1
|
Luo J, Lei Y, Ge Q, Liu M, Jiang N, Huang YH, Cong H, Zhao JL. Carbon quantum dots from hemicucur[6]bit and the application for the detection of Pb 2. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 317:124459. [PMID: 38749202 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.124459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
A macrocyclic compound, hemicucurbit[6]uril (HemiQ[6]), is employed as the carbon source to produce a novel sort of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with blue fluorescence in aqueous solution. The CQDs are fully identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), zeta potential, ultraviolet/visible (UV-vis) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The nanomaterial is developed for the analysis of Pb2+ in the light of the Resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) changes with the increasing Pb2+ concentration. The proposed probe emerges a high selectivity to Pb2+ and excellent sensitivity in the linear concentration range of 0-6 μM with a detection limit low to 0.42 μM, which is superior to the previous values of Pb2+ sensors, as well as the good anti-interference ability is confirmed by the specifical response to Pb2+ in the presence of other metal cations. Therefore, the proposed analysis of Pb2+ is explored for the application in real samples of tap water and lake water, in satisfied results of acceptable recoveries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Luo
- Enterprise Technology Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yao Lei
- Enterprise Technology Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Qingmei Ge
- Enterprise Technology Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Mao Liu
- Enterprise Technology Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Enterprise Technology Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yin-Hui Huang
- Enterprise Technology Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Hang Cong
- Enterprise Technology Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Jiang-Lin Zhao
- Precision Medicine R&D Center, Zhuhai Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhuhai 519080, Guangdong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang B, Zhang Z, Han H, Ling H, Zhang X, Wang Y, Wang Q, Li H, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Song A. A Universal Approach to Determine the Atomic Layer Numbers in Two-Dimensional Materials Using Dark-Field Optical Contrast. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:9170-9177. [PMID: 37493397 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) materials possess unique properties primarily due to the quantum confinement effect, which highly depends on their thicknesses. Identifying the number of atomic layers in these materials is a crucial, yet challenging step. However, the commonly used optical reflection method offers only very low contrast. Here, we develop an approach that shows unprecedented sensitivity by analyzing the brightness of dark-field optical images. The brightness of the 2D material edges has a linear dependence on the number of atomic layers. The findings are modeled by Rayleigh scattering, and the results agree well with the experiments. The relative contrast of single-layer graphene can reach 70% under white-light incident conditions. Furthermore, different 2D materials were successfully tested. By adjusting the exposure conditions, we can identify the number of atomic layers ranging from 1 to over 100. Finally, this approach can be applied to various substrates, even transparent ones, making it highly versatile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Baoqing Zhang
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Zihao Zhang
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Hecheng Han
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Haotian Ling
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Xijian Zhang
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Yiming Wang
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Qingpu Wang
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Hu Li
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Yifei Zhang
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Jiawei Zhang
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Aimin Song
- Shandong Technology Center of Nanodevices and Integration, School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hoffmann WH, Gao B, Mulkerns NMC, Hinton AG, Hanna S, Hall SR, Gersen H. Determining nanorod dimensions in dispersion with size anisotropy nanoparticle tracking analysis. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:13040-13048. [PMID: 35583236 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00432a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Control over nanorod dimensions is critical to their application, requiring fast, robust characterisation of their volume and aspect ratio whilst in their working medium. Here, we present an extension of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis which determines the aspect ratio of nanoparticles from the polarisation state of scattered light in addition to a hydrodynamic diameter from Brownian motion. These data, in principle, permit the determination of nanorod dimensions of any composition using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis. The results are compared with transmission electron microscopy and show that this technique can additionally determine the aggregation state of the nanorod dispersion if single nanorod dimensions are determined with a complementary technique. We also show it is possible to differentiate nanoparticles of similar hydrodynamic diameter by their depolarised scattering. Finally, we assess the ability of the technique to output nanorod dimensions and suggest ways to further improve the approach. This technique will enable rapid characterisation of nanorods in suspension, which are important tools for nanotechnology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William H Hoffmann
- H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK. .,Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.,School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Bo Gao
- H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
| | - Niall M C Mulkerns
- H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK. .,Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
| | - Alexander G Hinton
- H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK. .,School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Simon Hanna
- H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
| | - Simon R Hall
- Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.,School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Henkjan Gersen
- H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK. .,Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sipkens TA, Menser J, Dreier T, Schulz C, Smallwood GJ, Daun KJ. Laser-induced incandescence for non-soot nanoparticles: recent trends and current challenges. APPLIED PHYSICS. B, LASERS AND OPTICS 2022; 128:72. [PMID: 35308124 PMCID: PMC8921179 DOI: 10.1007/s00340-022-07769-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Laser-induced incandescence (LII) is a widely used combustion diagnostic for in situ measurements of soot primary particle sizes and volume fractions in flames, exhaust gases, and the atmosphere. Increasingly, however, it is applied to characterize engineered nanomaterials, driven by the increasing industrial relevance of these materials and the fundamental scientific insights that may be obtained from these measurements. This review describes the state of the art as well as open research challenges and new opportunities that arise from LII measurements on non-soot nanoparticles. An overview of the basic LII model, along with statistical techniques for inferring quantities-of-interest and associated uncertainties is provided, with a review of the application of LII to various classes of materials, including elemental particles, oxide and nitride materials, and non-soot carbonaceous materials, and core-shell particles. The paper concludes with a discussion of combined and complementary diagnostics, and an outlook of future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Sipkens
- Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, K1K 2E1 Canada
| | - Jan Menser
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics – Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Dreier
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics – Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Christof Schulz
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics – Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Gregory J. Smallwood
- Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, K1K 2E1 Canada
| | - Kyle J. Daun
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sipkens TA, Menser J, Dreier T, Schulz C, Smallwood GJ, Daun KJ. Laser-induced incandescence for non-soot nanoparticles: recent trends and current challenges. APPLIED PHYSICS. B, LASERS AND OPTICS 2022; 128:72. [PMID: 35308124 DOI: 10.1007/s00340-006-2260-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Laser-induced incandescence (LII) is a widely used combustion diagnostic for in situ measurements of soot primary particle sizes and volume fractions in flames, exhaust gases, and the atmosphere. Increasingly, however, it is applied to characterize engineered nanomaterials, driven by the increasing industrial relevance of these materials and the fundamental scientific insights that may be obtained from these measurements. This review describes the state of the art as well as open research challenges and new opportunities that arise from LII measurements on non-soot nanoparticles. An overview of the basic LII model, along with statistical techniques for inferring quantities-of-interest and associated uncertainties is provided, with a review of the application of LII to various classes of materials, including elemental particles, oxide and nitride materials, and non-soot carbonaceous materials, and core-shell particles. The paper concludes with a discussion of combined and complementary diagnostics, and an outlook of future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Sipkens
- Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, K1K 2E1 Canada
| | - Jan Menser
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics - Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Dreier
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics - Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Christof Schulz
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics - Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Gregory J Smallwood
- Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, K1K 2E1 Canada
| | - Kyle J Daun
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hydrothermally fabricated TiO2 heterostructure boosts efficiency of MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells. J IND ENG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2021.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
7
|
Sipkens TA, Menser J, Dreier T, Schulz C, Smallwood GJ, Daun KJ. Laser-induced incandescence for non-soot nanoparticles: recent trends and current challenges. APPLIED PHYSICS. B, LASERS AND OPTICS 2022. [PMID: 35308124 DOI: 10.1007/s00340-016-6551-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Laser-induced incandescence (LII) is a widely used combustion diagnostic for in situ measurements of soot primary particle sizes and volume fractions in flames, exhaust gases, and the atmosphere. Increasingly, however, it is applied to characterize engineered nanomaterials, driven by the increasing industrial relevance of these materials and the fundamental scientific insights that may be obtained from these measurements. This review describes the state of the art as well as open research challenges and new opportunities that arise from LII measurements on non-soot nanoparticles. An overview of the basic LII model, along with statistical techniques for inferring quantities-of-interest and associated uncertainties is provided, with a review of the application of LII to various classes of materials, including elemental particles, oxide and nitride materials, and non-soot carbonaceous materials, and core-shell particles. The paper concludes with a discussion of combined and complementary diagnostics, and an outlook of future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Sipkens
- Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, K1K 2E1 Canada
| | - Jan Menser
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics - Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Dreier
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics - Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Christof Schulz
- IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics - Reactive Fluids, and CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Gregory J Smallwood
- Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, K1K 2E1 Canada
| | - Kyle J Daun
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Menger RF, Funk E, Henry CS, Borch T. Sensors for detecting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A critical review of development challenges, current sensors, and commercialization obstacles. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL (LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND : 1996) 2021; 417:129133. [PMID: 37539085 PMCID: PMC10398537 DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.129133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of compounds that have become environmental contaminants of emerging concern. They are highly persistent, toxic, bioaccumulative, and ubiquitous which makes them important to detect to ensure environmental and human health. Multiple instrument-based methods exist for sensitive and selective detection of PFAS in a variety of matrices, but these methods suffer from expensive costs and the need for a laboratory and highly trained personnel. There is a big need for fast, inexpensive, robust, and portable methods to detect PFAS in the field. This would allow environmental laboratories and other agencies to perform more frequent testing to comply with regulations. In addition, the general public would benefit from a fast method to evaluate the drinking water in their homes for PFAS contamination. A PFAS sensor would provide almost real-time data on PFAS concentrations that can also provide actionable information for water quality managers and consumers around the planet. In this review, we discuss the sensors that have been developed up to this point for PFAS detection by their molecular detection mechanism as well as the goals that should be considered during sensor development. Future research needs and commercialization challenges are also highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth F Menger
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, 1872 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Emily Funk
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, 1370 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Charles S Henry
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, 1872 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, 1370 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Thomas Borch
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, 1872 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, 1170 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mohan SD, Davis FJ, Badiee A, Hadley P, Twitchen C, Pearson S, Gargan K. Optical and thermal properties of commercial polymer film, modeling the albedo effect. J Appl Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/app.50581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saeed D. Mohan
- Department of Chemistry University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Fred J. Davis
- Department of Chemistry University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Amir Badiee
- Lincoln Institute for Agri‐Food Technology University of Lincoln Lincoln UK
| | - Paul Hadley
- Department of Agriculture University of Reading Reading UK
| | | | - Simon Pearson
- Lincoln Institute for Agri‐Food Technology University of Lincoln Lincoln UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ali A, Ashraf MA, Minhas QA, Naqvi QA, Baqir MA, Choudhury PK. On the Core-Shell Nanoparticle in Fractional Dimensional Space. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 13:E2400. [PMID: 32456035 PMCID: PMC7288031 DOI: 10.3390/ma13102400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The investigation of core-shell nanoparticles has been greatly exciting in biomedical applications, as this remains of prime importance in targeted drug delivery, sensing, etc. In the present work, the polarizability and scattering features of nanoparticles comprised of nano-sized dielectric/metallic core-shell structures were investigated in the fractional dimensional (FD) space, which essentially relates to the confinement of charged particles. For this purpose, three different kinds of metals-namely aluminum, gold and silver-were considered to form the shell, having a common silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticle as the core. It is noteworthy that the use of noble metal-SiO2 mediums interface remains ideal to realize surface plasmon resonance. The core-shell nanoparticles were considered to have dimensions smaller than the operating wavelength. Under such conditions, the analyses of polarizability and the scattering and absorption cross-sections, and also, the extinction coefficients were taken up under Rayleigh scattering mechanism, emphasizing the effects of a varying FD parameter. Apart from these, the tuning of resonance peaks and the magnitude of surface plasmons due to FD space parameter were also analyzed. It was found that the increase of FD space parameter generally results in blue-shifts in the resonance peaks. Apart from this, the usage of gold and silver shells brings in fairly large shifts in the peak positions of wavelengths, which allows them to be more suitable for a biosensing purpose.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. Ali
- Department of Electronics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; (A.A.); (M.A.A.); (Q.A.M.); (Q.A.N.)
| | - M. A. Ashraf
- Department of Electronics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; (A.A.); (M.A.A.); (Q.A.M.); (Q.A.N.)
| | - Q. A. Minhas
- Department of Electronics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; (A.A.); (M.A.A.); (Q.A.M.); (Q.A.N.)
| | - Q. A. Naqvi
- Department of Electronics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; (A.A.); (M.A.A.); (Q.A.M.); (Q.A.N.)
| | - M. A. Baqir
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sahiwal Campus, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad 57000, Pakistan;
| | - P. K. Choudhury
- Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Tomás AL, de Almeida MP, Cardoso F, Pinto M, Pereira E, Franco R, Matos O. Development of a Gold Nanoparticle-Based Lateral-Flow Immunoassay for Pneumocystis Pneumonia Serological Diagnosis at Point-of-Care. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2917. [PMID: 31921081 PMCID: PMC6931265 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PcP) is a major human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related illness, rising among immunocompromised non-HIV patients and in developing countries. Presently, the diagnosis requires respiratory specimens obtained through invasive and costly techniques that are difficult to perform in all patients or implement in all economic settings. Therefore, the development of a faster, cost-effective, non-invasive and field-friendly test to diagnose PcP would be a significant advance. In this study, recombinant synthetic antigens (RSA) of P. jirovecii's major surface glycoprotein (Msg) and kexin-like serine protease (Kex1) were produced and purified. These RSA were applied as antigenic tools in immunoenzymatic assays for detection of specific anti-P. jirovecii antibodies (IgG and IgM) in sera of patients with (n = 48) and without (n = 28) PcP. Results showed that only IgM anti-P. jirovecii levels were significantly increased in patients with PcP compared with patients without P. jirovecii infection (p ≤ 0.001 with both RSA). Thus, two strip lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA), based on the detection of specific IgM anti-P. jirovecii antibodies in human sera samples, were developed using the innovative association of P. jirovecii's RSA with spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). For that, alkanethiol-functionalized spherical AuNPs with ca. ~40 nm in diameter were synthetized and conjugated with the two RSA (Msg or Kex1) produced. These AuNP-RSA conjugates were characterized by agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and optimized to improve their ability to interact specifically with serum IgM anti-P. jirovecii antibodies. Finally, two LFIA prototypes were developed and tested with pools of sera from patients with (positive sample) and without (negative sample) PcP. Both LFIA had the expected performance, namely, the presence of a test and control red colored lines with the positive sample, and only a control red colored line with the negative sample. These results provide valuable insights into the possibility of PcP serodiagnosis at point-of-care. The optimization, validation and implementation of this strip-based approach may help to reduce the high cost of medical diagnosis and subsequent treatment of PcP both in industrialized and low-income regions, helping to manage the disease all around the world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Luísa Tomás
- Medical Parasitology Unit, Group of Opportunistic Protozoa/HIV and Other Protozoa, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Miguel P de Almeida
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Cardoso
- Medical Parasitology Unit, Group of Opportunistic Protozoa/HIV and Other Protozoa, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mafalda Pinto
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Eulália Pereira
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Franco
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Olga Matos
- Medical Parasitology Unit, Group of Opportunistic Protozoa/HIV and Other Protozoa, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ding H, Dong Y, Li S, Pan N, Wang X. Edge optical scattering of two-dimensional materials. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:7797-7810. [PMID: 29609329 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.007797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Rayleigh scattering has shown powerful abilities to study electron resonances of nanomaterials regardless of the specific shapes. In analogy to Rayleigh scattering, here we demonstrate that edge optical scattering from two-dimensional(2D) materials also has the similar advantage. Our result shows that, in visible spectral range, as long as the lateral size of a 2D sample is larger than 2 μm, the edge scattering intensity distribution of the high-angle scattering in k space is nearly independent of the lateral size and the shape of the 2D samples. The high-angle edge scattering spectra are purely determined by the intrinsic dielectric properties of the 2D materials. As an example, we experimentally verify this feature in single-layer MoS2, in which A and B excitons are clearly detected in the edge scattering spectra, and the scattering images in k space and real space are consistent with our theoretical model. This study shows that the edge scattering is a highly practical and efficient method for optical studies of various 2D materials as well as thin films with clear edges.
Collapse
|
13
|
Non-equilibrium synergistic effects in atmospheric pressure plasmas. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4783. [PMID: 29555912 PMCID: PMC5859132 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22911-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-equilibrium is one of the important features of an atmospheric gas discharge plasma. It involves complicated physical-chemical processes and plays a key role in various actual plasma processing. In this report, a novel complete non-equilibrium model is developed to reveal the non-equilibrium synergistic effects for the atmospheric-pressure low-temperature plasmas (AP-LTPs). It combines a thermal-chemical non-equilibrium fluid model for the quasi-neutral plasma region and a simplified sheath model for the electrode sheath region. The free-burning argon arc is selected as a model system because both the electrical-thermal-chemical equilibrium and non-equilibrium regions are involved simultaneously in this arc plasma system. The modeling results indicate for the first time that it is the strong and synergistic interactions among the mass, momentum and energy transfer processes that determine the self-consistent non-equilibrium characteristics of the AP-LTPs. An energy transfer process related to the non-uniform spatial distributions of the electron-to-heavy-particle temperature ratio has also been discovered for the first time. It has a significant influence for self-consistently predicting the transition region between the “hot” and “cold” equilibrium regions of an AP-LTP system. The modeling results would provide an instructive guidance for predicting and possibly controlling the non-equilibrium particle-energy transportation process in various AP-LTPs in future.
Collapse
|
14
|
Supported Vanadium Oxide Clusters in Partial Oxidation Processes: Catalytic Consequences of Size and Electronic Structure. ChemCatChem 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201700503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|