A quantitative model of preferential evaporation and retention for atom probe tomography

It is well known that the apparent concentration of a solute element in metal, detected by atom probe tomography analysis, depends on the measurement condition such as specimen temperature, pulse fraction, and pulse frequency. The dependence was qualitatively interpreted to be caused by preferential evaporation and retention in field evaporation. A quantitative physical model accounting for the preferential evaporation and retention was proposed herein for the first time. The proposed model was applied to a ferritic iron–copper (Fe–Cu) alloy for preferential evaporation and a ferritic iron–silicon (Fe–Si) alloy for preferential retention. The model explained the temperature dependence on the apparent concentration of the solute element and the unwindowed background noise in each alloy well, whereas the dependence of pulse fraction and pulse frequency was not completely explained. The cause of the difference between the experimental and calculated results based on the model was discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nitroxide‐mediated Living Radical Polymerization of Styrene with Fluorescent Initiator

A fluorescence method was used for determination of marked chain ends in polystyrene samples prepared by 4‐substituted TEMPO type nitroxide‐mediated living free radical polymerization of styrene. 2,2,6,6‐Tetramethyl‐1‐(1‐phenylethoxy)‐piperidin‐4‐yl‐4‐pyren‐1‐ylbutanoate (PYNOR) was prepared and used as an unimolecular initiator bearing pyrene as a fluorescence mark on mediating nitroxide fragment. The bulk polymerization of styrene at 120°C, in the presence of new unimolecular initiator, was a typical nitroxide mediated living radical polymerization. For comparison, two different molar ratios of initiator and monomer (1∶400 and 1∶1000 initiator ‐ monomer [I:M]) were used for polymerization. When I:M=1∶400, the obtained polydispersity was 1.12 and maximum molecular weight 27,000 g/mol was obtained at 62% conversion. For ratio 1∶1000, slightly higher polydispersity was obtained ?1.26 and the molecular weight was 53,000 g/mol at 70% conversion. The content of the polystyrene chains bearing mediating nitroxide fragment was determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. The intensity of pyrene fluorescence decreased as the molar mass, and the conversion increased as well. The extent of the incorporation of chromophore at propagating chain end or “livingness” of polymerization decreased despite the fact that the polydispersity did not change. The extent of side reaction leading to broadening of polydispersity is suppressed due to the high viscosity of the system at higher conversion. A low extent of “livingness” will have a very negative effect on possible preparation of block copolymers.     

Denitrosation of N-Nitrososulfonamide as Chemical Probe for Determination of Binding Constants to Cyclodextrins

The influence of β-CD concentration on the acid hydrolysis of N-methyl-N-nitroso-p-toluenesulfonamide (MNTS) has been studied in the presence and absence of different alcohol concentrations. The rate of the denitrosation reaction in bulk water decrease as the β-CD concentration increases due to MNTS complexation in the CD cavity and the reaction taking place exclusively outside the cyclodextrin. Changes in this inhibition due to the presence of β-CD allow us to obtain the binding constants of different alcohols to the cyclodextrin. These binding constants are in very good agreement with those determined in the bibliography by other methods.     

Recognition of Guanine by a Designed Triazine-based Fluorescent Probe through Intermolecular Multiple Hydrogen Bonding

A new fluorescent probe with a long-wavelength emission and multiple hydrogen bond sites for guanine, 3-(4-chloro-6-p-nitrophenoxy-1,3,5-triazinylamino)-7-dimethylamino-2-methylphenazine (CNTDP), was designed and synthesized by using cyanuric chloride as a molecular scaffold, neutral red as a fluorophore and p-nitrophenol as an assistant unit. The recognition behavior of CNTDP for guanine and its spectroscopic properties in different solvents were investigated. It was found that the probe's fluorescence can be selectively quenched by guanine instead of thymine, indicating that fully complementary hydrogen bonding plays a key role in such a recognition process. In addition, the fluorescence quenching mechanism of the probe by guanine and the electronic effects of neutral red, triazine ring and p-nitrophenol moieties on the fluorescence of the whole molecule were also discussed.     

Scanning Probe Microscopy beyond Imaging: A General Tool for Quantitative Analysis

A simple, fast and general approach for quantitative analysis of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) images is reported. As a proof of concept it is used to determine with a high degree of precision the value of observables such as 1) the height, 2) the flowing current and 3) the corresponding surface potential (SP) of flat nanostructures such as gold electrodes, organic semiconductor architectures and graphenic sheets. Despite histogram analysis, or frequency count (Fc), being the most common mathematical tool used to analyse SPM images, the analytical approach is still lacking. By using the mathematical relationship between Fc and the collected data, the proposed method allows quantitative information on observable values close to the noise level to be gained. For instance, the thickness of nanostructures deposited on very rough substrates can be quantified, and this makes it possible to distinguish the contribution of an adsorbed nanostructure from that of the underlying substrate. Being non‐numerical, this versatile analytical approach is a useful and general tool for quantitative analysis of the Fc that enables all signals acquired and recorded by an SPM data array to be studied with high precision.     

一种应用于活细胞中检测Hg(Ⅱ)的苯并噻唑类荧光探针

合成和表征了一种苯并噻唑类的荧光探针(YH1),并用光谱法研究了它对不同金属离子的响应。结果表明:YH1对Hg²⁺显示出好的选择性和灵敏度,与Hg²⁺作用后,在紫外光的激发下它的溶液颜色由蓝色变为无色。在1.4~8.8 μmol·L^-1浓度的范围内,YH1的荧光强度与Hg²⁺浓度有线性关系,其对Hg²⁺的检出限为0.56 μmol·L^-1。此外,YH1可跨过细胞膜,细胞毒性低,还可应用于HeLa活细胞中对Hg²⁺进行荧光成像。     

掺氮高荧光碳点的一步法制备及对痕量Hg(Ⅱ)离子的选择性检测

采用一步水热法制备了一种水溶性的、具有良好荧光性能的掺氮碳量子点(N-碳点),其尺寸大小均匀,约为7 nm。N-碳点的荧光强度随N的掺杂量、水热反应温度、溶液的pH值而改变。在最佳反应条件下所制备的N-碳点的荧光量子产率高达24.4%。该N-碳点作为一种简单、低成本的荧光探针用于检测痕量Hg²⁺,具有高选择性和高灵敏度的特点,其最低检测极限可达到0.02 μmol·L^-1 (4.012 ng)。     

新型罗丹明型荧光探针的合成及其对Cu(Ⅱ)的识别性能

罗丹明B-酰肼和8-羟基-7-喹啉醛经缩合反应合成了一个新型的荧光探针(L),其结构经1H NMR,MS和元素分析表征。考察了L对金属离子的识别性能,结果表明:在乙腈溶液[V(MeCN)∶V(H2O)=19∶1,pH7.0]中,L可高选择性的识别Cu(Ⅱ)。Cu(Ⅱ)能诱导L内酰胺结构开环并形成1∶2型的配合物L-Cu(Ⅱ),这一过程是可逆的。     

Swelling Ratios and Rates of Sulfonation of Solvent Modified Copolymers of Styrene Cross-Linked with Pure m-and Pure p-Divinylbenzene

Solvent-modified (toluene) copolymers have been prepared from styrene cross-linked with commercial divinylbenzene, m-divinylbenzene, and p-divinylbenzene at divinyl monomer contents of 16 mole % and 32 mole % at F_M = 0.50. The resultant copolymers have been characterized by swelling-ratio determinations and rates of sulfonation at 60 and 80°C. The solvent-modified 16 mole % cross-linked copolymers sulfonated at rates slightly greater than those characterizing the 8 mole % cross-linked copolymers prepared in the absence of diluent. The order of decreasing sulfonation rates for both the conventional 8 mole % cross-linked systems and for the solvent-modified 16 mole % cross-linked copolymers is commercial divinylbenzene/styrene, p-divinylbenzene/styrene, m-divinylbenzene styrene. The 32 mole % cross-linked systems exhibit a different order of decreasing sulfonation rates: commercial divinylbenzene/styrene, m-divinylbenzene/styrene, p-divinylbenzene/styrene. The swelling ratios of the 32 mole % solvent-modified copolymers were comparable to those of the conventional 8 mole % cross-linked systems.     

Colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent detection of sulfite in water via cationic surfactant-promoted addition of sulfite to α,β-unsaturated ketone

Three fluorescent probes were constructed by incorporating an α,β-unsaturated ketone to a coumarin fluorophore. The selective addition of sulfite to the alkene of TSP assisted by cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) micelle can be visualized by dramatic color and ratiometric fluorescence changes. In CTAB–PBS system, the fluorescence intensity ratio at 465 nm and 592 nm (I₄₆₅/I₅₉₂) and the absorbance ratio at 390 nm and 470 nm (A₃₉₀/A₄₇₀) were linearly proportional to sulfite concentration in the range of 0.5–150 μM, and the detection limit was 0.2 μM. Good selectivity and competition of TSP1 towards sulfite over several anions and biological thiols were acquired. Probe TSP1 was used to detect sulfite in three realistic samples (mineral water, sugar and white wine) with good recovery.