Ion-channel sensing of ferricyanide anion based on a supported bilayer lipid membrane

Ferricyanide anion has usually been used as a marker of ion-channel sensors. In this work we first found that ferricyanide, itself, can act as a stimulus to regulate the permeability of sBLM prepared from didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (a kind of synthetic lipid) on a GC electrode. We used cyclic voltammetry and a.c. impedance to investigate this phenomenon. The interaction between sBLM and ferricyanide concerns time. Furthermore, we developed a sensor for ferricyanide anion. The ion-channel sensor is highly sensitive. It can detect ferricyanide concentration as low as 5 muM.

A new kind of potassium sensor based on capacitance measurement of mimic membrane

A novel type of potassium sensor based on the capacitance change of valinomycin-incorporated bilayer supported on a gold electrode has been developed and characterized. The lipid membrane was Formed by painted method and monitored simultaneously by capacitance variation. The capacitance of the electrode-supported membrane was found to be modulated by different concentrations of K+. Investigating the capacitance change allows a simple and specific technique for the measurement of potassium ion in solution. Especially, the homemade capacitance meter is, to our knowledge, used to monitor the bilayer membrane formation and detect K+ for the first time. It has been proved that this capacitance measurement is a very useful technique because it is simple and sensitive compared to the other methods.

EQCM characterization of self-assembled kinetics of 4-pyridyl hydroquinone at Pt surface and its ion transfer in electrochemical redox

The adsorbed kinetics, proton transportation in electrochemical redox process of 4-pyridyl hydroquinone (4PHQ) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified Pt electrode were studied by electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) in situ. It proved that the electrode was modified by a monolayer and underwent a rapid electron transfer. It was a slow adsorbed kinetic process. The ion transfer in the electrochemical redox at the SAM-modified electrode surface mainly involved into the hydrate hydrogen ion.

Gas phase derivations of endohedral metallofullerenes by ion-molecular reactions

Gas phase ion-molecular reactions of endohedral metallofullerenes with the self-chemical ionization ion system of vinyl acetate, benzene and acetone in the ion source of the mass spectrometer have been studied. Several derivatized endohedral metallofullerene cations [M@C-82-C2H3O](+), [M-2@C-80-C2H3O](+), [M@C-82-C6H6](+) and [M@C-82-CO-CH3](+) are observed as the major products. The experimental results indicate that endohedral metallofullerenes have active gas phase reactivities and can be efficiently derivatized by some small organic cations.

Catalysis of copper-containing transition metal hydrotalcite-like compounds in the phenol hydroxylation with hydrogen peroxide

Hydrotalcite-like compounds containing carbonate ion as the interlayer anion were prepared by coprecipitation under low supersaturation condition by mixing an aqueous solution of metal nitrates with an aqueous solutions of NaOH and Na2CO3, at room temperature, maintaining pH = 8-10 with vigorous stirring, Following the mixing, the resulting heavy slurry was aged at 353 K for 18 h with vigorous stirring, The precipitate was then filtered, washed several times with hot distilled water and dried in air at 353 K overnight, In this way, CuMI AlCO3-HTLcs and M-I AlCO3-HTLcs were synthesized and characterized by means of XRD and IR, The catalysis of the above mentioned HTLcs were investigated in the phenol hydroxylation with H2O2. The results indicated that all of the copper-containing HTLcs had a higher catalytic activity in the reaction, However, those catalysts that did not contain copper had no catalytic activity in this reaction, This means that copper was the active center in the phenol hydroxylation. Meanwhile, the mechanism was also proposed, which could be used to explain the main reason for higher activity for CuCuAlCO3-HTLcs in the phenol hydroxylation and the effect of Mg2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+ on activity of CuMI AlCO3-HTLcs.

Lanthanide metal complexes for the hydrolysis of ribonucleoside 3',5'-cyclic phosphate and deoxyribonucleoside 3',5'-cyclic phosphate

Ytterbium(III) and praseodymium(III) complexes of 2-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) can hydrolyze the phosphodiester linkage of 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and 3',5'-cyclic deoxyadenosine monophosphate (dcAMP). Both cAMP and dcAMP are hydrolyzed with high selectivity, yielding predominantly 3'-monophosphates. The selectivity and activity for hydrolyzing cAMP and dcAMP by lanthanide metal(III) complexes and lanthanide metal ions are compared.

The ion selectivity of monensin incorporated phospholipid/alkanethiol bilayers

Monensin was incorporated into phospholipid/alkanethiol bilayers on the gold electrode surface by a new, paint-freeze method to deposit a lipid monolayer on the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiol. The advantages of this assembly system with a suitable function for investigating the ion selective transfer across the mimetic biomembrane are based on the characteristics of SAMs of alkanethiols and monensin. On the one hand, the SAMs of alkanethiols bring out their efficiency of packing and coverage of the metal substrate and relatively long-term stability; on the other hand, monensin improves the ion selectivity noticeably. The selectivity coefficients K-Na+,K-K+, K-Na+,K-Rb+ and K-Na+,K-Ag+ are 6 x 10(-2), 7.2 x 10(-3) and 30 respectively. However, the selectivity coefficient K-Na+,K-Li+ could not be obtained by a potentiometric method due to the specific interaction between Li+ and phospholipid and the lower degree of complexion between Li+ and monensin. The potential response of this bilayer system to monovalent ions is fairly good. For example, the slope of the response to Na+ is close to 60 mV per decade and its linearity range is from 10(-1) to 10(-5) M with a detection limit of 2 x 10(-6) M, The bilayer is stable for at least two months without changing its properties. This monensin incorporated lipid/alkanethiol bilayer is a good mimetic biomembrane system, which provides great promise for investigating the ion transfer mechanism across the biomembrane and developing a practical biosensor.

LUMINESCENCE AND ENERGY-TRANSFER OF RARE-EARTH-METAL IONS IN MG2Y8(SIO4)(6)O-2

The photoluminescence of Ce3+, Tb3+ and Sm3+, and energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+, Dy3+ and Sm3+ in Mg2Y8(SiOd(4))(6)O-2 are reported and discussed. The Ce3+ ion shows blue luminescence under UV excitation, and occupies simultaneously the 4f site and 6h site in the host lattice. The optimum concentrations for the D-5(3) and D-5(4) emissions of Tb3+ and the (4)G(5/2) emission of Sm3+ are determined to be 0.04, 0.20 and 0.10 mol in every mol of Mg2Y8(SiO4)(6)O-2, respectively. The critical distances responsible for the cross-relaxation between the D-5(3)-D-5(4) and F-7(6)-F-7(0) transitions of Tb3+ and between the (4)G(5/2)-F-4(9/2) and H-6(5/2)-F-4(9/2) transitions of Sm3+ are estimated to be 1.43 and 1.06 nm, respectively. Both Tb3+ and Dy3+ can be sensitized by Ce3+, but Ce3+ and Sm3+ quench each other.

EFFECTS OF METAL-IONS ON THE CONFORMATION OF POLAR HEADGROUP OF SPHINGOMYELIN BILAYER

With the wide application of rare earth in agriculture, medicament, especially the application of Gd-DTPA as nuclear magnetic resonance image reagent in clinical practice([1]), the studies on the toxicology in biological body, as well as the study on the use as informative probes instead of divalent calcium ion in biological and biochemical research have attracted intensive concern([2]). Phospholipids bilayers have served as a model of biomembrane in the last two decades. The effects of metal ions on the conformation of polar headgroup of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers have been reported([3]). Sphingomyelin is major component of several biological tissues such as brain and nerve cells and has identical polar headgroup to DPPC. The interaction of metal ions with sphingomyelin bilayer remains nonrevealed. This note presents the results of the study on this aspect.

ELECTROCHEMICAL-BEHAVIOR OF YTTRIUM ION IN LICL-KCL-NACL EUTECTIC MELT

The electrochemical reduction of yttrium ion on a molybdenum electrode in a LiCl-KCl-NaCl eutectic melt at 723 K was found to be almost reversible and to proceed by a one-step three electron reaction. The diffusion coefficient D of the Y(III) ion was measured to be (3.3 +/- 0.4) x 10(-6) cm2 s-1 by cyclic voltammetry, (5.0 +/- 0.9) x 10(-6) cm2 s-1 by the rotating disk electrode method, and (7.1 +/- 0.7) x 10(-6) cm2 s-1 by chronopotentiometry. The D values obtained by the latter two methods are in fairly good agreement with each other. The rather low D value obtained by cyclic voltammetry might be attributed to the fact that yttrium metal can dissolve slightly in the chloride melt. The standard potential of Y(III)/Y(0) couple was determined to be (-3.174 +/- 0.006) V (vs. Cl2/Cl-) by open-circuit potentiometry, (-3.15 +/- 0.02) V (vs. Cl2/Cl-) by the rotating disk electrode method and (-3.16 +/- 0.02) V (vs. Cl2/Cl) by chronopotentiometry. These three values are in good agreement with each other. Several types of Ni-Y intermetallic compounds were found to be formed on a nickel electrode.

A NOVEL METAL THIAMINE COMPLEX WITH A CYCLIC DIMER FORMED BY METAL-BRIDGED 2 THIAMINE LIGANDS - CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF [MN(THIAMINE)CL2(H2O)]2[THIAMINE]2CL4.2H2O

The crystal structure of [Mn(thiamine)Cl2(H2O)]2[thiamine]2Cl4.2H2O has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The compound contains a cyclic dimer of a complex cation with two thiamine ligands bridged by two Mn(II) ions across a crystallographic center of symmetry. Each Mn(II) is coordinated by two chloride atoms, a water molecule, a N(1') atom of the pyrimidine from a thiamine and an O(53) atom of the hydroxyethyl side chain from another thiamine. There are two free-base thiamine molecules related by a center of symmetry in the unit cell, which form a base-pair through the hydrogen bonds. Both the independent thiamine molecules in the asymmetric unit assume the common F conformation with phi-T = 10.0(9) and 3.6(10) and phi-P = 85.6(7) and 79.6(7), respectively. The compound provides a possible model for a metal-bridged enzyme-coenzyme complex in thiamine catalysis. Crystallographic data: triclinic, space group P1BAR, a = 12.441(4), b = 13.572(4), c = 11.267(3) angstrom, alpha = 103.15(2), beta 89.03(3), gamma = 115.64(2)-degrees, Z = 1, D(calc) = 1.524 g cm-3, and R = 0.050 for 3019 observed reflections with I > 3-sigma(I).