH-responsive sensitizer for cancer photodynamic therapy

5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(N-(2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)benzamide)porphyrin produced twice as many singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) molecules at pH 5.0 (quantum yield 0.53 ± 0.01) than at pH 7.4, whereas the (1)O(2) quenching rate was reduced by a factor of 2.5 for a pH change from 7.4 to 5.0.     

Host dependent frequency upconversion of Er-doped oxyfluoride germanate glasses

Er³⁺-doped oxyfluoride germanate glasses have been synthesized by the conventional melting and quenching method. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters were calculated based on the Judd-Ofelt theory and absorption spectra measurements. With the substitution of PbF₂ for PbO, the Ω₂ parameter decreases, while the Ω₆ parameter increases. These change trends indicate that fluoride anions come to coordinate erbium cations and the covalency of the Er-O bond decreases. Structural and thermal stability properties were obtained by Raman spectra and differential thermal analysis, indicating that PbF₂ plays an important role in the formation of glass network and has an important influence on the maximum phonon energy and thermal stability of host glasses. Intense green and red emissions centered at 525, 546, and 657 nm, corresponding to the transitions ²H_11/2→⁴I_15/2, ⁴S_3/2→⁴I_15/2, and ⁴F_9/2→⁴I_15/2, respectively, were simultaneously observed at room temperature. With increasing PbF₂ content, the intensity of red (657 nm) emissions increases significantly, while that of the green (525 and 546 nm) emission increases slightly. The results indicate that PbF₂ has more influence on the red (657 nm) emission than the green (525 and 546 nm) emissions in oxyfluoride germanate glasses. The possible upconversion luminescence mechanisms have also been estimated and discussed.     

Preparation of porous aminopropylsilsesquioxane by a nonhydrolytic sol-gel method in ionic liquid solvent

The synthesis of porous aminopropylsilsesquioxane (APSS) has been achieved with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM(+)PF(6-)) ionic liquid (IL) as a template solvent by a nonhydrolytic sol-gel method of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane under mild temperature. By the alteration of the amount of IL or the catalyst, the gels with various specific surface areas ranged from approximately 600 to approximately 1500 m(2) g(-1) were obtained after the remove of IL by calcination, and their N(2) sorption isotherms were typical IV-like isotherms with H2 hysteresis. The average Battett-Jouner-Halenda pore diameters ranged from 3.2 to 5.6 nm. The results demonstrated that BMIM(+)PF(6-) was physically embodied in the silsesquioxane bulk instead of the chemical bonding. Silsesquioxane has promise in catalysis, biosensors, etc. This work would also provide a way for us to prepare a wide variety of materials by using IL as a template solvent.     

铁电-铁磁多铁性脉冲形成线特性

对"多铁性"脉冲形成线输出特性进行了研究。利用镍锌铁氧体-钛酸钡陶瓷复合多铁性材料制作了脉冲形成线。在不同的磁回路条件下得到了不同脉冲宽度的电脉冲方波,其中以高磁导率材料组合成的闭合磁回路得到了脉冲宽度约201 ns的方波输出。推算出脉冲形成线的相对介电常数接近2 000,相对磁导率大于1.4。基于有效磁导率的概念,分析了多铁性脉冲形成线几何构型对脉冲输出特性的影响。分析表明:平板状"多铁性脉冲形成线"的有效磁导率不仅取决于平板介质的磁导率,还取决于周围介质的磁导率,因而有效磁导率通常较小,其输出表现出明显的铁电性而只有"弱"的铁磁性;相比之下,同轴结构的"多铁性脉冲形成线"具有更高的有效磁导率,其输出可同时表现出强的铁电性和铁磁性,即更明显的"多铁性"。"多铁性脉冲形成线"有可能在紧凑型脉冲功率系统中获得应用。     

大功率GaAs光导开关寿命实验研究

设计并制作了18 mm间隙的半绝缘GaAs光导开关,开关芯片采用标准半导体工艺制作并封装在陶瓷基板上。测试了光导开关在20 kV工作电压、1 kA工作电流时,不同重复频率工作的开关寿命,结果表明,开关寿命4 000次~7 000次,且随着重复频率的提高,开关寿命有所降低。初步分析了导致开关失效的原因为热损伤,包括局部发热导致的连接损伤和材料损伤以及整体发热导致的暗态电阻下降。     

不同形状的光斑触发砷化镓光导开关

为研究使用不同形状光斑触发光导开关对光电导特性的影响,研制了12 mm间隙的半绝缘砷化镓光导开关,在不同的偏置电压下,使用波长为1 064 nm的不同能量的激光触发光导开关并进行了光电导测试。使用了不同形状的光斑(包括面状、线状和点状光斑)触发光导开关并进行了光电导特性的比较,讨论了触发光参数对光导开关特性的影响。对处于开关电极间不同位置的线状光斑触发特性进行了比较,结果显示,本征光电导和非本征光电导情况下光斑位置对光电流的影响正好相反。