Spider Silk-Improved Quartz-Enhanced Conductance Spectroscopy for Medical Mask Humidity Sensing

Spider silk is one of the hottest biomaterials researched currently, due to its excellent mechanical properties. This work reports a novel humidity sensing platform based on a spider silk-modified quartz tuning fork (SSM-QTF). Since spider silk is a kind of natural moisture-sensitive material, it does not demand additional sensitization. Quartz-enhanced conductance spectroscopy (QECS) was combined with the SSM-QTF to access humidity sensing sensitively. The results indicate that the resonance frequency of the SSM-QTF decreased monotonously with the ambient humidity. The detection sensitivity of the proposed SSM-QTF sensor was 12.7 ppm at 1 min. The SSM-QTF sensor showed good linearity of ~0.99. Using this sensor, we successfully measured the humidity of disposable medical masks for different periods of wearing time. The results showed that even a 20 min wearing time can lead to a >70% humidity in the mask enclosed space. It is suggested that a disposable medical mask should be changed <2 h.     

Screening an In-House Isoquinoline Alkaloids Library for New Blockers of Voltage-Gated Na+ Channels Using Voltage Sensor Fluorescent Probes: Hits and Biases

Voltage-gated Na⁺ (Na_V) channels are significant therapeutic targets for the treatment of cardiac and neurological disorders, thus promoting the search for novel Na_V channel ligands. With the objective of discovering new blockers of Na_V channel ligands, we screened an In-House vegetal alkaloid library using fluorescence cell-based assays. We screened 62 isoquinoline alkaloids (IA) for their ability to decrease the FRET signal of voltage sensor probes (VSP), which were induced by the activation of Na_V channels with batrachotoxin (BTX) in GH3b6 cells. This led to the selection of five IA: liriodenine, oxostephanine, thalmiculine, protopine, and bebeerine, inhibiting the BTX-induced VSP signal with micromolar IC₅₀. These five alkaloids were then assayed using the Na⁺ fluorescent probe ANG-2 and the patch-clamp technique. Only oxostephanine and liriodenine were able to inhibit the BTX-induced ANG-2 signal in HEK293-hNa_V1.3 cells. Indeed, liriodenine and oxostephanine decreased the effects of BTX on Na⁺ currents elicited by the hNa_V1.3 channel, suggesting that conformation change induced by BTX binding could induce a bias in fluorescent assays. However, among the five IA selected in the VSP assay, only bebeerine exhibited strong inhibitory effects against Na⁺ currents elicited by the hNav1.2 and hNav1.6 channels, with IC₅₀ values below 10 µM. So far, bebeerine is the first BBIQ to have been reported to block Na_V channels, with promising therapeutical applications.     

Exploration of the Crystal Structure and Thermal and Spectroscopic Properties of Monoclinic Praseodymium Sulfate Pr2(SO4)3

Praseodymium sulfate was obtained by the precipitation method and the crystal structure was determined by Rietveld analysis. Pr₂(SO₄)₃ is crystallized in the monoclinic structure, space group C2/c, with cell parameters a = 21.6052 (4), b = 6.7237 (1) and c = 6.9777 (1) Å, β = 107.9148 (7)°, Z = 4, V = 964.48 (3) ų (T = 150 °C). The thermal expansion of Pr₂(SO₄)₃ is strongly anisotropic. As was obtained by XRD measurements, all cell parameters are increased on heating. However, due to a strong increase of the monoclinic angle β, there is a direction of negative thermal expansion. In the argon atmosphere, Pr₂(SO₄)₃ is stable in the temperature range of T = 30–870 °C. The kinetics of the thermal decomposition process of praseodymium sulfate octahydrate Pr₂(SO₄)₃·8H₂O was studied as well. The vibrational properties of Pr₂(SO₄)₃ were examined by Raman and Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectroscopy methods. The band gap structure of Pr₂(SO₄)₃ was evaluated by ab initio calculations, and it was found that the valence band top is dominated by the p electrons of oxygen ions, while the conduction band bottom is formed by the d electrons of Pr³⁺ ions. The exact position of ZPL is determined via PL and PLE spectra at 77 K to be at 481 nm, and that enabled a correct assignment of luminescent bands. The maximum luminescent band in Pr₂(SO₄)₃ belongs to the ³P₀ → ³F₂ transition at 640 nm.     

旋光晶体的寻常折射率与左旋光和右旋光折射率的关系

由光的波动方程证明,若介质为旋光物质,则其极化率张量χ一定有非对角对称的共轭虚元素,并导出了旋光晶体的寻常折射率no与左旋光折射率nL和右旋光折射率nR之间的关系.将理论分析结果与实验数据相对照,结果完全吻合.     

一种高性能太阳敏感器复合光学系统设计

以夫朗禾费衍射理论为基础,结合微透镜,设计了一种高性能的数字式太阳敏感器复合光学系统。分析了光学系统的组成,建立了光学系统的数学模型,设计了光学系统的焦距、孔径和微透镜参量,并进行了成像的数值仿真。仿真结果表明,与基于掩模的光学系统相比,这种新型的复合光学系统成像光斑能量分布集中,保证计算光斑中心位置的高精度,使敏感器具有大视场和高精度的特点。     

一例含阴离子水簇的钴配合物的合成、结构及理论研究

金属配合物中的水簇研究为研究宏观意义上的水以及与蛋白质分子有关的水分子提供了有效途径。本文合成了一个含有阴离子水簇的带状超分子配合物[Co(2,2-bipy)₂(N₃)₂](N₃)_0.5Cl_0.5·2H₂O(1,2, 2-bipy=2, 2-联吡啶)。单晶结构解析表明,配合物属于三斜晶系,P-1空间群,晶胞参数为:a=0.822 54(7) nm,b=1.175 58(9) nm,c=1.237 06(10) nm,α=91.379 0(10)°,β=92.151 0(10)°,γ=108.119 0(10)°,V=1.135 27(16) nm³,由一个单核[Co(2,2-bipy)₂(N₃)₂]⁺配合物阳离子、两个非配位水分子、0.5个游离的叠氮离子和0.5个氯离子组成,叠氮离子和氯离子位置无序,占有率各为50%。两个客体水分子通过强烈的分子间氢键作用形成了环状水四聚体,且与无序的N^-₃和Cl^-通过氢键作用形成了一个[(H₂O)₄(N₃)Cl]^2- 阴离子水簇。此外,本文基于密度泛函理论(DFT)对配合物[Co(2,2-bipy)₂(N₃)₂]⁺阳离子进行了量子化学计算,分析了其单点能和原子电荷,并计算了中心金属离子的氧化态,计算结果与实验相吻合。     

改进型单晶炉提拉系统偏心平衡研究

随着光伏行业的快速发展, 对硅单晶的品质和长晶装备的稳定性的要求也不断提高。直拉法是生产硅单晶的主要方法,通过提高单晶炉副室的高度以扩大单晶硅的生产规模。由于副室高度的大幅增加,且单晶炉提拉头质心相对于旋转轴心有一定距离,对单晶炉整体稳定性有较大影响,从而降低了单晶硅的生产质量。针对此问题,对单晶炉建立可靠的力学分析模型,采用数值仿真方法,对单晶炉整体进行动力学响应分析,计算得到副室高度增加后的单晶炉工作时中钨丝绳下端晶棒的运动规律以及最大摆动幅度,为改进设计提供依据。数值仿真分析表明提高单晶炉副室高度后,提拉头较大的质心偏心是单晶炉提拉系统发生摆动的主要原因。在此基础上提出在提拉头上添加质心调节装置,通过控制系统调节可保证提拉头质心位置在旋转轴线上以降低提拉系统的摆动。     

2,2-双(4-氯-2-氟苄基)丙二酸二乙酯的晶体结构和密度泛函理论研究

标题化合物是一个重要的精细化工中间体,可用于制备嘧啶类、吡唑类等产品.本文利用红外光谱(IR)、质谱(MS)、核磁共振氢谱(1 H NMR)、核磁共振碳谱(13 C NMR)和X-射线单晶衍射对此化合物进行了表征,并在B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)模式下使用密度泛函理论(DFT)计算了此化合物的最稳定晶体结构以及最...     

Facile Synthesis of Porous Ag Crystals as SERS Sensor for Detection of Five Methamphetamine Analogs

Porous noble metal nanomaterials have attracted extensive attention due to their high specific surface area and surface plasmon resonance effect. However, it is difficult to form porous structures due to the high mobility and low reduction potential of noble metal precursors. In this article, we developed a facile method for preparing porous Ag with a controllable structure at room temperature. Two kinds of Ag crystals with different porous structures were successfully prepared by using AgCl cubes as sacrificial templates. Through the galvanic replacement reaction of Zn and AgCl, Ag crystals with a sponge-like porous structure were successfully prepared. Additionally, using NaBH₄ as the reducing agent, we prepared granular porous Ag cubes by optimizing the amount of reducing agent. Both the sponge-like and granular porous Ag cubes have clean and accessible surfaces. In addition, we used the prepared two porous Ag cubes as substrate materials for SERS detection of five kinds of methamphetamine analogs. The experimental results show that the enhancement effect of granular porous Ag is better than that of sponge-like porous Ag. Furthermore, we probed the hot spot distribution of granular porous Ag by Raman mapping. By using granular porous Ag as the substrate material, we have achieved trace detection of 5 kinds of methamphetamine analogs including Ephedrine, Amphetamine, N-Methyl-1-(benzofuran-5-yl)propan-2-amine (5-MAPB), N-Methyl-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)propan-2-amine (PMMA) and N-Methyl-1-(4-fluorophenyl)propan-2-amine (4-FMA). Furthermore, to achieve qualitative differentiation of analogs with similar structures we performed density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations on the Raman spectra of the above analogs. The DFT calculations provided the vibrational frequencies, Raman activities, and normal mode assignment for each analog, enabling the qualitative differentiation of the above analogs.     

Influence of Aliphatic Chain Length on Structural,Thermal and Electrochemical Properties of n-alkylene Benzyl Alcohols: A Study of the Odd–Even Effect

The century-old, well-known odd–even effect phenomenon is still a very attractive and intriguing topic in supramolecular and nano-scale organic chemistry. As a part of our continuous efforts in the study of supramolecular chemistry, we have prepared three novel aromatic alcohols (1,2-bis[2-(hydroxymethyl)phenoxy]butylene (Do4OH), 1,2-bis[2-(hydroxymethyl)phenoxy]pentylene (Do5OH) and 1,2-bis[2-(hydroxymethyl)phenoxy]hexylene (Do6OH)) and determined their crystal and molecular structures by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In all compounds, two benzyl alcohol groups are linked by an aliphatic chain of different lengths (CH₂)_n; n = 4, 5 and 6. The major differences in the molecular structures were found in the overall planarity of the molecules and the conformation of the aliphatic chain. Molecules with an even number of CH₂ groups tend to be planar with an all-trans conformation of the aliphatic chain, while the odd-numbered molecule is non-planar, with partial gauche conformation. A direct consequence of these structural differences is visible in the melting points—odd-numbered compounds of a particular series display systematically lower melting points. Crystal and molecular structures were additionally studied by the theoretical calculations and the melting points were correlated with packing density and the number of CH₂ groups. The results have shown that the generally accepted rule, higher density = higher stability = higher melting point, could not be applied to these compounds. It was found that the denser packaging causes an increase in the percentage of repulsive H‧‧‧H interactions, thereby reducing the stability of the crystal, and consequently, the melting points. Another interesting consequence of different molecular structures is their electrochemical and antioxidative properties—a non-planar structure displays the highest oxidation peak of hydroxyl groups and moderate antioxidant activity.