Synthesis of Multifunctional Eu(III) Complex Doped Fe3O4/Au Nanocomposite for Dual Photo-Magnetic Hyperthermia and Fluorescence Bioimaging.

In this paper, the luminescent complex Eu(3-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate)3 was integrated with Fe3O4 and gold (Au) nanoparticles to form a multifunctional nanocomposite, Fe3O4/Au/Eu(TTA)3 (FOASET NC), for dual magnetic-photothermal therapy and biomedical imaging. Upon functionalization with amine-NH2, the FOASET NC exhibits a small size of 60-70 nm and strong, sharp emission at λmax = 614 nm, enhanced by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Au nanoparticles that provided an effective label for HT29 colorectal cancer cells by fluorescence microscopy imaging. In addition, a hyperthermia temperature (42-46 °C) was completely achieved by using these FOASET NCs in an aqueous solution with three heating modes for (i) Magnetic therapy (MT), (ii) Photothermal therapy (PT), and (iii) Dual magnetic-photothermal therapy (MPT). The heating efficiency was improved in the dual magnetic-photothermal heating mode.

Synthesis and In Vitro Testing of YVO4:Eu3+@silica-NH-GDA-IgG Bio-Nano Complexes for Labelling MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

We present a visual tool and facile method to detect MCF-7 breast cancer cells by using YVO4:Eu3+@silica-NH-GDA-IgG bio-nanocomplexes. To obtain these complexes, YVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles with a uniform size of 10-25 nm have been prepared firstly by the hydrothermal process, followed by surface functionalization to be bio-compatible and conjugated with cancer cells. The YVO4:Eu3+@silica-NH-GDA-IgG nanoparticles exhibited an enhanced red emission at 618 nm under an excitation wavelength of 355 nm and were strongly coupled with MCF-7 breast cancer cells via biological conjugation. These bio-nanocomplexes showed a superior sensitiveness for MCF-7 cancer cell labelling with a detection percentage as high as 82%, while no HEK-293A healthy cells were probed under the same conditions of in vitro experiments. In addition, the detection percentage of MCF-7 breast cancer cells increased significantly via the functionalization and conjugation of YVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles. The experimental results demonstrated that the YVO4:Eu3+@silica-NH-GDA-IgG bio-nanocomplexes can be used as a promising labelling agent for biomedical imaging and diagnostics.

Influence of Restrained Condition on Mechanical Properties, Frost Resistance, and Carbonation Resistance of Expansive Concrete.

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of the effect of the restrained condition on the mechanical properties, frost resistance, and carbonation resistance of expansive concrete with different water-binder ratios. In this study, length change ratio test, expansion strain test, compressive strength test, mercury intrusion porosimetry test, underwater weighing test, freezing-thawing test, and accelerated carbonation test were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties, pore size distribution, total porosity, and durability of expansive concrete under both restrained and unrestrained conditions. The test results indicate that the length change ratio and expansion strain of the expansive concrete were controlled by the restrained condition. The compressive strength of expansive concrete was enhanced by the triaxial restraining when the amount of expansive additive was 40 kg/m3 of concrete. Two hypotheses were described to explain the change of pore structure change expansive mortar. The results also indicate that the carbonation resistance and frost resistance were improved by the uniaxial restrained condition. Furthermore, the effect of the restrained condition must be considered to evaluate not only the experimental results of the expansive concrete with a high EX replacement level but also the expansive concrete combining other cement replacement materials.

Bismuth Undecahydro-closo-dodecaborane: A Retainable Intermediate of B-H Bond Activation by Bismuth(III) Cations.

The [B12 H12](2-) anion shows an extensive substitutional chemistry based on its three-dimensional aromaticity. The replacement of functional groups can be attained by electrophilically induced substitution caused by Brønsted or Lewis acidic electrophiles (e.g. Pt(2+)). Until now, it was impossible to structurally characterize a metal-substituted [B12 H12](2-) cage. When an aqueous solution containing both Bi(3+) cations and [B12 H12](2-) anions was heated, the charge-neutral bismuth undecahydro-closo-dodecaborane BiB12 H11 was obtained, representing a new class of metalated [B12 H12](2-) clusters. The title compound was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopic methods. Compared to the typical B-H bond, the short B-Bi single bond (230 pm) exhibits inverted polarity.