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Sample records for versatile chemical assembly

  1. Chemical reactions directed Peptide self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasale, Dnyaneshwar B; Das, Apurba K

    2015-05-13

    Fabrication of self-assembled nanostructures is one of the important aspects in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The study of self-assembled soft materials remains an area of interest due to their potential applications in biomedicine. The versatile properties of soft materials can be tuned using a bottom up approach of small molecules. Peptide based self-assembly has significant impact in biology because of its unique features such as biocompatibility, straight peptide chain and the presence of different side chain functionality. These unique features explore peptides in various self-assembly process. In this review, we briefly introduce chemical reaction-mediated peptide self-assembly. Herein, we have emphasised enzymes, native chemical ligation and photochemical reactions in the exploration of peptide self-assembly.

  2. Mobius Assembly: A versatile Golden-Gate framework towards universal DNA assembly.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas I Andreou

    Full Text Available Synthetic biology builds upon the foundation of engineering principles, prompting innovation and improvement in biotechnology via a design-build-test-learn cycle. A community-wide standard in DNA assembly would enable bio-molecular engineering at the levels of predictivity and universality in design and construction that are comparable to other engineering fields. Golden Gate Assembly technology, with its robust capability to unidirectionally assemble numerous DNA fragments in a one-tube reaction, has the potential to deliver a universal standard framework for DNA assembly. While current Golden Gate Assembly frameworks (e.g. MoClo and Golden Braid render either high cloning capacity or vector toolkit simplicity, the technology can be made more versatile-simple, streamlined, and cost/labor-efficient, without compromising capacity. Here we report the development of a new Golden Gate Assembly framework named Mobius Assembly, which combines vector toolkit simplicity with high cloning capacity. It is based on a two-level, hierarchical approach and utilizes a low-frequency cutter to reduce domestication requirements. Mobius Assembly embraces the standard overhang designs designated by MoClo, Golden Braid, and Phytobricks and is largely compatible with already available Golden Gate part libraries. In addition, dropout cassettes encoding chromogenic proteins were implemented for cost-free visible cloning screening that color-code different cloning levels. As proofs of concept, we have successfully assembled up to 16 transcriptional units of various pigmentation genes in both operon and multigene arrangements. Taken together, Mobius Assembly delivers enhanced versatility and efficiency in DNA assembly, facilitating improved standardization and automation.

  3. Self-assembly of versatile tubular-like In2O3 nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong Miao; Zheng Maojun; Ma Li; Li Yanbo

    2007-01-01

    Versatile indium oxide tubular nanostructures (well-aligned nanotube arrays, flower-like tubular structures, and square nanotubes) were fabricated by a facile and reliable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique, taking advantage of the self-assembly property and substrate-induced epitaxial growth mechanism. The technique has a few advantages, such as low growth temperature, nonexistence of catalyst, template-free synthesis, direct bonding to the semiconductor substrates, etc. This strategy might extend the approach of synthesizing desirable nanostructures of other important low-melting metal oxides for potential applications

  4. Nanoscale protein arrays of rich morphologies via self-assembly on chemically treated diblock copolymer surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Sheng; Milchak, Marissa; Zhou Hebing; Lee, Thomas; Hanscom, Mark; Hahm, Jong-in

    2013-01-01

    Well-controlled assembly of proteins on supramolecular templates of block copolymers can be extremely useful for high-throughput biodetection. We report the adsorption and assembly characteristics of a model antibody protein to various polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) templates whose distinctive nanoscale structures are obtained through time-regulated exposure to chloroform vapor. The strong adsorption preference of the protein to the polystyrene segment in the diblock copolymer templates leads to an easily predictable, controllable, rich set of nanoscale protein morphologies through self-assembly. We also demonstrate that the chemical identities of various subareas within individual nanostructures can be readily elucidated by investigating the corresponding protein adsorption behavior on each chemically distinct area of the template. In our approach, a rich set of intricate nanoscale morphologies of protein arrays that cannot be easily attained through other means can be generated straightforwardly via self-assembly of proteins on chemically treated diblock copolymer surfaces, without the use of clean-room-based fabrication tools. Our approach provides much-needed flexibility and versatility for the use of block copolymer-based protein arrays in biodetection. The ease of fabrication in producing well-defined and self-assembled templates can contribute to a high degree of versatility and simplicity in acquiring an intricate nanoscale geometry and spatial distribution of proteins in arrays. These advantages can be extremely beneficial both for fundamental research and biomedical detection, especially in the areas of solid-state-based, high-throughput protein sensing. (paper)

  5. Versatile Chemical Derivatizations to Design Glycol Chitosan-Based Drug Carriers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sung Eun Kim

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Glycol chitosan (GC and its derivatives have been extensively investigated as safe and effective drug delivery carriers because of their unique physiochemical and biological properties. The reactive functional groups such as the amine and hydroxyl groups on the GC backbone allow for easy chemical modification with various chemical compounds (e.g., hydrophobic molecules, crosslinkers, and acid-sensitive and labile molecules, and the versatility in chemical modifications enables production of a wide range of GC-based drug carriers. This review summarizes the versatile chemical modification methods that can be used to design GC-based drug carriers and describes their recent applications in disease therapy.

  6. Design of a versatile chemical assembly method for patterning colloidal nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, J H; Adams, S M; Ragan, R

    2009-01-01

    Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) domains in phase-separated polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) diblock copolymer thin films were chemically modified for controlled placement of solution synthesized Au nanoparticles having a mean diameter of 24 nm. Colloidal Au nanoparticles functionalized with thioctic acid were immobilized on amine functionalized PMMA domains on the PS-b-PMMA template using 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl] carbodiimide hydrochloride linking chemistry and N-hydroxy sulfosuccinimide stabilizer. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated immobilization of Au nanoparticles commensurate with PMMA domains. Nanoparticles form into clusters of single particles, dimers, and linear chains as directed by the PMMA domain size and shape. Capillary forces influence the spacing between Au nanoparticles on PMMA domains. Inter-particle spacings below 3 nm were achieved and these assemblies of closely spaced nanoparticle clusters are expected to exhibit strong localized electromagnetic fields. Thus, these processes and material systems provide an experimental platform for studying resonantly enhanced excitations of surface plasmons as a function of material and geometric structure as well as utilization in catalytic applications.

  7. A simple and versatile system for the ATP-dependent assembly of chromatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khuong, Mai T; Fei, Jia; Cruz-Becerra, Grisel; Kadonaga, James T

    2017-11-24

    Chromatin is the natural form of DNA in the eukaryotic nucleus and is the substrate for diverse biological phenomena. The functional analysis of these processes ideally would be carried out with nucleosomal templates that are assembled with customized core histones, DNA sequences, and chromosomal proteins. Here we report a simple, reliable, and versatile method for the ATP-dependent assembly of evenly spaced nucleosome arrays. This minimal chromatin assembly system comprises the Drosophila nucleoplasmin-like protein (dNLP) histone chaperone, the imitation switch (ISWI) ATP-driven motor protein, core histones, template DNA, and ATP. The dNLP and ISWI components were synthesized in bacteria, and each protein could be purified in a single step by affinity chromatography. We show that the dNLP-ISWI system can be used with different DNA sequences, linear or circular DNA, bulk genomic DNA, recombinant or native Drosophila core histones, native human histones, the linker histone H1, the non-histone chromosomal protein HMGN2, and the core histone variants H3.3 and H2A.V. The dNLP-ISWI system should be accessible to a wide range of researchers and enable the assembly of customized chromatin with specifically desired DNA sequences, core histones, and other chromosomal proteins. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. Versatile Dual Photoresponsive System for Precise Control of Chemical Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Can; Bing, Wei; Wang, Faming; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

    2017-08-22

    A versatile method for photoregulation of chemical reactions was developed through a combination of near-infrared (NIR) and ultraviolet (UV) light sensitive materials. This regulatory effect was achieved through photoresponsive modulation of reaction temperature and pH values, two prominent factors influencing reaction kinetics. Photothermal nanomaterial graphene oxide (GO) and photobase reagent malachite green carbinol base (MGCB) were selected for temperature and pH regulation, respectively. Using nanocatalyst- and enzyme-mediated chemical reactions as model systems, we demonstrated the feasibility and high efficiency of this method. In addition, a photoresponsive, multifunctional "Band-aid"-like hydrogel platform was presented for programmable wound healing. Overall, this simple, efficient, and reversible system was found to be effective for controlling a wide variety of chemical reactions. Our work may provide a method for remote and sustainable control over chemical reactions for industrial and biomedical applications.

  9. A versatile system for USER cloning-based assembly of expression vectors for mammalian cell engineering.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Mathilde Lund

    Full Text Available A new versatile mammalian vector system for protein production, cell biology analyses, and cell factory engineering was developed. The vector system applies the ligation-free uracil-excision based technique--USER cloning--to rapidly construct mammalian expression vectors of multiple DNA fragments and with maximum flexibility, both for choice of vector backbone and cargo. The vector system includes a set of basic vectors and a toolbox containing a multitude of DNA building blocks including promoters, terminators, selectable marker- and reporter genes, and sequences encoding an internal ribosome entry site, cellular localization signals and epitope- and purification tags. Building blocks in the toolbox can be easily combined as they contain defined and tested Flexible Assembly Sequence Tags, FASTs. USER cloning with FASTs allows rapid swaps of gene, promoter or selection marker in existing plasmids and simple construction of vectors encoding proteins, which are fused to fluorescence-, purification-, localization-, or epitope tags. The mammalian expression vector assembly platform currently allows for the assembly of up to seven fragments in a single cloning step with correct directionality and with a cloning efficiency above 90%. The functionality of basic vectors for FAST assembly was tested and validated by transient expression of fluorescent model proteins in CHO, U-2-OS and HEK293 cell lines. In this test, we included many of the most common vector elements for heterologous gene expression in mammalian cells, in addition the system is fully extendable by other users. The vector system is designed to facilitate high-throughput genome-scale studies of mammalian cells, such as the newly sequenced CHO cell lines, through the ability to rapidly generate high-fidelity assembly of customizable gene expression vectors.

  10. A versatile strategy towards non-covalent functionalization of graphene by surface-confined supramolecular self-assembly of Janus tectons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ping Du

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Two-dimensional (2D, supramolecular self-assembly at surfaces is now well-mastered with several existing examples. However, one remaining challenge to enable future applications in nanoscience is to provide potential functionalities to the physisorbed adlayer. This work reviews a recently developed strategy that addresses this key issue by taking advantage of a new concept, Janus tecton materials. This is a versatile, molecular platform based on the design of three-dimensional (3D building blocks consisting of two faces linked by a cyclophane-type pillar. One face is designed to steer 2D self-assembly onto C(sp2-carbon-based flat surfaces, the other allowing for the desired functionality above the substrate with a well-controlled lateral order. In this way, it is possible to simultaneously obtain a regular, non-covalent paving as well as supramolecular functionalization of graphene, thus opening interesting perspectives for nanoscience applications.

  11. The assembly and use of continuous flow systems for chemical synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Britton, Joshua; Jamison, Timothy F

    2017-11-01

    The adoption of and opportunities in continuous flow synthesis ('flow chemistry') have increased significantly over the past several years. Continuous flow systems provide improved reaction safety and accelerated reaction kinetics, and have synthesised several active pharmaceutical ingredients in automated reconfigurable systems. Although continuous flow platforms are commercially available, systems constructed 'in-lab' provide researchers with a flexible, versatile, and cost-effective alternative. Herein, we describe the assembly and use of a modular continuous flow apparatus from readily available and affordable parts in as little as 30 min. Once assembled, the synthesis of a sulfonamide by reacting 4-chlorobenzenesulfonyl chloride with dibenzylamine in a single reactor coil with an in-line quench is presented. This example reaction offers the opportunity to learn several important skills including reactor construction, charging of a back-pressure regulator, assembly of stainless-steel syringes, assembly of a continuous flow system with multiple junctions, and yield determination. From our extensive experience of single-step and multistep continuous flow synthesis, we also describe solutions to commonly encountered technical problems such as precipitation of solids ('clogging') and reactor failure. Following this protocol, a nonspecialist can assemble a continuous flow system from reactor coils, syringes, pumps, in-line liquid-liquid separators, drying columns, back-pressure regulators, static mixers, and packed-bed reactors.

  12. Benzyl alcohol and block copolymer micellar lithography: a versatile route to assembling gold and in situ generated titania nanoparticles into uniform binary nanoarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polleux, Julien; Rasp, Matthias; Louban, Ilia; Plath, Nicole; Feldhoff, Armin; Spatz, Joachim P

    2011-08-23

    Simultaneous synthesis and assembly of nanoparticles that exhibit unique physicochemical properties are critically important for designing new functional devices at the macroscopic scale. In the present study, we report a simple version of block copolymer micellar lithography (BCML) to synthesize gold and titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanoarrays by using benzyl alcohol (BnOH) as a solvent. In contrast to toluene, BnOH can lead to the formation of various gold nanopatterns via salt-induced micellization of polystyrene-block-poly(vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP). In the case of titania, the use of BCML with a nonaqueous sol-gel method, the "benzyl alcohol route", enables the fabrication of nanopatterns made of quasi-hexagonally organized particles or parallel wires upon aging a (BnOH-TiCl(4)-PS(846)-b-P2VP(171))-containing solution for four weeks to grow TiO(2) building blocks in situ. This approach was found to depend mainly on the relative lengths of the polymer blocks, which allows nanoparticle-induced micellization and self-assembly during solvent evaporation. Moreover, this versatile route enables the design of uniform and quasi-ordered gold-TiO(2) binary nanoarrays with a precise particle density due to the absence of graphoepitaxy during the deposition of TiO(2) onto gold nanopatterns. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  13. Vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes by chemical assembly--methodology, properties, and applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diao, Peng; Liu, Zhongfan

    2010-04-06

    Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), as one of the most promising one-dimension nanomaterials due to its unique structure, peculiar chemical, mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties, have long been considered as an important building block to construct ordered alignments. Vertically aligned SWNTs (v-SWNTs) have been successfully prepared by using direct growth and chemical assembly strategies. In this review, we focus explicitly on the v-SWNTs fabricated via chemical assembly strategy. We provide the readers with a full and systematic summary covering the advances in all aspects of this area, including various approaches for the preparation of v-SWNTs using chemical assembly techniques, characterization, assembly kinetics, and electrochemical properties of v-SWNTs. We also review the applications of v-SWNTs in electrochemical and bioelectrochemical sensors, photoelectric conversion, and scanning probe microscopy.

  14. Production of solar chemicals: gaining selectivity with hybrid molecule/semiconductor assemblies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hennessey, Seán; Farràs, Pau

    2018-05-29

    Research on the production of solar fuels and chemicals has rocketed over the past decade, with a wide variety of systems proposed to harvest solar energy and drive chemical reactions. In this Feature Article we have focused on hybrid molecule/semiconductor assemblies in both powder and supported materials, summarising recent systems and highlighting the enormous possibilities offered by such assemblies to carry out highly demanding chemical reactions with industrial impact. Of relevance is the higher selectivity obtained in visible light-driven organic transformations when using molecular catalysts compared to photocatalytic materials.

  15. Synthesis of Versatile Chemicals through Oxidative Dehydrogenation on Solid Catalysts of Non-Petroleum Resource

    OpenAIRE

    Sugiyama, Shigeru; Nagai, Yuya; Sakamoto, Naotaka; Ohtake, Naotaka; Katoh, Masahiro

    2016-01-01

    To prepare 1,3-butadiene, one of versatile chemicals, from 1-butene, one of the main components in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the oxidative dehydrogenation of 1-butene on α-Bi2Mo3O12 doped with cerium was examined. Regardless to the doped amount of cerium, the conversion of 1-butene was constant while the selectivity to 1,3-butadiene decreased with the doped amount of cerium, while the selectivities to 2-butenes, CO and CO2 increased. It is concluded that the introduction of cerium into α...

  16. Random telegraph signals by alkanethiol-protected Au nanoparticles in chemically assembled single-electron transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kano, Shinya; Azuma, Yasuo; Tanaka, Daisuke; Sakamoto, Masanori; Teranishi, Toshiharu; Smith, Luke W.; Smith, Charles G.; Majima, Yutaka

    2013-01-01

    We have studied random telegraph signals (RTSs) in a chemically assembled single-electron transistor (SET) at temperatures as low as 300 mK. The RTSs in the chemically assembled SET were investigated by measuring the source–drain current, using a histogram of the RTS dwell time, and calculating the power spectrum density of the drain current–time characteristics. It was found that the dwell time of the RTS was dependent on the drain voltage of the SET, but was independent of the gate voltage. Considering the spatial structure of the chemically assembled SET, the origin of the RTS is attributed to the trapped charges on an alkanethiol-protected Au nanoparticle positioned near the SET. These results are important as they will help to realize stable chemically assembled SETs in practical applications

  17. A versatile transfection assay system to evaluate the biological effects of diverse industrial chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koizumi, Shinji; Ohno, Shotaro; Otsuka, Fuminori

    2012-01-01

    Gene expression processes are now recognized as important targets of the toxic effects exerted by industrial chemicals. The transient transfection assay is a powerful tool to evaluate such effects. Thus, we developed a versatile assay system by constructing a basic reporter plasmid in which the regulatory DNA sequence to be studied can easily be substituted. To verify the performance of this system, reporter plasmids carrying any of the three distinct regulatory sequences, estrogen responsive element (ERE), glucocorticoid responsive element (GRE) and xenobiotic responsive element (XRE) were constructed. After transfection of human cells, these plasmids successfully expressed the relevant reporter genes in response to specific inducers, β-estradiol, dexamethasone and 3-methylcholanthrene, respectively. Several industrial chemicals were assayed using these reporter plasmids, and the ability of p-dimethylaminoazobenzene to elevate GRE- and XRE-mediated transcription was detected. α-Naphthylamine and o-tolidine were also observed to increase the XRE-mediated response. The transfection assay system established here will be useful to evaluate the effects of a wide variety of industrial chemicals.

  18. Directed Self-Assembly of Triblock Copolymer on Chemical Patterns for Sub-10-nm Nanofabrication via Solvent Annealing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Shisheng; Wan, Lei; Ishida, Yoshihito; Chapuis, Yves-Andre; Craig, Gordon S W; Ruiz, Ricardo; Nealey, Paul F

    2016-08-23

    Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) is a leading strategy to pattern at sublithographic resolution in the technology roadmap for semiconductors and is the only known solution to fabricate nanoimprint templates for the production of bit pattern media. While great progress has been made to implement block copolymer lithography with features in the range of 10-20 nm, patterning solutions below 10 nm are still not mature. Many BCP systems self-assemble at this length scale, but challenges remain in simultaneously tuning the interfacial energy atop the film to control the orientation of BCP domains, designing materials, templates, and processes for ultra-high-density DSA, and establishing a robust pattern transfer strategy. Among the various solutions to achieve domains that are perpendicular to the substrate, solvent annealing is advantageous because it is a versatile method that can be applied to a diversity of materials. Here we report a DSA process based on chemical contrast templates and solvent annealing to fabricate 8 nm features on a 16 nm pitch. To make this possible, a number of innovations were brought in concert with a common platform: (1) assembling the BCP in the phase-separated, solvated state, (2) identifying a larger process window for solvated triblock vs diblock BCPs as a function of solvent volume fraction, (3) employing templates for sub-10-nm BCP systems accessible by lithography, and (4) integrating a robust pattern transfer strategy by vapor infiltration of organometallic precursors for selective metal oxide synthesis to prepare an inorganic hard mask.

  19. Graphene Emerges as a Versatile Template for Materials Preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhengjie; Wu, Sida; Lv, Wei; Shao, Jiao-Jing; Kang, Feiyu; Yang, Quan-Hong

    2016-05-01

    Graphene and its derivatives are emerging as a class of novel but versatile templates for the controlled preparation and functionalization of materials. In this paper a conceptual review on graphene-based templates is given, highlighting their versatile roles in materials preparation. Graphene is capable of acting as a low-dimensional hard template, where its two-dimensional morphology directs the formation of novel nanostructures. Graphene oxide and other functionalized graphenes are amphiphilic and may be seen as soft templates for formatting the growth or inducing the controlled assembly of nanostructures. In addition, nanospaces in restacked graphene can be used for confining the growth of sheet-like nanostructures, and assemblies of interlinked graphenes can behave either as skeletons for the formation of composite materials or as sacrificial templates for novel materials with a controlled network structure. In summary, flexible graphene and its derivatives together with an increasing number of assembled structures show great potentials as templates for materials production. Many challenges remain, for example precise structural control of such novel templates and the removal of the non-functional remaining templates. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Moessbauer Spectroscopy: Elegance and versatility in chemical diagnostics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guetlich, Philipp; Garcia, Yann, E-mail: guetlich@uni-mainz.d [Unite de Chimie des Materiaux Inorganiques et Organiques, Departement de Chimie, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Place L. Pasteur 1, 1348 Louvain la Neuve (Belgium)

    2010-03-01

    Dedicated to Professor Rudolf Ludwig Moessbauer on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Soon after the discovery of the recoilless nuclear resonance fluorescence by Rudolf L. Moessbauer some fifty years ago a new spectroscopic technique developed quickly on the basis of this resonance phenomenon as an excellent tool for the investigation of materials through electric and magnetic hyperfine interactions between electrons and suitable Moessbauer nu-clides. Many disciplines of solid state research have benefited from applications of the new tool for non-destructive phase analysis. Chemists in particular have recognized the information that can be derived from Moessbauer spectra regarding oxidation and spin state, molecular symmetry, bonding properties, magnetism, dynamic phenomena such as spin state switching, electronic transfer processes and other phase fluctuations to name a few. This Keynote Lecture presents highlights of chemical applications of Moessbauer spectroscopy selected from work during the past five decades which will demonstrate the elegance and versatility of the technique in the hands of (not only) chemists, but materials scientists in the broadest sense. The retrospect begins with studies in the early sixties on simple oxides and coordination compounds, where Moessbauer spectroscopy played a decisive role in solving unanswered questions, and concludes with fascinating current discoveries on the Planet Mars and most recent developments in the use of synchrotron radiation for nuclear resonance scattering (NFS, NIS).

  1. Biomedical Applications of Self-Assembling Peptides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Radmalekshahi, Mazda; Lempsink, Ludwijn; Amidi, Maryam; Hennink, Wim E.; Mastrobattista, Enrico

    2016-01-01

    Self-assembling peptides have gained increasing attention as versatile molecules to generate diverse supramolecular structures with tunable functionality. Because of the possibility to integrate a wide range of functional domains into self-assembling peptides including cell attachment sequences,

  2. Versatile protein recognition by the encoded display of multiple chemical elements on a constant macrocyclic scaffold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yizhou; De Luca, Roberto; Cazzamalli, Samuele; Pretto, Francesca; Bajic, Davor; Scheuermann, Jörg; Neri, Dario

    2018-03-01

    In nature, specific antibodies can be generated as a result of an adaptive selection and expansion of lymphocytes with suitable protein binding properties. We attempted to mimic antibody-antigen recognition by displaying multiple chemical diversity elements on a defined macrocyclic scaffold. Encoding of the displayed combinations was achieved using distinctive DNA tags, resulting in a library size of 35,393,112. Specific binders could be isolated against a variety of proteins, including carbonic anhydrase IX, horseradish peroxidase, tankyrase 1, human serum albumin, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, calmodulin, prostate-specific antigen and tumour necrosis factor. Similar to antibodies, the encoded display of multiple chemical elements on a constant scaffold enabled practical applications, such as fluorescence microscopy procedures or the selective in vivo delivery of payloads to tumours. Furthermore, the versatile structure of the scaffold facilitated the generation of protein-specific chemical probes, as illustrated by photo-crosslinking.

  3. Octanol-assisted liposome assembly on chip

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deshpande, S.R.; Caspi, Y.; Meijering, A.E.C.; Dekker, C.

    2016-01-01

    Liposomes are versatile supramolecular assemblies widely used in basic and applied sciences. Here we present a novel microfluidics-based method, octanol-assisted liposome assembly (OLA), to form monodisperse, cell-sized (5–20 μm), unilamellar liposomes with excellent encapsulation efficiency. Akin

  4. Self-assembling nanoparticles at surfaces and interfaces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kinge, S.S.; Crego Calama, Mercedes; Reinhoudt, David

    2008-01-01

    Nanoparticles are the focus of much attention due to their astonishing properties and numerous possibilities for applications in nanotechnology. For realising versatile functions, assembly of nanoparticles in regular patterns on surfaces and at interfaces is required. Assembling nanoparticles

  5. Environmental versatility promotes modularity in genome-scale metabolic networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samal, Areejit; Wagner, Andreas; Martin, Olivier C

    2011-08-24

    The ubiquity of modules in biological networks may result from an evolutionary benefit of a modular organization. For instance, modularity may increase the rate of adaptive evolution, because modules can be easily combined into new arrangements that may benefit their carrier. Conversely, modularity may emerge as a by-product of some trait. We here ask whether this last scenario may play a role in genome-scale metabolic networks that need to sustain life in one or more chemical environments. For such networks, we define a network module as a maximal set of reactions that are fully coupled, i.e., whose fluxes can only vary in fixed proportions. This definition overcomes limitations of purely graph based analyses of metabolism by exploiting the functional links between reactions. We call a metabolic network viable in a given chemical environment if it can synthesize all of an organism's biomass compounds from nutrients in this environment. An organism's metabolism is highly versatile if it can sustain life in many different chemical environments. We here ask whether versatility affects the modularity of metabolic networks. Using recently developed techniques to randomly sample large numbers of viable metabolic networks from a vast space of metabolic networks, we use flux balance analysis to study in silico metabolic networks that differ in their versatility. We find that highly versatile networks are also highly modular. They contain more modules and more reactions that are organized into modules. Most or all reactions in a module are associated with the same biochemical pathways. Modules that arise in highly versatile networks generally involve reactions that process nutrients or closely related chemicals. We also observe that the metabolism of E. coli is significantly more modular than even our most versatile networks. Our work shows that modularity in metabolic networks can be a by-product of functional constraints, e.g., the need to sustain life in multiple

  6. Environmental versatility promotes modularity in genome-scale metabolic networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wagner Andreas

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The ubiquity of modules in biological networks may result from an evolutionary benefit of a modular organization. For instance, modularity may increase the rate of adaptive evolution, because modules can be easily combined into new arrangements that may benefit their carrier. Conversely, modularity may emerge as a by-product of some trait. We here ask whether this last scenario may play a role in genome-scale metabolic networks that need to sustain life in one or more chemical environments. For such networks, we define a network module as a maximal set of reactions that are fully coupled, i.e., whose fluxes can only vary in fixed proportions. This definition overcomes limitations of purely graph based analyses of metabolism by exploiting the functional links between reactions. We call a metabolic network viable in a given chemical environment if it can synthesize all of an organism's biomass compounds from nutrients in this environment. An organism's metabolism is highly versatile if it can sustain life in many different chemical environments. We here ask whether versatility affects the modularity of metabolic networks. Results Using recently developed techniques to randomly sample large numbers of viable metabolic networks from a vast space of metabolic networks, we use flux balance analysis to study in silico metabolic networks that differ in their versatility. We find that highly versatile networks are also highly modular. They contain more modules and more reactions that are organized into modules. Most or all reactions in a module are associated with the same biochemical pathways. Modules that arise in highly versatile networks generally involve reactions that process nutrients or closely related chemicals. We also observe that the metabolism of E. coli is significantly more modular than even our most versatile networks. Conclusions Our work shows that modularity in metabolic networks can be a by-product of functional

  7. Chemical similarity and local community assembly in the species rich tropical genus Piper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salazar, Diego; Jaramillo, M Alejandra; Marquis, Robert J

    2016-11-01

    Community ecologists have strived to find mechanisms that mediate the assembly of natural communities. Recent evidence suggests that natural enemies could play an important role in the assembly of hyper-diverse tropical plant systems. Classic ecological theory predicts that in order for coexistence to occur, species differences must be maximized across biologically important niche dimensions. For plant-herbivore interactions, it has been recently suggested that, within a particular community, plant species that maximize the difference in chemical defense profiles compared to neighboring taxa will have a relative competitive advantage. Here we tested the hypothesis that plant chemical diversity can affect local community composition in the hyper-diverse genus Piper at a lowland wet forest location in Costa Rica. We first characterized the chemical composition of 27 of the most locally abundant species of Piper. We then tested whether species with different chemical compositions were more likely to coexist. Finally, we assessed the degree to which Piper phylogenetic relationships are related to differences in secondary chemical composition and community assembly. We found that, on average, co-occurring species were more likely to differ in chemical composition than expected by chance. Contrary to expectations, there was no phylogenetic signal for overall secondary chemical composition. In addition we found that species in local communities were, on average, more phylogenetically closely related than expected by chance, suggesting that functional traits other than those measured here also influence local assembly. We propose that selection by herbivores for divergent chemistries between closely related species facilitates the coexistence of a high diversity of congeneric taxa via apparent competition. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

  8. Isatin, a versatile molecule: studies in Brazil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Barbara, E-mail: barbara.iq@gmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2013-05-15

    Isatin is a small, versatile and widely applicable pharmacological molecule. These characteristics make isatin and its derivatives attractive to many research groups as resources for chemical and pharmacological studies. Although it has a relatively simple structure, isatin is a useful chemical scaffold for a variety of chemical transformations. This article discusses several studies performed by Brazilian groups, including investigations of its structural changes, biological assay designs and new methods for the synthesis of isatin. (author)

  9. Dual-Function Metal-Organic Framework as a Versatile Catalyst for Detoxifying Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yangyang; Moon, Su-Young; Hupp, Joseph T; Farha, Omar K

    2015-12-22

    The nanocrystals of a porphyrin-based zirconium(IV) metal-organic framework (MOF) are used as a dual-function catalyst for the simultaneous detoxification of two chemical warfare agent simulants at room temperature. Simulants of nerve agent (such as GD, VX) and mustard gas, dimethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, have been hydrolyzed and oxidized, respectively, to nontoxic products via a pair of pathways catalyzed by the same MOF. Phosphotriesterase-like activity of the Zr6-containing node combined with photoactivity of the porphyrin linker gives rise to a versatile MOF catalyst. In addition, bringing the MOF crystals down to the nanoregime leads to acceleration of the catalysis.

  10. A versatile electrical penetration design qualified to IEEE Std. 317-1983

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lankenau, W.; Wetherill, T.M.

    1994-01-01

    Although worldwide demand for new construction of nuclear power stations has been on a decline, the available opportunities for the design and construction of qualified electrical penetrations continues to offer challenges, requiring a highly versatile design. Versatility is necessary in order to meet unique customer requirements within the constraints of a design basis qualified to IEEE Std. 317-1983. This paper summarizes such a versatile electrical penetration designed, built and tested to IEEE Std. 317-1983. The principal features are described including major materials of construction. Some of the design constraints such as sealing requirements, and conductor density (including numerical example) are discussed. The requirements for qualification testing of the penetration assembly to IEEE Std. 317-1983 are delineated in a general sense, and some typical test ranges for preconditioning, radiation exposure, and LOCA are provided. The paper concludes by describing ways in which this versatile design has been adapted to meet unique customer requirements in a variety of nuclear power plants

  11. Microfluidic impact printer with interchangeable cartridges for versatile non-contact multiplexed micropatterning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Yuzhe; Huang, Eric; Lam, Kit S; Pan, Tingrui

    2013-05-21

    Biopatterning has been increasingly used for well-defined cellular microenvironment, patterned surface topology, and guided biological cues; however, it meets challenges on biocompatibility, thermal and chemical sensitivity, as well as limited availability of reagents. In this paper, we aim at combining the desired features from non-contact inkjet printing and dot-matrix impact printing to establish a versatile multiplexed micropatterning platform, referred to as Microfluidic Impact Printer (MI-Printer), for emerging biomedical applications. Using this platform, we can achieve the distinct features of no cross-contamination, sub-microliter ink loading with a minimal dead volume, high-throughput printing, biocompatible non-contact processing, sequential patterning with self-alignment, wide adaptability for complex media (e.g., cell suspension or colloidal solutions), interchangeable/disposable cartridge design, and simple assembly and configuration, all highly desirable towards laboratory-based research and development. Specifically, the printing resolution of the MI-printer platform has been experimentally characterized and theoretically analysed. Optimal printing resolution of 80 μm has been repeatedly obtained. Furthermore, two useful functions of the MI-printer, multiplexed printing and combinatorial printing, have been experimentally demonstrated with less than 10 μm misalignment. Moreover, molecular and biological patterning, utilizing the multiplexed and combinatorial printing, has been implemented to illustrate the utility of this versatile printing technique for emerging biomedical applications.

  12. The Versatile SALSAC Approach to Heteroleptic Copper(I Dye Assembly in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frederik J. Malzner

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Surface-bound heteroleptic copper(I dyes [Cu(Lanchor(Lancillary]+ are assembled using the “surfaces-as-ligands, surfaces as complexes” (SALSAC approach by three different procedures. The anchoring and ancillary ligands chosen are ((6,6′-dimethyl-[2,2′-bipyridine]-4,4′-diyl-bis(4,1-phenylenebis(phosphonic acid (3 and 4,4′-bis(4-iodophenyl-6,6′-diphenyl-2,2′-bipyridine (4, respectively. In the first SALSAC procedure, the FTO/TiO2 electrode is functionalized with 3 in the first dye bath, and then undergoes ligand exchange with the homoleptic complex [Cu(42][PF6] to give surface-bound [Cu(3(4]+. In the second method, the FTO/TiO2 electrode functionalized with 3 is immersed in a solution containing a 1:1 mixture of [Cu(MeCN4][PF6] and 4 to give surface-anchored [Cu(3(4]+. In the third procedure, the anchor 3, copper(I ion and ancillary ligand 4 are introduced in a sequential manner. The performances of the DSSCs show a dependence on the dye assembly procedure. The sequential method leads to the best-performing DSSCs with the highest values of JSC (7.85 and 7.73 mA cm−2 for fully masked cells and overall efficiencies (η = 2.81 and 2.71%, representing 41.1 and 39.6% relative to an N719 reference DSSC. Use of the 1:1 mixture of [Cu(MeCN4][PF6] and 4 yields DSSCs with higher VOC values but lower JSC values compared to those assembled using the sequential approach; values of η are 2.27 and 2.29% versus 6.84% for the N719 reference DSSC. The ligand exchange procedure leads to DSSCs that perform relatively poorly. The investigation demonstrates the versatile and powerful nature of SALSAC in preparing dyes for copper-based DSSCs, allowing the photoconversion efficiency of dye to be optimized for a given dye. The SALSAC strategy provides alternative hierarchical strategies where the isolation of the homoleptic [Cu(Lancillary2]+ is difficult or time-consuming; stepwise strategies are more atom-economic than ligand exchange involving the

  13. Materials of 44. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    Scientific assemblies of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry are the most important chemical meeting organised annually in Poland. Basic as well as application studies in all chemical branches have been extensively presented. The next subjects was proposed as scientific sessions and symposia topics: solid state chemistry; didactics of chemistry; electrochemistry; biologically active compounds; geochemistry; organic chemistry; physical chemistry; environment quality and protection; coordination chemistry; chemical technology; polymers; explosive materials; analytical chemistry; theoretical chemistry

  14. Nanomaterial processing using self-assembly-bottom-up chemical and biological approaches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thiruvengadathan, Rajagopalan; Gangopadhyay, Keshab; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra; Korampally, Venumadhav; Ghosh, Arkasubhra; Chanda, Nripen

    2013-01-01

    Nanotechnology is touted as the next logical sequence in technological evolution. This has led to a substantial surge in research activities pertaining to the development and fundamental understanding of processes and assembly at the nanoscale. Both top-down and bottom-up fabrication approaches may be used to realize a range of well-defined nanostructured materials with desirable physical and chemical attributes. Among these, the bottom-up self-assembly process offers the most realistic solution toward the fabrication of next-generation functional materials and devices. Here, we present a comprehensive review on the physical basis behind self-assembly and the processes reported in recent years to direct the assembly of nanoscale functional blocks into hierarchically ordered structures. This paper emphasizes assembly in the synthetic domain as well in the biological domain, underscoring the importance of biomimetic approaches toward novel materials. In particular, two important classes of directed self-assembly, namely, (i) self-assembly among nanoparticle–polymer systems and (ii) external field-guided assembly are highlighted. The spontaneous self-assembling behavior observed in nature that leads to complex, multifunctional, hierarchical structures within biological systems is also discussed in this review. Recent research undertaken to synthesize hierarchically assembled functional materials have underscored the need as well as the benefits harvested in synergistically combining top-down fabrication methods with bottom-up self-assembly. (review article)

  15. Materials of 48. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    Scientific assemblies of Polish Chemical Society are the most important chemical meeting organised annually in Poland. Basic as well as application studies in all chemical branches have been extensively presented. The next subjects was proposed as scientific sessions and symposia topics: chemistry of metalorganic and supramolecular compounds; organic and bioorganic chemistry; coordination and bioinorganic chemistry; chemistry of polymers and biopolymers; physical and theoretical chemistry; catalysis; structural chemistry; analytical chemistry and environmental protection chemistry of materials and nanomaterials; technology and chemical engineering; didactics of chemistry; young scientist forum; chemistry for economy

  16. Noncanonical self-assembly of multifunctional DNA nanoflowers for biomedical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Guizhi; Hu, Rong; Zhao, Zilong; Chen, Zhuo; Zhang, Xiaobing; Tan, Weihong

    2013-11-06

    DNA nanotechnology has been extensively explored to assemble various functional nanostructures for versatile applications. Mediated by Watson-Crick base-pairing, these DNA nanostructures have been conventionally assembled through hybridization of many short DNA building blocks. Here we report the noncanonical self-assembly of multifunctional DNA nanostructures, termed as nanoflowers (NFs), and the versatile biomedical applications. These NFs were assembled from long DNA building blocks generated via rolling circle replication (RCR) of a designer template. NF assembly was driven by liquid crystallization and dense packaging of building blocks, without relying on Watson-Crick base-pairing between DNA strands, thereby avoiding the otherwise conventional complicated DNA sequence design. NF sizes were readily tunable in a wide range, by simply adjusting such parameters as assembly time and template sequences. NFs were exceptionally resistant to nuclease degradation, denaturation, or dissociation at extremely low concentration, presumably resulting from the dense DNA packaging in NFs. The exceptional biostability is critical for biomedical applications. By rational design, NFs can be readily incorporated with myriad functional moieties. All these properties make NFs promising for versatile applications. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, in this study, NFs were integrated with aptamers, bioimaging agents, and drug loading sites, and the resultant multifunctional NFs were demonstrated for selective cancer cell recognition, bioimaging, and targeted anticancer drug delivery.

  17. The Oxford-Diamond In Situ Cell for studying chemical reactions using time-resolved X-ray diffraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorhouse, Saul J.; Vranješ, Nenad; Jupe, Andrew; Drakopoulos, Michael; O'Hare, Dermot

    2012-08-01

    A versatile, infrared-heated, chemical reaction cell has been assembled and commissioned for the in situ study of a range of chemical syntheses using time-resolved energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) on Beamline I12 at the Diamond Light Source. Specialized reactor configurations have been constructed to enable in situ EDXRD investigation of samples under non-ambient conditions. Chemical reactions can be studied using a range of sample vessels such as alumina crucibles, steel hydrothermal autoclaves, and glassy carbon tubes, at temperatures up to 1200 °C.

  18. Identifying the nature of surface chemical modification for directed self-assembly of block copolymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Evangelio

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, block copolymer lithography has emerged as a viable alternative technology for advanced lithography. In chemical-epitaxy-directed self-assembly, the interfacial energy between the substrate and each block copolymer domain plays a key role on the final ordering. Here, we focus on the experimental characterization of the chemical interactions that occur at the interface built between different chemical guiding patterns and the domains of the block copolymers. We have chosen hard X-ray high kinetic energy photoelectron spectroscopy as an exploration technique because it provides information on the electronic structure of buried interfaces. The outcome of the characterization sheds light onto key aspects of directed self-assembly: grafted brush layer, chemical pattern creation and brush/block co-polymer interface.

  19. Octanol-assisted liposome assembly on chip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deshpande, Siddharth; Caspi, Yaron; Meijering, Anna E. C.; Dekker, Cees

    2016-01-01

    Liposomes are versatile supramolecular assemblies widely used in basic and applied sciences. Here we present a novel microfluidics-based method, octanol-assisted liposome assembly (OLA), to form monodisperse, cell-sized (5-20 μm), unilamellar liposomes with excellent encapsulation efficiency. Akin to bubble blowing, an inner aqueous phase and a surrounding lipid-carrying 1-octanol phase is pinched off by outer fluid streams. Such hydrodynamic flow focusing results in double-emulsion droplets that spontaneously develop a side-connected 1-octanol pocket. Owing to interfacial energy minimization, the pocket splits off to yield fully assembled solvent-free liposomes within minutes. This solves the long-standing fundamental problem of prolonged presence of residual oil in the liposome bilayer. We demonstrate the unilamellarity of liposomes with functional α-haemolysin protein pores in the membrane and validate the biocompatibility by inner leaflet localization of bacterial divisome proteins (FtsZ and ZipA). OLA offers a versatile platform for future analytical tools, delivery systems, nanoreactors and synthetic cells.

  20. Versatile, modular 3D microelectrode arrays for neuronal ensemble recordings: from design to fabrication, assembly, and functional validation in non-human primates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barz, F.; Livi, A.; Lanzilotto, M.; Maranesi, M.; Bonini, L.; Paul, O.; Ruther, P.

    2017-06-01

    Objective. Application-specific designs of electrode arrays offer an improved effectiveness for providing access to targeted brain regions in neuroscientific research and brain machine interfaces. The simultaneous and stable recording of neuronal ensembles is the main goal in the design of advanced neural interfaces. Here, we describe the development and assembly of highly customizable 3D microelectrode arrays and demonstrate their recording performance in chronic applications in non-human primates. Approach. System assembly relies on a microfabricated stacking component that is combined with Michigan-style silicon-based electrode arrays interfacing highly flexible polyimide cables. Based on the novel stacking component, the lead time for implementing prototypes with altered electrode pitches is minimal. Once the fabrication and assembly accuracy of the stacked probes have been characterized, their recording performance is assessed during in vivo chronic experiments in awake rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) trained to execute reaching-grasping motor tasks. Main results. Using a single set of fabrication tools, we implemented three variants of the stacking component for electrode distances of 250, 300 and 350 µm in the stacking direction. We assembled neural probes with up to 96 channels and an electrode density of 98 electrodes mm-2. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the shank alignment is accurate to a few µm at an angular alignment better than 1°. Three 64-channel probes were chronically implanted in two monkeys providing single-unit activity on more than 60% of all channels and excellent recording stability. Histological tissue sections, obtained 52 d after implantation from one of the monkeys, showed minimal tissue damage, in accordance with the high quality and stability of the recorded neural activity. Significance. The versatility of our fabrication and assembly approach should significantly support the development of ideal interface geometries for a broad

  1. Materials of 45. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society. Volumes 1-3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    Scientific assemblies of Polish Chemical Society are the most important chemical meeting organised annually in Poland. Basic as well as application studies in all chemical branches have been extensively presented. The next subjects was proposed as scientific sessions and symposia topics: organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, technology and chemical engineering, polymer chemistry, solid state chemistry, catalysis, biological chemistry, chemistry and technology of coal, environmental protection, didactics of chemistry, history of chemistry, young scientist forum, flow analysis, and high-energy materials

  2. Parallel- and serial-contact electrochemical metallization of monolayer nanopatterns: A versatile synthetic tool en route to bottom-up assembly of electric nanocircuits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Berson

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Contact electrochemical transfer of silver from a metal-film stamp (parallel process or a metal-coated scanning probe (serial process is demonstrated to allow site-selective metallization of monolayer template patterns of any desired shape and size created by constructive nanolithography. The precise nanoscale control of metal delivery to predefined surface sites, achieved as a result of the selective affinity of the monolayer template for electrochemically generated metal ions, provides a versatile synthetic tool en route to the bottom-up assembly of electric nanocircuits. These findings offer direct experimental support to the view that, in electrochemical metal deposition, charge is carried across the electrode–solution interface by ion migration to the electrode rather than by electron transfer to hydrated ions in solution.

  3. Directed assembly of functional light harvesting antenna complexes onto chemically patterned surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Escalante, Maryana; Maury, Pascale; Bruinink, Christiaan M; Werf, Kees van der; Olsen, John D; Timney, John A; Huskens, Jurriaan; Hunter, C Neil; Subramaniam, Vinod; Otto, Cees

    2008-01-01

    We report the directed assembly of the photosynthetic membrane proteins LH1 and LH2 isolated from the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides onto chemically patterned substrates. Nanoimprint lithography was used to pattern discrete regions of amino- and fluoro-terminated or poly(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayers onto a glass substrate. Densely packed layers of assembled protein complexes were observed with atomic force microscopy. The protein complexes attached selectively to the amino-terminated regions by electrostatic interactions. Spectral images generated with a hybrid scanning probe and fluorescence microscope confirmed that the patterned proteins retained their native optical signatures

  4. Directed assembly of functional light harvesting antenna complexes onto chemically patterned surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Escalante, Maryana [Biophysical Engineering Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Maury, Pascale [Molecular Nanofabrication Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Bruinink, Christiaan M [Molecular Nanofabrication Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Werf, Kees van der [Biophysical Engineering Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Olsen, John D [Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN (United Kingdom); Timney, John A [Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN (United Kingdom); Huskens, Jurriaan [Molecular Nanofabrication Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Hunter, C Neil [Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN (United Kingdom); Subramaniam, Vinod [Biophysical Engineering Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Otto, Cees [Biophysical Engineering Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

    2008-01-16

    We report the directed assembly of the photosynthetic membrane proteins LH1 and LH2 isolated from the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides onto chemically patterned substrates. Nanoimprint lithography was used to pattern discrete regions of amino- and fluoro-terminated or poly(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayers onto a glass substrate. Densely packed layers of assembled protein complexes were observed with atomic force microscopy. The protein complexes attached selectively to the amino-terminated regions by electrostatic interactions. Spectral images generated with a hybrid scanning probe and fluorescence microscope confirmed that the patterned proteins retained their native optical signatures.

  5. Abstracts Book of 42. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry is the most important chemical forum of Polish chemists organised annually. The state of art of many fundamental and applied investigations have been presented and discussed. The following scientific sessions and microsymposia have been proposed: plenary session, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, chemistry and environment, chemistry and technology of polymers, chemistry didactics, electrochemistry, young scientists forum, chemical technology, chemical engineering, high energetics materials, computers in research and teaching of chemistry, structure modelling and polymer properties, silicon-organic compounds

  6. Versatility of Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly (EISA Method for Preparation of Mesoporous TiO2 for Energy and Environmental Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luther Mahoney

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly (EISA method for the preparation of mesoporous titanium dioxide materials is reviewed. The versatility of EISA method for the rapid and facile synthesis of TiO2 thin films and powders is highlighted. Non-ionic surfactants such as Pluronic P123, F127 and cationic surfactants such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide have been extensively employed for the preparation of mesoporous TiO2. In particular, EISA method allows for fabrication of highly uniform, robust, crack-free films with controllable thickness. Eleven characterization techniques for elucidating the structure of the EISA prepared mesoporous TiO2 are discussed in this paper. These many characterization methods provide a holistic picture of the structure of mesoporous TiO2. Mesoporous titanium dioxide materials have been employed in several applications that include Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs, photocatalytic degradation of organics and splitting of water, and batteries.

  7. Summaries of the 40. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    Annual 40. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry has been held in Gdansk on 22-26 September 1997. The most valuable scientific results obtained in Polish Laboratories have been presented in 22 main sections and 7 symposia directed especially at following subjects: analytical chemistry, biochemistry, solid state chemistry and material science, physical chemistry, heteroorganic and coordination chemistry, medical and pharmaceutical chemistry, metalorganic chemistry, inorganic and organic chemistry, polymers chemistry, chemistry and environment protection, theoretical chemistry, chemical didactics, photochemistry, radiation chemistry and chemical kinetics, chemical engineering, catalysis, crystallochemistry, chemical technology, electrochemistry, and instrumental methods

  8. Light-emitting self-assembled peptide nucleic acids exhibit both stacking interactions and Watson-Crick base pairing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, Or; Adler-Abramovich, Lihi; Levy-Sakin, Michal; Grunwald, Assaf; Liebes-Peer, Yael; Bachar, Mor; Buzhansky, Ludmila; Mossou, Estelle; Forsyth, V Trevor; Schwartz, Tal; Ebenstein, Yuval; Frolow, Felix; Shimon, Linda J W; Patolsky, Fernando; Gazit, Ehud

    2015-04-01

    The two main branches of bionanotechnology involve the self-assembly of either peptides or DNA. Peptide scaffolds offer chemical versatility, architectural flexibility and structural complexity, but they lack the precise base pairing and molecular recognition available with nucleic acid assemblies. Here, inspired by the ability of aromatic dipeptides to form ordered nanostructures with unique physical properties, we explore the assembly of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), which are short DNA mimics that have an amide backbone. All 16 combinations of the very short di-PNA building blocks were synthesized and assayed for their ability to self-associate. Only three guanine-containing di-PNAs-CG, GC and GG-could form ordered assemblies, as observed by electron microscopy, and these di-PNAs efficiently assembled into discrete architectures within a few minutes. The X-ray crystal structure of the GC di-PNA showed the occurrence of both stacking interactions and Watson-Crick base pairing. The assemblies were also found to exhibit optical properties including voltage-dependent electroluminescence and wide-range excitation-dependent fluorescence in the visible region.

  9. Materials of 47. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry. Volume 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    Scientific assemblies of Polish Chemical Society are the most important chemical meeting organised annually in Poland. Basic as well as application studies in all chemical branches have been extensively presented. The next subjects was proposed as scientific sessions and symposia topics: organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, technology and chemical engineering, polymer chemistry, solid state chemistry, catalysis, biological chemistry, chemistry and technology of coal, environmental protection, didactics of chemistry, history of chemistry, young scientist forum

  10. Three-input gate logic circuits on chemically assembled single-electron transistors with organic and inorganic hybrid passivation layers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majima, Yutaka; Hackenberger, Guillaume; Azuma, Yasuo; Kano, Shinya; Matsuzaki, Kosuke; Susaki, Tomofumi; Sakamoto, Masanori; Teranishi, Toshiharu

    2017-01-01

    Single-electron transistors (SETs) are sub-10-nm scale electronic devices based on conductive Coulomb islands sandwiched between double-barrier tunneling barriers. Chemically assembled SETs with alkanethiol-protected Au nanoparticles show highly stable Coulomb diamonds and two-input logic operations. The combination of bottom-up and top-down processes used to form the passivation layer is vital for realizing multi-gate chemically assembled SET circuits, as this combination enables us to connect conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies via planar processes. Here, three-input gate exclusive-OR (XOR) logic operations are demonstrated in passivated chemically assembled SETs. The passivation layer is a hybrid bilayer of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and pulsed laser deposited (PLD) aluminum oxide (AlO[Formula: see text]), and top-gate electrodes were prepared on the hybrid passivation layers. Top and two-side-gated SETs showed clear Coulomb oscillation and diamonds for each of the three available gates, and three-input gate XOR logic operation was clearly demonstrated. These results show the potential of chemically assembled SETs to work as logic devices with multi-gate inputs using organic and inorganic hybrid passivation layers.

  11. Directed self-assembly of nanogold using a chemically modified nanopatterned surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nidetz, Robert; Kim, Jinsang

    2012-02-01

    Electron-beam lithography (EBL) was used to define an aminosilane nanopatterned surface in order to electrostatically self-assemble gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The chemically modified nanopatterned surfaces were immersed into a Au NP solution to allow the Au NPs to self-assemble. Equilibrium self-assembly was achieved in only 20 min. The number of Au NPs that self-assembled on an aminosilane dot was controlled by manipulating the diameters of both the Au NPs and the dots. Adding salt to the Au NP solution enabled the Au NPs to self-assemble in greater numbers on the same sized dot. However, the preparation of the Au NP solution containing salt was sensitive to spikes in the salt concentration. These spikes led to aggregation of the Au NPs and non-specific deposition of Au NPs on the substrate. The Au NP patterned surfaces were immersed in a sodium hydroxide solution in order to lift-off the patterned Au NPs, but no lift-off was observed without adequate physical agitation. The van der Waals forces are too strong to allow for lift-off despite the absence of electrostatic forces.

  12. Directed self-assembly of nanogold using a chemically modified nanopatterned surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nidetz, Robert; Kim, Jinsang

    2012-01-01

    Electron-beam lithography (EBL) was used to define an aminosilane nanopatterned surface in order to electrostatically self-assemble gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The chemically modified nanopatterned surfaces were immersed into a Au NP solution to allow the Au NPs to self-assemble. Equilibrium self-assembly was achieved in only 20 min. The number of Au NPs that self-assembled on an aminosilane dot was controlled by manipulating the diameters of both the Au NPs and the dots. Adding salt to the Au NP solution enabled the Au NPs to self-assemble in greater numbers on the same sized dot. However, the preparation of the Au NP solution containing salt was sensitive to spikes in the salt concentration. These spikes led to aggregation of the Au NPs and non-specific deposition of Au NPs on the substrate. The Au NP patterned surfaces were immersed in a sodium hydroxide solution in order to lift-off the patterned Au NPs, but no lift-off was observed without adequate physical agitation. The van der Waals forces are too strong to allow for lift-off despite the absence of electrostatic forces. (paper)

  13. Rationally Designed, Multifunctional Self-Assembled Nanoparticles for Covalently Networked, Flexible and Self-Healable Superhydrophobic Composite Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yujin; You, Eun-Ah; Ha, Young-Geun

    2018-03-21

    For constructing bioinspired functional films with various superhydrophobic functions, including self-cleaning, anticorrosion, antibioadhesion, and oil-water separation, hydrophobic nanomaterials have been widely used as crucial structural components. In general, hydrophobic nanomaterials, however, cannot form strong chemical bond networks in organic-inorganic hybrid composite films because of the absence of chemically compatible binding components. Herein, we report the rationally designed, multifunctional self-assembled nanoparticles with tunable functionalities of covalent cross-linking and hydrophobicity for constructing three-dimensionally interconnected superhydrophobic composite films via a facile solution-based fabrication at room temperature. The multifunctional self-assembled nanoparticles allow the systematic control of functionalities of composite films, as well as the stable formation of covalently linked superhydrophobic composite films with excellent flexibility (bending radii of 6.5 and 3.0 mm, 1000 cycles) and self-healing ability (water contact angle > 150°, ≥10 cycles). The presented strategy can be a versatile and effective route to generating other advanced functional films with covalently interconnected composite networks.

  14. Controlled Electrochemical Carboxylation of Graphene To Create a Versatile Chemical Platform for Further Functionalization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerglund Pedersen, Emil; Kongsfelt, Mikkel; Shimizu, Kyoko

    2014-01-01

    An electrochemical approach is introduced for the versatile carboxylation of multi-layered graphene in 0.1 M Bu4NBF4/MeCN. First, the graphene substrate (i.e., graphene chemically vapor-deposited on Ni) is negatively charged at -1.9 V versus Ag/AgI in a degassed solution to allow for intercalation...... of Bu4N+ and, thereby, separation of the individual graphene sheets. In the next step, the strongly activated and nucleophilic graphene is allowed to react with added carbon dioxide in an addition reaction, introducing carboxylate groups stabilized by Bu4N+ already present. This procedure may be carried...... solution at the graphene electrode for a given time. The same functionalization degree is obtained for all multi-layered regions, independent of the number of graphene sheets, which is due to the fact that the entire graphene structure is opened in response to the intercalation of Bu4N+. Hence...

  15. Kinetics of directed self-assembly of block copolymers on chemically patterned substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Müller, Marcus; Li, Weihua; Rey, Juan Carlos Orozco; Welling, Ulrich

    2015-01-01

    Chemically patterned surfaces have been successfully employed to direct the kinetics of self-assembly of block copolymers into dense, periodic morphologies (”chemoepitaxy”). Significant efforts have been directed towards understanding the kinetics of structure formation and, particularly, the formation and annihilation of defects. In the present manuscript we use computer simulations of a soft, coarse-grained polymer model to study the kinetics of structure formation of lamellar-forming block copolymer thin films on a chemical pattern of lines and spaces. The case where the copolymer material replicates the surface pattern and the more subtle scenario of sparse guiding patterns are considered. Our simulation results highlight (1) the importance of the early stages of pattern-directed self-assembly that template the subsequent morphology and (2) the dependence of the free-energy landscape on the incompatibility between the two blocks of the copolymer. (paper)

  16. Abstracts Book of Jubilee Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    Scientific Assemblies of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry are most important chemical discussion forum organised annually in Poland. Basic as well as application studies in all chemical branches have been extensively presented. The next subjects was proposed as sections and symposia topics: organic chemistry, physical chemistry (chemical kinetics, catalysis, thermodynamics), membranes and membrane processes, biological chemistry, biotechnology, metalorganic compounds and complexes, polymer chemistry, crystallochemical study, spectroscopy in nowadays chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, chemistry and technology of coal, high-energetic materials, environment protection, didactics in chemistry, radiation chemistry, photochemistry, electrochemistry, chemistry and technology of carbohydrates, theoretical and computer chemistry, young scientists forum, history of chemistry

  17. Abstracts Book of 41. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry is the most important scientific forum of Polish Chemists. The state of the art in many basic, fundamental and applied investigations has been presented and discussed. The following scientific sessions and microsymposia have been proposed: theoretical chemistry; molecular interactions; metal compounds - chemical, physical, electronic and biological aspects; catalysis and surface physico-chemistry; polymers - radiochemistry, modifications, physics and analytical methods; organic and bioorganic chemistry; physico-chemistry of condensed matter; chemical metallurgy; environmental protection; inorganic technology; chemistry and technology of coal; radiation chemistry; analytical chemistry; chemical engineering; young scientists forum; chemical didactics; petrochemistry; energetic materials; membranes and membrane processes; medical chemistry

  18. An Efficient and Versatile Means for Assembling and Manufacturing Systems in Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorsey, John T.; Doggett, William R.; Hafley, Robert A.; Komendera, Erik; Correll, Nikolaus; King, Bruce

    2012-01-01

    Within NASA Space Science, Exploration and the Office of Chief Technologist, there are Grand Challenges and advanced future exploration, science and commercial mission applications that could benefit significantly from large-span and large-area structural systems. Of particular and persistent interest to the Space Science community is the desire for large (in the 10- 50 meter range for main aperture diameter) space telescopes that would revolutionize space astronomy. Achieving these systems will likely require on-orbit assembly, but previous approaches for assembling large-scale telescope truss structures and systems in space have been perceived as very costly because they require high precision and custom components. These components rely on a large number of mechanical connections and supporting infrastructure that are unique to each application. In this paper, a new assembly paradigm that mitigates these concerns is proposed and described. A new assembly approach, developed to implement the paradigm, is developed incorporating: Intelligent Precision Jigging Robots, Electron-Beam welding, robotic handling/manipulation, operations assembly sequence and path planning, and low precision weldable structural elements. Key advantages of the new assembly paradigm, as well as concept descriptions and ongoing research and technology development efforts for each of the major elements are summarized.

  19. Quantum-Chemical Insights into the Self-Assembly of Carbon-Based Supramolecular Complexes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joaquín Calbo

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Understanding how molecular systems self-assemble to form well-organized superstructures governed by noncovalent interactions is essential in the field of supramolecular chemistry. In the nanoscience context, the self-assembly of different carbon-based nanoforms (fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene with, in general, electron-donor molecular systems, has received increasing attention as a means of generating potential candidates for technological applications. In these carbon-based systems, a deep characterization of the supramolecular organization is crucial to establish an intimate relation between supramolecular structure and functionality. Detailed structural information on the self-assembly of these carbon-based nanoforms is however not always accessible from experimental techniques. In this regard, quantum chemistry has demonstrated to be key to gain a deep insight into the supramolecular organization of molecular systems of high interest. In this review, we intend to highlight the fundamental role that quantum-chemical calculations can play to understand the supramolecular self-assembly of carbon-based nanoforms through a limited selection of supramolecular assemblies involving fullerene, fullerene fragments, nanotubes and graphene with several electron-rich π-conjugated systems.

  20. Self-Assembly of Nanoclusters into Mono-, Few-, and Multilayered Sheets via Dipole-Induced Asymmetric van der Waals Attraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zhennan; Liu, Jiale; Li, Yanchun; Cheng, Ziyi; Li, Tingting; Zhang, Hao; Lu, Zhongyuan; Yang, Bai

    2015-06-23

    Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials possessing regular layered structures and versatile chemical composition are highly expected in many applications. Despite the importance of van der Waals (vdW) attraction in constructing and maintaining layered structures, the origin of 2D anisotropy is not fully understood, yet. Here, we report the 2D self-assembly of ligand-capped Au15 nanoclusters into mono-, few-, and multilayered sheets in colloidal solution. Both the experimental results and computer simulation reveal that the 2D self-assembly is initiated by 1D dipolar attraction common in nanometer-sized objects. The dense 1D attachment of Au15 leads to a redistribution of the surface ligands, thus generating asymmetric vdW attraction. The deliberate control of the coordination of dipolar and vdW attraction further allows to manipulate the thickness and morphologies of 2D self-assembly architectures.

  1. Versatile Desktop Experiment Module (DEMo) on Heat Transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minerick, Adrienne R.

    2010-01-01

    This paper outlines a new Desktop Experiment Module (DEMo) engineered for a chemical engineering junior-level Heat Transfer course. This new DEMo learning tool is versatile, fairly inexpensive, and portable such that it can be positioned on student desks throughout a classroom. The DEMo system can illustrate conduction of various materials,…

  2. Lab-on-Valve Micro Sequential Injection: A Versatile Approach for Implementing Integrated Sample Pre-preparations and Executing (Bio)Chemical Assays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Elo Harald

    waste generation. Most recently, the Lab-on-Valve (LOV) approach has emerged. Termed the third generation of FIA, the conceptual basis of the LOV is to incorporate all the necessary unit operational manipulations required in a chemical assay, and, when possible, even the detection device, into a single...... small integrated microconduit, or “laboratory”, placed atop a selection valve. In the lecture emphasis will be placed on the LOV approach. Proven itself as a versatile front end to a variety of detection techniques, its utility will be exemplified by various applications. Particular focus......-phase microcolumn concept utilising hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic bead materials. Although ETAAS and ICPMS both are characterised by excellent analytical chemical capabilities, they nevertheless often require that the samples be subjected to suitable pretreatment in order to obtain the necessary sensitivity...

  3. The use of a versatile o-vanilloyl hydrazone ligand to prepare SMM-like Dy3 molecular cluster pair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Shufang; Zhao, Lang; Guo, Yun-Nan; Zhang, Peng; Tang, Jinkui

    2012-09-14

    A novel lanthanide molecular cluster pair (MCP), displaying single molecule magnet behaviour, was assembled using the novel o-vanilloyl hydrazone ligand, versatile in terms of denticity, tautomerism and the rotatable C-C bond.

  4. Materials of 46. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical. Volume 1,2,3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-01-01

    Scientific assemblies of Polish Chemical Society are the most important chemical meetings organised annually in Poland. Basic as well as application studies in all chemical branches have been extensively presented. The next subjects were proposed as scientific sessions and symposia topics: organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, technology and chemical engineering, polymer chemistry, solid state chemistry, catalysis, biological chemistry, chemistry and technology of coal, environmental protection, didactics of chemistry, history of chemistry, young scientist forum as well as the reports of results of works sponsored by Committee of Scientific Research

  5. Controlled Electrochemical Carboxylation of Graphene To Create a Versatile Chemical Platform for Further Functionalization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerglund Pedersen, Emil; Kongsfelt, Mikkel S.; Shimizu, Kyoko

    An electrochemical approach is introduced for the versatile carboxylation of multilayered graphene in 0.1 M Bu4NBF4/MeCN. First, the graphene substrate is negatively charged at −1.9 V vs. Ag/AgI to allow for intercalation of Bu4N+. In the second step, the strongly activated and nucleophilic...... throughout the multilayered graphene structure, independent of the number of graphene sheets. This is assumed to be due to an opening of the entire graphene structure in response to the intercalation of Bu4N+. Hence, this electrochemical method offers a versatile procedure to make all graphene sheets...

  6. The One-Pot Directed Assembly of Cylinder-Forming Block Copolymer on Adjacent Chemical Patterns for Bimodal Patterning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Tzu-Hsuan; Xiong, Shisheng; Liu, Chi-Chun; Liu, Dong; Nealey, Paul F; Ma, Zhenqiang

    2017-09-01

    The direct self-assembly of cylinder-forming poly(styrene-block-methyl-methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) block copolymer is successfully assembled into two orientations, according to the underlying guiding pattern in different areas. Lying-down and perpendicular cylinders are formed, respectively, depending on the design of chemical pattern: sparse line/space pattern or hexagonal dot array. The first chemical pattern composed of prepatterned cross-linked polystyrene (XPS) line/space structure has a period (L S ) equal to twice the intercylinder period of the block copolymer (L 0 ). The PS-b-PMMA thin film on the prepared chemical template after thermal annealing forms a lying-down cylinder morphology when the width of the PS strips is less than the width of PS block in the PS-b-PMMA block copolymer. The morphology is only applicable at the discrete thickness of the PS-b-PMMA film. In addition to forming the lying-down cylinders directly on the XPS guiding pattern, the cylinder-forming block copolymer can also be assembled in a perpendicular way on the second guiding pattern (the hexagonal dot array). The block copolymer films are registered into two orientations in a single directed self-assembly process. The features of the assembled patterns are successfully transferred down to the silicon oxide substrate. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Supramolecular Assembly of Comb-like Macromolecules Induced by Chemical Reactions that Modulate the Macromolecular Interactions In Situ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Hongwei; Fu, Hailin; Zhang, Yanfeng; Shih, Kuo-Chih; Ren, Yuan; Anuganti, Murali; Nieh, Mu-Ping; Cheng, Jianjun; Lin, Yao

    2017-08-16

    Supramolecular polymerization or assembly of proteins or large macromolecular units by a homogeneous nucleation mechanism can be quite slow and require specific solution conditions. In nature, protein assembly is often regulated by molecules that modulate the electrostatic interactions of the protein subunits for various association strengths. The key to this regulation is the coupling of the assembly process with a reversible or irreversible chemical reaction that occurs within the constituent subunits. However, realizing this complex process by the rational design of synthetic molecules or macromolecules remains a challenge. Herein, we use a synthetic polypeptide-grafted comb macromolecule to demonstrate how the in situ modulation of interactions between the charged macromolecules affects their resulting supramolecular structures. The kinetics of structural formation was studied and can be described by a generalized model of nucleated polymerization containing secondary pathways. Basic thermodynamic analysis indicated the delicate role of the electrostatic interactions between the charged subunits in the reaction-induced assembly process. This approach may be applicable for assembling a variety of ionic soft matters that are amenable to chemical reactions in situ.

  8. Robust forests of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes chemically assembled on carbon substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrett, David J; Flavel, Benjamin S; Shapter, Joseph G; Baronian, Keith H R; Downard, Alison J

    2010-02-02

    Forests of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) have been chemically assembled on carbon surfaces. The structures show excellent stability over a wide potential range and are resistant to degradation from sonication in acid, base, and organic solvent. Acid-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were assembled on amine-terminated tether layers covalently attached to pyrolyzed photoresist films. Tether layers were electrografted to the carbon substrate by reduction of the p-aminobenzenediazonium cation and oxidation of ethylenediamine. The amine-modified surfaces were incubated with cut SWCNTs in the presence of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), giving forests of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs). The SWCNT assemblies were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and electrochemistry. Under conditions where the tether layers slow electron transfer between solution-based redox probes and the underlying electrode, the assembly of VACNTs on the tether layer dramatically increases the electron-transfer rate at the surface. The grafting procedure, and hence the preparation of VACNTs, is applicable to a wide range of materials including metals and semiconductors.

  9. Aldehyde-functionalized chitosan-montmorillonite films as dynamically-assembled, switchable-chemical release bioplastics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chabbi, Jamal; Jennah, Oumayma; Katir, Nadia; Lahcini, Mohamed; Bousmina, Mosto; El Kadib, Abdelkrim

    2018-03-01

    Temporal release of synergistic and/or complementary chemicals (e.g.: drugs) is recognized as extremely challenging because of their frequently intertwined kinetic delivery and presently, straightforward concepts enabling to circumvent this bottleneck are missing in the open literature. In this framework, we report herein on aldehyde-functionalized, transparent and flexible chitosan-montmorillonite hybrid films that act as a new generation of eco-friendly, controlled-chemical release bioplastics. These dynamically-assembled nanomaterials are designed by a ternary assembly from biowaste derived chitin biopolymer, aromatic aldehydes and layered clay nanoparticles. On the basis of their geometrical and conformational properties, the oxygenated groups on the grafted aromatics interact preferentially with either the base Schiff belonging to the carbohydrate (via intramolecular CNHO-Ar known as "imine clip") or with the hydroxyl groups belonging to the clay surface (via intermolecular Si-OHO-Ar). The exfoliated clay nanoparticles within the carbohydrate polymer enables either accelerating or slowing down of the imine (CN) hydrolysis depending on the interaction of the conjugated aromatics. This provides the driving force for fine tuning host-guest interactions at the molecular level and constitutes an entry toward subtle discrimination of different chemicals (e.g. complementary fertilizers, synergistic drugs) during their sequential release. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Structure and assembly of scalable porous protein cages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sasaki, Eita; Böhringer, Daniel; van de Waterbeemd, Michiel; Leibundgut, Marc; Zschoche, Reinhard; Heck, Albert J R; Ban, Nenad; Hilvert, Donald

    2017-01-01

    Proteins that self-assemble into regular shell-like polyhedra are useful, both in nature and in the laboratory, as molecular containers. Here we describe cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structures of two versatile encapsulation systems that exploit engineered electrostatic interactions for cargo

  11. Polymer blend lithography: A versatile method to fabricate nanopatterned self-assembled monolayers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng Huang

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available A rapid and cost-effective lithographic method, polymer blend lithography (PBL, is reported to produce patterned self-assembled monolayers (SAM on solid substrates featuring two or three different chemical functionalities. For the pattern generation we use the phase separation of two immiscible polymers in a blend solution during a spin-coating process. By controlling the spin-coating parameters and conditions, including the ambient atmosphere (humidity, the molar mass of the polystyrene (PS and poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA, and the mass ratio between the two polymers in the blend solution, the formation of a purely lateral morphology (PS islands standing on the substrate while isolated in the PMMA matrix can be reproducibly induced. Either of the formed phases (PS or PMMA can be selectively dissolved afterwards, and the remaining phase can be used as a lift-off mask for the formation of a nanopatterned functional silane monolayer. This “monolayer copy” of the polymer phase morphology has a topographic contrast of about 1.3 nm. A demonstration of tuning of the PS island diameter is given by changing the molar mass of PS. Moreover, polymer blend lithography can provide the possibility of fabricating a surface with three different chemical components: This is demonstrated by inducing breath figures (evaporated condensed entity at higher humidity during the spin-coating process. Here we demonstrate the formation of a lateral pattern consisting of regions covered with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS and (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES, and at the same time featuring regions of bare SiOx. The patterning process could be applied even on meter-sized substrates with various functional SAM molecules, making this process suitable for the rapid preparation of quasi two-dimensional nanopatterned functional substrates, e.g., for the template-controlled growth of ZnO nanostructures.

  12. Polymer blend lithography: A versatile method to fabricate nanopatterned self-assembled monolayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Cheng; Moosmann, Markus; Jin, Jiehong; Heiler, Tobias; Walheim, Stefan; Schimmel, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    A rapid and cost-effective lithographic method, polymer blend lithography (PBL), is reported to produce patterned self-assembled monolayers (SAM) on solid substrates featuring two or three different chemical functionalities. For the pattern generation we use the phase separation of two immiscible polymers in a blend solution during a spin-coating process. By controlling the spin-coating parameters and conditions, including the ambient atmosphere (humidity), the molar mass of the polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and the mass ratio between the two polymers in the blend solution, the formation of a purely lateral morphology (PS islands standing on the substrate while isolated in the PMMA matrix) can be reproducibly induced. Either of the formed phases (PS or PMMA) can be selectively dissolved afterwards, and the remaining phase can be used as a lift-off mask for the formation of a nanopatterned functional silane monolayer. This "monolayer copy" of the polymer phase morphology has a topographic contrast of about 1.3 nm. A demonstration of tuning of the PS island diameter is given by changing the molar mass of PS. Moreover, polymer blend lithography can provide the possibility of fabricating a surface with three different chemical components: This is demonstrated by inducing breath figures (evaporated condensed entity) at higher humidity during the spin-coating process. Here we demonstrate the formation of a lateral pattern consisting of regions covered with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), and at the same time featuring regions of bare SiO(x). The patterning process could be applied even on meter-sized substrates with various functional SAM molecules, making this process suitable for the rapid preparation of quasi two-dimensional nanopatterned functional substrates, e.g., for the template-controlled growth of ZnO nanostructures [1].

  13. A brilliant sandwich type fluorescent nanostructure incorporating a compact quantum dot layer and versatile silica substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Liang; Wu, Qiong; Wang, Jing; Foda, Mohamed; Liu, Jiawei; Cai, Kai; Han, Heyou

    2014-03-18

    A "hydrophobic layer in silica" structure was designed to integrate a compact quantum dot (QD) layer with high quantum yield into scalable silica hosts containing desired functionality. This was based on metal affinity driven assembly of hydrophobic QDs with versatile silica substrates and homogeneous encapsulation of organosilica/silica layers.

  14. Engineering Plasmonic Nanocrystal Coupling through Template-Assisted Self-Assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greybush, Nicholas J.

    The construction of materials from nanocrystal building blocks represents a powerful new paradigm for materials design. Just as nature's materials orchestrate intricate combinations of atoms from the library of the periodic table, nanocrystal "metamaterials" integrate individual nanocrystals into larger architectures with emergent collective properties. The individual nanocrystal "meta-atoms" that make up these materials are themselves each a nanoscale atomic system with tailorable size, shape, and elemental composition, enabling the creation of hierarchical materials with predesigned structure at multiple length scales. However, an improved fundamental understanding of the interactions among individual nanocrystals is needed in order to translate this structural control into enhanced functionality. The ability to form precise arrangements of nanocrystals and measure their collective properties is therefore essential for the continued development of nanocrystal metamaterials. In this dissertation, we utilize template-assisted self-assembly and spatially-resolved spectroscopy to form and characterize individual nanocrystal oligomers. At the intersection of "top-down" and "bottom-up" nanoscale patterning schemes, template-assisted self-assembly combines the design freedom of lithography with the chemical control of colloidal synthesis to achieve unique nanocrystal configurations. Here, we employ shape-selective templates to assemble new plasmonic structures, including heterodimers of Au nanorods and upconversion phosphors, a series of hexagonally-packed Au nanocrystal oligomers, and triangular formations of Au nanorods. Through experimental analysis and numerical simulation, we elucidate the means through which inter-nanocrystal coupling imparts collective optical properties to the plasmonic assemblies. Our self-assembly and measurement strategy offers a versatile platform for exploring optical interactions in a wide range of material systems and application areas.

  15. Modification and Assembly of a Versatile Lactonase for Bacterial Quorum Quenching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa K. Rhoads

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This work sets out to provide a self-assembled biopolymer capsule activated with a multi-functional enzyme for localized delivery. This enzyme, SsoPox, which is a lactonase and phosphotriesterase, provides a means of interrupting bacterial communication pathways that have been shown to mediate pathogenicity. Here we demonstrate the capability to express, purify and attach SsoPox to the natural biopolymer chitosan, preserving its activity to “neutralize” long-chain autoinducer-1 (AI-1 communication molecules. Attachment is shown via non-specific binding and by engineering tyrosine and glutamine affinity ‘tags’ at the C-terminus for covalent linkage. Subsequent degradation of AI-1, in this case N-(3-oxododecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (OdDHL, serves to “quench” bacterial quorum sensing (QS, silencing intraspecies communication. By attaching enzymes to pH-responsive chitosan that, in turn, can be assembled into various forms, we demonstrate device-based flexibility for enzyme delivery. Specifically, we have assembled quorum-quenching capsules consisting of an alginate inner core and an enzyme “decorated” chitosan shell that are shown to preclude bacterial QS crosstalk, minimizing QS mediated behaviors.

  16. A Robust and Versatile Method of Combinatorial Chemical Synthesis of Gene Libraries via Hierarchical Assembly of Partially Randomized Modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popova, Blagovesta; Schubert, Steffen; Bulla, Ingo; Buchwald, Daniela; Kramer, Wilfried

    2015-01-01

    A major challenge in gene library generation is to guarantee a large functional size and diversity that significantly increases the chances of selecting different functional protein variants. The use of trinucleotides mixtures for controlled randomization results in superior library diversity and offers the ability to specify the type and distribution of the amino acids at each position. Here we describe the generation of a high diversity gene library using tHisF of the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima as a scaffold. Combining various rational criteria with contingency, we targeted 26 selected codons of the thisF gene sequence for randomization at a controlled level. We have developed a novel method of creating full-length gene libraries by combinatorial assembly of smaller sub-libraries. Full-length libraries of high diversity can easily be assembled on demand from smaller and much less diverse sub-libraries, which circumvent the notoriously troublesome long-term archivation and repeated proliferation of high diversity ensembles of phages or plasmids. We developed a generally applicable software tool for sequence analysis of mutated gene sequences that provides efficient assistance for analysis of library diversity. Finally, practical utility of the library was demonstrated in principle by assessment of the conformational stability of library members and isolating protein variants with HisF activity from it. Our approach integrates a number of features of nucleic acids synthetic chemistry, biochemistry and molecular genetics to a coherent, flexible and robust method of combinatorial gene synthesis. PMID:26355961

  17. Melting and related precursor cooperative phenomena in chemically bonded assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    March, N.H.

    2004-09-01

    A number of experimental studies of condensed matter assemblies with different types of chemical bonding will provide the focus of this work. Condensed compounds X(CH 3 ) 4 , with X = C,Si or Ge, are the first of such assemblies; two phase boundaries in the pressure temperature plane being studied: melting and a solid phase boundary heralding orientational disordering of molecules still however on a lattice. Secondly, directionally bonded d-electron transition metals such as Ni, Pd and Nb will be treated. Here, melting is the main focus, but the precursor transition is now the separation of a high-temperature ductile solid from a lower temperature mechanically brittle phase. A dislocation-mediated model of these transitions is discussed, leading into the third area of covalently bonded solids graphite and silicon. Here topological defect models again provide the focus; both dislocations and rotation-dislocations now being invoked. Some qualitative suggestions are made to interpret the melting curve of graphite subjected to high pressure. (author)

  18. Physical controls on directed virus assembly at nanoscale chemical templates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheung, C L; Chung, S; Chatterji, A; Lin, T; Johnson, J E; Hok, S; Perkins, J; De Yoreo, J

    2006-01-01

    Viruses are attractive building blocks for nanoscale heterostructures, but little is understood about the physical principles governing their directed assembly. In-situ force microscopy was used to investigate organization of Cowpea Mosaic Virus engineered to bind specifically and reversibly at nanoscale chemical templates with sub-30nm features. Morphological evolution and assembly kinetics were measured as virus flux and inter-viral potential were varied. The resulting morphologies were similar to those of atomic-scale epitaxial systems, but the underlying thermodynamics was analogous to that of colloidal systems in confined geometries. The 1D templates biased the location of initial cluster formation, introduced asymmetric sticking probabilities, and drove 1D and 2D condensation at subcritical volume fractions. The growth kinetics followed a t 1/2 law controlled by the slow diffusion of viruses. The lateral expansion of virus clusters that initially form on the 1D templates following introduction of polyethylene glycol (PEG) into the solution suggests a significant role for weak interaction

  19. Light-activated control of protein channel assembly mediated by membrane mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, David M.; Findlay, Heather E.; Ces, Oscar; Templer, Richard H.; Booth, Paula J.

    2016-12-01

    Photochemical processes provide versatile triggers of chemical reactions. Here, we use a photoactivated lipid switch to modulate the folding and assembly of a protein channel within a model biological membrane. In contrast to the information rich field of water-soluble protein folding, there is only a limited understanding of the assembly of proteins that are integral to biological membranes. It is however possible to exploit the foreboding hydrophobic lipid environment and control membrane protein folding via lipid bilayer mechanics. Mechanical properties such as lipid chain lateral pressure influence the insertion and folding of proteins in membranes, with different stages of folding having contrasting sensitivities to the bilayer properties. Studies to date have relied on altering bilayer properties through lipid compositional changes made at equilibrium, and thus can only be made before or after folding. We show that light-activation of photoisomerisable di-(5-[[4-(4-butylphenyl)azo]phenoxy]pentyl)phosphate (4-Azo-5P) lipids influences the folding and assembly of the pentameric bacterial mechanosensitive channel MscL. The use of a photochemical reaction enables the bilayer properties to be altered during folding, which is unprecedented. This mechanical manipulation during folding, allows for optimisation of different stages of the component insertion, folding and assembly steps within the same lipid system. The photochemical approach offers the potential to control channel assembly when generating synthetic devices that exploit the mechanosensitive protein as a nanovalve.

  20. Solution scattering studies on a virus capsid protein as a building block for nanoscale assemblies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Comellas Aragones, M.; Comellas-Aragones, Marta; Sikkema, Friso D.; Delaittre, Guillaume; Terry, Ann E.; King, Stephen M.; Visser, Dirk; Heenan, Richard K.; Nolte, Roeland J.M.; Cornelissen, Jeroen Johannes Lambertus Maria; Feiters, Martin C.

    2011-01-01

    Self-assembled protein cages are versatile building blocks in the construction of biomolecular nanostructures. Because of the defined assembly behaviour the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) protein is often used for such applications. Here we report a detailed solution scattering study of the

  1. Diazo Compounds: Versatile Tools for Chemical Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mix, Kalie A; Aronoff, Matthew R; Raines, Ronald T

    2016-12-16

    Diazo groups have broad and tunable reactivity. That and other attributes endow diazo compounds with the potential to be valuable reagents for chemical biologists. The presence of diazo groups in natural products underscores their metabolic stability and anticipates their utility in a biological context. The chemoselectivity of diazo groups, even in the presence of azido groups, presents many opportunities. Already, diazo compounds have served as chemical probes and elicited novel modifications of proteins and nucleic acids. Here, we review advances that have facilitated the chemical synthesis of diazo compounds, and we highlight applications of diazo compounds in the detection and modification of biomolecules.

  2. Chemical solution route to self-assembled epitaxial oxide nanostructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obradors, X; Puig, T; Gibert, M; Queraltó, A; Zabaleta, J; Mestres, N

    2014-04-07

    Self-assembly of oxides as a bottom-up approach to functional nanostructures goes beyond the conventional nanostructure formation based on lithographic techniques. Particularly, chemical solution deposition (CSD) is an ex situ growth approach very promising for high throughput nanofabrication at low cost. Whereas strain engineering as a strategy to define nanostructures with tight control of size, shape and orientation has been widely used in metals and semiconductors, it has been rarely explored in the emergent field of functional complex oxides. Here we will show that thermodynamic modeling can be very useful to understand the principles controlling the growth of oxide nanostructures by CSD, and some attractive kinetic features will also be presented. The methodology of strain engineering is applied in a high degree of detail to form different sorts of nanostructures (nanodots, nanowires) of the oxide CeO2 with fluorite structure which then is used as a model system to identify the principles controlling self-assembly and self-organization in CSD grown oxides. We also present, more briefly, the application of these ideas to other oxides such as manganites or BaZrO3. We will show that the nucleation and growth steps are essentially understood and manipulated while the kinetic phenomena underlying the evolution of the self-organized networks are still less widely explored, even if very appealing effects have been already observed. Overall, our investigation based on a CSD approach has opened a new strategy towards a general use of self-assembly and self-organization which can now be widely spread to many functional oxide materials.

  3. Polymer Directed Protein Assemblies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick van Rijn

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Protein aggregation and protein self-assembly is an important occurrence in natural systems, and is in some form or other dictated by biopolymers. Very obvious influences of biopolymers on protein assemblies are, e.g., virus particles. Viruses are a multi-protein assembly of which the morphology is dictated by poly-nucleotides namely RNA or DNA. This “biopolymer” directs the proteins and imposes limitations on the structure like the length or diameter of the particle. Not only do these bionanoparticles use polymer-directed self-assembly, also processes like amyloid formation are in a way a result of directed protein assembly by partial unfolded/misfolded biopolymers namely, polypeptides. The combination of proteins and synthetic polymers, inspired by the natural processes, are therefore regarded as a highly promising area of research. Directed protein assembly is versatile with respect to the possible interactions which brings together the protein and polymer, e.g., electrostatic, v.d. Waals forces or covalent conjugation, and possible combinations are numerous due to the large amounts of different polymers and proteins available. The protein-polymer interacting behavior and overall morphology is envisioned to aid in clarifying protein-protein interactions and are thought to entail some interesting new functions and properties which will ultimately lead to novel bio-hybrid materials.

  4. Recent Development in Optical Chemical Sensors Coupling with Flow Injection Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fuensanta Sánchez Rojas

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Optical techniques for chemical analysis are well established and sensors based on thesetechniques are now attracting considerable attention because of their importance in applications suchas environmental monitoring, biomedical sensing, and industrial process control. On the other hand,flow injection analysis (FIA is advisable for the rapid analysis of microliter volume samples and canbe interfaced directly to the chemical process. The FIA has become a widespread automatic analyticalmethod for more reasons; mainly due to the simplicity and low cost of the setups, their versatility, andease of assembling. In this paper, an overview of flow injection determinations by using opticalchemical sensors is provided, and instrumentation, sensor design, and applications are discussed. Thiswork summarizes the most relevant manuscripts from 1980 to date referred to analysis using opticalchemical sensors in FIA.

  5. Self-Assembled Hydrogel Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel Gama

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogel nanoparticles—also referred to as polymeric nanogels or macromolecular micelles—are emerging as promising drug carriers for therapeutic applications. These nanostructures hold versatility and properties suitable for the delivery of bioactive molecules, namely of biopharmaceuticals. This article reviews the latest developments in the use of self-assembled polymeric nanogels for drug delivery applications, including small molecular weight drugs, proteins, peptides, oligosaccharides, vaccines and nucleic acids. The materials and techniques used in the development of self-assembling nanogels are also described.

  6. Origami: A Versatile Modeling System for Visualising Chemical Structure and Exploring Molecular Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, James; Leslie, Ray; Billington, Susan; Slater, Peter R.

    2010-01-01

    The use of "Origami" is presented as an accessible and transferable modeling system through which to convey the intricacies of molecular shape and highlight structure-function relationships. The implementation of origami has been found to be a versatile alternative to conventional ball-and-stick models, possessing the key advantages of being both…

  7. Self-Assembled Three-Dimensional Graphene Macrostructures: Synthesis and Applications in Supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yuxi; Shi, Gaoquan; Duan, Xiangfeng

    2015-06-16

    Graphene and its derivatives are versatile building blocks for bottom-up assembly of advanced functional materials. In particular, with exceptionally large specific surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and superior chemical/electrochemical stability, graphene represents the ideal material for various electrochemical energy storage devices including supercapacitors. However, due to the strong π-π interaction between graphene sheets, the graphene flakes tend to restack to form graphite-like powders when they are processed into practical electrode materials, which can greatly reduce the specific surface area and lead to inefficient utilization of the graphene layers for electrochemical energy storage. The self-assembly of two-dimensional graphene sheets into three-dimensional (3D) framework structures can largely retain the unique properties of individual graphene sheets and has recently garnered intense interest for fundamental investigations and potential applications in diverse technologies. In this Account, we review the recent advances in preparing 3D graphene macrostructures and exploring them as a unique platform for supercapacitor applications. We first describe the synthetic strategies, in which reduction of a graphene oxide dispersion above a certain critical concentration can induce the reduced graphene oxide sheets to cross-link with each other via partial π-π stacking interactions to form a 3D interconnected porous macrostructure. Multiple reduction strategies, including hydrothermal/solvothermal reduction, chemical reduction, and electrochemical reduction, have been developed for the preparation of 3D graphene macrostructures. The versatile synthetic strategies allow for easy incorporation of heteroatoms, carbon nanomaterials, functional polymers, and inorganic nanostructures into the macrostructures to yield diverse composites with tailored structures and properties. We then summarize the applications of the 3D graphene macrostructures

  8. Diazo Compounds: Versatile Tools for Chemical Biology

    OpenAIRE

    Mix, Kalie A.; Aronoff, Matthew R.; Raines, Ronald T.

    2016-01-01

    Diazo groups have broad and tunable reactivity. That and other attributes endow diazo compounds with the potential to be valuable reagents for chemical biologists. The presence of diazo groups in natural products underscores their metabolic stability and anticipates their utility in a biological context. The chemoselectivity of diazo groups, even in the presence of azido groups, presents many opportunities. Already, diazo compounds have served as chemical probes and elicited novel modificatio...

  9. Versatile and Rapid Postfunctionalization from Cyclodextrin Modified Host Polymeric Membrane Substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Jie; Liu, Xinyue; Zhang, Shuqing; Cheng, Chong; Nie, Chuanxiong; Zhao, Changsheng

    2015-09-08

    Surface modification has long been of great interest to impart desired functionalities to the bioimplants. However, due to the limitations of recent technologies in surface modification, it is highly desirable to explore novel protocols, which can advantageously and efficiently endow the inert material surfaces with versatile biofunctionalities. Herein, to achieve versatile and rapid postfunctionalization of polymeric membrane, we demonstrate a new strategy for the fabrication of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified host membrane substrate that can recognize a series of well-designed guest macromolecules. The surface assembly procedure was driven by the host-guest interaction between adamantane (Ad) and β-CD. β-CD immobilized host membrane was fabricated via two steps: (1) epoxy groups enriched poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membrane was first prepared via in situ cross-linking polymerization and subsequently phase separation; (2) mono-6-deoxy-6-ethylenediamine-β-CD (EDA-β-CD) was then anchored onto the surface of the epoxy functionalized PES membrane to obtain PES-CD. Subsequently, three types of Ad-terminated polymers, including Ad-poly(styrenesulfonate-co-sodium acrylate) (Ad-PSA), Ad-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (Ad-PEG), and Ad-poly(methyl chloride-quaternized 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (Ad-PMT), were separately assembled onto the β-CD immobilized surfaces to endow the membranes with anticoagulant, antifouling, and antibacterial capability, respectively. Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and prothrombin time (PT) measurements were carried out to explore the anticoagulant activity. The antifouling capability was evaluated via protein adsorption and platelet adhesion measurements. Moreover, Staphyllococcous aureus (S. aureus) was selected as model bacteria to evaluate the antibacterial ability of the functionalized membranes. The results indicated that well-regulated blood compatibility, antifouling capability, and

  10. Mismatch discrimination of lipidated DNA and LNA-probes (LiNAs) in hybridization-controlled liposome assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Ulla; Vogel, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    Assays for mismatch discrimination and detection of single nucleotide variations by hybridization-controlled assembly of liposomes, which do not require tedious surface chemistry, are versatile for both DNA and RNA targets. We report herein a comprehensive study on different DNA and LNA (locked...... assay in the context of mismatch discrimination and SNP detection are presented. The advantages of membrane-anchored LiNA-probes compared to chemically attached probes on solid nanoparticles (e.g. gold nanoparticles) are described. Key functionalities such as non-covalent attachment of LiNA probes...... without the need for long spacers and the inherent mobility of membrane-anchored probes in lipid-bilayer membranes will be described for several different probe designs....

  11. Monosaccharides as Versatile Units for Water-Soluble Supramolecular Polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leenders, Christianus M A; Jansen, Gijs; Frissen, Martijn M M; Lafleur, René P M; Voets, Ilja K; Palmans, Anja R A; Meijer, E W

    2016-03-18

    We introduce monosaccharides as versatile water-soluble units to compatibilise supramolecular polymers based on the benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) moiety with water. A library of monosaccharide-based BTAs is evaluated, varying the length of the alkyl chain (hexyl, octyl, decyl and dodecyl) separating the BTA and saccharide units, as well as the saccharide units (α-glucose, β-glucose, α-mannose and α-galactose). In all cases, the monosaccharides impart excellent water compatibility. The length of the alkyl chain is the determining factor to obtain either long, one-dimensional supramolecular polymers (dodecyl spacer), small aggregates (decyl spacer) or molecularly dissolved (octyl and hexyl) BTAs in water. For the BTAs comprising a dodecyl spacer, our results suggest that a cooperative self-assembly process is operative and that the introduction of different monosaccharides does not significantly change the self- assembly behaviour. Finally, we investigate the potential of post-assembly functionalisation of the formed supramolecular polymers by taking advantage of dynamic covalent bond formation between the monosaccharides and benzoxaboroles. We observe that the supramolecular polymers readily react with a fluorescent benzoxaborole derivative permitting imaging of these dynamic complexes by confocal fluorescence microscopy. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Materials of yearly scientific assembly of Polish Chemical Society, Poznan 23-26 September 1996

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    The Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society has been held in 1996 in Poznan. The general view on scientific progress of chemistry in Poland has been presented. The conference has been divided into 18 sessions covering the most important research fields in chemistry. The sessions topics were as follows: S-1 physical chemistry; S-2 photochemistry, radiation chemistry and chemical kinetics; S-3 catalysis; S-4 inorganic chemistry and coordination chemistry; S-5 organic chemistry; S-6 chemistry of hetero organic compounds; S-7 medical chemistry; S-8 crystallochemistry; S-9 environment protection; S-10 didactics in chemistry; S-11 analytical chemistry; S-12 chemical technology; S-13 chemical engineering; S-14 chemistry of polymers; S-15 young chemists forum; S-16 professor forum; S-17 membranes and membrane processes; S-18 supermolecular chemistry

  13. Capillary Assembly of Colloids: Interactions on Planar and Curved Interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Iris B.; Sharifi-Mood, Nima; Stebe, Kathleen J.

    2018-03-01

    In directed assembly, small building blocks are assembled into an organized structure under the influence of guiding fields. Capillary interactions provide a versatile route for structure formation. Colloids adsorbed on fluid interfaces distort the interface, which creates an associated energy field. When neighboring distortions overlap, colloids interact to minimize interfacial area. Contact line pinning, particle shape, and surface chemistry play important roles in structure formation. Interface curvature acts like an external field; particles migrate and assemble in patterns dictated by curvature gradients. We review basic analysis and recent findings in this rapidly evolving literature. Understanding the roles of assembly is essential for tuning the mechanical, physical, and optical properties of the structure.

  14. Fabrication of Cu{sub 2}S nanoneedles by self-assembly of nanoparticles via simple wet chemical route

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumarakuru, Haridas, E-mail: haridas.kumarakuru@nmmu.ac.za; Coombes, Matthew J.; Neethling, Johannes H.; Westraadt, Johan E.

    2014-03-15

    Highlights: • An inexpensive wet chemical method was used at room temperature to grow Cu{sub 2}S. • Growth of Cu{sub 2}S nanostructures influences by the Cl{sup −} ion concentration. • Thioglycerol and Cl{sup −} ions are used as a blend capping agents. • Cu{sub 2}S nanoneedles were formed via self-assembly of nanoparticles. • We can propose a growth model for Cu{sub 2}S nanoneedles based on our observations. -- Abstract: Cu{sub 2}S nanoneedles, fabricated by self-assembly of Cu{sub 2}S nanoparticles via wet chemical method are investigated. Crystallinity and surface morphologies of the as-grown needles are examined using X-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It is observed that the nanoparticle formation is controlled by the blend concentration of capping agents, thioglycerol, added during the synthesis and the Cl{sup −} ions delivered by the CuCl source. The likely reasons for the elongated structure of the nanoparticle self-assembly are also discussed.

  15. Direct Electron Transfer of Enzymes in a Biologically Assembled Conductive Nanomesh Enzyme Platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung-Woo; Lee, Ki-Young; Song, Yong-Won; Choi, Won Kook; Chang, Joonyeon; Yi, Hyunjung

    2016-02-24

    Nondestructive assembly of a nanostructured enzyme platform is developed in combination of the specific biomolecular attraction and electrostatic coupling for highly efficient direct electron transfer (DET) of enzymes with unprecedented applicability and versatility. The biologically assembled conductive nanomesh enzyme platform enables DET-based flexible integrated biosensors and DET of eight different enzyme with various catalytic activities. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. A review on electrospinning design and nanofibre assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teo, W E; Ramakrishna, S

    2006-01-01

    Although there are many methods of fabricating nanofibres, electrospinning is perhaps the most versatile process. Materials such as polymer, composites, ceramic and metal nanofibres have been fabricated using electrospinning directly or through post-spinning processes. However, what makes electrospinning different from other nanofibre fabrication processes is its ability to form various fibre assemblies. This will certainly enhance the performance of products made from nanofibres and allow application specific modifications. It is therefore vital for us to understand the various parameters and processes that allow us to fabricate the desired fibre assemblies. Fibre assemblies that can be fabricated include nonwoven fibre mesh, aligned fibre mesh, patterned fibre mesh, random three-dimensional structures and sub-micron spring and convoluted fibres. Nevertheless, more studies are required to understand and precisely control the actual mechanics in the formation of various electrospun fibrous assemblies. (topical review)

  17. Materials of yearly scientific assembly of Polish Chemical Society, Lublin 1995

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    Scientific conference accompanied the yearly assembly of Polish Chemical Society has bee held in 1995 in Lublin. The general review on scientific progress of the most important field of chemistry in Poland have been presented. The conference has been divided into 16 plenary sessions and 3 microsymposia. The sessions topics as follows: S-1 - physical chemistry; S-2 - physicochemistry of the surface; S-3 - catalysis; S-4 - chemical technology; S-5 - inorganic chemistry; S-6 - coordination chemistry; S-7 -crystallochemistry; S-8 - electrochemistry; S-9 - organic chemistry; S-10 -chemistry of polymers; S-11 - chemistry in medicine; S-12 - chemistry and technology of solid state materials; S-13 - young scientists forum; S-14 -didactics in chemistry; S-15 - theoretical chemistry; S-16 - environmental protection. Also the 3 microsymposia have been organized. It was: M-1 -chemistry of heteroorganic compounds; M-2 chromatography; M-3 - plasma chemistry

  18. Versatile Optimization of Chemical Ordering in Bimetallic Nanoparticles

    KAUST Repository

    Kovács, Gábor

    2017-01-05

    Chemical ordering in bimetallic nanocrystallites can now be efficiently determined by density-functional calculations with the help of topological energy expressions. Herein, we deal with extending the usage of that computational scheme. We show that it enables one to structurally characterize bimetallic nanoparticles of less regular shapes than previously studied magic-type particles. In fcc Pd–Au particles of different shapes (cuboctahedral Pd58Au58, C3v Pd61Au61, cubic Pd68Au67, and truncated octahedral Pd70Au70), we identify the surface segregation of gold as the driving force to the lowest-energy chemical ordering. We applied the calculated descriptor values quantifying the segregation propensity of Au and energies of Pd–Au bonds in these ∼1.5 nm large particles to optimize and analyze the chemical ordering in 3.7–6 nm large Pd–Au particles. We also discuss how to predict the chemical ordering in nanoalloys at elevated temperatures. The present study paves the way to advanced structural investigations of nanoalloys to substantially accelerate their knowledge-driven engineering and manufacturing.

  19. Versatile Optimization of Chemical Ordering in Bimetallic Nanoparticles

    KAUST Repository

    Ková cs, Gá bor; Kozlov, Sergey M.; Neyman, Konstantin M.

    2017-01-01

    Chemical ordering in bimetallic nanocrystallites can now be efficiently determined by density-functional calculations with the help of topological energy expressions. Herein, we deal with extending the usage of that computational scheme. We show that it enables one to structurally characterize bimetallic nanoparticles of less regular shapes than previously studied magic-type particles. In fcc Pd–Au particles of different shapes (cuboctahedral Pd58Au58, C3v Pd61Au61, cubic Pd68Au67, and truncated octahedral Pd70Au70), we identify the surface segregation of gold as the driving force to the lowest-energy chemical ordering. We applied the calculated descriptor values quantifying the segregation propensity of Au and energies of Pd–Au bonds in these ∼1.5 nm large particles to optimize and analyze the chemical ordering in 3.7–6 nm large Pd–Au particles. We also discuss how to predict the chemical ordering in nanoalloys at elevated temperatures. The present study paves the way to advanced structural investigations of nanoalloys to substantially accelerate their knowledge-driven engineering and manufacturing.

  20. Chemical chaperones exceed the chaperone effects of RIC-3 in promoting assembly of functional α7 AChRs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Kuryatov

    Full Text Available Functional α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs do not assemble efficiently in cells transfected with α7 subunits unless the cells are also transfected with the chaperone protein RIC-3. Despite the presence of RIC-3, large amounts of these subunits remain improperly assembled. Thus, additional chaperone proteins are probably required for efficient assembly of α7 AChRs. Cholinergic ligands can act as pharmacological chaperones to promote assembly of mature AChRs and upregulate the amount of functional AChRs. In addition, we have found that the chemical chaperones 4-phenylbutyric acid (PBA and valproic acid (VPA greatly increase the amount of functional α7 AChRs produced in a cell line expressing both α7 and RIC-3. Increased α7 AChR expression allows assay of drug action using a membrane potential-sensitive fluorescent indicator. Both PBA and VPA also increase α7 expression in the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line that endogenously expresses α7 AChRs. VPA increases expression of endogenous α7 AChRs in hippocampal neurons but PBA does not. RIC-3 is insufficient for optimal assembly of α7 AChRs, but provides assay conditions for detecting additional chaperones. Chemical chaperones are a useful pragmatic approach to express high levels of human α7 AChRs for drug selection and characterization and possibly to increase α7 expression in vivo.

  1. Lab-on-Valve Micro Sequential Injection: A Versatile Approach for Implementing Integrated Sample Pre-preparations and Executing (Bio)Chemical Assays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Elo Harald

    waste generation. Most recently, the socalled third generation of FIA has emerged, that is, the Lab-on-Valve (LOV) approach, the conceptual basis of which is to incorporate all the necessary unit operational manipulations required, and, when possible, even the detection device into a single small...... integrated microconduit, or “laboratory”, placed atop a selection valve. The lecture will detail the evolution of the three generations of FIA, emphasis being placed on the LOV approach. Proven itself as a versatile front end to a variety of detection techniques, its utility will be exemplified by a series...... of the renewable microcolumn concept. Despite their excellent analytical chemical capabilities, ETAAS as well as ICPMS often require that the samples are subjected to suitable pretreatment in order to obtain the necessary sensitivity and selectivity. Either in order to separate the analyte from potentially...

  2. Materials of jubilee scientific assembly of the Polish Chemical Society, Warsaw'94. Homo chemicus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    The Jubilee Scientific Assembly of the Polish Chemical Society has been held in 1994 in Warsaw. The general view on scientific progress in chemistry in Poland has been presented during plenary session. The conference has been divided into 15 sessions and 3 microsymposia covering the most important research fields in chemistry. Sessions topics were: analytical chemistry, chemistry of solid state materials, physical chemistry, coordination chemistry, medical chemistry, chemistry of metalorganic compounds, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, chemistry of polymers, young scientists forum, didactics and history of chemistry, catalysis, crystallochemistry, chemical technology, environment protection. Microsymposia's topics were as follows: chemistry of saccharides, electrochemistry, membranes and membrane processes

  3. Convenient synthesis and application of versatile nucleic acid lipid membrane anchors in the assembly and fusion of liposomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ries, Oliver; Löffler, Philipp M. G.; Vogel, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    or the construction of DNA origami structures. We herein present the synthesis and applications of versatile lipid membrane anchor building blocks suitable for solid phase oligonucleotide synthesis. These are readily synthesized in bulk in five to seven steps from commercially available precursors and can...

  4. Facile preparation of surface-exchangeable core@shell iron oxide@gold nanoparticles for magnetic solid-phase extraction: Use of gold shell as the intermediate platform for versatile adsorbents with varying self-assembled monolayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yaping [Beijing National Laboratory of Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Qi, Li, E-mail: qili@iccas.ac.cn [Beijing National Laboratory of Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Shen, Ying [Beijing National Laboratory of Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Ma, Huimin [Beijing National Laboratory of Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

    2014-02-06

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •The core@shell Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@Au nanoparticles functionalized with SAMs were successfully constructed. •The SAMs could be transformed from one kind to another via thiol exchange process. •The developed nanomaterials could be applied in mode switching MSPE. -- Abstract: The core@shell Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@Au nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with exchangeable self-assembled monolayers have been developed for mode switching magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) using high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The adsorbents were synthesized by chemical coprecipitation to prepare magnetic cores followed by sonolysis to produce gold shells. Functionalization of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@Au NPs surface was realized through self-assembly of commercially available low molecular weight thiol-containing ligands using gold shells as intermediate platform and the dynamic nature of Au–S chemistry allowed substituent of one thiol-containing ligand with another simply by thiol exchange process. The resultant adsorbents were characterized by transmission electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, contact angle measurement, and vibrating sample magnetometry. To evaluate the versatile performance of the developed MSPE adsorbents, they were applied for normal-phase SPE followed by reversed-phase SPE. A few kinds of diphenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were employed as model analytes, respectively. The predominant parameters affecting extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum experimental conditions, wide dynamic linear range (6.25–1600 μg L{sup −1} for diphenols and 1.56–100 μg L{sup −1} for PAHs) with good linearity (r{sup 2} ≥ 0.989) and low detection limits (0.34–16.67 μg L{sup −1} for diphenols and 0.26–0.52 μg L{sup −1} for PAHs) were achieved. The advantage of the developed method is that the Fe{sub 3}O

  5. On-Chip Chemical Self-Assembly of Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs): Toward Robust and Scale Invariant SWNTs Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derenskyi, Vladimir; Gomulya, Widianta; Talsma, Wytse; Salazar-Rios, Jorge Mario; Fritsch, Martin; Nirmalraj, Peter; Riel, Heike; Allard, Sybille; Scherf, Ullrich; Loi, Maria A

    2017-06-01

    In this paper, the fabrication of carbon nanotubes field effect transistors by chemical self-assembly of semiconducting single walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) on prepatterned substrates is demonstrated. Polyfluorenes derivatives have been demonstrated to be effective in selecting s-SWNTs from raw mixtures. In this work the authors functionalized the polymer with side chains containing thiols, to obtain chemical self-assembly of the selected s-SWNTs on substrates with prepatterned gold electrodes. The authors show that the full side functionalization of the conjugated polymer with thiol groups partially disrupts the s-SWNTs selection, with the presence of metallic tubes in the dispersion. However, the authors determine that the selectivity can be recovered either by tuning the number of thiol groups in the polymer, or by modulating the polymer/SWNTs proportions. As demonstrated by optical and electrical measurements, the polymer containing 2.5% of thiol groups gives the best s-SWNT purity. Field-effect transistors with various channel lengths, using networks of SWNTs and individual tubes, are fabricated by direct chemical self-assembly of the SWNTs/thiolated-polyfluorenes on substrates with lithographically defined electrodes. The network devices show superior performance (mobility up to 24 cm 2 V -1 s -1 ), while SWNTs devices based on individual tubes show an unprecedented (100%) yield for working devices. Importantly, the SWNTs assembled by mean of the thiol groups are stably anchored to the substrate and are resistant to external perturbation as sonication in organic solvents. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Chemical Functionalization, Self-Assembly, and Applications of Nano materials and Nano composites 2014

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, X.; Jiao, T.; Balan, L.; Chen, X.; Hu, M.Z.; Liu, W.

    2014-01-01

    The growing interests in nano materials and nano composites call for the development of processing techniques to obtain multiple functionalization nano structures and achieve the tailoring of specific features of the nanometer size. Functional nano materials and nano composites will expand the applied range of the original material and at the same time promote the development of inter discipline. Thus, the chemical functionalization and bottom-up assemblies of nano materials and subsequent applications will accelerate the development of nano science and nano technology.

  7. Structure and assembly of scalable porous protein cages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasaki, Eita; Böhringer, Daniel; van de Waterbeemd, Michiel; Leibundgut, Marc; Zschoche, Reinhard; Heck, Albert J. R.; Ban, Nenad; Hilvert, Donald

    2017-03-01

    Proteins that self-assemble into regular shell-like polyhedra are useful, both in nature and in the laboratory, as molecular containers. Here we describe cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structures of two versatile encapsulation systems that exploit engineered electrostatic interactions for cargo loading. We show that increasing the number of negative charges on the lumenal surface of lumazine synthase, a protein that naturally assembles into a ~1-MDa dodecahedron composed of 12 pentamers, induces stepwise expansion of the native protein shell, giving rise to thermostable ~3-MDa and ~6-MDa assemblies containing 180 and 360 subunits, respectively. Remarkably, these expanded particles assume unprecedented tetrahedrally and icosahedrally symmetric structures constructed entirely from pentameric units. Large keyhole-shaped pores in the shell, not present in the wild-type capsid, enable diffusion-limited encapsulation of complementarily charged guests. The structures of these supercharged assemblies demonstrate how programmed electrostatic effects can be effectively harnessed to tailor the architecture and properties of protein cages.

  8. Porphyrin Diacid-Polyelectrolyte Assemblies: Effective Photocatalysts in Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabine Frühbeißer

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Developing effective and versatile photocatalytic systems is of great potential in solar energy conversion. Here we investigate the formation of supramolecular catalysts by electrostatic self-assembly in aqueous solution: Combining positively charged porphyrins with negatively charged polyelectrolytes leads to nanoscale assemblies where, next to electrostatic interactions, π–π interactions also play an important role. Porphyrin diacid-polyelectrolyte assemblies exhibit a substantially enhanced catalytic activity for the light-driven oxidation of iodide. Aggregates with the hexavalent cationic porphyrin diacids show up to 22 times higher catalytic activity than the corresponding aggregates under neutral conditions. The catalytic activity can be increased by increasing the valency of the porphyrin and by choice of the loading ratio. The structural investigation of the supramolecular catalysts took place via atomic force microscopy and small angle neutron scattering. Hence, a new facile concept for the design of efficient and tunable self-assembled photocatalysts is presented.

  9. Reversible, All-Aqueous Assembly of Hydrogen-Bonded Polymersomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yuhao; Sukhishvili, Svetlana

    2015-03-01

    We report on sub-micron-sized polymersomes formed through single-step, all-aqueous assembly of hydrogen-bonded amphiphilic polymers. The hollow morphology of these assemblies was revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Stable in acidic media, these polymersomes could be dissolved by exposure to basic pH values. Importantly, the diameter of assembled hollow structures could be controlled in a wide range from 30 nm to 1 μm by the molecular weight of hydrogen-bonding polymers. We will discuss key quantitative aspects of these assemblies, including kinetics of hollow structure formation, time evolution of polymersome size, and the role of polymer molecular weight on membrane thickness and bending rigidity. We believe that our approach demonstrates an efficient and versatile way to rationally design nanocontainers for drug delivery, catalysis and personal care applications. This work was supported by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship doctoral fellowship from Stevens Institute of Technology.

  10. A versatile passive and active non-destructive device for spent fuel assemblies monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berne, R.; Bignan, G.; Andrieu, G.; Dethan, B.

    1993-01-01

    The monitoring of spent fuel assemblies in reactor pools or in reprocessing plants with NDA methods is interesting (non-destructivity, non-intrusivity) for process control, safety-criticality and/or nuclear material management. In this context, the authors present the results of the development and design of a prototype device (physical methods used, qualification...) called PYTHON. The aim of PYTHON is to check the declared characteristic values of an irradiated assembly before taking it into a transport cask for safety criticality control. The PYTHON device consists of a detector head in two sections and a 252 Cf source if active neutron counting is to be used. Each section of the detection head consists of two detectors: one fission chamber and one ionization chamber

  11. Redox-Active Carbohydrate-Coated Nanoparticles: Self-Assembly of a Cyclodextrin-Polystyrene Glycopolymer with Tetrazine-Naphthalimide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Andrew J; Haddad, Raoudha; Travelet, Christophe; Reynaud, Eric; Audebert, Pierre; Borsali, Redouane; Cosnier, Serge

    2016-11-15

    The controlled self-assembly of precise and well-defined photochemically and electrochemically active carbohydrate-coated nanoparticles offers the exciting prospect of biocompatible catalysts for energy storage/conversion and biolabeling applications. Here an aqueous nanoparticle system has been developed with a versatile outer layer for host-guest molecule encapsulation via β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. A β-cyclodextrin-modified polystyrene polymer was first obtained by copper nanopowder click chemistry. The glycopolymer enables self-assembly and controlled encapsulation of tetrazine-naphthalimide, as a model redox-active agent, into nanoparticles via nanoprecipitation. Cyclodextrin host-guest interactions permit encapsulation and internanoparticle cross-linking for the formation of fluorescent compound and clustered self-assemblies with chemically reversible electroactivity in aqueous solution. Light scattering experiments revealed stable particles with hydrodynamic diameters of 138 and 654 nm for nanoparticles prepared with tetrazine, of which 95% of the nanoparticles represent the smaller objects by number. Dynamic light scattering revealed differences as a function of preparation method in terms of size, 3-month stability, polydispersity, radius of gyration, and shape factor. Individual self-assemblies were visualized by atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy and monitored in real-time by nanoparticle tracking analysis. UV-vis and fluorescence spectra provided insight into the optical properties and critical evidence for host-guest encapsulation as evidenced by solvachromatism and enhanced tetrazine uptake. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical properties and provided further support for encapsulation and an estimate of the tetrazine loading capacity in tandem with light scattering data.

  12. Materials of the yearly scientific assembly of the Polish Chemical Society - Torun'93: chemistry of new materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Scientific conference accompanied the assembly of Polish Chemical Society has been held in 1993 in Torun. The conference has been divided into 12 sections and 4 symposia covering the most important research fields in chemistry. The general view on scientific progress has been presented during the plenary session. Then proceedings have performed in specialist sessions on: contemporary methods in organic chemistry chemistry, chemistry and physico-chemistry of polymers, coordination chemistry state-of-the-art prospects, absorption and absorbents, new chemical technologies of organic compounds, new chemical technologies of inorganic compounds, environment protection, new methods in analytical chemistry, photochemistry and chemical kinetics, crystallochemistry, history of chemistry and didactics, new substances in health protection, membranes and membrane techniques, electroactive organic compounds, zeolites - material properties

  13. Towards Versatile Robots Through Open Heterogeneous Modular Robots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyder, Andreas

    arises, a new robot can be assembled rapidly from the existing modules, in contrast to conventional robots, which require a time consuming and expensive development process. In this thesis we define a modular robot to be a robot consisting of dynamically reconfigurable modules. The goal of this thesis......Robots are important tools in our everyday life. Both in industry and at the consumer level they serve the purpose of increasing our scope and extending our capabilities. Modular robots take the next step, allowing us to easily create and build various robots from a set of modules. If a problem...... is to increase the versatility and practical usability of modular robots by introducing new conceptual designs. Until now modular robots have been based on a pre-specified set of modules, and thus, their functionality is limited. We propose an open heterogeneous design concept, which allows a modular robot...

  14. Versatility of hydrocarbon production in cyanobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Min; Wang, Weihua; Zhang, Weiwen; Chen, Lei; Lu, Xuefeng

    2017-02-01

    Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms using solar energy, H 2 O, and CO 2 as the primary inputs. Compared to plants and eukaryotic microalgae, cyanobacteria are easier to be genetically engineered and possess higher growth rate. Extensive genomic information and well-established genetic platform make cyanobacteria good candidates to build efficient biosynthetic pathways for biofuels and chemicals by genetic engineering. Hydrocarbons are a family of compounds consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Structural diversity of the hydrocarbon family is enabled by variation in chain length, degree of saturation, and rearrangements of the carbon skeleton. The diversified hydrocarbons can be used as valuable chemicals in the field of food, fuels, pharmaceuticals, nutrition, and cosmetics. Hydrocarbon biosynthesis is ubiquitous in bacteria, yeasts, fungi, plants, and insects. A wide variety of pathways for the hydrocarbon biosynthesis have been identified in recent years. Cyanobacteria may be superior chassis for hydrocabon production in a photosynthetic manner. A diversity of hydrocarbons including ethylene, alkanes, alkenes, and terpenes can be produced by cyanobacteria. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies can be employed to improve hydrocarbon production in cyanobacteria. This review mainly summarizes versatility and perspectives of hydrocarbon production in cyanobacteria.

  15. Lipid-bilayer-assisted two-dimensional self-assembly of DNA origami nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endo, Masayuki; Sugiyama, Hiroshi

    2015-01-01

    Self-assembly is a ubiquitous approach to the design and fabrication of novel supermolecular architectures. Here we report a strategy termed ‘lipid-bilayer-assisted self-assembly' that is used to assemble DNA origami nanostructures into two-dimensional lattices. DNA origami structures are electrostatically adsorbed onto a mica-supported zwitterionic lipid bilayer in the presence of divalent cations. We demonstrate that the bilayer-adsorbed origami units are mobile on the surface and self-assembled into large micrometre-sized lattices in their lateral dimensions. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy imaging, a variety of dynamic processes involved in the formation of the lattice, such as fusion, reorganization and defect filling, are successfully visualized. The surface modifiability of the assembled lattice is also demonstrated by in situ decoration with streptavidin molecules. Our approach provides a new strategy for preparing versatile scaffolds for nanofabrication and paves the way for organizing functional nanodevices in a micrometer space. PMID:26310995

  16. Lipid-bilayer-assisted two-dimensional self-assembly of DNA origami nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Yuki; Endo, Masayuki; Sugiyama, Hiroshi

    2015-08-01

    Self-assembly is a ubiquitous approach to the design and fabrication of novel supermolecular architectures. Here we report a strategy termed `lipid-bilayer-assisted self-assembly' that is used to assemble DNA origami nanostructures into two-dimensional lattices. DNA origami structures are electrostatically adsorbed onto a mica-supported zwitterionic lipid bilayer in the presence of divalent cations. We demonstrate that the bilayer-adsorbed origami units are mobile on the surface and self-assembled into large micrometre-sized lattices in their lateral dimensions. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy imaging, a variety of dynamic processes involved in the formation of the lattice, such as fusion, reorganization and defect filling, are successfully visualized. The surface modifiability of the assembled lattice is also demonstrated by in situ decoration with streptavidin molecules. Our approach provides a new strategy for preparing versatile scaffolds for nanofabrication and paves the way for organizing functional nanodevices in a micrometer space.

  17. Three-dimensional assemblies of graphene prepared by a novel chemical reduction-induced self-assembly method

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Lianbin

    2012-01-01

    In this study, three-dimensional (3D) graphene assemblies are prepared from graphene oxide (GO) by a facile in situ reduction-assembly method, using a novel, low-cost, and environment-friendly reducing medium which is a combination of oxalic acid (OA) and sodium iodide (NaI). It is demonstrated that the combination of a reducing acid, OA, and NaI is indispensable for effective reduction of GO in the current study and this unique combination (1) allows for tunable control over the volume of the thus-prepared graphene assemblies and (2) enables 3D graphene assemblies to be prepared from the GO suspension with a wide range of concentrations (0.1 to 4.5 mg mL-1). To the best of our knowledge, the GO concentration of 0.1 mg mL-1 is the lowest GO concentration ever reported for preparation of 3D graphene assemblies. The thus-prepared 3D graphene assemblies exhibit low density, highly porous structures, and electrically conducting properties. As a proof of concept, we show that by infiltrating a responsive polymer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) into the as-resulted 3D conducting network of graphene, a conducting composite is obtained, which can be used as a sensing device for differentiating organic solvents with different polarity. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  18. On-Chip Chemical Self-Assembly of Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) : Toward Robust and Scale Invariant SWNTs Transistors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Derenskyi, Vladimir; Gomulya, Widianta; Talsma, Wytse; Salazar-Rios, Jorge Mario; Fritsch, Martin; Nirmalraj, Peter; Riel, Heike; Allard, Sybille; Scherf, Ullrich; Loi, Maria A.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, the fabrication of carbon nanotubes field effect transistors by chemical self-assembly of semiconducting single walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) on prepatterned substrates is demonstrated. Polyfluorenes derivatives have been demonstrated to be effective in selecting s-SWNTs from raw

  19. Near-field photochemical and radiation-induced chemical fabrication of nanopatterns of a self-assembled silane monolayer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrich C. Fischer

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available A general concept for parallel near-field photochemical and radiation-induced chemical processes for the fabrication of nanopatterns of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM of (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES is explored with three different processes: 1 a near-field photochemical process by photochemical bleaching of a monomolecular layer of dye molecules chemically bound to an APTES SAM, 2 a chemical process induced by oxygen plasma etching as well as 3 a combined near-field UV-photochemical and ozone-induced chemical process, which is applied directly to an APTES SAM. All approaches employ a sandwich configuration of the surface-supported SAM, and a lithographic mask in form of gold nanostructures fabricated through colloidal sphere lithography (CL, which is either exposed to visible light, oxygen plasma or an UV–ozone atmosphere. The gold mask has the function to inhibit the photochemical reactions by highly localized near-field interactions between metal mask and SAM and to inhibit the radiation-induced chemical reactions by casting a highly localized shadow. The removal of the gold mask reveals the SAM nanopattern.

  20. Self-assembled nanostructures

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Jin Z; Liu, Jun; Chen, Shaowei; Liu, Gang-yu

    2003-01-01

    Nanostructures refer to materials that have relevant dimensions on the nanometer length scales and reside in the mesoscopic regime between isolated atoms and molecules in bulk matter. These materials have unique physical properties that are distinctly different from bulk materials. Self-Assembled Nanostructures provides systematic coverage of basic nanomaterials science including materials assembly and synthesis, characterization, and application. Suitable for both beginners and experts, it balances the chemistry aspects of nanomaterials with physical principles. It also highlights nanomaterial-based architectures including assembled or self-assembled systems. Filled with in-depth discussion of important applications of nano-architectures as well as potential applications ranging from physical to chemical and biological systems, Self-Assembled Nanostructures is the essential reference or text for scientists involved with nanostructures.

  1. Comparative Analysis on Chemical Composition of Bentonite Clays ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-09-12

    Sep 12, 2017 ... Comparative Analysis on Chemical Composition of Bentonite Clays. Obtained from Ashaka and ... versatile material for geotechnical engineering and as well as their demand for ..... A PhD thesis submitted to the Chemical ...

  2. Assembly/disassembly of a complex icosahedral virus to incorporate heterologous nucleic acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascual, Elena; Mata, Carlos P.; Carrascosa, José L.; Castón, José R.

    2017-12-01

    Hollow protein containers are widespread in nature, and include virus capsids as well as eukaryotic and bacterial complexes. Protein cages are studied extensively for applications in nanotechnology, nanomedicine and materials science. Their inner and outer surfaces can be modified chemically or genetically, and the internal cavity can be used to template, store and/or arrange molecular cargos. Virus capsids and virus-like particles (VLP, noninfectious particles) provide versatile platforms for nanoscale bioengineering. Study of capsid protein self-assembly into monodispersed particles, and of VLP structure and biophysics is necessary not only to understand natural processes, but also to infer how these platforms can be redesigned to furnish novel functional VLP. Here we address the assembly dynamics of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), a complex icosahedral virus. IBDV has a ~70 nm-diameter T  =  13 capsid with VP2 trimers as the only structural subunits. During capsid assembly, VP2 is synthesized as a precursor (pVP2) whose C terminus is cleaved. The pVP2 C terminus has an amphipathic helix that controls VP2 polymorphism. In the absence of the VP3 scaffolding protein, necessary for control of assembly, 466/456-residue pVP2 intermediates bearing this helix assemble into VLP only when expressed with an N-terminal His6 tag (the HT-VP2-466 protein). HT-VP2-466 capsids are optimal for genetic insertion of proteins (cargo space ~78 000 nm3). We established an in vitro assembly/disassembly system of HT-VP2-466-based VLP for heterologous nucleic acid packaging and/or encapsulation of drugs and other molecules. HT-VP2-466 (empty) capsids were disassembled and reassembled by dialysis against low-salt/basic pH and high-salt/acid pH buffers, respectively, thus illustrating the reversibility in vitro of IBDV capsid assembly. HT-VP2-466 VLP also packed heterologous DNA by non-specific confinement during assembly. These and previous results establish the bases

  3. Hydrazine-mediated construction of nanocrystal self-assembly materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ding; Liu, Min; Lin, Min; Bu, Xinyuan; Luo, Xintao; Zhang, Hao; Yang, Bai

    2014-10-28

    Self-assembly is the basic feature of supramolecular chemistry, which permits to integrate and enhance the functionalities of nano-objects. However, the conversion of self-assembled structures to practical materials is still laborious. In this work, on the basis of studying one-pot synthesis, spontaneous assembly, and in situ polymerization of aqueous semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), NC self-assembly materials are produced and applied to design high performance white light-emitting diode (WLED). In producing self-assembly materials, the additive hydrazine (N2H4) is curial, which acts as the promoter to achieve room-temperature synthesis of aqueous NCs by favoring a reaction-controlled growth, as the polyelectrolyte to weaken inter-NC electrostatic repulsion and therewith facilitate the one-dimensional self-assembly, and in particular as the bifunctional monomers to polymerize with mercapto carboxylic acid-modified NCs via in situ amidation reaction. This strategy is versatile for mercapto carboxylic acid-modified aqueous NCs, for example CdS, CdSe, CdTe, CdSe(x)Te(1-x), and Cd(y)Hg(1-y)Te. Because of the multisite modification with carboxyl, the NCs act as macromonomers, thus producing cross-linked self-assembly materials with excellent thermal, solvent, and photostability. The assembled NCs preserve strong luminescence and avoid unpredictable fluorescent resonance energy transfer, the main problem in design WLED from multiple NC components. These advantages allow the fabrication of NC-based WLED with high color rendering index (86), high luminous efficacy (41 lm/W), and controllable color temperature.

  4. Three-dimensional assemblies of graphene prepared by a novel chemical reduction-induced self-assembly method

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Lianbin; Chen, Guoying; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Zhang, Hongnan; Wang, Peng

    2012-01-01

    In this study, three-dimensional (3D) graphene assemblies are prepared from graphene oxide (GO) by a facile in situ reduction-assembly method, using a novel, low-cost, and environment-friendly reducing medium which is a combination of oxalic acid

  5. Actinide Sequestration Using Self-Assembled Monolayers on Mesoporous Supports

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fryxell, Glen E.; Lin, Yuehe; Fiskum, Sandra K.; Birnbaum, Jerome C.; Wu, Hong; Kemner, K. M.; Kelly, Shelley

    2005-01-01

    Surfactant templated synthesis of mesoporous ceramics provides a versatile foundation upon which to create high efficiency environmental sorbents. These nanoporous ceramic oxides condense a huge amount of surface area into a very small volume. The ceramic oxide interface is receptive to surface functionalization through molecular self-assembly. The marriage of mesoporous ceramics with self-assembled monolayer chemistry creates a powerful new class of environmental sorbent materials called self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous supports (SAMMS). These SAMMS materials are highly efficient sorbents, whose interfacial chemistry can be fine-tuned to selectively sequester a specific target species, such as heavy metals, tetrahedral oxometallate anions and radionuclides. Details addressing the design, synthesis and characterization of SAMMS materials specifically designed to sequester actinides, of central importance to the environmental clean-up necessary after 40 years of weapons grade plutonium production, as well as evaluation of their binding affinities and kinetics are presented

  6. Ecological Assembly of Chemical Mixtures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Human-environment interactions have a significant role in the formation of chemical mixtures in the environment and by extension in human tissues and fluids. These interactions, which include decisions to purchase and use products containing chemicals as well as behaviors and act...

  7. In Situ Hot-Spot Assembly as a General Strategy for Probing Single Biomolecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Huiqiao; Li, Qiang; Li, Mingmin; Ma, Sisi; Liu, Dingbin

    2017-05-02

    Single-molecule detection using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has attracted increasing attention in chemical and biomedical analysis. However, it remains a major challenge to probe single biomolecules by means of SERS hot spots owing to the small volume of hot spots and their random distribution on substrates. We here report an in situ hot-spot assembly method as a general strategy for probing single biomolecules. As a proof-of-concept, this proposed strategy was successfully used for the detection of single microRNA-21 (miRNA-21, a potential cancer biomarker) at the single-cell level, showing great capability in differentiating the expression of miRNA-21 in single cancer cells from normal cells. This approach was further extended to single-protein detection. The versatility of the strategy opens an exciting avenue for single-molecule detection of biomarkers of interest and thus holds great promise in a variety of biological and biomedical applications.

  8. Development of comprehensive and versatile framework for reactor analysis, MARBLE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, Kenji; Hazama, Taira; Numata, Kazuyuki; Jin, Tomoyuki

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We have developed a neutronics code system for reactor analysis. • The new code system covers all five phases of the core design procedures. • All the functionalities are integrated and validated in the same framework. • The framework supports continuous improvement and extension. • We report results of validation and practical applications. - Abstract: A comprehensive and versatile reactor analysis code system, MARBLE, has been developed. MARBLE is designed as a software development framework for reactor analysis, which offers reusable and extendible functions and data models based on physical concepts, rather than a reactor analysis code system. From a viewpoint of the code system, it provides a set of functionalities utilized in a detailed reactor analysis scheme for fast criticality assemblies and power reactors, and nuclear data related uncertainty quantification such as cross-section adjustment. MARBLE includes five sub-systems named ECRIPSE, BIBLO, SCHEME, UNCERTAINTY and ORPHEUS, which are constructed of the shared functions and data models in the framework. By using these sub-systems, MARBLE covers all phases required in fast reactor core design prediction and improvement procedures, i.e. integral experiment database management, nuclear data processing, fast criticality assembly analysis, uncertainty quantification, and power reactor analysis. In the present paper, these functionalities are summarized and system validation results are described

  9. Chemical Method of Urine Volume Measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrack, P.

    1967-01-01

    A system has been developed and qualified as flight hardware for the measurement of micturition volumes voided by crewmen during Gemini missions. This Chemical Urine Volume Measurement System (CUVMS) is used for obtaining samples of each micturition for post-flight volume determination and laboratory analysis for chemical constituents of physiological interest. The system is versatile with respect to volumes measured, with a capacity beyond the largest micturition expected to be encountered, and with respect to mission duration of inherently indefinite length. The urine sample is used for the measurement of total micturition volume by a tracer dilution technique, in which a fixed, predetermined amount of tritiated water is introduced and mixed into the voided urine, and the resulting concentration of the tracer in the sample is determined with a liquid scintillation spectrometer. The tracer employed does not interfere with the analysis for the chemical constituents of the urine. The CUVMS hardware consists of a four-way selector valve in which an automatically operated tracer metering pump is incorporated, a collection/mixing bag, and tracer storage accumulators. The assembled system interfaces with a urine receiver at the selector valve inlet, sample bags which connect to the side of the selector valve, and a flexible hose which carries the excess urine to the overboard drain connection. Results of testing have demonstrated system volume measurement accuracy within the specification limits of +/-5%, and operating reliability suitable for system use aboard the GT-7 mission, in which it was first used.

  10. Architecture and roles of periplasmic adaptor proteins in tripartite efflux assemblies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vassiliy N. Bavro

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Recent years have seen major advances in the structural understanding of the different components of tripartite efflux assemblies, which encompass the multidrug efflux (MDR pumps and type I secretion systems. The majority of these investigations have focused on the role played by the inner membrane transporters and the outer membrane factor (OMF, leaving the third component of the system – the Periplasmic Adaptor Proteins (PAPs - relatively understudied. Here we review the current state of knowledge of these versatile proteins which, far from being passive linkers between the OMF and the transporter, emerge as active architects of tripartite assemblies, and play diverse roles in the transport process. Recognition between the PAPs and OMFs is essential for pump assembly and function, and targeting this interaction may provide a novel avenue for combating multidrug resistance. With the recent advances elucidating the drug-efflux and energetics of the tripartite assemblies, the understanding of the interaction between the OMFs and PAPs is the last piece remaining in the complete structure of the tripartite pump assembly puzzle.

  11. Logical NAND and NOR Operations Using Algorithmic Self-assembly of DNA Molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yanfeng; Cui, Guangzhao; Zhang, Xuncai; Zheng, Yan

    DNA self-assembly is the most advanced and versatile system that has been experimentally demonstrated for programmable construction of patterned systems on the molecular scale. It has been demonstrated that the simple binary arithmetic and logical operations can be computed by the process of self assembly of DNA tiles. Here we report a one-dimensional algorithmic self-assembly of DNA triple-crossover molecules that can be used to execute five steps of a logical NAND and NOR operations on a string of binary bits. To achieve this, abstract tiles were translated into DNA tiles based on triple-crossover motifs. Serving as input for the computation, long single stranded DNA molecules were used to nucleate growth of tiles into algorithmic crystals. Our method shows that engineered DNA self-assembly can be treated as a bottom-up design techniques, and can be capable of designing DNA computer organization and architecture.

  12. Selective hydrolysis of phosphate monoester by a supramolecular phosphatase formed by the self-assembly of a bis(Zn(2+)-cyclen) complex, cyanuric acid, and copper in an aqueous solution (cyclen = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zulkefeli, Mohd; Suzuki, Asami; Shiro, Motoo; Hisamatsu, Yosuke; Kimura, Eiichi; Aoki, Shin

    2011-10-17

    In Nature, organized nanoscale structures such as proteins and enzymes are formed in aqueous media via intermolecular interactions between multicomponents. Supramolecular and self-assembling strategies provide versatile methods for the construction of artificial chemical architectures for controlling reaction rates and the specificities of chemical reactions, but most are designed in hydrophobic environments. The preparation of artificial catalysts that have potential in aqueous media mimicking natural enzymes such as hydrolases remains a great challenge in the fields of supramolecular chemistry. Herein, we describe that a dimeric Zn(2+) complex having a 2,2'-bipyridyl linker, cyanuric acid, and a Cu(2+) ion automatically assembles in an aqueous solution to form a 4:4:4 complex, which is stabilized by metal-ligand coordination bonds, π-π-stacking interactions, and hydrogen bonding and contains μ-Cu(2)(OH)(2) cores analogous to the catalytic centers of phosphatase, a dinuclear metalloenzyme. The 4:4:4 complex selectively accelerates the hydrolysis of a phosphate monoester, mono(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate, at neutral pH.

  13. Enzymatic Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Raushel, Frank

    2000-01-01

    The primary objective of this research program is the development of a versatile enzyme-based system that is fully optimized for the decontamination, destruction, and detection of know chemical warfare agents...

  14. Medical preparation container comprising microwave powered sensor assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2016-01-01

    The present invention relates to a medical preparation container which comprises a microwave powered sensor assembly. The microwave powered sensor assembly comprises a sensor configured to measure a physical property or chemical property of a medical preparation during its heating in a microwave ...... oven. The microwave powered sensor assembly is configured for harvesting energy from microwave radiation emitted by the microwave oven and energize the sensor by the harvested microwave energy.......The present invention relates to a medical preparation container which comprises a microwave powered sensor assembly. The microwave powered sensor assembly comprises a sensor configured to measure a physical property or chemical property of a medical preparation during its heating in a microwave...

  15. Electrochemical Functionalization of Graphene at the Nanoscale with Self-Assembling Diazonium Salts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Zhenyuan; Leonardi, Francesca; Gobbi, Marco; Liu, Yi; Bellani, Vittorio; Liscio, Andrea; Kovtun, Alessandro; Li, Rongjin; Feng, Xinliang; Orgiu, Emanuele; Samorì, Paolo; Treossi, Emanuele; Palermo, Vincenzo

    2016-07-26

    We describe a fast and versatile method to functionalize high-quality graphene with organic molecules by exploiting the synergistic effect of supramolecular and covalent chemistry. With this goal, we designed and synthesized molecules comprising a long aliphatic chain and an aryl diazonium salt. Thanks to the long chain, these molecules physisorb from solution onto CVD graphene or bulk graphite, self-assembling in an ordered monolayer. The sample is successively transferred into an aqueous electrolyte, to block any reorganization or desorption of the monolayer. An electrochemical impulse is used to transform the diazonium group into a radical capable of grafting covalently to the substrate and transforming the physisorption into a covalent chemisorption. During covalent grafting in water, the molecules retain the ordered packing formed upon self-assembly. Our two-step approach is characterized by the independent control over the processes of immobilization of molecules on the substrate and their covalent tethering, enabling fast (t < 10 s) covalent functionalization of graphene. This strategy is highly versatile and works with many carbon-based materials including graphene deposited on silicon, plastic, and quartz as well as highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.

  16. Versatility of PEEK as a fixed partial denture framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Nikita; Gupta, Nidhi; Reddy, K Mahendranadh; Shastry, Y M

    2017-01-01

    Materials used for fixed partial denture (FPD) frameworks have had properties of excellent strength, durability, and biocompatibility. Some of the materials which have been used till date include alloys, ceramics, and high-performance polymers such as zirconia, Ni-Cr, lithium disilicate, and so on. All these, though excellent, have their advantages and disadvantages. Hence, the search has always been on for a better material. One such material, which has made its foray into dentistry in the recent times, is polyetheretherketone (PEEK). It is a semicrystalline thermoplastic material. PEEK has an excellent chemical resistance and mechanical properties that are retained at high temperatures. The versatility of PEEK as a dental material for FPD framework was evaluated in this case report.

  17. Versatile radiation gaging system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long, P.J.

    1978-01-01

    The attributes of computerized versatile radiation gaging systems are described. The gages are used to measure plating thicknesses and material characteristics that can be determined from radiation attenuation and/or x-ray fluorescence measurements

  18. Tunable Mesoporous Bragg Reflectors Based on Block-Copolymer Self-Assembly

    KAUST Repository

    Guldin, Stefan; Kolle, Mathias; Stefik, Morgan; Langford, Richard; Eder, Dominik; Wiesner, Ulrich; Steiner, Ullrich

    2011-01-01

    Mesoporous Bragg reflectors are a promising materials platform for photovoltaics, light emission, and sensing. A fast and versatile fabrication route that relies on the self-assembly of the block copolymer poly(isoprene-b-ethylene oxide) in combination with simple sol-gel chemistry is reported. The method allows extended control over porosity and pore size in the resulting inorganic material and results in high-quality optical elements. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Tunable Mesoporous Bragg Reflectors Based on Block-Copolymer Self-Assembly

    KAUST Repository

    Guldin, Stefan

    2011-07-06

    Mesoporous Bragg reflectors are a promising materials platform for photovoltaics, light emission, and sensing. A fast and versatile fabrication route that relies on the self-assembly of the block copolymer poly(isoprene-b-ethylene oxide) in combination with simple sol-gel chemistry is reported. The method allows extended control over porosity and pore size in the resulting inorganic material and results in high-quality optical elements. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Versatile technique for assessing thickness of 2D layered materials by XPS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zemlyanov, Dmitry Y.; Jespersen, Michael; Zakharov, Dmitry N.; Hu, Jianjun; Paul, Rajib; Kumar, Anurag; Pacley, Shanee; Glavin, Nicholas; Saenz, David; Smith, Kyle C.; Fisher, Timothy S.; Voevodin, Andrey A.

    2018-03-01

    X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been utilized as a versatile method for thickness characterization of various two-dimensional (2D) films. Accurate thickness can be measured simultaneously while acquiring XPS data for chemical characterization of 2D films having thickness up to approximately 10 nm. For validating the developed technique, thicknesses of few-layer graphene (FLG), MoS2 and amorphous boron nitride (a-BN) layer, produced by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) respectively, were accurately measured. The intensity ratio between photoemission peaks recorded for the films (C 1s, Mo 3d, B 1s) and the substrates (Cu 2p, Al 2p, Si 2p) is the primary input parameter for thickness calculation, in addition to the atomic densities of the substrate and the film, and the corresponding electron attenuation length (EAL). The XPS data was used with a proposed model for thickness calculations, which was verified by cross-sectional transmission electron microscope (TEM) measurement of thickness for all the films. The XPS method determines thickness values averaged over an analysis area which is orders of magnitude larger than the typical area in cross-sectional TEM imaging, hence provides an advanced approach for thickness measurement over large areas of 2D materials. The study confirms that the versatile XPS method allows rapid and reliable assessment of the 2D material thickness and this method can facilitate in tailoring growth conditions for producing very thin 2D materials effectively over a large area. Furthermore, the XPS measurement for a typical 2D material is non-destructive and does not require special sample preparation. Therefore, after XPS analysis, exactly the same sample can undergo further processing or utilization.

  1. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. Prabhpreet Singh. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 126 Issue 1 January 2014 pp 159-167. The family of N-adenine: New entry for adenine-benzamide conjugates linked via versatile spacers · Prabhpreet Singh · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF.

  2. Transfer-Free Growth of Multilayer Graphene Using Self-Assembled Monolayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Gwangseok; Kim, Hong-Yeol; Jang, Soohwan; Kim, Jihyun

    2016-10-12

    Large-area graphene needs to be directly synthesized on the desired substrates without using a transfer process so that it can easily be used in industrial applications. However, the development of a direct method for graphene growth on an arbitrary substrate remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate a bottom-up and transfer-free growth method for preparing multilayer graphene using a self-assembled monolayer (trimethoxy phenylsilane) as the carbon source. Graphene was directly grown on various substrates such as SiO 2 /Si, quartz, GaN, and textured Si by a simple thermal annealing process employing catalytic metal encapsulation. To determine the optimal growth conditions, experimental parameters such as the choice of catalytic metal, growth temperatures, and gas flow rate were investigated. The optical transmittance at 550 nm and the sheet resistance of the prepared transfer-free graphene are 84.3% and 3500 Ω/□, respectively. The synthesized graphene samples were fabricated into chemical sensors. High and fast responses to both NO 2 and NH 3 gas molecules were observed. The transfer-free graphene growth method proposed in this study is highly compatible with previously established fabrication systems, thereby opening up new possibilities for using graphene in versatile applications.

  3. Nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides: versatile biomolecules for generating functional nanomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pu, Fang; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

    2018-02-21

    The incorporation of biomolecules into nanomaterials generates functional nanosystems with novel and advanced properties, presenting great potential for applications in various fields. Nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides, as building blocks of nucleic acids and biological coenzymes, constitute necessary components of the foundation of life. In recent years, as versatile biomolecules for the construction or regulation of functional nanomaterials, they have stimulated interest in researchers, due to their unique properties such as structural diversity, multiplex binding sites, self-assembly ability, stability, biocompatibility, and chirality. In this review, strategies for the synthesis of nanomaterials and the regulation of their morphologies and functions using nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides as building blocks, templates or modulators are summarized alongside selected applications. The diverse applications range from sensing, bioimaging, and drug delivery to mimicking light-harvesting antenna, the construction of logic gates, and beyond. Furthermore, some perspectives and challenges in this emerging field are proposed. This review is directed toward the broader scientific community interested in biomolecule-based functional nanomaterials.

  4. Alkynes as a versatile platform for construction of chemical molecular complexity and realization of molecular 3D printing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galkin, K I; Ananikov, V P

    2016-01-01

    The current level of scientific and technological development requires the formation of general tools and techniques. One of the most versatile technologies is 3D printing, which allows fast and efficient creation of materials and biological objects of desired shape and composition. Today, methods have been developed for 3D printing of macro- and nano-sized objects and for production of films and deposited materials with molecular precision but the most promising technology is printing at the molecular level (molecular 3D printing) for the purpose of direct construction of molecular complexity. This process is currently at the initial stage concerning selection of simple molecules to be used as building blocks possessing flexibility, availability and ease of modification. In this review, we examine the possible versatile synthons suitable for preparation of the main types of organic compounds using molecular 3D printing. The surveyed data strongly indicate that alkyne molecules may be used as a building material in a molecular 3D printer working on hydrocarbons. The bibliography includes 428 references

  5. The Self-Assembly of Nanogold for Optical Metamaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nidetz, Robert A.

    2011-12-01

    Optical metamaterials are an emerging field that enables manipulation of light like never before. Producing optical metamaterials requires sub-wavelength building blocks. The focus here was to develop methods to produce building blocks for metamaterials from nanogold. Electron-beam lithography was used to define an aminosilane patterned chemical template in order to electrostatically self-assemble citrate-capped gold nanoparticles. Equilibrium self-assembly was achieved in 20 minutes by immersing chemical templates into gold nanoparticle solutions. The number of nanoparticles that self-assembled on an aminosilane dot was controlled by manipulating the diameters of the dots and nanoparticles. Adding salt to the nanoparticle solution enabled the nanoparticles to self-assemble in greater numbers on the same sized dot. However, the preparation of the nanoparticle solution containing salt was sensitive to spikes in the salt concentration which led to aggregation of the nanoparticles and non-specific deposition. Gold nanorods were also electrostatically self-assembled. Polyelectrolyte-coated gold nanorods were patterned with limited success. A polyelectrolyte chemical template also patterned gold nanorods, but the gold nanorods preferred to pattern on the edges of the pattern. Ligand-exchanged gold nanorods displayed the best self-assembly, but suffered from slow kinetics. Self-assembled gold nanoparticles were cross-linked with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride). The poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) allowed additional nanoparticles to pattern on top of the already patterned nanoparticles. Cross-linked nanoparticles were lifted-off of the substrate by sonication in a sodium hydroxide solution. The presence of van der Waals forces and/or amine bonding prevent the nanogold from lifting-off without sonication. A good-solvent evaporation process was used to self-assemble poly(styrene) coated gold nanoparticles into spherical microbead assemblies. The use of larger

  6. Rapid, Efficient and Versatile Strategies for Functionally Sophisticated Polymers and Nanoparticles: Degradable Polyphosphoesters and Anisotropic Distribution of Chemical Functionalities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shiyi

    The overall emphasis of this dissertation research included two kinds of asymmetrically-functionalized nanoparticles with anisotropic distributions of chemical functionalities, three degradable polymers synthesized by organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerizations, and two polyphosphoester-based nanoparticle systems for various biomedical applications. Inspired by the many hierarchical assembly processes that afford complex materials in Nature, the construction of asymmetrically-functionalized nanoparticles with efficient surface chemistries and the directional organization of those building blocks into complex structures have attracted much attention. The first method generated a Janus-faced polymer nanoparticle that presented two orthogonally click-reactive surface chemistries, thiol and azido. This robust method involved reactive functional group transfer by templating against gold nanoparticle substrates. The second method produced nanoparticles with sandwich-like distribution of crown ether functionalities through a stepwise self-assembly process that utilized crown ether-ammonium supramolecular interactions to mediate inter-particle association and the local intra-particle phase separation of unlike hydrophobic polymers. With the goal to improve the efficiency of the production of degradable polymers with tunable chemical and physical properties, a new type of reactive polyphosphoester was synthesized bearing alkynyl groups by an organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerization, the chemical availability of the alkyne groups was investigated by employing "click" type azide-alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition and thiol-yne radical-mediated reactions. Based on this alkyne-functionalized polyphosphoester polymer and its two available "click" type reactions, two degradable nanoparticle systems were developed. To develop the first system, the well defined poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polyphosphester diblock copolymer was transformed into a multifunctional Paclitaxel drug

  7. Versatile supramolecular reactivity of zinc-tetra(4-pyridylporphyrin in crystalline solids: Polymeric grids with zinc dichloride and hydrogen-bonded networks with mellitic acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophia Lipstman

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Crystal engineering studies confirm that the zinc-tetra(4-pyridylporphyrin building block reveals versatile supramolecular chemistry. In this work, it was found to be reactive in the assembly of both (a a 2D polymeric array by a unique combination of self-coordination and coordination through external zinc dichloride linkers and (b an extended heteromolecular hydrogen-bonded network with mellitic acid sustained by multiple connectivity between the component species.

  8. Enabling complex nanoscale pattern customization using directed self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doerk, Gregory S; Cheng, Joy Y; Singh, Gurpreet; Rettner, Charles T; Pitera, Jed W; Balakrishnan, Srinivasan; Arellano, Noel; Sanders, Daniel P

    2014-12-16

    Block copolymer directed self-assembly is an attractive method to fabricate highly uniform nanoscale features for various technological applications, but the dense periodicity of block copolymer features limits the complexity of the resulting patterns and their potential utility. Therefore, customizability of nanoscale patterns has been a long-standing goal for using directed self-assembly in device fabrication. Here we show that a hybrid organic/inorganic chemical pattern serves as a guiding pattern for self-assembly as well as a self-aligned mask for pattern customization through cotransfer of aligned block copolymer features and an inorganic prepattern. As informed by a phenomenological model, deliberate process engineering is implemented to maintain global alignment of block copolymer features over arbitrarily shaped, 'masking' features incorporated into the chemical patterns. These hybrid chemical patterns with embedded customization information enable deterministic, complex two-dimensional nanoscale pattern customization through directed self-assembly.

  9. A Versatile System for USER Cloning-Based Assembly of Expression Vectors for Mammalian Cell Engineering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Anne Mathilde; Kildegaard, Helene Faustrup; Petersen, Maja Borup Kjær

    2014-01-01

    , in addition the system is fully extendable by other users. The vector system is designed to facilitate high-throughput genome-scale studies of mammalian cells, such as the newly sequenced CHO cell lines, through the ability to rapidly generate high-fidelity assembly of customizable gene expression vectors....

  10. Chemical resistivity of self-assembled monolayer covalently attached to silicon substrate to hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, N.; Youda, S.; Hayashi, K.; Sugimura, H.; Takai, O.

    2003-06-01

    Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were prepared on hydrogen-terminated silicon substrates through chemical vapor deposition using 1-hexadecene (HD) as a precursor. The HD-SAMs prepared in an atmosphere under a reduced pressure (≈50 Pa) showed better chemical resistivities to hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride (NH 4F) solutions than that of an organosilane SAM formed on oxide-covered silicon substrates. The surface covered with the HD-SAM was micro-patterned by vacuum ultraviolet photolithography and consequently divided into two areas terminated with HD-SAM or silicon dioxide. This micro-patterned sample was immersed in a 40 vol.% NH 4F aqueous solution. Surface images obtained by an optical microscopy clearly show that the micro-patterns of HD-SAM/silicon dioxide were successfully transferred into the silicon substrate.

  11. Programmed Nanomaterial Assemblies in Large Scales: Applications of Synthetic and Genetically- Engineered Peptides to Bridge Nano-Assemblies and Macro-Assemblies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsui, Hiroshi

    2014-09-09

    Work is reported in these areas: Large-scale & reconfigurable 3D structures of precise nanoparticle assemblies in self-assembled collagen peptide grids; Binary QD-Au NP 3D superlattices assembled with collagen-like peptides and energy transfer between QD and Au NP in 3D peptide frameworks; Catalytic peptides discovered by new hydrogel-based combinatorial phage display approach and their enzyme-mimicking 2D assembly; New autonomous motors of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) powered by reorganization of self-assembled peptides at interfaces; Biomimetic assembly of proteins into microcapsules on oil-in-water droplets with structural reinforcement via biomolecular recognition-based cross-linking of surface peptides; and Biomimetic fabrication of strong freestanding genetically-engineered collagen peptide films reinforced by quantum dot joints. We gained the broad knowledge about biomimetic material assembly from nanoscale to microscale ranges by coassembling peptides and NPs via biomolecular recognition. We discovered: Genetically-engineered collagen-like peptides can be self-assembled with Au NPs to generate 3D superlattices in large volumes (> μm{sup 3}); The assembly of the 3D peptide-Au NP superstructures is dynamic and the interparticle distance changes with assembly time as the reconfiguration of structure is triggered by pH change; QDs/NPs can be assembled with the peptide frameworks to generate 3D superlattices and these QDs/NPs can be electronically coupled for the efficient energy transfer; The controlled assembly of catalytic peptides mimicking the catalytic pocket of enzymes can catalyze chemical reactions with high selectivity; and, For the bacteria-mimicking swimmer fabrication, peptide-MOF superlattices can power translational and propellant motions by the reconfiguration of peptide assembly at the MOF-liquid interface.

  12. DNA nanostructure-directed assembly of metal nanoparticle superlattices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Julin, Sofia; Nummelin, Sami; Kostiainen, Mauri A.; Linko, Veikko

    2018-05-01

    Structural DNA nanotechnology provides unique, well-controlled, versatile, and highly addressable motifs and templates for assembling materials at the nanoscale. These methods to build from the bottom-up using DNA as a construction material are based on programmable and fully predictable Watson-Crick base pairing. Researchers have adopted these techniques to an increasing extent for creating numerous DNA nanostructures for a variety of uses ranging from nanoelectronics to drug-delivery applications. Recently, an increasing effort has been put into attaching nanoparticles (the size range of 1-20 nm) to the accurate DNA motifs and into creating metallic nanostructures (typically 20-100 nm) using designer DNA nanoshapes as molds or stencils. By combining nanoparticles with the superior addressability of DNA-based scaffolds, it is possible to form well-ordered materials with intriguing and completely new optical, plasmonic, electronic, and magnetic properties. This focused review discusses the DNA structure-directed nanoparticle assemblies covering the wide range of different one-, two-, and three-dimensional systems.

  13. Nanocoating for biomolecule delivery using layer-by-layer self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keeney, M; Jiang, X Y; Yamane, M; Lee, M; Goodman, S; Yang, F

    2015-11-07

    Since its introduction in the early 1990s, layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly of films has been widely used in the fields of nanoelectronics, optics, sensors, surface coatings, and controlled drug delivery. The growth of this industry is propelled by the ease of film manufacture, low cost, mild assembly conditions, precise control of coating thickness, and versatility of coating materials. Despite the wealth of research on LbL for biomolecule delivery, clinical translation has been limited and slow. This review provides an overview of methods and mechanisms of loading biomolecules within LbL films and achieving controlled release. In particular, this review highlights recent advances in the development of LbL coatings for the delivery of different types of biomolecules including proteins, polypeptides, DNA, particles and viruses. To address the need for co-delivery of multiple types of biomolecules at different timing, we also review recent advances in incorporating compartmentalization into LbL assembly. Existing obstacles to clinical translation of LbL technologies and enabling technologies for future directions are also discussed.

  14. Block copolymer self-assembly-directed synthesis of mesoporous gyroidal superconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robbins, Spencer W; Beaucage, Peter A; Sai, Hiroaki; Tan, Kwan Wee; Werner, Jörg G; Sethna, James P; DiSalvo, Francis J; Gruner, Sol M; Van Dover, Robert B; Wiesner, Ulrich

    2016-01-01

    Superconductors with periodically ordered mesoporous structures are expected to have properties very different from those of their bulk counterparts. Systematic studies of such phenomena to date are sparse, however, because of a lack of versatile synthetic approaches to such materials. We demonstrate the formation of three-dimensionally continuous gyroidal mesoporous niobium nitride (NbN) superconductors from chiral ABC triblock terpolymer self-assembly-directed sol-gel-derived niobium oxide with subsequent thermal processing in air and ammonia gas. Superconducting materials exhibit a critical temperature (T c) of about 7 to 8 K, a flux exclusion of about 5% compared to a dense NbN solid, and an estimated critical current density (J c) of 440 A cm(-2) at 100 Oe and 2.5 K. We expect block copolymer self-assembly-directed mesoporous superconductors to provide interesting subjects for mesostructure-superconductivity correlation studies.

  15. Self-assembly scenarios of patchy colloidal particles in two dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doppelbauer, Guenther; Bianchi, Emanuela; Kahl, Gerhard

    2010-01-01

    We have investigated the self-assembly scenario of patchy colloidal particles in a two-dimensional system. The energetically most favourable ordered particle arrangements have been identified via an optimization tool that is based on genetic algorithms. Assuming different simple models for patchy colloidal particles, which include binary mixtures as well as attraction and repulsion between the patches, we could identify a broad variety of highly non-trivial ordered structures. The strategies of the systems to self-assemble become evident from a systematic variation of the pressure: (i) saturation of patch bonds at low pressure and close packing at high pressure and (ii) for intermediate pressure values, the strategy is governed by a trade-off between these two energetic aspects. The present study is yet another demonstration of the efficiency and the high reliability of genetic algorithms as versatile optimization tools.

  16. Fuel assembly reconstitution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morgado, Mario M.; Oliveira, Monica G.N.; Ferreira Junior, Decio B.M.; Santos, Barbara O. dos; Santos, Jorge E. dos

    2009-01-01

    Fuel failures have been happened in Nuclear Power Plants worldwide, without lost of integrity and safety, mainly for the public, environment and power plants workers. The most common causes of these events are corrosion (CRUD), fretting and pellet cladding interaction. These failures are identified by increasing the activity of fission products, verified by chemical analyses of reactor coolant. Through these analyses, during the fourth operation cycle of Angra 2 Nuclear Power Plant, was possible to observe fuel failure indication. This indication was confirmed in the end of the cycle during the unloading of reactor core through leakage tests of fuel assembly, using the equipment called 'In Mast Sipping' and 'Box Sipping'. After confirmed, the fuel assembly reconstitution was scheduled, and happened in April, 2007, where was identified the cause and the fuel rod failure, which was substitute by dummy rods (zircaloy). The cause was fretting by 'debris'. The actions to avoid and prevent fuel assemblies failures are important. The goals of this work are to describe the methodology of fuel assembly reconstitution using the FARE (Fuel Assembly Reconstitution Equipment) system, to describe the results of this task in economic and security factors of the company and show how the fuel assembly failures are identified during operation and during the outage. (author)

  17. Calcium carbonate-gold nanocluster hybrid spheres: synthesis and versatile application in immunoassays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Juan; Feng, Li-Na; Zhang, Kui; Li, Xing-Hua; Jiang, Li-Ping; Zhu, Jun-Jie

    2012-04-23

    Fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) were incorporated into porous calcium carbonate spheres through electrostatic interaction. The resulting CaCO(3)/AuNCs hybrid material exhibited interesting properties, such as porous structure, excellent biocompatibility, good water solubility, and degradability. These properties make the CaCO(3)/AuNCs hybrid material a promising template to assemble horseradish peroxidase/antibody conjugates (HRP-Ab(2)). By using CaCO(3)/AuNCs/HRP-Ab(2) bioconjugates as probes, a versatile immunosensor was developed for fluorescent and electrochemical detection of the cancer biomarker neuron-specific enolase (NSE). The detection limits of the sensor were 2.0 and 0.1 pg mL(-1) for fluorescent and electrochemical detection, respectively. The immunosensor shows high sensitivity and offers an alternative strategy for the detection of other proteins and DNA. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Ordered self-assembled monolayers terminated with different chemical functional groups direct neural stem cell linage behaviours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao, Shenglian; Liu, Xi; He, Jin; Wang, Xiumei; Wang, Ying; Cui, Fu-Zhai

    2016-01-01

    Neural stem cells (NSCs) have been a promising candidate for stem cell-based nerve tissue regeneration. Therefore, the design of idea biomaterials that deliver precise regulatory signals to control stem cell fate is currently a crucial issue that depends on a profound understanding of the interactions between NSCs with the surrounding micro-environment. In this work, self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols on gold with different chemical groups, including hydroxyl (−OH), amino (−NH 2 ), carboxyl (−COOH) and methyl (−CH 3 ), were used as a simple model to study the effects of surface chemistry on NSC fate decisions. Contact angle measurement and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) examination implied that all types of alkanethiols self-assembled on gold into a close-packed phase structure with similar molecular densities. In this study, we evaluated NSC adhesion, migration and differentiation in response to different chemical functional groups cultured under serum-free conditions. Our studies showed that NSCs exhibited certain phenotypes with extreme sensitivity to surface chemical groups. Compared with other functional groups, the SAMs with hydroxyl end-groups provided the best micro-environment in promoting NSC migration and maintaining an undifferentiated or neuronal differentiation state.  −NH 2 surfaces directed neural stem cells into astrocytic lineages, while NSCs on  −COOH and  −CH 3 surfaces had a similar potency to differentiate into three nerve lineages. To further investigate the possible signaling pathway, the gene expression of integrin β1 and β4 were examined. The results indicated that a high expression of β1 integrin would probably have a tight correlation with the expression of nestin, which implied the stemness of NSCs, while β4 integrin seemed to correspond to the differentiated NSCs. The results presented here give useful information for the future design of biomaterials to regulate the preservation

  19. Beta-Sheet-Forming, Self-Assembled Peptide Nanomaterials towards Optical, Energy, and Healthcare Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sungjin; Kim, Jae Hong; Lee, Joon Seok; Park, Chan Beum

    2015-08-12

    Peptide self-assembly is an attractive route for the synthesis of intricate organic nanostructures that possess remarkable structural variety and biocompatibility. Recent studies on peptide-based, self-assembled materials have expanded beyond the construction of high-order architectures; they are now reporting new functional materials that have application in the emerging fields such as artificial photosynthesis and rechargeable batteries. Nevertheless, there have been few reviews particularly concentrating on such versatile, emerging applications. Herein, recent advances in the synthesis of self-assembled peptide nanomaterials (e.g., cross β-sheet-based amyloid nanostructures, peptide amphiphiles) are selectively reviewed and their new applications in diverse, interdisciplinary fields are described, ranging from optics and energy storage/conversion to healthcare. The applications of peptide-based self-assembled materials in unconventional fields are also highlighted, such as photoluminescent peptide nanostructures, artificial photosynthetic peptide nanomaterials, and lithium-ion battery components. The relation of such functional materials to the rapidly progressing biomedical applications of peptide self-assembly, which include biosensors/chips and regenerative medicine, are discussed. The combination of strategies shown in these applications would further promote the discovery of novel, functional, small materials. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. p-tert-Butylcalix[8]arene: an extremely versatile platform for cluster formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Stephanie M; Sanz, Sergio; McIntosh, Ruaraidh D; Beavers, Christine M; Teat, Simon J; Brechin, Euan K; Dalgarno, Scott J

    2012-12-07

    p-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene is a bowl-shaped molecule capable of forming a range of polynuclear metal clusters under different experimental conditions. p-tert-Butylcalix[8]arene (TBC[8]) is a significantly more flexible analogue that has previously been shown to form mono- and binuclear lanthanide (Ln) metal complexes. The latter (cluster) motif is commonly observed and involves the calixarene adopting a near double-cone conformation, features of which suggested that it may be exploited as a type of assembly node in the formation of larger polynuclear lanthanide clusters. Variation in the experimental conditions employed for this system provides access to Ln(1), Ln(2), Ln(4), Ln(5), Ln(6), Ln(7) and Ln(8) complexes, with all polymetallic clusters containing the common binuclear lanthanide fragment. Closer inspection of the structures of the polymetallic clusters reveals that all but one (Ln(8)) are in fact based on metal octahedra or the building blocks of octahedra, with the identity and size of the final product dependent upon the basicity of the solution and the deprotonation level of the TBC[8] ligand. This demonstrates both the versatility of the ligand towards incorporation of additional metal centres, and the associated implications for tailoring the magnetic properties of the resulting assemblies in which lanthanide centres may be interchanged. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Biomimetic Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly of Nanofilms, Nanocoatings, and 3D Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shichao Zhang

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Achieving surface design and control of biomaterial scaffolds with nanometer- or micrometer-scaled functional films is critical to mimic the unique features of native extracellular matrices, which has significant technological implications for tissue engineering including cell-seeded scaffolds, microbioreactors, cell assembly, tissue regeneration, etc. Compared with other techniques available for surface design, layer-by-layer (LbL self-assembly technology has attracted extensive attention because of its integrated features of simplicity, versatility, and nanoscale control. Here we present a brief overview of current state-of-the-art research related to the LbL self-assembly technique and its assembled biomaterials as scaffolds for tissue engineering. An overview of the LbL self-assembly technique, with a focus on issues associated with distinct routes and driving forces of self-assembly, is described briefly. Then, we highlight the controllable fabrication, properties, and applications of LbL self-assembly biomaterials in the forms of multilayer nanofilms, scaffold nanocoatings, and three-dimensional scaffolds to systematically demonstrate advances in LbL self-assembly in the field of tissue engineering. LbL self-assembly not only provides advances for molecular deposition but also opens avenues for the design and development of innovative biomaterials for tissue engineering.

  2. Formation of mixed and patterned self-assembled films of alkylphosphonates on commercially pure titanium surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rudzka, Katarzyna; Sanchez Treviño, Alda Y.; Rodríguez-Valverde, Miguel A., E-mail: marodri@ugr.es; Cabrerizo-Vílchez, Miguel A.

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • Chemically-tailored titanium surfaces were prepared by self-assembly of alkylphosphonates. • Mixed self-assembled films were prepared with aqueous mixtures of two alkylphosphonates. • Single self-assembled films were altered by laser abrasion. • Mixed and patterned self-assembled films on titanium may guide the bone-like formation. - Abstract: Titanium is extensively employed in biomedical devices, in particular as implant. The self-assembly of alkylphosphonates on titanium surfaces enable the specific adsorption of biomolecules to adapt the implant response against external stimuli. In this work, chemically-tailored cpTi surfaces were prepared by self-assembly of alkylphosphonate molecules. By bringing together attributes of two grafting molecules, aqueous mixtures of two alkylphosphonates were used to obtain mixed self-assembled films. Single self-assembled films were also altered by laser abrasion to produce chemically patterned cpTi surfaces. Both mixed and patterned self-assembled films were confirmed by AFM, ESEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Water contact angle measurements also revealed the composition of the self-assembly films. Chemical functionalization with two grafting phosphonate molecules and laser surface engineering may be combined to guide the bone-like formation on cpTi, and the future biological response in the host.

  3. The Versatile Link Demo Board (VLDB)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lesma, R. Martín; Alessio, F.; Barbosa, J.; Baron, S.; Caplan, C.; Leitao, P.; Porret, D.; Wyllie, K.; Pecoraro, C.

    2017-01-01

    The Versatile Link Demonstrator Board (VLDB) is the evaluation kit for the radiation-hard Optical Link ecosystem, which provides a 4.8 Gbps data transfer link for communication between front-end (FE) and back-end (BE) of the High Energy Physics experiments. It gathers the Versatile link main radiation-hard custom Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and modules: GBTx, GBT-SCA and VTRx/VTTx plus the FeastMP, a radiation-hard in-house designed DC-DC converter. This board is the first design allowing system-level tests of the Link with a complete interconnection of the constitutive components, allowing data acquisition, control and monitoring of FE devices with the GBT-SCA pair.

  4. Draft genome sequence of Micrococcus luteus strain O'Kane implicates metabolic versatility and the potential to degrade polyhydroxybutyrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanafy, Radwa A; Couger, M B; Baker, Kristina; Murphy, Chelsea; O'Kane, Shannon D; Budd, Connie; French, Donald P; Hoff, Wouter D; Youssef, Noha

    2016-09-01

    Micrococcus luteus is a predominant member of skin microbiome. We here report on the genomic analysis of Micrococcus luteus strain O'Kane that was isolated from an elevator. The partial genome assembly of Micrococcus luteus strain O'Kane is 2.5 Mb with 2256 protein-coding genes and 62 RNA genes. Genomic analysis revealed metabolic versatility with genes involved in the metabolism and transport of glucose, galactose, fructose, mannose, alanine, aspartate, asparagine, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, serine, cysteine, methionine, arginine, proline, histidine, phenylalanine, and fatty acids. Genomic comparison to other M. luteus representatives identified the potential to degrade polyhydroxybutyrates, as well as several antibiotic resistance genes absent from other genomes.

  5. Chemical vapour deposition of carbon nanotubes

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Arendse, CJ

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available , effective, more versatile and easily scalable to large substrate sizes. In this paper, we present a design of the hot-wire CVD system constructed at the CSIR for the deposition of CNTs. Additionally, we will report on the structure of CNTs deposited... exhibit exceptional chemical and physical properties related to toughness, chemical inertness, magnetism, and electrical and thermal conductivity. A variety of preparation methods to synthesise CNTs are known, e.g. carbon-arc discharge, laser ablation...

  6. Self-assembling triblock proteins for biofunctional surface modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Stephen E.

    Despite the tremendous promise of cell/tissue engineering, significant challenges remain in engineering functional scaffolds to precisely regulate the complex processes of tissue growth and development. As the point of contact between the cells and the scaffold, the scaffold surface plays a major role in mediating cellular behaviors. In this dissertation, the development and utility of self-assembling, artificial protein hydrogels as biofunctional surface modifiers is described. The design of these recombinant proteins is based on a telechelic triblock motif, in which a disordered polyelectrolyte central domain containing embedded bioactive ligands is flanked by two leucine zipper domains. Under moderate conditions of temperature and pH, the leucine zipper end domains form amphiphilic alpha-helices that reversibly associate into homo-trimeric aggregates, driving hydrogel formation. Moreover, the amphiphilic nature of these helical domains enables surface adsorption to a variety of scaffold materials to form biofunctional protein coatings. The nature and stability of these coatings in various solution conditions, and their interaction with mammalian cells is the primary focus of this dissertation. In particular, triblock protein coatings functionalized with cell recognition sequences are shown to produce well-defined surfaces with precise control over ligand density. The impact of this is demonstrated in multiple cell types through ligand density-dependent cell-substrate interactions. To improve the stability of these physically self-assembled coatings, two covalent crosslinking strategies are described---one in which a zero-length chemical crosslinker (EDC) is utilized and a second in which disulfide bonds are engineered into the recombinant proteins. These targeted crosslinking approaches are shown to increase the stability of surface adsorbed protein layers with minimal effect on the presentation of many bioactive ligands. Finally, to demonstrate the versatility

  7. A Versatile Nonlinear Method for Predictive Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liou, Meng-Sing; Yao, Weigang

    2015-01-01

    As computational fluid dynamics techniques and tools become widely accepted for realworld practice today, it is intriguing to ask: what areas can it be utilized to its potential in the future. Some promising areas include design optimization and exploration of fluid dynamics phenomena (the concept of numerical wind tunnel), in which both have the common feature where some parameters are varied repeatedly and the computation can be costly. We are especially interested in the need for an accurate and efficient approach for handling these applications: (1) capturing complex nonlinear dynamics inherent in a system under consideration and (2) versatility (robustness) to encompass a range of parametric variations. In our previous paper, we proposed to use first-order Taylor expansion collected at numerous sampling points along a trajectory and assembled together via nonlinear weighting functions. The validity and performance of this approach was demonstrated for a number of problems with a vastly different input functions. In this study, we are especially interested in enhancing the method's accuracy; we extend it to include the second-orer Taylor expansion, which however requires a complicated evaluation of Hessian matrices for a system of equations, like in fluid dynamics. We propose a method to avoid these Hessian matrices, while maintaining the accuracy. Results based on the method are presented to confirm its validity.

  8. Los Alamos Critical Assemblies Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malenfant, R.E.

    1981-06-01

    The Critical Assemblies Facility of the Los Alamos National Laboratory has been in existence for thirty-five years. In that period, many thousands of measurements have been made on assemblies of 235 U, 233 U, and 239 Pu in various configurations, including the nitrate, sulfate, fluoride, carbide, and oxide chemical compositions and the solid, liquid, and gaseous states. The present complex of eleven operating machines is described, and typical applications are presented

  9. Software-Supported USER Cloning Strategies for Site-Directed Mutagenesis and DNA Assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Genee, Hans Jasper; Bonde, Mads Tvillinggaard; Bagger, Frederik Otzen

    2015-01-01

    USER cloning is a fast and versatile method for engineering of plasmid DNA. We have developed a user friendly Web server tool that automates the design of optimal PCR primers for several distinct USER cloning-based applications. Our Web server, named AMUSER (Automated DNA Modifications with USER...... cloning), facilitates DNA assembly and introduction of virtually any type of site-directed mutagenesis by designing optimal PCR primers for the desired genetic changes. To demonstrate the utility, we designed primers for a simultaneous two-position site-directed mutagenesis of green fluorescent protein...... (GFP) to yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), which in a single step reaction resulted in a 94% cloning efficiency. AMUSER also supports degenerate nucleotide primers, single insert combinatorial assembly, and flexible parameters for PCR amplification. AMUSER is freely available online at ....

  10. Polyelectrolyte Layer-by-Layer Assembly on Organic Electrochemical Transistors

    KAUST Repository

    Pappa, Anna-Maria

    2017-03-06

    Oppositely charged polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) were built up in a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly on top of the conducting polymer channel of an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT), aiming to combine the advantages of well-established PEMs with a high performance electronic transducer. The multilayered film is a model system to investigate the impact of biofunctionalization on the operation of OECTs comprising a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) film as the electrically active layer. Understanding the mechanism of ion injection into the channel that is in direct contact with charged polymer films provides useful insights for novel biosensing applications such as nucleic acid sensing. Moreover, LbL is demonstrated to be a versatile electrode modification tool enabling tailored surface features in terms of thickness, softness, roughness, and charge. LbL assemblies built up on top of conducting polymers will aid the design of new bioelectronic platforms for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and medical diagnostics.

  11. Polyelectrolyte Layer-by-Layer Assembly on Organic Electrochemical Transistors

    KAUST Repository

    Pappa, Anna-Maria; Inal, Sahika; Roy, Kirsty; Zhang, Yi; Pitsalidis, Charalampos; Hama, Adel; Pas, Jolien; Malliaras, George G.; Owens, Roisin M.

    2017-01-01

    Oppositely charged polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) were built up in a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly on top of the conducting polymer channel of an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT), aiming to combine the advantages of well-established PEMs with a high performance electronic transducer. The multilayered film is a model system to investigate the impact of biofunctionalization on the operation of OECTs comprising a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) film as the electrically active layer. Understanding the mechanism of ion injection into the channel that is in direct contact with charged polymer films provides useful insights for novel biosensing applications such as nucleic acid sensing. Moreover, LbL is demonstrated to be a versatile electrode modification tool enabling tailored surface features in terms of thickness, softness, roughness, and charge. LbL assemblies built up on top of conducting polymers will aid the design of new bioelectronic platforms for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and medical diagnostics.

  12. Supramolecular Nanocomposites Under Confinement: Chiral Optically Active Nanoparticle Assemblies and Beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Peter; Yang, Sui; Bao, Wei; Salmeron, Miquel; Zhang, Xiang; Xu, Ting

    2015-03-01

    Block copolymer-based supramolecules provide a versatile platform to direct the self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) into precisely controlled nanostructures in bulk and thin film geometries. A supramolecule, PS-b-P4VP(PDP), composed of the small molecule 3-pentadecylphenol (PDP) hydrogen bonded to a diblock copolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP), was subjected to 2-D volume confinement in cylindrical anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane pores. TEM and 3-D TEM tomography reveal that the morphologies accessible by the supramolecule and supramolecule/NP composites, such as NP clusters, arrays, stacked rings, and single and double helical ribbons, are significantly different from those in the bulk or thin film. Furthermore, single molecule dark field scattering measurements demonstrate strong chiral optical response of single helical Au NP ribbon nanostructures in the near infrared wavelength regime. These studies demonstrate 2-D confinement to be an effective means to tailor self-assembled NP structure within supramolecule nanocomposites and pave the way for this assembly approach to be applied towards next generation chiral metamaterials and optoelectronic devices.

  13. Au nanorice assemble electrolytically into mesostars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardhan, Rizia; Neumann, Oara; Mirin, Nikolay; Wang, Hui; Halas, Naomi J

    2009-02-24

    Star-shaped mesotructures are formed when an aqueous suspension of Au nanorice particles, which consist of prolate hematite cores and a thin Au shell, is subjected to an electric current. The nanorice particles assemble to form hyperbranched micrometer-scale mesostars. To our knowledge, this is the first reported observation of nanoparticle assembly into larger ordered structures under the influence of an electrochemical process (H(2)O electrolysis). The assembly is accompanied by significant modifications in the morphology, dimensions, chemical composition, crystallographic structure, and optical properties of the constituent nanoparticles.

  14. Nanosilver: new ageless and versatile biomedical therapeutic scaffold.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ullah Khan, Shahid; Saleh, Tawfik A; Wahab, Abdul; Khan, Muhammad Hafeez Ullah; Khan, Dilfaraz; Ullah Khan, Wasim; Rahim, Abdur; Kamal, Sajid; Ullah Khan, Farman; Fahad, Shah

    2018-01-01

    Silver nanotechnology has received tremendous attention in recent years, owing to its wide range of applications in various fields and its intrinsic therapeutic properties. In this review, an attempt is made to critically evaluate the chemical, physical, and biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as well as their efficacy in the field of theranostics including microbiology and parasitology. Moreover, an outlook is also provided regarding the performance of AgNPs against different biological systems such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites (leishmanial and malarial parasites) in curing certain fatal human diseases, with a special focus on cancer. The mechanism of action of AgNPs in different biological systems still remains enigmatic. Here, due to limited available literature, we only focused on AgNPs mechanism in biological systems including human (wound healing and apoptosis), bacteria, and viruses which may open new windows for future research to ensure the versatile application of AgNPs in cosmetics, electronics, and medical fields.

  15. Layer-by-layer assembled multilayers using catalase-encapsulated gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sungwoo; Park, Jeongju; Cho, Jinhan

    2010-01-01

    We introduce a novel and versatile approach for the preparation of multilayers, based on catalase-encapsulated gold nanoparticles (CAT-Au NP ), allowing electrostatic charge reversal and structural transformation through pH adjustment. CAT-Au NP , which are synthesized directly from CAT stabilizer, can be electrostatically assembled with anionic and cationic PEs as a result of the charge reversal of the catalase stabilizers through pH control. In particular, at pH 5.2, near the pI of catalase, dispersed CAT-Au NP are structurally transformed into colloidal or network CAT-Au NP nanocomposites. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the layer-by-layer assembled multilayers composed of PEs and CAT-Au NP induce an effective electron transfer between CAT and the electrode as well as a high loading of CAT and Au NP , and resultantly exhibit a highly catalytic activity toward H 2 O 2 .

  16. SERS-barcoded colloidal gold NP assemblies as imaging agents for use in biodiagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dey, Priyanka; Olds, William; Blakey, Idriss; Thurecht, Kristofer J.; Izake, Emad L.; Fredericks, Peter M.

    2014-03-01

    There is a growing need for new biodiagnostics that combine high throughput with enhanced spatial resolution and sensitivity. Gold nanoparticle (NP) assemblies with sub-10 nm particle spacing have the benefits of improving detection sensitivity via Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and being of potential use in biomedicine due to their colloidal stability. A promising and versatile approach to form solution-stable NP assemblies involves the use of multi-branched molecular linkers which allows tailoring of the assembly size, hot-spot density and interparticle distance. We have shown that linkers with multiple anchoring end-groups can be successfully employed as a linker to assemble gold NPs into dimers, linear NP chains and clustered NP assemblies. These NP assemblies with diameters of 30-120 nm are stable in solution and perform better as SERS substrates compared with single gold NPs, due to an increased hot-spot density. Thus, tailored gold NP assemblies are potential candidates for use as biomedical imaging agents. We observed that the hot-spot density and in-turn the SERS enhancement is a function of the linker polymer concentration and polymer architecture. New deep Raman techniques like Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) have emerged that allow detection from beneath diffusely scattering opaque materials, including biological media such as animal tissue. We have been able to demonstrate that the gold NP assemblies could be detected from within both proteinaceous and high lipid containing animal tissue by employing a SORS technique with a backscattered geometry.

  17. Versatile common instrumentation for optical detection of pH and dissolved oxygen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sardesai, Neha [Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250 (United States); Rao, Govind [Center for Advanced Sensor Technology and Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250 (United States); Kostov, Yordan, E-mail: kostov@umbc.edu [Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250 (United States); Center for Advanced Sensor Technology and Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250 (United States)

    2015-07-15

    The recent trend toward use of disposable and miniature bioreactors requires the use of appropriate sensors. pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) are often measured using optical chemical sensors due to their small form factor and convenience in use. These sensors are often interrogated using a specialized opto-electronic transducer that is designed around the optical sensor. In this contribution, we are presenting a new class of opto-electronic transducers that are usable with several different chemical sensors without the need to switch the optics or hardware when changing the type of the chemical sensor. This allows flexibility closer to the lab-grade devices while the size is closer to a dedicated sensor. This versatile instrumentation is capable of seamlessly switching between the pH and DO measurement modes and is capable of auto recognition of the sensor type. The principle of ratiometric fluorescence is used for pH measurements, and that of fluorescence lifetime for DO measurements. An approach to obtain identical calibrations between several devices is also presented. The described hardware constitutes common instrumentation for measuring either pH or DO and has been tested in actual bioprocesses. It has been found adequate for continuous bioprocess monitoring.

  18. Versatile common instrumentation for optical detection of pH and dissolved oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sardesai, Neha; Rao, Govind; Kostov, Yordan

    2015-01-01

    The recent trend toward use of disposable and miniature bioreactors requires the use of appropriate sensors. pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) are often measured using optical chemical sensors due to their small form factor and convenience in use. These sensors are often interrogated using a specialized opto-electronic transducer that is designed around the optical sensor. In this contribution, we are presenting a new class of opto-electronic transducers that are usable with several different chemical sensors without the need to switch the optics or hardware when changing the type of the chemical sensor. This allows flexibility closer to the lab-grade devices while the size is closer to a dedicated sensor. This versatile instrumentation is capable of seamlessly switching between the pH and DO measurement modes and is capable of auto recognition of the sensor type. The principle of ratiometric fluorescence is used for pH measurements, and that of fluorescence lifetime for DO measurements. An approach to obtain identical calibrations between several devices is also presented. The described hardware constitutes common instrumentation for measuring either pH or DO and has been tested in actual bioprocesses. It has been found adequate for continuous bioprocess monitoring

  19. Biosynthesis: Reprogramming assembly lines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menon, Binuraj R. K.; Jenner, Matthew

    2018-03-01

    Rational engineering of biosynthetic assembly lines for production of new compounds is an attractive prospect, yet it presents many challenges. Learning from biology, some of the rules for expanding the chemical diversity of non-ribosomal peptides have been uncovered in two recent studies.

  20. Development of self-assembled molecular structures on polymeric surfaces and their applications as ultrasonically responsive barrier coatings for on-demand, pulsatile drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwok, Connie Sau-Kuen

    Nature in the form of DNA, proteins, and cells has the remarkable ability to interact with its environment by processing biological information through specific molecular recognition at the interface. As such, materials that are capable of triggering an appropriate biological response need to be engineered at the biomaterial surface. Chemically and structurally well-defined self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), biomimetics of the lipid bilayer in cell membranes, have been created and studied mostly on rigid metallic surfaces. This dissertation is motivated by the lack of methods to generate a molecularly designed surface for biomedical polymers and thus provides an enabling technology to engineer a polymeric surface precisely at a molecular and cellular level. To take this innovation one step further, we demonstrated that such self-assembled molecular structure coated on drug-containing polymeric devices could act as a stimulus-responsive barrier for controlled drug delivery. A simple, one-step procedure for generating ordered, crystalline methylene chains on polymeric surfaces via urethane linkages was successfully developed. The self-assemblies and molecular structures of these crystalline methylene chains are comparable to the SAM model surfaces, as evidenced by various surface characterization techniques (XPS, TOF-SIMS, and FTIR-ATR). For the first time, these self-assembled molecular structures are shown to function collectively as an ultrasound-responsive barrier membrane for pulsatile drug delivery, including delivery of low-molecular-weight ciprofloxacin and high-molecular-weight insulin. Encouraging results, based on the insulin-activated deoxyglucose uptakes in adipocytes, indicate that the released insulin remained biologically active. Both chemical and acoustic analyses suggest that the ultrasound-assisted release mechanism is primarily induced by transient cavitation, which causes temporary disruption of the self-assembled overlayer, and thus allows

  1. Impact of a Central Scaffold on the Binding Affinity of Fragment Pairs Isolated from DNA-Encoded Self-Assembling Chemical Libraries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigatti, Martina; Dal Corso, Alberto; Vanetti, Sara; Cazzamalli, Samuele; Rieder, Ulrike; Scheuermann, Jörg; Neri, Dario; Sladojevich, Filippo

    2017-11-08

    The screening of encoded self-assembling chemical libraries allows the identification of fragment pairs that bind to adjacent pockets on target proteins of interest. For practical applications, it is necessary to link these ligand pairs into discrete organic molecules, devoid of any nucleic acid component. Here we describe the discovery of a synergistic binding pair for acid alpha-1 glycoprotein and a chemical strategy for the identification of optimal linkers, connecting the two fragments. The procedure yielded a set of small organic ligands, the best of which exhibited a dissociation constant of 9.9 nm, as measured in solution by fluorescence polarization. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Synthesis and self-assembly of dumbbell shaped ZnO sub-micron structures using low temperature chemical bath deposition technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borade, P. [National Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus, Santacruz (E), Mumbai 400098 (India); Joshi, K.U. [Anton-Paar India Pvt. Ltd., Thane (W), 400607 (India); Gokarna, A.; Lerondel, G. [Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et D' Instrumentation Optique, Institut Charles Delaunay, CNRS UMR 6281, Université de Technologie de Troyes, 12 Rue Marie Curie, BP 2060, 10010 Troyes (France); Walke, P. [National Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus, Santacruz (E), Mumbai 400098 (India); Late, D. [National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune 400027 (India); Jejurikar, S.M., E-mail: jejusuhas@gmail.com [National Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus, Santacruz (E), Mumbai 400098 (India)

    2016-02-01

    We report well dispersed horizontal growth of ZnO sub-micron structures using simplest technique ever known i.e. chemical bath deposition (CBD). A set of samples were prepared under two different cases A) dumbbell shaped ZnO grown in CBD bath and B) tubular ZnO structures evolved from dumbbell shaped structures by dissolution mechanism. Single phase wurtzite ZnO formation is confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique in both cases. From the morphological investigations performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), sample prepared under case A indicate formation of hex bit tool (HBT) shaped ZnO crystals, which observed to self-organize to form dumbbell structures. Further these microstructures are then converted into tubular structures as a fragment of post CBD process. The possible mechanism responsible for the self-assembly of HBT units to form dumbbell structures is discussed. Observed free excitonic peak located at 370 nm in photoluminescence (PL) spectra recorded at 18 K indicate that the micro/nanostructures synthesized using CBD are of high optical quality. - Highlights: • Controlled growth of Dumbbell shaped ZnO using Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD). • Growth mechanism of dumbbell shaped ZnO by self-assembling was discussed. • Quick Transformation of ZnO dumbbell structures in to tubular structures by dissolution. • Sharp UV Emission at 370 nm from both dumbbell and tubular structures.

  3. RT Self-assembly of Silica Nanoparticles on Optical Fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Canning, John; Lindoy, Lachlan; Huyang, George

    2013-01-01

    The room temperature deposition of self-assembling silica nanoparticles onto D-shaped optical fibres x201c;D-fibrex201d;), drawn from milled preforms fabricated by modified chemical vapor deposition, is studied and preliminary results reported here.......The room temperature deposition of self-assembling silica nanoparticles onto D-shaped optical fibres x201c;D-fibrex201d;), drawn from milled preforms fabricated by modified chemical vapor deposition, is studied and preliminary results reported here....

  4. "Cloud" assemblies: quantum dots form electrostatically bound dynamic nebulae around large gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lilly, G Daniel; Lee, Jaebeom; Kotov, Nicholas A

    2010-10-14

    Dynamic self-assembled structures of nanoparticles can be produced using predominantly electrostatic interactions. Such assemblies were made from large, positively charged Au metal nanoparticles surrounded by an electrostatically bound cloud of smaller, negatively charged CdSe/ZnS or CdTe quantum dots. At low concentrations they are topologically similar to double electric layers of ions and corona-like assemblies linked by polymer chains. They can also be compared to the topological arrangement of some planetary systems in space. The great advantages of the cloud assemblies are (1) their highly dynamic nature compared to more rigid covalently bound assemblies, (2) simplicity of preparation, and (3) exceptional versatility in components and resulting optical properties. Photoluminescence intensity enhancement originating from quantum resonance between excitons and plasmons was observed for CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, although CdTe dots displayed emission quenching. To evaluate more attentively their dynamic behavior, emission data were collected for the cloud-assemblies with different ratios of the components and ionic strengths of the media. The emission of the system passes through a maximum for 80 QDs ∶ 1 Au NP as determined by the structure of the assemblies and light absorption conditions. Ionic strength dependence of luminescence intensity contradicts the predictions based on the Gouy-Chapman theory and osmotic pressure at high ionic strengths due to formation of larger chaotic colloidally stable assemblies. "Cloud" assemblies made from different nanoscale components can be used both for elucidation of most fundamental aspects of nanoparticle interactions, as well as for practical purposes in sensing and biology.

  5. Harnessing natural product assembly lines: structure, promiscuity, and engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ladner, Christopher C; Williams, Gavin J

    2016-03-01

    Many therapeutically relevant natural products are biosynthesized by the action of giant mega-enzyme assembly lines. By leveraging the specificity, promiscuity, and modularity of assembly lines, a variety of strategies has been developed that enables the biosynthesis of modified natural products. This review briefly summarizes recent structural advances related to natural product assembly lines, discusses chemical approaches to probing assembly line structures in the absence of traditional biophysical data, and surveys efforts that harness the inherent or engineered promiscuity of assembly lines for the synthesis of non-natural polyketides and non-ribosomal peptide analogues.

  6. RNA versatility, flexibility, and thermostability for practice in RNA nanotechnology and biomedical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haque, Farzin; Pi, Fengmei; Zhao, Zhengyi; Gu, Shanqing; Hu, Haibo; Yu, Hang; Guo, Peixuan

    2018-01-01

    In recent years, RNA has attracted widespread attention as a unique biomaterial with distinct biophysical properties for designing sophisticated architectures in the nanometer scale. RNA is much more versatile in structure and function with higher thermodynamic stability compared to its nucleic acid counterpart DNA. Larger RNA molecules can be viewed as a modular structure built from a combination of many 'Lego' building blocks connected via different linker sequences. By exploiting the diversity of RNA motifs and flexibility of structure, varieties of RNA architectures can be fabricated with precise control of shape, size, and stoichiometry. Many structural motifs have been discovered and characterized over the years and the crystal structures of many of these motifs are available for nanoparticle construction. For example, using the flexibility and versatility of RNA structure, RNA triangles, squares, pentagons, and hexagons can be constructed from phi29 pRNA three-way-junction (3WJ) building block. This review will focus on 2D RNA triangles, squares, and hexamers; 3D and 4D structures built from basic RNA building blocks; and their prospective applications in vivo as imaging or therapeutic agents via specific delivery and targeting. Methods for intracellular cloning and expression of RNA molecules and the in vivo assembly of RNA nanoparticles will also be reviewed. WIREs RNA 2018, 9:e1452. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1452 This article is categorized under: RNA Methods > RNA Nanotechnology RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. CAD ACTIVE MODELS: AN INNOVATIVE METHOD IN ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    NADDEO Alessandro

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to show the use and the versatility of the active models in different applications. It has been realized an active model of a cylindrical spring and it has been applied in two mechanisms, different for typology and for backlash loads. The first example is a dynamometer in which nthe cylindrical spring is loaded by traction forces, while the second example is made up from a pressure valve in which the cylindrical-conic spring works under compression. The imposition of the loads in both cases, has allowed us to evaluate the model of the mechanism in different working conditions, also in assembly environment.

  8. GoldenBraid: An Iterative Cloning System for Standardized Assembly of Reusable Genetic Modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarrion-Perdigones, Alejandro; Falconi, Erica Elvira; Zandalinas, Sara I.; Juárez, Paloma; Fernández-del-Carmen, Asun; Granell, Antonio; Orzaez, Diego

    2011-01-01

    Synthetic Biology requires efficient and versatile DNA assembly systems to facilitate the building of new genetic modules/pathways from basic DNA parts in a standardized way. Here we present GoldenBraid (GB), a standardized assembly system based on type IIS restriction enzymes that allows the indefinite growth of reusable gene modules made of standardized DNA pieces. The GB system consists of a set of four destination plasmids (pDGBs) designed to incorporate multipartite assemblies made of standard DNA parts and to combine them binarily to build increasingly complex multigene constructs. The relative position of type IIS restriction sites inside pDGB vectors introduces a double loop (“braid”) topology in the cloning strategy that allows the indefinite growth of composite parts through the succession of iterative assembling steps, while the overall simplicity of the system is maintained. We propose the use of GoldenBraid as an assembly standard for Plant Synthetic Biology. For this purpose we have GB-adapted a set of binary plasmids for A. tumefaciens-mediated plant transformation. Fast GB-engineering of several multigene T-DNAs, including two alternative modules made of five reusable devices each, and comprising a total of 19 basic parts are also described. PMID:21750718

  9. Draft genome sequence of Micrococcus luteus strain O'Kane implicates metabolic versatility and the potential to degrade polyhydroxybutyrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radwa A. Hanafy

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Micrococcus luteus is a predominant member of skin microbiome. We here report on the genomic analysis of Micrococcus luteus strain O'Kane that was isolated from an elevator. The partial genome assembly of Micrococcus luteus strain O'Kane is 2.5 Mb with 2256 protein-coding genes and 62 RNA genes. Genomic analysis revealed metabolic versatility with genes involved in the metabolism and transport of glucose, galactose, fructose, mannose, alanine, aspartate, asparagine, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, serine, cysteine, methionine, arginine, proline, histidine, phenylalanine, and fatty acids. Genomic comparison to other M. luteus representatives identified the potential to degrade polyhydroxybutyrates, as well as several antibiotic resistance genes absent from other genomes.

  10. Self-Assembly of Diblock Molecular Polymer Brushes in the Spherical Confinement of Nanoemulsion Droplets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinhaus, Andrea; Pelras, Théophile; Chakroun, Ramzi; Gröschel, André H; Müllner, Markus

    2018-05-02

    Understanding the self-assembly behavior of polymers of various topologies is key to a reliable design of functional polymer materials. Self-assembly under confinement conditions emerges as a versatile avenue to design polymer particles with complex internal morphologies while simultaneously facilitating scale-up. However, only linear block copolymers have been studied to date, despite the increasing control over macromolecule composition and architecture available. This study extends the investigation of polymer self-assembly in confinement from regular diblock copolymers to diblock molecular polymer brushes (MPBs). Block-type MPBs with polystyrene (PS) and polylactide (PLA) compartments of different sizes are incorporated into surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water (chloroform/water) emulsions. The increasing confinement in the nanoemulsion droplets during solvent evaporation directs the MPBs to form solid nano/microparticles. Microscopy studies reveal an intricate internal particle structure, including interpenetrating networks and axially stacked lamellae of PS and PLA, depending on the PS/PLA ratio of the brushes. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Particulate morphology mathematics applied to particle assemblies

    CERN Document Server

    Gotoh, Keishi

    2012-01-01

    Encompassing over fifty years of research, Professor Gotoh addresses the correlation function of spatial structures and the statistical geometry of random particle assemblies. In this book morphological study is formed into random particle assemblies to which various mathematics are applied such as correlation function, radial distribution function and statistical geometry. This leads to the general comparison between the thermodynamic state such as gases and liquids and the random particle assemblies. Although structures of molecular configurations change at every moment due to thermal vibration, liquids can be regarded as random packing of particles. Similarly, gaseous states correspond to particle dispersion. If physical and chemical properties are taken away from the subject, the remainder is the structure itself. Hence, the structural study is ubiquitous and of fundamental importance. This book will prove useful to chemical engineers working on powder technology as well as mathematicians interested in le...

  12. Layer-by-layer assembled multilayers using catalase-encapsulated gold nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Sungwoo; Park, Jeongju [School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Kookmin University, Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-702 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Jinhan, E-mail: jinhan71@korea.ac.kr [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-09-17

    We introduce a novel and versatile approach for the preparation of multilayers, based on catalase-encapsulated gold nanoparticles (CAT-Au{sub NP}), allowing electrostatic charge reversal and structural transformation through pH adjustment. CAT-Au{sub NP}, which are synthesized directly from CAT stabilizer, can be electrostatically assembled with anionic and cationic PEs as a result of the charge reversal of the catalase stabilizers through pH control. In particular, at pH 5.2, near the pI of catalase, dispersed CAT-Au{sub NP} are structurally transformed into colloidal or network CAT-Au{sub NP} nanocomposites. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the layer-by-layer assembled multilayers composed of PEs and CAT-Au{sub NP} induce an effective electron transfer between CAT and the electrode as well as a high loading of CAT and Au{sub NP}, and resultantly exhibit a highly catalytic activity toward H{sub 2}O{sub 2}.

  13. Hydrogen production over Au-loaded mesoporous-assembled SrTiO3 nanocrystal photocatalyst: Effects of molecular structure and chemical properties of hole scavengers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puangpetch, Tarawipa; Chavadej, Sumaeth; Sreethawong, Thammanoon

    2011-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Formic acid, which is the smallest and completely-dissociated water-soluble carboxylic acid, exhibited the highest hydrogen production enhancement ability over the 1 wt.% Au-loaded mesoporous-assembled SrTiO 3 nanocrystal photocatalyst. Display Omitted Research highlights: → The 1 wt.% Au-loaded mesoporous-assembled SrTiO 3 nanocrystal photocatalyst was synthesized. → The molecular structure and chemical properties of hole scavengers affected H 2 production rate. → Formic acid exhibited the highest photocatalytic H 2 production enhancement ability. -- Abstract: The hydrogen production via the photocatalytic water splitting under UV irradiation using different compounds as hole scavengers (including methanol, formic acid, acetic acid, propanoic acid, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid) under a low concentration range ( 3 nanocrystal photocatalyst. The results indicated that the hydrogen production efficiency greatly depended on the molecular structure, chemical properties, and concentration of the hole scavengers. Formic acid, which is the smallest and completely-dissociated water-soluble carboxylic acid, exhibited the highest hydrogen production enhancement ability. The 2.5 vol.% aqueous formic acid solution system provided the highest photocatalytic hydrogen production rate.

  14. Stabilization of 2D assemblies of silver nanoparticles by spin-coating polymers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Longyu; Pfirman, Aubrie; Chumanov, George, E-mail: gchumak@clemson.edu

    2015-12-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Spin-coating of polymers onto 2D assemblies of Ag NPs was used to stabilize the assemblies against aggregation. • The polymer filled the space between the particles leaving the metal surface uncoated and accessible to various chemical reactions. • Etching nanoparticles produced crater-like structures. - Abstract: Silver nanoparticles self-assembled on poly(4-vinylpyridine) modified surfaces were spin-coated with poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(butyl methacrylate) and polystyrene from anisole and toluene solutions. The polymers filled the space between the particles thereby providing stabilization of the assemblies against particle aggregation when dried or chemically modified. The polymers did not coat the top surface of the nanoparticles offering the chemical accessibility to the metal surface. This was confirmed by converting the stabilized nanoparticles into silver sulfide and gold clusters. Etching the nanoparticles resulted in crater-like polymeric structures with the cavities extending down to the underlying substrate. Electrochemical reduction of silver inside the craters was performed. The approach can be extended to other nanoparticle assemblies and polymers.

  15. Nuclear fuel assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, Tadashi; Sato, Kenji; Goto, Masakazu.

    1984-01-01

    Purpose: To facilitate identification of a fuel assembly upon fuel exchange in BWR type reactors. Constitution: Fluorescent material is coated or metal plating is applied to the impressed portion of a upper tie plate handle of a fuel assembly, and the fluorescent material or the metal plating surface is covered with a protective membrane made of transparent material. This enables to distinguish the impressed surface from a distant place and chemical reaction between the impressed surface and the reactor water can be prevented. Furthermore, since the protective membrane is formed such that it protrudes toward the upper side relative to the impressed surface, there is no risk of depositions of claddings thereover. (Moriyama, K.)

  16. Bio-based chemicals - green, but also sustainable?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ögmundarson, Ólafur; Herrgard, Markus; Förster, Jochen

    For almost two decades, the chemical industry has put great effort into developing bio-chemicals,among others to fight global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, one of the biggest threats that are faced by our society today. To facilitate a growing and versatile bio-based chemical...... production, the US Department of Energy proposed in 2004 a list of 12 building block chemicals which can either be converged through biological or chemical conversions. Moving toward more bio-based chemicals, the chemical industry does not only claim to reduce climate change impacts, but also...... that they are increasing overall sustainability in chemical production. Whether such claims are justifiable is unclear. When sustainability of bio-based polymer production is assessed, various environmental trade-offs occur that need to be considered. It is not enough to claim that a bio-chemical is sustainable...

  17. Modular assembly of optical nanocircuits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Jinwei; Monticone, Francesco; Elias, Sarah; Wu, Yanwen; Ratchford, Daniel; Li, Xiaoqin; Alù, Andrea

    2014-05-01

    A key element enabling the microelectronic technology advances of the past decades has been the conceptualization of complex circuits with versatile functionalities as being composed of the proper combination of basic ‘lumped’ circuit elements (for example, inductors and capacitors). In contrast, modern nanophotonic systems are still far from a similar level of sophistication, partially because of the lack of modularization of their response in terms of basic building blocks. Here we demonstrate the design, assembly and characterization of relatively complex photonic nanocircuits by accurately positioning a number of metallic and dielectric nanoparticles acting as modular lumped elements. The nanoparticle clusters produce the desired spectral response described by simple circuit rules and are shown to be dynamically reconfigurable by modifying the direction or polarization of impinging signals. Our work represents an important step towards extending the powerful modular design tools of electronic circuits into nanophotonic systems.

  18. Three-Dimensional Calcium Alginate Hydrogel Assembly via TiOPc-Based Light-Induced Controllable Electrodeposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Liu

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Artificial reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D hydrogel microstructures would greatly contribute to tissue assembly in vitro, and has been widely applied in tissue engineering and drug screening. Recent technological advances in the assembly of functional hydrogel microstructures such as microfluidic, 3D bioprinting, and micromold-based 3D hydrogel fabrication methods have enabled the formation of 3D tissue constructs. However, they still lack flexibility and high efficiency, which restrict their application in 3D tissue constructs. Alternatively, we report a feasible method for the fabrication and reconstruction of customized 3D hydrogel blocks. Arbitrary hydrogel microstructures were fabricated in situ via flexible and rapid light-addressable electrodeposition. To demonstrate the versatility of this method, the higher-order assembly of 3D hydrogel blocks was investigated using a constant direct current (DC voltage (6 V applied between two electrodes for 20–120 s. In addition to the plane-based two-dimensional (2D assembly, hierarchical structures—including multi-layer 3D hydrogel structures and vessel-shaped structures—could be assembled using the proposed method. Overall, we developed a platform that enables researchers to construct complex 3D hydrogel microstructures efficiently and simply, which has the potential to facilitate research on drug screening and 3D tissue constructs.

  19. Experimental Investigation Of Microbially Induced Corrosion Of Test Samples And Effect Of Self-assembled Hydrophobic Monolayers. Exposure Of Test Samples To Continuous Microbial Cultures, Chemical Analysis, And Biochemical Studies

    CERN Document Server

    Laurinavichius, K S

    1998-01-01

    Experimental Investigation Of Microbially Induced Corrosion Of Test Samples And Effect Of Self-assembled Hydrophobic Monolayers. Exposure Of Test Samples To Continuous Microbial Cultures, Chemical Analysis, And Biochemical Studies

  20. Monitoring ligand-dependent assembly of receptor ternary complexes in live cells by BRETFect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotnoir-White, David; El Ezzy, Mohamed; Boulay, Pierre-Luc; Rozendaal, Marieke; Bouvier, Michel; Gagnon, Etienne; Mader, Sylvie

    2018-03-13

    There is currently an unmet need for versatile techniques to monitor the assembly and dynamics of ternary complexes in live cells. Here we describe bioluminescence resonance energy transfer with fluorescence enhancement by combined transfer (BRETFect), a high-throughput technique that enables robust spectrometric detection of ternary protein complexes based on increased energy transfer from a luciferase to a fluorescent acceptor in the presence of a fluorescent intermediate. Its unique donor-intermediate-acceptor relay system is designed so that the acceptor can receive energy either directly from the donor or indirectly via the intermediate in a combined transfer, taking advantage of the entire luciferase emission spectrum. BRETFect was used to study the ligand-dependent cofactor interaction properties of the estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ, which form homo- or heterodimers whose distinctive regulatory properties are difficult to dissect using traditional methods. BRETFect uncovered the relative capacities of hetero- vs. homodimers to recruit receptor-specific cofactors and regulatory proteins, and to interact with common cofactors in the presence of receptor-specific ligands. BRETFect was also used to follow the assembly of ternary complexes between the V2R vasopressin receptor and two different intracellular effectors, illustrating its use for dissection of ternary protein-protein interactions engaged by G protein-coupled receptors. Our results indicate that BRETFect represents a powerful and versatile technique to monitor the dynamics of ternary interactions within multimeric complexes in live cells.

  1. Fiber-Based, Injection-Molded Optofluidic Systems: Improvements in Assembly and Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Matteucci

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available We present a method to fabricate polymer optofluidic systems by means of injection molding that allow the insertion of standard optical fibers. The chip fabrication and assembly methods produce large numbers of robust optofluidic systems that can be easily assembled and disposed of, yet allow precise optical alignment and improve delivery of optical power. Using a multi-level chip fabrication process, complex channel designs with extremely vertical sidewalls, and dimensions that range from few tens of nanometers to hundreds of microns can be obtained. The technology has been used to align optical fibers in a quick and precise manner, with a lateral alignment accuracy of 2.7 ± 1.8 μm. We report the production, assembly methods, and the characterization of the resulting injection-molded chips for Lab-on-Chip (LoC applications. We demonstrate the versatility of this technology by carrying out two types of experiments that benefit from the improved optical system: optical stretching of red blood cells (RBCs and Raman spectroscopy of a solution loaded into a hollow core fiber. The advantages offered by the presented technology are intended to encourage the use of LoC technology for commercialization and educational purposes.

  2. Printable semiconductor structures and related methods of making and assembling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuzzo, Ralph G.; Rogers, John A.; Menard, Etienne; Lee, Keon Jae; Khang; , Dahl-Young; Sun, Yugang; Meitl, Matthew; Zhu, Zhengtao; Ko, Heung Cho; Mack, Shawn

    2013-03-12

    The present invention provides a high yield pathway for the fabrication, transfer and assembly of high quality printable semiconductor elements having selected physical dimensions, shapes, compositions and spatial orientations. The compositions and methods of the present invention provide high precision registered transfer and integration of arrays of microsized and/or nanosized semiconductor structures onto substrates, including large area substrates and/or flexible substrates. In addition, the present invention provides methods of making printable semiconductor elements from low cost bulk materials, such as bulk silicon wafers, and smart-materials processing strategies that enable a versatile and commercially attractive printing-based fabrication platform for making a broad range of functional semiconductor devices.

  3. Origami tubes assembled into stiff, yet reconfigurable structures and metamaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filipov, Evgueni T; Tachi, Tomohiro; Paulino, Glaucio H

    2015-10-06

    Thin sheets have long been known to experience an increase in stiffness when they are bent, buckled, or assembled into smaller interlocking structures. We introduce a unique orientation for coupling rigidly foldable origami tubes in a "zipper" fashion that substantially increases the system stiffness and permits only one flexible deformation mode through which the structure can deploy. The flexible deployment of the tubular structures is permitted by localized bending of the origami along prescribed fold lines. All other deformation modes, such as global bending and twisting of the structural system, are substantially stiffer because the tubular assemblages are overconstrained and the thin sheets become engaged in tension and compression. The zipper-coupled tubes yield an unusually large eigenvalue bandgap that represents the unique difference in stiffness between deformation modes. Furthermore, we couple compatible origami tubes into a variety of cellular assemblages that can enhance mechanical characteristics and geometric versatility, leading to a potential design paradigm for structures and metamaterials that can be deployed, stiffened, and tuned. The enhanced mechanical properties, versatility, and adaptivity of these thin sheet systems can provide practical solutions of varying geometric scales in science and engineering.

  4. A versatile scalable PET processing system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, H.; Weisenberger, A.; McKisson, J.; Wenze, Xi; Cuevas, C.; Wilson, J.; Zukerman, L.

    2011-01-01

    Positron Emission Tomography (PET) historically has major clinical and preclinical applications in cancerous oncology, neurology, and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, in a new direction, an application specific PET system is being developed at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in collaboration with Duke University, University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMAB), and West Virginia University (WVU) targeted for plant eco-physiology research. The new plant imaging PET system is versatile and scalable such that it could adapt to several plant imaging needs - imaging many important plant organs including leaves, roots, and stems. The mechanical arrangement of the detectors is designed to accommodate the unpredictable and random distribution in space of the plant organs without requiring the plant be disturbed. Prototyping such a system requires a new data acquisition system (DAQ) and data processing system which are adaptable to the requirements of these unique and versatile detectors.

  5. Spontaneous Assembly of Exopolymers from Phytoplankton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong-Xue Ding

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Phytoplankton exopolymeric substances (EPS contribute significantly to the dissolved organic car bon (DOC pool in the ocean, playing crucial roles in the surface ocean car bon cycle. Recent studies have demonstrated that ~10% of marine DOC can self-assemble as microgels through electro static Ca bonds providing hotspots of enriched microbial substrate. How ever, the question whether EPS can self-assemble and the formation mechanisms for EPS microgels have not been examined. Here were port that EPS from three representative phytoplankton species, Synechococcus, Emiliania huxleyi, and Skeletonema costatum can spontaneously self assemble in artificial sea water (ASW, forming microscopic gels of ~ 3 - 4 __m in diameter. Different from the marine DOC polymers assembly, these EPS samples can self-assemble in Ca2+-free ASW. Further experiments from fluorescence enhancement and chemical composition analysis confirmed the existence of fair amounts of hydrophobic domains in these EPS samples. These results suggest that hydrophobic interactions play a key role in the assembly of EPS from these three species of marine phytoplankton.

  6. Programmed assembly of nanoscale structures using peptoids.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ren, Jianhua (University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA); Russell, Scott (California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA); Morishetti, Kiran (University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA); Robinson, David B.; Zuckermann, Ronald N. (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA); Buffleben, George M.; Hjelm, Rex P. (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM); Kent, Michael Stuart (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM)

    2011-02-01

    Sequence-specific polymers are the basis of the most promising approaches to bottom-up programmed assembly of nanoscale materials. Examples include artificial peptides and nucleic acids. Another class is oligo(N-functional glycine)s, also known as peptoids, which permit greater sidegroup diversity and conformational control, and can be easier to synthesize and purify. We have developed a set of peptoids that can be used to make inorganic nanoparticles more compatible with biological sequence-specific polymers so that they can be incorporated into nucleic acid or other biologically based nanostructures. Peptoids offer degrees of modularity, versatility, and predictability that equal or exceed other sequence-specific polymers, allowing for rational design of oligomers for a specific purpose. This degree of control will be essential to the development of arbitrarily designed nanoscale structures.

  7. Bottom-Up Assembly and Applications of Photonic Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanbin Zheng

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The assembly of colloidal building-blocks is an efficient, inexpensive and flexible approach for the fabrication of a wide variety of photonic materials with designed shapes and large areas. In this review, the various assembly routes to the fabrication of colloidal crystals and their post-assembly modifications to the production of photonic materials are first described. Then, the emerging applications of the colloidal photonic structures in various fields such as biological and chemical sensing, anti-reflection, photovoltaics, and light extraction are summarized.

  8. A Versatile System for the In-Field Non-Destructive Characterization of Radioactive Waste Packages and of Objects in the Defense against Nuclear Threats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buecherl, T.; Gostomski, Ch.-Lierse-von

    2013-06-01

    In-filed non-destructive characterization of radioactive waste packages and of objects in the defense of nuclear threats requires purpose-built but similar equipment. Based on commercially available measuring devices like dose-rate and gamma detectors, X-ray and gamma-transmission sources etc. a versatile and mobile mechanical positioning system for these devices is designed, assembled and operated facilitating basic to even complex measuring procedures. Several in-field measuring campaigns resulted in its further optimization. Today an highly mobile and flexible mechanical manipulator system is available supporting nearly all types of required measuring devices thus rising to nearly all occasions. (authors)

  9. Fractal assembly of micrometre-scale DNA origami arrays with arbitrary patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tikhomirov, Grigory; Petersen, Philip; Qian, Lulu

    2017-12-01

    Self-assembled DNA nanostructures enable nanometre-precise patterning that can be used to create programmable molecular machines and arrays of functional materials. DNA origami is particularly versatile in this context because each DNA strand in the origami nanostructure occupies a unique position and can serve as a uniquely addressable pixel. However, the scale of such structures has been limited to about 0.05 square micrometres, hindering applications that demand a larger layout and integration with more conventional patterning methods. Hierarchical multistage assembly of simple sets of tiles can in principle overcome this limitation, but so far has not been sufficiently robust to enable successful implementation of larger structures using DNA origami tiles. Here we show that by using simple local assembly rules that are modified and applied recursively throughout a hierarchical, multistage assembly process, a small and constant set of unique DNA strands can be used to create DNA origami arrays of increasing size and with arbitrary patterns. We illustrate this method, which we term ‘fractal assembly’, by producing DNA origami arrays with sizes of up to 0.5 square micrometres and with up to 8,704 pixels, allowing us to render images such as the Mona Lisa and a rooster. We find that self-assembly of the tiles into arrays is unaffected by changes in surface patterns on the tiles, and that the yield of the fractal assembly process corresponds to about 0.95m - 1 for arrays containing m tiles. When used in conjunction with a software tool that we developed that converts an arbitrary pattern into DNA sequences and experimental protocols, our assembly method is readily accessible and will facilitate the construction of sophisticated materials and devices with sizes similar to that of a bacterium using DNA nanostructures.

  10. Coulomb force directed single and binary assembly of nanoparticles from aqueous dispersions by AFM nanoxerography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palleau, Etienne; Sangeetha, Neralagatta M; Viau, Guillaume; Marty, Jean-Daniel; Ressier, Laurence

    2011-05-24

    We present a simple protocol to obtain versatile assemblies of nanoparticles from aqueous dispersions onto charge patterns written by atomic force microscopy, on a 100 nm thin film of polymethylmethacrylate spin-coated on silicon wafers. This protocol of nanoxerography uses a two-stage development involving incubation of the desired aqueous colloidal dispersion on charge patterns and subsequent immersion in an adequate water-soluble alcohol. The whole process takes only a few minutes. Numerical simulations of the evolution of the electric field generated by charge patterns in various solvents are done to resolve the mechanism by which nanoparticle assembly occurs. The generic nature of this protocol is demonstrated by constructing various assemblies of charged organic/inorganic/metallic (latex, silica, gold) nanoparticles of different sizes (3 to 100 nm) and surface functionalities from aqueous dispersions onto charge patterns of complex geometries. We also demonstrate that it is possible to construct a binary assembly of nanoparticles on a pattern made of positive and negative charges generated in a single charge writing step, by sequential developments in two aqueous dispersions of oppositely charged particles. This protocol literally extends the spectra of eligible colloids that can be assembled by nanoxerography and paves the way for building complex assemblies of nanoparticles on predefined areas of surfaces, which could be useful for the elaboration of nanoparticle-based functional devices.

  11. Morphology-controlled SWCNT/polymeric microsphere arrays by a wet chemical self-assembly technique and their application for sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Xingjiu; Li Yue; Im, Hyung-Soon; Yarimaga, Oktay; Kim, Ju-Hyun; Jang, Doon-Yoon; Cho, Sung-Oh; Cai Weiping; Choi, Yang-Kyu

    2006-01-01

    Large-scale morphology-controlled SWCNT/polymeric microsphere arrays can be obtained by a wet chemical self-assembly technique. The loading of SWCNTs, the length of SWCNTs, and the size and nature of polymeric microspheres can easily be controlled. Similar results can also be reached using this method for MWCNTs. In both types of CNTs, they form an interesting interactive 'net' structure on spheres and sphere joints. The SWCNT/PS-modified Au electrode was used for detection of uric acid by cyclic voltammetry and single-potential time-based techniques. The preliminary results show that the modified electrode presents good sensitivity and stability to uric acid

  12. A self-assembled monolayer-assisted surface microfabrication and release technique

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kim, B.J.; Liebau, M.; Huskens, Jurriaan; Reinhoudt, David; Brugger, J.P.

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes a method of thin film and MEMS processing which uses self-assembled monolayers as ultra-thin organic surface coating to enable a simple removal of microfabricated devices off the surface without wet chemical etching. A 1.5-nm thick self-assembled monolayer of

  13. Evaluation of friction produced by self-ligating, conventional and Barbosa Versatile brackets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jurandir Antonio BARBOSA

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction The Barbosa Versatile bracket design may provide lower frictional force and greater sliding. However, no in vitro studies have shown its sliding mechanisms and frictional resistance, particularly in comparison with other self-ligating or conventional brackets. Objective To compare the frictional resistance among self-ligating brackets (EasyClip/ Aditek, Damon MX/ Ormco and In Ovation R/ GAC; conventional brackets (Balance Roth/ GAC, and Roth Monobloc/ Morelli; and Barbosa Versatile bracket (Barbosa Versatile/ GAC with different angles and arch wires. Material and method Brackets were tested with the 0.014", 0.018", 0.019"×0.025" and 0.021"×0.025" stainless steel wires, with 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 degree angulations. Tying was performed with elastomeric ligature for conventional and Barbosa Versatile brackets, or with a built-in clip system of the self-ligating brackets. A universal testing machine was used to obtain sliding strength and friction value readouts between brackets and wires. Result Three-way factorial ANOVA 4×5×6 (brackets × angulation × wire and Tukey tests showed statistically significant differences for all factors and all interactions (p<0.0001. Static frictional resistance showed a lower rate for Barbosa Versatile bracket and higher rates for Roth Monobloc and Balance brackets. Conclusion The lowest frictional resistance was obtained with the Barbosa Versatile bracket and self-ligating brackets in comparison with the conventional type. Increasing the diameter of the wires increased the frictional resistance. Smaller angles produced less frictional resistance.

  14. Design, Assembly, and Characterization of TALE-Based Transcriptional Activators and Repressors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakore, Pratiksha I; Gersbach, Charles A

    2016-01-01

    Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are modular DNA-binding proteins that can be fused to a variety of effector domains to regulate the epigenome. Nucleotide recognition by TALE monomers follows a simple cipher, making this a powerful and versatile method to activate or repress gene expression. Described here are methods to design, assemble, and test TALE transcription factors (TALE-TFs) for control of endogenous gene expression. In this protocol, TALE arrays are constructed by Golden Gate cloning and tested for activity by transfection and quantitative RT-PCR. These methods for engineering TALE-TFs are useful for studies in reverse genetics and genomics, synthetic biology, and gene therapy.

  15. Improved Assembly for Gas Shielding During Welding or Brazing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gradl, Paul; Baker, Kevin; Weeks, Jack

    2009-01-01

    An improved assembly for inert-gas shielding of a metallic joint is designed to be useable during any of a variety of both laser-based and traditional welding and brazing processes. The basic purpose of this assembly or of a typical prior related assembly is to channel the flow of a chemically inert gas to a joint to prevent environmental contamination of the joint during the welding or brazing process and, if required, to accelerate cooling upon completion of the process.

  16. NHS-Esters As Versatile Reactivity-Based Probes for Mapping Proteome-Wide Ligandable Hotspots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Carl C; Kleinman, Jordan I; Nomura, Daniel K

    2017-06-16

    Most of the proteome is considered undruggable, oftentimes hindering translational efforts for drug discovery. Identifying previously unknown druggable hotspots in proteins would enable strategies for pharmacologically interrogating these sites with small molecules. Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) has arisen as a powerful chemoproteomic strategy that uses reactivity-based chemical probes to map reactive, functional, and ligandable hotspots in complex proteomes, which has enabled inhibitor discovery against various therapeutic protein targets. Here, we report an alkyne-functionalized N-hydroxysuccinimide-ester (NHS-ester) as a versatile reactivity-based probe for mapping the reactivity of a wide range of nucleophilic ligandable hotspots, including lysines, serines, threonines, and tyrosines, encompassing active sites, allosteric sites, post-translational modification sites, protein interaction sites, and previously uncharacterized potential binding sites. Surprisingly, we also show that fragment-based NHS-ester ligands can be made to confer selectivity for specific lysine hotspots on specific targets including Dpyd, Aldh2, and Gstt1. We thus put forth NHS-esters as promising reactivity-based probes and chemical scaffolds for covalent ligand discovery.

  17. Layer-by-layer cell membrane assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matosevic, Sandro; Paegel, Brian M.

    2013-11-01

    Eukaryotic subcellular membrane systems, such as the nuclear envelope or endoplasmic reticulum, present a rich array of architecturally and compositionally complex supramolecular targets that are as yet inaccessible. Here we describe layer-by-layer phospholipid membrane assembly on microfluidic droplets, a route to structures with defined compositional asymmetry and lamellarity. Starting with phospholipid-stabilized water-in-oil droplets trapped in a static droplet array, lipid monolayer deposition proceeds as oil/water-phase boundaries pass over the droplets. Unilamellar vesicles assembled layer-by-layer support functional insertion both of purified and of in situ expressed membrane proteins. Synthesis and chemical probing of asymmetric unilamellar and double-bilayer vesicles demonstrate the programmability of both membrane lamellarity and lipid-leaflet composition during assembly. The immobilized vesicle arrays are a pragmatic experimental platform for biophysical studies of membranes and their associated proteins, particularly complexes that assemble and function in multilamellar contexts in vivo.

  18. Peristalticity-driven banded chemical garden

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pópity-Tóth, É.; Schuszter, G.; Horváth, D.; Tóth, Á.

    2018-05-01

    Complex structures in nature are often formed by self-assembly. In order to mimic the formation, to enhance the production, or to modify the structures, easy-to-use methods are sought to couple engineering and self-assembly. Chemical-garden-like precipitation reactions are frequently used to study such couplings because of the intrinsic chemical and hydrodynamic interplays. In this work, we present a simple method of applying periodic pressure fluctuations given by a peristaltic pump which can be used to achieve regularly banded precipitate membranes in the copper-phosphate system.

  19. A highly versatile and easily configurable system for plant electrophysiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunsé, Benet; Poschenrieder, Charlotte; Rankl, Simone; Schröeder, Peter; Rodrigo-Moreno, Ana; Barceló, Juan

    2016-01-01

    In this study we present a highly versatile and easily configurable system for measuring plant electrophysiological parameters and ionic flow rates, connected to a computer-controlled highly accurate positioning device. The modular software used allows easy customizable configurations for the measurement of electrophysiological parameters. Both the operational tests and the experiments already performed have been fully successful and rendered a low noise and highly stable signal. Assembly, programming and configuration examples are discussed. The system is a powerful technique that not only gives precise measuring of plant electrophysiological status, but also allows easy development of ad hoc configurations that are not constrained to plant studies. •We developed a highly modular system for electrophysiology measurements that can be used either in organs or cells and performs either steady or dynamic intra- and extracellular measurements that takes advantage of the easiness of visual object-oriented programming.•High precision accuracy in data acquisition under electrical noisy environments that allows it to run even in a laboratory close to electrical equipment that produce electrical noise.•The system makes an improvement of the currently used systems for monitoring and controlling high precision measurements and micromanipulation systems providing an open and customizable environment for multiple experimental needs.

  20. Ultrafine luminescent structures through nanoparticle self-assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prabhakaran, K; Goetzinger, S; Shafi, K V P M; Mazzei, A; Schietinger, S; Benson, O

    2006-01-01

    We report the fabrication of ultrafine structures consisting of regular arrays of nanoemitters through the self-assembly of luminescent nanoparticles on a silicon wafer. Nanoparticles of yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) doped with Eu 3+ ions were synthesized by a sonochemical technique. These particles, suspended in ethanol, are introduced onto a pre-patterned silicon wafer, covered with a thin oxide layer. On annealing the sample in an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber, the nanoparticles self-assemble along the pattern. We demonstrate this 'chemical lithography' by assembling the nanoparticles along a variety of patterns. We believe that such self-organized nanopatterning of functional structures is important for the realization of nanodevices

  1. Controlled growth of epitaxial CeO2 thin films with self-organized nanostructure by chemical solution method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yue, Zhao; Grivel, Jean-Claude

    2013-01-01

    Chemical solution deposition is a versatile technique to grow oxide thin films with self-organized nanostructures. Morphology and crystallographic orientation control of CeO2 thin films grown on technical NiW substrates by a chemical solution deposition method are achieved in this work. Based...

  2. Film Self-Assembly of Oppositely Charged Macromolecules Triggered by Electrochemistry through a Morphogenic Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dochter, Alexandre; Garnier, Tony; Pardieu, Elodie; Chau, Nguyet Trang Thanh; Maerten, Clément; Senger, Bernard; Schaaf, Pierre; Jierry, Loïc; Boulmedais, Fouzia

    2015-09-22

    The development of new surface functionalization methods that are easy to use, versatile, and allow local deposition represents a real scientific challenge. Overcoming this challenge, we present here a one-pot process that consists in self-assembling, by electrochemistry on an electrode, films made of oppositely charged macromolecules. This method relies on a charge-shifting polyanion, dimethylmaleic-modified poly(allylamine) (PAHd), that undergoes hydrolysis at acidic pH, leading to an overall switching of its charge. When a mixture of the two polyanions, PAHd and poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS), is placed in contact with an electrode, where the pH is decreased locally by electrochemistry, the transformation of PAHd into a polycation (PAH) leads to the continuous self-assembly of a nanometric PAH/PSS film by electrostatic interactions. The pH decrease is obtained by the electrochemical oxidation of hydroquinone, which produces protons locally over nanometric distances. Using a negatively charged enzyme, alkaline phosphatase (AP), instead of PSS, this one-pot process allows the creation of enzymatically active films. Under mild conditions, self-assembled PAH/AP films have an enzymatic activity which is adjustable simply by controlling the self-assembly time. The selective functionalization of microelectrode arrays by PAH/AP was achieved, opening the route toward miniaturized biosensors.

  3. Quantitative self-assembly prediction yields targeted nanomedicines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamay, Yosi; Shah, Janki; Işık, Mehtap; Mizrachi, Aviram; Leibold, Josef; Tschaharganeh, Darjus F.; Roxbury, Daniel; Budhathoki-Uprety, Januka; Nawaly, Karla; Sugarman, James L.; Baut, Emily; Neiman, Michelle R.; Dacek, Megan; Ganesh, Kripa S.; Johnson, Darren C.; Sridharan, Ramya; Chu, Karen L.; Rajasekhar, Vinagolu K.; Lowe, Scott W.; Chodera, John D.; Heller, Daniel A.

    2018-02-01

    Development of targeted nanoparticle drug carriers often requires complex synthetic schemes involving both supramolecular self-assembly and chemical modification. These processes are generally difficult to predict, execute, and control. We describe herein a targeted drug delivery system that is accurately and quantitatively predicted to self-assemble into nanoparticles based on the molecular structures of precursor molecules, which are the drugs themselves. The drugs assemble with the aid of sulfated indocyanines into particles with ultrahigh drug loadings of up to 90%. We devised quantitative structure-nanoparticle assembly prediction (QSNAP) models to identify and validate electrotopological molecular descriptors as highly predictive indicators of nano-assembly and nanoparticle size. The resulting nanoparticles selectively targeted kinase inhibitors to caveolin-1-expressing human colon cancer and autochthonous liver cancer models to yield striking therapeutic effects while avoiding pERK inhibition in healthy skin. This finding enables the computational design of nanomedicines based on quantitative models for drug payload selection.

  4. Chemical Ligation: A Versatile Method for Nucleoside Modification with Boron Clusters

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Wojtczak, B. A.; Andrysiak, A.; Grüner, Bohumír; Lesnikowski, Z. J.

    -, č. 14 (2008), s. 10675-10682 ISSN 0947-6539 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC523 Grant - others:MSHE(PL) N405 051 32/3592; MSHE(PL) K152/H03/2007/10 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40320502 Keywords : alkynes * azides * chemical ligation Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 5.454, year: 2008

  5. Self-assembled monolayers and chemical derivatization of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films: Applications in phase shifter devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morales-Cruz, Angel L.; Van Keuls, Fred W.; Miranda, Felix A.; Cabrera, Carlos R.

    2005-01-01

    Thin films of barium strontium titanate (Ba 1-x Sr x TiO 3 (BSTO)) have been used in coupled microstrip phase shifters (CMPS) for possible insertion in satellite and wireless communication platforms primarily because of their high dielectric constant, low loss, large tunability, and good structural stability. In an attempt to improve the figure of merit K (phase shift deg /dB of loss) of phase shifters, modification of the metal/BSTO interface of these devices has been done through surface modification of the BSTO layer using a self-assembled monolayer approach. The impact of this nanotechnology promises to reduce RF losses by improving the quality of the metal/BSTO interface. In this study, compounds such as 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS), 16-mercaptohexadecanois acid (MHDA) and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) were used to form the self-assembled monolayers on the BSTO surface. As a result of the previous modification, chemical derivatization of the self-assembled monolayers was done in order to increase the chain length. Chemical derivatization was done using 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) and 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid. Surface chemical analysis was done to reveal the composition of the derivatization via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR). Low and high frequencies measurements of phase shifters were done in order measure the performance of these devices for insertion in antennas. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of modified BSTO thin films with MPS showed a binding energy peak at 162.9 eV, indicative of a possible S-O interaction: sulfur of the mercapto compound, MPS, used to modify the surface with the oxygen site of the BSTO thin film. This interaction is at higher binding energies compared with the thiolate interaction. This behavior is observed with the other mercapto compounds such as: MHDA and MPA. An FT-IR analysis present a band at 780 cm -1 , which is characteristic of an O

  6. A microwave powered sensor assembly for microwave ovens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2016-01-01

    The present invention relates to a microwave powered sensor assembly for micro- wave ovens. The microwave powered sensor assembly comprises a microwave antenna for generating an RF antenna signal in response to microwave radiation at a predetermined excitation frequency. A dc power supply circuit...... of the microwave powered sensor assembly is operatively coupled to the RF antenna signal for extracting energy from the RF antenna signal and produce a power supply voltage. A sensor is connected to the power supply voltage and configured to measure a physical or chemical property of a food item under heating...... in a microwave oven chamber....

  7. Advances in the design and higher-order assembly of collagen mimetic peptides for regenerative medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strauss, Kevin; Chmielewski, Jean

    2017-08-01

    Regenerative medicine makes use of cell-supporting biomaterials to replace lost or damaged tissue. Collagen holds great potential in this regard caused by its biocompatibility and structural versatility. While natural collagen has shown promise for regenerative medicine, collagen mimetic peptides (CMPs) have emerged that allow far higher degrees of customization and ease of preparation. A wide range of two and three-dimensional assemblies have been generated from CMPs, many of which accommodate cellular adhesion and encapsulation, through careful sequence design and the exploitation of electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. But the methodology that has generated the greatest plethora of viable biomaterials is metal-promoted assembly of CMP triple helices-a rapid process that occurs under physiological conditions. Architectures generated in this manner promote cell growth, enable directed attachment of bioactive cargo, and produce living tissue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Versatile functionalization of nanoelectrodes by oligonucleotides via pyrrole electrochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Descamps, Emeline; Nguyen, Khoa; Bouchain-Gautier, Christelle; Filoramo, Arianna; Goux-Capes, Laurence; Goffman, Marcello; Bourgoin, Jean-Philippe; Mailley, Pascal; Livache, Thierry

    2010-11-15

    Surface modification at the nanometer scale is a challenge for the future of molecular electronics. In particular, the precise anchoring and electrical addressing of biological scaffolds such as complex DNA nanonetworks is of importance for generating bio-directed assemblies of nano-objects for nanocircuit purposes. Herein, we consider the individual modification of nanoelectrodes with different oligonucleotide sequences by an electrochemically driven co-polymerization process of pyrrole and modified oligonucleotide sequences bearing pyrrole monomers. We demonstrate that this one-step technique presents the advantages of simplicity, localization of surface modification, mechanical, biological and chemical stability of the coatings, and high lateral resolution.

  9. Imidazolide monolayers for versatile reactive microcontact printing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hsu, S.H.; Reinhoudt, David; Huskens, Jurriaan; Velders, Aldrik

    2008-01-01

    Imidazolide monolayers prepared from the reaction of amino SAMs with N,N-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) are used as a versatile platform for surface patterning with amino-, carboxyl- and alcohol-containing compounds through reactive microcontact printing (µCP). To demonstrate the surface reactivity of

  10. Assembly of Triblock Amphiphilic Peptides into One-Dimensional Aggregates and Network Formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozgur, Beytullah; Sayar, Mehmet

    2016-10-06

    Peptide assembly plays a key role in both neurological diseases and development of novel biomaterials with well-defined nanostructures. Synthetic model peptides provide a unique platform to explore the role of intermolecular interactions in the assembly process. A triblock peptide architecture designed by the Hartgerink group is a versatile system which relies on Coulomb interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobicity to guide these peptides' assembly at three different length scales: β-sheets, double-wall ribbon-like aggregates, and finally a highly porous network structure which can support gels with ≤1% by weight peptide concentration. In this study, by using molecular dynamics simulations of a structure based implicit solvent coarse grained model, we analyzed this hierarchical assembly process. Parametrization of our CG model is based on multiple-state points from atomistic simulations, which enables this model to represent the conformational adaptability of the triblock peptide molecule based on the surrounding medium. Our results indicate that emergence of the double-wall β-sheet packing mechanism, proposed in light of the experimental evidence, strongly depends on the subtle balance of the intermolecular forces. We demonstrate that, even though backbone hydrogen bonding dominates the early nucleation stages, depending on the strength of the hydrophobic and Coulomb forces, alternative structures such as zero-dimensional aggregates with two β-sheets oriented orthogonally (which we refer to as a cross-packed structure) and β-sheets with misoriented hydrophobic side chains are also feasible. We discuss the implications of these competing structures for the three different length scales of assembly by systematically investigating the influence of density, counterion valency, and hydrophobicity.

  11. Chemical-gene interaction networks and causal reasoning for ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evaluating the potential human health and ecological risks associated with exposures to complex chemical mixtures in the environment is one of the main challenges of chemical safety assessment and environmental protection. There is a need for approaches that can help to integrate chemical monitoring and biological effects data to evaluate risks associated with chemicals present in the environment. Here, we used prior knowledge about chemical-gene interactions to develop a knowledge assembly model for detected chemicals at five locations near the North Branch and Chisago wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in the St. Croix River Basin, MN and WI. The assembly model was used to generate hypotheses about the biological impacts of the chemicals at each location. The hypotheses were tested using empirical hepatic gene expression data from fathead minnows exposed for 12 d at each location. Empirical gene expression data were also mapped to the assembly models to evaluate the likelihood of a chemical contributing to the observed biological responses using richness and concordance statistics. The prior knowledge approach was able predict the observed biological pathways impacted at one site but not the other. Atrazine was identified as a potential contributor to the observed gene expression responses at a location upstream of the North Branch WTTP. Four chemicals were identified as contributors to the observed biological responses at the effluent and downstream o

  12. Chemical and physical passivation of type II strained-layer superlattice devices by means of thiolated self-assembled monolayers and polymer encapsulates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, Nathan C.; Knorr, Daniel B.; Williams, Kristen S.; Baril, Neil; Nallon, Eric; Lenhart, Joseph L.; Andzelm, Jan W.; Pellegrino, Joseph; Tidrow, Meimei; Cleveland, Erin; Bandara, Sumith

    2015-05-01

    The efficacy of solution deposition of thiolated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been explored for the purpose of passivating III-V type II superlattice (T2SL) photodetectors, more specifically a p-type heterojunction device. Sulfur passivation has previously been achieved on T2SL devices. However, degradation over time, temperature sensitivity and inconsistent reproducibility necessitate a physical encapsulate that can chemically bond to the chemical passivant. Thus, this research investigates two passivation methods, surface passivation with a thiol monolayer and passivation with a polymer encapsulant with a view toward future combination of these techniques. Analysis of the physical and chemical condition of the surface prior to deposition assisted in the development of ideal processes for optimized film quality. Successful deposition was facilitated by in situ oxide removal. Various commercially available functional (cysteamine) and non-functional (alkane) thiolated monolayers were investigated. Dark current was reduced by 3 orders of magnitude and achieved negligible surface leakage at low bias levels. The lowest dark current result, 7.69 × 10-6 A/cm2 at 50 mV, was achieved through passivation with cysteamine.

  13. Temporal Control over Transient Chemical Systems using Structurally Diverse Chemical Fuels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jack L-Y; Maiti, Subhabrata; Fortunati, Ilaria; Ferrante, Camilla; Prins, Leonard J

    2017-08-25

    The next generation of adaptive, intelligent chemical systems will rely on a continuous supply of energy to maintain the functional state. Such systems will require chemical methodology that provides precise control over the energy dissipation process, and thus, the lifetime of the transiently activated function. This manuscript reports on the use of structurally diverse chemical fuels to control the lifetime of two different systems under dissipative conditions: transient signal generation and the transient formation of self-assembled aggregates. The energy stored in the fuels is dissipated at different rates by an enzyme, which installs a dependence of the lifetime of the active system on the chemical structure of the fuel. In the case of transient signal generation, it is shown that different chemical fuels can be used to generate a vast range of signal profiles, allowing temporal control over two orders of magnitude. Regarding self-assembly under dissipative conditions, the ability to control the lifetime using different fuels turns out to be particularly important as stable aggregates are formed only at well-defined surfactant/fuel ratios, meaning that temporal control cannot be achieved by simply changing the fuel concentration. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Functionalization and large scale assembly of carbon nanotubes

    OpenAIRE

    Majumder, Anindya

    2016-01-01

    Assembly of nanoparticles provides effective building blocks for physical, chemical and biological systems which have surprisingly collective intrinsic physical properties. One-dimensional nanomaterials are one of the most spectacular and promising candidates for technological application in the field of nanotechnology. Single-walled carbon nanotubes represent an anisotropic and perfectly one-dimensional group of nanomaterials with extraordinary electronic, mechanical, chemical and thermal pr...

  15. True-slime-mould-inspired hydrostatically coupled oscillator system exhibiting versatile behaviours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umedachi, Takuya; Ito, Kentaro; Idei, Ryo; Ishiguro, Akio

    2013-01-01

    Behavioural diversity is an indispensable attribute of living systems, which makes them intrinsically adaptive and responsive to the demands of a dynamically changing environment. In contrast, conventional engineering approaches struggle to suppress behavioural diversity in artificial systems to reach optimal performance in given environments for desired tasks. The goals of this research include understanding the essential mechanism that endows living systems with behavioural diversity and implementing the mechanism in robots to exhibit adaptive behaviours. For this purpose, we have focused on an amoeba-like unicellular organism: the plasmodium of true slime mould. Despite the absence of a central nervous system, the plasmodium exhibits versatile spatiotemporal oscillatory patterns and switches spontaneously among these patterns. By exploiting this behavioural diversity, it is able to exhibit adaptive behaviour according to the situation encountered. Inspired by this organism, we built a real physical robot using hydrostatically coupled oscillators that produce versatile oscillatory patterns and spontaneous transitions among the patterns. The experimental results show that exploiting physical hydrostatic interplay—the physical dynamics of the robot—allows simple phase oscillators to promote versatile behaviours. The results can contribute to an understanding of how a living system generates versatile and adaptive behaviours with physical interplays among body parts. (paper)

  16. Changes is radioactive iodine metabolism in acute chemical intoxications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selyutitskij, G.V.; Likhtarev, I.A.; Volkova, N.V.; Zvonova, I.A.; Ostryakova, N.I.

    1978-01-01

    It is shown that the response of the endocrine system (iodine-absorbing and hormone-secreting fUnctions of the thyroid) as studied by the radioactive iodine test may be a reasonably versatile indicator of the response of the thyroid component of the endocrine system to acute intoxication of the organism. Trials of this test using seven chemical substances have confirmed that the radioiodine test is a sufficienty universal method to be used in setting sanitary and hygienic standards for permissible levels of chemical substances

  17. Guinea Pigs: Versatile Animals for the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barman, Charles R.

    1977-01-01

    Guinea pigs are presented as versatile classroom animals. Suggestions for animal behavior and genetics studies are given. Also included is information concerning sex determination and the breeding of guinea pigs, and hints on keeping these animals in the classroom. References and illustrations complete the article. (MA)

  18. Chemical tools: epoxic resins; Herramientas quimicas: resinas epoxidicas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paz, S.; Pazos, M.; Prendes, P.

    1998-10-01

    Epoxy resins are very useful products for different applications in different fields. Due to the fact that they are a highly versatile products they can be considered as chemical tools. However the epoxy resins must be correctly formulated in order to obtain the final properties. In this article an easy and reliable method to optimise the energy formulation is presented. (Author)

  19. Functional Carbon Quantum Dots: A Versatile Platform for Chemosensing and Biosensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Hui; Qian, Zhaosheng

    2018-05-01

    Carbon quantum dot has emerged as a new promising fluorescent nanomaterial due to its excellent optical properties, outstanding biocompatibility and accessible fabrication methods, and has shown huge application perspective in a variety of areas, especially in chemosensing and biosensing applications. In this personal account, we give a brief overview of carbon quantum dots from its origin and preparation methods, present some advance on fluorescence origin of carbon quantum dots, and focus on development of chemosensors and biosensors based on functional carbon quantum dots. Comprehensive advances on functional carbon quantum dots as a versatile platform for sensing from our group are included and summarized as well as some typical examples from the other groups. The biosensing applications of functional carbon quantum dots are highlighted from selective assays of enzyme activity to fluorescent identification of cancer cells and bacteria. © 2018 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Multilayer network decoding versatility and trust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, Camellia; Yadav, Alok; Jalan, Sarika

    2016-01-01

    In the recent years, the multilayer networks have increasingly been realized as a more realistic framework to understand emergent physical phenomena in complex real-world systems. We analyze massive time-varying social data drawn from the largest film industry of the world under a multilayer network framework. The framework enables us to evaluate the versatility of actors, which turns out to be an intrinsic property of lead actors. Versatility in dimers suggests that working with different types of nodes are more beneficial than with similar ones. However, the triangles yield a different relation between type of co-actor and the success of lead nodes indicating the importance of higher-order motifs in understanding the properties of the underlying system. Furthermore, despite the degree-degree correlations of entire networks being neutral, multilayering picks up different values of correlation indicating positive connotations like trust, in the recent years. The analysis of weak ties of the industry uncovers nodes from a lower-degree regime being important in linking Bollywood clusters. The framework and the tools used herein may be used for unraveling the complexity of other real-world systems.

  1. A FLUORESCENCE-BASED SCREENING ASSAY FOR DNA DAMAGE INDUCED BY GENOTOXIC INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The possibility of deliberate or accidental release of toxic chemicals in industrial, commercial or residential settings has indicated a need for rapid, cost-effective and versatile monitoring methods to prevent exposures to humans and ecosystems. Because many toxic industrial c...

  2. Ultrasound directed self-assembly of three-dimensional user-specified patterns of particles in a fluid medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prisbrey, M.; Greenhall, J.; Guevara Vasquez, F.; Raeymaekers, B.

    2017-01-01

    We use ultrasound directed self-assembly to organize particles dispersed in a fluid medium into a three-dimensional (3D) user-specified pattern. The technique employs ultrasound transducers that line the boundary of a fluid reservoir to create a standing ultrasound wave field. The acoustic radiation force associated with the wave field drives particles dispersed in the fluid medium into organized patterns, assuming that the particles are much smaller than the wavelength and do not interact with each other. We have theoretically derived a direct solution method to calculate the ultrasound transducer operating parameters that are required to assemble a user-specified 3D pattern of particles in a fluid reservoir of arbitrary geometry. We formulate the direct solution method as a constrained optimization problem that reduces to eigendecomposition. We experimentally validate the solution method by assembling 3D patterns of carbon nanoparticles in a water reservoir and observe good quantitative agreement between theory and experiment. Additionally, we demonstrate the versatility of the solution method by simulating ultrasound directed self-assembly of complex 3D patterns of particles. The method works for any 3D simple, closed fluid reservoir geometry in combination with any arrangement of ultrasound transducers and enables employing ultrasound directed self-assembly in a myriad of engineering applications, including biomedical and materials fabrication processes.

  3. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Do Versatile Learners make Connective Leaders?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jill L. Robinson

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Recent failures in leadership, suggest that creating better-quality leadership development programs is critical. In moving from theory to practice, this paper examined the relationship between learning style and leadership style which may enable us to move away from one-size-fits-all leadership development programs. Utilizing Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model and Connective Leadership theory, approximately 3600 college students were analyzed to discover whether versatility in learning styles translates into versatility in leadership styles. One group of versatile learners reported using a wider range of leadership styles suggesting that learning flexibility may transfer to leadership flexibility. Surprisingly, learners of all types reported utilizing Power and Intrinsic styles of leadership above all others. Implications for leadership development include considering individual differences when crafting leadership programs, matching learning styles to leader training, and the need to move beyond one set of leadership behaviors to increase flexibility in dealing with complex situations. Using a large sample rarely seen in management studies, this paper makes key contributions to the literature. 

  4. A Small-Volume, Low-Cost, and Versatile Continuous Culture Device.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominick Matteau

    Full Text Available Continuous culture devices can be used for various purposes such as establishing reproducible growth conditions or maintaining cell populations under a constant environment for long periods. However, commercially available instruments are expensive, were not designed to handle small volumes in the milliliter range, and can lack the flexibility required for the diverse experimental needs found in several laboratories.We developed a versatile continuous culture system and provide detailed instructions as well as a graphical user interface software for potential users to assemble and operate their own instrument. Three culture chambers can be controlled simultaneously with the proposed configuration, and all components are readily available from various sources. We demonstrate that our continuous culture device can be used under different modes, and can easily be programmed to behave either as a turbidostat or chemostat. Addition of fresh medium to the culture vessel can be controlled by a real-time feedback loop or simply calibrated to deliver a defined volume. Furthermore, the selected light-emitting diode and photodetector enable the use of phenol red as a pH indicator, which can be used to indirectly monitor the bulk metabolic activity of a cell population rather than the turbidity.This affordable and customizable system will constitute a useful tool in many areas of biology such as microbial ecology as well as systems and synthetic biology.

  5. A New Class of Metal-Cyclam-Based Zirconium Metal–Organic Frameworks for CO 2 Adsorption and Chemical Fixation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Jie [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Usov, Pavel M. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Xu, Wenqian [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS) and X-ray Science Division; Celis-Salazar, Paula J. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Lin, Shaoyang [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Kessinger, Matthew C. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Landaverde-Alvarado, Carlos [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Macromolecules Innovation Inst.; Cai, Meng [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; May, Ann M. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Slebodnick, Carla [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Zhu, Dunru [Nanjing Univ. of Technology (China). State Key Lab. of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering (MCE) and College of Chemical Engineering; Senanayake, Sanjaya D. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Morris, Amanda J. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Macromolecules Innovation Inst.

    2017-12-22

    Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise in catalysis, mainly due to their high content of active centers, large internal surface areas, tunable pore size, and versatile chemical functionalities. However, it is a challenge to rationally design and construct MOFs that can serve as highly stable and reusable heterogeneous catalysts. Here two new robust 3D porous metal-cyclam-based zirconium MOFs, denoted VPI-100 (Cu) and VPI-100 (Ni), have been prepared by a modulated synthetic strategy. The frameworks are assembled by eight-connected Zr-6 clusters and metallocyclams as organic linkers. Importantly, the cyclam core has accessible axial coordination sites for guest interactions and maintains the electronic properties exhibited by the parent cyclam ring. The VPI-100 MOFs exhibit excellent chemical stability in various organic and aqueous solvents over a wide pH range and show high CO2 uptake capacity (up to similar to 9.83 wt% adsorption at 273 K under 1 atm). Moreover, VPI-100 MOFs demonstrate some of the highest reported catalytic activity values (turnover frequency and conversion efficiency) among Zr-based MOFs for the chemical fixation of CO2 with epoxides, including sterically hindered epoxides. The MOFs, which bear dual catalytic sites (Zr and Cu/Ni), enable chemistry not possible with the cyclam ligand under the same conditions and can be used as recoverable stable heterogeneous catalysts without losing performance.

  6. From metal-organic squares to porous zeolite-like supramolecular assemblies

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Shuang

    2010-12-29

    We report the synthesis, structure, and characterization of two novel porous zeolite-like supramolecular assemblies, ZSA-1 and ZSA-2, having zeolite gis and rho topologies, respectively. The two compounds were assembled from functional metal-organic squares (MOSs) via directional hydrogen-bonding interactions and exhibited permanent microporosity and thermal stability up to 300 °C. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  7. Toward a versatile toolbox for cucurbit[n]uril-based supramolecular hydrogel networks through in situ polymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ji; Soo Yun Tan, Cindy; Lan, Yang; Scherman, Oren A

    2017-09-15

    The success of exploiting cucurbit[ n ]uril (CB[ n ])-based molecular recognition in self-assembled systems has sparked a tremendous interest in polymer and materials chemistry. In this study, polymerization in the presence of host-guest complexes is applied as a modular synthetic approach toward a diverse set of CB[8]-based supramolecular hydrogels with desirable properties, such as mechanical strength, toughness, energy dissipation, self-healing, and shear-thinning. A range of vinyl monomers, including acrylamide-, acrylate-, and imidazolium-based hydrophilic monomers, could be easily incorporated as the polymer backbones, leading to a library of CB[8] hydrogel networks. This versatile strategy explores new horizons for the construction of supramolecular hydrogel networks and materials with emergent properties in wearable and self-healable electronic devices, sensors, and structural biomaterials. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 3105-3109.

  8. Synthesis and Characterization of Self-Assembled Nanogels Made of Pullulan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sílvia A. Ferreira

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Self-assembled nanogels made of hydrophobized pullulan were obtained using a versatile, simple, reproducible and low-cost method. In a first reaction pullulan was modified with hydroxyethyl methacrylate or vinyl methacrylate, further modified in the second step with hydrophobic 1-hexadecanethiol, resulting as an amphiphilic material, which self-assembles in water via the hydrophobic interaction among alkyl chains. Structural features, size, shape, surface charge and stability of the nanogels were studied using hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance, fluorescence spectroscopy, cryo-field emission scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Above the critical aggregation concentration spherical polydisperse macromolecular micelles revealed long-term colloidal stability in aqueous medium, with a nearly neutral negative surface charge and mean hydrodynamic diameter in the range 100–400 nm, depending on the polymer degree of substitution. Good size stability was observed when nanogels were exposed to potential destabilizing pH conditions. While the size stability of the nanogel made of pullulan with vinyl methacrylate and more hydrophobic chains grafted was affected by the ionic strength and urea, nanogel made of pullulan with hydroxyethyl methacrylate and fewer hydrophobic chains grafted remained stable.

  9. Data base of reactor physics experimental results in Kyoto University critical assembly experimental facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ichihara, Chihiro; Fujine, Shigenori; Hayashi, Masatoshi

    1986-01-01

    The Kyoto University critical assembly experimental facilities belong to the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute, and are the versatile critical assembly constructed for experimentally studying reactor physics and reactor engineering. The facilities are those for common utilization by universities in whole Japan. During more than ten years since the initial criticality in 1974, various experiments on reactor physics and reactor engineering have been carried out using many experimental facilities such as two solidmoderated cores, a light water-moderated core and a neutron generator. The kinds of the experiment carried out were diverse, and to find out the required data from them is very troublesome, accordingly it has become necessary to make a data base which can be processed by a computer with the data accumulated during the past more than ten years. The outline of the data base, the data base CAEX using personal computers, the data base supported by a large computer and so on are reported. (Kako, I.)

  10. Self-assembly of Polystyrene- b -poly(2-vinylpyridine)- b -poly(ethylene oxide) Triblock Terpolymers

    KAUST Repository

    Musteata, Valentina-Elena; Sutisna, Burhannudin; Polymeropoulos, Georgios; Avgeropoulos, Apostolos; Meneau, Florian; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor; Hadjichristidis, Nikolaos; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

    2017-01-01

    Polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO) terpolymer is a versatile polymer to form isoporous films and membranes, due to the possibility of self-assembly control and the properties of the different blocks, such as the P2VP ability of complexation, and H-bond formation, and the PEO biocompatibility. Copolymers with different block ratios and sizes were synthesized. The correlation between their equilibrium bulk morphology, the self-assembly in dilute and semi-dilute solutions and the non-equilibrium porous structures of membranes, obtained by non-solvent induced phase separation, was investigated and discussed in detail. The characterization was performed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Hexagonal, cubic and lamellar arrangements were observed. The preparation conditions were optimized and a regular, isoporous morphology, suitable for membrane application, was successfully obtained with PS80.5k-b-P2VP64.4k-b-PEO16.1k.

  11. Self-assembly of Polystyrene- b -poly(2-vinylpyridine)- b -poly(ethylene oxide) Triblock Terpolymers

    KAUST Repository

    Musteata, Valentina-Elena

    2017-11-08

    Polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO) terpolymer is a versatile polymer to form isoporous films and membranes, due to the possibility of self-assembly control and the properties of the different blocks, such as the P2VP ability of complexation, and H-bond formation, and the PEO biocompatibility. Copolymers with different block ratios and sizes were synthesized. The correlation between their equilibrium bulk morphology, the self-assembly in dilute and semi-dilute solutions and the non-equilibrium porous structures of membranes, obtained by non-solvent induced phase separation, was investigated and discussed in detail. The characterization was performed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Hexagonal, cubic and lamellar arrangements were observed. The preparation conditions were optimized and a regular, isoporous morphology, suitable for membrane application, was successfully obtained with PS80.5k-b-P2VP64.4k-b-PEO16.1k.

  12. Towards versatile and sustainable hydrogen production via electrocatalytic water splitting: Electrolyte engineering

    KAUST Repository

    Shinagawa, Tatsuya

    2016-12-17

    Recent advances in power generation from renewable resources necessitate conversion of electricity to chemicals and fuels in an efficient manner. The electrocatalytic water splitting is one of the most powerful and widespread technologies. The development of highly efficient, inexpensive, flexible and versatile water electrolysis devices is desired. This review discusses the significance and impact of the electrolyte on electrocatalytic performance. Depending on the circumstances where water splitting reaction is conducted, required solution conditions such as the identity and molarity of ions may significantly differ. Quantitative understanding of such electrolyte properties on electrolysis performance is effective to facilitate developing efficient electrocatalytic systems. The electrolyte can directly participate in reaction schemes (kinetics), electrode stability, and/or indirectly impacts the performance by influencing concentration overpotential (mass transport). This review aims to guide fine-tuning of the electrolyte properties, or electrolyte engineering, for (photo)electrochemical water splitting reactions.

  13. Towards versatile and sustainable hydrogen production via electrocatalytic water splitting: Electrolyte engineering

    KAUST Repository

    Shinagawa, Tatsuya; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

    2016-01-01

    Recent advances in power generation from renewable resources necessitate conversion of electricity to chemicals and fuels in an efficient manner. The electrocatalytic water splitting is one of the most powerful and widespread technologies. The development of highly efficient, inexpensive, flexible and versatile water electrolysis devices is desired. This review discusses the significance and impact of the electrolyte on electrocatalytic performance. Depending on the circumstances where water splitting reaction is conducted, required solution conditions such as the identity and molarity of ions may significantly differ. Quantitative understanding of such electrolyte properties on electrolysis performance is effective to facilitate developing efficient electrocatalytic systems. The electrolyte can directly participate in reaction schemes (kinetics), electrode stability, and/or indirectly impacts the performance by influencing concentration overpotential (mass transport). This review aims to guide fine-tuning of the electrolyte properties, or electrolyte engineering, for (photo)electrochemical water splitting reactions.

  14. Quantitative computational models of molecular self-assembly in systems biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Marcus; Schwartz, Russell

    2017-05-23

    Molecular self-assembly is the dominant form of chemical reaction in living systems, yet efforts at systems biology modeling are only beginning to appreciate the need for and challenges to accurate quantitative modeling of self-assembly. Self-assembly reactions are essential to nearly every important process in cell and molecular biology and handling them is thus a necessary step in building comprehensive models of complex cellular systems. They present exceptional challenges, however, to standard methods for simulating complex systems. While the general systems biology world is just beginning to deal with these challenges, there is an extensive literature dealing with them for more specialized self-assembly modeling. This review will examine the challenges of self-assembly modeling, nascent efforts to deal with these challenges in the systems modeling community, and some of the solutions offered in prior work on self-assembly specifically. The review concludes with some consideration of the likely role of self-assembly in the future of complex biological system models more generally.

  15. Fraxinus: A Plant with Versatile Pharmacological and Biological Activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarfraz, Iqra; Rasul, Azhar; Jabeen, Farhat; Younis, Tahira; Zahoor, Muhammad Kashif; Arshad, Muhammad; Ali, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    Fraxinus , a member of the Oleaceae family, commonly known as ash tree is found in northeast Asia, north America, east and western France, China, northern areas of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Chemical constituents of Fraxinus plant include various secoiridoids, phenylethanoids, flavonoids, coumarins, and lignans; therefore, it is considered as a plant with versatile biological and pharmacological activities. Its tremendous range of pharmacotherapeutic properties has been well documented including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective. In addition, its bioactive phytochemicals and secondary metabolites can be effectively used in cosmetic industry and as a competent antiaging agent. Fraxinus presents pharmacological effectiveness by targeting the novel targets in several pathological conditions, which provide a spacious therapeutic time window. Our aim is to update the scientific research community with recent endeavors with specifically highlighting the mechanism of action in different diseases. This potentially efficacious pharmacological drug candidate should be used for new drug discovery in future. This review suggests that this plant has extremely important medicinal utilization but further supporting studies and scientific experimentations are mandatory to determine its specific intracellular targets and site of action to completely figure out its pharmacological applications.

  16. Assembly of live micro-organisms on microstructured PDMS stamps by convective/capillary deposition for AFM bio-experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dague, E; Jauvert, E; Laplatine, L; Thibault, C; Viallet, B; Ressier, L

    2011-01-01

    Immobilization of live micro-organisms on solid substrates is an important prerequisite for atomic force microscopy (AFM) bio-experiments. The method employed must immobilize the cells firmly enough to enable them to withstand the lateral friction forces exerted by the tip during scanning but without denaturing the cell interface. In this work, a generic method for the assembly of living cells on specific areas of substrates is proposed. It consists in assembling the living cells within the patterns of microstructured, functionalized poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps using convective/capillary deposition. This versatile approach is validated by applying it to two systems of foremost importance in biotechnology and medicine: Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts and Aspergillus fumigatus fungal spores. We show that this method allows multiplexing AFM nanomechanical measurements by force spectroscopy on S. cerevisiae yeasts and high-resolution AFM imaging of germinated Aspergillus conidia in buffer medium. These two examples clearly demonstrate the immense potential of micro-organism assembly on functionalized, microstructured PDMS stamps by convective/capillary deposition for performing rigorous AFM bio-experiments on living cells.

  17. Distinct Adsorption Configurations and Self-Assembly Characteristics of Fibrinogen on Chemically Uniform and Alternating Surfaces including Block Copolymer Nanodomains

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Understanding protein–surface interactions is crucial to solid-state biomedical applications whose functionality is directly correlated with the precise control of the adsorption configuration, surface packing, loading density, and bioactivity of protein molecules. Because of the small dimensions and highly amphiphilic nature of proteins, investigation of protein adsorption performed on nanoscale topology can shed light on subprotein-level interaction preferences. In this study, we examine the adsorption and assembly behavior of a highly elongated protein, fibrinogen, on both chemically uniform (as-is and buffered HF-treated SiO2/Si, and homopolymers of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate)) and varying (polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate)) surfaces. By focusing on high-resolution imaging of individual protein molecules whose configurations are influenced by protein–surface rather than protein–protein interactions, fibrinogen conformations characteristic to each surface are identified and statistically analyzed for structural similarities/differences in key protein domains. By exploiting block copolymer nanodomains whose repeat distance is commensurate with the length of the individual protein, we determine that fibrinogen exhibits a more neutral tendency for interaction with both polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) blocks relative to the case of common globular proteins. Factors affecting fibrinogen–polymer interactions are discussed in terms of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. In addition, assembly and packing attributes of fibrinogen are determined at different loading conditions. Primary orientations of fibrinogen and its rearrangements with respect to the underlying diblock nanodomains associated with different surface coverage are explained by pertinent protein interaction mechanisms. On the basis of two-dimensional stacking behavior, a protein assembly model is proposed for the formation of an extended fibrinogen network

  18. Self-Assembled Asymmetric Block Copolymer Membranes: Bridging the Gap from Ultra- to Nanofiltration

    KAUST Repository

    Yu, Haizhou; Qiu, Xiaoyan; Moreno, Nicolas; Ma, Zengwei; Calo, Victor M.; Nunes, Suzana Pereira; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

    2015-01-01

    -assembled block copolymer membranes to below 5 nm without post-treatment. It is now reported that the self-assembly of blends of two chemically interacting copolymers can lead to highly porous membranes with pore diameters as small as 1.5 nm. The membrane

  19. The Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling as a Versatile Tool for Peptide Diversification and Cyclization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tom Willemse

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The (site-selective derivatization of amino acids and peptides represents an attractive field with potential applications in the establishment of structure–activity relationships and labeling of bioactive compounds. In this respect, bioorthogonal cross-coupling reactions provide valuable means for ready access to peptide analogues with diversified structure and function. Due to the complex and chiral nature of peptides, mild reaction conditions are preferred; hence, a suitable cross-coupling reaction is required for the chemical modification of these challenging substrates. The Suzuki reaction, involving organoboron species, is appropriate given the stability and environmentally benign nature of these reactants and their amenability to be applied in (partial aqueous reaction conditions, an expected requirement upon the derivatization of peptides. Concerning the halogenated reaction partner, residues bearing halogen moieties can either be introduced directly as halogenated amino acids during solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS or genetically encoded into larger proteins. A reversed approach building in boron in the peptidic backbone is also possible. Furthermore, based on this complementarity, cyclic peptides can be prepared by halogenation, and borylation of two amino acid side chains present within the same peptidic substrate. Here, the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction is a tool to induce the desired cyclization. In this review, we discuss diverse amino acid and peptide-based applications explored by means of this extremely versatile cross-coupling reaction. With the advent of peptide-based drugs, versatile bioorthogonal conversions on these substrates have become highly valuable.

  20. Prodrugs as self-assembled hydrogels: a new paradigm for biomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vemula, Praveen Kumar; Wiradharma, Nikken; Ankrum, James A; Miranda, Oscar R; John, George; Karp, Jeffrey M

    2013-12-01

    Prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels represent a new class of active biomaterials that can be harnessed for medical applications, in particular the design of stimuli responsive drug delivery devices. In this approach, a promoiety is chemically conjugated to a known-drug to generate an amphiphilic prodrug that is capable of forming self-assembled hydrogels. Prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels are advantageous as they alter the solubility of the drug, enhance drug loading, and eliminate the use of harmful excipients. In addition, self-assembled prodrug hydrogels can be designed to undergo controlled drug release or tailored degradation in response to biological cues. Herein we review the development of prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels as an emerging class of biomaterials that overcome several common limitations encountered in conventional drug delivery. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Electron Microscopic Visualization of Protein Assemblies on Flattened DNA Origami.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallik, Leena; Dhakal, Soma; Nichols, Joseph; Mahoney, Jacob; Dosey, Anne M; Jiang, Shuoxing; Sunahara, Roger K; Skiniotis, Georgios; Walter, Nils G

    2015-07-28

    DNA provides an ideal substrate for the engineering of versatile nanostructures due to its reliable Watson-Crick base pairing and well-characterized conformation. One of the most promising applications of DNA nanostructures arises from the site-directed spatial arrangement with nanometer precision of guest components such as proteins, metal nanoparticles, and small molecules. Two-dimensional DNA origami architectures, in particular, offer a simple design, high yield of assembly, and large surface area for use as a nanoplatform. However, such single-layer DNA origami were recently found to be structurally polymorphous due to their high flexibility, leading to the development of conformationally restrained multilayered origami that lack some of the advantages of the single-layer designs. Here we monitored single-layer DNA origami by transmission electron microscopy (EM) and discovered that their conformational heterogeneity is dramatically reduced in the presence of a low concentration of dimethyl sulfoxide, allowing for an efficient flattening onto the carbon support of an EM grid. We further demonstrated that streptavidin and a biotinylated target protein (cocaine esterase, CocE) can be captured at predesignated sites on these flattened origami while maintaining their functional integrity. Our demonstration that protein assemblies can be constructed with high spatial precision (within ∼2 nm of their predicted position on the platforms) by using strategically flattened single-layer origami paves the way for exploiting well-defined guest molecule assemblies for biochemistry and nanotechnology applications.

  2. Nanoparticle-triggered in situ catalytic chemical reactions for tumour-specific therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Han; Chen, Yu; Shi, Jianlin

    2018-03-21

    Tumour chemotherapy employs highly cytotoxic chemodrugs, which kill both cancer and normal cells by cellular apoptosis or necrosis non-selectively. Catalysing/triggering the specific chemical reactions only inside tumour tissues can generate abundant and special chemicals and products locally to initiate a series of unique biological and pathologic effects, which may enable tumour-specific theranostic effects to combat cancer without bringing about significant side effects on normal tissues. Nevertheless, chemical reaction-initiated selective tumour therapy strongly depends on the advances in chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology and biomedicine. This emerging cross-disciplinary research area is substantially different from conventional cancer-theranostic modalities in clinics. In response to the fast developments in cancer theranostics based on intratumoural catalytic chemical reactions, this tutorial review summarizes the very-recent research progress in the design and synthesis of representative nanoplatforms with intriguing nanostructures, compositions, physiochemical properties and biological behaviours for versatile catalytic chemical reaction-enabled cancer treatments, mainly by either endogenous tumour microenvironment (TME) triggering or exogenous physical irradiation. These unique intratumoural chemical reactions can be used in tumour-starving therapy, chemodynamic therapy, gas therapy, alleviation of tumour hypoxia, TME-responsive diagnostic imaging and stimuli-responsive drug release, and even externally triggered versatile therapeutics. In particular, the challenges and future developments of such a novel type of cancer-theranostic modality are discussed in detail to understand the future developments and prospects in this research area as far as possible. It is highly expected that this kind of unique tumour-specific therapeutics by triggering specific in situ catalytic chemical reactions inside tumours would provide a novel but efficient

  3. Versatile Coating of Lithium Conductive Li2TiF6 on Over-lithiated Layered Oxide in Lithium-Ion Batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Wonchang; Benayard, Anass; Park, Jin-Hwan; Park, Junho; Doo, Seok-Gwang; Mun, Junyoung

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Li 2 TiF 6 coating was designed to grow surface lithium conductivity and stability. • We conducted an easy and versatile Li 2 TiF 6 lithium conductive coating on cathode. • The coating was performed very simply by ambient-temperature co-precipitation. • After the coating, rate capability, cycleability and thermal stability improved. - Abstract: We demonstrate an easy and versatile approach to modify a cathode-surface with a highly lithium–ion conductive layer by coating it with Li 2 TiF 6 . The thin and homogeneous Li 2 TiF 6 coating is introduced onto an over-lithiated layered oxide (OLO, namely Li 1.17 Ni 0.17 Co 0.1 Mn 0.56 O 2 ) surface via simple co-precipitation at ambient temperature by using Li 2 CO 3 and H 2 TiF 6 aqueous solutions. The lithium–conductive fluoride coating is expected to effectively suppress the undesired electrochemical and thermal interfacial reactions involving the OLO, which is critical in improving cycle performance and thermal stability. After Li 2 TiF 6 surface modification, the coated OLO materials showed high rate capability as well as long cyclability and improved thermal stability. The crystalline structure and surface microstructure of the prepared OLOs were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ultimately, the performances of the assembled lithium ion batteries were thoroughly investigated by electrochemical methods and thermal analysis

  4. Chemical regulators of plant hormones and their applications in basic research and agriculture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Kai; Asami, Tadao

    2018-04-20

    Plant hormones are small molecules that play versatile roles in regulating plant growth, development, and responses to the environment. Classic methodologies, including genetics, analytic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology, have contributed to the progress in plant hormone studies. In addition, chemical regulators of plant hormone functions have been important in such studies. Today, synthetic chemicals, including plant growth regulators, are used to study and manipulate biological systems, collectively referred to as chemical biology. Here, we summarize the available chemical regulators and their contributions to plant hormone studies. We also pose questions that remain to be addressed in plant hormone studies and that might be solved with the help of chemical regulators.

  5. Design of novel supramolecular self-assembly creating ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    Metal–organic composite materials with appropriate building blocks which can assemble into structures with specific and desired frameworks are challenging both for their solid state technology and for their chemical architecture. Of special interest is the construction of a microporous network that can exhibit reversible guest ...

  6. Electrostatic Self-Assembly Enabling Integrated Bulk and Interfacial Sodium Storage in 3D Titania-Graphene Hybrid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Gui-Liang; Xiao, Lisong; Sheng, Tian; Liu, Jianzhao; Hu, Yi-Xin; Ma, Tianyuan; Amine, Rachid; Xie, Yingying; Zhang, Xiaoyi; Liu, Yuzi; Ren, Yang; Sun, Cheng-Jun; Heald, Steve M; Kovacevic, Jasmina; Sehlleier, Yee Hwa; Schulz, Christof; Mattis, Wenjuan Liu; Sun, Shi-Gang; Wiggers, Hartmut; Chen, Zonghai; Amine, Khalil

    2018-01-10

    Room-temperature sodium-ion batteries have attracted increased attention for energy storage due to the natural abundance of sodium. However, it remains a huge challenge to develop versatile electrode materials with favorable properties, which requires smart structure design and good mechanistic understanding. Herein, we reported a general and scalable approach to synthesize three-dimensional (3D) titania-graphene hybrid via electrostatic-interaction-induced self-assembly. Synchrotron X-ray probe, transmission electron microscopy, and computational modeling revealed that the strong interaction between titania and graphene through comparably strong van der Waals forces not only facilitates bulk Na + intercalation but also enhances the interfacial sodium storage. As a result, the titania-graphene hybrid exhibits exceptional long-term cycle stability up to 5000 cycles, and ultrahigh rate capability up to 20 C for sodium storage. Furthermore, density function theory calculation indicated that the interfacial Li + , K + , Mg 2+, and Al 3+ storage can be enhanced as well. The proposed general strategy opens up new avenues to create versatile materials for advanced battery systems.

  7. Electrostatic Self-Assembly Enabling Integrated Bulk and Interfacial Sodium Storage in 3D Titania-Graphene Hybrid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Gui-Liang [Chemical; Xiao, Lisong [Center; Sheng, Tian [Collaborative; Liu, Jianzhao [Chemical; Hu, Yi-Xin [Chemical; Department; Ma, Tianyuan [Chemical; Amine, Rachid [Materials; Xie, Yingying [Chemical; Zhang, Xiaoyi [X-ray Science; Liu, Yuzi [Nanoscience; Ren, Yang [X-ray Science; Sun, Cheng-Jun [X-ray Science; Heald, Steve M. [X-ray Science; Kovacevic, Jasmina [Center; Sehlleier, Yee Hwa [Center; Schulz, Christof [Center; Mattis, Wenjuan Liu [Microvast Power Solutions, 12603; Sun, Shi-Gang [Collaborative; Wiggers, Hartmut [Center; Chen, Zonghai [Chemical; Amine, Khalil [Chemical

    2017-12-15

    Room temperature sodium-ion batteries have attracted increased attention for energy storage due to the natural abundance of sodium. However, it remains a huge challenge to develop versatile electrode materials with favorable properties, which requires smart structure design and good mechanistic understanding. Herein, we reported a general and scalable approach to synthesize 3D titania-graphene hybrid via electrostatic-interaction-induced self-assembly. Synchrotron X-ray probe, transmission electron microscopy and computational modeling revealed that the strong interaction between Titania and graphene through comparably strong van-der-Waals forces not only facilitates bulk Na+ intercalation but also enhances the interfacial sodium storage. As a result, the titania-graphene hybrid exhibits exceptional long-term cycle stability up to 5000 cycles, and ultrahigh rate capability up to 20 C for sodium storage. Furthermore, density function theory calculation indicated that the interfacial Li+, K+, Mg2+ and Al3+ storage can be enhanced as well. The proposed general strategy opens up new avenues to create versatile materials for advanced battery systems.

  8. DNA-programmed dynamic assembly of quantum dots for molecular computation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xuewen; Li, Zhi; Chen, Muzi; Ma, Nan

    2014-12-22

    Despite the widespread use of quantum dots (QDs) for biosensing and bioimaging, QD-based bio-interfaceable and reconfigurable molecular computing systems have not yet been realized. DNA-programmed dynamic assembly of multi-color QDs is presented for the construction of a new class of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based QD computing systems. A complete set of seven elementary logic gates (OR, AND, NOR, NAND, INH, XOR, XNOR) are realized using a series of binary and ternary QD complexes operated by strand displacement reactions. The integration of different logic gates into a half-adder circuit for molecular computation is also demonstrated. This strategy is quite versatile and straightforward for logical operations and would pave the way for QD-biocomputing-based intelligent molecular diagnostics. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Enhanced metabolic versatility of planktonic sulfur-oxidizing γ-proteobacteria in an oxygen-deficient coastal ecosystem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandro A. Murillo

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Sulfur-oxidizing Gamma-proteobacteria are abundant in marine oxygen-deficient waters, and appear to play a key role in a previously unrecognized cryptic sulfur cycle. Metagenomic analyses of members of the uncultured SUP05 lineage in the Canadian seasonally anoxic fjord Saanich Inlet (SI, hydrothermal plumes in the Guaymas Basin (GB and single cell genomics analysis of two ARCTIC96BD-19 representatives from the South Atlantic Sub-Tropical Gyre (SASG have shown them to be metabolically versatile. However, SI and GB SUP05 bacteria seem to be obligate chemolithoautotrophs, whereas ARCTIC96BD-19 has the genetic potential for aerobic respiration. Here, we present results of a metagenomic analysis of sulfur-oxidizing Gamma-proteobacteria (GSO, closely related to the SUP05/ARCTIC96BD-19 clade, from a coastal ecosystem in the eastern South Pacific (ESP. This ecosystem experiences seasonal anoxia and accumulation of nitrite and ammonium at depth, with a corresponding increase in the abundance of GSO representatives. The ESP-GSOs appear to have a significantly different gene complement than those from Saanich Inlet, Guaymas Basin and SASG. Genomic analyses of de novo assembled contigs indicate the presence of a complete aerobic respiratory complex based on the cytochrome bc1 oxidase. Furthermore, they appear to encode a complete TCA cycle and several transporters for dissolved organic carbon species, suggesting a mixotrophic lifestyle. Thus, the success of sulfur-oxidizing Gamma-proteobacteria in oxygen-deficient marine ecosystems appears due not only to their previously recognized anaerobic metabolic versatility, but also to their capacity to function under aerobic conditions using different carbon sources. Finally, members of ESP-GSO cluster also have the genetic potential for reducing nitrate to ammonium based on the nirBD genes, and may therefore facilitate a tighter coupling of the nitrogen and sulfur cycles in oxygen-deficient waters.

  10. Versatile secondary beam for the meson area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirk, T.

    1982-03-01

    A new secondary beam design is outlined for the Meson M6 Beamline that combines versatility with economy. The beamline described will transport charged particles of either sign to 800 GeV/c and bring the beam to a focus in one of three potential experimental areas. The plan makes maximal use of existing civil construction

  11. The Catalytic Diversity of Multimodular Polyketide Synthases: Natural Product Biosynthesis Beyond Textbook Assembly Rules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulder, Tobias A M; Freeman, Michael F; Piel, Jörn

    2011-03-01

    Bacterial multimodular polyketide synthases (PKSs) are responsible for the biosynthesis of a wide range of pharmacologically active natural products. These megaenzymes contain numerous catalytic and structural domains and act as biochemical templates to generate complex polyketides in an assembly line-like fashion. While the prototypical PKS is composed of only a few different domain types that are fused together in a combinatorial fashion, an increasing number of enzymes is being found that contain additional components. These domains can introduce remarkably diverse modifications into polyketides. This review discusses our current understanding of such noncanonical domains and their role in expanding the biosynthetic versatility of bacterial PKSs.

  12. Chemical removal of radionuclides in contaminated spinach derived from the Fukushima nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiba, Kazuhiro; Kitamura, Yoji; Kozaka, Takashi; Uno, Izumi; Miyoshi, Hirokazu; Yanaga, Makoto

    2012-01-01

    We examined a simple and effective removal method for contaminated farm products to ensure the relief of farmers and the security of consumers. Removal of radionuclides from spinach by chemical methods was investigated. The result of chemical removal showed that antioxidant agents removed radionuclides from spinach by 70–80% for 131 I and more than 80% for radiocesium. In particular, ascorbic acid is promising as a safe and versatile option. (author)

  13. A local bottom-gate structure with low parasitic capacitance for dielectrophoresis assembly and electrical characterization of suspended nanomaterials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Tun; Liu, Bin; Jiang, Shusen; Rong, Hao; Lu, Miao

    2014-01-01

    A device including a pair of top electrodes and a local gate in the bottom of an SU-8 trench was fabricated on a glass substrate for dielectrophoresis assembly and electrical characterization of suspended nanomaterials. The three terminals were made of gold electrodes and electrically isolated from each other by an air gap. Compared to the widely used global back-gate silicon device, the parasitic capacitance between the three terminals was significantly reduced and an individual gate was assigned to each device. In addition, the spacing from the bottom-gate to either the source or drain was larger than twice the source-drain gap, which guaranteed that the electric field between the source and drain in the dielectrophoresis assembly was not distinguished by the bottom-gate. To prove the feasibility and versatility of the device, a suspended carbon nanotube and graphene film were assembled by dielectrophoresis and characterized successfully. Accordingly, the proposed device holds promise for the electrical characterization of suspended nanomaterials, especially in a high frequency resonator or transistor configuration. (paper)

  14. Density-controllable nonvolatile memory devices having metal nanocrystals through chemical synthesis and assembled by spin-coating technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Guangli; Chen Yubin; Shi Yi; Pu Lin; Pan Lijia; Zhang Rong; Zheng Youdou

    2010-01-01

    A novel two-step method is employed, for the first time, to fabricate nonvolatile memory devices that have metal nanocrystals. First, size-averaged Au nanocrystals are synthesized chemically; second, they are assembled into memory devices by a spin-coating technique at room temperature. This attractive approach makes it possible to tailor the diameter and control the density of nanocrystals individually. In addition, processes at room temperature prevent Au diffusion, which is a main concern for the application of metal nanocrystal-based memory. The experimental results, both the morphology characterization and the electrical measurements, reveal that there is an optimum density of nanocrystal monolayer to balance between long data retention and a large hysteresis memory window. At the same time, density-controllable devices could also feed the preferential emphasis on either memory window or retention time. All these facts confirm the advantages and novelty of our two-step method. (semiconductor devices)

  15. Towards Versatile and Sustainable Hydrogen Production through Electrocatalytic Water Splitting: Electrolyte Engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinagawa, Tatsuya; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

    2017-04-10

    Recent advances in power generation from renewable resources necessitate conversion of electricity to chemicals and fuels in an efficient manner. Electrocatalytic water splitting is one of the most powerful and widespread technologies. The development of highly efficient, inexpensive, flexible, and versatile water electrolysis devices is desired. This review discusses the significance and impact of the electrolyte on electrocatalytic performance. Depending on the circumstances under which the water splitting reaction is conducted, the required solution conditions, such as the identity and molarity of ions, may significantly differ. Quantitative understanding of such electrolyte properties on electrolysis performance is effective to facilitate the development of efficient electrocatalytic systems. The electrolyte can directly participate in reaction schemes (kinetics), affect electrode stability, and/or indirectly impact the performance by influencing the concentration overpotential (mass transport). This review aims to guide fine-tuning of the electrolyte properties, or electrolyte engineering, for (photo)electrochemical water splitting reactions. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  16. Single-molecule chemical reactions on DNA origami

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Voigt, Niels Vinther; Tørring, Thomas; Rotaru, Alexandru

    2010-01-01

    as templates for building materials with new functional properties. Relatively large nanocomponents such as nanoparticles and biomolecules can also be integrated into DNA nanostructures and imaged. Here, we show that chemical reactions with single molecules can be performed and imaged at a local position...... on a DNA origami scaffold by atomic force microscopy. The high yields and chemoselectivities of successive cleavage and bond-forming reactions observed in these experiments demonstrate the feasibility of post-assembly chemical modification of DNA nanostructures and their potential use as locally......DNA nanotechnology and particularly DNA origami, in which long, single-stranded DNA molecules are folded into predetermined shapes, can be used to form complex self-assembled nanostructures. Although DNA itself has limited chemical, optical or electronic functionality, DNA nanostructures can serve...

  17. Research and development of a versatile portable speech prosthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-01-01

    The Versatile Portable Speech Prosthesis (VPSP), a synthetic speech output communication aid for non-speaking people is described. It was intended initially for severely physically limited people with cerebral palsy who are in electric wheelchairs. Hence, it was designed to be placed on a wheelchair and powered from a wheelchair battery. It can easily be separated from the wheelchair. The VPSP is versatile because it is designed to accept any means of single switch, multiple switch, or keyboard control which physically limited people have the ability to use. It is portable because it is mounted on and can go with the electric wheelchair. It is a speech prosthesis, obviously, because it speaks with a synthetic voice for people unable to speak with their own voices. Both hardware and software are described.

  18. Directed Assembly of Janus Cylinders by Controlling the Solvent Polarity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jongmin; Choi, Chang-Hyung; Yeom, Su-Jin; Eom, Naye; Kang, Kyoung-Ku; Lee, Chang-Soo

    2017-08-01

    This study demonstrates the possibility of controlling the directed self-assembly of microsized Janus cylinders by changing the solvent polarity of the assembly media. Experimental results are analyzed and theoretical calculations of the free energy of adhesion (ΔG ad ) are performed to elucidate the underlying basic principles and investigate the effects of the solvent on the self-assembled structures. This approach will pave a predictive route for controlling the structures of assembly depending on the solvent polarity. In particular, we find that a binary solvent system with precisely controlled polarity induces directional assembly of the microsized Janus cylinders. Thus, the formation of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) assembled clusters can be reliably tuned by controlling the numbers of constituent Janus cylinders in a binary solvent system. Finally, this approach is expanded to stepwise assembly, which forms unique microstructures via secondary growth of primary seed clusters formed by the Janus cylinders. We envision that this investigation is highly promising for the construction of desired superstructures using a wide variety of polymeric Janus microparticles with chemical and physical multicompartments.

  19. Equations of macrotransport in reactor fuel assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorokin, A.P.; Zhukov, A.V.; Kornienko, Yu.N.; Ushakov, P.A.

    1986-01-01

    The rigorous statement of equations of macrotransport is obtained. These equations are bases for channel-by-channel methods of thermohydraulic calculations of reactor fuel assemblies within the scope of the model of discontinuous multiphase coolant flow (including chemical reactions); they also describe a wide range of problems on thermo-physical reactor fuel assembly justification. It has been carried out by smoothing equations of mass, momentum and enthalpy transfer in cross section of each phase of the elementary fuel assembly subchannel. The equation for cross section flows is obtaind by smoothing the equation of momentum transfer on the interphase. Interaction of phases on the channel boundary is described using the Stanton number. The conclusion is performed using the generalized equation of substance transfer. The statement of channel-by-channel method without the scope of homogeneous flow model is given

  20. Carbon nanotubes part I: preparation of a novel and versatile drug-delivery vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karimi, Mahdi; Solati, Navid; Amiri, Mohammad; Mirshekari, Hamed; Mohamed, Elmira; Taheri, Mahdiar; Hashemkhani, Mahshid; Saeidi, Ahad; Estiar, Mehrdad Asghari; Kiani, Parnian; Ghasemi, Amir; Basri, Seyed Masoud Moosavi; Aref, Amir R

    2015-01-01

    Introduction It is 23 years since carbon allotrope known as carbon nanotubes (CNT) was discovered by Iijima, who described them as “rolled graphite sheets inserted into each other”. Since then, CNTs have been studied in nanoelectronic devices. However, CNTs also possess the versatility to act as drug- and gene-delivery vehicles. Areas covered This review covers the synthesis, purification and functionalization of CNTs. Arc discharge, laser ablation and chemical vapor deposition are the principle synthesis methods. Non-covalent functionalization relies on attachment of biomolecules by coating the CNT with surfactants, synthetic polymers and biopolymers. Covalent functionalization often involves the initial introduction of carboxylic acids or amine groups, diazonium addition, 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition or reductive alkylation. The aim is to produce functional groups to attach the active cargo. Expert opinion In this review, the feasibility of CNT being used as a drug-delivery vehicle is explored. The molecular composition of CNT is extremely hydrophobic and highly aggregation-prone. Therefore, most of the efforts towards drug delivery has centered on chemical functionalization, which is usually divided in two categories; non-covalent and covalent. The biomedical applications of CNT are growing apace, and new drug-delivery technologies play a major role in these efforts. PMID:25601356

  1. Propeller Flap for Complex Distal Leg Reconstruction: A Versatile ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    equipment, cost, steep learning curve, and prolonged operating ... A Versatile Alternative when Reverse Sural Artery Flap is .... He had wound debridement, fracture reduction, and .... flaps that were raised in the patient and the logistics of limb.

  2. Chemical screening and development of novel gibberellin mimics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Kai; Shimotakahara, Hiroaki; Luo, Ming; Otani, Masato; Nakamura, Hidemitsu; Moselhy, Said Salama; Abualnaja, Khalid Omer; Al-Malki, Abdulrahman Labeed; Kumosani, Taha Abduallah; Kitahata, Nobutaka; Nakano, Takeshi; Nakajima, Masatoshi; Asami, Tadao

    2017-08-15

    Gibberellin (GA) plays versatile roles in the regulation of plant growth and development and therefore is widely used as a regulator in agriculture. We performed a chemical library screening and identified a chemical, named 67D, as a stimulator of seed germination that was suppressed by paclobutrazol (PAC), a GA biosynthesis inhibitor. In vitro binding assays indicated that 67D binds to the GID1 receptor. Further studies on the structure-activity relationship identified a chemical, named chemical 6, that strongly promoted seed germination suppressed by PAC. Chemical 6 was further confirmed to promote the degradation of RGA (for repressor of ga1-3), a DELLA protein, and suppress the expression levels of GA3ox1 in the same manner as GA does. 67D and its analogs are supposed to be agonists of GID1 and are expected to be utilized in agriculture and basic research as an alternative to GA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Versatile Link PLUS transceiver development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soós, C.; Détraz, S.; Olanterä, L.; Sigaud, C.; Troska, J.; Vasey, F.; Zeiler, M.

    2017-01-01

    The Versatile Link PLUS project targets the phase II upgrades of the ATLAS and CMS experiments. It will develop a radiation resistant optical link, operating at up to 10 Gb/s in the upstream and up to 5 Gb/s in the downstream directions with a smaller footprint and higher channel count than its predecessor. A low-profile package is being developed that allows volume production at reduced costs, but which nevertheless can be configured to suit the individual channel count needs of different detectors. This paper describes the development strategies and summarizes the status of the feasibility demonstration phase of the project.

  4. High-coercivity FePt nanoparticle assemblies embedded in silica thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Q; Purkayastha, A; Singh, A P; Li, H; Ramanath, G; Li, A; Ramanujan, R V

    2009-01-01

    The ability to process assemblies using thin film techniques in a scalable fashion would be a key to transmuting the assemblies into manufacturable devices. Here, we embed FePt nanoparticle assemblies into a silica thin film by sol-gel processing. Annealing the thin film composite at 650 deg. C transforms the chemically disordered fcc FePt phase into the fct phase, yielding magnetic coercivity values H c >630 mT. The positional order of the particles is retained due to the protection offered by the silica host. Such films with assemblies of high-coercivity magnetic particles are attractive for realizing new types of ultra-high-density data storage devices and magneto-composites.

  5. Assembly of a biocompatible triazole-linked gene by one-pot click-DNA ligation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukwikila, Mikiembo; Gale, Nittaya; El-Sagheer, Afaf H.; Brown, Tom; Tavassoli, Ali

    2017-11-01

    The chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides and their enzyme-mediated assembly into genes and genomes has significantly advanced multiple scientific disciplines. However, these approaches are not without their shortcomings; enzymatic amplification and ligation of oligonucleotides into genes and genomes makes automation challenging, and site-specific incorporation of epigenetic information and/or modified bases into large constructs is not feasible. Here we present a fully chemical one-pot method for the assembly of oligonucleotides into a gene by click-DNA ligation. We synthesize the 335 base-pair gene that encodes the green fluorescent protein iLOV from ten functionalized oligonucleotides that contain 5ʹ-azide and 3ʹ-alkyne units. The resulting click-linked iLOV gene contains eight triazoles at the sites of chemical ligation, and yet is fully biocompatible; it is replicated by DNA polymerases in vitro and encodes a functional iLOV protein in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate the power and potential of our one-pot gene-assembly method by preparing an epigenetically modified variant of the iLOV gene.

  6. Implementation of complex nanosystems using a versatile ultrahigh vacuum nonlithographic technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Biswajit; Banerjee, Arghya

    2007-01-01

    We have developed an ultrahigh vacuum technique for the implementation of complex nanosystems incorporating nonlithographic nanoparticles, ohmic contact metals and isolation dielectrics. The technique is compatible with the silicon integrated circuit manufacturing process and is versatile, allowing the deposition of nanoparticles of any metal, semiconductor or insulator with diameters as small as 2 nm with less than 5% size variation. In addition, the technique allows the creation of multi-layered structures of nanoparticles of different dimensions. The flexibility and the versatility of the technique have been demonstrated by depositing nanoparticles of various materials as well as fabricating multi-layered structures incorporating nanoparticles

  7. Versatile ruthenium(II) dye towards blue-light emitter and dye-sensitizer for solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanoni, Kassio P. S.; Amaral, Ronaldo C.; Murakami Iha, Neyde Y.; Abreu, Felipe D.; de Carvalho, Idalina M. M.

    2018-06-01

    A versatile Ru(II) complex bearing an anthracene moiety was synthesized in our search for suitable compounds towards efficient molecular devices. The new engineered dye, cis‑[Ru(dcbH2)(NCS)2(mbpy‑anth)] (dcbH2 = 2,2‧‑bipyridyl‑4,4‧‑dicarboxylic acid, mbpy‑anth = 4‑[N‑(2‑anthryl)carbamoyl]‑4‧‑methyl‑2,2‧‑bipyridine), exhibits a blueish emission in a vibronically structured spectrum ascribed to the fluorescence of a 1LCAnth (ligand centered) excited state in the anthracene and has a potential to be exploited in the fields of smart lighting and displays. This complex was also employed in dye-sensitized solar cells with fairly efficient solar energy conversion with the use of self-assembled TiO2 compact layers beneath the TiO2 mesoporous film to prevent meso‑TiO2/dye back reactions. Further photoelectrochemical investigations through incident photon-to-current efficiency and electrochemical impedance spectra showed that the all-nano-TiO2 compact layer acts as contact layers that increase the electron harvesting in the external circuit, enhancing efficiencies up to 50%.

  8. Customization and design of directed self-assembly using hybrid prepatterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Joy; Doerk, Gregory S.; Rettner, Charles T.; Singh, Gurpreet; Tjio, Melia; Truong, Hoa; Arellano, Noel; Balakrishnan, Srinivasan; Brink, Markus; Tsai, Hsinyu; Liu, Chi-Chun; Guillorn, Michael; Sanders, Daniel P.

    2015-03-01

    Diminishing error tolerance renders the customization of patterns created through directed self-assembly (DSA) extremely challenging at tighter pitch. A self-aligned customization scheme can be achieved using a hybrid prepattern comprising both organic and inorganic regions that serves as a guiding prepattern to direct the self-assembly of the block copolymers as well as a cut mask pattern for the DSA arrays aligned to it. In this paper, chemoepitaxy-based self-aligned customization is demonstrated using two types of organic-inorganic prepatterns. CHEETAH prepattern for "CHemoepitaxy Etch Trim using a self-Aligned Hardmask" of preferential hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ, inorganic resist), non-preferential organic underlayer is fabricated using electron beam lithography. Customized trench or hole arrays can be achieved through co-transfer of DSA-formed arrays and CHEETAH prepattern. Herein, we also introduce a tone-reversed version called reverse-CHEETAH (or rCHEETAH) in which customized line segments can be achieved through co-transfer of DSA-formed arrays formed on a prepattern wherein the inorganic HSQ regions are nonpreferential and the organic regions are PMMA preferential. Examples of two-dimensional self-aligned customization including 25nm pitch fin structures and an 8-bar "IBM" illustrate the versatility of this customization scheme using rCHEETAH.

  9. Self-assembled nanostructures in oxide ceramics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansari, Haris Masood

    Self-assembled nanoislands in the gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC)/ yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) system have recently been discovered. This dissertation is an attempt to study the mechanism by which these nanoislands form. Nanoislands in the GDC/YSZ system form via a strain based mechanism whereby the stress accumulated in the GDC-doped surface layer on the YSZ substrate is relieved by creation of self-assembled nanoislands by a mechanism similar to the ATG instability. Unlike what was previously believed, a modified surface layer is not required prior to annealing, that is, this modification can occur during annealing by surface diffusion of dopants from the GDC sources (distributed on the YSZ surface in either lithographically defined patch or powder form) with simultaneous breakup, which occurs at the hold temperature independent of the subsequent cooling. Additionally, we have developed a simple powder based process of producing nanoislands which bypasses lithography and thin film deposition setups. The versatility of the process is apparent in the fact that it allows us to study the effect of experimental parameters such as soak time, temperature, cooling rate and the effect of powder composition on nanoisland properties in a facile way. With the help of this process, we have shown that nanoislands are not peculiar to Gd containing oxide source materials on YSZ substrates and can also be produced with other source materials such as La2O3, Nd2O3, Sm 2O3, Eu2O3, Tb2O3 and even Y2O3, which is already present in the substrate and hence simplifies the system further. We have extended our work to include YSZ substrates of the (110) surface orientation and have found that instead of nanoisland arrays, we obtain an array of parallel nanobars which have their long axes oriented along the [1-10] direction on the YSZ-(110) surface. STEM EDS performed on both the bars and the nanoislands has revealed that they are solid YSZ-rich solid solutions with the dopant species and

  10. Armor: An αβγ assembly for irradiated fuel analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beraud, M.

    1967-04-01

    The assembly ARMOR which was built with a view to carrying out research on irradiated fuels consists of an αβγ enclosure made up of 11 cells in line. After a general description of the assembly in its present form, the various functions are reviewed: introduction of the samples, chemical de-canning, dissolution of the irradiated uranium pellets, preparation of solutions for mass spectrometric analyses, disposal of the effluents and of the solid waste. The assembly-has been working since 1961. During the 5 to 6 years operation, various improvements have been made and a certain number of observations have been collected concerning the work. (author) [fr

  11. Versatile by design

    CERN Multimedia

    Katarina Anthony

    2014-01-01

    CHARM (CERN High energy AcceleRator Mixed field) is a new and unique testing facility that will complete CERN's radiation testing installations. Located in the East Area, CHARM will provide teams with a venue to test their equipment in radiation environments similar to those found in the accelerator chain.   Team at work in the irradiation zone of the CHARM facility. First envisaged in 2007, the CHARM facility fulfils a growing demand for a large-scale tailor-made radiation testing facility. Unlike commercial facilities, CHARM features a wide spectrum of radiation types and energies (called mixed-field radiation environments), the space to test large equipment and even the possibility to adjust the environment using mobile shielding. "CHARM is versatile by design, allowing us to recreate any of the radiation environments found in the accelerator chain," says Markus Brugger, head of the R2E (Radiation to Electronics) project team that developed the CHARM facility. &a...

  12. Engineering modular polyketide synthases for production of biofuels and industrial chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Wenlong; Zhang, Wenjun

    2018-04-01

    Polyketide synthases (PKSs) are one of the most profound biosynthetic factories for producing polyketides with diverse structures and biological activities. These enzymes have been historically studied and engineered to make un-natural polyketides for drug discovery, and have also recently been explored for synthesizing biofuels and industrial chemicals due to their versatility and customizability. Here, we review recent advances in the mechanistic understanding and engineering of modular PKSs for producing polyketide-derived chemicals, and provide perspectives on this relatively new application of PKSs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Transfer printing techniques for materials assembly and micro/nanodevice fabrication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Andrew; Bowen, Audrey M; Huang, Yonggang; Nuzzo, Ralph G; Rogers, John A

    2012-10-09

    Transfer printing represents a set of techniques for deterministic assembly of micro-and nanomaterials into spatially organized, functional arrangements with two and three-dimensional layouts. Such processes provide versatile routes not only to test structures and vehicles for scientific studies but also to high-performance, heterogeneously integrated functional systems, including those in flexible electronics, three-dimensional and/or curvilinear optoelectronics, and bio-integrated sensing and therapeutic devices. This article summarizes recent advances in a variety of transfer printing techniques, ranging from the mechanics and materials aspects that govern their operation to engineering features of their use in systems with varying levels of complexity. A concluding section presents perspectives on opportunities for basic and applied research, and on emerging use of these methods in high throughput, industrial-scale manufacturing. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Branched poly(ethyleneimine): a versatile scaffold for patterning polymer brushes by means of remote photocatalytic lithography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panzarasa, Guido; Dübner, Matthias; Soliveri, Guido; Edler, Matthias; Griesser, Thomas

    2017-09-01

    Patterning of functional surfaces is one of the cornerstones of nanotechnology as it allows the fabrication of sensors and lab-on-a-chip devices. Here, the patterning of self-assembled monolayers of branched poly(ethyleneimine) (bPEI) on silica was achieved by means of remote photocatalytic lithography. Moreover, when 2-bromoisobutyryl-modified bPEI was used, the resulting pattern could be amplified by grafting polymer brushes by means of surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. In contrast to previous reports for the patterning of bPEI, the present approach can be conducted in minutes instead of hours, reducing the exposure time to UV radiation and enhancing the overall efficiency. Furthermore, our approach is much more user-friendly, allowing a facile fabrication of patterned initiator-modified surfaces and the use of inexpensive instrumentation such as a low-power UV source and a simple photomask. Considering the versatility of bPEI as a scaffold for the development of biosensors, patterning by means of remote photocatalytic lithography will open new opportunities in a broad field of applications.

  15. Controlled short-linkage assembly of functional nano-objects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chaudhary, Shilpi; Kamra, Tripta [Division of Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Box 124, 221 00 Lund (Sweden); ENI AB, Malmö (Sweden); Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund (Sweden); Uddin, Khan Mohammad Ahsan [Division of Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Box 124, 221 00 Lund (Sweden); Snezhkova, Olesia [Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund (Sweden); Jayawardena, H. Surangi N. [Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 1 University Ave., Lowell, MA 01854 (United States); Yan, Mingdi [Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 1 University Ave., Lowell, MA 01854 (United States); Department of Chemistry, KTH – Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 30, S-10044 Stockholm (Sweden); Montelius, Lars [ENI AB, Malmö (Sweden); Schnadt, Joachim, E-mail: joachim.schnadt@sljus.lu.se [Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund (Sweden); Ye, Lei, E-mail: lei.ye@tbiokem.lth.se [Division of Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Box 124, 221 00 Lund (Sweden)

    2014-05-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Fast photoconjugation of nanoparticles on surface. • Non-destructive feature guarantees intact function of nanoparticles. • Direct contact between nano-objects allows efficient photon and electron transfer. • Possibility of generating patterned nanoparticle assemblies on surface. • Open new opportunities for assembling chemical sensors. - Abstract: In this work, we report a method that allows the deterministic, photo-controlled covalent assembly of nanoparticles directly on surface. As a model system, we study the conjugation of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles on a glass surface and confirm that the immobilized nanoparticles maintain their molecular recognition functionality. The glass slide was first modified with perfluorophenylazide and then used to bind MIP nanoparticles under UV irradiation. After each step the surface was analyzed by water contact angle measurement, fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and/or synchrotron-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The MIP nanoparticles immobilized on the glass surface remained stable and maintained specific binding for the template molecule, propranolol. The method developed in this work allows MIP nanoparticles to be directly coupled to a flat surface, offering a straightforward means to construct robust chemical sensors. Using the reported photo conjugation method, it is possible to generate patterned assembly of nanoparticles using a photomask. Since perfluorophenylazide-based photochemistry works with all kinds of organic material, the method developed in this work is expected to enable immobilization of not only MIPs but also other kinds of organic and inorganic–organic core–shell particles for various applications involving photon or electron transfer.

  16. Controlled short-linkage assembly of functional nano-objects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhary, Shilpi; Kamra, Tripta; Uddin, Khan Mohammad Ahsan; Snezhkova, Olesia; Jayawardena, H. Surangi N.; Yan, Mingdi; Montelius, Lars; Schnadt, Joachim; Ye, Lei

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Fast photoconjugation of nanoparticles on surface. • Non-destructive feature guarantees intact function of nanoparticles. • Direct contact between nano-objects allows efficient photon and electron transfer. • Possibility of generating patterned nanoparticle assemblies on surface. • Open new opportunities for assembling chemical sensors. - Abstract: In this work, we report a method that allows the deterministic, photo-controlled covalent assembly of nanoparticles directly on surface. As a model system, we study the conjugation of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles on a glass surface and confirm that the immobilized nanoparticles maintain their molecular recognition functionality. The glass slide was first modified with perfluorophenylazide and then used to bind MIP nanoparticles under UV irradiation. After each step the surface was analyzed by water contact angle measurement, fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and/or synchrotron-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The MIP nanoparticles immobilized on the glass surface remained stable and maintained specific binding for the template molecule, propranolol. The method developed in this work allows MIP nanoparticles to be directly coupled to a flat surface, offering a straightforward means to construct robust chemical sensors. Using the reported photo conjugation method, it is possible to generate patterned assembly of nanoparticles using a photomask. Since perfluorophenylazide-based photochemistry works with all kinds of organic material, the method developed in this work is expected to enable immobilization of not only MIPs but also other kinds of organic and inorganic–organic core–shell particles for various applications involving photon or electron transfer

  17. Construction and Self-Assembly of Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles via Coordination Association and Electrostatic Repulsion in Water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Zhengguang; Xu, Na; Yu, Qiuping; Guo, Lei; Cao, Hui; Lu, Xinhua; Cai, Yuanli

    2015-08-01

    Simultaneous coordination-association and electrostatic-repulsion interactions play critical roles in the construction and stabilization of enzymatic function metal centers in water media. These interactions are promising for construction and self-assembly of artificial aqueous polymer single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs). Herein, the construction and self-assembly of dative-bonded aqueous SCNPs are reported via simultaneous coordination-association and electrostatic-repulsion interactions within single chains of histamine-based hydrophilic block copolymer. The electrostatic-repulsion interactions are tunable through adjusting the imidazolium/imidazole ratio in response to pH, and in situ Cu(II)-coordination leads to the intramolecular association and single-chain collapse in acidic water. SCNPs are stabilized by the electrostatic repulsion of dative-bonded block and steric shielding of nonionic water-soluble block, and have a huge specific surface area of function metal centers accessible to substrates in acidic water. Moreover, SCNPs can assemble into micelles, networks, and large particles programmably in response to the solution pH. These unique media-sensitive phase-transformation behaviors provide a general, facile, and versatile platform for the fabrication of enzyme-inspired smart aqueous catalysts. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Probing Interactions in Complex Molecular Systems through Ordered Assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Yoreo, J.J.; Bartelt, M.C.; Orme, C.A.; Villacampa, A.; Weeks, B.L.; Miller, A.E.

    2002-01-01

    Emerging from the machinery of epitaxial science and chemical synthesis, is a growing emphasis on development of self-organized systems of complex molecular species. The nature of self-organization in these systems spans the continuum from simple crystallization of large molecules such as dendrimers and proteins, to assembly into large organized networks of nanometer-scale structures such as quantum dots or nanoparticles. In truth, self-organization in complex molecular systems has always been a central feature of many scientific disciplines including fields as diverse as structural biology, polymer science and geochemistry. But over the past decade, changes in those fields have often been marked by the degree to which researchers are using molecular-scale approaches to understand the hierarchy of structures and processes driven by this ordered assembly. At the same time, physical scientists have begun to use their knowledge of simple atomic and molecular systems to fabricate synthetic self-organized systems. This increasing activity in the field of self-organization is testament to the success of the physical and chemical sciences in building a detailed understanding of crystallization and epitaxy in simple atomic and molecular systems, one that is soundly rooted in thermodynamics and chemical kinetics. One of the fundamental challenges of chemistry and materials science in the coming decades is to develop a similarly well-founded physical understanding of assembly processes in complex molecular systems. Over the past five years, we have successfully used in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the physical controls on single crystal epitaxy from solutions for a wide range of molecular species. More recently, we have combined this method with grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and kinetic Monte Carlo modeling in order to relate morphology to surface atomic structure and processes. The purpose of this proposal was to extend this approach to assemblies

  19. An efficient enzyme-powered micromotor device fabricated by cyclic alternate hybridization assembly for DNA detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Shizhe; Zhang, Xueqing; Xie, Yuzhe; Wu, Jie; Ju, Huangxian

    2017-07-06

    An efficient enzyme-powered micromotor device was fabricated by assembling multiple layers of catalase on the inner surface of a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene and sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)/Au microtube (PEDOT-PSS/Au). The catalase assembly was achieved by programmed DNA hybridization, which was performed by immobilizing a designed sandwich DNA structure as the sensing unit on the PEDOT-PSS/Au, and then alternately hybridizing with two assisting DNA to bind the enzyme for efficient motor motion. The micromotor device showed unique features of good reproducibility, stability and motion performance. Under optimal conditions, it showed a speed of 420 μm s -1 in 2% H 2 O 2 and even 51 μm s -1 in 0.25% H 2 O 2 . In the presence of target DNA, the sensing unit hybridized with target DNA to release the multi-layer DNA as well as the multi-catalase, resulting in a decrease of the motion speed. By using the speed as a signal, the micromotor device could detect DNA from 10 nM to 1 μM. The proposed micromotor device along with the cyclic alternate DNA hybridization assembly technique provided a new path to fabricate efficient and versatile micromotors, which would be an exceptional tool for rapid and simple detection of biomolecules.

  20. Chemical surface tuning electrocatalysis of redox-active nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhu, Nan; Ulstrup, Jens; Chi, Qijin

    This work focuses on electron transfer (ET) and electrocatalysis of inorganic hybrid Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs, 6 nm) immobilized on different chemical surfaces. Through surface self-assembly chemistry, we have enabled to tune chemical properties of the electrode surface. Stable immobili...

  1. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. Pakkirisamy Thilagar. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 118 Issue 6 November 2006 pp 455-462. Stannoxanes and phosphonates: New approaches in organometallic and transition metal assemblies · Vadapalli Chandrasekhar Kandasamy Gopal ...

  2. Self-assembled peptide-based nanostructures: Smart nanomaterials toward targeted drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habibi, Neda; Kamaly, Nazila; Memic, Adnan; Shafiee, Hadi

    2016-02-01

    Self-assembly of peptides can yield an array of well-defined nanostructures that are highly attractive nanomaterials for many biomedical applications such as drug delivery. Some of the advantages of self-assembled peptide nanostructures over other delivery platforms include their chemical diversity, biocompatibility, high loading capacity for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, and their ability to target molecular recognition sites. Furthermore, these self-assembled nanostructures could be designed with novel peptide motifs, making them stimuli-responsive and achieving triggered drug delivery at disease sites. The goal of this work is to present a comprehensive review of the most recent studies on self-assembled peptides with a focus on their "smart" activity for formation of targeted and responsive drug-delivery carriers.

  3. The versatility of hot-filament activated chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schaefer, Lothar; Hoefer, Markus; Kroeger, Roland

    2006-01-01

    In the field of activated chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of polycrystalline diamond films, hot-filament activation (HF-CVD) is widely used for applications where large deposition areas are needed or three-dimensional substrates have to be coated. We have developed processes for the deposition of conductive, boron-doped diamond films as well as for tribological crystalline diamond coatings on deposition areas up to 50 cm x 100 cm. Such multi-filament processes are used to produce diamond electrodes for advanced electrochemical processes or large batches of diamond-coated tools and parts, respectively. These processes demonstrate the high degree of uniformity and reproducibility of hot-filament CVD. The usability of hot-filament CVD for diamond deposition on three-dimensional substrates is well known for CVD diamond shaft tools. We also develop interior diamond coatings for drawing dies, nozzles, and thread guides. Hot-filament CVD also enables the deposition of diamond film modifications with tailored properties. In order to adjust the surface topography to specific applications, we apply processes for smooth, fine-grained or textured diamond films for cutting tools and tribological applications. Rough diamond is employed for grinding applications. Multilayers of fine-grained and coarse-grained diamond have been developed, showing increased shock resistance due to reduced crack propagation. Hot-filament CVD is also used for in situ deposition of carbide coatings and diamond-carbide composites, and the deposition of non-diamond, silicon-based films. These coatings are suitable as diffusion barriers and are also applied for adhesion and stress engineering and for semiconductor applications, respectively

  4. Dendrimers and Dendrons as Versatile Building Blocks for the Fabrication of Functional Hydrogels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sadik Kaga

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogels have emerged as a versatile class of polymeric materials with a wide range of applications in biomedical sciences. The judicious choice of hydrogel precursors allows one to introduce the necessary attributes to these materials that dictate their performance towards intended applications. Traditionally, hydrogels were fabricated using either polymerization of monomers or through crosslinking of polymers. In recent years, dendrimers and dendrons have been employed as well-defined building blocks in these materials. The multivalent and multifunctional nature of dendritic constructs offers advantages in either formulation or the physical and chemical properties of the obtained hydrogels. This review highlights various approaches utilized for the fabrication of hydrogels using well-defined dendrimers, dendrons and their polymeric conjugates. Examples from recent literature are chosen to illustrate the wide variety of hydrogels that have been designed using dendrimer- and dendron-based building blocks for applications, such as sensing, drug delivery and tissue engineering.

  5. Synthesis of tetravalent actinide chlorides. Versatile compounds for actinide chemistry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maerz, Juliane [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Div. Chemistry of the F-Elements

    2016-07-01

    Anhydrous actinide tetrachlorides (AnCl{sub 4}) were synthesized under mild conditions to provide versatile compounds for actinide chemistry. They enable a direct access to actinide complexes with organic and inorganic ligands.

  6. Organometallic photovoltaics: a new and versatile approach for harvesting solar energy using conjugated polymetallaynes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Wai-Yeung; Ho, Cheuk-Lam

    2010-09-21

    Energy remains one of the world's great challenges. Growing concerns about limited fossil fuel resources and the accumulation of CO(2) in the atmosphere from burning those fuels have stimulated tremendous academic and industrial interest. Researchers are focusing both on developing inexpensive renewable energy resources and on improving the technologies for energy conversion. Solar energy has the capacity to meet increasing global energy needs. Harvesting energy directly from sunlight using photovoltaic technology significantly reduces atmospheric emissions, avoiding the detrimental effects of these gases on the environment. Currently inorganic semiconductors dominate the solar cell production market, but these materials require high technology production and expensive materials, making electricity produced in this manner too costly to compete with conventional sources of electricity. Researchers have successfully fabricated efficient organic-based polymer solar cells (PSCs) as a lower cost alternative. Recently, metalated conjugated polymers have shown exceptional promise as donor materials in bulk-heterojunction solar cells and are emerging as viable alternatives to the all-organic congeners currently in use. Among these metalated conjugated polymers, soluble platinum(II)-containing poly(arylene ethynylene)s of variable bandgaps (∼1.4-3.0 eV) represent attractive candidates for a cost-effective, lightweight solar-energy conversion platform. This Account highlights and discusses the recent advances of this research frontier in organometallic photovoltaics. The emerging use of low-bandgap soluble platinum-acetylide polymers in PSCs offers a new and versatile strategy to capture sunlight for efficient solar power generation. Properties of these polyplatinynes--including their chemical structures, absorption coefficients, bandgaps, charge mobilities, accessibility of triplet excitons, molecular weights, and blend film morphologies--critically influence the device

  7. Applications of self-assembled monolayers in materials chemistry

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory,. Pune 411 008, India e-mail: viji@ems.ncl.res.in. Abstract. Self-assembly provides a simple route to organise suitable organic molecules on noble metal and selected nanocluster surfaces by using monolayers of long chain organic molecules with ...

  8. Hierarchical nanostructures assembled from ultrathin Bi2WO6 nanoflakes and their visible-light induced photocatalytic property

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xiong; Tian, Peng; Lin, Ying; Li, Li

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Hierarchical Bi 2 WO 6 nanostructures assembled from nanoflakes were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The excellent photocatalytic activity and recycling performance might be mainly ascribed to the unique hierarchical nanostructures and are expected to offer the nanostructures promising applications in the field of wastewater treatment. - Highlights: • Hierarchical Bi 2 WO 6 nanostructures assembled from nanoflakes were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. • Visible-light-induced photocatalytic efficiency of the obtained nanoarchitectures was enhanced about 6 times. • A possible mechanism was proposed. - Abstract: With the aid of ethylene glycol and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, the hierarchical Bi 2 WO 6 nanoarchitectures assembled from nanoflakes could be attained by a facile solvothermal method. The synthetic strategy is versatile and environmentally friendly and a plausible growth-assembly process was proposed for the formation of the hierarchical nanostructures. The visible-light-irradiated photocatalytic activity was estimated by the degradation of rhodamine B. Compared with the sample prepared by a solid-state reaction, the visible-light-induced photocatalytic efficiency of the nanostructures was enhanced about 6 times. The photocatalysis tests show that the nanostructures exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity and recycling performance, which were mainly ascribed to the unique hierarchical nanostructures and are expected to offer promising applications in the field of wastewater treatment

  9. 'Clicking' on the nanoscale: 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of terminal acetylenes on azide functionalized, nanometric surface templates with nanometer resolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haensch, Claudia; Hoeppener, Stephanie; Schubert, Ulrich S

    2009-01-01

    Electro-oxidative lithography is used as a tool to create chemical nanostructures on an n-octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) monolayer self-assembled on silicon. The use of a bromine precursor molecule, which is exclusively assembled on these chemical templates, can be used to further functionalize the nanostructures by the site-selective generation of azide functions and performing the highly effective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with acetylene functionalized molecules. The versatility of this reaction scheme provides the potential to integrate a large variety of functional molecules, to tailor the surface properties of the nanostructures or to anchor molecular building blocks or particles in confined, pre-defined surface areas. The results demonstrated in the present study introduce a conceivable route towards the functionalization of chemically active surface templates with high fidelity and reliability. It is demonstrated that surface features with a lateral resolution of 50 nm functionalized with propargyl alcohol can be fabricated.

  10. Self-assembled monolayers with different chemical group substrates for the study of MCF-7 breast cancer cell line behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Hongji; Yin, Yanbin; Li, Yu; Tian, Weiming; Zhang, Song; Nie, Yongzhan; He, Jin; Wang, Xiumei; Cui, Fuzhai; Chen, Xiongbiao

    2013-01-01

    The interactions between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) are important with respect to a number of cell behavoirs, yet remain unclear. In this study, self-assembled monolayers with different terminal chemical groups (hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), animo (-NH 2 ), mercapto (-SH), and methyl (-CH 3 )) were employed as substrates for the culture of MCF-7 cells to examine effects on cell behavior. Cell spreading was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, tallin expression by immunofluorescence, proliferation rate by counting cell numbers, cell cycle by flow cytometry, metabolism by high-performance liquid chromatography and cell migration by live cell imaging. Annexin V-FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate) and JC-1 assays were performed to determine cell apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively. Our results demonstrate the varied behaviors of MCF-7 cells in response to different chemical groups. Specifically, NH 2 and COOH terminal functional groups promote proliferation, the production of lactic acid and mobility of MCF-7 cells; SH and OH terminal groups enhance the expression and distribution of tallin but result in weak cell proliferation, metabolism, spreading and mobility. These results are meaningful for uncovering the interactions between the ECM and cancer cells; they are potentially useful for designing novel cancer treatment strategies. (paper)

  11. Promoting versatility in mentor teachers’ use of supervisory skills

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Crasborn, F.J.A.J.; Hennissen, P.P.M.; Korthagen, F.A.J.; Bergen, T.C.M.

    2008-01-01

    Mentor teachers need a versatile supervisory skills repertoire. Besides taking the prevalent role of daily advisor and instructor, mentor teachers should also be able to stimulate reflection in student teachers. Video recordings of 60 mentoring dialogues were analysed, both before and after a mentor

  12. A flexible and cost-effective compensation method for leveling using large-scale coordinate measuring machines and its application in aircraft digital assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Zhengping; Li, Shuanggao; Huang, Xiang

    2018-06-01

    In the assembly process of large-size aerospace products, the leveling and horizontal alignment of large components are essential prior to the installation of an inertial navigation system (INS) and the final quality inspection. In general, the inherent coordinate systems of large-scale coordinate measuring devices are not coincident with the geodetic horizontal system, and a dual-axis compensation system is commonly required for the measurement of difference in heights. These compensation systems are expensive and dedicated designs for different devices at present. Considering that a large-size assembly site usually needs more than one measuring device, a compensation approach which is versatile for different devices would be a more convenient and economic choice for manufacturers. In this paper, a flexible and cost-effective compensation method is proposed. Firstly, an auxiliary measuring device called a versatile compensation fixture (VCF) is designed, which mainly comprises reference points for coordinate transformation and a dual-axis inclinometer, and a kind of network tighten points (NTPs) are introduced and temporarily deployed in the large measuring space to further reduce transformation error. Secondly, the measuring principle of height difference is studied, based on coordinate transformation theory and trigonometry while considering the effects of earth curvature, and the coordinate transformation parameters are derived by least squares adjustment. Thirdly, the analytical solution of leveling uncertainty is analyzed, based on which the key parameters of the VCF and the proper deployment of NTPs are determined according to the leveling accuracy requirement. Furthermore, the proposed method is practically applied to the assembly of a large helicopter by developing an automatic leveling and alignment system. By measuring four NTPs, the leveling uncertainty (2σ) is reduced by 29.4% to about 0.12 mm, compared with that without NTPs.

  13. Development of high efficiency Versatile Arc Discharge Ion Source at CERN ISOLDE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penescu, L; Catherall, R; Lettry, J; Stora, T

    2010-02-01

    We report here recent developments of Forced Electron Beam Induced Arc Discharge (FEBIAD) ion sources at the ISOLDE radioactive ion beam facility, hosted at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). As a result of the propositions to improve the ionization efficiency, two FEBIAD prototypes have been produced and successfully tested in 2008. Off-line studies showed that the 1+ ionization efficiencies for noble gases are 5-20 times larger than with the standard ISOLDE FEBIAD ion sources and reach 60% for radon, which allowed the identification at ISOLDE of (229)Rn, an isotope that had never previously been observed in the laboratory. A factor of 3 increase is also expected for the ionization efficiency of the other elements. The experimental and theoretical methodology is presented. The theoretical model, which gives precise insights on the processes affecting the ionization, is used to design optimal sources (grouped under the name of VADIS--Versatile Arc Discharge Ion Source) for the different chemical classes of the produced isotopes, as already demonstrated for the noble gases.

  14. Dielectrophoretic assembly of carbon nanotube devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dimaki, Maria

    The purpose of this project has been to assemble single-walled carbon nanotubes on electrodes at the tip of a biocompatible cantilever and use these for chemical species sensing in air and liquid, for example in order to measure the local activity from ion channels in the cell membrane....... The electrical resistance of carbon nanotubes has been shown to be extremely sensitive to gas molecules. Dielectrophoresis is a method capable of quickly attracting nanotubes on microelectrodes by using an electric field, thus enabling nanotube integration in microsystems. Dielectrophoresis offers also....... A model for the dielectrophoretic assembly of carbon nanotubes on microelectrodes was developed and several simulations were conducted using values from the available literature for the various key parameters. The model can give qualitative results regarding the parameters dominating the dielectrophoretic...

  15. Proteins evolve on the edge of supramolecular self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Seisdedos, Hector; Empereur-Mot, Charly; Elad, Nadav; Levy, Emmanuel D.

    2017-08-01

    The self-association of proteins into symmetric complexes is ubiquitous in all kingdoms of life. Symmetric complexes possess unique geometric and functional properties, but their internal symmetry can pose a risk. In sickle-cell disease, the symmetry of haemoglobin exacerbates the effect of a mutation, triggering assembly into harmful fibrils. Here we examine the universality of this mechanism and its relation to protein structure geometry. We introduced point mutations solely designed to increase surface hydrophobicity among 12 distinct symmetric complexes from Escherichia coli. Notably, all responded by forming supramolecular assemblies in vitro, as well as in vivo upon heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Remarkably, in four cases, micrometre-long fibrils formed in vivo in response to a single point mutation. Biophysical measurements and electron microscopy revealed that mutants self-assembled in their folded states and so were not amyloid-like. Structural examination of 73 mutants identified supramolecular assembly hot spots predictable by geometry. A subsequent structural analysis of 7,471 symmetric complexes showed that geometric hot spots were buffered chemically by hydrophilic residues, suggesting a mechanism preventing mis-assembly of these regions. Thus, point mutations can frequently trigger folded proteins to self-assemble into higher-order structures. This potential is counterbalanced by negative selection and can be exploited to design nanomaterials in living cells.

  16. When lithography meets self-assembly: a review of recent advances in the directed assembly of complex metal nanostructures on planar and textured surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Robert A.; Menumerov, Eredzhep; Neretina, Svetlana

    2017-07-01

    One of the foremost challenges in nanofabrication is the establishment of a processing science that integrates wafer-based materials, techniques, and devices with the extraordinary physicochemical properties accessible when materials are reduced to nanoscale dimensions. Such a merger would allow for exacting controls on nanostructure positioning, promote cooperative phenomenon between adjacent nanostructures and/or substrate materials, and allow for electrical contact to individual or groups of nanostructures. With neither self-assembly nor top-down lithographic processes being able to adequately meet this challenge, advancements have often relied on a hybrid strategy that utilizes lithographically-defined features to direct the assembly of nanostructures into organized patterns. While these so-called directed assembly techniques have proven viable, much of this effort has focused on the assembly of periodic arrays of spherical or near-spherical nanostructures comprised of a single element. Work directed toward the fabrication of more complex nanostructures, while still at a nascent stage, has nevertheless demonstrated the possibility of forming arrays of nanocubes, nanorods, nanoprisms, nanoshells, nanocages, nanoframes, core-shell structures, Janus structures, and various alloys on the substrate surface. In this topical review, we describe the progress made in the directed assembly of periodic arrays of these complex metal nanostructures on planar and textured substrates. The review is divided into three broad strategies reliant on: (i) the deterministic positioning of colloidal structures, (ii) the reorganization of deposited metal films at elevated temperatures, and (iii) liquid-phase chemistry practiced directly on the substrate surface. These strategies collectively utilize a broad range of techniques including capillary assembly, microcontact printing, chemical surface modulation, templated dewetting, nanoimprint lithography, and dip-pen nanolithography and

  17. Fabrication of a Micro-Fluid Gathering Tool for the Gastrointestinal Juice Sampling Function of a Versatile Capsular Endoscope

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong-il Dan Cho

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a micro-fluid gathering tool for a versatile capsular endoscope that employs a solid chemical propellant, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN. The proposed tool consists of a micro-heater, an AIBN matrix, a Venturi tube, a reservoir, an inlet, and an outlet. The micro-heater heats the AIBN matrix to be decomposed into by-products and nitrogen gas. This nitrogen gas generates negative pressure passing through the Venturi tube. The generated negative pressure inhales a target fluid from around the inlet into the reservoir. All the parts are designed to be embedded inside a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 17 mm and a height of 2.3 mm in order to integrate it into a versatile developmental capsular endoscope without any scaledown. Two sets of the proposed tools are fabricated and tested: one is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS and the other is made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA. In performance comparisons, the PDMS gathering tool can withstand a stronger pulling force, and the PMMA gathering tool requires a less negative pressure for inhaling the same target fluid. Due to the instant and full activation of the thin AIBN matrix, both types of gathering tool show analogous performance in the sample gathering evaluation. The gathered volume is approximately 1.57 μL using approximately 25.4 μL of AIBN compound.

  18. Fabrication of a micro-fluid gathering tool for the gastrointestinal juice sampling function of a versatile capsular endoscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Kyo-In; Lee, Sangmin; Cho, Dong-il Dan

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a micro-fluid gathering tool for a versatile capsular endoscope that employs a solid chemical propellant, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The proposed tool consists of a micro-heater, an AIBN matrix, a Venturi tube, a reservoir, an inlet, and an outlet. The micro-heater heats the AIBN matrix to be decomposed into by-products and nitrogen gas. This nitrogen gas generates negative pressure passing through the Venturi tube. The generated negative pressure inhales a target fluid from around the inlet into the reservoir. All the parts are designed to be embedded inside a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 17 mm and a height of 2.3 mm in order to integrate it into a versatile developmental capsular endoscope without any scaledown. Two sets of the proposed tools are fabricated and tested: one is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and the other is made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). In performance comparisons, the PDMS gathering tool can withstand a stronger pulling force, and the PMMA gathering tool requires a less negative pressure for inhaling the same target fluid. Due to the instant and full activation of the thin AIBN matrix, both types of gathering tool show analogous performance in the sample gathering evaluation. The gathered volume is approximately 1.57 μL using approximately 25.4 μL of AIBN compound.

  19. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. Afsar Ali. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 122 Issue 3 May 2010 pp 311-320 Perspective Articles. Lewis acidic metal catalysed organic transformations by designed multi-component structures and assemblies · Afsar Ali Amit P Singh Rajeev Gupta.

  20. A versatile fast coincidence system with memory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pouthas, J.

    1976-01-01

    A versatile fast coincidence system has been studied for experiments using several detectors. In this system, all the coincidence events are produced with an associated code, and thus, different kinds of events can be processed with the same experimental set-up. Also, the classification of the logical pulses gives the possibility of using a large number of ways (30 in this system). The setting of the system is very simple: there are only two time windows to adjust. (Auth.)

  1. Graphene growth by conversion of aromatic self-assembled monolayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turchanin, Andrey [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany); Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Jena (Germany); Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC), Jena (Germany); Abbe Center of Photonics (ACP), Jena (Germany)

    2017-11-15

    Despite present diversity of graphene production methods there is still a high demand for improvement of the existing production schemes or development of new. Here a method is reviewed to produce graphene employing aromatic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as molecular precursors. This method is based on electron irradiation induced crosslinking of aromatic SAMs resulting in their conversion into carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) with high thermal stability and subsequent pyrolysis of CNMs into graphene in vacuum or in the inert atmosphere. Depending on the production conditions, such as chemical structure of molecular precursors, irradiation and annealing parameters, various properties of the produced graphene sheets including shape, crystallinity, thickness, optical properties and electric transport can be adjusted. The assembly of CNM/graphene van der Waals heterostructures opens a flexible route to non-destructive chemical functionalization of graphene for a variety of applications in electronic and photonic devices. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  2. Chemical Reactions Catalyzed by Metalloporphyrin-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly Aparecida Dias de Freitas Castro

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The synthetic versatility and the potential application of metalloporphyrins (MP in different fields have aroused researchers’ interest in studying these complexes, in an attempt to mimic biological systems such as cytochrome P-450. Over the last 40 years, synthetic MPs have been mainly used as catalysts for homogeneous or heterogeneous chemical reactions. To employ them in heterogeneous catalysis, chemists have prepared new MP-based solids by immobilizing MP onto rigid inorganic supports, a strategy that affords hybrid inorganic-organic materials. More recently, materials obtained by supramolecular assembly processes and containing MPs as building blocks have been applied in a variety of areas, like gas storage, photonic devices, separation, molecular sensing, magnets, and heterogeneous catalysis, among others. These coordination polymers, known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, contain organic ligands or complexes connected by metal ions or clusters, which give rise to a 1-, 2- or 3-D network. These kinds of materials presents large surface areas, Brønsted or redox sites, and high porosity, all of which are desirable features in catalysts with potential use in heterogeneous phases. Building MOFs based on MP is a good way to obtain solid catalysts that offer the advantages of bioinspired systems and zeolitic materials. In this mini review, we will adopt a historical approach to present the most relevant MP-based MOFs applicable to catalytic reactions such as oxidation, reduction, insertion of functional groups, and exchange of organic functions.

  3. Versatile equipment for mechanical testing of active materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertsch, Johannes; Heimgartner, Peter

    2005-01-01

    At the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) 3 different project groups presently perform aging research on active materials. The research fields are fusion, high neutron flux targets and LWR relevant components. Up to now mechanical testing has been performed with small, low dose rate samples behind local shielding, not appropriate for highly activated material. To overcome this situation, a cell concept for active mechanical testing was elaborated and has been erected in PSI's Hotlab. It consists of 4 shielded cells. 3 connected cells are versatile and independently operable for highly beta/gamma active samples. One cell is an alpha/beta/gamma-box which will be realized in a second phase. This paper presents the versatility especially of the beta/gamma-cells: The different user groups perform experiments in these cells, whereas different machines can be placed into the cells. As consequence of the need of heavily shielded cell doors, a special strengthening and levelling of the floor has been required. In all cells the relevant media are installed. Besides the performance of the cells, the project progress as the difficulties and their solutions are described. (Author)

  4. A Non-Isothermal Chemical Lattice Boltzmann Model Incorporating Thermal Reaction Kinetics and Enthalpy Changes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stuart Bartlett

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The lattice Boltzmann method is an efficient computational fluid dynamics technique that can accurately model a broad range of complex systems. As well as single-phase fluids, it can simulate thermohydrodynamic systems and passive scalar advection. In recent years, it also gained attention as a means of simulating chemical phenomena, as interest in self-organization processes increased. This paper will present a widely-used and versatile lattice Boltzmann model that can simultaneously incorporate fluid dynamics, heat transfer, buoyancy-driven convection, passive scalar advection, chemical reactions and enthalpy changes. All of these effects interact in a physically accurate framework that is simple to code and readily parallelizable. As well as a complete description of the model equations, several example systems will be presented in order to demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of the method. New simulations, which analyzed the effect of a reversible reaction on the transport properties of a convecting fluid, will also be described in detail. This extra chemical degree of freedom was utilized by the system to augment its net heat flux. The numerical method outlined in this paper can be readily deployed for a vast range of complex flow problems, spanning a variety of scientific disciplines.

  5. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. P G Aravindan. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 123 Issue 4 July 2011 pp 403-409. The role of weak intermolecular C-H…F interactions in supramolecular assembly: Structural investigations on 3,5- dibenzylidene-piperidin-4-one and database ...

  6. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. Arlin Jose Amali. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 124 Issue 2 March 2012 pp 375-383. Formation of fractals by the self-assembly of interpolymer adducts of polymethacrylic acid with complementary polymers in aqueous solution · Kandhasamy Durai ...

  7. Profluorescent PPV-Based Micellar System as a Versatile Probe for Bioimaging and Drug Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaquen, Neomy; Lu, Hongxu; Chang, Teddy; Mamdooh, Russel; Lutsen, Laurence; Vanderzande, Dirk; Stenzel, Martina; Junkers, Thomas

    2016-12-12

    Although micelles are commonly used for drug delivery purposes, their long-term fate is often unknown due to photobleaching of the fluorescent labels or the use of toxic materials. Here, we present a metal-free, nontoxic, nonbleaching, fluorescent micelle that can address these shortcomings. A simple, yet versatile, profluorescent micellar system, built from amphiphilic poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) block copolymers, for use in drug delivery applications is introduced. Polymer micelles made from PPV show excellent stability for up to 1 year and are successfully loaded with anticancer drugs (curcumin or doxorubicin) without requiring introduction of physical or chemical cross-links. The micelles are taken up efficiently by the cells, which triggers disassembly, releasing the encapsulated material. Disassembly of the micelles and drug release is conveniently monitored as fluorescence of the single polymer chains appear, which enables not only to monitor the release of the payload, but in principle also the fate of the polymer over longer periods of time.

  8. Plant X-tender: An extension of the AssemblX system for the assembly and expression of multigene constructs in plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machens, Fabian; Coll, Anna; Baebler, Špela; Messerschmidt, Katrin; Gruden, Kristina

    2018-01-01

    Cloning multiple DNA fragments for delivery of several genes of interest into the plant genome is one of the main technological challenges in plant synthetic biology. Despite several modular assembly methods developed in recent years, the plant biotechnology community has not widely adopted them yet, probably due to the lack of appropriate vectors and software tools. Here we present Plant X-tender, an extension of the highly efficient, scar-free and sequence-independent multigene assembly strategy AssemblX, based on overlap-depended cloning methods and rare-cutting restriction enzymes. Plant X-tender consists of a set of plant expression vectors and the protocols for most efficient cloning into the novel vector set needed for plant expression and thus introduces advantages of AssemblX into plant synthetic biology. The novel vector set covers different backbones and selection markers to allow full design flexibility. We have included ccdB counterselection, thereby allowing the transfer of multigene constructs into the novel vector set in a straightforward and highly efficient way. Vectors are available as empty backbones and are fully flexible regarding the orientation of expression cassettes and addition of linkers between them, if required. We optimised the assembly and subcloning protocol by testing different scar-less assembly approaches: the noncommercial SLiCE and TAR methods and the commercial Gibson assembly and NEBuilder HiFi DNA assembly kits. Plant X-tender was applicable even in combination with low efficient homemade chemically competent or electrocompetent Escherichia coli. We have further validated the developed procedure for plant protein expression by cloning two cassettes into the newly developed vectors and subsequently transferred them to Nicotiana benthamiana in a transient expression setup. Thereby we show that multigene constructs can be delivered into plant cells in a streamlined and highly efficient way. Our results will support faster

  9. Plant X-tender: An extension of the AssemblX system for the assembly and expression of multigene constructs in plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukan, Tjaša; Machens, Fabian; Coll, Anna; Baebler, Špela; Messerschmidt, Katrin; Gruden, Kristina

    2018-01-01

    Cloning multiple DNA fragments for delivery of several genes of interest into the plant genome is one of the main technological challenges in plant synthetic biology. Despite several modular assembly methods developed in recent years, the plant biotechnology community has not widely adopted them yet, probably due to the lack of appropriate vectors and software tools. Here we present Plant X-tender, an extension of the highly efficient, scar-free and sequence-independent multigene assembly strategy AssemblX, based on overlap-depended cloning methods and rare-cutting restriction enzymes. Plant X-tender consists of a set of plant expression vectors and the protocols for most efficient cloning into the novel vector set needed for plant expression and thus introduces advantages of AssemblX into plant synthetic biology. The novel vector set covers different backbones and selection markers to allow full design flexibility. We have included ccdB counterselection, thereby allowing the transfer of multigene constructs into the novel vector set in a straightforward and highly efficient way. Vectors are available as empty backbones and are fully flexible regarding the orientation of expression cassettes and addition of linkers between them, if required. We optimised the assembly and subcloning protocol by testing different scar-less assembly approaches: the noncommercial SLiCE and TAR methods and the commercial Gibson assembly and NEBuilder HiFi DNA assembly kits. Plant X-tender was applicable even in combination with low efficient homemade chemically competent or electrocompetent Escherichia coli. We have further validated the developed procedure for plant protein expression by cloning two cassettes into the newly developed vectors and subsequently transferred them to Nicotiana benthamiana in a transient expression setup. Thereby we show that multigene constructs can be delivered into plant cells in a streamlined and highly efficient way. Our results will support faster

  10. Analyses for inserting fresh LEU fuel assemblies instead of fresh HEU fuel assemblies in the Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor in Vietnam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanan, N. A.; Deen, J.R.; Matos, J.E.

    2005-01-01

    Analyses were performed by the RERTR Program to replace 36 burned HEU (36%) fuel assemblies in the Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor in Vietnam with either 36 fresh fuel assemblies currently on-hand at the reactor or with LEU fuel assemblies to be procured. The study concludes that the current HEU (36%) WWR-M2 fuel assemblies can be replaced with LEU WWR-M2 fuel assemblies that are fully-qualified and have been commercially available since 2001 from the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant in Russia. The current reactor configuration using re-shuffled HEU fuel began in June 2004 and is expected to allow normal operation until around August 2006. If 36 HEU assemblies each with 40.2 g 235 U are inserted without fuel shuffling over the next five operating cycles, the core could operate for an additional 10 years until June 2016. Alternatively, inserting 36 LEU fuel assemblies each containing 49.7 g 235 U without fuel shuffling over five operating cycles would allow normal operation for about 14 years from August 2006 until October 2020. The main reason for the longer service life of the LEU fuel is that its 235 U content is higher than the 235 U content needed simply to match the service life of the HEU fuel. Fast neutron fluxes in the experiment regions would be very nearly the same in both the HEU and LEU cores. Thermal neutron fluxes in the experiment regions would be lower by 1-5%, depending on the experiment type and location. (author)

  11. Formation and properties of surface-anchored polymer assemblies with tunable physico-chemical characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Tao

    We describe two new methodologies leading to the formation of novel surface-anchored polymer assemblies on solid substrates. While the main goal is to understand the fundamentals pertaining to the preparation and properties of the surface-bound polymer assemblies (including neutral and chargeable polymers), several examples also are mentioned throughout the Thesis that point out to practical applications of such structures. The first method is based on generating assemblies comprising anchored polymers with a gradual variation of grafting densities on solid substrates. These structures are prepared by first covering the substrate with a molecular gradient of the polymerization initiator, followed by polymerization from these substrate-bound initiator centers ("grafting from"). We apply this technique to prepare grafting density gradients of poly(acryl amide) (PAAm) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) on silica-covered substrates. We show that using the grafting density gradient geometry, the characteristics of surface-anchored polymers in both the low grafting density ("mushroom") regime as well as the high grafting density ("brush") regime can be accessed conveniently on a single sample. We use a battery of experimental methods, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Near-edge absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS), contact angle, ellipsometry, to study the characteristics of the surface-bound polymer layers. We also probe the scaling laws of neutral polymer as a function of grafting density, and for weak polyelectrolyte, in addition to the grafting density, we study the affect of solution ionic strength and pH values. In the second novel method, which we coined as "mechanically assisted polymer assembly" (MAPA), we form surface anchored polymers by "grafting from" polymerization initiators deposited on elastic surfaces that have been previously extended uniaxially by a certain length increment, Deltax. Upon releasing the strain in the

  12. Controlled interfacial assembly of 2D curved colloidal crystals and jammed shells

    OpenAIRE

    Subramaniam, Anand Bala; Abkarian, Manouk; Stone, Howard A.

    2006-01-01

    Assembly of colloidal particles on fluid interfaces is a promising technique for synthesizing two-dimensional micro-crystalline materials useful in fields as diverse as biomedicine1, materials science2, mineral flotation3 and food processing4. Current approaches rely on bulk emulsification methods, require further chemical and thermal treatments, and are restrictive with respect to the materials employed5-9. The development of methods that exploit the great potential of interfacial assembly f...

  13. A Versatile Star PEG Grafting Method for the Generation of Nonfouling and Nonthrombogenic Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pradeep Kumar Thalla

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Polyethylene glycol (PEG grafting has a great potential to create nonfouling and nonthrombogenic surfaces, but present techniques lack versatility and stability. The present work aimed to develop a versatile PEG grafting method applicable to most biomaterial surfaces, by taking advantage of novel primary amine-rich plasma-polymerized coatings. Star-shaped PEG covalent binding was studied using static contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D. Fluorescence and QCM-D both confirmed strong reduction of protein adsorption when compared to plasma-polymerized coatings and pristine poly(ethyleneterephthalate (PET. Moreover, almost no platelet adhesion was observed after 15 min perfusion in whole blood. Altogether, our results suggest that primary amine-rich plasma-polymerized coatings offer a promising stable and versatile method for PEG grafting in order to create nonfouling and nonthrombogenic surfaces and micropatterns.

  14. Self-assembled monolayers of perfluoroalkylsilane on plasma-hydroxylated silicon substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Lin; Cai, Lu; Liu, Anqi; Wang, Wei; Yuan, Yanhua [College of Textile, Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou 215021 (China); National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, Suzhou 215123 (China); Li, Zhanxiong, E-mail: lizhanxiong@suda.edu.cn [College of Textile, Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou 215021 (China); State Key Laboratory of Disaster Prevention & Mitigation of Explosion & Impact, Nanjing 210007 (China)

    2015-09-15

    Highlights: • A novel kind of fluoroalkylsilane monomers with different fluoroalkyl chain length was synthesized. • The fluoroalkyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silanol-terminated silicon substrates were chemically fabricated using the liquid phase deposition method. • Fluoroalkylsilanes were used for the self-assembly rather than the silane coupling agents and fluorochemicals to fabricate controllable, ordered SAMs. • The angle-dependent XPS study was conducted to investigate the changes of surface structures as well as elemental compositions of the SAMs. • The results indicated that fluoroalkyl groups would migrate from the inner part of the monolayers to the outermost interface after heat treatment, resulting into the microphase separation of the SAMs surface. - Abstract: In this study, a novel kind of fluoroalkylsilane monomers with different fluoroalkyl chain lengths was synthesized via three steps method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, {sup 1}H and {sup 19}F nuclear magnetic resonance ({sup 1}H NMR and {sup 19}F NMR), and mass spectra (MS). Fluoroalkyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silanol-terminated silicon substrates (O{sub 2} plasma treatment) were chemically fabricated via –Si–O– covalent bonds using the liquid phase deposition method (LPD). The wetabilities of the SAMs were characterized by water contact angles (CA), surface free energies and adhesive force (AF) measurements. 3-(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyloxycarbonyl) -propionamidepropyl-triethoxysilane (PFOPT) assembled monolayer was chosen for in-depth investigation as its CA was higher than the others. Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to validate the attachment of PFOPT on the silicon substrate, together with the chemical composition and structure of the SAMs. The surface morphologies and roughness of the monolayers were obtained and

  15. Fabrication and evaluation of chemically vapor deposited tungsten heat pipe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacigalupi, R. J.

    1972-01-01

    A network of lithium-filled tungsten heat pipes is being considered as a method of heat extraction from high temperature nuclear reactors. The need for material purity and shape versatility in these applications dictates the use of chemically vapor deposited (CVD) tungsten. Adaptability of CVD tungsten to complex heat pipe designs is shown. Deposition and welding techniques are described. Operation of two lithium-filled CVD tungsten heat pipes above 1800 K is discussed.

  16. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. XIANG WANG. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 129 Issue 1 January 2017 pp 9-20 Regular Article. Self-assembly, structures and properties of three new Ni(II) coordination polymers derived from two different bis-pyridyl-bis-amide ligands and two ...

  17. Peptide-based biosensors: From self-assembled interfaces to molecular probes in electrochemical assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puiu, Mihaela; Bala, Camelia

    2018-04-01

    Redox-tagged peptides have emerged as functional materials with multiple applications in the area of sensing and biosensing applications due to their high stability, excellent redox properties and versatility of biomolecular interactions. They allow direct observation of molecular interactions in a wide range of affinity and enzymatic assays and act as electron mediators. Short helical peptides possess the ability to self-assemble in specific configurations with the possibility to develop in highly-ordered, stable 1D, 2D and 3D architectures in a hierarchical controlled manner. We provide here a brief overview of the electrochemical techniques available to study the electron transfer in peptide films with particular interest in developing biosensors with immobilized peptide motifs, for biological and clinical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Fabrication of Semiconductor ZnO Nanostructures for Versatile SERS Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lili Yang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Since the initial discovery of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS in the 1970s, it has exhibited a huge potential application in many fields due to its outstanding advantages. Since the ultra-sensitive noble metallic nanostructures have increasingly exposed themselves as having some problems during application, semiconductors have been gradually exploited as one of the critical SERS substrate materials due to their distinctive advantages when compared with noble metals. ZnO is one of the most representative metallic oxide semiconductors with an abundant reserve, various and cost-effective fabrication techniques, as well as special physical and chemical properties. Thanks to the varied morphologies, size-dependent exciton, good chemical stability, a tunable band gap, carrier concentration, and stoichiometry, ZnO nanostructures have the potential to be exploited as SERS substrates. Moreover, other distinctive properties possessed by ZnO such as biocompatibility, photocatcalysis and self-cleaning, and gas- and chemo-sensitivity can be synergistically integrated and exerted with SERS activity to realize the multifunctional potential of ZnO substrates. In this review, we discuss the inevitable development trend of exploiting the potential semiconductor ZnO as a SERS substrate. After clarifying the root cause of the great disparity between the enhancement factor (EF of noble metals and that of ZnO nanostructures, two specific methods are put forward to improve the SERS activity of ZnO, namely: elemental doping and combination of ZnO with noble metals. Then, we introduce a distinctive advantage of ZnO as SERS substrate and illustrate the necessity of reporting a meaningful average EF. We also summarize some fabrication methods for ZnO nanostructures with varied dimensions (0–3 dimensions. Finally, we present an overview of ZnO nanostructures for the versatile SERS application.

  19. Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Using a Novel Versatile Knife: An Animal Feasibility Study (with Video)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Chang-Il; Kim, Gwangil; Kim, Won Hee; Ko, Kwang Hyun; Hong, Sung Pyo; Jeong, Seok; Lee, Don Haeng

    2014-01-01

    Background/Aims In order to reduce the procedure time and the number of accessory changes during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), we developed a novel versatile knife, which has the combined advantages of several conventional knives. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, safety, and histological quality of ESD performed using this novel versatile knife and a combination of several conventional knives. Methods This was an in vivo animal study comparing two different modalities of ESD in mini-pigs. Completion time of each resection was documented, and the resected specimens were retrieved and evaluated for completeness. To assess the quality control of the procedures and adverse events, detailed histopathological examinations were performed. Results A total of 18 specimens were dissected by ESD safely and easily (nine specimens using the new versatile knife; nine specimens by mixing conventional knives). All resections were completed as en bloc resections. There was no significant difference in procedure time between the 2 modalities (456 seconds vs. 355 seconds, p=0.258) and cutting speed (1.983 mm2/sec vs. 1.57 mm2/sec, p=1.000). The rate of adverse events and histological quality did not statistically differ between the modalities. Conclusions ESD with a versatile knife appeared to be an easy, safe, and technically efficient method. PMID:25505721

  20. Homochiral Evolution in Self-Assembled Chiral Polymers and Block Copolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Tao; Wang, Hsiao-Fang; Li, Ming-Chia; Ho, Rong-Ming

    2017-04-18

    The significance of chirality transfer is not only involved in biological systems, such as the origin of homochiral structures in life but also in man-made chemicals and materials. How the chiral bias transfers from molecular level (molecular chirality) to helical chain (conformational chirality) and then to helical superstructure or phase (hierarchical chirality) from self-assembly is vital for the chemical and biological processes in nature, such as communication, replication, and enzyme catalysis. In this Account, we summarize the methodologies for the examination of homochiral evolution at different length scales based on our recent studies with respect to the self-assembly of chiral polymers and chiral block copolymers (BCPs*). A helical (H*) phase to distinguish its P622 symmetry from that of normal hexagonally packed cylinder phase was discovered in the self-assembly of BCPs* due to the chirality effect on BCP self-assembly. Enantiomeric polylactide-containing BCPs*, polystyrene-b-poly(l-lactide) (PS-PLLA) and polystyrene-b-poly(d-lactide) (PS-PDLA), were synthesized for the examination of homochiral evolution. The optical activity (molecular chirality) of constituted chiral repeating unit in the chiral polylactide is detected by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) whereas the conformational chirality of helical polylactide chain can be explicitly determined by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). The H* phases of the self-assembled polylactide-containing BCPs* can be directly visualized by 3D transmission electron microscopy (3D TEM) technique at which the handedness (hierarchical chirality) of the helical nanostructure is thus determined. The results from the ECD, VCD, and 3D TEM for the investigated chirality at different length scales suggest the homochiral evolution in the self-assembly of the BCPs*. For chiral polylactides, twisted lamellae in crystalline banded spherulite can be formed by dense packing scheme and effective interactions upon helical

  1. Square and Rectangular Arrays from Directed Assembly of Sphere-forming Diblock Copolymers in Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Shengxiang; Nagpal, Umang; Liao, Wen; de Pablo, Juan; Nealey, Paul

    2010-03-01

    Patterns of square and rectangular arrays with nanoscale dimensions are scientifically and technologically important. Fabrication of square array patterns in thin films has been demonstrated by directed assembly of cylinder-forming diblock copolymers on chemically patterned substrates, supramolecular assembly of diblock copolymers, and self-assembly of triblock terpolymers. However, a macroscopic area of square array patterns with long-range order has not been achieved, and the fabrication of rectangular arrays has not been reported so far. Here we report a facile approach for fabricating patterns of square and rectangular arrays by directing the assembly of sphere-forming diblock copolymers on chemically patterned substrates. On stripe patterns, a square arrangement of half spheres, corresponding to the (100) plane of the body-centred cubic (BCC) lattice, formed on film surfaces. When the underlying pattern periods mismatched with the copolymer period, the square pattern could be stretched (up to ˜60%) or compressed (˜15%) to form rectangular arrays. Monte Carlo simulations have been further used to verify the experimental results and the 3-dimensional arrangements of spheres.

  2. MUMmer4: A fast and versatile genome alignment system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillaume Marçais

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The MUMmer system and the genome sequence aligner nucmer included within it are among the most widely used alignment packages in genomics. Since the last major release of MUMmer version 3 in 2004, it has been applied to many types of problems including aligning whole genome sequences, aligning reads to a reference genome, and comparing different assemblies of the same genome. Despite its broad utility, MUMmer3 has limitations that can make it difficult to use for large genomes and for the very large sequence data sets that are common today. In this paper we describe MUMmer4, a substantially improved version of MUMmer that addresses genome size constraints by changing the 32-bit suffix tree data structure at the core of MUMmer to a 48-bit suffix array, and that offers improved speed through parallel processing of input query sequences. With a theoretical limit on the input size of 141Tbp, MUMmer4 can now work with input sequences of any biologically realistic length. We show that as a result of these enhancements, the nucmer program in MUMmer4 is easily able to handle alignments of large genomes; we illustrate this with an alignment of the human and chimpanzee genomes, which allows us to compute that the two species are 98% identical across 96% of their length. With the enhancements described here, MUMmer4 can also be used to efficiently align reads to reference genomes, although it is less sensitive and accurate than the dedicated read aligners. The nucmer aligner in MUMmer4 can now be called from scripting languages such as Perl, Python and Ruby. These improvements make MUMer4 one the most versatile genome alignment packages available.

  3. The chemical composition and biological properties of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yong, Jean W H; Ge, Liya; Ng, Yan Fei; Tan, Swee Ngin

    2009-12-09

    Coconut water (coconut liquid endosperm), with its many applications, is one of the world's most versatile natural product. This refreshing beverage is consumed worldwide as it is nutritious and beneficial for health. There is increasing scientific evidence that supports the role of coconut water in health and medicinal applications. Coconut water is traditionally used as a growth supplement in plant tissue culture/micropropagation. The wide applications of coconut water can be justified by its unique chemical composition of sugars, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and phytohormones. This review attempts to summarise and evaluate the chemical composition and biological properties of coconut water.

  4. Stretchable Electronic Sensors of Nanocomposite Network Films for Ultrasensitive Chemical Vapor Sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Hong; Zhong, Mengjuan; Lv, Ze; Wan, Pengbo

    2017-11-01

    A stretchable, transparent, and body-attachable chemical sensor is assembled from the stretchable nanocomposite network film for ultrasensitive chemical vapor sensing. The stretchable nanocomposite network film is fabricated by in situ preparation of polyaniline/MoS 2 (PANI/MoS 2 ) nanocomposite in MoS 2 suspension and simultaneously nanocomposite deposition onto prestrain elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane substrate. The assembled stretchable electronic sensor demonstrates ultrasensitive sensing performance as low as 50 ppb, robust sensing stability, and reliable stretchability for high-performance chemical vapor sensing. The ultrasensitive sensing performance of the stretchable electronic sensors could be ascribed to the synergistic sensing advantages of MoS 2 and PANI, higher specific surface area, the reliable sensing channels of interconnected network, and the effectively exposed sensing materials. It is expected to hold great promise for assembling various flexible stretchable chemical vapor sensors with ultrasensitive sensing performance, superior sensing stability, reliable stretchability, and robust portability to be potentially integrated into wearable electronics for real-time monitoring of environment safety and human healthcare. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. Aloke Kumar Ghosh. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 124 Issue 6 November 2012 pp 1377-1383. Rhomboidal [Cu4] coordination cluster from self-assembly of two asymmetric phenoxido-bridged Cu2 units: Role of 1,1-azido clips · Avijit Sarkar Aloke ...

  6. Closed loop solar chemical heat pipe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levy, M.; Levitan, R.; Rosin, H.; Rubin, R.

    1991-01-01

    The system used for the closed loop operation of the solar chemical heat pipe comprises a reformer, heated by the solar furnace, a methanator and a storage assembly containing a compressor and storage cylinders. (authors). 7 figs

  7. Trypanosomes - versatile microswimmers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krüger, Timothy; Engstler, Markus

    2016-11-01

    Evolution has generated a plethora of flagellate microswimmers. They populate all natural waters, from the deep sea to the ponds in our neighbourhood. But flagellates also thrive in the bodies of higher organisms, where they mostly remain undetected, but can also become pathogenic. Trypanosomes comprise a large group of mostly parasitic flagellates that cause many diseases, such as human sleeping sickness or the cattle plague nagana. We consider African trypanosomes as extremely versatile microswimmers, as they have to adapt to very diverse microenvironments. They swim efficiently in the blood of their mammalian hosts, but also in various tissue spaces and even in the human brain. Furthermore, in the transmitting tsetse fly, trypanosomes undergo characteristic morphological changes that are accompanied by amazing transitions between solitary and collective types of motion. In this review, we provide a basic introduction to trypanosome biology and then focus on the complex type of rotational movement that trypanosomes display. We relate their swimming performance to morphological parameters and the respective microenvironment, developing a contemporary view on the physics of trypanosome motility. The genetically programmed successions of life style-dependent motion patterns provide challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary studies of microswimmers.

  8. Evaporative Optical Marangoni Assembly: Tailoring the Three-Dimensional Morphology of Individual Deposits of Nanoparticles from Sessile Drops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anyfantakis, Manos; Varanakkottu, Subramanyan Namboodiri; Rudiuk, Sergii; Morel, Mathieu; Baigl, Damien

    2017-10-25

    We have recently devised the evaporative optical Marangoni assembly (eOMA), a novel and versatile interfacial flow-based method for directing the deposition of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) on solid substrates from evaporating sessile drops along desired patterns using shaped UV light. Here, we focus on a fixed UV spot irradiation resulting in a cylinder-like deposit of assembled particles and show how the geometrical features of the single deposit can be tailored in three dimensions by simply adjusting the optical conditions or the sample composition, in a quantitative and reproducible manner. Sessile drops containing cationic NPs and a photosensitive surfactant at various concentrations are allowed to evaporate under a single UV beam with a diameter much smaller than that of the drop. After complete evaporation, the geometrical characteristics of the NP deposits are precisely assessed using optical profilometry. We show that both the volume and the radial size of the light-directed NP deposit can be adjusted by varying the diameter or the intensity of the UV beam or alternatively by changing the concentration of the photosensitive surfactant. Notably, in all these cases, the deposits display an almost constant median height corresponding to a few layers of particles. Moreover, both the radial and the axial extent of the patterns are tuned by changing the NP concentration. These results are explained by the correlation among the strength of Marangoni flow, the particle trapping efficiency, and the volume of the deposit, and by the role of evaporation-driven flow in strongly controlling the deposit height. Finally, we extend the versatility of eOMA by demonstrating that NPs down to 30 nm in diameter can be effectively patterned on glass or polymeric substrates.

  9. Sequential bottom-up assembly of mechanically stabilized synthetic cells by microfluidics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Marian; Frohnmayer, Johannes Patrick; Benk, Lucia Theresa; Haller, Barbara; Janiesch, Jan-Willi; Heitkamp, Thomas; Börsch, Michael; Lira, Rafael B.; Dimova, Rumiana; Lipowsky, Reinhard; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Baret, Jean-Christophe; Vidakovic-Koch, Tanja; Sundmacher, Kai; Platzman, Ilia; Spatz, Joachim P.

    2018-01-01

    Compartments for the spatially and temporally controlled assembly of biological processes are essential towards cellular life. Synthetic mimics of cellular compartments based on lipid-based protocells lack the mechanical and chemical stability to allow their manipulation into a complex and fully functional synthetic cell. Here, we present a high-throughput microfluidic method to generate stable, defined sized liposomes termed `droplet-stabilized giant unilamellar vesicles (dsGUVs)’. The enhanced stability of dsGUVs enables the sequential loading of these compartments with biomolecules, namely purified transmembrane and cytoskeleton proteins by microfluidic pico-injection technology. This constitutes an experimental demonstration of a successful bottom-up assembly of a compartment with contents that would not self-assemble to full functionality when simply mixed together. Following assembly, the stabilizing oil phase and droplet shells are removed to release functional self-supporting protocells to an aqueous phase, enabling them to interact with physiologically relevant matrices.

  10. Supramolecular domains in mixed peptide self-assembled monolayers on gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duchesne, Laurence; Wells, Geoff; Fernig, David G; Harris, Sarah A; Lévy, Raphaël

    2008-09-01

    Self-organization in mixed self-assembled monolayers of small molecules provides a route towards nanoparticles with complex molecular structures. Inspired by structural biology, a strategy based on chemical cross-linking is introduced to probe proximity between functional peptides embedded in a mixed self-assembled monolayer at the surface of a nanoparticle. The physical basis of the proximity measurement is a transition from intramolecular to intermolecular cross-linking as the functional peptides get closer. Experimental investigations of a binary peptide self-assembled monolayer show that this transition happens at an extremely low molar ratio of the functional versus matrix peptide. Molecular dynamics simulations of the peptide self-assembled monolayer are used to calculate the volume explored by the reactive groups. Comparison of the experimental results with a probabilistic model demonstrates that the peptides are not randomly distributed at the surface of the nanoparticle, but rather self-organize into supramolecular domains.

  11. Selective desulfurization of cysteine in the presence of Cys(Acm) in polypeptides obtained by native chemical ligation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pentelute, Brad L; Kent, Stephen B H

    2007-02-15

    Increased versatility for the synthesis of proteins and peptides by native chemical ligation requires the ability to ligate at positions other than Cys. Here, we report that Raney nickel can be used under standard conditions for the selective desulfurization of Cys in the presence of Cys(Acm). This simple and practical tactic enables the more common Xaa-Ala junctions to be used as ligation sites for the chemical synthesis of Cys-containing peptides and proteins. [reaction: see text].

  12. Hemolysin coregulated protein 1 as a molecular gluing unit for the assembly of nanoparticle hybrid structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tuan Anh Pham

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Hybrid nanoparticle (NP structures containing organic building units such as polymers, peptides, DNA and proteins have great potential in biosensor and electronic applications. The nearly free modification of the polymer chain, the variation of the protein and DNA sequence and the implementation of functional moieties provide a great platform to create inorganic structures of different morphology, resulting in different optical and magnetic properties. Nevertheless, the design and modification of a protein structure with functional groups or sequences for the assembly of biohybrid materials is not trivial. This is mainly due to the sensitivity of its secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure to the changes in the interaction (e.g., hydrophobic, hydrophilic, electrostatic, chemical groups between the protein subunits and the inorganic material. Here, we use hemolysin coregulated protein 1 (Hcp1 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a building and gluing unit for the formation of biohybrid structures by implementing cysteine anchoring points at defined positions on the protein rim (Hcp1_cys3. We successfully apply the Hcp1_cys3 gluing unit for the assembly of often linear, hybrid structures of plasmonic gold (Au NP, magnetite (Fe3O4 NP, and cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4 NP. Furthermore, the assembly of Au NPs into linear structures using Hcp1_cys3 is investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy, TEM and cryo-TEM. One key parameter for the formation of Au NP assembly is the specific ionic strength in the mixture. The resulting network-like structure of Au NPs is characterized by Raman spectroscopy, showing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS by a factor of 8·104 and a stable secondary structure of the Hcp1_cys3 unit. In order to prove the catalytic performance of the gold hybrid structures, they are used as a catalyst in the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol showing similar catalytic activity as the pure Au NPs. To further extend the

  13. Neuronal chemokines : Versatile messengers in central nervous system cell interaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Haas, A. H.; van Weering, H. R. J.; de Jong, E. K.; Boddeke, H. W. G. M.; Biber, K. P. H.

    2007-01-01

    Whereas chemokines are well known for their ability to induce cell migration, only recently it became evident that chemokines also control a variety of other cell functions and are versatile messengers in the interaction between a diversity of cell types. In the central nervous system (CNS),

  14. Photogenerated Exciton Dissociation in Highly Coupled Lead Salt Nanocrystal Assemblies

    KAUST Repository

    Choi, Joshua J.; Luria, Justin; Hyun, Byung-Ryool; Bartnik, Adam C.; Sun, Liangfeng; Lim, Yee-Fun; Marohn, John A.; Wise, Frank W.; Hanrath, Tobias

    2010-01-01

    Internanocrystal coupling induced excitons dissociation in lead salt nanocrystal assemblies is investigated. By combining transient photoluminescence spectroscopy, grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, and time-resolved electric force microscopy, we show that excitons can dissociate, without the aid of an external bias or chemical potential gradient, via tunneling through a potential barrier when the coupling energy is comparable to the exciton binding energy. Our results have important implications for the design of nanocrystal-based optoelectronic devices. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  15. Photogenerated Exciton Dissociation in Highly Coupled Lead Salt Nanocrystal Assemblies

    KAUST Repository

    Choi, Joshua J.

    2010-05-12

    Internanocrystal coupling induced excitons dissociation in lead salt nanocrystal assemblies is investigated. By combining transient photoluminescence spectroscopy, grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, and time-resolved electric force microscopy, we show that excitons can dissociate, without the aid of an external bias or chemical potential gradient, via tunneling through a potential barrier when the coupling energy is comparable to the exciton binding energy. Our results have important implications for the design of nanocrystal-based optoelectronic devices. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  16. Two-dimensional assemblies of soft repulsive colloids confined at fluid interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isa, L.; Buttinoni, I.; Fernandez-Rodriguez, M. A.; Vasudevan, S. A.

    2017-07-01

    Colloidal systems are an excellent example of a materials class for which interrogating fundamental questions leads to answers of direct applied relevance. In our group, we in particular focus on two-dimensional assemblies of micro- and nano-particles confined at the interface between two fluids, e.g., oil-water. Here, we review our work on systems interacting through soft repulsive forces of different origin, i.e., electrostatic and steric. By starting from the paradigmatic case of charged colloids at an interface, we show how they are both offering great opportunities as model systems to investigate the structural and mechanical response of materials and as versatile patterning tools for surface nanostructuring. We then move to the case of deformable particles interacting via steric contacts. We first examine microgel particles, which we also demonstrate as very promising models for structural investigations and robust elements for tunable nanolithography. We conclude by briefly discussing the case of particles comprising a hard inorganic core and a deformable polymer shell, which maintain some of the advantageous features of microgel particles, but also enable the realization of two-dimensional functional materials. This article offers our perspective on a very active field of research, where many interesting developments are expected in the near future. Contribution to the Focus Issue Self-assemblies of Inorganic and Organic Nanomaterials edited by Marie-Paule Pileni.

  17. Iron: a versatile element to produce materials for environmental applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teixeira, Ana Paula C.; Araujo, Maria H.; Oliveira, Luiz C.A.; Moura, Flavia C.C.; Lago, Rochel M., E-mail: rochel@ufmg.br, E-mail: anapct@ufmg.br [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Tristao, Juliana C. [Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Florestal, MG (Brazil); Ardisson, Jose D. [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Lab. de Fisica Aplicada; Amorim, Camila C., E-mail: juliana@ufv.br [Departamento de Engenharia Sanitaria e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

    2012-09-15

    Iron is a versatile element forming several phases with different oxidation states and {sup s}tructures, such as Fe{sup 0}, FeO, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}, {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and FeOOH. All these phases have unique physicochemical properties which can be used for different applications. In this work, it is described the use of different iron compounds, synthetic and also from natural and waste sources, in environmental and technological applications. Two main research areas are described. The first one is related to strategies to increase the reactivity of Fe phases, mainly by the formation of Fe{sup 0}/iron oxide composites and by the introduction of new metals in the iron oxide structure to promote new surface reactions. The second area is the use of the magnetic properties of some iron phases to produce versatile magnetic materials with focus in adsorption, catalysis and emulsions. (author)

  18. Self-Assembly, Pattern Formation and Growth Phenomena in Nano-Systems

    CERN Document Server

    Nepomnyashchy, Alexander A

    2006-01-01

    Nano-science and nano-technology are rapidly developing scientific and technological areas that deal with physical, chemical and biological processes that occur on nano-meter scale – one millionth of a millimeter. Self-organization and pattern formation play crucial role on nano-scales and promise new, effective routes to control various nano-scales processes. This book contains lecture notes written by the lecturers of the NATO Advanced Study Institute "Self-Assembly, Pattern Formation and Growth Phenomena in Nano-Systems" that took place in St Etienne de Tinee, France, in the fall 2004. They give examples of self-organization phenomena on micro- and nano-scale as well as examples of the interplay between phenomena on nano- and macro-scales leading to complex behavior in various physical, chemical and biological systems. They discuss such fascinating nano-scale self-organization phenomena as self-assembly of quantum dots in thin solid films, pattern formation in liquid crystals caused by light, self-organi...

  19. Characterization of iron surface modified by 2-mercaptobenzothiazole self-assembled monolayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng Yuanyuan [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Chen Shenhao [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China) and State Key Laboratory for Corrosion and Protection, Shenyang 110016 (China)]. E-mail: shchen@sdu.edu.cn; Zhang Honglin [Department of Chemistry, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165 (China); Li Ping [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Wu Ling [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Guo Wenjuan [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

    2006-12-30

    A self-assembled monolayer of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) adsorbed on the iron surface was prepared. The films were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared reflection spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Besides, the microcalorimetry method was utilized to study the self-assembled process on iron surface and the adsorption mechanism was discussed from the power-time curve. The results indicated that MBT was able to form a film spontaneously on iron surface and the presence of it could protect iron from corrosion effectively. However, the assembling time and the concentration influence the protection efficiency. Quantum chemical calculations, according to which adsorption mechanism was discussed, could explain the experimental results to some extent.

  20. Versatile Multicomponent Reaction Macrocycle Synthesis Using α-Isocyano-ω-carboxylic Acids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liao, George P; Abdelraheem, Eman M M; Neochoritis, Constantinos G; Kurpiewska, Katarzyna; Kalinowska-Tłuścik, Justyna; McGowan, David C; Dömling, Alexander

    2015-01-01

    The direct macrocycle synthesis of α-isocyano-ω-carboxylic acids via an Ugi multicomponent reaction is introduced. This multicomponent reaction (MCR) protocol differs by being especially short, convergent, and versatile, giving access to 12-22 membered rings.

  1. Versatile microcomputer-based temperature controller

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yarberry, V.R.

    1980-09-01

    The wide range of thermal responses required in laboratory and scientific equipment requires a temperature controller with a great deal of flexibility. While a number of analog temperature controllers are commercially available, they have certain limitations, such as inflexible parameter control or insufficient precision. Most lack digital interface capabilities--a necessity when the temperature controller is part of a computer-controlled automatic data acquisition system. We have developed an extremely versatile microcomputer-based temperature controller to fulfill this need in a variety of equipment. The control algorithm used allows optimal tailoring of parameters to control overshoot, response time, and accuracy. This microcomputer-based temperature controller can be used as a standalone instrument (with a teletype used to enter para-meters), or it can be integrated into a data acquisition system

  2. The Versatile Modiolus Perforator Flap

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gunnarsson, Gudjon Leifur; Thomsen, Jorn Bo

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Perforator flaps are well established, and their usefulness as freestyle island flaps is recognized. The whereabouts of vascular perforators and classification of perforator flaps in the face are a debated subject, despite several anatomical studies showing similar consistency. In our...... experience using freestyle facial perforator flaps, we have located areas where perforators are consistently found. This study is focused on a particular perforator lateral to the angle of the mouth; the modiolus and the versatile modiolus perforator flap. METHODS: A cohort case series of 14 modiolus...... perforator flap reconstructions in 14 patients and a color Doppler ultrasonography localization of the modiolus perforator in 10 volunteers. RESULTS: All 14 flaps were successfully used to reconstruct the defects involved, and the location of the perforator was at the level of the modiolus as predicted...

  3. Release of WIMS10: a versatile reactor physics code for thermal and fast systems - 15467

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindley, B.A.; Newton, T.D.; Hosking, J.G.; Smith, P.N.; Powney, D.J.; Tollit, B.; Smith, P.J.

    2015-01-01

    the WIMS code provides a versatile software package for neutronic calculations, which can be applied to all thermal reactor types including mixed moderator systems. It can provide lattice cell and supercell calculations using a range of flux solutions methods to produce the neutronic libraries for use in PANTHER or other whole core analysis codes. With the release of WIMS10, the range of problems which WIMS can solve has been greatly extended. A WIMS/PANTHER calculation route has been developed and validated for part MOX-fuelled PWRs, with calculations showing excellent agreement with 2D core deterministic and Monte Carlo transport solutions. A flexible geometry 3D method of characteristics transport solver, CACTUS3D has been added to the code. CACTUS3D has been benchmarked for a 3D BWR assembly model, and was in good agreement with a direct 172-group solution in the Monte Carlo code MONK. Fast reactor calculations using the ECCO deterministic calculation route have been validated using experimental data from the ZEBRA reactor. Power deposition can be treated through following neutrons and/or photons to their point of interaction. The improved methodology is shown to give more accurate calculation of heat deposition and improve agreement between calculated and measured detector responses for part MOX-fuelled cores. (authors)

  4. A redox responsive, fluorescent supramolecular metallohydrogel consists of nanofibers with single-molecule width

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Ye

    2013-04-03

    The integration of a tripeptide derivative, which is a versatile self-assembly motif, with a ruthenium(II)tris(bipyridine) complex affords the first supramolecular metallo-hydrogelator that not only self assembles in water to form a hydrogel but also exhibits gel-sol transition upon oxidation of the metal center. Surprisingly, the incorporation of the metal complex in the hydrogelator results in the nanofibers, formed by the self-assembly of the hydrogelator in water, to have the width of a single molecule of the hydrogelator. These results illustrate that metal complexes, besides being able to impart rich optical, electronic, redox, or magnetic properties to supramolecular hydrogels, also offer a unique geometrical control to prearrange the self-assembly motif prior to self-assembling. The use of metal complexes to modulate the dimensionality of intermolecular interactions may also help elucidate the interactions of the molecular nanofibers with other molecules, thus facilitating the development of supramolecular hydrogel materials for a wide range of applications. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  5. Nitrogen-Based Diazeniumdiolates: Versatile Nitric Oxide-Releasing Compounds for Biomedical Research and Potential Clinical Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saavedra, Joseph E.; Keefer, Larry K.

    2002-12-01

    Nitric oxide-generating ions of the nitrogen-diazeniumdiolate class with the general structure R1R2N-[N(O)NO]1 have been prepared by exposing primary, secondary, and polyamines to nitric oxide (NO). The resulting complexes regenerate bioactive NO at physiological pH with half-lives ranging from 2 seconds to 20 hours. An important goal in our research is to deliver NO to a specific organ or cell type where it is needed without affecting other NO-sensitive parts of the anatomy. By taking advantage of the remarkable chemical versatility of diazeniumdiolates, we have developed general strategies to prepare either tissue-selective NO donor drugs or materials containing NO delivery agents that can be physically placed near the target sites. Inhibition of blood coagulation, induction of penile erection, relief of pulmonary hypertension, and reversal of cerebral vasospasm are a few examples of their potential clinical applications. See Featured Molecules.

  6. Legomedicine-A Versatile Chemo-Enzymatic Approach for the Preparation of Targeted Dual-Labeled Llama Antibody-Nanoparticle Conjugates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Lith, Sanne A M; van Duijnhoven, Sander M J; Navis, Anna C; Leenders, William P J; Dolk, Edward; Wennink, Jos W H; van Nostrum, Cornelus F; van Hest, Jan C M

    2017-02-15

    Conjugation of llama single domain antibody fragments (Variable Heavy chain domains of Heavy chain antibodies, VHHs) to diagnostic or therapeutic nanoparticles, peptides, proteins, or drugs offers many opportunities for optimized targeted cancer treatment. Currently, mostly nonspecific conjugation strategies or genetic fusions are used that may compromise VHH functionality. In this paper we present a versatile modular approach for bioorthogonal VHH modification and conjugation. First, sortase A mediated transPEGylation is used for introduction of a chemical click moiety. The resulting clickable VHHs are then used for conjugation to other groups employing the Cu + -independent strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloadition (SPAAC) reaction. Using this approach, tail-to-tail bispecific VHHs and VHH-targeted nanoparticles are generated without affecting VHH functionality. Furthermore, this approach allows the bioconjugation of multiple moieties to VHHs for simple and convenient production of VHH-based theranostics.

  7. Self-assembly of single "square" quantum rings in gold-free GaAs nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zha, Guowei; Shang, Xiangjun; Su, Dan; Yu, Ying; Wei, Bin; Wang, Li; Li, Mifeng; Wang, Lijuan; Xu, Jianxing; Ni, Haiqiao; Ji, Yuan; Sun, Baoquan; Niu, Zhichuan

    2014-03-21

    Single nanostructures embedded within nanowires (NWs) represent one of the most promising technologies for applications in quantum photonics. However, fabrication imperfections and etching-induced defects are inevitable for top-down fabrications, whereas self-assembly bottom-up approaches cannot avoid the difficulties of its stochastic nature and are limited to restricted heterogeneous material systems. Here we demonstrate the versatile self-assembly of single "square" quantum rings (QR) on the sidewalls of gold-free GaAs NWs for the first time. By tuning the deposition temperature, As overpressure and amount of gallium-droplets, we were able to control the density and morphology of the structure, yielding novel single quantum dots, QR, coupled QRs, and nano-antidots. A proposed model based on a strain-driven, transport-dependent nucleation of gallium droplets at high temperature accounts for the formation mechanism of these structures. We achieved a single-QR-in-NW structure, of which the optical properties were analyzed using micro-photoluminescence at 10 K and a spatially resolved cathodoluminescence technique at 77 K. The spectra show sharp discrete peaks; of these peaks, the narrowest linewidth (separation) was 578 μeV (1-3 meV), reflecting the quantized nature of the ring-type electronic states.

  8. Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): halo formation times and halo assembly bias on the cosmic web

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tojeiro, Rita; Eardley, Elizabeth; Peacock, John A.; Norberg, Peder; Alpaslan, Mehmet; Driver, Simon P.; Henriques, Bruno; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Kafle, Prajwal R.; Robotham, Aaron S. G.; Thomas, Peter; Tonini, Chiara; Wild, Vivienne

    2017-09-01

    We present evidence for halo assembly bias as a function of geometric environment (GE). By classifying Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) galaxy groups as residing in voids, sheets, filaments or knots using a tidal tensor method, we find that low-mass haloes that reside in knots are older than haloes of the same mass that reside in voids. This result provides direct support to theories that link strong halo tidal interactions with halo assembly times. The trend with GE is reversed at large halo mass, with haloes in knots being younger than haloes of the same mass in voids. We find a clear signal of halo downsizing - more massive haloes host galaxies that assembled their stars earlier. This overall trend holds independently of GE. We support our analysis with an in-depth exploration of the L-Galaxies semi-analytic model, used here to correlate several galaxy properties with three different definitions of halo formation time. We find a complex relationship between halo formation time and galaxy properties, with significant scatter. We confirm that stellar mass to halo mass ratio, specific star formation rate (SFR) and mass-weighed age are reasonable proxies of halo formation time, especially at low halo masses. Instantaneous SFR is a poor indicator at all halo masses. Using the same semi-analytic model, we create mock spectral observations using complex star formation and chemical enrichment histories, which approximately mimic GAMA's typical signal-to-noise ratio and wavelength range. We use these mocks to assert how well potential proxies of halo formation time may be recovered from GAMA-like spectroscopic data.

  9. Robotically Assembled Aerospace Structures: Digital Material Assembly using a Gantry-Type Assembler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinh, Greenfield; Copplestone, Grace; O'Connor, Molly; Hu, Steven; Nowak, Sebastian; Cheung, Kenneth; Jenett, Benjamin; Cellucci, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    This paper evaluates the development of automated assembly techniques for discrete lattice structures using a multi-axis gantry type CNC machine. These lattices are made of discrete components called "digital materials." We present the development of a specialized end effector that works in conjunction with the CNC machine to assemble these lattices. With this configuration we are able to place voxels at a rate of 1.5 per minute. The scalability of digital material structures due to the incremental modular assembly is one of its key traits and an important metric of interest. We investigate the build times of a 5x5 beam structure on the scale of 1 meter (325 parts), 10 meters (3,250 parts), and 30 meters (9,750 parts). Utilizing the current configuration with a single end effector, performing serial assembly with a globally fixed feed station at the edge of the build volume, the build time increases according to a scaling law of n4, where n is the build scale. Build times can be reduced significantly by integrating feed systems into the gantry itself, resulting in a scaling law of n3. A completely serial assembly process will encounter time limitations as build scale increases. Automated assembly for digital materials can assemble high performance structures from discrete parts, and techniques such as built in feed systems, parallelization, and optimization of the fastening process will yield much higher throughput.

  10. Use of the program TNHXY in assemblies type MOX in comparison with CASMO-4; Utilizacion del programa TNHXY en ensambles tipo MOX en comparacion con CASMO-4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xolocostli M, J. V.; Enriquez C, P. [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Del Valle G, E., E-mail: vicente.xolocostli@inin.gob.mx [IPN, Escuela Superior de Fisica y Matematicas, U. P. Adolfo Lopez Mateos, Col. Lindavista, 07738 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

    2011-11-15

    In this work a comparison is made in the analysis of fuel assemblies type MOX among the CASMO-4 code and the program TNHXY (Transport of neutrons with Hybrid Nodal schemes in X Y geometry) which solves the equation of neutrons transport in stationary state and X Y geometry using nodal schemes type finite element -hybrid-, such named in correspondence to the parameters that interpolate. The program TNHXY has been validated previously by means of different test problems or benchmark that some authors have solved using other numeric techniques. In addition to analyzing assemblies type BWR. Some of the codes with which have been realized the validations are TWOTRAN as well as other commercial codes as, Helios, MCNP-4B and Cpm-3. The reason of to do this comparative is to able to observe the versatility of the program TNHXY with regard to CASMO-4 relating to the assemblies analysis type MOX and BWR, offering an alternative in the analysis of the same assemblies and with this comparison is confirmed even more the program TNHXY. For the comparison was analyzed a fuel assembly of the type GNF2 for a reactor type BWR that contains MOX with 10 enrichment types for a specific burnt pass. (Author)

  11. Thin silica shell coated Ag assembled nanostructures for expanding generality of SERS analytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myeong Geun Cha

    Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS provides a unique non-destructive spectroscopic fingerprint for chemical detection. However, intrinsic differences in affinity of analyte molecules to metal surface hinder SERS as a universal quantitative detection tool for various analyte molecules simultaneously. This must be overcome while keeping close proximity of analyte molecules to the metal surface. Moreover, assembled metal nanoparticles (NPs structures might be beneficial for sensitive and reliable detection of chemicals than single NP structures. For this purpose, here we introduce thin silica-coated and assembled Ag NPs (SiO2@Ag@SiO2 NPs for simultaneous and quantitative detection of chemicals that have different intrinsic affinities to silver metal. These SiO2@Ag@SiO2 NPs could detect each SERS peak of aniline or 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP from the mixture with limits of detection (LOD of 93 ppm and 54 ppb, respectively. E-field distribution based on interparticle distance was simulated using discrete dipole approximation (DDA calculation to gain insight into enhanced scattering of these thin silica coated Ag NP assemblies. These NPs were successfully applied to detect aniline in river water and tap water. Results suggest that SiO2@Ag@SiO2 NP-based SERS detection systems can be used as a simple and universal detection tool for environment pollutants and food safety.

  12. Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), a versatile platform for polyvalent display of antigenic epitopes and vaccine design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Shantanu; Ochoa, Wendy; Singh, Pratik; Hsu, Catherine; Schneemann, Anette; Manchester, Marianne; Olson, Mark; Reddy, Vijay

    2009-01-01

    Viruses-like particles (VLPs) are frequently being used as platforms for polyvalent display of foreign epitopes of interest on their capsid surface to improve their presentation enhancing the antigenicity and host immune response. In the present study, we used the VLPs of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), an icosahedral plant virus, as a platform to display 180 copies of 16 amino acid epitopes of ricin toxin fused to the C-terminal end of a modified TBSV capsid protein (NΔ52). Expression of the chimeric recombinant protein in insect cells resulted in spontaneous assembly of VLPs displaying the ricin epitope. Cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction of the chimeric VLPs at 22 A resolution revealed the locations and orientation of the ricin epitope exposed on the TBSV capsid surface. Furthermore, injection of chimeric VLPs into mice generated antisera that detected the native ricin toxin. The ease of fusing of short peptides of 15-20 residues and their ability to form two kinds (T = 1, T = 3) of bio-nanoparticles that result in the display of 60 or 180 copies of less constrained and highly exposed antigenic epitopes makes TBSV an attractive and versatile display platform for vaccine design.

  13. Sequence assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scheibye-Alsing, Karsten; Hoffmann, S.; Frankel, Annett Maria

    2009-01-01

    Despite the rapidly increasing number of sequenced and re-sequenced genomes, many issues regarding the computational assembly of large-scale sequencing data have remain unresolved. Computational assembly is crucial in large genome projects as well for the evolving high-throughput technologies and...... in genomic DNA, highly expressed genes and alternative transcripts in EST sequences. We summarize existing comparisons of different assemblers and provide a detailed descriptions and directions for download of assembly programs at: http://genome.ku.dk/resources/assembly/methods.html....

  14. Multi-Scale Responses of Liquid Crystals Triggered by Interfacial Assemblies of Cleavable Homopolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young-Ki; Huang, Yuran; Tsuei, Michael; Wang, Xin; Gianneschi, Nathan C; Abbott, Nicholas L

    2018-04-22

    Liquid crystals (LCs) offer the basis of stimuli-responsive materials that can amplify targeted molecular events into macroscopic outputs. However, general and versatile design principles are needed to realize the full potential of these materials. To this end, we report the synthesis of two homopolymers with mesogenic side chains that can be cleaved upon exposure to either H 2 O 2 (polymer P1) or UV light (polymer P2). Optical measurements reveal that the polymers dissolve in bulk LC and spontaneously assemble at nematic LC-aqueous interfaces to impose a perpendicular orientation on the LCs. Subsequent addition of H 2 O 2 to the aqueous phase or exposure of the LC to UV was shown to trigger a surface-driven ordering transition to a planar orientation and an accompanying macroscopic optical output. Differences in the dynamics of the response to each stimulus are consistent with sequential processing of P1 at the LC-aqueous interface (H 2 O 2 ) and simultaneous transformation of P2 within the LC (UV). The versatility of the approach is demonstrated by creating stimuli-responsive LCs as films or microdroplets, and by dissolving mixtures of P1 and P2 into LCs to create LC materials that respond to two stimuli. Overall, our results validate a simple and generalizable approach to the rational design of polymers that can be used to program stimuli-responsiveness into LC materials. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Carbon-based layer-by-layer nanostructures: from films to hollow capsules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Jinkee; Han, Jung Yeon; Yoon, Hyunsik; Joo, Piljae; Lee, Taemin; Seo, Eunyong; Char, Kookheon; Kim, Byeong-Su

    2011-11-01

    Over the past years, the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly has been widely developed as one of the most powerful techniques to prepare multifunctional films with desired functions, structures and morphologies because of its versatility in the process steps in both material and substrate choices. Among various functional nanoscale objects, carbon-based nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets, are promising candidates for emerging science and technology with their unique physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. In particular, carbon-based functional multilayer coatings based on the LbL assembly are currently being actively pursued as conducting electrodes, batteries, solar cells, supercapacitors, fuel cells and sensor applications. In this article, we give an overview on the use of carbon materials in nanostructured films and capsules prepared by the LbL assembly with the aim of unraveling the unique features and their applications of carbon multilayers prepared by the LbL assembly.

  16. [Applications of nitrile converting enzymes in the production of fine chemicals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Yuguo; Xue, Yaping; Liu, Zhiqiang; Zheng, Renchao; Shen, Yinchu

    2009-12-01

    Nitriles are an important type of synthetic intermediates in the production of fine chemicals because of their easy preparations and versatile transformations. The traditional chemical conversion of nitriles to carboxylic acids and amides is feasible but it requires relatively harsh conditions of heat, acid or alkali. Nitrile converting enzymes (nitrilase, nitrile hydratase and amidase) which are used as biocatalyst for the production of fine chemicals have attracted substantial interest because of their ability to convert readily available nitriles into the corresponding higher value amides or acids under mild conditions with excellent chemo-, regio- and stereo-selectivities. Many nitrile converting enzymes have been explored and widely used for the production of fine chemicals. In this paper, various examples of biocatalytic synthesis of pharmaceuticals and their intermediates, agrochemicals and their intermediates, food and feed additives, and other fine chemicals are presented. In the near future, an increasing number of novel nitrile converting enzymes will be screened and their potential in the production of useful fine chemicals will be further exploited.

  17. Bacteriophage Assembly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anastasia A. Aksyuk

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Bacteriophages have been a model system to study assembly processes for over half a century. Formation of infectious phage particles involves specific protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions, as well as large conformational changes of assembly precursors. The sequence and molecular mechanisms of phage assembly have been elucidated by a variety of methods. Differences and similarities of assembly processes in several different groups of bacteriophages are discussed in this review. The general principles of phage assembly are applicable to many macromolecular complexes.

  18. Spatio-temporal Dynamics and Mechanisms of Stress Granule Assembly.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daisuke Ohshima

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Stress granules (SGs are non-membranous cytoplasmic aggregates of mRNAs and related proteins, assembled in response to environmental stresses such as heat shock, hypoxia, endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress, chemicals (e.g. arsenite, and viral infections. SGs are hypothesized as a loci of mRNA triage and/or maintenance of proper translation capacity ratio to the pool of mRNAs. In brain ischemia, hippocampal CA3 neurons, which are resilient to ischemia, assemble SGs. In contrast, CA1 neurons, which are vulnerable to ischemia, do not assemble SGs. These results suggest a critical role SG plays in regards to cell fate decisions. Thus SG assembly along with its dynamics should determine the cell fate. However, the process that exactly determines the SG assembly dynamics is largely unknown. In this paper, analyses of experimental data and computer simulations were used to approach this problem. SGs were assembled as a result of applying arsenite to HeLa cells. The number of SGs increased after a short latent period, reached a maximum, then decreased during the application of arsenite. At the same time, the size of SGs grew larger and became localized at the perinuclear region. A minimal mathematical model was constructed, and stochastic simulations were run to test the modeling. Since SGs are discrete entities as there are only several tens of them in a cell, commonly used deterministic simulations could not be employed. The stochastic simulations replicated observed dynamics of SG assembly. In addition, these stochastic simulations predicted a gamma distribution relative to the size of SGs. This same distribution was also found in our experimental data suggesting the existence of multiple fusion steps in the SG assembly. Furthermore, we found that the initial steps in the SG assembly process and microtubules were critical to the dynamics. Thus our experiments and stochastic simulations presented a possible mechanism regulating SG assembly.

  19. Self-assembly of protein-based biomaterials initiated by titania nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forstater, Jacob H; Kleinhammes, Alfred; Wu, Yue

    2013-12-03

    Protein-based biomaterials are a promising strategy for creating robust highly selective biocatalysts. The assembled biomaterials must sufficiently retain the near-native structure of proteins and provide molecular access to catalytically active sites. These requirements often exclude the use of conventional assembly techniques, which rely on covalent cross-linking of proteins or entrapment within a scaffold. Here we demonstrate that titania nanotubes can initiate and template the self-assembly of enzymes, such as ribonuclease A, while maintaining their catalytic activity. Initially, the enzymes form multilayer thick ellipsoidal aggregates centered on the nanotube surface; subsequently, these nanosized entities assemble into a micrometer-sized enzyme material that has enhanced enzymatic activity and contains as little as 0.1 wt % TiO2 nanotubes. This phenomenon is uniquely associated with the active anatase (001)-like surface of titania nanotubes and does not occur on other anatase nanomaterials, which contain significantly fewer undercoordinated Ti surface sites. These findings present a nanotechnology-enabled mechanism of biomaterial growth and open a new route for creating stable protein-based biomaterials and biocatalysts without the need for chemical modification.

  20. Rodlike Supramolecular Nanoassemblies of Degradable Poly(Aspartic Acid) Derivatives and Hydroxyl-Rich Polycations for Effective Delivery of Versatile Tumor-Suppressive ncRNAs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Hai-Qing; Pan, Wenting; Li, Rui-Quan; Yu, Bingran; Liu, Wenjuan; Yang, Ming; Xu, Fu-Jian

    2018-03-01

    The delivery of tumor-suppressive noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) including short ncRNAs (i.e., miRNAs) and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) is put forward to treat tumors. In this work, novel rodlike supramolecular nanoassemblies (CNC @CB[8] @ PGEA) of degradable poly(aspartic acid) (PAsp) derivatives-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and hydroxyl-rich polycations (ethanolamine-functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate), PGEA) are proposed via typical cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8])-based host-guest interactions for delivery of different ncRNAs to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Spindly CNCs, one kind of natural polysaccharide nanoparticles, possess good biocompatibility and unique physico-chemical properties. PGEA with abundant hydroxyl groups is one promising gene carrier with low cytotoxicity. PAsp can benefit the disassembly and degradability of nanoassemblies within cells. CNC @ CB[8]@PGEA combines the different unique properties of CNC, PGEA, and PAsp. CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA effectively complexes the expression constructs of miR-101 (plasmid pc3.0-miR-101) and lncRNA MEG3 (plasmid pc3.0-MEG3). CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA produces much better transfection performances than PGEA-containing assembly units. In addition, the codelivery system of CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA/(pc3.0-MEG3+pc3.0-miR-101) nanocomplexes demonstrates better efficacy in suppressing HCC than CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA/pc3.0-MEG3 or CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA/pc3.0-miR-101 nanocomplexes alone. Such rodlike supramolecular nanoassemblies will provide a promising means to produce efficient delivery vectors of versatile tumor-suppressive nucleic acids. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Controlled assembly of jammed colloidal shells on fluid droplets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subramaniam, Anand Bala; Abkarian, Manouk; Stone, Howard A.

    2005-07-01

    Assembly of colloidal particles on fluid interfaces is a promising technique for synthesizing two-dimensional microcrystalline materials useful in fields as diverse as biomedicine, materials science, mineral flotation and food processing. Current approaches rely on bulk emulsification methods, require further chemical and thermal treatments, and are restrictive with respect to the materials used. The development of methods that exploit the great potential of interfacial assembly for producing tailored materials have been hampered by the lack of understanding of the assembly process. Here we report a microfluidic method that allows direct visualization and understanding of the dynamics of colloidal crystal growth on curved interfaces. The crystals are periodically ejected to form stable jammed shells, which we refer to as colloidal armour. We propose that the energetic barriers to interfacial crystal growth and organization can be overcome by targeted delivery of colloidal particles through hydrodynamic flows. Our method allows an unprecedented degree of control over armour composition, size and stability.

  2. Molecular Motions in Functional Self-Assembled Nanostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Marc Saiter

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The construction of “smart” materials able to perform specific functions at the molecular scale through the application of various stimuli is highly attractive but still challenging. The most recent applications indicate that the outstanding flexibility of self-assembled architectures can be employed as a powerful tool for the development of innovative molecular devices, functional surfaces and smart nanomaterials. Structural flexibility of these materials is known to be conferred by weak intermolecular forces involved in self-assembly strategies. However, some fundamental mechanisms responsible for conformational lability remain unexplored. Furthermore, the role played by stronger bonds, such as coordination, ionic and covalent bonding, is sometimes neglected while they can be employed readily to produce mechanically robust but also chemically reversible structures. In this review, recent applications of structural flexibility and molecular motions in self-assembled nanostructures are discussed. Special focus is given to advanced materials exhibiting significant performance changes after an external stimulus is applied, such as light exposure, pH variation, heat treatment or electromagnetic field. The crucial role played by strong intra- and weak intermolecular interactions on structural lability and responsiveness is highlighted.

  3. Chemical theory and modelling through density across length scales

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Swapan K.

    2016-01-01

    One of the concepts that has played a major role in the conceptual as well as computational developments covering all the length scales of interest in a number of areas of chemistry, physics, chemical engineering and materials science is the concept of single-particle density. Density functional theory has been a versatile tool for the description of many-particle systems across length scales. Thus, in the microscopic length scale, an electron density based description has played a major role in providing a deeper understanding of chemical binding in atoms, molecules and solids. Density concept has been used in the form of single particle number density in the intermediate mesoscopic length scale to obtain an appropriate picture of the equilibrium and dynamical processes, dealing with a wide class of problems involving interfacial science and soft condensed matter. In the macroscopic length scale, however, matter is usually treated as a continuous medium and a description using local mass density, energy density and other related property density functions has been found to be quite appropriate. The basic ideas underlying the versatile uses of the concept of density in the theory and modelling of materials and phenomena, as visualized across length scales, along with selected illustrative applications to some recent areas of research on hydrogen energy, soft matter, nucleation phenomena, isotope separation, and separation of mixture in condensed phase, will form the subject matter of the talk. (author)

  4. Optimizing Transcriptome Assemblies for Eleusine indica Leaf and Seedling by Combining Multiple Assemblies from Three De Novo Assemblers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shu Chen

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Due to rapid advances in sequencing technology, increasing amounts of genomic and transcriptomic data are available for plant species, presenting enormous challenges for biocomputing analysis. A crucial first step for a successful transcriptomics-based study is the building of a high-quality assembly. Here, we utilized three different de novo assemblers (Trinity, Velvet, and CLC and the EvidentialGene pipeline tr2aacds to assemble two optimized transcript sets for the notorious weed species, . Two RNA sequencing (RNA-seq datasets from leaf and aboveground seedlings were processed using three assemblers, which resulted in 20 assemblies for each dataset. The contig numbers and N50 values of each assembly were compared to study the effect of read number, k-mer size, and in silico normalization on assembly output. The 20 assemblies were then processed through the tr2aacds pipeline to remove redundant transcripts and to select the transcript set with the best coding potential. Each assembly contributed a considerable proportion to the final transcript combination with the exception of the CLC-k14. Thus each assembler and parameter set did assemble better contigs for certain transcripts. The redundancy, total contig number, N50, fully assembled contig number, and transcripts related to target-site herbicide resistance were evaluated for the EvidentialGene and Trinity assemblies. Comparing the EvidentialGene set with the Trinity assembly revealed improved quality and reduced redundancy in both leaf and seedling EvidentialGene sets. The optimized transcriptome references will be useful for studying herbicide resistance in and the evolutionary process in the three allotetraploid offspring.

  5. Molecular self-assembly approaches for supramolecular electronic and organic electronic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yip, Hin-Lap

    Molecular self-assembly represents an efficient bottom-up strategy to generate structurally well-defined aggregates of semiconducting pi-conjugated materials. The capability of tuning the chemical structures, intermolecular interactions and nanostructures through molecular engineering and novel materials processing renders it possible to tailor a large number of unprecedented properties such as charge transport, energy transfer and light harvesting. This approach does not only benefit traditional electronic devices based on bulk materials, but also generate a new research area so called "supramolecular electronics" in which electronic devices are built up with individual supramolecular nanostructures with size in the sub-hundred nanometers range. My work combined molecular self-assembly together with several novel materials processing techniques to control the nucleation and growth of organic semiconducting nanostructures from different type of pi-conjugated materials. By tailoring the interactions between the molecules using hydrogen bonds and pi-pi stacking, semiconducting nanoplatelets and nanowires with tunable sizes can be fabricated in solution. These supramolecular nanostructures were further patterned and aligned on solid substrates through printing and chemical templating methods. The capability to control the different hierarchies of organization on surface provides an important platform to study their structural-induced electronic properties. In addition to using molecular self-assembly to create different organic nanostructures, functional self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formed by spontaneous chemisorption on surfaces was used to tune the interfacial property in organic solar cells. Devices showed dramatically improved performance when appropriate SAMs were applied to optimize the contact property for efficiency charge collection.

  6. Synthesis of Mikto-Arm Star Peptide Conjugates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Jin Mo; Su, Hao; Lin, Yi-An; Cui, Honggang

    2018-01-01

    Mikto-arm star peptide conjugates are an emerging class of self-assembling peptide-based structural units that contain three or more auxiliary segments of different chemical compositions and/or functionalities. This group of molecules exhibit interesting self-assembly behavior in solution due to their chemically asymmetric topology. Here we describe the detailed procedure for synthesis of an ABC Mikto-arm star peptide conjugate in which two immiscible entities (a saturated hydrocarbon and a hydrophobic and lipophobic fluorocarbon) are conjugated onto a short β-sheet forming peptide sequence, GNNQQNY, derived from the Sup35 prion, through a lysine junction. Automated and manual Fmoc-solid phase synthesis techniques are used to synthesize the Mikto-arm star peptide conjugates, followed by HPLC purification. We envision that this set of protocols can afford a versatile platform to synthesize a new class of peptidic building units for diverse applications.

  7. Ultrasmall Peptides Self-Assemble into Diverse Nanostructures: Morphological Evaluation and Potential Implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte A.E. Hauser

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we perform a morphological evaluation of the diverse nanostructures formed by varying concentration and amino acid sequence of a unique class of ultrasmall self-assembling peptides. We modified these peptides by replacing the aliphatic amino acid at the C-aliphatic terminus with different aromatic amino acids. We tracked the effect of introducing aromatic residues on self-assembly and morphology of resulting nanostructures. Whereas aliphatic peptides formed long, helical fibers that entangle into meshes and entrap >99.9% water, the modified peptides contrastingly formed short, straight fibers with a flat morphology. No helical fibers were observed for the modified peptides. For the aliphatic peptides at low concentrations, different supramolecular assemblies such as hollow nanospheres and membrane blebs were found. Since the ultrasmall peptides are made of simple, aliphatic amino acids, considered to have existed in the primordial soup, study of these supramolecular assemblies could be relevant to understanding chemical evolution leading to the origin of life on Earth. In particular, we propose a variety of potential applications in bioengineering and nanotechnology for the diverse self-assembled nanostructures.

  8. Single sheet metal oxides and hydroxides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Lizhi

    The synthesis of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) provides a relatively easy and traditional way to build versatile chemical compounds with a rough control of the bulk structure. The delamination of LDHs to form their single host layers (2D nanosheets) and the capability to reassemble them offer......) Delamination of the LDHs structure (oxGRC12) with the formation of single sheet iron (hydr)oxide (SSI). (3) Assembly of the new 2D nanosheets layer by layer to achieve desired functionalities....

  9. Self-assembly of micro- and nano-scale particles using bio-inspired events

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNally, H.; Pingle, M.; Lee, S.W.; Guo, D.; Bergstrom, D.E.; Bashir, R.

    2003-01-01

    High sensitivity chemical and biological detection techniques and the development of future electronic systems can greatly benefit from self-assembly processes and techniques. We have approached this challenge using biologically inspired events such as the hybridization of single (ss)- to double-stranded (ds) DNA and the strong affinity between the protein avidin and its associated Vitamin, biotin. Using these molecules, micro-scale polystyrene beads and nano-scale gold particles were assembled with high efficiency on gold patterns and the procedures used for these processes were optimized. The DNA and avidin-biotin complex was also used to demonstrate the attachment of micro-scale silicon islands to each other in a fluid. This work also provides insight into the techniques for the self-assembly of heterogeneous materials

  10. Highly versatile fiber-based optical Fabry-Pérot gas sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jing; Sun, Yuze; Fan, Xudong

    2009-02-16

    We develop a versatile, compact, and sensitive fiber-based optical Fabry-Pérot (FP) gas sensor. The sensor probe is composed of a silver layer and a vapor-sensitive polymer layer that are sequentially deposited on the cleaved fiber endface, thus forming an FP cavity. The interference spectrum resulting from the reflected light at the silver-polymer and polymer-air interfaces changes when the polymer is exposed to gas analytes. This structure enables using any polymer regardless of the polymer refractive index (RI), which significantly enhances the sensor versatility. In experiments, we use polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 (RI=1.465-1.469) and Norland Optical Adhesive (NOA) 81 (RI=1.53-1.56) as the gas sensing polymer and show drastically different sensor response to hexanol, methanol, and acetone. The estimated sensitivity for methanol vapor is 3.5 pm/ppm and 0.1 pm/ppm for PEG 400 and NOA 81, respectively, with a detection limit on the order of 1-10 ppm. Gas sensing for the analytes delivered in both continuous flow mode and pulsed mode is demonstrated.

  11. Versatile aggressive mimicry of cicadas by an Australian predatory katydid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, David C; Hill, Kathy B R

    2009-01-01

    In aggressive mimicry, a predator or parasite imitates a signal of another species in order to exploit the recipient of the signal. Some of the most remarkable examples of aggressive mimicry involve exploitation of a complex signal-response system by an unrelated predator species. We have found that predatory Chlorobalius leucoviridis katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) can attract male cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) by imitating the species-specific wing-flick replies of sexually receptive female cicadas. This aggressive mimicry is accomplished both acoustically, with tegminal clicks, and visually, with synchronized body jerks. Remarkably, the katydids respond effectively to a variety of complex, species-specific Cicadettini songs, including songs of many cicada species that the predator has never encountered. We propose that the versatility of aggressive mimicry in C. leucoviridis is accomplished by exploiting general design elements common to the songs of many acoustically signaling insects that use duets in pair-formation. Consideration of the mechanism of versatile mimicry in C. leucoviridis may illuminate processes driving the evolution of insect acoustic signals, which play a central role in reproductive isolation of populations and the formation of species.

  12. Using droplet-on-demand based printing to guide self-assembly in a peptide-protein based bioink

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedegaard, Clara; Collin, Estelle; Redondo-Gomez, Carlos; Nguyen, Luong T. H.; Ng, Kee Woei; Castrejon-Pita, Alfonso A.; Castrejon-Pita, J. Rafael; Mata, Alvaro

    2017-11-01

    Tissue engineering aims to capture details of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that stimulate tissue regeneration. Advanced biofabrication techniques have enabled structural complexity, however they are restricted by the choice of material due to stringent printing requirements, leading to a lack of nanoscale control and molecular versatility. In this project, we exploit the dynamics of droplet fluid interactions combined with the co-assembly of peptide amphiphiles (PAs) with biomolecules/proteins to develop a new approach to droplet-based biofabrication. A custom-made droplet generator was developed and used to controllably dispense droplets of PA into a protein solution resulting in gel formation within milliseconds. Taking advantage of the interfacial and inertial forces during the droplet/liquid interaction, it is possible to control the co-assembly kinetics, to give rise to aligned or disordered nanofibers, hydrogel structures of different geometries and sizes, surface topographies, and higher-ordered structures made from multiple hydrogels. The process allows multiple cell types to be spatially distributed on the outside or embedded within the ECM mimetic scaffolds, whilst exhibiting high cell viability (>88%). ERC Starting Grant (STROFUNSCAFF), FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG Biomorph and the Royal Society.

  13. Microtubule dynamics. II. Kinetics of self-assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Flyvbjerg, H.; Jobs, E.

    1997-01-01

    Inverse scattering theory describes the conditions necessary and sufficient to determine an unknown potential from known scattering data. No similar theory exists for when and how one may deduce the kinetics of an unknown chemical reaction from quantitative information about its final state and i...... to analyze the self-assembly of microtubules from tubulin are general, and many other reactions and processes may be studied as inverse problems with these methods when enough experimental data are available....

  14. Cluster-assembled overlayers and high-temperature superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohno, T.R.; Yang, Y.; Kroll, G.H.; Krause, K.; Schmidt, L.D.; Weaver, J.H.; Kimachi, Y.; Hidaka, Y.; Pan, S.H.; de Lozanne, A.L.

    1991-01-01

    X-ray photoemission results for interfaces prepared by cluster assembly with nanometer-size clusters deposited on high-T c superconductors (HTS's) show a reduction in reactivity because atom interactions with the surface are replaced by cluster interactions. Results for conventional atom deposition show the formation of overlayer oxides that are related to oxygen depletion and disruption of the near-surface region of the HTS's. For cluster assembly of Cr and Cu, there is a very thin reacted region on single-crystal Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 . Reduced reactivity is observed for Cr cluster deposition on single-crystal YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 -based interfaces. There is no evidence of chemical modification of the surface for Ge and Au cluster assembly on Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 (100). The overlayer grown by Au cluster assembly on Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 covers the surface at low temperature but roughening occurs upon warming to 300 K. Scanning-tunneling-microscopy results for the Au(cluster)/Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 system warmed to 300 K shows individual clusters that have coalesced into large clusters. These results offer insight into the role of surface energies and cluster interactions in determining the overlayer morphology. Transmission-electron-microscopy results for Cu cluster assembly on silica show isolated irregularly shaped clusters that do not interact at low coverage. Sintering and labyrinth formation is observed at intermediate coverage and, ultimately, a continuous film is achieved at high coverage. Silica surface wetting by Cu clusters demonstrates that dispersive force are important for these small clusters

  15. Non-equilibrium assembly of microtubules: from molecules to autonomous chemical robots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, H; Ross, Jennifer L

    2017-09-18

    Biological systems have evolved to harness non-equilibrium processes from the molecular to the macro scale. It is currently a grand challenge of chemistry, materials science, and engineering to understand and mimic biological systems that have the ability to autonomously sense stimuli, process these inputs, and respond by performing mechanical work. New chemical systems are responding to the challenge and form the basis for future responsive, adaptive, and active materials. In this article, we describe a particular biochemical-biomechanical network based on the microtubule cytoskeletal filament - itself a non-equilibrium chemical system. We trace the non-equilibrium aspects of the system from molecules to networks and describe how the cell uses this system to perform active work in essential processes. Finally, we discuss how microtubule-based engineered systems can serve as testbeds for autonomous chemical robots composed of biological and synthetic components.

  16. Encapsulation of gold nanoparticles into self-assembling protein nanoparticles

    OpenAIRE

    Yang Yongkun; Burkhard Peter

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background Gold nanoparticles are useful tools for biological applications due to their attractive physical and chemical properties. Their applications can be further expanded when they are functionalized with biological molecules. The biological molecules not only provide the interfaces for interactions between nanoparticles and biological environment, but also contribute their biological functions to the nanoparticles. Therefore, we used self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SAPNs...

  17. Graphene-cyclodextrin-cytochrome c layered assembly with improved electron transfer rate and high supramolecular recognition capability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Cheng-Bin; Guo, Cong-Cong; Jiang, Dan; Tang, Qian; Liu, Chang-Hua; Ma, Xue-Bing

    2014-06-01

    This study aimed to develop a new graphene-based layered assembly, named graphene-cyclodextrin-cytochrome c with improved electron transfer rate. This assembly has combined high conductivity of graphene nanosheets (GNs), selectively binding properties and electronegativity of cyclodextrins (CDs), as well as electropositivity of cytochrome c (Cyt c). This assembly can also mimic the confined environments of the intermembrane space of mitochondria. A β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) functionalized GN (GN-CD) assembly was initially prepared by a simple wet-chemical strategy, i.e., in situ thermal reduction of graphene oxide with hydrazine hydrate in the presence of β-CD. Cyt c was then intercalated to the GN-CD assembly to form a layered self-assembled structure, GN-CD-Cyt c, through electrostatic interaction. Compared with GNs and GN-CD, GN-CD-Cyt c assembly displayed improved electron transfer rate and high supramolecular recognition capability toward six probe molecules. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. A Precisely Assembled Carbon Source to Synthesize Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots for Sensing Probes and Bioimaging Agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Yiqiang; Luo, Dan; Yu, Min; Zhang, Ting; Cao, Xuanping; Zhou, Yanheng; Liu, Yan

    2018-02-09

    A broad range of carbon sources have been used to fabricate varieties of carbon quantum dots (CQDs). However, the majority of these studies concern the influence of primary structures and chemical compositions of precursors on the CQDs; it is still unclear whether or not the superstructures of carbon sources have effects on the physiochemical properties of the synthetic CQDs. In this work, the concept of molecular assembly is first introduced into the design of a new carbon source. Compared with the tropocollagen molecules, the hierarchically assembled collagen scaffolds, as a new carbon source, immobilize functional groups of the precursors through hydrogen bonds, electrostatic attraction, and hydrophobic forces. Moreover, the accumulation of functional groups in collagen self-assembly further promotes the covalent bond formation in the obtained CQDs through a hydrothermal process. Both of these two chemical superiorities give rise to high quality CQDs with enhanced emission. The assembled collagen scaffold-based CQDs with heteroatom doping exhibit superior stability, and could be further applied as effective fluorescent probes for Fe 3+ detection and cellular cytosol imaging. These findings open a wealth of possibilities to explore more nanocarbons from precursors with assembled superstructures. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Self-assembled materials and supramolecular chemistry within microfluidic environments: from common thermodynamic states to non-equilibrium structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevim, S; Sorrenti, A; Franco, C; Furukawa, S; Pané, S; deMello, A J; Puigmartí-Luis, J

    2018-05-01

    Self-assembly is a crucial component in the bottom-up fabrication of hierarchical supramolecular structures and advanced functional materials. Control has traditionally relied on the use of encoded building blocks bearing suitable moieties for recognition and interaction, with targeting of the thermodynamic equilibrium state. On the other hand, nature leverages the control of reaction-diffusion processes to create hierarchically organized materials with surprisingly complex biological functions. Indeed, under non-equilibrium conditions (kinetic control), the spatio-temporal command of chemical gradients and reactant mixing during self-assembly (the creation of non-uniform chemical environments for example) can strongly affect the outcome of the self-assembly process. This directly enables a precise control over material properties and functions. In this tutorial review, we show how the unique physical conditions offered by microfluidic technologies can be advantageously used to control the self-assembly of materials and of supramolecular aggregates in solution, making possible the isolation of intermediate states and unprecedented non-equilibrium structures, as well as the emergence of novel functions. Selected examples from the literature will be used to confirm that microfluidic devices are an invaluable toolbox technology for unveiling, understanding and steering self-assembly pathways to desired structures, properties and functions, as well as advanced processing tools for device fabrication and integration.

  20. Fuel assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakatsuka, Masafumi.

    1979-01-01

    Purpose: To prevent scattering of gaseous fission products released from fuel assemblies stored in an fbr type reactor. Constitution; A cap provided with means capable of storing gas is adapted to amount to the assembly handling head, for example, by way of threading in a storage rack of spent fuel assemblies consisting of a bottom plate, a top plate and an assembly support mechanism. By previously eliminating the gas inside of the assembly and the cap in the storage rack, gaseous fission products upon loading, if released from fuel rods during storage, are stored in the cap and do not scatter in the storage rack. (Horiuchi, T.)

  1. Chemical Interactions and Their Role in the Microphase Separation of Block Copolymer Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard A. Farrell

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available The thermodynamics of self-assembling systems are discussed in terms of the chemical interactions and the intermolecular forces between species. It is clear that there are both theoretical and practical limitations on the dimensions and the structural regularity of these systems. These considerations are made with reference to the microphase separation that occurs in block copolymer (BCP systems. BCP systems self-assemble via a thermodynamic driven process where chemical dis-affinity between the blocks driving them part is balanced by a restorative force deriving from the chemical bond between the blocks. These systems are attracting much interest because of their possible role in nanoelectronic fabrication. This form of self-assembly can obtain highly regular nanopatterns in certain circumstances where the orientation and alignment of chemically distinct blocks can be guided through molecular interactions between the polymer and the surrounding interfaces. However, for this to be possible, great care must be taken to properly engineer the interactions between the surfaces and the polymer blocks. The optimum methods of structure directing are chemical pre-patterning (defining regions on the substrate of different chemistry and graphoepitaxy (topographical alignment but both centre on generating alignment through favourable chemical interactions. As in all self-assembling systems, the problems of defect formation must be considered and the origin of defects in these systems is explored. It is argued that in these nanostructures equilibrium defects are relatively few and largely originate from kinetic effects arising during film growth. Many defects also arise from the confinement of the systems when they are ‘directed’ by topography. The potential applications of these materials in electronics are discussed.

  2. Cre-Lox Neurogenetics: 20 Years of Versatile Applications in Brain Research and Counting….

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsien, Joe Z

    2016-01-01

    Defining and manipulating specific neurons in the brain has garnered enormous interest in recent years, because such an approach is now widely recognized as crucial for deepening our understanding of how the brain works. When I started exploring the Cre-loxP recombination for brain research in the early 1990s, it was written off as a dead-end project by a young fool. Yet over the past 20 years, Cre-lox recombination-mediated neurogenetics has emerged as one of the most powerful and versatile technology platforms for cell-specific gene knockouts, transgenic overexpression, Brainbow imaging, neural pathway tracing with retrovirus and CLARITY, chemical genetics, and optogenetics. Its popularity and greater utility in neuroscience research is also largely thanks to the NIH's bold Blueprint for Neuroscience Research Initiative to launch several Cre-driver resource projects, as well as individual laboratories and private research organizations. With newly-discovered, genetically-encoded molecules that are capable of responding to sonar and magnetic stimulation, for sonogenetics or magnetogenetics, respectively, or detecting rapid voltage changes in neurons, Cre-lox neurogenetics will continue to aid brain research for years to come.

  3. 2D nanomaterials assembled from sequence-defined molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mu, Peng; State University of New York; Zhou, Guangwen; Chen, Chun-Long

    2017-01-01

    Two dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have attracted broad interest owing to their unique physical and chemical properties with potential applications in electronics, chemistry, biology, medicine and pharmaceutics. Due to the current limitations of traditional 2D nanomaterials (e.g., graphene and graphene oxide) in tuning surface chemistry and compositions, 2D nanomaterials assembled from sequence-defined molecules (e.g., DNAs, proteins, peptides and peptoids) have recently been developed. They represent an emerging class of 2D nanomaterials with attractive physical and chemical properties. Here, we summarize the recent progress in the synthesis and applications of this type of sequence-defined 2D nanomaterials. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities in this new field.

  4. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences; Volume 124; Issue 2. Formation of fractals by the self-assembly of interpolymer adducts of polymethacrylic ... ordered fractal patterns in films on glass surface on drying at ambient temperature.

  5. Force-induced chemical reactions on the metal centre in a single metalloprotein molecule

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Peng; Arantes, Guilherme M.; Field, Martin J.; Li, Hongbin

    2015-01-01

    Metalloproteins play indispensable roles in biology owing to the versatile chemical reactivity of metal centres. However, studying their reactivity in many metalloproteins is challenging, as protein three-dimensional structure encloses labile metal centres, thus limiting their access to reactants and impeding direct measurements. Here we demonstrate the use of single-molecule atomic force microscopy to induce partial unfolding to expose metal centres in metalloproteins to aqueous solution, thus allowing for studying their chemical reactivity in aqueous solution for the first time. As a proof-of-principle, we demonstrate two chemical reactions for the FeS4 centre in rubredoxin: electrophilic protonation and nucleophilic ligand substitution. Our results show that protonation and ligand substitution result in mechanical destabilization of the FeS4 centre. Quantum chemical calculations corroborated experimental results and revealed detailed reaction mechanisms. We anticipate that this novel approach will provide insights into chemical reactivity of metal centres in metalloproteins under biologically more relevant conditions. PMID:26108369

  6. ChemProt: a disease chemical biology database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Taboureau, Olivier; Nielsen, Sonny Kim; Audouze, Karine Marie Laure

    2011-01-01

    Systems pharmacology is an emergent area that studies drug action across multiple scales of complexity, from molecular and cellular to tissue and organism levels. There is a critical need to develop network-based approaches to integrate the growing body of chemical biology knowledge with network...... biology. Here, we report ChemProt, a disease chemical biology database, which is based on a compilation of multiple chemical-protein annotation resources, as well as disease-associated protein-protein interactions (PPIs). We assembled more than 700 000 unique chemicals with biological annotation for 30...... evaluation of environmental chemicals, natural products and approved drugs, as well as the selection of new compounds based on their activity profile against most known biological targets, including those related to adverse drug events. Results from the disease chemical biology database associate citalopram...

  7. Versatile generation of optical vector fields and vector beams using a non-interferometric approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathi, Santosh; Toussaint, Kimani C

    2012-05-07

    We present a versatile, non-interferometric method for generating vector fields and vector beams which can produce all the states of polarization represented on a higher-order Poincaré sphere. The versatility and non-interferometric nature of this method is expected to enable exploration of various exotic properties of vector fields and vector beams. To illustrate this, we study the propagation properties of some vector fields and find that, in general, propagation alters both their intensity and polarization distribution, and more interestingly, converts some vector fields into vector beams. In the article, we also suggest a modified Jones vector formalism to represent vector fields and vector beams.

  8. A Chemical Engineering Perspective on the Origins of Life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martha A. Grover

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Atoms and molecules assemble into materials, with the material structure determining the properties and ultimate function. Human-made materials and systems have achieved great complexity, such as the integrated circuit and the modern airplane. However, they still do not rival the adaptivity and robustness of biological systems. Understanding the reaction and assembly of molecules on the early Earth is a scientific grand challenge, and also can elucidate the design principles underlying biological materials and systems. This research requires understanding of chemical reactions, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, optimization, and control. Thus, the discipline of chemical engineering can play a central role in advancing the field. In this paper, an overview of research in the origins field is given, with particular emphasis on the origin of biopolymers and the role of chemical engineering phenomena. A case study is presented to highlight the importance of the environment and its coupling to the chemistry.

  9. A review on versatile applications of transition metal complexes incorporating Schiff bases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed M. Abu-Dief

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Schiff bases and their complexes are versatile compounds synthesized from the condensation of an amino compound with carbonyl compounds and widely used for industrial purposes and also exhibit a broad range of biological activities including antifungal, antibacterial, antimalarial, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antipyretic properties. Many Schiff base complexes show excellent catalytic activity in various reactions and in the presence of moisture. Over the past few years, there have been many reports on their applications in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. The high thermal and moisture stabilities of many Schiff base complexes were useful attributes for their application as catalysts in reactions involving at high temperatures. The activity is usually increased by complexation therefore to understand the properties of both ligands and metal can lead to the synthesis of highly active compounds. The influence of certain metals on the biological activity of these compounds and their intrinsic chemical interest as multidentate ligands has prompted a considerable increase in the study of their coordination behaviour. Development of a new chemotherapeutic Schiff bases and their metal complexes is now attracting the attention of medicinal chemists. This review compiles examples of the most promising applied Schiff bases and their complexes in different areas.

  10. Terminal alkenes as versatile chemical reporter groups for metabolic oligosaccharide engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Späte, Anne-Katrin; Schart, Verena F; Schöllkopf, Sophie; Niederwieser, Andrea; Wittmann, Valentin

    2014-12-08

    The Diels-Alder reaction with inverse electron demand (DAinv reaction) of 1,2,4,5-tetrazines with electron rich or strained alkenes was proven to be a bioorthogonal ligation reaction that proceeds fast and with high yields. An important application of the DAinv reaction is metabolic oligosaccharide engineering (MOE) which allows the visualization of glycoconjugates in living cells. In this approach, a sugar derivative bearing a chemical reporter group is metabolically incorporated into cellular glycoconjugates and subsequently derivatized with a probe by means of a bioorthogonal ligation reaction. Here, we investigated a series of new mannosamine and glucosamine derivatives with carbamate-linked side chains of varying length terminated by alkene groups and their suitability for labeling cell-surface glycans. Kinetic investigations showed that the reactivity of the alkenes in DAinv reactions increases with growing chain length. When applied to MOE, one of the compounds, peracetylated N-butenyloxycarbonylmannosamine, was especially well suited for labeling cell-surface glycans. Obviously, the length of its side chain represents the optimal balance between incorporation efficiency and speed of the labeling reaction. Sialidase treatment of the cells before the bioorthogonal labeling reaction showed that this sugar derivative is attached to the glycans in form of the corresponding sialic acid derivative and not epimerized to another hexosamine derivative to a considerable extent. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Implicit and semi-implicit schemes in the Versatile Advection Code : numerical tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tóth, G.; Keppens, R.; Bochev, Mikhail A.

    1998-01-01

    We describe and evaluate various implicit and semi-implicit time integration schemes applied to the numerical simulation of hydrodynamical and magnetohydrodynamical problems. The schemes were implemented recently in the software package Versatile Advection Code, which uses modern shock capturing

  12. Directing self-assembly of gold nanoparticles in diblock copolymer scaffold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qifang; He, Jinbo; Glogowski, Elizabeth; Emrick, Todd; Russell, Thomas

    2007-03-01

    A versatile hierarchical approach for directing self -assembly of gold nanostructures with size 2-3nm in diblock copolymer scaffolds is found. Diblock copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) is used to form a regular scaffold of highly anisotropic, stripe-like domains, and controlled differential wetting by dichloromethane and thermal annealing guides gold nanoparticles with half hydrophilic ligand to aggregate selectively along the scaffold, producing highly organized metal nanostructures. In as-cast block-copolymer and gold nanoparticles thin films, micelle structure and gold nanoparticles random distribution on scaffold are typically observed. However, samples annealed in dichloromethane exhibit well-defined short-range ordered nanostructure with gold nanoparticles located at the interface of PS and P2VP nanoscale domain. After annealing at 170 C, the gold nanoparticles at interface migrated into the middle of P2VP phase and exhibited long-range ordered hierarchical structures. Synergistic interactions between the gold nanoparticles and the PS-b-P2VP caused an orientation of the microdomains normal to the film surface.

  13. Phytosterol-based oleogels self-assembled with monoglyceride for controlled volatile release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Dan-Xia; Chen, Xiao-Wei; Yang, Xiao-Quan

    2018-01-01

    Oleogels have recently emerged as a subject of growing interest among industrial and academic researchers as an alternative to saturated/trans-fat and delivery of functional ingredients. Phytosterols, comprising plant-derived natural steroid compounds, are preferred for oleogel production because they are both natural and healthy. In the present study, phytosterol-based oleogels self-assembled with monoglyceride were studied with respect to tuning volatile release. Microscopy images of the bicomponent oleogels of β-sitosterol and monoglyceride showed the formation of a new three-dimensional network of entangled crystals and a controllable microstructure. Our analysis from differential scanning calorimetry and small angle X-ray scattering results suggests the self-assembly of β-sitosterol and monoglyceride via intermolecular hydrogen bonds into spherulitic microstructures. The results showed that the release rate (v 0 ), maximum headspace concentrations (C max ) and partition coefficients (k a/o ) for oleogels showed a significantly controlled release and were tunable via the microstructure of phytosterol-based oleogels under both dynamic and static conditions. In addition, the solid-like oleogels had interesting thixotropic and thermoresponsive behaviors, probably as a result of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The self-assembly of phytosterol-based oleogels with monoglyceride was attributed to intermolecular hydrogen and is demonstrated to be a promising tunable and functional strategy for delivering flavor compounds. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  14. Neutronic characteristics of linear-assembly breed-and-burn reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petroski, Robert; Forget, Benoit; Forsberg, Charles

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Simple models used to characterize general behavior of linear-assembly B and B reactors. ► Diffusion theory model developed to explain axial distributions, height vs. reactivity. ► Neutron excess concept reformulated to include linear-assembly B and B reactors. ► Designed model of B and B reactor started using melt-refined B and B reactor used fuel. ► Computed doubling time of fuel cycle requiring no chemical separations. - Abstract: Linear-assembly breed-and-burn (B and B) reactors are B and B reactors that use axially connected assemblies similar to conventional LWR or fast reactor fuel assemblies. Methods for analyzing linear-assembly B and B reactors and their fuel cycles are developed and applied. General neutronic characteristics of linear-assembly B and B reactors are analyzed, including the effects that burnup, shuffling sequence, and radial and axial size have on equilibrium-cycle k-effective. The mechanisms that give rise to a highly peaked axial burnup distribution are explained, and a method for predicting peak burnup vs. k-effective based on infinite-medium depletion calculations is developed. Next, the neutron excess concept from previous studies of B and B reactors is extended to apply to linear-assembly B and B reactors, which allows the amount of starter fuel needed to establish a given equilibrium cycle to be calculated. Several example applications of the neutron excess formulation are given. First, an example model of a linear-assembly B and B reactor is analyzed to find the neutron excess cost of an equilibrium cycle. Second, simple one-dimensional models are used to predict the neutron excess value obtainable from different starter fuel configurations. Finally, these ideas are applied to design a fuel cycle consisting of linear-assembly B and B reactors and fuel recycling via a melt refining process. The neutron excess concept is used to design an appropriate starter fuel configuration made from melt refined fuel, which

  15. Stimuli-Responsive Block Copolymer-Based Assemblies for Cargo Delivery and Theranostic Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Yin

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Although a number of tactics towards the fabrication and biomedical exploration of stimuli-responsive polymeric assemblies being responsive and adaptive to various factors have appeared, the controlled preparation of assemblies with well-defined physicochemical properties and tailor-made functions are still challenges. These responsive polymeric assemblies, which are triggered by stimuli, always exhibited reversible or irreversible changes in chemical structures and physical properties. However, simple drug/polymer nanocomplexes cannot deliver or release drugs into the diseased sites and cells on-demand due to the inevitable biological barriers. Hence, utilizing therapeutic or imaging agents-loaded stimuli-responsive block copolymer assemblies that are responsive to tumor internal microenvironments (pH, redox, enzyme, and temperature, etc. or external stimuli (light and electromagnetic field, etc. have emerged to be an important solution to improve therapeutic efficacy and imaging sensitivity through rationally designing as well as self-assembling approaches. In this review, we summarize a portion of recent progress in tumor and intracellular microenvironment responsive block copolymer assemblies and their applications in anticancer drug delivery and triggered release and enhanced imaging sensitivity. The outlook on future developments is also discussed. We hope that this review can stimulate more revolutionary ideas and novel concepts and meet the significant interest to diverse readers.

  16. Template-Directed Self-Assembly of Alkanethiol Monolayers: Selective Growth on Preexisting Monolayer Edges

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sharpe, R.B.A.; Burdinski, Dirk; Huskens, Jurriaan; Zandvliet, Henricus J.W.; Reinhoudt, David; Poelsema, Bene

    2007-01-01

    Self-assembled monolayers were investigated for their suitability as two-dimensional scaffolds for the selective growth of alkanethiol edge structures. Heterostructures with chemical contrast could be grown, whose dimensions were governed by both the initial pattern sizes and the process time.

  17. Sensor mount assemblies and sensor assemblies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, David H [Redondo Beach, CA

    2012-04-10

    Sensor mount assemblies and sensor assemblies are provided. In an embodiment, by way of example only, a sensor mount assembly includes a busbar, a main body, a backing surface, and a first finger. The busbar has a first end and a second end. The main body is overmolded onto the busbar. The backing surface extends radially outwardly relative to the main body. The first finger extends axially from the backing surface, and the first finger has a first end, a second end, and a tooth. The first end of the first finger is disposed on the backing surface, and the tooth is formed on the second end of the first finger.

  18. Sacrificial amphiphiles: Eco-friendly chemical herders as oil spill mitigation chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Deeksha; Sarker, Bivas; Thadikaran, Keith; John, Vijay; Maldarelli, Charles; John, George

    2015-06-01

    Crude oil spills are a major threat to marine biota and the environment. When light crude oil spills on water, it forms a thin layer that is difficult to clean by any methods of oil spill response. Under these circumstances, a special type of amphiphile termed as "chemical herder" is sprayed onto the water surrounding the spilled oil. The amphiphile forms a monomolecular layer on the water surface, reducing the air-sea surface tension and causing the oil slick to retract into a thick mass that can be burnt in situ. The current best-known chemical herders are chemically stable and nonbiodegradable, and hence remain in the marine ecosystem for years. We architect an eco-friendly, sacrificial, and effective green herder derived from the plant-based small-molecule phytol, which is abundant in the marine environment, as an alternative to the current chemical herders. Phytol consists of a regularly branched chain of isoprene units that form the hydrophobe of the amphiphile; the chain is esterified to cationic groups to form the polar group. The ester linkage is proximal to an allyl bond in phytol, which facilitates the hydrolysis of the amphiphile after adsorption to the sea surface into the phytol hydrophobic tail, which along with the unhydrolyzed herder, remains on the surface to maintain herding action, and the cationic group, which dissolves into the water column. Eventual degradation of the phytol tail and dilution of the cation make these sacrificial amphiphiles eco-friendly. The herding behavior of phytol-based amphiphiles is evaluated as a function of time, temperature, and water salinity to examine their versatility under different conditions, ranging from ice-cold water to hot water. The green chemical herder retracted oil slicks by up to ~500, 700, and 2500% at 5°, 20°, and 35°C, respectively, during the first 10 min of the experiment, which is on a par with the current best chemical herders in practice.

  19. Self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles: Ab ovo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotov, Nicholas A.

    2017-09-01

    There are numerous remarkable studies related to the self-organization of polymers, coordination compounds, microscale particles, biomolecules, macroscale particles, surfactants, and reactive molecules on surfaces. The focus of this paper is on the self-organization of nanoscale inorganic particles or simply nanoparticles (NPs). Although there are fascinating and profound discoveries made with other self-assembling structures, the ones involving NPs deserve particular attention because they (a) are omnipresent in Nature; (b) have relevance to numerous disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, Earth sciences, and others); (c) embrace most of the features, geometries, and intricacies observed for the self-organization of other chemical species; (d) offer new tools for studies of self-organization phenomena; and (e) have a large economic impact, extending from energy and construction industries, to optoelectronics, biomedical technologies, and food safety. Despite the overall success of the field it is necessary to step back from its multiple ongoing research venues and consider two questions: What is self-assembly of nanoparticles? and Why do we need to study it? The reason to bring them up is to achieve greater scientific depth in the understanding of these omnipresent phenomena and, perhaps, deepen their multifaceted impact. Contribution to the Focus Issue Self-assemblies of Inorganic and Organic Nanomaterials edited by Marie-Paule Pileni.

  20. Aluminum nanostructures with strong visible-range SERS activity for versatile micropatterning of molecular security labels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lay, Chee Leng; Koh, Charlynn Sher Lin; Wang, Jing; Lee, Yih Hong; Jiang, Ruibin; Yang, Yijie; Yang, Zhe; Phang, In Yee; Ling, Xing Yi

    2018-01-03

    The application of aluminum (Al)-based nanostructures for visible-range plasmonics, especially for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), currently suffers from inconsistent local electromagnetic field distributions and/or inhomogeneous distribution of probe molecules. Herein, we lithographically fabricate structurally uniform Al nanostructures which enable homogeneous adsorption of various probe molecules. Individual Al nanostructures exhibit strong local electromagnetic field enhancements, in turn leading to intense SERS activity. The average SERS enhancement factor (EF) for individual nanostructures exceeds 10 4 for non-resonant probe molecules in the visible spectrum. These Al nanostructures also retain more than 70% of their original SERS intensities after one-month storage, displaying superb stability under ambient conditions. We further achieve tunable polarization-dependent SERS responses using anisotropic Al nanostructures, facilitating the design of sophisticated SERS-based security labels. Our micron-sized security label comprises two-tier security features, including a machine-readable hybrid quick-response (QR) code overlaid with a set of ciphertexts. Our work demonstrates the versatility of Al-based structures in low-cost modern chemical nano-analytics and forgery protection.

  1. Controlling Schottky energy barriers in organic electronic devices using self-assembled monolayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, I. H.; Rubin, S.; Zawodzinski, T. A.; Kress, J. D.; Martin, R. L.; Smith, D. L.; Barashkov, N. N.; Ferraris, J. P.

    1996-11-01

    We demonstrate tuning of Schottky energy barriers in organic electronic devices by utilizing chemically tailored electrodes. The Schottky energy barrier of Ag on poly[2-methoxy, 5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)- 1,4-phenylene was tuned over a range of more than 1 eV by using self-assembled monolayers (SAM's) to attach oriented dipole layers to the Ag prior to device fabrication. Kelvin probe measurements were used to determine the effect of the SAM's on the Ag surface potential. Ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations of the molecular dipole moments successfully describe the surface potential changes. The chemically tailored electrodes were then incorporated in organic diode structures and changes in the metal/organic Schottky energy barriers were measured using an electroabsorption technique. These results demonstrate the use of self-assembled monolayers to control metal/organic interfacial electronic properties. They establish a physical principle for manipulating the relative energy levels between two materials and demonstrate an approach to improve metal/organic contacts in organic electronic devices.

  2. A biomimetic colorimetric logic gate system based on multi-functional peptide-mediated gold nanoparticle assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yong; Li, Wang; He, Kai-Yu; Li, Pei; Huang, Yan; Nie, Zhou; Yao, Shou-Zhuo

    2016-04-28

    In natural biological systems, proteins exploit various functional peptide motifs to exert target response and activity switch, providing a functional and logic basis for complex cellular activities. Building biomimetic peptide-based bio-logic systems is highly intriguing but remains relatively unexplored due to limited logic recognition elements and complex signal outputs. In this proof-of-principle work, we attempted to address these problems by utilizing multi-functional peptide probes and the peptide-mediated nanoparticle assembly system. Here, the rationally designed peptide probes function as the dual-target responsive element specifically responsive to metal ions and enzymes as well as the mediator regulating the assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Taking advantage of Zn2+ ions and chymotrypsin as the model inputs of metal ions and enzymes, respectively, we constructed the peptide logic system computed by the multi-functional peptide probes and outputted by the readable colour change of AuNPs. In this way, the representative binary basic logic gates (AND, OR, INHIBIT, NAND, IMPLICATION) have been achieved by delicately coding the peptide sequence, demonstrating the versatility of our logic system. Additionally, we demonstrated that the three-input combinational logic gate (INHIBIT-OR) could also be successfully integrated and applied as a multi-tasking biosensor for colorimetric detection of dual targets. This nanoparticle-based peptide logic system presents a valid strategy to illustrate peptide information processing and provides a practical platform for executing peptide computing or peptide-related multiplexing sensing, implying that the controllable nanomaterial assembly is a promising and potent methodology for the advancement of biomimetic bio-logic computation.

  3. Giant surfactants of poly(ethylene oxide)- b-polystyrene-(molecular nanoparticle): nanoparticle-driven self-assembly with sub-10-nm nanostructures in thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Chih-Hao; Lin, Zhiwei; Dong, Xue-Hui; Hsieh, I.-Fan; Cheng, Stephen Z. D.

    2014-03-01

    Giant surfactants are built upon precisely attaching shape- and volume-persistent molecular nanoparticles (MNP) to polymeric flexible tails. The unique class of self-assembling materials, giant surfactants, has been demonstrated to form self-assembled ordered nanostructures, and their self-assembly behaviors are remarkably sensitive to primary chemical structures. In this work, two sets of giant surfactants with functionalized MNP attached to diblock copolymer tails were studied in thin films. Carboxylic acid-functionalized [60]fullerene (AC60) tethered with PEO- b-PS (PEO-PS-AC60) represents an ABA' (hydrophilic-hydrophobic-hydrophilic) giant surfactant, and fluoro-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (FPOSS) tethered with PEO- b-PS (PEO-PS-FPOSS) represents an ABC (hydrophilic-hydrophobic-omniphobic) one. The dissimilar chemical natures of the MNPs result in different arrangement of MNPs in self-assembled structures, the dispersion of AC60 in PEO domain and the single domain of FPOSS. Moreover, the chemically bonded MNPs could induce the originally disordered small molecular PEO- b-PS to form ordered cylindrical and lamellar structure, as evidenced by TEM and GISAXS, leading to sub-10-nm nanostructures of copolymer in the thin film state.

  4. Versatile aggressive mimicry of cicadas by an Australian predatory katydid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David C Marshall

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In aggressive mimicry, a predator or parasite imitates a signal of another species in order to exploit the recipient of the signal. Some of the most remarkable examples of aggressive mimicry involve exploitation of a complex signal-response system by an unrelated predator species. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have found that predatory Chlorobalius leucoviridis katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae can attract male cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae by imitating the species-specific wing-flick replies of sexually receptive female cicadas. This aggressive mimicry is accomplished both acoustically, with tegminal clicks, and visually, with synchronized body jerks. Remarkably, the katydids respond effectively to a variety of complex, species-specific Cicadettini songs, including songs of many cicada species that the predator has never encountered. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We propose that the versatility of aggressive mimicry in C. leucoviridis is accomplished by exploiting general design elements common to the songs of many acoustically signaling insects that use duets in pair-formation. Consideration of the mechanism of versatile mimicry in C. leucoviridis may illuminate processes driving the evolution of insect acoustic signals, which play a central role in reproductive isolation of populations and the formation of species.

  5. From one to many: dynamic assembly and collective behavior of self-propelled colloidal motors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Duan, Wentao; Ahmed, Suzanne; Sen, Ayusman; Mallouk, Thomas E

    2015-07-21

    The assembly of complex structures from simpler, individual units is a hallmark of biology. Examples include the pairing of DNA strands, the assembly of protein chains into quaternary structures, the formation of tissues and organs from cells, and the self-organization of bacterial colonies, flocks of birds, and human beings in cities. While the individual behaviors of biomolecules, bacteria, birds, and humans are governed by relatively simple rules, groups assembled from many individuals exhibit complex collective behaviors and functions that do not exist in the absence of the hierarchically organized structure. Self-assembly is a familiar concept to chemists who study the formation and properties of monolayers, crystals, and supramolecular structures. In chemical self-assembly, disorder evolves to order as the system approaches equilibrium. In contrast, living assemblies are typically characterized by two additional features: (1) the system constantly dissipates energy and is not at thermodynamic equilibrium; (2) the structure is dynamic and can transform or disassemble in response to stimuli or changing conditions. To distinguish them from equilibrium self-assembled structures, living (or nonliving) assemblies of objects with these characteristics are referred to as active matter. In this Account, we focus on the powered assembly and collective behavior of self-propelled colloids. These nano- and microparticles, also called nano- and micromotors or microswimmers, autonomously convert energy available in the environment (in the form of chemical, electromagnetic, acoustic, or thermal energy) into mechanical motion. Collections of these colloids are a form of synthetic active matter. Because of the analogy to living swimmers of similar size such as bacteria, the dynamic interactions and collective behavior of self-propelled colloids are interesting in the context of understanding biological active matter and in the development of new applications. The progression

  6. A versatile and low-cost open source pipetting robot for automation of toxicological and ecotoxicological bioassays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steffens, Sebastian; Nüßer, Leonie; Seiler, Thomas-Benjamin; Ruchter, Nadine; Schumann, Mark; Döring, Ricarda; Cofalla, Catrina; Ostfeld, Avi; Salomons, Elad; Schüttrumpf, Holger; Hollert, Henner; Brinkmann, Markus

    2017-01-01

    In the past decades, bioassays and whole-organism bioassay have become important tools not only in compliance testing of industrial chemicals and plant protection products, but also in the monitoring of environmental quality. With few exceptions, such test systems are discontinuous. They require exposure of the biological test material in small units, such as multiwell plates, during prolonged incubation periods, and do not allow online read-outs. It is mostly due to these shortcomings that applications in continuous monitoring of, e.g., drinking or surface water quality are largely missing. We propose the use of pipetting robots that can be used to automatically exchange samples in multiwell plates with fresh samples in a semi-static manner, as a potential solution to overcome these limitations. In this study, we developed a simple and low-cost, versatile pipetting robot constructed partly using open-source hardware that has a small footprint and can be used for online monitoring of water quality by means of an automated whole-organism bioassay. We tested its precision in automated 2-fold dilution series and used it for exposure of zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio)-a common model species in ecotoxicology-to cadmium chloride and permethrin. We found that, compared to conventional static or semi-static exposure scenarios, effects of the two chemicals in zebrafish embryos generally occurred at lower concentrations, and analytically verified that the increased frequency of media exchange resulted in a greater availability of the chemical. In combination with advanced detection systems this custom-made pipetting robot has the potential to become a valuable tool in future monitoring strategies for drinking and surface water.

  7. A versatile and low-cost open source pipetting robot for automation of toxicological and ecotoxicological bioassays.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Steffens

    Full Text Available In the past decades, bioassays and whole-organism bioassay have become important tools not only in compliance testing of industrial chemicals and plant protection products, but also in the monitoring of environmental quality. With few exceptions, such test systems are discontinuous. They require exposure of the biological test material in small units, such as multiwell plates, during prolonged incubation periods, and do not allow online read-outs. It is mostly due to these shortcomings that applications in continuous monitoring of, e.g., drinking or surface water quality are largely missing. We propose the use of pipetting robots that can be used to automatically exchange samples in multiwell plates with fresh samples in a semi-static manner, as a potential solution to overcome these limitations. In this study, we developed a simple and low-cost, versatile pipetting robot constructed partly using open-source hardware that has a small footprint and can be used for online monitoring of water quality by means of an automated whole-organism bioassay. We tested its precision in automated 2-fold dilution series and used it for exposure of zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio-a common model species in ecotoxicology-to cadmium chloride and permethrin. We found that, compared to conventional static or semi-static exposure scenarios, effects of the two chemicals in zebrafish embryos generally occurred at lower concentrations, and analytically verified that the increased frequency of media exchange resulted in a greater availability of the chemical. In combination with advanced detection systems this custom-made pipetting robot has the potential to become a valuable tool in future monitoring strategies for drinking and surface water.

  8. Medicine, material science and security: the versatility of the coded-aperture approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munro, P R T; Endrizzi, M; Diemoz, P C; Hagen, C K; Szafraniec, M B; Millard, T P; Zapata, C E; Speller, R D; Olivo, A

    2014-03-06

    The principal limitation to the widespread deployment of X-ray phase imaging in a variety of applications is probably versatility. A versatile X-ray phase imaging system must be able to work with polychromatic and non-microfocus sources (for example, those currently used in medical and industrial applications), have physical dimensions sufficiently large to accommodate samples of interest, be insensitive to environmental disturbances (such as vibrations and temperature variations), require only simple system set-up and maintenance, and be able to perform quantitative imaging. The coded-aperture technique, based upon the edge illumination principle, satisfies each of these criteria. To date, we have applied the technique to mammography, materials science, small-animal imaging, non-destructive testing and security. In this paper, we outline the theory of coded-aperture phase imaging and show an example of how the technique may be applied to imaging samples with a practically important scale.

  9. Versatile composite resins simplifying the practice of restorative dentistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margeas, Robert

    2014-01-01

    After decades of technical development and refinement, composite resins continue to simplify the practice of restorative dentistry, offering clinicians versatility, predictability, and enhanced physical properties. With a wide range of products available today, composite resins are a reliable, conservative, multi-functional restorative material option. As manufacturers strive to improve such properties as compression strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion, water sorption, and wear resistance, several classification systems of composite resins have been developed.

  10. Draft genome sequence of Microbacterium oleivorans strain Wellendorf implicates heterotrophic versatility and bioremediation potential

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anton P. Avramov

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Microbacterium oleivorans is a predominant member of hydrocarbon-contaminated environments. We here report on the genomic analysis of M. oleivorans strain Wellendorf that was isolated from an indoor door handle. The partial genome of M. oleivorans strain Wellendorf consists of 2,916,870 bp of DNA with 2831 protein-coding genes and 49 RNA genes. The organism appears to be a versatile mesophilic heterotroph potentially capable of hydrolysis a suite of carbohydrates and amino acids. Genomic analysis revealed metabolic versatility with genes involved in the metabolism and transport of glucose, fructose, rhamnose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, alanine, aspartate, asparagine, glutamate, serine, glycine, threonine and cysteine. This is the first detailed analysis of a Microbacterium oleivorans genome.

  11. The btp [2,6-bis(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine] binding motif: a new versatile terdentate ligand for supramolecular and coordination chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Joseph P; Kitchen, Jonathan A; Gunnlaugsson, Thorfinnur

    2014-08-07

    Ligands containing the btp [2,6-bis(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine] motif have appeared with increasing regularity over the last decade. This class of ligands, formed in a one pot ‘click’ reaction, has been studied for various purposes, such as for generating d and f metal coordination complexes and supramolecular self-assemblies, and in the formation of dendritic and polymeric networks, etc. This review article introduces btp as a novel and highly versatile terdentate building block with huge potential in inorganic supramolecular chemistry. We will focus on the coordination chemistry of btp ligands with a wide range of metals, and how it compares with other classical pyridyl and polypyridyl based ligands, and then present a selection of applications including use in catalysis, enzyme inhibition, photochemistry, molecular logic and materials, e.g. polymers, dendrimers and gels. The photovoltaic potential of triazolium derivatives of btp and its interactions with anions will also be discussed.

  12. A versatile Czochralski crystal growth system with automatic diameter control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, M. D.; Metzl, R.; Wang, W. S.; Choi, J.

    1995-07-01

    A versatile Czochralski crystal pulling system with automatic diameter control for the growth of nonlinear optical oxide crystals is discussed. Pure and doped bulk single crystals of bismuth silicon oxide (Bi12SiO20) have been successfully grown using this system. The system consists of a regular Czochralski type pulling system with provision for continuous weighing of the growing crystal to provide feedback for power control.

  13. Fast, versatile x-ray fluorescence method for measuring tin in impregnated wood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Drabæk, I.; Christensen, Leif Højslet

    1985-01-01

    The present paper describes an energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence method for measuring tin in bis(tri-n-butyl)tin-oxide impregnated wood. The proposed method is of the backscatter/fundamental parameter type. Its versatility, precision, and accuracy is demonstrated by analyses of eleven samples...

  14. Graphene–cyclodextrin–cytochrome c layered assembly with improved electron transfer rate and high supramolecular recognition capability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gong, Cheng-Bin; Guo, Cong-Cong; Jiang, Dan; Tang, Qian, E-mail: qiantang@swu.edu.cn; Liu, Chang-Hua; Ma, Xue-Bing

    2014-06-01

    This study aimed to develop a new graphene-based layered assembly, named graphene–cyclodextrin–cytochrome c with improved electron transfer rate. This assembly has combined high conductivity of graphene nanosheets (GNs), selectively binding properties and electronegativity of cyclodextrins (CDs), as well as electropositivity of cytochrome c (Cyt c). This assembly can also mimic the confined environments of the intermembrane space of mitochondria. A β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) functionalized GN (GN–CD) assembly was initially prepared by a simple wet-chemical strategy, i.e., in situ thermal reduction of graphene oxide with hydrazine hydrate in the presence of β-CD. Cyt c was then intercalated to the GN–CD assembly to form a layered self-assembled structure, GN–CD–Cyt c, through electrostatic interaction. Compared with GNs and GN–CD, GN–CD–Cyt c assembly displayed improved electron transfer rate and high supramolecular recognition capability toward six probe molecules. - Highlights: • A new tertiary layered assembly named GN–CD–Cyt c was prepared. • Compared with GNs and GN–CD, GN–CD–Cyt c shows improved electron transfer rate. • GN–CD–Cyt c displays high supramolecular recognition capability.

  15. Graphene–cyclodextrin–cytochrome c layered assembly with improved electron transfer rate and high supramolecular recognition capability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong, Cheng-Bin; Guo, Cong-Cong; Jiang, Dan; Tang, Qian; Liu, Chang-Hua; Ma, Xue-Bing

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to develop a new graphene-based layered assembly, named graphene–cyclodextrin–cytochrome c with improved electron transfer rate. This assembly has combined high conductivity of graphene nanosheets (GNs), selectively binding properties and electronegativity of cyclodextrins (CDs), as well as electropositivity of cytochrome c (Cyt c). This assembly can also mimic the confined environments of the intermembrane space of mitochondria. A β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) functionalized GN (GN–CD) assembly was initially prepared by a simple wet-chemical strategy, i.e., in situ thermal reduction of graphene oxide with hydrazine hydrate in the presence of β-CD. Cyt c was then intercalated to the GN–CD assembly to form a layered self-assembled structure, GN–CD–Cyt c, through electrostatic interaction. Compared with GNs and GN–CD, GN–CD–Cyt c assembly displayed improved electron transfer rate and high supramolecular recognition capability toward six probe molecules. - Highlights: • A new tertiary layered assembly named GN–CD–Cyt c was prepared. • Compared with GNs and GN–CD, GN–CD–Cyt c shows improved electron transfer rate. • GN–CD–Cyt c displays high supramolecular recognition capability

  16. Improving the analytical performance and versatility of paper spray mass spectrometry via paper microfluidics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Ian; Walker, Glenn; Bereman, Michael S

    2016-06-20

    Two paper-based microfluidic techniques, photolithography and wax patterning, were investigated for their potential to improve upon the sensitivity, reproducibility, and versatility of paper spray mass spectrometry. The main limitation of photolithography was the significant signal (approximately three orders of magnitude) above background which was attributed to the chemicals used in the photoresist process. Hydrophobic barriers created via wax patterning were discovered to have approximately 2 orders of magnitude less background signal compared to analogous barriers created using photolithography. A minimum printed wax barrier thickness of approximately 0.3 mm was necessary to consistently retain commonly used paper spray solvents (1 : 1 water : acetonitrile/methanol) and avoid leakage. Constricting capillary flow via wax-printed channels yielded both a significant increase in signal and detection time for detection of model analytes. This signal increase, which was attributed to restricting the radial flow of analyte/solvent on paper (i.e., a concentrating effect), afforded a significant increase in sensitivity (p ≪ 0.05) for the detection of pesticides spiked into residential tap water using a five-point calibration curve. Finally, unique mixing designs using wax patterning can be envisioned to perform on-paper analyte derivatization.

  17. Galactic chemical evolution in hierarchical formation models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrigoni, Matias

    2010-10-01

    The chemical properties and abundance ratios of galaxies provide important information about their formation histories. Galactic chemical evolution has been modelled in detail within the monolithic collapse scenario. These models have successfully described the abundance distributions in our Galaxy and other spiral discs, as well as the trends of metallicity and abundance ratios observed in early-type galaxies. In the last three decades, however, the paradigm of hierarchical assembly in a Cold Dark Matter (CDM) cosmology has revised the picture of how structure in the Universe forms and evolves. In this scenario, galaxies form when gas radiatively cools and condenses inside dark matter haloes, which themselves follow dissipationless gravitational collapse. The CDM picture has been successful at predicting many observed properties of galaxies (for example, the luminosity and stellar mass function of galaxies, color-magnitude or star formation rate vs. stellar mass distributions, relative numbers of early and late-type galaxies, gas fractions and size distributions of spiral galaxies, and the global star formation history), though many potential problems and open questions remain. It is therefore interesting to see whether chemical evolution models, when implemented within this modern cosmological context, are able to correctly predict the observed chemical properties of galaxies. With the advent of more powerfull telescopes and detectors, precise observations of chemical abundances and abundance ratios in various phases (stellar, ISM, ICM) offer the opportunity to obtain strong constraints on galaxy formation histories and the physics that shapes them. However, in order to take advantage of these observations, it is necessary to implement detailed modeling of chemical evolution into a modern cosmological model of hierarchical assembly.

  18. Self-assembled ordered carbon-nanotube arrays and membranes.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Overmyer, Donald L.; Siegal, Michael P.; Yelton, William Graham

    2004-11-01

    Imagine free-standing flexible membranes with highly-aligned arrays of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) running through their thickness. Perhaps with both ends of the CNTs open for highly controlled nanofiltration? Or CNTs at heights uniformly above a polymer membrane for a flexible array of nanoelectrodes or field-emitters? How about CNT films with incredible amounts of accessible surface area for analyte adsorption? These self-assembled crystalline nanotubes consist of multiple layers of graphene sheets rolled into concentric cylinders. Tube diameters (3-300 nm), inner-bore diameters (2-15 nm), and lengths (nanometers - microns) are controlled to tailor physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. We proposed to explore growth and characterize nanotube arrays to help determine their exciting functionality for Sandia applications. Thermal chemical vapor deposition growth in a furnace nucleates from a metal catalyst. Ordered arrays grow using templates from self-assembled hexagonal arrays of nanopores in anodized-aluminum oxide. Polymeric-binders can mechanically hold the CNTs in place for polishing, lift-off, and membrane formation. The stiffness, electrical and thermal conductivities of CNTs make them ideally suited for a wide-variety of possible applications. Large-area, highly-accessible gas-adsorbing carbon surfaces, superb cold-cathode field-emission, and unique nanoscale geometries can lead to advanced microsensors using analyte adsorption, arrays of functionalized nanoelectrodes for enhanced electrochemical detection of biological/explosive compounds, or mass-ionizers for gas-phase detection. Materials studies involving membrane formation may lead to exciting breakthroughs in nanofiltration/nanochromatography for the separation of chemical and biological agents. With controlled nanofilter sizes, ultrafiltration will be viable to separate and preconcentrate viruses and many strains of bacteria for 'down-stream' analysis.

  19. Versatile pulse programmer for pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adduci, D.J.

    1979-05-01

    A description of the sequence of events and the decisions leading to the design of a versatile pulse programmer for pulsed NMR are presented. Background and application information is discussed in order that the reader might better understand the role of the pulse programmer in a NMR spectrometer. Various other design approaches are presented as a basis for comparison. Specifications for this design are proposed, the hardware implementation of the specifications is discussed, and the software operating system is presented

  20. Versatile pulse programmer for pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adduci, D.J.

    1979-05-01

    A description of the sequence of events and the decisions leading to the design of a versatile pulse programmer for pulsed NMR are presented. Background and application information is discussed in order that the reader might better understand the role of the pulse programmer in a NMR spectrometer. Various other design approaches are presented as a basis for comparison. Specifications for this design are proposed, the hardware implementation of the specifications is discussed, and the software operating system is presented.

  1. Architecture, Assembly, and Emerging Applications of Branched Functional Polyelectrolytes and Poly(ionic liquid)s.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Weinan; Ledin, Petr A; Shevchenko, Valery V; Tsukruk, Vladimir V

    2015-06-17

    Branched polyelectrolytes with cylindrical brush, dendritic, hyperbranched, grafted, and star architectures bearing ionizable functional groups possess complex and unique assembly behavior in solution at surfaces and interfaces as compared to their linear counterparts. This review summarizes the recent developments in the introduction of various architectures and understanding of the assembly behavior of branched polyelectrolytes with a focus on functional polyelectrolytes and poly(ionic liquid)s with responsive properties. The branched polyelectrolytes and poly(ionic liquid)s interact electrostatically with small molecules, linear polyelectrolytes, or other branched polyelectrolytes to form assemblies of hybrid nanoparticles, multilayer thin films, responsive microcapsules, and ion-conductive membranes. The branched structures lead to unconventional assemblies and complex hierarchical structures with responsive properties as summarized in this review. Finally, we discuss prospectives for emerging applications of branched polyelectrolytes and poly(ionic liquid)s for energy harvesting and storage, controlled delivery, chemical microreactors, adaptive surfaces, and ion-exchange membranes.

  2. Non-volatile flash memory with discrete bionanodot floating gate assembled by protein template

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miura, Atsushi; Yamashita, Ichiro; Uraoka, Yukiharu; Fuyuki, Takashi; Tsukamoto, Rikako; Yoshii, Shigeo

    2008-01-01

    We demonstrated non-volatile flash memory fabrication by utilizing uniformly sized cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) bionanodot (Co-BND) architecture assembled by a cage-shaped supramolecular protein template. A fabricated high-density Co-BND array was buried in a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOSFET) structure to use as the charge storage node of a floating nanodot gate memory. We observed a clockwise hysteresis in the drain current-gate voltage characteristics of fabricated BND-embedded MOSFETs. Observed hysteresis obviously indicates a memory operation of Co-BND-embedded MOSFETs due to the charge confinement in the embedded BND and successful functioning of embedded BNDs as the charge storage nodes of the non-volatile flash memory. Fabricated Co-BND-embedded MOSFETs showed good memory properties such as wide memory windows, long charge retention and high tolerance to repeated write/erase operations. A new pathway for device fabrication by utilizing the versatile functionality of biomolecules is presented

  3. Assembling strategy to synthesize palladium modified kaolin nanocomposites with different morphologies

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Xiaoyu; Ouyang, Jing; Zhou, Yonghua; Yang, Huaming

    2015-01-01

    Nanocomposites of aluminosilicate minerals, kaolins (kaolinite and halloysite) with natural different morphologies assembling with palladium (Pd) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized through strong electrostatic adsorption and chemical bonding after surface modification with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). Meanwhile, the influence of different morphologies supports on catalytic hydrogenation properties was explored. The surface concentration of amino groups on the kaolins w...

  4. Predicting Chiral Nanostructures, Lattices and Superlattices in Complex Multicomponent Nanoparticle Self-Assembly

    KAUST Repository

    Hur, Kahyun

    2012-06-13

    "Bottom up" type nanoparticle (NP) self-assembly is expected to provide facile routes to nanostructured materials for various, for example, energy related, applications. Despite progress in simulations and theories, structure prediction of self-assembled materials beyond simple model systems remains challenging. Here we utilize a field theory approach for predicting nanostructure of complex and multicomponent hybrid systems with multiple types of short- and long-range interactions. We propose design criteria for controlling a range of NP based nanomaterial structures. In good agreement with recent experiments, the theory predicts that ABC triblock terpolymer directed assemblies with ligand-stabilized NPs can lead to chiral NP network structures. Furthermore, we predict that long-range Coulomb interactions between NPs leading to simple NP lattices, when applied to NP/block copolymer (BCP) assemblies, induce NP superlattice formation within the phase separated BCP nanostructure, a strategy not yet realized experimentally. We expect such superlattices to be of increasing interest to communities involved in research on, for example, energy generation and storage, metamaterials, as well as microelectronics and information storage. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  5. Template-based self-assembly for silicon chips and 01005 surface-mount components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoo, J H; Park, Kwang Soon; Baskaran, Rajashree; Böhringer, Karl F

    2014-01-01

    We present template-based microscale self-assembly as a technique that promotes the electronics industry's initiative towards functional diversification and function densification, demonstrating that our process can improve existing assembly and packaging techniques, and also enable possibilities restricted by current industry methodologies. We first present foundational work that performs part (370 × 370 × 150 µm 3 ) delivery to receptor sites (20 × 10 array) with a stochastic batch delivery process that completes within tens of seconds. The delivery mechanism is statistically characterized and a chemical kinetics inspired model is developed. Based on this understanding, repeatable and programmable 100% yield assembly is achieved in open-loop and feedback-based configurations. The established methodology is adapted to deliver and assemble standard 01 005 format (0.016″ × 0.008″, 0.4 mm × 0.2 mm) monolithic ceramic capacitors and thin-film resistors onto silicon substrates. This process is CMOS compatible and is competitive with capacitors and resistors fabricated through standard foundry processes. (paper)

  6. Development of a versatile multiaperture negative ion sourcea)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavenago, M.; Kulevoy, T.; Petrenko, S.; Serianni, G.; Antoni, V.; Bigi, M.; Fellin, F.; Recchia, M.; Veltri, P.

    2012-02-01

    A 60 kV ion source (9 beamlets of 15 mA each of H-) and plasma generators are being developed at Consorzio RFX and INFN-LNL, for their versatility in experimental campaigns and for training. Unlike most experimental sources, the design aimed at continuous operation. Magnetic configuration can achieve a minimum |B| trap, smoothly merged with the extraction filter. Modular design allows for quick substitution and upgrading of parts such as the extraction and postacceleration grids or the electrodes in contact with plasma. Experiments with a radio frequency plasma generator and Faraday cage inside the plasma are also described.

  7. Development of a versatile multiaperture negative ion source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cavenago, M.; Kulevoy, T.; Petrenko, S.; Serianni, G.; Antoni, V.; Bigi, M.; Fellin, F.; Recchia, M.; Veltri, P.

    2012-01-01

    A 60 kV ion source (9 beamlets of 15 mA each of H - ) and plasma generators are being developed at Consorzio RFX and INFN-LNL, for their versatility in experimental campaigns and for training. Unlike most experimental sources, the design aimed at continuous operation. Magnetic configuration can achieve a minimum |B| trap, smoothly merged with the extraction filter. Modular design allows for quick substitution and upgrading of parts such as the extraction and postacceleration grids or the electrodes in contact with plasma. Experiments with a radio frequency plasma generator and Faraday cage inside the plasma are also described.

  8. Development of a versatile multiaperture negative ion source

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cavenago, M. [INFN-LNL, viale dell' Universita n.2, I-35020 Legnaro (Padova) (Italy); Kulevoy, T.; Petrenko, S. [INFN-LNL, viale dell' Universita n.2, I-35020 Legnaro (Padova) (Italy); ITEP, B. Cheremushkinskaya 25, 117218 Moscow (Russian Federation); Serianni, G.; Antoni, V.; Bigi, M.; Fellin, F.; Recchia, M.; Veltri, P. [Consorzio RFX, Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla fusione, c.so S. Uniti 4, 35127 Padova (Italy)

    2012-02-15

    A 60 kV ion source (9 beamlets of 15 mA each of H{sup -}) and plasma generators are being developed at Consorzio RFX and INFN-LNL, for their versatility in experimental campaigns and for training. Unlike most experimental sources, the design aimed at continuous operation. Magnetic configuration can achieve a minimum |B| trap, smoothly merged with the extraction filter. Modular design allows for quick substitution and upgrading of parts such as the extraction and postacceleration grids or the electrodes in contact with plasma. Experiments with a radio frequency plasma generator and Faraday cage inside the plasma are also described.

  9. Development of a versatile multiaperture negative ion source.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavenago, M; Kulevoy, T; Petrenko, S; Serianni, G; Antoni, V; Bigi, M; Fellin, F; Recchia, M; Veltri, P

    2012-02-01

    A 60 kV ion source (9 beamlets of 15 mA each of H(-)) and plasma generators are being developed at Consorzio RFX and INFN-LNL, for their versatility in experimental campaigns and for training. Unlike most experimental sources, the design aimed at continuous operation. Magnetic configuration can achieve a minimum ∣B∣ trap, smoothly merged with the extraction filter. Modular design allows for quick substitution and upgrading of parts such as the extraction and postacceleration grids or the electrodes in contact with plasma. Experiments with a radio frequency plasma generator and Faraday cage inside the plasma are also described.

  10. Effects of engineered nanoparticles on the assembly of exopolymeric substances from phytoplankton.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi-Shuo Chen

    Full Text Available The unique properties of engineered nanoparticles (ENs that make their industrial applications so attractive simultaneously raise questions regarding their environmental safety. ENs exhibit behaviors different from bulk materials with identical chemical compositions. Though the nanotoxicity of ENs has been studied intensively, their unintended environmental impacts remain largely unknown. Herein we report experimental results of EN interactions with exopolymeric substances (EPS from three marine phytoplankton species: Amphora sp., Ankistrodesmus angustus and Phaeodactylum tricornutum. EPS are polysaccharide-rich anionic colloid polymers released by various microorganisms that can assemble into microgels, possibly by means of hydrophobic and ionic mechanisms. Polystyrene nanoparticles (23 nm were used in our study as model ENs. The effects of ENs on EPS assembly were monitored with dynamic laser scattering (DLS. We found that ENs can induce significant acceleration in Amphora sp. EPS assembly; after 72 hours EN-EPS aggregation reached equilibrium, forming microscopic gels of ∼4-6 µm in size. In contrast, ENs only cause moderate assembly kinetic acceleration for A. angustus and P. tricornutum EPS samples. Our results indicate that the effects of ENs on EPS assembly kinetics mainly depend on the hydrophobic interactions of ENs with EPS polymers. The cycling mechanism of EPS is complex. Nonetheless, the change of EPS assembly kinetics induced by ENs can be considered as one potential disturbance to the marine carbon cycle.

  11. Chemicals as the Sole Transformers of Cell Fate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimi, Behnam

    2016-05-30

    Forced expression of lineage-specific transcription factors in somatic cells can result in the generation of different cell types in a process named direct reprogramming, bypassing the pluripotent state. However, the introduction of transgenes limits the therapeutic applications of the produced cells. Numerous small-molecules have been introduced in the field of stem cell biology capable of governing self-renewal, reprogramming, transdifferentiation and regeneration. These chemical compounds are versatile tools for cell fate conversion toward desired outcomes. Cell fate conversion using small-molecules alone (chemical reprogramming) has superiority over arduous traditional genetic techniques in several aspects. For instance, rapid, transient, and reversible effects in activation and inhibition of functions of specific proteins are of the profits of small-molecules. They are cost-effective, have a long half-life, diversity on structure and function, and allow for temporal and flexible regulation of signaling pathways. Additionally, their effects could be adjusted by fine-tuning concentrations and combinations of different small-molecules. Therefore, chemicals are powerful tools in cell fate conversion and study of stem cell and chemical biology in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, transgene-free and chemical-only transdifferentiation approaches provide alternative strategies for the generation of various cell types, disease modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine. The current review gives an overview of the recent findings concerning transdifferentiation by only small-molecules without the use of transgenes.

  12. Monolayer assembly and striped architecture of Co nanoparticles on organic functionalized Si surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bae, S.-S.; Lim, D.K.; Park, J.-I.; Kim, S. [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry and School of Molecular Science (BK 21), Daejeon (Korea); Cheon, J. [Yonsei University, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Seoul (Korea); Jeon, I.C. [Chonbuk National University, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Chonbuk (Korea)

    2005-03-01

    We present a new strategy to fabricate a monolayer assembly of Br-terminated Co nanoparticles on functionalized Si surfaces by using chemical covalent bonding and microcontact printing method. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of the Co nanoparticles formed on the hydroxyl-terminated Si surface exhibit two-dimensional island networks with locally ordered arrays via covalent linkage between nanoparticles and surface. On the other hand, SAMs of the nanoparticles on the aminopropyl-terminated Si surface show an individual and random distribution over an entire surface. Furthermore, we have fabricated striped architectures of Co nanoparticles using a combination of microcontact printing and covalent linkage. Microcontact printing of octadecyltrichlorosilane and selective covalent linkage between nanoparticles and functionalized Si surfaces lead to a hybrid nanostructure with selectively assembled nanoparticles stripes on the patterned functionalized Si surfaces. (orig.)

  13. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Do Versatile Learners make Connective Leaders?

    OpenAIRE

    Jill L. Robinson

    2016-01-01

    Recent failures in leadership, suggest that creating better-quality leadership development programs is critical. In moving from theory to practice, this paper examined the relationship between learning style and leadership style which may enable us to move away from one-size-fits-all leadership development programs. Utilizing Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model and Connective Leadership theory, approximately 3600 college students were analyzed to discover whether versatility in learning styles...

  14. Connecting leadership and learning: Do versatile learners make connective leaders?

    OpenAIRE

    Robinson, Jill L.

    2016-01-01

    Recent failures in leadership, suggest that creating better-quality leadership development programs is critical. In moving from theory to practice, this paper examined the relationship between learning style and leadership style which may enable us to move away from one-size-fits-all leadership development programs. Utilizing Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model and Connective Leadership theory, approximately 3600 college students were analyzed to discover whether versatility in learning styles...

  15. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Do Versatile Learners make Connective Leaders?

    OpenAIRE

    Jill L. Robinson

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Recent failures in leadership, suggest that creating better-quality leadership development programs is critical. In moving from theory to practice, this paper examined the relationship between learning style and leadership style which may enable us to move away from one-size-fits-all leadership development programs. Utilizing Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model and Connective Leadership theory, approximately 3600 college students were analyzed to discover whether versatility in le...

  16. Narrowing the diversification of supramolecular assemblies by preorganization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhongyan; Liang, Chunhui; Shang, Yuna; He, Shuangshuang; Wang, Ling; Yang, Zhimou

    2018-03-13

    We designed and synthesized three phosphorylated peptides as precursors of the same peptide Nap-YYY. We found that different precursors led to different materials with almost identical chemical compositions at the final stages. Only Nap-YpYY could form very uniform nanofibers in a stable supramolecular hydrogel by enzyme-instructed self-assembly (EISA) at the physiological temperature (37 °C). In contrast, de-phosphorylation of the other two precursors (Nap-pYYY and Nap-YYpY) resulted in diverse nanostructures in metastable hydrogels with precipitates. The formation of uniform nanomaterials in the stable hydrogels was due to the preorganization property of the precursor Nap-YpYY, which facilitated rapid folding and accelerated the kinetics of hydrogelation of the resulting peptide Nap-YYY generated by the EISA process. Our study demonstrated the importance of the precursor for the self-assembly of nanomaterials and provided a useful strategy to manipulate them.

  17. Current methods in risk assessment of genotoxic chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cartus, Alexander; Schrenk, Dieter

    2017-08-01

    Chemical contaminants and residues are undesired chemicals occurring in consumer products such as food and drugs, at the workplace and in the environment, i.e. in air, soil and water. These compounds can be detected even at very low concentrations and lead frequently to considerable concerns among consumers and in the media. Thus it is a major challenge for modern toxicology to provide transparent and versatile tools for the risk assessment of such compounds in particular with respect to human health. Well-known examples of toxic contaminants are dioxins or mercury (in the environment), mycotoxins (from infections by molds) or acrylamide (from thermal treatment of food). The process of toxicological risk assessment of such chemicals is based on i) the knowledge of their contents in food, air, water etc., ii) the routes and extent of exposure of humans, iii) the toxicological properties of the compound, and, iv) its mode(s) of action. In this process quantitative dose-response relationships, usually in experimental animals, are of outstanding importance. For a successful risk assessment, in particular of genotoxic chemicals, several conditions and models such as the Margin of Exposure (MoE) approach or the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) concept exist, which will be discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Unknown Aspects of Self-Assembly of PbS Microscale Superstructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Querejeta-Fernández, Ana; Hernández-Garrido, Juan C.; Yang, Hengxi; Zhou, Yunlong; Varela, Aurea; Parras, Marina; Calvino-Gámez, José J.; González-Calbet, Jose M.; Green, Peter F.; Kotov, Nicholas A.

    2012-01-01

    A lot of interesting and sophisticated examples of nanoparticle (NP) self-assembly (SA) are known. From both fundamental and technological standpoints this field requires advancements in three principle directions: a) understanding the mechanism and driving forces of three-dimensional (3D) SA with both nano- and micro-levels of organization; b) understanding of disassembly/deconstruction processes; and c) finding synthetic methods of assembly into continuous superstructures without insulating barriers. From this perspective, we investigated the formation of well-known star-like PbS superstructures and found a number of previously unknown or overlooked aspects that can advance the knowledge of NP self-assembly in these three directions. The primary one is that the formation of large seemingly monocrystalline PbS superstructures with multiple levels of octahedral symmetry can be explained only by SA of small octahedral NPs. We found five distinct periods in the formation PbS hyperbranched stars: 1) nucleation of early PbS NPs with an average diameter of 31 nm; 2) assembly into 100–500 nm octahedral mesocrystals; 3) assembly into 1000–2500 nm hyperbranched stars; 4) assembly and ionic recrystallization into six-arm rods accompanied by disappearance of fine nanoscale structure; 5) deconstruction into rods and cubooctahedral NPs. The switches in assembly patterns between the periods occur due to variable dominance of pattern–determining forces that include vander Waals and electrostatic (charge-charge, dipole-dipole, and polarization) interactions. The superstructure deconstruction is triggered by chemical changes in the deep eutectic solvent (DES) used as the media. PbS superstructures can be excellent models for fundamental studies of nanoscale organization and SA manufacturing of (opto)electronics and energy harvesting devices which require organization of PbS components at multiple scales. PMID:22515512

  19. Structural insight into RNA recognition motifs: versatile molecular Lego building blocks for biological systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muto, Yutaka; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki

    2012-01-01

    'RNA recognition motifs (RRMs)' are common domain-folds composed of 80-90 amino-acid residues in eukaryotes, and have been identified in many cellular proteins. At first they were known as RNA binding domains. Through discoveries over the past 20 years, however, the RRMs have been shown to exhibit versatile molecular recognition activities and to behave as molecular Lego building blocks to construct biological systems. Novel RNA/protein recognition modes by RRMs are being identified, and more information about the molecular recognition by RRMs is becoming available. These RNA/protein recognition modes are strongly correlated with their biological significance. In this review, we would like to survey the recent progress on these versatile molecular recognition modules. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Hierarchical assembly of inorganic nanostructure building blocks to octahedral superstructures-a true template-free self-assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuchibhatla, Satyanarayana V N T; Karakoti, Ajay S; Seal, Sudipta

    2007-01-01

    A room temperature, template-free, wet chemical synthesis of ceria nanoparticles and their long term ageing characteristics are reported. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy techniques are used to observe the variation in size, structure and oxidation state, respectively as a function of time. The morphology variation and the hierarchical assembly (octahedral superstructure) of nanostructures are imputed to the inherent structural aspects of cerium oxide. It is hypothesized that the 3-5 nm individual building blocks will undergo an intra-agglomerate re-orientation to attain the low energy configuration. This communication also emphasizes the need for long term ageing studies of nanomaterials in various solvents for multiple functionalities

  1. Proton Mediated Chemistry and Catalysis in a Self-Assembled Supramolecular Host

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pluth, Michael; Bergman, Robert; Raymond, Kenneth

    2009-04-10

    Synthetic supramolecular host assemblies can impart unique reactivity to encapsulated guest molecules. Synthetic host molecules have been developed to carry out complex reactions within their cavities, despite the fact that they lack the type of specifically tailored functional groups normally located in the analogous active sites of enzymes. Over the past decade, the Raymond group has developed a series of self-assembled supramolecules and the Bergman group has developed and studied a number of catalytic transformations. In this Account, we detail recent collaborative work between these two groups, focusing on chemical catalysis stemming from the encapsulation of protonated guests and expanding to acid catalysis in basic solution. We initially investigated the ability of a water-soluble, self-assembled supramolecular host molecule to encapsulate protonated guests in its hydrophobic core. Our study of encapsulated protonated amines revealed rich host-guest chemistry. We established that self-exchange (that is, in-out guest movement) rates of protonated amines were dependent on the steric bulk of the amine rather than its basicity. The host molecule has purely rotational tetrahedral (T) symmetry, so guests with geminal N-methyl groups (and their attendant mirror plane) were effectively desymmetrized; this allowed for the observation and quantification of the barriers for nitrogen inversion followed by bond rotation. Furthermore, small nitrogen heterocycles, such as N-alkylaziridines, N-alkylazetidines, and N-alkylpyrrolidines, were found to be encapsulated as proton-bound homodimers or homotrimers. We further investigated the thermodynamic stabilization of protonated amines, showing that encapsulation makes the amines more basic in the cavity. Encapsulation raises the effective basicity of protonated amines by up to 4.5 pK{sub a} units, a difference almost as large as that between the moderate and strong bases carbonate and hydroxide. The thermodynamic stabilization

  2. Proton-Mediated Chemistry and Catalysis in a Self-Assembled Supramolecular Host

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pluth, Michael; Bergman, Robert; Raymond, Kenneth

    2009-01-01

    Synthetic supramolecular host assemblies can impart unique reactivity to encapsulated guest molecules. Synthetic host molecules have been developed to carry out complex reactions within their cavities, despite the fact that they lack the type of specifically tailored functional groups normally located in the analogous active sites of enzymes. Over the past decade, the Raymond group has developed a series of self-assembled supramolecules and the Bergman group has developed and studied a number of catalytic transformations. In this Account, we detail recent collaborative work between these two groups, focusing on chemical catalysis stemming from the encapsulation of protonated guests and expanding to acid catalysis in basic solution. We initially investigated the ability of a water-soluble, self-assembled supramolecular host molecule to encapsulate protonated guests in its hydrophobic core. Our study of encapsulated protonated amines revealed rich host-guest chemistry. We established that self-exchange (that is, in-out guest movement) rates of protonated amines were dependent on the steric bulk of the amine rather than its basicity. The host molecule has purely rotational tetrahedral (T) symmetry, so guests with geminal N-methyl groups (and their attendant mirror plane) were effectively desymmetrized; this allowed for the observation and quantification of the barriers for nitrogen inversion followed by bond rotation. Furthermore, small nitrogen heterocycles, such as N-alkylaziridines, N-alkylazetidines, and N-alkylpyrrolidines, were found to be encapsulated as proton-bound homodimers or homotrimers. We further investigated the thermodynamic stabilization of protonated amines, showing that encapsulation makes the amines more basic in the cavity. Encapsulation raises the effective basicity of protonated amines by up to 4.5 pK a units, a difference almost as large as that between the moderate and strong bases carbonate and hydroxide. The thermodynamic stabilization of

  3. Self-assembly of self-assembled molecular triangles

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    While the solution state structure of 1 can be best described as a trinuclear complex, in the solidstate well-fashioned intermolecular - and CH- interactions are observed. Thus, in the solid-state further self-assembly of already self-assembled molecular triangle is witnessed. The triangular panels are arranged in a linear ...

  4. Development of a mobile unit for 'in loco' sistematic decontamination in nuclear power plants components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Camargo, G.A.M.

    1986-01-01

    A mobile decontamination unit was developed to perform 'in situ' decontamination of tanks and pressure vessels belonging to the reactor auxiliary and ancillary systems. The whole system, including a control desk, is assembled in 6 trolleys which can be moved inside the plant, thus enabling component decontamination by injecting demineralized water at a pressure of approx. 50 bar and temperatures up to 90 0 , with or without chemical additives. Considering the versatility and easy handling demonstrated after extensive testing, this new system shall be used in Angra 2 and 3. (Author) [pt

  5. Liquid Crystal Mediated Nano-assembled Gold Micro-shells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quint, Makiko; Sarang, Som; Quint, David; Huang, Kerwyn; Gopinathan, Ajay; Hirst, Linda; Ghosh, Sayantani

    We have created 3D nano-assenbled micro-shell by using thermotropic liquid crystal (LC), 4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), doped with mesogen-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The assembly process is driven by the isotropic-nematic phase transition dynamics. We uniformly disperse the functionalized AuNPs into isotropic liquid crystal matrix and the mixture is cooled from the isotropic to the nematic phase. During the phase transition, the separation of LC-AuNP rich isotropic and ordered 5CB rich domains cause the functionalized AuNPs to move into the shrinking isotropic regions. The mesogenic ligands are locally crystalized during this process, which leads to the formation of a spherical shell with a densely packed wall of AuNPs. These micro-shells are capable of encapsulating fluorescence dye without visible leakages for several months. Additionally, they demonstrate strong localized surface plasmon resonance, which leads to localized heating on optical excitation. This photothermal effect disrupts the structure, releasing contents within seconds. Our results exhibiting the capture and optically regulated release of encapsulated substances is a novel platform that combines drug-delivery and photothermal therapy in one versatile and multifunctional unit. This work is supported by the NSF Grants No. DMR-1056860, ECC-1227034, and a University of California Merced Faculty Mentor Fellowship.

  6. Evaluation of nine popular de novo assemblers in microbial genome assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forouzan, Esmaeil; Maleki, Masoumeh Sadat Mousavi; Karkhane, Ali Asghar; Yakhchali, Bagher

    2017-12-01

    Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are revolutionizing biology, with Illumina being the most popular NGS platform. Short read assembly is a critical part of most genome studies using NGS. Hence, in this study, the performance of nine well-known assemblers was evaluated in the assembly of seven different microbial genomes. Effect of different read coverage and k-mer parameters on the quality of the assembly were also evaluated on both simulated and actual read datasets. Our results show that the performance of assemblers on real and simulated datasets could be significantly different, mainly because of coverage bias. According to outputs on actual read datasets, for all studied read coverages (of 7×, 25× and 100×), SPAdes and IDBA-UD clearly outperformed other assemblers based on NGA50 and accuracy metrics. Velvet is the most conservative assembler with the lowest NGA50 and error rate. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Method for selective immobilization of macromolecules on self assembled monolayer surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laskin, Julia [Richland, WA; Wang, Peng [Billerica, MA

    2011-11-29

    Disclosed is a method for selective chemical binding and immobilization of macromolecules on solid supports in conjunction with self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surfaces. Immobilization involves selective binding of peptides and other macromolecules to SAM surfaces using reactive landing (RL) of mass-selected, gas phase ions. SAM surfaces provide a simple and convenient platform for tailoring chemical properties of a variety of substrates. The invention finds applications in biochemistry ranging from characterization of molecular recognition events at the amino acid level and identification of biologically active motifs in proteins, to development of novel biosensors and substrates for stimulated protein and cell adhesion.

  8. Fabrication of nanostructure via self-assembly of nanowires within the AAO template

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brust Mathias

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available AbstractThe novel nanostructures are fabricated by the spatial chemical modification of nanowires within the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO template. To make the nanowires better dispersion in the aqueous solution, the copper is first deposited to fill the dendrite structure at the bottom of template. During the process of self-assembly, the dithiol compound was used as the connector between the nanowires and nanoparticles by a self-assembly method. The nanostructures of the nano cigars and structure which is containing particles junction are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM. These kinds of novel nanostructure will be the building blocks for nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices.

  9. A double perturbation method of postbuckling analysis in 2D curved beams for assembly of 3D ribbon-shaped structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Zhichao; Hwang, Keh-Chih; Rogers, John A.; Huang, Yonggang; Zhang, Yihui

    2018-02-01

    Mechanically-guided 3D assembly based on controlled, compressive buckling represents a promising, emerging approach for forming complex 3D mesostructures in advanced materials. Due to the versatile applicability to a broad set of material types (including device-grade single-crystal silicon) over length scales from nanometers to centimeters, a wide range of novel applications have been demonstrated in soft electronic systems, interactive bio-interfaces as well as tunable electromagnetic devices. Previously reported 3D designs relied mainly on finite element analyses (FEA) as a guide, but the massive numerical simulations and computational efforts necessary to obtain the assembly parameters for a targeted 3D geometry prevent rapid exploration of engineering options. A systematic understanding of the relationship between a 3D shape and the associated parameters for assembly requires the development of a general theory for the postbuckling process. In this paper, a double perturbation method is established for the postbuckling analyses of planar curved beams, of direct relevance to the assembly of ribbon-shaped 3D mesostructures. By introducing two perturbation parameters related to the initial configuration and the deformation, the highly nonlinear governing equations can be transformed into a series of solvable, linear equations that give analytic solutions to the displacements and curvatures during postbuckling. Systematic analyses of postbuckling in three representative ribbon shapes (sinusoidal, polynomial and arc configurations) illustrate the validity of theoretical method, through comparisons to the results of experiment and FEA. These results shed light on the relationship between the important deformation quantities (e.g., mode ratio and maximum strain) and the assembly parameters (e.g., initial configuration and the applied strain). This double perturbation method provides an attractive route to the inverse design of ribbon-shaped 3D geometries, as

  10. VISION: a Versatile and Innovative SIlicOn tracking system

    CERN Document Server

    Lietti, Daniela; Vallazza, Erik

    This thesis work focuses on the study of the performance of different tracking and profilometry systems (the so-called INSULAB, INSUbria LABoratory, and VISION, Versatile and Innovative SIlicON, Telescopes) used in the last years by the NTA-HCCC, the COHERENT (COHERENT effects in crystals for the physics of accelerators), ICE-RAD (Interaction in Crystals for Emission of RADiation) and CHANEL (CHAnneling of NEgative Leptons) experiments, four collaborations of the INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) dedicated to the research in the crystals physics field.

  11. An implicit flux-split algorithm to calculate hypersonic flowfields in chemical equilibrium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Grant

    1987-01-01

    An implicit, finite-difference, shock-capturing algorithm that calculates inviscid, hypersonic flows in chemical equilibrium is presented. The flux vectors and flux Jacobians are differenced using a first-order, flux-split technique. The equilibrium composition of the gas is determined by minimizing the Gibbs free energy at every node point. The code is validated by comparing results over an axisymmetric hemisphere against previously published results. The algorithm is also applied to more practical configurations. The accuracy, stability, and versatility of the algorithm have been promising.

  12. A conceptual design of assembly strategy and dedicated tools for assembly of 40o sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, H.K.; Nam, K.O.; Kim, D.J.; Ahn, H.J.; Lee, J.H.; Im, K.; Shaw, R.

    2010-01-01

    The International Thermanuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) tokamak device is composed of 9 vacuum vessel (VV)/toroidal field coils (TFCs)/vacuum vessel thermal shields (VVTS) 40 o sectors. Each VV/TFCs/VVTS 40 o sector is made up of one 40 o VV, two 20 o TFCs and associated VVTS segments. The 40 o sectors are sub-assembled at assembly hall respectively and then nine 40 o sectors sub-assembled at assembly hall are finally assembled at tokamak in-pit hall. The assembly strategy and tools for the 40 o sector sub-assembly and final assembly should be developed to satisfy the basic assembly requirements of the ITER tokamak device. Accordingly, the purpose-built assembly tools should be designed and manufactured considering assembly plan, available space, cost, safety, easy operation, efficient maintenance, and so on. The 40 o sector assembly tools are classified into 2 groups. One group is the sub-assembly tools including upending tool, lifting tool, sub-assembly tool, VV supports and bracing tools used at assembly hall and the other group is the in-pit assembly tools including lifting tool, central column, radial beams and their supports. This paper describes the current status of the assembly strategy and major tools for the VV/TFCs/VVTS 40 o sector assembly at in-pit hall and assembly hall. The conceptual design of the major assembly tools and assembly process at assembly hall and tokamak in-pit hall are presented also.

  13. SEVA Linkers: A Versatile and Automatable DNA Backbone Exchange Standard for Synthetic Biology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Se Hyeuk; Cavaleiro, Mafalda; Rennig, Maja

    2016-01-01

    flexibility, and different researchers prefer and master different molecular technologies. Here, we describe a new, highly versatile and automatable standard “SEVA linkers” for vector exchange. SEVA linkers enable backbone swapping with 20 combinations of classical enzymatic restriction/ligation, Gibson...

  14. IBARAKI materials design diffractometer (iMATERIA)-Versatile neutron diffractometer at J-PARC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishigaki, T.; Hoshikawa, A.; Yonemura, M.; Morishima, T.; Kamiyama, T.; Oishi, R.; Aizawa, K.; Sakuma, T.; Tomota, Y.; Arai, M.; Hayashi, M.; Ebata, K.; Takano, Y.; Komatsuzaki, K.; Asano, H.; Takano, Y.; Kasao, T.

    2009-01-01

    Ibaraki prefecture, the local government of the area for J-PARC site, was decided to build a versatile neutron diffractometer (IBARAKI Materials Design Diffractometer, iMATERIA) to promote an industrial application for neutron beam in J-PARC. iMATERIA is planned to be a high throughput diffractometer so that materials engineers and scientists can use it like the chemical analytical instruments in their materials development process. It covers in d range 0.18< d (A)<5 with Δd/d=0.16% at high resolution bank, and covers 5< d (A)<800 with gradually changing resolution at three detector bank (90 deg., low angle and small angle). Typical measuring time to obtain a 'Rietveld-quality' data is several minutes with the sample size of laboratory X-ray diffractometer. To promote industrial application, a utilization system for this diffractometer is required. We will establish a support system for both academic and industrial users who are willing to use neutron but have not been familiar with neutron diffraction. The analysis software is also very important for powder diffraction, we will also prepare a software package consisting of combination of several powder-diffraction software, structural databases and visualization. The construction of iMATERIA will be completed in the end of April 2008, as one of day-one instruments for J-PARC.

  15. Gene assembly via one-pot chemical ligation of DNA promoted by DNA nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Manuguerra, Ilenia; Croce, Stefano; El-Sagheer, Afaf H.

    2018-01-01

    Current gene synthesis methods are driven by enzymatic reactions. Here we report the one-pot synthesis of a chemically-ligated gene from 14 oligonucleotides. The chemical ligation benefits from the highly efficient click chemistry approach templated by DNA nanostructures, and produces modified DNA...

  16. Synchrotrons: biomedical applications of the most versatile radiation source of all

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, R.

    2003-01-01

    Synchrotrons are the brightest and most versatile sources of radiation that have ever been devised. The spectrum extends from the infra-red to hard X-rays and the application range is just as wide. Applications range from radiotherapy to archaeology and from genomics to mineral identification. For a property of particle accelerators that was for many years seen as a problem, the transformation has been remarkable. There are now more than 50 synchrotron facilities worldwide and the number is still growing rapidly. Some 25 years after the first dedicated machines came into operation, Australia is about to enter the field with a national facility being built at Monash University in Melbourne. The largest impact of synchrotrons has been in the X-ray region of the spectrum where the performance gain over conventional sources is many orders of magnitude. In fact synchrotrons are the only significant improvement in X-ray production since the rotating anode was first marketed in 1929. The possibilities opened up by the availability of monochromatic, tightly collimated beams of enormous intensity has impacted on practically every area of science. Following a brief overview of synchrotron radiation production, the various prominent techniques that synchrotron radiation has made possible will be reviewed. Particular emphasis will be placed on the biomedical applications which include; 1. advanced imaging techniques exploiting X-ray phase contrast 2. radiotherapy using microbeams 3. structural biology 4. elemental, chemical and molecular structure mapping of live wet samples

  17. Imidazole: Having Versatile Biological Activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amita Verma

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Imidazoles have occupied a unique position in heterocyclic chemistry, and its derivatives have attracted considerable interests in recent years for their versatile properties in chemistry and pharmacology. Imidazole is nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring which possesses biological and pharmaceutical importance. Thus, imidazole compounds have been an interesting source for researchers for more than a century. The imidazole ring is a constituent of several important natural products, including purine, histamine, histidine, and nucleic acid. Being a polar and ionisable aromatic compound, it improves pharmacokinetic characteristics of lead molecules and thus is used as a remedy to optimize solubility and bioavailability parameters of proposed poorly soluble lead molecules. There are several methods used for the synthesis of imidazole-containing compounds, and also their various structure reactions offer enormous scope in the field of medicinal chemistry. The imidazole derivatives possess extensive spectrum of biological activities such as antibacterial, anticancer, antitubercular, antifungal, analgesic, and anti-HIV activities. This paper aims to review the biological activities of imidazole during the past years.

  18. Fuel injection assembly for use in turbine engines and method of assembling same

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berry, Jonathan Dwight; Johnson, Thomas Edward; York, William David; Uhm, Jong Ho

    2015-12-15

    A fuel injection assembly for use in a turbine engine is provided. The fuel injection assembly includes an end cover, an endcap assembly, a fluid supply chamber, and a plurality of tube assemblies positioned at the endcap assembly. Each of the tube assemblies includes housing having a fuel plenum and a cooling fluid plenum. The cooling fluid plenum is positioned downstream from the fuel plenum and separated from the fuel plenum by an intermediate wall. The plurality of tube assemblies also include a plurality of tubes that extends through the housing. Each of the plurality of tubes is coupled in flow communication with the fluid supply chamber and a combustion chamber positioned downstream from the tube assembly. The plurality of tube assemblies further includes an aft plate at a downstream end of the cooling fluid plenum. The plate includes at least one aperture.

  19. A chemical library to screen protein and protein-ligand crystallization using a versatile microfluidic platform

    OpenAIRE

    Gerard , Charline ,; Ferry , Gilles; Vuillard , Laurent ,; Boutin , Jean ,; Ferte , Nathalie ,; Grossier , Romain ,; Candoni , Nadine ,; Veesler , Stéphane ,

    2018-01-01

    Here, we describe a plug-and-play microfluidic platform, suitable for protein crystallization. The droplet factory is designed to generate hundreds of droplets as small as a few nanoliters (2 to 10nL) for screening and optimization of crystallization conditions. Commercially-available microfluidic junctions and tubing are combined to create the appropriate geometry. In addition, a " chemical library " is produced in tubing. The microfluidic geometry for a " crystallization agent-based chemica...

  20. AutoAssemblyD: a graphical user interface system for several genome assemblers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veras, Adonney Allan de Oliveira; de Sá, Pablo Henrique Caracciolo Gomes; Azevedo, Vasco; Silva, Artur; Ramos, Rommel Thiago Jucá

    2013-01-01

    Next-generation sequencing technologies have increased the amount of biological data generated. Thus, bioinformatics has become important because new methods and algorithms are necessary to manipulate and process such data. However, certain challenges have emerged, such as genome assembly using short reads and high-throughput platforms. In this context, several algorithms have been developed, such as Velvet, Abyss, Euler-SR, Mira, Edna, Maq, SHRiMP, Newbler, ALLPATHS, Bowtie and BWA. However, most such assemblers do not have a graphical interface, which makes their use difficult for users without computing experience given the complexity of the assembler syntax. Thus, to make the operation of such assemblers accessible to users without a computing background, we developed AutoAssemblyD, which is a graphical tool for genome assembly submission and remote management by multiple assemblers through XML templates. AssemblyD is freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/autoassemblyd. It requires Sun jdk 6 or higher.

  1. Modeling the self-assembly of ordered nanoporous materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Monson, Peter [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States); Auerbach, Scott [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)

    2017-11-13

    This report describes progress on a collaborative project on the multiscale modeling of the assembly processes in the synthesis of nanoporous materials. Such materials are of enormous importance in modern technology with application in the chemical process industries, biomedicine and biotechnology as well as microelectronics. The project focuses on two important classes of materials: i) microporous crystalline materials, such as zeolites, and ii) ordered mesoporous materials. In the first case the pores are part of the crystalline structure, while in the second the structures are amorphous on the atomistic length scale but where surfactant templating gives rise to order on the length scale of 2 - 20 nm. We have developed a modeling framework that encompasses both these kinds of materials. Our models focus on the assembly of corner sharing silica tetrahedra in the presence of structure directing agents. We emphasize a balance between sufficient realism in the models and computational tractibility given the complex many-body phenomena. We use both on-lattice and off-lattice models and the primary computational tools are Monte Carlo simulations with sampling techniques and ensembles appropriate to specific situations. Our modeling approach is the first to capture silica polymerization, nanopore crystallization, and mesopore formation through computer-simulated self assembly.

  2. Quantum-beam technology: A versatile tool for developing polymer electrolyte fuel-cell membranes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamaki, Tetsuya [Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)

    2010-09-15

    This paper describes the versatile application of quantum beam-based technology to the development of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for fuel-cell applications. The {gamma}-ray or electron-beam induced radiation grafting offers a way to prepare PEMs; typically, the radical-initiated polymerization of a styrene or styrene-derivative monomer on a base polymer is followed by a sulfonation step. Novel PEMs were previously obtained using radiation-crosslinked fluoropolymers as the base material. Interestingly, combining this radiation-crosslinking process with the well-known chemical crosslinker method enabled one to obtain the ''multiply''-crosslinked PEMs, in which both the main and grafted chains have covalently bridged structures leading to a high durability. The bombardment of heavy ions accelerated to MeV or higher energies produces a continuous trail of excited and ionized molecules in polymers, which is known as a latent track. The approach using this ion-track technology is based on the chemical etching and/or modification of each track with diameters of tens to hundreds of nanometers. The resulting ''nano-structure controlled'' PEM was found to have perfect one-dimensional proton-conductive pathways parallel to its thickness direction, while, in contrast, other existing PEMs mostly exhibited proton transport in the three-dimensional random media. The hierarchical structures of the PEMs, ranging from nanometers to micrometers, were revealed by small-angle neutron scattering experiments using a cold or thermal neutron beam. The information in such a wide length scale led to a deep insight into the dynamic properties inside the PEM from a molecular to macroscopic level, which can provide feedback for the reconsideration and optimization of the preparation procedure. As demonstrated above in the author's studies, it is important to understand that every quantum beam is different, thereby making the right beam choice

  3. Assembly, alignment and test of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) optical assemblies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balonek, Gregory; Brown, Joshua J.; Andre, James E.; Chesbrough, Christian D.; Chrisp, Michael P.; Dalpiaz, Michael; Lennon, Joseph; Richards, B. C.; Clark, Kristin E.

    2017-08-01

    The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will carry four visible waveband, seven-element, refractive F/1.4 lenses, each with a 34 degree diagonal field of view. This paper describes the methods used for the assembly, alignment and test of the four flight optical assemblies. Prior to commencing the build of the four flight optical assemblies, a Risk Reduction Unit (RRU) was successfully assembled and tested [1]. The lessons learned from the RRU were applied to the build of the flight assemblies. The main modifications to the flight assemblies include the inking of the third lens element stray light mitigation, tighter alignment tolerances, and diamond turning for critical mechanical surfaces. Each of the optical assemblies was tested interferometrically and measured with a low coherence distance measuring interferometer (DMI) to predict the optimal shim thickness between the lens assembly and detector before -75°C environmental testing. In addition to individual test data, environmental test results from prior assemblies allow for the exploration of marginal performance differences between each of the optical assemblies.

  4. SWAP-Assembler: scalable and efficient genome assembly towards thousands of cores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Jintao; Wang, Bingqiang; Wei, Yanjie; Feng, Shengzhong; Balaji, Pavan

    2014-01-01

    There is a widening gap between the throughput of massive parallel sequencing machines and the ability to analyze these sequencing data. Traditional assembly methods requiring long execution time and large amount of memory on a single workstation limit their use on these massive data. This paper presents a highly scalable assembler named as SWAP-Assembler for processing massive sequencing data using thousands of cores, where SWAP is an acronym for Small World Asynchronous Parallel model. In the paper, a mathematical description of multi-step bi-directed graph (MSG) is provided to resolve the computational interdependence on merging edges, and a highly scalable computational framework for SWAP is developed to automatically preform the parallel computation of all operations. Graph cleaning and contig extension are also included for generating contigs with high quality. Experimental results show that SWAP-Assembler scales up to 2048 cores on Yanhuang dataset using only 26 minutes, which is better than several other parallel assemblers, such as ABySS, Ray, and PASHA. Results also show that SWAP-Assembler can generate high quality contigs with good N50 size and low error rate, especially it generated the longest N50 contig sizes for Fish and Yanhuang datasets. In this paper, we presented a highly scalable and efficient genome assembly software, SWAP-Assembler. Compared with several other assemblers, it showed very good performance in terms of scalability and contig quality. This software is available at: https://sourceforge.net/projects/swapassembler.

  5. Coding the Assembly of Polyoxotungstates with a Programmable Reaction System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz de la Oliva, Andreu; Sans, Victor; Miras, Haralampos N; Long, De-Liang; Cronin, Leroy

    2017-05-01

    Chemical transformations are normally conducted in batch or flow mode, thereby allowing the chemistry to be temporally or spatially controlled, but these approaches are not normally combined dynamically. However, the investigation of the underlying chemistry masked by the self-assembly processes that often occur in one-pot reactions and exploitation of the potential of complex chemical systems requires control in both time and space. Additionally, maintaining the intermediate constituents of a self-assembled system "off equilibrium" and utilizing them dynamically at specific time intervals provide access to building blocks that cannot coexist under one-pot conditions and ultimately to the formation of new clusters. Herein, we implement the concept of a programmable networked reaction system, allowing us to connect discrete "one-pot" reactions that produce the building block{W 11 O 38 } ≡ {W 11 } under different conditions and control, in real time, the assembly of a series of polyoxometalate clusters {W 12 O 42 } ≡ {W 12 }, {W 22 O 74 } ≡ {W 22 } 1a, {W 34 O 116 } ≡ {W 34 } 2a, and {W 36 O 120 } ≡ {W 36 } 3a, using pH and ultraviolet-visible monitoring. The programmable networked reaction system reveals that is possible to assemble a range of different clusters using {W 11 }-based building blocks, demonstrating the relationship between the clusters within the family of iso-polyoxotungstates, with the final structural motif being entirely dependent on the building block libraries generated in each separate reaction space within the network. In total, this approach led to the isolation of five distinct inorganic clusters using a "fixed" set of reagents and using a fully automated sequence code, rather than five entirely different reaction protocols. As such, this approach allows us to discover, record, and implement complex one-pot reaction syntheses in a more general way, increasing the yield and reproducibility and potentially giving access to

  6. Controlling Schottky energy barriers in organic electronic devices using self-assembled monolayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campbell, I.H.; Rubin, S.; Zawodzinski, T.A.; Kress, J.D.; Martin, R.L.; Smith, D.L. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Barashkov, N.N.; Ferraris, J.P. [The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75083 (United States)

    1996-11-01

    We demonstrate tuning of Schottky energy barriers in organic electronic devices by utilizing chemically tailored electrodes. The Schottky energy barrier of Ag on poly[2-methoxy], 5-(2{prime}-ethyl-hexyloxy)- 1,4-phenylene was tuned over a range of more than 1 eV by using self-assembled monolayers (SAM{close_quote}s) to attach oriented dipole layers to the Ag prior to device fabrication. Kelvin probe measurements were used to determine the effect of the SAM{close_quote}s on the Ag surface potential. {ital Ab} {ital initio} Hartree-Fock calculations of the molecular dipole moments successfully describe the surface potential changes. The chemically tailored electrodes were then incorporated in organic diode structures and changes in the metal/organic Schottky energy barriers were measured using an electroabsorption technique. These results demonstrate the use of self-assembled monolayers to control metal/organic interfacial electronic properties. They establish a physical principle for manipulating the relative energy levels between two materials and demonstrate an approach to improve metal/organic contacts in organic electronic devices. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

  7. Controlling Schottky energy barriers in organic electronic devices using self-assembled monolayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, I.H.; Rubin, S.; Zawodzinski, T.A.; Kress, J.D.; Martin, R.L.; Smith, D.L.; Barashkov, N.N.; Ferraris, J.P.

    1996-01-01

    We demonstrate tuning of Schottky energy barriers in organic electronic devices by utilizing chemically tailored electrodes. The Schottky energy barrier of Ag on poly[2-methoxy], 5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)- 1,4-phenylene was tuned over a range of more than 1 eV by using self-assembled monolayers (SAM close-quote s) to attach oriented dipole layers to the Ag prior to device fabrication. Kelvin probe measurements were used to determine the effect of the SAM close-quote s on the Ag surface potential. Ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations of the molecular dipole moments successfully describe the surface potential changes. The chemically tailored electrodes were then incorporated in organic diode structures and changes in the metal/organic Schottky energy barriers were measured using an electroabsorption technique. These results demonstrate the use of self-assembled monolayers to control metal/organic interfacial electronic properties. They establish a physical principle for manipulating the relative energy levels between two materials and demonstrate an approach to improve metal/organic contacts in organic electronic devices. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  8. Assembly tool design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanamori, Naokazu; Nakahira, Masataka; Ohkawa, Yoshinao; Tada, Eisuke; Seki, Masahiro

    1996-06-01

    The reactor core of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is assembled with a number of large and asymmetric components within a tight tolerance in order to assure the structural integrity for various loads and to provide the tritium confinement. In addition, the assembly procedure should be compatible with remote operation since the core structures will be activated by 14-MeV neutrons once it starts operation and thus personal access will be prohibited. Accordingly, the assembly procedure and tool design are quite essential and should be designed from the beginning to facilitate remote operation. According to the ITER Design Task Agreement, the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has performed design study to develop the assembly procedures and associated tool design for the ITER tokamak assembly. This report describes outlines of the assembly tools and the remaining issues obtained in this design study. (author)

  9. Selective Surface Acoustic Wave-Based Organophosphorus Sensor Employing a Host-Guest Self-Assembly Monolayer of β-Cyclodextrin Derivative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Pan

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Self-assembly and molecular imprinting technologies are very attractive technologies for the development of artificial recognition systems and provide chemical recognition based on need and not happenstance. In this paper, we employed a b-cyclodextrin derivative surface acoustic wave (SAW chemical sensor for detecting the chemical warfare agents (CWAs sarin (O-Isoprophyl methylphosphonofluoridate, GB. Using sarin acid (isoprophyl hydrogen methylphosphonate as an imprinting template, mono[6-deoxy-6-[(mercaptodecamethylenethio

  10. Drive piston assembly for a valve actuator assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Zongxuan

    2010-02-23

    A drive piston assembly is provided that is operable to selectively open a poppet valve. The drive piston assembly includes a cartridge defining a generally stepped bore. A drive piston is movable within the generally stepped bore and a boost sleeve is coaxially disposed with respect to the drive piston. A main fluid chamber is at least partially defined by the generally stepped bore, drive piston, and boost sleeve. First and second feedback chambers are at least partially defined by the drive piston and each are disposed at opposite ends of the drive piston. At least one of the drive piston and the boost sleeve is sufficiently configured to move within the generally stepped bore in response to fluid pressure within the main fluid chamber to selectively open the poppet valve. A valve actuator assembly and engine are also provided incorporating the disclosed drive piston assembly.

  11. Amphiphilic building blocks for self-assembly: from amphiphiles to supra-amphiphiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chao; Wang, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Xi

    2012-04-17

    The process of self-assembly spontaneously creates well-defined structures from various chemical building blocks. Self-assembly can include different levels of complexity: it can be as simple as the dimerization of two small building blocks driven by hydrogen bonding or as complicated as a cell membrane, a remarkable supramolecular architecture created by a bilayer of phospholipids embedded with functional proteins. The study of self-assembly in simple systems provides a fundamental understanding of the driving forces and cooperativity behind these processes. Once the rules are understood, these guidelines can facilitate the research of highly complex self-assembly processes. Among the various components for self-assembly, an amphiphilic molecule, which contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts, forms one of the most powerful building blocks. When amphiphiles are dispersed in water, the hydrophilic component of the amphiphile preferentially interacts with the aqueous phase while the hydrophobic portion tends to reside in the air or in the nonpolar solvent. Therefore, the amphiphiles aggregate to form different molecular assemblies based on the repelling and coordinating forces between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts of the component molecules and the surrounding medium. In contrast to conventional amphiphiles, supra-amphiphiles are constructed on the basis of noncovalent interactions or dynamic covalent bonds. In supra-amphiphiles, the functional groups can be attached to the amphiphiles by noncovalent synthesis, greatly speeding their construction. The building blocks for supra-amphiphiles can be either small organic molecules or polymers. Advances in the development of supra-amphiphiles will not only enrich the family of conventional amphiphiles that are based on covalent bonds but will also provide a new kind of building block for the preparation of complex self-assemblies. When polymers are used to construct supra-amphiphiles, the resulting

  12. Microbiology and atmospheric processes: biological, physical and chemical characterization of aerosol particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. G. Georgakopoulos

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available The interest in bioaerosols has traditionally been linked to health hazards for humans, animals and plants. However, several components of bioaerosols exhibit physical properties of great significance for cloud processes, such as ice nucleation and cloud condensation. To gain a better understanding of their influence on climate, it is therefore important to determine the composition, concentration, seasonal fluctuation, regional diversity and evolution of bioaerosols. In this paper, we will review briefly the existing techniques for detection, quantification, physical and chemical analysis of biological particles, attempting to bridge physical, chemical and biological methods for analysis of biological particles and integrate them with aerosol sampling techniques. We will also explore some emerging spectroscopy techniques for bulk and single-particle analysis that have potential for in-situ physical and chemical analysis. Lastly, we will outline open questions and further desired capabilities (e.g., in-situ, sensitive, both broad and selective, on-line, time-resolved, rapid, versatile, cost-effective techniques required prior to comprehensive understanding of chemical and physical characterization of bioaerosols.

  13. Polyhedral Boranes: A Versatile Building Block for Nanoporous Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clingerman, Daniel Jon

    The studies described in this dissertation examine several new concepts related to polyhedral boranes and their applications towards the synthesis of novel nanoporous materials. The unique thermal and chemical robustness, rigidity, quasi-spherical geometry, and high boron content of polyhedral boranes are explored to generate materials not possible with typical organic synthons. Aside from the fundamental synthetic work, this work was also aimed at solving larger global issues such as energy storage and new routes to therapeutics. Chapter 2 highlights the discovery of the first highly porous carborane-based metal-organic framework, where the spherical nature of the carborane increases volumetric surface area without reducing pore volume. Chapter 3 examines the first tritopic carborane-based ligand and the stabilizing effect the rigid, sterically bulky carboranyl groups have on highly porous topologies not stable with typical organic ligands. Chapters 4 and 5 describe the use of polyhedral borane-based ligands as a means to influence and generate unexpected topologies. Lastly, chapter 6 explores using a simple carborane-based ligand that harnesses the power of coordination-driven assembly to rapidly generate a high boron-containing supramolecular cuboctahedron.

  14. Layer-by-Layer Enabled Nanomaterials for Chemical Sensing and Energy Conversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paterno, Leonardo G.; Soler, Maria A. G.

    2013-06-01

    The layer-by-layer (LbL) technique is a wet chemical method for the assembly of ultrathin films, with thicknesses up to 100 nm. This method is based on the successive transfer of molecular layers to a solid substrate that is dipped into cationic and anionic solutions in an alternating fashion. The adsorption is mainly driven by electrostatic interactions so that many molecular and nanomaterial systems can be engineered under this method. Moreover, it is inexpensive, can be easily performed, and does not demand sophisticated equipment or clean rooms. The most explored use of the LbL technique is to build up molecular devices for chemical sensing and energy conversion. Both applications require ultrathin films where specific elements must be organized with high control of thickness and spatial distribution, preferably in the nanolength and mesolength scales. In chemical sensors, the LbL technique is employed to assemble specific sensoactive materials such as conjugated polymers, enzymes, and immunological elements onto appropriated electrodes. Molecular recognition events are thus transduced by the assembled sensoactive layer. In energy-conversion devices, the LbL technique can be employed to fabricate different device's parts including electrodes, active layers, and auxiliary layers. In both applications, the devices' performance can be fully modulated and improved by simply varying film thickness and molecular architecture. The present review article highlights the main features of the LbL technique and provides a brief description of different (bio)chemical sensors, solar cells, and organic light-emitting diodes enabled by the LbL approach.

  15. Disposable attenuated total reflection-infrared crystals from silicon wafer: a versatile approach to surface infrared spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karabudak, Engin; Kas, Recep; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Rafieian, Damon; Schlautmann, Stefan; Lammertink, R G H; Gardeniers, Han J G E; Mul, Guido

    2013-01-02

    Attenuated total reflection-infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy is increasingly used to characterize solids and liquids as well as (catalytic) chemical conversion. Here we demonstrate that a piece of silicon wafer cut by a dicing machine or cleaved manually can be used as disposable internal reflection element (IRE) without the need for polishing and laborious edge preparation. Technical aspects, fundamental differences, and pros and cons of these novel disposable IREs and commercial IREs are discussed. The use of a crystal (the Si wafer) in a disposable manner enables simultaneous preparation and analysis of substrates and application of ATR spectroscopy in high temperature processes that may lead to irreversible interaction between the crystal and the substrate. As representative application examples, the disposable IREs were used to study high temperature thermal decomposition and chemical changes of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in a titania (TiO(2)) matrix and assemblies of 65-450 nm thick polystyrene (PS) films.

  16. High-Efficiency Colloidal Quantum Dot Photovoltaics via Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Gi-Hwan

    2015-11-11

    © 2015 American Chemical Society. The optoelectronic tunability offered by colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) is attractive for photovoltaic applications but demands proper band alignment at electrodes for efficient charge extraction at minimal cost to voltage. With this goal in mind, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be used to modify interface energy levels locally. However, to be effective SAMs must be made robust to treatment using the various solvents and ligands required for to fabricate high quality CQD solids. We report robust self-assembled monolayers (R-SAMs) that enable us to increase the efficiency of CQD photovoltaics. Only by developing a process for secure anchoring of aromatic SAMs, aided by deposition of the SAMs in a water-free deposition environment, were we able to provide an interface modification that was robust against the ensuing chemical treatments needed in the fabrication of CQD solids. The energy alignment at the rectifying interface was tailored by tuning the R-SAM for optimal alignment relative to the CQD quantum-confined electron energy levels. This resulted in a CQD PV record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.7% with enhanced reproducibility relative to controls.

  17. A Theoretical and Experimental Study of DNA Self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandran, Harish

    providing detailed designs for local molecular computations that involve spatially contiguous molecules arranged on addressable substrates via enzyme-free DNA hybridization reaction cascades. We use the Visual DSD simulation software in conjunction with localized reaction rates obtained from biophysical modeling to create chemical reaction networks of localized hybridization circuits that are then model checked using the PRISM model checking software. We develop a DNA detection system employing the triggered self-assembly of a novel DNA dendritic nanostructure. Detection begins when a specific, single-stranded target DNA strand triggers a hybridization chain reaction between two distinct DNA hairpins. Each hairpin opens and hybridizes up to two copies of the other, and hence each layer of the growing dendritic nanostructure can in principle accommodate an exponentially increasing number of cognate molecules, generating a nanostructure with high molecular weight. We build linear activatable assemblies employing a novel protection/deprotection strategy to strictly enforce the direction of tiling assembly growth to ensure the robustness of the assembly process. Our system consists of two tiles that can form a linear co-polymer. These tiles, which are initially protected such that they do not react with each other, can be activated to form linear co-polymers via the use of a strand displacing enzyme.

  18. Understanding Molecular Interactions within Chemically Selective Layered Polymer Assemblies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gary J. Blanchard

    2009-06-30

    This work focuses on two broad issues. These are (1) the molecular origin of the chemical selectivity achieved with ultrathin polymer multilayers, and (2) how the viscoelastic properties of the polymer layers are affected by exposure to solvent and analytes. These issues are inter-related, and to understand them we need to design experiments that probe both the energetic and kinetic aspects of interfacial adsorption processes. This project focuses on controling the chemical structure, thickness, morphology and sequential ordering of polymer layers bound to interfaces using maleimide-vinyl ether and closely related alternating copolymerization chemistry and efficient covalent cross-linking reactions that allow for layer-by-layer polymer deposition. This chemistry has been developed during the funding cycle of this Grant. We have measure the equilibrium constants for interactions between specific layers within the polymer interfaces and size-controlled, surface-functionalized gold nanoparticles. The ability to control both size and functionality of gold nanoparticle model analytes allows us to evaluate the average “pore size” that characterizes our polymer films. We have measured the “bulk” viscosity and shear modulus of the ultrathin polymer films as a function of solvent overlayer identity using quartz crystal microbalance complex impedance measurements. We have measured microscopic viscosity at specific locations within the layered polymer interfaces with time-resolved fluorescence lifetime and depolarization techniques. We combine polymer, cross-linking and nanoparticle synthetic expertise with a host of characterization techniques, including QCM gravimetry and complex impedance analysis, steady state and time-resolved spectroscopies.

  19. Enhanced chemical sensing organic thin-film transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanese, M. C.; Torsi, L.; Farinola, G. M.; Valli, L.; Hassan Omar, O.; Giancane, G.; Ieva, E.; Babudri, F.; Palmisano, F.; Naso, F.; Zambonin, P. G.

    2007-09-01

    Organic thin film transistor (OTFT) sensors are capable of fast, sensitive and reliable detection of a variety of analytes. They have been successfully tested towards many chemical and biological "odor" molecules showing high selectivity, and displaying the additional advantage of being compatible with plastic technologies. Their versatility is based on the possibility to control the device properties, from molecular design up to device architecture. Here phenylene-thiophene based organic semiconductors functionalized with ad hoc chosen side groups are used as active layers in sensing OTFTs. These materials, indeed, combine the detection capability of organic molecules (particularly in the case of bio-substituted systems) with the electronic properties of the conjugated backbone. A new OTFT structure including Langmuir-Schäfer layer by layer organic thin films is here proposed to perform chemical detection of organic vapors, including vapor phase chiral molecules such as citronellol vapors, with a detection limit in the ppm range. Thermally evaporated α6T based OTFT sensors are used as well to be employed as standard system in order to compare sensors performances.

  20. A Compact, Versatile Six-Port Radar Module for Industrial and Medical Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Linz

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The Six-port receiver has been intensively investigated in the last decade to be implemented as an alternative radar architecture. Plenty of current scientific publications demonstrate the effectiveness and versatility of the Six-port radar for special industrial, automotive, and medical applications, ranging from accurate contactless vibration analysis, through automotive radar calibration, to remote breath and heartbeat monitoring. Its highlights, such as excellent phase discrimination, trivial signal processing, low circuit complexity, and cost, have lately drawn the attention of companies working with radar technology. A joint project involving the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and InnoSenT GmbH (Innovative Sensor Technology led to the development of a highly accurate, compact, and versatile Six-port radar module aiming at a reliable high-integration of all subcomponents such as antenna, Six-port front-end, baseband circuitry, and digital signal processing in one single package. Innovative aspects in the RF front-end design as well as in the integration strategy are hereby presented, together with a system overview and measurement results.