Vibrational analysis of fluid-filled carbon nanotubes using the wave propagation approach

This paper presents a method for vibrational analysis of fluid-filled double-walled carbon nanotubes using the wave propagation approach. Simplified Flügge shell equations are proposed as the governing equations of vibration for the carbon nanotubes. The double-walled nanotubes are considered as a two-shell model coupled together through the van der Waals interaction between two adjacent nanotubes. Based on the proposed theoretical approach, we investigate the influences of parameters, such as fluid properties and vibrational modes, on the vibrational characteristics of carbon nanotubes. In this study, we consider the double-walled nanotubes with an inner diameter of 2.2 nm and an outer diameter of 3.0 nm. The theoretical investigation may give a useful reference for potential application and design of nanoelectronics and nanodevices. PACS 62.30.+d; 62.25.+g; 62.40.+I     

Spatial Resolution Enhancement in BOTDR by Spectrum Separation Method

BOTDR (Brillouin optical-fiber time domain reflectometry) is a promising technique for measuring the strain distribution along an optical fiber which can be used for diagnosing civil structures. However, there is a trade-off between the spatial and the frequency resolutions, and its practical spatial resolution is limited to about 1 m; to date the application scope has been restricted. In order to enhance the spatial resolution without decreasing the measurement accuracy, we intentionally introduce two kinds of strain within the spatial resolution length determined by the optical pulse width, which results in Brillouin gain spectrum separation. In this paper, we describe the theoretical analysis of the spectrum separation method together with experimental verification, where a spatial resolution of 0.5 m is demonstrated. We further propose a new parabolic data fitting method especially effective in the spectrum separation method.     

Radial breathing vibration of double-walled carbon nanotubes subjected to pressure

A theoretical vibrational analysis of the radial breathing mode (RBM) of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) subjected to pressure is presented based on an elastic continuum model. The results agree with reported experimental results obtained under different conditions. Frequencies of the RBM in DWCNTs subjected to increasing pressure depend strongly on circumferential wave numbers, but weakly on the aspect ratio and axial half-wave numbers. For the inner and outer tubes of DWCNTs, the frequency of the RBM increases obviously as the pressure increases under different conditions. The range of variation is smaller for the inner tube than the outer tube.     

Buckling instability of circular double-layered graphene sheets

In this paper, we study the buckling properties of circular double-layered graphene sheets (DLGSs), using plate theory. The two graphene layers are modeled as two individual sheets whose interactions are determined by the Lennard-Jones potential of the carbon-carbon bond. An analytical solution of coupled governing equations is proposed for predicting the buckling properties of circular DLGSs. Using the present theoretical approach, the influences of boundary conditions, plate sizes, and buckling-mode shapes on the buckling behaviors are investigated in detail. The buckling stability is significantly affected by the buckling-mode shapes. As a result of van der Waals interactions, the buckling stress of circular DLGSs is much larger for the anti-phase mode than for the in-phase mode.     

AJICAP: Affinity Peptide Mediated Regiodivergent Functionalization of Native Antibodies

The need for atom‐precise biomolecule modification, and particularly the irreversible formation of covalent bonds to specific amino acids in proteins, has become an essential issue in the fields of pharmaceuticals and chemical biology. For example, antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are increasingly common entries into the clinical oncology pipeline. Herein, we report a new method of affinity peptide mediated regiodivergent functionalization (AJICAP?) that enables the synthesis of ADCs from native IgG antibodies. We succeeded in introducing thiol functional groups onto three lysine residues in IgGs using Fc affinity peptide reagents without antibody engineering. A cytotoxic molecule was then connected to the newly introduced thiol group, and both a surface plasmon resonance binding assay and in vivo xenograft mouse model results showed that the resulting ADC could selectively target and kill HER2‐positive cells. Our strategy provides a new approach for constructing complex antibody‐derived biomolecules.     

Caged bulky organic dyes in a polyaromatic framework and their spectroscopic peculiarities

Host–guest structures and properties have been widely studied using relatively small dyes (<1 nm) without bulky groups, due to their smooth incorporation, efficient host–guest interactions, and high analytical accessibility. In this report, on the other hand, three types of sterically demanding organic dyes trapped by a polyaromatic cage were investigated by spectroscopic analyses on the basis of supramolecular interactions. Coumarins with two bulky substituents are bound by the cage in aqueous solution. The resultant caged dyes show unusual emission enhancement, depending on the difference of a single heteroatom in their substituents. The color of perylene bisimides with two bulky substituents is remarkably changed from yellow to red upon caging. This peculiarity stems from the twist of the substituents in the cage, revealed by the combination of absorption and theoretical studies. Furthermore, tetrasubstituted, bulky porphyrins are caught by the cage in aqueous solution. The caged bulky dyes also display altered color and absorption properties, which remain intact even under acidic conditions. In contrast to typical covalent functionalization and previous host–guest studies toward small and non-bulky dyes, the unusual, non-covalent spectroscopic modulation of the large and bulky dyes can be accomplished for the first time by the present cage, featuring a prolate polyaromatic framework with four openings.

Here we report that the open large cavity of an M₂L₄ polyaromatic cage can efficiently bind sterically demanding organic dyes with coumarin, perylene bisimide, and porphyrin cores in aqueous solution. The spectroscopic properties of the caged dyes are largely modulated in the cavity.     

Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Using the Odontonema strictum Leaf Extract

The aqueous extract of the leaves of Odontonema strictum (OSM) is used in folk medicine for its antihypertensive properties, and it contains a wide range of secondary metabolites, mostly polyphenols such as verbascoside and isoverbascoside, which could play a major role in the preparation of silver nanoparticles. In this study, we aimed to prepare AgNPs for the first time using the OSM leaf extract (OSM-AgNPs) to investigate their free radical-scavenging potency against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV/Vis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the OSM-AgNPs. With a size around 100 nm and a ζ-potential of −41.1 mV, OSM-AgNPs showed a good stability and a better colloidal property due to electrostatic repulsion and the dispersity. The strong absorption peak at 3 keV in the EDX spectra indicated that silver was the major constituent. Additionally, the existence of silver atoms was confirmed by the Ag 3d_5/2 peak around 367 eV in the XPS spectra. IC₅₀ values of 116 μg/mL and 4.4 μg/mL were obtained for the scavenging activities of DPPH and H₂O₂, respectively. The synthetic OSM-AgNPs can be further exploited as potential antioxidant agents.     

Halogenated cladosporols produced by the sodium halide-supplemented fermentation of the plant-associated fungus Cladosporium sp. TMPU1621

A new cladosporol derivative, 2-chloro-cladosporol D (6), was isolated together with known cladosporol (1), cladosporols B–D (2–4), and cladosporol F (5) from the culture broth of plant-associated Cladosporium sp. TMPU1621. The structure of 6 was elucidated from spectroscopic analyses including NMR and MS data. The productivity of 6 increased in 3% NaCl-supplemented medium; therefore, fermentation of the producing fungus TMPU1621 with 3% NaBr was investigated, leading to the induced production of a new halogenated cladosporol, 2-bromo-cladosporol D (7). Compound 2 showed the lowest MIC values of 3.13 and 12.5?μg/mL against two MRSA strains, ATCC43300 and ATCC700698, respectively.