A Colorimetric and Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Cu2+ in a Complete Aqueous Solution.

PubMed

Xu, Jing; Wang, Zuokai; Liu, Caiyun; Xu, Zhenghe; Zhu, Baocun; Wang, Ning; Wang, Kun; Wang, Jiangting

2018-01-01

The fluorescent probe has become an important method for the detection of heavy metal ions. In the present work, a new and simple fluorescent probe, Cu-P, for detecting copper ion (Cu 2+ ) was designed and synthesized. The probe has shown high sensitivity and selectivity toward Cu 2+ . The detection limit was 13 nM (based on the 3σ/slope). A significant color change from yellow to pink was observed; thus, the probe Cu-P could serve as a "naked-eye" indicator for Cu 2+ . Furthermore, the proposed probe was used to detect Cu 2+ in real water and soil extract samples, with the result being satisfactory. Therefore, our proposed probe would provide a promising method for the detection of Cu 2+ in the environment.

Sensitive naked eye detection and quantification assay for nitrite by a fluorescence probe in various water resources.

PubMed

Zhang, Fengyuan; Zhu, Xinyue; Jiao, Zhijuan; Liu, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Haixia

2018-07-05

An uncontrolled increase of nitrite concentration in groundwater, rivers and lakes is a growing threat to public health and environment. It is important to monitor the nitrite levels in water and clinical diagnosis. Herein, we developed a switch-off fluorescence probe (PyI) for the sensitive detection of nitrite ions in the aqueous media. This probe selectively recognizes nitrite ions through a distinct visual color change from colorless to pink with a detection limit of 0.1 μM. This method has been successfully applied to the determination of nitrites in tap water, lake water and Yellow River water with recoveries in the range of 94.8%-105.4%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An ultra-sensitive Au nanoparticles functionalized DNA biosensor for electrochemical sensing of mercury ions.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanyan; Zhang, Cong; Ma, Rui; Du, Xin; Dong, Wenhao; Chen, Yuan; Chen, Qiang

2017-06-01

The present work describes an effective strategy to fabricate a highly sensitive and selective DNA-biosensor for the determination of mercury ions (Hg 2+ ). The DNA 1 was modified onto the surface of Au electrode by the interaction between sulfydryl group and Au electrode. DNA probe is complementary with DNA 1. In the presence of Hg 2+ , the electrochemical signal increases owing to that Hg 2+ -mediated thymine bases induce the conformation of DNA probe to change from line to hairpin and less DNA probes adsorb into DNA 1. Taking advantage of its reduction property, methylene blue is considered as the signal indicating molecule. For improving the sensitivity of the biosensor, Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) modified reporter DNA 3 is used to adsorb DNA 1. Electrochemical behaviors of the biosensor were evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Several important parameters which could affect the property of the biosensor were studied and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the biosensor exhibits wide linear range, high sensitivity and low detection limit. Besides, it displays superior selectivity and excellent stability. The biosensor was also applied for water sample detection with satisfactory result. The novel strategy of fabricating biosensor provides a potential platform for fabricating a variety of metal ions biosensors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluorescent and colorimetric detection of Fe(III) and Cu(II) by a difunctional rhodamine-based probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Ye, Dandan; Li, Wenxuan; Liu, Yuanyuan; Li, Longhua; Zhang, Wenli; Ni, Liang

2017-08-01

A new rhodamine B hydrazone derivative (probe L) was synthesized and characterized. The probe L had sufficiently satisfactory selective response to Fe3 + and Cu2 + ions among various interferential metal ions, and high sensitivity with the detection limit of 4.63 × 10- 9 M and 5.264 × 10- 7 M for Fe3 + and Cu2 + ions, respectively. In the presence of Fe3 +, the probe L exhibited turn-on orange fluorescence accompanied by color change from colorless to pink. Toward Cu2 +, the probe L showed significant color change from colorless to red purple. These remarkable orange fluorescence and color change made probe L suitable naked-eye identify for Fe3 + and Cu2 + ions. By means of Job's plot, Benesi-Hildebrand studies and FTIR spectra, both 1:1 binding modes (L-Fe3 + and L-Cu2 +) were confirmed. The coordination mechanism and turn on/off fluorescence for L-Fe3 + and L-Cu2 + complexes were well explained by theoretical calculations. Moreover, probe L could be used as a quick, simple, visual test strip for Fe3 + and Cu2 + detection.

Novel fluorogenic probe for fluoride ion based on the fluoride-induced cleavage of tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiao-Feng

2007-06-01

A highly sensitive and selective fluorogenic probe for fluoride ion, 4-methylumbelliferyl tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether (4-MUTBS), was designed and synthesized. 4-MUTBS was a weakly fluorescent compound and was synthesized via the one-step reaction of 4-MU with tert-butyldimethylsilyl chloride. Upon incubation with fluoride ion in acetone-water solution (7:3, v/v), the Si-O bond of 4-MUTBS was cleaved and highly fluorescent 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) was released, hence leading to the fluorescence increase of the reaction solution. The fluorescence increase is linearly with fluoride concentration in the range 50-8000 nmol l -1 with a detection limit of 19 nmol l -1 (3 σ). Because of the high affinity of silicon toward fluoride ion, the proposed probe shows excellent selectivity toward fluoride ion over other anions. The method has been successfully applied to the fluoride determination in toothpaste and tap water samples.

Using phylogenetic probes for quantification of stable isotope labeling and microbial community analysis

DOEpatents

Brodie, Eoin L; DeSantis, Todd Z; Karaoz, Ulas; Andersen, Gary L

2014-12-09

Herein is described methods for a high-sensitivity means to measure the incorporation of stable isotope labeled substrates into RNA following stable isotope probing experiments (SIP). RNA is hybridized to a set of probes such as phylogenetic microarrays and isotope incorporation is quantified such as by secondary ion mass spectrometer imaging (NanoSIMS).

A sensitive plasmonic copper(II) sensor based on gold nanoparticles deposited on ITO glass substrate.

PubMed

Ding, Lijun; Gao, Yan; Di, Junwei

2016-09-15

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) based plasmonic probe was developed for sensitive and selective detection of Cu(2+) ion. The Au NPs were self-assembled on transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) film coated glass substrate using poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PDDA) as a linker and then calcined at 400°C to obtain pure Au NPs on ITO surface (ITO/Au NPs). The probe was fabricated by functionalizing l-cysteine (Cys) on to gold surface (ITO/Au NPs/Cys). The strong chelation of Cu(2+) with Cys formed a stable Cys-Cu complex, and resulted in the red-shift of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak of the Au NPs. The introduction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the second complexant could form complex of Cys-Cu-BAS and further markedly enhanced the red-shift of the LSPR peak. This plasmonic probe provided a highly sensitive and selective detection towards Cu(2+) ions, with a wide linear detection range (10(-11)-10(-5)M) over 6 orders of magnitude. The simple and cost-effective probe was successfully applied to the determination of Cu(2+) in real samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scanning retarding field analyzer for plasma profile measurements in the boundary of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brunner, D.; LaBombard, B.; Ochoukov, R.

2013-03-15

A new Retarding Field Analyzer (RFA) head has been created for the outer-midplane scanning probe system on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. The new probe head contains back-to-back retarding field analyzers aligned with the local magnetic field. One faces 'upstream' into the field-aligned plasma flow and the other faces 'downstream' away from the flow. The RFA was created primarily to benchmark ion temperature measurements of an ion sensitive probe; it may also be used to interrogate electrons. However, its construction is robust enough to be used to measure ion and electron temperatures up to the last-closed flux surface in C-Mod. Amore » RFA probe of identical design has been attached to the side of a limiter to explore direct changes to the boundary plasma due to lower hybrid heating and current drive. Design of the high heat flux (>100 MW/m{sup 2}) handling probe and initial results are presented.« less

Rapid synthesis of N, S co-doped carbon dots and their application for Fe3+ ion detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jian; Wang, Junbin; Fu, Jinping; Fu, Xucheng; Gan, Wei; Hao, Hequn

2018-02-01

In this study, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (NSCDs) were fabricated by microwave-assisted one-pot synthesis using vitamin C and thiourea as precursors. The as-prepared NSCDs demonstrated excellent properties, including aqueous dispensability, strong fluorescence emission, excellent environmental stability, high selectivity, and sensitivity toward Fe3+ ions. The NSCD-based material can be used as a "turn off" fluorescent probe for detecting Fe3+ ions at a low detection limit (4.2 nM). In addition, the "turn off" and "turn on" of NSCD fluorescent probe could be modulated by adding Fe3+ and EDTA, indicating weak interaction between the Fe3+ ions and NSCDs.

Some experiments with the tunnel probe in a low temperature magnetized plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovačič, J.; Gyergyek, T.; Kavaš, B.; Vodnik, M.; Kavčič, J.; Gunn, J. P.

2018-02-01

Experiments were performed using a Tunnel Probe (TP) inside the weakly-ionised plasma of the Linear Magnetized Plasma Device (LMPD). The TP is designed as a concave probe, which should annihilate the problem of sheath expansion in the ion branch of the I-V characteristic. As the ion saturation current is consequently well defined, the ion parallel current and plasma density can be more accurately calculated. Furthermore the ratio between the ion saturation currents on the two collectors (tunnel ring and the back-plate) can be used to derive the electron temperature. The TP has been repeatedly used with success on the former Castor and Tore-Supra tokamaks and will be used on the upgraded version of Tore-supra, namely the WEST tokamak, as well [1, 2]. It was however never used successfully in a low-temperature plasma. We studied the feasibility of the TP use in a low-temperature plasma for direct measurements of plasma temperature and density. The various probe characteristic dimensions, such as the distance between the two collectors, the aperture size and the probe radius were varied to see influence of the individual probe feature. We also varied the level of magnetization of the charged particle species, the background gas pressure (which influences the electron energy distribution function), the plasma density (important for the ratio between the λ D and the ion Larmor radius). The sensitivity of the probe alignment to the magnetic field lines was also studied. We found, that the ion saturation current does not necessarily saturate and that the probe works according to expectations only in a limited amount of regimes.

An efficient probe for rapid detection of cyanide in water at parts per billion levels and naked-eye detection of endogenous cyanide.

PubMed

Kumari, Namita; Jha, Satadru; Bhattacharya, Santanu

2014-03-01

A new molecular probe based on an oxidized bis-indolyl skeleton has been developed for rapid and sensitive visual detection of cyanide ions in water and also for the detection of endogenously bound cyanide. The probe allows the "naked-eye" detection of cyanide ions in water with a visual color change from red to yellow (Δλmax =80 nm) with the immediate addition of the probe. It shows high selectivity towards the cyanide ion without any interference from other anions. The detection of cyanide by the probe is ratiometric, thus making the detection quantitative. A Michael-type addition reaction of the probe with the cyanide ion takes place during this chemodosimetric process. In water, the detection limit was found to be at the parts per million level, which improved drastically when a neutral micellar medium was employed, and it showed a parts-per-billion-level detection, which is even 25-fold lower than the permitted limits of cyanide in water. The probe could also efficiently detect the endogenously bound cyanide in cassava (a staple food) with a clear visual color change without requiring any sample pretreatment and/or any special reaction conditions such as pH or temperature. Thus the probe could serve as a practical naked-eye probe for "in-field" experiments without requiring any sophisticated instruments. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A scanning probe mounted on a field-effect transistor: Characterization of ion damage in Si.

PubMed

Shin, Kumjae; Lee, Hoontaek; Sung, Min; Lee, Sang Hoon; Shin, Hyunjung; Moon, Wonkyu

2017-10-01

We have examined the capabilities of a Tip-On-Gate of Field-Effect Transistor (ToGoFET) probe for characterization of FIB-induced damage in Si surface. A ToGoFET probe is the SPM probe which the Field Effect Transistor(FET) is embedded at the end of a cantilever and a Pt tip was mounted at the gate of FET. The ToGoFET probe can detect the surface electrical properties by measuring source-drain current directly modulated by the charge on the tip. In this study, a Si specimen whose surface was processed with Ga+ ion beam was prepared. Irradiation and implantation with Ga+ ions induce highly localized modifications to the contact potential. The FET embedded on ToGoFET probe detected the surface electric field profile generated by schottky contact between the Pt tip and the sample surface. Experimentally, it was shown that significant differences of electric field due to the contact potential barrier in differently processed specimens were observed using ToGOFET probe. This result shows the potential that the local contact potential difference can be measured by simple working principle with high sensitivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Highly sensitive determination of iron (III) ion based on phenanthroline probe: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lei; Ma, Ning; Park, Yeonju; Jin, Sila; Hwang, Hoon; Jiang, Dayu; Jung, Young Mee

2018-05-01

In this paper, we introduced Raman spectroscopy techniques that were based on the traditional Fe3 + determination method with phenanthroline as a probe. Interestingly, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based approach exhibited excellent sensitivities to phenanthroline. Different detection mechanisms were observed for the RR and SERS techniques, in which the RR intensity increased with increasing Fe3 + concentration due to the observation of the RR effect of the phenanthroline-Fe2 + complex, whereas the SERS intensity increased with decreasing Fe3 + concentration due to the observation of the SERS effect of the uncomplexed phenanthroline. More importantly, the determination sensitivity was substantially improved in the presence of a SERS-active substrate, giving a detection limit as low as 0.001 μg/mL, which is 20 times lower than the limit of the UV-vis and RR methods. Furthermore, the proposed SERS method was free from other ions interference and can be used quality and sensitivity for the determination of the city tap water.

Pump-probe studies of radiation induced defects and formation of warm dense matter with pulsed ion beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schenkel, T.; Persaud, A.; Gua, H.; Seidl, P. A.; Waldron, W. L.; Gilson, E. P.; Kaganovich, I. D.; Davidson, R. C.; Friedman, A.; Barnard, J. J.; Minior, A. M.

2014-10-01

We report results from the 2nd generation Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment at Berkeley Lab. NDCX-II is a pulsed, linear induction accelerator designed to drive thin foils to warm dense matter (WDM) states with peak temperatures of ~ 1 eV using intense, short pulses of 1.2 MeV lithium ions. Tunability of the ion beam enables pump-probe studies of radiation effects in solids as a function of excitation density, from isolated collision cascades to the onset of phase-transitions and WDM. Ion channeling is an in situ diagnostic of damage evolution during ion pulses with a sensitivity of <0.1% displacements per atom. We will report results from damage evolution studies in thin silicon crystals with Li + and K + beams. Detection of channeled ions tracks lattice disorder evolution with a resolution of ~ 1 ns using fast current measurements. We will discuss pump-probe experiments with pulsed ion beams and the development of diagnostics for WDM and multi-scale (ms to fs) access to the materials physics of collision cascades e.g. in fusion reactor materials. Work performed under auspices of the US DOE under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

A novel polymer probe for Zn(II) detection with ratiometric fluorescence signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diao, Haipeng; Guo, Lixia; Liu, Wen; Feng, Liheng

2018-05-01

A conjugated polymer probe comprised of fluorene, quinolone and benzothiazole units was designed and synthesized by the Suzuki coupling reaction. Through the studies of photophysical and thermal properties, the polymer displays blue-emitting feature and good thermal stability. A ratiometric fluorescence signal of the probe for Zn(II) was observed in ethanol with a new emission peak at 555 nm. The probe possesses a high selectivity and sensitivity for Zn(II) during familiar metal ions in ethanol. The detection limit of the probe for Zn (II) is up to 10-8 mol/L. The electron distributions of the polymer before and after bonding with Zn (II) were investigated by the Gaussian 09 software, which agreed with the experimental results. Noticeably, based on the color property of the probe with Zn(II), a series of color test paper were developed for visual detecting Zn(II) ions. This work helps to provide a platform or pattern for the development of polymer fluorescence probe in the chemosensor field.

Combining Structural Probes in the Gas Phase - Ion Mobility- Resolved Action-FRET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daly, Steven; MacAleese, Luke; Dugourd, Philippe; Chirot, Fabien

2018-01-01

In the context of native mass spectrometry, the development of gas-phase structural probes sensitive to the different levels of structuration of biomolecular assemblies is necessary to push forward conformational studies. In this paper, we provide the first example of the combination of ion mobility (IM) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements within the same experimental setup. The possibility to obtain mass- and mobility-resolved FRET measurements is demonstrated on a model peptide and applied to monitor the collision-induced unfolding of ubiquitin. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Characterization of sensitivity and response time of plastic optical fibre sensor to cadmium ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yulianti, I.; Putra, N. M. D.; Masturi; Albadiah, I. V.; Pratiwi, D. A.; Akmalia, N.

2018-03-01

The paper presents an investigation of sensitivity and response time of a chitosan coated-plastic optical fibre (POF) sensor to cadmium ion concentration. The sensor working principles is based on the change of light intensity transmitted by the chitosan coated POF due to the change of cadmium ion concentration. Three sensor probes were fabricated with various coating thickness which are 100.24μm (sensor A), 131.97 μm(sensor B) and 376.24μm (sensor C). The characterization was done by exposing the sensor to cadmium ion solution for various concentrations. The results showed that sample C provides the lowest sensitivity while sample B showed the highest sensitivity which are 15.04mA/ppm and 65.64mA/ppm, respectively. In terms of response time, it was showed that sample A has the highest average response time which is 20.5seconds.

Improved understanding of the ball-pen probe through particle-in-cell simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy-Sugrue, S.; Harrison, J.; Walkden, N. R.; Bryant, P.; Bradley, J. W.

2017-05-01

Ball-pen probes (BPP) have been deployed in the SOL of numerous tokamak experiments and low-temperature magnetised plasmas to make direct measurements of the plasma potential and electron temperature. Despite strong empirical evidence for the success of the BPP it lacks a theoretical underpinning of its collection mechanism. In this paper we investigate the capability of the probe to measure the plasma potential by means of particle-in-cell simulations. The BPP is found to float at a potential offset from the plasma potential by a factor {T}{{e}}{α }{{BPP}}. By simulating BPPs and Langmuir probes, excellent agreement has been found between the measured electron temperature and the specified source temperature. The transport mechanism for both ions and electrons has been determined. E × B drifts are observed to drive electrons and ions down the tunnel. This mechanism is sensitive to the diameter of the probe.

Time-resolved determination of Fe(II) ions using cysteine-bridged Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots as a phosphorimetric probe.

PubMed

Jing, Wenjie; Lu, Yuexiang; Wang, Feiyang; He, Liuying; Sun, Jingwei; Liu, Yueying

2018-05-12

A time-resolved phosphorescence (TRP) is applied to the highly sensitive determination of Fe(II) ions. The method is based on the use of a phosphorescent probe consisting of cysteine-bridged Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (Mn/ZnS QDs). The presence of cysteine enhances the phosphorescence of the QDs and also increases the efficiency of quenching caused by Fe(II) ions. This results in strongly improved selectivity for Fe(II). The linear response is obtained in the concentration range of 50-1000 nM with a 19 nM detection limit. Phosphorescence is recorded at excitation/emission peaks of 301/602 nm. The interference of short-lived fluorescent and scattering background from the biological fluids is eliminated by using the TRP mode with a delay time of 200 μs. The determination of Fe(II) in human serum samples spiked at a 150 nM level gave a 92.4% recovery when using the TRP mode, but only 52.4% when using steady-state phosphorescence. This demonstrates that this probe along with TRP detection enables highly sensitive and accurate determination of Fe(II) in serum. Graphical abstract Schematic of a novel phosphorescent method for the detection of Fe 2+ ions based on cysteine-bridged Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots. The sensitivity of this assay greatly increases due to the addition of cysteine. Interferences by short-lived auto-fluorescence and the scattering light from the biological fluids is eliminated by using time-resolved phosphorescence mode.

Optimization of a low noise detection circuit for probing the structure of damage cascades with IBIC

DOE PAGES

Auden, Elizabeth C.; Doyle, Barney L.; Bielejec, Edward; ...

2015-06-18

Optimal detector / pre-amplifier combinations have been identified for the use of light ion IBIC (ion beam induced charge) to probe the physical structure of electrically active defects in damage cascades caused by heavy ion implantation. The ideal detector must have a sufficiently thin dead layer that incident ions will produce the majority of damage cascades in the depletion region of the detector rather than the dead layer. Detector and circuit noise must be low enough to detect the implantation of a single heavy ion as well as the decrease in the light ion IBIC signal caused by Shockley-Read-Hall recombinationmore » when the beam scans regions of the detector damaged by the heavy ion. The IBIC signals from three detectors irradiated with 750 keV He⁺ ions are measured with commercial and bespoke charge sensitive pre-amplifiers to identify the combination with the lowest noise.« less

A facile strategy for achieving high selective Zn(II) fluorescence probe by regulating the solvent polarity.

PubMed

Wang, Haoping; Kang, Tiantian; Wang, Xiaoju; Feng, Liheng

2018-07-01

A simple Schiff base comprised of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine and salicylaldehyde was designed and synthesized by one-step reaction. Although this compound has poor selectivity for metal ions in acetonitrile, it shows high selectivity and sensitivity detection for Zn(II) ions through adjusting the solvent polarity (the volume ratio of CH 3 CN/H 2 O). In other words, this work provides a facile way to realize a transformation from poor to excellent feature for fluorescent probes. The bonding mode of this probe with Zn(II) ions was verified by 1 H NMR and MS assays. The stoichiometric ratio of the probe with Zn(II) is 1:1 (mole), which matches with the Job-plot assay. The detection limitation of the probe for Zn(II) is up to 1 × 10 -8 mol/L. The electrochemical property of the probe combined with Zn(II) was investigated by cyclic voltammetry method, and the result agreed with the theoretical calculation by the Gaussian 09 software. The probe for Zn(II) could be applied in practical samples and biological systems. The main contribution of this work lies in providing a very simple method to realize the selectivity transformation for poor selective probes. The providing way is a simple, easy and low-cost method for obtaining high selectively fluorescence probes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitive and selective SERS probe for trivalent chromium detection using citrate attached gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Ye, Yingjie; Liu, Honglin; Yang, Liangbao; Liu, Jinhuai

2012-10-21

In this article, we have demonstrated a sensitive and selective surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probe, based on citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), for trivalent chromium (Cr(3+)) detection. After introducing Tween 20 to a solution of citrate-capped AuNPs, the as-prepared Tween 20/citrate-AuNP probe could recognize Cr(3+) at a 50 × 10(-9) M level in an aqueous medium at a pH of 6.0. Tween 20 can stabilize the citrate-capped AuNPs against conditions of high ionic strength. Due to the chelation between Cr(3+) and citrate ions, AuNPs undergo aggregation. As a result, it formed several hot spots and provided a significant enhancement of the Raman signal intensity through electromagnetic (EM) field enhancements. A detailed mechanism for tremendous SERS intensity change had been discussed. The selectivity of this system toward Cr(3+) was 400-fold, remarkably greater than other metal ions.

A novel colorimetric and turn-on fluorescent chemosensor for iron(III) ion detection and its application to cellular imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Aoheng; Wang, Hongqing; Wang, Yuyuan; Huang, Qiao; Zhang, Qin

2016-11-01

A novel rhodamine-based dual probe Rh-2 for trivalent ferric ions (Fe3 +) was successfully designed and synthesized, which exhibited a highly sensitive and selective recognition towards Fe3 + with an enhanced fluorescence emission in methanol-water media (v/v = 7/3, pH = 7.2). The probe Rh-2 could be applied to the determination of Fe3 + with a linear range covering from 3.0 × 10- 7 to 1.4 × 10- 5 M and a detection limit of 1.24 × 10- 8 M. Meanwhile, the binding ratio of Rh-2 and Fe3 + was found to be 1:1. Most importantly, the fluorescence and color signal changes of the Rh-2 solution were specific to Fe3 + over other commonly coexistent metal ions. Moreover, the probe Rh-2 has been used to image Fe3 + in living cells with satisfying results.

CdS quantum dots as fluorescence probes for the sensitive and selective detection of highly reactive HSe- ions in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Wu, Chuan-Liu; Zhao, Yi-Bing

2007-06-01

Water-soluble cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots (QDs) capped by mercaptoacetic acid were synthesized by aqueous-phase arrested precipitation, and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, spectrofluorometry, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The prepared luminescent water-soluble CdS QDs were evaluated as fluorescence probes for the detection of highly reactive hydrogen selenide ions (HSe(-) ions). The quenching of the fluorescence emission of CdS QDs with the addition of HSe(-) ions is due to the elimination of the S(2-) vacancies which are luminescence centers. Quantitative analysis based on chemical interaction between HSe(-) ions and the surface of CdS QDs is very simple, easy to develop, and has demonstrated very high sensitivity and selectivity features. The effect of foreign ions (common anions and biologically relevant cations) on the fluorescence of the CdS QDs was examined to evaluate the selectivity. Only Cu(2+) and S(2-) ions exhibit significant effects on the fluorescence of CdS QDs. With the developed method, we are able to determine the concentration of HSe(-) ions in the range from 0.10 to 4.80 micromol L(-1), and the limit of detection is 0.087 micromol L(-1). The proposed method was successfully applied to monitor the obtained HSe(-) ions from the reaction of glutathione with selenite. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on fluorescence analysis of HSe(-) ions in aqueous solution.

Thiazole derivative-modified upconversion nanoparticles for Hg2+ detection in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Bin; Zhou, Yi; Zhang, Xiao; Liu, Xiaowang; Zhang, Yuhai; Marks, Robert; Zhang, Hua; Liu, Xiaogang; Zhang, Qichun

2015-12-01

Mercury ion (Hg2+) is an extremely toxic ion, which will accumulate in human bodies and cause severe nervous system damage. Therefore, the sensitive and efficient monitoring of Hg2+ in human bodies is of great importance. Upconversion nanoparticle (UCNPs) based nano probes exhibit no autofluorescence, deep penetration depth and chemical stability in biological samples, as well as a large anti-stokes shift. In this study, we have developed thiazole-derivative-functionalized UCNPs, and employed an upconversion emission intensity ratio of 540 nm to 803 nm (I540/I803) as a ratiometric signal to detect Hg2+ in living cells showing excellent photo stability and high selectivity. Our nano probe was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The low cytotoxicity of our probe was confirmed by an MTT assay and the UCL test in HeLa cells was carried out by confocal microscopy. Our results demonstrated that organic-dye-functionalized UCNPs should be a good strategy for detecting toxic metal ions when studying cellular biosystems.Mercury ion (Hg2+) is an extremely toxic ion, which will accumulate in human bodies and cause severe nervous system damage. Therefore, the sensitive and efficient monitoring of Hg2+ in human bodies is of great importance. Upconversion nanoparticle (UCNPs) based nano probes exhibit no autofluorescence, deep penetration depth and chemical stability in biological samples, as well as a large anti-stokes shift. In this study, we have developed thiazole-derivative-functionalized UCNPs, and employed an upconversion emission intensity ratio of 540 nm to 803 nm (I540/I803) as a ratiometric signal to detect Hg2+ in living cells showing excellent photo stability and high selectivity. Our nano probe was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The low cytotoxicity of our probe was confirmed by an MTT assay and the UCL test in HeLa cells was carried out by confocal microscopy. Our results demonstrated that organic-dye-functionalized UCNPs should be a good strategy for detecting toxic metal ions when studying cellular biosystems. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: NMR, MALDI-TOF MS spectra, etc. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05286f

A novel fluorescent probe (dtpa-bis(cytosine)) for detection of Eu(III) in rare earth metal ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fan; Ren, Peipei; Liu, Guanhong; Song, Youtao; Bu, Naishun; Wang, Jun

2018-03-01

In this paper, a novel fluorescent probe, dtpa-bis(cytosine), was designed and synthesized for detecting europium (Eu3 +) ion. Upon addition of Eu3 + ions into the dtpa-bis(cytosine) solution, the fluorescence intensity can strongly be enhanced. Conversely, adding other rare earth metal ions, such as Y3 +, Ce3 +, Pr3 +, Nd3 +, Sm3 +, Gd3 +, Tb3 +, Dy3 +, Ho3 +, Er3 +, Yb3 + and Lu3 +, into dtpa-bis(cytosine) solution, the fluorescence intensity is decreased slightly. Some parameters affecting the fluorescence intensity of dtpa-bis(cytosine) solution in the presence of Eu3 + ions were investigated, including solution pH value, Eu3 + ion concentration and interfering substances. The detection mechanism of Eu3 + ion using dtpa-bis(cytosine) as fluorescent probe was proposed. Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence emission intensities of EuIII-dtpa-bis(cytosine) at 375 nm in the concentration range of 0.50 × 10- 5 mol • L- 1-5.00 × 10- 5 mol • L- 1 of Eu3 + ion display a better linear relationship. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined as 8.65 × 10- 7 mol • L- 1 and the corresponding correlation coefficient (R2) of the linear equation is 0.9807. It is wished that the proposed method could be applied for sensitively and selectively detecting Eu3 + ion.

A selectively rhodamine-based colorimetric probe for detecting copper(II) ion.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiangang; Zhang, Li; Wei, Yanli; Chao, Jianbing; Shuang, Shaomin; Cai, Zongwei; Dong, Chuan

2014-11-11

A novel rhodamine derivative 3-bromo-5-methylsalicylaldehyde rhodamine B hydrazone (BMSRH) has been synthesized by reacting rhodamine B hydrazide with 3-bromo-5-methylsalicylaldehyde and developed as a new colorimetric probe for the selective and sensitive detection of Cu2+. Addition of Cu2+ to the solution of BMSRH results in a rapid color change from colorless to red together with an obvious new band appeared at 552 nm in the UV-vis absorption spectra. This change is attributed to the spirocycle form of BMSRH opened via coordination with Cu2+ in a 1:1 stoichiometry and their association constant is determined as 3.2×10(4) L mol(-1). Experimental results indicate that the BMSRH can provide a rapid, selective and sensitive response to Cu2+ with a linear dynamic range 0.667-240 μmol/L. Common interferent ions do not show any interference on the Cu2+ determination. It is anticipated that BMSRH can be a good candidate probe and has potential application for Cu2+ determination. The proposed probe exhibits the following advantages: a quick, simple and facile synthesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of mercury (II) ion biosensors based on mercury-specific oligonucleotide probes.

PubMed

Li, Lanying; Wen, Yanli; Xu, Li; Xu, Qin; Song, Shiping; Zuo, Xiaolei; Yan, Juan; Zhang, Weijia; Liu, Gang

2016-01-15

Mercury (II) ion (Hg(2+)) contamination can be accumulated along the food chain and cause serious threat to the public health. Plenty of research effort thus has been devoted to the development of fast, sensitive and selective biosensors for monitoring Hg(2+). Thymine was demonstrated to specifically combine with Hg(2+) and form a thymine-Hg(2+)-thymine (T-Hg(2+)-T) structure, with binding constant even higher than T-A Watson-Crick pair in DNA duplex. Recently, various novel Hg(2+) biosensors have been developed based on T-rich Mercury-Specific Oligonucleotide (MSO) probes, and exhibited advanced selectivity and excellent sensitivity for Hg(2+) detection. In this review, we explained recent development of MSO-based Hg(2+) biosensors mainly in 3 groups: fluorescent biosensors, colorimetric biosensors and electrochemical biosensors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A multifunctional fluorescence sensor for Cd2+, PO43- and Cr3+ in different system and the practical application.

PubMed

Wang, Qingming; Tan, Yingzi; Wang, Nianhua; Lu, Zhixiang; Wang, Wenling

2018-05-07

A fluorescence probe based on thiosemicarbazide has been synthesized and well characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, Elemental analysis, Electrospray ionization mass spectra. The probe 1 functions as a multitarget ion sensor, detect biologically and ecologically important Cd 2+ , PO 4 3- and Cr 3+ . Meanwhile, probe 1 displays selectivity for Cd 2+ over other metal ions and anions in DMF by emission spectrum. Interestingly, probe 1 has been explored to recognize PO 4 3- in CH 3 OH-H 2 O (v:v = 1:9). The binding stoichiometry of probe 1 with Cd 2+ and PO 4 3- are 2:1 and 1:1, respectively, which are confirmed by Electrospray ionization mass spectra. Probe 1 is selective, sensitive and reversibility/reusability to Cd 2+ and PO 4 3- with the detection limit as low as 0.035 μM and 0.011 μM respectively. Besides, the designed probe 1 has shown potential applications in the area of photo-printing. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A novel polymer probe for Zn(II) detection with ratiometric fluorescence signal.

PubMed

Diao, Haipeng; Guo, Lixia; Liu, Wen; Feng, Liheng

2018-05-05

A conjugated polymer probe comprised of fluorene, quinolone and benzothiazole units was designed and synthesized by the Suzuki coupling reaction. Through the studies of photophysical and thermal properties, the polymer displays blue-emitting feature and good thermal stability. A ratiometric fluorescence signal of the probe for Zn(II) was observed in ethanol with a new emission peak at 555 nm. The probe possesses a high selectivity and sensitivity for Zn(II) during familiar metal ions in ethanol. The detection limit of the probe for Zn (II) is up to 10 -8  mol/L. The electron distributions of the polymer before and after bonding with Zn (II) were investigated by the Gaussian 09 software, which agreed with the experimental results. Noticeably, based on the color property of the probe with Zn(II), a series of color test paper were developed for visual detecting Zn(II) ions. This work helps to provide a platform or pattern for the development of polymer fluorescence probe in the chemosensor field. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cadmium sulfide nanocluster-based electrochemical stripping detection of DNA hybridization.

PubMed

Zhu, Ningning; Zhang, Aiping; He, Pingang; Fang, Yuzhi

2003-03-01

A novel, sensitive electrochemical DNA hybridization detection assay, using cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoclusters as the oligonucleotide labeling tag, is described. The assay relies on the hybridization of the target DNA with the CdS nanocluster oligonucleotide DNA probe, followed by the dissolution of the CdS nanoclusters anchored on the hybrids and the indirect determination of the dissolved cadmium ions by sensitive anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) at a mercury-coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The results showed that only a complementary sequence could form a double-stranded dsDNA-CdS with the DNA probe and give an obvious electrochemical response. A three-base mismatch sequence and non-complementary sequence had negligible response. The combination of the large number of cadmium ions released from each dsDNA hybrid with the remarkable sensitivity of the electrochemical stripping analysis for cadmium at mercury-film GCE allows detection at levels as low as 0.2 pmol L(-1) of the complementary sequence of DNA.

A carbon dot-based "off-on" fluorescent probe for highly selective and sensitive detection of phytic acid.

PubMed

Gao, Zhao; Wang, Libing; Su, Rongxin; Huang, Renliang; Qi, Wei; He, Zhimin

2015-08-15

We herein report a facile, one-step pyrolysis synthesis of photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) using citric acid as the carbon source and lysine as the surface passivation reagent. The as-prepared CDs show narrow size distribution, excellent blue fluorescence and good photo-stability and water dispersivity. The fluorescence of the CDs was found to be effectively quenched by ferric (Fe(III)) ions with high selectivity via a photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process. Upon addition of phytic acid (PA) to the CDs/Fe(III) complex dispersion, the fluorescence of the CDs was significantly recovered, arising from the release of Fe(III) ions from the CDs/Fe(III) complex because PA has a higher affinity for Fe(III) ions compared to CDs. Furthermore, we developed an "off-on" fluorescence assay method for the detection of phytic acid using CDs/Fe(III) as a fluorescent probe. This probe enables the selective detection of PA with a linear range of 0.68-18.69 μM and a limit of detection (signal-to-noise ratio is 3) of 0.36 μM. The assay method demonstrates high selectivity, repeatability, stability and recovery ratio in the detection of the standard and real PA samples. We believe that the facile operation, low-cost, high sensitivity and selectivity render this CD-based "off-on" fluorescent probe an ideal sensing platform for the detection of PA. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of nanowire specimens for laser-assisted atom probe tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blumtritt, H.; Isheim, D.; Senz, S.; Seidman, D. N.; Moutanabbir, O.

2014-10-01

The availability of reliable and well-engineered commercial instruments and data analysis software has led to development in recent years of robust and ergonomic atom-probe tomographs. Indeed, atom-probe tomography (APT) is now being applied to a broader range of materials classes that involve highly important scientific and technological problems in materials science and engineering. Dual-beam focused-ion beam microscopy and its application to the fabrication of APT microtip specimens have dramatically improved the ability to probe a variety of systems. However, the sample preparation is still challenging especially for emerging nanomaterials such as epitaxial nanowires which typically grow vertically on a substrate through metal-catalyzed vapor phase epitaxy. The size, morphology, density, and sensitivity to radiation damage are the most influential parameters in the preparation of nanowire specimens for APT. In this paper, we describe a step-by-step process methodology to allow a precisely controlled, damage-free transfer of individual, short silicon nanowires onto atom probe microposts. Starting with a dense array of tiny nanowires and using focused ion beam, we employed a sequence of protective layers and markers to identify the nanowire to be transferred and probed while protecting it against Ga ions during lift-off processing and tip sharpening. Based on this approach, high-quality three-dimensional atom-by-atom maps of single aluminum-catalyzed silicon nanowires are obtained using a highly focused ultraviolet laser-assisted local electrode atom probe tomograph.

A fluorescent nanosensor based on graphene quantum dots-aptamer probe and graphene oxide platform for detection of lead (II) ion.

PubMed

Qian, Zhao Sheng; Shan, Xiao Yue; Chai, Lu Jing; Chen, Jian Rong; Feng, Hui

2015-06-15

The sensitive detection of heavy metal ions in the organism and aquatic ecosystem using nanosensors based on environment friendly and biocompatible materials still remains a challenge. A fluorescent turn-on nanosensor for lead (II) detection based on biocompatible graphene quantum dots and graphene oxide by employment of Pb(2+)-induced G-quadruplex formation was reported. Graphene quantum dots with high quantum yield, good biocompatibility were prepared and served as the fluorophore of Pb(2+) probe. Fluorescence turn-off of graphene quantum dots is easily achieved through efficient photoinduced electron transfer between graphene quantum dots and graphene oxide, and subsequent fluorescence turn-on process is due to the formation of G-quadraplex aptamer-Pb(2+) complex triggered by the addition of Pb(2+). This nanosensor can distinguish Pb(2+) ion from other ions with high sensitivity and good reproducibility. The detection method based on this nanosensor possesses a fast response time of one minute, a broad linear span of up to 400.0 nM and ultralow detection limit of 0.6 nM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of ion-sensitive sensors in water quality monitoring.

PubMed

Winkler, S; Rieger, L; Saracevic, E; Pressl, A; Gruber, G

2004-01-01

Within the last years a trend towards in-situ monitoring can be observed, i.e. most new sensors for water quality monitoring are designed for direct installation in the medium, compact in size and use measurement principles which minimise maintenance demand. Ion-sensitive sensors (Ion-Sensitive-Electrode--ISE) are based on a well known measurement principle and recently some manufacturers have released probe types which are specially adapted for application in water quality monitoring. The function principle of ISE-sensors, their advantages, limitations and the different methods for sensor calibration are described. Experiences with ISE-sensors from applications in sewer networks, at different sampling points within wastewater treatment plants and for surface water monitoring are reported. An estimation of investment and operation costs in comparison to other sensor types is given.

Rapid and Highly Sensitive Detection of Lead Ions in Drinking Water Based on a Strip Immunosensor

PubMed Central

Kuang, Hua; Xing, Changrui; Hao, Changlong; Liu, Liqiang; Wang, Libing; Xu, Chuanlai

2013-01-01

In this study, we have first developed a rapid and sensitive strip immunosensor based on two heterogeneously-sized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) probes for the detection of trace lead ions in drinking water. The sensitivity was 4-fold higher than that of the conventional LFA under the optimized conditions. The visual limit of detection (LOD) of the amplified method for qualitative detection lead ions was 2 ng/mL and the LOD for semi-quantitative detection could go down to 0.19 ng/mL using a scanning reader. The method suffered from no interference from other metal ions and could be used to detect trace lead ions in drinking water without sample enrichment. The recovery of the test samples ranged from 96% to 103%. As the detection method could be accomplished within 15 min, this method could be used as a potential tool for preliminary monitoring of lead contamination in drinking water. PMID:23539028

Structural Sensitivity of a Prokaryotic Pentameric Ligand-gated Ion Channel to Its Membrane Environment*

PubMed Central

Labriola, Jonathan M.; Pandhare, Akash; Jansen, Michaela; Blanton, Michael P.; Corringer, Pierre-Jean; Baenziger, John E.

2013-01-01

Although the activity of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is exquisitely sensitive to its membrane environment, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. The homologous prokaryotic pentameric ligand-gated ion channel, Gloebacter ligand-gated ion channel (GLIC), represents an excellent model for probing the molecular basis of nAChR sensitivity because of its high structural homology, relative ease of expression, and amenability to crystallographic analysis. We show here that membrane-reconstituted GLIC exhibits structural and biophysical properties similar to those of the membrane-reconstituted nAChR, although GLIC is substantially more thermally stable. GLIC, however, does not possess the same exquisite lipid sensitivity. In particular, GLIC does not exhibit the same propensity to adopt an uncoupled conformation where agonist binding is uncoupled from channel gating. Structural comparisons provide insight into the chemical features that may predispose the nAChR to the formation of an uncoupled state. PMID:23463505

A novel acidic pH fluorescent probe based on a benzothiazole derivative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Qiujuan; Li, Xian; Feng, Suxiang; Liang, Beibei; Zhou, Tiqiang; Xu, Min; Ma, Zhuoyi

2017-04-01

A novel acidic pH fluorescent probe 1 based on a benzothiazole derivative has been designed, synthesized and developed. The linear response range covers the acidic pH range from 3.44 to 6.46, which is valuable for pH researches in acidic environment. The evaluated pKa value of the probe 1 is 4.23. The fluorescence enhancement of the studied probe 1 with an increase in hydrogen ions concentration is based on the hindering of enhanced photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process. Moreover, the pH sensor possesses a highly selective response to H+ in the presence of metal ions, anions and other bioactive small molecules which would be interfere with its fluorescent pH response. Furthermore, the probe 1 responds to acidic pH with short response time that was less than 1 min. The probe 1 has been successfully applied to confocal fluorescence imaging in live HeLa cells and can selectively stain lysosomes. All of such good properties prove it can be used to monitoring pH fluctuations in acidic environment with high sensitivity, pH dependence and short response time.

Mapping of Heavy Metal Ion Sorption to Cell-Extracellular Polymeric Substance-Mineral Aggregates by Using Metal-Selective Fluorescent Probes and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

PubMed Central

Li, Jianli; Kappler, Andreas; Obst, Martin

2013-01-01

Biofilms, organic matter, iron/aluminum oxides, and clay minerals bind toxic heavy metal ions and control their fate and bioavailability in the environment. The spatial relationship of metal ions to biomacromolecules such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in biofilms with microbial cells and biogenic minerals is complex and occurs at the micro- and submicrometer scale. Here, we review the application of highly selective and sensitive metal fluorescent probes for confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) that were originally developed for use in life sciences and propose their suitability as a powerful tool for mapping heavy metals in environmental biofilms and cell-EPS-mineral aggregates (CEMAs). The benefit of using metal fluorescent dyes in combination with CLSM imaging over other techniques such as electron microscopy is that environmental samples can be analyzed in their natural hydrated state, avoiding artifacts such as aggregation from drying that is necessary for analytical electron microscopy. In this minireview, we present data for a group of sensitive fluorescent probes highly specific for Fe3+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Hg2+, illustrating the potential of their application in environmental science. We evaluate their application in combination with other fluorescent probes that label constituents of CEMAs such as DNA or polysaccharides and provide selection guidelines for potential combinations of fluorescent probes. Correlation analysis of spatially resolved heavy metal distributions with EPS and biogenic minerals in their natural, hydrated state will further our understanding of the behavior of metals in environmental systems since it allows for identifying bonding sites in complex, heterogeneous systems. PMID:23974141

Phase-Sensitive Control Of Molecular Dissociation Through Attosecond Pump/Strong-Field Mid-IR Probe Spectroscopy

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-15

overarching goal of our program was to develop a novel laser and ion spectroscopy system and to use it for the study of strong-field light-matter...are accelerated into the ion TOF by means of a Fig. I.1 Schematic of ion spectroscopy with two color (EUV + mid-IR) laser fields, as constructed at...Abstract The overarching goal of our program was to develop a novel laser and ion spectroscopy system and to use it for the study of strong-field light

Sensitive detection of strong acidic condition by a novel rhodamine-based fluorescent pH chemosensor.

PubMed

Tan, Jia-Lian; Yang, Ting-Ting; Liu, Yu; Zhang, Xue; Cheng, Shu-Jin; Zuo, Hua; He, Huawei

2016-05-01

A novel rhodamine-based fluorescent pH probe responding to extremely low pH values has been synthesized and characterized. This probe showed an excellent photophysical response to pH on the basis that the colorless spirocyclic structure under basic conditions opened to a colored and highly fluorescent form under extreme acidity. The quantitative relationship between fluorescence intensity and pH value (1.75-2.62) was consistent with the equilibrium equation pH = pKa + log[(Imax - I)/(I - Imin)]. This sensitive pH probe was also characterized with good reversibility and no interaction with interfering metal ions, and was successfully applied to image Escherichia coli under strong acidity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Electrical potential-assisted DNA hybridization. How to mitigate electrostatics for surface DNA hybridization.

PubMed

Tymoczko, Jakub; Schuhmann, Wolfgang; Gebala, Magdalena

2014-12-24

Surface-confined DNA hybridization reactions are sensitive to the number and identity of DNA capture probes and experimental conditions such as the nature and the ionic strength of the electrolyte solution. When the surface probe density is high or the concentration of bulk ions is much lower than the concentration of ions within the DNA layer, hybridization is significantly slowed down or does not proceed at all. However, high-density DNA monolayers are attractive for designing high-sensitivity DNA sensors. Thus, circumventing sluggish DNA hybridization on such interfaces allows a high surface concentration of target DNA and improved signal/noise ratio. We present potential-assisted hybridization as a strategy in which an external voltage is applied to the ssDNA-modified interface during the hybridization process. Results show that a significant enhancement of hybridization can be achieved using this approach.

Colorimetric detection of trace copper ions based on catalytic leaching of silver-coated gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lou, Tingting; Chen, Lingxin; Chen, Zhaopeng; Wang, Yunqing; Chen, Ling; Li, Jinhua

2011-11-01

A colorimetric, label-free, and nonaggregation-based silver coated gold nanoparticles (Ag/Au NPs) probe has been developed for detection of trace Cu(2+) in aqueous solution, based on the fact that Cu(2+) can accelerate the leaching rate of Ag/Au NPs by thiosulfate (S(2)O(3)(2-)). The leaching of Ag/Au NPs would lead to dramatic decrease in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption as the size of Ag/Au NPs decreased. This colorimetric strategy based on size-dependence of nanoparticles during their leaching process provided a highly sensitive (1.0 nM) and selective detection toward Cu(2+), with a wide linear detection range (5-800 nM) over nearly 3 orders of magnitude. The cost-effective probe allows rapid and sensitive detection of trace Cu(2+) ions in water samples, indicating its potential applicability for the determination of copper in real samples.

A novel fluorescent probe (dtpa-bis(cytosine)) for detection of Eu(III) in rare earth metal ions.

PubMed

Yang, Fan; Ren, Peipei; Liu, Guanhong; Song, Youtao; Bu, Naishun; Wang, Jun

2018-03-15

In this paper, a novel fluorescent probe, dtpa-bis(cytosine), was designed and synthesized for detecting europium (Eu 3+ ) ion. Upon addition of Eu 3+ ions into the dtpa-bis(cytosine) solution, the fluorescence intensity can strongly be enhanced. Conversely, adding other rare earth metal ions, such as Y 3+ , Ce 3+ , Pr 3+ , Nd 3+ , Sm 3+ , Gd 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Ho 3+ , Er 3+ , Yb 3+ and Lu 3+ , into dtpa-bis(cytosine) solution, the fluorescence intensity is decreased slightly. Some parameters affecting the fluorescence intensity of dtpa-bis(cytosine) solution in the presence of Eu 3+ ions were investigated, including solution pH value, Eu 3+ ion concentration and interfering substances. The detection mechanism of Eu 3+ ion using dtpa-bis(cytosine) as fluorescent probe was proposed. Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence emission intensities of Eu III -dtpa-bis(cytosine) at 375nm in the concentration range of 0.50×10 -5 mol∙L -1 -5.00×10 -5 mol∙L -1 of Eu 3+ ion display a better linear relationship. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined as 8.65×10 -7 mol∙L -1 and the corresponding correlation coefficient (R 2 ) of the linear equation is 0.9807. It is wished that the proposed method could be applied for sensitively and selectively detecting Eu 3+ ion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Linear Schiff-base fluorescence probe with aggregation-induced emission characteristics for Al3+ detection and its application in live cell imaging.

PubMed

Wen, Xiaoye; Fan, Zhefeng

2016-11-16

A simple Schiff-base derivative with salicylaldehyde moieties as fluorescent probe 1 was reported by aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characterization for the detection of metal ions. Spectral analysis revealed that probe 1 was highly selective and sensitive to Al 3+ . The probe 1 was also subject to minimal interference from other common competitive metal ions. The detection limit of Al 3+ was 0.4 μM, which is considerably lower than the World Health Organization standard (7.41 μM), and the acceptable level of Al 3+ (1.85 μM) in drinking water. The Job's plot and the results of 1 H-NMR and FT-IR analyses indicated that the binding stoichiometry ratio of probe 1 to Al 3+ was 1:2. Probe 1 demonstrated a fluorescence-enhanced response upon binding with Al 3+ based on AIE characterization. This response was due to the restricted molecular rotation and increased rigidity of the molecular assembly. Probe 1 exhibited good biocompatibility, and Al 3+ was detected in live cells. Therefore, probe 1 is a promising fluorescence probe for Al 3+ detection in the environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Copper nanocluster coupling europium as an off-to-on fluorescence probe for the determination of phosphate ion in water samples.

PubMed

Cao, Haiyan; Chen, Zhaohui; Huang, Yuming

2015-10-01

This paper reports an "off-to-on" fluorescence (FL) probe for sensitively and selectively detecting phosphate ions (Pi's). Fabrication of the probe was based on the competition between Pi's and tannic acid-stabilized copper nanoclusters (TA-Cu NCs) for Eu(3+) binding. The addition of Eu(3+) ions to TA-Cu NCs triggered the aggregation of TA-Cu NCs, which quenched the FL of TA-Cu NCs. After Pi addition, the aggregated TA-Cu NCs solubilized into the aqueous solution to facilitate the Pi-triggered dispersion of TA-Cu NCs. This phenomenon was due to the stronger binding ability between Pi's and Eu(3+) than that between TA and Eu(3+), leading to FL recovery of Cu NCs. The degree of redispersion of TA-Cu NCs was directly related to Pi concentration. Thus, Pi concentration can be quantitatively determined by the change in FL of the TA-Cu NCs dispersion. Under the optimized conditions, the change in FL presented a linear relationship with Pi concentration from 0.07 μmol L(-1) to 80 μmol L(-1). The limit of detection for Pi was 9.6×10(-3) μmol L(-1) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. For Pi determination in real samples, only 1 mL water sample was needed. The proposed probe was highly sensitive, free from the interference of other common species in aqueous media, and particularly useful for the fast and simple diagnosis of water-eutrophication extent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New highly sensitive and selective fluorescent terbium complex for the detection of aluminium ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anwar, Zeinab M.; Ibrahim, Ibrahim A.; Kamel, Rasha M.; Abdel-Salam, Enas T.; El-Asfoury, Mahmoud H.

2018-02-01

A highly sensitive and selective spectrofluorimetric method has been developed for the rapid determination of aluminium ions. The method is based on the fluorescence enhancement of Tb complex with 3,4-dimetyl-thieno[2,3 b] thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (LN) after addition trace amount of aluminium ions. The fluorescence of the probe is monitored at the characteristic an emission wavelength of Tb3+ at 545 nm with excitation at 300 nm. Optimum detection was obtained in DMSO-H2O (2:8, v/v) and at pH 6.0 using MOPSO buffer. Under the optimum conditions linear calibration curves were obtained from 0.5 μ mol L-1 to 20 μ mol L-1 with detection limit of 0.1 μ mol L-1. Effect of interference of other ions was studied.

Nuclear nanoprobe development for visualization of three-dimensional nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takai, M.; Abo, S.; Wakaya, F.; Kikuchi, T.; Sawaragi, H.

2007-08-01

A nanoprobe system, having a liquid metal ion source with a compact electrostatic accelerating column with a maximum accelerating voltage of 200 kV and an ultra high vacuum chamber, giving rise to the enhanced sensitivity because of the large scattering cross-section, has been designed for analysis of nanostructures. The focusing performance of the probes down to 10 nm was measured and compared with the simulation. Time-of-flight (TOF) RBS using a micro channel plate (MCP) further increases the sensitivity because of the increase in acceptance angle, which realizes the visualization of nanostructures with a beam spot diameter less than 10 nm with less probe damage.

Colorimetric and fluorescent detection of hydrazine with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Bingjie; Qi, Sujie; Yu, Mingming; Liu, Chunxia; Li, Zhanxian; Wei, Liuhe; Ni, Zhonghai

2018-01-01

It is critical to develop probes for rapid, selective, and sensitive detection of the highly toxic hydrazine in both environmental and biological science. In this work, under mild condition, a novel colorimetric and off-on fluorescent probe was synthesized for rapid recognition of hydrazine with excellent selectivity over other various species including some biological species, metal ions and anions. The limit of quantification (LOQ) value was 1.5 × 10- 4 M-3.2 × 10- 3 M (colorimetric method) and 1.5 × 10- 4 M - 3.2 × 10- 3 M (fluorescent method) with as low as detection limit of 46.2 μM.

Fluorescent Sensing of Fluoride in Cellular System

PubMed Central

Jiao, Yang; Zhu, Baocun; Chen, Jihua; Duan, Xiaohong

2015-01-01

Fluoride ions have the important roles in a lot of physiological activities related with biological and medical system, such as water fluoridation, caries treatment, and bone disease treatment. Great efforts have been made to develop new methods and strategies for F- detection in the past decades. Traditional methods for the detection of F- including ion chromatography, ion-selective electrodes, and spectroscopic techniques have the limitations in the biomedicine research. The fluorescent probes for F- are very promising that overcome some drawbacks of traditional fluoride detection methods. These probes exhibit high selectivity, high sensitivity as well as quick response to the detection of fluoride anions. The review commences with a brief description of photophysical mechanisms for fluorescent probes for fluoride, including photo induced electron transfer (PET), intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). Followed by a discussion about common dyes for fluorescent fluoride probes, such as anthracene, naphalimide, pyrene, BODIPY, fluorescein, rhodamine, resorufin, coumarin, cyanine, and near-infrared (NIR) dyes. We divide the fluorescent probes for fluoride in cellular application systems into nine groups, for example, type of hydrogen bonds, type of cleavage of Si-O bonds, type of Si-O bond cleavage and cylization reactions, etc. We also review the recent reported carriers in the delivery of fluorescent fluoride probes. Seventy-four typical fluorescent fluoride probes are listed and compared in detail, including quantum yield, reaction medium, excitation and emission wavelengths, linear detection range, selectivity for F-, mechanism, and analytical applications. Finally, we discuss the future challenges of the application of fluorescent fluoride probes in cellular system and in vivo. We wish that more and more excellent fluorescent fluoride probes will be developed and applied in the biomedicine field in the future. PMID:25553106

Colorimetric assay for lead ions based on the leaching of gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-You; Chang, Huan-Tsung; Shiang, Yen-Chun; Hung, Yu-Lun; Chiang, Cheng-Kang; Huang, Chih-Ching

2009-11-15

A colorimetric, label-free, and nonaggregation-based gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) probe has been developed for the detection of Pb(2+) in aqueous solution, based on the fact that Pb(2+) ions accelerate the leaching rate of Au NPs by thiosulfate (S(2)O(3)(2-)) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). Au NPs reacted with S(2)O(3)(2-) ions in solution to form Au(S(2)O(3))(2)(3-) complexes on the Au NP surfaces, leading to slight decreases in their surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption. Surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-TOF MS) data reveals the formation of Pb-Au alloys on the surfaces of the Au NPs in the presence of Pb(2+) ions and 2-ME. The formation of Pb-Au alloys accelerated the Au NPs rapidly dissolved into solution, leading to dramatic decreases in the SPR absorption. The 2-ME/S(2)O(3)(2-)-Au NP probe is highly sensitive (LOD = 0.5 nM) and selective (by at least 1000-fold over other metal ions) toward Pb(2+) ions, with a linear detection range (2.5 nM-10 muM) over nearly 4 orders of magnitude. The cost-effective probe allows rapid and simple determination of the concentrations of Pb(2+) ions in environmental samples (Montana soil and river), with results showing its great practicality for the detection of lead in real samples.

Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering as a Powerful Probe of Buried Polymer Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei; Jiang, Zhang; Tirrell, Matthew

Elucidation of polymer interfacial structures provides insights into interfacial molecular mechanisms for coating protection, adhesion, lubrication, friction, wettability, biocompatibility, and even charge transport properties. Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering (RSoXS) offers a unique element, site and valence specific probe to study spatial modulations of molecular orbital degrees of freedom on the nanoscopic length scale. This unique sensitivity is achieved by merging small angle x-ray scattering and x-ray absorption spectroscopy into a single experiment, where the scattering provides information about spatial modulations and the spectroscopy provides sensitivity to the molecular anisotropy. Here we applied RSoXS to polystyrene (PS) films at solid-solid interfaces and poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC) brushes at solid-liquid interfaces. It is found that the interfacial width of PS thin film is about one order of magnitude large than those observed by traditional scattering techniques. In addition, although the ion-induced changes of PMPC thickness are not apparent in aqueous solutions, their chain conformations like polyzwitterion distribution and correlation varied, dependent on salt types, ionic strengths and ion valences. Consequently, it is evident that RSoXS is a powerful probe of buried polymer interlaces with both spatial and chemical sensitivities. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Program in Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science and Engineering.

A rhodamine chromene-based turn-on fluorescence probe for selectively imaging Cu2+ in living cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei-Yong; Li, Hai-Ying; Lv, Hong-Shui; Zhao, Bao-Xiang; Miao, Jun-Ying

We describe the development of a rhodamine chromene-based turn-on fluorescence probe to monitor the intracellular Cu2+ level in living cells. The new fluorescent probe with a chlorine group in chromene moiety exhibits good membrane-permeable property than previous reported because the predicted lipophilicity of present probe 4 is stronger than that of methoxyl substituted probe in our previous work (CLogP of 4: 8.313, CLogP of methoxyl substituted probe: 7.706), and a fluorescence response toward Cu2+ under physiological conditions with high sensitivity and selectivity, and facilitates naked-eye detection of Cu2+. The fluorescence intensity was remarkably increased upon the addition of Cu2+ within 1 or 2 min, while the other sixteen metal ions caused no significant effect.

A visible-light-excited europium(III) complex-based luminescent probe for visualizing copper ions and hydrogen sulfide in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yiren; Wang, Huan; Yang, Mei; Yuan, Jingli; Wu, Jing

2018-01-01

Development of visible-light-excited lanthanide (III) complex-based luminescent probes is highly appealing due to their superiority of less damage to the living biosystems over the conventional UV-light-excited ones. In this work, a visible-light-excited europium (III) complex-based luminescent probe, BPED-BHHCT-Eu3+-BPT, has been designed and synthesized by conjugating the Cu2+-binding N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethanediamine (BPED) to a tetradentate β-diketone ligand 4,4‧-bis(1″,1″,1″,2″,2″,3″,3″-heptafluoro-4″,6″-hexanedione-6″-yl)chlorosulfo-o-terphenyl (BHHCT) and coordinating with a coligand 2-(N,N-diethylanilin-4-yl)-4,6-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine) (BPT) for the time-gated luminescence detection of Cu2+ ions and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in living cells. BPED-BHHCT-Eu3+-BPT exhibited a sharp excitation peak at 407 nm and a wide excitation window extending to beyond 460 nm. Upon its reaction with Cu2+ ions, the luminescence of BPED-BHHCT-Eu3+-BPT was efficiently quenched, which could be reversibly restored by the addition of H2S due to the strong affinity between Cu2+ ions and H2S. The "on-off-on" type luminescence behavior of BPED-BHHCT-Eu3+-BPT towards Cu2+ ions and H2S enabled the sensing of the two species with high sensitivity and selectivity. The performances of BPED-BHHCT-Eu3+-BPT for visualizing intracellular Cu2+ ions and H2S were investigated, and the results have demonstrated the practical applicability of the probe for molecular imaging of cells.

Probing nuclear symmetry energy at high densities using pion, kaon, eta and photon productions in heavy-ion collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Zhi-Gang; Yong, Gao-Chan; Chen, Lie-Wen; Li, Bao-An; Zhang, Ming; Xiao, Guo-Qing; Xu, Nu

2014-02-01

The high-density behavior of nuclear symmetry energy is among the most uncertain properties of dense neutron-rich matter. Its accurate determination has significant ramifications in understanding not only the reaction dynamics of heavy-ion reactions, especially those induced by radioactive beams, but also many interesting phenomena in astrophysics, such as the explosion mechanism of supernova and the properties of neutron stars. The heavy-ion physics community has devoted much effort during the last few years to constrain the high-density symmetry using various probes. In particular, the / ratio has been most extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally. All models have consistently predicted qualitatively that the / ratio is a sensitive probe of the high-density symmetry energy especially with beam energies near the pion production threshold. However, the predicted values of the / ratio are still quite model dependent mostly because of the complexity of modeling pion production and reabsorption dynamics in heavy-ion collisions, leading to currently still controversial conclusions regarding the high-density behavior of nuclear symmetry energy from comparing various model calculations with available experimental data. As more / data become available and a deeper understanding about the pion dynamics in heavy-ion reactions is obtained, more penetrating probes, such as the K +/ K 0 ratio, meson and high-energy photons are also being investigated or planned at several facilities. Here, we review some of our recent contributions to the community effort of constraining the high-density behavior of nuclear symmetry energy in heavy-ion collisions. In addition, the status of some worldwide experiments for studying the high-density symmetry energy, including the HIRFL-CSR external target experiment (CEE) are briefly introduced.

Structure-matched Phthalocyanine Ion Pair as a Red-emitting Fluorescent Optical Probe for the Analysis of Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate with High Specificity and Sensitivity.

PubMed

Yu, Fei; Guo, Menglin; Deng, Yabin; Lu, Yin; Chen, Lin; Huang, Ping; Li, Donghui

2016-01-01

We have found that a positively charged cationic copper phthalocyanine, Alcian blue (Alcian blue 8GX), can efficiently quench the fluorescence of an oppositely charged red fluorescent phthalocyanine compound with a matched molecular structure, tetrasulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine (AlS4Pc), because of the formation of an ion pair complex (AlS4Pc-Alcian blue 8GX) that exhibits almost no fluorescence. An investigation was carried out on the fluorescence recovery of AlS4Pc-Alcian blue 8GX caused by a series of anionic surfactants containing a sulfonic group (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)). The results showed that SDBS exhibited a significant response, and the highest sensitivity among the surfactants. Due to its high efficiency of fluorescence quenching and the high level of fluorescence recovery, direct observes can even be performed by the naked eye. The results revealed that the Alcian blue 8GX-AlS4Pc ion-pair complex fluorescent probe only responded to SDBS in the low-concentration range. Based on the new founding, this study proposed a novel principle and method of fluorescence enhancement to specifically measure the concentration of SDBS, thereby achieving a highly sensitive and highly specific determination of SDBS. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity (I(f)) of the system and the concentration of SDBS in the range of 1 × 10(-7) - 1 × 10(-5) mol/dm(3) exhibited a good linear relationship. This method is highly sensitive, and the operation is simple and rapid. It had been applied for the quantitative analysis of SDBS in environmental water, while achieving satisfactory results compared with those of the standard method. This study developed a new application of the fluorescent phthalocyanine compounds used as molecular probes in analytical sciences.

Hg2+-reactive double hydrophilic block copolymer assemblies as novel multifunctional fluorescent probes with improved performance.

PubMed

Hu, Jinming; Li, Changhua; Liu, Shiyong

2010-01-19

We report on novel type of responsive double hydrophilic block copolymer (DHBC)-based multifunctional chemosensors to Hg(2+) ions, pH, and temperatures and investigate the effects of thermo-induced micellization on the detection sensitivity. Well-defined DHBCs bearing rhodamine B-based Hg(2+)-reactive moieties (RhBHA) in the thermo-responsive block, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-RhBHA) (PEO-b-P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA)), were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Nonfluorescent RhBHA moieties are subjected to selective ring-opening reaction upon addition of Hg(2+) ions or lowering solution pH, producing highly fluorescent acyclic species. Thus, at room temperature PEO-b-P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA) DHBCs can serve as water-soluble multifunctional and efficient fluorescent chemosensors to Hg(2+) ions and pH. Upon heating above the lower critical solution temperature (approximately 36 degrees C) of the PNIPAM block, they self-assemble into micelles possessing P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA) cores and well-solvated PEO coronas, which were fully characterized by dynamic and static laser light scattering. It was found that the detection sensitivity to Hg(2+) ions and pH could be dramatically improved at elevated temperatures due to fluorescence enhancement of RhBHA residues in the acyclic form, which were embedded within hydrophobic cores of thermo-induced micellar aggregates. This work represents a proof-of-concept example of responsive DHBC-based multifunctional fluorescent chemosensors for the highly efficient detection of Hg(2+) ions, pH, and temperatures with tunable detection sensitivity. Compared to reaction-based small molecule Hg(2+) probes in previous literature reports, the integration of stimuli-responsive block copolymers with well-developed small molecule-based selective sensing moieties in the current study are expected to exhibit preferred advantages including enhanced detection sensitivity, water dispersibility, biocompatibility, facile incorporation into devices, and the ability of further functionalization for targeted imaging and detection.

Highly selective and sensitive fluorogenic ferric probes based on aggregation-enhanced emission with - SiMe3 substituted polybenzene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xuefeng; Wang, Hua; Jiang, Qin; Lee, Yong-Ill; Feng, Shengyu; Liu, Hong-Guo

2018-01-01

In this study, thiophene was linked to polybenzene to generate novel fluorescent probes, namely 3,4-diphenyl-2,5-di(2-thienyl)phenyl-trimethylsilane (DPTB-TMS) with a - SiMe3 substituent and 3,4-diphenyl-2,5-di(2-thienyl)phenyl (DPTB) without the - SiMe3 substituent, respectively. Both of the two compounds exhibit aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE) properties in tetrahydrofuran/water mixtures due to restricted intramolecular rotation of the peripheral groups, which make the two compounds good candidates for the detection of Fe3 + ions in aqueous-based solutions. The fluorescence intensity of the two compounds decreases immediately and obviously upon addition of a trace amount of Fe3 +, and decreases continuously as the amount of Fe3 + increases. The fluorescence was quenched to 92% of its initial intensity when the amount of Fe3 + ions reached 6 μmol for DPTB-TMS and to 80% for DPTB in the systems, indicating that the compound with the - SiMe3 group is a more effective probe. The detection limit was found to be 1.17 μM (65 ppb). The detection mechanism is proposed to be static quenching. DPTB-TMS is highly efficient for the detection of ferric ions even in the presence of other metal ions. In addition, the method is also successfully applied to the detection of ferric ions in water, blood serum, or solid films. This indicates that these polybenzene compounds can be applied as low-cost, high selectivity, and high efficiency Fe3 + probes in water or in clinical applications.

Probing lithium-ion batteries' state-of-charge using ultrasonic transmission - Concept and laboratory testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, Lukas; Bach, Tobias; Virsik, Wolfgang; Schmitt, Angelika; Müller, Jana; Staab, Torsten E. M.; Sextl, Gerhard

2017-03-01

For electrically powered applications such as consumer electronics and especially for electric vehicles a precise state-of-charge estimation for their lithium-ion batteries is desired to reduce aging, e.g. avoiding detrimental states-of-charge. Today, this estimation is performed by battery management systems that solely rely on charge bookkeeping and cell voltage measurements. In the present work we introduce a new, physical probe for the state-of-charge based on ultrasonic transmission. Within the simple experimental setup raised cosine pulses are applied to lithium-ion battery pouch cells, whose signals are sensitive to changes in porosity of the graphite anode during charging/dis-charging and, therefore, to the state-of-charge. The underlying physical principle can be related to Biot's theory about propagation of waves in fluid saturated porous media and by including scattering by boundary layers inside the cell.

Synchronous fluorescence based biosensor for albumin determination by cooperative binding of fluorescence probe in a supra-biomolecular host-protein assembly.

PubMed

Patra, Digambara

2010-01-15

A synchronous fluorescence probe based biosensor for estimation of albumin with high sensitivity and selectivity was developed. Unlike conventional fluorescence emission or excitation spectral measurements, synchronous fluorescence measurement offered exclusively a new synchronous fluorescence peak in the shorter wavelength range upon binding of chrysene with protein making it an easy identification tool for albumin determination. The cooperative binding of a fluorescence probe, chrysene, in a supramolecular host-protein assembly during various albumin assessments was investigated. The presence of supramolecular host molecules such as beta-cyclodextrin, curucurbit[6]uril or curucurbit[7]uril have little influence on sensitivity or limit of detection during albumin determination but reduced dramatically interference from various coexisting metal ion quenchers/enhancers. Using the present method the limit of detection for BSA and gamma-Globulin was found to be 0.005 microM which is more sensitive than reported values. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tapered optical fiber tip probes based on focused ion beam-milled Fabry-Perot microcavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Ricardo M.; Warren-Smith, Stephen C.; Becker, Martin; Dellith, Jan; Rothhardt, Manfred; Zibaii, M. I.; Latifi, H.; Marques, Manuel B.; Bartelt, Hartmut; Frazão, Orlando

2016-09-01

Focused ion beam technology is combined with dynamic chemical etching to create microcavities in tapered optical fiber tips, resulting in fiber probes for temperature and refractive index sensing. Dynamic chemical etching uses hydrofluoric acid and a syringe pump to etch standard optical fibers into cone structures called tapered fiber tips where the length, shape, and cone angle can be precisely controlled. On these tips, focused ion beam is used to mill several different types of Fabry-Perot microcavities. Two main cavity types are initially compared and then combined to form a third, complex cavity structure. In the first case, a gap is milled on the tapered fiber tip which allows the external medium to penetrate the light guiding region and thus presents sensitivity to external refractive index changes. In the second, two slots that function as mirrors are milled on the tip creating a silica cavity that is only sensitive to temperature changes. Finally, both cavities are combined on a single tapered fiber tip, resulting in a multi-cavity structure capable of discriminating between temperature and refractive index variations. This dual characterization is performed with the aid of a fast Fourier transform method to separate the contributions of each cavity and thus of temperature and refractive index. Ultimately, a tapered optical fiber tip probe with sub-standard dimensions containing a multi-cavity structure is projected, fabricated, characterized and applied as a sensing element for simultaneous temperature and refractive index discrimination.

Sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions by fluorescent Ag nanoclusters synthesized via a hydrothermal method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jing; Ren, Xiangling; Meng, Xianwei; Fang, Zheng; Tang, Fangqiong

2013-09-01

An easily prepared fluorescent Ag nanoclusters (Ag NCs) probe for the sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions was developed here. The Ag NCs were synthesized by using polymethacrylic acid sodium salt as a template via a convenient hydrothermal process. The as-prepared fluorescent Ag NCs were monodispersed, uniform and less than 2 nm in diameter, and can be quenched in the presence of mercury (Hg2+) or copper (Cu2+) ions. Excellent linear relationships existed between the quenching degree of the Ag NCs and the concentrations of Hg2+ or Cu2+ ions in the range of 10 nM to 20 μM or 10 nM to 30 μM, respectively. By using ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) as the masking agent of Cu2+, Hg2+ was exclusively detected in coexistence with Cu2+ with high sensitivity (LOD = 10 nM), which also provided a reusable detection method for Cu2+. Furthermore, the different quenching phenomena caused by the two metals ions such as changes in visible colour, shifts of UV absorbance peaks and changes in size of Ag NCs make it easy to distinguish between them. Therefore the easily synthesized fluorescent Ag NCs may have great potential as Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions sensors.An easily prepared fluorescent Ag nanoclusters (Ag NCs) probe for the sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions was developed here. The Ag NCs were synthesized by using polymethacrylic acid sodium salt as a template via a convenient hydrothermal process. The as-prepared fluorescent Ag NCs were monodispersed, uniform and less than 2 nm in diameter, and can be quenched in the presence of mercury (Hg2+) or copper (Cu2+) ions. Excellent linear relationships existed between the quenching degree of the Ag NCs and the concentrations of Hg2+ or Cu2+ ions in the range of 10 nM to 20 μM or 10 nM to 30 μM, respectively. By using ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) as the masking agent of Cu2+, Hg2+ was exclusively detected in coexistence with Cu2+ with high sensitivity (LOD = 10 nM), which also provided a reusable detection method for Cu2+. Furthermore, the different quenching phenomena caused by the two metals ions such as changes in visible colour, shifts of UV absorbance peaks and changes in size of Ag NCs make it easy to distinguish between them. Therefore the easily synthesized fluorescent Ag NCs may have great potential as Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions sensors. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03329e

Iron Oxide Nanoparticle-Micelles (ION-Micelles) for Sensitive (Molecular) Magnetic Particle Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

PubMed Central

Starmans, Lucas W. E.; Burdinski, Dirk; Haex, Nicole P. M.; Moonen, Rik P. M.; Strijkers, Gustav J.; Nicolay, Klaas; Grüll, Holger

2013-01-01

Background Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) are a promising nanoplatform for contrast-enhanced MRI. Recently, magnetic particle imaging (MPI) was introduced as a new imaging modality, which is able to directly visualize magnetic particles and could serve as a more sensitive and quantitative alternative to MRI. However, MPI requires magnetic particles with specific magnetic properties for optimal use. Current commercially available iron oxide formulations perform suboptimal in MPI, which is triggering research into optimized synthesis strategies. Most synthesis procedures aim at size control of iron oxide nanoparticles rather than control over the magnetic properties. In this study, we report on the synthesis, characterization and application of a novel ION platform for sensitive MPI and MRI. Methods and Results IONs were synthesized using a thermal-decomposition method and subsequently phase-transferred by encapsulation into lipidic micelles (ION-Micelles). Next, the material and magnetic properties of the ION-Micelles were analyzed. Most notably, vibrating sample magnetometry measurements showed that the effective magnetic core size of the IONs is 16 nm. In addition, magnetic particle spectrometry (MPS) measurements were performed. MPS is essentially zero-dimensional MPI and therefore allows to probe the potential of iron oxide formulations for MPI. ION-Micelles induced up to 200 times higher signal in MPS measurements than commercially available iron oxide formulations (Endorem, Resovist and Sinerem) and thus likely allow for significantly more sensitive MPI. In addition, the potential of the ION-Micelle platform for molecular MPI and MRI was showcased by MPS and MRI measurements of fibrin-binding peptide functionalized ION-Micelles (FibPep-ION-Micelles) bound to blood clots. Conclusions The presented data underlines the potential of the ION-Micelle nanoplatform for sensitive (molecular) MPI and warrants further investigation of the FibPep-ION-Micelle platform for in vivo, non-invasive imaging of fibrin in preclinical disease models of thrombus-related pathologies and atherosclerosis. PMID:23437371

Iron oxide nanoparticle-micelles (ION-micelles) for sensitive (molecular) magnetic particle imaging and magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Starmans, Lucas W E; Burdinski, Dirk; Haex, Nicole P M; Moonen, Rik P M; Strijkers, Gustav J; Nicolay, Klaas; Grüll, Holger

2013-01-01

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) are a promising nanoplatform for contrast-enhanced MRI. Recently, magnetic particle imaging (MPI) was introduced as a new imaging modality, which is able to directly visualize magnetic particles and could serve as a more sensitive and quantitative alternative to MRI. However, MPI requires magnetic particles with specific magnetic properties for optimal use. Current commercially available iron oxide formulations perform suboptimal in MPI, which is triggering research into optimized synthesis strategies. Most synthesis procedures aim at size control of iron oxide nanoparticles rather than control over the magnetic properties. In this study, we report on the synthesis, characterization and application of a novel ION platform for sensitive MPI and MRI. IONs were synthesized using a thermal-decomposition method and subsequently phase-transferred by encapsulation into lipidic micelles (ION-Micelles). Next, the material and magnetic properties of the ION-Micelles were analyzed. Most notably, vibrating sample magnetometry measurements showed that the effective magnetic core size of the IONs is 16 nm. In addition, magnetic particle spectrometry (MPS) measurements were performed. MPS is essentially zero-dimensional MPI and therefore allows to probe the potential of iron oxide formulations for MPI. ION-Micelles induced up to 200 times higher signal in MPS measurements than commercially available iron oxide formulations (Endorem, Resovist and Sinerem) and thus likely allow for significantly more sensitive MPI. In addition, the potential of the ION-Micelle platform for molecular MPI and MRI was showcased by MPS and MRI measurements of fibrin-binding peptide functionalized ION-Micelles (FibPep-ION-Micelles) bound to blood clots. The presented data underlines the potential of the ION-Micelle nanoplatform for sensitive (molecular) MPI and warrants further investigation of the FibPep-ION-Micelle platform for in vivo, non-invasive imaging of fibrin in preclinical disease models of thrombus-related pathologies and atherosclerosis.

Hydrophobic-carbon-dot-based dual-emission micelle for ratiometric fluorescence biosensing and imaging of Cu2+ in liver cells.

PubMed

Lu, Linlin; Feng, Chongchong; Xu, Jie; Wang, Fengyang; Yu, Haijun; Xu, Zhiai; Zhang, Wen

2017-06-15

Copper is closely related to liver damage, therefore, it is essential to develop a simple and sensitive strategy to detect copper ions (Cu 2+ ) in liver cells. A hydrophobic carbon dots (HCDs)-based dual-emission fluorescent probe for Cu 2+ was prepared by encapsulating HCDs in micelles formed by self-assembly of amphiphilic polymer DSPE-PEG and tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP)-modified DSPE-PEG. The obtained probe showed characteristic fluorescence emissions of HCDs and TCPP with large emission shift of 170nm with single-wavelength excitation. In the presence of Cu 2+ , the fluorescence of TCPP was quenched and that of HCDs remained unchanged, displaying ratiometric fluorescence response to Cu 2+ . The developed probe exhibited high sensitivity (detection limit down to 36nM) and selectivity to Cu 2+ over other substances, and the probe was used to image the changes of Cu 2+ level in liver cells successfully. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical thermometry based on green upconversion emission in Er3+/Yb3+ codoped BaGdF5 glass ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ting; Zhao, Shilong; Lei, Ruoshan; Huang, Lihui; Xu, Shiqing

2018-02-01

Er3+/Yb3+ codoped BaGdF5 glass ceramics have been prepared and used to develop a portable all-fiber temperature sensor based on fluorescence intensity ratio technique. XRD and TEM results affirm the generation of BaGdF5 nanocrystals in the borosilicate glass. Eu3+ ions are used as spectral probe to investigate external environment around rare earth (RE) ions. Intense green upconversion emissions from Er3+ ions are detected in the BaGdF5 glass ceramics and their intensity are enhanced about three orders of magnitude after heat treatment, which is attributed to the enrichment of RE ions in the BaGdF5 phase. Based on green upconversion emission from Er3+ ions, the temperature sensing property of the portable all-fiber temperature sensor is studied. The maximum absolute sensitivity is 15.5 × 10-4 K-1 at 567 K and the relative sensitivity is 1.28% K-1 at 298 K, respectively.

Organic conjugated small molecule materials based optical probe for rapid, colorimetric and UV-vis spectral detection of phosphorylated protein in placental tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yanfang; Yang, Na; Liu, Yi

2018-04-01

A novel organic small molecule with D-Pi-A structure was prepared, which was found to be a promising colorimetric and ratiometric UV-vis spetral probe for detection of phosphorylated proteins with the help of tetravalent zirconium ion. Such optical probe based on chromophore WYF-1 shows a rapid response (within 10 s) and high selectivity and sensitivity for phosphorylated proteins, giving distinct colorimetric and ratiometric UV-vis changes at 720 and 560 nm. The detection limit for phosphorylated proteins was estimated to be 100 nM. In addition, detection of phosphorylated proteins in placental tissue samples with this probe was successfully applied, which indicates that this probe holds great potential for phosphorylated proteins detection.

MnO2 nanosheet mediated "DD-A" FRET binary probes for sensitive detection of intracellular mRNA.

PubMed

Ou, Min; Huang, Jin; Yang, Xiaohai; Quan, Ke; Yang, Yanjing; Xie, Nuli; Wang, Kemin

2017-01-01

The donor donor-acceptor (DD-A) FRET model has proven to have a higher FRET efficiency than donor-acceptor acceptor (D-AA), donor-acceptor (D-A), and donor donor-acceptor acceptor (DD-AA) FRET models. The in-tube and in-cell experiments clearly demonstrate that the "DD-A" FRET binary probes can indeed increase the FRET efficiency and provide higher imaging contrast, which is about one order of magnitude higher than the ordinary "D-A" model. Furthermore, MnO 2 nanosheets were employed to deliver these probes into living cells for intracellular TK1 mRNA detection because they can adsorb ssDNA probes, penetrate across the cell membrane and be reduced to Mn 2+ ions by intracellular GSH. The results indicated that the MnO 2 nanosheet mediated "DD-A" FRET binary probes are capable of sensitive and selective sensing gene expression and chemical-stimuli changes in gene expression levels in cancer cells. We believe that the MnO 2 nanosheet mediated "DD-A" FRET binary probes have the potential as a simple but powerful tool for basic research and clinical diagnosis.

A Novel SPM Probe with MOS Transistor and Nano Tip for Surface Electric Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang H.; Lim, Geunbae; Moon, Wonkyu

2007-03-01

In this paper, the novel SPM (Scanning Probe Microscope) probe with the planar MOS (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) transistor and the FIB (Focused Ion Beam) nano tip is fabricated for the surface electric properties. Since the MOS transistor has high working frequency, the device can overcome the speed limitation of EFM (Electrostatic Force Microscope) system. The sensitivity is also high, and no bulky device such as lock-in-amplifier is required. Moreover, the nano tip with nanometer scale tip radius is fabricated with FIB system, and the resolution can be improved. Therefore, the probe can rapidly detect small localized electric properties with high sensitivity and high resolution. The MOS transistor is fabricated with the common semiconductor process, and the nano tip is grown by the FIB system. The planar structure of the MOS transistor makes the fabrication process easier, which is the advantage on the commercial production. Various electric signals are applied using the function generator, and the measured data represent the well-established electric properties of the device. It shows the promising aspect of the local surface electric property detection with high sensitivity and high resolution.

[Fluorescence property of a chemical probe for naked-eye and detection of Fe3+].

PubMed

Song, Yu-Min; Ma, Xin-Xian; Yang, Wu

2012-12-01

A higher selective and sensitive probe for the detection of Fe(III) in aqueous media was made using 2,4-Diisocyanatotoluene (TDI) as a bridge to couple Fe3 O4 nanoparticles(NPs) and Rhodamine-6G hydrazide. The characterization of composite materials with Infrared spectra(IR), Thermal Gravimetric analysis(TGA) and Transmission Emission Microscopy(TEM) points to the graft of Rhodamine-6G hydrazide onto the surface of the Fe3O4. The obvious color change of the probe solution from light grey to pink upon the addition of Fe3+ demonstrated the probe could be used for "naked-eye" detection of Fe3+ in water at pH 7. The presence of 1 equivalent (10 micromol x L(-1) microm) of each of these metal ions, including Mn2+, Ni2+, Y2+, Eu3+, Ce3+, La3+, Pr3+, Cd2+, Cr3+, Sm3+, Fe2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions, did not demonstrate any obvious fluorescence change of the probe water solution, which confirmed the probe was a probe with remarkable selectivity for Fe3+. And the fluorescence images of HeLa cells in physiological solutions after incubation with Fe3+ and then further incubated with the probe leading to a strong intracellular fluorescence, which suggested the probe could penetrate the HeLa cell membrane and could respond to Fe3+ in intracellular within living cells.

Designed to dissolve: suppression of colloidal aggregation of Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probes in aqueous buffer and in-gel detection of a metallochaperone.

PubMed

Morgan, M Thomas; Bagchi, Pritha; Fahrni, Christoph J

2011-10-12

Due to the lipophilicity of the metal-ion receptor, previously reported Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probes form colloidal aggregates, as revealed by dynamic light scattering. To address this problem, we have developed a hydrophilic triarylpyrazoline-based fluorescent probe, CTAP-2, that dissolves directly in water and shows a rapid, reversible, and highly selective 65-fold fluorescence turn-on response to Cu(I) in aqueous solution. CTAP-2 proved to be sufficiently sensitive for direct in-gel detection of Cu(I) bound to the metallochaperone Atox1, demonstrating the potential for cation-selective fluorescent probes to serve as tools in metalloproteomics for identifying proteins with readily accessible metal-binding sites.

The response of a fast scintillator screen (YAP:Ce) to low energy ions (0-40 keV) and its use to detect fast-ion-loss in stellarator TJ-II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martínez, M., E-mail: marcos.martinez@externos.ciemat.es; Zurro, B.; Baciero, A.

2016-11-15

A systematic study of scintillation materials was undertaken to improve the time resolution of the fast ion diagnostic currently installed at TJ-II stellarator. It was found that YAP:Ce (formula YAlO{sub 3}:Ce, Yttrium Aluminum Perovskite doped with Cerium) ionoluminescence offers better sensitivity and time response compared to the standard detector material, SrGa{sub 2}S{sub 4}:Eu (TG-Green), currently used in TJ-II. A comparison between both materials was carried out by irradiating them with H{sup +} ions of up to 40 keV using a dedicated laboratory setup. It is found that for the low energy ions of interest at TJ-II, YAP:Ce offers 20 timesmore » higher sensitivity than TG-Green and much faster decay time, 27 ns versus 540 ns. It is expected that the use of YAP:Ce in combination with a faster data acquisition and an ion counting software as part of the TJ-II ion luminescent probe will provide 20 times faster data on ion loss.« less

Beam-centroid tracking instrument for ion thrusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollard, J. E.

1995-03-01

Thrust vector stability for an electrostatic ion engine can be measured with improved sensitivity and time resolution by the method described here. Four double-wire Langmuir probes, aligned in the form of a cross, are placed in the exhaust plume and are translated by a motorized positioning system to balance the currents collected along two orthogonal axes. The thrust vector position is thereby measured with an angular resolution of less than 0.01 deg and a response time of less than 5 sec.

Efficient On-Off Ratiometric Fluorescence Probe for Cyanide Ion Based on Perturbation of the Interaction between Gold Nanoclusters and a Copper(II)-Phthalocyanine Complex.

PubMed

Shojaeifard, Zahra; Hemmateenejad, Bahram; Shamsipur, Mojtaba

2016-06-22

A new ratiometric fluorescent sensor was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of cyanide ion (CN(-)) in aqueous media. The ratiometric sensing system is based on CN(-) modulated recovery of copper(II) phthalocyanine (Cu(PcTs)) fluorescence signal at the expense of diminished fluorescence intensity of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). Preliminary experiments revealed that the AuNCs and Cu(PcTs) possess a turn-off effect on each other, the interaction of which being verified through studying their interactions by principle component analysis (PCA) and multivariate cure resolution-alternating least-squares (MCR-ALS) methods. In the presence of CN(-) anion, the AuNCs and Cu(PcTs) interaction was perturbed, so that the fluorescence of Cu (PcTs), already quenched by AuNCs, was found to be efficiently recovered, while the fluorescence intensity of AuNCs was quenched via the formation of a stable [Au(CN)2](-) species. The ratiometric variation of AuNCs and Cu(PcTs) fluorescence intensities leads to designing a highly sensitive probe for CN(-) ion detection. Under the optimal conditions, CN(-) anion was detected without needing any etching time, over the concentration range of 100 nM-220 μM, with a detection limit of 75 nM, which is much lower than the allowable level of CN(-) in water permitted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, the detection of CN(-) was developed based on the CN(-) effects on the blue and red florescent colors of Cu(PcTs) and AuNCs, respectively. The designed probe displays a continuous color change from red to blue by addition of CN(-), which can be clearly observed by the naked eye in the range of 7-350 μM, under UV lamp. The prepared AuNCs/Cu(PcTs) probe was successfully utilized for the selective and sensitive determination of CN(-) anion in two different types of natural water (Rodbal dam and rainwater) and also in blood serum as a biological sample.

In-Situ U-Pb Dating of Apatite by Hiroshima-SHRIMP: Contributions to Earth and Planetary Science.

PubMed

Terada, Kentaro; Sano, Yuji

2012-01-01

The Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe (SHRIMP) is the first ion microprobe dedicated to geological isotopic analyses, especially in-situ analyses related to the geochronology of zircon. Such a sophisticated ion probe, which can attain a high sensitivity at a high mass resolution, based on a double focusing high mass-resolution spectrometer, designed by Matsuda (1974), was constructed at the Australian National University. In 1996, such an instrument was installed at Hiroshima University and was the first SHRIMP to be installed in Japan. Since its installation, our focus has been on the in-situ U-Pb dating of the mineral apatite, as well as zircon, which is a more common U-bearing mineral. This provides the possibility for extending the use of in-situ U-Pb dating from determining the age of formation of volcanic, granitic, sedimentary and metamorphic minerals to the direct determination of the diagenetic age of fossils and/or the crystallization age of various meteorites, which can provide new insights into the thermal history on the Earth and/or the Solar System. In this paper, we review the methodology associated with in-situ apatite dating and our contribution to Earth and Planetary Science over the past 16 years.

In-Situ U–Pb Dating of Apatite by Hiroshima-SHRIMP: Contributions to Earth and Planetary Science

PubMed Central

Terada, Kentaro; Sano, Yuji

2012-01-01

The Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe (SHRIMP) is the first ion microprobe dedicated to geological isotopic analyses, especially in-situ analyses related to the geochronology of zircon. Such a sophisticated ion probe, which can attain a high sensitivity at a high mass resolution, based on a double focusing high mass-resolution spectrometer, designed by Matsuda (1974), was constructed at the Australian National University. In 1996, such an instrument was installed at Hiroshima University and was the first SHRIMP to be installed in Japan. Since its installation, our focus has been on the in-situ U–Pb dating of the mineral apatite, as well as zircon, which is a more common U-bearing mineral. This provides the possibility for extending the use of in-situ U–Pb dating from determining the age of formation of volcanic, granitic, sedimentary and metamorphic minerals to the direct determination of the diagenetic age of fossils and/or the crystallization age of various meteorites, which can provide new insights into the thermal history on the Earth and/or the Solar System. In this paper, we review the methodology associated with in-situ apatite dating and our contribution to Earth and Planetary Science over the past 16 years. PMID:24349912

Visualization of Fluoride Ions In Vivo Using a Gadolinium(III)-Coumarin Complex-Based Fluorescence/MRI Dual-Modal Probe

PubMed Central

Wang, Yue; Song, Renfeng; Feng, Huan; Guo, Ke; Meng, Qingtao; Chi, Haijun; Zhang, Run; Zhang, Zhiqiang

2016-01-01

A new Gadolinium(III)–coumarin complex, DO3A-Gd-CA, was designed and prepared as a dual-modal probe for simultaneous fluorescence and relaxivity responses to fluoride ions (F−) in aqueous media and mice. DO3A-Gd-CA was designed by using Gd(III) center as an MRI signal output unit and fluoride binding site, and the 4-(diethylamino)-coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (CA) as a fluorescence reporter. Upon the addition of fluoride ions to the solution of DO3A-Gd-CA, the liberation of the coordinated CA ligand led to a 5.7-fold fluorescence enhancement and a 75% increase in the longitudinal relaxivity (r1). The fluorescent detection limit for fluoride ions was determined to be 8 μM based on a 3σ/slope. The desirable features of the proposed DO3A-Gd-CA, such as high sensitivity and specificity, reliability at physiological pH and low cytotoxicity enable its application in visualization of fluoride ion in mice. The successful in vivo imaging indicates that DO3A-Gd-CA could be potentially used in biomedical diagnosis fields. PMID:27999298

Visualization of Fluoride Ions In Vivo Using a Gadolinium(III)-Coumarin Complex-Based Fluorescence/MRI Dual-Modal Probe.

PubMed

Wang, Yue; Song, Renfeng; Feng, Huan; Guo, Ke; Meng, Qingtao; Chi, Haijun; Zhang, Run; Zhang, Zhiqiang

2016-12-16

A new Gadolinium(III)-coumarin complex, DO3A-Gd- CA , was designed and prepared as a dual-modal probe for simultaneous fluorescence and relaxivity responses to fluoride ions (F - ) in aqueous media and mice. DO3A-Gd- CA was designed by using Gd(III) center as an MRI signal output unit and fluoride binding site, and the 4-(diethylamino)-coumarin-3-carboxylic acid ( CA ) as a fluorescence reporter. Upon the addition of fluoride ions to the solution of DO3A-Gd- CA , the liberation of the coordinated CA ligand led to a 5.7-fold fluorescence enhancement and a 75% increase in the longitudinal relaxivity ( r ₁). The fluorescent detection limit for fluoride ions was determined to be 8 μM based on a 3 σ / slope . The desirable features of the proposed DO3A-Gd- CA , such as high sensitivity and specificity, reliability at physiological pH and low cytotoxicity enable its application in visualization of fluoride ion in mice. The successful in vivo imaging indicates that DO3A-Gd- CA could be potentially used in biomedical diagnosis fields.

Organic conjugated small molecule materials based optical probe for rapid, colorimetric and UV-vis spectral detection of phosphorylated protein in placental tissue.

PubMed

Wang, Yanfang; Yang, Na; Liu, Yi

2018-04-05

A novel organic small molecule with D-Pi-A structure was prepared, which was found to be a promising colorimetric and ratiometric UV-vis spetral probe for detection of phosphorylated proteins with the help of tetravalent zirconium ion. Such optical probe based on chromophore WYF-1 shows a rapid response (within 10s) and high selectivity and sensitivity for phosphorylated proteins, giving distinct colorimetric and ratiometric UV-vis changes at 720 and 560nm. The detection limit for phosphorylated proteins was estimated to be 100nM. In addition, detection of phosphorylated proteins in placental tissue samples with this probe was successfully applied, which indicates that this probe holds great potential for phosphorylated proteins detection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An active fluorescent probe based on aggregation-induced emission for intracellular bioimaging of Zn2+ and tracking of interactions with single-stranded DNA.

PubMed

Wen, Xiaoye; Wang, Qi; Fan, Zhefeng

2018-07-12

A novel dual-sensing fluorescence probe L was designed and synthesized for highly selective and sensitive detection of Zn 2+ and DNA. The probe L achieved a detection limit of 3.8 nM for Zn 2+ , which is lower than the acceptable level of Zn 2+ in living cells. The probe L displayed high selectivity toward Zn 2+ over other interference metal ions and amino acids. Moreover, the probe L displayed low cytotoxicity and good cell permeability, indicating its potential for detecting and bio-imaging of Zn 2+ . In addition, the probe L-Zn 2+ exhibited enhanced fluorescence signal for DNA detection through the metal-coordination interaction between Zn 2+ and DNA. The enhanced signal is higher than that of the classical ethidium bromide probe. The experiments in aqueous media verified the feasibility of applying probe L in real samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Barium Tagging for nEXO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fudenberg, Daniel; Brunner, Thomas; Varentsov, Victor; Devoe, Ralph; Dilling, Jens; Gratta, Giorgio; nEXO Collaboration

2015-10-01

nEXO is a next-generation experiment designed to search for 0 νββ -decay of Xe-136 in a liquid xenon time projection chamber. Positive observation of this decay would determine the neutrino to be a Majorana particle In order to greatly reduce background contributions to this search, the collaboration is developing several ``barium tagging'' techniques to recover and identify the decay daughter, Ba-136. ``Tagging'' may be available for a 2nd phase of nEXO and will push the sensitivity beyond the inverted neutrino-mass hierarchy. Tagging methods in testing for this phase include Ba-ion capture on a probe with identification by resonance ionization laser spectroscopy, and Ba capture in solid xenon on a cold probe with identification by fluorescence. In addition, Ba tagging for a gas-phase detector, appropriate for a later stage, is being tested. Here efficient ion extraction from heavy carrier gases is key. Detailed gas-dynamic and ion transport calculations have been performed to optimize for ion extraction. An apparatus to extract Ba ions from up to 10 bar xenon gas into vacuum using an RF-only funnel has been constructed and demonstrates extraction of ions from noble gases. We will present this system's status along with results of this R&D program.

Supramolecular recognition control of polyethylene glycol modified N-doped graphene quantum dots: tunable selectivity for alkali and alkaline-earth metal ions.

PubMed

Yang, Siwei; Sun, Jing; Zhu, Chong; He, Peng; Peng, Zheng; Ding, Guqiao

2016-02-07

The graphene quantum dot based fluorescent probe community needs unambiguous evidence about the control on the ion selectivity. In this paper, polyethylene glycol modified N-doped graphene quantum dots (PN-GQDs) were synthesized by alkylation reaction between graphene quantum dots and organic halides. We demonstrate the tunable selectivity and sensitivity by controlling the supramolecular recognition through the length and the end group size of the polyether chain on PN-GQDs. The relationship formulae between the selectivity/detection limit and polyether chains are experimentally deduced. The polyether chain length determines the interaction between the PN-GQDs and ions with different ratios of charge to radius, which in turn leads to a good selectivity control. Meanwhile the detection limit shows an exponential growth with the size of end groups of the polyether chain. The PN-GQDs can be used as ultrasensitive and selective fluorescent probes for Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+) and Sr(2+), respectively.

A highly selective colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for instantaneous sensing of Hg2+ in water, soil and seafood and its application on test strips.

PubMed

Lan, Linxin; Niu, Qingfen; Li, Tianduo

2018-09-06

A new simple and efficient oligothiophene-based colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe has been developed for highly sensitive and fast detection of Hg 2+ in water, soil and seafood. The probe 5-(1,3-dithiolan-2-yl)-2,2':5',2″-terthiophene 3 TS can selectively detect Hg 2+ via the Hg 2+ -promoted deprotection reaction of thioacetals, which caused a remarkable color change from colorless to yellow and a strong fluorescence enhancement with emission color varying from blue to yellow, enabling naked-eye detection of Hg 2+ . The probe shows high sensitivity with the detection limit down to 1.03 × 10 -8  M. Visual color changes of 3 TS were observed on filter paper and TLC testing strips when they were impregnated on testing strips and immersed in Hg 2+ solution. Moreover, the probe 3 TS has been successfully used to rapidly detect trace amounts of hazardous Hg 2+ ions in tap, distilled, river and lake water, cropland soil, fish, shrimp and kelp samples with acceptable results and good recoveries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of plasma density from data on the ion current to cylindrical and planar probes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Voloshin, D. G., E-mail: dvoloshin@mics.msu.su; Vasil’eva, A. N.; Kovalev, A. S.

2016-12-15

To improve probe methods of plasma diagnostics, special probe measurements were performed and numerical models describing ion transport to a probe with allowance for collisions were developed. The current–voltage characteristics of cylindrical and planar probes were measured in an RF capacitive discharge in argon at a frequency of 81 MHz and plasma densities of 10{sup 10}–10{sup 11} cm{sup –3}, typical of modern RF reactors. 1D and 2D numerical models based on the particle-in-cell method with Monte Carlo collisions for simulating ion motion and the Boltzmann equilibrium for electrons are developed to describe current collection by a probe. The models weremore » used to find the plasma density from the ion part of the current–voltage characteristic, study the effect of ion collisions, and verify simplified approaches to determining the plasma density. A 1D hydrodynamic model of the ion current to a cylindrical probe with allowance for ion collisions is proposed. For a planar probe, a method to determine the plasma density from the averaged numerical results is developed. A comparative analysis of different approaches to calculating the plasma density from the ion current to a probe is performed.« less

A highly selective and sensitive photoswitchable fluorescent probe for Hg2+ based on bisthienylethene-rhodamine 6G dyad and for live cells imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Li; Wang, Sheng; Lv, Yingnian; Son, Young-A.; Cao, Derong

2014-07-01

A new photochromic diarylethene derivative bearing rhodamine 6G dimmer as a fluorescent molecular probe is designed and synthesized successfully. All the compounds are characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The bisthienylethene-rhodamine 6G dyad exhibit excellent phtochromism with reversibly color and fluorescence changes alternating irradiation with ultraviolet and visible light. Upon addition of Hg2+, its color changes from colorless to red and its fluorescence is remarkably enhanced. Whereas other ions including K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Fe3+, Al3+, Cr3+ and so on induce basically no spectral changes, which constitute a highly selective and sensitive photoswitchable fluorescent probe toward Hg2+. Furthermore, by means of laser confocal scanning microscopy experiments, it is demonstrated that this probe can be applied for live cell imaging and monitoring Hg2+ in living lung cancer cells with satisfying results, which shows its value of potential application in environmental and biological systems.

Engineering an FMN-based iLOV protein for the detection of arsenic ions.

PubMed

Ravikumar, Yuvaraj; Nadarajan, Saravanan Prabhu; Lee, Chong-Soon; Yun, Hyungdon

2017-05-15

Over the past few decades, genetically encoded fluorescent proteins have been widely used as efficient probes to explore and investigate the roles of metal ions in biological processes. The discovery of small FMN-based fluorescent proteins, such as iLOV and FbFP, has enabled researchers to exploit these fluorescent reporter proteins for metal-sensing applications. In this study, we report the inherent binding properties of iLOV towards arsenic ions. The fluorescence quenching of iLOV was linearly related to the concentration of arsenic ions, and engineered proteins showed better sensitivity than the wild-type protein. Engineering key residues around the chromophore converted the iLOV protein into a highly sensitive sensor for As 3+ ions. iLOV N468S exhibited an improved binding affinity with a dissociation constant of 1.5 μM. Furthermore, the circular dichroism spectra indicated that the fluorescence quenching mechanism might be related to arsenic-protein complex formation. Thus, the reagentless sensing of arsenic can potentially be exploited to determine intracellular or environmental arsenic using a genetically encoded biosensing approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combined use of atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry for cell surface analysis.

PubMed

Dague, Etienne; Delcorte, Arnaud; Latgé, Jean-Paul; Dufrêne, Yves F

2008-04-01

Understanding the surface properties of microbial cells is a major challenge of current microbiological research and a key to efficiently exploit them in biotechnology. Here, we used three advanced surface analysis techniques with different sensitivity, probing depth, and lateral resolution, that is, in situ atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry, to gain insight into the surface properties of the conidia of the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. We show that the native ultrastructure, surface protein and polysaccharide concentrations, and amino acid composition of three mutants affected in hydrophobin production are markedly different from those of the wild-type, thereby providing novel insight into the cell wall architecture of A. fumigatus. The results demonstrate the power of using multiple complementary techniques for probing microbial cell surfaces.

Probing the Hardest Branching within Jets in Heavy-Ion Collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, Yang-Ting; Vitev, Ivan

2017-09-01

Heavy ion collisions present exciting opportunities to study the effects of quantum coherence in the formation of subatomic particle showers. We report on the first calculation of the momentum sharing and angular separation distributions between the leading subjets inside a reconstructed jet in such collisions. These observables are directly sensitive to the hardest branching within jets and can probe the early stage of the jet formation. We find that the leading-order medium-induced splitting functions, here obtained in the framework of soft-collinear effective theory with Glauber gluon interactions, capture the essential many-body physics, which is different from proton-proton reactions. Qualitative and in most cases quantitative agreement between theory and preliminary CMS measurements suggests that hard parton branching in strongly interacting matter can be dramatically modified. We also propose a new measurement that will illuminate its angular structure.

Probing the Hardest Branching within Jets in Heavy-Ion Collisions.

PubMed

Chien, Yang-Ting; Vitev, Ivan

2017-09-15

Heavy ion collisions present exciting opportunities to study the effects of quantum coherence in the formation of subatomic particle showers. We report on the first calculation of the momentum sharing and angular separation distributions between the leading subjets inside a reconstructed jet in such collisions. These observables are directly sensitive to the hardest branching within jets and can probe the early stage of the jet formation. We find that the leading-order medium-induced splitting functions, here obtained in the framework of soft-collinear effective theory with Glauber gluon interactions, capture the essential many-body physics, which is different from proton-proton reactions. Qualitative and in most cases quantitative agreement between theory and preliminary CMS measurements suggests that hard parton branching in strongly interacting matter can be dramatically modified. We also propose a new measurement that will illuminate its angular structure.

Biophysical characterization of the fluorescent protein voltage probe VSFP2.3 based on the voltage-sensing domain of Ci-VSP.

PubMed

Lundby, Alicia; Akemann, Walther; Knöpfel, Thomas

2010-11-01

A voltage sensitive phosphatase was discovered in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. The phosphatase, Ci-VSP, contains a voltage-sensing domain homologous to those known from voltage-gated ion channels, but unlike ion channels, the voltage-sensing domain of Ci-VSP can reside in the cell membrane as a monomer. We fused the voltage-sensing domain of Ci-VSP to a pair of fluorescent reporter proteins to generate a genetically encodable voltage-sensing fluorescent probe, VSFP2.3. VSFP2.3 is a fluorescent voltage probe that reports changes in membrane potential as a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) signal. Here we report sensing current measurements from VSFP2.3, and show that VSFP2.3 carries 1.2 e sensing charges, which are displaced within 1.5 ms. The sensing currents become faster at higher temperatures, and the voltage dependence of the decay time constants is temperature dependent. Neutralization of an arginine in S4, previously suggested to be a sensing charge, and measuring associated sensing currents indicate that this charge is likely to reside at the membrane-aqueous interface rather than within the membrane electric field. The data presented give us insights into the voltage-sensing mechanism of Ci-VSP, which will allow us to further improve the sensitivity and kinetics of the family of VSFP proteins.

Single ion as a shot-noise-limited magnetic-field-gradient probe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walther, A.; Poschinger, U.; Ziesel, F.

2011-06-15

It is expected that ion-trap quantum computing can be made scalable through protocols that make use of transport of ion qubits between subregions within the ion trap. In this scenario, any magnetic field inhomogeneity the ion experiences during the transport may lead to dephasing and loss of fidelity. Here we demonstrate how to measure, and compensate for, magnetic field gradients inside a segmented ion trap, by transporting a single ion over variable distances. We attain a relative magnetic field sensitivity of {Delta}B/B{sub 0{approx}}5x10{sup -7} over a test distance of 140 {mu}m, which can be extended to the mm range, stillmore » with sub-{mu}m resolution. A fast experimental sequence is presented, facilitating its use as a magnetic-field-gradient calibration routine, and it is demonstrated that the main limitation is the quantum shot noise.« less

Water-soluble mercury ion sensing based on the thymine-Hg2+-thymine base pair using retroreflective Janus particle as an optical signaling probe.

PubMed

Chun, Hyeong Jin; Kim, Saemi; Han, Yong Duk; Kim, Dong Woo; Kim, Ka Ram; Kim, Hyo-Sop; Kim, Jae-Ho; Yoon, Hyun C

2018-05-01

Herein, we report an optical sensing platform for mercury ions (Hg 2+ ) in water based on the integration of Hg 2+ -mediated thymine-thymine (T-T) stabilization, a biotinylated stem-loop DNA probe, and a streptavidin-modified retroreflective Janus particle (SA-RJP). Two oligonucleotide probes, including a stem-loop DNA probe and an assistant DNA probe, were utilized. In the absence of Hg 2+ , the assistant DNA probe does not hybridize with the stem-loop probe due to their T-T mismatch, so the surface-immobilized stem-loop DNA probe remains a closed hairpin structure. In the presence of Hg 2+ , the DNA forms a double-stranded structure with the loop region via Hg 2+ -mediated T-T stabilization. This DNA hybridization induces stretching of the stem-loop DNA probe, exposing biotin. To translate these Hg 2+ -mediated structural changes in DNA probe into measurable signal, SA-RJP, an optical signaling label, is applied to recognize the exposed biotin. The number of biospecifically bound SA-RJPs is proportional to the concentration of Hg 2+ , so that the concentration of Hg 2+ can be quantitatively analyzed by counting the number of RJPs. Using the system, a highly selective and sensitive measurement of Hg 2+ was accomplished with a limit of detection of 0.027nM. Considering the simplified optical instrumentation required for retroreflection-based RJP counting, RJP-assisted Hg 2+ measurement can be accomplished in a much easier and inexpensive manner. Moreover, the detection of Hg 2+ in real drinking water samples including tap and commercial bottled water was successfully carried out. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probing New Long-Range Interactions by Isotope Shift Spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berengut, Julian C.; Budker, Dmitry; Delaunay, Cédric

We explore a method to probe new long- and intermediate-range interactions using precision atomic isotope shift spectroscopy. We develop a formalism to interpret linear King plots as bounds on new physics with minimal theory inputs. We focus only on bounding the new physics contributions that can be calculated independently of the standard model nuclear effects. We apply our method to existing Ca + data and project its sensitivity to conjectured new bosons with spin-independent couplings to the electron and the neutron using narrow transitions in other atoms and ions, specifically, Sr and Yb. Future measurements are expected to improve themore » relative precision by 5 orders of magnitude, and they can potentially lead to an unprecedented sensitivity for bosons within the 0.3 to 10 MeV mass range.« less

Probing New Long-Range Interactions by Isotope Shift Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Berengut, Julian C; Budker, Dmitry; Delaunay, Cédric; Flambaum, Victor V; Frugiuele, Claudia; Fuchs, Elina; Grojean, Christophe; Harnik, Roni; Ozeri, Roee; Perez, Gilad; Soreq, Yotam

2018-03-02

We explore a method to probe new long- and intermediate-range interactions using precision atomic isotope shift spectroscopy. We develop a formalism to interpret linear King plots as bounds on new physics with minimal theory inputs. We focus only on bounding the new physics contributions that can be calculated independently of the standard model nuclear effects. We apply our method to existing Ca^{+} data and project its sensitivity to conjectured new bosons with spin-independent couplings to the electron and the neutron using narrow transitions in other atoms and ions, specifically, Sr and Yb. Future measurements are expected to improve the relative precision by 5 orders of magnitude, and they can potentially lead to an unprecedented sensitivity for bosons within the 0.3 to 10 MeV mass range.

Probing New Long-Range Interactions by Isotope Shift Spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Berengut, Julian C.; Budker, Dmitry; Delaunay, Cédric; ...

2018-02-26

We explore a method to probe new long- and intermediate-range interactions using precision atomic isotope shift spectroscopy. We develop a formalism to interpret linear King plots as bounds on new physics with minimal theory inputs. We focus only on bounding the new physics contributions that can be calculated independently of the standard model nuclear effects. We apply our method to existing Ca + data and project its sensitivity to conjectured new bosons with spin-independent couplings to the electron and the neutron using narrow transitions in other atoms and ions, specifically, Sr and Yb. Future measurements are expected to improve themore » relative precision by 5 orders of magnitude, and they can potentially lead to an unprecedented sensitivity for bosons within the 0.3 to 10 MeV mass range.« less

Analysis of air-, moisture- and solvent-sensitive chemical compounds by mass spectrometry using an inert atmospheric pressure solids analysis probe.

PubMed

Mosely, Jackie A; Stokes, Peter; Parker, David; Dyer, Philip W; Messinis, Antonis M

2018-02-01

A novel method has been developed that enables chemical compounds to be transferred from an inert atmosphere glove box and into the atmospheric pressure ion source of a mass spectrometer whilst retaining a controlled chemical environment. This innovative method is simple and cheap to implement on some commercially available mass spectrometers. We have termed this approach inert atmospheric pressure solids analysis probe ( iASAP) and demonstrate the benefit of this methodology for two air-/moisture-sensitive chemical compounds whose characterisation by mass spectrometry is now possible and easily achieved. The simplicity of the design means that moving between iASAP and standard ASAP is straightforward and quick, providing a highly flexible platform with rapid sample turnaround.

Colorimetric detection of trivalent chromium in aqueous solution using tartrate-capped silver nanoparticles as probe.

PubMed

Xu, Yunbo; Dong, Yangjun; Jiang, Xue; Zhu, Ningning

2013-10-01

This study describes a simple and highly selective method for the colorimetric detection of trivalent chromium (Cr3+) using tartrate-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as probe. The addition of tartrate to the initially prepared AgNPs gives tartrate-stabilized AgNPs ascribing to the electrostatic repulsion of the highly negatively charged tartrate ions covered on the surface of AgNPs. It is found that, in the presence of Cr3+ in aqueous solution, the aggregation of tartrate-stabilized AgNPs occurs. The color of AgNPs suspension changes from yellow to pink and the surface plasmon absorption band broadens and red shifts, which could be applied for the colorimetric detection of Cr3+ in aqueous solution. The utilization of tartrate-stabilized AgNPs as probe substantially increases the selectivity and sensitivity for colorimetric detection of Cr3+. Control experiments with the addition of over 14 other metal ions, such as Pb2+, Zn2+, Cr2O7(2-), Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Al3+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Ba2+, Fe3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr+ do not result in a distinct change in the color or in the spectrum of the suspension, indicating that these metal ions do not interfere with the colorimetric detection of Cr3+. Under the conditions employed here, A502/A393 (ratio of absorption value at 502 nm to 393 nm) is linear with the concentration of Cr3+ within a concentration range from 0.1 to 1.17 microM with a detection limit of 0.06 microM. This study may offer a simple, rapid and sensitive approach to colorimetric detection of Cr3+ in aqueous solution.

Photoinduced electron transfer between Fe(III) and adenosine triphosphate-BODIPY conjugates: Application to alkaline-phosphatase-linked immunoassay.

PubMed

Lin, Jia-Hui; Yang, Ya-Chun; Shih, Ya-Chen; Hung, Szu-Ying; Lu, Chi-Yu; Tseng, Wei-Lung

2016-03-15

Fluorescent boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) analogs are often used as sensors for detecting various species because of their relatively high extinction coefficients, outstanding fluorescence quantum yields, photostability, and pH-independent fluorescence. However, there is little-to-no information in the literature that describes the use of BODIPY analogs for detecting alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and inhibition. This study discovered that the fluorescence of BODIPY-conjugated adenosine triphosphate (BODIPY-ATP) was quenched by Fe(III) ions through photoinduced electron transfer. The ALP-catalyzed hydrolysis of BODIPY-ATP resulted in the formation of BODIPY-adenosine and phosphate ions. The fluorescence of the generated BODIPY-adenosine was insensitive to the change in the concentration of Fe(III) ions. Thus, the Fe(III)-induced fluorescence quenching of BODIPY-ATP can be paired with its ALP-mediated dephosphorylation to design a turn-on fluorescence probe for ALP sensing. A method detection limit at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for ALP was estimated to be 0.02 units/L (~6 pM; 1 ng/mL). This probe was used for the screening of ALP inhibitors, including Na3VO4, imidazole, and arginine. Because ALP is widely used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the probe was coupled to an ALP-linked immunosorbent assay for the sensitive and selective detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG). The lowest detectable concentration for IgG in this system was 5 ng/mL. Compared with the use of 3,6-fluorescein diphosphate as a signal reporter in an ALP-linked immunosorbent assay, the proposed system provided comparable sensitivity, large linear range, and high stability over temperature and pH changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanical sensitivity of Piezo1 ion channels can be tuned by cellular membrane tension

PubMed Central

Lewis, Amanda H; Grandl, Jörg

2015-01-01

Piezo1 ion channels mediate the conversion of mechanical forces into electrical signals and are critical for responsiveness to touch in metazoans. The apparent mechanical sensitivity of Piezo1 varies substantially across cellular environments, stimulating methods and protocols, raising the fundamental questions of what precise physical stimulus activates the channel and how its stimulus sensitivity is regulated. Here, we measured Piezo1 currents evoked by membrane stretch in three patch configurations, while simultaneously visualizing and measuring membrane geometry. Building on this approach, we developed protocols to minimize resting membrane curvature and tension prior to probing Piezo1 activity. We find that Piezo1 responds to lateral membrane tension with exquisite sensitivity as compared to other mechanically activated channels and that resting tension can drive channel inactivation, thereby tuning overall mechanical sensitivity of Piezo1. Our results explain how Piezo1 can function efficiently and with adaptable sensitivity as a sensor of mechanical stimulation in diverse cellular contexts. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.12088.001 PMID:26646186

Electrochemical detection of aqueous Ag+ based on Ag+-assisted ligation reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Peng; Han, Kun; Wang, Bidou; Luo, Gangyin; Wang, Peng; Chen, Mingli; Tang, Yuguo

2015-03-01

In this work, a novel strategy to fabricate a highly sensitive and selective biosensor for the detection of Ag+ is proposed. Two DNA probes are designed and modified on a gold electrode surface by gold-sulfur chemistry and hybridization. In the presence of Ag+, cytosine-Ag+-cytosine composite forms and facilitates the ligation event on the electrode surface, which can block the release of electrochemical signals labeled on one of the two DNA probes during denaturation process. Ag+ can be sensitively detected with the detection limit of 0.1 nM, which is much lower than the toxicity level defined by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This biosensor can easily distinguish Ag+ from other interfering ions and the performances in real water samples are also satisfactory. Moreover, the two DNA probes are designed to contain the recognition sequences of a nicking endonuclease, and the ligated DNA can thus be cleaved at the original site. Therefore, the electrode can be regenerated, which allows the biosensor to be reused for additional tests.

Advance in multi-hit detection and quantization in atom probe tomography.

PubMed

Da Costa, G; Wang, H; Duguay, S; Bostel, A; Blavette, D; Deconihout, B

2012-12-01

The preferential retention of high evaporation field chemical species at the sample surface in atom-probe tomography (e.g., boron in silicon or in metallic alloys) leads to correlated field evaporation and pronounced pile-up effects on the detector. The latter severely affects the reliability of concentration measurements of current 3D atom probes leading to an under-estimation of the concentrations of the high-field species. The multi-hit capabilities of the position-sensitive time-resolved detector is shown to play a key role. An innovative method based on Fourier space signal processing of signals supplied by an advance delay-line position-sensitive detector is shown to drastically improve the time resolving power of the detector and consequently its capability to detect multiple events. Results show that up to 30 ions on the same evaporation pulse can be detected and properly positioned. The major impact of this new method on the quantization of chemical composition in materials, particularly in highly-doped Si(B) samples is highlighted.

Dependence of fluorescent protein brightness on protein concentration in solution and enhancement of it

PubMed Central

Morikawa, Takamitsu J.; Fujita, Hideaki; Kitamura, Akira; Horio, Takashi; Yamamoto, Johtaro; Kinjo, Masataka; Sasaki, Akira; Machiyama, Hiroaki; Yoshizawa, Keiko; Ichimura, Taro; Imada, Katsumi; Nagai, Takeharu; Watanabe, Tomonobu M.

2016-01-01

Fluorescent proteins have been widely used in biology because of their compatibility and varied applications in living specimens. Fluorescent proteins are often undesirably sensitive to intracellular conditions such as pH and ion concentration, generating considerable issues at times. However, harnessing these intrinsic sensitivities can help develop functional probes. In this study, we found that the fluorescence of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) depends on the protein concentration in the solution and that this dependence can be enhanced by adding a glycine residue in to the YFP; we applied this finding to construct an intracellular protein-crowding sensor. A Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) pair, involving a cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) insensitive to protein concentration and a glycine-inserted YFP, works as a genetically encoded probe to evaluate intracellular crowding. By measuring the fluorescence of the present FRET probe, we were able to detect dynamic changes in protein crowding in living cells. PMID:26956628

A new dual-channel optical signal probe for Cu2+ detection based on morin and boric acid.

PubMed

Wang, Peng; Yuan, Bin Fang; Li, Nian Bing; Luo, Hong Qun

2014-01-01

In this work we utilized the common analytical reagent morin to develop a new a dual-channel, cost-effective, and sensitive method for determination of Cu(2+). It is found that morin is only weakly fluorescent by itself, but forms highly fluorescent complexes with boric acid. Moreover, the fluorescence of complexes of morin with boric acid is quenched linearly by Cu(2+) in a certain concentration range. Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence quenching efficiency was linearly proportional to the concentration of cupric ions in the range of 0.5-25 μM with high sensitivity, and the detection limit for Cu(2+) was 0.38 μM. The linear range was 1-25 μM determined by spectrophotometry, and the detection limit for cupric ions was 0.8 μM. Furthermore, the mechanism of sensitive fluorescence quenching response of morin to Cu(2+) is discussed.

Impact of electrolyte composition on the reactivity of a redox active polymer studied through surface interrogation and ion-sensitive scanning electrochemical microscopy.

PubMed

Burgess, Mark; Hernández-Burgos, Kenneth; Cheng, Kevin J; Moore, Jeffrey S; Rodríguez-López, Joaquín

2016-06-21

Elucidating the impact of interactions between the electrolyte and electroactive species in redox active polymers is key to designing better-performing electrodes for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Here, we present on the improvement of the electrochemical activity of poly(para-nitrostyrene) (PNS) in solution and as a film by exploiting the ionic interactions between reduced PNS and K(+), which showed increased reactivity when compared to tetrabutylammonium (TBA(+))- and Li(+)-containing electrolytes. While cyclic voltammetry enabled the study of the effects of cations on the electrochemical reversibility and the reduction potential of PNS, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) provided new tools to probe the ionic and redox reactivity of this system. Using an ion-sensitive Hg SECM tip allowed to probe the ingress of ions into PNS redox active films, while surface interrogation SECM (SI-SECM) measured the specific kinetics of PNS and a solution phase mediator in the presence of the tested electrolytes. SI-SECM measurements illustrated that the interrogation kinetics of PNS in the presence of K(+) compared to TBA(+) and Li(+) are greatly enhanced under the same surface concentration of adsorbed radical anion, exhibiting up to a 40-fold change in redox kinetics. We foresee using this new application of SECM methods for elucidating optimal interactions that enhance polymer reactivity for applications in redox flow batteries.

Carbon dots as fluorescent probes for "off-on" detection of Cu2+ and L-cysteine in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Zong, Jie; Yang, Xiaoling; Trinchi, Adrian; Hardin, Simon; Cole, Ivan; Zhu, Yihua; Li, Chunzhong; Muster, Tim; Wei, Gang

2014-01-15

Copper ion (Cu(2+)) and L-cysteine (L-Cys) detection is critically important since an abnormal level of Cu(2+) or L-Cys is an indicator for many diseases. In this paper, we demonstrate an "off-on" approach for highly sensitive and selective detection of Cu(2+) and L-Cys using carbon dots (CDs) as fluorescent probes. CDs were prepared by using mesoporous silica (MS) spheres as nanoreactors. The binding ability of CDs towards metal ions was examined by comparing the fluorescence intensities of CDs before and after the addition of the metal ions. The addition of Cu(2+) cations leads to their absorption on the surface of CDs and the significant fluorescence quench of CDs (turn-off). The resulting in CDs-Cu(2+) system was found to be sensitive to L-Cys. The addition of L-Cys not only serves to shelter the CDs effectively from being quenched, but also to reverse the quenching and restore the fluorescence (turn-on) due to its ability to remove Cu(2+) from the surface of CDs. This method is facile, rapid, low cost, and environment-friendly. A detection limit as low as 2.3×10(-8) M for Cu(2+) and 3.4×10(-10) M for L-Cys is obtained, which is promising for biological applications. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity Testing of the NSTAR Ion Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sengupta, Anita; Anderson, John; Brophy, John

2007-01-01

During the Extended Life Test of the DS1 flight spare ion thruster, the engine was subjected to sensitvity testing in order to characterize the macroscopic dependence of discharge chamber sensitivity to a +\\-3% vatiation in main flow, cathode flow and beam current, and to +\\5% variation in beam and accelerator voltage, was determined for the minimum- (THO), half- (TH8) and full power (TH15) throttle levels. For each power level investigared, 16 high/low operating conditions were chosen to vary the flows, beam current, and grid voltages in in a matrix that mapped out the entire parameter space. The matrix of data generated was used to determine the partial derivative or senitivity of the dependent parameters--discharge voltage, discharge current, discharge loss, double-to-single-ion current ratio, and neutralizer-keeper voltage--to the variation in the independent parameters--main flow, cathode flow, beam current, and beam voltage. The sensititivities of each dependent parameter with respect to each independent parameter were determined using a least-square fit routine. Variation in these sensitivities with thruster runtime was recorded over the duration of the ELT, to detemine if discharge performance changed with thruster wear. Several key findings have been ascertained from the sensitivity testing. Discharge operation is most sensitve to changes in cathode flow and to a lesser degree main flow. The data also confirms that for the NSTAR configuration plasma production is limited by primary electron input due to the fixed neutral population. Key sensitivities along with their change with thruster wear (operating time) will be presented. In addition double ion content measurements with an ExB probe will also be presented to illustrate beam ion production and content sensitivity to the discharge chamber operating parameteres.

Fabrication of an electrochemical sensor based on spiropyran for sensitive and selective detection of fluoride ion.

PubMed

Tao, Jia; Zhao, Peng; Li, Yinhui; Zhao, Wenjie; Xiao, Yue; Yang, Ronghua

2016-04-28

In the past decades, numerous electrochemical sensors based on exogenous electroactive substance have been reported. Due to non-specific interaction between the redox mediator and the target, the instability caused by false signal may not be avoided. To address this issue, in this paper, a new electrochemical sensor based on spiropyran skeleton, namely SPOSi, was designed for specific electrochemical response to fluoride ions (F(-)). The breakage of Si-O induced by F(-) based on the specific nucleophilic substitution reaction between F(-) and silica would directly produce a hydroquinone structure for electrochemical signal generation. To improve the sensitivity, SPOSi probe was assembled on the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) through the π-π conjugating interaction. This electrode was successfully applied to monitor F(-) with a detection limit of 8.3 × 10(-8) M. Compared with the conventional F(-) ion selected electrode (ISE) which utilized noncovalent interaction, this method displays higher stability and a comparable sensitivity in the urine samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A multifunctional Schiff base as a fluorescence sensor for Fe3 + and Zn2 + ions, and a colorimetric sensor for Cu2 + and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xu; Han, Juan; Wang, Yun; Ni, Liang; Bao, Xu; Wang, Lei; Zhang, Wenli

2017-02-01

Chemosensors play important parts in the selective recognition of ions, which is widely applied in various fields of environment, industry and biological sciences. In this work, a chemosensor for multi-metal ions based on rhodamine B derivative was synthesized, which could selectively recognize various metal ions in different solvent system. The addition of Cu2 + caused the color change from colorless to pink in EtOH/H2O (v/v = 1:1) solvent system, which could be quickly identified by the naked eyes with a detection limit of 8.27 × 10- 8 M. In ethanol solution system, the addition of Fe3 + and Zn2 + caused different fluorescence changes with the detection limit of 2.12 × 10- 7 M and 6.64 × 10- 7 M respectively. The binding ratios are 1:1 (1-Cu2 +), 2:1 (1-Fe3 +) and 1:1 (1-Zn2 +), respectively. Meanwhile, the probe 1 was used to detect the trace metal ions in real water samples. Besides, the probe 1 showed sensitive fluorescence signals for Fe3 + in biological cells. The experimental results further verify the application value of the sensor.

Removal of singularity in radial Langmuir probe models for non-zero ion temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regodón, Guillermo Fernando; Fernández Palop, José Ignacio; Tejero-del-Caz, Antonio; Díaz-Cabrera, Juan Manuel; Carmona-Cabezas, Rafael; Ballesteros, Jerónimo

2017-10-01

We solve a radial theoretical model that describes the ion sheath around a cylindrical Langmuir probe with finite non-zero ion temperature in which singularity in an a priori unknown point prevents direct integration. The singularity appears naturally in fluid models when the velocity of the ions reaches the local ion speed of sound. The solutions are smooth and continuous and are valid from the plasma to the probe with no need for asymptotic matching. The solutions that we present are valid for any value of the positive ion to electron temperature ratio and for any constant polytropic coefficient. The model is numerically solved to obtain the electric potential and the ion population density profiles for any given positive ion current collected by the probe. The ion-current to probe-voltage characteristic curves and the Sonin plot are calculated in order to use the results of the model in plasma diagnosis. The proposed methodology is adaptable to other geometries and in the presence of other presheath mechanisms.

Highly selective SERS probe for Hg(II) detection using tryptophan-protected popcorn shaped gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Senapati, Tapas; Senapati, Dulal; Singh, Anant Kumar; Fan, Zhen; Kanchanapally, Rajashekhar; Ray, Paresh Chandra

2011-10-07

Contamination of the environment with toxic Hg(II) is becoming a huge concern throughout the world now. Driven by the need, this communication reports for the first time a tryptophan protected popcorn shaped gold nanomaterials based SERS probe for rapid, easy and highly selective recognition of Hg(II) ions in the 5 ppb level from aqueous solution, with high sensitivity and selectivity over competing analytes. We demonstrate that our SERS assay is capable of measuring the amount of Hg(II) in alkaline battery. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

Glow discharge detector

DOEpatents

Koo, Jackson C.; Yu, Conrad M.

2002-01-01

A highly sensitive electronic ion cell for the measurement of trace elements in He carrier gas which involves glow discharge. A constant wave (CW) glow discharge detector which is controlled through a biased resistor, can detect the change of electron density caused by impurities in the He carrier gas by many orders of magnitude larger than that caused by direct ionization or electron capture. The glow discharge detector utilizes a floating pseudo-electrode to form a probe in or near the plasma. By using this probe, the large variation of electron density due to trace amounts of impurities can be directly measured.

A relay identification fluorescence probe for Fe3 + and phosphate anion and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xu; Wang, Yun; Han, Juan; Ni, Liang; Wang, Lei; Li, Longhua; Zhang, Huiqin; Li, Cheng; Li, Jing; Li, Haoran

2018-02-01

A simple relay identification fluorescence probe for Fe3 + and phosphate anion with ;on-off-on; switching was designed and synthesized based on the phenylthiazole and biphenylcarbonitrile. Probe 1 displayed highly selective and sensitive recognition to Fe3 + in HEPES aqueous buffer (EtOH/H2O = 2:8, v/v, pH = 7.4) solutions. The optimized structures and HOMO and LUMO of probe 1 and [1-Fe3 +] complex were obtained by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations with B3LYP as the exchange and correlation functional using a suite of Gaussian 09 programs. The [1-Fe3 +] complex solution also showed a high selectivity toward PO43 -. The lower limits of detection of probe 1 to Fe3 + and [1-Fe3 +] complex to PO43 - were estimated to 1.09 × 10- 7 M and 1.86 × 10- 7 M. Besides, the probe 1 also was used to detected the target ions in real water sample and living cells successfully.

Use of terbium as a probe of tRNA tertiary structure and folding.

PubMed Central

Hargittai, M R; Musier-Forsyth, K

2000-01-01

Lanthanide metals such as terbium have previously been shown to be useful for mapping metal-binding sites in RNA. Terbium binds to the same sites on RNA as magnesium, however, with a much higher affinity. Thus, low concentrations of terbium ions can easily displace magnesium and promote phosphodiester backbone scission. At higher concentrations, terbium cleaves RNA in a sequence-independent manner, with a preference for single-stranded, non-Watson-Crick base-paired regions. Here, we show that terbium is a sensitive probe of human tRNALys,3 tertiary structure and folding. When 1 microM tRNA is used, the optimal terbium ion concentration for detecting Mg2+-induced tertiary structural changes is 50-60 microM. Using these concentrations of RNA and terbium, a magnesium-dependent folding transition with a midpoint (KMg) of 2.6 mM is observed for unmodified human tRNALys,3. At lower Tb3+ concentrations, cleavage is restricted to nucleotides that constitute specific metal-binding pockets. This small chemical probe should also be useful for detecting protein induced structural changes in RNA. PMID:11105765

Discovery of a novel calcium-sensitive fluorescent probe for α-ketoglutarate.

PubMed

Gan, Lin-Lin; Chen, Lin-Hai; Nan, Fa-Jun

2017-12-01

α-Ketoglutarate (α-KG), a pivotal metabolite in energy metabolism, has been implicated in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and several cancers. It is recently proposed that plasma α-KG is a surrogate biomarker of NAFLD. Here, we report the development of a novel "turn-on" chemosensor for α-KG that contains a coumarin moiety as a fluorophore. Using benzothiazole-coumarin (BTC) as inspiration, we designed a probe for calcium ion recognition that possesses a unique fluorophore compared with previously reported probes for α-KG measurement. This chemosensor is based on the specific Schiff base reaction and the calcium ion recognition property of the widely used calcium indicator BTC. The probe was synthesized, and a series of parallel experiments were conducted to optimize the chemical recognition process. Compared to the initial weak fluorescence, a remarkable 7.6-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity (I/I 0 at 495 nm) was observed for the conditions in which the probe (1 μmol/L), α-KG (50 μmol/L), and Ca 2+ (100 μmol/L) were incubated at 30 °C in EtOH. The probe displayed good selectivity for α-KG even in an environment with an abundance of amino acids and other interfering species such as glutaric acid. We determined that the quantitative detection range of α-KG in EtOH was between 5 and 50 μmol/L. Finally, probe in serum loaded with α-KG (10 mmol/L) showed a 7.4-fold fluorescence enhancement. In summary, a novel probe for detecting the biomarker α-KG through a typical Schiff base reaction has been discovered. With further optimization, this probe may be a good alternative for detecting the physiological metabolite α-KG.

Sampling probe for microarray read out using electrospray mass spectrometry

DOEpatents

Van Berkel, Gary J.

2004-10-12

An automated electrospray based sampling system and method for analysis obtains samples from surface array spots having analytes. The system includes at least one probe, the probe including an inlet for flowing at least one eluting solvent to respective ones of a plurality of spots and an outlet for directing the analyte away from the spots. An automatic positioning system is provided for translating the probe relative to the spots to permit sampling of any spot. An electrospray ion source having an input fluidicly connected to the probe receives the analyte and generates ions from the analyte. The ion source provides the generated ions to a structure for analysis to identify the analyte, preferably being a mass spectrometer. The probe can be a surface contact probe, where the probe forms an enclosing seal along the periphery of the array spot surface.

A selective colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for Al3+ ion and its application to cellular imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manjunath, Rangasamy; Hrishikesan, Elango; Kannan, Palaninathan

2015-04-01

A new rhodamine-based fluorescent turn-on chemosensor (L) for selective detection of Al3+ ion has been developed and characterized. The fluorescent chemosensor L was synthesized by the reaction of intermediate (4) with 2,5-bis (4-phenylacyl chloride)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (3). The chemosensor L displays an excellent selective and sensitive response to Al3+ ion over other metal ions, in which the spirocyclic (non-fluorescent) to ring opened amide (fluorescent) process was utilized and a 1:2 stoichiometry for L-Al3+ complex was formed with an association constant of 2.03 × 103 M-1. Furthermore, chemosensor L can be applied as a fluorescent probe for monitoring Al3+ in living cells by performing cell imaging studies.

Evaluation of a Magnetically-Filtered Faraday Probe for Measuring the ion Current Density Profile of a Hall Thruster

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-01

The ability of a magnetically-filtered Faraday probe (MFFP) to obtain the ion current density profile of a Hall thruster is investigated. The MFFP is...MFFP, boxed Faraday probe (BFP), and nude Faraday probe are used to measure the ion current density profile of a 5 kW Hall thruster operated over the

High-sensitive electrochemical detection of point mutation based on polymerization-induced enzymatic amplification.

PubMed

Feng, Kejun; Zhao, Jingjin; Wu, Zai-Sheng; Jiang, Jianhui; Shen, Guoli; Yu, Ruqin

2011-03-15

Here a highly sensitive electrochemical method is described for the detection of point mutation in DNA. Polymerization extension reaction is applied to specifically initiate enzymatic electrochemical amplification to improve the sensitivity and enhance the performance of point mutation detection. In this work, 5'-thiolated DNA probe sequences complementary to the wild target DNA are assembled on the gold electrode. In the presence of wild target DNA, the probe is extended by DNA polymerase over the free segment of target as the template. After washing with NaOH solution, the target DNA is removed while the elongated probe sequence remains on the sensing surface. Via hybridizing to the designed biotin-labeled detection probe, the extended sequence is capable of capturing detection probe. After introducing streptavidin-conjugated alkaline phosphatase (SA-ALP), the specific binding between streptavidin and biotin mediates a catalytic reaction of ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AA-P) substrate to produce a reducing agent ascorbic acid (AA). Then the silver ions in solution are reduced by AA, leading to the deposition of silver metal onto the electrode surface. The amount of deposited silver which is determined by the amount of wild target can be quantified by the linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The present approach proved to be capable of detecting the wild target DNA down to a detection limit of 1.0×10(-14) M in a wide target concentration range and identifying -28 site (A to G) of the β-thalassemia gene, demonstrating that this scheme offers a highly sensitive and specific approach for point mutation detection. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Highly selective and sensitive turn-on fluorescent sensor for detection of Al3+ based on quinoline-base Schiff base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yang; Ma, Zhong-Ying; Zhang, De-Long; Deng, Jia-Li; Chen, Xiong; Xie, Cheng-Zhi; Qiao, Xin; Li, Qing-Zhong; Xu, Jing-Yuan

2018-04-01

A new aluminum ion fluorescent probe (4-(diethylamino)-2-hydroxybenzylidene)isoquinoline-1-carbohydrazide (HL1) has been conveniently synthesized and characterized. HL1 exhibited a highly selective and pronounced enhancement for Al3+ in the fluorescence emission over other common cations by forming a 2:1 complex, with a recognition mechanism based on excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). The strong fluorescent emission can be observed even at ppm level concentration of the probe in the presence of Al3+ with 41 fold intensity enhancement at 545 nm. HL1 displays good linear relationship with Al3+ in the low concentration and the limit of detection is 8.08 × 10-8 mol/L. Similar molecules with different substituents on salicylaldehyde phenyl ring were synthesized for studying the structure-activity relationship. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations are in agreement with the proposed mechanism. It is confirmed that HL1 could be used to detect Al3+ ions in real sample by fluorescence spectrometry and Al3+ ions in cells by bioimaging.

Diffusion induced atomic islands on the surface of Ni/Cu nanolayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takáts, Viktor; Csik, Attila; Hakl, József; Vad, Kálmán

2018-05-01

Surface islands formed by grain-boundary diffusion has been studied in Ni/Cu nanolayers by in-situ low energy ion scattering spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy and ex-situ depth profiling based on ion sputtering. In this paper a new experimental approach of measurement of grain-boundary diffusion coefficients is presented. Appearing time of copper atoms diffused through a few nanometer thick nickel layer has been detected by low energy ion scattering spectroscopy with high sensitivity. The grain-boundary diffusion coefficient can be directly calculated from this appearing time without using segregation factors in calculations. The temperature range of 423-463 K insures the pure C-type diffusion kinetic regime. The most important result is that surface coverage of Ni layer by Cu atoms reaches a maximum during annealing and stays constant if the annealing procedure is continued. Scanning probe microscopy measurements show a Volmer-Weber type layer growth of Cu layer on the Ni surface in the form of Cu atomic islands. Depth distribution of Cu in Ni layer has been determined by depth profile analysis.

Non-canonical amino acids bearing thiophene and bithiophene: synthesis by an Ugi multicomponent reaction and studies on ion recognition ability.

PubMed

Esteves, Cátia I C; Raposo, M Manuela M; Costa, Susana P G

2017-05-01

Novel thienyl and bithienyl amino acids with different substituents were obtained by a multicomponent Ugi reaction between a heterocyclic aldehyde, an amine, an acid and an isocyanide. Due to the presence of the sulphur heterocycle at the side chain, these unnatural amino acids are highly emissive and bear extra electron donating atoms so they were tested for their ability to act as fluorescent probes and chemosensors in the recognition of biomedically relevant ions in acetonitrile and acetonitrile/water solutions. The results obtained from spectrophotometric/spectrofluorimetric titrations in the presence of organic and inorganic anions, and alkaline; alkaline-earth and transition metal cations indicated that the bithienyl amino acid bearing a methoxy group is a selective colorimetric chemosensor for Cu 2+ , while the other (bi)thienyl amino acids act as fluorimetric chemosensors with high sensitivity towards Fe 3+ and Cu 2+ in a metal-ligand complex with 1:2 stoichiometry. The photophysical and ion sensing properties of these amino acids confirm their potential as fluorescent probes suitable for incorporation into peptidic frameworks with chemosensory ability.

Colorimetric determination of Al(III) based on the aggregation of gold nanoparticles functionalized with novel 4-benzoyl pyrazolone derivative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abubaker, Mariam; Ngah, Che Wan Zanariah Che Wan; Ahmad, Musa; Kuswandi, Bambang

2018-06-01

A sensitive and selective colorimetric method has been developed for detection of Al3+ ion using 4-benzoyl pyrazolone-functionalized gold nanoparticles (BMPBP-AuNPs) as novel colorimetric probes. The BMPBP-AuNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the addition of the Al3+ ions led to a rapid aggregation of the BMPBP-AuNPs, which changed the color of the mixture from red to blue. Furthermore, there was a shift in the characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak from 524 to 650 nm of BMPBP-AuNPs, which confirmed that a good linear relation (R2 = 0.9935) was present between the absorption ratio of 524 and 650 nm. Also, the assay detected the Al3+ ion concentrations in the linear range 0-12 ppm with the detection limit is 0.05 ppm. Finally, the synthesized BMPBP-AuNPs were successfully used as a colorimetric sensor for the selective and sensitive detection of the Al3+ ions in water samples.

A highly selective and sensitive photoswitchable fluorescent probe for Hg2+ based on bisthienylethene-rhodamine 6G dyad and for live cells imaging.

PubMed

Xu, Li; Wang, Sheng; Lv, Yingnian; Son, Young-A; Cao, Derong

2014-07-15

A new photochromic diarylethene derivative bearing rhodamine 6G dimmer as a fluorescent molecular probe is designed and synthesized successfully. All the compounds are characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The bisthienylethene-rhodamine 6G dyad exhibit excellent phtochromism with reversibly color and fluorescence changes alternating irradiation with ultraviolet and visible light. Upon addition of Hg(2+), its color changes from colorless to red and its fluorescence is remarkably enhanced. Whereas other ions including K(+), Na(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Fe(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Mn(2+), Pb(2+), Ni(2+), Fe(3+), Al(3+), Cr(3+) and so on induce basically no spectral changes, which constitute a highly selective and sensitive photoswitchable fluorescent probe toward Hg(2+). Furthermore, by means of laser confocal scanning microscopy experiments, it is demonstrated that this probe can be applied for live cell imaging and monitoring Hg(2+) in living lung cancer cells with satisfying results, which shows its value of potential application in environmental and biological systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and application of a ruthenium(II) complex-based photoluminescent and electrochemiluminescent dual-signaling probe for nitric oxide.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenzhu; Zhang, Jingmei; Zhang, Hailei; Cao, Liyan; Zhang, Run; Ye, Zhiqiang; Yuan, Jingli

2013-11-15

A ruthenium(II) complex, [Ru(bpy)2(DA-phen)](PF6)2 (bpy: 2,2'-bipyridine; DA-phen: 5,6-diamino-1,10-phenanthroline), has been developed as a photoluminescent (PL) and electrochemiluminescent (ECL) dual-signaling probe for the highly sensitive and selective detection of nitric oxide (NO) in aqueous and biological samples. Due to the presence of electron transfer process from diamino group to the excited-state of the Ru(II) complex, the PL and ECL intensities of the probe are very weak. After the probe was reacted with NO in physiological pH aqueous media under aerobic conditions to afford its triazole derivative, [Ru(bpy)2(TA-phen)](2+) (TA-phen: 5,6-triazole-1,10-phenanthroline), the electron transfer process was inhibited, so that the PL and ECL efficiency of the Ru(II) complex was remarkably increased. The PL and ECL responses of the probe to NO in physiological pH media are highly sensitive with the detection limits at low micromolar concentration level, and highly specific without the interferences of other reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) and metal ions. Moreover, the probe has good cell-membrane permeability, and can be rapidly transferred into living cells for trapping the intracellular NO molecules. These features enabled the probe to be successfully used for the monitoring of the endogenous NO production in living biological cell and tissue samples with PL and ECL dual-modes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Metal-Polydopamine Framework (MPDA) as an Effective Fluorescent Quencher for Highly Sensitive Detection of Hg (II) And Ag (I) ions Through Exonuclease III Activity.

PubMed

Ravikumar, Ayyanu; Panneerselvam, Perumal; Morad, Norhashimah

2018-05-24

In this paper, we propose a metal-polydopamine framework (MPDA) with specific molecular probe which appears to be the most promising approach to a strong fluorescence quencher. The MPDA framework quenching ability towards various organic fluorophore such as aminoethylcomarin acetate (AMCA), 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM), carboxyteramethylrhodamine (TAMRA) and Cy5 are used to establish a fluorescent biosensor that can selectively recognize Hg2+ and Ag+ ion. The fluorescent quenching efficiency was sufficient to achieve more than 96%. The MPDA framework also exhibits different affinities with ssDNA and dsDNA. In addition, the FAM labelled ssDNA was adsorbed onto MPDA framework, based on their interaction with the complex formed between MPDA frameworks/ssDNA taken as a sensing platform. By taking advantage of this sensor highly sensitive and selective determination of Hg2+and Ag+ ions is achieved through Exonuclease III signal amplification activity. The detection limits of Hg2+and Ag+ achieved to be 1.2 pM and 34 pM respectively, were compared to co-existing metal ions and GO based sensors. Furthermore, the potential applications of this study establish the highly sensitive fluorescence detection targets in environmental and biological fields.

Interpretation of plasma impurity deposition probes. Analytic approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stangeby, P. C.

1987-10-01

Insertion of a probe into the plasma induces a high speed flow of the hydrogenic plasma to the probe which, by friction, accelerates the impurity ions to velocities approaching the hydrogenic ion acoustic speed, i.e., higher than the impurity ion thermal speed. A simple analytic theory based on this effect provides a relation between impurity fluxes to the probe Γimp and the undisturbed impurity ion density nimp, with the hydrogenic temperature and density as input parameters. Probe size also influences the collection process and large probes are found to attract a higher flux density than small probes in the same plasma. The quantity actually measured, cimp, the impurity atom surface density (m-2) net-deposited on the probe, is related to Γimp and thus to nimp by taking into account the partial removal of deposited material caused by sputtering and the redeposition process.

6,7-dimethoxy-coumarin as a probe of hydration dynamics in biologically relevant systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghose, Avisek; Amaro, Mariana; Kovaricek, Petr; Hof, Martin; Sykora, Jan

2018-04-01

Coumarin derivatives are well known fluorescence reporters for investigating biological systems due to their strong micro-environment sensitivity. Despite having wide range of environment sensitive fluorescence probes, the potential of 6,7-dimethoxy-coumarin has not been studied extensively so far. With a perspective of its use in protein studies, namely using the unnatural amino acid technology or as a substrate for hydrolase enzymes, we study acetyloxymethyl-6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (Ac-DMC). We investigate the photophysics and hydration dynamics of this dye in aerosol-OT (AOT) reverse micelles at various water contents using the time dependent fluorescence shift (TDFS) method. The TDFS response in AOT reverse micelles from water/surfactant ratio of 0 to 20 confirms its sensitivity towards the hydration and mobility of its microenvironment. Moreover, we show that the fluorophore can be efficiently quenched by halide ions. Hence, we conclude that the 6,7-dimethoxy-methylcoumarin fluorophore is useful for studying hydration parameters in biologically relevant systems.

Colorimetric and luminescent bifunctional iridium(III) complexes for the sensitive recognition of cyanide ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiudan; Wang, Huili; Li, Jing; Hu, Wenqin; Li, Mei-Jin

2017-02-01

Two new cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes [(ppy)2Irppz]Cl (1) and [(ppy)2Irbppz]Cl (2) (where ppy = 2-phenylpyridine, ppz = 4,7-phenanthrolino-5,6:5,6-pyrazine, bppz = 2.3-di-2-pyridylpyrazine), were designed and synthesized. The structure of [(ppy)2Irppz]Cl was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Their photophysical properties were also studied. This kind of complexes could coordinate with Cu2 +, the photoluminescence (PL) of the complex was quenched, and the color changed from orange-red to green. The forming M-Cu (M: complexes 1 and 2) ensemble could be further utilized as a colorimetric and emission ;turn-on; bifunctional detection for CN-, especially for complex 1-Cu2 + showed a high sensitivity toward CN- with a limit of diction is 97 nM. Importantly, this kind of iridium(III) complexes shows a unique recognition of cyanide ions over other anions which makes it an eligible sensing probe for cyanide ions.

Energy Transfer Highway in Nd3+-Sensitized Nanoparticles for Efficient near-Infrared Bioimaging.

PubMed

Cao, Cong; Xue, Meng; Zhu, Xingjun; Yang, Pengyuan; Feng, Wei; Li, Fuyou

2017-06-07

Despite the large absorption cross-section of Nd 3+ dopant as a sensitizer in lanthanide doped luminescence system, the strong cross-relaxation effect of it impedes the promotion of doping concentration and thus reduces the utilization of excitation light. In this work, we introduce a highly efficient acceptor, Yb 3+ ion, which can quickly receive energy from Nd 3+ ions, to construct an energy transfer highway for the enhancement of near-infrared emission. By using the energy transfer highway, the doping amount of Nd 3+ ions in our NaYF 4 :Yb,Nd@CaF 2 core/shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) can be markedly elevated to 60%. The quantum yield of CSNPs was determined to be 20.7%, which provides strong near-infrared luminescence for further bioimaging application. Remarkably, deep tissue penetration depth (∼10 mm) in in vitro imaging and high spatial resolution of blood vessel (∼0.19 mm) in in vivo imaging were detected clearly with weak autofluorescence, demonstrating that probes can be used as excellent NIR biosensors.

Electric field measurement in microwave discharge ion thruster with electro-optic probe.

PubMed

Ise, Toshiyuki; Tsukizaki, Ryudo; Togo, Hiroyoshi; Koizumi, Hiroyuki; Kuninaka, Hitoshi

2012-12-01

In order to understand the internal phenomena in a microwave discharge ion thruster, it is important to measure the distribution of the microwave electric field inside the discharge chamber, which is directly related to the plasma production. In this study, we proposed a novel method of measuring a microwave electric field with an electro-optic (EO) probe based on the Pockels effect. The probe, including a cooling system, contains no metal and can be accessed in the discharge chamber with less disruption to the microwave distribution. This method enables measurement of the electric field profile under ion beam acceleration. We first verified the measurement with the EO probe by a comparison with a finite-difference time domain numerical simulation of the microwave electric field in atmosphere. Second, we showed that the deviations of the reflected microwave power and the beam current were less than 8% due to inserting the EO probe into the ion thruster under ion beam acceleration. Finally, we successfully demonstrated the measurement of the electric-field profile in the ion thruster under ion beam acceleration. These measurements show that the electric field distribution in the thruster dramatically changes in the ion thruster under ion beam acceleration as the propellant mass flow rate increases. These results indicate that this new method using an EO probe can provide a useful guide for improving the propulsion of microwave discharge ion thrusters.

Atom Probe Tomography Studies on the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Grain Boundaries

PubMed Central

Cojocaru-Mirédin, Oana; Schwarz, Torsten; Choi, Pyuck-Pa; Herbig, Michael; Wuerz, Roland; Raabe, Dierk

2013-01-01

Compared with the existent techniques, atom probe tomography is a unique technique able to chemically characterize the internal interfaces at the nanoscale and in three dimensions. Indeed, APT possesses high sensitivity (in the order of ppm) and high spatial resolution (sub nm). Considerable efforts were done here to prepare an APT tip which contains the desired grain boundary with a known structure. Indeed, site-specific sample preparation using combined focused-ion-beam, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy is presented in this work. This method allows selected grain boundaries with a known structure and location in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-films to be studied by atom probe tomography. Finally, we discuss the advantages and drawbacks of using the atom probe tomography technique to study the grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells. PMID:23629452

Langmuir probe diagnostic suite in the C-2 field-reversed configuration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roche, T., E-mail: troche@trialphaenergy.com; Armstrong, S.; Knapp, K.

2014-11-15

Several in situ probes have been designed and implemented into the diagnostic array of the C-2 field-reversed configuration (FRC) at Tri Alpha Energy [M. Tuszewski et al. (the TAE Team), Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 255008 (2012)]. The probes are all variations on the traditional Langmuir probe. They include linear arrays of triple probes, linear arrays of single-tipped swept probes, a multi-faced Gundestrup probe, and an ion-sensitive probe. The probes vary from 5 to 7 mm diameter in size to minimize plasma perturbations. They also have boron nitride outer casings that prevent unwanted electrical breakdown and reduce the introduction of impurities.more » The probes are mounted on motorized linear-actuators allowing for programmatic scans of the various plasma parameters over the course of several shots. Each probe has a custom set of electronics that allows for measurement of the desired signals. High frequency ( > 5MHz) analog optical-isolators ensure that plasma parameters can be measured at sub-microsecond time scales while providing electrical isolation between machine and data acquisition systems. With these probes time-resolved plasma parameters (temperature, density, spatial potential, flow, and electric field) can be directly/locally measured in the FRC jet and edge/scrape-off layer.« less

Selective and “turn-off” fluorimetric detection of mercury(II) based on coumarinyldithiolane and coumarinyldithiane in aqueous solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guo, Yuan, E-mail: guoyuan@nwu.edu.cn; Institut de Chimie Organique et Analytique, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans Cedex 2; An, Jing

2015-03-15

Graphical abstract: Visual fluorescence emission of probe 3a. - Highlights: • Five novel coumarin-based fluorescent probes were developed. • A reasonable reaction mechanism was proposed and verified. • All the probes showed excellent optical properties. - Abstract: In this work, five novel coumarin-based fluorescent probes for mercury ions were developed. The recognition of mercury ions was performed via the mercury(II)-promoted desulfurization of the probes and a reasonable reaction mechanism was proposed and verified by thin layer chromatography (TLC), {sup 1}H nuclear magnetic resonance ({sup 1}H NMR) and fluorescence intensity measurements. All the probes showed excellent optical properties and exclusively distinguishmore » mercury ions from various metal ions in aqueous solutions at pH 7.4. The linear response of the fluorescence emission intensity for all the probes to the concentration of mercury ions was obtained over a wide range of 0.06–1.5 μM (0.06–0.9 μM for probe 3e). In addition, the biological toxicity and the confocal fluorescence images of probe 3a were also tested on MCF-7 cells.« less

Integration of Ion Implantation with Scanning ProbeAlignment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Persaud, A.; Rangelow, I.W.; Schenkel, T.

We describe a scanning probe instrument which integrates ion beams with imaging and alignment functions of a piezo resistive scanning probe in high vacuum. Energetic ions (1 to a few hundred keV) are transported through holes in scanning probe tips [1]. Holes and imaging tips are formed by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) drilling and ion beam assisted thin film deposition. Transport of single ions can be monitored through detection of secondary electrons from highly charged dopant ions (e. g., Bi{sup 45+}) enabling single atom device formation. Fig. 1 shows SEM images of a scanning probe tip formed by ion beammore » assisted Pt deposition in a dual beam FIB. Ion beam collimating apertures are drilled through the silicon cantilever with a thickness of 5 {micro}m. Aspect ratio limitations preclude the direct drilling of holes with diameters well below 1 {micro}m, and smaller hole diameters are achieved through local thin film deposition [2]. The hole in Fig. 1 was reduced from 2 {micro}m to a residual opening of about 300 nm. Fig. 2 shows an in situ scanning probe image of an alignment dot pattern taken with the tip from Fig. 1. Transport of energetic ions through the aperture in the scanning probe tip allows formation of arbitrary implant patterns. In the example shown in Fig. 2 (right), a 30 nm thick PMMA resist layer on silicon was exposed to 7 keV Ar{sup 2+} ions with an equivalent dose of 10{sup 14} ions/cm{sup 2} to form the LBL logo. An exciting goal of this approach is the placement of single dopant ions into precise locations for integration of single atom devices, such as donor spin based quantum computers [3, 4]. In Fig. 3, we show a section of a micron size dot area exposed to a low dose (10{sup 11}/cm{sup 2}) of high charge state dopant ions. The Bi{sup 45+} ions (200 keV) were extracted from a low emittance highly charged ions source [5]. The potential energy of B{sup 45+}, i. e., the sum of the binding energies required to remove the electrons, amounts to 36 keV. This energy is deposited within {approx}10 fs when an ion impinges on a target. The highly localized energy deposition results in efficient resist exposure, and is associated with strongly enhanced secondary electron emission, which allows monitoring of single ion impacts [4]. The ex situ scanning probe image with line scan in Fig. 3 shows a single ion impact site in PMMA (after standard development). In our presentation, we will discuss resolution requirements for ion placement in prototype quantum computer structures [3] with respect to resolution limiting factors in ion implantation with scanning probe alignment.« less

Overestimation of Mach number due to probe shadow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gosselin, J. J.; Thakur, S. C.; Tynan, G. R.

2016-07-15

Comparisons of the plasma ion flow speed measurements from Mach probes and laser induced fluorescence were performed in the Controlled Shear Decorrelation Experiment. We show the presence of the probe causes a low density geometric shadow downstream of the probe that affects the current density collected by the probe in collisional plasmas if the ion-neutral mean free path is shorter than the probe shadow length, L{sub g} = w{sup 2} V{sub drift}/D{sub ⊥}, resulting in erroneous Mach numbers. We then present a simple correction term that provides the corrected Mach number from probe data when the sound speed, ion-neutral mean free path,more » and perpendicular diffusion coefficient of the plasma are known. The probe shadow effect must be taken into account whenever the ion-neutral mean free path is on the order of the probe shadow length in linear devices and the open-field line region of fusion devices.« less

Characterization and global modelling of low-pressure hydrogen-based RF plasmas suitable for surface cleaning processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Škoro, Nikola; Puač, Nevena; Lazović, Saša; Cvelbar, Uroš; Kokkoris, George; Gogolides, Evangelos

2013-11-01

In this paper we present results of measurements and global modelling of low-pressure inductively coupled H2 plasma which is suitable for surface cleaning applications. The plasma is ignited at 1 Pa in a helicon-type reactor and is characterized using optical emission measurements (optical actinometry) and electrical measurements, namely Langmuir and catalytic probe. By comparing catalytic probe data obtained at the centre of the chamber with optical actinometry results, an approximate calibration of the actinometry method as a semi-quantititative measure of H density was achieved. Coefficients for conversion of actinometric ratios to H densities are tabulated and provided. The approximate validity region of the simple actinometry formula for low-pressure H2 plasma is discussed in the online supplementary data (stacks.iop.org/JPhysD/46/475206/mmedia). Best agreement with catalytic probe results was obtained for (Hβ, Ar750) and (Hβ, Ar811) actinometric line pairs. Additionally, concentrations of electrons and ions as well as plasma potential, electron temperature and ion fluxes were measured in the chamber centre at different plasma powers using a Langmuir probe. Moreover, a global model of an inductively coupled plasma was formulated using a compiled reaction set for H2/Ar gas mixture. The model results compared reasonably well with the results on H atom and charge particle densities and a sensitivity analysis of important input parameters was conducted. The influence of the surface recombination, ionization, and dissociation coefficients, and the ion-neutral collision cross-section on model results was demonstrated.

Calibrating ion density profile measurements in ion thruster beam plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zun; Tang, Haibin; Ren, Junxue; Zhang, Zhe; Wang, Joseph

2016-11-01

The ion thruster beam plasma is characterized by high directed ion velocity (104 m/s) and low plasma density (1015 m-3). Interpretation of measurements of such a plasma based on classical Langmuir probe theory can yield a large experimental error. This paper presents an indirect method to calibrate ion density determination in an ion thruster beam plasma using a Faraday probe, a retarding potential analyzer, and a Langmuir probe. This new method is applied to determine the plasma emitted from a 20-cm-diameter Kaufman ion thruster. The results show that the ion density calibrated by the new method can be as much as 40% less than that without any ion current density and ion velocity calibration.

Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Emissive Probes to Determine the Plasma Potential of the Plumes of Various Electric Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Erinna M.

2005-01-01

A significant problem in the use of electric thrusters in spacecraft is the formation of low-energy ions in the thruster plume. Low-energy ions are formed in the plume via random collisions between high-velocity ions ejected from the thruster and slow-moving neutral atoms of propellant effusing from the engine. The sputtering of spacecraft materials due to interactions with low-energy ions may result in erosion or contamination of the spacecraft. The trajectory of these ions is determined primarily by the plasma potential of the plume. Thus, accurate characterization of the plasma potential is essential to predicting low-energy ion contamination. Emissive probes were utilized to determine the plasma potential. When the ion and electron currents to the probe are balanced, the potential of such probes float to the plasma potential. Two emissive probes were fabricated; one utilizing a DC power supply, another utilizing a rectified AC power source. Labview programs were written to coordinate and automate probe motion in the thruster plume. Employing handshaking interaction, these motion programs were synchronized to various data acquisition programs to ensure precision and accuracy of the measurements. Comparing these experimental values to values from theoretical models will allow for a more accurate prediction of low-energy ion interaction.

Electrochemical sensor for glutathione detection based on mercury ion triggered hybridization chain reaction signal amplification.

PubMed

Wang, Yonghong; Jiang, Lun; Leng, Qinggang; Wu, Yaohui; He, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Kemin

2016-03-15

In this work, we design a new simple and highly sensitive strategy for electrochemical detection of glutathione (GSH) via mercury ion (Hg(2+)) triggered hybridization chain reaction (HCR) signal amplification. It is observed that in the absence of GSH, a specific thymine-Hg(2+)-thymine (T-Hg(2+)-T) coordination can fold into hairpin structures. While in the presence of GSH, it thus can be chelated with Hg(2+), resulting in Hg(2+) released from the T-Hg(2+)-T hairpin complex which then forms into ssDNA structure to further hybridize with the surface-immobilized capture DNA probe on the gold electrode with a sticky tail left. The presence of two hairpin helper probes through HCR leads to the formation of extended dsDNA superstructure on the electrode surface, which therefore causes the intercalation of numerous electroactive species ([Ru(NH3)6](3+)) into the dsDNA grooves, followed by a significantly amplified signal output whose intensity is related to the concentration of the GSH. Taking advantage of merits of enzyme-free amplification power of the HCR, the inherent high sensitivity of the electrochemical technique, and label-free detection which utilizes an electroactive species as a signaling molecule that binds to the anionic phosphate backbone of DNA strands via electrostatic force, not only does the proposed strategy enable sensitive detection of GSH, but show high selectivity against other amino acid, making our method a simple and sensitive addition to the amplified GSH detection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alizarin Dye based ultrasensitive plasmonic SERS probe for trace level Cadmium detection in drinking water

PubMed Central

Dasary, Samuel S.R.; Zones, Yolanda K.; Barnes, Sandra L.; Ray, P. C.; Singh, Anant K.

2015-01-01

Alizarin functionalized on plasmonic gold nanoparticle displays strong surface enhanced Raman scattering from the various Raman modes of Alizarin, which can be exploited in multiple ways for heavy metal sensing purposes. The present article reports a surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probe for trace level Cadmium in water samples. Alizarin, a highly Raman active dye was functionalized on plasmonic gold surface as a Raman reporter, and then 3-mercaptopropionic acid, 2,6-Pyridinedicarboxylic acid at pH 8.5 was immobilized on the surface of the nanoparticle for the selective coordination of the Cd (II). Upon addition of Cadmium, gold nanoparticle provide an excellent hotspot for Alizarin dye and Raman signal enhancement. This plasmonic SERS assay provided an excellent sensitivity for Cadmium detection from the drinking water samples. We achieved as low as 10 ppt sensitivity from various drinking water sources against other Alkali and heavy metal ions. The developed SERS probe is quite simple and rapid with excellent repeatability and has great potential for prototype scale up for field application. PMID:26770012

Design, properties and application of a facile fluorescence switch for Cu(II).

PubMed

Diao, Haipeng; Niu, Weiping; Liu, Wen; Feng, Liheng; Xie, Jun

2017-01-05

A facile fluorescence switch based on Schiff base 2,2'-[1,3-phenylenbis- (methylidynenitrilo)]bis[benzenethiol] (PMBB) has been developed and used to sensing metal ions. UV-vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra show that the PMBB receptor has high selectivity and sensitivity for Cu(II) ions. Based on the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and chelation enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) mechanisms, the receptor exhibits an fluorescence "turn-on" switch signal for Cu(II). The 1:1 binding mode of PMBB and Cu (II) ions can be obtained by the Job-plot and ESI-Mass spectra data. Noticeably, the color changes (from colorless to yellow) of PMBB solutions for Cu(II) sensing can be observed by naked eyes in the sunlight. The detection limit of the receptor for Cu(II) may reach 10(-7)mol/L with a good linear relation in the lower concentrations of Cu(II). To develop the practical application, the Cu(II) ions in swimming pool water samples were detected. Results show that PMBB receptor as a fluorescent probe can use to detect the trace level of Cu(II) in the environmental samples. This work contributes to providing a facile strategy for designing efficient probes and developing their practical application value. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mass analysis addition to the Differential Ion Flux Probe (DIFP) study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, K. H., Jr.; Jolley, Richard

1994-01-01

The objective of this study is to develop a technique to measure the characteristics of space plasmas under highly disturbed conditions; e.g., non-Maxwellian plasmas with strong drifting populations and plasmas contaminated by spacecraft outgassing. The approach, conducted in conjunction with current MSFC activities, is to extend the capabilities of the Differential Ion Flux Probe (DIFP) to include a high throughput mass measurement that does not require either high voltage or contamination sensitive devices such as channeltron electron multipliers or microchannel plates. This will significantly reduce the complexity and expense of instrument fabrication, testing, and integration of flight hardware compared to classical mass analyzers. The feasibility of the enhanced DIFP has been verified by using breadboard test models in a controlled plasma environment. The ability to manipulate particles through the instrument regardless of incident angle, energy, or ionic component has been amply demonstrated. The energy analysis mode is differential and leads directly to a time-of-flight mass measurement. With the new design, the DIFP will separate multiple ion streams and analyze each stream independently for ion flux intensity, velocity (including direction of motion), mass, and temperature (or energy distribution). In particular, such an instrument will be invaluable on follow-on electrodynamic TSS missions and, possibly, for environmental monitoring on the space station.

Comparative analyses of plasma probe diagnostics techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Godyak, V. A.; Alexandrovich, B. M.

The subject of this paper is a comparative analysis of the plasma parameters inferred from the classical Langmuir probe procedure, from different theories of the ion current to the probe, and from measured electron energy distribution function (EEDF) obtained by double differentiation of the probe characteristic. We concluded that the plasma parameters inferred from the classical Langmuir procedure can be subjected to significant inaccuracy due to the non-Maxwellian EEDF, uncertainty of locating the plasma potential, and the arbitrariness of the ion current approximation. The plasma densities derived from the ion part of the probe characteristics diverge by as much asmore » an order of magnitude from the density calculated according to Langmuir procedure or calculated as corresponding integral of the measured EEDF. The electron temperature extracted from the ion part is always subjected to uncertainty. Such inaccuracy is attributed to modification of the EEDF for fast electrons due to inelastic electron collisions, and to deficiencies in the existing ion current theories; i.e., unrealistic assumptions about Maxwellian EEDFs, underestimation of the ion collisions and the ion ambipolar drift, and discounting deformation of the one-dimensional structure of the region perturbed by the probe. We concluded that EEDF measurement is the single reliable probe diagnostics for the basic research and industrial applications of highly non-equilibrium gas discharge plasmas. Examples of EEDF measurements point up importance of examining the probe current derivatives in real time and reiterate significance of the equipment technical characteristics, such as high energy resolution and wide dynamic range.« less

A Fluorescent Hypochlorite Probe Built on 1,10-Phenanthroline Scaffold and its Ion Recognition Features.

PubMed

Algi, Melek Pamuk

2016-03-01

In this study, the synthesis of 7-((Hydroxyimino)methyl)-1,10-phenanthroline-4-carbaldehyde oxime (1) in two steps starting from 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (2) is reported. It is found that compound 1 can be used as a fluorogenic probe for the detection of hypochlorite ion in aqueous solution. NMR and mass spectral analysis indicate that probe 1 undergoes a chemical transformation through its oxime units upon treatment with hypochlorite, which results in a remarkable enhancement of the emission intensity. Also, metal ion recognition properties of probe 1 is investigated. It is noted that compound 1 is responsive to Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Ni(2+) and Cu(2+) metal ions, which reduced the emission intensity under identical conditions. Graphical Abstract The design, synthesis and properties of a new fluorescent hypochlorite probe is described. It is found that probe 1 immediately undergoes an oxidation reaction with NaClO through its oxime units in 0.1 M Na2CO3-NaHCO3 buffer containing DMF (pH = 9.0, 30:1 v/v) at room temperature, which resulted in a remarkable enhancement of the emission intensity. It is noteworthy that this novel probe 1 is highly selective to hypochlorite ion when compared to some other ROS and anions. On the other hand, probe 1 also induces turn-off fluorogenic responses to metal ions such as Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Ni(2+) and Cu(2+) ions under identical conditions.

Comparative analyses of plasma probe diagnostics techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godyak, V. A.; Alexandrovich, B. M.

2015-12-01

The subject of this paper is a comparative analysis of the plasma parameters inferred from the classical Langmuir probe procedure, from different theories of the ion current to the probe, and from measured electron energy distribution function (EEDF) obtained by double differentiation of the probe characteristic. We concluded that the plasma parameters inferred from the classical Langmuir procedure can be subjected to significant inaccuracy due to the non-Maxwellian EEDF, uncertainty of locating the plasma potential, and the arbitrariness of the ion current approximation. The plasma densities derived from the ion part of the probe characteristics diverge by as much as an order of magnitude from the density calculated according to Langmuir procedure or calculated as corresponding integral of the measured EEDF. The electron temperature extracted from the ion part is always subjected to uncertainty. Such inaccuracy is attributed to modification of the EEDF for fast electrons due to inelastic electron collisions, and to deficiencies in the existing ion current theories; i.e., unrealistic assumptions about Maxwellian EEDFs, underestimation of the ion collisions and the ion ambipolar drift, and discounting deformation of the one-dimensional structure of the region perturbed by the probe. We concluded that EEDF measurement is the single reliable probe diagnostics for the basic research and industrial applications of highly non-equilibrium gas discharge plasmas. Examples of EEDF measurements point up importance of examining the probe current derivatives in real time and reiterate significance of the equipment technical characteristics, such as high energy resolution and wide dynamic range.

Ultrasensitive sliver nanorods array SERS sensor for mercury ions.

PubMed

Song, Chunyuan; Yang, Boyue; Zhu, Yu; Yang, Yanjun; Wang, Lianhui

2017-01-15

With years of outrageous mercury emissions, there is an urgent need to develop convenient and sensitive methods for detecting mercury ions in response to increasingly serious mercury pollution in water. In the present work, a portable, ultrasensitive SERS sensor is proposed and utilized for detecting trace mercury ions in water. The SERS sensor is prepared on an excellent sliver nanorods array SERS substrate by immobilizing T-component oligonucleotide probes labeled with dye on the 3'-end and -SH on the 5'-end. The SERS sensor responses to the specific chemical bonding between thymine and mercury ions, which causes the previous flexible single strand of oligonucleotide probe changing into rigid and upright double chain structure. Such change in the structure drives the dyes far away from the excellent SERS substrate and results in a SERS signal attenuation of the dye. Therefore, by monitoring the decay of SERS signal of the dye, mercury ions in water can be detected qualitatively and quantitatively. The experimental results indicate that the proposed optimal SERS sensor owns a linear response with wide detecting range from 1pM to 1μM, and a detection limit of 0.16pM is obtained. In addition, the SERS sensor demonstrates good specificity for Hg 2+ , which can accurately identify trace mercury ions from a mixture of ten kinds of other ions. The SERS sensor has been further executed to analyze the trace mercury ions in tap water and lake water respectively, and good recovery rates are obtained for sensing both kinds of water. With its high selectivity and good portability, the ultrasensitive SERS sensor is expected to be a promising candidate for discriminating mercury ions in the fields of environmental monitoring and food safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure and Composition of the Distant Lunar Exosphere: Constraints from ARTEMIS Observations of Ion Acceleration in Time-Varying Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halekas, J. S.; Poppe, A. R.; Farrell, W. M.; McFadden, J. P.

2016-01-01

By analyzing the trajectories of ionized constituents of the lunar exosphere in time-varying electromagnetic fields, we can place constraints on the composition, structure, and dynamics of the lunar exosphere. Heavy ions travel slower than light ions in the same fields, so by observing the lag between field rotations and the response of ions from the lunar exosphere, we can place constraints on the composition of the ions. Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) provides an ideal platform to utilize such an analysis, since its two-probe vantage allows precise timing of the propagation of field discontinuities in the solar wind, and its sensitive plasma instruments can detect the ion response. We demonstrate the utility of this technique by using fully time-dependent charged particle tracing to analyze several minutes of ion observations taken by the two ARTEMIS probes 3000-5000 km above the dusk terminator on 25 January 2014. The observations from this time period allow us to reach several interesting conclusions. The ion production at altitudes of a few hundred kilometers above the sunlit surface of the Moon has an unexpectedly significant contribution from species with masses of 40 amu or greater. The inferred distribution of the neutral source population has a large scale height, suggesting that micrometeorite impact vaporization and/or sputtering play an important role in the production of neutrals from the surface. Our observations also suggest an asymmetry in ion production, consistent with either a compositional variation in neutral vapor production or a local reduction in solar wind sputtering in magnetic regions of the surface.

Consistency between real and synthetic fast-ion measurements at ASDEX Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasmussen, J.; Nielsen, S. K.; Stejner, M.; Geiger, B.; Salewski, M.; Jacobsen, A. S.; Korsholm, S. B.; Leipold, F.; Michelsen, P. K.; Moseev, D.; Schubert, M.; Stober, J.; Tardini, G.; Wagner, D.; The ASDEX Upgrade Team

2015-07-01

Internally consistent characterization of the properties of the fast-ion distribution from multiple diagnostics is a prerequisite for obtaining a full understanding of fast-ion behavior in tokamak plasmas. Here we benchmark several absolutely-calibrated core fast-ion diagnostics at ASDEX Upgrade by comparing fast-ion measurements from collective Thomson scattering, fast-ion {{\\text{D}}α} spectroscopy, and neutron rate detectors with numerical predictions from the TRANSP/NUBEAM transport code. We also study the sensitivity of the theoretical predictions to uncertainties in the plasma kinetic profiles. We find that theory and measurements generally agree within these uncertainties for all three diagnostics during heating phases with either one or two neutral beam injection sources. This suggests that the measurements can be described by the same model assuming classical slowing down of fast ions. Since the three diagnostics in the adopted configurations probe partially overlapping regions in fast-ion velocity space, this is also consistent with good internal agreement among the measurements themselves. Hence, our results support the feasibility of combining multiple diagnostics at ASDEX Upgrade to reconstruct the fast-ion distribution function in 2D velocity space.

Magnetically Filtered Faraday Probe for Measuring the Ion Current Density Profile of a Hall Thruster

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

Hall thruster is investigated. The MFFP is designed to eliminate the collection of low-energy, charge-exchange (CEX) ions by using a variable magnetic field as an ion filter. In this study, a MFFP, Faraday probe with a reduced acceptance angle (BFP), and nude Faraday probe are used to measure the ion current density profile of a 5 kW Hall thruster operating over the range of 300-500 V and 5-10 mg/s. The probes are evaluated on a xenon propellant Hall thruster in the University of Michigan Large Vacuum Test Facility at operating

A versatile near-infrared asymmetric tricarbocyanine for zinc ion sensing in water.

PubMed

Menéndez, Guillermo O; López, Cecilia Samaniego; Jares-Erijman, Elizabeth A; Spagnuolo, Carla C

2013-01-01

We have synthesized a near-infrared emissive asymmetric tricarbocyanine conveniently functionalized to improve bioconjugation. The leading structure contains a versatile derivatization point at the meso position for facile radical-nucleophilic aromatic substitution. We have evaluated a DPEN (N,N-di(2-picolyl)ethylendiamine) derivative of this dye as a highly selective sensor for zinc (II) in aqueous medium, which performs in an appropriate sensitivity range for biological studies. The probe was successfully conjugated to a protein-ligand model with high affinity and specificity (biotin-streptavidin technology) rendering an excellent performance of sensing. In a general strategy to obtain sensitive probes combining fluorescent nanoparticles and molecular fluorophores, a preliminary design of a supramolecular assembly derived from the conjugation of the molecular sensor to quantum dots (QDs) was also investigated. The advantages and problems of FRET-based sensors are also discussed. © 2013 The American Society of Photobiology.

TOPICAL REVIEW: Probing the nuclear symmetry energy with heavy-ion collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Toro, M.; Baran, V.; Colonna, M.; Greco, V.

2010-08-01

Heavy ion collisions (HICs) represent a unique tool to probe the in-medium nuclear interaction in regions away from saturation. In this review we present a selection of new reaction observables in dissipative collisions particularly sensitive to the symmetry term of the nuclear equation of state (Iso-EoS). We will first discuss the isospin equilibration dynamics. At low energies this manifests via the recently observed dynamical dipole radiation, due to a collective neutron-proton oscillation with the symmetry term acting as a restoring force. At higher beam energies Iso-EoS effects will be seen in an isospin diffusion mechanism, via imbalance ratio measurements, in particular from correlations to the total kinetic energy loss. For fragmentation reactions in central events we suggest to look at the coupling between isospin distillation and radial flow. In neck fragmentation reactions important Iso-EoS information can be obtained from the fragment isospin content, velocity and alignment correlations. The high-density symmetry term can be probed from isospin effects on heavy-ion reactions at relativistic energies (few A GeV range), in particular for high transverse momentum selections of the reaction products. Rather isospin sensitive observables are proposed from nucleon/cluster emissions, collective flows and meson production. The possibility of shedding light on the controversial neutron/proton effective mass splitting in asymmetric matter is also suggested. A large symmetry repulsion at high baryon density will also lead to an 'earlier' hadron-deconfinement transition in n-rich matter. The binodal transition line of the (T, ρB) diagram is lowered to a region accessible through heavy-ion collisions in the energy range of the new planned facilities, e.g. the FAIR/NICA projects. Some observable effects of the formation of a mixed phase are suggested, in particular a neutron trapping mechanism. The dependence of the results on a suitable treatment of the isovector part of the interaction in effective QCD Lagrangian approaches is critically discussed. We stress the interest of this study in nuclear astrophysics, in particular for supernovae explosions and neutron star structure, where the knowledge of the Iso-EoS is important at low as well as at high baryon density.

Spirolactone and spirothiolactone rhodamine-pyrene probes for detection of Hg2 + with different sensing properties and its application in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rui, Qing-Qing; Zhou, Yi; Fang, Yuan; Yao, Cheng

2016-04-01

Two new rhodamine B-based fluorescent probes PyRbS and PyRbO containing pyrene moiety were designed and synthesized. Both of the probes showed colorimetric and fluorometric sensing abilities for Hg2 + with high selectivity over other metal ions. The binding analysis using Job's plot suggested 1:1 stoichiometry for the complexes formed for Hg2 +. Compared with PyRbO, the PyRbS showed higher selectivity and sensitivity due to the thiophilic property of Hg2 + ion. The PyRbS exhibited the linear fluorescence quenching to Hg2 + in the range of 0.3 to 4.8 μM (λex = 365 nm) and 0.3 to 5.4 μM (λex = 515 nm), and the detection limit was 0.72 μM. Moreover, ratiometric changes of PyRbS with Hg2 + in absorption spectrum were observed, which could not be obtained in the combination of PyRbO with Hg2 +. In addition, the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay demonstrated that RbPyS had low cytotoxicity and was successfully used to monitor intracellular Hg2 + levels in living cells.

A novel turn-on fluorescent probe for Al3 + and Fe3 + in aqueous solution and its imaging in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Yanpeng; Fu, Jiaxin; Yao, Kun; Song, Qianqian; Xu, Kuoxi; Pang, Xiaobin

2018-03-01

A quinoline-based fluorescence probe has been prepared and characterized. Probe 1 showed a selective sensing ability for Al3 + and Fe3 + ions through fluorescence enhancement response at 515 nm when it was excited at 360 nm. In the presence of Fe3 + ion, probe 1 exhibited a detection limit of 2.10 × 10- 6 M. As for Al3 +, its detection limit of 3.58 × 10- 7 M was significantly lower than the highest limit of Al3 + in drinking water recommended by the WHO (7.41 μM), representing a rare example in reported fluorescent probe for Al3 + ion. The fluorescence microscopy experiments have demonstrated that probe 1 could be used in live cells for the detection of Al3 + and Fe3 + ions.

The use of a diuretic agent as a probe to investigate site and mechanism of ion transport processes.

PubMed

Giebisch, G

1985-01-01

Several features emerge from consideration of a furosemide-sensitive cotransport mechanism in the various tissues surveyed. First discovered in epithelia, above all in the kidney because of its potent diuretic effect, furosemide inhibits a cotransport mechanism that tightly couples the movement of sodium, chloride and potassium. Its mode of operation is electrically neutral and in all tissues so far examined, the cotransport-mediated ion movement is driven by the electrochemical potential of the cotransported ion-species. The energy for this ion movement derives ultimately from the Na-K pump that establishes the Na gradient that drives the coupled ion movement. This type of carrier-mediated and ion-specific solute movement expands the traditional "pump-leak" model of cellular ion transport by providing dissipative "leak" pathways in addition to the well-established ion channels that allow solute movement by electrodiffusion. An important feature of the cotransport mechanism is its important role in both reabsorptive and secretory epithelial transport operations. This variability can be adequately explained by the location of the cotransport mechanism in either the apical or basolateral cell membrane of such epithelia as the renal tubule, the intestinal mucosa, the rectal gland or the trachea. In addition, the furosemide-sensitive transporter has also been shown to play a significant role in cell volume regulation, both in epithelia and in non-epithelia cells, and it appears to participate in the regulation of the cell chloride concentrations in excitable tissues.

Probing Surface Electric Field Noise with a Single Ion

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-30

potentials is housed inside a Faraday cage providing more than 40 dB of attenuation for electromagnetic fields in the range of frequencies between 200...and measuring the ion quantum state [16]. Thus, by measuring the effect of electric field noise on the motional quantum state of the ion, one can probe...understand these effects . In summary, we have probed the electric field noise near an aluminum-copper surface at room temperature using a single trapped ion

Highly selective rhodamine-based fluorescence turn-on chemosensor for Al3+ ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manjunath, Rangasamy; Kannan, Palaninathan

2018-05-01

A new rhodamine-based colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on chemosensor (L) has been designed and synthesized for selective and sensitive detection of Al3+ ion. The sensing behavior toward metal ion was investigated by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Upon addition of Al3+ ion to solution of L provided a visual color change as well as significantly fluorescent enhancement, while other metal ions including Na+, Mg2+, K+, Mn2+, Fe3+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, Cd2+ and Hg2+ ions fails to generate a distinct color and spectral changes, the distinct color change and rapid switch-on fluorescence also provide naked eye detection for Al3+ ion. The mechanism involved equilibrium between non-fluorescent spirocyclic form and highly fluorescent ring open form process was utilized and 1:2 stoichiometry for L-Al3+ complex formed with an association constant of 1.42 × 103 M-1. Moreover, chemosensor L was applied for living cell imaging and confirmed that can be used as a fluorescent probe for monitoring Al3+ ion in living cells.

SU-F-J-182: Investigation of Systems for Improved Accuracy in Clinical Y-90 Percent Delivered Calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McBeth, R; Elder, D; Kesner, A

2016-06-15

Purpose: Y-90 Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) is used to treat liver tumors, and by nature has variability in the percent of the intended dose that is actually delivered. To determine the quality of the administration, pre and post activity measurements are taken, and used to infer percent delivered. Vendor specifications indicate the use of an ion chamber to take these measurements. In our work, we investigated the accuracy of ion chambers, and compared them to other detector systems. Methods: We have built phantoms, phantom holders, and protocols, which allow us to measure our Y90 doses with varying apparatuses: amore » dose calibrator, a Geiger-counter, an ion chamber, a crystal based thyroid probe, and a gamma camera. We have set up a system that has enabled us to gather data by measuring clinical Y90 doses as they are used in the clinic using all of the instrumental methods. Five initial doses (25 measurements/acquisitions) have been taken at the time of this abstract submission. Results: Our initial results show that measurements acquired using scintillation based detectors (thyroid probe and gamma camera) correlate better with the gold standard (i.e. the dose calibrator). Pearson correlations between the dose calibrator measurements and the GM counter, Ion chamber, thyroid probe, and gamma camera were found to be 0.88, 0.83, 0.98, 0.99, respectively. More acquisitions and analysis are planned to determine the precision of the systems, as well as optimal energy window settings. Conclusion: It is likely that current standard practice can be improved using scintillation crystal based detectors. Such systems are more sensitive, can integrate signal, and can use energy discrimination. Furthermore, phantoms can be built to integrate with probe and gamma camera systems that are robust and provide reproducibility. Future work will include expanded acquisition and analysis.« less

Selective detection of Co2+ by fluorescent nano probe: Diagnostic approach for analysis of environmental samples and biological activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahajan, Prasad G.; Dige, Nilam C.; Desai, Netaji K.; Patil, Shivajirao R.; Kondalkar, Vijay V.; Hong, Seong-Karp; Lee, Ki Hwan

2018-06-01

Nowadays scientist over the world are engaging to put forth improved methods to detect metal ion in an aqueous medium based on fluorescence studies. A simple, selective and sensitive method was proposed for detection of Co2+ ion using fluorescent organic nanoparticles. We synthesized a fluorescent small molecule viz. 4,4‧-{benzene-1,4-diylbis-[(Z)methylylidenenitrilo]}dibenzoic acid (BMBA) to explore its suitability as sensor for Co2+ ion and biocompatibility in form of nanoparticles. Fluorescence nanoparticles (BMBANPs) prepared by simple reprecipitation method. Aggregation induced enhanced emission of BMBANPs exhibits the narrower particle size of 68 nm and sphere shape morphology. The selective fluorescence quenching was observed by addition of Co2+ and does not affected by presence of other coexisting ion solutions. The photo-physical properties, viz. UV-absorption, fluorescence emission, and lifetime measurements are in support of ligand-metal interaction followed by static fluorescence quenching phenomenon in emission of BMBANPs. Finally, we develop a simple analytical method for selective and sensitive determination of Co2+ ion in environmental samples. The cell culture E. coli, Bacillus sps., and M. tuberculosis H37RV strain in the vicinity of BMBANPs indicates virtuous anti-bacterial and anti-tuberculosis activity which is of additional novel application shown by prepared nanoparticles.

Sensitivity to Heavy-Metal Ions of Unfolded Fullerene Quantum Dots

PubMed Central

Ciotta, Erica; Paoloni, Stefano; Richetta, Maria; Tagliatesta, Pietro; Lorecchio, Chiara; Casciardi, Stefano

2017-01-01

A novel type of graphene-like quantum dots, synthesized by oxidation and cage-opening of C60 buckminsterfullerene, has been studied as a fluorescent and absorptive probe for heavy-metal ions. The lattice structure of such unfolded fullerene quantum dots (UFQDs) is distinct from that of graphene since it includes both carbon hexagons and pentagons. The basic optical properties, however, are similar to those of regular graphene oxide quantum dots. On the other hand, UFQDs behave quite differently in the presence of heavy-metal ions, in that multiple sensitivity to Cu2+, Pb2+ and As(III) was observed through comparable quenching of the fluorescent emission and different variations of the transmittance spectrum. By dynamic light scattering measurements and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images we confirmed, for the first time in metal sensing, that this response is due to multiple complexation and subsequent aggregation of UFQDs. Nonetheless, the explanation of the distinct behaviour of transmittance in the presence of As(III) and the formation of precipitate with Pb2+ require further studies. These differences, however, also make it possible to discriminate between the three metal ions in view of the implementation of a selective multiple sensor. PMID:29135946

Terpyridine derivatives as "turn-on" fluorescence chemosensors for the selective and sensitive detection of Zn2+ ions in solution and in live cells.

PubMed

Mandal, Tripti; Hossain, Anowar; Dhara, Anamika; Al Masum, Abdulla; Konar, Saugata; Manna, Saikat Kumar; Seth, Saikat Kumar; Pathak, Sudipta; Mukhopadhyay, Subrata

2018-06-20

A terpyridine based compound L1 was designed and synthesized as an "off-on" chemosensor for the detection of Zn2+. Chemosensor L1 showed excellent selectivity and sensitivity toward Zn2+ by exhibiting a large fluorescence enhancement (∼51-fold) at 370 nm whereas other competitive metal ions did not show any noticeable change in the emission spectra of chemosensor L1. The chemosensor (L1) was shown to detect Zn2+ ions down to 9.76 μM at pH 7.4. However, chemosensor L1 binds Zn2+ in a 1 : 2 ratio (receptor : metal) with an association constant of 1.85 × 104 (R2 = 0.993) and this 1 : 2 stoichiometric fashion is established on the basis of a Job plot and mass spectroscopy. DFT/TD-DFT calculations were carried out to understand the binding nature, coordination features and electronic properties of L1 and the L1-2Zn2+ complex. In addition, this "turn-on" fluorescence probe was effectively used to image intracellular Zn2+ ions in cultured MDA-MB-468 cells.

Single-ion quantum lock-in amplifier.

PubMed

Kotler, Shlomi; Akerman, Nitzan; Glickman, Yinnon; Keselman, Anna; Ozeri, Roee

2011-05-05

Quantum metrology uses tools from quantum information science to improve measurement signal-to-noise ratios. The challenge is to increase sensitivity while reducing susceptibility to noise, tasks that are often in conflict. Lock-in measurement is a detection scheme designed to overcome this difficulty by spectrally separating signal from noise. Here we report on the implementation of a quantum analogue to the classical lock-in amplifier. All the lock-in operations--modulation, detection and mixing--are performed through the application of non-commuting quantum operators to the electronic spin state of a single, trapped Sr(+) ion. We significantly increase its sensitivity to external fields while extending phase coherence by three orders of magnitude, to more than one second. Using this technique, we measure frequency shifts with a sensitivity of 0.42 Hz Hz(-1/2) (corresponding to a magnetic field measurement sensitivity of 15 pT Hz(-1/2)), obtaining an uncertainty of less than 10 mHz (350 fT) after 3,720 seconds of averaging. These sensitivities are limited by quantum projection noise and improve on other single-spin probe technologies by two orders of magnitude. Our reported sensitivity is sufficient for the measurement of parity non-conservation, as well as the detection of the magnetic field of a single electronic spin one micrometre from an ion detector with nanometre resolution. As a first application, we perform light shift spectroscopy of a narrow optical quadrupole transition. Finally, we emphasize that the quantum lock-in technique is generic and can potentially enhance the sensitivity of any quantum sensor. ©2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

Evaluation of ion collection area in Faraday probes.

PubMed

Brown, Daniel L; Gallimore, Alec D

2010-06-01

A Faraday probe with three concentric rings was designed and fabricated to assess the effect of gap width and collector diameter in a systematic study of the diagnostic ion collection area. The nested Faraday probe consisted of two concentric collector rings and an outer guard ring, which enabled simultaneous current density measurements on the inner and outer collectors. Two versions of the outer collector were fabricated to create gaps of 0.5 and 1.5 mm between the rings. Distribution of current density in the plume of a low-power Hall thruster ion source was measured in azimuthal sweeps at constant radius from 8 to 20 thruster diameters downstream of the exit plane with variation in facility background pressure. A new analytical technique is proposed to account for ions collected in the gap between the Faraday probe collector and guard ring. This method is shown to exhibit excellent agreement between all nested Faraday probe configurations, and to reduce the magnitude of integrated ion beam current to levels consistent with Hall thruster performance analyses. The technique is further studied by varying the guard ring bias potential with a fixed collector bias potential, thereby controlling ion collection in the gap. Results are in agreement with predictions based on the proposed analytical technique. The method is applied to a past study comparing the measured ion current density profiles of two Faraday probe designs. These findings provide new insight into the nature of ion collection in Faraday probe diagnostics, and lead to improved accuracy with a significant reduction in measurement uncertainty.

Highly selective and sensitive turn-on fluorescent sensor for detection of Al3+ based on quinoline-base Schiff base.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Ma, Zhong-Ying; Zhang, De-Long; Deng, Jia-Li; Chen, Xiong; Xie, Cheng-Zhi; Qiao, Xin; Li, Qing-Zhong; Xu, Jing-Yuan

2018-04-15

A new aluminum ion fluorescent probe (4-(diethylamino)-2-hydroxybenzylidene)isoquinoline-1-carbohydrazide (HL 1 ) has been conveniently synthesized and characterized. HL 1 exhibited a highly selective and pronounced enhancement for Al 3+ in the fluorescence emission over other common cations by forming a 2:1 complex, with a recognition mechanism based on excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). The strong fluorescent emission can be observed even at ppm level concentration of the probe in the presence of Al 3+ with 41 fold intensity enhancement at 545 nm. HL 1 displays good linear relationship with Al 3+ in the low concentration and the limit of detection is 8.08 × 10 -8  mol/L. Similar molecules with different substituents on salicylaldehyde phenyl ring were synthesized for studying the structure-activity relationship. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations are in agreement with the proposed mechanism. It is confirmed that HL 1 could be used to detect Al 3+ ions in real sample by fluorescence spectrometry and Al 3+ ions in cells by bioimaging. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Simple Method for Decreasing the Liquid Junction Potential in a Flow-through-Type Differential pH Sensor Probe Consisting of pH-FETs by Exerting Spatiotemporal Control of the Liquid Junction

PubMed Central

Yamada, Akira; Mohri, Satoshi; Nakamura, Michihiro; Naruse, Keiji

2015-01-01

The liquid junction potential (LJP), the phenomenon that occurs when two electrolyte solutions of different composition come into contact, prevents accurate measurements in potentiometry. The effect of the LJP is usually remarkable in measurements of diluted solutions with low buffering capacities or low ion concentrations. Our group has constructed a simple method to eliminate the LJP by exerting spatiotemporal control of a liquid junction (LJ) formed between two solutions, a sample solution and a baseline solution (BLS), in a flow-through-type differential pH sensor probe. The method was contrived based on microfluidics. The sensor probe is a differential measurement system composed of two ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) and one Ag/AgCl electrode. With our new method, the border region of the sample solution and BLS is vibrated in order to mix solutions and suppress the overshoot after the sample solution is suctioned into the sensor probe. Compared to the conventional method without vibration, our method shortened the settling time from over two min to 15 s and reduced the measurement error by 86% to within 0.060 pH. This new method will be useful for improving the response characteristics and decreasing the measurement error of many apparatuses that use LJs. PMID:25835300

Using Monoclonal Antibody to Determine Lead Ions with a Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Fiber-optic Biosensor

PubMed Central

Lin, Tsao-Jen; Chung, Mon-Fu

2008-01-01

A novel reflection-based localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) fiber­optic probe has been developed to determine the heavy metal lead ion concentration. Monoclonal antibody as the detecting probe containing massive amino groups to capture Pb(II)-chelate complexes was immobilized onto gold nanoparticle-modified optical fiber (NMAuOF). The optimal immobilizing conditions of monoclonal antibody on to the NMAuOF are 189 μg/mL in pH7.4 PBS for 2 h at 25°C. The absorbability of the functionalized NMAuOF sensor increases to 12.2 % upon changing the Pb(II)-EDTA level from 10 to 100 ppb with a detection limit of 0.27 ppb. The sensor retains 92.7 % of its original activity and gives reproducible results after storage in 5% D-(+)-Trehalose dehydrate solution at 4°C for 35 days. In conclusion, the monoclonal antibody-functionalized NMAuOF sensor shows a promising result for determining the concentration of Pb(II) with high sensitivity. PMID:27879723

Highly sensitive spectrofluorimetric determination of trace amounts NADP using Europium ion-doxycycline complex probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Qian; Hou, Faju; Jiang, Chongqiu

2006-09-01

A new spectrofluorimetric method was developed for determination of trace amount of Coenzyme II (NADP). Using europium ion-doxycycline (DC) as a fluorescent probe, in the buffer solution of pH 8.44, NADP can remarkably enhance the fluorescence intensity of the Eu 3+-DC complex at λ = 612 nm and the enhanced fluorescence intensity is in proportion to the concentration of NADP. Optimum conditions for the determination of NADP were also investigated. The dynamic range for the determination of NADP is 3.3 × 10 -7 to 6.1 × 10 -6 mol l -1 with detection limit of 6.8 × 10 -8 mol l -1. This method is simple, practical and relatively free interference from coexisting substances and can be successfully applied to determination of NADP in synthetic water samples and in serum samples. Moreover, the enhancement mechanisms of the fluorescence intensity in the Eu 3+-DC system and the Eu 3+-DC-NADP system have been also discussed.

Electrochemical Grafting of Graphene Nano Platelets with Aryl Diazonium Salts.

PubMed

Qiu, Zhipeng; Yu, Jun; Yan, Peng; Wang, Zhijie; Wan, Qijin; Yang, Nianjun

2016-10-26

To vary interfacial properties, electrochemical grafting of graphene nano platelets (GNP) with 3,5-dichlorophenyl diazonium tetrafluoroborate (aryl-Cl) and 4-nitrobenzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate (aryl-NO 2 ) was realized in a potentiodynamic mode. The covalently bonded aryl layers on GNP were characterized using atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical conversion of aryl-NO 2 into aryl-NH 2 was conducted. The voltammetric and impedance behavior of negatively and positively charged redox probes (Fe(CN) 6 3-/4- and Ru(NH 3 ) 6 2+/3+ ) on three kinds of aryl layers grafted on GNP reveal that their interfacial properties are determined by the charge states of redox probes and reactive terminal groups (-Cl, -NO 2 , -NH 2 ) in aryl layers. On aryl-Cl and aryl-NH 2 garted GNP, selective and sensitive monitoring of positively charged lead ions as well as negatively charged nitrite and sulfite ions was achieved, respectively. Such a grafting procedure is thus a perfect way to design and control interfacial properties of graphene.

A quinoline-based Cu2 + ion complex fluorescence probe for selective detection of inorganic phosphate anion in aqueous solution and its application to living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Yanpeng; Wang, Peng; Fu, Jiaxin; Yao, Kun; Xu, Kuoxi; Pang, Xiaobin

2017-08-01

A quinaldine functionalized probe QP has been designed and synthesized. It exhibited selective turn-off fluorescence response toward Cu2 + ion over most of the biologically important ions at physiological pH. The binding ratio of the probe QP and Cu2 + ion was determined to be 1:1 through fluorescence titration, Job's plot and ESI-MS. The binding constant (K) of Cu2 + to probe QP was found to be 2.12 × 104 M- 1. Further, the Cu2 + ensemble of probe QP was found to respond H2PO4- and HPO42 - among other important biological anions via fluorescence turn-on response at physiological pH. Fluorescence microscopy imaging using living Hela cells showed that probe QP could be used as an effective fluorescent probe for detecting Cu2 + cation and H2PO4- and HPO42 - anions in living cells.

A quinoline-based Cu2+ ion complex fluorescence probe for selective detection of inorganic phosphate anion in aqueous solution and its application to living cells.

PubMed

Dai, Yanpeng; Wang, Peng; Fu, Jiaxin; Yao, Kun; Xu, Kuoxi; Pang, Xiaobin

2017-08-05

A quinaldine functionalized probe QP has been designed and synthesized. It exhibited selective turn-off fluorescence response toward Cu 2+ ion over most of the biologically important ions at physiological pH. The binding ratio of the probe QP and Cu 2+ ion was determined to be 1:1 through fluorescence titration, Job's plot and ESI-MS. The binding constant (K) of Cu 2+ to probe QP was found to be 2.12×10 4 M -1 . Further, the Cu 2+ ensemble of probe QP was found to respond H 2 PO 4 - and HPO 4 2- among other important biological anions via fluorescence turn-on response at physiological pH. Fluorescence microscopy imaging using living Hela cells showed that probe QP could be used as an effective fluorescent probe for detecting Cu 2+ cation and H 2 PO 4 - and HPO 4 2- anions in living cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PEGylated Red-Emitting Calcium Probe with Improved Sensing Properties for Neuroscience.

PubMed

Ponsot, Flavien; Shen, Weida; Ashokkumar, Pichandi; Audinat, Etienne; Klymchenko, Andrey S; Collot, Mayeul

2017-11-22

Monitoring calcium concentration in the cytosol is of main importance as this ion drives many biological cascades within the cell. To this end, molecular calcium probes are widely used. Most of them, especially the red emitting probes, suffer from nonspecific interactions with inner membranes due to the hydrophobic nature of their fluorophore. To circumvent this issue, calcium probes conjugated to dextran can be used to enhance the hydrophilicity and reduce the nonspecific interaction and compartmentalization. However, dextran conjugates also feature important drawbacks including lower affinity, lower dynamic range, and slow diffusion. Herein, we combined the advantage of molecular probes and dextran conjugate without their drawbacks by designing a new red emitting turn-on calcium probe based on PET quenching, Rhod-PEG, in which the rhodamine fluorophore bears four PEG 4 units. This modification led to a high affinity calcium probe (K d = 748 nM) with reduced nonspecific interactions, enhanced photostability, two-photon absorbance, and brightness compared to the commercially available Rhod-2. After spectral characterizations, we showed that Rhod-PEG quickly and efficiently diffused through the dendrites of pyramidal neurons with an enhanced sensitivity (ΔF/F 0 ) at shorter time after patching compared to Rhod-2.

Iodine Plasma Species Measurements in a Hall Effect Thruster Plume

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

with an ExB probe , an electrostatic analyzer (ESA), and a combined ESA/ExB probe . The distribution of xenon ions was also measured. Multiply charge...of iodine ions was measured with an ExB probe , an electrostatic analyzer (ESA), and a combined ESA/ExB probe . • Results: – Multiply charged species...Test Hardware – Vacuum test facility (6’ diameter) – Faraday probe (MIT) – ESA, ExB, ESA/ExB Probes (Plasma Controls) – Rotary probe arm (about

Polynuclear Speciation of Trivalent Cations near the Surface of an Electrolyte Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bera, Mrinal K.; Antonio, Mark R.

Despite long-standing efforts, there is no agreed upon structural model for electrolyte solutions at air-liquid interfaces. We report the simultaneous detection of the near-surface and bulk coordination environments of a trivalent metal cation (europium) in an aqueous solution by use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Within the first few nanometers of the liquid surface, the cations exhibit oxygen coordination typical of inner-sphere hydration of an aquated Eu3+ cation. Beyond that, outer-sphere ion-ion correlations are observed that are otherwise not present in the bulk electrolyte. The combination of near-surface and bulk sensitivities to probe metal ion speciation in electrolyte solutions is achievedmore » by detecting electron-yield and X-ray fluorescence signals from an inverted pendant drop. The results provide new knowledge about the near-surface chemistry of aqueous solutions of relevance to aerosols and ion transport processes in chemical separations and biological systems.« less

Stable glow discharge detector

DOEpatents

Koo, Jackson C.; Yu, Conrad M.

2004-05-18

A highly sensitive electronic ion cell for the measurement of trace elements in He carrier gas which involves glow discharge. A constant wave (CW) stable glow discharge detector which is controlled through a biased resistor, can detect the change of electron density caused by impurities in the He carrier gas by many orders of magnitude larger than that caused by direct ionization or electron capture. The stable glow discharge detector utilizes a floating pseudo-electrode to form a probe in or near the plasma and a solid rod electrode. By using this probe, the large variation of electron density due to trace amounts of impurities can be directly measured. The solid rod electrode provides greater stability and thus easier alignment.

Energetic ion loss detector on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak.

PubMed

Pace, D C; Granetz, R S; Vieira, R; Bader, A; Bosco, J; Darrow, D S; Fiore, C; Irby, J; Parker, R R; Parkin, W; Reinke, M L; Terry, J L; Wolfe, S M; Wukitch, S J; Zweben, S J

2012-07-01

A scintillator-based energetic ion loss detector has been successfully commissioned on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. This probe is located just below the outer midplane, where it captures ions of energies up to 2 MeV resulting from ion cyclotron resonance heating. After passing through a collimating aperture, ions impact different regions of the scintillator according to their gyroradius (energy) and pitch angle. The probe geometry and installation location are determined based on modeling of expected lost ions. The resulting probe is compact and resembles a standard plasma facing tile. Four separate fiber optic cables view different regions of the scintillator to provide phase space resolution. Evolving loss levels are measured during ion cyclotron resonance heating, including variation dependent upon individual antennae.

Laser-driven atomic-probe-beam diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knyazev, B. A.; Greenly, J. B.; Hammer, D. A.

2000-12-01

A new laser-driven atomic-probe-beam diagnostic (LAD) is proposed for local, time-resolved measurements of electric field and ion dynamics in the accelerating gap of intense ion beam diodes. LAD adds new features to previous Stark-shift diagnostics which have been progressively developed in several laboratories, from passive observation of Stark effect on ion species or fast (charge-exchanged) neutrals present naturally in diodes, to active Stark atomic spectroscopy (ASAS) in which selected probe atoms were injected into the gap and excited to suitable states by resonant laser radiation. The LAD scheme is a further enhancement of ASAS in which the probe atoms are also used as a local (laser-ionized) ion source at an instant of time. Analysis of the ion energy and angular distribution after leaving the gap enables measurement, at the chosen ionization location in the gap, of both electrostatic potential and the development of ion divergence. Calculations show that all of these quantities can be measured with sub-mm and ns resolution. Using lithium or sodium probe atoms, fields from 0.1 to 10 MV/cm can be measured.

Synthesis and application of a highly selective copper ions fluorescent probe based on the coumarin group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Guangjie; Liu, Xiangli; Xu, Jinhe; Ji, Liguo; Yang, Linlin; Fan, Aiying; Wang, Songjun; Wang, Qingzhi

2018-02-01

A highly selective copper ions fluorescent probe based on the coumarin-type Schiff base derivative 1 (probe) was produced by condensation reaction between coumarin carbohydrazide and 1H-indazole-3-carbaldehyde. The UV-vis spectroscopy showed that the maximum absorption peak of compound 1 appeared at 439 nm. In the presence of Cu2 + ions, the maximum peak decreased remarkably compared with other physiological important metal ions and a new absorption peak at 500 nm appeared. The job's plot experiments showed that complexes of 1:2 binding mode were formed in CH3CN:HEPES (3:2, v/v) solution. Compound 1 exhibited a strong blue fluorescence. Upon addition of copper ions, the fluorescence gradually decreased and reached a plateau with the fluorescence quenching rate up to 98.73%. The detection limit for Cu2 + ions was estimated to 0.384 ppm. Fluorescent microscopy experiments demonstrated that probe 1 had potential to be used to investigate biological processes involving Cu2 + ions within living cells.

Turn-off fluorescence sensor for the detection of ferric ion in water using green synthesized N-doped carbon dots and its bio-imaging.

PubMed

Edison, Thomas Nesakumar Jebakumar Immanuel; Atchudan, Raji; Shim, Jae-Jin; Kalimuthu, Senthilkumar; Ahn, Byeong-Cheol; Lee, Yong Rok

2016-05-01

This paper reports turn-off fluorescence sensor for Fe(3+) ion in water using fluorescent N-doped carbon dots as a probe. A simple and efficient hydrothermal carbonization of Prunus avium fruit extract for the synthesis of fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) is described. This green approach proceeds quickly and provides good quality N-CDs. The mean size of synthesized N-CDs was approximately 7nm calculated from the high-resolution transmission electron microscopic images. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the presence of -OH, -NH2, -COOH, and -CO functional groups over the surface of CDs. The N-CDs showed excellent fluorescent properties, and emitted blue fluorescence at 411nm upon excitation at 310nm. The calculated quantum yield of the synthesized N-CDs is 13% against quinine sulfate as a reference fluorophore. The synthesized N-CDs were used as a fluorescent probe towards the selective and sensitive detection of biologically important Fe(3+) ions in water by fluorescence spectroscopy and for bio-imaging of MDA-MB-231 cells. The limit of detection (LOD) and the Stern-Volmer quenching constant for the synthesized N-CDs were 0.96μM and 2.0958×10(3)M of Fe(3+) ions. The green synthesized N-CDs are efficiently used as a promising candidate for the detection of Fe(3+) ions and bio-imaging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential of an emissive cylindrical probe in plasma.

PubMed

Fruchtman, A; Zoler, D; Makrinich, G

2011-08-01

The floating potential of an emissive cylindrical probe in a plasma is calculated for an arbitrary ratio of Debye length to probe radius and for an arbitrary ion composition. In their motion to the probe the ions are assumed to be collisionless. For a small Debye length, a two-scale analysis for the quasineutral plasma and for the sheath provides analytical expressions for the emitted and collected currents and for the potential as functions of a generalized mass ratio. For a Debye length that is not small, it is demonstrated that, as the Debye length becomes larger, the probe potential approaches the plasma potential and that the ion density near the probe is not smaller but rather is larger than it is in the plasma bulk.

Highly selective fluorescence detection of Cu2+ in water by chiral dimeric Zn2+ complexes through direct displacement.

PubMed

Khatua, Snehadrinarayan; Choi, Shin Hei; Lee, Junseong; Huh, Jung Oh; Do, Youngkyu; Churchill, David G

2009-03-02

Fluorescent dinuclear chiral zinc complexes were synthesized in a "one-pot" method in which the lysine-based Schiff base ligand was generated in situ. This complex acts as a highly sensitive and selective fluorescent ON-OFF probe for Cu(2+) in water at physiological pH. Other metal ions such as Hg(2+), Cd(2+), and Pb(2+) gave little fluorescence change.

Colorimetric detection of mercury ion based on unmodified gold nanoparticles and target-triggered hybridization chain reaction amplification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qing; Yang, Xiaohan; Yang, Xiaohai; Liu, Pei; Wang, Kemin; Huang, Jin; Liu, Jianbo; Song, Chunxia; Wang, Jingjing

2015-02-01

A novel unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-based colorimetric strategy for label-free, specific and sensitive mercury ion (Hg2+) detection was demonstrated by using thymine-Hg2+-thymine (T-Hg2+-T) recognition mechanism and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) amplification strategy. In this protocol, a structure-switching probe (H0) was designed to recognize Hg2+ and then propagated a chain reaction of hybridization events between two other hairpin probes (H1 and H2). In the absence of Hg2+, all hairpin probes could stably coexist in solution, the exposed sticky ends of hairpin probes were capable of stabilizing AuNPs. As a result, salt-induced AuNPs aggregation could be effectively prevented. In the presence of Hg2+, thymine bases of H0 could specifically interact with Hg2+ to form stable T-Hg2+-T complex. Consequently, the hairpin structure of H0 probe was changed. As H1/H2 probes were added, the HCR process could be triggered and nicked double-helixes were formed. Since it was difficult for the formed nicked double-helixes to inhibit salt-induced AuNPs aggregation, a red-to-blue color change was observed in the colloid solution as the salt concentration increased. With the elegant amplification effect of HCR, a detection limit of around 30 nM was achieved (S/N = 3), which was about 1-2 orders of magnitudes lower than that of previous unmodified AuNPs-based colorimetric methods. By using the T-Hg2+-T recognition mechanism, high selectivity was also obtained. As an unmodified AuNPs-based colorimetric strategy, the system was simple in design, convenient in operation, and eliminated the requirements of separation processes, chemical modifications, and sophisticated instrumentations.

Ionic calcium determination in skim milk with molecular probes and front-face fluorescence spectroscopy: simple linear regression.

PubMed

Gangidi, R R; Metzger, L E

2006-11-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if the ionic calcium content of skim milk could be determined using molecular probes and front-face fluorescence spectroscopy. Current methods for determining ionic calcium are not sensitive, overestimate ionic calcium, or require complex procedures. Molecular probes designed specifically for measuring ionic calcium could potentially be used to determine the ionic calcium content of skim milk. The goal of the current study was to develop foundation methods for future studies to determine ionic calcium directly in skim milk and other dairy products with molecular probes and fluorescence spectroscopy. In this study, the effect of pH on calcium-sensitive fluorescent probe (Rhod-5N and Fluo-5N) performance using various concentrations of skim milk was determined. The pH of diluted skim milk (1.9 to 8.9% skim milk), was adjusted to either 6.2 or 7.0, after which the samples were analyzed with fluorescent probes (1 microM) and front-face fluorescence spectroscopy. The ionic calcium content of each sample was also determined using a calcium ion-selective electrode. The results demonstrated that the ionic calcium content of each sample was highly correlated (R2 > 0.989) with the fluorescence intensities of the probe-calcium adduct using simple linear regression. Higher than suggested ionic calcium contents of 1,207 and 1,973 microM were determined with the probes (Fluo-5N and Rhod-5N) in diluted skim milk with pH 7.0 and 6.2, respectively. The fluorescence intensity of the probe-calcium adduct decreased with a decrease in pH for the same ionic calcium concentration. This study demonstrates that Fluo-5N and Rhod-5N can be used to determine the ionic-calcium content of diluted milk with front-face fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, these probes may also have the potential to determine the ionic calcium content of undiluted skim milk.

A colorimetric probe based on desensitized ionene-stabilized gold nanoparticles for single-step test for sulfate ions.

PubMed

Arkhipova, Viktoriya V; Apyari, Vladimir V; Dmitrienko, Stanislava G

2015-03-15

Desensitized ionene-stabilized gold nanoparticles have been prepared and applied as a colorimetric probe for the single-step test for sulfate ions at the relatively high concentration level. The approach is based on aggregation of the nanoparticles leading to the change in absorption spectra and color of the solution. These nanoparticles are characterized by the decreased sensitivity due to both electrostatic and steric stabilization, which allows for simple, and rapid direct single-step determination of sulfate at the relatively high concentration level in real water samples without sample pretreatment or dilution. Influence of different factors (the time of interaction, pH, the concentrations of sulfate ions and the nanoparticles) on the aggregation and analytical performance of the procedure was investigated. The method allows for the determination of sulfate ions in the mass range of 0.2-0.4 mg with RSD of 5% from the sample volume of less than 2 mL. It has a sharp dependence of the colorimetric response on the concentration of sulfate, which makes it prospective for indicating deviations of the sulfate concentration regarding some declared value chosen within the above range. The time of the analysis is 2 min. The method was applied to the analysis of mineral water samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Balloon-borne Langmuir probe measurement of stratospheric ions in low latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, A.; Somayajulu, Y. V.; Subrahmanyam, P.

1984-12-01

A balloon carrying a Langmuir probe payload for measuring the positive and negative ion densities in the stratosphere was flown around midnight IST on Mar. 23, 1982 from the National Balloon Facility at Hyderabad, a low latitude station. The Langmuir probe with a guard ring arrangement is given a symmetrical probe voltage of triangular waveform with amplitude + or - 4.2 V and with a repetition frequency of 0.28 Hz. The balloon reached a ceiling altitude of 33 km and data were taken from 15 km up to the ceiling altitude. The altitude profiles of the ion density show a peak around 18 km with densities decreasing with altitude. The results are discussed in terms of cosmic ray production and ion chemistry. The structures in the positive ion density profile are interpreted in terms of the presence of aerosol layers.

Simulated microgravity increases heavy ion radiation-induced apoptosis in human B lymphoblasts.

PubMed

Dang, Bingrong; Yang, Yuping; Zhang, Erdong; Li, Wenjian; Mi, Xiangquan; Meng, Yue; Yan, Siqi; Wang, Zhuanzi; Wei, Wei; Shao, Chunlin; Xing, Rui; Lin, Changjun

2014-03-03

Microgravity and radiation, common in space, are the main factors influencing astronauts' health in space flight, but their combined effects on immune cells are extremely limited. Therefore, the effect of simulated microgravity on heavy ion radiation-induced apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive apoptosis signaling were investigated in human B lymphoblast HMy2.CIR cells. Simulated microgravity was achieved using a Rotating Wall Vessel Bioreactor at 37°C for 30 min. Heavy carbon-ion irradiation was carried out at 300 MeV/u, with a linear energy transfer (LET) value of 30 keV/μm and a dose rate of 1Gy/min. Cell survival was evaluated using the Trypan blue exclusion assay. Apoptosis was indicated by Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. ROS production was assessed by cytometry with a fluorescent probe dichlorofluorescein. Malondialdehyde was detected using a kit. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) and caspase-3 activation were measured by immunoblotting. Simulated microgravity decreased heavy ion radiation-induced cell survival and increased apoptosis in HMy2.CIR cells. It also amplified heavy ion radiation-elicited intracellular ROS generation, which induced ROS-sensitive ERK/MKP-1/caspase-3 activation in HMy2.CIR cells. The above phenomena could be reversed by the antioxidants N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and quercetin. These results illustrated that simulated microgravity increased heavy ion radiation-induced cell apoptosis, mediated by a ROS-sensitive signal pathway in human B lymphoblasts. Further, the antioxidants NAC and quercetin, especially NAC, might be good candidate drugs for protecting astronauts' and space travelers' health and safety. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BioMEMS for mitochondria medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padmaraj, Divya

A BioMEMS device to study cell-mitochondrial physiological functionalities was developed. The pathogenesis of many diseases including obesity, diabetes and heart failure as well as aging has been linked to functional defects of mitochondria. The synthesis of Adenosine Tri Phosphate (ATP) is determined by the electrical potential across the inner mitochondrial membrane and by the pH difference due to proton flux across it. Therefore, electrical characterization by E-fields with complementary chemical testing was used here. The BioMEMS device was fabricated as an SU-8 based microfluidic system with gold electrodes on SiO2/Si wafers for electromagnetic interrogation. Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistors (ISFETs) were incorporated for proton studies important in the electron transport chain, together with monitoring Na+, K+ and Ca++ ions for ion channel studies. ISFETs are chemically sensitive Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) devices and their threshold voltage is directly proportional to the electrolytic H+ ion variation. These ISFETs (sensitivity ˜55 mV/pH for H+) were further realized as specific ion sensitive Chemical Field Effect Transistors (CHEMFETs) by depositing a specific ion sensitive membrane on the gate. Electrodes for dielectric spectroscopy studies of mitochondria were designed as 2- and 4-probe structures for optimized operation over a wide frequency range. In addition, to limit polarization effects, a 4-electrode set-up with unique meshed pickup electrodes (7.5x7.5 mum2 loops with 4 mum wires) was fabricated. Sensitivity of impedance spectroscopy to membrane potential changes was confirmed by studying the influence of uncouplers and glucose on mitochondria. An electrical model was developed for the mitochondrial sample, and its frequency response correlated with impedance spectroscopy experiments of sarcolemmal mitochondria. Using the mesh electrode structure, we obtained a reduction of 83.28% in impedance at 200 Hz. COMSOL simulations of selected electrical structures in this sensor were compared with experimental results to better understand the physical system. A broadband permittivity analysis tool consisting of lumped and distributed structures was also developed. The frequency range of this device is from 100 Hz to 40 GHz and utilizes an interdigitated capacitor and coplanar waveguide. The simultaneous measurement of membrane potential, ion concentrations and pH would enhance diagnostics and studies of mitochondrial diseases.

Nanoparticle assembled microcapsules for application as pH and ammonia sensor.

PubMed

Amali, Arlin Jose; Awwad, Nour H; Rana, Rohit Kumar; Patra, Digambara

2011-12-05

The encapsulation of molecular probes in a suitable nanostructured matrix can be exploited to alter their optical properties and robustness for fabricating efficient chemical sensors. Despite high sensitivity, simplicity, selectivity and cost effectiveness, the photo-destruction and photo-bleaching are the serious concerns while utilizing molecular probes. Herein we demonstrate that hydroxy pyrene trisulfonate (HPTS), a pH sensitive molecular probe, when encapsulated in a microcapsule structure prepared via the assembly of silica nanoparticles mediated by poly-L-lysine and trisodium citrate, provides a robust sensing material for pH sensing under the physiological conditions. The temporal evolution under continuous irradiation indicates that the fluorophore inside the silica microcapsule is extraordinarily photostable. The fluorescence intensity alternation at dual excitation facilitates for a ratiometic sensing of the pH, however, the fluorescence lifetime is insensitive to hydrogen ion concentration. The sensing scheme is found to be robust, fast and simple for the measurement of pH in the range 5.8-8.0, and can be successfully applied for the determination of ammonia in the concentration range 0-1.2 mM, which is important for aquatic life and the environment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluorescence turn-on detection of Sn2+ in live eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.

PubMed

Lan, Haichuang; Wen, Ying; Shi, Yunming; Liu, Keyin; Mao, Yueyuan; Yi, Tao

2014-10-21

Sn(2+) is usually added to toothpaste to prevent dental plaque and oral disease. However, studies of its physiological role and bacteriostatic mechanism are restricted by the lack of versatile Sn(2+) detection methods applicable to live cells, including Streptococcus mutans. Here we report two Sn(2+) fluorescent probes containing a rhodamine B derivative as a fluorophore, linked via the amide moiety to N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (R1) and tert-butyl carbazate group (R2), respectively. These probes can selectively chelate Sn(2+) and show marked fluorescence enhancement due to the ring open reaction of rhodamine induced by Sn(2+) chelation. The probes have high sensitivity and selectivity for Sn(2+) in the presence of various relevant metal ions. Particularly, both R1 and R2 can target lysosomes, and R2 can probe Sn concentrations in lysosomes with rather acidic microenvironment. Furthermore, these two probes have low toxicity and can be used as imaging probes for monitoring Sn(2+) not only in live KB cells (eukaryotic) but also in Streptococcus mutans cells (prokaryotic), which is a useful tool to study the physiological function of Sn(2+) in biological systems.

Terbium(III)/gold nanocluster conjugates: the development of a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe for mercury(II) and a paper-based visual sensor.

PubMed

Qi, Yan-Xia; Zhang, Min; Zhu, Anwei; Shi, Guoyue

2015-08-21

In this work, a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe was developed for rapid, highly accurate, sensitive and selective detection of mercury(II) (Hg(2+)) based on terbium(III)/gold nanocluster conjugates (Tb(3+)/BSA-AuNCs), in which bovine serum albumin capped gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) acted as the signal indicator and terbium(III) (Tb(3+)) was used as the build-in reference. Our proposed ratiometric fluorescent probe exhibited unique specificity toward Hg(2+) against other common environmentally and biologically important metal ions, and had high accuracy and sensitivity with a low detection limit of 1 nM. In addition, our proposed probe was effectively employed to detect Hg(2+) in the biological samples from the artificial Hg(2+)-infected rats. More significantly, an appealing paper-based visual sensor for Hg(2+) was designed by using filter paper embedded with Tb(3+)/BSA-AuNC conjugates, and we have further demonstrated its feasibility for facile fluorescent sensing of Hg(2+) in a visual format, in which only a handheld UV lamp is used. In the presence of Hg(2+), the paper-based visual sensor, illuminated by a handheld UV lamp, would undergo a distinct fluorescence color change from red to green, which can be readily observed with naked eyes even in trace Hg(2+) concentrations. The Tb(3+)/BSA-AuNC-derived paper-based visual sensor is cost-effective, portable, disposable and easy-to-use. This work unveiled a facile approach for accurate, sensitive and selective measuring of Hg(2+) with self-calibration.

Detection of DNA damage based on metal-mediated molecular beacon and DNA strands displacement reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Yanxiang; Wei, Min; Wei, Wei; Yin, Lihong; Pu, Yuepu; Liu, Songqin

2014-01-01

DNA hairpin structure probes are usually designed by forming intra-molecular duplex based on Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds. In this paper, a molecular beacon based on silver ions-mediated cytosine-Ag+-cytosine base pairs was used to detect DNA. The inherent characteristic of the metal ligation facilitated the design of functional probe and the adjustment of its binding strength compared to traditional DNA hairpin structure probes, which make it be used to detect DNA in a simple, rapid and easy way with the help of DNA strands displacement reaction. The method was sensitive and also possesses the good specificity to differentiate the single base mismatched DNA from the complementary DNA. It was also successfully applied to study the damage effect of classic genotoxicity chemicals such as styrene oxide and sodium arsenite on DNA, which was significant in food science, environmental science and pharmaceutical science.

Ultrasensitive determination of DNA sequences by flow injection chemiluminescence using silver ions as labels.

PubMed

Zheng, Lichun; Liu, Xiuhui; Zhou, Min; Ma, Yongjun; Wu, Guofan; Lu, Xiaoquan

2014-10-27

We presented a new strategy for ultrasensitive detection of DNA sequences based on the novel detection probe which was labeled with Ag(+) using metallothionein (MT) as a bridge. The assay relied on a sandwich-type DNA hybridization in which the DNA targets were first hybridized to the captured oligonucleotide probes immobilized on Fe3O4@Au composite magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and then the Ag(+)-modified detection probes were used to monitor the presence of the specific DNA targets. After being anchored on the hybrids, Ag(+) was released down through acidic treatment and sensitively determined by a coupling flow injection-chemiluminescent reaction system (Ag(+)-Mn(2+)-K2S2O8-H3PO4-luminol) (FI-CL). The experiment results showed that the CL intensities increased linearly with the concentrations of DNA targets in the range from 10 to 500 pmol L(-1) with a detection limit of 3.3 pmol L(-1). The high sensitivity in this work may be ascribed to the high molar ratio of Ag(+)-MT, the sensitive determination of Ag(+) by the coupling FI-CL reaction system and the perfect magnetic separation based on Fe3O4@Au composite MNPs. Moreover, the proposed strategy exhibited excellent selectivity against the mismatched DNA sequences and could be applied to real samples analysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hunting the Gluon Orbital Angular Momentum at the Electron-Ion Collider.

PubMed

Ji, Xiangdong; Yuan, Feng; Zhao, Yong

2017-05-12

Applying the connection between the parton Wigner distribution and orbital angular momentum (OAM), we investigate the probe of the gluon OAM in hard scattering processes at the planned electron-ion collider. We show that the single longitudinal target-spin asymmetry in the hard diffractive dijet production is very sensitive to the gluon OAM distribution. The associated spin asymmetry leads to a characteristic azimuthal angular correlation of sin(ϕ_{q}-ϕ_{Δ}), where ϕ_{Δ} and ϕ_{q} are the azimuthal angles of the proton momentum transfer and the relative transverse momentum between the quark-antiquark pair. This study may motivate a first measurement of the gluon OAM in the proton spin sum rule.

Ballistic protons in incoherent exclusive vector meson production as a measure of rare parton fluctuations at an electron-ion collider

DOE PAGES

Lappi, T.; Venugopalan, R.; Mantysaari, H.

2015-02-25

We argue that the proton multiplicities measured in Roman pot detectors at an electron ion collider can be used to determine centrality classes in incoherent diffractive scattering. Incoherent diffraction probes the fluctuations in the interaction strengths of multi-parton Fock states in the nuclear wavefunctions. In particular, the saturation scale that characterizes this multi-parton dynamics is significantly larger in central events relative to minimum bias events. As an application, we examine the centrality dependence of incoherent diffractive vector meson production. We identify an observable which is simultaneously very sensitive to centrality triggered parton fluctuations and insensitive to details of the model.

A new way to measure the composition of the interstellar gas surrounding the heliosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gruntman, Michael A.

1993-01-01

The composition of neutral gas in the Local Interstellar Medium can be studied by direct, in situ measuring of interstellar neutral atoms penetrating into interplanetary space. A novel experimental approach for in situ atom detection, which has never been used earlier in space, is proposed. The technique is based on the conversion of neutral atoms to negative ions at a specially prepared sensitive surface. Negative ions are subsequently analyzed and detected in an essentially noise-free, multicoincidence mode. It is shown that interstellar hydrogen, deuterium, and oxygen atoms can be measured by the proposed technique. The experiment can be performed from a high-apogee Earth-orbiting satellite or from a deep space probe.

Silicon chip integrated photonic sensors for biological and chemical sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakravarty, Swapnajit; Zou, Yi; Yan, Hai; Tang, Naimei; Chen, Ray T.

2016-03-01

We experimentally demonstrate applications of photonic crystal waveguide based devices for on-chip optical absorption spectroscopy for the detection of chemical warfare simulant, triethylphosphate as well as applications with photonic crystal microcavity devices in the detection of biomarkers for pancreatic cancer in patient serum and cadmium metal ions in heavy metal pollution sensing. At mid-infrared wavelengths, we experimentally demonstrate the higher sensitivity of photonic crystal based structures compared to other nanophotonic devices such as strip and slot waveguides with detection down to 10ppm triethylphosphate. We also detected 5ppb (parts per billion) of cadmium metal ions in water at near-infrared wavelengths using established techniques for the detection of specific probe-target biomarker conjugation chemistries.

Spirolactone and spirothiolactone rhodamine-pyrene probes for detection of Hg²⁺ with different sensing properties and its application in living cells.

PubMed

Rui, Qing-Qing; Zhou, Yi; Fang, Yuan; Yao, Cheng

2016-04-15

Two new rhodamine B-based fluorescent probes PyRbS and PyRbO containing pyrene moiety were designed and synthesized. Both of the probes showed colorimetric and fluorometric sensing abilities for Hg(2+) with high selectivity over other metal ions. The binding analysis using Job's plot suggested 1:1 stoichiometry for the complexes formed for Hg(2+). Compared with PyRbO, the PyRbS showed higher selectivity and sensitivity due to the thiophilic property of Hg(2+) ion. The PyRbS exhibited the linear fluorescence quenching to Hg(2+) in the range of 0.3 to 4.8 μM (λ(ex)=365 nm) and 0.3 to 5.4 μM (λ(ex)=515 nm), and the detection limit was 0.72 μM. Moreover, ratiometric changes of PyRbS with Hg(2+) in absorption spectrum were observed, which could not be obtained in the combination of PyRbO with Hg(2+). In addition, the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay demonstrated that RbPyS had low cytotoxicity and was successfully used to monitor intracellular Hg(2+) levels in living cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagonal and off-diagonal susceptibilities of conserved quantities in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Arghya; Chatterjee, Sandeep; Nayak, Tapan K.; Ranjan Sahoo, Nihar

2016-12-01

Susceptibilities of conserved quantities, such as baryon number, strangeness and electric charge are sensitive to the onset of quantum chromodynamics phase transition, and are expected to provide information on the matter produced in heavy-ion collision experiments. A comprehensive study of the second order diagonal susceptibilities and cross correlations has been made within a thermal model approach of the hadron resonance gas model as well as with a hadronic transport model, ultra-relativistic quantum molecular dynamics. We perform a detailed analysis of the effect of detector acceptances and choice of particle species in the experimental measurements of the susceptibilities for heavy-ion collisions corresponding to \\sqrt{{s}{NN}} = 4 GeV to 200 GeV. The transverse momentum cutoff dependence of suitably normalised susceptibilities are proposed as useful observables to probe the properties of the medium at freezeout.

Terbium(III) Modified Fluorescent Carbon Dots for Highly Selective and Sensitive Ratiometry of Stringent.

PubMed

Chen, Bin Bin; Liu, Meng Li; Zhan, Lei; Li, Chun Mei; Huang, Cheng Zhi

2018-03-20

Highly selective and sensitive detection of guanosine 3'-diphosphate-5'-diphosphate (ppGpp), namely, the stringent in plants or microorganisms responding to strict or extreme environmental conditions such as stress and starvation, which plays an important role in gene expression, rRNA and antibiotics production, regulations of virulence of bacteria, and growth of plants, faces a great challenge owing to its extreme similarity to normal nucleotides. By modifying the surface groups of a facile two-step hydrothermal route prepared carbon dots (CDs) with terbium ions (Tb 3+ ) in this contribution, a novel fluorescent probe with excellent properties such as highly physical and chemical stability, narrow emission and excitation wavelength-independent emission was prepared. The Tb 3+ ions on the surface of CDs cannot only preserve the intrinsic fluorescence (FL) of CDs but also keep its own coordination capacity with rare earth complex, and thus the clamp structure (four phosphate groups) of ppGpp can specific binding with Tb 3+ ions on the surface of CDs to produce antenna effect. Therefore, a highly selective and sensitive fluorescent ratiometry of ppGpp was developed by terbium-modified carbon dots (CDs-Tb) with the limit of detection as low as 50 nM based on the synergistic effect of antenna effect of Tb 3+ ions and specific recognition capacity of CDs. The applicability of this assay was demonstrated by CDs-Tb-based paper sensor for high distinguishing ppGpp from other nucleotides with similar structure.

Thiophene-based rhodamine as selectivef luorescence probe for Fe(III) and Al(III) in living cells.

PubMed

Wang, Kun-Peng; Chen, Ju-Peng; Zhang, Si-Jie; Lei, Yang; Zhong, Hua; Chen, Shaojin; Zhou, Xin-Hong; Hu, Zhi-Qiang

2017-09-01

The thiophene-modified rhodamine 6G (GYJ) has been synthesized as a novel chemosensor. The sensor has sufficiently high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of Fe 3+ and Al 3+ ions (M 3+ ) by fluorescence and ultraviolet spectroscopy with a strong ability for anti-interference performance. The binding ratio of M 3+ -GYJ complex was determined to be 2:1 according to the Job's plot. The binding constants for Fe 3+ and Al 3+ were calculated to be 3.91 × 10 8 and 5.26 × 10 8  M -2 , respectively. All these unique features made it particularly favorable for cellular imaging applications. The obvious fluorescence microscopy experiments demonstrated that the probes could contribute to the detection of Fe 3+ and Al 3+ in related cells and biological organs with satisfying resolution. Graphical abstract GYJ has high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of Fe(III) and Al(III) with the binding ratio of 2:1.

Electrostatic Effects in Filamentous Protein Aggregation

PubMed Central

Buell, Alexander K.; Hung, Peter; Salvatella, Xavier; Welland, Mark E.; Dobson, Christopher M.; Knowles, Tuomas P.J.

2013-01-01

Electrostatic forces play a key role in mediating interactions between proteins. However, gaining quantitative insights into the complex effects of electrostatics on protein behavior has proved challenging, due to the wide palette of scenarios through which both cations and anions can interact with polypeptide molecules in a specific manner or can result in screening in solution. In this article, we have used a variety of biophysical methods to probe the steady-state kinetics of fibrillar protein self-assembly in a highly quantitative manner to detect how it is modulated by changes in solution ionic strength. Due to the exponential modulation of the reaction rate by electrostatic forces, this reaction represents an exquisitely sensitive probe of these effects in protein-protein interactions. Our approach, which involves a combination of experimental kinetic measurements and theoretical analysis, reveals a hierarchy of electrostatic effects that control protein aggregation. Furthermore, our results provide a highly sensitive method for the estimation of the magnitude of binding of a variety of ions to protein molecules. PMID:23473495

Optical fibre PH sensor based on immobilized indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Defu; Cao, Qiang; Han, JingHong; Cai, Jine; Li, YaTing; Zhu, ZeMin; Fan, Jie; Gao, Ning

1991-08-01

An optical fiber pH sensor which has the immobilized pH sensitive indicator dye reagents on the tip of the optical fiber has been studied. The probe is made by covalently immobilizing the phenol red, bromine phenol blue, or bromothymol blue on the polyacrylamide microsphere fixed by polyterafluoroethylene (PTFE) film. A gap between the dye and optical fiber was used to make the diffusion of the hydrogen ions easier. The parameters of the optical fiber pH sensor have been given completely. The ranges of measurement are 3.0 - 5.0 pH, 7.0 - 8.5 pH, and 8.0 - 10.0 pH for bromine phenol blue, phenol red, and bromothymol blue, respectively. The sensitivity is 66.6 mV/pH. The probe has a precision of better than 0.55 pH. The linear correlation coefficient is 0.999. The response time is 1 - 2 min. The hysteresis is 0.52%. The repeatability is 0.013 mV, while the stability is 0.015 pH/h.

Perturbing Tandem Energy Transfer in Luminescent Heterobinuclear Lanthanide Coordination Polymer Nanoparticles Enables Real-Time Monitoring of Release of the Anthrax Biomarker from Bacterial Spores.

PubMed

Gao, Nan; Zhang, Yunfang; Huang, Pengcheng; Xiang, Zhehao; Wu, Fang-Ying; Mao, Lanqun

2018-06-05

Lanthanide-based luminescent sensors have been widely used for the detection of the anthrax biomarker dipicolinic acid (DPA). However, mainly based on DPA sensitization to the lanthanide core, most of them failed to realize robust detection of DPA in bacterial spores. We proposed a new strategy for reliable detection of DPA by perturbing a tandem energy transfer in heterobinuclear lanthanide coordination polymer nanoparticles simply constructed by two kinds of lanthanide ions, Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ , and guanosine 5'-monophosphate. This smart luminescent probe was demonstrated to exhibit highly sensitive and selective visual luminescence color change upon exposure to DPA, enabling accurate detection of DPA in complex biosystems such as bacterial spores. DPA release from bacterial spores on physiological germination was also successfully monitored in real time by confocal imaging. This probe is thus expected to be a powerful tool for efficient detection of bacterial spores in responding to anthrax threats.

Langmuir-Probe Measurements in Flowing-Afterglow Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnsen, R.; Shunko, E. V.; Gougousi, T.; Golde, M. F.

1994-01-01

The validity of the orbital-motion theory for cylindrical Langmuir probes immersed in flowing- afterglow plasmas is investigated experimentally. It is found that the probe currents scale linearly with probe area only for electron-collecting but not for ion-collecting probes. In general, no agreement is found between the ion and electron densities derived from the probe currents. Measurements in recombining plasmas support the conclusion that only the electron densities derived from probe measurements can be trusted to be of acceptable accuracy. This paper also includes a brief derivation of the orbital-motion theory, a discussion of perturbations of the plasma by the probe current, and the interpretation of plasma velocities obtained from probe measurements.

Sensitive fluorescence detection of mercury(ii) in aqueous solution by the fluorescence quenching effect of MoS2 with DNA functionalized carbon dots.

PubMed

Srinivasan, K; Subramanian, K; Murugan, K; Dinakaran, K

2016-10-24

A rapid and sensitive fluorescent sensor based on the MoS 2 nanosheet/DNA/carbon dot nanoassembly has been developed towards the detection of mercury(ii) present in environmental samples. Bio-carbon dots (CDs) having strong fluorescence maxima at 451 nm were synthesized via one-step treatment with honey under low temperature carbonization. These CDs were nearly spherical with good size distribution and excellent monodispersity, and the average sizes of CD were around 2-4 nm as evidenced from transmission electron microscopy. The conjugation of DNA strands on the surface of the carbon dots provided an efficient fluorescent probe. The fluorescence of the MoS 2 nanosheet/DNA/carbon dot nanoassembly enhanced gradually with the increase in the concentration of Hg 2+ ions and the detection limit was found to be 1.02 nM. Furthermore, the fluorescence intensity was found to be linear with the concentration of Hg 2+ ions in the range from 0 to 10 nM and their respective coefficient of determination was found to be 0.93676 and 0.98178. The present MoS 2 nanosheet/DNA/carbon dot nanoassembly is highly selective toward Hg 2+ ions over a wide range of metal ions tested.

Electron Bubbles in Superfluid (3) 3 He-A: Exploring the Quasiparticle-Ion Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shevtsov, Oleksii; Sauls, J. A.

2017-06-01

When an electron is forced into liquid ^3He, it forms an "electron bubble", a heavy ion with radius, R˜eq 1.5 nm, and mass, M˜eq 100 m_3, where m_3 is the mass of a ^3He atom. These negative ions have proven to be powerful local probes of the physical properties of the host quantum fluid, especially the excitation spectra of the superfluid phases. We recently developed a theory for Bogoliubov quasiparticles scattering off electron bubbles embedded in a chiral superfluid that provides a detailed understanding of the spectrum of Weyl Fermions bound to the negative ion, as well as a theory for the forces on moving electron bubbles in superfluid ^3He-A (Shevtsov and Sauls in Phys Rev B 94:064511, 2016). This theory is shown to provide quantitative agreement with measurements reported by the RIKEN group (Ikegami et al. in Science 341(6141):59, 2013) for the drag force and anomalous Hall effect of moving electron bubbles in superfluid ^3He-A. In this report, we discuss the sensitivity of the forces on the moving ion to the effective interaction between normal-state quasiparticles and the ion. We consider models for the quasiparticle-ion (QP-ion) interaction, including the hard-sphere potential, constrained random-phase-shifts, and interactions with short-range repulsion and intermediate-range attraction. Our results show that the transverse force responsible for the anomalous Hall effect is particularly sensitive to the structure of the QP-ion potential and that strong short-range repulsion, captured by the hard-sphere potential, provides an accurate model for computing the forces acting on the moving electron bubble in superfluid 3He-A.

Fluorescence spectroscopy of trapped molecular ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Kenneth Charles

This thesis describes the development of a unique instrument capable of detecting fluorescence emission from large gas phase molecular ions trapped in a three-dimensional quadrupole ion trap. The hypothesis that has formed the basis of this work is the belief that fluorescence spectroscopy can be combined with ion trap mass spectrometry to probe the structure of gas phase molecular ions. The ion trap provides a rarefied environment where fluorescence experiments can be conducted without interference from solvent molecules or impurities. Although fluorescence was not detected during preliminary experiments, two significant experimental challenges associated with detecting the gas phase fluorescence of ions were discovered. First, gas phase ions were vulnerable to photodissociation and low laser powers were necessary to avoid photodissociation. Since fluorescence emission is directly proportional to laser intensity, a lower laser power limits the fluorescence signal. Second, the fluorescence emission was not significantly Stokes shifted from the excitation. The lack of Stokes shift meant the small fluorescence signal must be detected in the presence of a large amount of background scatter generated by the excitation. Initially, this background was seven orders of magnitude higher than the analytical signal ultimately detected. A specially designed fiber optic probe was inserted between the electrodes of the ion trap to stop light scattered off the outside surfaces of the trap from reaching the detector. The inside surfaces of the ion trap were coated black to further reduce the amount of scattered light collected. These innovations helped reduced the background by six orders of magnitude and fluorescence emission from rhodamine-6G was detected. Pulse counting experiments were used to optimize fluorescence detection. The effects of trapping level, laser power, and irradiation time were investigated and optimized. The instrument developed in this work not only allows for the detection of fluorescent photons, but the sensitivity is high enough for the light to be dispersed and an emission spectrum recorded. The emission spectra of rhodamine-6G and 5-carboxyrhodamine-6G ions reported in this thesis represent the first spectra recorded from large molecular ions confined in a quadrupole ion trap. Finally, anti-Stokes fluorescence from rhodamine-6G was also detected.

Process diagnostics and monitoring using the multipole resonance probe in an inhomogeneous plasma for ion-assisted deposition of optical coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Styrnoll, T.; Harhausen, J.; Lapke, M.; Storch, R.; Brinkmann, R. P.; Foest, R.; Ohl, A.; Awakowicz, P.

2013-08-01

The application of a multipole resonance probe (MRP) for diagnostic and monitoring purposes in a plasma ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) process is reported. Recently, the MRP was proposed as an economical and industry compatible plasma diagnostic device (Lapke et al 2011 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 20 042001). The major advantages of the MRP are its robustness against dielectric coating and its high sensitivity to measure the electron density. The PIAD process investigated is driven by the advanced plasma source (APS), which generates an ion beam in the deposition chamber for the production of high performance optical coatings. With a background neutral pressure of p0 ˜ 20 mPa the plasma expands from the source region into the recipient, leading to an inhomogeneous spatial distribution. Electron density and electron temperature vary over the distance from substrate (ne ˜ 109 cm-3 and Te,eff ˜ 2 eV) to the APS (ne ≳ 1012 cm-3 and Te,eff ˜ 20 eV) (Harhausen et al 2012 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 21 035012). This huge variation of the plasma parameters represents a big challenge for plasma diagnostics to operate precisely for all plasma conditions. The results obtained by the MRP are compared to those from a Langmuir probe chosen as reference diagnostics. It is demonstrated that the MRP is suited for the characterization of the PIAD plasma as well as for electron density monitoring. The latter aspect offers the possibility to develop new control schemes for complex industrial plasma environments.

Simultaneous Interfacial Reactivity and Topography Mapping with Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy.

PubMed

Momotenko, Dmitry; McKelvey, Kim; Kang, Minkyung; Meloni, Gabriel N; Unwin, Patrick R

2016-03-01

Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) is a powerful technique for imaging the topography of a wide range of materials and interfaces. In this report, we develop the use and scope of SICM, showing how it can be used for mapping spatial distributions of ionic fluxes due to (electro)chemical reactions occurring at interfaces. The basic idea is that there is a change of ion conductance inside a nanopipet probe when it approaches an active site, where the ionic composition is different to that in bulk solution, and this can be sensed via the current flow in the nanopipet with an applied bias. Careful tuning of the tip potential allows the current response to be sensitive to either topography or activity, if desired. Furthermore, the use of a distance modulation SICM scheme allows reasonably faithful probe positioning using the resulting ac response, irrespective of whether there is a reaction at the interface that changes the local ionic composition. Both strategies (distance modulation or tuned bias) allow simultaneous topography-activity mapping with a single channel probe. The application of SICM reaction imaging is demonstrated on several examples, including voltammetric mapping of electrocatalytic reactions on electrodes and high-speed electrochemical imaging at rates approaching 4 s per image frame. These two distinct approaches provide movies of electrochemical current as a function of potential with hundreds of frames (images) of surface reactivity, to reveal a wealth of spatially resolved information on potential- (and time) dependent electrochemical phenomena. The experimental studies are supported by detailed finite element method modeling that places the technique on a quantitative footing.

Ring-averaged ion velocity distribution function probe for laboratory magnetized plasma experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamori, Eiichirou; Chen, Jinting; Lin, Chiahsuan; Lee, Zongmau

2017-10-01

Ring-averaged velocity distribution function of ions at a fixed guiding center position is a fundamental quantity in the gyrokinetic plasma physics. We have developed a diagnostic tool for the ring averaged velocity distribution function of ions for laboratory plasma experiments, which is named as the ring-averaged ion distribution function probe (RIDFP). The RIDFP is a set of ion collectors for different velocities. It is designed to be immersed in magnetized plasmas and achieves momentum selection of incoming ions by the selection of the ion Larmor radii. To nullify the influence of the sheath potential surrounding the RIDFP on the orbits of the incoming ions, the electrostatic potential of the RIDFP body is automatically adjusted to coincide with the space potential of the target plasma with the use of an emissive probe and a voltage follower. The developed RIDFP successfully measured the equilibrium ring-averaged velocity distribution function of a laboratory magnetized plasma, which was in accordance with the Maxwellian distribution having an ion temperature of 0.2 eV.

Ring-averaged ion velocity distribution function probe for laboratory magnetized plasma experiment.

PubMed

Kawamori, Eiichirou; Chen, Jinting; Lin, Chiahsuan; Lee, Zongmau

2017-10-01

Ring-averaged velocity distribution function of ions at a fixed guiding center position is a fundamental quantity in the gyrokinetic plasma physics. We have developed a diagnostic tool for the ring averaged velocity distribution function of ions for laboratory plasma experiments, which is named as the ring-averaged ion distribution function probe (RIDFP). The RIDFP is a set of ion collectors for different velocities. It is designed to be immersed in magnetized plasmas and achieves momentum selection of incoming ions by the selection of the ion Larmor radii. To nullify the influence of the sheath potential surrounding the RIDFP on the orbits of the incoming ions, the electrostatic potential of the RIDFP body is automatically adjusted to coincide with the space potential of the target plasma with the use of an emissive probe and a voltage follower. The developed RIDFP successfully measured the equilibrium ring-averaged velocity distribution function of a laboratory magnetized plasma, which was in accordance with the Maxwellian distribution having an ion temperature of 0.2 eV.

The phase-space dependence of fast-ion interaction with tearing modes

DOE PAGES

Heidbrink, William W.; Bardoczi, Laszlo; Collins, Cami S.; ...

2018-03-19

Modulation of various neutral beam sources probes the interaction of fast ions with tearing modes (TM) in the DIII-D tokamak. As measured by electron cyclotron emission, the (m,n) = (2,1) tearing modes have an island width of ~8 cm and change phase 180 at the q = 2 surface. (Here, m is the poloidal mode number and n is the toroidal mode number.) Deuterium neutral beam injection by six sources with differing injection geometries produces the fast ions. To study the interaction in different parts of phase space, on successive discharges, one of the six sources is modulated at 20more » Hz to populate different fast-ion orbits. The modulation only changes the island width by a few millimeters, implying that any fast-ion effect on mode stability is below detection limits. When compared to the expected signals in the absence of TM-induced transport, both the average and modulated neutron signals deviate, implying that fast-ion transport occurs in much of phase space. Fast-ion D-α (FIDA) measurements detect reductions in signal at wavelengths that are sensitive to counter-passing ions. Neutral particle analyzer data imply poor confinement of trapped fast ions. Lastly, calculations of the expected fast-ion transport that use measured TM properties successfully reproduce the data.« less

The phase-space dependence of fast-ion interaction with tearing modes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heidbrink, William W.; Bardoczi, Laszlo; Collins, Cami S.

Modulation of various neutral beam sources probes the interaction of fast ions with tearing modes (TM) in the DIII-D tokamak. As measured by electron cyclotron emission, the (m,n) = (2,1) tearing modes have an island width of ~8 cm and change phase 180 at the q = 2 surface. (Here, m is the poloidal mode number and n is the toroidal mode number.) Deuterium neutral beam injection by six sources with differing injection geometries produces the fast ions. To study the interaction in different parts of phase space, on successive discharges, one of the six sources is modulated at 20more » Hz to populate different fast-ion orbits. The modulation only changes the island width by a few millimeters, implying that any fast-ion effect on mode stability is below detection limits. When compared to the expected signals in the absence of TM-induced transport, both the average and modulated neutron signals deviate, implying that fast-ion transport occurs in much of phase space. Fast-ion D-α (FIDA) measurements detect reductions in signal at wavelengths that are sensitive to counter-passing ions. Neutral particle analyzer data imply poor confinement of trapped fast ions. Lastly, calculations of the expected fast-ion transport that use measured TM properties successfully reproduce the data.« less

Bioinspired systems for metal-ion sensing: new emissive peptide probes based on benzo[d]oxazole derivatives and their gold and silica nanoparticles.

PubMed

Oliveira, Elisabete; Genovese, Damiano; Juris, Riccardo; Zaccheroni, Nelsi; Capelo, José Luis; Raposo, M Manuela M; Costa, Susana P G; Prodi, Luca; Lodeiro, Carlos

2011-09-19

Seven new bioinspired chemosensors (2-4 and 7-10) based on fluorescent peptides were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, (1)H and (13)C NMR, melting point, matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), and IR and UV-vis absorption and emission spectroscopy. The interaction with transition- and post-transition-metal ions (Cu(2+), Ni(2+), Ag(+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+), Pb(2+), and Fe(3+)) has been explored by absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF-MS. The reported fluorescent peptide systems, introducing biological molecules in the skeleton of the probes, enhance their sensitivity and confer them strong potential for applications in biological fields. Gold and silica nanoparticles functionalized with these peptides were also obtained. All nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Stable gold nanoparticles (diameter 2-10 nm) bearing ligands 1 and 4 were obtained by common reductive synthesis. Commercial silica nanoparticles were decorated at their surface using compounds 8-10, linked through a silane spacer. The same chemosensors were also taken into aqueous solutions through their dispersion in the outer layer of silica core/poly(ethylene glycol) shell nanoparticles. In both cases, these complex nanoarchitectures behaved as new sensitive materials for Ag(+) and Hg(2+) in water. The possibility of using these species in this solvent is particularly valuable because the impact on human health of heavy- and transition-metal-ion pollution is very severe, and all analytical and diagnostics investigations involve a water environment.

Spectroscopy of neutral and ionized PAHs. From laboratory studies to astronomical observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salama, Farid

2005-01-01

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important and ubiquitous component of carbon-bearing materials in space. PAHs are the best-known candidates to account for the IR emission bands (UIR bands) and PAH spectral features are now being used as new probes of the ISM. PAHs are also thought to be among the carriers of the diffuse interstellar absorption bands (DIBs). In the model dealing with the interstellar spectral features, PAHs are present as a mixture of radicals, ions and neutral species. PAH ionization states reflect the ionization balance of the medium while PAH size, composition, and structure reflect the energetic and chemical history of the medium. A major challenge for laboratory astrochemistry is to reproduce (in a realistic way) the physical conditions that are associated with the emission and absorption interstellar zones. An extensive laboratory program has been developed at NASA Ames to assess the physical and chemical properties of PAHs in such environments and to describe how they influence the radiation and energy balance in space and the interstellar chemistry. PAHs, neutrals and ions, are expanded through a pulsed discharge nozzle (PDN) and probed with high-sensitivity cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS). These laboratory experiments provide unique information on the spectra of free, cold large carbon molecules and ions in the gas phase from the ultraviolet and visible range to the near-infrared range. Intrinsic band profiles and band positions of cold gas-phase PAHs can now be measured with high-sensitivity spectroscopy and directly compared to the astronomical data. Preliminary conclusions from the comparison of the laboratory data with astronomical observations of interstellar and circumstellar environments will also be discussed.

High aspect ratio AFM Probe processing by helium-ion-beam induced deposition.

PubMed

Onishi, Keiko; Guo, Hongxuan; Nagano, Syoko; Fujita, Daisuke

2014-11-01

A Scanning Helium Ion Microscope (SHIM) is a high resolution surface observation instrument similar to a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) since both instruments employ finely focused particle beams of ions or electrons [1]. The apparent difference is that SHIMs can be used not only for a sub-nanometer scale resolution microscopic research, but also for the applications of very fine fabrication and direct lithography of surfaces at the nanoscale dimensions. On the other hand, atomic force microscope (AFM) is another type of high resolution microscopy which can measure a three-dimensional surface morphology by tracing a fine probe with a sharp tip apex on a specimen's surface.In order to measure highly uneven and concavo-convex surfaces by AFM, the probe of a high aspect ratio with a sharp tip is much more necessary than the probe of a general quadrangular pyramid shape. In this paper we report the manufacture of the probe tip of the high aspect ratio by ion-beam induced gas deposition using a nanoscale helium ion beam of SHIM.Gas of platinum organic compound was injected into the sample surface neighborhood in the vacuum chamber of SHIM. The decomposition of the gas and the precipitation of the involved metal brought up a platinum nano-object in a pillar shape on the normal commercial AFM probe tip. A SHIM system (Carl Zeiss, Orion Plus) equipped with the gas injection system (OmniProbe, OmniGIS) was used for the research. While the vacuum being kept to work, we injected platinum organic compound ((CH3)3(CH3C5H4)Pt) into the sample neighborhood and irradiated the helium ion beam with the shape of a point on the apex of the AFM probe tip. It is found that we can control the length of the Pt nano-pillar by irradiation time of the helium ion beam. The AFM probe which brought up a Pt nano-pillar is shown in Figure 1. It is revealed that a high-aspect-ratio Pt nano-pillar of ∼40nm diameter and up to ∼2000 nm length can be grown. In addition, for possible heating by the helium ion beam, it was observed that an original probe shape was transformed. AFM measurement of a reference sample (pitch 100-500 nm, depth 100 nm) of the lines and spaces was performed using the above probes. The conventional probes which did not bring up platinum was not able to get into the ditch enough. Therefore it was found that a salient was big and a reentrant was shallow. On the other hand, the probe which brought up platinum was able to enter enough to the depths of the ditch.jmicro;63/suppl_1/i30-a/DFU075F1F1DFU075F1Fig.1.SHIM image of the AFM probe with the Pt nano-pillar fabricated by ion-beam induced deposition. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A novel integrated multifunction micro-sensor for three-dimensional micro-force measurements.

PubMed

Wang, Weizhong; Zhao, Yulong; Qin, Yafei

2012-01-01

An integrated multifunction micro-sensor for three-dimensional micro-force precision measurement under different pressure and temperature conditions is introduced in this paper. The integrated sensor consists of three kinds of sensors: a three-dimensional micro-force sensor, an absolute pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The integrated multifunction micro-sensor is fabricated on silicon wafers by micromachining technology. Different doping doses of boron ion, placement and structure of resistors are tested for the force sensor, pressure sensor and temperature sensor to minimize the cross interference and optimize the properties. A glass optical fiber, with a ladder structure and sharp tip etched by buffer oxide etch solution, is glued on the micro-force sensor chip as the tactile probe. Experimental results show that the minimum force that can be detected by the force sensor is 300 nN; the lateral sensitivity of the force sensor is 0.4582 mV/μN; the probe length is linearly proportional to sensitivity of the micro-force sensor in lateral; the sensitivity of the pressure sensor is 0.11 mv/KPa; the sensitivity of the temperature sensor is 5.836 × 10(-3) KΩ/°C. Thus it is a cost-effective method to fabricate integrated multifunction micro-sensors with different measurement ranges that could be used in many fields.

Label-free SERS study of galvanic replacement reaction on silver nanorod surface and its application to detect trace mercury ion

PubMed Central

Wang, Yaohui; Wen, Guiqing; Ye, Lingling; Liang, Aihui; Jiang, Zhiliang

2016-01-01

It is significant to explore a rapid and highly sensitive galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method for detection of trace mercury ions. This article was reported a new GRR SERS analytical platform for detecting Hg(II) with label-free molecular probe Victoria blue B (VBB). In HAc-NaCl-silver nanorod (AgNR) substrate, the molecular probe VBB exhibited a strong SERS peak at 1609 cm−1. Upon addition of Hg(II), the GRR occurred between the AgNR and Hg(II), and formed a weak SERS activity of Hg2Cl2 that deposited on the AgNR surfaces to decrease the SERS intensity at 1609 cm−1. The decreased SERS intensity was linear to Hg(II) concentration in the range of 1.25–125 nmol/L, with a detection limit of 0.2 nmol/L. The GRR was studied by SERS, transmission electron microscopy and other techniques, and the GRR mechanism was discussed. PMID:26792071

Improving Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Image Quality with Image Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarolli, Jay G.; Jackson, Lauren M.; Winograd, Nicholas

2014-12-01

The spatial resolution of chemical images acquired with cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is limited not only by the size of the probe utilized to create the images but also by detection sensitivity. As the probe size is reduced to below 1 μm, for example, a low signal in each pixel limits lateral resolution because of counting statistics considerations. Although it can be useful to implement numerical methods to mitigate this problem, here we investigate the use of image fusion to combine information from scanning electron microscope (SEM) data with chemically resolved SIMS images. The advantage of this approach is that the higher intensity and, hence, spatial resolution of the electron images can help to improve the quality of the SIMS images without sacrificing chemical specificity. Using a pan-sharpening algorithm, the method is illustrated using synthetic data, experimental data acquired from a metallic grid sample, and experimental data acquired from a lawn of algae cells. The results show that up to an order of magnitude increase in spatial resolution is possible to achieve. A cross-correlation metric is utilized for evaluating the reliability of the procedure.

Improving colorimetric assays through protein enzyme-assisted gold nanoparticle amplification.

PubMed

Xie, Xiaoji; Xu, Wei; Liu, Xiaogang

2012-09-18

The discovery of the DNA-mediated assembly of gold nanoparticles was a great moment in the history of science; this understanding and chemical control enabled the rational design of functional nanomaterials as novel probes in biodetection. In contrast with conventional probes such as organic dyes, gold nanoparticles exhibit high photostability and unique size-dependent optical properties. Because of their high extinction coefficients and strong distance dependent optical properties, these nanoparticles have emerged over the past decade as a promising platform for rapid, highly sensitive colorimetric assays that allow for the visual detection of low concentrations of metal ions, small molecules, and biomacromolecules. These discoveries have deepened our knowledge of biological phenomena and facilitated the development of many new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Despite these many advances and continued research efforts, current nanoparticle-based colorimetric detection systems still suffer from several drawbacks, such as limited sensitivity and selectivity. This Account describes the recent development of colorimetric assays based on protein enzyme-assisted gold nanoparticle amplification. The benefits of such detection systems include significantly improved detection sensitivity and selectivity. First, we discuss the general design of enzyme-modified nanoparticle systems in colorimetric assays. We show that a quantitative understanding of the unique properties of different enzymes is paramount for effective biological assays. We then examine the assays for nucleic acid detection based on different types of enzymes, including endonucleases, ligases, and polymerases. For each of these assays, we identify the underlying principles that contribute to the enhanced detection capability of nanoparticle systems and illustrate them with selected examples. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the combination of gold nanoparticles and specific enzymes can probe enzyme dynamics and function with high specificity, offering substantial advantages in both sensitivity and specificity over conventional detection methods. The screening of nuclease, methyltransferase, protease, and kinase activities can be colorimetrically performed in a straightforward manner. Finally, we discuss examples of colorimetric assays for metal ions and small molecules that constitute important advances toward visual monitoring of enzyme catalytic functions and gene expression. Although these enzyme-assisted assay methods hold great promise for myriad applications in biomedicine and bioimaging, the application of the described techniques in vivo faces formidable challenges. In addition, researchers do not fully understand the interactions of gold nanoparticles with enzyme molecules. This understanding will require the development of new techniques to probe enzyme substrate dynamics at the particle interface with higher spatial resolution and chemical specificity.

A Floating Potential Method for Determining Ion Density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, John D.; Chen, Francis F.

2001-10-01

The density n in partially ionized discharges is often found from the saturation ion current Ii of a cylindrical Langmuir probe. Collisionless probe theories, however, disagree with measured I - V curves probably because of collisions^1. We use a heuristic method that yields n from probe data agreeing with microwave interferometry. Probe current I is raised to the 4/3 power and fitted to a straight line on an I^4/3-V plot. The line is extrapolated to the floating potential V_f, thus approximating I_i(V_f). The sheath thickness d_sh for V = Vf is calculated from the Child-Langmuir (CL) law, and applying the Bohm sheath criterion to the surface at r_sh = Rp + d_sh yields n when Ii = I_i(V_f). This method works, but it cannot be justified by theory. Neglected are (a) cylindrical convergence of the ion charge, (b) finite ion energy at r = r_sh, (c) ions orbiting the probe, and (d) escape of ions axially. The Allen-Boyd-Reynolds theory, which treats (a) and (b) and neglects (c) and (d), gives too low n's. Apparently the errors self-cancel, and the simple Vf method gives the right result. ^1 F.F. Chen, Phys. Plasmas 8, 3029 (2001).

Characteristics of ion distribution functions in dipolarizing flux bundles: Event studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runov, A.; Angelopoulos, V.; Artemyev, A.; Birn, J.; Pritchett, P. L.; Zhou, X.-Z.

2017-06-01

Taking advantage of multipoint observations from a repeating configuration of the five Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) probes separated by 1 to 2 Earth radii (RE) along X, Y, and Z in the geocentric solar magnetospheric system (GSM), we study ion distribution functions collected by the probes during three dipolarizing flux bundle (DFB) events observed at geocentric distances 9 < R < 14 RE. By comparing these probes' observations, we characterize changes in the ion distribution functions with respect to probe separation along the X and Y GSM directions and |Bx| levels, which characterize the distance from the neutral sheet. We found that the characteristics of the ion distribution functions strongly depended on the |Bx| level, whereas changes with respect to X and Y were minor. In all three events, ion distribution functions f(v) observed inside DFBs were organized by magnetic and electric fields. The probes near the magnetic equator observed perpendicular anisotropy of the phase space density in the range between thermal energy and twice the thermal energy, although the distribution in the ambient plasma sheet was isotropic. The anisotropic ion distribution in DFBs injected toward the inner magnetosphere may provide the free energy for waves and instabilities, which are important elements of particle energization.

Plasma density perturbation caused by probes at low gas pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternberg, Natalia; Godyak, Valery

2017-09-01

An analysis of plasma parameter perturbations caused by a spherical probe immersed into a spherical plasma is presented for arbitrary collisionality and arbitrary ratios of probe to plasma dimensions. The plasma was modeled by the fluid plasma equations with ion inertia and nonlinear ion friction force that dominate plasma transport at low gas pressures. Significant depletion of the plasma density around the probe surface has been found. The area of plasma depletion coincides with the sensing area of different kinds of magnetic and microwave probes and will therefore lead to errors in data inferred from measurements with such probes.

Single Probe for Imaging and Biosensing of pH, Cu(2+) Ions, and pH/Cu(2+) in Live Cells with Ratiometric Fluorescence Signals.

PubMed

Han, Yingying; Ding, Changqin; Zhou, Jie; Tian, Yang

2015-01-01

It is very essential to disentangle the complicated inter-relationship between pH and Cu in the signal transduction and homeostasis. To this end, reporters that can display distinct signals to pH and Cu are highly valuable. Unfortunately, there is still no report on the development of biosensors that can simultaneously respond to pH and Cu(2+), to the best of our knowledge. In this work, we developed a single fluorescent probe, AuNC@FITC@DEAC (AuNC, gold cluster; FITC, fluorescein isothiocyanate; DEAC, 7-diethylaminocoumarin-3-carboxylic acid), for biosensing of pH, Cu(2+), and pH/Cu(2+) with different ratiometric fluorescent signals. First, 2,2',2″-(2,2',2″-nitrilotris(ethane-2,1-diyl)tris((pyridin-2-yl-methyl)azanediyl))triethanethiol (TPAASH) was designed for specific recognition of Cu(2+), as well as for organic ligand to synthesize fluorescent AuNCs. Then, pH-sensitive molecule, FITC emitting at 518 nm, and inner reference molecule, DEAC with emission peak at 472 nm, were simultaneously conjugated on the surface of AuNCs emitting at 722 nm, thus, constructing a single fluorescent probe, AuNC@FITC@DEAC, to sensing pH, Cu(2+), and pH/Cu(2+) excited by 405 nm light. The developed probe exhibited high selectivity and accuracy for independent determination of pH and Cu(2+) against reactive oxygen species (ROS), other metal ions, amino acids, and even copper-containing proteins. The AuNC-based inorganic-organic probe with good cell-permeability and high biocompatibility was eventually applied in monitoring both pH and Cu(2+) and in understanding the interplaying roles of Cu(2+) and pH in live cells by ratiometric multicolor fluorescent imaging.

Highly sensitive and selective determination of fluorine ion by graphene oxide/nanogold resonance Rayleigh scattering-energy transfer analytical platform.

PubMed

Liang, Aihui; Peng, Jing; Liu, Qingye; Wen, Guiqing; Lu, Zhujun; Jiang, Zhiliang

2015-08-15

In pH 4.0 acetate buffer solution, fluorine ions react with fluorine reagent (FR) and La(III) to generate blue ternary complex that exhibited strong absorption at about 370 nm. Upon addition of graphene oxide/nanogold (GO/NG) as resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) spectral probe with strong RRS peak at 370 nm, the color changed to gray, and the RRS intensity decreased with the increase of fluorine ion concentration due to the RRS energy transfer (RRSET) from GO/NG to the complex. Under the selected condition, the decreased RRS peak ΔI370 nm was linear to fluorine ion concentration in the range of 6.0 × 10(-8)-1.3 × 10(-5)mol/L, with a detection limit of 3.0 × 10(-8)mol/L F(-). This RRSET method was applied to the analysis of fluorine in toothpaste and water samples, with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alignment, orientation, and Coulomb explosion of difluoroiodobenzene studied with the pixel imaging mass spectrometry (PImMS) camera.

PubMed

Amini, Kasra; Boll, Rebecca; Lauer, Alexandra; Burt, Michael; Lee, Jason W L; Christensen, Lauge; Brauβe, Felix; Mullins, Terence; Savelyev, Evgeny; Ablikim, Utuq; Berrah, Nora; Bomme, Cédric; Düsterer, Stefan; Erk, Benjamin; Höppner, Hauke; Johnsson, Per; Kierspel, Thomas; Krecinic, Faruk; Küpper, Jochen; Müller, Maria; Müller, Erland; Redlin, Harald; Rouzée, Arnaud; Schirmel, Nora; Thøgersen, Jan; Techert, Simone; Toleikis, Sven; Treusch, Rolf; Trippel, Sebastian; Ulmer, Anatoli; Wiese, Joss; Vallance, Claire; Rudenko, Artem; Stapelfeldt, Henrik; Brouard, Mark; Rolles, Daniel

2017-07-07

Laser-induced adiabatic alignment and mixed-field orientation of 2,6-difluoroiodobenzene (C 6 H 3 F 2 I) molecules are probed by Coulomb explosion imaging following either near-infrared strong-field ionization or extreme-ultraviolet multi-photon inner-shell ionization using free-electron laser pulses. The resulting photoelectrons and fragment ions are captured by a double-sided velocity map imaging spectrometer and projected onto two position-sensitive detectors. The ion side of the spectrometer is equipped with a pixel imaging mass spectrometry camera, a time-stamping pixelated detector that can record the hit positions and arrival times of up to four ions per pixel per acquisition cycle. Thus, the time-of-flight trace and ion momentum distributions for all fragments can be recorded simultaneously. We show that we can obtain a high degree of one-and three-dimensional alignment and mixed-field orientation and compare the Coulomb explosion process induced at both wavelengths.

Ion irradiation studies on the void swelling behavior of a titanium modified D9 alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balaji, S.; Mohan, Sruthi; Amirthapandian, S.; Chinnathambi, S.; David, C.; Panigrahi, B. K.

2015-12-01

The sensitivity of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (PAS) for probing vacancy defects and their environment is well known. Its applicability in determination of swelling and the peak swelling temperature was put to test in our earlier work on ion irradiated D9 alloys [1]. Upon comparison with the peak swelling temperature determined by conventional step height measurements it was found that the peak swelling temperature determined using PAS was 50 K higher. It was conjectured that the positrons trapping in the irradiation induced TiC precipitation could have caused the shift. In the present work, D9 alloys have been implanted with 100 appm helium ions and subsequently implanted with 2.5 MeV Ni ions up to peak damage of 100 dpa. The nickel implantations have been carried out through a range of temperatures between 450 °C and 650 °C. The evolution of cavities and TiC precipitates at various temperatures has been followed by TEM and this report provides an experimental verification of the conjecture.

Flame exposure time on Langmuir probe degradation, ion density, and thermionic emission for flame temperature.

PubMed

Doyle, S J; Salvador, P R; Xu, K G

2017-11-01

The paper examines the effect of exposure time of Langmuir probes in an atmospheric premixed methane-air flame. The effects of probe size and material composition on current measurements were investigated, with molybdenum and tungsten probe tips ranging in diameter from 0.0508 to 0.1651 mm. Repeated prolonged exposures to the flame, with five runs of 60 s, resulted in gradual probe degradations (-6% to -62% area loss) which affected the measurements. Due to long flame exposures, two ion saturation currents were observed, resulting in significantly different ion densities ranging from 1.16 × 10 16 to 2.71 × 10 19 m -3 . The difference between the saturation currents is caused by thermionic emissions from the probe tip. As thermionic emission is temperature dependent, the flame temperature could thus be estimated from the change in current. The flame temperatures calculated from the difference in saturation currents (1734-1887 K) were compared to those from a conventional thermocouple (1580-1908 K). Temperature measurements obtained from tungsten probes placed in rich flames yielded the highest percent error (9.66%-18.70%) due to smaller emission current densities at lower temperatures. The molybdenum probe yielded an accurate temperature value with only 1.29% error. Molybdenum also demonstrated very low probe degradation in comparison to the tungsten probe tips (area reductions of 6% vs. 58%, respectively). The results also show that very little exposure time (<5 s) is needed to obtain a valid ion density measurement and that prolonged flame exposures can yield the flame temperature but also risks damage to the Langmuir probe tip.

Conference on Dynamics of Cholinergic Function: Acetylcholine in Health, Disease and Aging Held at Oglebay Park, West Virginia on 31 October-4 November 1983.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-04-01

aziridinium ion (ChM Az), was used as a probe as we have shown previously this compound can act as a selective and irreversible inhibitor of sodium...relatively selective antagonist of muscarinic receptors in the central nervous system (Dahlbom et.al., Life Sci. 5, 1625, 1966). We have used this compound...phosphoinositide response are distinguished by their sensitivity to agonists and responsiveness to oxotremor- ine. The use of these " selective

A new set-up for in-situ probing of radiation effects in materials and electronic devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peres, M.; Felizardo, M.; Catarino, N.

2015-07-01

The micro-probe facility installed at the Van de Graff accelerator at CTN/IST permits simultaneous measurements of Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Iono-Luminescence (IL). Here we present a recent up-grade of the measurement chamber allowing improved optical sensitivity in IL measurements and opening the possibility to perform simultaneously electrical measurements. Combinations of all these characterization techniques make this setup a powerful tool to characterize and modify different materials with spatial resolution. In particular, it can be used to study radiation effects in different materials and electronic devices in-situ. IL is a luminescence technique that uses themore » ion beam as the excitation source. Compared with other luminescence techniques with spatial resolution like Cathodoluminescence, this technique has the advantage to probe deeper regions of the sample, several microns below the surface. The same ion beam used to produce luminescence, can create a high density of defects, in a controllable way and the new set-up allows monitoring optical and electrical properties in realtime. In this work we combine IL with I-V curve measurements to assess the response of Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} and GaN to proton irradiation. Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} and GaN are emerging materials for applications in high power electronics and are considered for radiation resistant electronics. We will present a systematic study of the changes in IL and conductivity in Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} and GaN samples with the energy of the ion beam and with the time of exposure. In particular, it was observed that during the irradiation some luminescence bands related with intrinsic point defects decrease while other new bands appear. Simulations using the SRIM code were used to determine the depth profiles of ionization and displacement events, helping to correlate the optical and electrical response of the materials with certain radiation effects. These studies show the potentialities of measuring simultaneously IL and electrical conductivity and how these two characterization techniques can work as a sensitive tool to detect and quantify radiation effects. (authors)« less

Langmuir probe analysis in electronegative plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bredin, Jerome, E-mail: jerome.bredin@lpp.polytechnique.fr; Chabert, Pascal; Aanesland, Ane

2014-12-15

This paper compares two methods to analyze Langmuir probe data obtained in electronegative plasmas. The techniques are developed to allow investigations in plasmas, where the electronegativity α{sub 0} = n{sub –}/n{sub e} (the ratio between the negative ion and electron densities) varies strongly. The first technique uses an analytical model to express the Langmuir probe current-voltage (I-V) characteristic and its second derivative as a function of the electron and ion densities (n{sub e}, n{sub +}, n{sub –}), temperatures (T{sub e}, T{sub +}, T{sub –}), and masses (m{sub e}, m{sub +}, m{sub –}). The analytical curves are fitted to the experimental data bymore » adjusting these variables and parameters. To reduce the number of fitted parameters, the ion masses are assumed constant within the source volume, and quasi-neutrality is assumed everywhere. In this theory, Maxwellian distributions are assumed for all charged species. We show that this data analysis can predict the various plasma parameters within 5–10%, including the ion temperatures when α{sub 0} > 100. However, the method is tedious, time consuming, and requires a precise measurement of the energy distribution function. A second technique is therefore developed for easier access to the electron and ion densities, but does not give access to the ion temperatures. Here, only the measured I-V characteristic is needed. The electron density, temperature, and ion saturation current for positive ions are determined by classical probe techniques. The electronegativity α{sub 0} and the ion densities are deduced via an iterative method since these variables are coupled via the modified Bohm velocity. For both techniques, a Child-Law sheath model for cylindrical probes has been developed and is presented to emphasize the importance of this model for small cylindrical Langmuir probes.« less

A simple rhodamine hydrazide-based turn-on fluorescent probe for HOCl detection.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhen; Zou, Yuan; Deng, Chengquan; Meng, Liesu

2016-06-01

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) plays a crucial role in daily life and mediates a variety of physiological processes, however, abnormal levels of HOCl have been associated with numerous human diseases. It is therefore of significant interest to establish a simple, selective, rapid and sensitive fluorogenic method for the detection of HOCl in environmental and biological samples. A hydrazide-containing fluorescent probe based on a rhodamine scaffold was facilely developed that could selectively detect HOCl over other biologically relevant reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species and most common metal ions in vitro. Via an irreversible oxidation-hydrolysis mechanism, and upon HOCl-triggered opening of the intramolecular spirocyclic ring during detection, the rhodamine hydrazide-based probe exhibited large fluorescence enhancement in the emission spectra with a fast response, low detection limit and comparatively wide pH detection range in aqueous media. The probe was further successfully applied to monitoring trace HOCl in tap water and imaging both exogenous and endogenous HOCl within living cells. It is anticipated that this simple and useful probe might be an efficient tool with which to facilitate more HOCl-related chemical and biological research. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ultrafast quantum control of ionization dynamics in krypton.

PubMed

Hütten, Konrad; Mittermair, Michael; Stock, Sebastian O; Beerwerth, Randolf; Shirvanyan, Vahe; Riemensberger, Johann; Duensing, Andreas; Heider, Rupert; Wagner, Martin S; Guggenmos, Alexander; Fritzsche, Stephan; Kabachnik, Nikolay M; Kienberger, Reinhard; Bernhardt, Birgitta

2018-02-19

Ultrafast spectroscopy with attosecond resolution has enabled the real time observation of ultrafast electron dynamics in atoms, molecules and solids. These experiments employ attosecond pulses or pulse trains and explore dynamical processes in a pump-probe scheme that is selectively sensitive to electronic state of matter via photoelectron or XUV absorption spectroscopy or that includes changes of the ionic state detected via photo-ion mass spectrometry. Here, we demonstrate how the implementation of combined photo-ion and absorption spectroscopy with attosecond resolution enables tracking the complex multidimensional excitation and decay cascade of an Auger auto-ionization process of a few femtoseconds in highly excited krypton. In tandem with theory, our study reveals the role of intermediate electronic states in the formation of multiply charged ions. Amplitude tuning of a dressing laser field addresses different groups of decay channels and allows exerting temporal and quantitative control over the ionization dynamics in rare gas atoms.

A rhodamine B-based fluorescent sensor toward highly selective mercury (II) ions detection.

PubMed

Jiao, Yang; Zhang, Lei; Zhou, Peng

2016-04-01

This work presented the design, syntheses and photophysical properties of a rhodamine B-based fluorescence probe, which exhibited a sensitive and selective recognition towards mercury (II). The chemosensor RA (Rhodamine- amide- derivative) contained a 5-aminoisophthalic acid diethyl ester and a rhodamine group, and the property of spirolactone of this chemosensor RA was detected by X-ray crystal structure analyses. Chemosensor RA afforded turn-on fluorescence enhancement and displayed high brightness for Hg(2+), which leaded to the opening of the spirolactone ring and consequently caused the appearance of strong absorption at visible range, moreover, the obvious and characteristic color changed from colorless to pink was observed. We envisioned that the chemosensor RA exhibited a considerable specificity with two mercury (II) ions which was attributed to the open of spirolactone over other interference metal ions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deep-UV biological imaging by lanthanide ion molecular protection

PubMed Central

Kumamoto, Yasuaki; Fujita, Katsumasa; Smith, Nicholas Isaac; Kawata, Satoshi

2015-01-01

Deep-UV (DUV) light is a sensitive probe for biological molecules such as nucleobases and aromatic amino acids due to specific absorption. However, the use of DUV light for imaging is limited because DUV can destroy or denature target molecules in a sample. Here we show that trivalent ions in the lanthanide group can suppress molecular photodegradation under DUV exposure, enabling a high signal-to-noise ratio and repetitive DUV imaging of nucleobases in cells. Underlying mechanisms of the photodegradation suppression can be excitation relaxation of the DUV-absorptive molecules due to energy transfer to the lanthanide ions, and/or avoiding ionization and reactions with surrounding molecules, including generation of reactive oxygen species, which can modify molecules that are otherwise transparent to DUV light. This approach, directly removing excited energy at the fundamental origin of cellular photodegradation, indicates an important first step towards the practical use of DUV imaging in a variety of biological applications. PMID:26819825

Laboratory technology and cosmochemistry

PubMed Central

Zinner, Ernst K.; Moynier, Frederic; Stroud, Rhonda M.

2011-01-01

Recent developments in analytical instrumentation have led to revolutionary discoveries in cosmochemistry. Instrumental advances have been made along two lines: (i) increase in spatial resolution and sensitivity of detection, allowing for the study of increasingly smaller samples, and (ii) increase in the precision of isotopic analysis that allows more precise dating, the study of isotopic heterogeneity in the Solar System, and other studies. A variety of instrumental techniques are discussed, and important examples of discoveries are listed. Instrumental techniques and instruments include the ion microprobe, laser ablation gas MS, Auger EM, resonance ionization MS, accelerator MS, transmission EM, focused ion-beam microscopy, atom probe tomography, X-ray absorption near-edge structure/electron loss near-edge spectroscopy, Raman microprobe, NMR spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma MS. PMID:21498689

Highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots as nanoprobes for sensitive and selective determination of mercury (II) in surface waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Jianhao; Yang, Jian; Zhu, Yan; Zhao, Chunxi; Yang, Yaling

2017-12-01

A novel carbon quantum dots (CQDs) was successfully prepared through one-step green hydrothermal method using polyacrylamide as carbon source. The prepared CQDs were characterized using TEM, XRD, XPS, FT-IR, UV-Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The CQDs was demonstrated as nanoprobes for mercury ion detection, moreover, it demonstrated excitation-dependent and superior stability in acidic and alkaline media. Besides, the probe exhibited a good linearity range (0.25-50 μM) and a low detection limit (13.48 nM). These attractive properties indicated that this novel CQDs can adapt to a variety of complex pH environment, which had extensive prospect and promising application for detection of mercury ions in complex water samples.

Plasma characterization using ultraviolet Thomson scattering from ion-acoustic and electron plasma waves (invited).

PubMed

Follett, R K; Delettrez, J A; Edgell, D H; Henchen, R J; Katz, J; Myatt, J F; Froula, D H

2016-11-01

Collective Thomson scattering is a technique for measuring the plasma conditions in laser-plasma experiments. Simultaneous measurements of ion-acoustic and electron plasma-wave spectra were obtained using a 263.25-nm Thomson-scattering probe beam. A fully reflective collection system was used to record light scattered from electron plasma waves at electron densities greater than 10 21 cm -3 , which produced scattering peaks near 200 nm. An accurate analysis of the experimental Thomson-scattering spectra required accounting for plasma gradients, instrument sensitivity, optical effects, and background radiation. Practical techniques for including these effects when fitting Thomson-scattering spectra are presented and applied to the measured spectra to show the improvements in plasma characterization.

Ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical aptasensor for lead ion detection based on sensitization effect of CdTe QDs on MoS2-CdS:Mn nanocomposites by the formation of G-quadruplex structure.

PubMed

Shi, Jian-Jun; Zhu, Jing-Chun; Zhao, Ming; Wang, Yan; Yang, Ping; He, Jie

2018-06-01

An ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor for lead ion (Pb 2+ ) detection was fabricated based on MoS 2 -CdS:Mn nanocomposites and sensitization effect of CdTe quantum dots (QDs). MoS 2 -CdS:Mn modified electrode was used as the PEC matrix for the immobilization of probe DNA (pDNA) labeled with CdTe QDs. Target DNA (tDNA) were hybridized with pDNA to made the QDs locate away from the electrode surface by the rod-like double helix. The detection of Pb 2+ was based on the conformational change of the pDNA to G-quadruplex structure in the presence of Pb 2+ , which made the labeled QDs move close to the electrode surface, leading to the generation of sensitization effect and evident increase of the photocurrent intensity. The linear range was 50 fM to 100 nM with a detection limit of 16.7 fM. The recoveries of the determination of Pb 2+ in real samples were in the range of 102.5-108.0%. This proposed PEC aptasensor provides a new sensing strategy for various heavy metal ions at ultralow levels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Poly(acrylic acid)-templated silver nanoclusters as a platform for dual fluorometric turn-on and colorimetric detection of mercury (II) ions.

PubMed

Tao, Yu; Lin, Youhui; Huang, Zhenzhen; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

2012-01-15

An easy prepared fluorescence turn-on and colorimetric dual channel probe was developed for rapid assay of Hg(2+) ions with high sensitivity and selectivity by using poly(acrylic acid)-templated silver nanoclusters (PAA-AgNCs). The PAA-AgNCs exhibited weak fluorescence, while upon the addition of Hg(2+) ions, AgNCs gives a dramatic increase in fluorescence as a result of the changes of the AgNCs states. The detection limit was estimated to be 2 nM, which is much lower than the Hg(2+) detection requirement for drinking water of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the turn-on sensing mode offers additional advantage to efficiently reduce background noise. Also, a colorimetric assay of Hg(2+) ions can be realized due to the observed absorbance changes of the AgNCs. More importantly, the method was successfully applied to the determination of Hg(2+) ions in real water samples, which suggests our proposed method has a great potential of application in environmental monitoring. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive probe diagnostic method for electron temperature and ion current density in atmospheric pressure plasma jet source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Young-Cheol; Kim, Yu-Sin; Lee, Hyo-Chang

2015-08-15

The electrical probe diagnostics are very hard to be applied to atmospheric plasmas due to severe perturbation by the electrical probes. To overcome this, the probe for measuring electron temperature and ion current density is indirectly contacted with an atmospheric jet source. The plasma parameters are obtained by using floating harmonic analysis. The probe is mounted on the quartz tube that surrounds plasma. When a sinusoidal voltage is applied to a probe contacting on a quartz tube, the electrons near the sheath at dielectric tube are collected and the probe current has harmonic components due to probe sheath nonlinearity. Frommore » the relation of the harmonic currents and amplitude of the sheath voltage, the electron temperature near the wall can be obtained with collisional sheath model. The electron temperatures and ion current densities measured at the discharge region are in the ranges of 2.7–3.4 eV and 1.7–5.2 mA/cm{sup 2} at various flow rates and input powers.« less

A rare 3D chloro-laced Mn(II) metal-organic framework to show sensitive probing effect to Hg2+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ming, Mei; Bai, Na

2017-10-01

Two 3D Mn(II) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), [Mn(L-Cl)(DMA)](H2O) (1) and Mn(L-CH3)(DMA) (2) (H2L-Cl = 2,2'-dichloro-4,4'-azodibenzoic acid, H2L-CH3 = 2,2'-dimethyl-4,4'-azodibenzoic acid) were synthesized under similar solvothermal condition. Both MOFs crystallize in the orthorhombic system and show the 3D rod-packing networks in 2-fold interpenetrated pattern with sra topology. Due to the different substituent laces of MOFs (-Cl vs -CH3), only MOF 1 shows highly selective and sensitive fluorescence sensing effect for detecting Hg2+ ion.

Design and test of voltage and current probes for EAST ICRF antenna impedance measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jianhua, WANG; Gen, CHEN; Yanping, ZHAO; Yuzhou, MAO; Shuai, YUAN; Xinjun, ZHANG; Hua, YANG; Chengming, QIN; Yan, CHENG; Yuqing, YANG; Guillaume, URBANCZYK; Lunan, LIU; Jian, CHENG

2018-04-01

On the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST), a pair of voltage and current probes (V/I probes) is installed on the ion cyclotron radio frequency transmission lines to measure the antenna input impedance, and supplement the conventional measurement technique based on voltage probe arrays. The coupling coefficients of V/I probes are sensitive to their sizes and installing locations, thus they should be determined properly to match the measurement range of data acquisition card. The V/I probes are tested in a testing platform at low power with various artificial loads. The testing results show that the deviation of coupling resistance is small for loads R L > 2.5 Ω, while the resistance deviations appear large for loads R L < 1.5 Ω, which implies that the power loss cannot be neglected at high VSWR. As the factors that give rise to the deviation of coupling resistance calculation, the phase measurement error is the more significant factor leads to deleterious results rather than the amplitude measurement error. To exclude the possible ingredients that may lead to phase measurement error, the phase detector can be calibrated in steady L-mode scenario and then use the calibrated data for calculation under H-mode cases in EAST experiments.

Multi-channel retarding field analyzer for EAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

M, HENKEL; D, HÖSCHEN; Y, LIANG; Y, LI; S, C. LIU; D, NICOLAI; N, SANDRI; G, SATHEESWARAN; N, YAN; H, X. ZHANG; the EAST, team2

2018-05-01

A multi-channel retarding field analyzer (MC-RFA) including two RFA modules and two Langmuir probes to measure the ion and electron temperature profiles within the scrape-off layer was developed for investigations of the interplay between magnetic topology and plasma transport at the plasma boundary. The MC-RFA probe for the stellarator W7-X and first measurements at the tokamak EAST was designed. The probe head allows simultaneous multi-channel ion temperature as well as for electron temperature measurements. The usability for radial correlation measurements of the measured ion currents is also given.

Development of solvent-free ambient mass spectrometry for green chemistry applications.

PubMed

Liu, Pengyuan; Forni, Amanda; Chen, Hao

2014-04-15

Green chemistry minimizes chemical process hazards in many ways, including eliminating traditional solvents or using alternative recyclable solvents such as ionic liquids. This concept is now adopted in this study for monitoring solvent-free reactions and analysis of ionic liquids, solids, and catalysts by mass spectrometry (MS), without using any solvent. In our approach, probe electrospray ionization (PESI), an ambient ionization method, was employed for this purpose. Neat viscous room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) in trace amounts (e.g., 25 nL) could be directly analyzed without sample carryover effect, thereby enabling high-throughput analysis. With the probe being heated, it can also ionize ionic solid compounds such as organometallic complexes as well as a variety of neat neutral solid chemicals (e.g., amines). More importantly, moisture-sensitive samples (e.g., [bmim][AlCl4]) can be successfully ionized. Furthermore, detection of organometallic catalysts (including air-sensitive [Rh-MeDuPHOS][OTf]) in ionic liquids, a traditionally challenging task due to strong ion suppression effect from ionic liquids, can be enabled using PESI. In addition, PESI can be an ideal approach for monitoring solvent-free reactions. Using PESI-MS, we successfully examined the alkylation of amines by alcohols, the conversion of pyrylium into pyridinium, and the condensation of aldehydes with indoles as well as air- and moisture-sensitive reactions such as the oxidation of ferrocene and the condensation of pyrazoles with borohydride. Interestingly, besides the expected reaction products, the reaction intermediates such as the monopyrazolylborate ion were also observed, providing insightful information for reaction mechanisms. We believe that the presented solvent-free PESI-MS method would impact the green chemistry field.

Flexible probe for measuring local conductivity variations in Li-ion electrode films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardy, Emilee; Clement, Derek; Vogel, John; Wheeler, Dean; Mazzeo, Brian

2018-04-01

Li-ion battery performance is governed by electronic and ionic properties of the battery. A key metric that characterizes Li-ion battery cell performance is the electronic conductivity of the electrodes, which are metal foils with thin coatings of electrochemically active materials. To accurately measure the spatial variation of electronic conductivity of these electrodes, a micro-four-line probe (μ4LP) was designed and used to non-destructively measure the properties of commercial-quality Li-ion battery films. This previous research established that the electronic conductivity of film electrodes is not homogeneous throughout the entirety of the deposited film area. In this work, a micro-N-line probe (μNLP) and a flexible micro-flex-line probe (μFLP) were developed to improve the non-destructive micro-scale conductivity measurements that we can take. These devices were validated by comparing test results to that of the predecessor, the micro-four-line probe (μ4LP), on various commercial-quality Li-ion battery electrodes. Results show that there is significant variation in conductivity on a millimeter and even micrometer length scale through the electrode film. Compared to the μ4LP, the μNLP and μFLP also introduce additional measurement configuration possibilities, while providing a more robust design. Researchers and manufacturers can use these probes to identify heterogeneity in their electrodes during the fabrication process, which will lead to the development of better batteries.

Surface charge mapping with a nanopipette.

PubMed

McKelvey, Kim; Kinnear, Sophie L; Perry, David; Momotenko, Dmitry; Unwin, Patrick R

2014-10-01

Nanopipettes are emerging as simple but powerful tools for probing chemistry at the nanoscale. In this contribution the use of nanopipettes for simultaneous surface charge mapping and topographical imaging is demonstrated, using a scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) format. When a nanopipette is positioned close to a surface in electrolyte solution, the direct ion current (DC), driven by an applied bias between a quasi-reference counter electrode (QRCE) in the nanopipette and a second QRCE in the bulk solution, is sensitive to surface charge. The charge sensitivity arises because the diffuse double layers at the nanopipette and the surface interact, creating a perm-selective region which becomes increasingly significant at low ionic strengths (10 mM 1:1 aqueous electrolyte herein). This leads to a polarity-dependent ion current and surface-induced rectification as the bias is varied. Using distance-modulated SICM, which induces an alternating ion current component (AC) by periodically modulating the distance between the nanopipette and the surface, the effect of surface charge on the DC and AC is explored and rationalized. The impact of surface charge on the AC phase (with respect to the driving sinusoidal signal) is highlighted in particular; this quantity shows a shift that is highly sensitive to interfacial charge and provides the basis for visualizing charge simultaneously with topography. The studies herein highlight the use of nanopipettes for functional imaging with applications from cell biology to materials characterization where understanding surface charge is of key importance. They also provide a framework for the design of SICM experiments, which may be convoluted by topographical and surface charge effects, especially for small nanopipettes.

Monitoring ion-channel function in real time through quantum decoherence

PubMed Central

Hall, Liam T.; Hill, Charles D.; Cole, Jared H.; Städler, Brigitte; Caruso, Frank; Mulvaney, Paul; Wrachtrup, Jörg; Hollenberg, Lloyd C. L.

2010-01-01

In drug discovery, there is a clear and urgent need for detection of cell-membrane ion-channel operation with wide-field capability. Existing techniques are generally invasive or require specialized nanostructures. We show that quantum nanotechnology could provide a solution. The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in nanodiamond is of great interest as a single-atom quantum probe for nanoscale processes. However, until now nothing was known about the quantum behavior of a NV probe in a complex biological environment. We explore the quantum dynamics of a NV probe in proximity to the ion channel, lipid bilayer, and surrounding aqueous environment. Our theoretical results indicate that real-time detection of ion-channel operation at millisecond resolution is possible by directly monitoring the quantum decoherence of the NV probe. With the potential to scan and scale up to an array-based system, this conclusion may have wide-ranging implications for nanoscale biology and drug discovery. PMID:20937908

Monitoring ion-channel function in real time through quantum decoherence.

PubMed

Hall, Liam T; Hill, Charles D; Cole, Jared H; Städler, Brigitte; Caruso, Frank; Mulvaney, Paul; Wrachtrup, Jörg; Hollenberg, Lloyd C L

2010-11-02

In drug discovery, there is a clear and urgent need for detection of cell-membrane ion-channel operation with wide-field capability. Existing techniques are generally invasive or require specialized nanostructures. We show that quantum nanotechnology could provide a solution. The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in nanodiamond is of great interest as a single-atom quantum probe for nanoscale processes. However, until now nothing was known about the quantum behavior of a NV probe in a complex biological environment. We explore the quantum dynamics of a NV probe in proximity to the ion channel, lipid bilayer, and surrounding aqueous environment. Our theoretical results indicate that real-time detection of ion-channel operation at millisecond resolution is possible by directly monitoring the quantum decoherence of the NV probe. With the potential to scan and scale up to an array-based system, this conclusion may have wide-ranging implications for nanoscale biology and drug discovery.

Simultaneous Nanoscale Surface Charge and Topographical Mapping.

PubMed

Perry, David; Al Botros, Rehab; Momotenko, Dmitry; Kinnear, Sophie L; Unwin, Patrick R

2015-07-28

Nanopipettes are playing an increasingly prominent role in nanoscience, for sizing, sequencing, delivery, detection, and mapping interfacial properties. Herein, the question of how to best resolve topography and surface charge effects when using a nanopipette as a probe for mapping in scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) is addressed. It is shown that, when a bias modulated (BM) SICM scheme is used, it is possible to map the topography faithfully, while also allowing surface charge to be estimated. This is achieved by applying zero net bias between the electrode in the SICM tip and the one in bulk solution for topographical mapping, with just a small harmonic perturbation of the potential to create an AC current for tip positioning. Then, a net bias is applied, whereupon the ion conductance current becomes sensitive to surface charge. Practically this is optimally implemented in a hopping-cyclic voltammetry mode where the probe is approached at zero net bias at a series of pixels across the surface to reach a defined separation, and then a triangular potential waveform is applied and the current response is recorded. Underpinned with theoretical analysis, including finite element modeling of the DC and AC components of the ionic current flowing through the nanopipette tip, the powerful capabilities of this approach are demonstrated with the probing of interfacial acid-base equilibria and high resolution imaging of surface charge heterogeneities, simultaneously with topography, on modified substrates.

Dynamic transfer applied to secondary ion imaging over large scanned fields with the nanoSIMS 50 at high mass resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slodzian, Georges; Wu, Ting-Di; Duprat, Jean; Engrand, Cécile; Guerquin-Kern, Jean-Luc

2017-12-01

Dynamic transfer is an adaptive optical approach used for coupling a scanning ion probe with the mass spectrometer designed for analyzing sputtered ions emanating from the probe impact. Its tuning is of crucial importance for getting uniform signal collection over large scanning fields and therefore scanning images free of vignetting in a context of high mass resolution. Revisiting the optical design of the NanoSIMS 50 instrument, where the same set of lenses focuses the primary ion probe on the sample and collects secondary ions from the sample, led us to develop novel experimental procedures to achieve dynamic transfer tuning and overcome instrumental imperfections. It is the case for scanning distortion that may be induced by the octopole used for correcting probe astigmatism and may cause irreducible vignetting on scanning images. We show that it is possible to develop complete tuning procedures by compromising temporarily on the sharpness of the probe focus. Most importantly, we show that, in a context of high mass resolution, the transfer does not significantly disturb isotopic ratios over large scanned fields provided external coils are properly adjusted to compensate ambient magnetic fields. Deepening the procedures led us to demonstrate that the scanning center of the probe may not coincide with the imaging center of COOL, Coaxial Objective Lenses forming the probe and extracting secondary ions. We have checked that bringing those two centers into coincidence resulted in a better image quality over large fields. In the present work, we show how to handle the secondary beam in order to position it before it enters the spectrometer. That capability is essential for optimizing transmission at high mass resolution by aligning the secondary beam axis on a given entrance axis of the spectrometer. These results led us to propose several instrumental improvements including the crucial interest of an additional octopole upstream in the primary ion probe column to prevent scanning distortion when performing astigmatism correction and the possibility of offsetting primary beam deviating plates to bring scanning and imaging centers in coincidence.

Luminescent single-walled carbon nanotube-sensitized europium nanoprobes for cellular imaging

PubMed Central

Avti, Pramod K; Sitharaman, Balaji

2012-01-01

Lanthanoid-based optical probes with excitation wavelengths in the ultra-violet (UV) range (300–325 nm) have been widely developed as imaging probes. Efficient cellular imaging requires that lanthanoid optical probes be excited at visible wavelengths, to avoid UV damage to cells. The efficacy of europium-catalyzed single-walled carbon nanotubes (Eu-SWCNTs), as visible nanoprobes for cellular imaging, is reported in this study. Confocal fluorescence microscopy images of breast cancer cells (SK-BR-3 and MCF-7) and normal cells (NIH 3T3), treated with Eu-SWCNT at 0.2 μg/mL concentration, showed bright red luminescence after excitation at 365 nm and 458 nm wavelengths. Cell viability analysis showed no cytotoxic effects after the incubation of cells with Eu-SWCNTs at this concentration. Eu-SWCNT uptake is via the endocytosis mechanism. Labeling efficiency, defined as the percentage of incubated cells that uptake Eu-SWCNT, was 95%–100% for all cell types. The average cellular uptake concentration was 6.68 ng Eu per cell. Intracellular localization was further corroborated by transmission electron microscopy and Raman microscopy. The results indicate that Eu-SWCNT shows potential as a novel cellular imaging probe, wherein SWCNT sensitizes Eu3+ ions to allow excitation at visible wavelengths, and stable time-resolved red emission. The ability to functionalize biomolecules on the exterior surface of Eu-SWCNT makes it an excellent candidate for targeted cellular imaging. PMID:22619533

Characteristics of Ion Distribution Functions in Dipolarizing FluxBundles: THEMIS Event Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runov, A.; Artemyev, A.; Birn, J.; Pritchett, P. L.; Zhou, X.

2016-12-01

Taking advantage of multi-point observations from repeating configuration of the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) fleet with probe separation of 1 to 2 Earth radii (RE) along X, Y, and Z in the geocentric solar magnetospheric system (GSM), we study ion distribution functions observed by the probes during three transient dipolarization events. Comparing observations by the multiple probes, we characterize changes in the ion distribution functions with respect to geocentric distance (X), cross-tail probe separation (Y), and levels of |Bx|, which characterize the distance from the neutral sheet. We examined 2-D and 1-D cuts of the 3-D velocity distribution functions by the {Vb,Vbxv} plane. The results indicate that the velocity distribution functions observed inside the dipolarizing flux bundles (DFB) close to the magnetic equator are often perpendicularly anisotropic for velocities Vth≤v≤2Vth, where Vth is the ion thermal velocity. Ions of higher energies (v>2Vth) are isotropic. Hence, interaction of DFBs and ambient ions may result in the perpendicular anisotropy of the injecting energetic ions, which is an important factor for plasma waves and instabilities excitation and further particle acceleration in the inner magnetosphere. We also compare the observations with the results of test-particles and PIC simulations.

Real-Time Study of the Interaction between G-Rich DNA Oligonucleotides and Lead Ion on DNA Tetrahedron-Functionalized Sensing Platform by Dual Polarization Interferometry.

PubMed

Wang, Shuang; Lu, Shasha; Zhao, Jiahui; Huang, Jianshe; Yang, Xiurong

2017-11-29

G-quadruplex plays roles in numerous physiological and pathological processes of organisms. Due to the unique properties of G-quadruplex (e.g., forming G4/hemin complexes with catalytic activity and electron acceptability, binding with metal ions, proteins, fluorescent ligands, and so on), it has been widely applied in biosensing. But the formation process of G-quadruplex is not yet fully understood. Here, a DNA tetrahedron platform with higher reproducibility, regenerative ability, and time-saving building process was coupled with dual polarization interferometry technique for the real-time and label-free investigation of the specific interaction process of guanine-rich singled-stranded DNA (G-rich ssDNA) and Pb 2+ . The oriented immobilization of probes greatly decreased the spatial hindrance effect and improved the accessibility of the probes to the Pb 2+ ions. Through real-time monitoring of the whole formation process of the G-quadruplex, we speculated that the probes on the tetrahedron platform initially stood on the sensing surface with a random coil conformation, then the G-rich ssDNA preliminarily formed unstable G-quartets by H-bonding and cation binding, subsequently forming a completely folded and stable quadruplex structure through relatively slow strand rearrangements. On the basis of these studies, we also developed a novel sensing platform for the specific and sensitive determination of Pb 2+ and its chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. This study not only provides a proof-of-concept for conformational dynamics of G-quadruplex-related drugs and pathogenes, but also enriches the biosensor tools by combining nanomaterial with interfaces technique.

Probing Trapped Ion Energies Via Ion-Molecule Reaction Kinetics: Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-28

ORGANIZATION (if applicable) Office of Naval Research N00014-87- j - 1248 Bc. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code) 10. SOURCE OF FUNDING NUMBERS 800 N. Quincy St...RESEARCH Grant NOOO14-87- J -1248 R & T Code 4134052 TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 36 Probing Trapped Ion Energies Via Ion-Molecule Reaction Kinetics: Fourier...reactivity (for charge transfer with N2) of the higher energy J =1/2 state is approximately three times that of the J =3/2 state at collision energies

Carbon quantum dots-based recyclable real-time fluorescence assay for alkaline phosphatase with adenosine triphosphate as substrate.

PubMed

Qian, Zhaosheng; Chai, Lujing; Tang, Cong; Huang, Yuanyuan; Chen, Jianrong; Feng, Hui

2015-03-03

A convenient, reliable, and highly sensitive real-time assay for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the continuous and recyclable way is established on the basis of aggregation and disaggregation of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) through the competitive assay approach. CQDs and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were used as the fluorescent indicator and substrate for ALP activity assessment, respectively. Richness of carboxyl groups on the surface of CQDs enables their severe aggregation triggered by cerium ions, which results in effective fluorescence quenching. Under the catalytic hydrolysis of ALP, ATP can be rapidly transformed to phosphate ions. Stronger affinity of phosphate ions to cerium ions than carboxyl groups is taken advantage of to achieve fluorescence recovery induced by redispersion of CQDs in the presence of ALP and ATP. Quantitative evaluation of ALP activity in a broad range from 4.6 to 383.3 U/L with the detection limit of 1.4 U/L can be realized in this way, which endows the assay with high enough sensitivity for practical detection in human serum. The assay can be used in a recyclable way for more than three times since the generated product CePO4 as a precipitate can be easily removed from the standard assay system. This strategy broadens the sensing application of fluorescent CQDs with excellent biocompatibility and provides an example based on disaggregation in optical probe development.

Detection of DNA damage based on metal-mediated molecular beacon and DNA strands displacement reaction.

PubMed

Xiong, Yanxiang; Wei, Min; Wei, Wei; Yin, Lihong; Pu, Yuepu; Liu, Songqin

2014-01-24

DNA hairpin structure probes are usually designed by forming intra-molecular duplex based on Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds. In this paper, a molecular beacon based on silver ions-mediated cytosine-Ag(+)-cytosine base pairs was used to detect DNA. The inherent characteristic of the metal ligation facilitated the design of functional probe and the adjustment of its binding strength compared to traditional DNA hairpin structure probes, which make it be used to detect DNA in a simple, rapid and easy way with the help of DNA strands displacement reaction. The method was sensitive and also possesses the good specificity to differentiate the single base mismatched DNA from the complementary DNA. It was also successfully applied to study the damage effect of classic genotoxicity chemicals such as styrene oxide and sodium arsenite on DNA, which was significant in food science, environmental science and pharmaceutical science. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Zn2+ and Sr2+ Adsorption at the TiO2 (110)-Electrolyte Interface: Influence of Ionic Strength, Coverage, and Anions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang,Z.; Fenter, P.; Cheng, L.

2006-01-01

The X-ray standing wave technique was used to probe the sensitivity of Zn{sup 2+} and Sr{sup 2+} ion adsorption to changes in both the adsorbed ion coverage and the background electrolyte species and concentrations at the rutile ({alpha}-TiO{sub 2}) (110)-aqueous interface. Measurements were made with various background electrolytes (NaCl, NaTr, RbCl, NaBr) at concentrations as high as 1 m. The results demonstrate that Zn{sub 2+} and Sr{sub 2+} reside primarily in the condensed layer and that the ion heights above the Ti-O surface plane are insensitive to ionic strength and the choice of background electrolyte (with <0.1 Angstroms changes overmore » the full compositional range). The lack of any specific anion coadsorption upon probing with Br{sup -}, coupled with the insensitivity of Zn{sup 2+} and Sr{sup 2+} cation heights to changes in the background electrolyte, implies that anions do not play a significant role in the adsorption of these divalent metal ions to the rutile (110) surface. Absolute ion coverage measurements for Zn{sup 2+} and Sr{sup 2+} show a maximum Stern-layer coverage of {approx}0.5 monolayer, with no significant variation in height as a function of Stern-layer coverage. These observations are discussed in the context of Gouy-Chapman-Stern models of the electrical double layer developed from macroscopic sorption and pH-titration studies of rutile powder suspensions. Direct comparison between these experimental observations and the MUltiSIte Complexation (MUSIC) model predictions of cation surface coverage as a function of ionic strength revealed good agreement between measured and predicted surface coverages with no adjustable parameters.« less

Bohm-criterion approximation versus optimal matched solution for a cylindrical probe in radial-motion theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Din, Alif

2016-08-15

The theory of positive-ion collection by a probe immersed in a low-pressure plasma was reviewed and extended by Allen et al. [Proc. Phys. Soc. 70, 297 (1957)]. The numerical computations for cylindrical and spherical probes in a sheath region were presented by F. F. Chen [J. Nucl. Energy C 7, 41 (1965)]. Here, in this paper, the sheath and presheath solutions for a cylindrical probe are matched through a numerical matching procedure to yield “matched” potential profile or “M solution.” The solution based on the Bohm criterion approach “B solution” is discussed for this particular problem. The comparison of cylindricalmore » probe characteristics obtained from the correct potential profile (M solution) and the approximated Bohm-criterion approach are different. This raises questions about the correctness of cylindrical probe theories relying only on the Bohm-criterion approach. Also the comparison between theoretical and experimental ion current characteristics shows that in an argon plasma the ions motion towards the probe is almost radial.« less

Multimodal Characterization of the Morphology and Functional Interfaces in Composite Electrodes for Li-S Batteries by Li Ion and Electron Beams.

PubMed

Oleshko, Vladimir P; Herzing, Andrew A; Twedt, Kevin A; Griebel, Jared J; McClelland, Jabez J; Pyun, Jeffrey; Soles, Christopher L

2017-09-19

We report the characterization of multiscale 3D structural architectures of novel poly[sulfur-random-(1,3-diisopropenylbenzene)] copolymer-based cathodes for high-energy-density Li-S batteries capable of realizing discharge capacities >1000 mAh/g and long cycling lifetimes >500 cycles. Hierarchical morphologies and interfacial structures have been investigated by a combination of focused Li ion beam (LiFIB) and analytical electron microscopy in relation to the electrochemical performance and physicomechanical stability of the cathodes. Charge-free surface topography and composition-sensitive imaging of the electrodes was performed using recently introduced low-energy scanning LiFIB with Li + probe sizes of a few tens of nanometers at 5 keV energy and 1 pA probe current. Furthermore, we demonstrate that LiFIB has the ability to inject a certain number of Li cations into the material with nanoscale precision, potentially enabling control of the state of discharge in the selected area. We show that chemical modification of the cathodes by replacing the elemental sulfur with organosulfur copolymers significantly improves its structural integrity and compositional homogeneity down to the sub-5-nm length scale, resulting in the creation of (a) robust functional interfaces and percolated conductive pathways involving graphitic-like outer shells of aggregated nanocarbons and (b) extended micro- and mesoscale porosities required for effective ion transport.

Monitoring of photoluminescence decay by alkali and alkaline earth metal cations using a photoluminescent bolaamphiphile self-assembly as an optical probe.

PubMed

Kim, Sunhyung; Kwak, Jinyoung; Lee, Sang-Yup

2014-05-01

Photoluminescence (PL) decay induced by the displacement of an ionic fluorescence component, Tb(3+), with alkali and alkaline earth metal cations was investigated using photoluminescent spherical self-assemblies as optical probes. The photoluminescent spherical self-assembly was prepared by the self-organization of a tyrosine-containing bolaamphiphile molecule with a photosensitizer and Tb(3+) ion. The lanthanide ion, Tb(3+), electrically bound to the carboxyl group of the bolaamphiphile molecule, was displaced by alkali and alkaline earth metal cations that had stronger electrophilicity. The PL of the self-assembly decayed remarkably due to the substitution of lanthanide ions with alkali and alkaline earth metal cations. The PL decay showed a positive correlation with cation concentration and was sensitive to the cation valency. Generally, the PL decay was enhanced by the electrophilicity of the cations. However, Ca(2+) showed greater PL decay than Mg(2+) because Ca(2+) could create various complexes with the carboxyl groups of the bolaamphiphile molecule. Microscopic and spectroscopic investigations were conducted to study the photon energy transfer and displacement of Tb(3+) by the cation exchange. This study demonstrated that the PL decay by the displacement of the ionic fluorescent compound was applied to the detection of various cations in aqueous media and is applicable to the development of future optical sensors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Fixed-bias Langmuir Probe on the Communication-navigation Outage Forecast System Satellite: Calibration and Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klenzing, Jeffrey H.; Rowland, Douglas E.

2012-01-01

A fixed-bias spherical Langmuir probe is included as part of the Vector Electric Field Instrument (VEFI) suite on the Communication Navigation Outage Forecast System (CNOFS) satellite.CNOFS gathers data in the equatorial ionosphere between 400 and 860 km, where the primary constituent ions are H+ and O+. The ion current collected by the probe surface per unit plasmadensity is found to be a strong function of ion composition. The calibration of the collected current to an absolute density is discussed, and the performance of the spherical probe is compared to other in situ instruments on board the CNOFS satellite. The application of the calibration is discussed with respect to future xed-bias probes; in particular, it is demonstrated that some density fluctuations will be suppressed in the collected current if the plasma composition rapidly changes along with density. This is illustrated in the observation of plasma density enhancements on CNOFS.

Note: Additionally refined new possibilities of plasma probe diagnostics.

PubMed

Riaby, V A; Savinov, V P; Masherov, P E; Yakunin, V G

2018-03-01

In two previous Notes published in this journal, a method of measuring probe sheath thickness and ion mass was described using Langmuir probe diagnostics in low pressure xenon plasma close to Maxwellian substance. According to the first Note, this method includes two stages: (i) in a special experiment with known ion mass, the Bohm and Child-Langmuir-Boguslavsky (CLB) equations for cylindrical Langmuir probes used in this xenon plasma were solved jointly to determine the probe sheath thicknesses and Bohm coefficient C BCyl ≈ 1.13; and (ii) in a general experiment, with known C BCyl , the same equations could be solved to obtain the probe sheath thicknesses and the mean ion mass. In the second Note, the (i) stage of this method was refined: the results of the CLB probe sheath model application, which were termed "evaluations," were corrected using the step-front probe sheath model, which was closer to reality in the special experiment with the xenon plasma. This process resulted in a Bohm coefficient of C BCyl ≈ 1.23 for the cylindrical probe. In the present Note, corrected xenon plasma parameters without the influence of the bare probe protective shield were used for the (i) stage of this diagnostic method. This action also refined the Bohm coefficient, lowering it to C BCyl ≈ 0.745 for cylindrical probes. This advance makes the new diagnostics method more objective and reliable.

Note: Additionally refined new possibilities of plasma probe diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riaby, V. A.; Savinov, V. P.; Masherov, P. E.; Yakunin, V. G.

2018-03-01

In two previous Notes published in this journal, a method of measuring probe sheath thickness and ion mass was described using Langmuir probe diagnostics in low pressure xenon plasma close to Maxwellian substance. According to the first Note, this method includes two stages: (i) in a special experiment with known ion mass, the Bohm and Child-Langmuir-Boguslavsky (CLB) equations for cylindrical Langmuir probes used in this xenon plasma were solved jointly to determine the probe sheath thicknesses and Bohm coefficient CBCyl ≈ 1.13; and (ii) in a general experiment, with known CBCyl, the same equations could be solved to obtain the probe sheath thicknesses and the mean ion mass. In the second Note, the (i) stage of this method was refined: the results of the CLB probe sheath model application, which were termed "evaluations," were corrected using the step-front probe sheath model, which was closer to reality in the special experiment with the xenon plasma. This process resulted in a Bohm coefficient of CBCyl ≈ 1.23 for the cylindrical probe. In the present Note, corrected xenon plasma parameters without the influence of the bare probe protective shield were used for the (i) stage of this diagnostic method. This action also refined the Bohm coefficient, lowering it to CBCyl ≈ 0.745 for cylindrical probes. This advance makes the new diagnostics method more objective and reliable.

Grafting polyethylenimine with quinoline derivatives for targeted imaging of intracellular Zn(2+) and logic gate operations.

PubMed

Pan, Yi; Shi, Yupeng; Chen, Junying; Wong, Chap-Mo; Zhang, Heng; Li, Mei-Jin; Li, Cheuk-Wing; Yi, Changqing

2016-12-01

In this study, a highly sensitive and selective fluorescent Zn(2+) probe which exhibited excellent biocompatibility, water solubility, and cell-membrane permeability, was facilely synthesized in a single step by grafting polyethyleneimine (PEI) with quinoline derivatives. The primary amino groups in the branched PEI can increase water solubility and cell permeability of the probe PEIQ, while quinoline derivatives can specifically recognize Zn(2+) and reduce the potential cytotoxicity of PEI. Basing on fluorescence off-on mechanism, PEIQ demonstrated excellent sensing capability towards Zn(2+) in absolute aqueous solution, where a high sensitivity with a detection limit as low as 38.1nM, and a high selectivity over competing metal ions and potential interfering amino acids, were achieved. Inspired by these results, elementary logic operations (YES, NOT and INHIBIT) have been constructed by employing PEIQ as the gate while Zn(2+) and EDTA as chemical inputs. Together with the low cytotoxicity and good cell-permeability, the practical application of PEIQ in living cell imaging was satisfactorily demonstrated, emphasizing its wide application in fundamental biology research. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Au5+ ion implantation induced structural phase transitions probed through structural, microstructural and phonon properties in BiFeO3 ceramics, using synergistic ion beam energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Ranajit; Bajpai, P. K.

2018-04-01

Implanted Au5+-ion-induced modification in structural and phonon properties of phase pure BiFeO3 (BFO) ceramics prepared by sol-gel method was investigated. These BFO samples were implanted by 15.8 MeV ions of Au5+ at various ion fluence ranging from 1 × 1014 to 5 × 1015 ions/cm2. Effect of Au5+ ions' implantation is explained in terms of structural phase transition coupled with amorphization/recrystallization due to ion implantation probed through XRD, SEM, EDX and Raman spectroscopy. XRD patterns show broad diffuse contributions due to amorphization in implanted samples. SEM images show grains collapsing and mounds' formation over the surface due to mass transport. The peaks of the Raman spectra were broadened and also the peak intensities were decreased for the samples irradiated with 15.8 MeV Au5+ ions at a fluence of 5 × 1015 ion/cm2. The percentage increase/decrease in amorphization and recrystallization has been estimated from Raman and XRD data, which support the synergistic effects being operative due to comparable nuclear and electronic energy losses at 15.8 MeV Au5+ ion implantation. Effect of thermal treatment on implanted samples is also probed and discussed.

Vibration sensitivity of the scanning near-field optical microscope with a tapered optical fiber probe.

PubMed

Chang, Win-Jin; Fang, Te-Hua; Lee, Haw-Long; Yang, Yu-Ching

2005-01-01

In this paper the Rayleigh-Ritz method was used to study the scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) with a tapered optical fiber probe's flexural and axial sensitivity to vibration. Not only the contact stiffness but also the geometric parameters of the probe can influence the flexural and axial sensitivity to vibration. According to the analysis, the lateral and axial contact stiffness had a significant effect on the sensitivity of vibration of the SNOM's probe, each mode had a different level of sensitivity and in the first mode the tapered optical fiber probe was the most acceptive to higher levels of flexural and axial vibration. Generally, when the contact stiffness was lower, the tapered probe was more sensitive to higher levels of both axial and flexural vibration than the uniform probe. However, the situation was reversed when the contact stiffness was larger. Furthermore, the effect that the probe's length and its tapered angle had on the SNOM's probe axial and flexural vibration were significant and these two conditions should be incorporated into the design of new SNOM probes.

Aggregation induced emission enhancement (AIEE) characteristics of quinoline based compound - A versatile fluorescent probe for pH, Fe(III) ion, BSA binding and optical cell imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manikandan, Irulappan; Chang, Chien-Huei; Chen, Chia-Ling; Sathish, Veerasamy; Li, Wen-Shan; Malathi, Mahalingam

2017-07-01

Novel benzimidazoquinoline derivative (AVT) was synthesized through a substitution reaction and characterized by various spectral techniques. Analyzing the optical properties of AVT under absorption and emission spectral studies in different environments exclusively with respect to solvents and pH, intriguing characteristics viz. aggregation induced emission enhancement (AIEE) in the THF solvent and 'On-Off' pH sensing were found at neutral pH. Sensing nature of AVT with diverse metal ions and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was also studied. Among the metal ions, Fe3 + ion alone tunes the fluorescence intensity of AVT probe in aqueous medium from ;turn-on; to ;turn-off; through ligand (probe) to metal charge transfer (LMCT) mechanism. The probe AVT in aqueous medium interacts strongly with BSA due to Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) and the conformational change in BSA was further analyzed using synchronous fluorescence techniques. Docking study of AVT with BSA reveals that the active site of binding is tryptophan residue which is also supported by the experimental results. Interestingly, fluorescent AVT probe in cells was examined through cellular imaging studies using BT-549 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Thus, the single molecule probe based detection of multiple species and stimuli were described.

Persistent luminescence nanothermometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín Rodríguez, Emma; López-Peña, Gabriel; Montes, Eduardo; Lifante, Ginés; García Solé, José; Jaque, Daniel; Diaz-Torres, Luis Armando; Salas, Pedro

2017-08-01

Persistent phosphorescence nanoparticles emitting in the red and near-infrared spectral regions are strongly demanded as contrast nanoprobes for autofluorescence free bioimaging and biosensing. In this work, we have developed Sr4Al14O25:Eu2+, Cr3+, Nd3+ nanopowders that produce persistent red phosphorescence peaking at 694 nm generated by Cr3+ ions. This emission displays temperature sensitivity in the physiological temperature range (20-60 °C), which makes these nanoparticles potentially useful as fluorescence (contactless) nanothermometers operating without requiring optical excitation. Nd3+ ions, which act as shallow electron traps for the red Cr3+ persistent emission, also display infrared emission bands, extending the fluorescence imaging capability to the second biological window. This unique combination of properties makes these nanoparticles multifunctional luminescent probes with great potential applications in nanomedicine.

A new technique for in situ measurement of the composition of neutral gas in interplanetary space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gruntman, Michael A.

1993-01-01

Neutral atoms in interplanetary space play an important role in many processes relevant to the formation and evolution of the Solar System. An experimental approach is proposed for in situ atom detection based on the conversion of neutral atoms to negative ions at a specially prepared sensitive surface. Negative ions are subsequently analyzed and detected in an essentially noise-free mode. The use of the technique for in situ study of the composition of neutral interstellar atoms is considered. It is shown that interstellar H, D, and O atoms and possibly H2 molecules can be measured by the proposed technique. The experiment can be performed from a high-apogee Earth-orbiting satellite or from a deep space probe. Possible applications of the technique are discussed.

Plasma characterization using ultraviolet Thomson scattering from ion-acoustic and electron plasma waves (invited)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Follett, R. K., E-mail: rfollett@lle.rochester.edu; Delettrez, J. A.; Edgell, D. H.

2016-11-15

Collective Thomson scattering is a technique for measuring the plasma conditions in laser-plasma experiments. Simultaneous measurements of ion-acoustic and electron plasma-wave spectra were obtained using a 263.25-nm Thomson-scattering probe beam. A fully reflective collection system was used to record light scattered from electron plasma waves at electron densities greater than 10{sup 21} cm{sup −3}, which produced scattering peaks near 200 nm. An accurate analysis of the experimental Thomson-scattering spectra required accounting for plasma gradients, instrument sensitivity, optical effects, and background radiation. Practical techniques for including these effects when fitting Thomson-scattering spectra are presented and applied to the measured spectra tomore » show the improvements in plasma characterization.« less

Polyhydric polymer-functionalized fluorescent probe with enhanced aqueous solubility and specific ion recognition: A test strips-based fluorimetric strategy for the rapid and visual detection of Fe3+ ions.

PubMed

Duan, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Chunxian; Qiao, Yuchun; Liu, Fengjuan; Wang, Deyan; Wu, Mengfan; Wang, Ke; Lv, Xiaoxia; Kong, Xiangmu; Wang, Hua

2017-08-01

A polyhydric polymer-functionalized probe with enhanced aqueous solubility was designed initially by coupling 1-pyrenecarboxyaldehyde (Pyr) onto poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) via the one-step condensation reaction. Polyhydric PVA polymer chains could facilitate the Pyr fluorophore with largely improved aqueous solubility and especially strong cyan fluorescence. Importantly, the fluorescence of the PVA-Pyr probes could thereby be quenched specifically by Fe 3+ ions through the strong PVA-Fe 3+ interaction triggering the polymeric probe aggregation. Furthermore, a test strips-based fluorimetric method was developed with the stable and uniform probe distribution by taking advantage of the unique film-forming ability and the depression capacity of "coffee-stain" effects of PVA matrix. The as-developed test strips could allow for the rapid and visual detections of Fe 3+ ions simply by a dipping way, showing a linear concentration range of 5.00-300μM, with the detection limit of 0.73μM. Moreover, the proposed method was applied to the evaluation of Fe 3+ ions in natural water samples, showing the analysis performances better or comparable to those of current detection techniques. This test strips-based fluorimetric strategy promises the extensive applications for the rapid on-site monitoring of Fe 3+ ions in environmental water and the outdoor finding of the potential iron mines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving the viability and versatility of the E × B probe with an active cooling system.

PubMed

Liu, Lihui; Cai, Guobiao; You, Fengyi; Ren, Xiang; Zheng, Hongru; He, Bijiao

2018-04-01

A thermostatic E × B probe is designed to protect the probe body from the thermal effect of the plasma plume that has a significant influence on the resolution of the probe for high-power electric thrusters. An active cooling system, which consists of a cooling panel and carbon fiber felts combined with a recycling system of liquid coolants or an open-type system of gas coolants, is employed to realize the protection of the probe. The threshold for the design parameters for the active cooling system is estimated by deriving the energy transfer of the plasma plume-probe body interaction and the energy taken away by the coolants, and the design details are explained. The diagnostics of the LIPS-300 ion thruster with a power of 3 kW and a screen-grid voltage of 1450 V was implemented by the designed thermostatic E × B probe. The measured spectra illustrate that the thermostatic E × B probe can distinguish the fractions of Xe + ions and Xe 2+ ions without areas of overlap. In addition, the temperature of the probe body was less than 306 K in the beam region of the plasma plume during the 200-min-long continuous test. A thermostatic E × B probe is useful for enhancing the viability and versatility of equipment and for reducing uneconomical and complex test procedures.

Improving the viability and versatility of the E × B probe with an active cooling system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lihui; Cai, Guobiao; You, Fengyi; Ren, Xiang; Zheng, Hongru; He, Bijiao

2018-04-01

A thermostatic E × B probe is designed to protect the probe body from the thermal effect of the plasma plume that has a significant influence on the resolution of the probe for high-power electric thrusters. An active cooling system, which consists of a cooling panel and carbon fiber felts combined with a recycling system of liquid coolants or an open-type system of gas coolants, is employed to realize the protection of the probe. The threshold for the design parameters for the active cooling system is estimated by deriving the energy transfer of the plasma plume-probe body interaction and the energy taken away by the coolants, and the design details are explained. The diagnostics of the LIPS-300 ion thruster with a power of 3 kW and a screen-grid voltage of 1450 V was implemented by the designed thermostatic E × B probe. The measured spectra illustrate that the thermostatic E × B probe can distinguish the fractions of Xe+ ions and Xe2+ ions without areas of overlap. In addition, the temperature of the probe body was less than 306 K in the beam region of the plasma plume during the 200-min-long continuous test. A thermostatic E × B probe is useful for enhancing the viability and versatility of equipment and for reducing uneconomical and complex test procedures.

Field Ion Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography of Metamorphic Magnetite Crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuhlman, K.; Martens, R. L.; Kelly, T. F.; Evans, N. D.; Miller, M. K.

2001-01-01

Magnetite has been analysed using Field Ion Microscopy (FIM) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT), highly attractive techniques for the nanoanalysis of geological materials despite the difficulties inherent in analyzing semiconducting and insulating materials. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Transverse single-spin asymmetry in the low-virtuality leptoproduction of open charm as a probe of the gluon Sivers function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godbole, Rohini M.; Kaushik, Abhiram; Misra, Anuradha

2018-04-01

We study the low-virtuality inclusive leptoproduction of open charm, p↑l →D0+X as a probe of the gluon Sivers function. We perform the analysis in a generalized parton model framework. At leading order, this process is sensitive only to the gluon content of the proton. Hence any detection of a transverse single-spin asymmetry in this process would be clear indication of a non-zero gluon Sivers function (GSF). Considering COMPASS and a future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), we present predictions for asymmetry using fits for the GSF available in literature. Predictions for peak asymmetry values lie in the range of 0.8% to 13%. We also present estimates of the upper bound on the asymmetry as obtained with a maximal gluon Sivers function. Further, for the case of the Electron-Ion Collider, we evaluate the asymmetry in the muons decaying from the D -meson and find that the asymmetry is well preserved in the kinematics of the muons. Peak values of the muon asymmetry are close to those obtained for the D -meson and lie in the range 0.75% to 11%.

Advanced electrical current measurements of microdischarges: evidence of sub-critical pulses and ion currents in barrier discharge in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Synek, Petr; Zemánek, Miroslav; Kudrle, Vít; Hoder, Tomáš

2018-04-01

Electrical current measurements in corona or barrier microdischarges are a challenge as they require both high temporal resolution and a large dynamic range of the current probe used. In this article, we apply a simple self-assembled current probe and compare it to commercial ones. An analysis in the time and frequency domain is carried out. Moreover, an improved methodology is presented, enabling both temporal resolution in sub-nanosecond times and current sensitivity in the order of tens of micro-amperes. Combining this methodology with a high-tech oscilloscope and self-developed software, a unique statistical analysis of currents in volume barrier discharge driven in atmospheric-pressure air is made for over 80 consecutive periods of a 15 kHz applied voltage. We reveal the presence of repetitive sub-critical current pulses and conclude that these can be identified with the discharging of surface charge microdomains. Moreover, extremely low, long-lasting microsecond currents were detected which are caused by ion flow, and are analysed in detail. The statistical behaviour presented gives deeper insight into the discharge physics of these usually undetectable current signals.

Improving Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Image Quality with Image Fusion

PubMed Central

Tarolli, Jay G.; Jackson, Lauren M.; Winograd, Nicholas

2014-01-01

The spatial resolution of chemical images acquired with cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is limited not only by the size of the probe utilized to create the images, but also by detection sensitivity. As the probe size is reduced to below 1 µm, for example, a low signal in each pixel limits lateral resolution due to counting statistics considerations. Although it can be useful to implement numerical methods to mitigate this problem, here we investigate the use of image fusion to combine information from scanning electron microscope (SEM) data with chemically resolved SIMS images. The advantage of this approach is that the higher intensity and, hence, spatial resolution of the electron images can help to improve the quality of the SIMS images without sacrificing chemical specificity. Using a pan-sharpening algorithm, the method is illustrated using synthetic data, experimental data acquired from a metallic grid sample, and experimental data acquired from a lawn of algae cells. The results show that up to an order of magnitude increase in spatial resolution is possible to achieve. A cross-correlation metric is utilized for evaluating the reliability of the procedure. PMID:24912432

Using neutral beams as a light ion beam probe (invited)

DOE PAGES

Chen, Xi; Heidbrink, William W.; Van Zeeland, Michael A.; ...

2014-08-05

By arranging the particle first banana orbits to pass near a distant detector, the light ion beam probe (LIBP) utilizes orbital deflection to probe internal fields and field fluctuations. The LIBP technique takes advantage of 1) the in situ, known source of fast ions created by beam-injected neutral particles that naturally ionize near the plasma edge, and 2) various commonly available diagnostics as its detector. These born trapped particles can traverse the plasma core on their inner banana leg before returning to the plasma edge. Orbital displacements (the forces on fast ions) caused by internal instabilities or edge perturbing fieldsmore » appear as modulated signal at an edge detector. Adjustments in the q-profile and plasma shape that determine the first orbit, as well as the relative position of the source and detector, enable studies under a wide variety of plasma conditions. This diagnostic technique can be used to probe the impact on fast ions of various instabilities, e.g. Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) and neoclassical tearing modes, and of externally-imposed 3D fields, e.g. magnetic perturbations. To date, displacements by AEs and by externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation fields have been measured using a fast ion loss detector. Comparisons with simulations are shown. Additionally, nonlinear interactions between fast ions and independent AE waves are revealed by this technique.« less

Using neutral beams as a light ion beam probe (invited)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Xi, E-mail: chenxi@fusion.gat.com; Heidbrink, W. W.; Van Zeeland, M. A.

By arranging the particle first banana orbits to pass near a distant detector, the light ion beam probe (LIBP) utilizes orbital deflection to probe internal fields and field fluctuations. The LIBP technique takes advantage of (1) the in situ, known source of fast ions created by beam-injected neutral particles that naturally ionize near the plasma edge and (2) various commonly available diagnostics as its detector. These born trapped particles can traverse the plasma core on their inner banana leg before returning to the plasma edge. Orbital displacements (the forces on fast ions) caused by internal instabilities or edge perturbing fieldsmore » appear as modulated signal at an edge detector. Adjustments in the q-profile and plasma shape that determine the first orbit, as well as the relative position of the source and detector, enable studies under a wide variety of plasma conditions. This diagnostic technique can be used to probe the impact on fast ions of various instabilities, e.g., Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) and neoclassical tearing modes, and of externally imposed 3D fields, e.g., magnetic perturbations. To date, displacements by AEs and by externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation fields have been measured using a fast ion loss detector. Comparisons with simulations are shown. In addition, nonlinear interactions between fast ions and independent AE waves are revealed by this technique.« less

Using neutral beams as a light ion beam probe (invited)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Xi; Heidbrink, William W.; Van Zeeland, Michael A.

By arranging the particle first banana orbits to pass near a distant detector, the light ion beam probe (LIBP) utilizes orbital deflection to probe internal fields and field fluctuations. The LIBP technique takes advantage of 1) the in situ, known source of fast ions created by beam-injected neutral particles that naturally ionize near the plasma edge, and 2) various commonly available diagnostics as its detector. These born trapped particles can traverse the plasma core on their inner banana leg before returning to the plasma edge. Orbital displacements (the forces on fast ions) caused by internal instabilities or edge perturbing fieldsmore » appear as modulated signal at an edge detector. Adjustments in the q-profile and plasma shape that determine the first orbit, as well as the relative position of the source and detector, enable studies under a wide variety of plasma conditions. This diagnostic technique can be used to probe the impact on fast ions of various instabilities, e.g. Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) and neoclassical tearing modes, and of externally-imposed 3D fields, e.g. magnetic perturbations. To date, displacements by AEs and by externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation fields have been measured using a fast ion loss detector. Comparisons with simulations are shown. Additionally, nonlinear interactions between fast ions and independent AE waves are revealed by this technique.« less

2D ratiometric fluorescent pH sensor for tracking of cells proliferation and metabolism.

PubMed

Ma, Jun; Ding, Changqin; Zhou, Jie; Tian, Yang

2015-08-15

Extracellular pH plays a vital role no matter in physiological or pathological studies. In this work, a hydrogel, CD@Nile-FITC@Gel (Gel sensor), entrapping the ratiometric fluorescent probe CD@Nile-FITC was developed. The Gel sensor was successfully used for real-time extracellular pH monitoring. In the case of CD@Nile-FITC, pH-sensitive fluorescent dye fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was chosen as the response signal for H(+) and Nile blue chloride (Nile) as the reference signal. The developed fluorescent probe exhibited high selectivity for pH over other metal ions and amino acids. Meanwhile, the carbon-dots-based inorganic-organic probe demonstrated excellent photostability against long-term light illumination. In order to study the extracellular pH change in processes of cell proliferation and metabolism, CD@Nile-FITC probe was entrapped in sodium alginate gel and consequently formed CD@Nile-FITC@Gel. The MTT assay showed low cytotoxicity of the Gel and the pH titration indicated that it could monitor the pH fluctuations linearly and rapidly within the pH range of 6.0-9.0, which is valuable for physiological pH determination. As expected, the real-time bioimaging of the probe was successfully achieved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Silver ions-mediated conformational switch: facile design of structure-controllable nucleic acid probes.

PubMed

Wang, Yongxiang; Li, Jishan; Wang, Hao; Jin, Jianyu; Liu, Jinhua; Wang, Kemin; Tan, Weihong; Yang, Ronghua

2010-08-01

Conformationally constraint nucleic acid probes were usually designed by forming an intramolecular duplex based on Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds. The disadvantages of these approaches are the inflexibility and instability in complex environment of the Watson-Crick-based duplex. We report that this hydrogen bonding pattern can be replaced by metal-ligation between specific metal ions and the natural bases. To demonstrate the feasibility of this principle, two linear oligonucleotides and silver ions were examined as models for DNA hybridization assay and adenosine triphosphate detection. The both nucleic acids contain target binding sequences in the middle and cytosine (C)-rich sequences at the lateral portions. The strong interaction between Ag(+) ions and cytosines forms stable C-Ag(+)-C structures, which promises the oligonucleotides to form conformationally constraint formations. In the presence of its target, interaction between the loop sequences and the target unfolds the C-Ag(+)-C structures, and the corresponding probes unfolding can be detected by a change in their fluorescence emission. We discuss the thermodynamic and kinetic opportunities that are provided by using Ag(+) ion complexes instead of traditional Watson-Crick-based duplex. In particular, the intrinsic feature of the metal-ligation motif facilitates the design of functional nucleic acids probes by independently varying the concentration of Ag(+) ions in the medium.

Interpreting atom probe data from chromium oxide scales.

PubMed

La Fontaine, Alexandre; Gault, Baptiste; Breen, Andrew; Stephenson, Leigh; Ceguerra, Anna V; Yang, Limei; Nguyen, Thuan Dinh; Zhang, Jianqiang; Young, David J; Cairney, Julie M

2015-12-01

Picosecond-pulsed ultraviolet-laser (UV-355 nm) assisted atom probe tomography (APT) was used to analyze protective, thermally grown chromium oxides formed on stainless steel. The influence of analysis parameters on the thermal tail observed in the mass spectra and the chemical composition is investigated. A new parameter termed "laser sensitivity factor" is introduced in order to quantify the effect of laser energy on the extent of the thermal tail. This parameter is used to compare the effect of increasing laser energy on thermal tails in chromia and chromite samples. Also explored is the effect of increasing laser energy on the measured oxygen content and the effect of specimen base temperature and laser pulse frequency on the mass spectrum. Finally, we report a preliminary analysis of molecular ion dissociations in chromia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Density measurements in low pressure, weakly magnetized, RF plasmas: experimental verification of the sheath expansion effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yunchao; Charles, Christine; Boswell, Roderick W.

2017-07-01

This experimental study shows the validity of Sheridan's method in determining plasma density in low pressure, weakly magnetized, RF plasmas using ion saturation current data measured by a planar Langmuir probe. The ion density derived from Sheridan's method which takes into account the sheath expansion around the negatively biased probe tip, presents a good consistency with the electron density measured by a cylindrical RF-compensated Langmuir probe using the Druyvesteyn theory. The ion density obtained from the simplified method which neglects the sheath expansion effect, overestimates the true density magnitude, e.g., by a factor of 3 to 12 for the present experiment.

Zinc-sensitive MRI contrast agent detects differential release of Zn(II) ions from the healthy vs. malignant mouse prostate.

PubMed

Clavijo Jordan, M Veronica; Lo, Su-Tang; Chen, Shiuhwei; Preihs, Christian; Chirayil, Sara; Zhang, Shanrong; Kapur, Payal; Li, Wen-Hong; De Leon-Rodriguez, Luis M; Lubag, Angelo J M; Rofsky, Neil M; Sherry, A Dean

2016-09-13

Many secretory tissues release Zn(II) ions along with other molecules in response to external stimuli. Here we demonstrate that secretion of Zn(II) ions from normal, healthy prostate tissue is stimulated by glucose in fasted mice and that release of Zn(II) can be monitored by MRI. An ∼50% increase in water proton signal enhancement is observed in T1-weighted images of the healthy mouse prostate after infusion of a Gd-based Zn(II) sensor and an i.p. bolus of glucose. Release of Zn(II) from intracellular stores was validated in human epithelial prostate cells in vitro and in surgically exposed prostate tissue in vivo using a Zn(II)-sensitive fluorescent probe known to bind to the extracellular surface of cells. Given the known differences in intracellular Zn(II) stores in healthy versus malignant prostate tissues, the Zn(II) sensor was then evaluated in a transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model in vivo. The agent proved successful in detecting small malignant lesions as early as 11 wk of age, making this noninvasive MR imaging method potentially useful for identifying prostate cancer in situations where it may be difficult to detect using current multiparametric MRI protocols.

Carbon nanoparticle for highly sensitive and selective fluorescent detection of mercury(II) ion in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Li, Hailong; Zhai, Junfeng; Tian, Jingqi; Luo, Yonglan; Sun, Xuping

2011-08-15

In this article, carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) were used as a novel fluorescent sensing platform for highly sensitive and selective Hg(2+) detection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of CNPs obtained from candle soot used in this type of sensor. The general concept used in this approach is based on that adsorption of the fluorescently labeled single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe by CNP via π-π stacking interactions between DNA bases and CNP leads to substantial dye fluorescence quenching; however, in the presence of Hg(2+), T-Hg(2+)-T induced hairpin structure does not adsorb on CNP and thus retains the dye fluorescence. A detection limit as low as 10nM was achieved. The present CNP-based biosensor for Hg(2+) detection exhibits remarkable specificity against other possible metal ions. Furthermore, superior selectivity performance was observed when Hg(2+) detection was carried out in the presence of a large amount of other interference ions. Finally, in order to evaluate its potential practical application, Hg(2+) detection was conducted with the use of lake water other than pure buffer and it is believed that it holds great promise for real sample analysis upon further development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First transmission of electrons and ions through the KATRIN beamline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arenz, M.; Baek, W.-J.; Beck, M.; Beglarian, A.; Behrens, J.; Bergmann, T.; Berlev, A.; Besserer, U.; Blaum, K.; Bode, T.; Bornschein, B.; Bornschein, L.; Brunst, T.; Buzinsky, N.; Chilingaryan, S.; Choi, W. Q.; Deffert, M.; Doe, P. J.; Dragoun, O.; Drexlin, G.; Dyba, S.; Edzards, F.; Eitel, K.; Ellinger, E.; Engel, R.; Enomoto, S.; Erhard, M.; Eversheim, D.; Fedkevych, M.; Fischer, S.; Formaggio, J. A.; Fränkle, F. M.; Franklin, G. B.; Friedel, F.; Fulst, A.; Gil, W.; Glück, F.; Gonzalez Ureña, A.; Grohmann, S.; Grössle, R.; Gumbsheimer, R.; Hackenjos, M.; Hannen, V.; Harms, F.; Haußmann, N.; Heizmann, F.; Helbing, K.; Herz, W.; Hickford, S.; Hilk, D.; Hillesheimer, D.; Howe, M. A.; Huber, A.; Jansen, A.; Kellerer, J.; Kernert, N.; Kippenbrock, L.; Kleesiek, M.; Klein, M.; Kopmann, A.; Korzeczek, M.; Kovalík, A.; Krasch, B.; Kraus, M.; Kuckert, L.; Lasserre, T.; Lebeda, O.; Letnev, J.; Lokhov, A.; Machatschek, M.; Marsteller, A.; Martin, E. L.; Mertens, S.; Mirz, S.; Monreal, B.; Naumann, U.; Neumann, H.; Niemes, S.; Off, A.; Ortjohann, H.-W.; Osipowicz, A.; Otten, E.; Parno, D. S.; Pollithy, A.; Poon, A. W. P.; Priester, F.; Ranitzsch, P. C.-O.; Rest, O.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Roccati, F.; Rodenbeck, C.; Röllig, M.; Röttele, C.; Ryšavý, M.; Sack, R.; Saenz, A.; Schimpf, L.; Schlösser, K.; Schlösser, M.; Schönung, K.; Schrank, M.; Seitz-Moskaliuk, H.; Sentkerestiová, J.; Sibille, V.; Slezák, M.; Steidl, M.; Steinbrink, N.; Sturm, M.; Suchopar, M.; Suesser, M.; Telle, H. H.; Thorne, L. A.; Thümmler, T.; Titov, N.; Tkachev, I.; Trost, N.; Valerius, K.; Vénos, D.; Vianden, R.; Vizcaya Hernández, A. P.; Weber, M.; Weinheimer, C.; Weiss, C.; Welte, S.; Wendel, J.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wolf, J.; Wüstling, S.; Zadoroghny, S.

2018-04-01

The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is a large-scale effort to probe the absolute neutrino mass scale with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV (90% confidence level), via a precise measurement of the endpoint spectrum of tritium β-decay. This work documents several KATRIN commissioning milestones: the complete assembly of the experimental beamline, the successful transmission of electrons from three sources through the beamline to the primary detector, and tests of ion transport and retention. In the First Light commissioning campaign of autumn 2016, photoelectrons were generated at the rear wall and ions were created by a dedicated ion source attached to the rear section; in July 2017, gaseous 83mKr was injected into the KATRIN source section, and a condensed 83mKr source was deployed in the transport section. In this paper we describe the technical details of the apparatus and the configuration for each measurement, and give first results on source and system performance. We have successfully achieved transmission from all four sources, established system stability, and characterized many aspects of the apparatus.

Spin decoherence of InAs surface electrons by transition metal ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yao; Soghomonian, V.; Heremans, J. J.

2018-04-01

Spin interactions between a two-dimensional electron system at the InAs surface and transition metal ions, Fe3 +, Co2 +, and Ni2 +, deposited on the InAs surface, are probed by antilocalization measurements. The spin-dependent quantum interference phenomena underlying the quantum transport phenomenon of antilocalization render the technique sensitive to the spin states of the transition metal ions on the surface. The experiments yield data on the magnitude and temperature dependence of the electrons' inelastic scattering rates, spin-orbit scattering rates, and magnetic spin-flip rates as influenced by Fe3 +, Co2 +, and Ni2 +. A high magnetic spin-flip rate is shown to mask the effects of spin-orbit interaction, while the spin-flip rate is shown to scale with the effective magnetic moment of the surface species. The spin-flip rates and their dependence on temperature yield information about the spin states of the transition metal ions at the surface, and in the case of Co2 + suggest either a spin transition or formation of a spin-glass system.

Integrated miniature fluorescent probe to leverage the sensing potential of ZnO quantum dots for the detection of copper (II) ions.

PubMed

Ng, Sing Muk; Wong, Derrick Sing Nguong; Phung, Jane Hui Chiun; Chin, Suk Fun; Chua, Hong Siang

2013-11-15

Quantum dots are fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles that can be utilised for sensing applications. This paper evaluates the ability to leverage their analytical potential using an integrated fluorescent sensing probe that is portable, cost effective and simple to handle. ZnO quantum dots were prepared using the simple sol-gel hydrolysis method at ambient conditions and found to be significantly and specifically quenched by copper (II) ions. This ZnO quantum dots system has been incorporated into an in-house developed miniature fluorescent probe for the detection of copper (II) ions in aqueous medium. The probe was developed using a low power handheld black light as excitation source and three photo-detectors as sensor. The sensing chamber placed between the light source and detectors was made of 4-sided clear quartz windows. The chamber was housed within a dark compartment to avoid stray light interference. The probe was operated using a microcontroller (Arduino Uno Revision 3) that has been programmed with the analytical response and the working algorithm of the electronics. The probe was sourced with a 12 V rechargeable battery pack and the analytical readouts were given directly using a LCD display panel. Analytical optimisations of the ZnO quantum dots system and the probe have been performed and further described. The probe was found to have a linear response range up to 0.45 mM (R(2)=0.9930) towards copper (II) ion with a limit of detection of 7.68×10(-7) M. The probe has high repeatable and reliable performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Faraday Probe Analysis, Part 2: Evaluation of Facility Effects on Ion Migration in a Hall Thruster Plume (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-24

A nested Faraday probe was designed and fabricated to assess facility effects in a systematic study of ion migration in a Hall thruster plume...Current density distributions were studied at 8, 12, 16, and 20 thruster diameters downstream of the Hall thruster exit plane with four probe configurations...measurements are a significant improvement for comparisons with numerical simulations and investigations of Hall thruster performance.

A high sensitivity momentum flux measuring instrument for plasma thruster exhausts and diffusive plasmas.

PubMed

West, Michael D; Charles, Christine; Boswell, Rod W

2009-05-01

A high sensitivity momentum flux measuring instrument based on a compound pendulum has been developed for use with electric propulsion devices and radio frequency driven plasmas. A laser displacement system, which builds upon techniques used by the materials science community for surface stress measurements, is used to measure with high sensitivity the displacement of a target plate placed in a plasma thruster exhaust. The instrument has been installed inside a vacuum chamber and calibrated via two different methods and is able to measure forces in the range of 0.02-0.5 mN with a resolution of 15 microN. Measurements have been made of the force produced from the cold gas flow and with a discharge ignited using argon propellant. The plasma is generated using a Helicon Double Layer Thruster prototype. The instrument target is placed about 1 mean free path for ion-neutral charge exchange collisions downstream of the thruster exit. At this position, the plasma consists of a low density ion beam (10%) and a much larger downstream component (90%). The results are in good agreement with those determined from the plasma parameters measured with diagnostic probes. Measurements at various flow rates show that variations in ion beam velocity and plasma density and the resulting momentum flux can be measured with this instrument. The instrument target is a simple, low cost device, and since the laser displacement system used is located outside the vacuum chamber, the measurement technique is free from radio frequency interference and thermal effects. It could be used to measure the thrust in the exhaust of other electric propulsion devices and the momentum flux of ion beams formed by expanding plasmas or fusion experiments.

Impact of Near-Earth Plasma Sheet Dynamics on the Ring Current Composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kistler, L. M.; Mouikis, C.; Menz, A.; Spence, H. E.; Mitchell, D. G.; Gkioulidou, M.; Lanzerotti, L. J.; Skoug, R. M.; Larsen, B.; Claudepierre, S. G.; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.

2014-12-01

How the dynamics in the near-earth plasma sheet affects the heavy ion content, and therefore the ion pressure, of the ring current in Earth's magnetosphere is an outstanding question. Substorms accelerate plasma in the near-earth region and drive outflow from the aurora, and both these processes can preferentially enhance the population of heavy ions in this region. These heavy ions are then driven into the inner magnetosphere during storms. Thus understanding how the composition of the ring current changes requires simultaneous observations in the near-earth plasma sheet and in the inner magnetosphere. We use data from the CODIF instrument on Cluster and HOPE, RBSPICE, and MagEIS instruments on the Van Allen Probes to study the acceleration and transport of ions from the plasma sheet into the ring current. During the main phase of a geomagnetic storm on Aug 4-6, 2013, the Cluster spacecraft were moving inbound in the midnight central plasma sheet, while the apogees of the two Van Allen Probes were located on the duskside. The Cluster spacecraft measure the composition and spectral changes in the plasma sheet, while the Van Allen Probes measure the ions that reach the inner magnetosphere. A strong increase in 1-40 keV O+ was observed at the Cluster location during the storm main phase, and the Van Allen Probes observed both H+ and O+ being driven deep into the inner magnetosphere. By comparing the variations in phase space density (PSD) vs. magnetic moment at the Cluster and the Van Allen Probes locations, we examine how the composition changes non-adiabatically in the near-earth plasma sheet, and how those changes are propagated into the inner magnetosphere, populating the hto ion ring current.

A novel fluorescent probe based on rhodamine hydrazone derivatives bearing a thiophene group for Al³⁺.

PubMed

Li, Meng-xiao; Zhang, Xia; Fan, Yu-hua; Bi, Cai-feng

2016-05-01

In the present work, a novel 5-methyl-thiophene-carbaldehyde-functionalized rhodamine 6G Schiff base (RA) was designed and easily prepared as an Al(3+) fluorescent and colorimetric probe, which could selectively and sensitively detect Al(3+) by showing enhanced fluorescence emission. Meanwhile distinct color variation from colorless to pink also provided 'naked eye' detection of Al(3+), due to the ring spirolactam opening of the rhodamine derivative. Other metal ions (including K(+), Mg(2+), Na(+), Ba(2+), Mn(2+), Cd(2+), Fe(2+), Ni(2+), Pb(2+), Zn(2+), Hg(2+), Co(2+), Li(+), Sr(2+) and Cu(2+)) could only induce limited interference. The detection limit of the fluorescent probe was estimated to be 4.17 × 10(-6) M, the binding constant of the RA-Al(3+) complex was 1.4 × 10(6)  M(-1). Moreover, this fluorescent probe RA possessed high reversibility. As aluminum is a ubiquitous metal in nature and plays vital roles in many biological processes, this chemosensor could be explored for biological study applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fluorescent chemosensor based on urea/thiourea moiety for sensing of Hg(II) ions in an aqueous medium with high sensitivity and selectivity: A comparative account on effect of molecular architecture on chemosensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Jayanti; Kaur, Harpreet; Ganguli, Ashok K.; Kaur, Navneet

2018-06-01

Mercury is a well-known heavy metal ion which is extremely poisonous to health but is still employed in the form of mercury salts and organomercury compounds in various industrial, anthropological and agricultural activities. Henceforth, its sensing in aqueous medium is an area of great interest in order to avoid its hazardous effect. In the present manuscript, urea/thiourea linkage bearing four organic ligands (1a, 1b, 2a and 2b) are synthesized by a three-step synthetic approach. The organic ligands were then employed to develop organic nanoparticles by re-precipitation method which was further probed for their selective recognition behavior in an aqueous medium using fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence emission profile of the ONPs is used as a tool for the tracking of sensing behavior. The ONPs of 1b has shown selective recognition towards Hg(II) in aqueous medium evidenced by enhancement of fluorescence emission intensity after complexation of 1b ONP with Hg(II), among several alkali, alkaline earth and transition metal ions with a detection limit of the order of 0.84 μM. The ability of the proposed sensor to sense Hg(II) ions with high selectivity and sensitivity could be accounted to photo-induced electron transfer (PET) "OFF" mechanism at λem = 390 nm. This study reveals the application of the proposed thiourea-based sensor for the selective recognition of the Hg(II) ions in an aqueous medium.

Modeling of fast neutral-beam-generated ion effects on MHD-spectroscopic observations of resistive wall mode stability in DIII-D plasmas [Modeling of fast neutral-beam-generated ion effects on MHD spectroscopic observations of RWM stability in DIII-D plasmas

DOE PAGES

Turco, Francesca; Turnbull, Alan D.; Hanson, Jeremy M.; ...

2015-02-03

Experiments conducted at DIII-D investigate the role of drift kinetic damping and fast neutral beam injection (NBI)-ions in the approach to the no-wall β N limit. Modelling results show that the drift kinetic effects are significant and necessary to reproduce the measured plasma response at the ideal no-wall limit. Fast neutral-beam ions and rotation play important roles and are crucial to quantitatively match the experiment. In this paper, we report on the model validation of a series of plasmas with increasing β N, where the plasma stability is probed by active magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) spectroscopy. The response of the plasma tomore » an externally applied field is used to probe the stable side of the resistive wall mode and obtain an indication of the proximity of the equilibrium to an instability limit. We describe the comparison between the measured plasma response and that calculated by means of the drift kinetic MARS-K code, which includes the toroidal rotation, the electron and ion drift-kinetic resonances, and the presence of fast particles for the modelled plasmas. The inclusion of kinetic effects allows the code to reproduce the experimental results within ~13% for both the amplitude and phase of the plasma response, which is a significant improvement with respect to the undamped MHD-only model. The presence of fast NBI-generated ions is necessary to obtain the low response at the highest β N levels (~90% of the ideal no-wall limit). Finally, the toroidal rotation has an impact on the results, and a sensitivity study shows that a large variation in the predicted response is caused by the details of the rotation profiles at high β N.« less

A universal fluorogenic switch for Fe(ii) ion based on N-oxide chemistry permits the visualization of intracellular redox equilibrium shift towards labile iron in hypoxic tumor cells.

PubMed

Hirayama, Tasuku; Tsuboi, Hitomi; Niwa, Masato; Miki, Ayaji; Kadota, Satoki; Ikeshita, Yukie; Okuda, Kensuke; Nagasawa, Hideko

2017-07-01

Iron (Fe) species play a number of biologically and pathologically important roles. In particular, iron is a key element in oxygen sensing in living tissue where its metabolism is intimately linked with oxygen metabolism. Regulation of redox balance of labile iron species to prevent the generation of iron-catalyzed reactive oxygen species (ROS) is critical to survival. However, studies on the redox homeostasis of iron species are challenging because of a lack of a redox-state-specific detection method for iron, in particular, labile Fe 2+ . In this study, a universal fluorogenic switching system is established, which is responsive to Fe 2+ ion based on a unique N-oxide chemistry in which dialkylarylamine N-oxide is selectively deoxygenized by Fe 2+ to generate various fluorescent probes of Fe 2+ -CoNox-1 (blue), FluNox-1 (green), and SiRhoNox-1 (red). All the probes exhibited fluorescence enhancement against Fe 2+ with high selectivity both in cuvette and in living cells. Among the probes, SiRhoNox-1 showed an excellent fluorescence response with respect to both reaction rate and off/on signal contrast. Imaging studies were performed showing the intracellular redox equilibrium shift towards labile iron in response to reduced oxygen tension in living cells and 3D tumor spheroids using SiRhoNox-1, and it was found that the hypoxia induction of labile Fe 2+ is independent of iron uptake, hypoxia-induced signaling, and hypoxia-activated enzymes. The present studies demonstrate the feasibility of developing sensitive and specific fluorescent probes for Fe 2+ with refined photophysical characteristics that enable their broad application in the study of iron in various physiological and pathological conditions.

Pyrrole-coupled salicylimine-based fluorescence "turn on" probe for highly selective recognition of Zn²⁺ ions in mixed aqueous media: Application in living cell imaging.

PubMed

Bhosale, Jitendra; Fegade, Umesh; Bondhopadhyay, Banashree; Kaur, Simanpreet; Singh, Narinder; Basu, Anupam; Dabur, Rajesh; Bendre, Ratnamala; Kuwar, Anil

2015-06-01

Cation sensing behaviour of a pyrrole-based derivative (2-hydroxyl 3 methyl 6 isopropyl benzaldehyde}-3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carbohydrazide (receptor 3) has been explored and is found to be selective towards Zn(2+) over a variety of tested cations. The receptor 3 has shown high selectivity and sensitivity towards Zn(2+) over the other alkali, alkaline earth and transition metal ions. In the presence of Zn(2+), absorption band of receptor 3 has shown the red shift. The sensing behaviour has been suggested to continue via enhancement process which has further been supported by UV-vis absorption and theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicating the formation of a 1:1 complex between the pyrrole based receptor 3 and Zn(2+). The present work is presenting a highly selective dual channel colorimetric sensor for zinc with great sensitivity. The developed sensor was successfully applied to image intracellular Zn(2+) in living cells. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Distinct charge dynamics in battery electrodes revealed by in situ and operando soft X-ray spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaosong; Wang, Dongdong; Liu, Gao; Srinivasan, Venkat; Liu, Zhi; Hussain, Zahid; Yang, Wanli

2013-01-01

Developing high-performance batteries relies on material breakthroughs. During the past few years, various in situ characterization tools have been developed and have become indispensible in studying and the eventual optimization of battery materials. However, soft X-ray spectroscopy, one of the most sensitive probes of electronic states, has been mainly limited to ex situ experiments for battery research. Here we achieve in situ and operando soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy of lithium-ion battery cathodes. Taking advantage of the elemental, chemical and surface sensitivities of soft X-rays, we discover distinct lithium-ion and electron dynamics in Li(Co1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3)O2 and LiFePO4 cathodes in polymer electrolytes. The contrast between the two systems and the relaxation effect in LiFePO4 is attributed to a phase transformation mechanism, and the mesoscale morphology and charge conductivity of the electrodes. These discoveries demonstrate feasibility and power of in situ soft X-ray spectroscopy for studying integrated and dynamic effects in batteries. PMID:24100759

Modulation of p-Cyanophenylalanine Fluorescence by Amino Acid Side-chains and Rational Design of Fluorescence Probes of α-Helix Formation

PubMed Central

Taskent-Sezgin, Humeyra; Marek, Peter; Thomas, Rosanne; Goldberg, Daniel; Chung, Juah; Carrico, Isaac; Raleigh, Daniel P.

2011-01-01

p-Cyanophenylalanine is an extremely useful fluorescence probe of protein structure which can be recombinantly and chemically incorporated into proteins. The probe has been used to study protein folding, protein-membrane interactions, protein-peptide interactions and amyloid formation, however the factors that control its fluorescence are not fully understood. Hydrogen bonding to the cyano group is known to play a major role in modulating the fluorescence quantum yield, but the role of potential side-chain quenchers has not yet been elucidated. A systematic study on the effects of different side-chains on p-cyanophenylalanine fluorescence is reported. Tyr is found to have the largest effect followed by deprotonated His, Met, Cys, protonated His, Asn, Arg, and protonated Lys. Deprotonated amino groups are much more effective fluorescence quenchers than protonated amino groups. Free neutral imidazole and hydroxide ion are also effective quenchers of p-cyanophenylalanine fluorescence with Stern-Volmer constants of 39.8 M−1 and 22.1 M−1, respectively. The quenching of p-cyanophenylalanine fluorescence by specific side-chains is exploited to develop specific, high sensitivity, fluorescence probes of helix formation. The approach is demonstrated with Ala based peptides that contain a p-cyanophenylalanine-His or a p-cyanophenylalanine-Tyr pair located at positions i and i+4. The p-cyanophenylalanine-His pair is most useful when the His side-chain is deprotonated and is, thus, complimentary to Trp-His pair which is most sensitive when the His side-chain is protonated. PMID:20565125

The Fixed-Bias Langmuir Probe on the Communication-Navigation Outage Forecast System Satellite: Calibration and Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klenzing, J.; Rowland, D.

2012-01-01

A fixed-bias spherical Langmuir probe is included as part of the Vector Electric Field Instrument (VEFI) suite on the Communication Navigation Outage Forecast System (CNOFS) satellite.CNOFS gathers data in the equatorial ionosphere between 400 and 860 km, where the primary constituent ions are H+ and O+. The ion current collected by the probe surface per unit plasma density is found to be a strong function of ion composition. The calibration of the collected current to an absolute density is discussed, and the performance of the spherical probe is compared to other in situ instruments on board the CNOFS satellite. The application of the calibration is discussed with respect to future fixed-bias probes; in particular, it is demonstrated that some density fluctuations will be suppressed in the collected current if the plasma composition rapidly changes along with density. This is illustrated in the observation of plasma density enhancements on CNOFS.

Sub-Nanosecond Lifetime Measurement Using the Recoil-Distance Method

PubMed Central

Wu, Ching-Yen

2000-01-01

The electromagnetic properties of low-lying nuclear states are a sensitive probe of both collective and single-particle degrees of freedom in nuclear structure. The recoil-distance technique provides a very reliable, direct and precise method for measuring lifetimes of nuclear states with lifetimes ranging from less than one to several hundred picoseconds. This method complements the powerful, but complicated, heavy-ion induced Coulomb excitation technique for measuring electromagnetic properties. The recoil distance technique has been combined with heavy-ion induced Coulomb excitation to study a variety of problems. Examples discussed are: study of the two-phonon triplet in 110Pd, coupling of the β and γ degrees of freedom in 182,184W, highly deformed γ bands in 165Ho, octupole collectivity in 96Zr, and opposite parity states in 153Eu. Consistency between the Coulomb excitation results and the lifetime measurements confirms the reliability of the complex analysis often encountered in heavy-ion induced Coulomb excitation work. PMID:27551588

Continuous Flow Atmospheric Pressure Laser Desorption/Ionization Using a 6–7-µm-Band Mid-Infrared Tunable Laser for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Hiraguchi, Ryuji; Hazama, Hisanao; Senoo, Kenichirou; Yahata, Yukinori; Masuda, Katsuyoshi; Awazu, Kunio

2014-01-01

A continuous flow atmospheric pressure laser desorption/ionization technique using a porous stainless steel probe and a 6–7-µm-band mid-infrared tunable laser was developed. This ion source is capable of direct ionization from a continuous flow with a high temporal stability. The 6–7-µm wavelength region corresponds to the characteristic absorption bands of various molecular vibration modes, including O–H, C=O, CH3 and C–N bonds. Consequently, many organic compounds and solvents, including water, have characteristic absorption peaks in this region. This ion source requires no additional matrix, and utilizes water or acetonitrile as the solvent matrix at several absorption peak wavelengths (6.05 and 7.27 µm, respectively). The distribution of multiply-charged peptide ions is extremely sensitive to the temperature of the heated capillary, which is the inlet of the mass spectrometer. This ionization technique has potential for the interface of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). PMID:24937686

2-Hydroxy-naphthyl functionalized mesoporous silica for fluorescence sensing and removal of aluminum ions.

PubMed

Das, Trisha; Roy, Ankita; Uyama, Hiroshi; Roy, Partha; Nandi, Mahasweta

2017-06-06

Mesoporous silica functionalized with a 2-hydroxy-naphthyl moiety has been synthesized and characterized by standard techniques like powder X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption/desorption studies, transmission electron microscopy and spectral studies like FT-IR, UV-visible, fluorescence and 13 C and 29 Si solid state NMR. The functionalized silica material showed significant enhancement in its emission intensity in the presence of Al 3+ ions whereas other metal ions could not bring about any increase in its emission intensity. They either quench the emission or do not alter the intensity significantly making the functionalized material a fluorescence chemosensor for Al 3+ . The sensitivity of the probe towards Al 3+ has been determined to be high with a low limit of detection value. As functionalized silica is not soluble in common solvents, it has been effectively used to bind and remove Al 3+ from a solution. Theoretical calculations on a model system have been performed to investigate the electronic spectral transitions.

Recommended Practice for Use of Emissive Probes in Electric Propulsion Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheehan, J. P.; Raitses, Yevgeny; Hershkowitz, Noah

Here, this article provides recommended methods for building, operating, and taking plasma potential measurements from electron-emitting probes in electric propulsion devices, including Hall thrusters, gridded ion engines, and others. The two major techniques, the floating point technique and the inflection point technique, are described in detail as well as calibration and error-reduction methods. The major heating methods are described as well as the various considerations for emissive probe construction. Lastly, special considerations for electric propulsion plasmas are addressed, including high-energy densities, ion flows, magnetic fields, and potential fluctuations. Recommendations for probe design and operation are provided.

Recommended Practice for Use of Emissive Probes in Electric Propulsion Testing

DOE PAGES

Sheehan, J. P.; Raitses, Yevgeny; Hershkowitz, Noah; ...

2016-11-03

Here, this article provides recommended methods for building, operating, and taking plasma potential measurements from electron-emitting probes in electric propulsion devices, including Hall thrusters, gridded ion engines, and others. The two major techniques, the floating point technique and the inflection point technique, are described in detail as well as calibration and error-reduction methods. The major heating methods are described as well as the various considerations for emissive probe construction. Lastly, special considerations for electric propulsion plasmas are addressed, including high-energy densities, ion flows, magnetic fields, and potential fluctuations. Recommendations for probe design and operation are provided.

Biosensor and chemical sensor probes for calcium and other metal ions

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, Tuan; Viallet, Pierre

1996-01-01

The present invention relates to chemical sensor and biosensor probes for measuring low concentration of metals and metal ions in complex samples such as biological fluids, living cells, and environmental samples. More particularly the present invention relates to a gel-based Indo-1 and Fura-2 chemical sensor probes for the measurement of low concentrations of calcium, cadmium, magnesium and the like. Also disclosed is a detector device using the sensors of the present invention.

Ion Spectral Structures Observed by the Van Allen Probes and Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferradas, C.; Zhang, J.; Luo, H.; Kistler, L. M.; Spence, H. E.; Larsen, B.; Skoug, R. M.; Funsten, H. O.; Reeves, G. D.

2014-12-01

During the last decades several missions have recorded the presence of dynamic spectral features of energetic ions in the inner magnetosphere. Previous studies have revealed single "nose-like" structures occurring alone and simultaneous nose-like structures (up to three). In this study we also include signatures of new types of ion structure, namely "trunk-like" and "tusk-like" structures. All the ion structures are named after the characteristic shapes of energy bands or gaps in the energy-time spectrograms of in situ measured ion fluxes. They constitute the observational signatures of ion acceleration, transport, and loss in the global magnetosphere. Multi-spacecraft analysis of these structures is important to understand their spatial distribution and temporal evolution. Mass spectrometers onboard Cluster (in a polar orbit) and the Van Allen Probes (in an equatorial orbit) measure energetic hydrogen, helium, and oxygen ions near the inner edge of the plasma sheet, where these ion structures are observed. We present a statistical study of the ion structures, using >1-year measurements from the two missions during the Van Allen Probes era. The results provide important details about the spatial distribution (dependence on geocentric distance and magnetic local time), spectral features of the structures (e.g., characteristic energy and differences among species), and geomagnetic and solar wind conditions under which these structures occur.

Evidence for out-of-equilibrium states in warm dense matter probed by x-ray Thomson scattering.

PubMed

Clérouin, Jean; Robert, Grégory; Arnault, Philippe; Ticknor, Christopher; Kress, Joel D; Collins, Lee A

2015-01-01

A recent and unexpected discrepancy between ab initio simulations and the interpretation of a laser shock experiment on aluminum, probed by x-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS), is addressed. The ion-ion structure factor deduced from the XRTS elastic peak (ion feature) is only compatible with a strongly coupled out-of-equilibrium state. Orbital free molecular dynamics simulations with ions colder than the electrons are employed to interpret the experiment. The relevance of decoupled temperatures for ions and electrons is discussed. The possibility that it mimics a transient, or metastable, out-of-equilibrium state after melting is also suggested.

Ripple structure of crystalline layers in ion-beam-induced Si wafers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hazra, S.; Chini, T.K.; Sanyal, M.K.

Ion-beam-induced ripple formation in Si wafers was studied by two complementary surface sensitive techniques, namely atomic force microscopy (AFM) and depth-resolved x-ray grazing incidence diffraction (GID). The formation of ripple structure at high doses ({approx}7x10{sup 17} ions/cm{sup 2}), starting from initiation at low doses ({approx}1x10{sup 17} ions/cm{sup 2}) of ion beam, is evident from AFM, while that in the buried crystalline region below a partially crystalline top layer is evident from GID study. Such ripple structure of crystalline layers in a large area formed in the subsurface region of Si wafers is probed through a nondestructive technique. The GID techniquemore » reveals that these periodically modulated wavelike buried crystalline features become highly regular and strongly correlated as one increases the Ar ion-beam energy from 60 to 100 keV. The vertical density profile obtained from the analysis of a Vineyard profile shows that the density in the upper top part of ripples is decreased to about 15% of the crystalline density. The partially crystalline top layer at low dose transforms to a completely amorphous layer for high doses, and the top morphology was found to be conformal with the underlying crystalline ripple.« less

Ion probe determinations of the rare earth concentrations of individual meteoritic phosphate grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crozaz, G.; Zinner, E.

1985-01-01

A new ion probe method for quantitative measurements of the concentrations of all the REE down to the ppm level in 5-20 micron spots is presented. The first application of the method is the determination of REE abundances in meteoritic phosphates. Results are shown to be in good agreement with previous INAA and ion probe determinations. The merrillites in the St. Severin amphoterite are richer in REE than the apatites (the enrichment factors, for various REE, range from 2.3 to 14.2) in contradiction with the results of Ebihara and Honda (1983). Provided good standards for other mineral phases are found or implanted marker ion techniques are used, the method should find a wide range of applications for the study of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial crystals at the microscopic level.

Imaging of Fluoride Ion in Living Cells and Tissues with a Two-Photon Ratiometric Fluorescence Probe

PubMed Central

Zhu, Xinyue; Wang, Jianxi; Zhang, Jianjian; Chen, Zhenjie; Zhang, Haixia; Zhang, Xiaoyu

2015-01-01

A reaction-based two-photon (TP) ratiometric fluorescence probe Z2 has been developed and successfully applied to detect and image fluoride ion in living cells and tissues. The Z2 probe was designed designed to utilize an ICT mechanism between n-butylnaphthalimide as a fluorophore and tert-butyldiphenylsilane (TBDPS) as a response group. Upon addition of fluoride ion, the Si-O bond in the Z2 would be cleaved, and then a stronger electron-donating group was released. The fluorescent changes at 450 and 540 nm, respectively, made it possible to achieve ratiometric fluorescence detection. The results indicated that the Z2 could ratiometrically detect and image fluoride ion in living cells and tissues in a depth of 250 μm by two-photon microscopy (TPM). PMID:25594597

Compensation of the sheath effects in cylindrical floating probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Ji-Hwan; Chung, Chin-Wook

2018-05-01

In cylindrical floating probe measurements, the plasma density and electron temperature are overestimated due to sheath expansion and oscillation. To reduce these sheath effects, a compensation method based on well-developed floating sheath theories is proposed and applied to the floating harmonic method. The iterative calculation of the Allen-Boyd-Reynolds equation can derive the floating sheath thickness, which can be used to calculate the effective ion collection area; in this way, an accurate ion density is obtained. The Child-Langmuir law is used to calculate the ion harmonic currents caused by sheath oscillation of the alternating-voltage-biased probe tip. Accurate plasma parameters can be obtained by subtracting these ion harmonic currents from the total measured harmonic currents. Herein, the measurement principles and compensation method are discussed in detail and an experimental demonstration is presented.

New beam line for time-of-flight medium energy ion scattering with large area position sensitive detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linnarsson, M. K.; Hallén, A.; Åström, J.; Primetzhofer, D.; Legendre, S.; Possnert, G.

2012-09-01

A new beam line for medium energy ion mass scattering (MEIS) has been designed and set up at the Ångström laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden. This MEIS system is based on a time-of-flight (ToF) concept and the electronics for beam chopping relies on a 4 MHz function generator. Repetition rates can be varied between 1 MHz and 63 kHz and pulse widths below 1 ns are typically obtained by including beam bunching. A 6-axis goniometer is used at the target station. Scattering angle and energy of backscattered ions are extracted from a time-resolved and position-sensitive detector. Examples of the performance are given for three kinds of probing ions, 1H+, 4He+, and 11B+. Depth resolution is in the nanometer range and 1 and 2 nm thick Pt layers can easily be resolved. Mass resolution between nearby isotopes can be obtained as illustrated by Ga isotopes in GaAs. Taking advantage of the large size detector, a direct imaging (blocking pattern) of crystal channels are shown for hexagonal, 4H-SiC. The ToF-MEIS system described in this paper is intended for use in semiconductor and thin film areas. For example, depth profiling in the sub nanometer range for device development of contacts and dielectric interfaces. In addition to applied projects, fundamental studies of stopping cross sections in this medium energy range will also be conducted.

Visual detection of copper(II) ions in blood samples by controlling the leaching of protein-capped gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lee, Yen-Fei; Deng, Ting-Wei; Chiu, Wei-Jane; Wei, Tsao-Yen; Roy, Prathik; Huang, Chih-Ching

2012-04-21

We have developed a simple, low-cost, paper-based probe for the selective colorimetric detection of copper ions (Cu(2+)) in aqueous solutions. The bovine serum albumin (BSA)-modified 13.3-nm Au nanoparticle (BSA-Au NP) probe was designed to detect Cu(2+) ions using lead ions (Pb(2+)) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) as leaching agents in a glycine-NaOH (pH 12.0) solution. In addition, a nitrocellulose membrane (NCM) was used to trap the BSA-Au NPs, leading to the preparation of a nanocomposite film consisting of a BSA-Au NP-decorated membrane (BSA-Au NPs/NCM). The BSA-Au NPs probe operates on the principle that Cu deposition on the surface of the BSA-Au NPs inhibits their leaching ability, which is accelerated by Pb(2+) ions in the presence of 2-ME. Under optimal solution conditions (5 mM glycine-NaOH (pH 12.0), Pb(2+) (50 μM), and 2-ME (1.0 M)), the Pb(2+)/2-ME-BSA-Au NPs/NCM enabled the detection of Cu(2+) at nanomolar concentrations in aqueous solutions by the naked eye with high selectivity (at least 100-fold over other metal ions). In addition, this cost-effective probe allowed for the rapid and simple determination of Cu(2+) ions in not only natural water samples but also in a complex biological sample (in this case, blood sample).

Design and characterization of planar capacitive imaging probe based on the measurement sensitivity distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, X.; Chen, G.; Li, W.; Huthchins, D. A.

2013-01-01

Previous work indicated that the capacitive imaging (CI) technique is a useful NDE tool which can be used on a wide range of materials, including metals, glass/carbon fibre composite materials and concrete. The imaging performance of the CI technique for a given application is determined by design parameters and characteristics of the CI probe. In this paper, a rapid method for calculating the whole probe sensitivity distribution based on the finite element model (FEM) is presented to provide a direct view of the imaging capabilities of the planar CI probe. Sensitivity distributions of CI probes with different geometries were obtained. Influencing factors on sensitivity distribution were studied. Comparisons between CI probes with point-to-point triangular electrode pair and back-to-back triangular electrode pair were made based on the analysis of the corresponding sensitivity distributions. The results indicated that the sensitivity distribution could be useful for optimising the probe design parameters and predicting the imaging performance.

Statistical precision of the intensities retrieved from constrained fitting of overlapping peaks in high-resolution mass spectra

DOE PAGES

Cubison, M. J.; Jimenez, J. L.

2015-06-05

Least-squares fitting of overlapping peaks is often needed to separately quantify ions in high-resolution mass spectrometer data. A statistical simulation approach is used to assess the statistical precision of the retrieved peak intensities. The sensitivity of the fitted peak intensities to statistical noise due to ion counting is probed for synthetic data systems consisting of two overlapping ion peaks whose positions are pre-defined and fixed in the fitting procedure. The fitted intensities are sensitive to imperfections in the m/Q calibration. These propagate as a limiting precision in the fitted intensities that may greatly exceed the precision arising from counting statistics.more » The precision on the fitted peak intensity falls into one of three regimes. In the "counting-limited regime" (regime I), above a peak separation χ ~ 2 to 3 half-widths at half-maximum (HWHM), the intensity precision is similar to that due to counting error for an isolated ion. For smaller χ and higher ion counts (~ 1000 and higher), the intensity precision rapidly degrades as the peak separation is reduced ("calibration-limited regime", regime II). Alternatively for χ < 1.6 but lower ion counts (e.g. 10–100) the intensity precision is dominated by the additional ion count noise from the overlapping ion and is not affected by the imprecision in the m/Q calibration ("overlapping-limited regime", regime III). The transition between the counting and m/Q calibration-limited regimes is shown to be weakly dependent on resolving power and data spacing and can thus be approximated by a simple parameterisation based only on peak intensity ratios and separation. A simple equation can be used to find potentially problematic ion pairs when evaluating results from fitted spectra containing many ions. Longer integration times can improve the precision in regimes I and III, but a given ion pair can only be moved out of regime II through increased spectrometer resolving power. As a result, studies presenting data obtained from least-squares fitting procedures applied to mass spectral peaks should explicitly consider these limits on statistical precision.« less

Ring Current He Ion Control by Bounce Resonant ULF Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyomin; Gerrard, Andrew J.; Lanzerotti, Louis J.; Soto-Chavez, Rualdo; Cohen, Ross J.; Manweiler, Jerry W.

2017-12-01

Ring current energy He ion (˜65 keV to ˜520 keV) differential flux data from the Radiation Belt Storm Probe Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instrument aboard the Van Allan Probes spacecraft show considerable variability during quiet solar wind and geomagnetic time periods. Such variability is apparent from orbit to orbit (˜9 h) of the spacecraft and is observed to be ˜50-100% of the nominal flux. Using data from the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) instrument, also aboard the Van Allen Probes spacecraft, we identify that a dominant source of this variability is from ULF waveforms with periods of tens of seconds. These periods correspond to the bounce resonant timescales of the ring current He ions being measured by RBSPICE. A statistical survey using the particle and field data for one full spacecraft precession period (approximately 2 years) shows that the wave and He ion flux variations are generally anticorrelated, suggesting the bounce resonant pitch angle scattering process as a major component in the scattering of He ions.

Observation of a high-energy tail in ion energy distribution in the cylindrical Hall thruster plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lim, Youbong; Kim, Holak; Choe, Wonho, E-mail: wchoe@kaist.ac.kr

2014-10-15

A novel method is presented to determine populations and ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) of individual ion species having different charge states in an ion beam from the measured spectrum of an E × B probe. The inversion of the problem is performed by adopting the iterative Tikhonov regularization method with the characteristic matrices obtained from the calculated ion trajectories. In a cylindrical Hall thruster plasma, an excellent agreement is observed between the IEDFs by an E × B probe and those by a retarding potential analyzer. The existence of a high-energy tail in the IEDF is found to be mainly due to singlymore » charged Xe ions, and is interpreted in terms of non-linear ion acceleration.« less

Spin-labeled small unilamellar vesicles with the T1-sensitive saturation-recovery EPR display as an oxygen sensitive analyte for measurement of cellular respiration

PubMed Central

Mainali, Laxman; Vasquez-Vivar, Jeannette; Hyde, James S.; Subczynski, Witold K.

2015-01-01

This study validated the use of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) made of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine with 1 mol% spin label of 1-palmitoyl-2-(16-doxylstearoyl)phosphatidylcholine (16-PC) as an oxygen sensitive analyte to study cellular respiration. In the analyte the hydrocarbon environment surrounds the nitroxide moiety of 16-PC. This ensures high oxygen concentration and oxygen diffusion at the location of the nitroxide as well as isolation of the nitroxide moiety from cellular reductants and paramagnetic ions that might interfere with spin-label oximetry measurements. The saturation-recovery EPR approach was applied in the analysis since this approach is the most direct method to carry out oximetric studies. It was shown that this display (spin-lattice relaxation rate) is linear in oxygen partial pressure up to 100% air (159 mmHg). Experiments using a neuronal cell line in suspension were carried out at X-band for closed chamber geometry. Oxygen consumption rates showed a linear dependence on the number of cells. Other significant benefits of the analyte are: the fast effective rotational diffusion and slow translational diffusion of the spin-probe is favorable for the measurements, and there is no cross reactivity between oxygen and paramagnetic ions in the lipid bilayer. PMID:26441482

Spin-labeled small unilamellar vesicles with the T1-sensitive saturation-recovery EPR display as an oxygen sensitive analyte for measurement of cellular respiration.

PubMed

Mainali, Laxman; Vasquez-Vivar, Jeannette; Hyde, James S; Subczynski, Witold K

2015-08-01

This study validated the use of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) made of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine with 1 mol% spin label of 1-palmitoyl-2-(16-doxylstearoyl)phosphatidylcholine (16-PC) as an oxygen sensitive analyte to study cellular respiration. In the analyte the hydrocarbon environment surrounds the nitroxide moiety of 16-PC. This ensures high oxygen concentration and oxygen diffusion at the location of the nitroxide as well as isolation of the nitroxide moiety from cellular reductants and paramagnetic ions that might interfere with spin-label oximetry measurements. The saturation-recovery EPR approach was applied in the analysis since this approach is the most direct method to carry out oximetric studies. It was shown that this display (spin-lattice relaxation rate) is linear in oxygen partial pressure up to 100% air (159 mmHg). Experiments using a neuronal cell line in suspension were carried out at X-band for closed chamber geometry. Oxygen consumption rates showed a linear dependence on the number of cells. Other significant benefits of the analyte are: the fast effective rotational diffusion and slow translational diffusion of the spin-probe is favorable for the measurements, and there is no cross reactivity between oxygen and paramagnetic ions in the lipid bilayer.

The Small Acceptance Vertex Detector of NA61/SHINE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deveaux, M.; Aduszkiewicz, A.; Ali, Y.; Baszczyk, M.; Brylinski, W.; Dorosz, P.; Di Luise, S.; Feofilov, G.; Gazdzicki, M.; Igolkin, S.; Jablonski, M.; Kovalenko, V.; Koziel, M.; Kucewicz, W.; Larsen, D.; Lazareva, T.; Martinengo, P.; Merzlaya, A.; Mik, L.; Planeta, R.; Snoch, A.; Vechernin, V.; Tefelski, D.; Suljic, M.; Staszel, P.

2018-02-01

Charmonium production in heavy ion collisions is considered as an important diagnostic probe for studying the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter for potential phase transitions. The interpretation of existing data from the CERN SPS is hampered by a lack of knowledge on the properties of open charm particle production in the fireball. Moreover, open charm production in heavy ion collisions by itself is poorly understood. To overcome this obstacle, the NA61/SHINE was equipped with a Small Acceptance Vertex Detector (SAVD), which is predicted to make the experiment sensitive to open charm mesons produced in A-A collisions at the SPS top energy. This paper will introduce the concept and the hardware of the SAVD. Moreover, first running experience as obtained in a commissioning run with a 150 AGeV/c Pb+Pb collision system will be reported.

Langmuir probe measurements and mass spectrometry of plasma plumes generated by laser ablation of La0.4Ca0.6MnO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jikun; Lunney, James G.; Lippert, Thomas; Ojeda-G-P, Alejandro; Stender, Dieter; Schneider, Christof W.; Wokaun, Alexander

2014-08-01

The plasma formed in vacuum by UV nanosecond laser ablation of La0.4Ca0.6MnO3 in the fluence range of 0.8 to 1.9 J cm-2 using both Langmuir probe analysis and energy-resolved mass spectrometry has been studied. Mass spectrometry shows that the main positive ion species are Ca+, Mn+, La+, and LaO+. The Ca+ and Mn+ energy distributions are quite broad and lie in the 0-100 eV region, with the average energies increasing with laser fluence. In contrast, the La+ and LaO+ distributions are strongly peaked around 10 eV. The net time-of-arrival signal derived from the measured positive ion energy distributions is broadly consistent with the positive ion signal measured by the Langmuir probe. We also detected a significant number of O- ions with energies in the range of 0 to 10 eV. The Langmuir probe was also used to measure the temporal variation of the electron density and temperature at 6 cm from the ablation target. In the period when O- ions are found at this position, the plasma conditions are consistent with those required for significant negative oxygen ion formation, as revealed by studies on radio frequency excited oxygen plasma.

Probing QCD critical fluctuations from light nuclei production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Kai-Jia; Chen, Lie-Wen; Ko, Che Ming

Based on the coalescence model for light nuclei production, we show that the yield ratio O p-d-t = N3HNp/Nmore » $$2\\atop{d}$$ of p, d, and 3H in heavy-ion collisions is sensitive to the neutron relative density fluctuation Δn = $$\\langle$$(δn) 2 $$\\rangle$$/ $$\\langle$$n$$\\rangle$$ at kinetic freeze-out. From recent experimental data in central Pb + Pb collisions at $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_ {NN}$$ =6.3 GeV, 7.6 GeV, 8.8 GeV, 12.3 GeV and 17.3 GeV measured by the NA49 Collaboration at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), we find a possible non-monotonic behavior of Δn as a function of the collision energy with a peak at $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_ {NN}$$ 8.8 GeV, indicating that the density fluctuations become the largest in collisions at this energy. With the known chemical freeze-out conditions determined from the statistical model fit to experimental data, we obtain a chemical freeze-out temperature of ~ 144 MeV and baryon chemical potential of ~385 MeV at this collision energy, which are close to the critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram predicted by various theoretical studies. Our results thus suggest the potential usefulness of the yield ratio of light nuclei in relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a direct probe of the large density fluctuations associated with the QCD critical phenomena.« less

Probing QCD critical fluctuations from light nuclei production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

DOE PAGES

Sun, Kai-Jia; Chen, Lie-Wen; Ko, Che Ming; ...

2017-09-22

Based on the coalescence model for light nuclei production, we show that the yield ratio O p-d-t = N3HNp/Nmore » $$2\\atop{d}$$ of p, d, and 3H in heavy-ion collisions is sensitive to the neutron relative density fluctuation Δn = $$\\langle$$(δn) 2 $$\\rangle$$/ $$\\langle$$n$$\\rangle$$ at kinetic freeze-out. From recent experimental data in central Pb + Pb collisions at $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_ {NN}$$ =6.3 GeV, 7.6 GeV, 8.8 GeV, 12.3 GeV and 17.3 GeV measured by the NA49 Collaboration at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), we find a possible non-monotonic behavior of Δn as a function of the collision energy with a peak at $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_ {NN}$$ 8.8 GeV, indicating that the density fluctuations become the largest in collisions at this energy. With the known chemical freeze-out conditions determined from the statistical model fit to experimental data, we obtain a chemical freeze-out temperature of ~ 144 MeV and baryon chemical potential of ~385 MeV at this collision energy, which are close to the critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram predicted by various theoretical studies. Our results thus suggest the potential usefulness of the yield ratio of light nuclei in relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a direct probe of the large density fluctuations associated with the QCD critical phenomena.« less

Multiresponsive polysiloxane bearing spiropyran: synthesis and sensing of pH and metal ions of different valence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongqi; Zheng, Tao; Zhao, Yong; Xu, Zhenxiang; Dai, Xuhang; Shao, Zhiyu

2018-03-01

A spiropyran-appended polysiloxane (SP-Si) was synthesized and characterized. The pH-responsive behavior of SP-Si was investigated. It was found that with the decrease of the pH of SP-Si solution the intensity of the absorption peak at 440 nm increased and the color of SP-Si solution turned from colorless to yellow gradually. The polymer serves as chemosensor for colorimetric detection of Ag+ and Fe3+ ions. Addition of Ag+ and Fe3+ ions to SP-Si solution induced color change from colorless to brown and earthy yellow, respectively. Sensing of Ag+ ions by SP-Si was not affected by common competitive metal ions except Hg2+ ions. Based on the transformation from colorless SP-Si solution with negligible absorption at 440 nm to brown SP-Si/Ag+ showing extremely strong absorption at 440 nm by addition of Ag+ ions and subsequent transformation from brown to colorless SP-Si/Ag+/Hg2+ with relatively weak absorption at 440 nm after addition of 1 equivalent of Hg2+ ions, SP-Si/Ag+ system serves as a dual colorimetric and spectroscopic probe for highly selective and sensitive detection of Hg2+ ions. The selective detection of Fe3+ ions by SP-Si is not interfered by common competitive metal ions including Na+, K+, Li+, Hg2+, Ni2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Sr2+, Cu2+, Al3+, Ce3+ and Cr3+. The detection limit of Ag+ and Fe3+ ions is 1.45 × 10-6 M and 3.52 × 10-6 M, respectively.

Estimation of plasma ion saturation current and reduced tip arcing using Langmuir probe harmonics.

PubMed

Boedo, J A; Rudakov, D L

2017-03-01

We present a method to calculate the ion saturation current, I sat , for Langmuir probes at high frequency (>100 kHz) using the harmonics technique and we compare that to a direct measurement of I sat . It is noted that the I sat estimation can be made directly by the ratio of harmonic amplitudes, without explicitly calculating T e . We also demonstrate that since the probe tips using the harmonic method are oscillating near the floating potential, drawing little power, this method reduces tip heating and arcing and allows plasma density measurements at a plasma power flux that would cause continuously biased tips to arc. A multi-probe array is used, with two spatially separated tips employing the harmonics technique and measuring the amplitude of at least two harmonics per tip. A third tip, located between the other two, measures the ion saturation current directly. We compare the measured and calculated ion saturation currents for a variety of plasma conditions and demonstrate the validity of the technique and its use in reducing arcs.

Estimation of plasma ion saturation current and reduced tip arcing using Langmuir probe harmonics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boedo, J. A.; Rudakov, D. L.

Here we present a method to calculate the ion saturation current, I sat, for Langmuir probes at high frequency (>100 kHz) using the harmonics technique and we compare that to a direct measurement of I sat. It is noted that the Isat estimation can be made directly by the ratio of harmonic amplitudes, without explicitly calculating T e. We also demonstrate that since the probe tips using the harmonic method are oscillating near the floating potential, drawing little power, this method reduces tip heating and arcing and allows plasma density measurements at a plasma power flux that would cause continuouslymore » biased tips to arc. A multi-probe array is used, with two spatially separated tips employing the harmonics technique and measuring the amplitude of at least two harmonics per tip. A third tip, located between the other two, measures the ion saturation current directly. We compare the measured and calculated ion saturation currents for a variety of plasma conditions and demonstrate the validity of the technique and it’s use in reducing arcs.« less

Estimation of plasma ion saturation current and reduced tip arcing using Langmuir probe harmonics

DOE PAGES

Boedo, J. A.; Rudakov, D. L.

2017-03-20

Here we present a method to calculate the ion saturation current, I sat, for Langmuir probes at high frequency (>100 kHz) using the harmonics technique and we compare that to a direct measurement of I sat. It is noted that the Isat estimation can be made directly by the ratio of harmonic amplitudes, without explicitly calculating T e. We also demonstrate that since the probe tips using the harmonic method are oscillating near the floating potential, drawing little power, this method reduces tip heating and arcing and allows plasma density measurements at a plasma power flux that would cause continuouslymore » biased tips to arc. A multi-probe array is used, with two spatially separated tips employing the harmonics technique and measuring the amplitude of at least two harmonics per tip. A third tip, located between the other two, measures the ion saturation current directly. We compare the measured and calculated ion saturation currents for a variety of plasma conditions and demonstrate the validity of the technique and it’s use in reducing arcs.« less

Solar Probe ANalyzer for Ions - Laboratory Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livi, R.; Larson, D. E.; Kasper, J. C.; Korreck, K. E.; Whittlesey, P. L.

2017-12-01

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission is a heliospheric satellite that will orbit the Sun closer than any prior mission to date with a perihelion of 35 solar radii (RS) and an aphelion of 10 RS. PSP includes the Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) instrument suite, which in turn consists of four instruments: the Solar Probe Cup (SPC) and three Solar Probe ANalyzers (SPAN) for ions and electrons. Together, this suite will take local measurements of particles and electromagnetic fields within the Sun's corona. SPAN-Ai has completed flight calibration and spacecraft integration and is set to be launched in July of 2018. The main mode of operation consists of an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) at its aperture followed by a Time-of-Flight section to measure the energy and mass per charge (m/q) of the ambient ions. SPAN-Ai's main objective is to measure solar wind ions within an energy range of 5 eV - 20 keV, a mass/q between 1-60 [amu/q] and a field of view of 2400x1200. Here we will show flight calibration results and performance.

2D electron density profile measurement in tokamak by laser-accelerated ion-beam probe.

PubMed

Chen, Y H; Yang, X Y; Lin, C; Wang, L; Xu, M; Wang, X G; Xiao, C J

2014-11-01

A new concept of Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic has been proposed, of which the key is to replace the electrostatic accelerator of traditional HIBP by a laser-driven ion accelerator. Due to the large energy spread of ions, the laser-accelerated HIBP can measure the two-dimensional (2D) electron density profile of tokamak plasma. In a preliminary simulation, a 2D density profile was reconstructed with a spatial resolution of about 2 cm, and with the error below 15% in the core region. Diagnostics of 2D density fluctuation is also discussed.

High-resolution Measurement of Contact Ion-pair Structures in Aqueous RbCl Solutions from the Simultaneous Corefinement of their Rb and Cl K-edge XAFS and XRD Spectra

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pham, Van-Thai; Fulton, John L.

2016-06-21

In concentrated solutions of aqueous RbCl, all of the Rb+ and Cl- ions exist as contact ion pairs. This full structural assessment is derived from the refinement of three independent experimental measurements: the Rb and Cl K-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and the x-ray diffraction spectra (XRD). This simultaneous refinement of the XAFS and XRD data provides high accuracy since each method probes the structure of different local regions about the ions with high sensitivity. At high RbCl concentration (6 m (mol/kg )) the solution is dominated by Rb+ - Cl- contact ion pairs yielding an average of 1.5more » pairs at an Rb-Cl distance of 3.24 Å. Upon formation of these ion pairs, approximately 1.1 waters molecules are displaced from the Rb+ and 1.4 water molecules from Cl-. The hydration shells about both the cation and anion are also determined. These results greatly improve the understanding of monovalent ions and provide a basis for testing the Rb+-Cl- interaction potentials used in molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. This research was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences.« less

How does a probe inserted into the discharge influence the plasma structure?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yordanov, D.; Lishev, St.; Shivarova, A.

2016-05-01

Shielding the bias applied to the probe by the sheath formed around it and determination of parameters of unperturbed plasmas are in the basis of the probe diagnostics. The results from a two-dimensional model of a discharge with a probe inserted in it show that the probe influences the spatial distribution of the plasma parameters in the entire discharge. The increase (although slight) in the electron temperature, due to the increased losses of charged particles on the additional wall in the discharge (mainly the probe holder), leads to redistribution of the plasma density and plasma potential, as shown by the results obtained at the floating potential of the probe. The deviations due to the bias applied to the probe tip are stronger in the ion saturation region of the probe characteristics. The pattern of the spatial redistribution of the plasma parameters advances together with the movement of the probe deeper in the discharge. Although probe sheaths and probe characteristics resulting from the model are shown, the study does not aim at discussions on the theories for determination of the plasma density from the ion saturation current. Regardless of the modifications in the plasma behavior in the entire discharge, the deviations of the plasma parameters at the position of the probe tip and, respectively, the uncertainty which should be added as an error when the accuracy of the probe diagnostics is estimated do not exceed 10%. Consequently, the electron density and temperature obtained, respectively, at the position of the plasma potential on the probe characteristics and from its transition region are in reasonable agreement with the results from the model of the discharge without a probe. Being in the scope of research on a source of negative hydrogen ions with the design of a matrix of small radius inductive discharges, the model is specified for a low-pressure hydrogen discharge sustained in a small-radius tube.

Combining microscopic and macroscopic probes to untangle the single-ion anisotropy and exchange energies in an S = 1 quantum antiferromagnet [Combining micro- and macroscopic probes to untangle single-ion and spatial exchange anisotropies in a S = 1 quantum antiferromagnet

DOE PAGES

Brambleby, Jamie; Manson, Jamie L.; Goddard, Paul A.; ...

2017-04-20

The magnetic ground state of the quasi-one-dimensional spin-1 antiferromagnetic chain is sensitive to the relative sizes of the single-ion anisotropy (D) and the intrachain (J) and interchain (J') exchange interactions. The ratios D/J and J' /J dictate the material's placement in one of three competing phases: a Haldane gapped phase, a quantum paramagnet, and an XY-ordered state, with a quantum critical point at their junction. We have identified [Ni(HF 2)(pyz) 2] SbF 6, where pyz = pyrazine, as a rare candidate in which this behavior can be explored in detail. Combining neutron scattering (elastic and inelastic) in applied magnetic fieldsmore » of up to 10 tesla and magnetization measurements in fields of up to 60 tesla with numerical modeling of experimental observables, we are able to obtain accurate values of all of the parameters of the Hamiltonian [D = 13.3(1) K, J = 10.4(3) K, and J' = 1.4(2) K], despite the polycrystalline nature of the sample. Density-functional theory calculations result in similar couplings (J = 9.2 K, J' = 1.8 K) and predict that the majority of the total spin population resides on the Ni(II) ion, while the remaining spin density is delocalized over both ligand types. Finally, the general procedures outlined in this paper permit phase boundaries and quantum-critical points to be explored in anisotropic systems for which single crystals are as yet unavailable.« less

Pitch Angle Dependence of Drift Resonant Ions Observed by the Van Allen Probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rankin, R.; Wang, C.; Wang, Y.; Zong, Q. G.; Zhou, X.

2017-12-01

Acceleration and modulation of ring current ions by poloidal mode ULF waves is investigated. A simplified MHD model of ULF waves in a dipole magnetic field is presented that includes phase mixing to perpendicular scales determined by the ionospheric Pedersen conductivity. The wave model is combined with a full Lorentz force test particle code to study drift and drift bounce resonance wave-particle interactions. Ion trajectories are traced backward-in-time to an assumed form of the distribution function, and Liouville's method is used to reconstruct the phase space density response (PSD) poloidal mode waves observed by the Van Allen Probes. In spite of its apparent simplicity, simulations using the wave and test particle models are able to explain the acceleration of ions and energy dispersion observed by the Van Allen Probes. The paper focuses on the pitch angle evolution of the initial PSD as it responds to the action of ULF waves. An interesting aspect of the study is the formation of butterfly ion distributions as ions make periodic radial oscillations across L. Ions become trapped in an effective potential well across a limited range of L and follow trajectories that cause them to surf along constant phase fronts. The impications of this new trapping mechanism for both ions and electrons is discussed.

Development of a pepper pot emittance probe and its application for ECR ion beam studies.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kondrashev, S.; Barcikowski, A.; Mustapha, B.

2009-07-21

A pepper pot-scintillator screen system has been developed and used to measure the emittance of DC ion beams extracted from a high-intensity permanent magnet ECR ion source. The system includes a fast beam shutter with a minimum dwell time of 18 ms to reduce the degradation of the CsI(Tl) scintillator by DC ion beam irradiation and a CCD camera with a variable shutter speed in the range of 1 {micro}s-65 s. On-line emittance measurements are performed by an application code developed on a LabVIEW platform. The sensitivity of the device is sufficient to measure the emittance of DC ion beamsmore » with current densities down to about 100 nA/cm{sup 2}. The emittance of all ion species extracted from the ECR ion source and post-accelerated to an energy of 75-90 keV/charge have been measured downstream of the LEBT. As the mass-to-charge ratio of ion species increases, the normalized RMS emittances in both transverse phase planes decrease from 0.5-1.0 {pi} mm mrad for light ions to 0.05-0.09 {pi} mm mrad for highly charged {sup 209}Bi ions. The dependence of the emittance on ion's mass-to-charge ratio follows very well the dependence expected from beam rotation induced by decreasing ECR axial magnetic field. The measured emittance values cannot be explained by only ion beam rotation for all ion species and the contribution to emittance of ion temperature in plasma, non-linear electric fields and non-linear space charge is comparable or even higher than the contribution of ion beam rotation.« less

Development of the scintillator-based probe for fast-ion losses in the HL-2A tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. P.; Liu, Yi; Luo, X. B.; Isobe, M.; Yuan, G. L.; Liu, Y. Q.; Hua, Y.; Song, X. Y.; Yang, J. W.; Li, X.; Chen, W.; Li, Y.; Yan, L. W.; Song, X. M.; Yang, Q. W.; Duan, X. R.

2014-05-01

A new scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe (SLIP) has been developed and operated in the HL-2A tokamak [L. W. Yan, X. R. Duan, X. T. Ding, J. Q. Dong, Q. W. Yang, Yi Liu, X. L. Zou, D. Q. Liu, W. M. Xuan, L. Y. Chen, J. Rao, X. M. Song, Y. Huang, W. C. Mao, Q. M. Wang, Q. Li, Z. Cao, B. Li, J. Y. Cao, G. J. Lei, J. H. Zhang, X. D. Li, W. Chen, J. Chen, C. H. Cui, Z. Y. Cui, Z. C. Deng, Y. B. Dong, B. B. Feng, Q. D. Gao, X. Y. Han, W. Y. Hong, M. Huang, X. Q. Ji, Z. H. Kang, D. F. Kong, T. Lan, G. S. Li, H. J. Li, Qing Li, W. Li, Y. G. Li, A. D. Liu, Z. T. Liu, C. W. Luo, X. H. Mao, Y. D. Pan, J. F. Peng, Z. B. Shi, S. D. Song, X. Y. Song, H. J. Sun, A. K. Wang, M. X. Wang, Y. Q. Wang, W. W. Xiao, Y. F. Xie, L. H. Yao, D. L. Yu, B. S. Yuan, K. J. Zhao, G. W. Zhong, J. Zhou, J. C. Yan, C. X. Yu, C. H. Pan, Y. Liu, and the HL-2A Team, Nucl. Fusion 51, 094016 (2011)] to measure the losses of neutral beam ions. The design of the probe is based on the concept of the α-particle detectors on Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) using scintillator plates. The probe is capable of traveling across an equatorial plane port and sweeping the aperture angle rotationally with respect to the axis of the probe shaft by two step motors, in order to optimize the radial position and the collimator angle. The energy and the pitch angle of the lost fast ions can be simultaneously measured if the two-dimensional image of scintillation light intensity due to the impact of the lost fast ions is detected. Measurements of the fast-ion losses using the probe have been performed during HL-2A neutral beam injection discharges. The clear experimental evidence of enhanced losses of beam ions during disruptions has been obtained by means of the SLIP system. A detailed description of the probe system and the first experimental results are reported.

Development of the scintillator-based probe for fast-ion losses in the HL-2A tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Y. P., E-mail: zhangyp@swip.ac.cn; Liu, Yi; Yuan, G. L.

A new scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe (SLIP) has been developed and operated in the HL-2A tokamak [L. W. Yan, X. R. Duan, X. T. Ding, J. Q. Dong, Q. W. Yang, Yi Liu, X. L. Zou, D. Q. Liu, W. M. Xuan, L. Y. Chen, J. Rao, X. M. Song, Y. Huang, W. C. Mao, Q. M. Wang, Q. Li, Z. Cao, B. Li, J. Y. Cao, G. J. Lei, J. H. Zhang, X. D. Li, W. Chen, J. Chen, C. H. Cui, Z. Y. Cui, Z. C. Deng, Y. B. Dong, B. B. Feng, Q. D. Gao, X. Y.more » Han, W. Y. Hong, M. Huang, X. Q. Ji, Z. H. Kang, D. F. Kong, T. Lan, G. S. Li, H. J. Li, Qing Li, W. Li, Y. G. Li, A. D. Liu, Z. T. Liu, C. W. Luo, X. H. Mao, Y. D. Pan, J. F. Peng, Z. B. Shi, S. D. Song, X. Y. Song, H. J. Sun, A. K. Wang, M. X. Wang, Y. Q. Wang, W. W. Xiao, Y. F. Xie, L. H. Yao, D. L. Yu, B. S. Yuan, K. J. Zhao, G. W. Zhong, J. Zhou, J. C. Yan, C. X. Yu, C. H. Pan, Y. Liu, and the HL-2A Team , Nucl. Fusion 51, 094016 (2011)] to measure the losses of neutral beam ions. The design of the probe is based on the concept of the α-particle detectors on Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) using scintillator plates. The probe is capable of traveling across an equatorial plane port and sweeping the aperture angle rotationally with respect to the axis of the probe shaft by two step motors, in order to optimize the radial position and the collimator angle. The energy and the pitch angle of the lost fast ions can be simultaneously measured if the two-dimensional image of scintillation light intensity due to the impact of the lost fast ions is detected. Measurements of the fast-ion losses using the probe have been performed during HL-2A neutral beam injection discharges. The clear experimental evidence of enhanced losses of beam ions during disruptions has been obtained by means of the SLIP system. A detailed description of the probe system and the first experimental results are reported.« less

A colorimetric and fluorogenic probe for bisulfite using benzopyrylium as the recognition unit.

PubMed

Zhang, Yun; Zhang, Xiangwen; Yang, Xiao-Feng; Zhang, Juan

2017-11-01

A coumarin-benzopyrylium (CB) platform has been developed for the colorimetric and fluorogenic detection of bisulfite. The proposed probe utilizes coumarin as the fluorophore and positively charged benzopyrylium as the reaction site. The method employs the nucleophilic addition of bisulfite to the benzopyrylium moiety of CB to inactivate the electron-deficient oxonium ion. The driving force for photo-induced electron transfer is considerably diminished, thereby promoting the emission intensity of the coumarin fluorophore. The fluorescence intensity at 510 nm is linear with bisulfite concentration over a range of 0.2-7.5 μM with a detection limit of 42 nM (3δ). CB shows a rapid response (within 30 s) and high selectivity and sensitivity for bisulfite. Preliminary studies show that CB has great potential for bisulfite detection in real samples and in living cells. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Micro- and nano-technologies to probe the mechano-biology of the brain.

PubMed

Tay, Andy; Schweizer, Felix E; Di Carlo, Dino

2016-05-24

Biomechanical forces have been demonstrated to influence a plethora of neuronal functions across scales including gene expression, mechano-sensitive ion channels, neurite outgrowth and folding of the cortices in the brain. However, the detailed roles biomechanical forces may play in brain development and disorders has seen limited study, partly due to a lack of effective methods to probe the mechano-biology of the brain. Current techniques to apply biomechanical forces on neurons often suffer from low throughput and poor spatiotemporal resolution. On the other hand, newly developed micro- and nano-technologies can overcome these aforementioned limitations and offer advantages such as lower cost and possibility of non-invasive control of neuronal circuits. This review compares the range of conventional, micro- and nano-technological techniques that have been developed and how they have been or can be used to understand the effect of biomechanical forces on neuronal development and homeostasis.

A novel colorimetric probe derived from isonicotic acid hydrazide for copper (II) determination based on internal charge transfer (ICT).

PubMed

Liu, Qing; Fei, Qiang; Fei, Yanqun; Fan, Qian; Shan, Hongyan; Feng, Guodong; Huan, Yanfu

2015-12-05

A novel isonicotic acid hydrazide Schiff base derivative N'-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-benzylidene) isonicotinohydrazide (DHIH) has been synthesized and developed as a high selective and sensitive colorimetric probe for Cu(2+) determination. Addition of Cu(2+) to the solution of DHIH resulted in a rapid color change from colorless to yellow together with an obvious new absorption band appeared at the range of 400-440 nm by forming a 1:1 complex. Experimental results indicated that the DHIH could provide absorption response to Cu(2+) with a linear dynamic range from 1.0×10(-5) to 1.0×10(-4)mol/L. The detection limit of Cu(2+) was 5.24×10(-7)mol/L with good tolerance of other metal ions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ICRF-Induced Changes in Floating Potential and Ion Saturation Current in the EAST Divertor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, Rory; Hosea, Joel; Taylor, Gary; Bertelli, Nicola; Kramer, Gerrit; Qin, Chengming; Wang, Liang; Yang, Jichan; Zhang, Xinjun

2017-10-01

Injection of waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) into a tokamak can potentially raise the plasma potential via RF rectification. Probes are affected both by changes in plasma potential and also by RF-averaging of the probe characteristic, with the latter tending to drop the floating potential. We present the effect of ICRF heating on divertor Langmuir probes in the EAST experiment. Over a scan of the outer gap, probes connected to the antennas have increases in floating potential with ICRF, but probes in between the outer-vessel strike point and flux surface tangent to the antenna have decreased floating potential. This behaviour is investigated using field-line mapping. Preliminary results show that mdiplane gas puffing can suppress the strong influence of ICRF on the probes' floating potential.

Cyclic Voltammetry Probe Approach Curves with Alkali Amalgams at Mercury Sphere-Cap Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy Probes.

PubMed

Barton, Zachary J; Rodríguez-López, Joaquín

2017-03-07

We report a method of precisely positioning a Hg-based ultramicroelectrode (UME) for scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) investigations of any substrate. Hg-based probes are capable of performing amalgamation reactions with metal cations, which avoid unwanted side reactions and positive feedback mechanisms that can prove problematic for traditional probe positioning methods. However, prolonged collection of ions eventually leads to saturation of the amalgam accompanied by irreversible loss of Hg. In order to obtain negative feedback positioning control without risking damage to the SECM probe, we implement cyclic voltammetry probe approach surfaces (CV-PASs), consisting of CVs performed between incremental motor movements. The amalgamation current, peak stripping current, and integrated stripping charge extracted from a shared CV-PAS give three distinct probe approach curves (CV-PACs), which can be used to determine the tip-substrate gap to within 1% of the probe radius. Using finite element simulations, we establish a new protocol for fitting any CV-PAC and demonstrate its validity with experimental results for sodium and potassium ions in propylene carbonate by obtaining over 3 orders of magnitude greater accuracy and more than 20-fold greater precision than existing methods. Considering the timescales of diffusion and amalgam saturation, we also present limiting conditions for obtaining and fitting CV-PAC data. The ion-specific signals isolated in CV-PACs allow precise and accurate positioning of Hg-based SECM probes over any sample and enable the deployment of CV-PAS SECM as an analytical tool for traditionally challenging conditions.

A high excitation magnetic quadrupole lens quadruplet incorporating a single octupole lens for a low spherical aberration probe forming lens system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dou, Yanxin; Jamieson, David N.; Liu, Jianli; Li, Liyi

2018-03-01

This paper describes the design of a new probe forming lens system consisting of a high excitation magnetic quadrupole lens quadruplet that incorporates a single magnetic octupole lens. This system achieves both a high demagnification and a low spherical aberration compared to conventional high excitation systems and is intended for deployment for the Harbin 300 MeV proton microprobe for applications in space science and ion beam therapy. This relative simplicity of the ion optical design to include a single octupole lens minimizes the risks associated with the constructional and operational precision usually needed for the probe forming lens system and this system could also be deployed in microprobe systems that operate with less magnetically rigid ions. The design of the new system is validated with reference to two independent ion optical computer codes.

Innovative SPM Probes for Energy-Storage Science: MWCNT-Nanopipettes to Nanobattery Probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, Jonathan; Talin, Alec; Pearse, Alexander; Kozen, Alexander; Reutt-Robey, Janice

As energy-storage materials and designs continue to advance, new tools are needed to direct and explore ion insertion/de-insertion at well-defined battery materials interfaces. Scanned probe tips, assembled from actual energy-storage materials, permit SPM measures of local cathode-anode (tip-sample) interactions, including ion transfer. We present examples of ``cathode'' MWCNT-terminated STM probe tips interacting with Li(s)/Si(111) anode substrates. The MWCNT tip functions as both SPM probe and Li-nanopipette,[1] for controlled transport and manipulation of Li. Local field conditions for lithium ionization and transfer are determined and compared to electrostatic models. Additional lithium metallic and oxide tips have been prepared by thin film deposition on conventional W tips, the latter of which effectively functions as a nanobattery. We demonstrate use of these novel probe materials in the local lithiation of low-index Si anode interfaces, probing local barriers for lithium insertion. Prospects and limitations of these novel SPM probes will be discussed. U.S. Department of Energy Award Number DESC0001160.

Strangeness from SPS to FAIR: Searching for the onset of deconfinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friese, Volker

2017-12-01

Since the early days of heavy-ion physics, strangeness has been considered a sensitive probe of the state of matter created in nuclear collisions. This assessment still holds today, where we are witnessing renewed interest in collisions at moderate energies, manifested in the running or projected experimental programmes at RHIC, SPS, FAIR, and NICA. In this article, we will review the current understanding of strangeness production at lower energies and discuss how far future measurement of strange particles can contribute to understanding the properties of dense QCD matter and to the search for the onset of deconfinement.

Nonlinear single-spin spectrum analyzer.

PubMed

Kotler, Shlomi; Akerman, Nitzan; Glickman, Yinnon; Ozeri, Roee

2013-03-15

Qubits have been used as linear spectrum analyzers of their environments. Here we solve the problem of nonlinear spectral analysis, required for discrete noise induced by a strongly coupled environment. Our nonperturbative analytical model shows a nonlinear signal dependence on noise power, resulting in a spectral resolution beyond the Fourier limit as well as frequency mixing. We develop a noise characterization scheme adapted to this nonlinearity. We then apply it using a single trapped ion as a sensitive probe of strong, non-Gaussian, discrete magnetic field noise. Finally, we experimentally compared the performance of equidistant vs Uhrig modulation schemes for spectral analysis.

Far infrared diagnostics of electron concentration in combustion MHD plasmas using interferometry and Faraday rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmenko, P. J.

1985-12-01

The plasma electrical conductivity is a key parameter in determining the efficiency of an magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator. Electromagnetic waves offer an accurate, non-intrusive probe. The electron concentration and mobility may be deduced from the refractive index and absorption coefficient measured with an interferometer. The first experiment used an HCOOH laser at 393.6 microns feeding a Michelson interferometer mounted around a combustor duct with open ports. Simultaneous measurements of positive ion density and plasma temperature made with a Langmuir probe and line reversal apparatus verified the operation of the interferometer. With a magnetic field present, measurement of the polarization rotation and induced ellipticity in a wave traveling along the field provides information on the plasma conductivity. Compared to interferometry, diagnostic apparatus based on Faraday rotation offers simpler optics and requires far less stringent mechanical stability at a cost of lower sensitivity. An advanced detection scheme, using a polarizing beam splitter improved the sensitivity to be comparable to that of interferometry. Interferometry is the preferred technique for small scale, high accuracy measurements, with Faraday rotation reserved for large systems or measurements within a working generator.

An ultrasensitive and selective method for the determination of Ceftriaxone using cysteine capped cadmium sulfide fluorescence quenched quantum dots as fluorescence probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samadi, Naser; Narimani, Saeedeh

2016-06-01

In this paper, L-cysteine (Cys) coated CdS quantum dots (QDs) have been prepared, which have excellent water-solubility and are highly stable in aqueous solution. These QDs is proposed as sensitizers for the determination of Ceftriaxone. The quantum dot nanoparticles were structurally and optically characterized by Ultra Violet-Visible absorption Spectroscopy (UV-vis absorption spectroscopy), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR spectra) and photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirms that the Cys-CdS QDs have a spherical structure with good crystallinity. Therefore, a new simple and selective PL analysis system was developed for the determination of Ceftriaxone (CFX). Under the optimum conditions, The response of L-Cys capped CdS QDs as the probe was linearly proportional to the concentration of Ceftriaxone ions in the range of 1.6 × 10- 9-1.1 × 10- 3 M with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9902. The limit of detection of this system was found to be 1.3 nM. This method is simple, sensitive and low cost.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yordanov, D., E-mail: yordanov@phys.uni-sofia.bg; Lishev, St.; Shivarova, A.

Shielding the bias applied to the probe by the sheath formed around it and determination of parameters of unperturbed plasmas are in the basis of the probe diagnostics. The results from a two-dimensional model of a discharge with a probe inserted in it show that the probe influences the spatial distribution of the plasma parameters in the entire discharge. The increase (although slight) in the electron temperature, due to the increased losses of charged particles on the additional wall in the discharge (mainly the probe holder), leads to redistribution of the plasma density and plasma potential, as shown by themore » results obtained at the floating potential of the probe. The deviations due to the bias applied to the probe tip are stronger in the ion saturation region of the probe characteristics. The pattern of the spatial redistribution of the plasma parameters advances together with the movement of the probe deeper in the discharge. Although probe sheaths and probe characteristics resulting from the model are shown, the study does not aim at discussions on the theories for determination of the plasma density from the ion saturation current. Regardless of the modifications in the plasma behavior in the entire discharge, the deviations of the plasma parameters at the position of the probe tip and, respectively, the uncertainty which should be added as an error when the accuracy of the probe diagnostics is estimated do not exceed 10%. Consequently, the electron density and temperature obtained, respectively, at the position of the plasma potential on the probe characteristics and from its transition region are in reasonable agreement with the results from the model of the discharge without a probe. Being in the scope of research on a source of negative hydrogen ions with the design of a matrix of small radius inductive discharges, the model is specified for a low-pressure hydrogen discharge sustained in a small-radius tube.« less

Synthesis and sensor activity of a PET-based 1,8-naphthalimide Probe for Zn(2+) and pH determination.

PubMed

Dimov, Stefan M; Georgiev, Nikolai I; Asiri, Abdullah M; Bojinov, Vladimir B

2014-11-01

A novel blue-emitting 1,8-naphthalimide fluorophore designed as a molecular PET-based probe for determination of pH and detection of transition metal ions in the environment was successfully synthesized. Novel compound was configured on the "fluorophore-spacer-receptor" format. Due to the tertiary amine receptor the novel system showed "off-on" switching properties under the transition from alkaline to acid media (FE = 3.2) and in the presence of Zn(2+) ions (FE = 2.5). The results obtained illustrate the high potential of the synthesized blue-emitting 1,8-naphthalimide fluorophore as an efficient pH chemosensing material and a selective probe for Zn(2+) ions.

Measurement Sensitivity Of Liquid Droplet Parameters Using Optical Fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Alok K.; Mandal, Anup K.

1990-02-01

A new clad probing technique is used to measure the size, number, refractive index and viscosity of liquid droplets sprayed from a pressure nozzle on an uncoated core-clad fiber. The probe monitors the clad mode power loss within the leaky ray zone represented as a three region fiber. Liquid droplets measured are Glycerine, commercial grade Turpentine, Linseed oil and some oil mixtures. The measurement sensitivity depends on probing conditions and clad diameter which is observed experimentally and verified analytically. A maximum sensitivity is obtained for the tapered probe-fiber diameter made equal to the clad thickness. A slowly tapered probe-fiber and a small end angle as well as separation of the sensor-fiber and the probe-fiber further improve the sensitivity. Under the best probing condition for 90-percent Glycerine droplets of - 50 micron diameter and a 50/125 micron sensor fiber with clad refractive index of 1.465 and 0.2 NA, the measured sensitivity per drop is 0.015 and 0.006 dB, respectively, for (10-20) and (100-200) droplets. Sensitivities for different systems are shown. The sensitivity is optimized by choosing proper fiber for known liquids.

Precise detection of pH inside large unilamellar vesicles using membrane-impermeable dendritic porphyrin-based nanoprobes.

PubMed

Leiding, Thom; Górecki, Kamil; Kjellman, Tomas; Vinogradov, Sergei A; Hägerhäll, Cecilia; Arsköld, Sindra Peterson

2009-05-15

Accurate real-time measurements of proton concentration gradients are pivotal to mechanistic studies of proton translocation by membrane-bound enzymes. Here we report a detailed characterization of the pH-sensitive fluorescent nanoprobe Glu(3), which is well suited for pH measurements in microcompartmentalized biological systems. The probe is a polyglutamic porphyrin dendrimer in which multiple carboxylate termini ensure its high water solubility and prevent its diffusion across phospholipid membranes. The probe's pK is in the physiological pH range, and its protonation can be followed ratiometrically by absorbance or fluorescence in the ultraviolet-visible spectral region. The usefulness of the probe was enhanced by using a semiautomatic titration system coupled to a charge-coupled device (CCD) spectrometer, enabling fast and accurate titrations and full spectral coverage of the system at millisecond time resolution. The probe's pK was measured in bulk solutions as well as inside large unilamellar vesicles in the presence of physiologically relevant ions. Glu(3) was found to be completely membrane impermeable, and its distinct spectroscopic features permit pH measurements inside closed membrane vesicles, enabling quantitative mechanistic studies of membrane-spanning proteins. Performance of the probe was demonstrated by monitoring the rate of proton leakage through the phospholipid bilayer in large vesicles with and without the uncoupler gramicidin present. Overall, as a probe for biological proton translocation measurements, Glu(3) was found to be superior to the commercially available pH indicators.

Carbon-Based Solid-State Calcium Ion-Selective Microelectrode and Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy: A Quantitative Study of pH-Dependent Release of Calcium Ions from Bioactive Glass.

PubMed

Ummadi, Jyothir Ganesh; Downs, Corey J; Joshi, Vrushali S; Ferracane, Jack L; Koley, Dipankar

2016-03-15

Solid-state ion-selective electrodes are used as scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) probes because of their inherent fast response time and ease of miniaturization. In this study, we report the development of a solid-state, low-poly(vinyl chloride), carbon-based calcium ion-selective microelectrode (Ca(2+)-ISME), 25 μm in diameter, capable of performing an amperometric approach curve and serving as a potentiometric sensor. The Ca(2+)-ISME has a broad linear response range of 5 μM to 200 mM with a near Nernstian slope of 28 mV/log[a(Ca(2+))]. The calculated detection limit for Ca(2+)-ISME is 1 μM. The selectivity coefficients of this Ca(2+)-ISME are log K(Ca(2+),A) = -5.88, -5.54, and -6.31 for Mg(2+), Na(+), and K(+), respectively. We used this new type of Ca(2+)-ISME as an SECM probe to quantitatively map the chemical microenvironment produced by a model substrate, bioactive glass (BAG). In acidic conditions (pH 4.5), BAG was found to increase the calcium ion concentration from 0.7 mM ([Ca(2+)] in artificial saliva) to 1.4 mM at 20 μm above the surface. In addition, a solid-state dual SECM pH probe was used to correlate the release of calcium ions with the change in local pH. Three-dimensional pH and calcium ion distribution mapping were also obtained by using these solid-state probes. The quantitative mapping of pH and Ca(2+) above the BAG elucidates the effectiveness of BAG in neutralizing and releasing calcium ions in acidic conditions.

Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Polymer-Caged Silver Nanoparticle as a Smart Colorimetric Probe for the Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide.

PubMed

Zhang, Yue; Shen, Hui-Yan; Hai, Xin; Chen, Xu-Wei; Wang, Jian-Hua

2017-01-17

The rapid and accurate detection of hydrogen sulfide is of great concern due to its unique role on environmental pollution and signal transmission in physiological systems. Herein, we report a smart colorimetric probe for the selective detection of H 2 S. The probe is prepared via a surfactant-free route with cross-linked polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) polymer cage as capping ligand and reducing agent under microwave irradiation, called poly-POSS-formaldehyde polymer (PPF) cage-AgNPs or PPF-AgNPs for short. The caged silver nanoparticles are well-dispersed with narrow size distribution within 6.0-8.4 nm. Chloride ions and aldehyde groups in PPF make the nucleation and growth of Ag nanoparticles accomplished within a very short time of 1 min. The positively charged PPF-AgNPs exhibit excellent selectivity to H 2 S against other anionic species and thiols due to the specific Ag-H 2 S interaction, where the favorable protection effect of PPF polymer cage from the nanoparticle aggregation is demonstrated. The colorimetric probe presents a quick response to H 2 S (<3 min) and favorable sensitivity within a linear range of 0.7-10 μM along with a detection limit of 0.2 μM. The probe is well demonstrated by analysis of H 2 S in various water and biological samples.

Interferometric pump-probe characterization of the nonlocal response of optically transparent ion implanted polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanov, Ivan L.; Hadjichristov, Georgi B.

2012-03-01

Optical interferometric technique is applied to characterize the nonlocal response of optically transparent ion implanted polymers. The thermal nonlinearity of the ion-modified material in the near-surface region is induced by continuous wave (cw) laser irradiation at a relatively low intensity. The interferometry approach is demonstrated for a subsurface layer of a thickness of about 100 nm formed in bulk polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) by implantation with silicon ions at an energy of 50 keV and fluence in the range 1014-1017 cm-2. The laser-induced thermooptic effect in this layer is finely probed by interferometric imaging. The interference phase distribution in the plane of the ion implanted layer is indicative for the thermal nonlinearity of the near-surface region of ion implanted optically transparent polymeric materials.

Sensitivity-enhanced Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped YAG single crystal optical fiber thermometry based on upconversion emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Lu; Ye, Linhua; Bao, Renjie; Zhang, Xianwei; Wang, Li-Gang

2018-03-01

Optical thermometry based on Y3Al5O12 (YAG) single crystal optical fiber with end Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped is presented. The YAG crystal fiber with end Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped was grown by laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) method. Under a 976 nm laser diode excitation, the upconversion (UC) emissions, originating from 3F2,3 →3H6 and 3H4 →3H6 transitions of Tm3+ ions, were investigated in the temperature range from 333 K to 733 K. Interestingly, the UC emission intensity of 3F2,3 →3H6 transition was significantly enhanced with increase of temperature, as compared with the other Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped materials. The temperature dependence of fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of these two emission bands (3F2,3/3H4 →3H6) suggests that this doped YAG crystal fiber can be used as a highly sensitive optical thermal probe, which demonstrates a high absolute sensitivity with the maximum value of 0.021 K-1 at 733 K. In addition, due to the compact structure, strong mechanical strength and high thermal stability, such thermal probe may be a more promising candidate for temperature sensor with a high spatial resolution.

Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McLuckey, Scott

2016-08-30

The overall objectives of this research effort were to expand the capabilities of spectroscopic and ion chemistry tools for the structural characterization of polyatomic ions of relevance to the broad mission of the Department of Energy. Mass spectrometry currently plays an important role in virtually all of the molecular sciences by virtue of the value of the accurate measurement of mass and the structural information that can be derived from various structural probes based on, for example, ion chemistry, ion mobility, and ion spectroscopy. Mass spectrometry has long played important roles in supporting the missions of the Department of Energymore » and its predecessor agencies, particularly in the area of isotopic analysis of nuclides. Molecular mass spectrometry has played increasingly important roles is many aspects of the production and use of energy as the nation has diversified its energy portfolio. There is an ongoing need for the expansion of the measurement capabilities associated with molecular mass spectrometry that involves both technological developments as well as improved understanding of the chemical and physical processes that take place upon ionization and ion analysis in a mass spectrometer. Advances in mass spectrometry have impacted science broadly and further advances will be required to meet the needs of current energy and environmental research. This program has historically focused on the structural characterization of polyatomic ions, usually within the context of a tandem mass spectrometry experiment. A wide variety of physical and chemical processes can take place within a mass spectrometer and advantage can be taken of such processes to enhance the quality and quantity of information that can be derived for a given chemical system of interest. For example, ions can undergo interactions with neutral molecules/atoms, light, surfaces, electrons, or oppositely charged ions. The outcomes of all such interactions can be sensitive to the structures of the ions and are therefore candidates for probes of ion structure. This program has historically focused on the chemistry and physics associated with ion/neutral interactions at both low and high translational energies, and ion/ion reactions. The former area has involved the study of ion/molecule reactions at thermal energies and the extensive study of collisional activation under a wide variety of conditions. A major area of emphasis has been collisional activation in electrodynamic ion traps. The study of gas-phase ion/ion reactions within the context of tandem mass spectrometry was initiated in this program and has grown to be a major research area in this group. Most of the focus in ion/ion chemistry has been on proton transfer and electron transfer reactions and some of the work in the previous budget period was directed, in particular, to fundamental aspects of electron transfer. Recently, the discovery of selective covalent ion/ion reactions has opened up new vistas for research that will expand significantly the capabilities of tandem mass spectrometry for the structural characterization of polyatomic ions.« less

A fluorescein-based chemosensor for relay fluorescence recognition of Cu(ii) ions and biothiols in water and its applications to a molecular logic gate and living cell imaging.

PubMed

Fu, Zhen-Hai; Yan, Lu-Bin; Zhang, Xiaolong; Zhu, Fan-Fan; Han, Xin-Long; Fang, Jianguo; Wang, Ya-Wen; Peng, Yu

2017-05-16

Relay recognition of copper(ii) ions and biothiols via a fluorescence "on-off-on" cascade was designed and realized as a new sequential combination of cations and small molecules. Probe 1 bearing a fluorescein skeleton was thus synthesized, which performed well in 100% HEPES buffer (pH = 7.0) solution, as a highly sensitive, selective fluorescence sensor for Cu 2+ . The limit of detection (LOD, 0.017 ppm) was obtained, and this value is much lower than 1.3 ppm, allowed by US EPA. The 1 : 1 complex generated from fast sensing of Cu 2+ when excited at 491 nm, showed good relay recognition for biothiols (i.e., Cys, Hcy and GSH with low detection limits of 0.12 μM, 0.036 μM and 0.024 μM, respectively) via remarkable fluorescence enhancement. The origin of this relay process was disclosed through ESI-MS and corresponding density functional theory (DFT) computations. Notably, probe 1 can be utilized for the construction of a molecular logic gate with the IMPLICATION function by using the above fluorescence changes. Moreover, this relay recognition was also applied to HepG2 cell imaging successfully.

U/Th dating by SHRIMP RG ion-microprobe mass spectrometry using single ion-exchange beads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischoff, James L.; Wooden, Joe; Murphy, Fred; Williams, Ross W.

2005-04-01

We present a new analytical method for U-series isotopes using the SHRIMP RG (Sensitive High mass Resolution Ion MicroProbe) mass spectrometer that utilizes the preconcentration of the U-series isotopes from a sample onto a single ion-exchange bead. Ion-microprobe mass spectrometry is capable of producing Th ionization efficiencies in excess of 2%. Analytical precision is typically better than alpha spectroscopy, but not as good as thermal ionization mass spectroscopy (TIMS) and inductively coupled plasma multicollector mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Like TIMS and ICP-MS the method allows analysis of small samples sizes, but also adds the advantage of rapidity of analysis. A major advantage of ion-microprobe analysis is that U and Th isotopes are analyzed in the same bead, simplifying the process of chemical separation. Analytical time on the instrument is ˜60 min per sample, and a single instrument-loading can accommodate 15-20 samples to be analyzed in a 24-h day. An additional advantage is that the method allows multiple reanalyses of the same bead and that samples can be archived for reanalysis at a later time. Because the ion beam excavates a pit only a few μm deep, the mount can later be repolished and reanalyzed numerous times. The method described of preconcentrating a low concentration sample onto a small conductive substrate to allow ion-microprobe mass spectrometry is potentially applicable to many other systems.

U/Th dating by SHRIMP RG ion-microprobe mass spectrometry using single ion-exchange beads

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bischoff, J.L.; Wooden, J.; Murphy, F.; Williams, Ross W.

2005-01-01

We present a new analytical method for U-series isotopes using the SHRIMP RG (Sensitive High mass Resolution Ion MicroProbe) mass spectrometer that utilizes the preconcentration of the U-series isotopes from a sample onto a single ion-exchange bead. Ion-microprobe mass spectrometry is capable of producing Th ionization efficiencies in excess of 2%. Analytical precision is typically better than alpha spectroscopy, but not as good as thermal ionization mass spectroscopy (TIMS) and inductively coupled plasma multicollector mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Like TIMS and ICP-MS the method allows analysis of small samples sizes, but also adds the advantage of rapidity of analysis. A major advantage of ion-microprobe analysis is that U and Th isotopes are analyzed in the same bead, simplifying the process of chemical separation. Analytical time on the instrument is ???60 min per sample, and a single instrument-loading can accommodate 15-20 samples to be analyzed in a 24-h day. An additional advantage is that the method allows multiple reanalyses of the same bead and that samples can be archived for reanalysis at a later time. Because the ion beam excavates a pit only a few ??m deep, the mount can later be repolished and reanalyzed numerous times. The method described of preconcentrating a low concentration sample onto a small conductive substrate to allow ion-microprobe mass spectrometry is potentially applicable to many other systems. Copyright ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd.

Preparation and coherent manipulation of pure quantum states of a single molecular ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chou, Chin-Wen; Kurz, Christoph; Hume, David B.; Plessow, Philipp N.; Leibrandt, David R.; Leibfried, Dietrich

2017-05-01

Laser cooling and trapping of atoms and atomic ions has led to advances including the observation of exotic phases of matter, the development of precision sensors and state-of-the-art atomic clocks. The same level of control in molecules could also lead to important developments such as controlled chemical reactions and sensitive probes of fundamental theories, but the vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom in molecules pose a challenge for controlling their quantum mechanical states. Here we use quantum-logic spectroscopy, which maps quantum information between two ion species, to prepare and non-destructively detect quantum mechanical states in molecular ions. We develop a general technique for optical pumping and preparation of the molecule into a pure initial state. This enables us to observe high-resolution spectra in a single ion (CaH+) and coherent phenomena such as Rabi flopping and Ramsey fringes. The protocol requires a single, far-off-resonant laser that is not specific to the molecule, so many other molecular ions, including polyatomic species, could be treated using the same methods in the same apparatus by changing the molecular source. Combined with the long interrogation times afforded by ion traps, a broad range of molecular ions could be studied with unprecedented control and precision. Our technique thus represents a critical step towards applications such as precision molecular spectroscopy, stringent tests of fundamental physics, quantum computing and precision control of molecular dynamics.

Preparation and coherent manipulation of pure quantum states of a single molecular ion.

PubMed

Chou, Chin-Wen; Kurz, Christoph; Hume, David B; Plessow, Philipp N; Leibrandt, David R; Leibfried, Dietrich

2017-05-10

Laser cooling and trapping of atoms and atomic ions has led to advances including the observation of exotic phases of matter, the development of precision sensors and state-of-the-art atomic clocks. The same level of control in molecules could also lead to important developments such as controlled chemical reactions and sensitive probes of fundamental theories, but the vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom in molecules pose a challenge for controlling their quantum mechanical states. Here we use quantum-logic spectroscopy, which maps quantum information between two ion species, to prepare and non-destructively detect quantum mechanical states in molecular ions. We develop a general technique for optical pumping and preparation of the molecule into a pure initial state. This enables us to observe high-resolution spectra in a single ion (CaH + ) and coherent phenomena such as Rabi flopping and Ramsey fringes. The protocol requires a single, far-off-resonant laser that is not specific to the molecule, so many other molecular ions, including polyatomic species, could be treated using the same methods in the same apparatus by changing the molecular source. Combined with the long interrogation times afforded by ion traps, a broad range of molecular ions could be studied with unprecedented control and precision. Our technique thus represents a critical step towards applications such as precision molecular spectroscopy, stringent tests of fundamental physics, quantum computing and precision control of molecular dynamics.

Initial measurements of O-ion and He-ion decay rates observed from the Van Allen probes RBSPICE instrument

PubMed Central

Gerrard, Andrew; Lanzerotti, Louis; Gkioulidou, Matina; Mitchell, Donald; Manweiler, Jerry; Bortnik, Jacob; Keika, Kunihiro

2014-01-01

H-ion (∼45 keV to ∼600 keV), He-ion (∼65 keV to ∼520 keV), and O-ion (∼140 keV to ∼1130 keV) integral flux measurements, from the Radiation Belt Storm Probe Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instrument aboard the Van Allan Probes spacecraft B, are reported. These abundance data form a cohesive picture of ring current ions during the first 9 months of measurements. Furthermore, the data presented herein are used to show injection characteristics via the He-ion/H-ion abundance ratio and the O-ion/H-ion abundance ratio. Of unique interest to ring current dynamics are the spatial-temporal decay characteristics of the two injected populations. We observe that He-ions decay more quickly at lower L shells, on the order of ∼0.8 day at L shells of 3–4, and decay more slowly with higher L shell, on the order of ∼1.7 days at L shells of 5–6. Conversely, O-ions decay very rapidly (∼1.5 h) across all L shells. The He-ion decay time are consistent with previously measured and calculated lifetimes associated with charge exchange. The O-ion decay time is much faster than predicted and is attributed to the inclusion of higher-energy (> 500 keV) O-ions in our decay rate estimation. We note that these measurements demonstrate a compelling need for calculation of high-energy O-ion loss rates, which have not been adequately studied in the literature to date. Key Points We report initial observations of ring current ions We show that He-ion decay rates are consistent with theory We show that O-ions with energies greater than 500 keV decay very rapidly PMID:26167435

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Donangelo, R.J.

An integral representation for the classical limit of the quantum mechanical S-matrix is developed and applied to heavy-ion Coulomb excitation and Coulomb-nuclear interference. The method combines the quantum principle of superposition with exact classical dynamics to describe the projectile-target system. A detailed consideration of the classical trajectories and of the dimensionless parameters that characterize the system is carried out. The results are compared, where possible, to exact quantum mechanical calculations and to conventional semiclassical calculations. It is found that in the case of backscattering the classical limit S-matrix method is able to almost exactly reproduce the quantum-mechanical S-matrix elements, andmore » therefore the transition probabilities, even for projectiles as light as protons. The results also suggest that this approach should be a better approximation for heavy-ion multiple Coulomb excitation than earlier semiclassical methods, due to a more accurate description of the classical orbits in the electromagnetic field of the target nucleus. Calculations using this method indicate that the rotational excitation probabilities in the Coulomb-nuclear interference region should be very sensitive to the details of the potential at the surface of the nucleus, suggesting that heavy-ion rotational excitation could constitute a sensitive probe of the nuclear potential in this region. The application to other problems as well as the present limits of applicability of the formalism are also discussed.« less

Identification, characterization and application of a G-quadruplex structured DNA aptamer against cancer biomarker protein anterior gradient homolog 2.

PubMed

Wu, Jie; Wang, Chi; Li, Xilan; Song, Yanling; Wang, Wei; Li, Cong; Hu, Jia; Zhu, Zhi; Li, Jiuxing; Zhang, Weiyun; Lu, Zhongxian; Yang, Chaoyong James

2012-01-01

Anterior gradient homolog 2 (AGR2) is a functional protein with critical roles in a diverse range of biological systems, including vertebrate tissue development, inflammatory tissue injury responses, and cancer progression. Clinical studies have shown that the AGR2 protein is overexpressed in a wide range of human cancers, including carcinomas of the esophagus, pancreas, breast, prostate, and lung, making the protein as a potential cancer biomarker. However, the general biochemical functions of AGR2 in human cells remain undefined, and the signaling mechanisms that drive AGR2 to inhibit p53 are still not clearly illustrated. Therefore, it is of great interest to develop molecular probes specifically recognizing AGR2 for its detection and for the elucidation of AGR2-associated molecular mechanism. Through a bead-based and flow cytometry monitored SELEX technology, we have identified a group of DNA aptamers that can specifically bind to AGR2 with K(d) values in the nanomolar range after 14 rounds of selections. Aptamer C14B was chosen to further study, due to its high binding affinity and specificity. The optimized and shortened C14B1 has special G-rich characteristics, and the G-rich region of this binding motif was further characterized to reveal an intramolecular parallel G-quadruplex by CD spectroscopy and UV spectroscopy. Our experiments confirmed that the stability of the G-quadruplex structure was strongly dependent on the nature of the monovalent ions and the formation of G-quadruplex structure was also important for the binding capacity of C14B1 to the target. Furthermore, we have designed a kind of allosteric molecule beacon (aMB) probe for selective and sensitive detection of AGR2. In this work, we have developed new aptamer probes for specific recognition of the AGR2. Structural study have identified that the binding motif of aptamer is an intramolecular parallel G-quadruplex structure and its structure and binding affinity are strongly dependent on the nature of the monovalent ion. Furthermore, with our design of AGR2-aMB, AGR2 could be sensitively and selectively detected. This aptamer probe has great potential to serve as a useful tool for early diagnosis and prognosis of cancer and for fundamental research to elucidate the biochemical functions of AGR2.

Hemin on graphene nanosheets functionalized with flower-like MnO2 and hollow AuPd for the electrochemical sensing lead ion based on the specific DNAzyme.

PubMed

Xue, Shuyan; Jing, Pei; Xu, Wenju

2016-12-15

Herein, integrated with DNAzyme highly specific to metal ions, hemin@reduced graphene oxide (hemin@rGO) functionalized with flower-like MnO2 and hollow AuPd (hAuPd-fMnO2-hemin@rGO) was used as electroactive probe and electrocatalyst to construct a universal platform for metal ion detection (lead ion Pb(2+) as the model). The proposed strategy with generality was mainly based on two aspects. Firstly, the designed probe not only showed high stability and excellent peroxidase-like activity originating from hemin, fMnO2 and hAuPd, but also possessed intrinsic redox performance from hemin, which resulted in the promotion of electron transfer and the enhancement of the response signal readout. Secondly, due to the introduction of Pb(2+), Pb(2+)-dependent DNAzyme bound in the electrode surface could be specifically identified and cleaved by Pb(2+), and the remained fragment (its supplementary sequence is a single-strand DNA S3) captured the nanocomposites S3-hAuPd-fMnO2-hemin@rGO by the hybridization reaction. Therefore, combined the cooperative catalysis of fMnO2, hAuPd and hemin to H2O2 reduction with highly specific interaction of Pb(2+)-dependent DNAzyme, the proposed Pb(2+) biosensor showed significant improvement of electrochemical analytical performance, which was involved in wide dynamic response in the range of 0.1pM-200nM, low detection limit of 0.034pM, high sensitivity and high specificity. This could facilitate the universal strategy to be a promising method for detection of other metal ions, only changing the corresponding DNAzyme specific to them. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electron spin resonance spectroscopy for immunoassay using iron oxide nanoparticles as probe.

PubMed

Jiang, Jia; Tian, Sizhu; Wang, Kun; Wang, Yang; Zang, Shuang; Yu, Aimin; Zhang, Ziwei

2018-02-01

With the help of iron oxide nanoparticles, electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) was applied to immunoassay. Iron oxide nanoparticles were used as the ESR probe in order to achieve an amplification of the signal resulting from the large amount of Fe 3+ ion enclosed in each nanoparticle. Rabbit IgG was used as antigen to test this method. Polyclonal antibody of rabbit IgG was used as antibody to detect the antigen. Iron oxide nanoparticle with a diameter of either 10 or 30 nm was labeled to the antibody, and Fe 3+ in the nanoparticle was probed for ESR signal. The sepharose beads were used as solid phase to which rabbit IgG was conjugated. The nanoparticle-labeled antibody was first added in the sample containing antigen, and the antigen-conjugated sepharose beads were then added into the sample. The nanoparticle-labeled antibody bound to the antigen on sepharose beads was separated from the sample by centrifugation and measured. We found that the detection ranges of the antigen obtained with nanoparticles of different sizes were different because the amount of antibody on nanoparticles of 10 nm was about one order of magnitude higher than that on nanoparticles of 30 nm. When 10 nm nanoparticle was used as probe, the upper limit of detection was 40.00 μg mL -1 , and the analytical sensitivity was 1.81 μg mL -1 . When 30 nm nanoparticle was used, the upper limit of detection was 3.00 μg mL -1 , and the sensitivity was 0.014 and 0.13 μg mL -1 depending on the ratio of nanoparticle to antibody. Graphical abstract Schematic diagram of procedure and ESR spectra.

Generation of EMIC Waves Observed by Van Allen Probes at Low L-shells of Earth's Magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamayunov, K. V.; Zhang, J.; Saikin, A.; Rassoul, H.

2017-12-01

In a multi-ion magnetospheric plasma, where the major species are H+, He+, and O+, the He-band of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves is the dominant band observed in the inner magnetosphere, and waves are generally quasi-field-aligned inside the geostationary orbit. Almost all the satellite-based studies of EMIC waves before Van Allen Probes, however, have not reported waves below L 3.5. There is probably only one exception from the Akebono satellite where both the H-band and He-band EMIC waves were observed at L 2. The situation has changed dramatically after two Van Allen Probes spacecraft were launched on 30 August, 2012, and many EMIC wave events have been observed below L=4. The Van Allen Probes observations confirm that the He-band of EMIC waves is a dominant band in the inner magnetosphere, but the observation of the He-band waves below L=4 is a new and quite unexpected result compared to our knowledge about EMIC waves before the Van Allen Probes era. In addition, observations show that almost all the He-band EMIC waves are linearly polarized in the region L < 4. This result is also new and unexpected. Here we will present an observational test of the generation mechanism for the He-band EMIC waves observed by Van Allen Probes at L 2.8 on 18 March, 2013. All the plasma parameters, DC magnetic field, and energetic ion distribution functions will be taken from the Van Allen Probes observations during the EMIC wave event to calculate growth rates of EMIC waves. We will then identify the energetic ions responsible for instability, frequencies and normals generated, and physical mechanism of instability.

Comparison of Data Acquisition Strategies on Quadrupole Ion Trap Instrumentation for Shotgun Proteomics

PubMed Central

Canterbury, Jesse D.; Merrihew, Gennifer E.; Goodlett, David R.; MacCoss, Michael J.; Shaffer, Scott A.

2015-01-01

A common strategy in mass spectrometry analyses of complex protein mixtures is to digest the proteins to peptides, separate the peptides by microcapillary liquid chromatography and collect tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) on the eluting, complex peptide mixtures, a process commonly termed “shotgun proteomics”. For years, the most common way of data collection was via data-dependent acquisition (DDA), a process driven by an automated instrument control routine that directs MS/MS acquisition from the highest abundant signals to the lowest, a process often leaving lower abundant signals unanalyzed and therefore unidentified in the experiment. Advances in both instrumentation duty cycle and sensitivity allow DDA to probe to lower peptide abundance and therefore enable mapping proteomes to a more significant depth. An alternative to acquiring data by DDA is by data-independent acquisition (DIA), in which a specified range in m/z is fragmented without regard to prioritization of a precursor ion or its relative abundance in the mass spectrum. As a consequence, DIA acquisition potentially offers more comprehensive analysis of peptides than DDA and in principle can yield tandem mass spectra of all ionized molecules following their conversion to the gas-phase. In this work, we evaluate both DDA and DIA on three different linear ion trap instruments: an LTQ, an LTQ modified in-house with an electrodynamic ion funnel, and an LTQ-Velos. These instruments were chosen as they are representative of both older (LTQ) and newer (LTQ-Velos) ion trap designs i.e., linear ion trap and dual ion traps, respectively, and allow direct comparison of peptide identification using both DDA and DIA analysis. Further, as the LTQ-Velos has an improved “S-lens” ion guide in the high-pressure region to improve ion flux, we found it logical to determine if the former LTQ model could be leveraged by improving sensitivity by modifying with an electrodynamic ion guide of significantly different design to the S-lens. We find that the ion funnel enabled LTQ identifies more proteins in the insoluble fraction of a yeast lysate than the other two instruments in DIA mode, while the faster scanning LTQ-Velos performs better in DDA mode. We explore reasons for these results, including differences in scan speed, source ion optics, and linear ion trap design. PMID:25261218

Application of low energy ion blocking for adsorption site determination of Na Atoms on a Cu(111) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, R.; Makarenko, B.; Bahrim, B.; Rabalais, J. W.

2010-07-01

Ion blocking in the low keV energy range is demonstrated to be a sensitive method for probing surface adsorption sites by means of the technique of time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectroscopy (TOF-SARS). Adsorbed atoms can block the nearly isotropic backscattering of primary ions from surface atoms in the outmost layers of a crystal. The relative adsorption site position can be derived unambiguously by simple geometrical constructs between the adsorbed atom site and the surface atom sites. Classical ion trajectory simulations using the scattering and recoiling imaging code (SARIC) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide the detailed ion trajectories. Herein we present a quantitative analysis of the blocking effects produced by sub-monolayer Na adsorbed on a Cu(111) surface at room temperature. The results show that the Na adsorption site preferences are different at different Na coverages. At a coverage θ = 0.25 monolayer, Na atoms preferentially populate the fcc threefold surface sites with a height of 2.7 ± 0.1 Å above the 1st layer Cu atoms. At a lower coverage of θ = 0.10 monolayer, there is no adsorption site preference for the Na atoms on the Cu(111) surface.

Future Gamma-Ray Imaging of Solar Eruptive Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, Albert

2012-01-01

Solar eruptive events, the combination of large solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), accelerate ions to tens of Gev and electrons to hundreds of MeV. The energy in accelerated particles can be a significant fraction (up to tens of percent) of the released energy and is roughly equipartitioned between ions and electrons. Observations of the gamma-ray signatures produced by these particles interacting with the ambient solar atmosphere probes the distribution and composition of the accelerated population, as well as the atmospheric parameters and abundances of the atmosphere, ultimately revealing information about the underlying physics. Gamma-ray imaging provided by RHESSI showed that the interacting approx.20 MeV/nucleon ions are confined to flare magnetic loops rather than precipitating from a large CME-associated shock. Furthermore, RHESSI images show a surprising, significant spatial separation between the locations where accelerated ions and electrons are interacting, thus indicating a difference in acceleration or transport processes for the two types of particles. Future gamma-ray imaging observations, with higher sensitivity and greater angular resolution, can investigate more deeply the nature of ion acceleration. The technologies being proven on the Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar flares (GRIPS), a NASA balloon instrument, are possible approaches for future instrumentation. We discuss the GRIPS instrument and the future of studying this aspect of solar eruptive events.

A Class of Multiresponsive Colorimetric and Fluorescent pH Probes via Three Different Reaction Mechanisms of Salen Complexes: A Selective and Accurate pH Measurement.

PubMed

Cheng, Jinghui; Gou, Fei; Zhang, Xiaohong; Shen, Guangyu; Zhou, Xiangge; Xiang, Haifeng

2016-09-19

We report a class of multiresponsive colorimetric and fluorescent pH probes based on three different reaction mechanisms including cation exchange, protonation, and hydrolysis reaction of K(I), Ca(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Al(III), and Pd(II) Salen complexes. Compared with traditional pure organic pH probes, these complex-based pH probes exhibited a much better selectivity due to the shielding function of the filled-in metal ion in the complex. Their pH sensing performances were affected by the ligand structure and the central metal ion. This work is the first report of "off-on-on'-off" colorimetric and fluorescent pH probes that possess three different reaction mechanisms and should inspire the design of multiple-responsive probes for important analytes in biological systems.

Application of focused ion beam for the fabrication of AFM probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolomiytsev, A. S.; Lisitsyn, S. A.; Smirnov, V. A.; Fedotov, A. A.; Varzarev, Yu N.

2017-10-01

The results of an experimental study of the probe tips fabrication for critical-dimension atomic force microscopy (CD-AFM) using the focused ion beam (FIB) induced deposition are presented. Methods of the FIB-induced deposition of tungsten and carbon onto the tip of an AFM probe are studied. Based on the results obtained in the study, probes for the CD-AFM technique with a tip height about 1 μm and radius of 20 nm were created. The formation of CD-AFM probes by FIB-induced deposition allows creating a high efficiency tool for nanotechnology and nanodiagnostics. The use of modified cantilevers allows minimizing the artefacts of AFM images and increasing the accuracy of the relief measurement. The obtained results can be used for fabrication of AFM probes for express monitoring of the technological process in the manufacturing of the elements for micro- and nanoelectronics.

Structural Characterization of Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Co-Precipitation Using EPR Techniques

PubMed Central

Kielmann, Udo; Jeschke, Gunnar; García-Rubio, Inés

2014-01-01

Polymer-clay nanocomposites (PCNCs) containing either a rubber or an acrylate polymer were prepared by drying or co-precipitating polymer latex and nanolayered clay (synthetic and natural) suspensions. The interface between the polymer and the clay nanoparticles was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques by selectively addressing spin probes either to the surfactant layer (labeled stearic acid) or the clay surface (labeled catamine). Continuous-wave (CW) EPR studies of the surfactant dynamics allow to define a transition temperature T* which was tentatively assigned to the order-disorder transition of the surfactant layer. CW EPR studies of PCNC showed that completely exfoliated nanoparticles coexist with agglomerates. HYSCORE spectroscopy in PCNCs showed couplings within the probe −assigned with DFT computations− and couplings with nuclei of the environment, 1H and 23Na for the surfactant layer probe, and 29Si, 7Li, 19F and 23Na for the clay surface probe. Analysis of these couplings indicates that the integrity of the surfactant layer is conserved and that there are sizeable ionic regions containing sodium ions directly beyond the surfactant layer. Simulations of the very weak couplings demonstrated that the HYSCORE spectra are sensitive to the composition of the clay and whether or not clay platelets stack. PMID:28788520

Determination of the activity of telomerase in cancer cells by using BSA-protected gold nanoclusters as a fluorescent probe.

PubMed

Xu, Yujuan; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Zhen; Lv, Shaoping; Ding, Caifeng

2018-02-27

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) protected with a bovine serum albumin (BSA) coating are known to emit red fluorescence (peaking at 650 nm) on photoexcitation with ultraviolet light (365 nm). On addition of Cu(II) ions, fluorescence is quenched because Cu(II) complexes certain amino acid units in the BSA chain. Fluorescence is, however, restored if pyrophosphate (PPi) is added because it will chelate Cu(II) and remove it from the BSA coating on the AuNCs. Because PPi is involved in the function of telomerase, the BSA@AuNCs loaded with Cu(II) can act as a fluorescent probe for determination of the activity of telomerase. A fluorescent assay was worked out for telomerase that is highly sensitive and has a wide linear range (10 nU to 10 fM per mL). The fluorescent probe was applied to the determination of telomerase activity in cervix carcinoma cells via imaging. It is shown that tumor cells can be well distinguished from normal cells by monitoring the differences in intracellular telomerase activity. Graphical abstract Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) protected by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and displaying red photoluminescence were prepared as fluorescent probe for the determination of telomerase activity and used for imaging of cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cells.

A (201)Hg+ Comagnetometer for (199)Hg+ Trapped Ion Space Atomic Clocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burt, Eric A.; Taghavi, Shervin; Tjoelker, Robert L.

2011-01-01

A method has been developed for unambiguously measuring the exact magnetic field experienced by trapped mercury ions contained within an atomic clock intended for space applications. In general, atomic clocks are insensitive to external perturbations that would change the frequency at which the clocks operate. On a space platform, these perturbative effects can be much larger than they would be on the ground, especially in dealing with the magnetic field environment. The solution is to use a different isotope of mercury held within the same trap as the clock isotope. The magnetic field can be very accurately measured with a magnetic-field-sensitive atomic transition in the added isotope. Further, this measurement can be made simultaneously with normal clock operation, thereby not degrading clock performance. Instead of using a conventional magnetometer to measure ambient fields, which would necessarily be placed some distance away from the clock atoms, first order field-sensitive atomic transition frequency changes in the atoms themselves determine the variations in the magnetic field. As a result, all ambiguity over the exact field value experienced by the atoms is removed. Atoms used in atomic clocks always have an atomic transition (often referred to as the clock transition) that is sensitive to magnetic fields only in second order, and usually have one or more transitions that are first-order field sensitive. For operating parameters used in the (199)Hg(+) clock, the latter can be five orders of magnitude or more sensitive to field fluctuations than the clock transition, thereby providing an unambiguous probe of the magnetic field strength.

Ultrasensitive detection of target analyte-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles using laser-induced nanoparticle Rayleigh scattering.

PubMed

Lin, Jia-Hui; Tseng, Wei-Lung

2015-01-01

Detection of salt- and analyte-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) mostly relies on costly and bulky analytical instruments. To response this drawback, a portable, miniaturized, sensitive, and cost-effective detection technique is urgently required for rapid field detection and monitoring of target analyte via the use of AuNP-based sensor. This study combined a miniaturized spectrometer with a 532-nm laser to develop a laser-induced Rayleigh scattering technique, allowing the sensitive and selective detection of Rayleigh scattering from the aggregated AuNPs. Three AuNP-based sensing systems, including salt-, thiol- and metal ion-induced aggregation of the AuNPs, were performed to examine the sensitivity of laser-induced Rayleigh scattering technique. Salt-, thiol-, and metal ion-promoted NP aggregation were exemplified by the use of aptamer-adsorbed, fluorosurfactant-stabilized, and gallic acid-capped AuNPs for probing K(+), S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase-induced hydrolysis of S-adenosylhomocysteine, and Pb(2+), in sequence. Compared to the reported methods for monitoring the aggregated AuNPs, the proposed system provided distinct advantages of sensitivity. Laser-induced Rayleigh scattering technique was improved to be convenient, cheap, and portable by replacing a diode laser and a miniaturized spectrometer with a laser pointer and a smart-phone. Using this smart-phone-based detection platform, we can determine whether or not the Pb(2+) concentration exceed the maximum allowable level of Pb(2+) in drinking water. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new three-dimensional bis(benzimidazole)-based cadmium(II) coordination polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Shao Yun; Hou, Suo Xia; Hao, Zeng Chuan; Cui, Guang Hua

2018-01-01

A new coordination polymer (CP), formulated as [Cd(L)(DCTP)]n (1) (L = 1,1‧-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(2-methylbenzimidazole), H2DCTP = 2,5-dichloroterephthalic acid), was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and the performance as luminescent probe was also investigated. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals CP 1 is a 3D 3-fold interpenetrated dia network with large well-defined pores. It is found that CP 1 revealed highly sensitive luminescence sensing for Fe3 + ions in acetonitrile solution with a high quenching efficiency of KSV = 2541.238 L·mol- 1 and a low detection limit of 3.2 μM (S/N = 3). Moreover, the photocatalytic efficiency of 1 for degradation of methylene blue could reach 82.8% after 135 min. Therefore, this coordination polymer could be viewed as multifunctional material for selectively sensing Fe3 + ions and effectively degrading dyes.

Resonance ultrasonic vibrations in Cz-Si wafers as a possible diagnostic technique in ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Z. Y.; Ostapenko, S.; Anundson, R.; Tvinnereim, M.; Belyaev, A.; Anthony, M.

2001-07-01

The semiconductor industry does not have effective metrology for well implants. The ability to measure such deep level implants will become increasingly important as we progress along the technology road map. This work explores the possibility of using the acoustic whistle effect on ion implanted silicon wafers. The technique detects the elastic stress and defects in silicon wafers by measuring the sub-harmonic f/2 resonant vibrations on a wafer induced via backside contact to create standing waves, which are measured by a non-contact ultrasonic probe. Preliminary data demonstrates that it is sensitive to implant damage, and there is a direct correlation between this sub-harmonic acoustic mode and some of the implant and anneal conditions. This work presents the results of a feasibility study to assess and quantify the correspondent whistle effect to implant damage, residual damage after annealing and intrinsic defects.

Ion spectral structures observed by the Van Allen Probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferradas, C.; Zhang, J.; Spence, H. E.; Kistler, L. M.; Larsen, B.; Reeves, G. D.; Skoug, R. M.; Funsten, H. O.

2015-12-01

During the last decades several missions have recorded the presence of dynamic spectral features of energetic ions in the inner magnetosphere. Previous studies have reported single "nose-like" structures occurring alone and simultaneous nose-like structures (up to three). These ion structures are named after the characteristic shapes of energy bands or gaps in the energy-time spectrograms of in situ measured ion fluxes. They constitute the observational signatures of ion acceleration, transport, and loss in the global magnetosphere. The HOPE mass spectrometer onboard the Van Allen Probes measures energetic hydrogen, helium, and oxygen ions near the inner edge of the plasma sheet, where these ion structures are observed. We present a statistical study of nose-like structures, using 2-years measurements from the HOPE instrument. The results provide important details about the spatial distribution (dependence on geocentric distance), spectral features of the structures (differences among species), and geomagnetic conditions under which these structures occur.

Solar wind helium ions - Observations of the Helios solar probes between 0.3 and 1 AU

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsch, E.; Rosenbauer, H.; Schwenn, R.; Muehlhaeuser, K.-H.; Neubauer, F. M.

1982-01-01

A Helios solar probe survey of solar wind helium ion velocity distributions and derived parameters between 0.3 and 1 AU is presented. Distributions in high-speed wind are found to generally have small total anisotropies, with some indication that, in the core part, the temperatures are greater parallel rather than perpendicular to the magnetic field. The anisotropy tends to increase with heliocentric radial distance, and the average dependence of helium ion temperatures on radial distance from the sun is described by a power law. Differential ion speeds with values of more than 150 km/sec are observed near perihelion, or 0.3 AU. The role of Coulomb collisions in limiting differential ion speeds and the ion temperature ratio is investigated, and it is found that collisions play a distinct role in low-speed wind, by limiting both differential ion velocity and temperature.

Atom probe field ion microscopy and related topics: A bibliography 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Godfrey, R.D.; Miller, M.K.; Russell, K.F.

1994-10-01

This bibliography, covering the period 1993, includes references related to the following topics: atom probe field ion microscopy (APFIM), field emission (FE), and field ion microscopy (FIM). Technique-oriented studies and applications are included. The references contained in this document were compiled from a variety of sources including computer searches and personal lists of publications. To reduce the length of this document, the references have been reduced to the minimum necessary to locate the articles. The references are listed alphabetically by authors, an Addendum of references missed in previous bibliographies is included.

On Floating Potential of Emissive Probes in a Partially-Magnetized Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raitses, Yevgeny; Kraus, Brian

2016-10-01

We compare measurements of plasma potential in a cross-field Penning discharge from two probes: swept biased Langmuir probe and floating emissive probe. The plasma potential was deduced from the first derivative of the Langmuir probe characteristic. In previous studies, the emissive and swept biased probes were placed at the channel exit of a Hall thruster (HT). Measurements showed that the emissive probe floats below the plasma potential, in agreement with conventional theories. However, recent measurements in the Penning discharge indicate a floating potential of a strongly-emitting hot probe above the plasma potential. In both probe applications, xenon plasmas have magnetized electrons and non-magnetized ions with similar plasma densities (1010 - 1011 cm-3) . Though their electron temperatures differ by an order of magnitude (Penning 5 eV, HT 50 eV), this difference cannot explain the difference in measurement values of the hot floating potential because both temperatures are much higher than the emitting wire. In this work, we investigate how the ion velocity and other plasma parameters affect this discrepancy between probe measurements of the plasma potential. This work was supported by DOE contract DE-AC02-09CH11466.

Probing peptide fragment ion structures by combining sustained off-resonance collision-induced dissociation and gas-phase H/D exchange (SORI-HDX) in Fourier transform ion-cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) instruments.

PubMed

Somogyi, Arpád

2008-12-01

The usefulness of gas-phase H/D exchange is demonstrated to probe heterogeneous fragment and parent ion populations. Singly and multiply protonated peptides/proteins were fragmented by using sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation (SORI-CID). The fragments and the surviving precursor ions then all undergo H/D exchange in the gas-phase with either D(2)O or CD(3)OD under the same experimental conditions. Usually, 10 to 60 s of reaction time is adequate to monitor characteristic differences in the H/D exchange kinetic rates. These differences are then correlated to isomeric ion structures. The SORI-HDX method can be used to rapidly test fragment ion structures and provides useful insights into peptide fragmentation mechanisms.

Ion flux enhancements and oscillations in spatially confined laser produced aluminum plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, S. C.; Fallon, C.; Hayden, P.; Mujawar, M.; Yeates, P.; Costello, J. T.

2014-09-01

Ion signals from laser produced plasmas (LPPs) generated inside aluminum rectangular cavities at a fixed depth d = 2 mm and varying width, x = 1.0, 1.6, and 2.75 mm were obtained by spatially varying the position of a negatively biased Langmuir probe. Damped oscillatory features superimposed on Maxwellian distributed ion signals were observed. Depending on the distance of the probe from the target surface, three to twelve fold enhancements in peak ion density were observed via confinement of the LPP, generated within rectangular cavities of varying width which constrained the plasma plume to near one dimensional expansion in the vertical plane. The effects of lateral spatial confinement on the expansion velocity of the LPP plume front, the temperature, density and expansion velocity of ions, enhancement of ion flux, and ion energy distribution were recorded. The periodic behavior of ion signals was analyzed and found to be related to the electron plasma frequency and electron-ion collision frequency. The effects of confinement and enhancement of various ion parameters and expansion velocities of the LPP ion plume are explained on the basis of shock wave theory.

DNA base pair resolution measurements using resonance energy transfer efficiency in lanthanide doped nanoparticles.

PubMed

Delplanque, Aleksandra; Wawrzynczyk, Dominika; Jaworski, Pawel; Matczyszyn, Katarzyna; Pawlik, Krzysztof; Buckle, Malcolm; Nyk, Marcin; Nogues, Claude; Samoc, Marek

2015-01-01

Lanthanide-doped nanoparticles are of considerable interest for biodetection and bioimaging techniques thanks to their unique chemical and optical properties. As a sensitive luminescence material, they can be used as (bio) probes in Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) where trivalent lanthanide ions (La3+) act as energy donors. In this paper we present an efficient method to transfer ultrasmall (ca. 8 nm) NaYF4 nanoparticles dispersed in organic solvent to an aqueous solution via oxidation of the oleic acid ligand. Nanoparticles were then functionalized with single strand DNA oligomers (ssDNA) by inducing covalent bonds between surface carboxylic groups and a 5' amine modified-ssDNA. Hybridization with the 5' fluorophore (Cy5) modified complementary ssDNA strand demonstrated the specificity of binding and allowed the fine control over the distance between Eu3+ ions doped nanoparticle and the fluorophore by varying the number of the dsDNA base pairs. First, our results confirmed nonradiative resonance energy transfer and demonstrate the dependence of its efficiency on the distance between the donor (Eu3+) and the acceptor (Cy5) with sensitivity at a nanometre scale.

Self-Assembled Core-Satellite Gold Nanoparticle Networks for Ultrasensitive Detection of Chiral Molecules by Recognition Tunneling Current.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanchao; Liu, Jingquan; Li, Da; Dai, Xing; Yan, Fuhua; Conlan, Xavier A; Zhou, Ruhong; Barrow, Colin J; He, Jin; Wang, Xin; Yang, Wenrong

2016-05-24

Chirality sensing is a very challenging task. Here, we report a method for ultrasensitive detection of chiral molecule l/d-carnitine based on changes in the recognition tunneling current across self-assembled core-satellite gold nanoparticle (GNP) networks. The recognition tunneling technique has been demonstrated to work at the single molecule level where the binding between the reader molecules and the analytes in a nanojunction. This process was observed to generate a unique and sensitive change in tunneling current, which can be used to identify the analytes of interest. The molecular recognition mechanism between amino acid l-cysteine and l/d-carnitine has been studied with the aid of SERS. The different binding strength between homo- or heterochiral pairs can be effectively probed by the copper ion replacement fracture. The device resistance was measured before and after the sequential exposures to l/d-carnitine and copper ions. The normalized resistance change was found to be extremely sensitive to the chirality of carnitine molecule. The results suggested that a GNP networks device optimized for recognition tunneling was successfully built and that such a device can be used for ultrasensitive detection of chiral molecules.

Experimental validation of the dual positive and negative ion beam acceleration in the plasma propulsion with electronegative gases thruster

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rafalskyi, Dmytro, E-mail: dmytro.rafalskyi@lpp.polytechnique.fr; Popelier, Lara; Aanesland, Ane

The PEGASES (Plasma Propulsion with Electronegative Gases) thruster is a gridded ion thruster, where both positive and negative ions are accelerated to generate thrust. In this way, additional downstream neutralization by electrons is redundant. To achieve this, the thruster accelerates alternately positive and negative ions from an ion-ion plasma where the electron density is three orders of magnitude lower than the ion densities. This paper presents a first experimental study of the alternate acceleration in PEGASES, where SF{sub 6} is used as the working gas. Various electrostatic probes are used to investigate the source plasma potential and the energy, composition,more » and current of the extracted beams. We show here that the plasma potential control in such system is key parameter defining success of ion extraction and is sensitive to both parasitic electron current paths in the source region and deposition of sulphur containing dielectric films on the grids. In addition, large oscillations in the ion-ion plasma potential are found in the negative ion extraction phase. The oscillation occurs when the primary plasma approaches the grounded parts of the main core via sub-millimetres technological inputs. By controlling and suppressing the various undesired effects, we achieve perfect ion-ion plasma potential control with stable oscillation-free operation in the range of the available acceleration voltages (±350 V). The measured positive and negative ion currents in the beam are about 10 mA for each component at RF power of 100 W and non-optimized extraction system. Two different energy analyzers with and without magnetic electron suppression system are used to measure and compare the negative and positive ion and electron fluxes formed by the thruster. It is found that at alternate ion-ion extraction the positive and negative ion energy peaks are similar in areas and symmetrical in position with +/− ion energy corresponding to the amplitude of the applied acceleration voltage.« less

High sensitive and direct fluorescence detection of single viral DNA sequences by integration of double strand probes onto microgels particles.

PubMed

Aliberti, A; Cusano, A M; Battista, E; Causa, F; Netti, P A

2016-02-21

A novel class of probes for fluorescence detection was developed and combined to microgel particles for a high sensitive fluorescence detection of nucleic acids. A double strand probe with an optimized fluorescent-quencher couple was designed for the detection of different lengths of nucleic acids (39 nt and 100 nt). Such probe proved efficient in target detection in different contests and specific even in presence of serum proteins. The conjugation of double strand probes onto polymeric microgels allows for a sensitive detection of DNA sequences from HIV, HCV and SARS corona viruses with a LOD of 1.4 fM, 3.7 fM and 1.4 fM, respectively, and with a dynamic range of 10(-9)-10(-15) M. Such combination enhances the sensitivity of the detection of almost five orders of magnitude when compared to the only probe. The proposed platform based on the integration of innovative double strand probe into microgels particles represents an attractive alternative to conventional sensitive DNA detection technologies that rely on amplifications methods.

Langmuir probes for SPIDER (source for the production of ions of deuterium extracted from radio frequency plasma) experiment: Tests in BATMAN (Bavarian test machine for negative ions)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brombin, M.; Spolaore, M.; Serianni, G.; Pomaro, N.; Taliercio, C.; Palma, M. Dalla; Pasqualotto, R.; Schiesko, L.

2014-11-01

A prototype system of the Langmuir probes for SPIDER (Source for the production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from RF plasma) was manufactured and experimentally qualified. The diagnostic was operated in RF (Radio Frequency) plasmas with cesium evaporation on the BATMAN (BAvarian Test MAchine for Negative ions) test facility, which can provide plasma conditions as expected in the SPIDER source. A RF passive compensation circuit was realised to operate the Langmuir probes in RF plasmas. The sensors' holder, designed to better simulate the bias plate conditions in SPIDER, was exposed to a severe experimental campaign in BATMAN with cesium evaporation. No detrimental effect on the diagnostic due to cesium evaporation was found during the exposure to the BATMAN plasma and in particular the insulation of the electrodes was preserved. The paper presents the system prototype, the RF compensation circuit, the acquisition system (as foreseen in SPIDER), and the results obtained during the experimental campaigns.

Langmuir probes for SPIDER (Source for the production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from Radio Frequency plasma) experiment: tests in BATMAN (BAvarian Test Machine for Negative ions).

PubMed

Brombin, M; Spolaore, M; Serianni, G; Pomaro, N; Taliercio, C; Dalla Palma, M; Pasqualotto, R; Schiesko, L

2014-11-01

A prototype system of the Langmuir probes for SPIDER (Source for the production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from RF plasma) was manufactured and experimentally qualified. The diagnostic was operated in RF (Radio Frequency) plasmas with cesium evaporation on the BATMAN (BAvarian Test MAchine for Negative ions) test facility, which can provide plasma conditions as expected in the SPIDER source. A RF passive compensation circuit was realised to operate the Langmuir probes in RF plasmas. The sensors' holder, designed to better simulate the bias plate conditions in SPIDER, was exposed to a severe experimental campaign in BATMAN with cesium evaporation. No detrimental effect on the diagnostic due to cesium evaporation was found during the exposure to the BATMAN plasma and in particular the insulation of the electrodes was preserved. The paper presents the system prototype, the RF compensation circuit, the acquisition system (as foreseen in SPIDER), and the results obtained during the experimental campaigns.

Development of an automated on-line electrochemical chlorite ion sensor.

PubMed

Myers, John N; Steinecker, William H; Sandlin, Zechariah D; Cox, James A; Gordon, Gilbert; Pacey, Gilbert E

2012-05-30

A sensor system for the automatic, in-line, determination of chlorite ion is reported. Electroanalytical measurements were performed in electrolyte-free liquids by using an electrochemical probe (EC), which enables in-line detection in high-resistance media such as disinfected water. Cyclic voltammetry scan rate studies suggest that the current arising from the oxidation of chlorite ion at an EC probe is mass-transfer limited. By coupling FIA with an EC probe amperometric cell, automated analysis was achieved. This sensor is intended to fulfill the daily monitoring requirements of the EPA DBP regulations for chlorite ion. Detection limits of 0.02-0.13 mg/L were attained, which is about one order of magnitude below the MRDL. The sensor showed no faradaic signal for perchlorate, chlorate, or nitrate. The lifetime and stability of the sensor were investigated by measuring calibration curves over time under constant-flow conditions. Detection limits of <0.1 mg/L were repeatedly achieved over a period of three weeks. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

“Development of an Automated On-line Electrochemical Chlorite Ion Sensor”

PubMed Central

Myers, John N.; Steinecker, William H.; Sandlin, Zechariah D.; Cox, James A.; Gordon, Gilbert; Pacey, Gilbert E.

2012-01-01

A sensor system for the automatic, in-line, determination of chlorite ion is reported. Electroanalytical measurements were performed in electrolyte-free liquids by using an electrochemical probe (EC), which enables in-line detection in high-resistance media such as disinfected water. Cyclic voltammetry scan rate studies suggest that the current arising from the oxidation of chlorite ion at an EC probe is mass-transfer limited. By coupling FIA with an EC probe amperometric cell, automated analysis was achieved. This sensor is intended to fulfill the daily monitoring requirements of the EPA DBP regulations for chlorite ion. Detection limits of 0.02-0.13 mg/L were attained, which is about one order of magnitude below the MRDL. The sensor showed no faradaic signal for perchlorate, chlorate, or nitrate. The lifetime and stability of the sensor were investigated by measuring calibration curves over time under constant-flow conditions. Detection limits of <0.1 mg/L were repeatedly achieved over a period of three weeks. PMID:22608440

Flowing Magnetized Plasma experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhehui; Si, Jiahe

2006-10-01

Results from the Flowing Magnetized Plasma experiment at Los Alamos are summarized. Plasmas are produced using a modified coaxial plasma gun with a center electrode extending into a cylindrical vacuum tank with 0.75 m in radius and 4.5 m long. The basic diagnostics are Bdot probes for edge and internal magnetic field, Mach probes and Doppler spectroscopy for plasma flow in the axial and azimuthal directions, and Langmuir probes for plasma floating potential, electron density and temperature. We have found two different plasma flow patterns associated with distinct IV characteristics of the coaxial plasma gun, indicating axial flow is strongly correlated with the plasma ejection from the plasma gun. Global electromagnetic oscillations at frequencies below ion cyclotron frequency are observed, indicating that familiar waves at these frequencies, e.g. Alfven wave or drift wave, are strongly modified by the finite plasma beta. We eliminate the possibility of ion sound waves since the ion and electron temperatures are comparable, and therefore, ion sound waves are strongly Landau damped.

Towards pump-probe experiments of defect dynamics with short ion beam pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schenkel, T.; Lidia, S. M.; Weis, C. D.; Waldron, W. L.; Schwartz, J.; Minor, A. M.; Hosemann, P.; Kwan, J. W.

2013-11-01

A novel, induction type linear accelerator, the Neutralized Drift Compression eXperiment (NDCX-II), is currently being commissioned at Berkeley Lab. This accelerator is designed to deliver intense (up to 3 × 1011 ions/pulse), 0.6 to ∼600 ns duration pulses of 0.05-1.2 MeV lithium ions at a rate of about 2 pulses per minute onto 1-10 mm scale target areas. When focused to mm-diameter spots, the beam is predicted to volumetrically heat micrometer thick foils to temperatures of ∼30,000 °K. At lower beam power densities, the short excitation pulse with tunable intensity and time profile enables pump-probe type studies of defect dynamics in a broad range of materials. We briefly describe the accelerator concept and design, present results from beam pulse shaping experiments and discuss examples of pump-probe type studies of defect dynamics following irradiation of materials with intense, short ion beam pulses from NDCX-II.

Femtosecond pump-probe photoionization-photofragmentation spectroscopy: photoionization-induced twisting and coherent vibrational motion of azobenzene cation.

PubMed

Ho, Jr-Wei; Chen, Wei-Kan; Cheng, Po-Yuan

2009-10-07

We report studies of ultrafast dynamics of azobenzene cation using femtosecond photoionization-photofragmentation spectroscopy. In our experiments, a femtosecond pump pulse first produces an ensemble of azobenzene cations via photoionization of the neutrals. A delayed probe pulse then brings the evolving ionic system to excited states that ultimately undergo ion fragmentation. The dynamics is followed by monitoring either the parent-ion depletion or fragment-ion formation as a function of the pump-probe delay time. The observed transients for azobenzene cation are characterized by a constant ion depletion modulated by a rapidly damped oscillatory signal with a period of about 1 ps. Theoretical calculations suggest that the oscillation arises from a vibration motion along the twisting inversion coordinate involving displacements in CNNC and phenyl-ring torsions. The oscillation is damped rapidly with a time constant of about 1.2 ps, suggesting that energy dissipation from the active mode to bath modes takes place in this time scale.

The Deflection Plate Analyzer: A Technique for Space Plasma Measurements Under Highly Disturbed Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Kenneth H., Jr.; Dutton, Ken; Martinez, Nelson; Smith, Dennis; Stone, Nobie H.

2004-01-01

A technique has been developed to measure the characteristics of space plasmas under highly disturbed conditions; e.g., non-Maxwellian plasmas with strong drifting populations and plasmas contaminated by spacecraft outgassing. The present method is an extension of the capabilities of the Differential Ion Flux Probe (DIFP) to include a mass measurement that does not include either high voltage or contamination sensitive devices such as channeltron electron multipliers or microchannel plates. This reduces the complexity and expense of instrument fabrication, testing, and integration of flight hardware as compared to classical mass analyzers. The new instrument design is called the Deflection Plate Analyzer (DPA) and can deconvolve multiple ion streams and analyze each stream for ion flux intensity (density), velocity (including direction of motion), mass, and temperature (or energy distribution). The basic functionality of the DPA is discussed. The performance characteristics of a flight instrument as built for an electrodynamic tether mission, the Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS), and the instrument s role in measuring key experimental conditions are also discussed.

Molecular-Scale Investigation of Heavy Metal Ions at a Charged Langmuir Monolayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rock, William; Qiao, Baofu; Uysal, Ahmet; Bu, Wei; Lin, Binhua

Solvent extraction - the surfactant-aided preferential transfer of a species from an aqueous to an organic phase - is an important technique used in heavy and precious metal refining and reprocessing. Solvent extraction requires transfer through an oil/water interface, and interfacial interactions are expected to control transfer kinetics and phase stability, yet these key interactions are poorly understood. Langmuir monolayers with charged headgroups atop concentrated salt solutions containing heavy metal ions act as a model of solvent extraction interfaces; studies of ions at a charged surface are also fundamentally important to many other phenomena including protein solvation, mineral surface chemistry, and electrochemistry. We probe these charged interfaces using a variety of surface-sensitive techniques - vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy, x-ray reflectivity (XRR), x-ray fluorescence near total reflection (XFNTR), and grazing incidence diffraction (GID). We integrate experiments with Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to uncover the molecular-level interfacial structure. This work is supported by the U.S. DOE, BES, Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. ChemMatCARS is supported by NSF/CHE-1346572.

The Deflection Plate Analyzer: A Technique for Space Plasma Measurements Under Highly Disturbed Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Kenneth H., Jr.; Dutton, Ken; Martinez, Nelson; Smith, Dennis; Stone, Nobie H.

2003-01-01

A technique has been developed to measure the characteristics of space plasmas under highly disturbed conditions; e.g., non-Maxwellian plasmas with strong drifting populations and plasmas contaminated by spacecraft outgassing. The present method is an extension of the capabilities of the Differential Ion Flux Probe (DIFP) to include a mass measurement that does not include either high voltage or contamination sensitive devices such as channeltron electron multipliers or microchannel plates. This reduces the complexity and expense of instrument fabrication, testing, and integration of flight hardware as compared to classical mass analyzers. The new instrument design is called the Deflection Plate Analyzer (DPA) and can deconvolve multiple ion streams and analyze each stream for ion flux intensity (density), velocity (including direction of motion), mass, and temperature (or energy distribution). The basic functionality of the DPA is discussed. The performance characteristics of a flight instrument as built for an electrodynamic tether mission, the Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS), and the instrument s role in measuring key experimental conditions are also discussed.

Discharge Characterization of 40 cm-Microwave ECR Ion Source and Neutralizer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, John E.; Patterson, Michael J.; Britton, Melissa

2003-01-01

Discharge characteristics of a 40 cm, 2.45 GHz Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion thruster discharge chamber and neutralizer were acquired. Thruster bulk discharge plasma characteristics were assessed using a single Langmuir probe. Total extractable ion current was measured as a function of input microwave power and flow rate. Additionally, radial ion current density profiles at the thruster.s exit plane were characterized using five equally spaced Faraday probes. Distinct low and high density operating modes were observed as discharge input power was varied from 0 to 200 W. In the high mode, extractable ion currents as high as 0.82 A were measured. Neutralizer emission current was characterized as a function of flow rate and microwave power. Neutralizer extraction currents as high as 0.6 A were measured.

Indirect consequences of exciplex states on the phosphorescence lifetime of phenazine-based 1,2,3-triazole luminescent probes.

PubMed

Costa, Bárbara B A; Jardim, Guilherme A M; Santos, Paloma L; Calado, Hállen D R; Monkman, Andrew P; Dias, Fernando B; da Silva Júnior, Eufrânio N; Cury, Luiz A

2017-02-01

The optical properties of phenazine derivative probe solutions involving intersystem crossing from singlet to triplet states were investigated by time resolved spectroscopy. The room temperature phosphorescence emission presented different time responses when Cd 2+ ions were bound to the probe chemical structure. The complex exciplex formation observed to occur in this case was not directly responsible for the change in the phosphorescence lifetime. This was more influenced by the new molecular conformation and modified spin-orbit coupling imposed by the binding of the Cd 2+ ions to the phenazine molecules.

A highly selective colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent chemodosimeter for detection of fluoride ions based on 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives.

PubMed

Kai, Yumei; Hu, Yonghong; Wang, Kai; Zhi, Wenbiao; Liang, Mengmeng; Yang, Wenge

2014-01-24

A high selective colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe based on 4-hydroxy-1, 8-naphthalimide was designed and synthesized to detect fluoride ions (F(-)). The sensing behavior of this probe was studied by UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The probe displays an 110 nm red-shift of fluorescence emission and the color changes from colorless to yellow by virtue of the strong affinity of F(-) toward silicon which can act as a new visual sensor for F(-). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water Transport Properties of Roots and Root Cortical Cells in Proton- and Al-Stressed Maize Varieties.

PubMed Central

Gunse, B.; Poschenrieder, C.; Barcelo, J.

1997-01-01

Root and root cell pressure-probe techniques were used to investigate the possible relationship between Al- or H+-induced alterations of the hydraulic conductivity of root cells (LPc) and whole-root water conductivity (LPr) in maize (Zea mays L.) plants. To distinguish between H+ and Al effects two varieties that differ in H+ and Al tolerance were assayed. Based on root elongation rates after 24 h in nutrient solution of pH 6.0, pH 4.5, or pH 4.5 plus 50 [mu]M Al, the variety Adour 250 was found to be H+-sensitive and Al-tolerant, whereas the variety BR 201 F was found to be H+-tolerant but Al-sensitive. No Al-induced decrease of root pressure and root cell turgor was observed in Al-sensitive BR 201 F, indicating that Al toxicity did not cause a general breakdown of membrane integrity and that ion pumping to the stele was maintained. Al reduced LPc more than LPr in Al-sensitive BR 201 F. Proton toxicity in Adour 250 affected LPr more than LPc. In this Al-tolerant variety LPc was increased by Al. Nevertheless, this positive effect on LPc did not render higher LPr values. In conclusion, there were no direct relationships between Al- or H+-induced decreases of LPr and the effects on LPc. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the influence of H+ and Al on root and root cell water relations has been directly measured by pressure-probe techniques. PMID:12223628

Comparison of randomly cloned and whole genomic DNA probes for the detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Bacteroides forsythus

PubMed Central

Wong, M.; DiRienzo, J.M.; Lai, C.-H.; Listgarten, M. A.

2012-01-01

Whole genomic and randomly-cloned DNA probes for two fastidious periodontal pathogens, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Bacteroides forsythus were labeled with digoxigenin and detected by a colorimetric method. The specificity and sensitivity of the whole genomic and cloned probes were compared. The cloned probes were highly specific compared to the whole genomic probes. A significant degree of cross-reactivity with Bacteroides species. Capnocytophaga sp. and Prevotella sp. was observed with the whole genomic probes. The cloned probes were less sensitive than the whole genomic probes and required at least 106 target cells or a minimum of 10 ng of target DNA to be detected during hybridization. Although a ten-fold increase in sensitivity was obtained with the whole genomic probes, cross-hybridization to closely related species limits their reliability in identifying target bacteria in subgingival plaque samples. PMID:8636873

Evaluation of Plume Divergence and Facility Effects on Far-Field Faraday Probe Current Density Profiles

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

elevated background pressure, compared nude Faraday probe designs, and evaluated design modifications to minimize uncertainty due to charge exchange...evaluated Faraday probe design and facility background pressure on collected ion current. A comparison of two nude Faraday probe designs concluded...140.5 Plasma potential in the region surrounding a nude Faraday probe has been measured to study the possibility of probe bias voltage acting as a

Ultrafiltrate and microdialysis DL probe in vitro recoveries: electrolytes and metabolites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janle, E. M.; Cregor, M.

1996-01-01

UF ultrafiltration and DL microdialysis probes are well-suited for sampling interstitial concentrations of ions and metabolites in peripheral tissue. The first step in utilization of membrane sampling techniques is to determine the recovery characteristics of the probes in vitro.

Fluorescent Probes for Sensing and Imaging within Specific Cellular Organelles.

PubMed

Zhu, Hao; Fan, Jiangli; Du, Jianjun; Peng, Xiaojun

2016-10-18

Fluorescent probes have become powerful tools in biosensing and bioimaging because of their high sensitivity, specificity, fast response, and technical simplicity. In the last decades, researchers have made remarkable progress in developing fluorescent probes that respond to changes in microenvironments (e.g., pH, viscosity, and polarity) or quantities of biomolecules of interest (e.g., ions, reactive oxygen species, and enzymes). All of these analytes are specialized to carry out vital functions and are linked to serious disorders in distinct subcellular organelles. Each of these organelles plays a specific and indispensable role in cellular processes. For example, the nucleus regulates gene expression, mitochondria are responsible for aerobic metabolism, and lysosomes digest macromolecules for cell recycling. A certain organelle requires specific biological species and the appropriate microenvironment to perform its cellular functions, while breakdown of the homeostasis of biomolecules or microenvironmental mutations leads to organelle malfunctions, which further cause disorders or diseases. Fluorescent probes that can be targeted to both specific organelles and biochemicals/microenvironmental factors are capable of reporting localized bioinformation and are potentially useful for gaining insight into the contributions of analytes to both healthy and diseased states. In this Account, we review our recent work on the development of fluorescent probes for sensing and imaging within specific organelles. We present an overview of the design, photophysical properties, and biological applications of the probes, which can localize to mitochondria, lysosomes, the nucleus, the Golgi apparatus, and the endoplasmic reticulum. Although a diversity of organelle-specific fluorescent stains have been commercially available, our efforts place an emphasis on improvements in terms of low cytotoxicity, high photostability, near-infrared (NIR) emission, two-photon excitation, and long fluorescence lifetimes, which are crucial for long-time tracking of biological processes, tissue and body imaging with deep penetration and low autofluorescence, and time-resolved fluorescence imaging. Research on fluorescent probes with both analyte responsiveness and organelle targetability is a new and emerging area that has attracted increasing attention over the past few years. We have extended the diversity by developing organelle-specific responsive probes capable of detecting changes in biomolecular levels (reactive oxygen species, fluoride ion, hydrogen sulfide, zinc cation, thiol-containing amino acids, and cyclooxygenase-2) and the microenvironment (viscosity, polarity, and pH). Future research should give more considerations of the "low-concern" organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, the endoplasmic reticulum, and ribosomes. In addition, given the tiny sizes of subcellular organelles (20-1000 nm), we anticipate that clearer visulization of the cellular events within specific organelles will rely on super-resolution optical microscopy with nanoscopic-scale resolution.

Paramagnetic fluorinated nanoemulsions for sensitive cellular fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging

PubMed Central

Kislukhin, Alexander A.; Xu, Hongyan; Adams, Stephen R.; Narsinh, Kazim H.; Tsien, Roger Y.; Ahrens, Eric T.

2016-01-01

Fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging (19F MRI) probes enable quantitative in vivo detection of cell therapies and inflammatory cells. Here, we describe the formulation of perfluorocarbon-based nanoemulsions with improved sensitivity for cellular MRI. Reduction of the 19F spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) enables rapid imaging and an improved signal-to-noise ratio, thereby improving cell detection sensitivity. We synthesized metal-binding β-diketones conjugated to linear perfluoropolyether (PFPE), formulated these fluorinated ligands as aqueous nanoemulsions, and then metalated them with various transition and lanthanide ions in the fluorous phase. Iron(III) tris-β-diketonate ('FETRIS') nanoemulsions with PFPE have low cytotoxicity (<20%) and superior MRI properties. Moreover, the 19F T1 can readily be reduced by an order of magnitude and tuned by stoichiometric modulation of the iron concentration. The resulting 19F MRI detection sensitivity is enhanced by 3-to-5 fold over previously used tracers at 11.7 T, and is predicted to increase by at least 8-fold at clinical field strength of 3 T. PMID:26974409

Improving the Sensitivity of Mass Spectrometry by Using a New Sheath Flow Electrospray Emitter Array at Subambient Pressures

DOE PAGES

Cox, Jonathan T.; Marginean, Ioan; Kelly, Ryan T.; ...

2014-03-28

Arrays of chemically etched emitters with individualized sheath gas capillaries have been developed to enhance electrospray ionization (ESI) at subambient pressures. By including an emitter array in a subambient pressure ionization with nanoelectrospray (SPIN) source, ionization and transmission efficiency can be maximized allowing for increased sensitivity in mass spectrometric analyses. The SPIN source eliminates the major ion losses at conventional ESI-mass spectrometry (MS) interface by placing the emitter in the first vacuum region of the instrument. To facilitate stable electrospray currents in such conditions we have developed an improved emitter array with individualized sheath gas around each emitter. The utilitymore » of the new emitter arrays for generating stable multi-electrosprays at subambient pressures was probed by coupling the emitter array/SPIN source with a time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. The instrument sensitivity was compared between single emitter/SPIN-MS and multi-emitter/SPIN-MS configurations using an equimolar solution of 9 peptides. An increase in sensitivity correlative to the number of emitters in the array was observed.« less

Improving the Sensitivity of Mass Spectrometry by Using a New Sheath Flow Electrospray Emitter Array at Subambient Pressures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cox, Jonathan T.; Marginean, Ioan; Kelly, Ryan T.

Arrays of chemically etched emitters with individualized sheath gas capillaries have been developed to enhance electrospray ionization (ESI) at subambient pressures. By including an emitter array in a subambient pressure ionization with nanoelectrospray (SPIN) source, ionization and transmission efficiency can be maximized allowing for increased sensitivity in mass spectrometric analyses. The SPIN source eliminates the major ion losses at conventional ESI-mass spectrometry (MS) interface by placing the emitter in the first vacuum region of the instrument. To facilitate stable electrospray currents in such conditions we have developed an improved emitter array with individualized sheath gas around each emitter. The utilitymore » of the new emitter arrays for generating stable multi-electrosprays at subambient pressures was probed by coupling the emitter array/SPIN source with a time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. The instrument sensitivity was compared between single emitter/SPIN-MS and multi-emitter/SPIN-MS configurations using an equimolar solution of 9 peptides. An increase in sensitivity correlative to the number of emitters in the array was observed.« less

Measurements of ion velocity separation and ionization in multi-species plasma shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinderknecht, Hans G.; Park, H.-S.; Ross, J. S.; Amendt, P. A.; Wilks, S. C.; Katz, J.; Hoffman, N. M.; Kagan, G.; Vold, E. L.; Keenan, B. D.; Simakov, A. N.; Chacón, L.

2018-05-01

The ion velocity structure of a strong collisional shock front in a plasma with multiple ion species is directly probed in laser-driven shock-tube experiments. Thomson scattering of a 263.25 nm probe beam is used to diagnose ion composition, temperature, and flow velocity in strong shocks ( M ˜6 ) propagating through low-density ( ρ˜0.1 mg/cc) plasmas composed of mixtures of hydrogen (98%) and neon (2%). Within the preheat region of the shock front, two velocity populations of ions are observed, a characteristic feature of strong plasma shocks. The ionization state of the Ne is observed to change within the shock front, demonstrating an ionization-timescale effect on the shock front structure. The forward-streaming proton feature is shown to be unexpectedly cool compared to predictions from ion Fokker-Planck simulations; the neon ionization gradient is evaluated as a possible cause.

Time-resolved ion imaging at free-electron lasers using TimepixCam.

PubMed

Fisher-Levine, Merlin; Boll, Rebecca; Ziaee, Farzaneh; Bomme, Cédric; Erk, Benjamin; Rompotis, Dimitrios; Marchenko, Tatiana; Nomerotski, Andrei; Rolles, Daniel

2018-03-01

The application of a novel fast optical-imaging camera, TimepixCam, to molecular photoionization experiments using the velocity-map imaging technique at a free-electron laser is described. TimepixCam is a 256 × 256 pixel CMOS camera that is able to detect and time-stamp ion hits with 20 ns timing resolution, thus making it possible to record ion momentum images for all fragment ions simultaneously and avoiding the need to gate the detector on a single fragment. This allows the recording of significantly more data within a given amount of beam time and is particularly useful for pump-probe experiments, where drifts, for example, in the timing and pulse energy of the free-electron laser, severely limit the comparability of pump-probe scans for different fragments taken consecutively. In principle, this also allows ion-ion covariance or coincidence techniques to be applied to determine angular correlations between fragments.

Ratiometric and turn-on monitoring for heavy and transition metal ions in aqueous solution with a fluorescent peptide sensor.

PubMed

Joshi, Bishnu Prasad; Park, Junwon; Lee, Wan In; Lee, Keun-Hyeung

2009-05-15

A novel fluorescent peptide sensor containing tryptophan (donor) and dansyl fluorophore (acceptor) was synthesized for monitoring heavy and transition metal (HTM) ions on the basis of metal ion binding motif (Cys-X-X-X-Cys). The peptide probe successfully exhibited a turn on and ratiometric response for several heavy metal ions such as Hg(2+), Cd(2+), Pb(2+), Zn(2+), and Ag(+) in aqueous solution. The enhancements of emission intensity were achieved in the presence of the HTM ions by fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) and chelation enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effects. The detection limits of the sensor for Cd(2+), Pb(2+), Zn(2+), and Ag(+) were lower than the EPA's drinking water maximum contaminant levels (MCL). We described the fluorescent enhancement, binding affinity, and detection limit of the peptide probe for HTM ions.

Void structure of O+ ions in the inner magnetosphere observed by the Van Allen Probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakayama, Y.; Ebihara, Y.; Ohtani, S.; Gkioulidou, M.; Takahashi, K.; Kistler, L. M.; Tanaka, T.

2016-12-01

The Van Allen Probes Helium Oxygen Proton Electron instrument observed a new type of enhancement of O+ ions in the inner magnetosphere during substorms. As the satellite moved outward in the premidnight sector, the flux of the O+ ions with energy 10 keV appeared first in the energy-time spectrograms. Then, the enhancement of the flux spread toward high and low energies. The enhanced flux of the O+ ions with the highest energy remained, whereas the flux of the ions with lower energy vanished near apogee, forming what we call the void structure. The structure cannot be found in the H+ spectrogram. We studied the generation mechanism of this structure by using numerical simulation. We traced the trajectories of O+ ions in the electric and magnetic fields from the global magnetohydrodynamics simulation and calculated the flux of O+ ions in the inner magnetosphere in accordance with the Liouville theorem. The simulated spectrograms are well consistent with the ones observed by Van Allen Probes. We suggest the following processes. (1) When magnetic reconnection starts, an intensive equatorward and tailward plasma flow appears in the plasma lobe. (2) The flow transports plasma from the lobe to the plasma sheet where the radius of curvature of the magnetic field line is small. (3) The intensive dawn-dusk electric field transports the O+ ions earthward and accelerates them nonadiabatically to an energy threshold; (4) the void structure appears at energies below the threshold.

Ground Simulations of Near-Surface Plasma Field and Charging at the Lunar Terminator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polansky, J.; Ding, N.; Wang, J.; Craven, P.; Schneider, T.; Vaughn, J.

2012-12-01

Charging in the lunar terminator region is the most complex and is still not well understood. In this region, the surface potential is sensitively influenced by both solar illumination and plasma flow. The combined effects from localized shadow generated by low sun elevation angles and localized wake generated by plasma flow over the rugged terrain can generate strongly differentially charged surfaces. Few models currently exist that can accurately resolve the combined effects of plasma flow and solar illumination over realistic lunar terminator topographies. This paper presents an experimental investigation of lunar surface charging at the terminator region in simulated plasma environments in a vacuum chamber. The solar wind plasma flow is simulated using an electron bombardment gridded Argon ion source. An electrostatic Langmuir probe, nude Faraday probes, a floating emissive probe, and retarding potential analyzer are used to quantify the plasma flow field. Surface potentials of both conducting and dielectric materials immersed in the plasma flow are measured with a Trek surface potential probe. The conducting material surface potential will simultaneously be measured with a high impedance voltmeter to calibrate the Trek probe. Measurement results will be presented for flat surfaces and objects-on-surface for various angles of attack of the plasma flow. The implications on the generation of localized plasma wake and surface charging at the lunar terminator will be discussed. (This research is supported by the NASA Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research program.)

The design and implementation of the Dynamic Ionosphere Cubesat Experiment (DICE) science instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burr, Steven Reed

Dynamic Ionosphere Cubesat Experiment (DICE) is a satellite project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the ionosphere, more particularly Storm Enhanced Densities (SED) with a payload consisting of plasma diagnostic instrumentation. Three instruments onboard DICE include an Electric Field Probe (EFP), Ion Langmuir Probe (ILP), and Three Axis Magnetometer (TAM). The EFP measures electric fields from +/-8V and consists of three channels a DC to 40Hz channel, a Floating Potential Probe (FPP), and an spectrographic channel with four bands from 16Hz to 512Hz. The ILP measures plasma densities from 1x104 cm--3 to 2x107 cm--3. The TAM measures magnetic field strength with a range +/-0.5 Gauss with a sensitivity of 2nT. To achieve desired mission requirements careful selection of instrument requirements and planning of the instrumentation design to achieve mission success. The analog design of each instrument is described in addition to the digital framework required to sample the science data at a 70Hz rate and prepare the data for the Command and Data Handing (C&DH) system. Calibration results are also presented and show fulfillment of the mission and instrumentation requirements.

A hemispherical Langmuir probe array detector for angular resolved measurements on droplet-based laser-produced plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gambino, Nadia, E-mail: gambinon@ethz.ch; Brandstätter, Markus; Rollinger, Bob

2014-09-15

In this work, a new diagnostic tool for laser-produced plasmas (LPPs) is presented. The detector is based on a multiple array of six motorized Langmuir probes. It allows to measure the dynamics of a LPP in terms of charged particles detection with particular attention to droplet-based LPP sources for EUV lithography. The system design permits to temporally resolve the angular and radial plasma charge distribution and to obtain a hemispherical mapping of the ions and electrons around the droplet plasma. The understanding of these dynamics is fundamental to improve the debris mitigation techniques for droplet-based LPP sources. The device hasmore » been developed, built, and employed at the Laboratory for Energy Conversion, ETH Zürich. The experimental results have been obtained on the droplet-based LPP source ALPS II. For the first time, 2D mappings of the ion kinetic energy distribution around the droplet plasma have been obtained with an array of multiple Langmuir probes. These measurements show an anisotropic expansion of the ions in terms of kinetic energy and amount of ion charge around the droplet target. First estimations of the plasma density and electron temperature were also obtained from the analysis of the probe current signals.« less

Estimation of ion charge states using Van Allen Probes-RBSPICE: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farinas Perez, G.; Sibeck, D. G.

2017-12-01

We use data from the RBSPICE instrument aboard the Van Allen Probes spacecraft to identify particle injection events with ion drift echoes. We calculate the arrival time and drift period of the protons, helium and oxygen for every energy channel of the RBSPICE instrument. The ions drift period depends upon their energy and charge, as we know the particle energy and the time drift period, the charge state can be estimated for a dipolar magnetic field model. A drift-echo event occurred in May 23, 2013 at 0400 UT is analyzed.

Trityl radicals in perfluorocarbon emulsions as stable, sensitive, and biocompatible oximetry probes.

PubMed

Dhimitruka, Ilirian; Alzarie, Yasmin Alsayed; Hemann, Craig; Samouilov, Alexandre; Zweier, Jay L

2016-12-01

EPR oximetry with the use of trityl radicals can enable sensitive O 2 measurement in biological cells and tissues. However, in vitro cellular and in vivo biological applications are limited by rapid trityl probe degradation or biological clearance and the need to enhance probe O 2 sensitivity. We synthesized novel perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions, ∼200nm droplet size, containing esterified perchlorinated triphenyl methyl (PTM) radicals dispersed in physiological aqueous buffers. These formulations exhibit excellent EPR signal stability, over 20-fold greater than free PTM probes, with high oxygen sensitivity ∼17mG/mmHg enabling pO 2 measurement in aqueous solutions or cell suspensions with sensitivity >0.5mmHg. Thus, PFC-PTM probes hold great promise to enable combined O 2 delivery and sensing as needed to restore or enhance tissue oxygenation in disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electron collection theory for a D-region subsonic blunt electrostatic probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wai-Kwong Lai, T.

1974-01-01

Blunt probe theory for subsonic flow in a weakly ionized and collisional gas is reviewed, and an electron collection theory for the relatively unexplored case, Deybye length approximately 1, which occurs in the lower ionosphere (D-region), is developed. It is found that the dimensionless Debye length is no longer an electric field screening parameter, and the space charge field effect can be negelected. For ion collection, Hoult-Sonin theory is recognized as a correct description of the thin, ion density-perturbed layer adjacent the blunt probe surface. The large volume with electron density perturbed by a positively biased probe renders the usual thin boundary layer analysis inapplicable. Theories relating free stream conditions to the electron collection rate for both stationary and moving blunt probes are obtained. A model based on experimental nonlinear electron drift velocity data is proposed. For a subsonically moving probe, it is found that the perturbed region can be divided into four regions with distinct collection mechanisms.

"Analysis of Van Allen Probes lapping data using Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE)"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallton, D. A.; Manweiler, J. W.; Gerrard, A. J.; Cravens, T.; Lanzerotti, L. J.; Patterson, J. D.

2017-12-01

The increased frequency of the Van Allen Probes (VAP) lapping events provides a unique opportunity to examine the scaling length and structure of the magnetospheric plasma at microscales. Onboard the probes is the RBSPICE instrument, which is an energetic particle detector capable of observing ions (H+, Hen+, On+) from approximately 7 KeV upwards to values of 1 MeV. Here we provide a correlation analysis of the probes during quiet time lapping events which examines the behavior of the particle populations when the probes are within 1,000 km of separation distance, at a distance greater than 15,000 km from Earth, and where the Kp and AE magnetic indices show minimal geomagnetic activity. The correlation values of the energetic particle distributions are examined and the falloff distances associated with the tail end of the plasma distribution are calculated. We provide an overview of the initial analysis results for H during the quiet time lapping events and a discussion of the causal relationship.

An optical probe for local measurements of fast plasma ion dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiksel, G.; Den Hartog, D. J.; Fontana, P. W.

1998-05-01

A novel insertable probe for local measurements of equilibrium and fluctuating plasma ion flow velocity and temperature via Doppler spectroscopy is described. Optical radiation is collected by two fused silica fiber optic bundles with perpendicular viewlines. Spatial resolution of about 5 cm is achieved by terminating each view with an optical dump. The collected light is transported by the fiber bundles to a high-resolution spectrometer. Two components of the velocity are measured simultaneously—the radial along the insertion of the probe and a perpendicular component (which can be varied by simply rotating the probe by 90°). The accuracy of the velocity measurements is better than 1 km/s. The probe is armored by a boron nitride enclosure and is inserted into a high temperature plasma to obtain radial profiles of the equilibrium and fluctuating plasma velocity. Initial measurements have been done in Madison Symmetric Torus reversed field pinch.

Effect of photoelectric emission on blunt probe conductivity measurements in the stratosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

John, Thomas; Chopra, P.; Garg, S. C.

2009-06-01

Two identical planar blunt probes of stainless steel material, biased with a bipolar ramp voltage, are used to measure the stratospheric polar conductivities to altitudes of 34 km. One probe (DP) is mounted closer to the gondola, looking downwards and shielded from sunlight, while the other (SP) is mounted looking sideways, away from the gondola. The daytime observations of positive ions in the 29-34 km altitude range with SP, and of negative ions at 34 km with DP, show photoelectric contaminations induced by solar UV radiations in the 190-230 nm band. These contaminations are found to be due to photoemissions from the SP probe steel surface and from the carbon paint that coats the surface of the gondola, respectively. It is found that, a segment of the photocurrent contaminated I-V curve, recorded with SP at higher negative probe potentials, is linear, and it can give the ambient positive polar conductivity.

Development of a beam ion velocity detector for the heavy ion beam probe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fimognari, P. J., E-mail: PJFimognari@XanthoTechnologies.com; Crowley, T. P.; Demers, D. R.

2016-11-15

In an axisymmetric plasma, the conservation of canonical angular momentum constrains heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) trajectories such that measurement of the toroidal velocity component of secondary ions provides a localized determination of the poloidal flux at the volume where they originated. We have developed a prototype detector which is designed to determine the beam angle in one dimension through the detection of ion current landing on two parallel planes of detecting elements. A set of apertures creates a pattern of ion current on wires in the first plane and solid metal plates behind them; the relative amounts detected bymore » the wires and plates determine the angle which beam ions enter the detector, which is used to infer the toroidal velocity component. The design evolved from a series of simulations within which we modeled ion beam velocity changes due to equilibrium and fluctuating magnetic fields, along with the ion beam profile and velocity dispersion, and studied how these and characteristics such as the size, cross section, and spacing of the detector elements affect performance.« less

Analysis of retarding field energy analyzer transmission by simulation of ion trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van de Ven, T. H. M.; de Meijere, C. A.; van der Horst, R. M.; van Kampen, M.; Banine, V. Y.; Beckers, J.

2018-04-01

Retarding field energy analyzers (RFEAs) are used routinely for the measurement of ion energy distribution functions. By contrast, their ability to measure ion flux densities has been considered unreliable because of lack of knowledge about the effective transmission of the RFEA grids. In this work, we simulate the ion trajectories through a three-gridded RFEA using the simulation software SIMION. Using idealized test cases, it is shown that at high ion energy (i.e., >100 eV) the transmission is equal to the optical transmission rather than the product of the individual grid transparencies. Below 20 eV, ion trajectories are strongly influenced by the electric fields in between the grids. In this region, grid alignment and ion focusing effects contribute to fluctuations in transmission with ion energy. Subsequently the model has been used to simulate the transmission and energy resolution of an experimental RFEA probe. Grid misalignments reduce the transmission fluctuations at low energy. The model predicts the minimum energy resolution, which has been confirmed experimentally by irradiating the probe with a beam of ions with a small energy bandwidth.

SOME PRACTICAL MODIFICATIONS ON HIGH FREQUENCY ION SOURCES (in Hungarian)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagy, J.; Gombos, P.

1962-05-01

A radiofrequency ion source was constructed for the 800-kv cascade type accelerator and 300-kv neutron generator built in the Institute. Besides the usual transversal magnetic field of 50 gauss, an axial magnetic field of 250 gauss intensity was also applied in the immediate neighborhood of the probe. As a result of this, the service life of the discharge tube was increased by several hundred hours but in comparison with the measurements of other authors the percentage of protons underwent no change. The quartz calyx which was built to surround the probe, contributed considerably to an increase of the service life.more » Measurements concerning the selection of the pre-focusing lens are summarized. With a probe of 1.3-mm canal diameter, a maximum 1.9 ma pre-focused ion current was obtained in H/sub 2/ with a gas consumption of 8 to 10 cm/sup 3//hr, (With a probe of 1.7-mm canal diameter, at a gas consumption of 25 cm/sup 3//hr, 2.7 ma current was obtained.) The total consumption of the ion source amounted to 800 w with prefocusing. The energy-spread of the ion beam was found to be 200 ev. Having built it into the cascade type accelerator 1 ma current was measured on the target at an accelerating voltage of 500 kv, where this amount included the secondary electrons as well. (auth)« less

Short-distance probes for protein backbone structure based on energy transfer between bimane and transition metal ions

PubMed Central

Taraska, Justin W.; Puljung, Michael C.; Zagotta, William N.

2009-01-01

The structure and dynamics of proteins underlies the workings of virtually every biological process. Existing biophysical methods are inadequate to measure protein structure at atomic resolution, on a rapid time scale, with limited amounts of protein, and in the context of a cell or membrane. FRET can measure distances between two probes, but depends on the orientation of the probes and typically works only over long distances comparable with the size of many proteins. Also, common probes used for FRET can be large and have long, flexible attachment linkers that position dyes far from the protein backbone. Here, we improve and extend a fluorescence method called transition metal ion FRET that uses energy transfer to transition metal ions as a reporter of short-range distances in proteins with little orientation dependence. This method uses a very small cysteine-reactive dye monobromobimane, with virtually no linker, and various transition metal ions bound close to the peptide backbone as the acceptor. We show that, unlike larger fluorophores and longer linkers, this donor–acceptor pair accurately reports short-range distances and changes in backbone distances. We further extend the method by using cysteine-reactive metal chelators, which allow the technique to be used in protein regions of unknown secondary structure or when native metal ion binding sites are present. This improved method overcomes several of the key limitations of classical FRET for intramolecular distance measurements. PMID:19805285

Solar Probe ANalyzer Ion Instrument - Demonstrated Laboratory Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livi, R.; Larson, D. E.; Whittlesey, P. L.; Kasper, J. C.; Case, A. W.; Korreck, K. E.

2016-12-01

The Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission is a heliospheric satellite that will orbit the Sun closer than any prior mission to date with a perihelion of 35 solar radii (RS) and an aphelion of 9.86 RS. SPP includes the Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) instrument suite, which in turn consists of four instruments: the Solar Probe Cup (SPC) and three Solar Probe ANalyzers (SPAN) for ions and electrons. Together, this suite will take local measurements of particles and electromagnetic fields within the Sun's corona. The SPAN-Ai instrument, the ion analyzer, is composed of an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) at its aperture followed by a Time-of-Flight section to measure the energy and mass per charge (m/q) of the ambient ions. The electronics consist of (1) an anode board, (2) a TDC digital board, (3) a low voltage power supply, and (4) two high voltage boards. The onboard FPGA will control electronics and event signals while sending variable digitial packets of said information to the SWEAP Electronics Module (SWEM). The majority of the components are built, assembled, and tested primarily at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). SPAN-Ai's main objective is to measure ions with an energy range of 5 eV - 20 keV, a mass/q between 1-100 [amu/q] and a field of view of 240 x 120 degrees . This presentation will show preliminary calibration results over the past 6 months of these features performed at UCB.

Dual-Reactable Fluorescent Probes for Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of Biological H2 S.

PubMed

Wei, Chao; Wang, Runyu; Zhang, Changyu; Xu, Guoce; Li, Yanyan; Zhang, Qiang-Zhe; Li, Lu-Yuan; Yi, Long; Xi, Zhen

2016-05-06

Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) is an important endogenous signaling molecule with a variety of biological functions. Development of fluorescent probes for highly selective and sensitive detection of H2 S is necessary. We show here that dual-reactable fluorescent H2 S probes could react with higher selectivity than single-reactable probes. One of the dual-reactable probes gives more than 4000-fold turn-on response when reacting with H2 S, the largest response among fluorescent H2 S probes reported thus far. In addition, the probe could be used for high-throughput enzymatic assays and for the detection of Cys-induced H2 S in cells and in zebrafish. These dual-reactable probes hold potential for highly selective and sensitive detection of H2 S in biological systems. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of pipette modulation and imaging distances on ion currents measured with scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM).

PubMed

Chen, Chiao-Chen; Baker, Lane A

2011-01-07

Local conductance variations can be estimated by measuring ion current magnitudes with scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM). Factors which influence image quality and quantitation of ion currents measured with SICM have been evaluated. Specifically, effects of probe-sample separation and pipette modulation have been systematically studied for the case of imaging conductance variations at pores in a polymer membrane under transmembrane concentration gradients. The influence of probe-sample separation on ion current images was evaluated using distance-modulated (ac) feedback. Approach curves obtained using non-modulated (dc) feedback were also recorded to determine the relative influence of pipette-generated convection by comparison of ion currents measured with both ac and dc feedback modes. To better interpret results obtained, comparison to a model based on a disk-shaped geometry for nanopores in the membrane, as well as relevant position-dependent parameters of the experiment is described. These results advance our current understanding of conductance measurements with SICM.

Plasma Emission Characteristics from a High Current Hollow Cathode in an Ion Thruster Discharge Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, John E.; Patterson, Michael J.

2002-01-01

The presence of energetic ions produced by a hollow cathodes operating at high emission currents (greater than 5A) has been documented in the literature. In order to further elucidate these findings, an investigation of a high current cathode operating in an ion thruster discharge chamber has been undertaken. Using Langmuir probes, a low energy charged particle analyzer and emission spectroscopy, the behavior of the near-cathode plasma and the emitted ion energy distribution was characterized. The presence of energetic ions was confirmed. It was observed that these ions had energies in excess of the discharge voltage and thus cannot be simply explained by ions falling out of plasma through a potential difference of this order. Additionally, evidence provided by Langmuir probes suggests the existence of a double layer essentially separating the hollow cathode plasma column from the main discharge. The radial potential difference associated with this double layer was measured to be of order the ionization potential.

"Trunk-like" heavy ion structures observed by the Van Allen Probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.-C.; Kistler, L. M.; Spence, H. E.; Wolf, R. A.; Reeves, G.; Skoug, R.; Funsten, H.; Larsen, B. A.; Niehof, J. T.; MacDonald, E. A.; Friedel, R.; Ferradas, C. P.; Luo, H.

2015-10-01

Dynamic ion spectral features in the inner magnetosphere are the observational signatures of ion acceleration, transport, and loss in the global magnetosphere. We report "trunk-like" ion structures observed by the Van Allen Probes on 2 November 2012. This new type of ion structure looks like an elephant's trunk on an energy-time spectrogram, with the energy of the peak flux decreasing Earthward. The trunks are present in He+ and O+ ions but not in H+. During the event, ion energies in the He+ trunk, located at L = 3.6-2.6, magnetic local time (MLT) = 9.1-10.5, and magnetic latitude (MLAT) = -2.4-0.09°, vary monotonically from 3.5 to 0.04 keV. The values at the two end points of the O+ trunk are energy = 4.5-0.7 keV, L = 3.6-2.5, MLT = 9.1-10.7, and MLAT = -2.4-0.4°. Results from backward ion drift path tracings indicate that the trunks are likely due to (1) a gap in the nightside ion source or (2) greatly enhanced impulsive electric fields associated with elevated geomagnetic activity. Different ion loss lifetimes cause the trunks to differ among ion species.

Probing polariton dynamics in trapped ions with phase-coherent two-dimensional spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gessner, Manuel; Schlawin, Frank; Buchleitner, Andreas

2015-06-07

We devise a phase-coherent three-pulse protocol to probe the polariton dynamics in a trapped-ion quantum simulation. In contrast to conventional nonlinear signals, the presented scheme does not change the number of excitations in the system, allowing for the investigation of the dynamics within an N-excitation manifold. In the particular case of a filling factor one (N excitations in an N-ion chain), the proposed interaction induces coherent transitions between a delocalized phonon superfluid and a localized atomic insulator phase. Numerical simulations of a two-ion chain demonstrate that the resulting two-dimensional spectra allow for the unambiguous identification of the distinct phases, andmore » the two-dimensional line shapes efficiently characterize the relevant decoherence mechanism.« less

Floating potential in electronegative plasmas for non-zero ion temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regodón, Guillermo Fernando; Fernández Palop, José Ignacio; Tejero-del-Caz, Antonio; Díaz-Cabrera, Juan Manuel; Carmona-Cabezas, Rafael; Ballesteros, Jerónimo

2018-02-01

The floating potential of a Langmuir probe immersed in an electronegative plasma is studied theoretically under the assumption of radial positive ion fluid movement for non-zero positive ion temperature: both cylindrical and spherical geometries are studied. The model is solvable exactly. The special characteristics of the electronegative pre-sheath are found and the influence of the stratified electronegative pre-sheath is shown to be very small in practical applications. It is suggested that the use of the floating potential in the measurement of negative ions population density is convenient, in view of the numerical results obtained. The differences between the two radial geometries, which become very important for small probe radii of the order of magnitude of the Debye length, are studied.

Van Allen Probe Charging During the St. Patrick's Day Event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, L. Neergaard; Minow, J. I.

2015-01-01

The geomagnetic storms on and around March 17, 2015 marked the largest storms seen in the declining phase of the solar cycle to date. We use the Helium Oxygen Proton Electron (HOPE) mass spectrometer on board the Van Allen Probe - A and B satellites to study in detail the charging effects seen on these spacecraft during this time. Ion particle flux data provides information on the magnitude of the charging events using the ion line charging signature due to low energy ions accelerated by the spacecraft potential. Electron flux observations are used to correlate the charging environment with variations in spacecraft potential through the event. We also investigate the density and temperature of ions and electrons during the time of the charging event.

Photon-assisted Beam Probes for Low Temperature Plasmas and Installation of Neutral Beam Probe in Helimak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia de Gorordo, Alvaro; Hallock, Gary A.; Kandadai, Nirmala

2008-11-01

The Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic has successfully measured the electric potential in a number of major plasma devices in the fusion community. In contrast to a Langmuir probe, the HIBP measures the exact electric potential rather than the floating potential. It is also has the advantage of being a very nonperturbing diagnostic. We propose a new photon-assisted beam probe technique that would extend the HIBP type of diagnostics into the low temperature plasma regime. We expect this method to probe plasmas colder than 10 eV. The novelty of the proposed diagnostic is a VUV laser that ionizes the probing particle. Excimer lasers produce the pulsed VUV radiation needed. The lasers on the market don't have a short enough wavelength too ionize any ion directly and so we calculate the population density of excited states in a NLTE plasma. These new photo-ionization techniques can take an instantaneous one-dimensional potential measurement of a plasma and are ideal for nonmagnitized plasmas where continuous time resolution is not required. Also the status of the Neutral Beam Probe installation on the Helimak experiment will be presented.

Optothermal response of a single silicon nanotip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vella, A.; Shinde, D.; Houard, J.; Silaeva, E.; Arnoldi, L.; Blum, I.; Rigutti, L.; Pertreux, E.; Maioli, P.; Crut, A.; Del Fatti, N.

2018-02-01

The optical properties and thermal dynamics of conical single silicon nanotips are experimentally and theoretically investigated. The spectral and spatial dependencies of their optical extinction are quantitatively measured by spatial modulation spectroscopy (SMS). A nonuniform optical extinction along the tip axis and an enhanced near-infrared absorption, as compared to bulk crystalline silicon, are evidenced. This information is a key input for computing the thermal response of single silicon nanotips under ultrafast laser illumination, which is investigated by laser assisted atom probe tomography (La-APT) used as a highly sensitive temperature probe. A combination of these two experimental techniques and comparison with modeling also permits us to elucidate the impact of thermal effects on the laser assisted field evaporation process. Extension of this coupled approach opens up future perspectives for the quantitative study of the optical and thermal properties of a wide class of individual nano-objects, in particular elongated ones such as nanotubes, nanowires, and nanocones, which constitute promising nanosources for electron and/or ion emission.

Probing Ion Transfer across Liquid-Liquid Interfaces by Monitoring Collisions of Single Femtoliter Oil Droplets on Ultramicroelectrodes.

PubMed

Deng, Haiqiang; Dick, Jeffrey E; Kummer, Sina; Kragl, Udo; Strauss, Steven H; Bard, Allen J

2016-08-02

We describe a method of observing collisions of single femtoliter (fL) oil (i.e., toluene) droplets that are dispersed in water on an ultramicroelectrode (UME) to probe the ion transfer across the oil/water interface. The oil-in-water emulsion was stabilized by an ionic liquid, in which the oil droplet trapped a highly hydrophobic redox probe, rubrene. The ionic liquid also functions as the supporting electrolyte in toluene. When the potential of the UME was biased such that rubrene oxidation would be possible when a droplet collided with the electrode, no current spikes were observed. This implies that the rubrene radical cation is not hydrophilic enough to transfer into the aqueous phase. We show that current spikes are observed when tetrabutylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate or tetrahexylammonium hexafluorophosphate are introduced into the toluene phase and when tetrabutylammonium perchlorate is introduced into the water phase, implying that the ion transfer facilitates electron transfer in the droplet collisions. The current (i)-time (t) behavior was evaluated quantitatively, which indicated the ion transfer is fast and reversible. Furthermore, the size of these emulsion droplets can also be calculated from the electrochemical collision. We further investigated the potential dependence on the electrochemical collision response in the presence of tetrabutylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate in toluene to obtain the formal ion transfer potential of tetrabutylammonium across the toluene/water interface, which was determined to be 0.754 V in the inner potential scale. The results yield new physical insights into the charge balance mechanism in emulsion droplet collisions and indicate that the electrochemical collision technique can be used to probe formal ion transfer potentials between water and solvents with very low (ε < 5) dielectric constants.

Coherent phase control of internal conversion in pyrazine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Robert J.; Hu, Zhan; Seideman, Tamar; Singha, Sima; Sukharev, Maxim; Zhao, Youbo

2015-04-01

Shaped ultrafast laser pulses were used to study and control the ionization dynamics of electronically excited pyrazine in a pump and probe experiment. For pump pulses created without feedback from the product signal, the ion growth curve (the parent ion signal as a function of pump/probe delay) was described quantitatively by the classical rate equations for internal conversion of the S2 and S1 states. Very different, non-classical behavior was observed when a genetic algorithm (GA) employing phase-only modulation was used to minimize the ion signal at some pre-determined target time, T. Two qualitatively different control mechanisms were identified for early (T < 1.5 ps) and late (T > 1.5 ps) target times. In the former case, the ion signal was largely suppressed for t < T, while for t ≫ T, the ion signal produced by the GA-optimized pulse and a transform limited (TL) pulse coalesced. In contrast, for T > 1.5 ps, the ion growth curve followed the classical rate equations for t < T, while for t ≫ T, the quantum yield for the GA-optimized pulse was much smaller than for a TL pulse. We interpret the first type of behavior as an indication that the wave packet produced by the pump laser is localized in a region of the S2 potential energy surface where the vertical ionization energy exceeds the probe photon energy, whereas the second type of behavior may be described by a reduced absorption cross section for S0 → S2 followed by incoherent decay of the excited molecules. Amplitude modulation observed in the spectrum of the shaped pulse may have contributed to the control mechanism, although this possibility is mitigated by the very small focal volume of the probe laser.

Probing microscopic material properties inside simulated membranes through spatially resolved three-dimensional local pressure fields and surface tensions

PubMed Central

Kasson, Peter M.; Hess, Berk; Lindahl, Erik

2013-01-01

Cellular lipid membranes are spatially inhomogeneous soft materials. Materials properties such as pressure and surface tension thus show important microscopic-scale variation that is critical to many biological functions. We present a means to calculate pressure and surface tension in a 3D-resolved manner within molecular-dynamics simulations and show how such measurements can yield important insight. We also present the first corrections to local virial and pressure fields to account for the constraints typically used in lipid simulations that otherwise cause problems in highly oriented systems such as bilayers. Based on simulations of an asymmetric bacterial ion channel in a POPC bilayer, we demonstrate how 3D-resolved pressure can probe for both short-range and long-range effects from the protein on the membrane environment. We also show how surface tension is a sensitive metric for inter-leaflet equilibrium and can be used to detect even subtle imbalances between bilayer leaflets in a membrane-protein simulation. Since surface tension is known to modulate the function of many proteins, this effect is an important consideration for predictions of ion channel function. We outline a strategy by which our local pressure measurements, which we make available within a version of the GROMACS simulation package, may be used to design optimally equilibrated membrane-protein simulations. PMID:23318532

Overview of the electric propulsion plasma diagnostics suite for the VASIMR VX-200 testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, Christopher; Longmier, Benjamin; Ballenger, Maxwell; Squire, Jared; Glover, Tim; Carter, Mark; Bering, Edgar; Giambusso, Matthew

2012-10-01

Descriptions of the various plasma diagnostics and data analysis methods are given for instruments used in high power (> 100 kW) electric propulsion testing. These include planar Langmuir probes, an articulating retarding potential analyzer, a double Langmuir probe, a multi-axis magnetometer, a high frequency electric field probe, microwave interferometer, and momentum flux targets. These diagnostics have been used to measure the efficiencies of the thruster, plasma source, ion cyclotron resonance booster, and magnetic nozzle as well as used to explore physical phenomena in the plume such as ion/electron detachment, plasma turbulence, and magnetic field line stretching. Typical plume parameters range up to 10^13 cm-3 electron density, 1 kG applied magnetic fields, ion energies in excess of 150 eV, and cold electrons (2 -- 5 eV) with a spatial measurement range over 2 m.

Probing the endocytic pathways of the filamentous bacteriophage in live cells using ratiometric pH fluorescent indicator.

PubMed

Tian, Ye; Wu, Man; Liu, Xiangxiang; Liu, Zhi; Zhou, Quan; Niu, Zhongwei; Huang, Yong

2015-02-18

Viral nanoparticles have attracted extensive research interests in diverse applications of diagnosis and therapy. In particular, filamentous M13 bacteriophages have shown great potential in biomedical applications. However, its pathways entering into cells still remain unclear, and this greatly hinders its further use as a drug or gene carrier. Here, a ratiometric M13 pH probe is designed by conjugating two fluorescent dyes onto the surface of M13. Since the intensity ratio is not influenced by probe concentration, ion strength, temperature, photobleaching, and optical path length, this ratiometric probe can be used to investigate the intracellular pH map of M13. More importantly, the internalization mechanism of M13 can be elucidated. It is found that this filamentous phage shows great cell-type dependence in interaction with cells and internalization mechanism. The phage tends to be bounded on the cell membrane of only epithelial cells, not endothelial cells. Furthermore, the M13 phage enters into cells through endocytosis with specific mechanism: clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis for HeLa; vesicular transport, clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and macropinocytosis for MCF-7; caveolae-mediated endocytosis for human dermal microvascular endothelial cell (HDMEC). This work provides key notes for cancer diagnosis and therapy based on filamentous bacteriophage, especially for design of pH-sensitive drug delivery systems. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fluid shear stress enhances the cell volume decrease of osteoblast cells by increasing the expression of the ClC-3 chloride channel

PubMed Central

LIU, LI; CAI, SIYI; QIU, GUIXING; LIN, JIN

2016-01-01

ClC-3 is a volume-sensitive chloride channel that is responsible for cell volume adjustment and regulatory cell volume decrease (RVD). In order to evaluate the effects of fluid shear stress (FSS) stimulation on the osteoblast ClC-3 chloride channel, MC3T3-E1 cells were stimulated by FSS in the experimental group. Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect changes in ClC-3 mRNA expression, the chloride ion fluorescent probe N-(ethoxycarbonylmethyl)-6-methoxyquinolinium bromide (MQAE) was used to detect the chloride channel activity, and whole-cell patch clamping was used to monitor the changes in the volume-sensitive chloride current activated by a hypotonic environment following mechanical stimulation. The results show that the expression of the osteoblast chloride channel ClC-3 was significantly higher in the FSS group compared with the control group. MQAE fluorescence intensity was significantly reduced in the FSS group compared to the control group, suggesting that mechanical stimulation increased chloride channel activity and increased the efflux of intracellular chloride ions. Image analysis of osteoblast volume changes showed that osteoblast RVD was enhanced by mechanical stimulation. Whole-cell patch clamping showed that the osteoblast volume-sensitive chloride current was larger in the stimulated group compared to the control group, suggesting that elevated ClC-3 chloride channel expression results in an increased volume-sensitive chloride current. In conclusion, FSS stimulation enhances the RVD of osteoblast cell by increasing the expression of the ClC-3 and enhancing the chloride channel activity. PMID:27073622

Balloon-borne three-meter telescope for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fazio, G. G.

1985-01-01

Presented are scientific objectives, engineering analysis and design, and results of technology development for a Three-Meter Balloon-Borne Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Telescope. The scientific rationale is based on two crucial instrumental capabilities: high angular resolution which approaches eight arcseconds at one hundred micron wavelength, and high resolving power spectroscopy with good sensitivity throughout the telescope's 30-micron to 1-mm wavelength range. The high angular resolution will allow us to resolve and study in detail such objects as collapsing protostellar condensations in our own galaxy, clusters of protostars in the Magellanic clouds, giant molecular clouds in nearby galaxies, and spiral arms in distant galaxies. The large aperture of the telescope will permit sensitive spectral line measurements of molecules, atoms, and ions, which can be used to probe the physical, chemical, and dynamical conditions in a wide variety of objects.

A novel cyanide-selective colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor: first molecular security keypad lock based on phosphotungstic acid and CN- inputs.

PubMed

Tavallali, Hossein; Deilamy-Rad, Gohar; Parhami, Abolfath; Hasanli, Nahid

2014-02-15

Rhodamine B (RhB) an available dye has been developed as novel and efficient colorimetric and fluorometric chemosensor for cyanide ions in an absolutely aqueous media. The UV-vis absorption and fluorescent emission titrations experiments have been employed to study the sensing process. RhB could act as an efficient "ON-OFF" fluorescent response for phosphotungstic acid (H3PW12O40 or PTA) based on an ion associate process. Also (RhB(+))3 · PTA(3-) could operate as an "OFF-ON" fluorescent sensor for cyanide anions based on a ligand substitution process. It has been identified as highly sensitive probe for CN(-) which responds at 0.3 and 0.04 μmol L(-1) concentration levels by absorption and fluorescent method respectively. Depending upon the sequence of addition of PTA and CN(-) ions into the solution, RhB could be as a molecular security keypad lock with PTA and CN(-) inputs. The ionic inputs to new fluorophore have been mimicked as a superimposed electronic molecular keypad lock. The results were compared successfully (>96%) with the data of a spectrophotometry approved method (EPA 9014-1) for cyanide ions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resonant coherent excitation of relativistic Ar 17+ ions channeled in a Si crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azuma, T.; Ito, T.; Yamazaki, Y.; Komaki, K.; Sano, M.; Torikoshi, M.; Kitagawa, A.; Takada, E.; Murakami, T.

1998-02-01

We observed resonant coherent excitation (RCE) of 1s electron to n=2 states in Ar 17+ through measurements of the survived fraction of 390 MeV/u hydrogen-like Ar 17+ channeled in a Si crystal. We adopted a totally depleted Si surface barrier detector as a target crystal as well as a probe of the energy deposition. The charge state of emerged ions was measured by a combination of a charge separation magnet and a 2D-position sensitive detector. We observed the RCE for planar channeled ions by tilting the target Si crystal from the direction of [1 1 0] axis in the (2 2¯ 0) , (0 0 4) , and (1 1¯ 1) planes. Prominent resonances at tilt angles under the resonance condition were observed. Moreover, each resonance profile is split into several lines due to the l· s interaction and the Stark effect originating in the static crystal field. The energy deposition in the crystal gives the information of the amplitude of the ion trajectory. The resonance peak position, intensity and width in the survived fraction of Ar 17+ reflect the position dependent strength of the crystal field, the RCE and the electron loss probabilities. They are in good accord with our calculation of the transition energy and probability.

Fluorescence imaging and dynamics of intracellular ionic concentrations in single living cells: application to pHi and Mgi variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viallet, Pierre M.; Yassine, Mohamed; Salmon, Jean-Marie; Vigo, Jean

1996-05-01

The intracellular concentration of ions such as H+, Hg2+, Ca2+ is known to monitor the activity of many intracellular enzymes. Furthermore these ions are considered as intracellular messengers involved in signal transducing. Moreover recent technological progresses gave rise to the feeling that accurate data are instantly accessible on microvolumes. So the determination of ionic intracellular concentrations has been achieved using fluorescent specific probes and different equipments (Microspectrofluorometer, Flow Cytometer, Numerical Image Analyzer with or without Confocal system), without taking care of the physico-chemical properties of the probe. Unfortunately fluorescent probes are supposed to fill up conflicting requirements in terms of ionic affinity, specificity, fluorescence quantum yield of the free and ion-bound probe, absence of fading and diffusibility out of the cell. Because most of the probes are not so specific than it is claimed, unexpected interactions may obscure the interpretation of results and even make it difficult to get an intracellular calibration curve. Such a situation generally precludes the use of the popular simplest methods of data acquisition and treatment. The scope of this presentation is to point out some underestimated difficulties, to discuss different ways for bypassing some of them and to rationale the use of Videomicrofluorometry.

The Sheath-less Planar Langmuir Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooke, D. L.

2017-12-01

The Langmuir probe is one of the oldest plasma diagnostics, provided the plasma density and species temperature from analysis of a current-voltage curve as the voltage is swept over a practically chosen range. The analysis depends on a knowledge or theory of the many factors that influence the current-voltage curve including, probe shape, size, nearby perturbations, and the voltage reference. For applications in Low Earth Orbit, the Planar Langmuir Probe, PLP, is an attractive geometry because the ram ion current is very constant over many Volts of a sweep, allowing the ion density and electron temperature to be determined independently with the same instrument, at different points on the sweep. However, when the physical voltage reference is itself small and electrically floating as with a small spacecraft, the spacecraft and probe system become a double probe where the current collection theory depends on the interaction of the spacecraft with the plasma which is generally not as simple as the probe itself. The Sheath-less PLP, SPLP, interlaces on a single ram facing surface, two variably biased probe elements, broken into many small and intertwined segments on a scale smaller than the plasma Debye length. The SPLP is electrically isolated from the rest of the spacecraft. For relative bias potentials of a few volts, the ion current to all segments of each element will be constant, while the electron currents will vary as a function of the element potential and the electron temperature. Because the segments are small, intertwined, and floating, the assembly will always present the same floating potential to the plasma, with minimal growth as a function of voltage, thus sheath-less and still planar. This concept has been modelled with Nascap, and tested with a physical model inserted into a Low Earth Orbit-like chamber plasma. Results will be presented.

Langmuir probes for SPIDER (source for the production of ions of deuterium extracted from radio frequency plasma) experiment: Tests in BATMAN (Bavarian test machine for negative ions)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brombin, M., E-mail: matteo.brombin@igi.cnr.it; Spolaore, M.; Serianni, G.

2014-11-15

A prototype system of the Langmuir probes for SPIDER (Source for the production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from RF plasma) was manufactured and experimentally qualified. The diagnostic was operated in RF (Radio Frequency) plasmas with cesium evaporation on the BATMAN (BAvarian Test MAchine for Negative ions) test facility, which can provide plasma conditions as expected in the SPIDER source. A RF passive compensation circuit was realised to operate the Langmuir probes in RF plasmas. The sensors’ holder, designed to better simulate the bias plate conditions in SPIDER, was exposed to a severe experimental campaign in BATMAN with cesium evaporation.more » No detrimental effect on the diagnostic due to cesium evaporation was found during the exposure to the BATMAN plasma and in particular the insulation of the electrodes was preserved. The paper presents the system prototype, the RF compensation circuit, the acquisition system (as foreseen in SPIDER), and the results obtained during the experimental campaigns.« less

Combined experimental and theoretical studies on selective sensing of zinc and pyrophosphate ions by rational design of compartmental chemosensor probe: Dual sensing behaviour via secondary recognition approach and cell imaging studies.

PubMed

Mawai, Kiran; Nathani, Sandip; Roy, Partha; Singh, U P; Ghosh, Kaushik

2018-05-08

A compartmental chemosensor probe HL has been designed and synthesized for the selective recognition of zinc ions over other transition metal ions via fluorescence "ON" strategy. The chemosensing behaviour of HL was demonstrated through fluorescence, absorption and NMR spectroscopic techniques. The molecular structure of the zinc complex derived from HL was determined by X-ray crystallography. A probable mechanism of this selective sensing behavior was described on the basis of spectroscopic results and theoretical studies by density functional theory (DFT). The biological applicability of the chemosensor HL was examined via cell imaging on HeLa cells. The HL-zinc complex served as a secondary fluorescent probe responding to the pyrophosphate anion specifically over other anions. The fluorescence enhancement of HL in association with Zn2+ ions was quenched in the presence of pyrophosphate (PPi). Thus, a dual response was established based on "OFF-ON-OFF" strategy for detection of both cation and anion. This phenomenon was utilized in the construction of a "INHIBIT" logic gate.

Plume and Discharge Plasma Measurements of an NSTAR-type Ion Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, John E.; Soulas, George C.; Patterson, Michael J.

2000-01-01

The success of the NASA Deep Space 1 spacecraft has demonstrated that ion propulsion is a viable option for deep space science missions. More aggressive missions such as Comet Nuclear Sample Return and Europa lander will require higher power, higher propellant throughput and longer thruster lifetime than the NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Application Readiness (NSTAR) engine. Presented here are thruster plume and discharge plasma measurements of an NSTAR-type thruster operated from 0.5 kW to 5 kW. From Faraday plume sweeps, beam divergence was determined. From Langmuir probe plume measurements on centerline, low energy ion production on axis due to charge-exchange and direct ionization was assessed. Additionally, plume plasma potential measurements made on axis were used to determine the upper energy limits at which ions created on centerline could be radially accelerated. Wall probes flush-mounted to the thruster discharge chamber anode were used to assess plasma conditions. Langmuir probe measurements at the wall indicated significant differences in the electron temperature in the cylindrical and conical sections of the discharge chamber.

Plume and Discharge Plasma Measurements of an NSTAR-type Ion Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, John E; Soulas, George C.; Patterson, Michael J.

2000-01-01

The success of the NASA Deep Space I spacecraft has demonstrated that ion propulsion is a viable option for deep space science missions. More aggressive missions such as Comet Nuclear Sample Return and Europa lander will require higher power, higher propellant throughput and longer thruster lifetime than the NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Application Readiness (NSTAR) engine. Presented here are thruster plume and discharge plasma measurements of an NSTAR-type thruster operated from 0.5 kW to 5 kW. From Faraday plume sweeps, beam divergence was determined. From Langmuir probe plume measurements on centerline, low energy ion production on axis due to charge-exchange and direct ionization was assessed. Additionally, plume plasma potential measurements made on axis were used to determine the upper energy limits at which ions created on centerline could be radially accelerated. Wall probes flush-mounted to the thruster discharge chamber anode were used to assess plasma conditions. Langmuir probe measurements at the wall indicated significant differences in the electron temperature in the cylindrical and conical sections of the discharge chamber.

A Preliminary Investigation of Hall Thruster Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallimore, Alec D.

1997-01-01

A three-year NASA/BMDO-sponsored experimental program to conduct performance and plume plasma property measurements on two Russian Stationary Plasma Thrusters (SPTs) has been completed. The program utilized experimental facilitates at the University of Michigan's Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL). The main features of the proposed effort were as follows: (1) Characterized Hall thruster (and arcjet) performance by measuring ion exhaust velocity with probes at various thruster conditions; (2) Used a variety of probe diagnostics in the thruster plume to measure plasma properties and flow properties including T(sub e) and n(sub e) ion current density and ion energy distribution, and electric fields by mapping plasma potential; (3) Used emission spectroscopy to identify species within the plume and to measure electron temperatures. A key and unique feature of our research was our collaboration with Russian Hall thruster researcher Dr. Sergey A Khartov, Deputy Dean of International Relations at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). His activities in this program included consulting on and participation in research at PEPL through use of a MAI-built SPT and ion energy probe.

The use of the ion probe mass spectrometer in the measurement of hydrogen concentration gradients in Monel K 500

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truhan, J. J., Jr.; Hehemann, R. F.

1974-01-01

The ion probe mass spectrometer was used to measure hydrogen concentration gradients in cathodically charged Monel K 500. Initial work with the ion probe involved the calibration of the instrument and the establishment of a suitable experimental procedure for this application. Samples of Monel K 500 were cathodically charged in a weak sulfuric acid solution. By varying the current density, different levels of hydrogen were introduced into the samples. Hydrogen concentration gradients were taken by ion sputtering on the surface of these samples and monitoring the behavior of the hydrogen mass peak as a function of time. An attempt was made to determine the relative amounts of hydrogen in the bulk and grain boundaries by analyzing a fresh fracture surface with a higher proportion of grain boundary area. It was found that substantially more hydrogen was detected in the grain boundaries than in the bulk, confirming the predictions of previous workers. A sputter rate determination was made in order to establish the rate of erosion.

Graphene Visualizes the Ion Distribution on Air-Cleaved Mica.

PubMed

Bampoulis, Pantelis; Sotthewes, Kai; Siekman, Martin H; Zandvliet, Harold J W; Poelsema, Bene

2017-03-06

The distribution of potassium (K + ) ions on air-cleaved mica is important in many interfacial phenomena such as crystal growth, self-assembly and charge transfer on mica. However, due to experimental limitations to nondestructively probe single ions and ionic domains, their exact lateral organization is yet unknown. We show, by the use of graphene as an ultra-thin protective coating and scanning probe microscopies, that single potassium ions form ordered structures that are covered by an ice layer. The K + ions prefer to minimize the number of nearest neighbour K + ions by forming row-like structures as well as small domains. This trend is a result of repulsive ionic forces between adjacent ions, weakened due to screening by the surrounding water molecules. Using high resolution conductive atomic force microscopy maps, the local conductance of the graphene is measured, revealing a direct correlation between the K + distribution and the structure of the ice layer. Our results shed light on the local distribution of ions on the air-cleaved mica, solving a long-standing enigma. They also provide a detailed understanding of charge transfer from the ionic domains towards graphene.

Clinical evaluation of the Jay Sensitivity Sensor Probe: a new microprocessor-controlled instrument to evaluate dentin hypersensitivity.

PubMed

Sowinski, Joseph A; Kakar, Ashish; Kakar, Kanupriya

2013-05-01

To compare the Jay Sensitivity Sensor Probe (Jay Probe), a new microprocessor-based, pre-calibrated instrument, with well accepted methods used to evaluate sensitivity, i.e. tactile response to the Yeaple Probe, air blast (Schiff scale), and patient responses by Visual Analog Score (VAS). Jay Probe assessments were accomplished using several approaches. With a cohort of 12 subjects, two clinical examiners compared the repeatability of the Jay and Yeaple Probes. A second evaluation of both probes was conducted during two independent parallel design clinical studies each enrolling 100 adults with dentin hypersensitivity (DH). In each study, subjects were evaluated for DH responses after twice daily oral hygiene with a negative control fluoride dentifrice or a positive control dentifrice formulated with ingredients proven to reduce sensitivity, i.e. potassium nitrate or 8.0% arginine with calcium carbonate. Tactile evaluations by the Jay and Yeaple Probes were conducted at baseline and recall visits over the 8-week duration of each study. Also evaluated at each visit were responses to air blast and to patient reported DH assessment by VAS. Low inter-examiner variability with no significant differences between replicate measurements (P > 0.05) was observed with the Jay Probe. Consistent with results from previous studies, subjects assigned dentifrices formulated with potassium nitrate or 8% arginine/calcium carbonate demonstrated improvements in Yeaple, air blast and VAS responses in comparison to those assigned the fluoride dentifrice (P < 0.05). Jay Probe responses correlated significantly with all other sensitivity measures (P < 0.05). Differences between these treatments were observed at all post-treatment evaluations using these methods.

In-flight calibration of mesospheric rocket plasma probes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Havnes, Ove; University Studies Svalbard; Hartquist, Thomas W.

Many effects and factors can influence the efficiency of a rocket plasma probe. These include payload charging, solar illumination, rocket payload orientation and rotation, and dust impact induced secondary charge production. As a consequence, considerable uncertainties can arise in the determination of the effective cross sections of plasma probes and measured electron and ion densities. We present a new method for calibrating mesospheric rocket plasma probes and obtaining reliable measurements of plasma densities. This method can be used if a payload also carries a probe for measuring the dust charge density. It is based on that a dust probe's effectivemore » cross section for measuring the charged component of dust normally is nearly equal to its geometric cross section, and it involves the comparison of variations in the dust charge density measured with the dust detector to the corresponding current variations measured with the electron and/or ion probes. In cases in which the dust charge density is significantly smaller than the electron density, the relation between plasma and dust charge density variations can be simplified and used to infer the effective cross sections of the plasma probes. We illustrate the utility of the method by analysing the data from a specific rocket flight of a payload containing both dust and electron probes.« less

In-flight calibration of mesospheric rocket plasma probes.

PubMed

Havnes, Ove; Hartquist, Thomas W; Kassa, Meseret; Morfill, Gregor E

2011-07-01

Many effects and factors can influence the efficiency of a rocket plasma probe. These include payload charging, solar illumination, rocket payload orientation and rotation, and dust impact induced secondary charge production. As a consequence, considerable uncertainties can arise in the determination of the effective cross sections of plasma probes and measured electron and ion densities. We present a new method for calibrating mesospheric rocket plasma probes and obtaining reliable measurements of plasma densities. This method can be used if a payload also carries a probe for measuring the dust charge density. It is based on that a dust probe's effective cross section for measuring the charged component of dust normally is nearly equal to its geometric cross section, and it involves the comparison of variations in the dust charge density measured with the dust detector to the corresponding current variations measured with the electron and/or ion probes. In cases in which the dust charge density is significantly smaller than the electron density, the relation between plasma and dust charge density variations can be simplified and used to infer the effective cross sections of the plasma probes. We illustrate the utility of the method by analysing the data from a specific rocket flight of a payload containing both dust and electron probes.

Detection of radio frequency perturbations using an ion beam diagnostic (abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, S.; Si, J.; Crowley, T. P.; Connor, K. A.; Schoch, P. M.; Schatz, J. G.

2001-01-01

Presently, experiments are underway at the Plasma Dynamics Laboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to demonstrate that the techniques developed for heavy ion beam probe diagnostics (HIBP) can be used to measure radio frequency (rf) fluctuations in plasmas. We hope to measure fluctuations in plasma density and magnetic and electric fields. This will provide a direct measurement of the electric and magnetic fields in the plasma during ICRF heating and thereby improve understanding of heating deposition and wave physics. In addition, the field and the density measurements will be used to determine the plasma reaction to the heating experiments. It is expected that the density measurements will be easiest to interpret, while the electric field measurement will be the most difficult to interpret. The diagnostic issues that will be important in taking data at rf frequencies include faster electronics, signal levels, and path effects. We have used a current to voltage amplifier design to measure 0-500 kHz fluctuations in several previous experiments. By reducing the gain and changing some components, a very similar design is capable of operation at rf frequencies. The modified circuit has been tested up to 15 MHz and worked well. The number of beam ions striking the detector plate in one rf period will be too small to obtain good enough statistics for fluctuation measurements, and therefore, averages over many cycles will be required. We expect to be able to achieve millisecond time resolution in the experiments. The global nature of the modes will tend to make path effects important in the HIBP signals. On the other hand, since the beam will take more than one period to cross the plasma, phase shifts may cancel some of these effects. In addition, a path effect term due to dA/dt will be much more important relative to the electric potential than in lower frequency experiments. The initial experimental plan is to do a series of measurements in which a lithium ion beam passes through an argon helicon plasma. The helicon plasma was chosen because its high density (of order 1019 m-3) will produce a larger HIBP signal than can be obtained from other small plasmas. The helicon plasma is formed within a solenoidal magnetic field of 1 kG on axis. The plasma is excited by an rf antenna that is a modification of the type used in Boswell's experiments.1 The rf power source is presently a 500 W, 13.56 MHz generator. From calculation of final trajectories we have determined that 16-29 keV Li ions can be used to probe a plasma with 1 kG magnetic field on axis. If the signal levels with a lithium beam are too small, a molecular hydrogen source will be used. For testing the basic operation of the ion beam probe we will use a simple plate detector mounted on the output flange. These preliminary experiments will be used to determine the feasibility of measuring density and magnetic field fluctuations. A second set of experiments using a more traditional HIBP energy analyzer as a detector is also planned. This detector will also be able to measure electric field effects on the probing ions. It will also be less sensitive to UV noise from the plasma.

MPAI (mass probes aided ionization) method for total analysis of biomolecules by mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Honda, Aki; Hayashi, Shinichiro; Hifumi, Hiroki; Honma, Yuya; Tanji, Noriyuki; Iwasawa, Naoko; Suzuki, Yoshio; Suzuki, Koji

2007-01-01

We have designed and synthesized various mass probes, which enable us to effectively ionize various molecules to be detected with mass spectrometry. We call the ionization method using mass probes the "MPAI (mass probes aided ionization)" method. We aim at the sensitive detection of various biological molecules, and also the detection of bio-molecules by a single mass spectrometry serially without changing the mechanical settings. Here, we review mass probes for small molecules with various functional groups and mass probes for proteins. Further, we introduce newly developed mass probes for proteins for highly sensitive detection.

Scanning ion-conductance and atomic force microscope with specialized sphere-shaped nanopippettes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhukov, M. V.; Sapozhnikov, I. D.; Golubok, A. O.; Chubinskiy-Nadezhdin, V. I.; Komissarenko, F. E.; Lukashenko, S. Y.

2017-11-01

A scanning ion-conductance microscope was designed on the basis of scanning probe microscope NanoTutor. The optimal parameters of nanopipettes fabrication were found according to scanning electron microscopy diagnostics, current-distance I (Z) and current-voltage characteristics. A comparison of images of test objects, including biological samples, was carried out in the modes of optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning ion-conductance microscopy. Sphere-shaped nanopippettes probes were developed and tested to increase the stability of pipettes, reduce invasiveness and improve image quality of atomic force microscopy in tapping mode. The efficiency of sphere-shaped nanopippettes is shown.

On the microscopic fluctuations driving the NMR relaxation of quadrupolar ions in water

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carof, Antoine; Salanne, Mathieu; Rotenberg, Benjamin, E-mail: benjamin.rotenberg@upmc.fr

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxation is sensitive to the local structure and dynamics around the probed nuclei. The Electric Field Gradient (EFG) is the key microscopic quantity to understand the NMR relaxation of quadrupolar ions, such as {sup 7}Li{sup +}, {sup 23}Na{sup +}, {sup 25}Mg{sup 2+}, {sup 35}Cl{sup −}, {sup 39}K{sup +}, or {sup 133}Cs{sup +}. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the statistical and dynamical properties of the EFG experienced by alkaline, alkaline Earth, and chloride ions at infinite dilution in water. Specifically, we analyze the effect of the ionic charge and size on the distribution of the EFGmore » tensor and on the multi-step decay of its auto-correlation function. The main contribution to the NMR relaxation time arises from the slowest mode, with a characteristic time on the picosecond time scale. The first solvation shell of the ion plays a dominant role in the fluctuations of the EFG, all the more that the ion radius is small and its charge is large. We propose an analysis based on a simplified charge distribution around the ion, which demonstrates that the auto-correlation of the EFG, hence the NMR relaxation time, reflects primarily the collective translational motion of water molecules in the first solvation shell of the cations. Our findings provide a microscopic route to the quantitative interpretation of NMR relaxation measurements and open the way to the design of improved analytical theories for NMR relaxation for small ionic solutes, which should focus on water density fluctuations around the ion.« less

New cardioprotective agent flokalin and its supramolecular complexes with target amino acids: An integrated mass-spectrometry and quantum-chemical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pashynska, Vlada; Stepanian, Stepan; Gömöry, Ágnes; Vékey, Károly; Adamowicz, Ludwik

2017-10-01

This study is devoted to examining the molecular structure and molecular mechanisms of action of the recently developed cardioprotective agent flokalin (Fl), a fluorine containing analogue of pinacidil, which is known as an activator of ATP sensitive potassium membrane channels. A combined experimental and computational investigation of flokalin and its biologically relevant supramolecular complexes with selected amino acids involved in KATP-channels proteins is performed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) and by B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ quantum-mechanical calculations. First Fl solution is probed by ESI MS and a characteristic mass spectrum of the agent is obtained. Next the intermolecular interactions of Fl with the potentially targeted aminoacids (AA), Lys and Thr, are experimentally investigated. The spectra of the model Fl:AA systems (in 1:1 M ratio) contain information on the ions characteristic to the individual components of the mixtures; though the most interesting spectral results from the biophysical view point are related to the ions of stable molecular clusters formed by flokalin with AA. The peaks of such ions are quite prominent in the spectrum for the Fl:Lys system and less prominent for Fl:Thr. The equilibrium geometries and the corresponding interaction energies of the noncovalent supramolecular complexes registered in the mass spectra are determined in the quantum chemical calculations. The formation of the stable noncovalent complexes of Fl with Lyz and Thr revealed by the ESI MS probing and by the theoretical modelling testify to a possibility of interaction of flokalin with the KATP-channel domains enriched with the two amino acids in biological systems.

Design principles and theory of paramagnetic fluorine-labelled lanthanide complexes as probes for (19)F magnetic resonance: a proof-of-concept study.

PubMed

Chalmers, Kirsten H; De Luca, Elena; Hogg, Naomi H M; Kenwright, Alan M; Kuprov, Ilya; Parker, David; Botta, Mauro; Wilson, J Ian; Blamire, Andrew M

2010-01-04

The synthesis and spectroscopic properties of a series of CF(3)-labelled lanthanide(III) complexes (Ln=Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm) with amide-substituted ligands based on 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane are described. The theoretical contributions of the (19)F magnetic relaxation processes in these systems are critically assessed and selected volumetric plots are presented. These plots allow an accurate estimation of the increase in the rates of longitudinal and transverse relaxation as a function of the distance between the Ln(III) ion and the fluorine nucleus, the applied magnetic field, and the re-rotational correlation time of the complex, for a given Ln(III) ion. Selected complexes exhibit pH-dependent chemical shift behaviour, and a pK(a) of 7.0 was determined in one example based on the holmium complex of an ortho-cyano DO3A-monoamide ligand, which allowed the pH to be assessed by measuring the difference in chemical shift (varying by over 14 ppm) between two (19)F resonances. Relaxation analyses of variable-temperature and variable-field (19)F, (17)O and (1)H NMR spectroscopy experiments are reported, aided by identification of salient low-energy conformers by using density functional theory. The study of fluorine relaxation rates, over a field range of 4.7 to 16.5 T allowed precise computation of the distance between the Ln(III) ion and the CF(3) reporter group by using global fitting methods. The sensitivity benefits of using such paramagnetic fluorinated probes in (19)F NMR spectroscopic studies are quantified in preliminary spectroscopic and imaging experiments with respect to a diamagnetic yttrium(III) analogue.

A ratiometric fluorescent probe for rapid and sensitive detection of biothiols in fetal bovine serum.

PubMed

Wang, Fengyang; Feng, Chongchong; Lu, Linlin; Xu, Zhiai; Zhang, Wen

2017-07-01

Herein, a ratiometric turn-on fluorescent probe for sensitive detection of biothiols was designed. The probe consisted of two parts: one was rhodamine B serving as a fluorescence reference, and the other was coumarin derivative as the responsive fluorophore with an acrylate group for biothiols recognition. The response was based on the mechanism of Michael addition and intramolecular cyclization reaction, and the probe showed ratiometric and sensitive response to biothiols. Especially, the detection limit of this probe for cysteine was found to be 0.13μΜ. More importantly, the probe showed the advantage of fast response, of which the fluorescence intensity can reach the maximum within 10min. The ratiometric fluorescent probe has been successfully applied for the determination of biothiols in fetal bovine serum samples and the result was in good agreement with that tested by Ellman method. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Exciton-controlled fluorescence: application to hybridization-sensitive fluorescent DNA probe.

PubMed

Okamoto, Akimitsu; Ikeda, Shuji; Kubota, Takeshi; Yuki, Mizue; Yanagisawa, Hiroyuki

2009-01-01

A hybridization-sensitive fluorescent probe has been designed for nucleic acid detection, using the concept of fluorescence quenching caused by the intramolecular excitonic interaction of fluorescence dyes. We synthesized a doubly thiazole orange-labeled nucleotide showing high fluorescence intensity for a hybrid with the target nucleic acid and effective quenching for the single-stranded state. This exciton-controlled fluorescent probe was applied to living HeLa cells using microinjection to visualize intracellular mRNA localization. Immediately after injection of the probe into the cell, fluorescence was observed from the probe hybridizing with the target RNA. This fluorescence rapidly decreased upon addition of a competitor DNA. Multicoloring of this probe resulted in the simple simultaneous detection of plural target nucleic acid sequences. This probe realized a large, rapid, reversible change in fluorescence intensity in sensitive response to the amount of target nucleic acid, and facilitated spatiotemporal monitoring of the behavior of intracellular RNA.

Ion-imprinted nanoparticles for the concurrent estimation of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions over a two channel surface plasmon resonance-based fiber optic platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrivastav, Anand Mohan; Gupta, Banshi D.

2018-01-01

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of an optical fiber sensor based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique for the simultaneous determination of lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) metal ions in aqueous samples. Two cascade channels over a single optical fiber are fabricated by removing cladding from two well-separated regions of the fiber. SPR working as a transducing mechanism for the sensor is realized by coating thin films of copper and silver over unclad cores of channel I and channel II, respectively. Ion-imprinted nanoparticles for both ions are separately synthesized and coated over the metal-coated unclad cores of the fiber as the recognition layers for sensor fabrication. A first channel having layer of Pb(II) ion-imprinted nanoparticles detects Pb(II) ions and a second channel having layer of Cu(II) ion-imprinted nanoparticles are used for the detection of Cu(II) ions. Both channels are characterized using the wavelength interrogation method. The sensor operates in the range between 0 to 1000 μg/L and 0 to 1000 mg/L for Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions, respectively. These ranges cover water resources and the human body for these ions. The sensitivities of channel I and channel II are found to be 8.19×104 nm/(μg/L) and 4.07×105 nm/(mg/L) near the lowest concentration of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions, respectively. The sensor can detect concentrations of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions as low as 4.06 × 10-12 g/L and 8.18 × 10-10 g/L, respectively, which are the least among the reported values in the literature. Further, the probe is simple, cost effective, highly selective, and applicable for online monitoring and remote sensing.

Nitrogen doped carbon nanodots as fluorescent probes for selective detection and quantification of Ferric(III) ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, Suk-Fun; Tan, Shao-Chien; Pang, Suh-Cem; Ng, Sing-Muk

2017-11-01

Nitrogen (N) doped carbon dots (N-CDs) that showed blue fluorescence with quantum yield (QY) of 12.25% were synthesized by one step microwave irradiation of lysine in ortho-phosphoric acid at 1000 W for 5 min. The as-synthesized N-CDs were successfully explored as fluorescent probes for selective detection of ferric (Fe3+) ions in aqueous condition with a linear range from 0.2 to 5.0 mM and a detection limit of 0.074 mM ± 0.081 (S/N = 3). The N-CDs exhibited high selectivity towards the detection of Fe3+ ions even in the presence of interfering ions. The N-CDs also demonstrated the potential of practical application for determining of Fe3+ ions concentration in real samples with high recovery rate and low relative standard deviation error.

Atom probe tomography of the evolution of the nanostructure of oxide dispersion strengthened steels under ion irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlov, N. N.; Rogozhkin, S. V.; Bogachev, A. A.; Korchuganova, O. A.; Nikitin, A. A.; Zaluzhnyi, A. G.; Kozodaev, M. A.; Kulevoy, T. V.; Kuibeda, R. P.; Fedin, P. A.; Chalykh, B. B.; Lindau, R.; Hoffmann, Ya.; Möslang, A.; Vladimirov, P.

2017-09-01

The atom probe tomography of the nanostructure evolution in ODS1 Eurofer, ODS 13.5Cr, and ODS 13.5Cr-0.3Ti steels under heavy ion irradiation at 300 and 573 K is performed. The samples were irradiated by 5.6 MeV Fe2+ ions and 4.8 MeV Ti2+ ions to a fluence of 1015 cm-2. It is shown that the number of nanoclusters increases by a factor of 2-3 after irradiation. The chemical composition of the clusters in the steels changes after irradiation at 300 K, whereas the chemical composition of the clusters in the 13.5Cr-0.3Ti ODS steel remains the same after irradiation at 573 K.

Characterization of dilute species within CVD-grown silicon nanowires doped using trimethylboron: protected lift-out specimen preparation for atom probe tomography.

PubMed

Prosa, T J; Alvis, R; Tsakalakos, L; Smentkowski, V S

2010-08-01

Three-dimensional quantitative compositional analysis of nanowires is a challenge for standard techniques such as secondary ion mass spectrometry because of specimen size and geometry considerations; however, it is precisely the size and geometry of nanowires that makes them attractive candidates for analysis via atom probe tomography. The resulting boron composition of various trimethylboron vapour-liquid-solid grown silicon nanowires were measured both with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and pulsed-laser atom probe tomography. Both characterization techniques yielded similar results for relative composition. Specialized specimen preparation for pulsed-laser atom probe tomography was utilized and is described in detail whereby individual silicon nanowires are first protected, then lifted out, trimmed, and finally wet etched to remove the protective layer for subsequent three-dimensional analysis.

Spatial and Temporal Extent of Ion Spectral Structures at the Inner Edge of the Plasma Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferradas, C.; Reeves, G. D.; Zhang, J.; Spence, H. E.; Kistler, L. M.; Larsen, B.; Skoug, R. M.; Funsten, H. O.

2017-12-01

Several ion spectral structures are observed near the inner edge of the plasma sheet and constitute the signatures of ion drift and loss in the highly dynamic environment of the inner magnetosphere. Their study helps us understand ion access and losses in this region. Several studies have found that these structures vary with geomagnetic activity, local time, and ion species, but their spatial and temporal extent remain undetermined. We use data from the Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) mass spectrometers onboard the Van Allen Probes to analyze the spectral structures in the energy range of 1- 50 keV. HOPE measurements on both Van Allen Probes spacecraft enable us to resolve the extent of these ion structures in space and time. As the structures respond to changes in the convection electric field on a variety of time scales, the lapping of the two spacecraft on time scales of minutes to hours helps determine their spatial and temporal evolution.

Observations of a field-aligned ion/ion-beam instability in a magnetized laboratory plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heuer, P. V.; Weidl, M. S.; Dorst, R. S.; Schaeffer, D. B.; Bondarenko, A. S.; Tripathi, S. K. P.; Van Compernolle, B.; Vincena, S.; Constantin, C. G.; Niemann, C.; Winske, D.

2018-03-01

Collisionless coupling between super Alfvénic ions and an ambient plasma parallel to a background magnetic field is mediated by a set of electromagnetic ion/ion-beam instabilities including the resonant right hand instability (RHI). To study this coupling and its role in parallel shock formation, a new experimental configuration at the University of California, Los Angeles utilizes high-energy and high-repetition-rate lasers to create a super-Alfvénic field-aligned debris plasma within an ambient plasma in the Large Plasma Device. We used a time-resolved fluorescence monochromator and an array of Langmuir probes to characterize the laser plasma velocity distribution and density. The debris ions were observed to be sufficiently super-Alfvénic and dense to excite the RHI. Measurements with magnetic flux probes exhibited a right-hand circularly polarized frequency chirp consistent with the excitation of the RHI near the laser target. We compared measurements to 2D hybrid simulations of the experiment.

Observations of a field-aligned ion/ion-beam instability in a magnetized laboratory plasma

DOE PAGES

Heuer, P. V.; Weidl, M. S.; Dorst, R. S.; ...

2018-03-01

Collisionless coupling between super Alfvénic ions and an ambient plasma parallel to a background magnetic field is mediated by a set of electromagnetic ion/ion-beam instabilities including the resonant right hand instability (RHI). To study this coupling and its role in parallel shock formation, a new experimental configuration at the University of California, Los Angeles utilizes high-energy and high-repetition-rate lasers to create a super-Alfvénic field-aligned debris plasma within an ambient plasma in the Large Plasma Device. We used a time-resolved fluorescence monochromator and an array of Langmuir probes to characterize the laser plasma velocity distribution and density. The debris ions weremore » observed to be sufficiently super-Alfvénic and dense to excite the RHI. Measurements with magnetic flux probes exhibited a right-hand circularly polarized frequency chirp consistent with the excitation of the RHI near the laser target. To conclude, we compared measurements to 2D hybrid simulations of the experiment.« less

Observations of a field-aligned ion/ion-beam instability in a magnetized laboratory plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heuer, P. V.; Weidl, M. S.; Dorst, R. S.

Collisionless coupling between super Alfvénic ions and an ambient plasma parallel to a background magnetic field is mediated by a set of electromagnetic ion/ion-beam instabilities including the resonant right hand instability (RHI). To study this coupling and its role in parallel shock formation, a new experimental configuration at the University of California, Los Angeles utilizes high-energy and high-repetition-rate lasers to create a super-Alfvénic field-aligned debris plasma within an ambient plasma in the Large Plasma Device. We used a time-resolved fluorescence monochromator and an array of Langmuir probes to characterize the laser plasma velocity distribution and density. The debris ions weremore » observed to be sufficiently super-Alfvénic and dense to excite the RHI. Measurements with magnetic flux probes exhibited a right-hand circularly polarized frequency chirp consistent with the excitation of the RHI near the laser target. To conclude, we compared measurements to 2D hybrid simulations of the experiment.« less

Strongly enhanced oxygen ion transport through samarium-doped CeO 2 nanopillars in nanocomposite films

DOE PAGES

Yang, Sangmo; Lee, Shinbuhm; Jian, Jie; ...

2015-10-08

Enhancement of oxygen ion conductivity in oxides is important for low-temperature (<500 °C) operation of solid oxide fuel cells, sensors and other ionotronic devices. While huge ion conductivity has been demonstrated in planar heterostructure films, there has been considerable debate over the origin of the conductivity enhancement, in part because of the difficulties of probing buried ion transport channels. Here we create a practical geometry for device miniaturization, consisting of highly crystalline micrometre-thick vertical nanocolumns of Sm-doped CeO 2 embedded in supporting matrices of SrTiO 3. The ionic conductivity is higher by one order of magnitude than plain Sm-doped CeOmore » 2 films. By using scanning probe microscopy, we show that the fast ion-conducting channels are not exclusively restricted to the interface but also are localized at the Sm-doped CeO 2 nanopillars. This work offers a pathway to realize spatially localized fast ion transport in oxides of micrometre thickness.« less

A Redox-Nucleophilic Dual-Reactable Probe for Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of H2S: Synthesis, Spectra and Bioimaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Changyu; Wang, Runyu; Cheng, Longhuai; Li, Bingjie; Xi, Zhen; Yi, Long

2016-07-01

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important signalling molecule with multiple biological functions. The reported H2S fluorescent probes are majorly based on redox or nucleophilic reactions. The combination usage of both redox and nucleophilic reactions could improve the probe’s selectivity, sensitivity and stability. Herein we report a new dual-reactable probe with yellow turn-on fluorescence for H2S detection. The sensing mechanism of the dual-reactable probe was based on thiolysis of NBD (7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole) amine (a nucleophilic reaction) and reduction of azide to amine (a redox reaction). Compared with its corresponding single-reactable probes, the dual-reactable probe has higher selectivity and fluorescence turn-on fold with magnitude of multiplication from that of each single-reactable probe. The highly selective and sensitive properties enabled the dual-reactable probe as a useful tool for efficiently sensing H2S in aqueous buffer and in living cells.

Highly sensitive electrochemical assay for Nosema bombycis gene DNA PTP1 via conformational switch of DNA nanostructures regulated by H+ from LAMP.

PubMed

Zhao, Jianmin; Gao, Jiaxi; Zheng, Ting; Yang, Zhehan; Chai, Yaqin; Chen, Shihong; Yuan, Ruo; Xu, Wenju

2018-05-30

The portable and rapid detection of biomolecules via pH meters to monitor the concentration of hydrogen ions (H + ) from biological reactions (e.g. loop-mediated isothermal amplification, LAMP) has attracted research interest. However, this assay strategy suffered from inherent drawback of low sensitivity, resulting in great limitations in practical applications. Herein, a novel electrochemical biosensor was constructed for highly sensitive detection of Nosema bombycis gene DNA (PTP1) through transducing chemical stimuli H + from PTP1-based LAMP into electrochemical output signal of electroactive ferrocene (Fc). With use of target PTP1 as the template, the H + from LAMP induced the conformational switch of pH-responsive DNA nanostructures (DNA NSs, Fc-Sp@Ts) that was assembled by the hybridization of Fc-labeled signal probe (Fc-Sp) with DNA-based receptor (Ts). Due to the folding of Ts into stable triplex structure at decreased pH, the configuration change of Fc-Sp@Ts led to the releasing of Fc-Sp, which was subsequently immobilized in the electrode interface through the hybridization with the capture probe modified with -SH (SH-Cp), generating amplified electrochemical signal from Fc. The developed biosensor for PTP1 exhibited a reliable linear range of 1 fg µL -1 to 50 ng µL -1 with the limit of detection of 0.31 fg µL -1 . Thus, by the regulation of H + from LAMP reaction on DNA NSs allostery, this novel and simple transduction scheme would be interesting and promising to open up a novel analytical route for sensitive monitoring of different target DNAs in related disease diagnosis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Graphene engineering by neon ion beams

DOE PAGES

Iberi, Vighter; Ievlev, Anton V.; Vlassiouk, Ivan; ...

2016-02-18

Achieving the ultimate limits of materials and device performance necessitates the engineering of matter with atomic, molecular, and mesoscale fidelity. While common for organic and macromolecular chemistry, these capabilities are virtually absent for 2D materials. In contrast to the undesired effect of ion implantation from focused ion beam (FIB) lithography with gallium ions, and proximity effects in standard e-beam lithography techniques, the shorter mean free path and interaction volumes of helium and neon ions offer a new route for clean, resist free nanofabrication. Furthermore, with the advent of scanning helium ion microscopy, maskless He + and Ne + beam lithographymore » of graphene based nanoelectronics is coming to the forefront. Here, we will discuss the use of energetic Ne ions in engineering graphene devices and explore the mechanical, electromechanical and chemical properties of the ion-milled devices using scanning probe microscopy (SPM). By using SPM-based techniques such as band excitation (BE) force modulation microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and Raman spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the mechanical, electrical and optical properties of the exact same devices can be quantitatively extracted. Additionally, the effect of defects inherent in ion beam direct-write lithography, on the overall performance of the fabricated devices is elucidated.« less

Effects of retarded electrical fields on observables sensitive to the high-density behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Gao-Feng; Li, Bao-An; Yong, Gao-Chan; Ou, Li; Cao, Xin-Wei; Liu, Xu-Yang

2018-03-01

Within the isospin- and momentum-dependent transport model IBUU11, we examine the relativistic retardation effects of electrical fields on the π-/π+ ratio and neutron-proton differential transverse flow in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies. Compared to the static Coulomb fields, the retarded electric fields of fast-moving charges are known to be anisotropic and the associated relativistic corrections can be significant. They are found to increase the number of energetic protons in the participant region at the maximum compression by as much as 25% but that of energetic neutrons by less than 10% in 197Au+197Au reactions at a beam energy of 400 MeV/nucleon. Consequently, more π+ and relatively fewer π- mesons are produced, leading to an appreciable reduction of the π-/π+ ratio compared to calculations with the static Coulomb fields. Also, the neutron-proton differential transverse flow, as another sensitive probe of high-density symmetry energy, is also decreased appreciably due to the stronger retarded electrical fields in directions perpendicular to the velocities of fast-moving charges compared to calculations using the isotropic static electrical fields. Moreover, the retardation effects on these observables are found to be approximately independent of the reaction impact parameter.

Surface Characterization of Nanomaterials and Nanoparticles. Important needs and challenging opportunities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baer, Donald R.; Engelhard, Mark H.; Johnson, Grant E.

2013-08-27

This review examines the characterization challenges inherently associated with understanding nanomaterials and how surface characterization methods can help meet those challenges. In parts of the research community, there is growing recognition that many studies and published reports on the properties and behaviors of nanomaterials have involved inadequate characterization. As a consequence, the true value of the data in these reports is, at best, uncertain. As the importance of nanomaterials in fundamental research and technological applications increases, it is necessary for researchers to recognize the challenges associated with reproducible materials synthesis, maintaining desired materials properties during handling and processing, and themore » dynamic nature of nanomaterials, especially nanoparticles. Researchers also need to understand how characterization approaches (surface and otherwise) can be used to minimize synthesis surprises and to determine how (and how quickly) materials and properties change in different environments. The types of information that can be provided by traditional surface sensitive analysis methods (including X-ray photoelectron and Auger electron spectroscopies, scanning probe microscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy) and less common or evolving surface sensitive methods (e.g., nuclear magnetic resonance, sum frequency generation, and low and medium energy ion scattering) are discussed and various of their use in nanomaterial research are presented.« less

Functionalized CdS quantum dots-based luminescence probe for detection of heavy and transition metal ions in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Chen, Jinlong; Zheng, Aifang; Gao, Yingchun; He, Chiyang; Wu, Genhua; Chen, Youcun; Kai, Xiaoming; Zhu, Changqing

2008-03-01

Strong luminescence CdS quantum dots (QDs) have been prepared and modified with l-cysteine by a facile seeds-assistant technique in water. They are water-soluble and highly stable in aqueous solution. CdS QDs evaluated as a luminescence probe for heavy and transition metal (HTM) ions in aqueous solution was systematically studied. Five HTM ions such as silver(I) ion, copper(II) ion, mercury(II) ion, cobalt(II) ion, and nickel(II) ion significantly influence the photophysics of the emission from the functionalized CdS QDs. Experiment results showed that the fluorescence emission from CdS QDs was enhanced significantly by silver ion without any spectral shift, while several other bivalent HTM ions, such as Hg(2+), Cu(2+), Co(2+), and Ni(2+), exhibited effective optical quenching effect on QDs. Moreover, an obvious red-shift of emission band was observed in the quenching of CdS QDs for Hg(2+) and Cu(2+) ions. Under the optimal conditions, the response was linearly proportional to the concentration of Ag(+) ion ranging from 1.25 x 10(-7) to 5.0 x 10(-6)molL(-1) with a detection limit of 2.0 x 10(-8)molL(-1). The concentration dependence of the quenching effect on functionalized QDs for the other four HTM ions could be well described by typical Stern-Volmer equation, with the linear response of CdS QDs emission proportional to the concentration ranging from 1.50 x 10(-8) to 7.50 x 10(-7)molL(-1) for Hg(2+) ion, 3.0 x 10(-7) to 1.0 x 10(-5)molL(-1) for Ni(2+) ion, 4.59 x 10(-8) to 2.295 x 10(-6)molL(-1) for Cu(2+) ion, and 1.20 x 10(-7) to 6.0 x 10(-6)molL(-1) Co(2+) ion, respectively. Based on the distinct optical properties of CdS QDs system with the five HTM ions, and the relatively wide linear range and rapid response to HTM ions, CdS QDs can be developed as a potential identified luminescence probe for familiar HTM ions detection in aqueous solution.