Concentration‐mediated multicolor fluorescence polymer carbon dots

Polymer dots (PDs) showing concentration‐mediated multicolor fluorescence were first prepared from sulfuric acid‐treated dehydration of Pluronic® F‐127 in a single step. Pluronic‐based PDs (P‐PDs) showed high dispersion stability in solvent media and exhibited a fluorescence emission that was widely tunable from red to blue by adjusting both the excitation wavelengths and the P‐PD concentration in an aqueous solution. This unique fluorescence behavior of P‐PDs might be a result of cross‐talk in the fluorophores of the poly(propylene glycol)‐rich core inside the P‐PD through either energy transfer or charge transfer. Reconstruction of the surface energy traps of the P‐PDs mediated through aggregation may lead to a new generation of carbon‐based nanomaterials possessing a fluorescence emission and tunable by adjusting the concentration. These structures may be useful in the design of multifunctional carbon nanomaterials with tunable emission properties according to a variety of internal or external stimuli. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polymer‐Supported Optically Active fac(S)‐Tris(thiotato)rhodium(III) Complex for Sulfur‐Bridging Reaction With Precious Metal Ions

The optically active mixed‐ligand fac(S)‐tris(thiolato)rhodium(III) complexes, Δ_L‐fac(S)‐[Rh(aet)₂(L‐cys‐N,S)]^? (aet = 2‐aminoethanethiolate, L‐cys = L‐cysteinate) ( 1 ) and Δ_LL‐fac(S)‐[Rh(aet)(L‐cys‐N,S)₂]^2? were newly prepared by the equatorial preference of the carboxyl group in the coordinated L‐cys ligand. The amide formation reaction of 1 with 1,10‐diaminodecane and polyallylamine gave the diamine‐bridged dinuclear Rh(III) complex and the single‐chain polymer‐supported Rh(III) complex with retention of the Δ_L configuration of 1 , respectively. These Rh(III) complexes reacted with Co(III) or Co(II) to give the linear‐type trinuclear structure with the S‐bridged Co(III) center and the two Δ‐Rh(III) terminal moieties. The polymer‐supported Rh(III) complex was applied not only to the CD spectropolarimetric detection and determination of a trace of precious metal ions such as Au(III), Pt(II), and Pd(II) but also to concentration and extraction of these metal ions into the solid polymer phase. Chirality 28:85–91, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An epitope‐imprinted piezoelectric diagnostic tool for Neisseria meningitidis detection

Neisseria meningitidis, a human‐specific bacterial pathogen causes bacterial meningitis by invading the meninges (outer lining) of central nervous system. It is the polysaccharide present on the bacterial capsid that distinguishes various serogroups of N. meningitidis and can be utilized as antigens to elicit immune response. A computational approach identified candidate T‐cell epitopes from outer membrane proteins Por B of N. meningitidis (MC58): (²⁷³KGLVDDADI²⁸² in loop VII and ¹⁷⁰GRHNSESYH¹⁷⁹ in loop IV) present on the exposed surface of immunogenic loops of class 3 outer membrane proteins allele of N. meningitidis. One of them, KGLVDDADI is used here for designing a diagnostic tool via molecularly imprinted piezoelectric sensor (molecularly imprinted polymer‐quartz crystal microbalance) for N. meningitidis strain MC58. Methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and azoisobutyronitrile were used as functional monomer, cross‐linker and initiator, respectively. The epitope can be simultaneously bound to methacrylic acid and fitted into the shape‐selective cavities. On extraction of epitope sequence from thus grafted polymeric film, shape‐selective and sensitive sites were generated on electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance crystal, ie, known as epitope imprinted polymers. Imprinting was characterized by atomic force microscopy images. The epitope‐imprinted sensor was able to selectively bind N. meningitidis proteins present in blood serum of patients suffering from brain fever. Thus, fabricated sensor can be used as a diagnostic tool for meningitis disease.     

Genome‐wide screen of genes imprinted in sorghum endosperm,and the roles of allelic differential cytosine methylation

Imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon referring to allele‐biased expression of certain genes depending on their parent of origin. Accumulated evidence suggests that, while imprinting is a conserved mechanism across kingdoms, the identities of the imprinted genes are largely species‐specific. Using deep RNA sequencing of endosperm 14 days after pollination in sorghum, 5683 genes (29.27% of the total 19 418 expressed genes) were found to harbor diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms between two parental lines. The analysis of parent‐of‐origin expression patterns in the endosperm of a pair of reciprocal F₁ hybrids between the two sorghum lines led to identification of 101 genes with ≥ fivefold allelic expression difference in both hybrids, including 85 maternal expressed genes (MEGs) and 16 paternal expressed genes (PEGs). Thirty of these genes were previously identified as imprinted in endosperm of maize (Zea mays), rice (Oryza sativa) or Arabidopsis, while the remaining 71 genes are sorghum‐specific imprinted genes relative to these three plant species. Allele‐biased expression of virtually all of the 14 tested imprinted genes (nine MEGs and five PEGs) was validated by pyrosequencing using independent sources of RNA from various developmental stages and dissected parts of endosperm. Forty‐six imprinted genes (30 MEGs and 16 PEGs) were assayed by quantitative RT–PCR, and the majority of them showed endosperm‐specific or preferential expression relative to embryo and other tissues. DNA methylation analysis of the 5’ upstream region and gene body for seven imprinted genes indicated that, while three of the four PEGs were associated with hypomethylation of maternal alleles, no MEG was associated with allele‐differential methylation.     

Synthesis,characterization and biocompatibility of PEGA resins

Three types of beaded polyethylene glycol polyacrylamide copolymers (PEGA) with a high content of polyethylene glycol (PEG) were synthesized by inverse suspension polymerization and characterized for peptide synthesis and with respect to their physical properties. Several peptides of high purity have been synthesized on the resin. The properties which were determined were loading of amino group, swelling, bead size distribution, porosity, flexibility and compatibility with active biomolecules. A loading of 0.35 mmol/g has been obtained and the swelling was excellent in solvents of various polarities ranging from water to dichloromethane. The ¹³C-NMR T₁-relaxation times of a resin containing a peptide were determined in DMSO-d₆ and the resin was found to exhibit a behaviour similar to the components in free solution.     

A new class of network-polymeric chiral stationary phases

A strategy based on the use of homo bi- and multifunctional building blocks for the synthesis of a new class of network-polymeric chiral stationary phases has been evaluated. The key steps comprise acylation of N,N′-diallyl-L-tartardiamide (DATD) and reaction with a multifunctional hydrosilane, yielding a network polymer incorporating the bifunctional C₂-symmetric chiral selector. Covalent bonding to a functionalized silica takes place during the latter process. Many of these chiral sorbents show interesting enantioselective properties toward a wide variety of racemic solutes under normal-phase (hexane-based) conditions. The retention is mainly caused by the hydrogen-bonding ability of the analyte, which is regulated by mobile phase additives like alcohol or ether cosolvents. The most interesting chiral stationary phases, in terms of broad enantioselectivity, were obtained from O,O′-diaryol-DATD-derivatives, particularly those containing the 3,5-dimethylbenzoyl and the 4-(tert-butyl)benzoyl moieties. Since high column efficiencies can be obtained with these chiral sorbents, an α-value of ca. 1.2 is usually sufficient to produce baseline separation. A large number of neutral as well as acidic or basic drug racemates are resolved without derivatization. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Molecularly imprinted polymer-based optical immunosensors

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are artificial antibodies for a target molecule. The review focuses mainly on mechanistic steps involved in forming MIPs and the role of co-monomers and porogen. In addition, the electronic transition between different energy levels is explained with the help of the Jablonski diagram. Diverse receptor and target molecules for anchoring artificial MIPs are discussed, accentuating the synergetic effects obtained. The binding efficiency, selectivity, and sensitivity of various optical sensors are discussed intensively. In addition to this, we focused on synthesis, physical forms, characterization techniques, and microorganism detection of imprinted polymers. A brief investigation on the use of MIPs in cancer diagnosis is also included, and attention is extended to the important challenges faced in using imprinted polymers.     

Luminescence nanomaterials for biosensing applications

Due to their capacity to immobilize more bioreceptor parts at reduced volumes, nanomaterials have emerged as potential tools for increasing the sensitivity to specific molecules. Furthermore, carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles, polymer nanoparticles, semiconductor quantum dots, nanodiamonds, and graphene are among the nanomaterials that are under investigation. Due to the fast development of this field of research, this review summarizes the classification of biosensors using the main receptors and design of biosensors. Numerous studies have concentrated on the manipulation of persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) in biosensing, cell tracking, bioimaging, and cancer therapy due to the effective removal of autofluorescence interference from tissues and the ultra-long near-infrared afterglow emission. As luminescence has a unique optical property, it can be detected without constant external illumination, preventing autofluorescence and light dispersion through tissues. These successes have sparked an increasing interest in creating novel PLNP types with the desired superior properties and multiple applications. In this review, we emphasize the most recent developments in biosensing, imaging, and image-guided therapy whilst summarizing the research on synthesis methods, bioapplications, biomembrane modification, and the biosafety of PLNPs. Finally, the remaining issues and difficulties are examined together with prospective future developments in the biomedical application field.     

Lipase immobilized on hydrophobic porous polymer supports prepared by concentrated emulsion polymerization and their activity in the hydrolysis of triacylglycerides

Microporous polymer supports for the immobilization of lipase have been prepared by the polymerization of a concentrated emulsion precursor. The concentrated emulsion consists of a mixture of styrene and divinyl-benzene containing a suitable surfactant and an initiator as the continuous phase and water as the dispersed phase. The volume fraction of the latter phase was greater than 0.74, which is the volume fraction of the dispersed phase for the most compact arrangement of spheres of equal radius. The lipase from Candida rugosa has been immobilized on the internal surface of the hydrophobic microporous poly(styrene-divinyl benzene) supports and used as biocatalysts for the hydrolysis of triacylglycerides. The effects of the amount of surfactant, of the molar ratio of divinylbenzene/styrene in the continuous phase, and of the aquaphilicity of the supports on the adsorption, activity, and stability of the immobilized lipase have been investigated. The microporous poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) adsorbents constitute excellent supports for lipase because both the amount adsorbed is large and the rate of enzymatic reaction per molecule of lipase is higher for the immobilized enzyme than for the free one. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Rapid metal speciation of cell culture media using reversed-phase separations and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

Cell culture media metal content is critical in mammalian cell growth and monoclonal antibody productivity. The variability in metal concentrations has multiple sources of origin. As such, there is a need to analyze media before, during, and after production. Furthermore, it is not the simple presence of a given metal that can impact processes, but also their chemical form that is, speciation. To a first approximation, it is instructive to simply and quickly ascertain if the metals exist as inorganic (free metal) ions or are part of an organometallic complex (ligated). Here we present a simple workflow involving the capture of ligated metals on a fiber stationary phase with passage of the free ions to an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for quantification; the captured species are subsequently eluted for quantification. This first level of speciation (free vs. ligated) can be informative towards sources of contaminant metal species and means to assess bioreactor processes.