Fabrication and characterization of DNA/QPVP-Os redox-active multilayer film

Calf thymus DNA was immobilized on functionalized glassy carbon, gold and quartz substrates, respectively, by the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly method with a polycation QPVP-Os, a quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) partially complexed with osmium bis(2,2'-bipyridine) as counterions. UV-visible absorption and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR) showed that the resulting film was uniform with the average thickness 3.4 nm for one bilayer. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the total surface coverage of the polycations increases as each QPVP-Os/DNA bilayer added to the electrode surface, but the surface formal potential of Os-centered redox reaction shifts negatively, which is mainly attributed to the intercalation of redox-active complex to DNA chain. The electron transfer kinetics of electroactive QPVP-Os in the multilayer film was investigated by electrochemical impedance experiment for the first time. The permeability of Fe(CN)(6)(3-) in the solution into the multilayer film depends on the number of bilayers in the film. It is worth noting that when the multilayer film is up to 4 bilayers, the CV curves of the multilayer films display the typical characteristic of a microelectrode array.

Synthesis and chirooptical properties of optically active poly(ester imide)s based on axially asymmetric 1,1 '-binaphthyls

A series of optically active poly(ester imide)s (PEsI's) has been synthesized by the polycondensation reactions of new axially asymmetric dianhydrides, that is, (R)-2,2'-bis(3,4-dicarboxybenzoyloxy)-1,1'-binaphthyl dianhydride and (S)-2,2'-bis(3,4-dicarboxybenzoyloxy)-1,1'-binaphthyl dianhydride, and various diamines with aromatic, semiaromatic, and aliphatic structures. The polymers have inherent viscosities of 0.45-0.70 dL/g, very good solubility in common organic solvents, glass-transition temperatures of 124-290 degreesC, and good thermal stability. Wide-angle X-ray crystallography of these polymers shows no crystal diffraction. In comparison with model compounds, an enhanced optical rotatory power has been observed for the repeat unit of optically active PEsI's based on aromatic diamines, and it has been attributed to a collaborative asymmetric perturbation of chiral 1,1'-binaphthyls along the rigid backbones.

Copolymers derived from bismaleimide oligomer with active solvent

An oligomer from 4, 4'-bis(maleimido)diphenyl methane and methylenedianiline were dissolved in active solvent N,N-dimethyl acrylamide in a solid content up to 50-70%; the solution was poured in a sheet-shaped module and irradiated b y Co-60 with the dose from 20 to 350 kGy at room temperature. The polymerized sheet was postcured at 180degreesC to obtain a transparent red-orange sheet with tensile strength above 100 MPa. The glass transition temperature before and after postcuring was around 100degreesC and 150-180degreesC, respectively. Styrene was used along with DMAA to decrease the water absorption for the copolymers.

Direct electrochemistry and bioelectrocatalysis of horseradish peroxidase immobilized on active carbon

For the first time horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilized on the surface of active carbon powder modified at the surface of a glassy carbon electrode has been shown to undergo a direct quasi-reversible electrochemical reaction. Its formal potential, E-o/, is -0.363 V in phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8) at a scan rate of 100 mV/s and is almost independent of the scan rate in the range of 50-700 mV/s. The dependence of E-o/ on the pH of the buffer solution indicated that the conversion of HRP-Fe(III)/HRP-Fe(II) is a one-electron-transfer reaction process coupled with one-proton-transfer. The experimental results also demonstrated that the immobilized HRP retained its bioelectrocatalytic activity to the reduction of H2O2. Furthermore, the HRP adsorbed oil the surface of the active carbon powder can be stored at 4 degreesC for several months without any loss of the enzyme activity. The method presented for immobilizing HRP can be easily extended to immobilize and obtain the direct electrochemistry of other enzymes.

Direct electrochemical reaction of horseradish peroxidase immobilized on the surface of active carbon powders

It is reported for the first time that horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilized on the active carbon can undergo a direct quasi-reversible electrochemical reaction. In addition, the immobilized HRP showed the stable bioelectrocatalytic activity for the reduction of H2O2.

Immobilization and direct electrochemistry of copper-containing enzymes on active carbon

Two typical and important copper-containing enzymes, laccase (Lac) and tyrosinase (Tyr), have been immobilized on the surface of active carbon with simple adsorption method. The cyclic voltammetric results indicated that the active carbon could promote the direct electron transfer of both Lac and Tyr and a pair of well-defined and nearly symmetric redox peaks appeared on the cyclic voltammograms of Lac or Tyr with the formal potential, E-0', independent on the scan rate. The further experimental results showed that the immobilized copper-containing oxidase displayed an excellent electrocatalytic activity to the electrochemical reduction of O-2. The immobilization method presented here has several advantages, such as simplicity, easy to operation and keeping good activity of enzyme etc., and could be further used to study the direct electrochemistry of other redox proteins and enzymes and fabricate the catalysts for biofuel cell.

Novel highly active binuclear neutral nickel and palladium complexes as precatalysts for norbornene polymerization

A series of binuclear neutral nickel and palladium complexes [(XC6H2CH=NC6H3-iPr(2))MRL](2) 4b-f (X=NO2, M=Ni, R=Ph, L=PPh3, 4b; X=H, M=Pd, R=Me, L=PPh3,4c; X=H,M=Pd, R=Me, L=Py, 4d; X=NO2,M=Pd, R=Me, L=PPh3, 4e; X=NO2, M=Pd, R=Me, L=Py, 4f) and [(C10H7CH=NC6H3-iPr(2))MRL](2) 8a-c (M=Ni, R=Ph, L=PPh3, 8a; M=Pd, R=Me, L=PPh3, 8b; M=Pd, R=Me, L=Py, 8c) have been synthesized and characterized. The structures of complexes 4e and 8b have also been confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. With modified methylalummoxane (MMAO) as cocatalysts, these complexes and complex [(C6H3CH=NC6H3-iPr(2))NiPh(PPh3)](2) 4a are capable of catalyzing the addition polymerization of norbomene (NBE) with the high activity up to 2.3 x 10(8) g PNBE/(mol(M) h). The structure of complexes affects considerably catalytic activity towards norbomene polymerization. The polymers obtained with nickel complexes are soluble, while those obtained with palladium complexes are insoluble. Palladium complexes 4c, 4e and 8b bearing PPh3 ligands exhibit much higher activities than the corresponding complexes 4d, M and 8c bearing pyridine ligands under the same conditions.

Highly active, hexabutylguanidinium salt/zinc bromide binary catalyst for the coupling reaction of carbon dioxide and epoxides

An experimentally simple and inexpensive catalyst system based on hexabutylguanidinium/ZnBr, has been developed for the coupling of carbon dioxide and epoxides to form cyclic carbonates with significant catalytic activity under mild reaction conditions without using additional organic solvents (e.g. the turnover frequencies (TOF, h(-1)) values as high as 6.6 x 10(3) h(-1) for styrene oxide and 1.01 x 10(4) h(-1) for epichlorohydrin). This catalyst system also offers the advantages of recyclability and reusability. Therefore, it is a very effective, environmentally benign, and simple catalytic process. The special steric and electrophilic characteristics of hexabutylguanidinium bromide ionic liquid result in the prominent performance of this novel catalyst system.

An approach for fabricating self-assembled monolayer of Ag nanoparticles on gold as the SERS-active substrate

In this paper, an approach for fabricating an active surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is adopted. This approach is based on the assembling of silver nanoparticles film on gold substrate. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and p-aminothiophenol (P-ATP) were used as probe molecules for SERS experiments, showing that this new active substrate has sensitivity to SERS response. Tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) was also used to investigate the surface morphology following the fabricating process of the active SERS substrate, which showed that large quantities of silver nanoparticles were uniformly coated on the substrate.

Novel, highly active binuclear 2,5-disubstituted Amino-p-benzoquinone-nickel(II) ethylene polymerization catalysts

Reaction of salts of the 2,5-disubstituted amino-p-benzoquinone bridging ligand (la-e) with trans-bis(triphenylphosphane)phenylnickel(II) chloride results in the binuclear complexes 2a-e, which show high activities for ethylene polymerization without any cocatalysts. High-molecular-weight, moderately branched polyethylene of broad molecular-weight distribution was obtained.

First synthesis of single and mixed alpha-oxo ketene dithioacetals from active methenyl precursors

beta-Dioxodithioate were produced easily from active methenyl precursors, carbondisulfide and RX with potassium carbonate as base. By a selective basic assistant cleavage of a carbon-carbon bond at the beta-dicarbonyl unit of beta-dioxodithioate and the subsequent alkylation with RX/R'X in situ, single or mixed alpha-oxo ketene dithioacetals were, obtained in good yields.

Effect of properties of active carbon supports on performance of Pt/C catalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

The Pt/C catalysts were prepared with pine active carbon and Vulcan XC-72 active carbon as the supports. The performances of the Pt/C catalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell were compared. The result indicates that the performance of Pt/Vulcan XC-72 is better than that of Pt/pine. The physical and chemical properties of the two active carbons were measured using several analysis techniques. It was found that the pore size, specific conductivity and the surface function group significantly influence the performance of the electrocatalyst.

Colloid chemical approach to nanoelectrode ensembles with highly controllable active area fraction

A novel "bottom-up" approach to highly controllable nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) has been developed using colloidal nanoparticle self-assembly techniques. Ibis solution-based strategy allows flexible control over nanoelectrode size, shape, and interspacing of the as-prepared NEEs. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was proved to be a powerful tool to monitor the NEE topography, which yields parameters that can be used to calculate the fractional nanoelectrode area of the NEEs. AFM, ac impedance, and cyclic voltammetry studies demonstrate that most of nanoelectrodes on the NEEs (at least by 9-min self-assembly) are not diffusionally isolated under conventional ac frequency range and scan rates. As a result, the NEEs behave as "nanoelectrode-patch" assemblies. Besides, the as-prepared NEEs by different self-assembling times show an adjustable sensitivity to heterogeneous electron-transfer kinetics, which may be helpful to sensor applications. Like these NEEs constructed by other techniques, the present NEEs prepared by chemical self-assembly also exhibit the enhancement of electroanalytical detection limit consistent with NEE theory prediction.