Polyoxometalate-cyclodextrin supramolecular entities for real-time in situ monitoring of dopamine released from neuroblastoma cells.

Optimized and sensitive biomarker detection has recently been shown to have a critical impact on quality of diagnosis and medical care options. In this research study, polyoxometalate-γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (POM-γCD MOF) was utilized as an electrocatalyst to fabricate highly selective sensors to detect in-situ released dopamine. The POM-γCD MOF produced multiple modes of signals for dopamine including electrochemical, colorimetric, and smartphone read-outs. Real-time quantitative monitoring of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cellular dopamine production was successfully demonstrated under various stimuli at different time intervals. The POM-CD MOF sensor and linear regression model were used to develop a smartphone read-out platform, which converts dopamine visual signals to digital signals within a few seconds. Ultimately, POM-γCD MOFs can play a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases that involve dopamine as a significant biomarker.

Zero-Dimensional Cs4PbBr6 Perovskite Nanocrystals.

Perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have become leading candidates for solution-processed optoelectronics applications. While substantial work has been published on 3-D perovskite phases, the NC form of the zero-dimensional (0-D) phase of this promising class of materials remains elusive. Here we report the synthesis of a new class of colloidal semiconductor NCs based on Cs4PbBr6, the 0-D perovskite, enabled through the design of a novel low-temperature reverse microemulsion method with 85% reaction yield. These 0-D perovskite NCs exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) in the colloidal form (PLQY: 65%), and, more importantly, in the form of thin film (PLQY: 54%). Notably, the latter is among the highest values reported so far for perovskite NCs in the solid form. Our work brings the 0-D phase of perovskite into the realm of colloidal NCs with appealingly high PLQY in the film form, which paves the way for their practical application in real devices.

Tin(II) ketoacidoximates: synthesis, X-ray structures and processing to tin(II) oxide.

Tin(II) ketoacidoximates of the type [HON=CRCOO]2Sn (R = Me 1, CH2Ph 2) and (MeON=CMeCOO)3Sn](-) NH4(+)·2H2O 3 were synthesized by reacting pyruvate- and hydroxyl- or methoxylamine RONH2 (R = H, Me) with tin(II) chloride dihydrate SnCl2·2H2O. The single crystal X-ray structure reveals that the geometry at the Sn atom is trigonal bipyramidal in 1, 2 and trigonal pyramidal in 3. Inter- or intramolecular hydrogen bonding is observed in 1-3. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis shows that the decomposition of 1-3 to SnO occurs at ca. 160 °C. The evolved gas analysis during TG indicates complete loss of the oximato ligand in one step for 1 whereas a small organic residue is additionally removed at temperatures >400 °C for 2. Above 140 °C, [HON=C(Me)COO]2Sn (1) decomposes in air to spherical SnO particles of size 10-500 nm. Spin coating of 1 on Si or a glass substrate followed by heating at 200 °C results in a uniform film of SnO. The band gap of the produced SnO film and nanomaterial was determined by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to be in the range of 3.0-3.3 eV. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates surface oxidation of the SnO film to SnO2 in ambient atmosphere.