A Novel Electrochemical Sensor Based on Pd Confined Mesoporous Carbon Hollow Nanospheres for the Sensitive Detection of Ascorbic Acid, Dopamine, and Uric Acid.

In this study, we designed a novel electrochemical sensor by modifying a glass carbon electrode (GCE) with Pd confined mesoporous carbon hollow nanospheres (Pd/MCHS) for the simultaneous detection of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA). The structure and morphological characteristics of the Pd/MCHS nanocomposite and the Pd/MCHS/GCE sensor are comprehensively examined using SEM, TEM, XRD and EDX. The electrochemical properties of the prepared sensor are investigated through CV and DPV, which reveal three resolved oxidation peaks for AA, DA, and UA, thereby verifying the simultaneous detection of the three analytes. Benefiting from its tailorable properties, the Pd/MCHS nanocomposite provides a large surface area, rapid electron transfer ability, good catalytic activity, and high conductivity with good electrochemical behavior for the determination of AA, DA, and UA. Under optimized conditions, the Pd/MCHS/GCE sensor exhibited a linear response in the concentration ranges of 300-9000, 2-50, and 20-500 µM for AA, DA, and UA, respectively. The corresponding limit of detection (LOD) values were determined to be 51.03, 0.14, and 4.96 µM, respectively. Moreover, the Pd/MCHS/GCE sensor demonstrated outstanding selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. The recovery percentages of AA, DA, and UA in real samples, including a vitamin C tablet, DA injection, and human urine, range from 99.8-110.9%, 99.04-100.45%, and 98.80-100.49%, respectively. Overall, the proposed sensor can serve as a useful reference for the construction of a high-performance electrochemical sensing platform.

The de-ubiquitinase UBQUITIN SPECIFIC PROTEASE 15 (UBP15) interacts with the SCF E3 complex adaptor ARABIDOPSIS SKP1 HOMOLOGUE 1 (ASK1) to regulate petal size and fertility in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Ubiquitination is a pivotal type of post-translational modification, which plays a far-reaching role in plant growth and development, as well as in the response of plants to stress. Just like the two sides of a coin, de-ubiquitination also plays an important role in plant life, which has been gradually discovered in recent years. Here, we demonstrate that the UBQUITIN SPECIFIC PROTEASE 15 (UBP15), which is a UBP-type de-ubiquitinase, interacts with the SCF E3 complex adaptor ARABIDOPSIS SKP1 HOMOLOGUE 1 (ASK1) and influences its protein stability to regulate plant fertility and petal size. The UBP15 is associated with the ASK1 physically, as verified by yeast-two-hybrid (Y2H) and protein pull-down in vitro assays. Disruption of ASK1 by a T-DNA insertion generates some abnormal phenotypes, such as low fertility and small petals. Genetic analysis shows that the UBP15 mutation enhances the low-fertility and small-petal phenotypes of ask1 mutant plants. By proteomic analysis, many types of proteins were identified as potential candidate downstream genes associated with the phenotypes of ubp15 ask1 double mutant plants. Taken together, these findings reveal a molecular relationship between ASK1 and UBP15 and their interaction in the regulation of petal size and fertility, which would benefit in-depth research about the ubiquitin-related pathway in plant physiological processes in the future.

Spray Coated Colloidal Quantum Dot Films for Broadband Photodetectors.

A technique for scalable spray coating of colloidal CdSeTe quantum dots (QDs) for photovoltaics and photodetector applications is presented. A mixture solvent with water and ethanol was introduced to enhance the adhesive force between QDs and the substrate interface. The performance of the detector reached the highest values with 40 spray coating cycles of QD deposition. The photodetectors without bias voltage showed broadband response in the wavelength range of 300-800 nm, and high responsivity of 15 mA/W, detectivity of more than 1011 Jones and rise time of 0.04 s. A large size QD-logo pattern film (10 × 10 cm2) prepared by the spray coating process displayed excellent uniformity of thickness and absorbance. The large area detectors (the active area 1 cm2) showed almost the same performance as the typical laboratory-size ones (the active area 0.1 cm2). Our study demonstrates that the spray coating is a very promising film fabrication technology for the industrial-scale production of optoelectronic devices.

Pd(II)/Bipyridine-Catalyzed Conjugate Addition of Arylboronic Acids to α,ß-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids. Synthesis of ß-Quaternary Carbons Substituted Carboxylic Acids.

Pd(II)/bipyridine-catalyzed conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to α,ß-unsaturated carboxylic acids (including ß,ß-disubstituted acrylic acids) was developed and optimized, which provided a mild and convenient method for the highly challenging synthesis of ß-quaternary carbons substituted carboxylic acids.