The use of hydrophobicity and pozzolanic reactivity of the PMHS/nanosilica hybrid composites on the water absorption of cement mortar

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The durability of cement-based materials can be significantly improved by surface treatment with organic or inorganic silica-based treatment agents. In...     

Facile Preparation of Carbohydrate-Containing Adjuvants Based on Self-Assembling Glycopeptide Conjugates

Carbohydrates are intriguing biomolecules possessing diverse biological activities, including immune stimulating capability. However, their biomedical applications have been limited by their complex and heterogeneous structures. In this study, we have utilized a self-assembling glycopeptide conjugate (GPC) system to produce uniform nanoribbons appending homogeneous oligosaccharides with multivalency. This system successfully translates the nontrivial structural differences of oligomannoses into varied binding affinities to C-type lectin receptors (CLRs). We have shown that GPCs could promote the CLR-mediated endocytosis of ovalbumin (OVA) antigen, and two mannotriose-modified peptides F3m2 and F3m5 exhibit potent activity in inducing antigen-presenting cell maturation, as indicated by increased CD86 and MHCII expression. In vivo studies demonstrated that GPCs, combined with OVA antigen, significantly enhanced OVA-specific antibody production. Specifically, F3m2 and F3m5 exhibited the highest immunostimulatory effects, eliciting both Th1- and Th2-biased immune responses and promoting differentiation of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. These findings highlight the potential of GPCs as vaccine adjuvants, and showcase their versatility in exploiting the biological functions of carbohydrates.     

Silicon nanowire growth on poly‐silicon‐on‐quartz substrates formed by aluminum‐induced crystallization

The vertical growth of Si nanowires on non‐monocrystalline substrates is of significant interest for photovoltaics and other energy harvesting applications. In this paper, we present results on using poly‐Si layers formed by aluminum‐induced crystallization (AIC) on fused quartz wafers as an alternative substrate for the vapor‐liquid‐solid (VLS) growth of vertical Si nanowires. Oxidation of the Al surface to Al₂O₃ before the a‐Si deposition was shown to be a key requirement in the formation of the poly‐Si template since it promotes the crystallization of the a‐Si into Si(111) which is required for vertical silicon nanowire growth. The effect of Al deposition technique (DC sputtering versus thermal evaporation) on a‐Si crystallization and Si nanowire growth was investigated. The use of Al thermal evaporation yielded AIC poly‐Si layers with the highest fraction of 〈111〉 grains as measured by orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) which enabled the growth of vertical Si nanowires. Cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy analysis confirmed that the 〈111〉 Si nanowires grew epitaxially off of {111}poly‐Si grains in the AIC layer. This study demonstrates the potential of using AIC poly‐Si as a template layer for the vertical growth of silicon nanowires on amorphous substrates.     

Synthesis and electrical properties of ZnO nanowires

Vertically aligned ZnO nanowires were synthesized on the p(+) silicon chip by modifying the CVD process with a vapor trapping design. Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the morphology of as-obtained nanowires. X-ray diffraction showed that the obtained nanowires were ZnO crystalline. The rectifying characteristics of the p-n heterojunction composed of ZnO nanowires and a p(+) silicon chip were observed. The positive turn-on voltage was 0.5V and the reverse saturation current was 0.01mA. These vertically aligned ZnO nanowires showed a low field emission threshold of 4V/microm at a current density of 0.1microA/cm(2). The dependence of emission current density on the electric field followed Fowler-Nordheim relationship.     

η~6-[三(三甲基硅基)苯基硅烷]三羰基铬类化合物的合成及其分子内硅硅键与金属铬之间相互作用的理论研究

采用三(三甲基硅基)苯基硅烷p-R(Me3Si)3SiC6H4与六羰基铬在加热条件下反应,制得了相应的η6-[三(三甲基硅基)苯基硅烷]三羰基铬化合物{η6-[(Me3Si)3SiC6H4R]Cr(CO)3(R=H,p-Me,p-MeO)}.利用核磁共振波谱、红外光谱和元素分析等手段对产物进行了表征,并利用单晶X射线衍射法测定了化合物η6-[(Me3Si)3SiC6H4R]Cr(CO)3(R=H)的分子结构.在此基础上,对其分子内硅硅键与金属铬之间可能的相互作用进行了考察,发现在加热条件下硅硅键不能被分子内过渡金属活化.利用密度泛函理论(DFT)对预测的硅硅键活化过程进行了计算,发现反应可能的中间体、过渡态及最终产物均具有较高能量,导致反应在动力学和热力学上均不可行.这一结果表明,分子内硅硅键被过渡金属活化的现象在η6-苯基金属化合物体系中难以发生.     

无机颜料合成的探究及社会调研

无机颜料是多种日用品常用的着色剂,厦门大学本科生社会实践小组在查阅文献的基础上,在实验室小量合成了部分无机颜料,对合成方法进行了总结、讨论;同时进行了问卷调查,到相关企业进行了参观、学习。     

Chemical profiling and identification of Radix Cudramiae and their metabolites in rats using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

Radix Cudramiae, known as “Chuan-Po-Shi” in China, is a herbal medicine widely used in the southwest of the country, especially applied by the Miao and Zhuang nationalities for the treatment of liver diseases, such as acute liver injury and liver fibrosis. As a kind of ethnomedicine, the report on its chemical analysis was still blank, which restricted its clinical application. Therefore, this paper aimed to illustrate the chemical characteristics of Radix Cudramiae. A rapid analytical strategy based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry was developed to profile the natural small-molecular compounds in Radix Cudramiae, as well as the related prototypes and their metabolites in rats after drug administration. As a result, a total of 74 compounds were detected in the aqueous exact of Radix Cudramiae. In vivo, 45 chemicals including 16 prototypes and 29 metabolites in rat serum, along with 35 chemicals including 17 prototypes and 18 metabolites in rat liver, were screened out and identified. For the first time, the chemical constituents of Radix Cudramiae and their metabolic characteristics were discovered. It was hoped that this work would be beneficial for the safe and effective application of Radix Cudramiae in a clinic.     

Real-time imaging of cell-surface proteins with antibody-based fluorogenic probes

Cell-surface proteins, working as key agents in various diseases, are the targets for around 66% of approved human drugs. A general strategy to selectively detect these proteins in a real-time manner is expected to facilitate the development of new drugs and medical diagnoses. Although brilliant successes were attained using small-molecule probes, they could cover a narrow range of targets due to the lack of suitable ligands and some of them suffer from selectivity issues. We report herein an antibody-based fluorogenic probe prepared via a two-step chemical modification under physiological conditions, to fulfill the selective recognition and wash-free imaging of membrane proteins, establishing a modular strategy with broad implications for biochemical research and for therapeutics.

A modular strategy to convert commercially available antibodies into fluorogenic probes has been developed, enabling selective recognition and wash-free imaging of endogenous membrane proteins.