Spectroscopic and photoluminescence studies on optically transparent magnetic nanocomposites based on sol–gel glass: Fe3O4

Sol–gel glasses with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles having particle sizes laying in the range 10–20 nm were encapsulated in the porous network of silica resulting in nanocomposites having both optical and magnetic properties. Spectroscopic and photoluminescence studies indicated that Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals are embedded in the silica matrix with no strong Si–O–Fe bonding. The composites exhibited a blue luminescence. The optical absorption edge of the composites red shifted with increasing concentration of Fe₃O₄ in the silica matrix. There is no obvious shift in the position of the luminescence peak with the concentration of Fe₃O₄ except that the intensity of the peak is decreased. The unique combinations of magnetic and optical properties are appealing for magneto–optical applications.     

Carbon Paste Composite with Co3O4 as a New Electrochemical Sensor for the Detection of Allura Red by Reduction

The detection of Allura red (AR) by electrochemical reduction using a different electrode from the conventional mercury electrode is presented. A carbon paste with cobalt (II, III) oxide composite electrode (CoO_x/CPE) is reported for the first time for the detection of AR. Moreover, others dyes such as tartrazine (TZ), sunset yellow (SY), amaranth (AM), Ponceaut 4‐R (P‐4R), and Sudan (SD) as well as pharmaceutical agents such as paracetamol (PMC) that are present in samples that contained AR did not show a reduced signal between 0.0 and ?0.3 V, which is the potential range where AR reduction was observed. The surface electroactivity was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of CoO_X increased the cathodic peak current for AR by more than 50 % and 65 % via CV and square wave voltammetry (SWV), respectively, compared with an unmodified carbon paste electrode. Under the optimal parameters, (pH=3.0, accumulation time (t_ACC)=60 s and accumulation potential (E_ACC)=0.50 V), the detection limit for AR was 0.05 μmol L^?1. The new sensor was sensitive and stable for the detection of AR. Moreover, it was easily manufactured and very convenient for food samples such as soft and isotonic drinks as well as chili sauce.     

Aromatic compounds produced by endophytic fungi isolated from red alga Asparagopsis taxiformis - Falkenbergia stage

Endophytic fungi were isolated from red alga Asparagopsis taxiformis - Falkenbergia stage, collected from the Brazilian coast, and were identified as Annulohypoxylon stygium (AT-03) and A. yungensis (AT-06) based on their macro/micromorphological and molecular features. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOAc extract from laboratory cultures of both strains yielded known compounds pyrogallol from A. stygium, (3R)-scytalone and (3R,4R)-4-hydroxy-scytalone from A. yungensis. Pyrogallol was active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli strains. An inactive fraction from A. stygium afforded two additional compounds, (3R,4R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-1-tetralone and tyrosol. Optically active compounds had their stereochemistry determined by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy.     

Efficient structural modification of electron-withdrawing substituents on Pt(II) complexes for red emitters: A theoretical study

In this study, the electronic structures and optical properties of a cyclometalated Pt(II) complex (M1) and a series of derivatives (M1–F, M1–CF₃, and M1–CN) with electron-withdrawing substituents (–F, –CF₃, and –CN) at the carbazole moiety were theoretically investigated by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. The calculation results reveal that these Pt complexes display deep red phosphorescence emission above Λ = 640 nm. When the ³MLCT/π → π* to triplet metal-centered ³MC/d–d state decay mechanism is taken into consideration, the nonradiative decay rate constant (k_nr) decreased in the order M1 > M1–CF₃ > M1–F > M1–CN. The <T₁|H_SOC|S_m> and kr values of M1-F are similar with those of M1, however the Knr rate ofM1-F is larger than that of M1. M1–F is expected to have improved quantum yields. Moreover, through the analyses of the HOMO/LUMO level and triplet energy, it is found that the introduction of –F and –CN substituents in M1 results in efficient energy transfer from the host material 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl to these complexes. In view of the electroluminescent applications in organic light-emitting diodes, M1–F can serve as efficient deep-red guest materials with improved electron injection and transport ability.     

Silica microbeads capture fetal nucleated red blood cells for noninvasive prenatal testing of fetal ABO genotype

ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn (ABO-HDN), which may cause neonatal jaundice and polycythemia, or even stillbirth or neonatal death, is widespread in China. Prenatal testing for the fetal ABO blood group can reduce unnecessary concerns or ensure prompt treatment. Herein, we presented a method to employ high-density silica microbeads (SiO₂ MBs) for capturing fetal nucleated red blood cells (fnRBCs) in maternal peripheral blood, and we detected the ABO genotype of the fetus using these captured cells. We evaluated 52 patients using the SiO₂ MBs. Among 26 pregnant women with type O blood, 8 (30.8%) of the fetuses had type A blood, 5 (19.2%) had type B blood, and 13 (50%) had type O blood. SRY genes were detected in all 27 male fetuses. This study represents a simple and effective method for noninvasive prenatal detection of the fetal ABO genotype. We believe that this method has great potential for noninvasive prenatal testing of the fetal Rh blood group and other fetal diseases as well.     

茜素红S荧光猝灭法测定壳聚糖含量

在pH 5.0的NaAc-HAc缓冲液中壳聚糖对茜素红S的荧光强度具有明显的猝灭作用,且猝灭程度F0/F与加入的壳聚糖浓度成线性关系,据此建立一种测定壳聚糖含量的荧光猝灭法。确定了最佳测定条件,线性回归方程为F0/F=-0.438 37 0.436 27c(mg·L-1),线性范围为0-16.667 mg·L-1,r=0.996,检测限为0.473 mg·L-1;平均回收率为100.60％,测定了样品中壳聚糖的含量,并考察了干扰因素对测定的影响。采用该方法可测定复杂样品中微量壳聚糖含量。     

温度对β胡萝卜素结构有序的影响

本文测量了全反式β胡萝卜素在二甲基亚砜中81–25 ℃ 范围的紫外–可见吸收和拉曼光谱. 结果表明, 随温度降低, 紫外–可见吸收光谱、拉曼光谱都发生红移, 拉曼光谱线型变窄, 散射截面增加这些现象的发生是由于随温度降低, β胡萝卜素分子的热无序降低、分子结构有序性增加、π电子离域扩展, 有效共轭长度增加, 分子的电子能隙变窄. 另外, 随着温度的降低, 溶剂密度增加, 由Lorentz-Lorenz 关系得知相伴的折射率增加, 从而引起吸收光谱的红移. CC键键长增加, 使CC 键拉曼光谱红移; 振动弛豫时间变长, 各CC 键之间的键长差减小, 线宽变窄; 但由于声子, π电子耦合加强使CC键拉曼线型不对称程度增加, 低频端"肩"扩展, CC键的弱阻尼相干振动增加, 使拉曼散射截面增加. 关键词： β胡萝卜素 分子结构有序 红移 拉曼散射截面     

有机染料掺杂玻璃的制备及荧光性能

铅-锡-氟磷酸盐玻璃是各种激光染料及非线性染料的理想基质,本文报道了荧光素及吖啶红掺杂铅-锡-氟磷酸盐玻璃的荧光性能,并且将吖啶红掺入有机改性的钛凝胶(TiO2-Ormosil),对两者的荧光性能进行了比较。     

Extrinsic fluorescence probe study of human serum albumin using Nile red

Nile red bound to human serum albumin (HSA) shows an order of magnitude increase in the probe's fluorescence intensity. Here, we report on the fluorescence characteristics of the probe-protein complex in Trizma buffer (pH 7.1), urea, guanidine hydrochloride, and AOT/isooctane/buffer reverse micelles using both steady—state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. With a view to illustrating the use of extrinsic probe fluorescence spectroscopy in protein research, we demonstrate that protein unfolding can be observed through measurements of the probe's time-resolved anisotropy and steady-state fluorescence spectrum. Moreover, this shows that thermal unfolding is fundamentally different from using denaturant, with respect to changes in both the nanosecond diffusional rotation of the probe at intermediate stages and in the denatured protein's structure. Also, the large Stokes shift of Nile red allows the changes in the environment of the probe-protein complex in reverse micelles of varying waterpool size to be easily identified in the steady-state fluorescence. This was not seen in earlier work exploiting the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of HSA and further demonstrates the complementary information that extrinsic fluorescence probe studies can offer protein science. We discuss the complex acrylamide quenching characteristics of Nile red bound to HSA in terms of the possibility of at least two binding sites for the probe and the effect of acrylamide on the probe-protein structure at very high quencher concentrations.