Silicon surface passivation by PEDOT: PSS functionalized by SnO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles.

In this paper, we present a study of silicon surface passivation based on the use of spin-coated hybrid composite layers. We investigate both undoped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly-(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), as well as PEDOT:PSS functionalized with semiconducting oxide nanomaterials (TiO2 and SnO2). The hybrid compound was deposited at room temperature by spin coating-a potentially lower cost, lower processing time and higher throughput alternative compared with the commonly used vacuum-based techniques. Photoluminescence imaging was used to characterize the electronic properties of the Si/PEDOT:PSS interface. Good surface passivation was achieved by PEDOT:PSS functionalized by semiconducting oxides. We show that control of the concentration of semiconducting oxide nanoparticles in the polymer is crucial in determining the passivation performance. A charge carrier lifetime of about 275 µs has been achieved when using SnO2 nanoparticles at a concentration of 0.5 wt.% as a filler in the composite film. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive x-ray in an SEM, and µ-Raman spectroscopy have been used for the morphological, chemical and structural characterization. Finally, a simple model of a photovoltaic device based on PEDOT:PSS functionalized with semiconducting oxide nanoparticles has been fabricated and electrically characterized.

Smac is another pathway in the anti-tumour activity of Trichosanthin and reverses Trichosanthin resistance in CaSki cervical cancer cells.

Trichosanthin (TCS), or Tin Hua Fen, is a renowned traditional Chinese medicine and is still used in Chinese clinics for midterm abortion and the treatment of choriocarcinoma. Many studies have demonstrated that TCS has anti-tumour action as a type I ribosome-inactivating protein. We hypothesized that there is another pathway of the anti-tumour activity of TCS. cDNA array analysis was applied to profile changes in gene expression of human CaSki in response to TCS stimulation. Smac, a mitochondrial protein, was identified as the highly upregulated protein in response to TCS treatment. The mRNA and protein levels of Smac were determined by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting respectively. We analysed the methylation status of Smac using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and indicates that TCS promotes Smac demethylation and increases its expression in cervical CaSki cells. Tumour cells develop resistance to TCS during prolonged treatment, as with other classic chemotherapeutic agents. Smac expression was downregulated and Twist was upregulated in TCS-resistant cells. These results indicate that TCS has demethylating activity and that Smac is involved in both TCS response and TCS resistance.

The fabrication and characterization of PbTiO3 nanomesas realized on nanostructured SrRuO3/SrTiO3 templates.

We report the fabrication of PbTiO(3) nanomesas down to 30 nm lateral size and 4 nm high on nanostructured SrRuO(3)/SrTiO(3) templates by off-axis radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The templates were prepared using a top-down lithography approach based on scanning tunneling microscopy. The growth rate of the PbTiO(3) nanomesas was found to decrease with increasing growth temperature as well as with shrinking template size. Piezoresponse force microscopy measurements for the PbTiO(3) nanomesas showed a strong increase in response with decreasing lateral size. A decrease of the coercive voltage was also observed for the same lateral size range. This laterally size-dependent behavior is attributed to reduction of in-plane strain, when shrinking the nanomesa lateral dimensions.

Cyclodextrin derivative-coated quartz crystal microbalances for alcohol sensing and application as methanol sensors.

Three novel cyclodextrin derivatives, mono(6-benzylimino-6-deoxy)-beta-cyclodextrin (2), mono-(6-cyclohexylamino-6-deoxy)-beta-cyclodextrin (3) and mono(6-benzylamino-6-deoxy)-beta-cyclodextrin (4), together with mono(6-phenylamino-6-deoxy)-beta-cyclodextrin (1), were synthesized and employed as sensing materials coated on quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs). Comparison of the responses to some alcohol and solvent vapours such as methanol, ethanol, propan-1-ol, propan-2-ol, butan-1-ol, acetone, chloroform and benzene indicated that these beta-cyclodextrin derivatives show considerable sensitivity and selectivity towards methanol. It shows a good linear relationship between the frequency shift and the methanol concentration in the range 3-160 mg L(-1) for 2-4 and 3-140 mg L(-1) for 1. The correlation coefficients are 0.9971, 0.9983, 0.9973 and 0.9977, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) is 0.2 mg L(-1). When small amounts of other vapours co-exist, e.g., ethanol, propan-1-ol and acetone, the responses differ from that of pure methanol vapour, and a deduction method could eliminate this cross-sensitivity. The water cross-sensitivity was very low. These QCMs coated with cyclodextrin derivatives are employed as methanol sensors in the real atmosphere to detect on-line the concentration of methanol vapour.

Molecular recognition studies on supramolecular systems. 32. Molecular recognition of dyes by organoselenium-bridged bis(beta-cyclodextrin)s.

A series of novel bis(beta-cyclodextrin)s tethered with organoselenium linkers, i.e., 6,6'-(o-phenylene-diseleno)-bridged bis(beta-cyclodextrin) (2), 6,6'-[2,2'-diselenobis(benzoyloxy)]-bridged bis(beta-cyclodextrin) (3), and 6,6'-[2,2'-diselenobis[2-(benzoylamino)ethylamino]]-bridged bis(beta-cyclodextrin) (4), were synthesized from beta-cyclodextrin (1). The inclusion complexation behavior of 1-4 with some dyes, such as 8-anilinonaphthalenesulfonate (ANS), Brilliant Green, Crystal Violet, Tropaeolin OO, Auramine O, and Methyl Orange, was investigated in aqueous phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.20) at 25 degrees C by UV-vis, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectrometry, as well as fluorescence lifetime measurements. The complex stability constants (Ks) and Gibbs free energy changes (delta Go) for the stoichiometric 1:1 inclusion complexation of 1-4 with the dyes were obtained by the spectrophotometric or spectropolarimetric titrations. The bis(beta-cyclodextrin)s 2-4 showed much higher affinities toward these guest dyes than native beta-cyclodextrin 1 with fairly good molecular selectivities. The cooperative binding abilities of these bis(beta-cyclodextrin)s are discussed from the viewpoints of size/shape-fit interaction, induced-fit concept, and multiple recognition mechanism.

Synthesis and molecular recognition of novel oligo(ethylenediamino) bridged bis(beta-cyclodextrin)s and their copper(II) complexes: enhanced molecular binding ability and selectivity by multiple recognition.

Four bridged bis(beta-cyclodextrin)s tethered by different lengths of oligo(ethylenediamine)s have been synthesized and their inclusion complexation behavior with selected substrates elucidated by circular dichroism spectroscopy and fluorescence decay. In order to study their binding ability quantitatively, inclusion complexation stability constants with four dye guests, that is, brilliant green (BG), methyl orange (MO), ammonium 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS), and sodium 6-(p-toluidino)-2-naphthalenesulfonate (TNS), have been determined in aqueous solution at 25 degrees C with spectrophotometric, spectropolarimetric, or spectrofluorometric titrations. The results obtained indicate that the two tethered cyclodextrin units might cooperatively bind to a guest, and the molecular binding ability toward model substrates, especially linear guests such as TNS and MO, could be extended. The tether length plays a crucial role in the molecular recognition, the binding constants for ANS and TNS decrease linearly with an increase in the tether length of dimeric cyclodextrin. The Gibbs free energy changes (-deltaGo) for the unit increment per ethylene are 0.99 kJ mol(-1) for ANS and 0.44 kJmol(-1) for TNS, respectively. On the other hand, the presence of a copper(II) ion in metallobis(beta-cyclodextrin)s oligo(ethylenediamino) tethers enhances not only the original binding ability, but also the molecular selectivity through triple or multiple recognition, as compared with the parent bis(beta-cyclodextrin)s.

Molecular interpenetration within the columnar structure of crystalline anilino-beta-cyclodextrin.

A single crystal of mono(6-anilino-6-deoxy)-beta-cyclodextrin was prepared, and its crystal structure was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis, which clearly revealed that the anilino groups are consecutively included intermolecularly into the adjacent cyclodextrin cavities in the crystal, thus giving rise to a consolidated column, located on a 2(1)-screw axis.