A Self‐Digitization Dielectrophoretic (SD‐DEP) Chip for High‐Efficiency Single‐Cell Capture,On‐Demand Compartmentalization,and Downstream Nucleic Acid Analysis

The design and fabrication of a self‐digitization dielectrophoretic (SD‐DEP) chip with simple components for single‐cell manipulation and downstream nucleic acid analysis is presented. The device employed the traditional DEP and insulator DEP to create the local electric field that is tailored to approximately the size of single cells, enabling highly efficient single‐cell capture. The multistep procedures of cell manipulation, compartmentalization, lysis, and analysis were performed in the integrated microdevice, consuming minimal reagents, minimizing contamination, decreasing lysate dilution, and increasing assay sensitivity. The platform developed here could be a promising and powerful tool in single‐cell research for precise medicine.     

Linear and non-linear optical properties of 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles supported by a catalyst-free SiO2 sonogel network

The preparation and optical characterization of pyrrole based sol-gel hybrid materials generated by ultrasonic irradiation (Sonogel composites) are presented in this work. Pyrrole compounds were recently synthesized in our group by a modification of the Schulte-Reisch reaction; these molecular systems were dissolved at different concentrations in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and optimally embedded into a catalyst-free SiO₂ sonogel network. For this purpose, we exploited the novel catalyst-free (CF) sonolysis route to produce highly pure sol-gel glasses, generated via sonochemical reactions. This approach has been recently developed in our research group and has been successfully implemented to develop several hybrid composites for optical applications. By this method, homogeneous and stable solid-state hybrid samples suitable for optical characterization can be produced. The high porosity exhibited by the sonogel matrix allowed us to prepare several pyrrole doped composites with variable dopant concentration. The linear and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of these amorphous hybrid structures were determined by absorption- and photoluminescent (PL)-spectroscopies, and by the optical third harmonic generation (THG) techniques, respectively. The implemented catalyst-free sonolysis route produced SiO₂-host networks of high chemical and optical purity, suitable for optical and photonic applications.     

Direct-type vinylogous Mukaiyama-Michael addition reactions involving pyrrolinone donors

The direct Mukaiyama-Michael addition of vinylogous tetramate donors to a number of different Michael acceptors has been easily executed, by employing the TMSOTf/Et₃N mixture as soft Lewis acid/base promoter agent. Richly functionalized, highly manipulable γ-substituted pyrrolinone products were practically synthesized in acceptable to excellent yields, and with diastereoselectivities heavily relying upon the substituent at the nitrogen atom of the pyrrolinone donor.     

Studies on isocyanides: synthesis of tetrazolyl-isoindolinones via tandem Ugi four-component condensation/intramolecular amidation

The Ugi four-component condensation between methyl o-formylbenzoates 1, anilines 2a-c, isocyanides 3, and trimethylsilyl azide (4) afforded the expected Ugi adducts 5a-d, which were cyclized to the title compounds 6a-d upon treatment with sodium ethoxide in ethanol. Starting from aralkyl- or alkylamines 2d-g the Ugi adducts underwent a spontaneous cyclization to tetrazolyl-isoindolinones 6e-j.     

Electrophoretic migration of proteins in semidilute polymer solutions

We present a systematic study of the electrophoretic migration of 10-200 kDa protein fragments in dilute-polymer solutions using microfluidic chips. The electrophoretic mobility and dispersion of protein samples were measured in a series of monodisperse polydimethylacrylamide (PDMA) polymers of different molecular masses (243, 443, and 764 kDa, polydispersivity index <2) of varying concentration. The polymer solutions were characterized using rheometry. Prior to loading onto the microchip, the polymer solution was mixed with known concentrations of SDS (SDS) surfactant and a staining dye. SDS-denatured protein samples were electrokinetically injected, separated, and detected in the microchip using electric fields ranging from 100 to 300 V/cm. Our results show that the electrophoretic mobility of protein fragments decreases exponentially with the concentration c of the polymer solution. The mobility was found to decrease logarithmically with the molecular weight of the protein fragment. In addition, the mobility was found to be independent of the electric field in the separation channel. The dispersion is relatively independent of polymer concentration and it first increases with protein size and then decreases with a maximum at about 45 kDa. The resolution power of the device decreases with concentration of the PDMA solution but it is always better than 10% of the protein size. The protein migration does not seem to correspond to the Ogston or the reptation models. A semiempirical expression for mobility given by van Winkle fits the data very well.     

Reduction in the Resonance Error in Numerical Homogenization II: Correctors and Extrapolation

This paper is the follow-up of Gloria (Math Models Methods Appl Sci 21(8):1601–1630, 2011). One common drawback among numerical homogenization methods is the presence of the so-called resonance error, which roughly speaking is a function of the ratio \(\frac{\varepsilon }{\rho }\), where \(\rho \) is a typical macroscopic lengthscale and \(\varepsilon \) is the typical size of the heterogeneities. In the present work, we make a systematic use of regularization and extrapolation to reduce this resonance error at the level of the approximation of homogenized coefficients and correctors for general non-necessarily symmetric stationary ergodic coefficients. We quantify this reduction for the class of periodic coefficients, for the Kozlov subclass of almost-periodic coefficients, and for the subclass of random coefficients that satisfy a spectral gap estimate (e.g., Poisson random inclusions). We also report on a systematic numerical study in dimension 2, which demonstrates the efficiency of the method and the sharpness of the analysis. Last, we combine this approach to numerical homogenization methods, prove the asymptotic consistency in the case of locally stationary ergodic coefficients, and give quantitative estimates in the case of periodic coefficients.     

Intramolecular cyclopropanation of unsaturated terminal epoxides and chlorohydrins

Lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (LTMP)-induced intramolecular cyclopropanation of unsaturated terminal epoxides provides an efficient and completely stereoselective entry to bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-2-ols and bicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-2-ols. Further elaboration of C-5 and C-6 stannyl-substituted bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-2-ols via Sn-Li exchange/electrophile trapping or Stille coupling generates a range of substituted bicyclic cyclopropanes. An alternative straightforward cyclopropanation protocol using a catalytic amount of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TMP) allows for a convenient (1 g-7.5 kg) synthesis of bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-2-ol and other bicyclic adducts. The synthetic utility of this chemistry has been demonstrated in a concise asymmetric synthesis of (+)-beta-cuparenone. The related unsaturated chlorohydrins also undergo intramolecular cyclopropanation via in situ epoxide formation.     

First principles studies on boron sites in zeolites

A systematic computational investigation on protonated and nonprotonated boron-containing zeolites (boralites), performed by using different periodic density functional theory approximations, is presented. Both minimum energy structures and finite temperature behavior of model boron sodalites were analyzed. All of the adopted computational schemes agree in predicting an acid site composed of a silanol Si-OH group loosely linked to a planar BO(3) structure in the protonated system and a BO(4) tetrahedral site in the sodium-containing zeolite. Calculated structural and vibrational properties are in line with experimental data. Comparisons of the protonated boralite site with Al and Ga zeolitic acid sites are discussed as well. Results indicate that this class of mild acid catalysts is characterized by significant framework flexibility and pronounced thermal effects due to the loosely bound acid site.     

A dinuclear copper(II) complex with adeninate bridge ligands and prominent DNA cleavage activity. Structural and spectroscopic characterization and magnetic properties

A new dinuclear copper(II) complex has been synthesized and structurally characterized: [Cu(mu-ade)(tolSO3)(phen)]2.2H2O (Hade = adenine, tolSO3- = toluenesulfonate anion). Its magnetic properties and electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra have been studied in detail. The compound has two metal centers bridged by two adeninate NCN groups. The coordination geometry of the copper(II) ions in the dinuclear entity is distorted square pyramidal, with the four equatorial positions occupied by two phenanthroline N atoms and two N atoms from different adenine molecules. The axial position is occupied by one sulfonate O atom. Magnetic susceptibility data show antiferromagnetic behavior with an estimated exchange constant of -2J = 65 cm-1. The EPR spectrum has been obtained at both X- and Q-band frequencies; a study at different temperatures has been carried out at the latter. Above 20 K, the Q-band spectra are characteristic of S = 1 species with a small zero-field splitting parameter (D = 0.0970 cm-1). A detailed study of the DNA-complex interaction has been performed. The title complex efficiently cleaves the pUC18 plasmid in the presence of reducing agents. Both the kinetics and the mechanism of the cleavage reaction are examined and described herein.