Enhanced photochemistry on metal surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncher, G.M.; Parsons, C.A.; Harris, C.B.

1984-01-01

Due to the fast relaxation of molecular excited states in the vicinity of a metal or semiconductor surface, few observations of surface photochemistry have been reported. The following work concerns the surface-enhanced photo-reactions of a variety of physisorbed molecules on roughened Ag surfaces. In summary, photodecomposition leads to a graphitic surface carbon product which is monitored via surface-enhanced Raman scattering. In most cases an initial two-photon molecular absorption step followed by further absorption and fragmentation is thought to occur. Enhancement of the incident fields occurs through roughness-mediated surface plasmon resonances. This mechanism provides the amplified electromagnetic surface fields responsible for the observed photodecomposition. The photodecomposition experiments are performed under ultra-high vacuum. Surface characterization of the roughened surfaces was done by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and electron-stimulated emission. The SEM revealed morphology on the order of 300-400 A. This size of roughness feature, when modelled as isolated spheres should exhibit the well-known Mie resonances for light of the correct wavelengths. For protrusions existing on a surface these Mie resonances can be thought of as a coupling of the light with the surface plasmon. Experimental verification of these resonances was provided by the electron-stimulated light emission results. These showed that a polished Ag surface emitted only the expected transition radiation at the frequency of the Ag bulk plasmon. Upon roughening, however, a broad range of lower frequencies extending well into the visible are seen from electron irradiation of the surface. Large enhancements are expected for those frequencies which are able to couple into the surface modes

Comparative study of ß-glucan induced respiratory burst measured by nitroblue tetrazolium assay and real-time luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence assay in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiménez, Natalia Ivonne Vera; Pietretti, D.; Wiegertjes, G. F.

2013-01-01

kidney cells of carp. However, whereas the NBT assay was shown to detect the production of only superoxide anions, the real-time luminol-enhanced assay could detect the production of both superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide. Only the chemiluminescence assay could reliably record the production of ROS......-point measurement based on the intracellular reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and a real-time luminol-enhanced assay based on the detection of native chemiluminescence. Both assays allowed for detection of dose-dependent changes in magnitude of the respiratory burst response induced by β-glucans in head...... on a real-time scale at frequent and continual time intervals for time course experiments, providing more detailed information on the respiratory burst response. The real-time chemiluminescence assay was used to measure respiratory burst activity in macrophage and neutrophilic granulocyte-enriched head...

"Life-like" assessment of antimicrobial surfaces by a new touch transfer assay displays strong superiority of a copper alloy compared to silver containing surfaces.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johannes Karl-Mark Knobloch

Full Text Available Transmission of bacteria from inanimate surfaces in healthcare associated environments is an important source of hospital acquired infections. A number of commercially available medical devices promise to fulfill antibacterial activity to reduce environmental contamination. In this study we developed a touch transfer assay modeling fingerprint transmission to investigate the antibacterial activity of surfaces, with confirmed antibacterial activity by a modified ISO 22196 (JIS Z 2801 assay to test such surfaces under more realistic conditions. Bacteria were taken up from a dry standardized primary contaminated surface (PCS with disinfected fingers or fingers covered with sterile and moistened cotton gloves. Subsequently, bacteria were transferred by pressing on secondary contaminated surfaces (SCS with or without potential antibacterial activity and the relative reduction rate was determined after 24 h. A stable transmission rate between PCS and SCS was observed using moistened sterile gloves. A copper containing alloy displayed at least a tenfold reduction of the bacterial load consistently reaching less than 2.5 cfu/cm2. In contrast, no significant reduction of bacterial contamination by silver containing surfaces and matured pure silver was observed in the touch transfer assay. With the touch transfer assay we successfully established a new reproducible method modeling cross contamination. Using the new method we were able to demonstrate that several surfaces with confirmed antimicrobial activity in a modified ISO 22196 (JIS Z 2801 assay lacked effectiveness under defined ambient conditions. This data indicate that liquid based assays like the ISO 22196 should be critically reviewed before claiming antibacterial activity for surfaces in the setting of contamination of dry surfaces by contact to the human skin. We suggest the newly developed touch transfer assay as a new additional tool for the assessment of potential antimicrobial surfaces

Enhancing Protease Activity Assay in Droplet-Based Microfluidics Using a Biomolecule Concentrator

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chia-Hung; Sarkar, Aniruddh; Song, Yong-Ak; Miller, Miles A.; Kim, Sung Jae; Griffith, Linda G.; Lauffenburger, Douglas A.; Han, Jongyoon

2011-01-01

We introduce an integrated microfluidic device consisting of a biomolecule concentrator and a microdroplet generator, which enhances the limited sensitivity of low-abundance enzyme assays by concentrating biomolecules before encapsulating them into droplet microreactors. We used this platform to detect ultra low levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) from diluted cellular supernatant and showed that it significantly (∼10-fold) reduced the time required to complete the assay and the sample volume used. PMID:21671557

Graphene coating on the surface of CoCrMo alloy enhances the adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qi; Li, Kewen; Yan, Jinhong; Wang, Zhuo; Wu, Qi; Bi, Long; Yang, Min; Han, Yisheng

2018-03-18

The objective was to investigate whether a graphene coating could improve the surface bioactivity of a cobalt-chromium-molybdenum-based alloy (CoCrMo). Graphene was produced by chemical vapor deposition and transferred to the surface of the CoCrMo alloy using an improved wet transfer approach. The morphology of the samples was observed, and the adhesion force and stabilization of graphene coating were analyzed by a nanoscratch test and ultrasonication test. In an in vitro study, the adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) cultured on the samples were quantified via an Alamar Blue assay and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The results showed that it is feasible to apply graphene to modify the surface of a CoCrMo alloy, and the enhancement of the adhesion and proliferation of BMSCs was also shown in the present study. In conclusion, graphene exhibits considerable potential for enhancing the surface bioactivity of CoCrMo alloy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rapid extraction and assay of uranium from environmental surface samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrett, Christopher A.; Chouyyok, Wilaiwan; Speakman, Robert J.; Olsen, Khris B.; Addleman, Raymond Shane

2017-10-01

Extraction methods enabling faster removal and concentration of uranium compounds for improved trace and low-level assay are demonstrated for standard surface sampling material in support of nuclear safeguards efforts, health monitoring, and other nuclear analysis applications. A key problem with the existing surface sampling swipes is the requirement for complete digestion of sample and sampling matrix. This is a time-consuming and labour-intensive process that limits laboratory throughput, elevates costs, and increases background levels. Various extraction methods are explored for their potential to quickly and efficiently remove different chemical forms of uranium from standard surface sampling material. A combination of carbonate and peroxide solutions is shown to give the most rapid and complete form of uranyl compound extraction and dissolution. This rapid extraction process is demonstrated to be compatible with standard inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry methods for uranium isotopic assay as well as screening techniques such as x-ray fluorescence. The general approach described has application beyond uranium to other analytes of nuclear forensic interest (e.g., rare earth elements and plutonium) as well as heavy metals for environmental and industrial hygiene monitoring.

Surface enhanced raman spectroscopy on chip

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hübner, Jörg; Anhøj, Thomas Aarøe; Zauner, Dan

2007-01-01

In this paper we report low resolution surface enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) conducted with a chip based spectrometer. The flat field spectrometer presented here is fabricated in SU-8 on silicon, showing a resolution of around 3 nm and a free spectral range of around 100 nm. The output facet...... is projected onto a CCD element and visualized by a computer. To enhance the otherwise rather weak Raman signal, a nanosurface is prepared and a sample solutions is impregnated on this surface. The surface enhanced Raman signal is picked up using a Raman probe and coupled into the spectrometer via an optical...... fiber. The obtained spectra show that chip based spectrometer together with the SERS active surface can be used as Raman sensor....

Application of silver nanoparticles in the detection of SYBR Green I by surface enhanced Raman and surface-enhanced fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei; Wu, Jian; Wang, Chunyan; Zhang, Tian; Chen, Tao

2018-05-01

Silver nanomaterials have remarkable application in biomedical detection due to their unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR) characteristics. It can be used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF). Current research elaborates a technique for improvement of SYBR Green I detection obtained from surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) by silver nanoparticles with the average size about 70 nm. Primarily, SYBR Green I is an important fluorescent dye used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It is found that both Raman and fluorescence can be used for detection of this dye. Furthermore, the enhanced efficiency of the Raman and fluorescence by SERS and SEF is observed in this study, the enhancement factor for Raman signals is 3.2 × 103, and the fluorescence intensity bincreased two times by SEF. The quantitative detection of SYBR Green I by SERS and SEF can be achieved. The present work can be used to improve the detection of SYBR Green I by SERS and SEF. It would also be employed for high-sensitive detection of other materials in the future.

Development of an automatic smear sampler and a polymer film for surface radioactive contamination assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, B.-K.; Lee, K.-W.; Woo, Z.-H.; Jeong, K.-S.; Oh, W.-Z.; Han, M.-J.

2004-01-01

Measurement of the surface contamination by an indirect method is subject to the various kinds of error according to the sampling person and needs much time and effort in the sampling and assay. In this research, an automatic smear sampler is developed. It improved efficiency for assay work of surface contamination level achieved periodically in a radiation controlled area. Using an automatic smear sampler developed, it is confirmed that radioactive contaminated materials are uniformly transferred to smear paper more than any sampling method by an operator. Also, Solid scintillation proximity membranes were prepared for measuring the amount of radioactive contamination in laboratories contaminated by the low energy beta-ray emitter, such as 3 H and 14 C. Polysulfone scintillation proximity membranes were prepared by impregnating Cerium Activated Yttrium Silicate (CAYS), an inorganic fluor, in a membrane structure. The inorganic fluor-impregnated membranes were applied to detect the radioactive surface contamination. The preparation of membranes was divided into two processes. A supporting polymer film was made of casting solutions consisting of polysulfone and solvent, their cast film being solidified by vacuum evaporation. CAYS-dispersed polymer solutions were cast over the first, solidified polymer films and coagulated either by evaporating solvent in the solution with non-solvent in a coagulation bath. The prepared membranes had two distinguished, but tightly attached, double layers : one is the supporting layer of dense polymer film and the other results revealed that the prepared membranes were efficient to monitor radioactive contamination with reliable counting ability. For enhancement of pick-up and measurement efficiency, the membrane was prepared with the condition of different membrane solidification. The scintillation produced by interaction with radiation and CAYS was measured with photomultiplier tube. The test results showed that the prepared

A simple assay for the detection of antibodies to endocrine islet cell surface antigens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Contreas, G.; Madsen, O.D.; Vissing, H.; Lernmark, Aa.

1986-01-01

A simple and sensitive immunoradiometric assay for the detection of islet cell surface antibodies (CIRMA) has been developed. Live, transformed islet cells derived from a liver metastasis of a transplantable islet cell tumor were grown in removable microtiter wells and incubated with antibody. Cell-bound antibodies were quantitated using 125 I-labelled second antibodies. The assay was used to detect islet cell antibodies present in sera from non-diabetic and diabetic BB rats and proved to be particularly effective for screening hybridoma supernatants in order to identify monoclonal antibodies recognizing islet cell surface antigens. (Auth.)

Complementary surface charge for enhanced capacitive deionization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gao, X.; Porada, S.; Omosebi, A.; Liu, K.L.; Biesheuvel, P.M.; Landon, J.

2016-01-01

Commercially available activated carbon cloth electrodes are treated using nitric acid and ethylenediamine solutions, resulting in chemical surface charge enhanced carbon electrodes for capacitive deionization (CDI) applications. Surface charge enhanced electrodes are then configured in a CDI

A dual amplification strategy for DNA detection combining bio-barcode assay and metal-enhanced fluorescence modality.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhenpeng; Li, Tian; Huang, Hongduan; Chen, Yang; Liu, Feng; Huang, Chengzhi; Li, Na

2014-11-11

Silver-enhanced fluorescence was coupled with a bio-barcode assay to facilitate a dual amplification assay to demonstrate a non-enzymatic approach for simple and sensitive detection of DNA. In the assay design, magnetic nanoparticles seeded with silver nanoparticles were modified with the capture DNA, and silver nanoparticles were modified with the binding of ssDNA and the fluorescently labeled barcode dsDNA. Upon introduction of the target DNA, a sandwich structure was formed because of the hybridization reaction. By simple magnetic separation, silver-enhanced fluorescence of barcode DNAs could be readily measured without the need of a further step to liberate barcode DNAs from silver nanoparticles, endowing the method with simplicity and high sensitivity with a detection limit of 1 pM.

In vitro immunomodulation of a whole blood IFN-γ release assay enhances T cell responses in subjects with latent tuberculosis infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajiv L Gaur

Full Text Available Activation of innate immunity via pathogen recognition receptors (PRR modulates adaptive immune responses. PRR ligands are being exploited as vaccine adjuvants and as therapeutics, but their utility in diagnostics has not been explored. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs are functional T cell assays used to diagnose latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI; however, novel approaches are needed to improve their sensitivity.In vitro immunomodulation of a whole blood IGRA (QuantiFERON®-TB GOLD In-Tube with Toll-like receptor agonists poly(I:C, LPS, and imiquimod was performed on blood from subjects with LTBI and negative controls.In vitro immunomodulation significantly enhanced the response of T cells stimulated with M. tuberculosis antigens from subjects with LTBI but not from uninfected controls. Immunomodulation of IGRA revealed T cell responses in subjects with LTBI whose T cells otherwise do not respond to in vitro stimulation with antigens alone. Similar to their in vivo functions, addition of poly(I:C and LPS to whole blood induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines and IFN-α and enhanced the surface expression of antigen presenting and costimulatory molecules on antigen presenting cells.In vitro immunomodulation of whole blood IGRA may be an effective strategy for enhancing the sensitivity of T cells for diagnosis of LTBI.

Microscale surface modifications for heat transfer enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bostanci, Huseyin; Singh, Virendra; Kizito, John P; Rini, Daniel P; Seal, Sudipta; Chow, Louis C

2013-10-09

In this experimental study, two surface modification techniques were investigated for their effect on heat transfer enhancement. One of the methods employed the particle (grit) blasting to create microscale indentations, while the other used plasma spray coating to create microscale protrusions on Al 6061 (aluminum alloy 6061) samples. The test surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Because of the surface modifications, the actual surface area was increased up to 2.8× compared to the projected base area, and the arithmetic mean roughness value (Ra) was determined to vary from 0.3 μm for the reference smooth surface to 19.5 μm for the modified surfaces. Selected samples with modified surfaces along with the reference smooth surface were then evaluated for their heat transfer performance in spray cooling tests. The cooling system had vapor-atomizing nozzles and used anhydrous ammonia as the coolant in order to achieve heat fluxes up to 500 W/cm(2) representing a thermal management setting for high power systems. Experimental results showed that the microscale surface modifications enhanced heat transfer coefficients up to 76% at 500 W/cm(2) compared to the smooth surface and demonstrated the benefits of these practical surface modification techniques to enhance two-phase heat transfer process.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 15; Issue 2. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy - Recent Advancement of Raman Spectroscopy. Ujjal Kumar Sur. General Article Volume 15 Issue 2 February 2010 pp 154-164 ...

Chiral surface waves for enhanced circular dichroism

Science.gov (United States)

Pellegrini, Giovanni; Finazzi, Marco; Celebrano, Michele; Duò, Lamberto; Biagioni, Paolo

2017-06-01

We present a novel chiral sensing platform that combines a one-dimensional photonic crystal design with a birefringent surface defect. The platform sustains simultaneous transverse electric and transverse magnetic surface modes, which are exploited to generate chiral surface waves. The present design provides homogeneous and superchiral fields of both handednesses over arbitrarily large areas in a wide spectral range, resulting in the enhancement of the circular dichroism signal by more than two orders of magnitude, thus paving the road toward the successful combination of surface-enhanced spectroscopies and electromagnetic superchirality.

Surface-enhanced chiroptical spectroscopy with superchiral surface waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Pellegrini, Giovanni; Finazzi, Marco; Celebrano, Michele; Duò, Lamberto; Biagioni, Paolo

2018-07-01

We study the chiroptical properties of one-dimensional photonic crystals supporting superchiral surface waves by introducing a simple formalism based on the Fresnel reflection matrix. We show that the proposed framework provides useful insights on the behavior of all the relevant chiroptical quantities, allowing for a deeper understanding of surface-enhanced chiral sensing platforms based on one-dimensional photonic crystals. Finally, we analyze and discuss the limitations of such platforms as the surface concentration of the target chiral analytes is gradually increased. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy on a flat graphene surface

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Weigao; Ling, Xi; Xiao, Jiaqi; Dresselhaus, Mildred S.; Kong, Jing; Xu, Hongxing; Liu, Zhongfan; Zhang, Jin

2012-01-01

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an attractive analytical technique, which enables single-molecule sensitive detection and provides its special chemical fingerprints. During the past decades, researchers have made great efforts towards an ideal SERS substrate, mainly including pioneering works on the preparation of uniform metal nanostructure arrays by various nanoassembly and nanotailoring methods, which give better uniformity and reproducibility. Recently, nanoparticles coated with an inert shell were used to make the enhanced Raman signals cleaner. By depositing SERS-active metal nanoislands on an atomically flat graphene layer, here we designed a new kind of SERS substrate referred to as a graphene-mediated SERS (G-SERS) substrate. In the graphene/metal combined structure, the electromagnetic “hot” spots (which is the origin of a huge SERS enhancement) created by the gapped metal nanoislands through the localized surface plasmon resonance effect are supposed to pass through the monolayer graphene, resulting in an atomically flat hot surface for Raman enhancement. Signals from a G-SERS substrate were also demonstrated to have interesting advantages over normal SERS, in terms of cleaner vibrational information free from various metal-molecule interactions and being more stable against photo-induced damage, but with a comparable enhancement factor. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of a freestanding, transparent and flexible “G-SERS tape” (consisting of a polymer-layer-supported monolayer graphene with sandwiched metal nanoislands) to enable direct, real time and reliable detection of trace amounts of analytes in various systems, which imparts high efficiency and universality of analyses with G-SERS substrates. PMID:22623525

Ultrafast surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Emily L; Brandt, Nathaniel C; Cassabaum, Alyssa A; Frontiera, Renee R

2015-08-07

Ultrafast surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with pico- and femtosecond time resolution has the ability to elucidate the mechanisms by which plasmons mediate chemical reactions. Here we review three important technological advances in these new methodologies, and discuss their prospects for applications in areas including plasmon-induced chemistry and sensing at very low limits of detection. Surface enhancement, arising from plasmonic materials, has been successfully incorporated with stimulated Raman techniques such as femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS). These techniques are capable of time-resolved measurement on the femtosecond and picosecond time scale and can be used to follow the dynamics of molecules reacting near plasmonic surfaces. We discuss the potential application of ultrafast SERS techniques to probe plasmon-mediated processes, such as H2 dissociation and solar steam production. Additionally, we discuss the possibilities for high sensitivity SERS sensing using these stimulated Raman spectroscopies.

Assessing the cleanliness of surfaces: Innovative molecular approaches vs. standard spore assays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, M.; Duc, M.T. La; Probst, A.; Vaishampayan, P.; Stam, C.; Benardini, J.N.; Piceno, Y.M.; Andersen, G.L.; Venkateswaran, K.

2011-04-01

A bacterial spore assay and a molecular DNA microarray method were compared for their ability to assess relative cleanliness in the context of bacterial abundance and diversity on spacecraft surfaces. Colony counts derived from the NASA standard spore assay were extremely low for spacecraft surfaces. However, the PhyloChip generation 3 (G3) DNA microarray resolved the genetic signatures of a highly diverse suite of microorganisms in the very same sample set. Samples completely devoid of cultivable spores were shown to harbor the DNA of more than 100 distinct microbial phylotypes. Furthermore, samples with higher numbers of cultivable spores did not necessarily give rise to a greater microbial diversity upon analysis with the DNA microarray. The findings of this study clearly demonstrated that there is not a statistically significant correlation between the cultivable spore counts obtained from a sample and the degree of bacterial diversity present. Based on these results, it can be stated that validated state-of-the-art molecular techniques, such as DNA microarrays, can be utilized in parallel with classical culture-based methods to further describe the cleanliness of spacecraft surfaces.

A sensitive HIV-1 envelope induced fusion assay identifies fusion enhancement of thrombin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, De-Chun; Zhong, Guo-Cai; Su, Ju-Xiang; Liu, Yan-Hong; Li, Yan; Wang, Jia-Ye; Hattori, Toshio; Ling, Hong; Zhang, Feng-Min

2010-01-01

To evaluate the interaction between HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) and target cell receptors, various cell-cell-fusion assays have been developed. In the present study, we established a novel fusion system. In this system, the expression of the sensitive reporter gene, firefly luciferase (FL) gene, in the target cells was used to evaluate cell fusion event. Simultaneously, constitutively expressed Renilla luciferase (RL) gene was used to monitor effector cell number and viability. FL gave a wider dynamic range than other known reporters and the introduction of RL made the assay accurate and reproducible. This system is especially beneficial for investigation of potential entry-influencing agents, for its power of ruling out the false inhibition or enhancement caused by the artificial cell-number variation. As a case study, we applied this fusion system to observe the effect of a serine protease, thrombin, on HIV Env-mediated cell-cell fusion and have found the fusion enhancement activity of thrombin over two R5-tropic HIV strains.

Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) assay using metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yi; Keegan, Gemma L.; Stranik, Ondrej; Brennan-Fournet, Margaret E.; McDonagh, Colette

2015-01-01

Fluorescence has been extensively employed in the area of diagnostic immunoassays. A significant enhancement of fluorescence can be achieved when noble metal nanoparticles are placed in close proximity to fluorophores. This effect, referred to as metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), has the potential to produce immunoassays with a high sensitivity and a low limit of detection (LOD). In this study, we investigate the fluorescence enhancement effect of two different nanoparticle systems, large spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold edge-coated triangular silver nanoplates, and both systems were evaluated for MEF. The extinction properties and electric field enhancement of both systems were modeled, and the optimum system, spherical AgNPs, was used in a sandwich immunoassay for human C-reactive protein with a red fluorescent dye label. A significant enhancement in the fluorescence was observed, which corresponded to an LOD improvement of ∼19-fold compared to a control assay without AgNPs

Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) assay using metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yi; Keegan, Gemma L., E-mail: gemmakeegan@gmail.com [Dublin City University, School of Physical Sciences, Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (Ireland); Stranik, Ondrej [Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Department of NanoBiophotonics (Germany); Brennan-Fournet, Margaret E. [CMP-EMSE, MOC, Department of Bioelectronics, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines (France); McDonagh, Colette [Dublin City University, School of Physical Sciences, Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (Ireland)

2015-07-15

Fluorescence has been extensively employed in the area of diagnostic immunoassays. A significant enhancement of fluorescence can be achieved when noble metal nanoparticles are placed in close proximity to fluorophores. This effect, referred to as metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), has the potential to produce immunoassays with a high sensitivity and a low limit of detection (LOD). In this study, we investigate the fluorescence enhancement effect of two different nanoparticle systems, large spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold edge-coated triangular silver nanoplates, and both systems were evaluated for MEF. The extinction properties and electric field enhancement of both systems were modeled, and the optimum system, spherical AgNPs, was used in a sandwich immunoassay for human C-reactive protein with a red fluorescent dye label. A significant enhancement in the fluorescence was observed, which corresponded to an LOD improvement of ∼19-fold compared to a control assay without AgNPs.

Sensitive molecular diagnostics using surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS)

Science.gov (United States)

Faulds, Karen; Graham, Duncan; McKenzie, Fiona; MacRae, Douglas; Ricketts, Alastair; Dougan, Jennifer

2009-02-01

Surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) is an analytical technique with several advantages over competitive techniques in terms of improved sensitivity and multiplexing. We have made great progress in the development of SERRS as a quantitative analytical method, in particular for the detection of DNA. SERRS is an extremely sensitive and selective technique which when applied to the detection of labelled DNA sequences allows detection limits to be obtained which rival, and in most cases, are better than fluorescence. Here the conditions are explored which will enable the successful detection of DNA using SERRS. The enhancing surface which is used is crucial and in this case suspensions of nanoparticles were used as they allow quantitative behaviour to be achieved and allow analogous systems to current fluorescence based systems to be made. The aggregation conditions required to obtain SERRS of DNA are crucial and herein we describe the use of spermine as an aggregating agent. The nature of the label which is used, be it fluorescent, positively or negatively charged also effects the SERRS response and these conditions are again explored here. We have clearly demonstrated the ability to identify the components of a mixture of 5 analytes in solution by using two different excitation wavelengths and also of a 6-plex using data analysis techniques. These conditions will allow the use of SERRS for the detection of target DNA in a meaningful diagnostic assay.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: nonlocal limitations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toscano, Giuseppe; Raza, Søren; Xiao, Sanshui

2012-01-01

for our understanding of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The intrinsic length scale of the electron gas serves to smear out assumed field singularities, leaving the SERS enhancement factor finite, even for geometries with infinitely sharp features. For silver nanogroove structures, mimicked...

Comparative study of β-glucan induced respiratory burst measured by nitroblue tetrazolium assay and real-time luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence assay in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Vera-Jimenez, N I; Pietretti, D; Wiegertjes, G F; Nielsen, M E

2013-05-01

The respiratory burst is an important feature of the immune system. The increase in cellular oxygen uptake that marks the initiation of the respiratory burst is followed by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide which plays a role in the clearance of pathogens and tissue regeneration processes. Therefore, the respiratory burst and associated ROS constitute important indicators of fish health status. This paper compares two methods for quantitation of ROS produced during the respiratory burst in common carp: the widely used, single-point measurement based on the intracellular reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and a real-time luminol-enhanced assay based on the detection of native chemiluminescence. Both assays allowed for detection of dose-dependent changes in magnitude of the respiratory burst response induced by β-glucans in head kidney cells of carp. However, whereas the NBT assay was shown to detect the production of only superoxide anions, the real-time luminol-enhanced assay could detect the production of both superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide. Only the chemiluminescence assay could reliably record the production of ROS on a real-time scale at frequent and continual time intervals for time course experiments, providing more detailed information on the respiratory burst response. The real-time chemiluminescence assay was used to measure respiratory burst activity in macrophage and neutrophilic granulocyte-enriched head kidney cell fractions and total head kidney cell suspensions and proved to be a fast, reliable, automated multiwell microplate assay to quantitate fish health status modulated by β-glucans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy competitive binding biosensor development utilizing surface modification of silver nanocubes and a citrulline aptamer

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, Brian M.; Jackson, George W.; Deutz, Nicolaas; Cote, Gerard

2017-07-01

A point-of-care (PoC) device with the ability to detect biomarkers at low concentrations in bodily fluids would have an enormous potential for medical diagnostics outside the central laboratory. One method to monitor analytes at low concentrations is by using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this preliminary study toward using SERS for PoC biosensing, the surface of colloidal silver (Ag) nanocubes has been modified to test the feasibility of a competitive binding SERS assay utilizing aptamers against citrulline. Specifically, Ag nanocubes were functionalized with mercaptobenzoic acid, as well as a heterobifunctional polyethylene glycol linker that forms an amide bond with the amino acid citrulline. After the functionalization, the nanocubes were characterized by zeta-potential, transmission electron microscopy images, ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy, and by SERS. The citrulline aptamers were developed and tested using backscattering interferometry. The data show that our surface modification method does work and that the functionalized nanoparticles can be detected using SERS down to a 24.5 picomolar level. Last, we used microscale thermophoresis to show that the aptamers bind to citrulline with at least a 50 times stronger affinity than other amino acids.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering

CERN Document Server

Furtak, Thomas

1982-01-01

In the course of the development of surface science, advances have been identified with the introduction of new diagnostic probes for analytical characterization of the adsorbates and microscopic structure of surfaces and interfaces. Among the most recently de­ veloped techniques, and one around which a storm of controversy has developed, is what has now been earmarked as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Within this phenomenon, molecules adsorbed onto metal surfaces under certain conditions exhibit an anomalously large interaction cross section for the Raman effect. This makes it possible to observe the detailed vibrational signature of the adsorbate in the ambient phase with an energy resolution much higher than that which is presently available in electron energy loss spectroscopy and when the surface is in contact with a much larger amount of material than that which can be tolerated in infrared absorption experiments. The ability to perform vibrational spectroscopy under these conditions would l...

Exploring the chemical enhancement for surface-enhanced Raman scattering with Au bowtie nanoantennas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fromm, David P.; Sundaramurthy, Arvind; Kinkhabwala, Anika; Schuck, P. James; Kino, Gordon S.; Moerner, W.E.

2006-01-01

Single metallic bowtie nanoantennas provide a controllable environment for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of adsorbed molecules. Bowties have experimentally measured electromagnetic enhancements, enabling estimation of chemical enhancement for both the bulk and the few-molecule regime. Strong fluctuations of selected Raman lines imply that a small number of p-mercaptoaniline molecules on a single bowtie show chemical enhancement >10 7 , much larger than previously believed, likely due to charge transfer between the Au surface and the molecule. This chemical sensitivity of SERS has significant implications for ultra-sensitive detection of single molecules

Effect of surface density silver nanoplate films toward surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement for bisphenol A detection

Science.gov (United States)

Bakar, N. A.; Salleh, M. M.; Umar, A. A.; Shapter, J. G.

2018-03-01

This paper reports a study on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) phenomenon of triangular silver nanoplate (NP) films towards bisphenol A (BPA) detection. The NP films were prepared using self-assembly technique with four different immersion times; 1 hour, 2 hours, 5 hours, and 8 hours. The SERS measurement was studied by observing the changes in Raman spectra of BPA after BPA absorbed on the NP films. It was found that the Raman intensity of BPA peaks was enhanced by using the prepared SERS substrates. This is clearly indicated that these SERS silver substrates are suitable to sense industrial chemical and potentially used as SERS detector. However, the rate of SERS enhancement is depended on the distribution of NP on the substrate surface.

A quantitative comet infection assay for influenza virus

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsay, Stephen M.; Timm, Andrea; Yin, John

2011-01-01

Summary The virus comet assay is a cell-based virulence assay used to evaluate an antiviral drug or antibody against a target virus. The comet assay differs from the plaque assay in allowing spontaneous flows in 6-well plates to spread virus. When implemented quantitatively the comet assay has been shown to have an order-of-magnitude greater sensitivity to antivirals than the plaque assay. In this study, a quantitative comet assay for influenza virus is demonstrated, and is shown to have a 13-fold increase in sensitivity to ribavirin. AX4 cells (MDCK cells with increased surface concentration of α2–6 sialic acid, the influenza virus receptor) have reduced the comet size variability relative to MDCK cells, making them a better host cell for use in this assay. Because of enhanced antiviral sensitivity in flow-based assays, less drug is required, which could lead to lower reagent costs, reduced cytotoxicity, and fewer false-negative drug screen results. The comet assay also serves as a readout of flow conditions in the well. Observations from comets formed at varying humidity levels indicate a role for evaporation in the mechanism of spontaneous fluid flow in wells. PMID:22155578

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from silver electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trott, G.R.

1982-01-01

The chemical and physical origins of the anomalously large enhancement of the Raman scattering cross section for molecules adsorbed on silver electrodes in an electrochemical cell were investigated. The effect of the chemical reactions which occur during the anodization/activation procedure were studied using the Ag-CN system. It was shown that the function of the anodization process is to roughen the electrode surface and create an activated site for bonding to the cyanide. A new nonelectrochemical technique for activating the silver surface, along with a study of the enhanced cyanide Raman scattering in different background electrolytes, showed that the Raman active entity on the surface must be a silver-cyanide complex. In order to study the physical mechanism of the enhancement, the angular dependence of the scattered radiation was measured from pyridine adsorbed on an evaporated silver electrode. Both polycrystalline and single crystalline silver films were used. The angular dependence of the scattered radiation from these films showed that the metal surface was controlling the directional properties of the scattered radiation, and not the polarizability tensor of the adsorbate. Based on these experimental results, it was concluded that for weakly roughened silver electrodes the source of the anomalous enhancement is due to a resonant Raman scattering process

ATPase inhibitor based luciferase assay for prolonged and enhanced ATP pool measurement as an efficient fish freshness indicator.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjan, Rajeev; Priyanka, B S; Thakur, M S

2014-07-01

The nucleotide degradation pathway in somatic cells leads to the accumulation of products such as hypoxanthine and inosine, which are commonly used as fish and meat freshness indicators. Assays based on these molecules cannot differentiate the postmortem time over a short period of time (5-10 h). Further, quantification of these degradation products is cumbersome, costly and time-consuming. For the proposed assay, optimal concentrations of 30 and 2 mM, respectively, for the ATPase inhibitors sodium orthovanadate and EDTA were found. Further, it was observed that a firefly luciferase based assay could enhance the sensitivity levels up to 165-fold at 30 °C. In addition, it was observed that the sensitivity for ATP assay was enhanced up to 60-fold even after 12 h. The limit of detection for the ATP assay was 1 pM, unlike other conventional methods, which are sensitive only up to micromolar levels. Moreover, as little as 0.044 g fish fillet was required for the assay, and no time-consuming sample preparation was necessary. Luminescence of prolonged duration was observed in harvested fish kept at -20 °C in comparison with fish kept at 4 and 30 °C, which reflects the shelf life of fish preserved at lower temperatures.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Physics and Applications

CERN Document Server

Kneipp, Katrin; Kneipp, Harald

2006-01-01

Almost 30 years after the first reports on surface-enhanced Raman signals, the phenomenon of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is now well established. Yet, explaining the enhancement of a spectroscopic signal by fouteen orders of magnitude continues to attract the attention of physicists and chemists alike. And, at the same time and rapidly growing, SERS is becoming a very useful spectroscopic tool with exciting applications in many fields. SERS gained particular interest after single-molecule Raman spectroscopy had been demonstrated. This bookl summarizes and discusses present theoretical approaches that explain the phenomenon of SERS and reports on new and exciting experiments and applications of the fascinating spectroscopic effect.

A sensitive immunoradiometric assay for the detection of hepatitis B surface antigen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cameron, C.H.; Combridge, B.S.; Howell, D.R.; Barbara, J.A.J.

1980-01-01

A solid-phase immunoradiometric assay for hepatitis B surface antigen is described which has been in use since 1972. Initially it was used for reference laboratory work, but from 1974 it has also been used for screening blood and blood products. Methods for the production of reagents and their use in blood transfusion and reference work, are outlined. (Auth.)

Enhanced photothermal lens using a photonic crystal surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Yunfei; Liu, Longju [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2128 Coover Hall, Iowa State University, Ames,Iowa 50011 (United States); Zhao, Xiangwei [State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering,Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211189 (China); Lu, Meng, E-mail: menglu@iastate.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2128 Coover Hall, Iowa State University, Ames,Iowa 50011 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)

2016-08-15

A photonic crystal (PC)-enhanced photothermal lens (PTL) is demonstrated for the detection of optically thin light absorption materials. The PC-enhanced PTL system is based on a pump-probe scheme consisting of a PC surface, pump laser beam, and probe laser beam. Heated by the pump beam, light absorption materials on the PC surface generate the PTL and cause a substantial change to the guided-mode resonance supported by the PC structure. The change of the PC resonance is detected using the probe laser beam by measuring its reflectivity from the PC surface. When applied to analyze dye molecules deposited on the PC substrate, the developed system is capable of enhancing the PTL signal by 10-fold and reducing the lowest distinguishable concentration by 8-fold, in comparison to measuring without utilizing the PC resonance. The PC-enhanced PTL was also used to detect gold nanoparticles on the PC surface and exhibited a 20-fold improvement of the lowest distinguishable concentration. The PC-enhanced PTL technology offers a potential tool to obtain the absorption signatures of thin films in a broad spectral range with high sensitivity and inexpensive instrumentation. As a result, this technology will enable a broad range of applications of photothermal spectroscopy in chemical analysis and biomolecule sensing.

Quantitative kinetics of proteolytic enzymes determined by a surface concentration-based assay using peptide arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Se-Hui; Kong, Deok-Hoon; Park, Seoung-Woo; Kim, Young-Myeong; Ha, Kwon-Soo

2012-08-21

Peptide arrays have emerged as a key technology for drug discovery, diagnosis, and cell biology. Despite the promise of these arrays, applications of peptide arrays to quantitative analysis of enzyme kinetics have been limited due to the difficulty in obtaining quantitative information of enzymatic reaction products. In this study, we developed a new approach for the quantitative kinetics analysis of proteases using fluorescence-conjugated peptide arrays, a surface concentration-based assay with solid-phase peptide standards using dry-off measurements, and compared it with an applied concentration-based assay. For fabrication of the peptide arrays, substrate peptides of cMMP-3, caspase-3, caspase-9, and calpain-1 were functionalized with TAMRA and cysteine, and were immobilized onto amine-functionalized arrays using a heterobifunctional linker, N-[γ-maleimidobutyloxy]succinimide ester. The proteolytic activities of the four enzymes were quantitatively analyzed by calculating changes induced by enzymatic reactions in the concentrations of peptides bound to array surfaces. In addition, this assay was successfully applied for calculating the Michaelis constant (K(m,surf)) for the four enzymes. Thus, this new assay has a strong potential for use in the quantitative evaluation of proteases, and for drug discovery through kinetics studies including the determination of K(m) and V(max).

Theoretical studies of surface enhanced hyper-Raman spectroscopy: The chemical enhancement mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Valley, Nicholas; Jensen, Lasse; Autschbach, Jochen; Schatz, George C.

2010-08-01

Hyper-Raman spectra for pyridine and pyridine on the surface of a tetrahedral 20 silver atom cluster are calculated using static hyperpolarizability derivatives obtained from time dependent density functional theory. The stability of the results with respect to choice of exchange-correlation functional and basis set is verified by comparison with experiment and with Raman spectra calculated for the same systems using the same methods. Calculated Raman spectra were found to match well with experiment and previous theoretical calculations. The calculated normal and surface enhanced hyper-Raman spectra closely match experimental results. The chemical enhancement factors for hyper-Raman are generally larger than for Raman (102-104 versus 101-102). Integrated hyper-Raman chemical enhancement factors are presented for a set of substituted pyridines. A two-state model is developed to predict these chemical enhancement factors and this was found to work well for the majority of the molecules considered, providing a rationalization for the difference between hyper-Raman and Raman enhancement factors.

Reanalysis of Coreceptor Tropism in HIV-1–Infected Adults Using a Phenotypic Assay with Enhanced Sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Goetz, Mathew Bidwell; Leduc, Robert; Skowron, Gail; Su, Zhaohui; Chan, Ellen S.; Heera, Jayyant; Chapman, Doug; Spritzler, John; Reeves, Jacqueline D.; Gulick, Roy M.; Coakley, Eoin

2011-01-01

The enhanced-sensitivity Trofile assay (TF-ES; Monogram Biosciences) was used to retest coreceptor tropism samples from 4 different cohorts of HIV-1–infected patients. Nine percent to 26% of patients with CCR5-tropic virus by the original Trofile assay had CXCR4-using virus by TF-ES. Lower CD4 cell counts were associated with CXCR4-using virus in all cohorts. PMID:21427401

Surface plasmon enhanced interfacial electron transfer and resonance Raman, surface-enhanced resonance Raman studies of cytochrome C mutants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Junwei [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

1999-11-08

Surface plasmon resonance was utilized to enhance the electron transfer at silver/solution interfaces. Photoelectrochemical reductions of nitrite, nitrate, and CO₂ were studied on electrochemically roughened silver electrode surfaces. The dependence of the photocurrent on photon energy, applied potential and concentration of nitrite demonstrates that the photoelectrochemical reduction proceeds via photoemission process followed by the capture of hydrated electrons. The excitation of plasmon resonances in nanosized metal structures resulted in the enhancement of the photoemission process. In the case of photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO₂, large photoelectrocatalytic effect for the reduction of CO₂ was observed in the presence of surface adsorbed methylviologen, which functions as a mediator for the photoexcited electron transfer from silver metal to CO₂ in solution. Photoinduced reduction of microperoxidase-11 adsorbed on roughened silver electrode was also observed and attributed to the direct photoejection of free electrons of silver metal. Surface plasmon assisted electron transfer at nanostructured silver particle surfaces was further determined by EPR method.

High Density Periodic Metal Nanopyramids for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jin, Mingliang

2012-01-01

The work presented in this thesis is focused on two areas. First, a new type of nanotextured noble-metal surface has been developed. The new nanotextured surface is demonstrated to enhance inelastic (Raman) scattering, called surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), from molecules adsorbed on the

Nanophotonics with Surface Enhanced Coherent Raman Microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Fast, Alexander

Nonlinear nanophotonics is a rapidly developing field of research that aims at detecting and disentangling weak congested optical signatures on the nanoscale. Sub-wavelength field confinement of the local electromagnetic fields and the resulting field enhancement is achieved by utilizing plasmonic near-field antennas. This allows for probing nanoscopic volumes, a property unattainable by conventional far-field microscopy techniques. Combination of plasmonics and nonlinear optical microscopy provides a path to visualizing a small chemical and spatial subset of target molecules within an ensemble. This is achieved while maintaining rapid signal acquisition, which is necessary for capturing biological processes in living systems. Herein, a novel technique, wide-field surface enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (wfSE-CARS) is presented. This technique allows for isolating weak vibrational signals in nanoscopic proximity to the surface by using chemical sensitivity of coherent Raman microspectroscopy (CRM) and field confinement from surface plasmons supported on a thin gold film. Uniform field enhancement over a large field of view, achieved with surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) in wfSE-CARSS, allows for biomolecular imaging demonstrated on extended structures like phospholipid droplets and live cells. Surface selectivity and chemical contrast are achieved at 70 fJ/mum2 incident energy densities, which is over five orders of magnitude lower than used in conventional point scanning CRM. Next, a novel surface sensing imaging technique, local field induced metal emission (LFIME), is introduced. Presence of a sample material at the surface influences the local fields of a thin flat gold film, such that nonlinear fluorescence signal of the metal can be detected in the far-field. Nanoscale nonmetallic, nonfluorescent objects can be imaged with high signal-to-background ratio and diffraction limited lateral resolution using LFIME. Additionally, structure of the

The Nanofabrication and Application of Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xian Zhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS was discovered in 1974 and impacted Raman spectroscopy and surface science. Although SERS has not been developed to be an applicable detection tool so far, nanotechnology has promoted its development in recent decades. The traditional SERS substrates, such as silver electrode, metal island film, and silver colloid, cannot be applied because of their enhancement factor or stability, but newly developed substrates, such as electrochemical deposition surface, Ag porous film, and surface-confined colloids, have better sensitivity and stability. Surface enhanced Raman scattering is applied in other fields such as detection of chemical pollutant, biomolecules, DNA, bacteria, and so forth. In this paper, the development of nanofabrication and application of surface-enhanced Ramans scattering substrate are discussed.

Biomolecular modification of zirconia surfaces for enhanced biocompatibility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, Shih-Kuang; Hsu, Hsueh-Chuan [Department of Dental Technology and Materials Science, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung 40601, Taiwan, ROC (China); Ho, Wen-Fu [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC (China); Yao, Chun-Hsu [Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan, ROC (China); Chang, Pai-Ling [Taoyuan General Hospital, Taoyuan 33004, Taiwan, ROC (China); Wu, Shih-Ching, E-mail: scwu@ctust.edu.tw [Department of Dental Technology and Materials Science, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung 40601, Taiwan, ROC (China)

2014-12-01

Yttria-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) is a preferred biomaterial due to its good mechanical properties. In order to improve the biocompatibility of zirconia, RGD-peptide derived from extracellular matrix proteins was employed to modify the surface of Y-TZP to promote cell adhesion in this study. The surface of Y-TZP specimens was first modified using a hydrothermal method for different lengths of time. The topographies of modified Y-TZP specimens were analyzed by contact angle, XRD, FTIR, AFM, and FE-SEM. The mechanical properties were evaluated using Vickers hardness and three point bending strength. Then, the RGD-peptide was immobilized on the surface of the Y-TZP by chemical treatment. These RGD-peptide immobilized Y-TZP specimens were characterized by FTIR and AFM, and then were cocultured with MG-63 osteoblast cells for biocompatibility assay. The cell morphology and proliferation were evaluated by SEM, WST-1, and ALP activity assay. The XRD results indicated that the phase transition, from tetragonal phase to monoclinic phase, was increased with a longer incubation time of hydrothermal treatment. However, there were no significant differences in mechanical strengths after RGD-peptide was successfully grafted onto the Y-TZP surface. The SEM images showed that the MG-63 cells appeared polygonal, spindle-shaped, and attached on the RGD-peptide immobilized Y-TZP. The proliferation and cellular activities of MG-63 cells on the RGD-peptide immobilized Y-TZP were better than that on the unmodified Y-TZP. From the above results, the RGD-peptide can be successfully grafted onto the hydrothermal modified Y-TZP surface. The RGD-peptide immobilized Y-TZP can increase cell adhesion, and thus, improve the biocompatibility of Y-TZP. - Highlights: • Covalent bonding between peptide and Y-TZP was proposed. • Stable biomimetic structures produced on the surface of zirconia. • The biocompatibility was improved.

Surface-biofunctionalized multicore/shell CdTe@SiO2 composite particles for immunofluorescence assay

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Lihong; Li, Yilin; Ding, Ke; Qiao, Ruirui; Rogach, Andrey L.; Gao, Mingyuan

2011-12-01

Strongly fluorescent multicore/shell structured CdTe@SiO2 composite particles of ~ 50 nm were synthesized via the reverse microemulsion method by using CdTe quantum dots co-stabilized by thioglycolic acid and thioglycerol. The optical stability of the CdTe@SiO2 composite particles in a wide pH range, under prolonged UV irradiation in pure water, or in different types of physiological buffers was systematically investigated. Towards immunofluorescence assay, both poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and carboxyl residues were simultaneously grafted on the surface of the silanol-terminated CdTe@SiO2 composite particles upon further reactions with silane reagents bearing a PEG segment and carboxyl group, respectively, in order to suppress the nonspecific interactions of the silica particles with proteins and meanwhile introduce reactive moieties to the fluorescent particles. Agarose gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering and conventional optical spectroscopy were combined to investigate the effectiveness of the surface modifications. Via the surface carboxyl residue, various antibodies were covalently conjugated to the fluorescent particles and the resultant fluorescent probes were used in detecting cancer cells through both direct fluorescent antibody and indirect fluorescent antibody assays, respectively.

Reanalysis of coreceptor tropism in HIV-1-infected adults using a phenotypic assay with enhanced sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkin, Timothy J; Goetz, Mathew Bidwell; Leduc, Robert; Skowron, Gail; Su, Zhaohui; Chan, Ellen S; Heera, Jayyant; Chapman, Doug; Spritzler, John; Reeves, Jacqueline D; Gulick, Roy M; Coakley, Eoin

2011-04-01

The enhanced-sensitivity Trofile assay (TF-ES; Monogram Biosciences) was used to retest coreceptor tropism samples from 4 different cohorts of HIV-1-infected patients. Nine percent to 26% of patients with CCR5-tropic virus by the original Trofile assay had CXCR4-using virus by TF-ES. Lower CD4 cell counts were associated with CXCR4-using virus in all cohorts. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.

Treatment of Schistosoma mansoni with miltefosine in vitro enhances serological recognition of defined worm surface antigens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marwa H El-Faham

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Miltefosine, an anti-cancer drug that has been successfully repositioned for treatment of Leishmania infections, has recently also shown promising effects against Schistosoma spp targeting all life cycle stages of the parasite. The current study examined the effect of treating Schistosoma mansoni adult worms with miltefosine on exposure of worm surface antigens in vitro.In an indirect immunofluorescence assay, rabbit anti-S.mansoni adult worm homogenate and anti-S. mansoni infection antisera gave strong immunofluorescence of the S. mansoni adult worm surface after treatment with miltefosine, the latter antiserum having previously been shown to synergistically enhance the schistosomicidal activity of praziquantel. Rabbit antibodies that recognised surface antigens exposed on miltefosine-treated worms were recovered by elution off the worm surface in low pH buffer and were used in a western immunoblotting assay to identify antigenic targets in a homogenate extract of adult worms (SmWH. Four proteins reacting with the antibodies in immunoblots were purified and proteomic analysis (MS/MS combined with specific immunoblotting indicated they were the S. mansoni proteins: fructose-1,6 bisphosphate aldolase (SmFBPA, Sm22.6, alkaline phosphatase and malate dehydrogenase. These antibodies were also found to bind to the surface of 3-hour schistosomula and induce immune agglutination of the parasites, suggesting they may have a role in immune protection.This study reveals a novel mode of action of miltefosine as an anti-schistosome agent. The immune-dependent hypothesis we investigated has previously been lent credence with praziquantel (PZQ, whereby treatment unmasks parasite surface antigens not normally exposed to the host during infection. Antigens involved in this molecular mechanism could have potential as intervention targets and antibodies against these antigens may act to increase the drug's anti-parasite efficacy and be involved in the development

Surface plasmon enhanced quantum transport in a hybrid metal nanoparticle array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Lin; Nan, Yali; Xu, Shang; Zhang, Sishi; Han, Min

2014-01-01

Hybrid Pd–Ag nanoparticle arrays composed of randomly distributed Pd nanoparticles in dense packing and a small number of dispersed Ag nanoparticles were fabricated with controlled coverage. Photo-enhanced conductance was observed in the nanoparticle arrays. Largest enhancement, which can be higher than 20 folds, was obtained with 450 nm light illumination. This wavelength was found to correlate with the surface plasmon resonance of the Ag nanoparticles. Electron transport measurements showed there were significant Coulomb blockade in the nanoparticle arrays and the blockade could be overcome with the surface plasmon enhanced local field of Ag nanoparticles induced by light illumination. - Highlights: • We study photo-enhanced electron conductance of a hybrid Pd–Ag nanoparticle array. • The light-induced conductance enhancement is as high as 20 folds at 10 K. • The enhancement is correlate with the surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles. • Coulomb blockades is overcome with the surface plasmon enhanced local field

Analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using high-sensitivity HBsAg assays in hepatitis B virus carriers in whom HBsAg seroclearance was confirmed by conventional assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozeki, Itaru; Nakajima, Tomoaki; Suii, Hirokazu; Tatsumi, Ryoji; Yamaguchi, Masakatsu; Kimura, Mutsuumi; Arakawa, Tomohiro; Kuwata, Yasuaki; Ohmura, Takumi; Hige, Shuhei; Karino, Yoshiyasu; Toyota, Joji

2018-02-01

We investigated the utility of high-sensitivity hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) assays compared with conventional HBsAg assays. Using serum samples from 114 hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers in whom HBsAg seroclearance was confirmed by conventional HBsAg assays (cut-off value, 0.05 IU/mL), the amount of HBsAg was re-examined by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays (cut-off value, 0.005 IU/mL). Cases negative for HBsAg in both assays were defined as consistent cases, and cases positive for HBsAg in the high-sensitivity HBsAg assay only were defined as discrepant cases. There were 55 (48.2%) discrepant cases, and the range of HBsAg titers determined by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays was 0.005-0.056 IU/mL. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of nucleos(t)ide analog therapy, liver cirrhosis, and negative anti-HBs contributed to the discrepancies between the two assays. Cumulative anti-HBs positivity rates among discrepant cases were 12.7%, 17.2%, 38.8%, and 43.9% at baseline, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively, whereas the corresponding rates among consistent cases were 50.8%, 56.0%, 61.7%, and 68.0%, respectively. Hepatitis B virus DNA negativity rates were 56.4% and 81.4% at baseline, 51.3% and 83.3% at 1 year, and 36.8% and 95.7% at 3 years, among discrepant and consistent cases, respectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen reversion was observed only in discrepant cases. Re-examination by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays revealed that HBsAg was positive in approximately 50% of cases. Cumulative anti-HBs seroconversion rates and HBV-DNA seroclearance rates were lower in these cases, suggesting a population at risk for HBsAg reversion. © 2017 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

Plasmonic nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Ruiqian

In the last three decades, a large number of different plasmonic nanostructures have attracted much attention due to their unique optical properties. Those plasmonic nanostructures include nanoparticles, nanoholes and metal nanovoids. They have been widely utilized in optical devices and sensors. When the plasmonic nanostructures interact with the electromagnetic wave and their surface plasmon frequency match with the light frequency, the electrons in plasmonic nanostructures will resonate with the same oscillation as incident light. In this case, the plasmonic nanostructures can absorb light and enhance the light scattering. Therefore, the plasmonic nanostructures can be used as substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to enhance the Raman signal. Using plasmonic nanostructures can significantly enhance Raman scattering of molecules with very low concentrations. In this thesis, two different plasmonic nanostructures Ag dendrites and Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles are investigated. Simple methods were used to produce these two plasmonic nanostructures. Then, their applications in surface enhanced Raman scattering have been explored. Ag dendrites were produced by galvanic replacement reaction, which was conducted using Ag nitrate aqueous solution and copper metal. Metal copper layer was deposited at the bottom side of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. Silver wires formed inside AAO channels connected Ag nitrate on the top of AAO membrane and copper layer at the bottom side of AAO. Silver dendrites were formed on the top side of AAO. The second plasmonic nanostructure is Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles. They were fabricated by electroless plating (galvanic replacement) reaction in a silver plating solution. First, electrochemically evolved hydrogen bubbles were used as template through electroless deposition to produce hollow Au nanoparticles. Then, the Au nanoparticles were coated with Cu shells in a Cu plating solution. In the following step, a Ag

A Multiplexed Assay That Monitors Effects of Multiple Compound Treatment Times Reveals Candidate Immune-Enhancing Compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ziyan; Henowitz, Liza; Zweifach, Adam

2018-05-01

We previously developed a flow cytometry assay that monitored lytic granule exocytosis in cytotoxic T lymphocytes stimulated by contacting beads coated with activating anti-CD3 antibodies. That assay was multiplexed in that responses of cells that did or did not receive the activating stimulus were distinguished via changes in light scatter accompanying binding of cells to beads, allowing us to discriminate compounds that activate responses on their own from compounds that enhance responses in cells that received the activating stimulus, all within a single sample. Here we add a second dimension of multiplexing by developing means to assess in a single sample the effects of treating cells with test compounds for different times. Bar-coding cells before adding them to test wells lets us determine compound treatment time while also monitoring activation status and response amplitude at the point of interrogation. This multiplexed assay is suitable for screening 96-well plates. We used it to screen compounds from the National Cancer Institute, identifying several compounds that enhance anti-LAMP1 responses. Multiple-treatment-time (MTT) screening enabled by bar-coding and read via high-throughput flow cytometry may be a generally useful method for facilitating the discovery of compounds of interest.

Analysis of temporal evolution of quantum dot surface chemistry by surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Doğan, İlker; Gresback, Ryan; Nozaki, Tomohiro; van de Sanden, Mauritius C M

2016-07-08

Temporal evolution of surface chemistry during oxidation of silicon quantum dot (Si-QD) surfaces were probed using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). A monolayer of hydrogen and chlorine terminated plasma-synthesized Si-QDs were spin-coated on silver oxide thin films. A clearly enhanced signal of surface modes, including Si-Clx and Si-Hx modes were observed from as-synthesized Si-QDs as a result of the plasmonic enhancement of the Raman signal at Si-QD/silver oxide interface. Upon oxidation, a gradual decrease of Si-Clx and Si-Hx modes, and an emergence of Si-Ox and Si-O-Hx modes have been observed. In addition, first, second and third transverse optical modes of Si-QDs were also observed in the SERS spectra, revealing information on the crystalline morphology of Si-QDs. An absence of any of the abovementioned spectral features, but only the first transverse optical mode of Si-QDs from thick Si-QD films validated that the spectral features observed from Si-QDs on silver oxide thin films are originated from the SERS effect. These results indicate that real-time SERS is a powerful diagnostic tool and a novel approach to probe the dynamic surface/interface chemistry of quantum dots, especially when they involve in oxidative, catalytic, and electrochemical surface/interface reactions.

Reactive surface organometallic complexes observed using dynamic nuclear polarization surface enhanced NMR spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

Pump, Eva; Viger-Gravel, Jasmine; Abou-Hamad, Edy; Samantaray, Manoja; Hamzaoui, Bilel; Gurinov, Andrei; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Gajan, David; Lesage, Anne; Bendjeriou-Sedjerari, Anissa; Emsley, Lyndon; Basset, Jean-Marie

2016-01-01

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Surface Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy (DNP SENS) is an emerging technique that allows access to high-sensitivity NMR spectra from surfaces. However, DNP SENS usually requires the use of radicals as an exogenous source of polarization, which has so far limited applications for organometallic surface species to those that do not react with the radicals. Here we show that reactive surface species can be studied if they are immobilized inside porous materials with suitably small windows, and if bulky nitroxide bi-radicals (here TEKPol) are used as the polarization source and which cannot enter the pores. The method is demonstrated by obtaining significant DNP enhancements from highly reactive complelxes [(equivalent to Si-O-)W(Me)(5)] supported on MCM-41, and effects of pore size (6.0, 3.0 and 2.5 nm) on the performance are discussed.

Reactive surface organometallic complexes observed using dynamic nuclear polarization surface enhanced NMR spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

Pump, Eva

2016-08-15

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Surface Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy (DNP SENS) is an emerging technique that allows access to high-sensitivity NMR spectra from surfaces. However, DNP SENS usually requires the use of radicals as an exogenous source of polarization, which has so far limited applications for organometallic surface species to those that do not react with the radicals. Here we show that reactive surface species can be studied if they are immobilized inside porous materials with suitably small windows, and if bulky nitroxide bi-radicals (here TEKPol) are used as the polarization source and which cannot enter the pores. The method is demonstrated by obtaining significant DNP enhancements from highly reactive complelxes [(equivalent to Si-O-)W(Me)(5)] supported on MCM-41, and effects of pore size (6.0, 3.0 and 2.5 nm) on the performance are discussed.

Tandem assays of protein and glucose with functionalized core/shell particles based on magnetic separation and surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Xianming; Yu, Qian; Lv, Zhongpeng; Du, Xuezhong

2013-10-11

Tandem assays of protein and glucose in combination with mannose-functionalized Fe3 O4 @SiO2 and Ag@SiO2 tag particles have promising potential in effective magnetic separation and highly sensitive and selective SERS assays of biomaterials. It is for the first time that tandem assay of glucose is developed using SERS based on the Con A-sandwiched microstructures between the functionalized magnetic and tag particles. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Geometry of GLP on silver surface by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, PeiDi; Bao, Lang; Huang, TianQuan; Liu, XinMing; Wu, GuoFeng

2000-05-01

Leptospirosis is one of the most harmful zoonosis, it is a serious public health issue in some area of Sichuan province. Surface-Enhance Raman Scattering (SERS) Spectroscopy is an effective approach for the study of biomolecular adsorption on metal surface and provides information about the adsorbed species. Two samples of Leptospiral Glycolipoprotein (GLP-1) and GLP-2 which have different toxic effects have been obtained and investigated.

Periodic array-based substrates for surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Mayerhöfer, Thomas G.; Popp, Jürgen

2018-01-01

At the beginning of the 1980s, the first reports of surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy (SEIRS) surfaced. Probably due to signal-enhancement factors of only 101 to 103, which are modest compared to those of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), SEIRS did not reach the same significance up to date. However, taking the compared to Raman scattering much larger cross-sections of infrared absorptions and the enhancement factors together, SEIRS reaches about the same sensitivity for molecular species on a surface in terms of the cross-sections as SERS and, due to the complementary nature of both techniques, can valuably augment information gained by SERS. For the first 20 years since its discovery, SEIRS relied completely on metal island films, fabricated by either vapor or electrochemical deposition. The resulting films showed a strong variance concerning their structure, which was essentially random. Therefore, the increase in the corresponding signal-enhancement factors of these structures stagnated in the last years. In the very same years, however, the development of periodic array-based substrates helped SEIRS to gather momentum. This development was supported by technological progress concerning electromagnetic field solvers, which help to understand plasmonic properties and allow targeted design. In addition, the strong progress concerning modern fabrication methods allowed to implement these designs into practice. The aim of this contribution is to critically review the development of these engineered surfaces for SEIRS, to compare the different approaches with regard to their performance where possible, and report further gain of knowledge around and in relation to these structures.

Preparation of surface enhanced Raman substrate and its characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y.; Wang, J. Y.; Wang, J. Q.

2017-10-01

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a fast, convenient and highly sensitive detection technique, and preparing the good effect and repeatable substrate is the key to realize the trace amount and quantitative detection in the field of food safety detection. In this paper, a surface enhanced Raman substrate based on submicrometer silver particles structure was prepared by chemical deposition method, and characterized its structure and optical properties.

Performance evaluation of new automated hepatitis B viral markers in the clinical laboratory: two quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen assays and an HBV core-related antigen assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yongjung; Hong, Duck Jin; Shin, Saeam; Cho, Yonggeun; Kim, Hyon-Suk

2012-05-01

We evaluated quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) assays and a hepatitis B virus (HBV) core-related antigen (HBcrAg) assay. A total of 529 serum samples from patients with hepatitis B were tested. HBsAg levels were determined by using the Elecsys (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN) and Architect (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) qHBsAg assays. HBcrAg was measured by using Lumipulse HBcrAg assay (Fujirebio, Tokyo, Japan). Serum aminotransferases and HBV DNA were respectively quantified by using the Hitachi 7600 analyzer (Hitachi High-Technologies, Tokyo, Japan) and the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan test (Roche). Precision of the qHBsAg and HBcrAg assays was assessed, and linearity of the qHBsAg assays was verified. All assays showed good precision performance with coefficients of variation between 4.5% and 5.3% except for some levels. Both qHBsAg assays showed linearity from 0.1 to 12,000.0 IU/mL and correlated well (r = 0.9934). HBsAg levels correlated with HBV DNA (r = 0.3373) and with HBcrAg (r = 0.5164), and HBcrAg also correlated with HBV DNA (r = 0.5198; P < .0001). This observation could provide impetus for further research to elucidate the clinical usefulness of the qHBsAg and HBcrAg assays.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy as a Probe of the Surface Chemistry of Nanostructured Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Dick, Susan; Konrad, Magdalena P; Lee, Wendy W Y; McCabe, Hannah; McCracken, John N; Rahman, Taifur M D; Stewart, Alan; Xu, Yikai; Bell, Steven E J

2016-07-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is now widely used as a rapid and inexpensive tool for chemical/biochemical analysis. The method can give enormous increases in the intensities of the Raman signals of low-concentration molecular targets if they are adsorbed on suitable enhancing substrates, which are typically composed of nanostructured Ag or Au. However, the features of SERS that allow it to be used as a chemical sensor also mean that it can be used as a powerful probe of the surface chemistry of any nanostructured material that can provide SERS enhancement. This is important because it is the surface chemistry that controls how these materials interact with their local environment and, in real applications, this interaction can be more important than more commonly measured properties such as morphology or plasmonic absorption. Here, the opportunity that this approach to SERS provides is illustrated with examples where the surface chemistry is both characterized and controlled in order to create functional nanomaterials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pool boiling CHF enhancement by micro/nanoscale modification of zircaloy-4 surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Ho Seon; Lee, Chan; Kim, Hyungdae; Jo, HangJin; Kang, SoonHo; Kim, Joonwon; Shin, Jeongseob; Kim, Moo Hwan

2010-01-01

Consideration of the critical heat flux (CHF) requires difficult compromises between economy and safety in many types of thermal systems, including nuclear power plants. Much research has been directed towards enhancing the CHF, and many recent studies have revealed that the significant CHF enhancement in nanofluids is due to surface deposition of nanoparticles. The surface deposition of nanoparticles influenced various surface characteristics. This fact indicated that the surface wettability is a key parameter for CHF enhancement and so is the surface morphology. In this study, surface wettability of zircaloy-4 used as cladding material of fuel rods in nuclear power plants was modified using surface treatment technique (i.e. anodization). Pool boiling experiments of distilled water on the prepared surfaces was conducted at atmospheric and saturated conditions to examine effects of the surface modification on CHF. The experimental results showed that CHF of zircaloy-4 can be significantly enhanced by the improvement in surface wettability using the surface modification, but only the wettability effect cannot explain the CHF increase on the treated zircaloy-4 surfaces completely. It was found that below a critical value of contact angle (10 o ), micro/nanostructures created by the surface treatment increased spreadability of liquid on the surface, which could lead to further increase in CHF even beyond the prediction caused only by the wettability improvement. These micro/nanostructures with multiscale on heated surface induced more significant CHF enhancement than it based on the wettability effect, due to liquid spreadability.

Dielectric platforms for surface-enhanced spectroscopies (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, Stefan A.

2016-03-01

Plasmonic nanostructures serve as the main backbone of surface enhanced sensing methodologies, yet the associated optical losses lead to localized heating as well as quenching of molecules, complicating their use for enhancement of fluorescent emission. Additionally, conventional plasmonic materials are limited to operation in the visible part of the spectrum. We will elucidate how nanostructures consisting of conventional and polar dielectrics can be employed as a highly promising alternative platform. Dielectric nanostructures can sustain scattering resonances due to both electric and magnetic Mie modes. We have recently predicted high enhanced local electromagnetic field hot spots in dielectric nanoantenna dimers, with the hallmark of spot sizes comparable to those achievable with plasmonic antennas, but with lower optical losses. Here, we will present first experimental evidence for both fluorescence and Raman enhancement in dielectric nanoantennas, including a direct determination of localized heating, and compare to conventional Au dimer antennas. The second part of the talk will focus on the mid-infrared regime of the electromagnetic spectrum, outlining possibilities for surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy based on polar and hyperbolic dielectrics.

Preanalytical and analytical variation of surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of human serum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albrethsen, Jakob; Bøgebo, Rikke; Olsen, Jesper

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: Surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry of human serum is a potential diagnostic tool in human diseases. In the present study, the preanalytical and analytical variation of SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry of serum was assessed in healthy...... was 18% (6%-34%, n=4) for 16 peaks, and inter-individual CV was 38% (16%-56%, n=16) for 20 peaks. CONCLUSIONS: The pre-analytical and analytical conditions of SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry of serum have a significant impact on the protein peaks, with the number of peaks low and the assay variation high...

Surface-enhanced light olefin yields during steam cracking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Golombok, M.; Kornegoor, M.; Brink, van den P.; Dierickx, J.; Grotenbreg, R.

2000-01-01

Various papers have shown enhanced olefin yields during steam cracking when a catalytic surface is introduced. Our studies reveal that increased light olefin yields during catalytic steam cracking are mainly due to a surface volume effect and not to a traditional catalytic effect. Augmentation of

Surface-enhanced FAST CARS: en route to quantum nano-biophotonics

Science.gov (United States)

Voronine, Dmitri V.; Zhang, Zhenrong; Sokolov, Alexei V.; Scully, Marlan O.

2018-02-01

Quantum nano-biophotonics as the science of nanoscale light-matter interactions in biological systems requires developing new spectroscopic tools for addressing the challenges of detecting and disentangling weak congested optical signals. Nanoscale bio-imaging addresses the challenge of the detection of weak resonant signals from a few target biomolecules in the presence of the nonresonant background from many undesired molecules. In addition, the imaging must be performed rapidly to capture the dynamics of biological processes in living cells and tissues. Label-free non-invasive spectroscopic techniques are required to minimize the external perturbation effects on biological systems. Various approaches were developed to satisfy these requirements by increasing the selectivity and sensitivity of biomolecular detection. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopies provide many orders of magnitude enhancement of chemically specific Raman signals. Femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for CARS (FAST CARS) were developed to suppress the nonresonant background and optimize the efficiency of the coherent optical signals. This perspective focuses on the application of these techniques to nanoscale bio-imaging, discussing their advantages and limitations as well as the promising opportunities and challenges of the combined coherence and surface enhancements in surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS) and tip-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (TECARS) and the corresponding surface-enhanced FAST CARS techniques. Laser pulse shaping of near-field excitations plays an important role in achieving these goals and increasing the signal enhancement.

Surface-enhanced FAST CARS: en route to quantum nano-biophotonics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voronine Dmitri V.

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Quantum nano-biophotonics as the science of nanoscale light-matter interactions in biological systems requires developing new spectroscopic tools for addressing the challenges of detecting and disentangling weak congested optical signals. Nanoscale bio-imaging addresses the challenge of the detection of weak resonant signals from a few target biomolecules in the presence of the nonresonant background from many undesired molecules. In addition, the imaging must be performed rapidly to capture the dynamics of biological processes in living cells and tissues. Label-free non-invasive spectroscopic techniques are required to minimize the external perturbation effects on biological systems. Various approaches were developed to satisfy these requirements by increasing the selectivity and sensitivity of biomolecular detection. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS spectroscopies provide many orders of magnitude enhancement of chemically specific Raman signals. Femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for CARS (FAST CARS were developed to suppress the nonresonant background and optimize the efficiency of the coherent optical signals. This perspective focuses on the application of these techniques to nanoscale bio-imaging, discussing their advantages and limitations as well as the promising opportunities and challenges of the combined coherence and surface enhancements in surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS and tip-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (TECARS and the corresponding surface-enhanced FAST CARS techniques. Laser pulse shaping of near-field excitations plays an important role in achieving these goals and increasing the signal enhancement.

Multiple layered metallic nanostructures for strong surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, Ming; Xie, Ya-Hong; Qiao Kuan; Cheng Zhiyuan

2016-01-01

We report a systematic study on a practical way of patterning metallic nanostructures to achieve high surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) enhancement factors (EFs) and high hot-spot density. By simply superimposing a 1-layer Au nanotriangle array on another to form a multilayer nanotriangle array, the SERS signal can be enhanced by 2 orders of magnitude compared with a 1-layer nanotriangle array. The drastic increases in the SERS EF and the hot spot density of the multilayer Au nanotriangle array are due to the increase in the number of gaps formed between Au nanotriangles and the decrease of the gap width. (author)

Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Ethephone Adsorbed on Silver Surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chul Jae; Kim, Hee Jin; Karim, Mohammad Rezaul; Lee, Mu Sang

2006-01-01

We investigated the Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) spectrum of ethephone (2- chloroethylphosphonic acid). We observed significant signals in the ordinary Raman spectrum for solid-state ethephone as well as when it was adsorbed on a colloidal silver surface, strong vibrational signals were obtained at a very low concentration. The SERS spectra were obtained by silver colloids that were prepared by the γ - irradiation method. The influence of pH and the influence of anion (Cl - , Br - , I - ) on the adsorption orientation were investigated. Two different adsorption mechanisms were deduced, depending on the experimental conditions. The chlorine atom or the chlorine and two oxygen atoms were adsorbed on the colloidal silver surface. Among halide ions, Br - and I - were more strongly adsorbed on the colloidal silver surfaces. As a result, the adsorption of ethephone was less effective due to their steric hinderance

Nanogap embedded silver gratings for surface plasmon enhanced fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar, Kunal

Plasmonic nanostructures have been extensively used in the past few decades for applications in sub-wavelength optics, data storage, optoelectronic circuits, microscopy and bio-photonics. The enhanced electromagnetic field produced at the metal and dielectric interface by the excitation of surface plasmons via incident radiation can be used for signal enhancement in fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies. Novel plasmonic structures have shown to provide very efficient and extreme light concentration at the nano-scale in recent years. The enhanced electric field produced within a few hundred nanometers of these surfaces can be used to excite fluorophores in the surrounding environment. Fluorescence based bio-detection and bio-imaging are two of the most important tools in the life sciences and improving the qualities and capabilities of fluorescence based detectors and imaging equipment remains a big challenge for industry manufacturers. We report a novel fabrication technique for producing nano-gap embedded periodic grating substrates on the nanoscale using a store bought HD-DVD and conventional soft lithography procedures. Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) polymer is used as the ink for the micro-contact printing process with PDMS stamps obtained from the inexpensive HD-DVDs as master molds. Fluorescence enhancement factors of up to 118 times were observed with these silver nanostructures in conjugation with Rhodamine-590 fluorescent dye. These substrates are ideal candidates for a robust and inexpensive optical system with applications such as low-level fluorescence based analyte detection, single molecule imaging, and surface enhanced Raman studies. Preliminary results in single molecule experiments have also been obtained by imaging individual 3 nm and 20 nm dye-doped nanoparticles attached to the silver plasmonic gratings using epi-fluorescence microscopy.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopic waveguide

Science.gov (United States)

Lascola, Robert J; McWhorter, Christopher S; Murph, Simona H

2015-04-14

A waveguide for use with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is provided that includes a base structure with an inner surface that defines a cavity and that has an axis. Multiple molecules of an analyte are capable of being located within the cavity at the same time. A base layer is located on the inner surface of the base structure. The base layer extends in an axial direction along an axial length of an excitation section. Nanoparticles are carried by the base layer and may be uniformly distributed along the entire axial length of the excitation section. A flow cell for introducing analyte and excitation light into the waveguide and a method of applying nanoparticles may also be provided.

Amplification of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Due to Substrate-Mediated Localized Surface Plasmons in Gold Nanodimers

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2017-03-28

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is ubiquitous in chemical and biochemical sensing, imaging and identification. Maximizing SERS enhancement is a continuous effort focused on the design of appropriate SERS substrates. Here we show that significant improvement in a SERS signal can be achieved with substrates combining localized surface plasmon resonances and a nonresonant plasmonic substrate. By introducing a continuous gold (Au) film underneath Au nanodimers antenna arrays, an over 10-fold increase in SERS enhancement is demonstrated. Triangular, rectangle and disc dimers were studied, with bowtie antenna providing highest SERS enhancement. Simulations of electromagnetic field distributions of the Au nanodimers on the Au film support the observed enhancement dependences. The hybridization of localized plasmonic modes with the image modes in a metal film provides a straightforward way to improve SERS enhancement in designer SERS substrate.

A dual surface plasmon resonance assay for the determination of ribonuclease H activity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šípová, Hana; Vaisocherová, Hana; Štepánek, J.; Homola, Jiří

2010-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 4 (2010), s. 1605-1611 ISSN 0956-5663 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN200670701; GA MŠk OC09058; GA ČR GA202/09/0193 Grant - others:Univerzita Karlova(CZ) SVV-2010-261 304 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20670512 Keywords : Surface plasmon resonance * Enzyme activity assay * Ribonuclease H * Biosensor Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 5.361, year: 2010

Carbon-based nanostructured surfaces for enhanced phase-change cooling

Science.gov (United States)

Selvaraj Kousalya, Arun

To maintain acceptable device temperatures in the new generation of electronic devices under development for high-power applications, conventional liquid cooling schemes will likely be superseded by multi-phase cooling solutions to provide substantial enhancement to the cooling capability. The central theme of the current work is to investigate the two-phase thermal performance of carbon-based nanostructured coatings in passive and pumped liquid-vapor phase-change cooling schemes. Quantification of the critical parameters that influence thermal performance of the carbon nanostructured boiling surfaces presented herein will lead to improved understanding of the underlying evaporative and boiling mechanisms in such surfaces. A flow boiling experimental facility is developed to generate consistent and accurate heat transfer performance curves with degassed and deionized water as the working fluid. New means of boiling heat transfer enhancement by altering surface characteristics such as surface energy and wettability through light-surface interactions is explored in this work. In this regard, carbon nanotube (CNT) coatings are exposed to low-intensity irradiation emitted from a light emitting diode and the subcooled flow boiling performance is compared against a non-irradiated CNT-coated copper surface. A considerable reduction in surface superheat and enhancement in average heat transfer coefficient is observed. In another work involving CNTs, the thermal performance of CNT-integrated sintered wick structures is evaluated in a passively cooled vapor chamber. A physical vapor deposition process is used to coat the CNTs with varying thicknesses of copper to promote surface wetting with the working fluid, water. Thermal performance of the bare sintered copper powder sample and the copper-functionalized CNT-coated sintered copper powder wick samples is compared using an experimental facility that simulates the capillary fluid feeding conditions of a vapor chamber

Numerical study of surface plasmon enhanced nonlinear absorption and refraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohlgraf-Owens, Dana C; Kik, Pieter G

2008-07-07

Maxwell Garnett effective medium theory is used to study the influence of silver nanoparticle induced field enhancement on the nonlinear response of a Kerr-type nonlinear host. We show that the composite nonlinear absorption coefficient, beta(c), can be enhanced relative to the host nonlinear absorption coefficient near the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. This enhancement is not due to a resonant enhancement of the host nonlinear absorption, but rather due to a phase shifted enhancement of the host nonlinear refractive response. The enhancement occurs at the expense of introducing linear absorption, alpha(c), which leads to an overall reduced figure of merit beta(c)/alpha(c) for nonlinear absorption. For thin (< 1 microm) composites, the use of surface plasmons is found to result in an increased nonlinear absorption response compared to that of the host material.

Surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy using interacting gold nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neubrech, Frank; Weber, Daniel; Pucci, Annemarie [Kirchhoff-Institut fuer Physik, Heidelberg (Germany); Shen, Hong [Universite Troyes, Troyes (France); Lamy de la Chapelle, Marc [Universite Paris 13, Bobigny (France)

2009-07-01

We performed surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy (SEIRS) of molecules adsorbed on gold nanowires using synchrotron light of the ANKA IR-beamline at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany). Arrays of gold nanowires with interparticle spacings down to 30nm were prepared by electron beam lithography. The interparticle distance was reduced further by wet-chemically increasing the size of the gold nanowires. The growth of the wires was proofed using IR spectroscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy. After this preparation step, appropriate arrays of nanowires with an interparticle distance down to a few nanometers were selected to demonstrate the surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy of one monolayer octadecanthiol (ODT). As know from SEIRS studies using single gold nanowires, the spectral position of the antenna-like resonance in relation to the absorption bands of ODT (2850cm-1 and 2919cm-1) is crucial for both, the lineshape of the molecular vibration and the signal enhancement. In contrast to single nanowires studies, a further increase of the enhanced signals is expected due to the interaction of the electromagnetic fields of the close-by nanowires.

Condensation Enhancement by Surface Porosity: Three-Stage Mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Yarom, Michal; Marmur, Abraham

2015-08-18

Surface defects, such as pores, cracks, and scratches, are naturally occurring and commonly found on solid surfaces. However, the mechanism by which such imperfections promote condensation has not been fully explored. In the current paper we thermodynamically analyze the ability of surface porosity to enhance condensation on a hydrophilic solid. We show that the presence of a surface-embedded pore brings about three distinct stages of condensation. The first is capillary condensation inside the pore until it is full. This provides an ideal hydrophilic surface for continuing the condensation. As a result, spontaneous condensation and wetting can be achieved at lower vapor pressure than on a smooth surface.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS for in vitro diagnostic testing at the point of care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marks Haley

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Point-of-care (POC device development is a growing field that aims to develop low-cost, rapid, sensitive in-vitro diagnostic testing platforms that are portable, self-contained, and can be used anywhere – from modern clinics to remote and low resource areas. In this review, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS is discussed as a solution to facilitating the translation of bioanalytical sensing to the POC. The potential for SERS to meet the widely accepted “ASSURED” (Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid, Equipment-free, and Deliverable criterion provided by the World Health Organization is discussed based on recent advances in SERS in vitro assay development. As SERS provides attractive characteristics for multiplexed sensing at low concentration limits with a high degree of specificity, it holds great promise for enhancing current efforts in rapid diagnostic testing. In outlining the progression of SERS techniques over the past years combined with recent developments in smart nanomaterials, high-throughput microfluidics, and low-cost paper diagnostics, an extensive number of new possibilities show potential for translating SERS biosensors to the POC.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for in vitro diagnostic testing at the point of care

Science.gov (United States)

Marks, Haley; Schechinger, Monika; Garza, Javier; Locke, Andrea; Coté, Gerard

2017-06-01

Point-of-care (POC) device development is a growing field that aims to develop low-cost, rapid, sensitive in-vitro diagnostic testing platforms that are portable, self-contained, and can be used anywhere - from modern clinics to remote and low resource areas. In this review, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is discussed as a solution to facilitating the translation of bioanalytical sensing to the POC. The potential for SERS to meet the widely accepted "ASSURED" (Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid, Equipment-free, and Deliverable) criterion provided by the World Health Organization is discussed based on recent advances in SERS in vitro assay development. As SERS provides attractive characteristics for multiplexed sensing at low concentration limits with a high degree of specificity, it holds great promise for enhancing current efforts in rapid diagnostic testing. In outlining the progression of SERS techniques over the past years combined with recent developments in smart nanomaterials, high-throughput microfluidics, and low-cost paper diagnostics, an extensive number of new possibilities show potential for translating SERS biosensors to the POC.

A Broad G Protein-Coupled Receptor Internalization Assay that Combines SNAP-Tag Labeling, Diffusion-Enhanced Resonance Energy Transfer, and a Highly Emissive Terbium Cryptate.

Science.gov (United States)

Levoye, Angélique; Zwier, Jurriaan M; Jaracz-Ros, Agnieszka; Klipfel, Laurence; Cottet, Martin; Maurel, Damien; Bdioui, Sara; Balabanian, Karl; Prézeau, Laurent; Trinquet, Eric; Durroux, Thierry; Bachelerie, Françoise

2015-01-01

Although G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) internalization has long been considered as a major aspect of the desensitization process that tunes ligand responsiveness, internalization is also involved in receptor resensitization and signaling, as well as the ligand scavenging function of some atypical receptors. Internalization thus contributes to the diversity of GPCR-dependent signaling, and its dynamics and quantification in living cells has generated considerable interest. We developed a robust and sensitive assay to follow and quantify ligand-induced and constitutive-induced GPCR internalization but also receptor recycling in living cells. This assay is based on diffusion-enhanced resonance energy transfer (DERET) between cell surface GPCRs labeled with a luminescent terbium cryptate donor and a fluorescein acceptor present in the culture medium. GPCR internalization results in a quantifiable reduction of energy transfer. This method yields a high signal-to-noise ratio due to time-resolved measurements. For various GPCRs belonging to different classes, we demonstrated that constitutive and ligand-induced internalization could be monitored as a function of time and ligand concentration, thus allowing accurate quantitative determination of kinetics of receptor internalization but also half-maximal effective or inhibitory concentrations of compounds. In addition to its selectivity and sensitivity, we provided evidence that DERET-based internalization assay is particularly suitable for characterizing biased ligands. Furthermore, the determination of a Z'-factor value of 0.45 indicates the quality and suitability of DERET-based internalization assay for high-throughput screening (HTS) of compounds that may modulate GPCRs internalization.

Surface modification of protein enhances encapsulation in chitosan nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Koyani, Rina D.; Andrade, Mariana; Quester, Katrin; Gaytán, Paul; Huerta-Saquero, Alejandro; Vazquez-Duhalt, Rafael

2018-04-01

Chitosan nanoparticles have a huge potential as nanocarriers for environmental and biomedical purposes. Protein encapsulation in nano-sized chitosan provides protection against inactivation, proteolysis, and other alterations due to environmental conditions, as well as the possibility to be targeted to specific tissues by ligand functionalization. In this work, we demonstrate that the chemical modification of the protein surface enhances the protein loading in chitosan nanocarriers. Encapsulation of green fluorescent protein and the cytochrome P450 was studied. The increase of electrostatic interactions between the free amino groups of chitosan and the increased number of free carboxylic groups in the protein surface enhance the protein loading, protein retention, and, thus, the enzymatic activity of chitosan nanoparticles. The chemical modification of protein surface with malonic acid moieties reduced drastically the protein isoelectric point increasing the protein interaction with the polycationic biomaterial and chitosan. The chemical modification of protein does not alter the morphology of chitosan nanoparticles that showed an average diameter of 18 nm, spheroidal in shape, and smooth surfaced. The strategy of chemical modification of protein surface, shown here, is a simple and efficient technique to enhance the protein loading in chitosan nanoparticles. This technique could be used for other nanoparticles based on polycationic or polyanionic materials. The increase of protein loading improves, doubtless, the performance of protein-loaded chitosan nanoparticles for biotechnological and biomedical applications.

Rapid detection and semi-quantification of IgG-accessible Staphylococcus aureus surface-associated antigens using a multiplex competitive Luminex assay

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hansenova Manaskova, S.; Bikker, F.J.; Veerman, E.C.I.; van Belkum, A.; van Wamel, W.J.B.

2013-01-01

The surface characterization of Staphylococcus aureus is currently labor intensive and time consuming. Therefore, we developed a novel method for the rapid yet comprehensive characterization of S. aureus cell-surface-associated proteins and carbohydrates, based on a competitive Luminex assay. In

Parallel force assay for protein-protein interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Aschenbrenner, Daniela; Pippig, Diana A; Klamecka, Kamila; Limmer, Katja; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Gaub, Hermann E

2014-01-01

Quantitative proteome research is greatly promoted by high-resolution parallel format assays. A characterization of protein complexes based on binding forces offers an unparalleled dynamic range and allows for the effective discrimination of non-specific interactions. Here we present a DNA-based Molecular Force Assay to quantify protein-protein interactions, namely the bond between different variants of GFP and GFP-binding nanobodies. We present different strategies to adjust the maximum sensitivity window of the assay by influencing the binding strength of the DNA reference duplexes. The binding of the nanobody Enhancer to the different GFP constructs is compared at high sensitivity of the assay. Whereas the binding strength to wild type and enhanced GFP are equal within experimental error, stronger binding to superfolder GFP is observed. This difference in binding strength is attributed to alterations in the amino acids that form contacts according to the crystal structure of the initial wild type GFP-Enhancer complex. Moreover, we outline the potential for large-scale parallelization of the assay.

Highly reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active Au nanostructures prepared by simple electrodeposition: origin of surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity and applications as electrochemical substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Suhee; Ahn, Miri; Kim, Jongwon

2013-05-24

The fabrication of effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates has been the subject of intensive research because of their useful applications. In this paper, dendritic gold (Au) rod (DAR) structures prepared by simple one-step electrodeposition in a short time were examined as an effective SERS-active substrate. The SERS activity of the DAR surfaces was compared to that of other nanostructured Au surfaces with different morphologies, and its dependence on the structural variation of DAR structures was examined. These comparisonal investigations revealed that highly faceted sharp edge sites present on the DAR surfaces play a critical role in inducing a high SERS activity. The SERS enhancement factor was estimated to be greater than 10(5), and the detection limit of rhodamine 6G at DAR surfaces was 10(-8)M. The DAR surfaces exhibit excellent spot-to-spot and substrate-to-substrate SERS enhancement reproducibility, and their long-term stability is very good. It was also demonstrated that the DAR surfaces can be effectively utilized in electrochemical SERS systems, wherein a reversible SERS behavior was obtained during the cycling to cathodic potential regions. Considering the straightforward preparation of DAR substrates and the clean nature of SERS-active Au surfaces prepared in the absence of additives, we expect that DAR surfaces can be used as cost-effective SERS substrates in analytical and electrochemical applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heat transfer enhancement with condensation by surface rotation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasiliev, L L; Khrolenok, V V [A.V. Luikov Heat and Mass Transfer Inst., Minsk (Belarus)

1993-11-01

Process intensification relies on many unit operations on enhanced heat transfer. One technique for the enhancement of condensation heat transfer is the use of surface rotation. This is particularly effective in reducing the condensate film thickness. The formulae and relationships given in this paper are concerned with rotating discs and tubes, and can be used for developing advanced heat exchanger concepts. (Author)

Response to Vicriviroc in Treatment-Experienced Subjects Using an Enhanced Sensitivity Co-receptor Tropism Assay: Reanalysis of AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5211

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Zhaohui; Gulick, Roy M.; Krambrink, Amy; Coakley, Eoin; Hughes, Michael D.; Han, Dong; Flexner, Charles; Wilkin, Timothy J.; Skolnik, Paul R.; Greaves, Wayne L.; Kuritzkes, Daniel R.; Reeves, Jacqueline D.

2009-01-01

The enhanced sensitivity Trofile assay was used to re-test co-receptor usage at study screening and entry for the 118 ACTG A5211 treatment-experienced subjects who had CCR5-tropic (R5) virus by the original Trofile assay at study screening. Among 90 vicriviroc recipients, a significantly (P<0.001) greater mean reduction in HIV-1 RNA was observed in 72 subjects with R5 virus versus 15 subjects reclassified with dual/mixed-tropic viruses at screening: −1.11 vs. −0.09 (day 14), −1.91 vs. −0.57 (week 24) log10 copies/mL, respectively. Results suggest that the enhanced sensitivity assay is a better screening tool for determining patient eligibility for CCR5 antagonist therapy. PMID:19874179

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Integrated Centrifugal Microfluidics Platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Durucan, Onur

This PhD thesis demonstrates (i) centrifugal microfluidics disc platform integrated with Au capped nanopillar (NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing, and (ii) novel sample analysis concepts achieved by synergistical combination of sensing techniques and minia......This PhD thesis demonstrates (i) centrifugal microfluidics disc platform integrated with Au capped nanopillar (NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing, and (ii) novel sample analysis concepts achieved by synergistical combination of sensing techniques...... dense array of NP structures. Furthermore, the wicking assisted nanofiltration procedure was accomplished in centrifugal microfluidics platform and as a result additional sample purification was achieved through the centrifugation process. In this way, the Au coated NP substrate was utilized...

Bare and protected sputtered-noble-metal films for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Talaga, David; Bonhommeau, Sébastien

2014-11-01

Sputtered silver and gold films with different surface morphologies have been prepared and coated with a benzenethiol self-assembled monolayer. Rough noble metal films showed strong Raman features assigned to adsorbed benzenethiol molecules upon irradiation over a wide energy range in the visible spectrum, which disclosed the occurrence of a significant surface-enhanced Raman scattering with maximal enhancement factors as high as 6 × 106. In addition, the adsorption of ethanethiol onto silver surfaces hinders their corrosion over days while preserving mostly intact enhancement properties of naked silver. This study may be applied to develop stable and efficient metalized probes for tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Nanostructured surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates for explosives detection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Michael Stenbaek; Olsen, Jesper Kenneth; Boisen, Anja

2010-01-01

Here we present a method for trace detection of explosives in the gas phase using novel surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy substrates. Novel substrates that produce an exceptionally large enhancement of the Raman effect were used to amplify the Raman signal of explosives...

Phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibition assay for rapid detection of erectile dysfunction drugs and analogs in sexual enhancement products.

Science.gov (United States)

Santillo, Michael F; Mapa, Mapa S T

2018-02-28

Products marketed as dietary supplements for sexual enhancement are frequently adulterated with phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors, which are erectile dysfunction drugs or their analogs that can cause adverse health effects. Due to widespread adulteration, a rapid screening assay was developed to detect PDE5 inhibitors in adulterated products. The assay employs fluorescence detection and is based on measuring inhibition of PDE5 activity, the pharmacological mechanism shared among the adulterants. Initially, the assay reaction scheme was established and characterized, followed by analysis of 9 representative PDE5 inhibitors (IC 50 , 0.4-4.0 ng mL -1 ), demonstrating sensitive detection in matrix-free solutions. Next, dietary supplements serving as matrix blanks (n = 25) were analyzed to determine matrix interference and establish a threshold value; there were no false positives. Finally, matrix blanks were spiked with 9 individual PDE5 inhibitors, along with several mixtures. All 9 adulterants were successfully detected (≤ 5 % false negative rate; n = 20) at a concentration of 1.00 mg g -1 , which is over 5 times lower than concentrations commonly encountered in adulterated products. A major distinction of the PDE5 inhibition assay is the ability to detect adulterants without prior knowledge of their chemical structures, demonstrating a broad-based detection capability that can address a continuously evolving threat of new adulterants. The PDE5 inhibition assay can analyze over 40 samples simultaneously within 15 minutes and involves a single incubation step and simple data analysis, all of which are advantageous for combating the widespread adulteration of sex-enhancement products. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Enhanced Bioactivity and Bacteriostasis of Surface Fluorinated Polyetheretherketone.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Meiling; Ouyang, Liping; Lu, Tao; Wang, Heying; Meng, Fanhao; Yang, Yan; Ning, Congqin; Ma, Jingzhi; Liu, Xuanyong

2017-05-24

Although polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been considered as a potential orthopedic and dental application material due to its similar elastic modulus as bones, inferior osseointegration and bacteriostasis of PEEK hampers its clinical application. In this work, fluorinated PEEK was constructed via plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) followed by hydrofluoric acid treatment to ameliorate the osseointegration and antibacterial properties of PEEK. The surface microstructure, composition, and hydrophilicity of all samples were investigated. Rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were cultured on their surfaces to estimate bioactivity. The fluorinated PEEK can enhance the cell adhesion, cell spreading, proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity compared to pristine PEEK. Furthermore, the fluorinated PEEK surface exhibits good bacteriostatic effect against Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is one of the major periodontal pathogens. In summary, we provide an effective route to introduce fluorine and the results reveal that the fluorinated PEEK can enhance the osseointegration and bacteriostasis, which provides a potential candidate for dental implants.

Engineering Plasmonic Nanopillar Arrays for Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Kaiyu

This Ph.D. thesis presents (i) an in-depth understanding of the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) in the nanopillar arrays (NPs) for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and (ii) systematic ways of optimizing the fabrication process of NPs to improve their SERS efficiencies. Thi...

A broad G protein-coupled receptor internalization assay that combines SNAP-tag labeling, diffusion-enhanced resonance energy transfer, and a highly emissive terbium cryptate acceptor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angélique eLEVOYE

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Although G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR internalization has long been considered a major aspect of the desensitization process that tunes ligand responsiveness, internalization is also involved in receptor resensitization and signaling, as well as the ligand scavenging function of some atypical receptors. Internalization thus contributes to the diversity of GPCR-dependent signaling, and its dynamics and quantification in living cells has generated considerable interest. We developed a robust and sensitive assay to follow and quantify ligand-induced and constitutive GPCR internalization but also receptor recycling in living cells. This assay is based on diffusion-enhanced resonance energy transfer (DERET between cell surface GPCRs labeled with a luminescent terbium cryptate donor and a fluorescein acceptor present in the culture medium. GPCR internalization results in a quantifiable reduction of energy transfer. This method yields a high signal-to-noise ratio due to time-resolved measurements. For various GPCRs belonging to different classes, we demonstrated that constitutive and ligand-induced internalization could be monitored as a function of time and ligand concentration, thus allowing accurate quantitative determination of kinetics of receptor internalization but also half-maximal effective or inhibitory concentrations of compounds. In addition to its selectivity and sensitivity, we provided evidence that DERET-based internalization assay is particularly suitable for characterizing biased ligands. Furthermore, the determination of a Z’-factor value of 0.45 indicates the quality and suitability of DERET-based internalization assay for high-throughput screening (HTS of compounds that may modulate GPCRs internalization.

Optimizing critical heat flux enhancement through nano-particle-based surface modifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Truong, B.; Hu, L. W.; Buongiorno, J.

2008-01-01

Colloidal dispersions of nano-particles, also known as nano-fluids, have shown to yield significant Critical Heat Flux (CHF) enhancement. The CHF enhancement mechanism in nano-fluids is due to the buildup of a porous layer of nano-particles upon boiling. Unlike microporous coatings that had been studied extensively, nano-particles have the advantages of forming a thin layer on the substrate with surface roughness ranges from the sub-micron to several microns. By tuning the chemical properties it is possible to coat the nano-particles in colloidal dispersions onto the desired surface, as has been demonstrated in engineering thin film industry. Building on recent work conducted at MIT, this paper illustrates the maximum CHF enhancement that can be achieved based on existing correlations. Optimization of the CHF enhancement by incorporation of key factors, such as the surface wettability and roughness, will also be discussed. (authors)

Enhancement of Friction against a Rough Surface by a Ridge-Channel Surface Microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Ying; Hui, Chung-Yuen; Levrard, Benjamin; Jagota, Anand

2015-07-14

We report on a study of the sliding friction of elastomeric surfaces patterned with ridges and channels (and unstructured flat controls), against both smooth and roughened spherical indenters. Against the smooth spherical indenter, all of the structured surfaces have highly reduced sliding friction due to the reduction in actual area of contact. Against roughened spherical indenters, however, the sliding force for structured samples can be up to 50% greater than that of an unstructured flat control. The mechanism of enhanced friction against a rough surface is due to a combination of increased actual area of contact, interlocking between roughness and the surface structure, and attendant dynamic instabilities that dissipate energy.

Parallel force assay for protein-protein interactions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Aschenbrenner

Full Text Available Quantitative proteome research is greatly promoted by high-resolution parallel format assays. A characterization of protein complexes based on binding forces offers an unparalleled dynamic range and allows for the effective discrimination of non-specific interactions. Here we present a DNA-based Molecular Force Assay to quantify protein-protein interactions, namely the bond between different variants of GFP and GFP-binding nanobodies. We present different strategies to adjust the maximum sensitivity window of the assay by influencing the binding strength of the DNA reference duplexes. The binding of the nanobody Enhancer to the different GFP constructs is compared at high sensitivity of the assay. Whereas the binding strength to wild type and enhanced GFP are equal within experimental error, stronger binding to superfolder GFP is observed. This difference in binding strength is attributed to alterations in the amino acids that form contacts according to the crystal structure of the initial wild type GFP-Enhancer complex. Moreover, we outline the potential for large-scale parallelization of the assay.

Multiplexed imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) biosensor assay for the detection of Fusarium toxins in wheat

Science.gov (United States)

Certain Fusarium species (F. graminearum and F. verticilloides in particular) infest grains and can produce a wide range of fungal (myco)-toxins, causing huge economic losses worldwide. A reproducible and sensitive imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) assay was developed and validated for three ...

Ionic enhancement of silica surface nanowear in electrolyte solutions

KAUST Repository

Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev

2012-11-20

The nanoscale wear and friction of silica and silicon nitride surfaces in aqueous electrolyte solutions were investigated by using sharp atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever tips coated with silicon nitride. Measurements were carried out in aqueous solutions of varying pH and in monovalent and divalent cation chloride and nitrate solutions. The silica surface was shown to wear strongly in solutions of high pH (≈11.0), as expected, but the presence of simple cations, such as Cs+ and Ca2+, was shown to dramatically effect the wear depth and friction force for the silica surface. In the case of monovalent cations, their hydration enthalpies correlated well with the wear and friction. The weakest hydrated cation of Cs+ showed the most significant enhancement of wear and friction. In the case of divalent cations, a complex dependence on the type of cation was found, where the type of anion was also seen to play an important role. The CaCl2 solution showed the anomalous enhancement of wear depth and friction force, although the solution of Ca(NO3)2 did not. The present results obtained with an AFM tip were also compared with previous nanotribology studies of silica surfaces in electrolyte solutions, and possible molecular mechanisms as to why cations enhance the wear and friction were also discussed. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Ionic enhancement of silica surface nanowear in electrolyte solutions

KAUST Repository

Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev; Teramoto, Naofumi; McNamee, Cathy E.; Marston, Jeremy; Higashitani, Ko

2012-01-01

The nanoscale wear and friction of silica and silicon nitride surfaces in aqueous electrolyte solutions were investigated by using sharp atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever tips coated with silicon nitride. Measurements were carried out in aqueous solutions of varying pH and in monovalent and divalent cation chloride and nitrate solutions. The silica surface was shown to wear strongly in solutions of high pH (≈11.0), as expected, but the presence of simple cations, such as Cs+ and Ca2+, was shown to dramatically effect the wear depth and friction force for the silica surface. In the case of monovalent cations, their hydration enthalpies correlated well with the wear and friction. The weakest hydrated cation of Cs+ showed the most significant enhancement of wear and friction. In the case of divalent cations, a complex dependence on the type of cation was found, where the type of anion was also seen to play an important role. The CaCl2 solution showed the anomalous enhancement of wear depth and friction force, although the solution of Ca(NO3)2 did not. The present results obtained with an AFM tip were also compared with previous nanotribology studies of silica surfaces in electrolyte solutions, and possible molecular mechanisms as to why cations enhance the wear and friction were also discussed. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Surface-enhanced raman optical data storage system

Science.gov (United States)

Vo-Dinh, Tuan

1994-01-01

An improved Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage System (SERODS) is disclosed. In the improved system, entities capable of existing in multiple reversible states are present on the storage device. Such entities result in changed Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) when localized state changes are effected in less than all of the entities. Therefore, by changing the state of entities in localized regions of a storage device, the SERS emissions in such regions will be changed. When a write-on device is controlled by a data signal, such a localized regions of changed SERS emissions will correspond to the data written on the device. The data may be read by illuminating the surface of the storage device with electromagnetic radiation of an appropriate frequency and detecting the corresponding SERS emissions. Data may be deleted by reversing the state changes of entities in regions where the data was initially written. In application, entities may be individual molecules which allows for the writing of data at the molecular level. A read/write/delete head utilizing near-field quantum techniques can provide for a write/read/delete device capable of effecting state changes in individual molecules, thus providing for the effective storage of data at the molecular level.

Effects of Surface Epitope Coverage on the Sensitivity of Displacement Assays that Employ Modified Nanoparticles: Using Bisphenol A as a Model Analyte

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Lu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available With the ever-increasing use of nanoparticles in immunosensors, a fundamental study on the effect of epitope density is presented herein, with a small molecule epitope, on the performance of the displacement assay format in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. Thiolated bisphenol A (BPA functionalized gold nanoparticles (cysBPAv-AuNPs and specific anti-BPA antibodies are employed for this purpose. It is shown that the displacement of cysBPAv-AuNPs bound to the immobilized antibodies was influenced by both the avidity of bound cysBPAv-AuNPs and the concentration of free BPA to displace it. The importance of surface epitope density was that it changed the number of epitopes in close proximity to the antibody-binding site. This then influenced the avidity of cysBPAv-AuNPs bound to the immobilized antibody. Furthermore, the molar epitope concentration in an assay appears to affect the degree of antibody binding site saturation. Controlling surface epitope density of the functionalized nanoparticles and molar epitope concentration in an assay leads to a decrease of the concentration of free BPA required to displace the bound cysBPAv-AuNP, and hence better assay performance with regards to the D50 value and dynamic range in the displacement assay.

Surface-enhanced Raman effect in hybrid metal–semiconductor nanoparticle assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lughi, Vanni; Bonifacio, Alois; Barbone, Matteo; Marsich, Lucia; Sergo, Valter

2013-01-01

Hybrid metal–semiconductor nanoparticles consisting of silver nanoparticle cores (AgNPs) coated with a layer of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) have been studied by Raman spectroscopy. The hybrid nanoparticles were prepared via electrostatic interaction by mixing aqueous suspensions of QDs and AgNPs, where opposite charges on the AgNPs and QDs surfaces were induced by opportunely selected capping agents. Assemblies of such hybrid nanoparticles show an increased intensity of the Raman spectrum of up to 500 times, when compared to that of the sole QDs. This enhancement is attributed to the SERS effect (Surface-enhanced Raman scattering). Such enhancement of the Raman modes suggests several opportunities for further research, both in imaging and sensing applications.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Using Silica Whispering-Gallery Mode Resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Mark S.

2013-01-01

The motivation of this work was to have robust spectroscopic sensors for sensitive detection and chemical analysis of organic and molecular compounds. The solution is to use silica sphere optical resonators to provide surface-enhanced spectroscopic signal. Whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonators made from silica microspheres were used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) without coupling to a plasmonic mechanism. Large Raman signal enhancement is observed by exclusively using 5.08-micron silica spheres with 785-nm laser excitation. The advantage of this non-plasmonic approach is that the active substrate is chemically inert silica, thermally stable, and relatively simple to fabricate. The Raman signal enhancement is broadly applicable to a wide range of molecular functional groups including aliphatic hydrocarbons, siloxanes, and esters. Applications include trace organic analysis, particularly for in situ planetary instruments that require robust sensors with consistent response.

Trace drug analysis by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Farquharson, Stuart; Lee, Vincent Y.

2000-12-01

Drug overdose involves more than 10 percent of emergency room (ER) cases, and a method to rapidly identify and quantify the abused drug is critical to the ability of the ER physician to administer the appropriate care. To this end, we have been developing a surface-enhanced Raman (SER) active material capable of detecting target drugs at physiological concentrations in urine. The SER-active material consists of a metal-doped sol-gel that provides not only a million fold increase in sensitivity but also reproducible measurements. The porous silica network offers a unique environment for stabilizing SER active metal particles and the high surface area increase the interaction between the analyte and metal particles. The sol-gel has been coated on the inside walls of glass samples vials, such that urine specimens may simply be introduced for analysis. Here we present the surface-enhanced Raman spectra of a series of barbiturates, actual urine specimens, and a drug 'spiked' urine specimen. The utility of pH adjustment to suppress dominant biochemicals associated with urine is also presented.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing on black silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gervinskas, Gediminas; Seniutinas, Gediminas; Hartley, Jennifer S.; Stoddart, Paul R.; Juodkazis, Saulius; Kandasamy, Sasikaran; Fahim, Narges F.

2013-01-01

Reactive ion etching was used to fabricate black-Si over the entire surface area of 4-inch Si wafers. After 20 min of the plasma treatment, surface reflection well below 2% was achieved over the 300-1000 nm spectral range. The spikes of the black-Si substrates were coated by gold, resulting in an island film for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing. A detection limit of 1 x 10 -6 M (at count rate > 10 2 s -1 . mW -1 ) was achieved for rhodamine 6G in aqueous solution when drop cast onto a ∝ 100-nm-thick Au coating. The sensitivity increases for thicker coatings. A mixed mobile-on-immobile platform for SERS sensing is introduced by using dog-bone Au nanoparticles on the Au/black-Si substrate. The SERS intensity shows a non-linear dependence on the solid angle (numerical aperture of excitation/collection optics) for a thick gold coating that exhibits a 10 times higher enhancement. This shows promise for augmented sensitivity in SERS applications. (copyright 2013 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Surface Plasmons and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectra of Aggregated and Alloyed Gold-Silver Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Fleger

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Effects of size, morphology, and composition of gold and silver nanoparticles on surface plasmon resonance (SPR and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS are studied with the purpose of optimizing SERS substrates. Various gold and silver films made by evaporation and subsequent annealing give different morphologies and compositions of nanoparticles and thus different position of the SPR peak. SERS measurements of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid obtained from these films reveal that the proximity of the SPR peak to the exciting laser wavelength is not the only factor leading to the highest Raman enhancement. Silver nanoparticles evaporated on top of larger gold nanoparticles show higher SERS than gold-silver alloyed nanoparticles, in spite of the fact that the SPR peak of alloyed nanoparticles is narrower and closer to the excitation wavelength. The highest Raman enhancement was obtained for substrates with a two-peak particle size distribution for excitation wavelengths close to the SPR.

Bio-active molecules modified surfaces enhanced mesenchymal stem cell adhesion and proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mobasseri, Rezvan; Tian, Lingling; Soleimani, Masoud; Ramakrishna, Seeram; Naderi-Manesh, Hossein

2017-01-01

Surface modification of the substrate as a component of in vitro cell culture and tissue engineering, using bio-active molecules including extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins or peptides derived ECM proteins can modulate the surface properties and thereby induce the desired signaling pathways in cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) on glass substrates modified with fibronectin (Fn), collagen (Coll), RGD peptides (RGD) and designed peptide (R-pept) as bio-active molecules. The glass coverslips were coated with fibronectin, collagen, RGD peptide and R-peptide. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured on different substrates and the adhesion behavior in early incubation times was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy. The MTT assay was performed to evaluate the effect of different bio-active molecules on MSCs proliferation rate during 24 and 72 h. Formation of filopodia and focal adhesion (FA) complexes, two steps of cell adhesion process, were observed in MSCs cultured on bio-active molecules modified coverslips, specifically in Fn coated and R-pept coated groups. SEM image showed well adhesion pattern for MSCs cultured on Fn and R-pept after 2 h incubation, while the shape of cells cultured on Coll and RGD substrates indicated that they might experience stress condition in early hours of culture. Investigation of adhesion behavior, as well as proliferation pattern, suggests R-peptide as a promising bio-active molecule to be used for surface modification of substrate in supporting and inducing cell adhesion and proliferation. - Highlights: • Bioactive molecules modified surface is a strategy to design biomimicry scaffold. • Bi-functional Tat-derived peptide (R-pept) enhanced MSCs adhesion and proliferation. • R-pept showed similar influences to fibronectin on FA formation and attachment.

Gold nanoparticle-enhanced multiplexed imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) detection of Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat

Science.gov (United States)

A rapid, sensitive and multiplexed imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) biosensor assay was developed and validated for three Fusarium toxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) and T-2 toxin. The iSPR assay was based on a competitive inhibition format with secondary antibodies (Ab2) conjug...

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering in Molecular Junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwane, Madoka; Fujii, Shintaro; Kiguchi, Manabu

2017-08-18

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface-sensitive vibrational spectroscopy that allows Raman spectroscopy on a single molecular scale. Here, we present a review of SERS from molecular junctions, in which a single molecule or molecules are made to have contact from the top to the bottom of metal surfaces. The molecular junctions are nice platforms for SERS as well as transport measurement. Electronic characterization based on the transport measurements of molecular junctions has been extensively studied for the development of miniaturized electronic devices. Simultaneous SERS and transport measurement of the molecular junctions allow both structural (geometrical) and electronic information on the single molecule scale. The improvement of SERS measurement on molecular junctions open the door toward new nanoscience and nanotechnology in molecular electronics.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering biosensor for DNA detection on nanoparticle island substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuan, Scott Wu; Ho, Ho Pui; Lee, Rebecca K.Y.

2009-01-01

We present a study on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of Ag nanoparticle island substrates (NIS) and their applications for target oligonucleotide (OND) detection. It has been found that the surface nanostructure of NIS samples can be controlled with a good degree of repro......We present a study on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of Ag nanoparticle island substrates (NIS) and their applications for target oligonucleotide (OND) detection. It has been found that the surface nanostructure of NIS samples can be controlled with a good degree...

Validation of an optical surface plasmon resonance biosensor assay for screening (fluoro)quinolones in egg, fish and poultry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huet, A.C.; Charlier, C.; Weigel, S.; Benrejeb Godefroy, S.; Delahaut, P.

2009-01-01

A surface plasmon resonance biosensor immunoassay has been developed for multi-residue determination of 13 (fluoro)quinolone antibiotics in poultry meat, eggs and fish. The following performance characteristics were determined according to the guidelines laid down for screening assay validation in

Dynamic placement of plasmonic hotspots for super-resolution surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Ertsgaard, Christopher T; McKoskey, Rachel M; Rich, Isabel S; Lindquist, Nathan C

2014-10-28

In this paper, we demonstrate dynamic placement of locally enhanced plasmonic fields using holographic laser illumination of a silver nanohole array. To visualize these focused "hotspots", the silver surface was coated with various biological samples for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging. Due to the large field enhancements, blinking behavior of the SERS hotspots was observed and processed using a stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy algorithm enabling super-resolution localization of the hotspots to within 10 nm. These hotspots were then shifted across the surface in subwavelength (hotspots. Using this technique, we also show that such subwavelength shifting and localization of plasmonic hotspots has potential for imaging applications. Interestingly, illuminating the surface with randomly shifting SERS hotspots was sufficient to completely fill in a wide field of view for super-resolution chemical imaging.

Surface plasmon-enhanced molecular fluorescence induced by gold nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teng, Y.; Ueno, K.; Shi, X.; Aoyo, D.; Misawa, H.; Qiu, J.

2012-01-01

The authors report on surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence of Eosin Y molecules induced by gold nanostructures. Al 2 O 3 films deposited by atomic layer deposition with sub-nanometer resolution were used as the spacer layer to control the distance between molecules and the gold surface. As the thickness of the Al 2 O 3 film increased, the fluorescence intensity first increased and then decreased. The highest enhancement factor is achieved with a 1 nm Al 2 O 3 film. However, the trend for the fluorescence lifetime is the opposite. It first decreased and then increased. The changes in the fluorescence quantum yield were also calculated. The yield shows a similar trend to the fluorescence intensity. The competition between the surface plasmon-induced increase in the radiative decay rate and the gold-induced fluorescence quenching is responsible for the observed phenomenon. In addition, this competition strongly depends on the thickness of the spacer layer between Eosin Y molecules and the gold surface. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Effects of corner radius on periodic nanoantenna for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chao, Bo-Kai; Lin, Shih-Che; Nien, Li-Wei; Hsueh, Chun-Hway; Li, Jia-Han

2015-01-01

Corner radius is a concept to approximate the fabrication limitation due to the effective beam broadening at the corner in using electron-beam lithography. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of corner radius on the electromagnetic field enhancement and resonance wavelength for three periodic polygon dimers of bowtie, twin square, and twin pentagon. The enhancement factor of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy due to the localized surface plasmon resonances in fabricated gold bowtie nanostructures was investigated using both Raman spectroscopy and finite-difference time-domain simulations. The simulated enhancement factor versus corner radius relation was in agreement with measurements and it could be fitted by a power-law relation. In addition, the resonance wavelength showed blue shift with the increasing corner radius because of the distribution of concentrated charges in a larger area. For different polygons, the corner radius instead of the tip angle is the dominant factor of the electromagnetic field enhancement because the surface charges tend to localize at the corner. Greater enhancements can be obtained by having both the smaller gap and sharper corner although the corner radius effect on intensity enhancement is less than the gap size effect. (paper)

Response to vicriviroc in treatment-experienced subjects, as determined by an enhanced-sensitivity coreceptor tropism assay: reanalysis of AIDS clinical trials group A5211.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Zhaohui; Gulick, Roy M; Krambrink, Amy; Coakley, Eoin; Hughes, Michael D; Han, Dong; Flexner, Charles; Wilkin, Timothy J; Skolnik, Paul R; Greaves, Wayne L; Kuritzkes, Daniel R; Reeves, Jacqueline D

2009-12-01

The enhanced-sensitivity Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences) was used to retest coreceptor use at both study screening and study entry for 118 treatment-experienced subjects in AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5211 who had CCR5-tropic (R5) virus detected by the original Trofile assay at study screening. Among 90 recipients of vicriviroc, a significantly (P< .001) greater mean reduction in HIV-1 RNA was observed in 72 subjects with R5 virus versus 15 subjects reclassified as having dual/mixed-tropic viruses at screening: -1.11 versus -0.09 log(10) copies/mL at day 14 and -1.91 versus -0.57 log(10) copies/mL at week 24, respectively. Results suggest that the enhanced-sensitivity assay is a better screening tool for determining patient eligibility for CCR5 antagonist therapy.

A monolayer of hierarchical silver hemi-mesoparticles with tunable surface topographies for highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Shuangmei; Fan, Chunzhen; Mao, Yanchao; Wang, Junqiao; He, Jinna; Liang, Erjun; Chao, Mingju

2016-02-01

We proposed a facile green synthesis system to synthesize large-scale Ag hemi-mesoparticles monolayer on Cu foil. Ag hemi-mesoparticles have different surface morphologies on their surfaces, including ridge-like, meatball-like, and fluffy-like shapes. In the reaction, silver nitrate was reduced by copper at room temperature in dimethyl sulfoxide via the galvanic displacement reaction. The different surface morphologies of the Ag hemi-mesoparticles were adjusted by changing the reaction time, and the hemi-mesoparticle surface formed fluffy-spherical nanoprotrusions at longer reaction time. At the same time, we explored the growth mechanism of silver hemi-mesoparticles with different surface morphologies. With 4-mercaptobenzoic acid as Raman probe molecules, the fluffy-like silver hemi-mesoparticles monolayer with the best activity of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the enhancement factor is up to 7.33 × 107 and the detection limit can reach 10-10M. SERS measurements demonstrate that these Ag hemi-mesoparticles can serve as sensitive SERS substrates. At the same time, using finite element method, the distribution of the localized electromagnetic field near the particle surface was simulated to verify the enhanced mechanism. This study helps us to understand the relationship between morphology Ag hemi-mesoparicles and the properties of SERS.

Ultrasound enhanced plasma surface modification at atmospheric pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusano, Yukihiro; Singh, Shailendra Vikram; Norrman, Kion

and the material surface, and thus many reactive species generated in the plasma can reach the surface before inactivated, and be efficiently utilized for surface modification. In the present work polyester plates are treated using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and a gliding arc at atmospheric pressure......Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment can be highly enhanced by simultaneous high-power ultrasonic irradiation onto the treating surface. It is because ultrasonic waves with a sound pressure level (SPL) above approximately 140 dB can reduce the thickness of a boundary gas layer between the plasma...... irradiation, the water contact angle dropped markedly, and tended to decrease furthermore at higher power. The ultrasonic irradiation during the plasma treatment consistently improved the wettability. Oxygen containing polar functional groups were introduced at the surface by the plasma treatment...

Simulating Surface-Enhanced Hyper-Raman Scattering Using Atomistic Electrodynamics-Quantum Mechanical Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhongwei; Chulhai, Dhabih V; Jensen, Lasse

2016-12-13

Surface-enhanced hyper-Raman scattering (SEHRS) is the two-photon analogue of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which has proven to be a powerful tool to study molecular structures and surface enhancements. However, few theoretical approaches to SEHRS exist and most neglect the atomistic descriptions of the metal surface and molecular resonance effects. In this work, we present two atomistic electrodynamics-quantum mechanical models to simulate SEHRS. The first is the discrete interaction model/quantum mechanical (DIM/QM) model, which combines an atomistic electrodynamics model of the nanoparticle with a time-dependent density functional theory description of the molecule. The second model is a dressed-tensors method that describes the molecule as a point-dipole and point-quadrupole object interacting with the enhanced local field and field-gradients (FG) from the nanoparticle. In both of these models, the resonance effects are treated efficiently by means of damped quadratic response theory. Using these methods, we simulate SEHRS spectra for benzene and pyridine. Our results show that the FG effects in SEHRS play an important role in determining both the surface selection rules and the enhancements. We find that FG effects are more important in SEHRS than in SERS. We also show that the spectral features of small molecules can be accurately described by accounting for the interactions between the molecule and the local field and FG of the nanoparticle. However, at short distances between the metal and molecule, we find significant differences in the SEHRS enhancements predicted using the DIM/QM and the dressed-tensors methods.

Detection and quantification of alternative splice sites in Arabidopsis genes AtDCL2 and AtPTB2 with highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and gold nanoprobes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadam, Ulhas S; Schulz, Burkhard; Irudayaraj, Joseph

2014-05-02

Alternative splicing (AS) increases the size of the transcriptome and proteome to enhance the physiological capacity of cells. We demonstrate surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in combination with a DNA hybridization analytical platform to identify and quantify AS genes in plants. AS in AtDCL2 and AtPTB2 were investigated using non-fluorescent Raman probes using a 'sandwich assay'. Utilizing Raman probes conjugated to gold nanoparticles we demonstrate the recognition of RNA sequences specific to AtDCL2 and AtPTB2 splice junction variants with detection sensitivity of up to 0.1 fM. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James; Liu, Gang Logan

2015-11-03

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C.; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James C.; Liu, Gang Logan

2014-07-22

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C.; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James C.; Liu, Gang Logan

2015-07-14

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Centrifugation assay for measuring adhesion of serially passaged bovine chondrocytes to polystyrene surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, David S; Hitchins, Victoria M; Vegella, Thomas J; Malinauskas, Richard A; Ferlin, Kimberly M; Fisher, John P; Frondoza, Carmelita G

2012-07-01

A major obstacle in chondrocyte-based therapy for cartilage repair is the limited availability of cells that maintain their original phenotype. Propagation of chondrocytes as monolayer cultures on polystyrene surfaces is used extensively for amplifying cell numbers. However, chondrocytes undergo a phenotypic shift when propagated in this manner and display characteristics of more adherent fibroblastic cells. Little information is available about the effect of this phenotypic shift on cellular adhesion properties. We evaluated changes in adhesion property as bovine chondrocytes were serially propagated up to five passages in monolayer culture using a centrifugation cell adhesion assay, which was based on counting of cells before and after being exposed to centrifugal dislodgement forces of 120 and 350 g. Chondrocytes proliferated well in a monolayer culture with doubling times of 2-3 days, but they appeared more fibroblastic and exhibited elongated cell morphology with continued passage. The centrifugation cell adhesion assay showed that chondrocytes became more adhesive with passage as the percentage of adherent cells after centrifugation increased and was not statistically different from the adhesion of the fibroblast cell line, L929, starting at passage 3. This increased adhesiveness correlated with a shift to a fibroblastic morphology and increased collagen I mRNA expression starting at passage 2. Our findings indicate that the centrifugation cell adhesion assay may serve as a reproducible tool to track alterations in chondrocyte phenotype during their extended propagation in culture.

Utilizing Raman Spectroscopy and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to investigate healthy and cancerous colon samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barzegar, A.; Rezaei, H.; Malekfar, R.

2012-01-01

In this study, spontaneous Raman scattering and surface-enhanced Raman scattering, Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy spectra have been investigated. The samples which were kept in the formalin solution selected from the human's healthy and cancerous colon tissues. The Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy spectra were collected by adding colloidal solution contained silver nanoparticles to the top of the samples. The recorded spectra were compared for the spontaneous Raman spectra of healthy and cancerous colon samples. The spontaneous and surface enhanced Raman scattering data were also collected and compared for both healthy and damaged samples.

Indium nanoparticles for ultraviolet surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Rupali; Soni, R. K.

2018-05-01

Ultraviolet Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (UVSERS) has emerged as an efficient molecular spectroscopy technique for ultra-sensitive and ultra-low detection of analyte concentration. The generic SERS substrates based on gold and silver nanostructures have been extensively explored for high local electric field enhancement only in visible-NIR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The template synthesis of controlled nanoscale size metallic nanostructures supporting localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the UV region have been recently explored due to their ease of synthesis and potential applications in optoelectronic, catalysis and magnetism. Indium (In0) nanoparticles exhibit active surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in ultraviolet (UV) and deep-ultaviolet (DUV) region with optimal absorption losses. This extended accessibility makes indium a promising material for UV plasmonic, chemical sensing and more recently in UV-SERS. In this work, spherical indium nanoparticles (In NPs) were synthesized by modified polyol reduction method using NaBH4 having local surface plasmon resonance near 280 nm. The as-synthesized spherical In0 nanoparticles were then coated with thin silica shells of thickness ˜ 5nm by a modified Stober method protecting the nanoparticles from agglomeration, direct contact with the probed molecules as well as prevent oxidation of the nanoparticles. Morphological evolution of In0 nanoparticles and SiO2 coating were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM). An enhanced near resonant shell-isolated SERS activity from thin film of tryptophan (Tryp) molecules deposited on indium coated substrates under 325nm UV excitation was observed. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is employed to comprehend the experimental results and simulate the electric field contours which showed amplified electromagnetic field localized around the nanostructures. The comprehensive analysis indicates that indium is a promising alternate

Quantum mechanical limit to plasmonic enhancement as observed by surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenqi; Crozier, Kenneth B

2014-10-14

Plasmonic nanostructures enable light to be concentrated into nanoscale 'hotspots', wherein the intensity of light can be enhanced by orders of magnitude. This plasmonic enhancement significantly boosts the efficiency of nanoscale light-matter interactions, enabling unique linear and nonlinear optical applications. Large enhancements are often observed within narrow gaps or at sharp tips, as predicted by the classical electromagnetic theory. Only recently has it become appreciated that quantum mechanical effects could emerge as the feature size approaches atomic length-scale. Here we experimentally demonstrate, through observations of surface-enhanced Raman scattering, that the emergence of electron tunnelling at optical frequencies limits the maximum achievable plasmonic enhancement. Such quantum mechanical effects are revealed for metallic nanostructures with gap-widths in the single-digit angstrom range by correlating each structure with its optical properties. This work furthers our understanding of quantum mechanical effects in plasmonic systems and could enable future applications of quantum plasmonics.

Novel Chiroptical Analysis of Hemoglobin by Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Optical Activity Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brazhe, Nadezda; Brazhe, Alexey; Sosnovtseva, Olga

2010-01-01

The metalloprotein hemoglobin (Hb) was studied using surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS) and surface enhanced resonance Raman optical activity (SERROA). The SERROA results are analyzed and compared with the SERRS, and the later to the resonance Raman (RRS) performed on Hb...

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing on black silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gervinskas, Gediminas; Seniutinas, Gediminas; Hartley, Jennifer S.; Stoddart, Paul R.; Juodkazis, Saulius [Centre for Micro-Photonics and Industrial Research Institute Swinburne, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC (Australia); The Australian National Fabrication Facility-ANFF, Victoria node, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC (Australia); Kandasamy, Sasikaran [Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, Clayton, VIC (Australia); Fahim, Narges F. [Centre for Micro-Photonics and Industrial Research Institute Swinburne, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC (Australia)

2013-12-15

Reactive ion etching was used to fabricate black-Si over the entire surface area of 4-inch Si wafers. After 20 min of the plasma treatment, surface reflection well below 2% was achieved over the 300-1000 nm spectral range. The spikes of the black-Si substrates were coated by gold, resulting in an island film for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing. A detection limit of 1 x 10{sup -6} M (at count rate > 10{sup 2} s{sup -1}. mW{sup -1}) was achieved for rhodamine 6G in aqueous solution when drop cast onto a {proportional_to} 100-nm-thick Au coating. The sensitivity increases for thicker coatings. A mixed mobile-on-immobile platform for SERS sensing is introduced by using dog-bone Au nanoparticles on the Au/black-Si substrate. The SERS intensity shows a non-linear dependence on the solid angle (numerical aperture of excitation/collection optics) for a thick gold coating that exhibits a 10 times higher enhancement. This shows promise for augmented sensitivity in SERS applications. (copyright 2013 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Wavelength modulated surface enhanced (resonance) Raman scattering for background-free detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Praveen, Bavishna B; Steuwe, Christian; Mazilu, Michael; Dholakia, Kishan; Mahajan, Sumeet

2013-05-21

Spectra in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) are always accompanied by a continuum emission called the 'background' which complicates analysis and is especially problematic for quantification and automation. Here, we implement a wavelength modulation technique to eliminate the background in SERS and its resonant version, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS). This is demonstrated on various nanostructured substrates used for SER(R)S. An enhancement in the signal to noise ratio for the Raman bands of the probe molecules is also observed. This technique helps to improve the analytical ability of SERS by alleviating the problem due to the accompanying background and thus making observations substrate independent.

Finite Element Method Simulations of the Near-Field Enhancement at the Vicinity of Fractal Rough Metallic Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micic, Miodrag; Klymyshyn, Nicholas A.; Lu, H Peter

2004-01-01

Near-field optical enhancement at metal surfaces and methods such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), fluorescent quenching and enhancement, and various near-field scanning microscopies (NSOM) all depend on a metals surface properties, mainly on its morphology and SPR resonant frequency. We report on simulations of the influence of different surface morphologies on electromagnetic field enhancements at the rough surfaces of noble metals and also evaluate the optimal conditions for the generation of a surface-enhanced Raman signal of absorbed species on a metallic substrate. All simulations were performed with a classical electrodynamics approach using the full set of Maxwells equations, which were solved with the three-dimensional finite element method (FEM). Two different classes of surfaces where modeled using fractals, representing diffusion limited aggregation growth dendritic structures, such as one on the surface of electrodes, and second one representing the sponge-like structure used to model surfaces of particles with high porosity, such as metal coated catalyst supports. The simulations depict the high inhomogeneity of an enhanced electromagnetic field as both a field enhancement and field attenuation near the surface. While the diffusion limited aggregation dendritical fractals enhanced the near-field electromagnetic field, the sponge fractals significantly reduced the local electromagnetic field intensity. Moreover, the fractal orders of the fractal objects did not significantly alter the total enhancement, and the distribution of a near-field enhancement was essentially invariant to the changes in the angle of an incoming laser beam

A novel quantitative kinase assay using bacterial surface display and flow cytometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sónia Troeira Henriques

Full Text Available The inhibition of tyrosine kinases is a successful approach for the treatment of cancers and the discovery of kinase inhibitor drugs is the focus of numerous academic and pharmaceutical laboratories. With this goal in mind, several strategies have been developed to measure kinase activity and to screen novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Nevertheless, a general non-radioactive and inexpensive approach, easy to implement and adapt to a range of applications, is still missing. Herein, using Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase, an oncogenic target and a model protein for cancer studies, we describe a novel cost-effective high-throughput screening kinase assay. In this approach, named the BacKin assay, substrates displayed on a Bacterial cell surface are incubated with Kinase and their phosphorylation is examined and quantified by flow cytometry. This approach has several advantages over existing approaches, as using bacteria (i.e. Escherichia coli to display peptide substrates provides a self renewing solid support that does not require laborious chemical strategies. Here we show that the BacKin approach can be used for kinetic and mechanistic studies, as well as a platform to characterize and identify small-molecule or peptide-based kinase inhibitors with potential applications in drug development.

Surface-plasmon enhanced photoemission of a silver nano-patterned photocathode

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Z.; Li, R.; To, H.; Andonian, G.; Pirez, E.; Meade, D.; Maxson, J.; Musumeci, P.

2017-09-01

Nano-patterned photocathodes (NPC) take advantage of plasmonic effects to resonantly increase absorption of light and localize electromagnetic field intensity on metal surfaces leading to surface-plasmon enhanced photoemission. In this paper, we report the status of NPC research at UCLA including in particular the optimization of the dimensions of a nanohole array on a silver wafer to enhance plasmonic response at 800 nm light, the development of a spectrally-resolved reflectivity measurement setup for quick nanopattern validation, and of a novel cathode plug to enable high power tests of NPCs on single crystal substrates in a high gradient radiofrequency gun.

Electromagnetic theories of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Song-Yuan; You, En-Ming; Tian, Zhong-Qun; Moskovits, Martin

2017-07-07

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and related spectroscopies are powered primarily by the concentration of the electromagnetic (EM) fields associated with light in or near appropriately nanostructured electrically-conducting materials, most prominently, but not exclusively high-conductivity metals such as silver and gold. This field concentration takes place on account of the excitation of surface-plasmon (SP) resonances in the nanostructured conductor. Optimizing nanostructures for SERS, therefore, implies optimizing the ability of plasmonic nanostructures to concentrate EM optical fields at locations where molecules of interest reside, and to enhance the radiation efficiency of the oscillating dipoles associated with these molecules and nanostructures. This review summarizes the development of theories over the past four decades pertinent to SERS, especially those contributing to our current understanding of SP-related SERS. Special emphasis is given to the salient strategies and theoretical approaches for optimizing nanostructures with hotspots as efficient EM near-field concentrating and far-field radiating substrates for SERS. A simple model is described in terms of which the upper limit of the SERS enhancement can be estimated. Several experimental strategies that may allow one to approach, or possibly exceed this limit, such as cascading the enhancement of the local and radiated EM field by the multiscale EM coupling of hierarchical structures, and generating hotspots by hybridizing an antenna mode with a plasmonic waveguide cavity mode, which would result in an increased local field enhancement, are discussed. Aiming to significantly broaden the application of SERS to other fields, and especially to material science, we consider hybrid structures of plasmonic nanostructures and other material phases and strategies for producing strong local EM fields at desired locations in such hybrid structures. In this vein, we consider some of the numerical

Subtractive Inhibition Assay for the Detection of E. coli O157:H7 Using Surface Plasmon Resonance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chengyan Si

2011-03-01

Full Text Available A surface plasmon resonance (SPR immunosensor was developed for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 by means of a new subtractive inhibition assay. In the subtractive inhibition assay, E. coli O157:H7 cells and goat polyclonal antibodies for E. coli O157:H7 were incubated for a short of time, and then the E. coli O157:H7 cells which bound antibodies were removed by a stepwise centrifugation process. The remaining free unbound antibodies were detected through interaction with rabbit anti-goat IgG polyclonal antibodies immobilized on the sensor chip using a BIAcore 3000 biosensor. The results showed that the signal was inversely correlated with the concentration of E. coli O157:H7 cells in a range from 3.0 × 104 to 3.0 × 108 cfu/mL with a detection limit of 3.0 × 104 cfu/mL. Compared with direct SPR by immobilizing antibodies on the chip surface to capture the bacterial cells and ELISA for E. coli O157:H7 (detection limit: both 3.0 × 105 cfu/mL in this paper, the detection limit of subtractive inhibition assay method was reduced by one order of magnitude. The method simplifies bacterial cell detection to protein-protein interaction, which has the potential for providing a practical alternative for the monitoring of E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on gold nanotrenches and nanoholes

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2012-04-01

Dependent effects on edge-to-edge distance and incidence polarization in surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) were studied in detection of 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) molecules absorbed on gold nanotrenches and nanoholes. The gold nanostructures with controllable size and period were fabricated using electron-beam lithography. Large SERS enhancement in detection of 4-MPy molecules on both nanostructred substrates was observed. The SERS enhancement increased exponentially with decrease of edge to-edge distance for both the nanotrenches and nanoholes while keeping the sizes of the nanotrenches and nanoholes unchanged. Investigation of polarization dependence showed that the SERS enhancement of nanotrenches was much more sensitive to the incidence polarizations than that of nanoholes. © 2012 American Scientific Publishers.

A microfluidic surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic biosensor using aptamer functionalized nanopillars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, J.; Palla, M.; Bosco, F. G.

2013-01-01

This paper presents a microchip incorporating an aptamer-functionalized nanopillar substrate, enabling the specific detection of low-abundance biomolecules using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In a temperature controlled microchamber, aptamers immobilized on the nanostructure surface...

Novel routes to electromagnetic enhancement and its characterisation in surface- and tip-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, P; Frey, D; Kalathingal, V; Mehfuz, R; Mitra, J

2017-12-04

Quantitative understanding of the electromagnetic component in enhanced Raman spectroscopy is often difficult to achieve on account of the complex substrate structures utilised. We therefore turn to two structurally simple systems amenable to detailed modelling. The first is tip-enhanced Raman scattering under electron scanning tunnelling microscopy control (STM-TERS) where, appealing to understanding developed in the context of photon emission from STM, it is argued that the localised surface plasmon modes driving the Raman enhancement exist in the visible and near-infrared regime only by virtue of significant modification to the optical properties of the tip and sample metals (gold here). This is due to the strong dc field-induced (∼10 9 V m -1 ) non-linear corrections to the dielectric function of gold via the third order susceptibility term in the polarisation. Also, sub-5 nm spatial resolution is shown in the modelling. Secondly, we suggest a novel deployment of hybrid plasmonic waveguide modes in surface enhanced Raman scattering (HPWG-SERS). This delivers strong confinement of electromagnetic energy in a ∼10 nm oxide 'gap' between a high-index dielectric material of nanoscale width (a GaAs nanorod and a 100 nm Si slab are considered here) and a metal, yielding a monotonic variation in the Raman enhancement factor as a function of wavelength with no long-wavelength cut-off, both features that contrast with STM-TERS.

Applications of the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picquart, M.; Haro P, E.; Bernard, S.

2007-01-01

Full text: Vibration spectroscopy techniques are used for many times to identify substances, determine molecular structure and quantify them, independently of their physical state. Raman spectroscopy as infrared absorption permit to access the vibration energy levels of molecules. In the second case, the permanent dipolar moment is involved while in the first one it is the polarizability (and the induced dipolar moment). Unfortunately, the classical Raman spectroscopy is low sensitive in particular in the case of biological molecules. On the opposite, the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers great potentialities. In this case, the molecules are adsorbed on a rough surface or on nanoparticles of gold or silver and the: signal can be increased by a factor of 10 7 to 10 8 . Moreover, the spectral enhancement is greater for the vibrations of the functional group of the molecule adsorbed on the substrate. In this work, we present the main theoretical bases of SERS, and some results obtain on different systems. (Author)

Development of a second generation monoclonal immunoradiometric assay. Increased sensitivity leads to enhanced detection of hepatitis B viral infection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahashi, H; Wands, J R; Kameda, H

1988-09-13

The authors have developed and employed a second generation monoclonal immunoradiometric assay (M2-IRMA) using antibodies of high affinity for epitopes that reside on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). This assay is capable of detecting as little as 15 pg/ml of HBsAg in serum. Improvements in sensitivity over a first generation immunoradiometric assay (MI-IRMA) was achieved by increasing the sample volume and time of incubation, and subjecting the reaction to a mechanical rotary device. 164 subjects with chronic hepatitis, 105 with cirrhosis, 67 with hepatocellular carcinoma, six with acute hepatitis A, seven with acute hepatitis B, 167 chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 235 healthy individuals from Japan were studied and the results of the M2-IRMA were compared to a conventional polyclonal radioimmunoassay (P-RIA). By using a more sensitive assay design (M2-IRMA), a significant number of additional cases of HBV infection heretofore unsuspected in the etiology of chronic liver disease were identified. It is concluded that improvement in assay sensitivity for HBsAg is important in the serologic diagnosis of HBV in patients with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. 14 refs.; 6 figs.; 6 tabs.

Enhanced Hydrophilicity and Protein Adsorption of Titanium Surface by Sodium Bicarbonate Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengnan Jia

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate a novel and convenient method of chemical treatment to modify the hydrophilicity of titanium surfaces. Sand-blasted and acid-etched (SLA titanium surfaces and machined titanium surfaces were treated with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3 solution. The wetting behavior of both kinds of surfaces was measured by water contact angle (WCA test. The surface microstructure was assessed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM and three-dimensional (3D optical microscopy. The elemental compositions of the surfaces were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. The protein adsorption analysis was performed with fibronectin. Results showed that, after 1 M NaHCO3 treatment, the hydrophilicity of both SLA and machined surfaces was enhanced. No significant microstructural change presented on titanium surfaces after NaHCO3 treatment. The deprotonation and ion exchange activities might cause the enhanced hydrophilicity of titanium surfaces. The increased protein adsorption of NaHCO3-treated SLA surfaces might indicate their improved tissue-integration in clinical use.

Double-grooved nanofibre surfaces with enhanced anisotropic hydrophobicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Meimei; Chen, Xin; Xu, Yang; Zhu, Lei; Jin, Xiangyu; Huang, Chen

2017-11-02

This study reports a facile method for fabricating double-grooved fibrous surfaces. The primary grooves of the surface are formed by aligned fibres, while the secondary grooves are achieved by oriented nanogrooves on the fibre surface. Investigation into the formation mechanism reveals that the nanogrooves can be readily tailored through adjusting the solvent ratio and relative humidity. With this understanding, a variety of polymers have been successfully electrospun into fibres having the same nanogrooved feature. These fibres show high resemblance to natural hierarchical structures, and thereby endowing the corresponding double-grooved surface with enhanced anisotropic hydrophobicity. A water droplet at a parallel direction to the grooves exhibits a much higher contact angle and a lower roll-off angle than the droplet at a perpendicular direction. The application potential of such anisotropic hydrophobicity has been demonstrated via a fog collection experiment, in which the double-grooved surface can harvest the largest amount of water. Moreover, the fabrication method requires neither post-treatment nor sophisticated equipment, making us anticipate that the double-grooved surface would be competitive in areas where a highly ordered surface, a large surface area and an anisotropic hydrophobicity are preferred.

Laterally enhanced growth of electrodeposited Au to form ultrathin films on nonconductive surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Chiaki; Saito, Mikiko; Homma, Takayuki

2012-01-01

We investigated the laterally enhanced growth of electrodeposited Au for fabricating nanogap electrodes. To enhance the lateral growth, we carried out electrodeposition over patterned electrodes onto a SiO 2 surface modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) or dendrimers with amine groups. The morphology and thickness of the Au films were controlled by adjusting deposition conditions such as duration, applied potential, and Au ion concentration in the bath. To investigate the mechanism of the laterally enhanced growth, the surface states of SAM- or dendrimer-modified SiO 2 were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS results indicate the existence of organic molecules and Au ions on the SiO 2 surface, which suggests that laterally enhanced growth is induced by the Au ions coordinated on the amine groups of the organic molecules. To further analyze the mechanism of the laterally enhanced growth, we investigated the relationship between the morphology of the laterally enhanced growth of Au and the amount of Au ions on organic molecules. The laterally enhanced growth of Au is expected to be useful for fabricating thin film nanogap electrodes.

FDTD/TDSE study of surface-enhanced infrared absorption by metal nanoparticles.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, S.-H.; Schatz, G. C.; Gray, S. K.; Chemistry; Northwestern Univ.; National Cheng-Kung Univ.

2006-01-01

We study surface-enhanced infrared absorption, including multiphoton processes, due to the excitation of surface plasmons on metal nanoparticles. The time-dependent Schroedinger equation and finite-difference time-domain method are self-consistently coupled to treat the problem.

Estimating the Analytical and Surface Enhancement Factors in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS): A Novel Physical Chemistry and Nanotechnology Laboratory Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Pavel, Ioana E.; Alnajjar, Khadijeh S.; Monahan, Jennifer L.; Stahler, Adam; Hunter, Nora E.; Weaver, Kent M.; Baker, Joshua D.; Meyerhoefer, Allie J.; Dolson, David A.

2012-01-01

A novel laboratory experiment was successfully implemented for undergraduate and graduate students in physical chemistry and nanotechnology. The main goal of the experiment was to rigorously determine the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensing capabilities of colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). These were quantified by…

Transient enhanced diffusion in preamorphized silicon: the role of the surface

Science.gov (United States)

Cowern, N. E. B.; Alquier, D.; Omri, M.; Claverie, A.; Nejim, A.

1999-01-01

Experiments on the depth dependence of transient enhanced diffusion (TED) of boron during rapid thermal annealing of Ge-preamorphized layers reveal a linear decrease in the diffusion enhancement between the end-of-range (EOR) defect band and the surface. This behavior, which indicates a quasi-steady-state distribution of excess interstitials, emitted from the EOR band and absorbed at the surface, is observed for annealing times as short as 1 s at 900°C. Using an etching procedure we vary the distance xEOR from the EOR band to the surface in the range 80-175 nm, and observe how this influences the interstitial supersaturation, s( x). The supersaturations at the EOR band and the surface remain unchanged, while the gradient d s/d x, and thus the flux to the surface, varies inversely with xEOR. This confirms the validity of earlier modelling of EOR defect evolution in terms of Ostwald ripening, and provides conclusive evidence that the surface is the dominant sink for interstitials during TED.

Surface plasmon on topological insulator/dielectric interface enhanced ZnO ultraviolet photoluminescence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi-Min Liao

2012-06-01

Full Text Available It has recently been predicted that the surface plasmons are allowed to exist on the interface between a topological insulator and vacuum. Surface plasmons can be employed to enhance the optical emission from various illuminants. Here, we study the photoluminescence properties of the ZnO/Bi2Te3 hybrid structures. Thin flakes of Bi2Te3, a typical three-dimensional topological insulator, were prepared on ZnO crystal surface by mechanical exfoliation method. The ultraviolet emission from ZnO was found to be enhanced by the Bi2Te3 thin flakes, which was attributed to the surface plasmon – photon coupling at the Bi2Te3/ZnO interface.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on gold nanotrenches and nanoholes

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng; Yang, Yang; Wang, Zhihong; Chen, Longqing; Wong, Ka Chun; Syed, Ahad A.; Chen, Zong; Wang, Xianbin

2012-01-01

Dependent effects on edge-to-edge distance and incidence polarization in surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) were studied in detection of 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) molecules absorbed on gold nanotrenches and nanoholes. The gold nanostructures

Theory of hyperbolic stratified nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Herman M. K.; Dezfouli, Mohsen Kamandar; Axelrod, Simon; Hughes, Stephen; Helmy, Amr S.

2017-11-01

We theoretically investigate the enhancement of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using hyperbolic stratified nanostructures and compare to metal nanoresonators. The photon Green function of each nanostructure within its environment is first obtained from a semianalytical modal theory, which is used in a quantum optics formalism of the molecule-nanostructure interaction to model the SERS spectrum. An intuitive methodology is presented for calculating the single-molecule enhancement factor (SMEF), which is also able to predict known experimental SERS enhancement factors of a gold nanodimer. We elucidate the important figures-of-merit of the enhancement and explore these for different designs. We find that the use of hyperbolic stratified materials can enhance the photonic local density of states (LDOS) by close to two times in comparison to pure metal nanostructures, when both designed to work at the same operating wavelengths. However, the increased LDOS is accompanied by higher electric field concentration within the lossy hyperbolic material, which leads to increased quenching that serves to reduce the overall detected SERS enhancement in the far field. For nanoresonators with resonant localized surface plasmon wavelengths in the near-infrared, the SMEF for the hyperbolic stratified nanostructure is approximately one order of magnitude lower than the pure metal counterpart. Conversely, we show that by detecting the Raman signal using a near-field probe, hyperbolic materials can provide an improvement in SERS enhancement compared to using pure metal nanostructures when the probe is sufficiently close (<50 nm ) to the Raman active molecule at the plasmonic hotspot.

Chip-Scale Bioassays Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering: Fundamentals and Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Hye-Young [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2005-01-01

This work explores the development and application of chip-scale bioassays based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for high throughput and high sensitivity analysis of biomolecules. The size effect of gold nanoparticles on the intensity of SERS is first presented. A sandwich immunoassay was performed using Raman-labeled immunogold nanoparticles with various sizes. The SERS responses were correlated to particle densities, which were obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The response of individual particles was also investigated using Raman-microscope and an array of gold islands on a silicon substrate. The location and the size of individual particles were mapped using AFM. The next study describes a low-level detection of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and simulants of biological warfare agents in a sandwich immunoassay format using SERS labels, which have been termed Extrinsic Raman labels (ERLs). A new ERL scheme based on a mixed monolayer is also introduced. The mixed monolayer ERLs were created by covering the gold nanoparticles with a mixture of two thiolates, one thiolate for covalently binding antibody to the particle and the other thiolate for producing a strong Raman signal. An assay platform based on mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold is then presented. The mixed SAMs were prepared from dithiobis(succinimidyl undecanoate) (DSU) to covalently bind antibodies on gold substrate and oligo(ethylene glycol)-terminated thiol to prevent nonspecific adsorption of antibodies. After the mixed SAMs surfaces, formed from various mole fraction of DSU were incubated with antibodies, AFM was used to image individual antibodies on the surface. The final study presents a collaborative work on the single molecule adsorption of YOYO-I labeled {lambda}-DNA at compositionally patterned SAMs using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. The role of solution pH, {lambda}-DNA concentration, and domain size was investigated. This work also revealed

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of dipolar molecules by the graphene Fermi surface modulation with different dipole moments

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mingjia; Leng, Yandan; Huang, Jing; Yu, JiaoJiao; Lan, Zhenggang; Huang, Changshui

2017-12-01

We report the modulation of Raman scattering spectrum of chromophore/graphene hybrids by tunning the molecular polarization with different terminal groups (methyl, methoxy, nitrile, and two nitros). Based on the density functional theory, the specific dipole moment values of the chromophore molecules are calculated. An obvious surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was observed and the scattering intensity of molecule increases with enlarged dipole moment. According to the analysis of G band Raman shifts of graphene, the enhancement of the Raman signal can be attributed to strong electronic coupling between graphene and chromophore, which is closely related with the modulation of graphene Fermi surface by changing the dipole moment of the molecule. Besides, the optimization of the ground state geometry and the binding energy of the hybrids were also calculated with the Density Functional Based Tight Bonding (DFTB) method, which confirms that the enhanced Raman scattering of molecules on graphene arises from the improved energy level matching between graphene Fermi surface and molecular band, further providing a new way to design novel SERS devices.

Broadband absorption enhancement in amorphous Si solar cells using metal gratings and surface texturing

Science.gov (United States)

Magdi, Sara; Swillam, Mohamed A.

2017-02-01

The efficiencies of thin film amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells are restricted by the small thickness required for efficient carrier collection. This thickness limitations result in poor light absorption. In this work, broadband absorption enhancement is theoretically achieved in a-Si solar cells by using nanostructured back electrode along with surface texturing. The back electrode is formed of Au nanogratings and the surface texturing consists of Si nanocones. The results were then compared to random texturing surfaces. Three dimensional finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations are used to design and optimize the structure. The Au nanogratings achieved absorption enhancement in the long wavelengths due to sunlight coupling to surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) modes. High absorption enhancement was achieved at short wavelengths due to the decreased reflection and enhanced scattering inside the a-Si absorbing layer. Optimizations have been performed to obtain the optimal geometrical parameters for both the nanogratings and the periodic texturing. In addition, an enhancement factor (i.e. absorbed power in nanostructured device/absorbed power in reference device) was calculated to evaluate the enhancement obtained due to the incorporation of each nanostructure.

Nano-Gap Embedded Plasmonic Gratings for Surface Plasmon Enhanced Fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar, Kunal; Bok, Sangho; Korampally, Venumadhav; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra

2012-02-01

Plasmonic nanostructures have been extensively used in the past few decades for applications in sub-wavelength optics, data storage, optoelectronic circuits, microscopy and bio-photonics. The enhanced electromagnetic field produced at the metal/dielectric interface by the excitation of surface plasmons via incident radiation can be used for signal enhancement in fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies. Novel plasmonic structures on the sub wavelength scale have been shown to provide very efficient and extreme light concentration at the nano-scale. The enhanced electric field produced within a few hundred nanometers of these structures can be used to excite fluorophores in the surrounding environment. Fluorescence based bio-detection and bio-imaging are two of the most important tools in the life sciences. Improving the qualities and capabilities of fluorescence based detectors and imaging equipment has been a big challenge to the industry manufacturers. We report the novel fabrication of nano-gap embedded periodic grating substrates on the nanoscale using micro-contact printing and polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) polymer. Fluorescence enhancement of up to 118 times was observed with these silver nanostructures in conjugation with Rhodamine-590 fluorescent dye. These substrates are ideal candidates for low-level fluorescence detection and single molecule imaging.

Laser induced surface structuring of Cu for enhancement of field emission properties

Science.gov (United States)

Akram, Mahreen; Bashir, Shazia; Jalil, Sohail Abdul; Shahid Rafique, Muhammad; Hayat, Asma; Mahmood, Khaliq

2018-02-01

The effect of Nd:YAG (1064 nm, 10 ns, 10 Hz) laser induced surface structuring of copper (Cu) for enhancement of field emission (FE) properties has been investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis was employed to investigate the surface structural and compositional modifications. The surface structuring was explored by scanning electron microscope investigation. FE properties were studied under UHV conditions in a parallel plate configuration of planar un-irradiated Cu anode and laser irradiated Cu cathode. The Fowler-Nordheim plots were drawn to confirm the dominance of FE behavior of the measured I-V characteristics. The obtained values of turn-on field ‘E o’, field enhancement factor ‘β’ and maximum current density ‘J max’ come out to be to be in the range of 5.5-8.5 V μm-1, 1380-2730 and 147-375 μA cm-2 respectively for the Cu samples irradiated at laser irradiance ranging from 13 to 50 GW cm-2. The observed enhancement in the FE properties has been correlated with the growth of various surface structures such as ridged protrusions, cones and pores/tiny holes. The porous morphology is found to be responsible for a significant enhancement in the FE parameters.

Label-free detection of endocrine disrupting chemicals by integrating a competitive binding assay with a piezoelectric ceramic resonator.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Liang-sheng; Fong, Chi-Chun; Zou, Lan; Wong, Wing-Leung; Wong, Kwok-Yin; Wu, Rudolf S S; Yang, Mengsu

2014-03-15

A piezoelectric biosensor for detection of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was developed by incorporating chemical/biochemical recognition elements on the ceramic resonator surface for competitive binding assays. A facile electrodeposition was employed to modify the sensor surface with Au nanoparticles, which increased the surface area and enhanced the binding capacity of the immobilized probes. Thiol-labeled long chain hydrocarbon with bisphenol A (BPA) as head group was synthesized and self-assembled on the Au nanoparticle surface as the sensing probes, which showed a linear response upon the binding of estrogen receptor (ER-α) ranging from 1 to 30 nM. Detection of estrone, 17β-estradiol and BPA was achieved by integrating a competitive binding assay with the piezoelectric sensor. In this detection scheme, different concentrations of EDCs were incubated with 30 nM of ER-α, and the un-bounded ER-α in the solution was captured by the probes immobilized on the ceramic resonator, which resulted in the frequency changes for different EDCs. The biosensor assay exhibited a linear response to EDCs with a low detection limit of 2.4-2.9 nM (S/N=3), and required only a small volume of sample (1.5 µl) with the assay time of 2h. The performance of the biosensor assay was also evaluated for rapid and facile determination of EDCs of environmental relevant concentrations in drinking water and seawater, and the recovery rate was in the range between 94.7% and 109.8%. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hyaluronic Acid Assays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Itenov, Theis S; Kirkby, Nikolai S; Bestle, Morten H

2015-01-01

BACKGROUD: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is proposed as a marker of functional liver capacity. The aim of the present study was to compare a new turbidimetric assay for measuring HA with the current standard method. METHODS: HA was measured by a particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (PETIA) and enzyme...

Battery operated preconcentration-assisted lateral flow assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Cheonjung; Yoo, Yong Kyoung; Han, Sung Il; Lee, Junwoo; Lee, Dohwan; Lee, Kyungjae; Hwang, Kyo Seon; Lee, Kyu Hyoung; Chung, Seok; Lee, Jeong Hoon

2017-07-11

Paper-based analytical devices (e.g. lateral flow assays) are highly advantageous as portable diagnostic systems owing to their low costs and ease of use. Because of their low sensitivity and detection limits for biomolecules, these devices have several limitations in applications for real-field diagnosis. Here, we demonstrate a paper-based preconcentration enhanced lateral flow assay using a commercial β-hCG-based test. Utilizing a simple 9 V battery operation with a low power consumption of approximately 81 μW, we acquire a 25-fold preconcentration factor, demonstrating a clear sensitivity enhancement in the colorimetric lateral flow assay; consequently, clear colors are observed in a rapid kit test line, which cannot be monitored without preconcentration. This device can also facilitate a semi-quantitative platform using the saturation value and/or color intensity in both paper-based colorimetric assays and smartphone-based diagnostics.

Surface enhanced thermo lithography

KAUST Repository

Coluccio, Maria Laura

2017-01-13

We used electroless deposition to fabricate clusters of silver nanoparticles (NPs) on a silicon substrate. These clusters are plasmonics devices that induce giant electromagnetic (EM) field increments. When those EM field are absorbed by the metal NPs clusters generate, in turn, severe temperature increases. Here, we used the laser radiation of a conventional Raman set-up to transfer geometrical patterns from a template of metal NPs clusters into a layer of thermo sensitive Polyphthalaldehyde (PPA) polymer. Temperature profile on the devices depends on specific arrangements of silver nanoparticles. In plane temperature variations may be controlled with (i) high nano-meter spatial precision and (ii) single Kelvin temperature resolution on varying the shape, size and spacing of metal nanostructures. This scheme can be used to generate strongly localized heat amplifications for applications in nanotechnology, surface enhanced thermo-lithography (SETL), biology and medicine (for space resolved cell ablation and treatment), nano-chemistry.

Surface enhanced thermo lithography

KAUST Repository

Coluccio, Maria Laura; Alabastri, Alessandro; Bonanni, Simon; Majewska, Roksana; Dattoli, Elisabetta; Barberio, Marianna; Candeloro, Patrizio; Perozziello, Gerardo; Mollace, Vincenzo; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Gentile, Francesco

2017-01-01

We used electroless deposition to fabricate clusters of silver nanoparticles (NPs) on a silicon substrate. These clusters are plasmonics devices that induce giant electromagnetic (EM) field increments. When those EM field are absorbed by the metal NPs clusters generate, in turn, severe temperature increases. Here, we used the laser radiation of a conventional Raman set-up to transfer geometrical patterns from a template of metal NPs clusters into a layer of thermo sensitive Polyphthalaldehyde (PPA) polymer. Temperature profile on the devices depends on specific arrangements of silver nanoparticles. In plane temperature variations may be controlled with (i) high nano-meter spatial precision and (ii) single Kelvin temperature resolution on varying the shape, size and spacing of metal nanostructures. This scheme can be used to generate strongly localized heat amplifications for applications in nanotechnology, surface enhanced thermo-lithography (SETL), biology and medicine (for space resolved cell ablation and treatment), nano-chemistry.

Plasma surface interactions in Q-enhanced mirror systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1978-01-01

Two approaches to enhancement of the Q (energy gain) factor of mirror systems are under study at Livermore. These include the Tandem Mirror and the Field Reversed Mirror. Both of these new ideas preserve features of conventional mirror systems as far as plasma-wall interactions are concerned. Specifically in both approaches field lines exit from the ends of the system and impinge on walls located at a distance from the confinement chamber. It is possible to predict some aspects of the plasma/surface interactions of TM and FRM systems from experience obtained in the Livermore 2XIIB experiment. In particular, as observed in 2XIIB, effective isolation of the plasma from thermal contact with the ends owing to the development of sheath-like regions is to be expected. Studies presently underway directed toward still further enhancing the decoupling of the plasma from the effects of plasma surface interactions at the walls will be discussed, with particular reference to the problem of minimizing the effects of refluxing secondary electrons produced by plasma impact on the end walls

[Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis of thiabendazole pesticide].

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lei; Wu, Rui-mei; Liu, Mu-hua; Wang, Xiao-bin; Yan, Lin-yuan

2015-02-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique was used to analyze the Raman peaks of thiabendazole pesticides in the present paper. Surface enhanced substrates of silver nanoparticle were made based on microwave technology. Raman signals of thiabendazole were collected by laser Micro-Raman spectrometer with 514. 5 and 785 nm excitation wavelengths, respectively. The Raman peaks at different excitation wavelengths were analyzed and compared. The Raman peaks 782 and 1 012 at 785 nm excitation wavelength were stronger, which were C--H out-of-plane vibrations. While 1284, 1450 and 1592 cm(-1) at 514.5 nm excitation wavelength were stronger, which were vng and C==N stretching. The study results showed that the intensity of Raman peak and Raman shift at different excitation wavelengths were different And strong Raman signals were observed at 782, 1012, 1284, 1450 and 1592 cm(-1) at 514.5 and 785 nm excitation wavelengths. These characteristic vibrational modes are characteristic Raman peaks of carbendazim pesticide. The results can provide basis for the rapid screening of pesticide residue in agricultural products and food based on Raman spectrum.

Nocturnal surface ozone enhancement over Portugal during winter: Influence of different atmospheric conditions

KAUST Repository

Kulkarni, Pavan S.

2016-09-24

Four distinct nocturnal surface ozone (NSO) enhancement events were observed, with NSO concentration exceeding 80μg/m3, at multiple ozone (O3) monitoring stations (32 sites) in January, November and December between year 2000–2010, in Portugal. The reasonable explanation for the observed bimodal pattern of surface ozone with enhanced NSO concentration during nighttime has to be transport processes, as the surface ozone production ceases at nighttime. Simultaneous measurements of O3 at multiple stations during the study period in Portugal suggest that horizontal advection alone cannot explain the observed NSO enhancement. Thus, detailed analysis of the atmospheric conditions, simulated with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, were performed to evaluate the atmospheric mechanisms responsible for NSO enhancement in the region. Simulations revealed that each event occurred as a result of one or the combination of different atmospheric processes such as, passage of a cold front followed by a subsidence zone; passage of a moving surface trough, with associated strong horizontal wind speed and vertical shear; combination of vertical and horizontal transport at the synoptic scale; formation of a low level jet with associated vertical mixing below the jet stream. The study confirmed that large-scale flow pattern resulting in enhanced vertical mixing in the nocturnal boundary layer, plays a key role in the NSO enhancement events, which frequently occur over Portugal during winter months. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Nocturnal surface ozone enhancement over Portugal during winter: Influence of different atmospheric conditions

KAUST Repository

Kulkarni, Pavan S.; Dasari, Hari Prasad; Sharma, Ashish; Bortoli, D.; Salgado, Rui; Silva, A.M.

2016-01-01

Four distinct nocturnal surface ozone (NSO) enhancement events were observed, with NSO concentration exceeding 80μg/m3, at multiple ozone (O3) monitoring stations (32 sites) in January, November and December between year 2000–2010, in Portugal. The reasonable explanation for the observed bimodal pattern of surface ozone with enhanced NSO concentration during nighttime has to be transport processes, as the surface ozone production ceases at nighttime. Simultaneous measurements of O3 at multiple stations during the study period in Portugal suggest that horizontal advection alone cannot explain the observed NSO enhancement. Thus, detailed analysis of the atmospheric conditions, simulated with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, were performed to evaluate the atmospheric mechanisms responsible for NSO enhancement in the region. Simulations revealed that each event occurred as a result of one or the combination of different atmospheric processes such as, passage of a cold front followed by a subsidence zone; passage of a moving surface trough, with associated strong horizontal wind speed and vertical shear; combination of vertical and horizontal transport at the synoptic scale; formation of a low level jet with associated vertical mixing below the jet stream. The study confirmed that large-scale flow pattern resulting in enhanced vertical mixing in the nocturnal boundary layer, plays a key role in the NSO enhancement events, which frequently occur over Portugal during winter months. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Surface nanotopography of an anodized Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy enhances cell growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Her-Hsiung [Department of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan (China); Department of Biomedical Informatics, Asia University, Taichung 413, Taiwan (China); Department of Stomatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China); Wu, Chia-Ping [Institute of Oral Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China); Sun, Ying-Sui [Department of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China); Yang, Wei-En [Institute of Oral Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China); Lee, Tzu-Hsin, E-mail: biomaterials@hotmail.com [School of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan (China); Oral Medicine Center, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402, Taiwan (China)

2014-12-05

Highlights: • An electrochemical anodization was applied to α/β-type Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy surface. • Anodized surface had a nontoxic nanoporous topography. • Anodized surface increased proteins adsorption due to nanotopography. • Anodized surface enhanced cell growth due to nanotopography. • Electrochemical anodization has potential as implant surface treatment. - Abstract: The α/β-type Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy is a potential replacement for α/β-type Ti–6Al–4V alloy, which is widely used in biomedical implant applications. The biological response to implant material is dependent on the surface characteristics of the material. In the present study, a simple and fast process was developed to perform an electrochemical anodization treatment on Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy. The proposed process yielded a thin surface nanotopography, which enhanced cell growth on the Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy. The surface characteristics, including the morphology, wettability, and protein adsorption, were investigated, and the cytotoxicity was evaluated according to International Organization for Standardization 10993-5 specifications. Cell adhesion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on the test specimens was observed via fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The anodization process produced a surface nanotopography (pore size <100 nm) on anodized Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy, which enhanced the wettability, protein adsorption, cell adhesion, cell migration, and cell mineralization. The results showed that the surface nanotopography produced using the proposed electrochemical anodization process enhanced cell growth on anodized Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy for implant applications.

Surface nanotopography of an anodized Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy enhances cell growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Her-Hsiung; Wu, Chia-Ping; Sun, Ying-Sui; Yang, Wei-En; Lee, Tzu-Hsin

2014-01-01

Highlights: • An electrochemical anodization was applied to α/β-type Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy surface. • Anodized surface had a nontoxic nanoporous topography. • Anodized surface increased proteins adsorption due to nanotopography. • Anodized surface enhanced cell growth due to nanotopography. • Electrochemical anodization has potential as implant surface treatment. - Abstract: The α/β-type Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy is a potential replacement for α/β-type Ti–6Al–4V alloy, which is widely used in biomedical implant applications. The biological response to implant material is dependent on the surface characteristics of the material. In the present study, a simple and fast process was developed to perform an electrochemical anodization treatment on Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy. The proposed process yielded a thin surface nanotopography, which enhanced cell growth on the Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy. The surface characteristics, including the morphology, wettability, and protein adsorption, were investigated, and the cytotoxicity was evaluated according to International Organization for Standardization 10993-5 specifications. Cell adhesion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on the test specimens was observed via fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The anodization process produced a surface nanotopography (pore size <100 nm) on anodized Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy, which enhanced the wettability, protein adsorption, cell adhesion, cell migration, and cell mineralization. The results showed that the surface nanotopography produced using the proposed electrochemical anodization process enhanced cell growth on anodized Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy for implant applications

Engineering Surfaces for Enhanced Nucleation and Droplet Removal During Dropwise Condensation

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Sanmitra; Khan, Sameera; Anand, Sushant

2017-11-01

Condensation plays critical role in numerous industrial applications, such as condensers, HVAC,etc In the most applications, fast formation (i.e. high nucleation) and subsequent removal of water droplets is critical for enhancing the efficiencies of their associated systems. Significant focus has been placed on the aspect of droplet removal from surfaces. This has led to, development of superhydrophobic surfaces with special textures on which droplets are self-removed after coalescence. However,because of their inherent low surface energy, nucleation energy barriers are also high on such surfaces. In contrast to conventional superhydrophobic surfaces, here we show that surfaces can be engineered such that the simultaneous benefits of high nucleation rates and fast droplet removal can be obtained during the condensation process.These benefits are obtained by impregnating a superhydrophobic surface with an oil that despite its defect-free interface provides low nucleation energy barrier during condensation. At the same time, the oil facilitates high droplet shedding rates by providing a lubricating layer below the droplets due to which droplets have negligible contact angle hysteresis. We provide a guide to choose oils that lead to enhanced nucleation, and provide experimental evidence supporting the proposed guide. We discuss the importance of different oil properties in affecting the droplet growth and subsequent removal of water droplets.

Surface Passivation of GaN Nanowires for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water-Splitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Varadhan, Purushothaman; Fu, Hui-Chun; Priante, Davide; Retamal, Jose Ramon Duran; Zhao, Chao; Ebaid, Mohamed; Ng, Tien Khee; Ajia, Idirs; Mitra, Somak; Roqan, Iman S; Ooi, Boon S; He, Jr-Hau

2017-03-08

Hydrogen production via photoelectrochemical water-splitting is a key source of clean and sustainable energy. The use of one-dimensional nanostructures as photoelectrodes is desirable for photoelectrochemical water-splitting applications due to the ultralarge surface areas, lateral carrier extraction schemes, and superior light-harvesting capabilities. However, the unavoidable surface states of nanostructured materials create additional charge carrier trapping centers and energy barriers at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface, which severely reduce the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. In this work, we address the issue of surface states in GaN nanowire photoelectrodes by employing a simple and low-cost surface treatment method, which utilizes an organic thiol compound (i.e., 1,2-ethanedithiol). The surface-treated photocathode showed an enhanced photocurrent density of -31 mA/cm 2 at -0.2 V versus RHE with an incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 18.3%, whereas untreated nanowires yielded only 8.1% efficiency. Furthermore, the surface passivation provides enhanced photoelectrochemical stability as surface-treated nanowires retained ∼80% of their initial photocurrent value and produced 8000 μmol of gas molecules over 55 h at acidic conditions (pH ∼ 0), whereas the untreated nanowires demonstrated only passivation of nanostructured photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical applications.

Integration of Multiplexed Microfluidic Electrokinetic Concentrators with a Morpholino Microarray via Reversible Surface Bonding for Enhanced DNA Hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Diogo; Wei, Xi; Levicky, Rastislav; Song, Yong-Ak

2016-04-05

We describe a microfluidic concentration device to accelerate the surface hybridization reaction between DNA and morpholinos (MOs) for enhanced detection. The microfluidic concentrator comprises a single polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel onto which an ion-selective layer of conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) ( PSS) was directly printed and then reversibly surface bonded onto a morpholino microarray for hybridization. Using this electrokinetic trapping concentrator, we could achieve a maximum concentration factor of ∼800 for DNA and a limit of detection of 10 nM within 15 min. In terms of the detection speed, it enabled faster hybridization by around 10-fold when compared to conventional diffusion-based hybridization. A significant advantage of our approach is that the fabrication of the microfluidic concentrator is completely decoupled from the microarray; by eliminating the need to deposit an ion-selective layer on the microarray surface prior to device integration, interfacing between both modules, the PDMS chip for electrokinetic concentration and the substrate for DNA sensing are easier and applicable to any microarray platform. Furthermore, this fabrication strategy facilitates a multiplexing of concentrators. We have demonstrated the proof-of-concept for multiplexing by building a device with 5 parallel concentrators connected to a single inlet/outlet and applying it to parallel concentration and hybridization. Such device yielded similar concentration and hybridization efficiency compared to that of a single-channel device without adding any complexity to the fabrication and setup. These results demonstrate that our concentrator concept can be applied to the development of a highly multiplexed concentrator-enhanced microarray detection system for either genetic analysis or other diagnostic assays.

Surface Passivation of GaN Nanowires for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water-Splitting

KAUST Repository

Varadhan, Purushothaman; Fu, Hui-chun; Priante, Davide; Duran Retamal, Jose Ramon; Zhao, Chao; Ebaid, Mohamed; Ng, Tien Khee; Ajia, Idris A.; Mitra, Somak; Roqan, Iman S.; Ooi, Boon S.; He, Jr-Hau

2017-01-01

Hydrogen production via photoelectrochemical water-splitting is a key source of clean and sustainable energy. The use of one-dimensional nanostructures as photoelectrodes is desirable for photoelectrochemical water-splitting applications due to the ultralarge surface areas, lateral carrier extraction schemes, and superior light-harvesting capabilities. However, the unavoidable surface states of nanostructured materials create additional charge carrier trapping centers and energy barriers at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface, which severely reduce the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. In this work, we address the issue of surface states in GaN nanowire photoelectrodes by employing a simple and low-cost surface treatment method, which utilizes an organic thiol compound (i.e., 1,2-ethanedithiol). The surface-treated photocathode showed an enhanced photocurrent density of −31 mA/cm at −0.2 V versus RHE with an incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 18.3%, whereas untreated nanowires yielded only 8.1% efficiency. Furthermore, the surface passivation provides enhanced photoelectrochemical stability as surface-treated nanowires retained ∼80% of their initial photocurrent value and produced 8000 μmol of gas molecules over 55 h at acidic conditions (pH ∼ 0), whereas the untreated nanowires demonstrated only <4 h of photoelectrochemical stability. These findings shed new light on the importance of surface passivation of nanostructured photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical applications.

Surface Passivation of GaN Nanowires for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water-Splitting

KAUST Repository

Varadhan, Purushothaman

2017-02-08

Hydrogen production via photoelectrochemical water-splitting is a key source of clean and sustainable energy. The use of one-dimensional nanostructures as photoelectrodes is desirable for photoelectrochemical water-splitting applications due to the ultralarge surface areas, lateral carrier extraction schemes, and superior light-harvesting capabilities. However, the unavoidable surface states of nanostructured materials create additional charge carrier trapping centers and energy barriers at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface, which severely reduce the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. In this work, we address the issue of surface states in GaN nanowire photoelectrodes by employing a simple and low-cost surface treatment method, which utilizes an organic thiol compound (i.e., 1,2-ethanedithiol). The surface-treated photocathode showed an enhanced photocurrent density of −31 mA/cm at −0.2 V versus RHE with an incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 18.3%, whereas untreated nanowires yielded only 8.1% efficiency. Furthermore, the surface passivation provides enhanced photoelectrochemical stability as surface-treated nanowires retained ∼80% of their initial photocurrent value and produced 8000 μmol of gas molecules over 55 h at acidic conditions (pH ∼ 0), whereas the untreated nanowires demonstrated only <4 h of photoelectrochemical stability. These findings shed new light on the importance of surface passivation of nanostructured photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical applications.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy bioanalytical, biomolecular and medical applications

CERN Document Server

Procházka, Marek

2016-01-01

This book gives an overview of recent developments in RS and SERS for sensing and biosensing considering also limitations, possibilities and prospects of this technique. Raman scattering (RS) is a widely used vibrational technique providing highly specific molecular spectral patterns. A severe limitation for the application of this spectroscopic technique lies in the low cross section of RS. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy overcomes this problem by 6-11 orders of magnitude enhancement compared with the standard RS for molecules in the close vicinity of certain rough metal surfaces. Thus, SERS combines molecular fingerprint specificity with potential single-molecule sensitivity. Due to the recent development of new SERS-active substrates, labeling and derivatization chemistry as well as new instrumentations, SERS became a very promising tool for many varied applications, including bioanalytical studies and sensing. Both intrinsic and extrinsic SERS biosensing schemes have been employed to...

A versatile electrowetting-based digital microfluidic platform for quantitative homogeneous and heterogeneous bio-assays

Science.gov (United States)

Vergauwe, Nicolas; Witters, Daan; Ceyssens, Frederik; Vermeir, Steven; Verbruggen, Bert; Puers, Robert; Lammertyn, Jeroen

2011-05-01

Electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) lab-on-a-chip systems have already proven their potential within a broad range of bio-assays. Nevertheless, research on the analytical performance of those systems is limited, yet crucial for a further breakthrough in the diagnostic field. Therefore, this paper presents the intrinsic possibilities of an EWOD lab-on-a-chip as a versatile platform for homogeneous and heterogeneous bio-assays with high analytical performance. Both droplet dispensing and splitting cause variations in droplet size, thereby directly influencing the assay's performance. The extent to which they influence the performance is assessed by a theoretical sensitivity analysis, which allows the definition of a basic framework for the reduction of droplet size variability. Taking advantage of the optimized droplet manipulations, both homogeneous and heterogeneous bio-assays are implemented in the EWOD lab-on-a-chip to demonstrate the analytical capabilities and versatility of the device. A fully on-chip enzymatic assay is realized with high analytical performance. It demonstrates the promising capabilities of an EWOD lab-on-a-chip in food-related and medical applications, such as nutritional and blood analyses. Further, a magnetic bio-assay for IgE detection using superparamagnetic nanoparticles is presented whereby the nanoparticles are used as solid carriers during the bio-assay. Crucial elements are the precise manipulation of the superparamagnetic nanoparticles with respect to dispensing and separation. Although the principle of using nano-carriers is demonstrated for protein detection, it can be easily extended to a broader range of bio-related applications like DNA sensing. In heterogeneous bio-assays the chip surface is actively involved during the execution of the bio-assay. Through immobilization of specific biological compounds like DNA, proteins and cells a reactive chip surface is realized, which enhances the bio-assay performance. To demonstrate

Polytetrafluorethylene-Au as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siegel Jakub

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study deals with preparation of substrates suitable for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS applications by sputtering deposition of gold layer on the polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE foil. Time of sputtering was investigated with respect to the surface properties. The ability of PTFE-Au substrates to enhance Raman signals was investigated by immobilization of biphenyl-4,4'-dithiol (BFD from the solutions with various concentrations. BFD was also used for preparation of sandwich structures with Au or Ag nanoparticles by two different procedures. Results showed that PTFE can be used for fabrication of SERS active substrate with easy handle properties at low cost. This substrate was sufficient for the measurement of SERS spectrum of BFD even at 10-8 mol/l concentration.

Surface-enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance biosensing of avian influenza DNA hybridization using subwavelength metallic nanoarrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Shin Ae; Jang, Sung Min; Kim, Sung June [School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Byun, Kyung Min [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 446-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyujung; Kim, Donghyun [Program of Nanomedical Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ma, Kyungjae; Oh, Youngjin [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sung Guk [College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Shuler, Michael L, E-mail: kmbyun@khu.ac.kr [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)

2010-09-03

We demonstrated enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensing based on subwavelength gold nanoarrays built on a thin gold film. Arrays of nanogratings (1D) and nanoholes (2D) with a period of 200 nm were fabricated by electron-beam lithography and used for the detection of avian influenza DNA hybridization. Experimental results showed that both nanoarrays provided significant sensitivity improvement and, especially, 1D nanogratings exhibited higher SPR signal amplification compared with 2D nanohole arrays. The sensitivity enhancement is associated with changes in surface-limited reaction area and strong interactions between bound molecules and localized plasmon fields. Our approach is expected to improve both the sensitivity and sensing resolution and can be applicable to label-free detection of DNA without amplification by polymerase chain reaction.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates Made by Oblique Angle Deposition: Methods and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hin On Chu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy presents a rapid, non-destructive method to identify chemical and biological samples with up to single molecule sensitivity. Since its discovery in 1974, the technique has become an intense field of interdisciplinary research, typically generating >2000 publications per year since 2011. The technique relies on the localised surface plasmon resonance phenomenon, where incident light can couple with plasmons at the interface that result in the generation of an intense electric field. This field can propagate from the surface from the metal-dielectric interface, so molecules within proximity will experience more intense Raman scattering. Localised surface plasmon resonance wavelength is determined by a number of factors, such as size, geometry and material. Due to the requirements of the surface optical response, Ag and Au are typical metals used for surface enhanced Raman applications. These metals then need to have nano features that improve the localised surface plasmon resonance, several variants of these substrates exist; surfaces can range from nanoparticles in a suspension, electrochemically roughened electrodes to metal nanostructures on a substrate. The latter will be the focus of this review, particularly reviewing substrates made by oblique angle deposition. Oblique angle deposition is the technique of growing thin films so that the material flux is not normal to the surface. Films grown in this fashion will possess nanostructures, due to the atomic self-shadowing effect, that are dependent mainly on the deposition angle. Recent developments, applications and highlights of surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates made by oblique angle deposition will be reviewed.

Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy substrate for arsenic sensing in groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Peidong; Mulvihill, Martin; Tao, Andrea R.; Sinsermsuksakul, Prasert; Arnold, John

2015-06-16

A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate formed from a plurality of monolayers of polyhedral silver nanocrystals, wherein at least one of the monolayers has polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP) on its surface, and thereby configured for sensing arsenic is described. Highly active SERS substrates are formed by assembling high density monolayers of differently shaped silver nanocrystals onto a solid support. SERS detection is performed directly on this substrate by placing a droplet of the analyte solution onto the nanocrystal monolayer. Adsorbed polymer, polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP), on the surface of the nanoparticles facilitates the binding of both arsenate and arsenite near the silver surface, allowing for highly accurate and sensitive detection capabilities.

Diameter Effect of Silver Nanorod Arrays to Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Geun Hoi; Kim, Min Young; Yoon, Hyeok Jin; Suh, Jung Sang

2014-01-01

The effect the diameter of silver nanorod arrays whose distance between the nanorods was uniform at 65 nm have on Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has been studied by varying the diameter from 28 to 51 nm. Nanorod length was fixed at approximately 62 nm, which is the optimum length for SERS by excitation with a 632.8 nm laser line. The transverse and longitudinal modes of the surface plasmon of these silver nanorods were near 400 and 630 nm, respectively. The extinction of the longitudinal mode increased with increasing nanorod diameter, while the transverse mode did not change significantly. High-quality SERS spectra of p-aminothiophenol and benzenethiol adsorbed on the tips of the silver nanorods were observed by excitation with a 632.8 nm laser line. The SERS enhancement increased with increasing nanorod diameter. We concluded that the SERS enhancement increases when the diameter of silver nanorods is increased mainly by increasing the excitation efficiency of the longitudinal mode. The enhancement factor for the silver nanorods with a 51 nm diameter was approximately 2 Χ 10 7

A sensitive and selective fluorescence assay for metallothioneins by exploiting the surface energy transfer between rhodamine 6G and gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Yu-Qian; Tang, Xian; Wang, Yong-Sheng; Li, Ming-Hui; Cao, Jin-Xiu; Chen, Si-Han; Zhu, Yu-Feng; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Huang, Yan-Qin

2015-01-01

We report on a sensitive and selective strategy for the determination of metallothioneins (MTs). The assay is based on the suppression of the surface energy transfer that occurs between rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). If Rh6G is adsorbed onto the surface of AuNPs in water solution of pH 3.0, its fluorescence is quenched due to surface energy transfer. However, on addition of MTs to the Rh6G-AuNPs system, fluorescence is recovered owing to the formation of the MTs-AuNPs complex and the release of Rh6G into the solution. Under optimized conditions, the increase in fluorescence intensity is directly proportional to the concentration of the MTs in the range from 9.68 to 500 ng mL −1 , with a detection limit as low as 2.9 ng mL −1 . The possible mechanism of this assay is discussed. The method was successfully applied to the determination of MTs in (spiked) human urine. (author)

Efficiency enhancement of InP nanowire solar cells by surface cleaning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cui, Y.; Wang, J.; Plissard, S.R.; Cavalli, A.; Vu, T.T.T.; Veldhoven, van P.J.; Gao, L.; Trainor, M.J.; Verheijen, M.A.; Haverkort, J.E.M.; Bakkers, E.P.A.M.

2013-01-01

We demonstrate an efficiency enhancement of an InP nanowire (NW) axial p–n junction solar cell by cleaning the NW surface. NW arrays were grown with in situ HCl etching on an InP substrate patterned by nanoimprint lithography, and the NWs surfaces were cleaned after growth by piranha etching. We

Nanoparticle-assay marker interaction: effects on nanotoxicity assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Xinxin; Xiong, Sijing; Huang, Liwen Charlotte; Ng, Kee Woei; Loo, Say Chye Joachim

2015-01-01

Protein-based cytotoxicity assays such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are commonly used in cytotoxic evaluation of nanoparticles (NPs) despite numerous reports on possible interactions with protein markers in these assays that can confound the results obtained. In this study, conventional cytotoxicity assays where assay markers may (LDH and TNF- α) or may not (PicoGreen and WST-8) come into contact with NPs were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of NPs. The findings revealed selective interactions between negatively charged protein assay markers (LDH and TNF- α) and positively charged ZnO NPs under abiotic conditions. The adsorption and interaction with these protein assay markers were strongly influenced by surface charge, concentration, and specific surface area of the NPs, thereby resulting in less than accurate cytotoxic measurements, as observed from actual cell viability measurements. An improved protocol for LDH assay was, therefore, proposed and validated by eliminating any effects associated with protein–particle interactions. In view of this, additional measures and precautions should be taken when evaluating cytotoxicity of NPs with standard protein-based assays, particularly when they are of opposite charges

Nanoparticle-assay marker interaction: effects on nanotoxicity assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Xinxin; Xiong, Sijing; Huang, Liwen Charlotte; Ng, Kee Woei, E-mail: kwng@ntu.edu.sg; Loo, Say Chye Joachim, E-mail: joachimloo@ntu.edu.sg [Nanyang Technological University, School of Materials Science and Engineering (Singapore)

2015-01-15

Protein-based cytotoxicity assays such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are commonly used in cytotoxic evaluation of nanoparticles (NPs) despite numerous reports on possible interactions with protein markers in these assays that can confound the results obtained. In this study, conventional cytotoxicity assays where assay markers may (LDH and TNF- α) or may not (PicoGreen and WST-8) come into contact with NPs were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of NPs. The findings revealed selective interactions between negatively charged protein assay markers (LDH and TNF- α) and positively charged ZnO NPs under abiotic conditions. The adsorption and interaction with these protein assay markers were strongly influenced by surface charge, concentration, and specific surface area of the NPs, thereby resulting in less than accurate cytotoxic measurements, as observed from actual cell viability measurements. An improved protocol for LDH assay was, therefore, proposed and validated by eliminating any effects associated with protein–particle interactions. In view of this, additional measures and precautions should be taken when evaluating cytotoxicity of NPs with standard protein-based assays, particularly when they are of opposite charges.

Nanoparticle-assay marker interaction: effects on nanotoxicity assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xinxin; Xiong, Sijing; Huang, Liwen Charlotte; Ng, Kee Woei; Loo, Say Chye Joachim

2015-01-01

Protein-based cytotoxicity assays such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are commonly used in cytotoxic evaluation of nanoparticles (NPs) despite numerous reports on possible interactions with protein markers in these assays that can confound the results obtained. In this study, conventional cytotoxicity assays where assay markers may (LDH and TNF- α) or may not (PicoGreen and WST-8) come into contact with NPs were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of NPs. The findings revealed selective interactions between negatively charged protein assay markers (LDH and TNF- α) and positively charged ZnO NPs under abiotic conditions. The adsorption and interaction with these protein assay markers were strongly influenced by surface charge, concentration, and specific surface area of the NPs, thereby resulting in less than accurate cytotoxic measurements, as observed from actual cell viability measurements. An improved protocol for LDH assay was, therefore, proposed and validated by eliminating any effects associated with protein-particle interactions. In view of this, additional measures and precautions should be taken when evaluating cytotoxicity of NPs with standard protein-based assays, particularly when they are of opposite charges.

Towards Enhanced Performance Thin-film Composite Membranes via Surface Plasma Modification

Science.gov (United States)

Reis, Rackel; Dumée, Ludovic F.; Tardy, Blaise L.; Dagastine, Raymond; Orbell, John D.; Schutz, Jürg A.; Duke, Mikel C.

2016-01-01

Advancing the design of thin-film composite membrane surfaces is one of the most promising pathways to deal with treating varying water qualities and increase their long-term stability and permeability. Although plasma technologies have been explored for surface modification of bulk micro and ultrafiltration membrane materials, the modification of thin film composite membranes is yet to be systematically investigated. Here, the performance of commercial thin-film composite desalination membranes has been significantly enhanced by rapid and facile, low pressure, argon plasma activation. Pressure driven water desalination tests showed that at low power density, flux was improved by 22% without compromising salt rejection. Various plasma durations and excitation powers have been systematically evaluated to assess the impact of plasma glow reactions on the physico-chemical properties of these materials associated with permeability. With increasing power density, plasma treatment enhanced the hydrophilicity of the surfaces, where water contact angles decreasing by 70% were strongly correlated with increased negative charge and smooth uniform surface morphology. These results highlight a versatile chemical modification technique for post-treatment of commercial membrane products that provides uniform morphology and chemically altered surface properties. PMID:27363670

Surface enhanced raman scattering at Ag-Pyridine interface by use of long range surface plasmon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baik, Moon Gu; Ko, Eu; Kwan, Do Kyeong; Lee, Ja Hyung; Chang, Joon Sung

1990-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiment of pyridine (C 5 H 5 N) has been performed at silverpyridine interface by use of long range surface plasmon (LRSP) which is generated in the Sarid-type attenuated total reflection (ATR) structure consisting of prism, dielectic, metal and dielectic media. Generation of LRSP has been confirmed by observing the propagation of the LRSP. Raman signal of pyridine adsorbed on the silver surface in the above layered structure has been observed and compared with the bulk Raman signal and SERS signal from the chemically adsorbed pyridine. SERS experiment by use of LRSP has not yet reported to the best of our knowledge. (Author)

Implementation of molecularly imprinted polymer beads for surface enhanced Raman detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamra, Tripta; Zhou, Tongchang; Montelius, Lars; Schnadt, Joachim; Ye, Lei

2015-01-01

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have a predesigned molecular recognition capability that can be used to build robust chemical sensors. MIP-based chemical sensors allow label-free detection and are particularly interesting due to their simple operation. In this work we report the use of thiol-terminated MIP microspheres to construct surfaces for detection of a model organic analyte, nicotine, by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The nicotine-imprinted microspheres are synthesized by RAFT precipitation polymerization and converted into thiol-terminated microspheres through aminolysis. The thiol groups on the MIP surface allow the microspheres to be immobilized on a gold-coated substrate. Three different strategies are investigated to achieve surface enhanced Raman scattering in the vicinity of the imprinted sites: (1) direct sputtering of gold nanoparticles, (2) immobilization of gold colloids through the MIP's thiol groups, and (3) trapping of the MIP microspheres in a patterned SERS substrate. For the first time we show that large MIP microspheres can be turned into selective SERS surfaces through the three different approaches of assembly. The MIP-based sensing surfaces are used to detect nicotine to demonstrate the proof of concept. As synthesis and surface functionalization of MIP microspheres and nanoparticles are well established, the methods reported in this work are handy and efficient for constructing label-free chemical sensors, in particular for those based on SERS detection.

Ag coated microneedle based surface enhanced Raman scattering probe for intradermal measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Yuen, Clement; Liu, Quan

2013-06-01

We propose a silver coated microneedle to detect test molecules, including R6G and glucose, positioned at a depth of more than 700 μm below a skin phantom surface for mimicking intradermal surface-enhanced Raman scattering measurements.

Enhancement of the Laser Transmission Weldability between Polyethylene and Polyoxymethylene by Plasma Surface Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huixia Liu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Due to their large compatibility difference, polyethylene (PE and polyoxymethylene (POM cannot be welded together by laser transmission welding. In this study, PE and POM are pretreated using plasma that significantly enhances their laser transmission welding strength. To understand the mechanism underlying the laser welding strength enhancement, surface modification is analyzed using contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM, optical microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. Characterization results show that the plasma surface treatment improves the surface free energy, significantly enhancing the wettability of the materials. The increase in surface roughness and the generation of homogeneous bubbles contribute to the formation of mechanical micro-interlocking. The oxygen-containing groups introduced by the oxygen plasma treatment improve the compatibility of PE and POM, and facilitate the diffusion and entanglement of molecular chains and the formation of van der Waals force.

Enhanced surface sampler and process for collection and release of analytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Addleman, Raymond S; Atkinson, David A; Bays, John T; Chouyyok, Wilaiwan; Cinson, Anthony D; Ewing, Robert G; Gerasimenko, Aleksandr A

2015-02-03

An enhanced swipe sampler and method of making are described. The swipe sampler is made of a fabric containing selected glass, metal oxide, and/or oxide-coated glass or metal fibers. Fibers are modified with silane ligands that are directly attached to the surface of the fibers to functionalize the sampling surface of the fabric. The swipe sampler collects various target analytes including explosives and other threat agents on the surface of the sampler.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from metal and transition metal nano-caped arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Huanhuan; Gao, Renxian; Zhu, Aonan; Hua, Zhong; Chen, Lei; Wang, Yaxin; Zhang, Yongjun

2018-03-01

The metal and transition metal cap-shaped arrays on polystyrene colloidal particle (PSCP) templates were fabricated to study the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect. We obtained the Ag and Fe complex film by a co-sputtering deposition method. The size of the deposited Fe particle was changed by the sputtering power. We also study the SERS enhancement mechanism by decorating the PATP probe molecule on the different films. The SERS signals increased firstly, and then decreased as the size of Fe particles grows gradually. The finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulation and experimental Raman results manifest that SERS enhancement was mainly attributed to surface plasma resonance (SPR) between Ag and Ag nanoparticles. The SERS signals of PATP molecule were enhanced to reach a lowest detectable concentration of 10-8 mol/L. The research demonstrates that the SERS substrates with Ag-Fe cap-shaped arrays have a high sensitivity.

Heat Transfer Enhancement During Water and Hydrocarbon Condensation on Lubricant Infused Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Preston, Daniel J; Lu, Zhengmao; Song, Youngsup; Zhao, Yajing; Wilke, Kyle L; Antao, Dion S; Louis, Marcel; Wang, Evelyn N

2018-01-11

Vapor condensation is routinely used as an effective means of transferring heat or separating fluids. Dropwise condensation, where discrete droplets form on the condenser surface, offers a potential improvement in heat transfer of up to an order of magnitude compared to filmwise condensation, where a liquid film covers the surface. Low surface tension fluid condensates such as hydrocarbons pose a unique challenge since typical hydrophobic condenser coatings used to promote dropwise condensation of water often do not repel fluids with lower surface tensions. Recent work has shown that lubricant infused surfaces (LIS) can promote droplet formation of hydrocarbons. In this work, we confirm the effectiveness of LIS in promoting dropwise condensation by providing experimental measurements of heat transfer performance during hydrocarbon condensation on a LIS, which enhances heat transfer by ≈450% compared to an uncoated surface. We also explored improvement through removal of noncondensable gases and highlighted a failure mechanism whereby shedding droplets depleted the lubricant over time. Enhanced condensation heat transfer for low surface tension fluids on LIS presents the opportunity for significant energy savings in natural gas processing as well as improvements in thermal management, heating and cooling, and power generation.

Rationalizing and advancing the 3-MPBA SERS sandwich assay for rapid detection of bacteria in environmental and food matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Brooke; Mills, Alexander; Tucker, Madeline; Gao, Siyue; McLandsborough, Lynne; He, Lili

2018-06-01

Bacterial foodborne illness continues to be a pressing issue in our food supply. Rapid detection methods are needed for perishable foods due to their short shelf lives and significant contribution to foodborne illness. Previously, a sensitive and reliable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sandwich assay based on 3-mercaptophenylboronic acid (3-MBPA) as a capturer and indicator molecule was developed for rapid bacteria detection. In this study, we explored the advantages and constraints of this assay over the conventional aerobic plate count (APC) method and further developed methods for detection in real environmental and food matrices. The SERS sandwich assay was able to detect environmental bacteria in pond water and on spinach leaves at higher levels than the APC method. In addition, the SERS assay appeared to have higher sensitivity to quantify bacteria in the stationary phase. On the other hand, the APC method was more sensitive to cell viability. Finally, a method to detect bacteria in a challenging high-sugar juice matrix was developed to enhance bacteria capture. This study advanced the SERS technique for real applications in environment and food matrices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anti-reflection textured structures by wet etching and island lithography for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chao, Bo-Kai [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Cheng, Hsin-Hung [Department of Marine Engineering, Taipei College of Maritime Technology, Taipei 11174, Taiwan (China); Nien, Li-Wei; Chen, Miin-Jang [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Nagao, Tadaaki [Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan); Li, Jia-Han [Department of Engineering Science and Ocean Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Hsueh, Chun-Hway, E-mail: hsuehc@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We fabricated textured SERS substrate with a high surface area and low reflectance. • Large surface area of substrate contains more gold nanodroplets to absorb analytes. • Low reflectance of textured SERS substrate enabled multiple reflections of incident laser light. • We obtained strong SERS enhancement from nanopillar-on-pyramid SERS substrate. - Abstract: A high surface area and low reflection textured surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with plasmonic gold nanodroplets fabricated by wet etching and island lithography was reported in the present study. Specifically, four textured substrates, planar, pyramid, nanopillar, and nanopillar-on-pyramid, were fabricated. The fabricated structures were simulated using the finite-difference time-domain method and the results agreed with the reflection and dark-field scattering measurements. Although the SERS signals varied in different measured regions because of the random nanostructure, the SERS substrates with nanopillar-on-pyramid structure always have the stronger enhancement factor than the SERS substrates with only pyramids or nanopillars. Based on the atomic force microscope and reflection measurements, the nanopillar-on-pyramid structure provided a large surface area and multiple reflections for SERS enhancement, which was about 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of the planar substrate. Our results can be applied to fabricate the inexpensive, large surface area, and high SERS enhancement substrates.

In vitro fibroblast and pre-osteoblastic cellular responses on laser surface modified Ti–6Al–4V

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chikarakara, Evans; Vázquez, Mercedes; Bagga, Komal; Brabazon, Dermot; Fitzpatrick, Patricia; Moore, Eric; Levingstone, Tanya; Grehan, Laura; Higginbotham, Clement; Naher, Sumsun

2014-01-01

The success of any implant, dental or orthopaedic, is driven by the interaction of implant material with the surrounding tissue. In this context, the nature of the implant surface plays a direct role in determining the long term stability as physico-chemical properties of the surface affect cellular attachment, expression of proteins, and finally osseointegration. Thus to enhance the degree of integration of the implant into the host tissue, various surface modification techniques are employed. In this work, laser surface melting of titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V was carried out using a CO 2 laser with an argon gas atmosphere. Investigations were carried out to study the influence of laser surface modification on the biocompatibility of Ti–6Al–4V alloy implant material. Surface roughness, microhardness, and phase development were recorded. Initial knowledge of these effects on biocompatibility was gained from examination of the response of fibroblast cell lines, which was followed by examination of the response of osteoblast cell lines which is relevant to the applications of this material in bone repair. Biocompatibility with these cell lines was analysed via Resazurin cell viability assay, DNA cell attachment assay, and alamarBlue metabolic activity assay. Laser treated surfaces were found to preferentially promote cell attachment, higher levels of proliferation, and enhanced bioactivity when compared to untreated control samples. These results demonstrate the tremendous potential of this laser surface melting treatment to significantly improve the biocompatibility of titanium implants in vivo. (paper)

Optical nanoantennas for multiband surface-enhanced infrared and raman spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

D'Andrea, Cristiano; Bochterle, Jö rg; Toma, Andrea; Huck, Christian W.; Neubrech, Frank; Messina, Elena; Fazio, Barbara; Maragó , Onofrio M.; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Lamy De La Chapelle, Marc L.; Gucciardi, Pietro Giuseppe; Pucci, Annemarie

2013-01-01

In this article we show that linear nanoantennas can be used as shared substrates for surface-enhanced Raman and infrared spectroscopy (SERS and SEIRS, respectively). This is done by engineering the plasmonic properties of the nanoantennas, so to make them resonant in both the visible (transversal resonance) and the infrared (longitudinal resonance), and by rotating the excitation field polarization to selectively take advantage of each resonance and achieve SERS and SEIRS on the same nanoantennas. As a proof of concept, we have fabricated gold nanoantennas by electron beam lithography on calcium difluoride (1-2 μm long, 60 nm wide, 60 nm high) that exhibit a transverse plasmonic resonance in the visible (640 nm) and a particularly strong longitudinal dipolar resonance in the infrared (tunable in the 1280-3100 cm -1 energy range as a function of the length). SERS and SEIRS detection of methylene blue molecules adsorbed on the nanoantenna's surface is accomplished, with signal enhancement factors of 5 × 102 for SERS (electromagnetic enhancement) and up to 105 for SEIRS. Notably, we find that the field enhancement provided by the transverse resonance is sufficient to achieve SERS from single nanoantennas. Furthermore, we show that by properly tuning the nanoantenna length the signals of a multitude of vibrational modes can be enhanced with SEIRS. This simple concept of plasmonic nanosensor is highly suitable for integration on lab-on-a-chip schemes for label-free chemical and biomolecular identification with optimized performances. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

A novel SERRS sandwich-hybridization assay to detect specific DNA target.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cécile Feuillie

Full Text Available In this study, we have applied Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering (SERRS technology to the specific detection of DNA. We present an innovative SERRS sandwich-hybridization assay that allows specific DNA detection without any enzymatic amplification, such as is the case with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR. In some substrates, such as ancient or processed remains, enzymatic amplification fails due to DNA alteration (degradation, chemical modification or to the presence of inhibitors. Consequently, the development of a non-enzymatic method, allowing specific DNA detection, could avoid long, expensive and inconclusive amplification trials. Here, we report the proof of concept of a SERRS sandwich-hybridization assay that leads to the detection of a specific chamois DNA. This SERRS assay reveals its potential as a non-enzymatic alternative technology to DNA amplification methods (particularly the PCR method with several applications for species detection. As the amount and type of damage highly depend on the preservation conditions, the present SERRS assay would enlarge the range of samples suitable for DNA analysis and ultimately would provide exciting new opportunities for the investigation of ancient DNA in the fields of evolutionary biology and molecular ecology, and of altered DNA in food frauds detection and forensics.

A multiwell format assay for heparanase.

Science.gov (United States)

Behzad, Farhad; Brenchley, Paul E C

2003-09-15

This assay employs a biotinylated heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan (HSGAG) substrate that is covalently linked to the surface of 96-well immunoassay plates. The ratio of biotin:HSGAG and the coating concentration of substrate bound to the wells have been optimized and allow removal of biotin HSGAG within 60 min of incubation at 37 degrees C in assay buffer with a standard dilution of bacterial heparitinase or platelet heparanase. Loss of biotin signal from the well surface is detected on incubation with peroxidase-streptavidin followed by color development using 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine as the peroxidase substrate. The new assay allows specific detection of heparanase activity in multiple samples in a total time of 3 h including a 1-h substrate digestion step and is a significant improvement with regard to sensitivity, specificity, and ease of handling of multiple samples compared to other described assays. Heparanase specifically degrades the biotinylated HSGAG substrate, when used with an optimized assay buffer. A range of enzymes including collagenase, trypsin, plasmin, pepsin, chondroitinases, hyaluronidase, and neuraminidase show no effect on the substrate under optimized assay conditions. The covalent linkage of the substrate to the well prevents leaching of substrate and allows preparation and long-term storage of substrate-coated plates. The assay can be used to detect heparanase levels in clinical samples and cell culture supernatants and is ideal as a screening method for antagonists of enzyme activity.

Suitability of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based assay to assess the toxicity of pyrimethanil sprayed soils via surface runoff: comparison with standard aquatic and soil toxicity assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Fátima N; Moreira-Santos, Matilde; Chelinho, Sónia; Pereira, Carla; Feliciano, Joana R; Leitão, Jorge H; Sousa, José P; Ribeiro, Rui; Viegas, Cristina A

2015-02-01

The present study is aimed at evaluating whether a gene expression assay with the microbial eukaryotic model Saccharomyces cerevisiae could be used as a suitable warning tool for the rapid preliminary screening of potential toxic effects on organisms due to scenarios of soil and water contamination with pyrimethanil. The assay consisted of measuring changes in the expression of the selected pyrimethanil-responsive genes ARG3 and ARG5,6 in a standardized yeast population. Evaluation was held by assessing the toxicity of surface runoff, a major route of pesticide exposure in aquatic systems due to non-point-source pollution, which was simulated with a pyrimethanil formulation at a semifield scale mimicking worst-case scenarios of soil contamination (e.g. accident or improper disposal). Yeast cells 2-h exposure to the runoff samples led to a significant 2-fold increase in the expression of both indicator genes. These results were compared with those from assays with organisms relevant for the aquatic and soil compartments, namely the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (reproduction), the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna (survival and reproduction), the benthic midge Chironomus riparius (growth), and the soil invertebrates Folsomia candida and Enchytraeus crypticus (survival and reproduction). Under the experimental conditions used to simulate accidental discharges into soil, runoff waters were highly toxic to the standard test organisms, except for C. elegans. Overall, results point out the usefulness of the yeast assay to provide a rapid preview of the toxicity level in preliminary screenings of environmental samples in situations of inadvertent high pesticide contamination. Advantages and limitations of this novel method are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A signal amplification assay for HSV type 1 viral DNA detection using nanoparticles and direct acoustic profiling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hammond Richard

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Nucleic acid based recognition of viral sequences can be used together with label-free biosensors to provide rapid, accurate confirmation of viral infection. To enhance detection sensitivity, gold nanoparticles can be employed with mass-sensitive acoustic biosensors (such as a quartz crystal microbalance by either hybridising nanoparticle-oligonucleotide conjugates to complimentary surface-immobilised ssDNA probes on the sensor, or by using biotin-tagged target oligonucleotides bound to avidin-modified nanoparticles on the sensor. We have evaluated and refined these signal amplification assays for the detection from specific DNA sequences of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV type 1 and defined detection limits with a 16.5 MHz fundamental frequency thickness shear mode acoustic biosensor. Results In the study the performance of semi-homogeneous and homogeneous assay formats (suited to rapid, single step tests were evaluated utilising different diameter gold nanoparticles at varying DNA concentrations. Mathematical models were built to understand the effects of mass transport in the flow cell, the binding kinetics of targets to nanoparticles in solution, the packing geometries of targets on the nanoparticle, the packing of nanoparticles on the sensor surface and the effect of surface shear stiffness on the response of the acoustic sensor. This lead to the selection of optimised 15 nm nanoparticles that could be used with a 6 minute total assay time to achieve a limit of detection sensitivity of 5.2 × 10-12 M. Larger diameter nanoparticles gave poorer limits of detection than smaller particles. The limit of detection was three orders of magnitude lower than that observed using a hybridisation assay without nanoparticle signal amplification. Conclusions An analytical model was developed to determine optimal nanoparticle diameter, concentration and probe density, which allowed efficient and rapid optimisation of assay parameters

Few-cycle surface plasmon enhanced electron acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Racz, P.; Lenner, M.; Kroo, N.; Farkas, Gy.; Dombi, P.; Takao Fuji; Krausz, F.; Irvine, S.E.; Elezzabi, A.Y.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. It is possible to generate high-quality ultrafast electron beams with keV energy based on surface plasmon-enhanced electron acceleration. The beam generated this way can be also used to investigate ultrafast phenomena in the plasmon field. For the better understanding of the temporal behavior of these ultrafast surface processes we carried out time-resolved experiments with 5.5 fs laser pulses for the first time. In this experiment, we executed an autocorrelation measurement with an ultra-broadband interferometer. By generating surface plasmons at the output of the interferometer, we measured the plasmonic photocurrent as a function of the delay between the interferometer arms. Figure (a) shows a typical measured result, and figure (b) shows the fourth order calculated autocorrelation function of the 5.5 fs long laser pulse, corresponding to the fourth order nonlinearity of the electron emission process. According to the correspondence of these two curves, we can also state that the length of the generated surface plasmon pulse is only 2-3 optical cycles. As a further experiment, we executed spectrally resolved measurements of the electron beam at higher intensities. According to these results, it is possible to reach electron beams with keV energy in the few-cycle regime too. It was found that the field strength of the surface plasmons is x 7 to x 30 higher than that of the focused laser pulse.

a positive control plasmid for reporter gene assay

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-07-04

Jul 4, 2008 ... qualification as a positive control for luciferase reporter gene assays. Key words: Reporter gene plasmid, luciferase assay, cytomegalovirus promoter/enhancer, human melanoma cell line. INTRODUCTION. Reporter genes, often called reporters, have become a precious tool in studies of gene expression ...

Super-virtual Interferometric Separation and Enhancement of Back-scattered Surface Waves

KAUST Repository

Guo, Bowen

2015-08-19

Back-scattered surface waves can be migrated to detect near-surface reflectors with steep dips. A robust surface-wave migration requires the prior separation of the back-scattered surface-wave events from the data. This separation is often difficult to implement because the back-scattered surface waves are masked by the incident surface waves. We mitigate this problem by using a super-virtual interferometric method to enhance and separate the back-scattered surface waves. The key idea is to calculate the virtual back-scattered surface waves by stacking the resulting virtual correlated and convolved traces associated with the incident and back-scattered waves. Stacking the virtual back-scattered surface waves improves their signal-to-noise ratio and separates the back-scattered surface-waves from the incident field. Both synthetic and field data results validate the robustness of this method.

Chloride ion-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering study of biotin on the silver surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Fangfang; Gu Huaimin; Yuan Xiaojuan; Dong Xiao; Lin Yue

2011-01-01

In the present paper, the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique was employed to study the SERS spectra of biotin molecules formed on the silver surface. The adsorption geometries of biotin molecules on the silver surface were analyzed based on the SERS data. It can be found that most vibration modes show a Raman shift in silver sol after the addition of sodium chloride solution. In addition, The Raman signals of biotin become weaker and weaker with the increase of the concentration of sodium chloride. This may be due to that the interaction between chloride ions and silver particles is stronger than the interaction between biotin molecules and silver particles. When the concentration of sodium chloride in silver colloid is higher than 0.05mol/L, superfluous chloride ions may form an absorption layer so that biotin can not be adsorbed on silver surface directly. The changes in intensity and profile shape in the SERS spectra suggest different adsorption behavior and surface-coverage of biotin on silver surface. The SERS spectra of biotin suggest that the contribution of the charge transfer mechanism to SERS may be dominant.

Plasma Surface Modification of Glass-Fibre-Reinforced Polyester Enhanced by Ultrasonic Irradiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusano, Yukihiro; Singh, Shailendra Vikram; Bardenshtein, Alexander

2010-01-01

treatment can be highly enhanced by simultaneous high-power ultrasonic irradiation of the treating surface, because the delivered acoustic energy can reduce the thickness of the boundary gas layer. Here surfaces of glass-fibre-reinforced polyester (GFRP) plates were treated using an atmospheric pressure...

Ion-enhanced gas-surface chemistry: The influence of the mass of the incident ion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerlach-Meyer, U.; Coburn, J.W.; Kay, E.

1981-01-01

There are many examples of situations in which a gas-surface reaction rate is increased when the surface is simultaneously subjected to energetic particle bombardment. There are several possible mechanisms which could be involved in this radiation-enhanced gas-surface chemistry. In this study, the reaction rate of silicon, as determined from the etch yield, is measured during irradiation of the Si surface with 1 keV He + , Ne + , and Ar + ions while the surface is simultaneously subjected to fluxes of XeF 2 or Cl 2 molecules. Etch yields as high as 25 Si atoms/ion are observed for XeF 2 and Ar + on Si. A discussion is presented of the extent to which the results clarify the mechanisms responsible for ion-enhanced gas-surface chemistry. (orig.)

Coupled wave equations theory of surface-enhanced femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

McAnally, Michael O; McMahon, Jeffrey M; Van Duyne, Richard P; Schatz, George C

2016-09-07

We present a coupled wave semiclassical theory to describe plasmonic enhancement effects in surface-enhanced femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering (SE-FSRS). A key result is that the plasmon enhanced fields which drive the vibrational equation of motion for each normal mode results in dispersive lineshapes in the SE-FSRS spectrum. This result, which reproduces experimental lineshapes, demonstrates that plasmon-enhanced stimulated Raman methods provide unique sensitivity to a plasmonic response. Our derived SE-FSRS theory shows a plasmonic enhancement of |gpu|(2)ImχR(ω)gst (2)/ImχR(ω), where |gpu|(2) is the absolute square of the plasmonic enhancement from the Raman pump, χR(ω) is the Raman susceptibility, and gst is the plasmonic enhancement of the Stokes field in SE-FSRS. We conclude with a discussion on potential future experimental and theoretical directions for the field of plasmonically enhanced coherent Raman scattering.

Silver-coated Si nanograss as highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, Jing; Kuo, Huei Pei; Hu, Min; Li, Zhiyong; Williams, R.S. [Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Information and Quantum Systems Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Ou, Fung Suong [Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Information and Quantum Systems Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Rice University, Department of Applied Physics, Houston, TX (United States); Stickle, William F. [Hewlett-Packard Company, Advanced Diagnostic Lab, Corvallis, OR (United States)

2009-09-15

We created novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates by metalization (Ag) of Si nanograss prepared by a Bosch process which involves deep reactive ion etching of single crystalline silicon. No template or lithography was needed for making the Si nanograss, thus providing a simple and inexpensive method to achieve highly sensitive large-area SERS substrates. The dependence of the SERS effect on the thickness of the metal deposition and on the surface morphology and topology of the substrate prior to metal deposition was studied in order to optimize the SERS signals. We observed that the Ag-coated Si nanograss can achieve uniform SERS enhancement over large area ({proportional_to}1 cm x 1 cm) with an average EF (enhancement factor) of 4.2 x 10{sup 8} for 4-mercaptophenol probe molecules. (orig.)

Distance-Based Tear Lactoferrin Assay on Microfluidic Paper Device Using Interfacial Interactions on Surface-Modified Cellulose.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Kentaro; Henares, Terence G; Suzuki, Koji; Citterio, Daniel

2015-11-11

"Distance-based" detection motifs on microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) allow quantitative analysis without using signal readout instruments in a similar manner to classical analogue thermometers. To realize a cost-effective and calibration-free distance-based assay of lactoferrin in human tear fluid on a μPAD not relying on antibodies or enzymes, we investigated the fluidic mobilities of the target protein and Tb(3+) cations used as the fluorescent detection reagent on surface-modified cellulosic filter papers. Chromatographic elution experiments in a tear-like sample matrix containing electrolytes and proteins revealed a collapse of attractive electrostatic interactions between lactoferrin or Tb(3+) and the cellulosic substrate, which was overcome by the modification of the paper surface with the sulfated polysaccharide ι-carrageenan. The resulting μPAD based on the fluorescence emission distance successfully analyzed 0-4 mg mL(-1) of lactoferrin in complex human tear matrix with a lower limit of detection of 0.1 mg mL(-1) by simple visual inspection. Assay results of 18 human tear samples including ocular disease patients and healthy volunteers showed good correlation to the reference ELISA method with a slope of 0.997 and a regression coefficient of 0.948. The distance-based quantitative signal and the good batch-to-batch fabrication reproducibility relying on printing methods enable quantitative analysis by simply reading out "concentration scale marks" printed on the μPAD without performing any calibration and using any signal readout instrument.

Enhancing the antibacterial performance of orthopaedic implant materials by fibre laser surface engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chan, Chi-Wai; Carson, Louise; Smith, Graham C.

2017-01-01

to the effort on enhancing osseointegration, wear and corrosion resistance of implant materials. In this study, the effects of laser surface treatment on enhancing the antibacterial properties of commercially pure (CP) Ti (Grade 2), Ti6Al4V (Grade 5) and CoCrMo alloy implant materials were studied and compared...... for the first time. Laser surface treatment was performed by a continuous wave (CW) fibre laser with a near-infrared wavelength of 1064 nm in a nitrogen-containing environment. Staphylococcus aureus, commonly implicated in infection associated with orthopaedic implants, was used to investigate the antibacterial...... properties of the laser-treated surfaces. The surface roughness and topography of the laser-treated materials were analysed by a 2D roughness testing and by AFM. The surface morphologies before and after 24 h of bacterial cell culture were captured by SEM, and bacterial viability was determined using live...

Surface-enhanced vibrational spectroscopy of B vitamins: what is the effect of SERS-active metals used?

Science.gov (United States)

Kokaislová, A; Matějka, P

2012-05-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy and surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy are analytical tools suitable for the detection of small amounts of various analytes adsorbed on metal surfaces. During recent years, these two spectroscopic methods have become increasingly important in the investigation of adsorption of biomolecules and pharmaceuticals on nanostructured metal surfaces. In this work, the adsorption of B-group vitamins pyridoxine, nicotinic acid, folic acid and riboflavin at electrochemically prepared gold and silver substrates was investigated using Fourier transform SERS spectroscopy at an excitation wavelength of 1,064 nm. Gold and silver substrates were prepared by cathodic reduction on massive platinum targets. In the case of gold substrates, oxidation-reduction cycles were applied to increase the enhancement factor of the gold surface. The SERS spectra of riboflavin, nicotinic acid, folic acid and pyridoxine adsorbed on silver substrates differ significantly from SERS spectra of these B-group vitamins adsorbed on gold substrates. The analysis of near-infrared-excited SERS spectra reveals that each of B-group vitamin investigated interacts with the gold surface via a different mechanism of adsorption to that with the silver surface. In the case of riboflavin adsorbed on silver substrate, the interpretation of surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectra was also helpful in investigation of the adsorption mechanism.

Optical nanoantennas for multiband surface-enhanced infrared and raman spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

D'Andrea, Cristiano

2013-04-23

In this article we show that linear nanoantennas can be used as shared substrates for surface-enhanced Raman and infrared spectroscopy (SERS and SEIRS, respectively). This is done by engineering the plasmonic properties of the nanoantennas, so to make them resonant in both the visible (transversal resonance) and the infrared (longitudinal resonance), and by rotating the excitation field polarization to selectively take advantage of each resonance and achieve SERS and SEIRS on the same nanoantennas. As a proof of concept, we have fabricated gold nanoantennas by electron beam lithography on calcium difluoride (1-2 μm long, 60 nm wide, 60 nm high) that exhibit a transverse plasmonic resonance in the visible (640 nm) and a particularly strong longitudinal dipolar resonance in the infrared (tunable in the 1280-3100 cm -1 energy range as a function of the length). SERS and SEIRS detection of methylene blue molecules adsorbed on the nanoantenna\\'s surface is accomplished, with signal enhancement factors of 5 × 102 for SERS (electromagnetic enhancement) and up to 105 for SEIRS. Notably, we find that the field enhancement provided by the transverse resonance is sufficient to achieve SERS from single nanoantennas. Furthermore, we show that by properly tuning the nanoantenna length the signals of a multitude of vibrational modes can be enhanced with SEIRS. This simple concept of plasmonic nanosensor is highly suitable for integration on lab-on-a-chip schemes for label-free chemical and biomolecular identification with optimized performances. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Polarization-sensitive surface plasmon enhanced ellipsometry biosensor using the photoelastic modulation technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuan, Scott Wu; Ho, Ho Pui; Wu, S.Y.

2009-01-01

A surface plasmon enhanced ellipsometry (SPEE) biosensor scheme based on the use of a photoelastic modulator (PEM) is reported. We show that the polarization parameters of a laser beam, tan , cos and ellipse orientation angle , can be directly measured by detecting the modulation signals at the f......A surface plasmon enhanced ellipsometry (SPEE) biosensor scheme based on the use of a photoelastic modulator (PEM) is reported. We show that the polarization parameters of a laser beam, tan , cos and ellipse orientation angle , can be directly measured by detecting the modulation signals...... at the first and second harmonics of the modulated frequency under a certain birefringence geometry. This leads to accurate measurement of refractive index variations within the evanescent field region close to the gold sensor surface, thereby enabling biosensing applications. Our experimental results confirm...

Performance characteristics of the ARCHITECT anti-HCV assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonas, Gesa; Pelzer, Claudia; Beckert, Christian; Hausmann, Michael; Kapprell, Hans-Peter

2005-10-01

The ARCHITECT Anti-HCV assay is a fully automated high throughput chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) for the detection of antibodies to structural and nonstructural proteins of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). To further enhance the performance of this test, the assay was modified to improve the specificity for blood donor specimens. The specificity of the enhanced ARCHITECT Anti-HCV assay was evaluated by screening blood donor samples randomly collected from various German blood banks, as well as hospitalized patient samples derived from Germany and the US. Additionally, antibody sensitivity was determined on commercially available anti-HCV seroconversion panels and on a commercially available worldwide anti-HCV genotype performance panel. Apparent specificity of the modified ARCHITECT Anti-HCV assay in a blood donor population consisting of 3811 specimens was 99.92%, compared to 99.76% for the current on-market assay. Additionally, antibody sensitivity was determined on commercially available anti-HCV seroconversion panels. Seroconversion sensitivity equivalent to or better than the current on-market product was observed by testing 33 seroconversion panels. This study demonstrates that the modified version of the ARCHITECT Anti-HCV assay shows improved specificity for blood donor specimens compared to the current assay on market without compromising sensitivity. With the availability of the improved ARCHITECT Anti-HCV assay and the recent launch of the ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay, the ARCHITECT system now offers a full hepatitis/retrovirus menu with excellent performance on a high throughput, random access, automated analyzer, ideally suited for blood screening and diagnostic applications.

CHF Enhancement by Surface Patterning based on Hydrodynamic Instability Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Han; Bang, In Cheol [UNIST, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

If the power density of a device exceeds the CHF point, bubbles and vapor films will be covered on the whole heater surface. Because vapor films have much lower heat transfer capabilities compared to the liquid layer, the temperature of the heater surface will increase rapidly, and the device could be damaged due to the heater burnout. Therefore, the prediction and the enhancement of the CHF are essential to maximizing the efficient heat removal region. Numerous studies have been conducted to describe the CHF phenomenon, such as hydrodynamic instability theory, macrolayer dryout theory, hot/dry spot theory, and bubble interaction theory. The hydrodynamic instability model, proposed by Zuber, is the predominant CHF model that Helmholtz instability attributed to the CHF. Zuber assumed that the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability wavelength is related to the Helmholtz wavelength. Lienhard and Dhir proposed a CHF model that Helmholtz instability wavelength is equal to the most dangerous RT wavelength. In addition, they showed the heater size effect using various heater surfaces. Lu et al. proposed a modified hydrodynamic theory that the Helmholtz instability was assumed to be the heater size and the area of the vapor column was used as a fitting factor. The modified hydrodynamic theories were based on the change of Helmholtz wavelength related to the RT instability wavelength. In the present study, the change of the RT instability wavelength, based on the heater surface modification, was conducted to show the CHF enhancement based on the heater surface patterning in a plate pool boiling. Sapphire glass was used as a base heater substrate, and the Pt film was used as a heating source. The patterning surface was based on the change of RT instability wavelength. In the present work the study of the CHF was conducted using bare Pt and patterned heating surfaces.

Heat Transfer Enhancement in Turbulent Flows by Blocked Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Onur YEMENİCİ

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, the heat transfer analyses over flat and blocked surfaces were carried out in turbulent flow under the influence of the block height. A constant-temperature hot wire anemometer was used to the velocity and turbulent intensity measurements, while temperature values were measured by copper-constantan thermocouples. The average Stanton numbers for block heights of 15 and 25 mm were higher than those of flat surface by %38 and %84, respectively. The results showed that the presence of the blocks increased the heat transfer and the enhancement rose with block heights

[Current views on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy in microbiology].

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Xiaoxiao; Li, Jing; Qin, Tian; Deng, Aihua; Liu, Wenjun

2015-05-01

Raman spectroscopy has generated many branches during the development for more than 90 years. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) improves SNR by using the interaction between tested materials and the surface of rough metal, as to quickly get higher sensitivity and precision spectroscopy without sample pretreatment. This article describes the characteristic and classification of SERS, and updates the theory and clinical application of SERS. It also summarizes the present status and progress of SERS in various disciplines and illustrates the necessity and urgency of its research, which provides rationale for the application for SERS in microbiology.

Volume and Surface-Enhanced Volume Negative Ion Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stockli, M P

2013-01-01

H - volume sources and, especially, caesiated H - volume sources are important ion sources for generating high-intensity proton beams, which then in turn generate large quantities of other particles. This chapter discusses the physics and technology of the volume production and the caesium-enhanced (surface) production of H - ions. Starting with Bacal's discovery of the H - volume production, the chapter briefly recounts the development of some H - sources, which capitalized on this process to significantly increase the production of H - beams. Another significant increase was achieved in the 1990s by adding caesiated surfaces to supplement the volume-produced ions with surface-produced ions, as illustrated with other H - sources. Finally, the focus turns to some of the experience gained when such a source was successfully ramped up in H - output and in duty factor to support the generation of 1 MW proton beams for the Spallation Neutron Source. (author)

Utilization of a lateral flow colloidal gold immunoassay strip based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for ultrasensitive detection of antibiotics in milk

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Qiaoqiao; Huang, Jie; Sun, Yaning; Yin, Mengqi; Hu, Mei; Hu, Xiaofei; Zhang, Zhijun; Zhang, Gaiping

2018-05-01

An ultrasensitive method for the detection of antibiotics in milk is developed based on inexpensive, simple, rapid and portable lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) strip, in combination with high sensitivity surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In our strategy, an immunoprobe was prepared from colloidal gold (AuNPs) conjugated with both a monoclonal antibody against neomycin (NEO-mAb) and a Raman probe molecule 4-aminothiophenol (PATP). The competitive interaction with immunoprobe between free NEO and the coated antigen (NEO-OVA) resulted in the change of the amount of the immobilized immunoprobe on the paper substrate. The LFI procedure was completed within 15 min. The Raman intensity of PATP on the test line of the LFI strip was measured for the quantitative determination of NEO. The IC50 and the limit of detection (LOD) of this assay are 0.04 ng/mL and 0.216 pg/mL of NEO, respectively. There is no cross-reactivity (CR) of the assay with other compounds, showing high specificity of the assay. The recoveries for milk samples with added NEO are in the range of 89.7%-105.6% with the relative standard deviations (RSD) of 2.4%-5.3% (n = 3). The result reveals that this method possesses high specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility and stability, and can be used to detect a variety of antibiotic residues in milk samples.

Recent advances in functional assays of transcriptional enhancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Babbitt, Courtney C; Markstein, Michele; Gray, Jesse M

2015-09-01

In this special edition of Genomics, we present reviews of the current state of the field in identifying and functionally understanding transcriptional enhancers in cells and developing tissues. Typically several enhancers coordinate the expression of an individual target gene, each controlling that gene's expression in specific cell types at specific times. Until recently, identifying each gene's enhancers had been challenging because enhancers do not occupy prescribed locations relative to their target genes. Recently there have been powerful advances in DNA sequencing and other technologies that make it possible to identify the majority of enhancers in virtually any cell type of interest. The reviews in this edition of Genomics highlight some of these new and powerful approaches. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancing local absorption within a gold nano-sphere on a dielectric surface under an AFM probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talebi Moghaddam, Sina; Ertürk, Hakan; Mengüç, M. Pınar

2016-01-01

This study considers enhancing localized absorption by a gold nanoparticle (NP) placed over a substrate where an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip is in close proximity of the particle. The gold NP and AFM tip are interacting with a surface evanescent wave, resulting a near-field coupling between the tip and NP and consequently enhances the absorption. This concept can be used for selective heating of NPs placed over a surface that enables precise manufacturing at nanometer scales. Different tip positions are considered to identify the optimal tip location and the corresponding enhancement limits. The effects of these interactions on the absorption profiles of dielectric core/gold shell NPs are also studied. It is observed that using core–shell nanoparticles with a dielectric core leads to further enhancement of the absorption efficiency and a more uniform distribution of absorption over the shell. Discrete dipole approximation coupled with surface interactions (DDA-SI) is employed throughout the study, and it is vectorized to improve its computational efficiency. - Highlights: • Plasmonic coupling between solid or core-shell nanoparticles, dielectric surface and Si AFM tip is investigated for achieving localized heating for nano-manufacturing. • Absorption efficiency enhancement limits for core-shell and solid nanoparticles are identified using an AFM tip for surface evanescent wave heating. • The effect of tip location, relative to surface wave direction is outlined, identifying optimal locations, and heat absorption distribution over core-shell and solid nanoparticles. • While using a Si AFM tip enhances absorption, using a dielectric core result in further enhancement in absorption with a more uniform distribution. • DDA-SI-v developed by vectorizing the formulations of DDA-SI for improved computational efficiency.

Enhancement of electroluminescence from embedded Si quantum dots/SiO2multilayers film by localized-surface-plasmon and surface roughening.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Wang, Shaolei; Hu, Mingyue; He, Sufeng; Ge, Pengpeng; Wang, Jing; Guo, Yan Yan; Zhaowei, Liu

2015-07-03

In this paper, we prepared a novel structure to enhance the electroluminescence intensity from Si quantum dots/SiO2multilayers. An amorphous Si/SiO2 multilayer film was fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on a Pt nanoparticle (NP)-coated Si nanopillar array substrate. By thermal annealing, an embedded Si quantum dot (QDs)/SiO2 multilayer film was obtained. The result shows that electroluminescence intensity was significantly enhanced. And, the turn-on voltage of the luminescent device was reduced to 3 V. The enhancement of the light emission is due to the resonance coupling between the localized-surface-plasmon (LSP) of Pt NPs and the band-gap emission of Si QDs/SiO2 multilayers. The other factors were the improved absorption of excitation light and the increase of light extraction ratio by surface roughening structures. These excellent characteristics are promising for silicon-based light-emitting applications.

Simultaneous multiplexed quantification of nicotine and its metabolites using surface enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Alharbi, Omar; Xu, Yun; Goodacre, Royston

2014-10-07

The detection and quantification of xenobiotics and their metabolites in man is important for drug dosing, therapy and for substance abuse monitoring where longer-lived metabolic products from illicit materials can be assayed after the drug of abuse has been cleared from the system. Raman spectroscopy offers unique specificity for molecular characterization and this usually weak signal can be significantly enhanced using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We report here the novel development of SERS with chemometrics for the simultaneous analysis of the drug nicotine and its major xenometabolites cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine. Initial experiments optimized the SERS conditions and we found that when these three determinands were analysed individually that the maximum SERS signals were found at three different pH. These were pH 3 for nicotine and pH 10 and 11 for cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, respectively. Tertiary mixtures containing nicotine, cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine were generated in the concentration range 10(-7)-10(-5) M and SERS spectra were collected at all three pH values. Chemometric analysis using kernel-partial least squares (K-PLS) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were conducted and these models were validated using bootstrap resampling. All three analytes were accurately quantified with typical root mean squared error of prediction on the test set data being 5-9%; nicotine was most accurately predicted followed by cotinine and then trans-3'-hydroxycotinine. We believe that SERS is a powerful approach for the simultaneous analysis of multiple determinands without recourse to lengthy chromatography, as demonstrated here for the xenobiotic nicotine and its two major xenometabolites.

Ultrasensitive detection of phenolic antioxidants by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Ornelas-Soto, N.; Aguilar-Hernández, I. A.; Afseth, N.; López-Luke, T.; Contreras-Torres, F. F.; Wold, J. P.

2017-08-01

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful surface-sensitive technique to study the vibrational properties of analytes at very low concentrations. In this study, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and sinapic acid were analyzed by SERS using Ag colloids. Analytes were detected up to 2.5x10-9M. For caffeic acid and coumaric acid, this detection limit has been reached for the first time, as well as the SERS analysis of sinapic acid using silver colloids.

Tuning the interaction between propagating and localized surface plasmons for surface enhanced Raman scattering in water for biomedical and environmental applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shioi, Masahiko, E-mail: shioi.masahiko@jp.panasonic.com [Device Solutions Center, Panasonic Corporation, 3-4, Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0237 (Japan); Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501 (Japan); Jans, Hilde [Interuniversity Microelectronics Center VZW., Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Lodewijks, Kristof [Interuniversity Microelectronics Center VZW., Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Department of Electrical Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Van Dorpe, Pol; Lagae, Liesbet [Interuniversity Microelectronics Center VZW., Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Department of Physics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Kawamura, Tatsuro [Device Solutions Center, Panasonic Corporation, 3-4, Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0237 (Japan)

2014-06-16

With a view to biomedical and environmental applications, we investigate the plasmonic properties of a rectangular gold nanodisk array in water to boost surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effects. To control the resonance wavelengths of the surface plasmon polariton and the localized surface plasmon, their dependence on the array period and diameter in water is studied in detail using a finite difference time domain method. A good agreement is obtained between calculated resonant wavelengths and those of gold nanodisk arrays fabricated using electron beam lithography. For the optimized structure, a SERS enhancement factor of 7.8 × 10{sup 7} is achieved in water experimentally.

Surface Plasmon Enhanced Phosphorescent Organic Light Emitting Diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazan, Guillermo; Mikhailovsky, Alexander

2008-01-01

The objective of the proposed work was to develop the fundamental understanding and practical techniques for enhancement of Phosphorescent Organic Light Emitting Diodes (PhOLEDs) performance by utilizing radiative decay control technology. Briefly, the main technical goal is the acceleration of radiative recombination rate in organometallic triplet emitters by using the interaction with surface plasmon resonances in noble metal nanostructures. Increased photonic output will enable one to eliminate constraints imposed on PhOLED efficiency by triplet-triplet annihilation, triplet-polaron annihilation, and saturation of chromophores with long radiative decay times. Surface plasmon enhanced (SPE) PhOLEDs will operate more efficiently at high injection current densities and will be less prone to degradation mechanisms. Additionally, introduction of metal nanostructures into PhOLEDs may improve their performance due to the improvement of the charge transport through organic layers via multiple possible mechanisms ('electrical bridging' effects, doping-like phenomena, etc.). SPE PhOLED technology is particularly beneficial for solution-fabricated electrophosphorescent devices. Small transition moment of triplet emitters allows achieving a significant enhancement of the emission rate while keeping undesirable quenching processes introduced by the metal nanostructures at a reasonably low level. Plasmonic structures can be introduced easily into solution-fabricated PhOLEDs by blending and spin coating techniques and can be used for enhancement of performance in existing device architectures. This constitutes a significant benefit for a large scale fabrication of PhOLEDs, e.g. by roll-to-roll fabrication techniques. Besides multieexciton annihilation, the power efficacy of PhOLEDs is often limited by high operational bias voltages required for overcoming built-in potential barriers to injection and transport of electrical charges through a device. This problem is especially

Metal-amplified Density Assays, (MADAs), including a Density-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (DeLISA).

Science.gov (United States)

Subramaniam, Anand Bala; Gonidec, Mathieu; Shapiro, Nathan D; Kresse, Kayleigh M; Whitesides, George M

2015-02-21

This paper reports the development of Metal-amplified Density Assays, or MADAs - a method of conducting quantitative or multiplexed assays, including immunoassays, by using Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) to measure metal-amplified changes in the density of beads labeled with biomolecules. The binding of target analytes (i.e. proteins, antibodies, antigens) to complementary ligands immobilized on the surface of the beads, followed by a chemical amplification of the binding in a form that results in a change in the density of the beads (achieved by using gold nanoparticle-labeled biomolecules, and electroless deposition of gold or silver), translates analyte binding events into changes in density measureable using MagLev. A minimal model based on diffusion-limited growth of hemispherical nuclei on a surface reproduces the dynamics of the assay. A MADA - when performed with antigens and antibodies - is called a Density-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, or DeLISA. Two immunoassays provided a proof of principle: a competitive quantification of the concentration of neomycin in whole milk, and a multiplexed detection of antibodies against Hepatitis C virus NS3 protein and syphilis T. pallidum p47 protein in serum. MADAs, including DeLISAs, require, besides the requisite biomolecules and amplification reagents, minimal specialized equipment (two permanent magnets, a ruler or a capillary with calibrated length markings) and no electrical power to obtain a quantitative readout of analyte concentration. With further development, the method may be useful in resource-limited or point-of-care settings.

Enhanced oxygen reduction activity on surface-decorated perovskite thin films for solid oxide fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Mutoro, Eva; Crumlin, Ethan J.; Biegalski, Michael D.; Christen, Hans M.; Shao-Horn, Yang

2011-01-01

Surface-decoration of perovskites can strongly affect the oxygen reduction activity, and therefore is a new and promising approach to improve SOFC cathode materials. In this study, we demonstrate that a small amount of secondary phase on a (001) La 0.8Sr 0.2CoO 3-δ (LSC) surface can either significantly activate or passivate the electrode. LSC (001) microelectrodes prepared by pulsed laser deposition on a (001)-oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrate were decorated with La-, Co-, and Sr-(hydr)oxides/carbonates. "Sr"-decoration with nanoparticle coverage in the range from 50% to 80% of the LSC surface enhanced the surface exchange coefficient, k q, by an order of magnitude while "La"- decoration and "Co"-decoration led to no change and reduction in k q, respectively. Although the physical origin for the enhancement is not fully understood, results from atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggest that the observed k q enhancement for "Sr"-decorated surfaces can be attributed largely to catalytically active interface regions between surface Sr-enriched particles and the LSC surface. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Deep surface rolling for fatigue life enhancement of laser clad aircraft aluminium alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhuang, W., E-mail: wyman.zhuang@dsto.defence.gov.au [Aerospace Division, Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 506 Lorimer Street, Fishermans Bend, Victoria 3207 (Australia); Liu, Q.; Djugum, R.; Sharp, P.K. [Aerospace Division, Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 506 Lorimer Street, Fishermans Bend, Victoria 3207 (Australia); Paradowska, A. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2232 (Australia)

2014-11-30

Highlights: • Deep surface rolling as a post-repair enhancement technology was applied to the laser cladded 7075-T651 aluminium alloy specimens that simulated corrosion damage blend-out repair. • The residual stresses induced by the deep surface rolling process were measured. • The deep surface rolling process can introduce deep and high magnitude compressive residual stresses beyond the laser clad and substrate interface. • Spectrum fatigue test showed the fatigue life was significantly increased by deep surface rolling. - Abstract: Deep surface rolling can introduce deep compressive residual stresses into the surface of aircraft metallic structure to extend its fatigue life. To develop cost-effective aircraft structural repair technologies such as laser cladding, deep surface rolling was considered as an advanced post-repair surface enhancement technology. In this study, aluminium alloy 7075-T651 specimens with a blend-out region were first repaired using laser cladding technology. The surface of the laser cladding region was then treated by deep surface rolling. Fatigue testing was subsequently conducted for the laser clad, deep surface rolled and post-heat treated laser clad specimens. It was found that deep surface rolling can significantly improve the fatigue life in comparison with the laser clad baseline repair. In addition, three dimensional residual stresses were measured using neutron diffraction techniques. The results demonstrate that beneficial compressive residual stresses induced by deep surface rolling can reach considerable depths (more than 1.0 mm) below the laser clad surface.

Deep surface rolling for fatigue life enhancement of laser clad aircraft aluminium alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang, W.; Liu, Q.; Djugum, R.; Sharp, P.K.; Paradowska, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Deep surface rolling as a post-repair enhancement technology was applied to the laser cladded 7075-T651 aluminium alloy specimens that simulated corrosion damage blend-out repair. • The residual stresses induced by the deep surface rolling process were measured. • The deep surface rolling process can introduce deep and high magnitude compressive residual stresses beyond the laser clad and substrate interface. • Spectrum fatigue test showed the fatigue life was significantly increased by deep surface rolling. - Abstract: Deep surface rolling can introduce deep compressive residual stresses into the surface of aircraft metallic structure to extend its fatigue life. To develop cost-effective aircraft structural repair technologies such as laser cladding, deep surface rolling was considered as an advanced post-repair surface enhancement technology. In this study, aluminium alloy 7075-T651 specimens with a blend-out region were first repaired using laser cladding technology. The surface of the laser cladding region was then treated by deep surface rolling. Fatigue testing was subsequently conducted for the laser clad, deep surface rolled and post-heat treated laser clad specimens. It was found that deep surface rolling can significantly improve the fatigue life in comparison with the laser clad baseline repair. In addition, three dimensional residual stresses were measured using neutron diffraction techniques. The results demonstrate that beneficial compressive residual stresses induced by deep surface rolling can reach considerable depths (more than 1.0 mm) below the laser clad surface

Combined use of vancomycin-modified Ag-coated magnetic nanoparticles and secondary enhanced nanoparticles for rapid surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chongwen; Gu, Bing; Liu, Qiqi; Pang, Yuanfeng; Xiao, Rui; Wang, Shengqi

2018-01-01

Pathogenic bacteria have always been a significant threat to human health. The detection of pathogens needs to be rapid, accurate, and convenient. We present a sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor based on the combination of vancomycin-modified Ag-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 @Ag-Van MNPs) and Au@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) that can effectively capture and discriminate bacterial pathogens from solution. The high-performance Fe 3 O 4 @Ag MNPs were modified with vancomycin and used as bacteria capturer for magnetic separation and enrichment. The modified MNPS were found to exhibit strong affinity with a broad range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. After separating and rinsing bacteria, Fe 3 O 4 @Ag-Van MNPs and Au@Ag NPs were synergistically used to construct a very large number of hot spots on bacteria cells, leading to ultrasensitive SERS detection. The dominant merits of our dual enhanced strategy included high bacterial-capture efficiency (>65%) within a wide pH range (pH 3.0-11.0), a short assay time (<30 min), and a low detection limit (5×10 2 cells/mL). Moreover, the spiked tests show that this method is still valid in milk and blood samples. Owing to these capabilities, the combined system enabled the sensitive and specific discrimination of different pathogens in complex solution, as verified by its detection of Gram-positive bacterium Escherichia coli , Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus , and methicillin-resistant S. aureus . This method has great potential for field applications in food safety, environmental monitoring, and infectious disease diagnosis.

Gold split-ring resonators (SRRs) as substrates for surface-enhanced raman scattering

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2013-10-24

We used gold split ring resonators (SRRs) as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The arrays of SRRs were fabricated by electron-beam lithography in combination with plasma etching. In the detection of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, SERS enhancement factors of the order of 105 was achieved. This SERS enhancement increased as the size of the split gap decrease as a consequence of the matching between the resonance wavelength of the SRRs and the excitation wavelength of SERS. As the size of the split gap decreased, the localized surface plasmon resonance shifted to near the excitation wavelength and, thus, resulted in the increase in the electric field on the nanostructures. We used finite integration method (FIT) to simulate numerically the electromagnetic properties of the SRRs. The results of the simulation agreed well with our experimental observations. We anticipate this work will provide an approach to manipulate the SERS enhancement by modulating the size of split gap with SRRs without affecting the area and structural arrangement. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Gold split-ring resonators (SRRs) as substrates for surface-enhanced raman scattering

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng; Yang, Yang; Wang, Zhihong; Chen, Longqing; Wang, Xianbin

2013-01-01

We used gold split ring resonators (SRRs) as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The arrays of SRRs were fabricated by electron-beam lithography in combination with plasma etching. In the detection of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, SERS enhancement factors of the order of 105 was achieved. This SERS enhancement increased as the size of the split gap decrease as a consequence of the matching between the resonance wavelength of the SRRs and the excitation wavelength of SERS. As the size of the split gap decreased, the localized surface plasmon resonance shifted to near the excitation wavelength and, thus, resulted in the increase in the electric field on the nanostructures. We used finite integration method (FIT) to simulate numerically the electromagnetic properties of the SRRs. The results of the simulation agreed well with our experimental observations. We anticipate this work will provide an approach to manipulate the SERS enhancement by modulating the size of split gap with SRRs without affecting the area and structural arrangement. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Surface plasmon-enhanced two-photon excited whispering-gallery modes ultraviolet laser from Zno microwire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunpeng Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The two-photon excited UV laser with narrow line width and high Q value was obtained. The total internal reflection from the four side surfaces of the quadrilateral-ZnO microwire offered the whispering gallery mode (WGM resonant cavity. The UV emission, resonant mechanism, and laser mode characteristics were discussed in detail for this special type of micro-cavity. In addition, in order to enhance the power of the two-photon excited UV laser, the surface plasmon enhancement by the Au nanoparticles was also performed and explained well by the theory of the localized surface plasmon.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on periodic metal nanotips with tunable sharpness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linn, Nicholas C; Sun, C-H; Arya, Ajay; Jiang Peng; Jiang Bin

2009-01-01

This paper reports on a scalable bottom-up technology for producing periodic gold nanotips with tunable sharpness as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. Inverted silicon pyramidal pits, which are templated from non-close-packed colloidal crystals prepared by a spin-coating technology, are used as structural templates to replicate arrays of polymer nanopyramids with nanoscale sharp tips. The deposition of a thin layer of gold on the polymer nanopyramids leads to the formation of SERS-active substrates with a high enhancement factor (up to 10 8 ). The thickness of the deposited metal determines the sharpness of the nanotips and the resulting Raman enhancement factor. Finite-element electromagnetic modeling shows that the nanotips can significantly enhance the local electromagnetic field and the sharpness of nanotips greatly affects the SERS enhancement.

Analysis of polymer surfaces and thin-film coatings with Raman and surface enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McAnally, Gerard David

2001-01-01

This thesis investigates the potential of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for the analysis and characterisation of polymer surfaces. The Raman and SERS spectra from a PET film are presented. The SERS spectra from the related polyester PBT and from the monomer DMT are identical to PET, showing that only the aromatic signals are enhanced. Evidence from other compounds is presented to show that loss of the carbonyl stretch (1725 cm -1 ) from the spectra is due to a chemical interaction between the silver and surface carbonyl groups. The interaction of other polymer functional groups with silver is discussed. A comparison of Raman and SERS spectra collected from three faces of a single crystal shows the SERS spectra are depolarised. AFM images of the silver films used to obtain SERS are presented. They consist of regular islands of silver, fused together to form a complete film. The stability and reproducibility and of these surfaces is assessed. Band assignments for the SERS spectrum of PET are presented. A new band in the spectrum (1131 cm -1 ) is assigned to a complex vibration using a density functional calculation. Depth profiling through a polymer film on to the silver layer showed the SERS signals arise from the silver surface only. The profiles show the effects of refraction on the beam, and the adverse affect on the depth resolution. Silver films were used to obtain SERS spectra from a 40 nm thin-film coating on PET, without interference from the PET layer. The use of an azo dye probe as a marker to detect the coating is described. Finally, a novel method for the synthesis of a SERS-active vinyl-benzotriazole monomer is reported. The monomer was incorporated into a thin-film coating and the SERS spectrum obtained from the polymer. (author)

Detection of Surface-Linked Polychlorinated Biphenyls using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rindzevicius, Tomas; Barten, Jan; Vorobiev, Mikhail

2017-01-01

We present an improved procedure for analytical detection of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. A gold-capped silicon nanopillar substrate was utilized to concentrate PCB molecules within an area of high electromagnetic fields through...... formation of microsized nanopillar clusters, and consequently, so-called “hot spots” can be formed. In order to improve PCB detection limit, 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77) compounds were chemically modified with a – SCH3 (PCB77-SCH3) group. Experimental and numerical analysis of vibrational modes...

Adhesion enhancement of Al coatings on carbon/epoxy composite surfaces by atmospheric plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coulon, J.F.; Tournerie, N.; Maillard, H.

2013-01-01

Adhesion strengths between aluminium thin film coatings and manufactured carbon/epoxy composite surfaces were measured by assessing fracture tensile strengths using pull-off tests. The effect of the substrate roughness (nm to μm) of these composite surfaces on adhesion was studied by examining the surface free energies and adhesion strengths. The adhesion strengths of the coatings varied significantly. To improve the coating adhesion, each composite surface was treated with atmospheric plasma prior to deposition, which resulted in an increase in the surface free energy from approximately 40 mJ/m 2 to 70 mJ/m 2 because the plasma pretreatment led to the formation of hydrophilic C-O and C=O bonds on the composite surfaces, as demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The adhesion strengths of the coatings were enhanced for all surface roughnesses studied. In our study, the effect of mechanical adhesion due to roughness was separated from the effect of modifying the chemical bonds with plasma activation. The adhesion ability of the pure resin was relatively weak. Increasing the surface roughness largely improved the adhesion of the resin surface. Plasma treatment of the pure resin also increased the surface adhesion. Our study shows that plasma activation effectively enhances the adhesion of manufactured composites, even when the surface roughness is on the order of microns. The ageing of the surface activation was also investigated, and the results demonstrate that atmospheric plasma has potential for use in the pretreatment of composite materials.

Surface Reconstruction and Image Enhancement via $L^1$-Minimization

KAUST Repository

Dobrev, Veselin

2010-01-01

A surface reconstruction technique based on minimization of the total variation of the gradient is introduced. Convergence of the method is established, and an interior-point algorithm solving the associated linear programming problem is introduced. The reconstruction algorithm is illustrated on various test cases including natural and urban terrain data, and enhancement oflow-resolution or aliased images. Copyright © by SIAM.

A rapid one-step radiometric assay for hepatitis B surface antigen utilising monoclonal antibodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodall, A.H.; Meek, F.L.; Waters, J.A.; Miescher, G.C.; Janossy, G.; Thomas, H.C.

1982-01-01

A two-site antigen assay for HBsAg has been developed that employs 3 monoclonal antibodies. The antibodies were selected for their high affinity and their particular epitope specificity to establish an assay with a sensitivity for the antigen comparable with that of a conventional assay with heterologous antisera. In addition, by selecting a monoclonal antibody for use as a tracer which does not compete for antigenic binding sites with the solid-phase monoclonal antibodies, it has been possible to perform a two-site assay in a single 1 h incubation step, achieving the same degree of sensitivity. This principle of using monoclonal antibodies in a one-step assay therefore gives advantages of speed and simplicity over assays using heterologous antisera and would be applicable to a variety of antigen assays for which appropriate monoclonal antibodies are available. (Auth.)

Comparison of Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering Spectra of Two Kinds of Silver Nanoplate Films

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

TAO Jin-long; TANG Bin; XU Shu-ping; PAN Ling-yun; XU Wei-qing

2012-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS) spectra of different silver nanoplate self-assembled films at different excitation wavelengths were fairly compared.Shape conversion from silver nanoprisms to nanodisks on slides was in situ carried out.The SERS spectra of 4-mercaptopyridine(4-MPY) on these anisotropic silver nanoparticle self-assembled films present that strong enhancement appeared when the excitation line and the surface plasmon resonance(SPR) band of silver substrate overlapped.In this model,the influence of the crystal planes of silver nanoplates on SERS enhancement could be ignored because the basal planes were nearly unchanged in two kinds of silver nanoplate self-assembled films.

Tuneable surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy hyphenated to chemically derivatized thin-layer chromatography plates for screening histamine in fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Zhengjun; Wang, Yang; Chen, Yisheng; Xu, Xueming; Jin, Zhengyu; Ding, Yunlian; Yang, Na; Wu, Fengfeng

2017-09-01

Reliable screening of histamine in fish was of urgent importance for food safety. This work presented a highly selective surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method mediated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), which was tailored for identification and quantitation of histamine. Following separation and derivatization with fluram, plates were assayed with SERS, jointly using silver nanoparticle and NaCl. The latter dramatically suppressed the masking effect caused by excessive fluram throughout the plate, thus offering clear baseline and intensive Raman fingerprints specific to the analyte. Under optimized conditions, the usability of this method was validated by identifying the structural fingerprints of both targeted and unknown compounds in fish samples. Meanwhile, the quantitative results of this method agreed with those by an HPLC method officially suggested by EU for histamine determination. Showing remarkable cost-efficiency and user-friendliness, this facile TLC-SERS method was indeed screening-oriented and may be more attractive to controlling laboratories of limited resource. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aminopropyltriethoxysilane-mediated surface functionalization of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro toxicity assay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang S

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Shige Wang1, Shihui Wen2, Mingwu Shen2, Rui Guo2, Xueyan Cao2, Jianhua Wang3, Xiangyang Shi1,2,41State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, 2College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 3Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China; 4Centro de Química da Madeira, Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, Funchal, PortugalBackground: We report on aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS-mediated surface modification of nanohydroxyapatite with different surface functional groups for potential biomedical applications. In this study, nanohydroxyapatite covalently linked with APTS (n-HA-APTS was reacted with acetic anhydride or succinic anhydride to produce neutralized (n-HA-APTS.Ac or negatively charged (n-HA-APTS.SAH nanohydroxyapatite, respectively. Nanohydroxyapatite formed with amine, acetyl, and carboxyl groups was extensively characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, and zeta potential measurements.Results: In vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay revealed that the slight toxicity of the amine-functionalized n-HA-APTS could be eliminated by post-functionalization of APTS amines to form acetyl and carboxyl groups. Blood compatibility assessment demonstrated that the negligible hemolytic activity of the pristine nanohydroxyapatite particles did not appreciably change after APTS-mediated surface functionalization.Conclusion: APTS-mediated functionalization of nanohydroxyapatite with different surface groups may be useful for further functionalization of nanohydroxyapatite with biologically active materials, thereby providing possibilities for a broad range of

Laser writing of single-crystalline gold substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Astha; Sharma, Geeta; Ranjan, Neeraj; Mittholiya, Kshitij; Bhatnagar, Anuj; Singh, B. P.; Mathur, Deepak; Vasa, Parinda

2017-07-01

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, a powerful contemporary tool for studying low-concentration analytes via surface plasmon induced enhancement of local electric field, is of utility in biochemistry, material science, threat detection, and environmental studies. We have developed a simple, fast, scalable, and relatively low-cost optical method of fabricating and characterizing large-area, reusable and broadband SERS substrates with long storage lifetime. We use tightly focused, intense infra-red laser pulses to write gratings on single-crystalline, Au (1 1 1) gold films on mica which act as SERS substrates. Our single-crystalline SERS substrates compare favourably, in terms of surface quality and roughness, to those fabricated in poly-crystalline Au films. Tests show that our SERS substrates have the potential of detecting urea and 1,10-phenantroline adulterants in milk and water, respectively, at 0.01 ppm (or lower) concentrations.

Development of a paper-based vertical flow SERS assay for citrulline detection using aptamer-conjugated gold nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Andrea; Deutz, Nicolaas; Coté, Gerard

2018-02-01

Research toward development of point-of-care (POC) technologies is emerging as a means for diagnosis and monitoring of patients outside the hospital. These POC devices typically utilize assays capable of detecting low level biomarkers indicative of specific diseases. L-citrulline, an α-amino acid produced in the intestinal mucosa cells, is one such biomarker typically found circulating within the plasma at physiological concentrations of 40 μM. Researchers have found that intestinal enterocyte malfunction causes its level to be significantly lowered, establishing it as a potential diagnostic biomarker for gut function. Our research group has proposed the development of a surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based assay, using vertical flow paper fluidics, for citrulline detection. The assay consists of a fluorescently active, Raman reporter labeled aptamer conjugated on gold nanoparticles. The aptamer changes its confirmation on binding to its target, which in turn changes the distance between the Raman active molecule and the nanoparticle surface. These particles were embedded within a portable chip consisting of cellulose-based paper. After the chips were loaded with different concentrations of free L-citrulline in phosphate buffer, time was given for the assay to interact with the sample. A handheld Raman spectrometer (638 nm; Ocean Optics) was used to measure the SERS intensity. Results showed decrease in intensity with increasing concentration of L-citrulline (0-50μM).

Giant enhancement of sum-frequency yield by surface-plasmon excitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Ham, E. W. M.; Vrehen, Q. H. F.; Eliel, E. R.; Yakovlev, V. A.; Valieva, E. V.; Kuzik, L. A.; Petrov, J. E.; Sychugov, V. A.; van der Meer, A. F. G.

1999-01-01

We show experimentally that the radiation generated in infrared-visible sum-frequency mixing at an air-silver interface can be greatly enhanced when the visible input beam excites a surface plasmon-polariton at the interface. With either a prism or a grating used to couple the visible radiation with

Horizontal silicon nanowires for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Gebavi, Hrvoje; Ristić, Davor; Baran, Nikola; Mikac, Lara; Mohaček-Grošev, Vlasta; Gotić, Marijan; Šikić, Mile; Ivanda, Mile

2018-01-01

The main purpose of this paper is to focus on details of the fabrication process of horizontally and vertically oriented silicon nanowires (SiNWs) substrates for the application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The fabrication process is based on the vapor-liquid-solid method and electroless-assisted chemical etching, which, as the major benefit, resulting in the development of economical, easy-to-prepare SERS substrates. Furthermore, we examined the fabrication of Au coated Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on the SiNWs substrates in such a way as to diminish the influence of silver NPs corrosion, which, in turn, enhanced the SERS time stability, thus allowing for wider commercial applications. The substances on which high SERS sensitivity was proved are rhodamine (R6G) and 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA), with the detection limits of 10-8 M and 10-6 M, respectively.

Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW-Enhanced Chemical Functionalization of Gold Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gina Greco

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Surface chemical and biochemical functionalization is a fundamental process that is widely applied in many fields to add new functions, features, or capabilities to a material’s surface. Here, we demonstrate that surface acoustic waves (SAWs can enhance the chemical functionalization of gold films. This is shown by using an integrated biochip composed by a microfluidic channel coupled to a surface plasmon resonance (SPR readout system and by monitoring the adhesion of biotin-thiol on the gold SPR areas in different conditions. In the case of SAW-induced streaming, the functionalization efficiency is improved ≈ 5 times with respect to the case without SAWs. The technology here proposed can be easily applied to a wide variety of biological systems (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids and devices (e.g., sensors, devices for cell cultures.

Spectrally enhanced image resolution of tooth enamel surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liang; Nelson, Leonard Y.; Berg, Joel H.; Seibel, Eric J.

2012-01-01

Short-wavelength 405 nm laser illumination of surface dental enamel using an ultrathin scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) produced enhanced detail of dental topography. The surfaces of human extracted teeth and artificial erosions were imaged with 405 nm, 444 nm, 532 nm, or 635 nm illumination lasers. The obtained images were then processed offline to compensate for any differences in the illumination beam diameters between the different lasers. Scattering and absorption coefficients for a Monte Carlo model of light propagation in dental enamel for 405 nm were scaled from published data at 532 nm and 633 nm. The value of the scattering coefficient used in the model was scaled from the coefficients at 532 nm and 633 nm by the inverse third power of wavelength. Simulations showed that the penetration depth of short-wavelength illumination is localized close to the enamel surface, while long-wavelength illumination travels much further and is backscattered from greater depths. Therefore, images obtained using short wavelength laser are not contaminated by the superposition of light reflected from enamel tissue at greater depths. Hence, the SFE with short-wavelength illumination may make it possible to visualize surface manifestations of phenomena such as demineralization, thus better aiding the clinician in the detection of early caries.

Resonance Raman Optical Activity and Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Optical Activity analysis of Cytochrome C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johannessen, Christian; Abdali, Salim; White, Peter C.

2007-01-01

High quality Resonance Raman (RR) and resonance Raman Optical Activity (ROA) spectra of cytochrome c were obtained in order to perform full assignment of spectral features of the resonance ROA spectrum. The resonance ROA spectrum of cytochrome c revealed a distinct spectral signature pattern due...... to resonance enhanced skeletal porphyrin vibrations, more pronounced than any contribution from the protein back-bone. Combining the intrinsic resonance enhancement of cytochrome c with surface plasmon enhancement by colloidal silver particles, the Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering (SERRS) and Chiral...... Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (ChERS) spectra of the protein were successfully obtained at very low concentration (as low as 1 µM). The assignment of spectral features was based on the information obtained from the RR and resonance ROA spectra. Excellent agreement between RR and SERRS spectra is reported...

Active screen plasma nitriding enhances cell attachment to polymer surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaklamani, Georgia; Bowen, James; Mehrban, Nazia; Dong, Hanshan; Grover, Liam M.; Stamboulis, Artemis

2013-01-01

Active screen plasma nitriding (ASPN) is a well-established technique used for the surface modification of materials, the result of which is often a product with enhanced functional performance. Here we report the modification of the chemical and mechanical properties of ultra-high molecular weight poly(ethylene) (UHMWPE) using 80:20 (v/v) N 2 /H 2 ASPN, followed by growth of 3T3 fibroblasts on the treated and untreated polymer surfaces. ASPN-treated UHMWPE showed extensive fibroblast attachment within 3 h of seeding, whereas fibroblasts did not successfully attach to untreated UHMWPE. Fibroblast-coated surfaces were maintained for up to 28 days, monitoring their metabolic activity and morphology throughout. The chemical properties of the ASPN-treated UHMWPE surface were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, revealing the presence of C-N, C=N, and C≡N chemical bonds. The elastic modulus, surface topography, and adhesion properties of the ASPN-treated UHMWPE surface were studied over 28 days during sample storage under ambient conditions and during immersion in two commonly used cell culture media.

Environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behzadi, Abed; Mohammadi, Aliasghar

2016-01-01

Environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles are colloidal nanoparticles coated with, at least, two physicochemically distinct surface groups. Recent advances in the synthesis and production of nanoparticles have enabled the production of environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface groups. These nanoparticles act like colloidal surfactants. In this paper, environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles are synthesized and used for enhancement of oil recovery. For this purpose, silica nanoparticles are coated with polyethylene glycol chains as hydrophilic agent and propyl chains as hydrophobic agent at various quantities, and their ability to modulate oil–water interface properties and oil recovery is examined. Oil–water interfacial tension and water surface tension are decreased by 50 % in the presence of silica nanoparticles coated with both agents. Measuring oil-drop contact angle on oil-wetted glass slides and carbonate rock sections, after aging in various surface-modified silica nanofluids, indicates that the wettability of various oil-wetted surfaces is modified from strongly oil-wet to water-wet. Flooding nanofluids to glass micro-models and pore-level investigations demonstrate that surface modification of silica nanoparticles, specially, with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents improves considerably their performance in increasing oil recovery and wettability alteration.

Environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behzadi, Abed; Mohammadi, Aliasghar, E-mail: amohammadi@sharif.edu [Sharif University of Technology, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-09-15

Environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles are colloidal nanoparticles coated with, at least, two physicochemically distinct surface groups. Recent advances in the synthesis and production of nanoparticles have enabled the production of environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface groups. These nanoparticles act like colloidal surfactants. In this paper, environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles are synthesized and used for enhancement of oil recovery. For this purpose, silica nanoparticles are coated with polyethylene glycol chains as hydrophilic agent and propyl chains as hydrophobic agent at various quantities, and their ability to modulate oil–water interface properties and oil recovery is examined. Oil–water interfacial tension and water surface tension are decreased by 50 % in the presence of silica nanoparticles coated with both agents. Measuring oil-drop contact angle on oil-wetted glass slides and carbonate rock sections, after aging in various surface-modified silica nanofluids, indicates that the wettability of various oil-wetted surfaces is modified from strongly oil-wet to water-wet. Flooding nanofluids to glass micro-models and pore-level investigations demonstrate that surface modification of silica nanoparticles, specially, with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents improves considerably their performance in increasing oil recovery and wettability alteration.

Application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for cleaning verification in pharmaceutical manufacture.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrigan, Damion K; Cauchi, Michael; Piletsky, Sergey; Mccrossen, Sean

2009-01-01

Cleaning verification is the process by which pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment is determined as sufficiently clean to allow manufacture to continue. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a very sensitive spectroscopic technique capable of detection at levels appropriate for cleaning verification. In this paper, commercially available Klarite SERS substrates were employed in order to obtain the necessary enhancement of signal for the identification of chemical species at concentrations of 1 to 10 ng/cm2, which are relevant to cleaning verification. The SERS approach was combined with principal component analysis in the identification of drug compounds recovered from a contaminated steel surface.

Quantitative and Label-Free Detection of Protein Kinase A Activity Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with Gold Nanostars.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Shuai; Kyaw, Yi Mon Ei; Tan, Eddie Khay Ming; Bekale, Laurent; Kang, Malvin Wei Cherng; Kim, Susana Soo-Yeon; Tan, Ivan; Lam, Kong-Peng; Kah, James Chen Yong

2018-04-26

The activity of extracellular protein kinase A (PKA) is known to be a biomarker for cancer. However, conventional PKA assays based on colorimetric, radioactive, and fluorometric techniques suffer from intensive labeling-related preparations, background interference, photobleaching, and safety concerns. While surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based assays have been developed for various enzymes to address these limitations, their use in probing PKA activity is limited due to subtle changes in the Raman spectrum with phosphorylation. Here, we developed a robust colloidal SERS-based scheme for label-free quantitative measurement of PKA activity using gold nanostars (AuNS) as a SERS substrate functionalized with bovine serum albumin (BSA)-kemptide (Kem) bioconjugate (AuNS-BSA-Kem), where BSA conferred colloidal stability and Kem is a high-affinity peptide substrate for PKA. By performing principle component analysis (PCA) on the SERS spectrum, we identified two Raman peaks at 725 and 1395 cm -1 , whose ratiometric intensity change provided a quantitative measure of Kem phosphorylation by PKA in vitro and allowed us to distinguish MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells known to overexpress extracellular PKA catalytic subunits from noncancerous human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) based on their PKA activity in cell culture supernatant. The outcome demonstrated potential application of AuNS-BSA-Kem as a SERS probe for cancer screening based on PKA activity.

Gold Nanostructures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Prepared by Electrodeposition in Porous Silicon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yukio H. Ogata

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Electrodeposition of gold into porous silicon was investigated. In the present study, porous silicon with ~100 nm in pore diameter, so-called medium-sized pores, was used as template electrode for gold electrodeposition. The growth behavior of gold deposits was studied by scanning electron microscope observation of the gold deposited porous silicon. Gold nanorod arrays with different rod lengths were prepared, and their surface-enhanced Raman scattering properties were investigated. We found that the absorption peak due to the surface plasmon resonance can be tuned by changing the length of the nanorods. The optimum length of the gold nanorods was ~600 nm for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using a He-Ne laser. The reason why the optimum length of the gold nanorods was 600 nm was discussed by considering the relationship between the absorption peak of surface plasmon resonance and the wavelength of the incident laser for Raman scattering.

Development of a Surface Plasmon Resonance Assay for the Characterization of Small-Molecule Binding Kinetics and Mechanism of Binding to Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase.

Science.gov (United States)

Poda, Suresh B; Kobayashi, Masakazu; Nachane, Ruta; Menon, Veena; Gandhi, Adarsh S; Budac, David P; Li, Guiying; Campbell, Brian M; Tagmose, Lena

2015-10-01

Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), a pivotal enzyme in the kynurenine pathway, was identified as a potential therapeutic target for treating neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. In this article, we describe a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay that delivers both kinetics and the mechanism of binding (MoB) data, enabling a detailed characterization of KMO inhibitors for the enzyme in real time. SPR assay development included optimization of the protein construct and the buffer conditions. The stability and inhibitor binding activity of the immobilized KMO were significantly improved when the experiments were performed at 10°C using a buffer containing 0.05% n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) as the detergent. The KD values of the known KMO inhibitors (UPF648 and RO61-8048) from the SPR assay were in good accordance with the biochemical LC/MS/MS assay. Also, the SPR assay was able to differentiate the binding kinetics (k(a) and k(d)) of the selected unknown KMO inhibitors. For example, the inhibitors that showed comparable IC50 values in the LC/MS/MS assay displayed differences in their residence time (τ = 1/k(d)) in the SPR assay. To better define the MoB of the inhibitors to KMO, an SPR-based competition assay was developed, which demonstrated that both UPF648 and RO61-8048 bound to the substrate-binding site. These results demonstrate the potential of the SPR assay for characterizing the affinity, the kinetics, and the MoB profiles of the KMO inhibitors.

Formation of gold nanorods and gold nanorod films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trotsyuk, L.L.; Kulakovich, O.S.; Shabunya-Klyachkovskaya, E.V.; Gaponenko, S.V.; Vashchenko, S.V.

2016-01-01

The formation of gold nanorods as well as thin films prepared via electrostatic deposition of gold nanorods has been investigated. The obtained gold nanorods films have been used as substrates for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering analysis of sulfur-free organic molecules mitoxantrone and malachite green as well as inorganic malachite microcrystals for the first time. The additional modification of films with L-cysteine allows one to significantly extend the use of gold nanorods for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering analysis. (authors)

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from graphene covered gold nanocap arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Kailin; Luo, Xiaoguang; Nan, Haiyan; Du, Deyang; Zhao, Weiwei; Ni, Zhenhua; Qiu, Teng

2013-11-01

This work reports an efficient method to fabricate large-area flexible substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) application. Our technique is based on a single-step direct imprint process via porous anodic alumina stamps. Periodic hexagonal arrangements of porous anodic alumina stamps are transferred to the polyethylene terephthalate substrates by mechanically printing process. Printed nanocaps will turn into "hot spots" for electromagnetic enhancement with a deposited gold film by high vacuum evaporation. The gaps between the nanocaps are controllable with a tight correspondence to the thickness of the deposited gold, which dramatically influence the enhancement factor. After covered with a single-layer graphene sheet, the gold nanocap substrate can be further optimized with an extra enhancement of Raman signals, and it is available for the trace detection of probe molecules. This convenient, simple, and low-cost method of making flexible SERS-active substrates potentially opens a way towards biochemical analysis and disease detection.

Controlling surface adsorption to enhance the selectivity of porphyrin based gas sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evyapan, M., E-mail: mevyapan@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of Balikesir, Balikesir, 10145 (Turkey); Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Building, S1 3JD (United Kingdom); Dunbar, A.D.F. [Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Building, S1 3JD (United Kingdom)

2016-01-30

Graphical abstract: The enhancement in the selectivity of the vapor sensing properties of free base porphyrin by controlling the size of the pores in the surface structure was carried out. It can be used as a size selective surface layer which limits the diffusion of analyte molecules into the sensor and in extreme cases stopping the diffusion completely. - Highlights: • Surface of a thin film takes and important part for its sensing characteristics. • A systematic surface modification was carried out in order to control the vapor accessibility. • Size dependant surfaces were fabricated. • Vapor diffusion through into thin film was controlled by modifying the surface structure. • Remarkable quantitative results showed the control on selectivity of the sensor by controlling the surface. - Abstract: This study reports an enhancement in the selectivity of the vapor sensing properties of free base porphyrin 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[3,4-bis(2-ethylhexyloxy)phenyl]-21H,23H-porphine (EHO) Langmuir–Schaefer (LS) films. These sensors respond by changing color upon adsorption of the analyte gas to the sensor surface. The enhanced selectivity is achieved by adding selective barrier layers of 4-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene, 4-tert-Butylcalix[6]arene and 4-tert-Butylcalix[8]arene embedded in PMMA (Poly(methyl methacrylate)) on top of the porphyrin sensor films to control the gaseous adsorption onto the sensor surface. The Langmuir properties of EHO, PMMA and calix[n]arene monolayers were investigated by surface pressure–area (Π–A) isotherms in order to determine the most efficient transfer pressure. Six layer EHO films were transferred onto glass and silicon substrates to investigate their optical and structural characteristics. The three different calix[n]arenes were embedded within PMMA layers to act as the selective barrier layers which were deposited on top of the six layer EHO films. The different calix[n]arene molecules vary in size and each was mixed with PMMA in

Surface-Passivated AlGaN Nanowires for Enhanced Luminescence of Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes

KAUST Repository

Sun, Haiding

2017-12-19

Spontaneously-grown, self-aligned AlGaN nanowire ultraviolet light emitting diodes still suffer from low efficiency partially because of the strong surface recombination caused by surface states, i.e., oxidized surface and high density surface states. Several surface passivation methods have been introduced to reduce surface non-radiative recombination by using complex and toxic chemicals. Here, we present an effective method to suppress such undesirable surface recombination of the AlGaN nanowires via diluted potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution; a commonly used chemical process in semiconductor fabrication which is barely used as surface passivation solution in self-assembled nitride-based nanowires. The transmission electron microscopy investigation on the samples reveals almost intact nanowire structures after the passivation process. We demonstrated an approximately 49.7% enhancement in the ultraviolet light output power after 30-s KOH treatment on AlGaN nanowires grown on titanium-coated silicon substrates. We attribute such a remarkable enhancement to the removal of the surface dangling bonds and oxidized nitrides (Ga-O or Al-O bonds) at the surface as we observe the change of the carrier lifetime before and after the passivation. Thus, our results highlight the possibility of employing this process for the realization of high performance nanowire UV emitters.

Thermal performance enhancement of erythritol/carbon foam composites via surface modification of carbon foam

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Junfeng; Lu, Wu; Luo, Zhengping; Zeng, Yibing

2017-03-01

The thermal performance of the erythritol/carbon foam composites, including thermal diffusivity, thermal capacity, thermal conductivity and latent heat, were investigated via surface modification of carbon foam using hydrogen peroxide as oxider. It was found that the surface modification enhanced the wetting ability of carbon foam surface to the liquid erythritol of the carbon foam surface and promoted the increase of erythritol content in the erythritol/carbon foam composites. The dense interfaces were formed between erythritol and carbon foam, which is due to that the formation of oxygen functional groups C=O and C-OH on the carbon surface increased the surface polarity and reduced the interface resistance of carbon foam surface to the liquid erythritol. The latent heat of the erythritol/carbon foam composites increased from 202.0 to 217.2 J/g through surface modification of carbon foam. The thermal conductivity of the erythritol/carbon foam composite before and after surface modification further increased from 40.35 to 51.05 W/(m·K). The supercooling degree of erythritol also had a large decrease from 97 to 54 °C. Additionally, the simple and effective surface modification method of carbon foam provided an extendable way to enhance the thermal performances of the composites composed of carbon foams and PCMs.

SU-E-T-44: Angular Dependence of Surface Dose Enhancement Measured On Several Inhomogeneities Using Radiochromic EBT3 Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, A; Schoenfeld, A; Poppinga, D; Chofor, N; Poppe, B

2014-01-01

Purpose: The quantification of the relative surface dose enhancement in dependence on the angle of incidence and the atomic number Z of the surface material. Methods: Experiments were performed with slabs made of aluminum, titanium, copper, silver, dental gold and lead. The metal slabs with equal sizes of 1.0×8.0×8.8mm 3 were embedded in an Octavius 4D phantom (PTW Freiburg, Germany). Radiochromic EBT3 films were used to measure the surface dose for angles of incidence ranging from 0° to 90°. The setup with the metals slabs at the isocenter was irradiated with acceleration voltages of 6MV and 10MV. Water reference measurements were taken under equal conditions. Results: The surface dose enhancement is highest for angles of incidence below 30° and drops significantly for higher. The surface dose enhancement produced by lead and dental gold at 6MV showed a peak of 65%. At 90°, the surface dose enhancement dropped to 15% for both materials. The surface dose enhancements for silver, copper, titanium and aluminum were 45%, 32%, 22% and 12% at 0°, respectively. At an angle of incidence of 80°, the values dropped to 22%, 18%, 12% und 6%. The values for 10MV were very similar. Lead and dental gold showed peaks of 65% und 60%. Their values dropped to 18% at an angle of 90°. The surface dose enhancements for silver, copper, titanium and aluminum were 45%, 30%, 20% and 8% at 0°. At 80° the values dropped to 30%, 20%, 12% and 5%. A dependence of the magnitude of the surface dose enhancement on the atomic number of the surface material can be seen, which is in consistence with literature. Conclusion: The results show that the surface dose enhancements near implant materials with high Z-values should be taken into consideration in radio therapy, even when the angle of incidence is flat

Enhanced biogenic emissions of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide following surface biomass burning

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Iris C.; Levine, Joel S.; Poth, Mark A.; Riggan, Philip J.

1988-01-01

Recent measurements indicate significantly enhanced biogenic soil emissions of both nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N2O) following surface burning. These enhanced fluxes persisted for at least six months following the burn. Simultaneous measurements indicate enhanced levels of exchangeable ammonium in the soil following the burn. Biomass burning is known to be an instantaneous source of NO and N2O resulting from high-temperature combustion. Now it is found that biomass burning also results in significantly enhanced biogenic emissions of these gases, which persist for months following the burn.

Bone surface enhancement in ultrasound images using a new Doppler-based acquisition/processing method

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xu; Tang, Songyuan; Tasciotti, Ennio; Righetti, Raffaella

2018-01-01

Ultrasound (US) imaging has long been considered as a potential aid in orthopedic surgeries. US technologies are safe, portable and do not use radiations. This would make them a desirable tool for real-time assessment of fractures and to monitor fracture healing. However, image quality of US imaging methods in bone applications is limited by speckle, attenuation, shadow, multiple reflections and other imaging artifacts. While bone surfaces typically appear in US images as somewhat ‘brighter’ than soft tissue, they are often not easily distinguishable from the surrounding tissue. Therefore, US imaging methods aimed at segmenting bone surfaces need enhancement in image contrast prior to segmentation to improve the quality of the detected bone surface. In this paper, we present a novel acquisition/processing technique for bone surface enhancement in US images. Inspired by elastography and Doppler imaging methods, this technique takes advantage of the difference between the mechanical and acoustic properties of bones and those of soft tissues to make the bone surface more easily distinguishable in US images. The objective of this technique is to facilitate US-based bone segmentation methods and improve the accuracy of their outcomes. The newly proposed technique is tested both in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results of these preliminary experiments suggest that the use of the proposed technique has the potential to significantly enhance the detectability of bone surfaces in noisy ultrasound images.

Bone surface enhancement in ultrasound images using a new Doppler-based acquisition/processing method.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xu; Tang, Songyuan; Tasciotti, Ennio; Righetti, Raffaella

2018-01-17

Ultrasound (US) imaging has long been considered as a potential aid in orthopedic surgeries. US technologies are safe, portable and do not use radiations. This would make them a desirable tool for real-time assessment of fractures and to monitor fracture healing. However, image quality of US imaging methods in bone applications is limited by speckle, attenuation, shadow, multiple reflections and other imaging artifacts. While bone surfaces typically appear in US images as somewhat 'brighter' than soft tissue, they are often not easily distinguishable from the surrounding tissue. Therefore, US imaging methods aimed at segmenting bone surfaces need enhancement in image contrast prior to segmentation to improve the quality of the detected bone surface. In this paper, we present a novel acquisition/processing technique for bone surface enhancement in US images. Inspired by elastography and Doppler imaging methods, this technique takes advantage of the difference between the mechanical and acoustic properties of bones and those of soft tissues to make the bone surface more easily distinguishable in US images. The objective of this technique is to facilitate US-based bone segmentation methods and improve the accuracy of their outcomes. The newly proposed technique is tested both in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results of these preliminary experiments suggest that the use of the proposed technique has the potential to significantly enhance the detectability of bone surfaces in noisy ultrasound images.

Evaluation of different toxicity assays applied to proliferating cells and to stratified epithelium in relation to permeability enhancement with glycocholate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eirheim, Heidi Ugelstad; Bundgaard, Christoffer; Nielsen, Hanne Mørck

2004-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate different toxicity assays for use on proliferating buccal TR146 cells and on stratified TR146 epithelium and to compare these results to the permeability enhancing effect of glycocholate (GC). Both the proliferating cells and the epithelium were...... across the epithelium concurrent with a decrease in the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was also determined. The robustness of the epithelium was significantly higher than that of the proliferating cells (P...

Surface enhanced raman spectroscopy analytical, biophysical and life science applications

CERN Document Server

Schlücker, Sebastian

2013-01-01

Covering everything from the basic theoretical and practical knowledge to new exciting developments in the field with a focus on analytical and life science applications, this monograph shows how to apply surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for solving real world problems. From the contents: * Theory and practice of SERS * Analytical applications * SERS combined with other analytical techniques * Biophysical applications * Life science applications including various microscopies Aimed at analytical, surface and medicinal chemists, spectroscopists, biophysicists and materials scientists. Includes a Foreword by the renowned Raman spectroscopist Professor Wolfgang Kiefer, the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy.

Surface reactivity measurements as required for grouping and read-across: An advanced FRAS protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gandon, Arnaud; Werle, Kai; Neubauer, Nicole; Wohlleben, Wendel

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress is a widely accepted paradigm associated with different adverse outcomes of particulate matter, including nanomaterials. It has frequently been identified in in vitro and in vivo studies and different assays have been developed for this purpose. Here we describe a newly developed multi-dose protocol of the FRAS assay (Ferric Reduction Ability of Serum). The purpose of this SOP is the measurement of the surface reactivity of nanomaterials under physiological conditions. Antioxidative components as present in human blood serum (HBS) serve as reporter molecules. The assay separates the oxidative damage from the read-out of the reporter molecules. The results show significantly enhanced repeatability with better sensitivity towards low reactivity, enabling application of FRAS both to a rough grouping by reactive vs. passive nanomaterials and further to substantiation of read-across by enhanced resolution of the similarity between different nanoforms of the same substance. (paper)

Surface reactivity measurements as required for grouping and read-across: An advanced FRAS protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Gandon, Arnaud; Werle, Kai; Neubauer, Nicole; Wohlleben, Wendel

2017-06-01

Oxidative stress is a widely accepted paradigm associated with different adverse outcomes of particulate matter, including nanomaterials. It has frequently been identified in in vitro and in vivo studies and different assays have been developed for this purpose. Here we describe a newly developed multi-dose protocol of the FRAS assay (Ferric Reduction Ability of Serum). The purpose of this SOP is the measurement of the surface reactivity of nanomaterials under physiological conditions. Antioxidative components as present in human blood serum (HBS) serve as reporter molecules. The assay separates the oxidative damage from the read-out of the reporter molecules. The results show significantly enhanced repeatability with better sensitivity towards low reactivity, enabling application of FRAS both to a rough grouping by reactive vs. passive nanomaterials and further to substantiation of read-across by enhanced resolution of the similarity between different nanoforms of the same substance.

Surface modification of thermoplastic poly(vinyl alcohol)/saponite nanocomposites via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization enhanced by air dielectric discharges barrier plasma treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhen Weijun; Lu Canhui

2012-01-01

To improve the water resistance of thermoplastic poly(vinyl alcohol)/saponite nanocomposites (TPVA), a simple two-step method was developed for the covalent immobilization of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiators on the TPVA surfaces enhanced by air dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) plasma treatment, and hydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) brushes were then grafted onto the surface of TPVA via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). The chemical composition, morphology and hydrophobicity of the modified TPVA surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The water resistance of the surface-functionalized PMMA was evaluated by the contact angle and water adsorption method. It was shown that air DBD plasma treatment activated the TPVA surface and accelerated the immobilization of ATRP initiator on the TPVA surface. Compared with TPVA control, TPVA modified by SI-ATRP can be grafted well-defined and covalently tethered network PMMA brushes onto the surface and the hydrophobicity of TPVA were significantly enhanced.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy: A review of recent applications in forensic science

Science.gov (United States)

Fikiet, Marisia A.; Khandasammy, Shelby R.; Mistek, Ewelina; Ahmed, Yasmine; Halámková, Lenka; Bueno, Justin; Lednev, Igor K.

2018-05-01

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy has many advantages over its parent technique of Raman spectroscopy. Some of these advantages such as increased sensitivity and selectivity and therefore the possibility of small sample sizes and detection of small concentrations are invaluable in the field of forensics. A variety of new SERS surfaces and novel approaches are presented here on a wide range of forensically relevant topics.

Towards convective heat transfer enhancement: surface modification, characterization and measurement techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Taha, T.J.; Thakur, D.B.; van der Meer, Theodorus H.

2012-01-01

In this work, heat transfer surface modification and heat transfer measurement technique is developed. Heat transfer investigation was aimed to study the effect of carbon nano fibers (extremely high thermal conductive material) on the enhancement level in heat transfer. Synthesis of these carbon

A surface plasmon resonance assay for characterisation and epitope mapping of anti-GLP-1 antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomsen, Lasse; Gurevich, Leonid

2018-04-19

The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has been subject to substantial pharmaceutical research regarding the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, quantification of GLP-1 levels remains complicated due to the low circulation concentration and concurrent existence of numerous metabolites, homologous peptides, and potentially introduced GLP-1 receptor agonists. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) facilitates real-time monitoring allowing a more detailed characterisation of the interaction compared with conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). In this paper, we describe the development of the first SPR assays for characterisation of anti-GLP-1 antibodies for ELISA purposes. Binding responses were obtained on covalently immobilised anti-GLP-1 antibodies at 12°C, 25°C, and 40°C and fitted to a biomolecular (1:1) interaction model showing association rates of 1.01 × 10 3 to 4.54 × 10 3  M -1  s -1 and dissociation rates of 3.56 × 10 -5 to 1.56 × 10 -3  s -1 leading to affinities of 35.2 to 344 nM, depending on the temperature. Determination of thermodynamic properties revealed an enthalpy driven interaction (ΔH polar amino acids (ΔC p  < 0). Pair-wise epitope mapping was performed on captured anti-GLP-1 antibodies followed by subsequent interaction with GLP-1 (7-36) and other anti-GLP-1 antibodies. A global evaluation of every binding response led to an epitope map elucidating the potential of various anti-GLP-1 antibody pairs for sandwich ELISA and hence pinpointing the optimal antibody combinations. The SPR assays proved capable of providing vital information for ELISA development endorsing it as a useful optimisation tool. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Employing Ti nano-powder dielectric to enhance surface characteristics in electrical discharge machining of AISI D2 steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marashi, Houriyeh, E-mail: houriyeh@marashi.co [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Center of Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Processing (AMMP), 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Sarhan, Ahmed A.D., E-mail: ah_sarhan@yahoo.com [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Center of Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Processing (AMMP), 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, Assiut 71516 (Egypt); Hamdi, Mohd [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Center of Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Processing (AMMP), 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We proposed adding Ti nano-powder to dielectric in EDM. • Average and peak-valley surface roughness was improved by 35 and 40%, respectively. • Improvement of up to 69% in material removal rate was obtained. • Enhanced surface morphology and formation of shallower craters were observed. - Abstract: Manufacturing components with superior surface characteristics is challenging when electrical discharge machining (EDM) is employed for mass production. The aim of this research is to enhance the characteristics of AISI D2 steel surface machined with EDM through adding Ti nano-powder to dielectric under various machining parameters, including discharge duration (T{sub on}) and peak current (I). Surface roughness profilometer, FESEM and AFM analysis were utilized to reveal the machined surface characteristics in terms of surface roughness, surface morphology and surface micro-defects. Moreover, EDX analysis was performed in order to evaluate the atomic deposition of Ti nano-powder on the surface. The concentration of Ti nano-powder in dielectric was also examined using ESEM and EDX. According to the results, the addition of Ti nano-powder to dielectric notably enhanced the surface morphology and surface roughness at all machining parameters except T{sub on} = 340 μs. Of these parameters, maximum enhancement was observed at T{sub on} = 210 μs, where the material removal rate and average surface roughness improved by ∼69 and ∼35% for peak current of 6 and 12 A, respectively. Elemental analysis signified negligible Ti deposition on the machined surface while the atomic concentration of Ti was increased around the crack areas.

Enhanced antibody recognition with a magneto-optic surface plasmon resonance (MO-SPR) sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Manera, Maria Grazia; Ferreiro-Vila, Elías; Garcia-Martin, José Miguel; Garcia-Martin, Antonio; Rella, Roberto

2014-08-15

A comparison between sensing performance of traditional SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance) and magneto-optic SPR (MOSPR) transducing techniques is presented in this work. MOSPR comes from an evolution of traditional SPR platform aiming at modulating Surface Plasmon wave by the application of an external magnetic field in transverse configuration. Previous work demonstrated that, when the Plasmon resonance is excited in these structures, the external magnetic field induces a modification of the coupling of the incident light with the Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPP). Besides, these structures can lead to an enhancement in the magneto-optical (MO) activity when the SPP is excited. This phenomenon is exploited in this work to demonstrate the possibility to use the enhanced MO signal as proper transducer signal for investigating biomolecular interactions in liquid phase. To this purpose, the transducer surface was functionalized by thiol chemistry and used for recording the binding between Bovine Serum Albumin molecules immobilized onto the surface and its complementary target. Higher sensing performance in terms of sensitivity and lower limit of detection of the MOSPR biosensor with respect to traditional SPR sensors is demonstrated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) fabrics for trace analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jun; Zhou, Ji; Tang, Bin; Zeng, Tian; Li, Yaling; Li, Jingliang; Ye, Yong; Wang, Xungai

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Gold nanoparticles are in-situ synthesized on silk fabrics by heating. • Flexible silk fabrics with gold nanoparticles are used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). • SERS activities of silk fabrics with different gold contents are investigated. - Abstract: Flexible SERS active substrates were prepared by modification of silk fabrics with gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles were in-situ synthesized after heating the silk fabrics immersed in gold ion solution. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of the treated silk fabrics varied as the concentration of gold ions changed, in relation to the morphologies of gold nanoparticles on silk. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to observe the structure of the gold nanoparticle treated silk fabrics. The SERS enhancement effect of the silk fabrics treated with gold nanoparticles was evaluated by collecting Raman signals of different concentrations of p-aminothiophenol (PATP), 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) and crystal violet (CV) solutions. The results demonstrate that the silk fabrics corresponding to 0.3 and 0.4 mM of gold ions possess high SERS activity compared to the other treated fabrics. It is suggested that both the gold content and morphologies of gold nanoparticles dominate the SERS effect of the treated silk fabrics.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) fabrics for trace analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jun [National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Yarn and Fabric Formation and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073 (China); Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials & Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Zhou, Ji [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials & Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Tang, Bin, E-mail: bin.tang@deakin.edu.au [National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Yarn and Fabric Formation and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073 (China); Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia); Zeng, Tian; Li, Yaling [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials & Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Li, Jingliang [Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia); Ye, Yong, E-mail: yeyong@hubu.edu.cn [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials & Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Wang, Xungai [National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Yarn and Fabric Formation and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073 (China); Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Gold nanoparticles are in-situ synthesized on silk fabrics by heating. • Flexible silk fabrics with gold nanoparticles are used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). • SERS activities of silk fabrics with different gold contents are investigated. - Abstract: Flexible SERS active substrates were prepared by modification of silk fabrics with gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles were in-situ synthesized after heating the silk fabrics immersed in gold ion solution. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of the treated silk fabrics varied as the concentration of gold ions changed, in relation to the morphologies of gold nanoparticles on silk. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to observe the structure of the gold nanoparticle treated silk fabrics. The SERS enhancement effect of the silk fabrics treated with gold nanoparticles was evaluated by collecting Raman signals of different concentrations of p-aminothiophenol (PATP), 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) and crystal violet (CV) solutions. The results demonstrate that the silk fabrics corresponding to 0.3 and 0.4 mM of gold ions possess high SERS activity compared to the other treated fabrics. It is suggested that both the gold content and morphologies of gold nanoparticles dominate the SERS effect of the treated silk fabrics.

Ultrasound enhanced plasma surface modification at atmospheric pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusano, Yukihiro; Singh, Shailendra Vikram; Norrman, Kion

2012-01-01

Efficiency of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment can be highly enhanced by simultaneous high power ultrasonic irradiation onto the treating surface. It is because ultrasonic waves with a sound pressure level (SPL) above ∼140 dB can reduce the thickness of a boundary gas layer between the plasma...... arc at atmospheric pressure to study adhesion improvement. The effect of ultrasonic irradiation with the frequency diapason between 20 and 40 kHz at the SPL of ∼150 dB was investigated. After the plasma treatment without ultrasonic irradiation, the wettability was significantly improved...

Sensitive Detection of Biomolecules by Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering using Plant Leaves as Natural Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Vipul

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Detection of biomolecules is highly important for biomedical and other biological applications. Although several methods exist for the detection of biomolecules, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS has a unique role in greatly enhancing the sensitivity. In this work, we have demonstrated the use of natural plant leaves as facile, low cost and eco-friendly SERS substrates for the sensitive detection of biomolecules. Specifically, we have investigated the influence of surface topography of five different plant leaf based substrates, deposited with Au, on the SERS performance by using L-cysteine as a model biomolecule. In addition, we have also compared the effect of sputter deposition of Au thin film with dropcast deposition of Au nanoparticles on the leaf substrates. Our results indicate that L-cysteine could be detected with high sensitivity using these plant leaf based substrates and the leaf possessing hierarchical micro/nanostructures on its surface shows higher SERS enhancement compared to a leaf having a nearplanar surface. Furthermore, leaves with drop-casted Au nanoparticle clusters performed better than the leaves sputter deposited with a thin Au film.

Surface enhanced spectroscopic investigations of adsorption of cations on electrochemical interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunwell, M; Wang, Junhua; Yan, Y; Xu, B

2017-01-04

The adsorption of alkali and tetraalkylammonium cations on Pt is investigated using surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and carbon monoxide as a probe molecule. Alkali cations exhibit a stronger adsorption than organic cations, with potassium showing the strongest effect, followed by sodium and lithium.

Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy of quinomethionate adsorbed on silver colloids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Mak Soon; Kang, Jae Soo; Park, Si Bum; Lee, Mu Sang

2003-01-01

We have studied the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) spectrum of quinomethionate (6-methyl-1,3-dithiolo(4,5-b)quinoxalin-2-one), which is an insecticide or fungicide used on vegetables and wheat. We observed no signals in the ordinary Raman spectra of solid-state quinomethionate, but when it was adsorbed on a colloidal silver surface, strong vibrational signals were obtained at a very low concentration. The SERS spectra were obtained by silver colloids prepared by the Creighton et al. method. The influence of pH and the aggregation inductors (Cl - , Br - , I - , F - ) on the adsorption mechanism was investigated. Two different adsorption mechanisms were deduced, depending on the experimental conditions: The one N atom or two N atoms are chemisorbed on an Ag surface. An important contribution of the chemical mechanism was inferred when the one N atom was perpendicularly adsorbed on a surface. It is possible that quinomethionate can be detected to about 10 -5 M

Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and electrochemically driven melting to discriminate Yersinia pestis from Y. pseudotuberculosis based on single nucleotide polymorphisms within unpurified polymerase chain reaction amplicons.

Science.gov (United States)

Papadopoulou, Evanthia; Goodchild, Sarah A; Cleary, David W; Weller, Simon A; Gale, Nittaya; Stubberfield, Michael R; Brown, Tom; Bartlett, Philip N

2015-02-03

The development of sensors for the detection of pathogen-specific DNA, including relevant species/strain level discrimination, is critical in molecular diagnostics with major impacts in areas such as bioterrorism and food safety. Herein, we use electrochemically driven denaturation assays monitored by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to target single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that distinguish DNA amplicons generated from Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, from the closely related species Y. pseudotuberculosis. Two assays targeting SNPs within the groEL and metH genes of these two species have been successfully designed. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to produce Texas Red labeled single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) amplicons of 262 and 251 bases for the groEL and metH targets, respectively. These amplicons were used in an unpurified form to hybridize to immobilized probes then subjected to electrochemically driven melting. In all cases electrochemically driven melting was able to discriminate between fully homologous DNA and that containing SNPs. The metH assay was particularly challenging due to the presence of only a single base mismatch in the middle of the 251 base long PCR amplicon. However, manipulation of assay conditions (conducting the electrochemical experiments at 10 °C) resulted in greater discrimination between the complementary and mismatched DNA. Replicate data were collected and analyzed for each duplex on different days, using different batches of PCR product and different sphere segment void (SSV) substrates. Despite the variability introduced by these differences, the assays are shown to be reliable and robust providing a new platform for strain discrimination using unpurified PCR samples.

Short-term exposure to oleandrin enhances responses to IL-8 by increasing cell surface IL-8 receptors

Science.gov (United States)

Raviprakash, Nune; Manna, Sunil Kumar

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE One of the first steps in host defence is the migration of leukocytes. IL-8 and its receptors are a chemokine system essential to such migration. Up-regulation of these receptors would be a viable strategy to treat dysfunctional host defence. Here, we studied the effects of the plant glycoside oleandrin on responses to IL-8 in a human monocytic cell line. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH U937 cells were incubated with oleandrin (1-200 ng mL−1) for either 1 h (pulse) or for 24 h (non-pulse). Apoptosis; activation of NF-κB, AP-1 and NFAT; calcineurin activity and IL-8 receptors (CXCR1 and CXCR2) were measured using Western blotting, RT-PCR and reporter gene assays. KEY RESULTS Pulse exposure to oleandrin did not induce apoptosis or cytoxicity as observed after non-pulse exposure. Pulse exposure enhanced activation of NF-κB induced by IL-8 but not that induced by TNF-α, IL-1, EGF or LPS. Exposure to other apoptosis-inducing compounds (azadirachtin, resveratrol, thiadiazolidine, or benzofuran) did not enhance activation of NF-κB. Pulse exposure to oleandrin increased expression of IL-8 receptors and chemotaxis, release of enzymes and activation of NF-κB, NFAT and AP-1 along with increased IL-8-mediated calcineurin activation, and wound healing. Pulse exposure increased numbers of cell surface IL-8 receptors. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Short-term (1 h; pulse) exposure to a toxic glycoside oleandrin, enhanced biological responses to IL-8 in monocytic cells, without cytoxicity. Pulse exposure to oleandrin could provide a viable therapy for those conditions where leukocyte migration is defective. PMID:24172227

Photoluminescence enhancement of dye-doped nanoparticles by surface plasmon resonance effects of gold colloidal nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, Viet Ha; Nghiem, Thi Ha Lien; Tran, Hong Nhung; Fort, Emmanuel

2011-01-01

Due to the energy transfer from surface plasmons, the fluorescence of fluorophores near metallic nanostructures can be enhanced. This effect has been intensively studied recently for biosensor applications. This work reports on the luminescence enhancement of 100 nm Cy3 dye-doped polystyrene nanoparticles by energy transfer from surface plasmons of gold colloidal nanoparticles with sizes of 20 and 100 nm. Optimal luminescence enhancement of the fluorophores has been observed in the mixture with 20 nm gold nanoparticles. This can be attributed to the resonance energy transfer from gold nanoparticles to the fluorophore beads. The interaction between the fluorophores and gold particles is attributed to far-field interaction

Single molecule Raman spectroscopic assay to detect transgene from GM plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadam, Ulhas S; Chavhan, Rahul L; Schulz, Burkhard; Irudayaraj, Joseph

2017-09-01

Substantial concerns have been raised for the safety of transgenics on human health and environment. Many organizations, consumer groups, and environmental agencies advocate for stringent regulations to avoid transgene products' contamination in food cycle or in nature. Here we demonstrate a novel approach using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect and quantify transgene from GM plants. We show a highly sensitive and accurate quantification of transgene DNA from multiple transgenic lines of Arabidopsis. The assay allows us to detect and quantify the transgenes as low as 0.10 pg without need for PCR-amplification. This technology is relatively cheap, quick, simple, and suitable for detection at low target concentration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Study of 4-ATP on Gold Nanoparticles for Basal Cell Carcinoma Fingerprint Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Quynh, Luu Manh; Nam, Nguyen Hoang; Kong, K.; Nhung, Nguyen Thi; Notingher, I.; Henini, M.; Luong, Nguyen Hoang

2016-05-01

The surface-enhanced Raman signals of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) attached to the surface of colloidal gold nanoparticles with size distribution of 2 to 5 nm were used as a labeling agent to detect basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin. The enhanced Raman band at 1075 cm-1 corresponding to the C-S stretching vibration in 4-ATP was observed during attachment to the surface of the gold nanoparticles. The frequency and intensity of this band did not change when the colloids were conjugated with BerEP4 antibody, which specifically binds to BCC. We show the feasibility of imaging BCC by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, scanning the 1075 cm-1 band to detect the distribution of 4-ATP-coated gold nanoparticles attached to skin tissue ex vivo.

Preparation of Plasmonic Platforms of Silver Wires on Gold Mirrors and Their Application to Surface Enhanced Fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

In this report we describe a preparation of silver wires (SWs) on gold mirrors and its application to surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) using a new methodology. Silica protected gold mirrors were drop-coated with a solution of silver triangular nanoprisms. The triangular nanoprisms were slowly air-dried to get silver wires that self-assembled on the gold mirrors. Fluorescence enhancement was studied using methyl azadioxatriangulenium chloride (Me-ADOTA·Cl) dye in PVA spin-coated on a clean glass coverslip. New Plasmonic Platforms (PPs) were assembled by placing a mirror with SWs in contact with a glass coverslip spin-coated with a uniform Me-ADOTA·Cl film. It was shown that surface enhanced fluorescence is a real phenomenon, not just an enhancement of the fluorescence signal due to an accumulation of the fluorophore on rough nanostructure surfaces. The average fluorescence enhancement was found to be about 15-fold. The lifetime of Me-ADOTA·Cl dye was significantly reduced (∼4 times) in the presence of SWs. Moreover, fluorescence enhancement and lifetime did not show any dependence on the excitation light polarization. PMID:25296293

Enhancement After Myopic Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) Using Surface Ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Siedlecki, Jakob; Luft, Nikolaus; Kook, Daniel; Wertheimer, Christian; Mayer, Wolfgang J; Bechmann, Martin; Wiltfang, Rainer; Priglinger, Siegfried G; Sekundo, Walter; Dirisamer, Martin

2017-08-01

To report the feasibility and outcomes of surface ablation after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). In this retrospective evaluation of 1,963 SMILE procedures, 43 eyes (2.2%) were re-treated at three separate clinics. Of these, 40 eyes of 28 patients with a follow-up of at least 3 months were included in the analysis. During surface ablation, mitomycin C was applied for haze prevention. Spherical equivalent was -6.35 ± 1.31 diopters (D) before SMILE and -0.86 ± 0.43 D before surface ablation. Surface ablation was performed after a mean of 9.82 ± 5.27 months and resulted in a spherical equivalent of 0.03 ± 0.57 D at 3 months (P line. Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) remained unchanged with 0.01 ± 0.07 logMAR before versus -0.01 ± 0.05 logMAR after re-treatment (P = .99). Six eyes (15.0%) lost one line of CDVA, but final CDVA was 0.00 logMAR in four and 0.10 logMAR in two of these cases. The safety and efficacy indices were 1.06 and 0.90 at 3 months, respectively. Three of the four surface ablation profiles (Triple-A, tissue-saving algorithm, and topography-guided) resulted in equally good results, whereas enhancement with the aspherically optimized profile (ASA), used in two eyes, resulted in overcorrection (+1.38 and +1.75 D). Combined with the intraoperative application of mitomycin C, surface ablation seems to be a safe and effective method of secondary enhancement after SMILE. Due to the usually low residual myopia, the ASA profile is not recommended in these cases. [J Refract Surg. 2017;33(8):513-518.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Broadband enhancement of photoluminance from colloidal metal halide perovskite nanocrystals on plasmonic nanostructured surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Si; Liang, Yuzhang; Jing, Qiang; Lu, Zhenda; Lu, Yanqing; Xu, Ting

2017-11-07

Metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) as a new kind of promising optoelectronic material have attracted wide attention due to their high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield, narrow emission linewidth and wideband color tunability. Since the PL intensity always has a direct influence on the performance of optoelectronic devices, it is of vital importance to improve the perovskite NCs' fluorescence emission efficiency. Here, we synthesize three inorganic perovskite NCs and experimentally demonstrate a broadband fluorescence enhancement of perovskite NCs by exploiting plasmonic nanostructured surface consisting of nanogrooves array. The strong near-field optical localization associated with surface plasmon polariton-coupled emission effect generated by the nanogrooves array can significantly boost the absorption of perovskite NCs and tailor the fluorescence emissions. As a result, the PL intensities of perovskite NCs are broadband enhanced with a maximum factor higher than 8-fold achieved in experimental demonstration. Moreover, the high efficiency PL of perovskite NCs embedded in the polymer matrix layer on the top of plasmonic nanostructured surface can be maintained for more than three weeks. These results imply that plasmonic nanostructured surface is a good candidate to stably broadband enhance the PL intensity of perovskite NCs and further promote their potentials in the application of visible-light-emitting devices.

Radon assay for SNO+

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rumleskie, Janet [Laurentian University, Greater Sudbury, Ontario (Canada)

2015-12-31

The SNO+ experiment will study neutrinos while located 6,800 feet below the surface of the earth at SNOLAB. Though shielded from surface backgrounds, emanation of radon radioisotopes from the surrounding rock leads to back-grounds. The characteristic decay of radon and its daughters allows for an alpha detection technique to count the amount of Rn-222 atoms collected. Traps can collect Rn-222 from various positions and materials, including an assay skid that will collect Rn-222 from the organic liquid scintillator used to detect interactions within SNO+.

Probing the adsorption mechanism in thiamazole bound to the silver surface with Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering and DFT

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Nandita; Thomas, Susy; Sarkar, Anjana; Mukherjee, Tulsi; Kapoor, Sudhir

2009-09-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of thiamazole have been investigated in aqueous solution. Thiamazole is an important anti-thyroid drug that is used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism (over activity of the thyroid gland). Due to its medicinal importance, the surface adsorption properties of thiamazole have been studied. The experimental Raman and SERS data are supported with DFT calculations using B3LYP functional with LANL2DZ basis set. From the SERS spectra as well as theoretical calculations, it has been inferred that thiamazole is chemisorbed to the silver surface directly through the sulphur atom and the ring N atom, with a tilted orientation.

Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopic studies of ellagic acid in silver colloids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung Jang; Cheong, Byeong Seo; Cho, Han Gook [Dept. of Chemistry, Incheon National University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has been applied for the vibrational characterization of ellagic acid (EA), a natural organic dye, using citrate-reduced silver colloids. The infrared and FT-Raman spectra of EA in the solid state were examined for comparison. Spectral assignments of the observed bands were aided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing the B3LYP functional. The variations in the SERS spectrum with pH and excitation wavelength were analyzed to gain information on the adsorption- and pH-dependent behaviors of the natural dye on the metal surface. On the basis of the observed spectral features and DFT calculations, the adsorption configuration of EA on the silver metal surface is proposed.

Improved molecular fingerprint analysis employing multi-branched gold nanoparticles in conjunction with surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnston J

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Jencilin Johnston,1 Erik N Taylor,1,2 Richard J Gilbert,2 Thomas J Webster1,3 1Department of Chemical Engineering, 2Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 3Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abstract: Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool that assesses molecular properties based on spectroscopic signatures. In this study, the effect of gold nanoparticle morphology (spherical vs multi-branched was assessed for the characterization of a Raman signal (ie, molecular fingerprint that may be helpful for numerous medical applications. Multi-branched gold nanoparticles (MBAuNPs were fabricated using a green chemistry method which employed the reduction of gold ion solute by 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl-1-piperazyl] ethane sulfonic acid. Two types of reporter dyes, indocyanine (IR820 and IR792 and carbocyanine (DTTC [3,3'-diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide] and DTDC [3,3'-diethylthiadicarbocyanine iodide], were functionalized to the surface of the MBAuNPs and stabilized with denatured bovine serum albumin, thus forming the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tag. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-epidermal growth factor receptor to the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tags and the properties of the resulting conjugates were assessed through determination of the Raman signal. Using the MBAuNP Raman probes synthesized in this manner, we demonstrated that MBAuNP provided significantly more surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal when compared with the associated spherical gold nanoparticle of similar size and concentration. MBAuNP enhancements were retained in the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tags complexed to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor, providing evidence that this could be a useful biological probe for enhanced Raman molecular fingerprinting. Furthermore, while utilizing IR820 as a novel reporter dye

Enhanced in vitro biocompatibility of ultrafine-grained titanium with hierarchical porous surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, C.Y.; Nie, F.L.; Zheng, Y.F.; Cheng, Y.; Wei, S.C.; Valiev, R.Z.

2011-01-01

Bulk ultrafine-grained Ti (UFG Ti) was successfully fabricated by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) technique in the present study, and to further improve its surface biocompatibility, surface modification techniques including sandblasting, acid etching and alkali treatment were employed to produce a hierarchical porous surface. The effect of the above surface treatments on the surface roughness, wettability, electrochemical corrosion behavior, apatite forming ability and cellular behavior of UFG Ti were systematically investigated with the coarse-grained Ti as control. Results show that UFG-Ti with surface modification had no pitting corrosion and presented low corrosion rate in simulated body fluids (SBF). The hierarchical porous surface yielded by surface modification enhanced the ability of UFG Ti to form a complete apatite layer when soaked in SBF and promoted osteoblast-like cells attachment and proliferation in vitro, which promises to have a significant impact on increasing bone-bonding ability and reducing healing time when implanted due to faster tissue integration.

Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide (MXene) as Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarycheva, Asia [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Makaryan, Taron [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Maleski, Kathleen [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Satheeshkumar, Elumalai [National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan (Taiwan); National Institute of Technology-Trichy, Tamil Nadu (India); Melikyan, Armen [Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State Univ., Yerevan (Armenia); Minassian, Hayk [A. Alikhanian National Science Lab., Yerevan (Armenia); Yoshimura, Masahiro [National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan (Taiwan); Gogotsi, Yury G. [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2017-08-22

Here, noble metal (gold or silver) nanoparticles or patterned films are typically used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Two-dimensional (2D) carbides and nitrides (MXenes) exhibit unique electronic and optical properties, including metallic conductivity and plasmon resonance in the visible or near-infrared range, making them promising candidates for a wide variety of applications. Herein, we show that 2D titanium carbide, Ti₃C₂T_x, enhances Raman signal from organic dyes on a substrate and in solution. As a proof of concept, MXene SERS substrates were manufactured by spray-coating and used to detect several common dyes, with calculated enhancement factors reaching ~10⁶. Titanium carbide MXene demonstrates SERS effect in aqueous colloidal solutions, suggesting the potential for biomedical or environmental applications, where MXene can selectively enhance positively charged molecules.

Nanocaged enzymes with enhanced catalytic activity and increased stability against protease digestion

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhao; Fu, Jinglin; Dhakal, Soma; Johnson-Buck, Alexander; Liu, Minghui; Zhang, Ting; Woodbury, Neal W.; Liu, Yan; Walter, Nils G.; Yan, Hao

2016-01-01

Cells routinely compartmentalize enzymes for enhanced efficiency of their metabolic pathways. Here we report a general approach to construct DNA nanocaged enzymes for enhancing catalytic activity and stability. Nanocaged enzymes are realized by self-assembly into DNA nanocages with well-controlled stoichiometry and architecture that enabled a systematic study of the impact of both encapsulation and proximal polyanionic surfaces on a set of common metabolic enzymes. Activity assays at both bulk and single-molecule levels demonstrate increased substrate turnover numbers for DNA nanocage-encapsulated enzymes. Unexpectedly, we observe a significant inverse correlation between the size of a protein and its activity enhancement. This effect is consistent with a model wherein distal polyanionic surfaces of the nanocage enhance the stability of active enzyme conformations through the action of a strongly bound hydration layer. We further show that DNA nanocages protect encapsulated enzymes against proteases, demonstrating their practical utility in functional biomaterials and biotechnology. PMID:26861509

Nanocaged enzymes with enhanced catalytic activity and increased stability against protease digestion

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhao; Fu, Jinglin; Dhakal, Soma; Johnson-Buck, Alexander; Liu, Minghui; Zhang, Ting; Woodbury, Neal W.; Liu, Yan; Walter, Nils G.; Yan, Hao

2016-02-01

Cells routinely compartmentalize enzymes for enhanced efficiency of their metabolic pathways. Here we report a general approach to construct DNA nanocaged enzymes for enhancing catalytic activity and stability. Nanocaged enzymes are realized by self-assembly into DNA nanocages with well-controlled stoichiometry and architecture that enabled a systematic study of the impact of both encapsulation and proximal polyanionic surfaces on a set of common metabolic enzymes. Activity assays at both bulk and single-molecule levels demonstrate increased substrate turnover numbers for DNA nanocage-encapsulated enzymes. Unexpectedly, we observe a significant inverse correlation between the size of a protein and its activity enhancement. This effect is consistent with a model wherein distal polyanionic surfaces of the nanocage enhance the stability of active enzyme conformations through the action of a strongly bound hydration layer. We further show that DNA nanocages protect encapsulated enzymes against proteases, demonstrating their practical utility in functional biomaterials and biotechnology.

Effect of cathodic polarization on coating doxycycline on titanium surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geißler, Sebastian; Tiainen, Hanna; Haugen, Håvard J., E-mail: h.j.haugen@odont.uio.no

2016-06-01

Cathodic polarization has been reported to enhance the ability of titanium based implant materials to interact with biomolecules by forming titanium hydride at the outermost surface layer. Although this hydride layer has recently been suggested to allow the immobilization of the broad spectrum antibiotic doxycycline on titanium surfaces, the involvement of hydride in binding the biomolecule onto titanium remains poorly understood. To gain better understanding of the influence this immobilization process has on titanium surfaces, mirror-polished commercially pure titanium surfaces were cathodically polarized in the presence of doxycycline and the modified surfaces were thoroughly characterized using atomic force microscopy, electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and angle-resolved X-ray spectroscopy. We demonstrated that no hydride was created during the polarization process. Doxycycline was found to be attached to an oxide layer that was modified during the electrochemical process. A bacterial assay using bioluminescent Staphylococcus epidermidis Xen43 showed the ability of the coating to reduce bacterial colonization and planktonic bacterial growth. - Highlights: • Titanium hydride was found not to be involved in immobilization of doxycycline. • Doxycycline coating was strongly bound to a modified surface oxide layer. • Effect of coatings tested using a dynamic bacteria assay based on bioluminescence. • Topmost layer of adsorbed doxycycline was shown to have strong antibacterial effect.

Osteoblast growth behavior on porous-structure titanium surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian Yuan; Ding Siyang; Peng Hui; Lu Shanming; Wang Guoping [Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Xia Lu, E-mail: shelueia@yahoo.com.cn [Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Wang Peizhi, E-mail: wangpzi@sina.com [Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China)

2012-11-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Micro-arc oxidation technology formed a porous feature on titanium surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This porous surface accelerated adhesion, proliferation and differentiation compared with smooth surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Osteogenesis-related proteins and genes were up regulated by this porous surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It is anticipated that micro-arc oxidation surface could enhance osteoblastic activity and bone regeneration. - Abstract: A bioavailable surface generated by nano-technology could accelerate implant osteointegration, reduce healing time and enable implants to bear early loading. In this study, a nano-porous surface of titanium wafers was modified using micro-arc oxidation technique; surface of smooth titanium was used as control group. Surface characteristic was evaluated by investigating morphology, roughness and hydrophilicity of titanium wafers. In vitro studies, osteoblastic adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity, as well as gene and protein expressions relative to mineralization were assayed. Our results showed that a crater-liked nano-porous surface with greater roughness and better hydrophilicity were fabricated by micro-arc oxidation. It was further indicated that nano-porous surface could enhance adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity of osteoblasts compared with smooth surfaces. In addition, gene and protein expression of collagen-I, osteocalcin and osteopontin were also obviously increased. In summary, micro-arc oxidized techniques could form an irregular nano-porous morphology on implant surface which is favorable to improve osteoblastic function and prospected to be a potent modification of dental implant.

Osteoblast growth behavior on porous-structure titanium surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Yuan; Ding Siyang; Peng Hui; Lu Shanming; Wang Guoping; Xia Lu; Wang Peizhi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Micro-arc oxidation technology formed a porous feature on titanium surface. ► This porous surface accelerated adhesion, proliferation and differentiation compared with smooth surface. ► Osteogenesis-related proteins and genes were up regulated by this porous surface. ► It is anticipated that micro-arc oxidation surface could enhance osteoblastic activity and bone regeneration. - Abstract: A bioavailable surface generated by nano-technology could accelerate implant osteointegration, reduce healing time and enable implants to bear early loading. In this study, a nano-porous surface of titanium wafers was modified using micro-arc oxidation technique; surface of smooth titanium was used as control group. Surface characteristic was evaluated by investigating morphology, roughness and hydrophilicity of titanium wafers. In vitro studies, osteoblastic adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity, as well as gene and protein expressions relative to mineralization were assayed. Our results showed that a crater-liked nano-porous surface with greater roughness and better hydrophilicity were fabricated by micro-arc oxidation. It was further indicated that nano-porous surface could enhance adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity of osteoblasts compared with smooth surfaces. In addition, gene and protein expression of collagen-I, osteocalcin and osteopontin were also obviously increased. In summary, micro-arc oxidized techniques could form an irregular nano-porous morphology on implant surface which is favorable to improve osteoblastic function and prospected to be a potent modification of dental implant.

Giant Enhancement of Small Photoluminescent Signals on Glass Surfaces Covered by Self-Assembled Silver Nanorings.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousanis, A; Poulopoulos, P; Karoutsos, V; Trachylis, D; Politis, C

2017-02-01

Self-assembled nanostructures with the shape of nanospheres or nanorings were formed after annealing of ultrathin Ag films grown on glass, in a furnace with air at 460 °C. Intense localized surface plasmon resonances were recorded for these nanostructures with maxima at the green-blue light. The surface became functional in terms of enhancing the weak photoluminescence of glass between 2–400 times. This system provides an easy way of enhancing the photoluminescence emission of initially low performance materials.

Enhancing Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells via Surface Passivation with Graphene Oxide Interlayer.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hao; Tao, Leiming; Huang, Feihong; Sun, Qiang; Zhao, Xiaojuan; Han, Junbo; Shen, Yan; Wang, Mingkui

2017-11-08

Perovskite solar cells have been demonstrated as promising low-cost and highly efficient next-generation solar cells. Enhancing V OC by minimization the interfacial recombination kinetics can further improve device performance. In this work, we for the first time reported on surface passivation of perovskite layers with chemical modified graphene oxides, which act as efficient interlayer to reduce interfacial recombination and enhance hole extraction as well. Our modeling points out that the passivation effect mainly comes from the interaction between functional group (4-fluorophenyl) and under-coordinated Pb ions. The resulting perovskite solar cells achieved high efficient power conversion efficiency of 18.75% with enhanced high open circuit V OC of 1.11 V. Ultrafast spectroscopy, photovoltage/photocurrent transient decay, and electronic impedance spectroscopy characterizations reveal the effective passivation effect and the energy loss mechanism. This work sheds light on the importance of interfacial engineering on the surface of perovskite layers and provides possible ways to improve device efficiency.

Enhanced microcontact printing of proteins on nanoporous silica surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blinka, Ellen; Hu Ye; Gopal, Ashwini; Hoshino, Kazunori; Lin, Kevin; Zhang, John X J [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758 (United States); Loeffler, Kathryn; Liu Xuewu; Ferrari, Mauro, E-mail: John.Zhang@engr.utexas.edu [Department of Nanomedicine and Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas Health Science Service, Houston, TX 77031 (United States)

2010-10-15

We demonstrate porous silica surface modification, combined with microcontact printing, as an effective method for enhanced protein patterning and adsorption on arbitrary surfaces. Compared to conventional chemical treatments, this approach offers scalability and long-term device stability without requiring complex chemical activation. Two chemical surface treatments using functionalization with the commonly used 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and glutaraldehyde (GA) were compared with the nanoporous silica surface on the basis of protein adsorption. The deposited thickness and uniformity of porous silica films were evaluated for fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled rabbit immunoglobulin G (R-IgG) protein printed onto the substrates via patterned polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) stamps. A more complete transfer of proteins was observed on porous silica substrates compared to chemically functionalized substrates. A comparison of different pore sizes (4-6 nm) and porous silica thicknesses (96-200 nm) indicates that porous silica with 4 nm diameter, 57% porosity and a thickness of 96 nm provided a suitable environment for complete transfer of R-IgG proteins. Both fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used for protein layer characterizations. A porous silica layer is biocompatible, providing a favorable transfer medium with minimal damage to the proteins. A patterned immunoassay microchip was developed to demonstrate the retained protein function after printing on nanoporous surfaces, which enables printable and robust immunoassay detection for point-of-care applications.

A rapid method for detection of genetically modified organisms based on magnetic separation and surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Guven, Burcu; Boyacı, İsmail Hakkı; Tamer, Ugur; Çalık, Pınar

2012-01-07

In this study, a new method combining magnetic separation (MS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was developed to detect genetically modified organisms (GMOs). An oligonucleotide probe which is specific for 35 S DNA target was immobilized onto gold coated magnetic nanospheres to form oligonucleotide-coated nanoparticles. A self assembled monolayer was formed on gold nanorods using 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and the second probe of the 35 S DNA target was immobilized on the activated nanorod surfaces. Probes on the nanoparticles were hybridized with the target oligonucleotide. Optimization parameters for hybridization were investigated by high performance liquid chromatography. Optimum hybridization parameters were determined as: 4 μM probe concentration, 20 min immobilization time, 30 min hybridization time, 55 °C hybridization temperature, 750 mM buffer salt concentration and pH: 7.4. Quantification of the target concentration was performed via SERS spectra of DTNB on the nanorods. The correlation between the target concentration and the SERS signal was found to be linear within the range of 25-100 nM. The analyses were performed with only one hybridization step in 40 min. Real sample analysis was conducted using Bt-176 maize sample. The results showed that the developed MS-SERS assay is capable of detecting GMOs in a rapid and selective manner. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Enhancement in the photodetection of ZnO nanowires by introducing surface-roughness-induced traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Woojin; Jo, Gunho; Hong, Woong-Ki; Yoon, Jongwon; Choe, Minhyeok; Ji, Yongsung; Kim, Geunjin; Kahng, Yung Ho; Lee, Kwanghee; Lee, Takhee; Lee, Sangchul; Wang, Deli

2011-01-01

We investigated the enhanced photoresponse of ZnO nanowire transistors that was introduced with surface-roughness-induced traps by a simple chemical treatment with isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The enhanced photoresponse of IPA-treated ZnO nanowire devices is attributed to an increase in adsorbed oxygen on IPA-induced surface traps. The results of this study revealed that IPA-treated ZnO nanowire devices displayed higher photocurrent gains and faster photoswitching speed than transistors containing unmodified ZnO nanowires. Thus, chemical treatment with IPA can be a useful method for improving the photoresponse of ZnO nanowire devices.

Modulated surface textures for enhanced scattering in thin-film silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Isabella, O.; Battaglia, C.; Ballif, C.; Zeman, M.

2012-01-01

Nano-scale randomly textured front transparent oxides are superposed on micro-scale etched glass substrates to form modulated surface textures. The resulting enhanced light scattering is implemented in single and double junction thin-film silicon solar cells.

Enhanced pool boiling critical heat flux induced by capillary wicking effect of a Cr-sputtered superhydrophilic surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Son, Hong Hyun; Seo, Gwang Hyeok; Kim, Sung Joong [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

In light of boiling heat transfer, the smooth surface potentially reduces active nucleation of bubbles and rewetting of dry spots near the critical heat flux (CHF). This kind of process is highly likely to deteriorate the CHF. Thus, it is essential to produce appropriate microstructures on the surface for the enhancement of the CHF. In this study, to investigate the microstructural effect of thin film-fabricated surfaces on the pool boiling CHF, we controlled the surface roughness in a narrow range of 0.1-0.25 μm and its morphologies, in the form of micro-scratches using PVD sputtering technique. Specifically for DC magnetron sputtering, pure chromium (Cr) was selected as a target material owing to its high oxidation resistance. In order to analyze the CHF trend with changes in roughness, we introduced existing capillary wicking-based models because superhydrophilic characteristics of microstructures are highly related to the capillary wicking behaviors in micro-flow channels. After Cr sputtering under given conditions, the Cr-sputtered surfaces showed superhydrophilic characteristics and its capability became more enhanced with an increase of surface roughness. Judging from spreading behavior of a liquid droplet, the presence of micro-wicking channels, coupled with Cr nanostructures, effectively enhanced the advancing rate of drop base diameter. The CHF exhibited an increasing trend with increasing surface roughness. However, the enhancement ratio agreed poorly with the predictions of the roughness factor-based models, all of which originated from a conventional static force balance.

Performance evaluation of a particle-enhanced turbidimetric cystatin C assay on the Abbott ci8200 analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Flodin, Mats; Larsson, Anders

2009-06-01

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is widely accepted as the best overall measure of kidney function. Cystatin C is a novel endogenous GFR marker that has been shown to be superior to creatinine for estimation of GFR in several studies. There is a need for cystatin C assays adapted to routine chemistry instrument to minimize turnaround times and allowing 24 h/day availability. We have evaluated a new cystatin C assay developed for Architect cSystem (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA). The cystatin C assay showed good agreement with the corresponding assay from Dade Behring (Deerfield, IL, USA). The assay has a very low total imprecision and a good linearity. The new cystatin C assay is an interesting alternative to current cystatin C assays. On an Architect cSystem the assay can be performed with the same turnaround times and availability as creatinine.

High-Performance, Large Format Surfaces for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy: Increasing the Accessibility of an Analytical Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Kanipe, Katherine Nicole

Although surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a spectroscopic technique with unusually high sensitivity and molecular specificity, few practical analytical applications have been implemented that take advantage of its power. Based on what is understood about SERS from the experimental and theoretical research of the past forty years, we developed a few well-defined design principles on the basis of which a reliable and reproducibly manufacturable SERS-active substrate could be fabricated that is highly enhancing, highly uniform, stable, and based on a broad range of metals so that various chemical processes could be probed. Finally, we restricted ourselves to using only readily scalable fabrication techniques. The resulting SERS-active device was a metal over silica, two-dimensional nano-grating that was shown to produce enhancements of ˜107 when compared to a smooth surface of the same metal. This SERS substrate also shows unprecedented signal uniformity over square centimeters, and is fabricated using commonly-available foundry-based approaches exclusively. Initially, we explored the properties of a gold-coated substrates in which a first-order grating resonance due to long-range symmetry is augmented by a local resonance due to the individual core-shell grating elements. The SERS properties of such grating systems were systematically studied as a function of various structural parameters such as the grating pitch, the inter-element gap and the thickness of the metal layer. The most enhancing substrates were found to have a grating parameter with a radiative, rather than evanescent, first-order resonance; a sufficiently small gap between nearest neighbor grating elements to produce near-field interactions; and a gold layer whose thickness was larger than the electronic mean-free-path of the conduction electrons, so as to ensure a high conductivity for the metal layer to sustain strong surface plasmons. We applied these same architectural principles to

Enhancing photocatalysis in SrTiO3 by using Ag nanoparticles: A two-step excitation model for surface plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Lei; Sun, Tao; Cai, Hua; Zhou, Zhi-Quan; Sun, Jian; Lu, Ming

2015-01-01

Surface plasmon (SP)-enhanced ultraviolet and visible photocatalytic activities of SrTiO 3 (STO) are observed after incorporating Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on STO surfaces. A two-step excitation model is proposed to explain the SP-enhanced photocatalysis. The point of the model is that an electron at the valence band of STO is first excited onto the Fermi level of Ag-NP by the SP field generated on the Ag-NP, and then injected into the conduction band of STO from the SP band, leaving a hole at the valence band of STO. A full redox catalytic reaction at the surface of STO is then available. For Ag-NP incorporated STO, up-converted and inter-band photoluminescence emissions of STO are observed, and nonlinear evolutions of photocatalytic activity with illumination light powers are found. Furthermore, near infrared photocatalysis is detected. These results support the proposed model

Development of surface wettability characteristics for enhancing pool boiling heat transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Moo Hwan; Jo, Hang Jin

2010-05-01

For several centuries, many boiling experiments have been conducted. Based on literature survey, the characteristic of heating surface in boiling condition played as an important role which mainly influenced to boiling performance. Among many surface factor, the fact that wettability effect is significant to not only the enhancement of critical heat flux(CHF) but also the nucleate boiling heat transfer is also supported by other kinds of boiling experiments. In this regard, the excellent boiling performance (a high CHF and heat transfer performance) in pool boiling could be achieved through some favorable surface modification which satisfies the optimized wettability condition. To find the optimized boiling condition, we design the special heaters to examine how two materials, which have different wettability (e.g. hydrophilic and hydrophobic), affect the boiling phenomena. The special heaters have hydrophobic dots on hydrophilic surface. The contact angle of hydrophobic surface is 120 .deg. to water at the room temperature. The contact angle of hydrophilic surface is 60 .deg. at same conditions. To conduct the experiment with new surface condition, we developed new fabrication method and design the pool boiling experimental apparatus. Through this facility, we can the higher CHF on pattern surface than that on hydrophobic surface, and the higher boiling heat transfer performance on pattern surface than that on hydrophilic surface. Based on this experimental results, we concluded that we proposed new heating surface condition and surface fabrication method to realize the best boiling condition by modified heating surface condition

Endothelial cell behaviour on gas-plasma-treated PLA surfaces: the roles of surface chemistry and roughness.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Amita; Shah, Sarita; Mani, Gopinath; Wenke, Joseph; Agrawal, Mauli

2011-04-01

Glow-discharge gas-plasma (GP) treatment has been shown to induce surface modifications such that cell adhesion and growth are enhanced. However, it is not known which gas used in GP treatment is optimal for endothelial cell function. Polylactic acid (PLA) films treated oxygen, argon, or nitrogen GP were characterized using contact angles, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, optical profilometry, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All three GP treatments decreased the carbon atomic concentration and surface roughness and increased the oxygen atomic concentration. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured on the PLA films for up to 7 days. Based on proliferation and live/dead assays, surface chemistry was shown to have the greatest effect on the attachment, proliferation, and viability of these cells, while roughness did not have a significant influence. Of the different gases, endothelial cell viability, attachment and proliferation were most significantly increased on PLA surfaces treated with oxygen and argon gas plasma. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Enhancing tissue integration and angiogenesis of a novel nanocomposite polymer using plasma surface polymerisation, an in vitro and in vivo study.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Michelle F; Palgrave, Robert G; Seifalian, Alexander M; Butler, Peter E; Kalaskar, Deepak M

2016-01-01

Current surgical reconstruction of facial defects including nose or ear involves harvesting patient's own autologous tissue, causing donor site morbidity and is limited by tissue availability. The use of alternative synthetic materials is also limited due to complications related to poor tissue integration and angiogenesis, which lead to extrusion of implants and infection. We intend to meet this clinical challenge by using a novel nanocomposite called polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane poly(carbonate-urea)urethane (POSS-PCU), which has already been successfully taken to the clinical bench-side as a replacement for trachea, tear duct and vascular by-pass graft. In this study, we aimed to enhance tissue integration and angiogenesis of POSS-PCU using an established surface treatment technique, plasma surface polymerisation (PSP), functionalising the surface using NH2 and COOH chemical groups. Physical characterisation of scaffolds was achieved by using a number of techniques, including water contact angle, SEM, AFM and XPS to study the effects of PSM modification on the POSS-PCU nanocomposite in detail, which has not been previously documented. Wettability evaluation confirmed that scaffolds become hydrophilic and AFM analysis confirmed that nano topographical alterations resulted as a consequence of PSP treatment. Chemical functionalisation was confirmed using XPS, which suggested the presence of NH2 and COOH functional groups on the scaffolds. The modified scaffolds were then tested both in vitro and in vivo to investigate the potential of PSP modified POSS-PCU scaffolds on tissue integration and angiogenesis. In vitro analysis confirmed that PSM modification resulted in higher cellular growth, proliferation and ECM production as assessed by biochemical assays and immunofluorescence. Subcutaneous implantation of modified POSS-PCU scaffolds was then carried out over 12-weeks, resulting in enhanced tissue integration and angiogenesis (p < 0.05). This study

Pore channel surface modification for enhancing anti-fouling membrane distillation

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Haoran; Peng, Yuelian; Ge, Lei; Villacorta Hernandez, Byron; Zhu, Zhonghua

2018-06-01

Membrane surface modification by forming a functional layer is an effective way to improve the anti-fouling properties of membranes; however, the additional layer and the potential blockage of bulk pores may increase the mass transfer resistance and reduce the permeability. In this study, we applied a novel method of preparing anti-fouling membranes for membrane distillation by dispersing graphene oxide (GO) on the channel surface of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes. The surface morphology and properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Compared to the membrane surface modification by nanoparticles (e.g. SiO2), GO was mainly located on the pore surface of the membrane bulk, rather than being formed as an individual layer onto the membrane surface. The performance was evaluated via a direct-contact membrane distillation process with anionic and cationic surfactants as the foulants, separately. Compared to the pristine PVDF membrane, the anti-fouling behavior and distillate flux of the GO-modified membranes were improved, especially when using the anionic surfactant as the foulant. The enhanced anti-fouling performance can be attributed to the oxygen containing functional groups in GO and the healing of the membrane pore defects. This method may provide an effective route to manipulate membrane pore surface properties for anti-fouling separation without increasing mass transfer resistance.

Enhanced vision flight deck technology for commercial aircraft low-visibility surface operations

Science.gov (United States)

Arthur, Jarvis J.; Norman, R. M.; Kramer, Lynda J.; Prinzel, Lawerence J.; Ellis, Kyle K.; Harrison, Stephanie J.; Comstock, J. R.

2013-05-01

NASA Langley Research Center and the FAA collaborated in an effort to evaluate the effect of Enhanced Vision (EV) technology display in a commercial flight deck during low visibility surface operations. Surface operations were simulated at the Memphis, TN (FAA identifier: KMEM) airfield during nighttime with 500 Runway Visual Range (RVR) in a high-fidelity, full-motion simulator. Ten commercial airline flight crews evaluated the efficacy of various EV display locations and parallax and minification effects. The research paper discusses qualitative and quantitative results of the simulation experiment, including the effect of EV display placement on visual attention, as measured by the use of non-obtrusive oculometry and pilot mental workload. The results demonstrated the potential of EV technology to enhance situation awareness which is dependent on the ease of access and location of the displays. Implications and future directions are discussed.

An Ultra-High Fluorescence Enhancement and High Throughput Assay for Revealing Expression and Internalization of Chemokine Receptor CXCR4.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Hua; Wang, Xiaojuan; Cheng, Tiantian; Xia, Yongqing; Lao, Jun; Ge, Baosheng; Ren, Hao; Khan, Naseer Ullah; Huang, Fang

2016-04-18

Revealing chemokine receptor CXCR4 expression, distribution, and internalization levels in different cancers helps to evaluate cancer progression or prognosis and to set personalized treatment strategy. We here describe a sensitive and high-throughput immunoassay for determining CXCR4 expression and distribution in cancer cells. The assay is accessible to a wide range of users in an ordinary lab only by dip-coating poly(styrene-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) spheres on the glass substrate. The self- assembled spheres form three-dimensional photonic colloidal crystals which enhance the fluorescence of CF647 and Alexa Fluor 647 by a factor of up to 1000. CXCR4 in cells is detected by using the sandwich immunoassay, where the primary antibody recognizes CXCR4 and the secondary antibody is labeled with CF647. With the newly established assay, we quantified the total expression of CXCR4, its distribution on the cell membrane and cytoplasm, and revealed their internalization level upon SDF-1α activation in various cancer cells, even for those with extremely low expression level. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Surface-plasmon-enhanced lasing emission based on polymer distributed feedback laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Dingke, E-mail: dingke.zhang@gmail.com, E-mail: shijianchen@gmail.com [School of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331 (China); Chen, Shijian, E-mail: dingke.zhang@gmail.com, E-mail: shijianchen@gmail.com; Huang, Yingzhou; Zhang, Zhen [School of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331 (China); Wang, Yanping; Ma, Dongge [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

2015-01-14

Optical losses associated with the metallic contacts necessary for charge injection are an obstacle to the development of electrically pumped organic lasers. In this work, we show that it is possible to overcome these losses by introducing surface plasmons (SPs) in a distributed feedback laser to enhance the lasing emission. We perform a detailed study of the SPs influence on the lasing emission. We experimentally show that enhanced lasing emission has been successfully achieved in the presence of a metal electrode. The laser emission is strongly dependent on the thickness of Ag layer. By optimizing the thickness of Ag layer, surface-plasmon-enhanced lasing emission has been achieved with much reduced thresholds and higher intensity. When the thickness of the Ag layer increases to 50 nm, the device exhibits ten-fold emission intensity and a fifth of excitation threshold comparing with Ag-free one. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) results show that large field intensity is built at the 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-i-propyl-6-(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl) -4H-pyran:/poly(9-vinylcarbazole)Ag interface, which could lead to a strong coupling between lasing and SPs, and consequently a much enhanced laser emission at the photon energy of around 2.02 eV (615 nm). Our FDTD simulations gave an explanation of the effects of the SPs on lasing operation in the periodic structures. The use of SPs would lead to a new class of highly efficient solid-state laser sources and provide a new path to achieve electrically pumped organic lasers.

Harmonization of radiobiological assays: why and how?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasanna, Pataje G.

2014-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency has made available a technical manual for cytogenetic biodosimetry assays (dicentric chromosome aberration (DCA) and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assays) used for radiation dose assessment in radiation accidents. The International Standardization Organization, which develops standards and guidelines, also provides an avenue for laboratory accreditation, has developed guidelines and recommendations for performing cytogenetic biodosimetry assays. Harmonization of DCA and CBMN assays, has improved their accuracy. Double-blinded inter-laboratory comparison studies involving several networks have further validated DCA and CBMN assays and improved the confidence in their potential use for radiation dose assessment in mass casualties. This kind of international harmonization is lacking for pre-clinical radiobiology assays. The widely used pre-clinical assays that are relatively important to set stage for clinical trials include clonogenic assays, flow-cytometry assays, apoptotic assays, and tumor regression and growth delay assays. However, significant inter-laboratory variations occur with respect to data among laboratories. This raises concerns on the reliability and reproducibility of preclinical data that drives further development and translation. Lack of reproducibility may stem from a variety of factors such as poor scientist training, less than optimal experimental design, inadequate description of methodology, and impulse to publish only the positive data etc. Availability of technical manuals, standard operating procedures, accreditation avenues for laboratories performing such assays, inter-laboratory comparisons, and use of standardized protocols are necessary to enhance reliability and reproducibility. Thus, it is important that radiobiological assays are harmonized for laboratory protocols to ensure successful translation of pre-clinical research on radiation effect modulators to help design clinic trials with

Silver-graphene oxide based plasmonic spacer for surface plasmon-coupled fluorescence emission enhancements

Science.gov (United States)

Badiya, Pradeep Kumar; Srinivasan, Venkatesh; Sathish Ramamurthy, Sai

2017-06-01

We report the application of single layered graphene oxide (SLGO) and silver decorated SLGO (Ag-SLGO) as plasmonic spacer material for obtaining enhanced fluorescence from a Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) radiating dipole in a surface plasmon-coupled emission platform. To this end, we have decorated SLGO with biphasic silver nanoparticles using an in situ deposition technique to achieve 112-fold fluorescence enhancements.

Surface-enhanced Raman difference between bombesin and its modified analogues on the colloidal and electrochemically roughen silver surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Podstawka, Edyta; Ozaki, Yukihiro

2008-10-01

In this article, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of bombesin (BN) and its six modified analogues ([D-Phe(12)]BN, [Tyr(4)]BN, [Tyr(4),D-Phe(12)]BN, [D-Phe(12),Leu(14)]BN, [Leu(13)-(R)-Leu(14)]BN, and [Lys(3)]BN) on a colloidal silver surface are reported and compared with SERS spectra of these species immobilized onto an ellectrochemically roughen silver electrode. Changes in enhancement and wavenumber of proper bands upon adsorption on different silver surfaces are consistent with BN and its analogues adsorption primarily through Trp(8). Slightly different adsorption states of these molecules are observed depending upon natural amino acids substitution. For example, the indole ring in all the peptides interacts with silver nanoparticles in a edge-on orientation. It is additionally coordinated to the silver through the N(1)--H bond for all the peptides, except [Phe(12)]BN. This is in contrary to the results obtained for the silver roughen electrode that show direct but not strong N(1)--H/Ag interaction for all peptides except [D-Phe(12),Leu(14)]BN and [Leu(13)-(R)-Leu(14)]BN. For BN only C==O is not involved in the chemical coordination with the colloidal surface. [Lys(3)]BN and BN also adsorb with the C--N bond of NH(2) group normal and horizontal, respectively, to the colloidal surface, whereas C--NH(2) in other peptides is tilted to this surface. Also, the Trp(8) --CH(2)-- moiety of only [Tyr(4)]BN, [Lys(3)]BN, and [Tyr(4),D-Phe(12)]BN coordinates to Ag, whereas the Phe(12) ring of [Phe(12)]BN, [Tyr(4),D-Phe(12)]BN, and [D-Phe(12),Leu(14)]BN assists in the peptides binding only on the colloidal silver. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhanced protein retention on poly(caprolactone) via surface initiated polymerization of acrylamide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Yuhao; Cai, Mengtan; He, Liu; Luo, Xianglin

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Dense package of poly(acrylamide) on poly(caprolactone) surface was achieved by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. • Poly(acrylamide) grafted surface exhibited high protein retention ability. • Loaded protein was resistant to detachment and maintained its structure without denaturation. - Abstract: To enhance the biocompatibility or extend the biomedical application of poly(caprolactone) (PCL), protein retention on PCL surface is often required. In this study, poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) brushes were grown from PCL surface via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and served as a protein-capturing platform. Grafted PAAm was densely packed on surface and exhibited superior protein retention ability. Captured protein was found to be resistant to washing under detergent environment. Furthermore, protein structure after being captured was investigated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and the CD spectra verified that secondary structure of captured proteins was maintained, indicating no denaturation of protein happened for retention process.

Study of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering of Alizarin and Crystal Violet Dyes

Science.gov (United States)

Gopal, Ram; Swarnkar, Raj Kumar

2010-06-01

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) plays a vital role in analytical chemistry to characterize ultra trace quantity of organic compounds and biological samples. Two mechanisms have been considered to explain the SERS effect. The main contribution arises from a huge enhancement of the local electromagnetic field close to surface roughness of the metal structures, due to the excitation of a localized surface plasmon, while a further enhancement can be observed for molecules adsorbed onto specific sites when resonant charge transfer occurs. SERS signals have been observed from adsorbates on many metallic surfaces like Ag, Au, Ni, Cu etc. Additionally, metal oxide nanoparticles also show SERS signals It has now been established that SERS of analyte material is highly dependent on the type of substrate involved. Many types of nanostructures like nanofilms, nanorods, nanospheres etc. show highly efficient SERS signals. In particular, there are two routes available for the synthesis of these nanomaterials: the chemical route and the physical route. Chemical route involves many types of reducing agents and capping agents which can interfere in origin and measurement of these signals. The physical route avoids these anomalies and therefore it is suitable for the study of SERS phenomenon. Pulsed laser ablation in liquid medium is an excellent top down technique to produce colloidal solution of nanoparticles with desired shape and size having surface free from chemical contamination, which is essential requirement for surface application of nanoparticles. The present work deals with the study of SERS of Crystal violet dye and Alizarin group dye on Cu@ Cu_2O and Ag colloidal nanoparticles synthesized by pulsed laser ablation. M. Fleishchmann, P. J. Hendra, and A. J. McQuillian Chem. Phys. Lett., 26, 163, 1974. U. Wenning, B. Pettinger, and H. Wetzel Chem. Phys. Lett., 70, 49, 1980. S. C. Singh, R. K. Swarnkar, P. Ankit, M. C. Chattopadhyaya, and R. Gopal AIP Conf. Proc

What Orthopaedic Operating Room Surfaces Are Contaminated With Bioburden? A Study Using the ATP Bioluminescence Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Richard, Raveesh Daniel; Bowen, Thomas R

2017-07-01

Contaminated operating room surfaces can increase the risk of orthopaedic infections, particularly after procedures in which hardware implantation and instrumentation are used. The question arises as to how surgeons can measure surface cleanliness to detect increased levels of bioburden. This study aims to highlight the utility of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence technology as a novel technique in detecting the degree of contamination within the sterile operating room environment. What orthopaedic operating room surfaces are contaminated with bioburden? When energy is required for cellular work, ATP breaks down into adenosine biphosphate (ADP) and phosphate (P) and in that process releases energy. This process is inherent to all living things and can be detected as light emission with the use of bioluminescence assays. On a given day, six different orthopaedic surgery operating rooms (two adult reconstruction, two trauma, two spine) were tested before surgery with an ATP bioluminescence assay kit. All of the cases were considered clean surgery without infection, and this included the previously performed cases in each sampled room. These rooms had been cleaned and prepped for surgery but the patients had not been physically brought into the room. A total of 13 different surfaces were sampled once in each room: the operating room (OR) preparation table (both pre- and postdraping), OR light handles, Bovie machine buttons, supply closet countertops, the inside of the Bair Hugger™ hose, Bair Hugger™ buttons, right side of the OR table headboard, tourniquet machine buttons, the Clark-socket attachment, and patient positioners used for total hip and spine positioning. The relative light units (RLUs) obtained from each sample were recorded and data were compiled and averaged for analysis. These values were compared with previously published ATP benchmark values of 250 to 500 RLUs to define cleanliness in both the hospital and restaurant industries. All

Multi-metal, Multi-wavelength Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Neurotransmitters.

Science.gov (United States)

Moody, Amber S; Sharma, Bhavya

2018-04-05

The development of a sensor for the rapid and sensitive detection of neurotransmitters could provide a pathway for the diagnosis of neurological diseases, leading to the discovery of more effective treatment methods. We investigate the use of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensors for the rapid detection of melatonin, serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, GABA, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. Previous studies have demonstrated SERS detection of neurotransmitters; however, there has been no comprehensive study on the effect of the metal used as the SERS substrate or the excitation wavelength used for detection. Here, we present the detection of 7 neurotransmitters using both silver and gold nanoparticles at excitation wavelengths of 532, 633, and 785 nm. Over the range of wavelengths investigated, the SERS enhancement on the silver and gold nanoparticles varies, with an average enhancement factor of 10 5 -10 6 . The maximum SERS enhancement occurs at an excitation wavelength of 785 nm for the gold nanoparticles and at 633 nm for the silver nanoparticles.

Assaying Auxin Receptor Activity Using SPR Assays with F-Box Proteins and Aux/IAA Degrons.

Science.gov (United States)

Quareshy, Mussa; Uzunova, Veselina; Prusinska, Justyna M; Napier, Richard M

2017-01-01

The identification of TIR1 as an auxin receptor combined with advanced biophysical instrumentation has led to the development of real-time activity assays for auxins. Traditionally, molecules have been assessed for auxinic activity using bioassays, and agrochemical compound discovery continues to be based on "spray and pray" technologies. Here, we describe the methodology behind an SPR-based assay that uses TIR1 and related F-box proteins with surface plasmon resonance spectrometry for rapid compound screening. In addition, methods for collecting kinetic binding data and data processing are given so that they may support programs for rational design of novel auxin ligands.

Nano-motion dynamics are determined by surface-tethered selectin mechanokinetics and bond formation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian J Schmidt

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The interaction of proteins at cellular interfaces is critical for many biological processes, from intercellular signaling to cell adhesion. For example, the selectin family of adhesion receptors plays a critical role in trafficking during inflammation and immunosurveillance. Quantitative measurements of binding rates between surface-constrained proteins elicit insight into how molecular structural details and post-translational modifications contribute to function. However, nano-scale transport effects can obfuscate measurements in experimental assays. We constructed a biophysical simulation of the motion of a rigid microsphere coated with biomolecular adhesion receptors in shearing flow undergoing thermal motion. The simulation enabled in silico investigation of the effects of kinetic force dependence, molecular deformation, grouping adhesion receptors into clusters, surface-constrained bond formation, and nano-scale vertical transport on outputs that directly map to observable motions. Simulations recreated the jerky, discrete stop-and-go motions observed in P-selectin/PSGL-1 microbead assays with physiologic ligand densities. Motion statistics tied detailed simulated motion data to experimentally reported quantities. New deductions about biomolecular function for P-selectin/PSGL-1 interactions were made. Distributing adhesive forces among P-selectin/PSGL-1 molecules closely grouped in clusters was necessary to achieve bond lifetimes observed in microbead assays. Initial, capturing bond formation effectively occurred across the entire molecular contour length. However, subsequent rebinding events were enhanced by the reduced separation distance following the initial capture. The result demonstrates that vertical transport can contribute to an enhancement in the apparent bond formation rate. A detailed analysis of in silico motions prompted the proposition of wobble autocorrelation as an indicator of two-dimensional function. Insight into two

Perfect-absorption graphene metamaterials for surface-enhanced molecular fingerprint spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiangdong; Hu, Hai; Liao, Baoxin; Zhu, Xing; Yang, Xiaoxia; Dai, Qing

2018-05-01

Graphene plasmon with extremely strong light confinement and tunable resonance frequency represents a promising surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) sensing platform. However, plasmonic absorption is relatively weak (approximately 1%-9%) in monolayer graphene nanostructures, which would limit its sensitivity. Here, we theoretically propose a hybrid plasmon-metamaterial structure that can realize perfect absorption in graphene with a low carrier mobility of 1000 cm2 V-1 s-1. This structure combines a gold reflector and a gold grating to the graphene plasmon structures, which introduce interference effect and the lightning-rod effect, respectively, and largely enhance the coupling of light to graphene. The vibration signal of trace molecules can be enhanced up to 2000-fold at the hotspot of the perfect-absorption structure, enabling the SEIRA sensing to reach the molecular level. This hybrid metal-graphene structure provides a novel path to generate high sensitivity in nanoscale molecular recognition for numerous applications.

Single-Molecule Chemistry with Surface- and Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zrimsek, Alyssa B; Chiang, Naihao; Mattei, Michael; Zaleski, Stephanie; McAnally, Michael O; Chapman, Craig T; Henry, Anne-Isabelle; Schatz, George C; Van Duyne, Richard P

2017-06-14

Single-molecule (SM) surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) have emerged as analytical techniques for characterizing molecular systems in nanoscale environments. SERS and TERS use plasmonically enhanced Raman scattering to characterize the chemical information on single molecules. Additionally, TERS can image single molecules with subnanometer spatial resolution. In this review, we cover the development and history of SERS and TERS, including the concept of SERS hot spots and the plasmonic nanostructures necessary for SM detection, the past and current methodologies for verifying SMSERS, and investigations into understanding the signal heterogeneities observed with SMSERS. Moving on to TERS, we cover tip fabrication and the physical origins of the subnanometer spatial resolution. Then, we highlight recent advances of SMSERS and TERS in fields such as electrochemistry, catalysis, and SM electronics, which all benefit from the vibrational characterization of single molecules. SMSERS and TERS provide new insights on molecular behavior that would otherwise be obscured in an ensemble-averaged measurement.

[Study on the surface-enhanced Raman spectrum of trimethoprim].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jin-zhi; Wang, Yuan

2003-02-01

A new method is given in this paper to study the spectra of trimethoprim by using the surface-enhanced Raman spectrum (SERS) technology and the highly efficient thin layer chromatography (TLC) dissociation technology. The results of SERS indicate that the main vibrant spectral band can be obtained by TLC in the samples of about 6 micrograms. The expansion and contraction of pyrimidine ring can be obviously increased and the molecule information can be exactly presented under the action of silver particles.

NOx Binding and Dissociation: Enhanced Ferroelectric Surface Chemistry by Catalytic Monolayers

Science.gov (United States)

Kakekhani, Arvin; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab

2013-03-01

NOx molecules are regulated air pollutants produced during automotive combustion. As part of an effort to design viable catalysts for NOx decomposition operating at higher temperatures that would allow for improved fuel efficiency, we examine NOx chemistry on ferroelectric perovskite surfaces. Changing the direction of ferroelectric polarization can modify surface electronic properties and may lead to switchable surface chemistry. Here, we describe our recent work on potentially enhanced surface chemistry using catalytic RuO2 monolayers on perovskite ferroelectric substrates. In addition to thermodynamic stabilization of the RuO2 layer, we present results on the polarization-dependent binding of NO, O2, N2, and atomic O and N. We present results showing that one key problem with current catalysts, involving the difficulty of releasing dissociation products (especially oxygen), can be ameliorated by this method. Primary support from Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Inc.

Possibility of 1-nm level localization of a single molecule with gap-mode surface-enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Han Kyu; Kim, Zee Hwan

2015-01-01

The electromagnetic (EM) enhancement mechanism of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been well established through 30 years of extensive investigation: molecules adsorbed on resonantly driven silver or gold nanoparticles (NPs) experience strongly enhanced field and thus show enhanced Raman scattering. Even stronger SERS enhancement is possible with a gap structure in which two or more NPs form assemblies with gap sizes of 1 nm or less. We have theoretically shown that the measurement of SERS angular distribution can reveal the position of a single molecule near the gap with 1-nm accuracy, even though the spatial extent of the enhanced field is ~10 nm. Real implementation of such experiment requires extremely well-defined (preferably a single crystal) dimeric junctions. Nevertheless, the experiment will provide spatial as well as frequency domain information on single-molecule dynamics at metallic surfaces

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering active gold nanoparticle/nanohole arrays fabricated through electron beam lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tsunghsueh; Lin, Yang-Wei

2018-03-01

Effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates from gold nanoparticle and gold nanohole arrays were successfully fabricated through electron beam lithography with precise computer-aided control of the unit size and intergap distance. Their SERS performance was evaluated using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA). These gold arrays yielded strong SERS signals under 785 nm laser excitation. The enhancement factors for 4-MBA molecules on the prepared gold nanoparticle and nanohole arrays maxed at 1.08 × 107 and 8.61 × 106, respectively. The observed increase in SERS enhancement was attributed to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength shifting toward the near-infrared regime when the gold nanohole diameter increased, in agreement with the theoretical prediction in this study. The contribution of LSPR to the Raman enhancement from nanohole arrays deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass was elucidated by comparing SERS and transmission spectra. This simple fabrication procedure, which entails employing electron beam lithography and the controllability of the intergap distance, suggests highly promising uses of nanohole arrays as functional components in sensing and photonic devices.

The impact of surface composition on Tafel kinetics leading to enhanced electrochemical insertion of hydrogen in palladium

Science.gov (United States)

Dmitriyeva, Olga; Hamm, Steven C.; Knies, David L.; Cantwell, Richard; McConnell, Matt

2018-05-01

Our previous work experimentally demonstrated the enhancement of electrochemical hydrogen insertion into palladium by modifying the chemical composition of the cathode surface with Pb, Pt and Bi, referred to as surface promoters. The experiment demonstrated that an optimal combination of the surface promoters led to an increase in hydrogen fugacity of more than three orders of magnitude, while maintaining the same current density. This manuscript discusses the application of Density Functional Theory (DFT) to elucidate the thermodynamics and kinetics of observed enhancement of electrochemical hydrogen insertion into palladium. We present theoretical simulations that: (1) establish the elevation of hydrogen's chemical potential on Pb and Bi surfaces to enhance hydrogen insertion, (2) confirm the increase of a Tafel activation barrier that results in a decrease of the reaction rate at the given hydrogen overpotential, and (3) explain why the surface promoter's coverage needs to be non-uniform, namely to allow hydrogen insertion into palladium bulk while simultaneously locking hydrogen below the surface (the corking effect). The discussed DFT-based method can be used for efficient scanning of different material configurations to design a highly effective hydrogen storage system.

Enhancing the antibacterial performance of orthopaedic implant materials by fibre laser surface engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Chi-Wai; Carson, Louise; Smith, Graham C.; Morelli, Alessio; Lee, Seunghwan

2017-05-01

Implant failure caused by bacterial infection is extremely difficult to treat and usually requires the removal of the infected components. Despite the severe consequence of bacterial infection, research into bacterial infection of orthopaedic implants is still at an early stage compared to the effort on enhancing osseointegration, wear and corrosion resistance of implant materials. In this study, the effects of laser surface treatment on enhancing the antibacterial properties of commercially pure (CP) Ti (Grade 2), Ti6Al4V (Grade 5) and CoCrMo alloy implant materials were studied and compared for the first time. Laser surface treatment was performed by a continuous wave (CW) fibre laser with a near-infrared wavelength of 1064 nm in a nitrogen-containing environment. Staphylococcus aureus, commonly implicated in infection associated with orthopaedic implants, was used to investigate the antibacterial properties of the laser-treated surfaces. The surface roughness and topography of the laser-treated materials were analysed by a 2D roughness testing and by AFM. The surface morphologies before and after 24 h of bacterial cell culture were captured by SEM, and bacterial viability was determined using live/dead staining. Surface chemistry was analysed by XPS and surface wettability was measured using the sessile drop method. The findings of this study indicated that the laser-treated CP Ti and Ti6Al4V surfaces exhibited a noticeable reduction in bacterial adhesion and possessed a bactericidal effect. Such properties were attributable to the combined effects of reduced hydrophobicity, thicker and stable oxide films and presence of laser-induced nano-features. No similar antibacterial effect was observed in the laser-treated CoCrMo.

Peak quantification in surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization by using mixture models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, Martijn; Roelofsen, Han; Vonk, Roel J.; Jansen, Ritsert C.

2006-01-01

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) time of flight (TOF) is a mass spectrometry technology for measuring the composition of a sampled protein mixture. A mass spectrum contains peaks corresponding to proteins in the sample. The peak areas are proportional to the measured

Laser ablation surface-enhanced Raman microspectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Londero, Pablo S; Lombardi, John R; Leona, Marco

2013-06-04

Improved identification of trace organic compounds in complex matrixes is critical for a variety of fields such as material science, heritage science, and forensics. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a vibrational spectroscopy technique that can attain single-molecule sensitivity and has been shown to complement mass spectrometry, but lacks widespread application without a robust method that utilizes the effect. We demonstrate a new, highly sensitive, and widely applicable approach to SERS analysis based on laser ablation in the presence of a tailored plasmonic substrate. We analyze several challenging compounds, including non-water-soluble pigments and dyed leather from an ancient Egyptian chariot, achieving sensitivity as high as 120 amol for a 1:1 signal-to-noise ratio and 5 μm spatial resolution. This represents orders of magnitude improvement in spatial resolution and sensitivity compared to those of other SERS approaches intended for widespread application, greatly increasing the applicability of SERS.

Enhanced Vision Flight Deck Technology for Commercial Aircraft Low-Visibility Surface Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Arthur, Jarvis J., III; Norman, R. Michael; Kramer, Lynda J.; Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Ellis, Kyle K. E.; Harrison, Stephanie J.; Comstock, J. Ray

2013-01-01

NASA Langley Research Center and the FAA collaborated in an effort to evaluate the effect of Enhanced Vision (EV) technology display in a commercial flight deck during low visibility surface operations. Surface operations were simulated at the Memphis, TN (FAA identifier: KMEM) air field during nighttime with 500 Runway Visual Range (RVR) in a high-fidelity, full-motion simulator. Ten commercial airline flight crews evaluated the efficacy of various EV display locations and parallax and mini cation effects. The research paper discusses qualitative and quantitative results of the simulation experiment, including the effect of EV display placement on visual attention, as measured by the use of non-obtrusive oculometry and pilot mental workload. The results demonstrated the potential of EV technology to enhance situation awareness which is dependent on the ease of access and location of the displays. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detection of equine antibodies specific to Sarcocystis neurona surface antigens.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoane, Jessica S; Morrow, Jennifer K; Saville, William J; Dubey, J P; Granstrom, David E; Howe, Daniel K

2005-09-01

Sarcocystis neurona is the primary causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a common neurologic disease of horses in the Americas. We have developed a set of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on the four major surface antigens of S. neurona (SnSAGs) to analyze the equine antibody response to S. neurona. The SnSAG ELISAs were optimized and standardized with a sample set of 36 equine sera that had been characterized by Western blotting against total S. neurona parasite antigen, the current gold standard for S. neurona serology. The recombinant SnSAG2 (rSnSAG2) ELISA showed the highest sensitivity and specificity at 95.5% and 92.9%, respectively. In contrast, only 68.2% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity were achieved with the rSnSAG1 ELISA, indicating that this antigen may not be a reliable serological marker for analyzing antibodies against S. neurona in horses. Importantly, the ELISA antigens did not show cross-reactivity with antisera to Sarcocystis fayeri or Neospora hughesi, two other equine parasites. The accuracy and reliability exhibited by the SnSAG ELISAs suggest that these assays will be valuable tools for examining the equine immune response against S. neurona infection, which may help in understanding the pathobiology of this accidental parasite-host interaction. Moreover, with modification and further investigation, the SnSAG ELISAs have potential for use as immunodiagnostic tests to aid in the identification of horses affected by EPM.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for Detection of Equine Antibodies Specific to Sarcocystis neurona Surface Antigens†

Science.gov (United States)

Hoane, Jessica S.; Morrow, Jennifer K.; Saville, William J.; Dubey, J. P.; Granstrom, David E.; Howe, Daniel K.

2005-01-01

Sarcocystis neurona is the primary causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a common neurologic disease of horses in the Americas. We have developed a set of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on the four major surface antigens of S. neurona (SnSAGs) to analyze the equine antibody response to S. neurona. The SnSAG ELISAs were optimized and standardized with a sample set of 36 equine sera that had been characterized by Western blotting against total S. neurona parasite antigen, the current gold standard for S. neurona serology. The recombinant SnSAG2 (rSnSAG2) ELISA showed the highest sensitivity and specificity at 95.5% and 92.9%, respectively. In contrast, only 68.2% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity were achieved with the rSnSAG1 ELISA, indicating that this antigen may not be a reliable serological marker for analyzing antibodies against S. neurona in horses. Importantly, the ELISA antigens did not show cross-reactivity with antisera to Sarcocystis fayeri or Neospora hughesi, two other equine parasites. The accuracy and reliability exhibited by the SnSAG ELISAs suggest that these assays will be valuable tools for examining the equine immune response against S. neurona infection, which may help in understanding the pathobiology of this accidental parasite-host interaction. Moreover, with modification and further investigation, the SnSAG ELISAs have potential for use as immunodiagnostic tests to aid in the identification of horses affected by EPM. PMID:16148170

Multifunctional Nano-engineered Polymer Surfaces with Enhanced Mechanical Resistance and Superhydrophobicity

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, Jaime J.; Monclús, Miguel A.; Navarro-Baena, Iván; Viela, Felipe; Molina-Aldareguia, Jon M.; Rodríguez, Isabel

2017-03-01

This paper presents a multifunctional polymer surface that provides superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning functions together with an enhancement in mechanical and electrical performance. These functionalities are produced by nanoimprinting high aspect ratio pillar arrays on polymeric matrix incorporating functional reinforcing elements. Two distinct matrix-filler systems are investigated specifically, Carbon Nanotube reinforced Polystyrene (CNT-PS) and Reduced Graphene Oxide reinforced Polyvinylidene Difluoride (RGO-PVDF). Mechanical characterization of the topographies by quantitative nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests are performed to evidence a considerable increase in stiffness, Young’s modulus and critical failure load with respect to the pristine polymers. The improvement on the mechanical properties is rationalized in terms of effective dispersion and penetration of the fillers into the imprinted structures as determined by confocal Raman and SEM studies. In addition, an increase in the degree of crystallization for the PVDF-RGO imprinted nanocomposite possibly accounts for the larger enhancement observed. Improvement of the mechanical ruggedness of functional textured surfaces with appropriate fillers will enable the implementation of multifunctional nanotextured materials in real applications.

Tip-Selective Growth of Silver on Gold Nanostars for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weiqing; Liu, Jie; Niu, Wenxin; Yan, Heng; Lu, Xianmao; Liu, Bin

2018-04-19

Nanogaps as "hot spots" with highly localized surface plasmon can generate ultrastrong electromagnetic fields. Superior to the exterior nanogaps obtained via aggregation and self-assembly, interior nanogaps within Au and Ag nanostructures give stable and reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals. However, the synthesis of nanostructures with interior hot spots is still challenging because of the lack of high-yield strategies and clear design principles. Herein, gold-silver nanoclusters (Au-Ag NCs) with multiple interior hot spots were fabricated as SERS platforms via selective growth of Ag nanoparticles on the tips of Au nanostars (Au NSs). Furthermore, the interior gap sizes of Au-Ag NCs can be facilely tuned by changing the amount of AgNO 3 used. Upon 785 nm excitation, single Au-Ag NC 350 exhibits 43-fold larger SERS enhancement factor and the optimal signal reproducibility relative to single Au NS. The SERS enhancement factors and signal reproducibility of Au-Ag NCs increase with the decrease of gap sizes. Collectively, the Au-Ag NCs could serve as a flexible, reproducible, and active platform for SERS investigation.

Fluorescence lifetime assays: current advances and applications in drug discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Pritz, Stephan; Doering, Klaus; Woelcke, Julian; Hassiepen, Ulrich

2011-06-01

Fluorescence lifetime assays complement the portfolio of established assay formats available in drug discovery, particularly with the recent advances in microplate readers and the commercial availability of novel fluorescent labels. Fluorescence lifetime assists in lowering complexity of compound screening assays, affording a modular, toolbox-like approach to assay development and yielding robust homogeneous assays. To date, materials and procedures have been reported for biochemical assays on proteases, as well as on protein kinases and phosphatases. This article gives an overview of two assay families, distinguished by the origin of the fluorescence signal modulation. The pharmaceutical industry demands techniques with a robust, integrated compound profiling process and short turnaround times. Fluorescence lifetime assays have already helped the drug discovery field, in this sense, by enhancing productivity during the hit-to-lead and lead optimization phases. Future work will focus on covering other biochemical molecular modifications by investigating the detailed photo-physical mechanisms underlying the fluorescence signal.

Evolution of interfacial intercalation chemistry on epitaxial graphene/SiC by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferralis, Nicola; Carraro, Carlo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • H-intercalated epitaxial graphene–SiC interface studied with surface enhanced Raman. • Evolution of graphene and H–Si interface with UV-ozone, annealing and O-exposure. • H–Si interface and quasi-freestanding graphene are retained after UV-ozone treatment. • Enhanced ozonolytic reactivity at the edges of H-intercalated defected graphene. • Novel SERS method for characterizing near-surface graphene–substrate interfaces. - Abstract: A rapid and facile evaluation of the effects of physical and chemical processes on the interfacial layer between epitaxial graphene monolayers on SiC(0 0 0 1) surfaces is essential for applications in electronics, photonics, and optoelectronics. Here, the evolution of the atomic scale epitaxial graphene-buffer-layer–SiC interface through hydrogen intercalation, thermal annealings, UV-ozone etching and oxygen exposure is studied by means of single microparticle mediated surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (smSERS). The evolution of the interfacial chemistry in the buffer layer is monitored through the Raman band at 2132 cm −1 corresponding to the Si-H stretch mode. Graphene quality is monitored directly by the selectively enhanced Raman signal of graphene compared to the SiC substrate signal. Through smSERS, a simultaneous correlation between optimized hydrogen intercalation in epitaxial graphene/SiC and an increase in graphene quality is uncovered. Following UV-ozone treatment, a fully hydrogen passivated interface is retained, while a moderate degradation in the quality of the hydrogen intercalated quasi-freestanding graphene is observed. While hydrogen intercalated defect free quasi-freestanding graphene is expected to be robust upon UV-ozone, thermal annealing, and oxygen exposure, ozonolytic reactivity at the edges of H-intercalated defected graphene results in enhanced amorphization of the quasi-freestanding (compared to non-intercalated) graphene, leading ultimately to its complete etching

Evolution of interfacial intercalation chemistry on epitaxial graphene/SiC by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferralis, Nicola, E-mail: ferralis@mit.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Carraro, Carlo [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2014-11-30

Highlights: • H-intercalated epitaxial graphene–SiC interface studied with surface enhanced Raman. • Evolution of graphene and H–Si interface with UV-ozone, annealing and O-exposure. • H–Si interface and quasi-freestanding graphene are retained after UV-ozone treatment. • Enhanced ozonolytic reactivity at the edges of H-intercalated defected graphene. • Novel SERS method for characterizing near-surface graphene–substrate interfaces. - Abstract: A rapid and facile evaluation of the effects of physical and chemical processes on the interfacial layer between epitaxial graphene monolayers on SiC(0 0 0 1) surfaces is essential for applications in electronics, photonics, and optoelectronics. Here, the evolution of the atomic scale epitaxial graphene-buffer-layer–SiC interface through hydrogen intercalation, thermal annealings, UV-ozone etching and oxygen exposure is studied by means of single microparticle mediated surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (smSERS). The evolution of the interfacial chemistry in the buffer layer is monitored through the Raman band at 2132 cm{sup −1} corresponding to the Si-H stretch mode. Graphene quality is monitored directly by the selectively enhanced Raman signal of graphene compared to the SiC substrate signal. Through smSERS, a simultaneous correlation between optimized hydrogen intercalation in epitaxial graphene/SiC and an increase in graphene quality is uncovered. Following UV-ozone treatment, a fully hydrogen passivated interface is retained, while a moderate degradation in the quality of the hydrogen intercalated quasi-freestanding graphene is observed. While hydrogen intercalated defect free quasi-freestanding graphene is expected to be robust upon UV-ozone, thermal annealing, and oxygen exposure, ozonolytic reactivity at the edges of H-intercalated defected graphene results in enhanced amorphization of the quasi-freestanding (compared to non-intercalated) graphene, leading ultimately to its complete etching.

Surface enhanced imaging and IR spectroscopy of the biological cells on the nanostructured gold film

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G.I. Dovbeshko

2017-07-01

Full Text Available New approach for optical imaging, structural study and cell cultivation based on the effect of the enhancement of optical signals from biomolecules and biological cells near nanostructured rough gold surface is proposed. The surface enhanced IR absorption (SEIRA spectroscopy and confocal microscopy experiments were made using the culture of SPEV (porcine embryonic kidney epithelium transplantable line and fibroblast cells, cultivated and/or adsorbed on the gold substrate. The SEIRA spectra registered from monolayer of the SPEV cells cultivated on the rough gold showed a low frequency shift of about 2 to 7 cm 1 for the most characteristic IR vibrations, compared with those adsorbed from suspension on the same substrate. An enhancement factor of 15…30 was obtained for different molecular vibrations. The confocal microscopy contrast images of the SPEV cells on rough gold substrate were obtained in laser fluorescence mode. This approach opens new possibilities for visualization of the living cells in vivo without staining. The fluorescence of the rough gold surfaces and effects responsible for our findings have been discussed.

Fast enhancement on hydrophobicity of poplar wood surface using low-pressure dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Weimin; Zhou, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Xiaotao; Bian, Jie; Shi, Shukai; Nguyen, Thiphuong; Chen, Minzhi; Wan, Jinglin

2017-06-01

The hydrophilicity of woody products leads to deformation and cracks, which greatly limits its applications. Low-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma using hexamethyldisiloxane was applied in poplar wood surface to enhance the hydrophobicity. The chemical properties, micro-morphology, and contact angles of poplar wood surface before and after plasma treatment were investigated by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical contact angle measurement (OCA). Moreover, tinfoil film was used as the base to reveal the enhancement mechanism. The results showed that hexamethyldisiloxane monomer is first broken into several fragments with active sites and hydrophobic chemical groups. Meanwhile, plasma treatment results in the formation of free radicals and active sites in the poplar wood surface. Then, the fragments are reacted with free radicals and incorporated into the active sites to form a network structure based on the linkages of Si-O-Si and Sisbnd Osbnd C. Plasma treatment also leads to the formation of acicular nano-structure in poplar wood surface. These facts synergistically enhance the hydrophobicity of poplar wood surface, demonstrating the dramatically increase in the equilibrium contact angle by 330%.

Miniaturized Aptamer-Based Assays for Protein Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro Bosco

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The availability of devices for cancer biomarker detection at early stages of the disease is one of the most critical issues in biomedicine. Towards this goal, to increase the assay sensitivity, device miniaturization strategies empowered by the employment of high affinity protein binders constitute a valuable approach. In this work we propose two different surface-based miniaturized platforms for biomarker detection in body fluids: the first platform is an atomic force microscopy (AFM-based nanoarray, where AFM is used to generate functional nanoscale areas and to detect biorecognition through careful topographic measurements; the second platform consists of a miniaturized electrochemical cell to detect biomarkers through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS analysis. Both devices rely on robust and highly-specific protein binders as aptamers, and were tested for thrombin detection. An active layer of DNA-aptamer conjugates was immobilized via DNA directed immobilization on complementary single-stranded DNA self-assembled monolayers confined on a nano/micro area of a gold surface. Results obtained with these devices were compared with the output of surface plasmon resonance (SPR assays used as reference. We succeeded in capturing antigens in concentrations as low as a few nM. We put forward ideas to push the sensitivity further to the pM range, assuring low biosample volume (μL range assay conditions.

Micro and Nanotechnologies Enhanced Biomolecular Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tza-Huei Wang

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This editorial summarizes some of the recent advances of micro and nanotechnology-based tools and devices for biomolecular detection. These include the incorporation of nanomaterials into a sensor surface or directly interfacing with molecular probes to enhance target detection via more rapid and sensitive responses, and the use of self-assembled organic/inorganic nanocomposites that inhibit exceptional spectroscopic properties to enable facile homogenous assays with efficient binding kinetics. Discussions also include some insight into microfluidic principles behind the development of an integrated sample preparation and biosensor platform toward a miniaturized and fully functional system for point of care applications.

Fast enhancement on hydrophobicity of poplar wood surface using low-pressure dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Weimin [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037 (China); Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Fast-growing Trees and Agri-fiber Materials, Nanjing 210037 (China); Nanjing Suman Plasma Technology Co., Ltd, Enterprise of Graduate Research Station of Jiangsu Province, No. 3 Youyihe Road, Nanjing 210001 (China); Zhou, Xiaoyan, E-mail: zhouxiaoyan@njfu.edu.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037 (China); Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Fast-growing Trees and Agri-fiber Materials, Nanjing 210037 (China); Zhang, Xiaotao [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037 (China); Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Fast-growing Trees and Agri-fiber Materials, Nanjing 210037 (China); Bian, Jie [Nanjing Suman Plasma Technology Co., Ltd, Enterprise of Graduate Research Station of Jiangsu Province, No. 3 Youyihe Road, Nanjing 210001 (China); Shi, Shukai; Nguyen, Thiphuong; Chen, Minzhi [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037 (China); Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Fast-growing Trees and Agri-fiber Materials, Nanjing 210037 (China); Wan, Jinglin [Nanjing Suman Plasma Technology Co., Ltd, Enterprise of Graduate Research Station of Jiangsu Province, No. 3 Youyihe Road, Nanjing 210001 (China)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • Plasma working under low pressure is easy to realize industrialization. • Enhancing process finished within 75 s. • Plasma treatment leads to the increase in equilibrium contact angle by 330%. • Tinfoil film with simple chemical structure was used to reveal the mechanism. - Abstract: The hydrophilicity of woody products leads to deformation and cracks, which greatly limits its applications. Low-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma using hexamethyldisiloxane was applied in poplar wood surface to enhance the hydrophobicity. The chemical properties, micro-morphology, and contact angles of poplar wood surface before and after plasma treatment were investigated by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical contact angle measurement (OCA). Moreover, tinfoil film was used as the base to reveal the enhancement mechanism. The results showed that hexamethyldisiloxane monomer is first broken into several fragments with active sites and hydrophobic chemical groups. Meanwhile, plasma treatment results in the formation of free radicals and active sites in the poplar wood surface. Then, the fragments are reacted with free radicals and incorporated into the active sites to form a network structure based on the linkages of Si-O-Si and Si−O−C. Plasma treatment also leads to the formation of acicular nano-structure in poplar wood surface. These facts synergistically enhance the hydrophobicity of poplar wood surface, demonstrating the dramatically increase in the equilibrium contact angle by 330%.

Recent strategies toward microfluidic-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Týčová, Anna; Přikryl, Jan; Foret, František

2017-01-01

Roč. 38, č. 16 (2017), s. 1977-1987 ISSN 0173-0835 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP206/12/G014 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) MSM200311601 Program:Program na podporu mezinárodní spolupráce začínajících výzkumných pracovníků Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : microfluidics * nanoparticles * separation * Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry Impact factor: 2.744, year: 2016

A Novel RFID Sensing System Using Enhanced Surface Wave Technology for Battery Exchange Stations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeong-Lin Lai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel radio-frequency identification (RFID sensing system using enhanced surface wave technology for battery exchange stations (BESs of electric motorcycles. Ultrahigh-frequency (UHF RFID technology is utilized to automatically track and manage battery and user information without manual operation. The system includes readers, enhanced surface wave leaky cable antennas (ESWLCAs, coupling cable lines (CCLs, and small radiation patches (SRPs. The RFID sensing system overcomes the electromagnetic interference in the metallic environment of a BES cabinet. The developed RFID sensing system can effectively increase the efficiency of BES operation and promote the development of electric vehicles which solve the problem of air pollution as well as protect the environment of the Earth.

Ag/SiO2 surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate for plasticizer detection

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming-Chung; Lin, Ming-Pin; Lin, Ting-Han; Su, Wei-Fang

2018-04-01

In this study, we demonstrated a simple method of fabricating a high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. Monodispersive SiO2 colloidal spheres were self-assembled on a silicon wafer, and then a silver layer was coated on it to obtain a Ag/SiO2 SERS substrate. The Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates were used to detect three kinds of plasticizer with different concentrations, namely, including bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The enhancement of Raman scattering intensity caused by surface plasmon resonance can be observed using the Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates. The Ag/SiO2 SERS substrate with a 150-nm-thick silver layer can detect plasticizers, and it satisfies the detection limit of plasticizers at 100 ppm. The developed highly sensitive Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates show a potential for the design and fabrication of functional sensors to identify the harmful plasticizers that plastic products release in daily life.

Surface plasmon resonance enhanced light absorption and wavelength tuneable in gold-coated iron oxide spherical nanoparticle

Science.gov (United States)

Dasri, Thananchai; Chingsungnoen, Artit

2018-06-01

Surface plasmon in nano-sized particles, such as gold, silver, copper and their composites, has recently attracted a great deal of attention due to its possible uses in many applications, especially in life sciences. It is desirable for application devices with a tenability of surface plasmon wavelength and optical properties enhancement. This article presents enhanced optical light absorption and tunable wavelength in gold-coated magnetite (Fe3O4@Au core-shell) nanoparticles embedded in water using the theoretical method of discrete dipole approximation (DDA). The absorption spectra in the wavelengths from 350 to 900 nm were found to be the spectra obtained from Fe3O4@Au core-shell nanoparticles, and when compared with pure Fe3O4 nanoparticles, the surface plasmon resonance can be enhanced and tuned over the entire visible spectrum (viz. 350-800 nm) of the electromagnetic spectrum by varying the Au shell thickness (2-5 nm). Similarly, the Faraday rotation spectra can also be obtained.

Enhanced light trapping by focused ion beam (FIB) induced self-organized nanoripples on germanium (100) surface

Science.gov (United States)

Kamaliya, Bhaveshkumar; Mote, Rakesh G.; Aslam, Mohammed; Fu, Jing

2018-03-01

In this paper, we demonstrate enhanced light trapping by self-organized nanoripples on the germanium surface. The enhanced light trapping leading to high absorption of light is confirmed by the experimental studies as well as the numerical simulations using the finite-difference time-domain method. We used gallium ion (Ga+) focused ion beam to enable the formation of the self-organized nanoripples on the germanium (100) surface. During the fabrication, the overlap of the scanning beam is varied from zero to negative value and found to influence the orientation of the nanoripples. Evolution of nanostructures with the variation of beam overlap is investigated. Parallel, perpendicular, and randomly aligned nanoripples with respect to the scanning direction are obtained via manipulation of the scanning beam overlap. 95% broadband absorptance is measured in the visible electromagnetic region for the nanorippled germanium surface. The reported light absorption enhancement can significantly improve the efficiency of germanium-silicon based photovoltaic systems.

Evaluation of the Thermo Scientific™ SureTect™ Salmonella species Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Cloke, Jonathan; Clark, Dorn; Radcliff, Roy; Leon-Velarde, Carlos; Larson, Nathan; Dave, Keron; Evans, Katharine; Crabtree, David; Hughes, Annette; Simpson, Helen; Holopainen, Jani; Wickstrand, Nina; Kauppinen, Mikko

2014-03-01

The Thermo Scientific™ SureTect™ Salmonella species Assay is a new real-time PCR assay for the detection of Salmonellae in food and environmental samples. This validation study was conducted using the AOAC Research Institute (RI) Performance Tested MethodsSM program to validate the SureTect Salmonella species Assay in comparison to the reference method detailed in International Organization for Standardization 6579:2002 in a variety of food matrixes, namely, raw ground beef, raw chicken breast, raw ground pork, fresh bagged lettuce, pork frankfurters, nonfat dried milk powder, cooked peeled shrimp, pasteurized liquid whole egg, ready-to-eat meal containing beef, and stainless steel surface samples. With the exception of liquid whole egg and fresh bagged lettuce, which were tested in-house, all matrixes were tested by Marshfield Food Safety, Marshfield, WI, on behalf of Thermo Fisher Scientific. In addition, three matrixes (pork frankfurters, lettuce, and stainless steel surface samples) were analyzed independently as part of the AOAC-RI-controlled laboratory study by the University of Guelph, Canada. No significant difference by probability of detection or McNemars Chi-squared statistical analysis was found between the candidate or reference methods for any of the food matrixes or environmental surface samples tested during the validation study. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing was conducted with 117 and 36 isolates, respectively, which demonstrated that the SureTect Salmonella species Assay was able to detect all the major groups of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica (e.g., Typhimurium) and the less common subspecies of S. enterica (e.g., arizoniae) and the rarely encountered S. bongori. None of the exclusivity isolates analyzed were detected by the SureTect Salmonella species Assay. Ruggedness testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the assay with specific method deviations outside of the recommended parameters open to variation

Surface plasmon effects in the absorption enhancements of amorphous silicon solar cells with periodical metal nanowall and nanopillar structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hung-Yu; Kuo, Yang; Liao, Cheng-Yuan; Yang, C C; Kiang, Yean-Woei

2012-01-02

The authors numerically investigate the absorption enhancement of an amorphous Si solar cell, in which a periodical one-dimensional nanowall or two-dimensional nanopillar structure of the Ag back-reflector is fabricated such that a dome-shaped grating geometry is formed after Si deposition and indium-tin-oxide coating. In this investigation, the effects of surface plasmon (SP) interaction in such a metal nanostructure are of major concern. Absorption enhancement in most of the solar spectral range of significant amorphous Si absorption (320-800 nm) is observed in a grating solar cell. In the short-wavelength range of high amorphous Si absorption, the weakly wavelength-dependent absorption enhancement is mainly caused by the broadband anti-reflection effect, which is produced through the surface nano-grating structures. In the long-wavelength range of diminishing amorphous Si absorption, the highly wavelength-sensitive absorption enhancement is mainly caused by Fabry-Perot resonance and SP interaction. The SP interaction includes the contributions of surface plasmon polariton and localized surface plasmon.

Gas detection by means of surface plasmon resonance enhanced ellipsometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nooke, Alida

2012-11-01

This thesis investigated gas sensing by means of surface plasmon resonance enhanced ellipsometry. Surface plasmons were excited in a 40 - 50 nm gold layer by a He-Ne-laser using the Kretschmann configuration, which was arranged on a self-made copper measuring cell. A fixed angle of incidence and the ellipsometric parameter {Delta} as the measured value were used to monitor changes in the gas phase. Different types of gases were investigated: flammable (hydrocarbons and hydrogen), oxidising (oxygen and ozone), toxic (carbon monoxide) and inert (helium and nitrogen). The gas types can be distinguished by their refractive indices, whereas the sensor responds instantly relative to the reference gas with an increase or a decrease in {Delta}. Diluting the analyte gas with a reference gas (nitrogen or air) allowed the detection limits to be determined, these lay in the low % range. The sensor stability was also enhanced as well as the sensitivity by modifying the gold layers with a 3-10 nm additional layer. These additional layers consisted of the inorganic materials TiO{sub 2}, ZrO{sub 2}, MgF{sub 2} and Fe: SnO{sub 2} which were deposited by different coating processes. Surface investigations were made of every utilised layer: scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope measurements for surface topology and spectroscopic ellipsometry mapping to determine the optical constants and the layer thicknesses. All applied materials protected the gold layer from contaminations and thus prolonged the life span of the sensor. Furthermore, the detection limits were reduced significantly, to the low ppm range. The material Fe: SnO{sub 2} demonstrates a special behaviour in reaction with the toxic gas carbon monoxide: Due to the iron doping, the response to carbon monoxide is extraordinary and concentrations below 1 ppm were detected. In order to approach a future application in industry, the sensor system was adapted to a stainless steel tube. With this measuring

Pool boiling characteristics and critical heat flux mechanisms of microporous surfaces and enhancement through structural modification

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Minseok; Graham, Samuel

2017-08-01

Experimental studies have shown that microporous surfaces induce one of the highest enhancements in critical heat flux (CHF) during pool boiling. However, microporous surfaces may also induce a very large surface superheat (>100 °C) which is not desirable for applications such as microelectronics cooling. While the understanding of the CHF mechanism is the key to enhancing boiling heat transfer, a comprehensive understanding is not yet available. So far, three different theories for the CHF of microporous surfaces have been suggested: viscous-capillary model, hydrodynamic instability model, and dryout of the porous coatings. In general, all three theories account for some aspects of boiling phenomena. In this study, the theories are examined through their correlations with experimental data on microporous surfaces during pool boiling using deionized (DI) water. It was found that the modulation of the vapor-jet through the pore network enables a higher CHF than that of a flat surface based on the hydrodynamic instability theory. In addition, it was found that as the heat flux increases, a vapor layer grows in the porous coatings described by a simple thermal resistance model which is responsible for the large surface superheat. Once the vapor layer grows to fill the microporous structure, transition to film boiling occurs and CHF is reached. By disrupting the formation of this vapor layer through the fabrication of channels to allow vapor escape, an enhancement in the CHF and heat transfer coefficient was observed, allowing CHF greater than 3500 kW/m2 at a superheat less than 50 °C.

Efficient surface enhanced Raman scattering on confeito-like gold nanoparticle-adsorbed self-assembled monolayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chia-Chi; Imae, Toyoko; Chen, Liang-Yih; Ujihara, Masaki

2015-12-28

Confeito-like gold nanoparticles (AuNPs; average diameter = 80 nm) exhibiting a plasmon absorption band at 590 nm were adsorbed through immersion-adsorption on two self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES-SAM) and polystyrene spheres coated with amine-terminated poly(amido amine) dendrimers (DEN/PS-SAM). The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect on the SAM substrates was examined using the molecules of a probe dye, rhodamine 6G (R6G). The Raman scattering was strongly intensified on both substrates, but the enhancement factor (>10,000) of the AuNP/DEN/PS-SAM hierarchy substrate was 5-10 times higher than that of the AuNP/APTES-SAM substrate. This strong enhancement is attributed to the large surface area of the substrate and the presence of hot spots. Furthermore, analyzing the R6G concentration dependence of SERS suggested that the enhancement mechanism effectively excited the R6G molecules in the first layer on the hot spots and invoked the strong SERS effect. These results indicate that the SERS activity of confeito-like AuNPs on SAM substrates has high potential in molecular electronic devices and ultrasensitive analyses.

Rapid and sensitive phenotypic marker detection on breast cancer cells using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangyeop; Chon, Hyangah; Lee, Jiyoung; Ko, Juhui; Chung, Bong Hyun; Lim, Dong Woo; Choo, Jaebum

2014-01-15

We report a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based cellular imaging technique to detect and quantify breast cancer phenotypic markers expressed on cell surfaces. This technique involves the synthesis of SERS nano tags consisting of silica-encapsulated hollow gold nanospheres (SEHGNs) conjugated with specific antibodies. Hollow gold nanospheres (HGNs) enhance SERS signal intensity of individual particles by localizing surface electromagnetic fields through pinholes in the hollow particle structures. This capacity to enhance imaging at the level of single molecules permits the use of HGNs to detect specific biological markers expressed in living cancer cells. In addition, silica encapsulation greatly enhances the stability of nanoparticles. Here we applied a SERS-based imaging technique using SEHGNs in the multiplex imaging of three breast cancer cell phenotypes. Expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), ErbB2, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptors were assessed in the MDA-MB-468, KPL4 and SK-BR-3 human breast cancer cell lines. SERS imaging technology described here can be used to test the phenotype of a cancer cell and quantify proteins expressed on the cell surface simultaneously. Based on results, this technique may enable an earlier diagnosis of breast cancer than is currently possible and offer guidance in treatment. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of vortex induced forces and motion through surface roughness control

Science.gov (United States)

Bernitsas, Michael M [Saline, MI; Raghavan, Kamaldev [Houston, TX

2011-11-01

Roughness is added to the surface of a bluff body in a relative motion with respect to a fluid. The amount, size, and distribution of roughness on the body surface is controlled passively or actively to modify the flow around the body and subsequently the Vortex Induced Forces and Motion (VIFM). The added roughness, when designed and implemented appropriately, affects in a predetermined way the boundary layer, the separation of the boundary layer, the level of turbulence, the wake, the drag and lift forces, and consequently the Vortex Induced Motion (VIM), and the fluid-structure interaction. The goal of surface roughness control is to increase Vortex Induced Forces and Motion. Enhancement is needed in such applications as harnessing of clean and renewable energy from ocean/river currents using the ocean energy converter VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibration for Aquatic Clean Energy).

Landau-de Gennes theory of surface-enhanced ordering in smectic films.

Science.gov (United States)

Shalaginov, A N; Sullivan, D E

2001-03-01

A Landau theory for surface-enhanced ordering in smectic-A free-standing films is described, based on a generalization of de Gennes' model for a "presmectic" fluid confined between two walls. According to the theory, smectic ordering in free-standing films heated above the bulk smectic melting temperature is due to an intrinsic surface contribution rather than an external field. The theory yields a persistent finite-size effect, in that the film melting temperatures do not tend to the bulk transition temperature in the limit of infinite film thickness. It also predicts that a continuous transition from (N+1)- to N-layer films is impossible without an external field. The theory closely fits existing experimental data on layer-thinning transitions in compounds which exhibit a bulk smectic-A to nematic phase transition. Possible origins of the intrinsic surface contribution are discussed.

The Lumipulse G HBsAg-Quant assay for screening and quantification of the hepatitis B surface antigen.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ruifeng; Song, Guangjun; Guan, Wenli; Wang, Qian; Liu, Yan; Wei, Lai

2016-02-01

Qualitative HBsAg assay is used to screen HBV infection for decades. The utility of quantitative assay is also rejuvenated recently. We aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of a novel ultra-sensitive and quantitative assay, the Lumipulse assay, with the Architect and Elecsys assays. As screening methods, specificity was compared using 2043 consecutive clinical routine samples. As quantitative assays, precision and accuracy were assessed. Sera from 112 treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B patients, four patients undergoing antiviral therapy and one patient with acute infection were tested to compare the correlations. Samples with concurrent HBsAg/anti-HBs were also quantified. The Lumipulse assay precisely quantified ultra-low level of HBsAg (0.004 IU/mL). It identified additional 0.98% (20/2043) clinical samples with trance amount of HBsAg. Three assays displayed excellent linear correlations irrespective of genotypes and S-gene mutations (R(2)>0.95, PLumipulse assay did not yield higher HBsAg concentrations in samples with concomitant anti-HBs. Compared with other assays, the Lumipulse assay is sensitive and specific for detecting HBsAg. The interpretation of the extremely low-level results, however, is challenging. Quantitative HBsAg results by different assays are highly correlated, but they should be interpreted interchangeably only after conversion to eliminate the biases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SU-F-T-93: Breast Surface Dose Enhancement Using a Clinical Prone Breast Board

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerra, M; Jozsef, G

2016-01-01

Purpose: The use of specialized patient set-up devices in radiotherapy, such as prone breast boards, may have unwanted dosimetric effects. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of a clinically used prone breast board on skin dose due to buildup. Methods: GafChromic film (EBT3) was used for dose measurements on the surface of a solid water phantom shaped to mimic the curvature of the breast. We investigated two setup scenarios: the medial field border placed at the medial edge of the board and 1 cm contralaterally from that edge. A strip of film was taped to the medial surface of the phantom. Gantry angles varied from 10 to 30 degrees below the lateral gantry position, representing anterior oblique fields. The measurements were performed with and without the presence of the board; the ratio of their corresponding doses (dose enhancement) was evaluated. Results: For the cases where the field edge is at the edge of the board, the dose enhancement is negligible for all the tested angles. When the field edge is 1 cm inside the board, the maximum surface dose enhancement varies depending on the gantry angle between 2.2 for 30 degrees and 3.2 for 20 degrees. The length on the film at which the presence of the board is detectable (i.e. where there is dose enhancement) is longer for the shallower angles. Conclusion: Even the low-density, thin carbon fiber board with a thin soft foam pad on the top can produce significant dose enhancement on the skin in prone breast treatment due to loss of buildup. However, it happens only when the patient mid-sternum is over the board, i.e. the medial edge of the field traverses through the board and pad. Even then, the effect occurs only at the field edge, i.e. the penumbral region.

Design, fabrication, and characterization of metallic nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and plasmonic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Qingzhen

Metal/dielectric nanostructures have the ability to sustain coherent electron oscillations known as surface plasmons. Due to their capability of localizing and guiding light in sub-wavelength metal nanostructures beyond diffraction limits, surface plasmon-based photonics, or “plasmonics” has opened new physical phenomena and lead to novel applications in metamaterials, optoelectronics, surface enhanced spectroscopy and biological sensing. This dissertation centers on design, fabrication, characterization of metallic nanostructures and their applications in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and actively tunable plasmonics. Metal-dielectric nanostructures are the building blocks for photonic metamaterials. One valuable design guideline for metamaterials is the Babinet’s principle, which governs the optical properties of complementary nanostructures. However, most complementary metamaterials are designed for the far infrared region or beyond, where the optical absorption of metal is small. We have developed a novel dual fabrication method, capable of simultaneously producing optically thin complementary structures. From experimental measurements and theoretical simulations, we showed that Babinet’s principle qualitatively holds in the visible region for the optically thin complements. The complementary structure is also a good platform to study subtle differences between nanoparticles and nanoholes in SERS (a surface sensitive technique, which can enhance the conventional Raman cross-section by 106˜108 fold, thus very useful for highly sensitive biochemical sensing). Through experimental measurement and theoretical analysis, we showed that the SERS enhancement spectrum (plot of SERS enhancement versus excitation wavelengths), dominated by local near-field, for nanoholes closely follows their far-field optical transmission spectrum. However, the enhancement spectrum for nanoparticles red-shifts significantly from their far-field optical extinction

Applied electric field enhances DRG neurite growth: influence of stimulation media, surface coating and growth supplements

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Matthew D.; Willits, Rebecca Kuntz

2009-08-01

Electrical therapies have been found to aid repair of nerve injuries and have been shown to increase and direct neurite outgrowth during stimulation. This enhanced neural growth existed even after the electric field (EF) or stimulation was removed, but the factors that may influence the enhanced growth, such as stimulation media or surface coating, have not been fully investigated. This study characterized neurite outgrowth and branching under various conditions: EF magnitude and application time, ECM surface coating, medium during EF application and growth supplements. A uniform, low-magnitude EF (24 or 44 V m-1) was applied to dissociated chick embryo dorsal root ganglia seeded on collagen or laminin-coated surfaces. During the growth period, cells were either exposed to NGF or N2, and during stimulation cells were exposed to either unsupplemented media (Ca2+) or PBS (no Ca2+). Parallel controls for each experiment included cells exposed to the chamber with no stimulation and cells remaining outside the chamber. After brief electrical stimulation (10 min), neurite length significantly increased 24 h after application for all conditions studied. Of particular interest, increased stimulation time (10-100 min) further enhanced neurite length on laminin but not on collagen surfaces. Neurite branching was not affected by stimulation on any surface, and no preferential growth of neurites was noted after stimulation. Overall, the results of this report suggest that short-duration electric stimulation is sufficient to enhance neurite length under a variety of conditions. While further data are needed to fully elucidate a mechanism for this increased growth, these data suggest that one focus of those investigations should be the interaction between the growth cone and the substrata.

Laser assisted decontamination of metal surface: Evidence of increased surface absorptivity due to field enhancement caused by transparent/semi-transparent contaminant particulates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilaya, J. Padma; Biswas, Dhruba J.

2010-01-01

Small signal absorption measurements of the incident coherent radiation by the metal surface have revealed an increase in the absorption by the surface in presence of transparent/semi-transparent particulates on it. This effect, identified as field enhanced surface absorption, has been found to increase with reduction in the average particulate size. Consequently higher laser assisted removal efficiency of contamination from a metal surface has been observed for smaller contaminant particulates. These measurements have been carried out utilizing coherent radiations of two different wavelengths so chosen that for one the particulates are totally transparent while for the other they are partially transparent.

Transmittance enhancement of sapphires with antireflective subwavelength grating patterned UV polymer surface structures by soft lithography.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Soo Hyun; Leem, Jung Woo; Yu, Jae Su

2013-12-02

We report the total and diffuse transmission enhancement of sapphires with the ultraviolet curable SU8 polymer surface structures consisting of conical subwavelength gratings (SWGs) at one- and both-side surfaces for different periods. The SWGs patterns on the silicon templates were transferred into the SU8 polymer film surface on sapphires by a simple and cost-effective soft lithography technique. For the fabricated samples, the surface morphologies, wetting behaviors, and optical characteristics were investigated. For theoretical optical analysis, a rigorous coupled-wave analysis method was used. At a period of 350 nm, the sample with SWGs on SU8 film/sapphire exhibited a hydrophobic surface and higher total transmittance compared to the bare sapphire over a wide wavelength of 450-1000 nm. As the period of SWGs was increased, the low total transmittance region of < 85% was shifted towards the longer wavelengths and became broader while the diffuse transmittance was increased (i.e., larger haze ratio). For the samples with SWGs at both-side surfaces, the total and diffuse transmittance spectra were further enhanced compared to the samples with SWGs at one-side surface. The theoretical optical calculation results showed a similar trend to the experimentally measured data.

Thermally generated metals for plasmonic coloring and surface-enhanced Raman sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhenping; Chen, Jian; Liu, Guiqiang; Wang, Yan; Liu, Yi; Tang, Li; Liu, Zhengqi

2018-03-01

Spectral coloring glass and its application on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering are demonstrated experimentally via a simple and moderate heat-treating of the top ultrathin gold film to create discrete nanoparticles, which can produce localized surface plasmon resonances and strong plasmonic near-field coupling effects. Ultrathin metal films with a wide range of thicknesses are investigated by different heat-treatment processes. The annealed metal films have been demonstrated with a series of spectral coloring responses. Moreover, the microscopy images of the metal film structures confirm the formation of distinct geometry features in these operation procedures. Densely packed nanoparticles are observed for the ultrathin metal film with the single-digit level of thickness. With increasing the film thickness over 10 nm, metallic clusters and porous morphologies can be obtained. Importantly, the metallic resonators can provide enhanced Raman scattering with the detection limit down to 10 - 7 molL - 1 of Rhodamine 6G molecules due to the excitation of plasmon resonances and strong near-field coupling effects. These features hold great potential for large-scale and low-cost production of colored glass and Raman substrate.

Neutral atom beam technique enhances bioactivity of PEEK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoury, Joseph; Kirkpatrick, Sean R.; Maxwell, Melissa; Cherian, Raymond E.; Kirkpatrick, Allen; Svrluga, Richard C.

2013-01-01

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is currently gaining popularity in orthopedic and spinal applications but has potential drawbacks in use. PEEK is biocompatible, similar in elasticity to bone, and radiolucent; however, it has been shown to be inert and does not integrate well with bone. Recent efforts have focused on increasing the bioactivity of PEEK by modifying the surface to improve the bone-implant interface. We have employed a novel Accelerated Neutral Atom Beam technique (ANAB) to enhance the bioactivity of PEEK. ANAB employs an intense beam of cluster-like packets of accelerated unbonded neutral argon (Ar) gas atoms. These beams are created by first producing a highly energetic Gas Cluster Ion Beam (GCIB) comprised of van der Waals bonded Ar atoms, then transferring energy to the clusters so as to cause release of most of the interatomic bonds, and finally deflecting away the remaining electrically charged cluster cores of still bonded atoms. We identified that ANAB treatment of PEEK results in nanometer scale surface modifications as well as increased surface hydrophilicity. Human osteoblasts seeded onto the surface of ANAB-treated PEEK exhibited enhanced growth as compared to control PEEK as evidenced by cell proliferation assays and microscopy. This increase in bioactivity resulted in cell proliferation levels comparable to native titanium. An in vivo study using a rat calvarial critical size defect model revealed enhanced osseointegration where bone tissue formation was evident only on the ANAB treated PEEK. Taken together, these data suggest that ANAB treatment of PEEK has the potential to enhance its bioactivity, resulting in bone formation and significantly decreasing osseointegration time of orthopedic and spinal implants

3D-shaded surface rendering of gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography in congenital heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuda, S.; Kikinis, R.; Dumanli, H.; Geva, T.; Powell, A.J.; Chung, T.

2000-01-01

Background. Gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) MR angiography is a useful imaging technique for patients with congenital heart disease. Objective. This study sought to determine the added value of creating 3D shaded surface displays compared to standard maximal intensity projection (MIP) and multiplanar reformatting (MPR) techniques when analyzing 3D MR angiography data. Materials and methods. Seventeen patients (range, 3 months to 51 years old) with a variety of congenital cardiovascular defects underwent gadolinium-enhanced 3D MR angiography of the thorax. Color-coded 3D shaded surface models were rendered from the image data using manual segmentation and computer-based algorithms. Models could be rotated, translocated, or zoomed interactively by the viewer. Information available from the 3D models was compared to analysis based on viewing standard MIP/MPR displays. Results. Median postprocessing time for the 3D models was 6 h (range, 3-25 h) compared to approximately 20 min for MIP/MPR viewing. No additional diagnostic information was gained from 3D model analysis. All major findings with MIP/MPR postprocessing were also apparent on the 3D models. Qualitatively, the 3D models were more easily interpreted and enabled adjacent vessels to be distinguished more readily. Conclusion. Routine use of 3D shaded surface reconstructions for visualization of contrast enhanced MR angiography in congenital heart disease cannot be recommended. 3D surface rendering may be more useful for presenting complex anatomy to an audience unfamiliar with congenital heart disease and as an educational tool. (orig.)

Replacement of Cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide Bilayer on Gold Nanorod by Alkanethiol Crosslinker for Enhanced Plasmon Resonance Sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Casas, Justin; Venkataramasubramani, Meenakshi; Wang, Yanyan; Tang, Liang

2013-01-01

Surface modification of gold nanorods (GNRs) is often problematic due to tightly packed cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) bilayer. Herein, we performed a double phase transfer ligand exchange to achieve displacement of CTAB on nanorods. During the removal, 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUDA) crosslinker is simultaneously assembled on nanorod surfaces to prevent aggregation. The resulting MUDA-GNRs retain the shape and position of plasmon peaks similar to CTAB-capped GNRs. The introduction of carboxyl groups allows covalent conjugation of biological receptors in a facile fashion to construct a robust, label-free biosensor based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) transduction of biomolecular interaction. More importantly, smaller MUDA layer on the GNRs reduces the distance of target binding to the plasmonic nanostructure interface, leading to a significant enhancement in LSPR assay sensitivity and specificity. Compared to modification using conventional electropolymer adsorption, MUDA-coated gold nanosensor exhibits five times lower detection limit for cardiac troponin I assay with a high selectivity. PMID:23816849

Mathematical model for biomolecular quantification using large-area surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palla, Mirkó; Bosco, Filippo; Yang, Jaeyoung

2015-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on nanostructured platforms is a promising technique for quantitative and highly sensitive detection of biomolecules in the field of analytical biochemistry. Here, we report a mathematical model to predict experimental SERS signal (or hotspot) inte...

Endoproteolytic activity assay in malting barley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blanca Gómez Guerrero

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Hydrolysis of barley proteins into peptides and amino acids is one of the most important processes during barley germination.The degradation of the endosperm stored proteins facilitates water and enzyme movements, enhances modification, liberates starch granules and increases soluble amino nitrogen. Protease activity is the result of the activities of a mixture of exo- and endo-proteases. The barley proteins are initially solubilized by endo-proteases and the further by exo-proteases. Four classes of endo-proteases have been described: serine-proteases, cysteine-proteases, aspartic-proteases and metallo-proteases. The objective of this work was to develop a rapid and colorimetric enzymatic assay to determine the endo-proteolytic activity of the four endo-protease classes using two different substrates: azo-gelatin and azo-casein. Optimum conditions for the assays such as: pH,reaction time and temperature and absorbance scale were determined. Azo-gelatin presented several difficulties in standardizing an “in solution” assay. On the other hand, azo-casein allowed standardization of the assay for the four enzyme classes to produce consistent results. The endo-proteoteolytic method developed was applied to determine the endo-protease activity in barley, malt and wort.

Self-enhanced plasma discharge effect in the deposition of diamond-like carbon films on the inner surface of slender tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Yi [Department of 702, Beihang University, Beijing (China); Li, Liuhe, E-mail: liliuhe@buaa.edu.cn [Department of 702, Beihang University, Beijing (China); Luo, Sida [Department of 702, Beihang University, Beijing (China); International Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science, Beihang University, Beijing (China); Lu, Qiuyuan [Dong Feng Commercial Vehicle Technical Center, Dong Feng Commercial Vehicle Co., LTD, Wuhan (China); Gu, Jiabin; Lei, Ning [Department of 702, Beihang University, Beijing (China); Huo, Chunqin [Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education, Shenzhen University, Guangdong (China)

2017-01-30

Highlights: • Effect of inner surface materials of tubes on plasma discharge is examined. • Electron mean free path is used to analyze the films deposition. • Secondary electrons emitted from inner surface of tube enhance plasma discharge. - Abstract: Enhanced glow discharge plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (EGD-PIII&D) have been proved to be highly effective for depositing diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on the inner surface of the slender quartz tube with a deposition rate of 1.3 μm/min. Such a high-efficiency DLC films deposition was explained previously as the short electrons mean free path to cause large collision frequency between electrons and neutral particles. However, in this paper, we found that the inner surface material of the tube itself play a vital role on the films deposition. To disclose the mechanism of this phenomenon, the effect of different inner surface materials on plasma discharge was experimentally and theoretically investigated. Then a self-enhancing plasma discharge is discovered. It is found that secondary electrons emitted from the inner surface material, whatever it is the tube inner surface or deposited DLC films, can dramatically enhance the plasma discharge to improve the DLC films deposition rate.

Enhanced biomimic bactericidal surfaces by coating with positively-charged ZIF nano-dagger arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yuan; Zhang, Yugen

2017-10-01

Cicada wing surfaces are covered with dense patterns of nano-pillar structure that prevent bacterial growth by rupturing adhered microbial cells. To mimic the natural nano-pillar structure, we developed a general and simple method to grow metal organic framework (MOF) nano-dagger arrays on a wide range of surfaces. These nano-daggers possess high bactericidal activity, with log reduction >7 for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It was hypothesized that the positively-charged ZIF-L nano-dagger surfaces enhance bacterial cell adhesion, facilitating selective and efficient bacteria killing by the rigid and sharp nano-dagger tips. This research provides a safe and clean antimicrobial surface technology which does not require external chemicals and will not cause drug resistance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In Vivo Alkaline Comet Assay and Enzyme-modified Alkaline Comet Assay for Measuring DNA Strand Breaks and Oxidative DNA Damage in Rat Liver.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Wei; Bishop, Michelle E; Lyn-Cook, Lascelles E; Davis, Kelly J; Manjanatha, Mugimane G

2016-05-04

Unrepaired DNA damage can lead to genetic instability, which in turn may enhance cancer development. Therefore, identifying potential DNA damaging agents is important for protecting public health. The in vivo alkaline comet assay, which detects DNA damage as strand breaks, is especially relevant for assessing the genotoxic hazards of xenobiotics, as its responses reflect the in vivo absorption, tissue distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of chemicals, as well as DNA repair process. Compared to other in vivo DNA damage assays, the assay is rapid, sensitive, visual and inexpensive, and, by converting oxidative DNA damage into strand breaks using specific repair enzymes, the assay can measure oxidative DNA damage in an efficient and relatively artifact-free manner. Measurement of DNA damage with the comet assay can be performed using both acute and subchronic toxicology study designs, and by integrating the comet assay with other toxicological assessments, the assay addresses animal welfare requirements by making maximum use of animal resources. Another major advantage of the assays is that they only require a small amount of cells, and the cells do not have to be derived from proliferating cell populations. The assays also can be performed with a variety of human samples obtained from clinically or occupationally exposed individuals.

Engineering of Surface Chemistry for Enhanced Sensitivity in Nanoporous Interferometric Sensing Platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Law, Cheryl Suwen; Sylvia, Georgina M; Nemati, Madieh; Yu, Jingxian; Losic, Dusan; Abell, Andrew D; Santos, Abel

2017-03-15

We explore new approaches to engineering the surface chemistry of interferometric sensing platforms based on nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) and reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS). Two surface engineering strategies are presented, namely (i) selective chemical functionalization of the inner surface of NAA pores with amine-terminated thiol molecules and (ii) selective chemical functionalization of the top surface of NAA with dithiol molecules. The strong molecular interaction of Au 3+ ions with thiol-containing functional molecules of alkane chain or peptide character provides a model sensing system with which to assess the sensitivity of these NAA platforms by both molecular feature and surface engineering. Changes in the effective optical thickness of the functionalized NAA photonic films (i.e., sensing principle), in response to gold ions, are monitored in real-time by RIfS. 6-Amino-1-hexanethiol (inner surface) and 1,6-hexanedithiol (top surface), the most sensitive functional molecules from approaches i and ii, respectively, were combined into a third sensing strategy whereby the NAA platforms are functionalized on both the top and inner surfaces concurrently. Engineering of the surface according to this approach resulted in an additive enhancement in sensitivity of up to 5-fold compared to previously reported systems. This study advances the rational engineering of surface chemistry for interferometric sensing on nanoporous platforms with potential applications for real-time monitoring of multiple analytes in dynamic environments.

Enhanced compatibility of chemically modified titanium surface with periodontal ligament cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kado, T.; Hidaka, T.; Aita, H.; Endo, K.; Furuichi, Y.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Cell-adhesive molecules were covalently immobilized on a Ti surface. ► Immobilized cell-adhesive molecules maintained native function on the Ti surface. ► Immobilized collagen enhanced adhesion of periodontal ligament cells to the Ti. - Abstract: A simple chemical modification method was developed to immobilize cell-adhesive molecules on a titanium surface to improve its compatibility with human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLCs).The polished titanium disk was immersed in 1% (v/v) p-vinylbenzoic acid solution for 2 h to introduce carboxyl groups onto the surface. After rinsing with distilled deionized water, the titanium disk was dipped into 1.47% 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide solution containing 0.1 mg/ml Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (GRGDS), human plasma fibronectin (pFN), or type I collagen from calf skin (Col) to covalently immobilize the cell-adhesive molecules on the titanium surface via formation of peptide bonds. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses revealed that cell-adhesive molecules were successfully immobilized on the titanium surfaces. The Col-immobilized titanium surface revealed higher values regarding nano rough characteristics than the as-polished titanium surface under scanning probe microscopy. The number of HPDLCs attached to both the pFN- and Col-immobilized titanium surfaces was twice that attached to the as-polished titanium surfaces. The cells were larger with the cellular processes that stretched to a greater extent on the pFN- and Col-immobilized titanium surfaces than on the as-polished titanium surface (p < 0.05). HPDLCs on the Col-immobilized titanium surfaces showed more extensive expression of vinculin at the tips of cell projections and more contiguously along the cell outline than on the as-polished, GRGDS-immobilized and pFN-immobilized titanium surfaces. It was concluded that cell-adhesive molecules successfully immobilized on the titanium surface and improved the compatibility of the surface

Surface-Enhanced Separation of Water from Hydrocarbons: Potential Dewatering Membranes for the Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pine Biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engtrakul, Chaiwat; Hu, Michael Z.; Bischoff, Brian L.; Jang, Gyoung G.

2016-10-20

The impact of surface-selective coatings on water permeation through a membrane when exposed to catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) vapor products was studied by tailoring the surface properties of the membrane coating from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Our approach used high-performance architectured surface-selective (HiPAS) membranes that were inserted after a CFP reactor. At this insertion point, the inner wall surface of a tubular membrane was exposed to a mixture of water and upgraded product vapors, including light gases and deoxygenated hydrocarbons. Under proper membrane operating conditions, a high selectivity for water over one-ring upgraded biomass pyrolysis hydrocarbons was observed as a result of a surface-enhanced capillary condensation process. Owing to this surface-enhanced effect, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable high flux separations, suggesting that water can be selectively removed from the CFP product vapors.

A practical method to fabricate gold substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tantra, Ratna; Brown, Richard J C; Milton, Martin J T; Gohil, Dipak

2008-09-01

We describe a practical method of fabricating surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates based on dip-coating poly-L-lysine derivatized microscope slides in a gold colloidal suspension. The use of only commercially available starting materials in this preparation is particularly advantageous, aimed at both reducing time and the inconsistency associated with surface modification of substrates. The success of colloid deposition has been demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the corresponding SERS response (giving performance comparable to the corresponding traditional colloidal SERS substrates). Reproducibility was evaluated by conducting replicate measurements across six different locations on the substrate and assessing the extent of the variability (standard deviation values of spectral parameters: peak width and height), in response to either Rhodamine 6G or Isoniazid. Of particular interest is the observation of how some peaks in a given spectrum are more susceptible to data variability than others. For example, in a Rhodamine 6G SERS spectrum, spectral parameters of the peak at 775 cm(-1) were shown to have a relative standard deviation (RSD) % of or=10%. This observation is best explained by taking into account spectral variations that arise from the effect of a chemisorption process and the local nature of chemical enhancement mechanisms, which affects the enhancement of some spectral peaks but not others (analogous to resonant Raman phenomenon).

Gold micro- and nano-particles for surface enhanced vibrational spectroscopy of pyridostigmine bromide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dolgov, Leonid; Fesenko, Olena; Kavelin, Vladyslav

2017-01-01

Triangular gold microprisms and spherical silica nanoparticles with attached gold nano-islands were examined as an active nanostructures for the surface enhanced Raman and infrared spectroscopy. These particles were probed for the detection of pyridostigmine bromide as a safe analog of military c...

Polyethylenimine-assisted seed-mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering studies

Science.gov (United States)

Philip, Anish; Ankudze, Bright; Pakkanen, Tuula T.

2018-06-01

Large-sized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized with a new polyethylenimine - assisted seed - mediated method for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies. The size and polydispersity of gold nanoparticles are controlled in the growth step with the amounts of polyethylenimine (PEI) and seeds. Influence of three silicon oxide supports having different surface morphologies, namely halloysite (Hal) nanotubes, glass plates and inverse opal films of SiO2, on the performance of gold nanoparticles in Raman scattering of a 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) analyte was investigated. Electrostatic interaction between positively charged polyethylenimine-capped AuNPs and negatively charged surfaces of silicon oxide supports was utilized in fabrication of the SERS substrates using deposition and infiltration methods. The Au-photonic crystal of the three SERS substrate groups is the most active one as it showed the highest analytical enhancement factor (AEF) and the lowest detection limit of 1x10-8 M for 4-ATP. Coupling of the optical properties of photonic crystals with the plasmonic properties of AuNPs provided Au-photonic crystals with the high SERS activity. The AuNPs clusters formed both in the photonic crystal and on the glass plate are capable of forming more hot spots as compared to sparsely distributed AuNPs on Hal nanotubes and thereby increasing the SERS enhancement.

A competitive immunoassay for ultrasensitive detection of Hg(2+) in water, human serum and urine samples using immunochromatographic test based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

She, Pei; Chu, Yanxin; Liu, Chunwei; Guo, Xun; Zhao, Kang; Li, Jianguo; Du, Haijing; Zhang, Xiang; Wang, Hong; Deng, Anping

2016-02-04

An immunochromatographic test (ICT) strip was developed for ultrasensitive competitive immunoassay of Hg(2+). This strategy was achieved by combining the easy-operation and rapidity of ICT with the high sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Monoclonal antibody (mAb) against Hg(2+) and Raman active substance 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) dual labelled gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were prepared as an immunoprobe. The Raman scattering intensity of MBA on the test line of the ICT strip was measured for quantitative determination of Hg(2+). The ICT was able to directly detect Hg(2+) without complexing due to the specific recognition of the mAb with Hg(2+). The IC50 and limit of detection (LOD) of the assay for Hg(2+) detection were 0.12 ng mL(-1) and 0.45 pg mL(-1), respectively. There was no cross-reactivity (CR) of the assay with other nineteen ions and the ICT strips could be kept for 5 weeks without loss of activity. The recoveries of the assay for water, human serum and urine samples spiked with Hg(2+) were in range of 88.3-107.3% with the relative standard deviations (RSD) of 1.5-9.5% (n = 3). The proposed ICT was used for the detection of Hg(2+) in urine samples collected from Occupational Disease Hospital and the results were confirmed by cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CV-AFS). The assay exhibited high sensitivity, selectivity, stability, precision and accuracy, demonstrating a promising method for the detection of trace amount of Hg(2+) in environmental water samples and biological serum and urine samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Charge Transfer Effect on Raman and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Furfural Molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Fu; Shi, Haiyang; Chen, Weigen; Gu, Zhaoliang; Du, Lingling; Wang, Pinyi; Wang, Jianxin; Huang, Yingzhou

2017-08-02

The detection of furfural in transformer oil through surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the most promising online monitoring techniques in the process of transformer aging. In this work, the Raman of individual furfural molecules and SERS of furfural-M x (M = Ag, Au, Cu) complexes are investigated through density functional theory (DFT). In the Raman spectrum of individual furfural molecules, the vibration mode of each Raman peak is figured out, and the deviation from experimental data is analyzed by surface charge distribution. In the SERS of furfural-M x complexes, the influence of atom number and species on SERS chemical enhancement factors (EFs) are studied, and are further analyzed by charge transfer effect. Our studies strengthen the understanding of charge transfer effect in the SERS of furfural molecules, which is important in the online monitoring of the transformer aging process through SERS.

Through tissue imaging of a live breast cancer tumour model using handheld surface enhanced spatially offset resonance Raman spectroscopy (SESORRS).

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolson, Fay; Jamieson, Lauren E; Mabbott, Samuel; Plakas, Konstantinos; Shand, Neil C; Detty, Michael R; Graham, Duncan; Faulds, Karen

2018-04-21

In order to improve patient survival and reduce the amount of unnecessary and traumatic biopsies, non-invasive detection of cancerous tumours is of imperative and urgent need. Multicellular tumour spheroids (MTS) can be used as an ex vivo cancer tumour model, to model in vivo nanoparticle (NP) uptake by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Surface enhanced spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SESORS) combines both surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) to yield enhanced Raman signals at much greater sub-surface levels. By utilizing a reporter that has an electronic transition in resonance with the laser frequency, surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) yields even greater enhancement in Raman signal. Using a handheld SORS spectrometer with back scattering optics, we demonstrate the detection of live breast cancer 3D MTS containing SERRS active NPs through 15 mm of porcine tissue. False color 2D heat intensity maps were used to determine tumour model location. In addition, we demonstrate the tracking of SERRS-active NPs through porcine tissue to depths of up to 25 mm. This unprecedented performance is due to the use of red-shifted chalcogenpyrylium-based Raman reporters to demonstrate the novel technique of surface enhanced spatially offset resonance Raman spectroscopy (SESORRS) for the first time. Our results demonstrate a significant step forward in the ability to detect vibrational fingerprints from a tumour model at depth through tissue. Such an approach offers significant promise for the translation of NPs into clinical applications for non-invasive disease diagnostics based on this new chemical principle of measurement.

Biofunctionalization of silicone rubber with microgroove-patterned surface and carbon-ion implantation to enhance biocompatibility and reduce capsule formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei ZY

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Ze-yuan Lei, Ting Liu, Wei-juan Li, Xiao-hua Shi, Dong-li Fan Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, XinQiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, ChongQing, People’s Republic of China Purpose: Silicone rubber implants have been widely used to repair soft tissue defects and deformities. However, poor biocompatibility can elicit capsule formation, usually resulting in prosthesis contracture and displacement in long-term usage. To overcome this problem, this study investigated the properties of silicone rubber materials with or without a microgroove-patterned surface and with or without carbon (C-ion implantation. Materials and methods: Atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and a water contact angle test were used to characterize surface morphology and physicochemical properties. Cytocompatibility was investigated by a cell adhesion experiment, immunofluorescence staining, a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and scanning electron microscopy in vitro. Histocompatibility was evaluated by studying the inflammatory response and fiber capsule formation that developed after subcutaneous implantation in rats for 7 days, 15 days, and 30 days in vivo. Results: Parallel microgrooves were found on the surfaces of patterned silicone rubber (P-SR and patterned C-ion-implanted silicone rubber (PC-SR. Irregular larger peaks and deeper valleys were present on the surface of silicone rubber implanted with C ions (C-SR. The silicone rubber surfaces with microgroove patterns had stable physical and chemical properties and exhibited moderate hydrophobicity. PC-SR exhibited moderately increased dermal fibroblast cell adhesion and growth, and its surface microstructure promoted orderly cell growth. Histocompatibility experiments on animals showed that both the anti-inflammatory and antifibrosis properties of PC-SR were slightly better than those of the other materials, and there was also a lower capsular contracture rate and less

Silver-capped silicon nanopillar platforms for adsorption studies of folic acid using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castillo, Jaime; Rindzevicius, Tomas; Wu, Kaiyu

2015-01-01

The study of the interactions of folic acid (FA) with surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates is relevant for understanding its adsorption mechanismand for fabricating analytical devices for detection ofmalignant cells over-expressing folate receptors. This paper presents a study of the adso......The study of the interactions of folic acid (FA) with surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates is relevant for understanding its adsorption mechanismand for fabricating analytical devices for detection ofmalignant cells over-expressing folate receptors. This paper presents a study...... of the adsorption of FA on silver-capped silicon nanopillar substrates employing surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The experimentally observed vibrations from free FA and FA bound to the Ag surface display different vibrational spectra indicating chemical...

Heat Transfer Enhancement By Three-Dimensional Surface Roughness Technique In Nuclear Fuel Rod Bundles

Science.gov (United States)

Najeeb, Umair

This thesis experimentally investigates the enhancement of single-phase heat transfer, frictional loss and pressure drop characteristics in a Single Heater Element Loop Tester (SHELT). The heater element simulates a single fuel rod for Pressurized Nuclear reactor. In this experimental investigation, the effect of the outer surface roughness of a simulated nuclear rod bundle was studied. The outer surface of a simulated fuel rod was created with a three-dimensional (Diamond-shaped blocks) surface roughness. The angle of corrugation for each diamond was 45 degrees. The length of each side of a diamond block is 1 mm. The depth of each diamond block was 0.3 mm. The pitch of the pattern was 1.614 mm. The simulated fuel rod had an outside diameter of 9.5 mm and wall thickness of 1.5 mm and was placed in a test-section made of 38.1 mm inner diameter, wall thickness 6.35 mm aluminum pipe. The Simulated fuel rod was made of Nickel 200 and Inconel 625 materials. The fuel rod was connected to 10 KW DC power supply. The Inconel 625 material of the rod with an electrical resistance of 32.3 kO was used to generate heat inside the test-section. The heat energy dissipated from the Inconel tube due to the flow of electrical current flows into the working fluid across the rod at constant heat flux conditions. The DI water was employed as working fluid for this experimental investigation. The temperature and pressure readings for both smooth and rough regions of the fuel rod were recorded and compared later to find enhancement in heat transfer coefficient and increment in the pressure drops. Tests were conducted for Reynold's Numbers ranging from 10e4 to 10e5. Enhancement in heat transfer coefficient at all Re was recorded. The maximum heat transfer co-efficient enhancement recorded was 86% at Re = 4.18e5. It was also observed that the pressure drop and friction factor increased by 14.7% due to the increased surface roughness.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on laser-engineered ruthenium dye-functionalized nanoporous gold

Science.gov (United States)

Schade, Lina; Franzka, Steffen; Biener, Monika; Biener, Jürgen; Hartmann, Nils

2016-06-01

Photothermal processing of nanoporous gold with a microfocused continuous-wave laser at λ = 532 nm provides a facile means in order engineer the pore and ligament size of nanoporous gold. In this report we take advantage of this approach in order to investigate the size-dependence of enhancement effects in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Surface structures with laterally varying pore sizes from 25 nm to ≥200 nm are characterized using scanning electron microscopy and then functionalized with N719, a commercial ruthenium complex, which is widely used in dye-sensitized solar cells. Raman spectroscopy reveals the characteristic spectral features of N719. Peak intensities strongly depend on the pore size. Highest intensities are observed on the native support, i.e. on nanoporous gold with pore sizes around 25 nm. These results demonstrate the particular perspectives of laser-fabricated nanoporous gold structures in fundamental SERS studies. In particular, it is emphasized that laser-engineered porous gold substrates represent a very well defined platform in order to study size-dependent effects with high reproducibility and precision and resolve conflicting results in previous studies.

Radioisotopic 51Cr-leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay. I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, P.H.; Tangnavarad, K.; Lesnick, G.; Holland, J.F.; Bekesi, J.G.; Perloff, M.

1980-01-01

A simplified radioisotopic leukocyte adherence inhibition assay ( 51 Cr-LAI assay) was used to determine tumor-directed immune responses in patients with cancer of the breast. Essential steps in development of this assay are the standardization of conditions for optimal 51 Cr uptake by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and the inclusion of autologous or normal AB serum in the incubation media. A dextrose salt mixture (GNK) was found to enhance intracellular uptake of 51 Cr significantly (8-fold) without affecting viability of the cells or without causing selective loss of lymphocyte subpopulations. The presence of 10% autologous or normal AB serum prevented non-specific LAI responses to unrelated tumor antigens. Experimental results are presented and it is seen that this short term (4 h) 51 Cr-LAI assay provides reproducible and specific results analogous to those using tube-LAI assay. The test has the advantages of being accurate, sensitive and free from technical bias. (Auth.)

Enhanced adhesion of osteoblastic cells on polystyrene films by independent control of surface topography and wettability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Seung Yun; Kim, Eung-Sam; Jeon, Gumhye; Choi, Kwan Yong; Kim, Jin Kon

2013-01-01

We independently controlled surface topography and wettability of polystyrene (PS) films by CF 4 and oxygen plasma treatments, respectively, to evaluate the adhesion and proliferation of human fetal osteoblastic (hFOB) cells on the films. Among the CF 4 plasma-treated PS films with the average surface roughness ranging from 0.9 to 70 nm, the highest adhesion of hFOB cells was observed on a PS film with roughness of ∼ 11 nm. When this film was additionally treated by oxygen plasma to provide a hydrophilic surface with a contact angle less than 10°, the proliferation of bone-forming cell was further enhanced. Thus, the plasma-based independent modification of PS film into an optimum nanotexture for human osteoblast cells could be appplied to materials used in bone tissue engineering. Highlights: ► New approach based on plasma treatment to independently control the surface topography and wettability ► The adhesion of human fetal osteoblast (hFOB) was enhanced on a surface with an average roughness of ∼ 11 nm. ► The adhesion and proliferation of hFOB was maximized when nanotextured surface became highly hydrophilic

Enhanced adhesion of osteoblastic cells on polystyrene films by independent control of surface topography and wettability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Seung Yun [National Creative Research Center for Block Copolymer Self-Assembly, Departments of Environmental Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Eung-Sam [School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Jeon, Gumhye [National Creative Research Center for Block Copolymer Self-Assembly, Departments of Environmental Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Kwan Yong, E-mail: kchoi@postech.ac.kr [School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Life Science, Division of Molecular and Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin Kon, E-mail: jkkim@postech.ac.kr [National Creative Research Center for Block Copolymer Self-Assembly, Departments of Environmental Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-04-01

We independently controlled surface topography and wettability of polystyrene (PS) films by CF{sub 4} and oxygen plasma treatments, respectively, to evaluate the adhesion and proliferation of human fetal osteoblastic (hFOB) cells on the films. Among the CF{sub 4} plasma-treated PS films with the average surface roughness ranging from 0.9 to 70 nm, the highest adhesion of hFOB cells was observed on a PS film with roughness of ∼ 11 nm. When this film was additionally treated by oxygen plasma to provide a hydrophilic surface with a contact angle less than 10°, the proliferation of bone-forming cell was further enhanced. Thus, the plasma-based independent modification of PS film into an optimum nanotexture for human osteoblast cells could be appplied to materials used in bone tissue engineering. Highlights: ► New approach based on plasma treatment to independently control the surface topography and wettability ► The adhesion of human fetal osteoblast (hFOB) was enhanced on a surface with an average roughness of ∼ 11 nm. ► The adhesion and proliferation of hFOB was maximized when nanotextured surface became highly hydrophilic.

The golden-mean surface pattern to enhance flow mixing in micro-channel.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J F; Liu, Y; Xu, Y S

2009-04-01

Mixing of analytes and reagents in microfluidic devices is often crucial to the effective functioning of lab-on-a-chip. It is possible to affect the mixing in microfluidics by intelligently controlling the thermodynamic and chemical properties of the substrate surface. Numerous studies have shown that the phase behavior of mixtures is significantly affected by surface properties of microfluidics. For example, the phase separation between the fluids can be affected by heterogeneous patterns on the substrate. The patterned substrate can offer an effective means to control fluid behavior and in turn to enhance mixing. The golden mean is a ratio that is present in the growth patterns of many biological systems--the spiral formed by a shell or the curve of a fern, for example. The golden mean or golden section was derived by the ancient Greeks. Like "pi" the golden mean ratio is an irrational number 1.618, or (square root{5} + 1) / 2. It was found that the golden mean was an optimum ratio in natural convection heat transfer problem (Liu and Phan-Thien, Numer Heat Transf 37:613-630, 2000). In this study, we numerically studied the effect of optimum surface pattern on mixing in a micro channel and found that the flow oscillation and chaotic mixing were enhanced apparently when the ratio of hydrophobic and hydrophilic boundary follows the golden mean.

Surface-enhanced Raman fiberoptic sensors for remote monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stokes, D.L.; Alarie, J.P.; Vo-Dinh, T. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Health Sciences Research Div.

1995-09-01

A new sensor design for remote surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements has been developed for environmental applications. The design features the modification of an optical fiber using layers of alumina microparticles and silver coatings for inducing the SERS effect at the sensing probe. A single fiber carries both the laser excitation and the SERS signal radiation, keeping optical parameters at the remote tip simple and consistent. The small tip size achievable with this configuration also demonstrates potential of this new design as a microsensor for in-situ measurement in microenvironments. Details of sensor tip fabrication and optical system design are described. SERS spectra of aqueous environmental samples acquired in-situ using the SERS sensor are also presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the SERS sensor.

Probing cytochrome c in living mitochondria with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brazhe, Nadezda A.; Evlyukhin, Andrey B.; Goodilin, Eugene A.

2015-01-01

Selective study of the electron transport chain components in living mitochondria is essential for fundamental biophysical research and for the development of new medical diagnostic methods. However, many important details of inter- and intramembrane mitochondrial processes have remained in shadow...... due to the lack of non-invasive techniques. Here we suggest a novel label-free approach based on the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to monitor the redox state and conformation of cytochrome c in the electron transport chain in living mitochondria. We demonstrate that SERS spectra of living...... mitochondria placed on hierarchically structured silver-ring substrates provide exclusive information about cytochrome c behavior under modulation of inner mitochondrial membrane potential, proton gradient and the activity of ATP-synthetase. Mathematical simulation explains the observed enhancement of Raman...

Multiplexed detection of DNA sequences using a competitive displacement assay in a microfluidic SERRS-based device.

Science.gov (United States)

Yazdi, Soroush H; Giles, Kristen L; White, Ian M

2013-11-05

We demonstrate sensitive and multiplexed detection of DNA sequences through a surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS)-based competitive displacement assay in an integrated microsystem. The use of the competitive displacement scheme, in which the target DNA sequence displaces a Raman-labeled reporter sequence that has lower affinity for the immobilized probe, enables detection of unlabeled target DNA sequences with a simple single-step procedure. In our implementation, the displacement reaction occurs in a microporous packed column of silica beads prefunctionalized with probe-reporter pairs. The use of a functionalized packed-bead column in a microfluidic channel provides two major advantages: (i) immobilization surface chemistry can be performed as a batch process instead of on a chip-by-chip basis, and (ii) the microporous network eliminates the diffusion limitations of a typical biological assay, which increases the sensitivity. Packed silica beads are also leveraged to improve the SERRS detection of the Raman-labeled reporter. Following displacement, the reporter adsorbs onto aggregated silver nanoparticles in a microfluidic mixer; the nanoparticle-reporter conjugates are then trapped and concentrated in the silica bead matrix, which leads to a significant increase in plasmonic nanoparticles and adsorbed Raman reporters within the detection volume as compared to an open microfluidic channel. The experimental results reported here demonstrate detection down to 100 pM of the target DNA sequence, and the experiments are shown to be specific, repeatable, and quantitative. Furthermore, we illustrate the advantage of using SERRS by demonstrating multiplexed detection. The sensitivity of the assay, combined with the advantages of multiplexed detection and single-step operation with unlabeled target sequences makes this method attractive for practical applications. Importantly, while we illustrate DNA sequence detection, the SERRS-based competitive

Bubble induced flow field modulation for pool boiling enhancement over a tubular surface

Science.gov (United States)

Raghupathi, P. A.; Joshi, I. M.; Jaikumar, A.; Emery, T. S.; Kandlikar, S. G.

2017-06-01

We demonstrate the efficacy of using a strategically placed enhancement feature to modify the trajectory of bubbles nucleating on a horizontal tubular surface to increase both the critical heat flux (CHF) and the heat transfer coefficient (HTC). The CHF on a plain tube is shown to be triggered by a local dryout at the bottom of the tube due to vapor agglomeration. To mitigate this effect and delay CHF, the nucleating bubble trajectory is modified by incorporating a bubble diverter placed axially at the bottom of the tube. The nucleating bubble at the base of the diverter experiences a tangential evaporation momentum force (EMF) which causes the bubble to grow sideways away from the tube and avoid localized bubble patches that are responsible for CHF initiation. High speed imaging confirmed the lateral displacement of the bubbles away from the diverter closely matched with the theoretical predictions using EMF and buoyancy forces. Since the EMF is stronger at higher heat fluxes, bubble displacement increases with heat flux and results in the formation of separate liquid-vapor pathways wherein the liquid enters almost unobstructed at the bottom and the vapor bubble leaves sideways. Experimental results yielded CHF and HTC enhancements of ˜60% and ˜75%, respectively, with the diverter configuration when compared to a plain tube. This work can be used for guidance in developing enhancement strategies to effectively modulate the liquid-vapor flow around the heater surface at various locations to enhance HTC and CHF.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of riboflavin on nanostructured Ag surfaces: The role of excitation wavelength, plasmon resonance and molecular resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Šubr, Martin; Kuzminova, Anna; Kylián, Ondřej; Procházka, Marek

2018-05-01

Optimization of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensors for (bio)analytical applications has received much attention in recent years. For optimum sensitivity, both the nanostructure fabrication process and the choice of the excitation wavelength used with respect to the specific analyte studied are of crucial importance. In this contribution, detailed SERS intensity profiles were measured using gradient nanostructures with the localized surface-plasmon resonance (LSPR) condition varying across the sample length and using riboflavin as the model biomolecule. Three different excitation wavelengths (633 nm, 515 nm and 488 nm) corresponding to non-resonance, pre-resonance and resonance excitation with respect to the studied molecule, respectively, were tested. Results were interpreted in terms of a superposition of the enhancement provided by the electromagnetic mechanism and intrinsic properties of the SERS probe molecule. The first effect was dictated mainly by the degree of spectral overlap between the LSPR band, the excitation wavelength along with the scattering cross-section of the nanostructures, while the latter was influenced by the position of the molecular resonance with respect to the excitation wavelength. Our experimental findings contribute to a better understanding of the SERS enhancement mechanism.

Design and fabrication of a nanostructured surface combining antireflective and enhanced-hydrophobic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Y C; Mei, G H; Chang, T W; Wang, T J; Lin, D Z; Lee, C K

2007-01-01

Herein, we propose a special type of periodic subwavelength structure, which is optically an effective gradient-index (GRIN) antireflective surface that also exhibits enhanced-hydrophobic behaviour. Our new concept was developed adopting both the effective medium theory (EMT) and Wenzel's wettability model. To demonstrate the concept, an inverted pyramid structure was fabricated by electron beam (EB) lithography and anisotropic etching. The experimental data was found to be in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. Some potential applications that can benefit from this combination of antireflection and enhanced-hydrophobicity features are discussed

Enhanced visible light photocatalytic property of red phosphorus via surface roughening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Weibing; Yue, Jiguang; Hua, Fangxia; Feng, Chang; Bu, Yuyu; Chen, Zhuoyuan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Photocatalytic RhB degradation of red phosphorus was studied for the first time. • Surface rough can increase the photocatalysis reaction active sites. • Surface rough red phosphorus possesses high photocatalytic performance. • Surface rough red phosphorus has high industrial application value. - Abstract: Red phosphorus with rough surface (SRP) was prepared by catalyst-assisted hydrothermal synthesis using Co 2+ catalyst. The photocatalytic Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation of red phosphorus (RP) and SRP was studied for the first time in this work. Rough surface can enhance the dye adsorption ability of RP. About 75% RhB was absorbed by SRP after 30-min adsorption in 100 ml RhB solution with concentration of 10 mg l −1 in dark. After only 10 min of illumination by visible light, more than 95% RhB was degraded, indicating that SRP has a great application potential in the area of photocatalysis. The photocatalytic RhB degradation properties of RP are much weaker than those of SRP. The increase of the number of the active sites for the photocatalytic reactions, the electron mobility and the lifetime of the photogenerated electrons cause the significant improvement of the photocatalytic performance of SRP based on the experimental results obtained

Enhanced visible light photocatalytic property of red phosphorus via surface roughening

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Weibing, E-mail: lwbing@qust.edu.cn [School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, 53 Zhengzhou Road, Qingdao 266042 (China); Yue, Jiguang; Hua, Fangxia; Feng, Chang [School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, 53 Zhengzhou Road, Qingdao 266042 (China); Bu, Yuyu; Chen, Zhuoyuan [Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Corrosion and Bio-fouling, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071 (China)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Photocatalytic RhB degradation of red phosphorus was studied for the first time. • Surface rough can increase the photocatalysis reaction active sites. • Surface rough red phosphorus possesses high photocatalytic performance. • Surface rough red phosphorus has high industrial application value. - Abstract: Red phosphorus with rough surface (SRP) was prepared by catalyst-assisted hydrothermal synthesis using Co{sup 2+} catalyst. The photocatalytic Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation of red phosphorus (RP) and SRP was studied for the first time in this work. Rough surface can enhance the dye adsorption ability of RP. About 75% RhB was absorbed by SRP after 30-min adsorption in 100 ml RhB solution with concentration of 10 mg l{sup −1} in dark. After only 10 min of illumination by visible light, more than 95% RhB was degraded, indicating that SRP has a great application potential in the area of photocatalysis. The photocatalytic RhB degradation properties of RP are much weaker than those of SRP. The increase of the number of the active sites for the photocatalytic reactions, the electron mobility and the lifetime of the photogenerated electrons cause the significant improvement of the photocatalytic performance of SRP based on the experimental results obtained.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering based nonfluorescent probe for multiplex DNA detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Lan; Yu, Chenxu; Irudayaraj, Joseph

2007-06-01

To provide rapid and accurate detection of DNA markers in a straightforward, inexpensive, and multiplex format, an alternative surface-enhanced Raman scattering based probe was designed and fabricated to covalently attach both DNA probing sequence and nonfluorescent Raman tags to the surface of gold nanoparticles (DNA-AuP-RTag). The intensity of Raman signal of the probes could be controlled through the surface coverage of the nonfluorescent Raman tags (RTags). Detection sensitivity of these probes could be optimized by fine-tuning the amount of DNA molecules and RTags on the probes. Long-term stability of the DNA-AuP-RTag probes was found to be good (over 3 months). Excellent multiplexing capability of the DNA-AuP-RTag scheme was demonstrated by simultaneous identification of up to eight probes in a mixture. Detection of hybridization of single-stranded DNA to its complementary targets was successfully accomplished with a long-term goal to use nonfluorescent RTags in a Raman-based DNA microarray platform.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on gold nanorod pairs with interconnection bars of different widths

KAUST Repository