Single‐Cell Investigations of Silver Nanoparticle–Bacteria Interactions

Interaction of bacteria with citrate‐reduced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of size 25 nm ± 8.5 nm is studied using Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with plasmon resonance imaging of single bacterial cells. Distribution of isolated nanoparticles (NPs) inside Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922; E. coli) is observed by hyperspectral imaging (HSI) as a function of incubation time. Time‐dependent degradation of bacterial DNA upon incubation of AgNPs with E. coli is proven by Raman spectroscopic studies. While attachment of NPs is evident in HSI, molecular changes are evident from the surface‐enhanced Raman spectra of adsorbed DNA and its fragments. Distinct enhancement of DNA features is observed upon interaction of AgNPs and the number of such distinct features increases with incubation time, reaches a maximum, and decreases afterwards. This systematic interaction of DNA with the NPs system and its gradual chemical evolution is proven by investigating isolated plasmid DNA. A comparative Raman study with silver ions has shown that DNA features are observable only when bacteria are incubated with AgNPs. Energetics of interaction examined with microcalorimetry suggests the exothermicity of ?1.547 × 10¹⁰ cal mol^?1 for the NP–bacteria system. Specific interaction of AgNPs with exocyclic nitrogen present in the bases, adenine, guanine, and cytosine, leads to the changes in DNA.     

Selective coulometric release of ions from ion selective polymeric membranes for calibration-free titrations

Coulometry belongs to one of the few known calibration-free techniques and is therefore highly attractive for chemical analysis. Titrations performed by the coulometric generation of reactants is a well-known approach in electrochemistry, but suffers from limited selectivity and is therefore not generally suited for samples of varying or unknown composition. Here, the selective coulometric release of ionic reagents from ion-selective polymeric membrane materials ordinarily used for the fabrication of ion-selective electrodes is described. The selectivity of such membranes can be tuned to a significant extent by the type and concentration of ionophore and lipophilic ion-exchanger and is today well understood. An anodic current of fixed magnitude and duration may be imposed across such a membrane to release a defined quantity of ions with high selectivity and precision. Since the applied current relates to a defined ion flux, a variety of non-redox active ions may be accurately released with this technique. In this work, the released titrant's activity was measured with a second ionophore-based ion-selective electrode and corresponded well with expected dosage levels on the basis of Faraday's law of electrolysis. Initial examples of coulometric titrations explored here include the release of calcium ions for complexometric titrations, including back titrations, and the release of barium ions to determine sulfate.     

Studies on biochemical markers in cryoinfarction in rats

Cryoinfarction in rats was carried out by placing the cooled probe directly on the midway of left anterior descending coronary artery. This caused damage to the blood vessel, hindering blood flow to the distal part of the left ventricle. Gross pathology showed around 26% infarction at 24 h. Histopathology revealed death of cardiomyocytes with blood vessel congestion at the end of 24 h, inflammatory infiltrate at 48 h, fibrotic scar by 96 h and collagen deposition by 192 h. Acute myocardial infarction biomarkers such as Cardiac Troponin T, Creatine Kinase MB and NT pro BNP were shown to be elevated by 4 h. ECG showed an ST segment elevation by 96 h. This cryoinfarction model was suitable to study changes taking place during acute myocardial infarction in humans.     

Beyond potentiometry: robust electrochemical ion sensor concepts in view of remote chemical sensing

For about 100 years, potentiometry with ion-selective electrodes has been one of the dominating electroanalytical techniques. While great advances in terms of selective chemistries and materials have been achieved in recent years, the basic manner in which ion-selective membranes are used has not fundamentally changed. The potential readings are directly co-dependent on the potential at the reference electrode, which requires maintenance and for which very few accepted alternatives have been proposed. Fouling or clogging of the exposed electrode surfaces will lead to changes in the observed potential. At the same time, the Nernst equation predicts quite small potential changes, on the order of millivolts for concentration changes on the order of a factor two, making frequent recalibration, accurate temperature control and electrode maintenance key requirements of routine analytical measurements. While the relatively advanced selective materials developed for ion-selective sensors would be highly attractive for low power remote sensing application, one should consider solutions beyond classical potentiometry to make this technology practically feasible. This paper evaluates some recent examples that may be attractive solutions to the stated problems that face potentiometric measurements. These include high-amplitude sensing approaches, with sensitivities that are an order of magnitude larger than predicted by the Nernst equation; backside calibration potentiometry, where knowledge of the magnitude of the potential is irrelevant and the system is evaluated from the backside of the membrane; controlled current coulometry with ion-selective membranes, an attractive technique for calibration-free reagent delivery without the need for standards or volumetry; localized electrochemical titrations at ion-selective membranes, making it possible to design sensors that directly monitor parameters such as total acidity for which volumetric techniques were traditionally used; and controlled potential coulometry, where all ions of interest are selectively transferred into the ion-selective organic phase, forming a calibration-free technique that would be exquisitely suitable for remote sensing applications.     

N—H...O and N—H...N interactions in three pyran derivatives

The three pyran structures 6‐methylamino‐5‐nitro‐2,4‐diphenyl‐4H‐pyran‐3‐carbonitrile, C₁₉H₁₅N₃O₃, (I), 4‐(3‐fluorophenyl)‐6‐methylamino‐5‐nitro‐2‐phenyl‐4H‐pyran‐3‐carbonitrile, C₁₉H₁₄FN₃O₃, (II), and 4‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐6‐methylamino‐5‐nitro‐2‐phenyl‐4H‐pyran‐3‐carbonitrile, C₁₉H₁₄ClN₃O₃, (III), differ in the nature of the aryl group at the 4‐position. The heterocyclic ring in all three structures adopts a flattened boat conformation. The dihedral angle between the pseudo‐axial phenyl substituent and the flat part of the pyran ring is 89.97 (1)° in (I), 80.11 (1)° in (II) and 87.77 (1)° in (III). In all three crystal structures, a strong intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond links the flat conjugated H—N—C=C—N—O fragment into a six‐membered ring. In (II), molecules are linked into dimeric aggregates by N—H... O(nitro) hydrogen bonds, generating an R₂²(12) graph‐set motif. In (III), intermolecular N—H...N and C—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules into a linear chain pattern generating C(8) and C(9) graph‐set motifs, respectively.     

Intermolecular C—H...O and C—H...X interactions in substituted spiroacenaphthylene structures

In the three spiroacenaphthylene structures 5′′‐[(E)‐2,3‐dichlorobenzylidene]‐7′‐(2,3‐dichlorophenyl)‐1′′‐methyldispiro[acenaphthylene‐1,5′‐pyrrolo[1,2‐c][1,3]thiazole‐6′,3′′‐piperidine]‐2,4′′‐dione, C₃₅H₂₆Cl₄N₂O₂S, (I), 5′′‐[(E)‐4‐fluorobenzylidene]‐7′‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1′′‐methyldispiro[acenaphthylene‐1,5′‐pyrrolo[1,2‐c][1,3]thiazole‐6′,3′′‐piperidine]‐2,4′′‐dione, C₃₅H₂₈F₂N₂O₂S, (II), and 5′′‐[(E)‐4‐bromobenzylidene]‐7′‐(4‐bromophenyl)‐1′′‐methyldispiro[acenaphthylene‐1,5′‐pyrrolo[1,2‐c][1,3]thiazole‐6′,3′′‐piperidine]‐2,4′′‐dione, C₃₅H₂₈Br₂N₂O₂S, (III), the substituted aryl groups are 2,3‐dichloro‐, 4‐fluoro‐ and 4‐bromophenyl, respectively. The six‐membered piperidine ring in all three structures adopts a half‐chair conformation, the thiazolidine ring adopts a slightly twisted envelope and the pyrrolidine ring an envelope conformation; in each case, the C atom linking the rings is the flap atom. In all three structures, weak intramolecular C—H...O interactions are present. The crystal packing is stabilized through a number of intermolecular C—H...O and C—H...X interactions, where X = Cl in (I) and F or S in (II), and C—H...O interactions are observed predominantly in (III). In all three structures, molecules are linked through centrosymmetric ring motifs, further tailored through a relay of C—H...X [Cl in (I), Br in (II) and O in (III)] interactions.