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The discussion of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of p-aminothiophenol (PATP) and of ist photocatalytic reaction product 4,4′-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) is important for understanding plasmon-supported spectroscopy and catalysis. Here, SERS spectra indicate that DMAB forms also in a nonphotocatalytic reaction on silver nanoparticles. Spectra measured at low pH, in the presence of the acids HCl, H2SO4, HNO3, and H3PO4, show that DMAB is reduced to PATP when both protons and chloride ions are present. Moreover, the successful reduction of DMAB in the presence of other, halide and nonhalide, ligands suggests a central role of these species in the reduction. As discussed, the ligands increase the efficiency of hot-electron harvesting. The pH-associated reversibility of the SERS spectrum of PATP is established as an Observation of the DMAB dimer at high pH and of PATP as a product of its hot-electron reduction at low pH, in the presence of the appropriate ligand.
Laser illuminated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) efficiently absorb light and heat up the surrounding medium, leading to versatile applications ranging from plasmonic catalysis to cancer photothermal therapy. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the thermal, optical, and electron induced reaction pathways is required. Here, the electrophilic DNA nucleobase analog 5-Bromouracil (BrU) has been used as a model compound to study its decomposition in the vicinity of AuNPs illuminated with intense ns laser pulses under various conditions. The plasmonic response of the AuNPs and the concentration of BrU and resulting photoproducts have been tracked by ultraviolet and visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy as a function of the irradiation time. A kinetic model has been developed to determine the reaction rates of two parallel fragmentation pathways of BrU, and their dependency on laser fluence and adsorption on the AuNP have been evaluated. In addition, the size and the electric field enhancement of the decomposed AuNPs have been determined by atomic force microscopy and finite domain time difference calculations, respectively. A minor influence of the direct photoreaction and a strong effect of the heating of the AuNPs have been revealed. However, due to the size reduction of the irradiated AuNPs, a trade-off between laser fluence and plasmonic response of the AuNPs has been observed. Hence, the decomposition of the AuNPs might be limiting the achievable temperatures under irradiation with several laser pulses. These findings need to be considered for an efficient design of catalytic plasmonic systems.
Hot carriers (electrons and holes) generated from the decay of localized surface plasmon resonances can take a major role in catalytic reactions on metal nanoparticles. By obtaining surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of p-aminothiophenol as product of the reduction of p-nitrothiophenol by hot electrons, different catalytic activity is revealed here for nanoparticles of silver, gold, and copper. As a main finding, a series of different ligands, comprising halide and non-halide species, are found to enhance product formation in the reduction reaction on nanoparticles of all three metals. A comparison with the standard electrode potentials of the metals with and without the ligands and SERS data obtained at different electrode potential indicate that the higher catalytic activity can be associated with a higher Fermi level, thereby resulting in an improved efficiency of hot carrier generation. The concept of such a ligand-enhanced hot electron reduction provides a way to make light-to-chemical energy conversion more efficient due to improved electron harvesting.
One of the most commonly used bonds between two biomolecules is the bond between biotin and streptavidin (SA) or streptavidin homologues (SAHs). A high dissociation constant and the consequent high-temperature stability even allows for its use in nucleic acid detection under polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions. There are a number of SAHs available, and for assay design, it is of great interest to determine as to which SAH will perform the best under assay conditions. Although there are numerous single studies on the characterization of SAHs in solution or selected solid phases, there is no systematic study comparing different SAHs for biomolecule-binding, hybridization, and PCR assays on solid phases. We compared streptavidin, core streptavidin, traptavidin, core traptavidin, neutravidin, and monomeric streptavidin on the surface of microbeads (10–15 μm in diameter) and designed multiplex microbead-based experiments and analyzed simultaneously the binding of biotinylated oligonucleotides and the hybridization of oligonucleotides to complementary capture probes. We also bound comparably large DNA origamis to capture probes on the microbead surface. We used a real-time fluorescence microscopy imaging platform, with which it is possible to subject samples to a programmable time and temperature profile and to record binding processes on the microbead surface depending on the time and temperature. With the exception of core traptavidin and monomeric streptavidin, all other SA/SAHs were suitable for our investigations. We found hybridization efficiencies close to 100% for streptavidin, core streptavidin, traptavidin, and neutravidin. These could all be considered equally suitable for hybridization, PCR applications, and melting point analysis. The SA/SAH–biotin bond was temperature-sensitive when the oligonucleotide was mono-biotinylated, with traptavidin being the most stable followed by streptavidin and neutravidin. Mono-biotinylated oligonucleotides can be used in experiments with temperatures up to 70 °C. When oligonucleotides were bis-biotinylated, all SA/SAH–biotin bonds had similar temperature stability under PCR conditions, even if they comprised a streptavidin variant with slower biotin dissociation and increased mechanostability.
The DNA in living cells can be effectively damaged by high-energy radiation, which can lead to cell death. Through the ionization of water molecules, highly reactive secondary species such as low-energy electrons (LEEs) with the most probable energy around 10 eV are generated, which are able to induce DNA strand breaks via dissociative electron attachment. Absolute DNA strand break cross sections of specific DNA sequences can be efficiently determined using DNA origami nanostructures as platforms exposing the target sequences towards LEEs. In this paper, we systematically study the effect of the oligonucleotide length on the strand break cross section at various irradiation energies. The present work focuses on poly-adenine sequences (d(A4), d(A8), d(A12), d(A16), and d(A20)) irradiated with 5.0, 7.0, 8.4, and 10 eV electrons. Independent of the DNA length, the strand break cross section shows a maximum around 7.0 eV electron energy for all investigated oligonucleotides confirming that strand breakage occurs through the initial formation of negative ion resonances. When going from d(A4) to d(A16), the strand break cross section increases with oligonucleotide length, but only at 7.0 and 8.4 eV, i.e., close to the maximum of the negative ion resonance, the increase in the strand break cross section with the length is similar to the increase of an estimated geometrical cross section. For d(A20), a markedly lower DNA strand break cross section is observed for all electron energies, which is tentatively ascribed to a conformational change of the dA20 sequence. The results indicate that, although there is a general length dependence of strand break cross sections, individual nucleotides do not contribute independently of the absolute strand break cross section of the whole DNA strand. The absolute quantification of sequence specific strand breaks will help develop a more accurate molecular level understanding of radiation induced DNA damage, which can then be used for optimized risk estimates in cancer radiation therapy.
Grasses accumulate silicon in the form of silicic acid, which is precipitated as amorphous silica in microscopic particles termed phytoliths. These particles comprise a variety of morphologies according to the cell type in which the silica was deposited. Despite the evident morphological differences, phytolith chemistry has mostly been analysed in bulk samples, neglecting differences between the varied types formed in the same species. In this work, we extracted leaf phytoliths from mature plants of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. Using solid state NMR and thermogravimetric analysis, we show that the extraction methods alter greatly the silica molecular structure, its condensation degree and the trapped organic matter. Measurements of individual phytoliths by Raman and synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopies in combination with multivariate analysis separated bilobate silica cells from prickles and long cells, based on the silica molecular structures and the fraction and composition of occluded organic matter. The variations in structure and composition of sorghum phytoliths suggest that the biological pathways leading to silica deposition vary between these cell types.
A high-pressure neutron diffraction study was conducted on polycrystalline samples of the two known polymorphs of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene [monoclinic (m) and orthorhombic (o) TNT] under hydrostatic conditions. Isothermal equations of state were obtained for both polymorphic forms. Neither polymorph was observed to undergo a phase transition in the pressure region 0–5 GPa, with both polymorphs displaying smooth compression behavior across the pressure range. This differs somewhat from previous X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy investigations in which discontinuities were observed in the P–V curves and spectral changes were reported at ∼2 GPa. The high-pressure response of these materials is supported by dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations which, while overestimating the experimental bulk moduli, give excellent agreement with the observed smooth compression response of both phases.
Hot-electron-induced reactions are more and more recognized as a critical and ubiquitous reaction in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the kinetics of these reactions is still poorly understood, which is also due to the complexity of plasmonic nanostructures. We determined the reaction rates of the hot-electron-mediated reaction of 4-nitrothiophenol (NTP) on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using fractal kinetics as a function of the laser wavelength and compared them with the plasmonic enhancement of the system. The reaction rates can be only partially explained by the plasmonic response of the NPs. Hence, synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements of isolated NTP-capped AuNP clusters have been performed for the first time. In this way, it was possible to determine the work function and the accessible valence band states of the NP systems. The results show that besides the plasmonic enhancement, the reaction rates are strongly influenced by the local density of the available electronic states of the system.
Background signals from in situ-formed amorphous carbon, despite not being fully understood, are known to be a common issue in few-molecule surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Here, discrete gold and silver nanoparticle aggregates assembled by DNA origami were used to study the conditions for the formation of amorphous carbon during SERS measurements. Gold and silver dimers were exposed to laser light of varied power densities and wavelengths. Amorphous carbon prevalently formed on silver aggregates and at high power densities. Time-resolved measurements enabled us to follow the formation of amorphous carbon. Silver nanolenses consisting of three differently-sized silver nanoparticles were used to follow the generation of amorphous carbon at the single-nanostructure level. This allowed observation of the many sharp peaks that constitute the broad amorphous carbon signal found in ensemble measurements. In conclusion, we highlight strategies to prevent amorphous carbon formation, especially for DNA-assembled SERS substrates.
3-Bromopyruvic acid (3BP) is a potential anticancer drug, the action of which on cellular metabolism is not yet entirely clear. The presence of a bromine atom suggests that it is also reactive towards low-energy electrons, which are produced in large quantities during tumour Radiation therapy. Detailed knowledge of the interaction of 3BP with secondary electrons is a prerequisite to gain a complete picture of the effects of 3BP in different forms of Cancer therapy. Herein, dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to 3BP in the gas phase has been studied both experimentally by using a crossed-beam setup and theoretically through scattering and quantum chemical calculations. These results are complemented by a vacuum ultraviolet absorption spectrum.
The main fragmentation channel is the formation of Br@ close to 0 eV and within several resonant features at 1.9 and 3–8 eV. At low electron energies, Br@ formation proceeds through s* and p* shape resonances, and at higher energies through core-excited resonances. It is found that the electron-capture cross-section is clearly increased compared with that of non-brominated pyruvic acid, but, at the same time, fragmentation reactions through DEA are significantly altered as well. The 3BP transient negative ion is subject to a lower number of fragmentation reactions than those of pyruvic acid, which indicates that 3BP could indeed act by modifying the electron-transport chains within oxidative phosphorylation. It could also act as a radio-sensitiser.
The DNA origami technique has great potential for the development of brighter and more sensitive reporters for fluorescence based detection schemes such as a microbead-based assay in diagnostic applications. The nanostructures can be programmed to include multiple dye molecules to enhance the measured signal as well as multiple probe strands to increase the binding strength of the target oligonucleotide to these nanostructures. Here we present a proof-of-concept study to quantify short oligonucleotides by developing a novel DNA origami based reporter system, combined with planar microbead assays. Analysis of the assays using the VideoScan digital imaging platform showed DNA origami to be a more suitable reporter candidate for quantification of the target oligonucleotides at lower concentrations than a conventional reporter that consists of one dye molecule attached to a single stranded DNA. Efforts have been made to conduct multiplexed analysis of different targets as well as to enhance fluorescence signals obtained from the reporters. We therefore believe that the quantification of short oligonucleotides that exist in low copy numbers is achieved in a better way with the DNA origami nanostructures as reporters.
DNA is effectively damaged by radiation, which can on the one hand lead to cancer and is on the other hand directly exploited in the treatment of tumor tissue. DNA strand breaks are already induced by photons having an energy below the ionization energy of DNA. At high photon energies, most of the DNA strand breaks are induced by low-energy secondary electrons. In the present study we quantified photon and electron induced DNA strand breaks in four different 12mer oligonucleotides. They are irradiated directly with 8.44 eV vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photons and 8.8 eV low energy electrons (LEE). By using Si instead of VUV transparent CaF2 as a substrate the VUV exposure leads to an additional release of LEEs, which have a maximum energy of 3.6 eV and can significantly enhance strand break cross sections. Atomic force microscopy is used to visualize strand breaks on DNA origami platforms and to determine absolute values for the strand break cross sections. Upon irradiation with 8.44 eV photons all the investigated sequences show very similar strand break cross sections in the range of 1.7 - 2.3 x 10-16 cm2. The strand break cross sections for LEE irradiation at 8.8 eV are one to two orders of magnitude larger than the ones for VUV photons, and a slight sequence dependence is observed. The sequence dependence is even more pronounced for LEEs with energies < 3.6 eV. The present results help to assess DNA damage by photons and electrons close to the ionization threshold.
Radiation therapy is a basic part of cancer treatment. To increase the DNA damage in carcinogenic cells and preserve healthy tissue at the same time, radiosensitizing molecules such as halogenated nucleobase analogs can be incorporated into the DNA during the cell reproduction cycle. In the present study 8.44 eV photon irradiation induced single strand breaks (SSB) in DNA sequences modified with the radiosensitizer 5-bromouracil (5BrU) and 8-bromoadenine (8BrA) are investigated. 5BrU was incorporated in the 13mer oligonucleotide flanked by different nucleobases. It was demonstrated that the highest SSB cross sections were reached, when cytosine and thymine were adjacent to 5BrU, whereas guanine as a neighboring nucleobase decreases the activity of 5BrU indicating that competing reaction mechanisms are active. This was further investigated with respect to the distance of guanine to 5BrU separated by an increasing number of adenine nucleotides. It was observed that the SSB cross sections were decreasing with an increasing number of adenine spacers between guanine and 5BrU until the SSB cross sections almost reached the level of a non-modified DNA sequence, which demonstrates the high sequence dependence of the sensitizing effect of 5BrU. 8BrA was incorporated in a 13mer oligonucleotide as well and the strand breaks were quantified upon 8.44 eV photon irradiation in direct comparison to a non-modified DNA sequence of the same composition. No clear enhancement of the SSB yield of the modified in comparison to the non-modified DNA sequence could be observed. Additionally, secondary electrons with a maximum energy of 3.6 eV were generated when using Si as a substrate giving rise to further DNA damage. A clear enhancement in the SSB yield can be ascertained, but to the same degree for both the non-modified DNA sequence and the DNA sequence modified with 8BrA.
Raman microspectra combine information on chemical composition of plant tissues with spatial information. The contributions from the building blocks of the cell walls in the Raman spectra of plant tissues can vary in the microscopic sub-structures of the tissue. Here, we discuss the analysis of 55 Raman maps of root, stem, and leaf tissues of Cucumis sativus, using different spectral contributions from cellulose and lignin in both univariate and multivariate imaging methods. Imaging based on hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) indicates different substructures in the xylem cell walls of the different tissues. Using specific signals from the cell wall spectra, analysis of the whole set of different tissue sections based on the Raman images reveals differences in xylem tissue morphology. Due to the specifics of excitation of the Raman spectra in the visible wavelength range (532 nm), which is, e.g., in resonance with carotenoid species, effects of photobleaching and the possibility of exploiting depletion difference spectra for molecular characterization in Raman imaging of plants are discussed. The reported results provide both, specific information on the molecular composition of cucumber tissue Raman spectra, and general directions for future imaging studies in plant tissues.
We present a versatile and simple method using electrochemistry for the exclusive functionalization of the edge of a graphene monolayer with metal nanoparticles or polymeric amino groups. The attachment of metal nanoparticles allows us to exploit surface-enhanced Raman scattering to characterize the chemistry of both the pristine and the functionalized graphene edge. For the pristine patterned graphene edge, we observe the typical edge-related modes, while for the functionalized graphene edge we identify the chemical structure of the functional layer by vibrational fingerprinting. The ability to obtain single selectively functionalized graphene edges routinely on an insulating substrate opens an avenue for exploring the effect of edge chemistry on graphene properties systematically.
One of the major challenges in chemical synthesis is to trigger and control a specific reaction route leading to a specific final product, while side products are avoided. Methodologies based on resonant processes at the molecular level, for example, photochemistry, offer the possibility of inducing selective reactions. Electrons at energies below the molecular ionization potential (<10 eV) are known to dissociate molecules via resonant processes with higher cross sections and specificity than photons. Here we show that even subexcitation electrons with energies as low as 1 eV produce ethylene and acetylene from dimethyl sulfide in competing reactions. However, the production of ethylene can specifically be targeted by controlling the energy of electrons (∼3 to 4 eV). Finally, pure ethylene is selectively desorbed by heating the substrate from 90 to 105 K. Beyond the synthesis of these versatile hydrocarbons for various industrial applications from a biogenic sulfur compound, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of electron-induced selective chemistry applicable on the nanoscale.
The field of epigenetics describes the relationship between genotype and phenotype, by regulating gene expression without changing the canonical base sequence of DNA. It deals with molecular genomic information that is encoded by a rich repertoire of chemical modifications and molecular interactions. This regulation involves DNA, RNA and proteins that are enzymatically tagged with small molecular groups that alter their physical and chemical properties. It is now clear that epigenetic alterations are involved in development and disease, and thus, are the focus of intensive research. The ability to record epigenetic changes and quantify them in rare medical samples is critical for next generation diagnostics. Optical detection offers the ultimate single-molecule sensitivity and the potential for spectral multiplexing. Here we review recent progress in ultrasensitive optical detection of DNA and histone modifications.
MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has become a widely used tool for the classification of biological samples. The complex chemical composition of pollen grains leads to highly specific, fingerprint-like mass spectra, with respect to the pollen species. Beyond the species-specific composition, the variances in pollen chemistry can be hierarchically structured, including the level of different populations, of environmental conditions or different genotypes. We demonstrate here the sensitivity of MALDI-TOF MS regarding the adaption of the chemical composition of three Poaceae (grass) pollen for different populations of parent plants by analyzing the mass spectra with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Thereby, variances in species, population and specific growth conditions of the plants were observed simultaneously. In particular, the chemical pattern revealed by the MALDI spectra enabled discrimination of the different populations of one species. Specifically, the role of environmental changes and their effect on the pollen chemistry of three different grass species is discussed. Analysis of the Group formation within the respective populations showed a varying influence of plant genotype on the classification, depending on the species, and permits conclusions regarding the respective rigidity or plasticity towards environmental changes.
DNA origami nanostructures provide a platform where dye molecules can be arranged with nanoscale accuracy allowing to assemble multiple fluorophores without dye–dye aggregation. Aiming to develop a bright and sensitive ratiometric sensor system, we systematically studied the optical properties of nanoarrays of dyes built on DNA origami platforms using a DNA template that provides a high versatility of label choice at minimum cost. The dyes are arranged at distances, at which they efficiently interact by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). To optimize array brightness, the FRET efficiencies between the donor fluorescein (FAM) and the acceptor cyanine 3 were determined for different sizes of the array and for different arrangements of the dye molecules within the array. By utilizing nanoarrays providing optimum FRET efficiency and brightness, we subsequently designed a ratiometric pH nanosensor using coumarin 343 as a pH-inert FRET donor and FAM as a pH-responsive acceptor. Our results indicate that the sensitivity of a ratiometric sensor can be improved simply by arranging the dyes into a well-defined array. The dyes used here can be easily replaced by other analyte-responsive dyes, demonstrating the huge potential of DNA nanotechnology for light harvesting, signal enhancement, and sensing schemes in life sciences.
Mass spectrometric methods (MC-ICP-MS and TIMS) are without doubt the working horse of stable isotope analysis. However, drawbacks of these methods include the high costs for instruments and their operation, experienced operators and elaborate chromatographic sample preparation which are time consuming.
We propose a lower-cost and faster optical alternative for the analysis of isotope ratios of selected elements: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Stable isotope amount compositions of boron (B) and magnesium (Mg) were determined based on the absorption spectra of in-situ generated mono-hydrides and halide (MH and MX) using graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. The use of a modular simultaneous echelle spectrograph (MOSES) helps to find the maximal isotope shift in the diatomic molecular spectra produced in a graphite furnace by using isotopic spike solutions. Isotopes of boron (10B and 11B) were studied via their hydrides for the electronic transition X 1Σ+ → A 1Π. The spectrum of a given sample is a linear combination of the 10BH molecule and its isotopologue 11BH. Therefore, the isotopic composition of samples can be calculated by a partial least square regression (PLS). For this, a spectral library was built by using samples and spikes with known isotope composition. Boron isotope ratios measured by HR-CS-MAS are identical with those measured by mass spectrometric methods at the 0.15 ‰ level. Similar results were obtained for a multiple isotope system like Mg (24Mg, 25Mg, and 26Mg), where isotope shifts of their isotopologues can be resolved in the MgF molecule for the electronic transition X 2Σ → A 2 Πi. The extension of this methodology to other elements like Li, Ca, Cu, and Sr is discussed.
Small variations in the isotopic composition of some elements have been used as proof of provenance of mineral and biological samples, to describe geological processes, and to estimate a contamination source. Routinely, isotope compositions are measured by mass spectrometry; the working horse of the isotope analysis. However, mass spectrometric methods are expensive, time-consuming and they require a high qualified analyst.
Here, an alternative faster and low-cost optical method for isotope ratio determination is investigated: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Stable isotope amount composition of X = Li, B, Mg, Ca and Sr have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectra of their in situ generated hydrides (XH) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. For example, the system of two stable isotopes of boron (10B and 11B) was studied via its hydride for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π (Fig. 1a). The spectrum of a given sample is a linear combination of the 10BH molecule and its isotopologue 11BH. Therefore, isotopic composition of samples and reference materials are calculated by a partial least square regression (PLS). For this, a spectral library is built by using samples with known isotope composition. Results are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. [1] Similar results are obtained for n isotope systems like Mg (24Mg, 25Mg, and 26Mg), where isotope shift of their isotopologues can be resolved as shown in Fig.1 b. The extension of this methodology to other elements like Li, Ca and Sr is discussed [2].
References:
[1] C. Abad, S. Florek, H. Becker-Ross, M.-D. Huang, H.-J. Heinrich, S. Recknagel, J. Vogl, N. Jakubowski, U. Panne, Determination of boron isotope ratios by high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry using graphite furnace vaporizers, Spectrochim. Acta, Part B, 136 (2017) 116-122.
[2] C. Abad et al., unpublished results, 2018.
We propose an alternative faster and low-cost optical method for isotope analysis: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS).
Stable isotope amount composition of X = Li, B, Mg, Ca and Sr were determined by monitoring the absorption spectra of their in situ generated mono-hydrides (XH) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. Isotopes of boron (10B and 11B) were studied via their hydrides for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π (Fig. 1a). The spectrum of a given sample is a linear combination of the 10BH molecule and its isotopologue 11BH. Therefore, the isotopic composition of samples can be calculated by a partial least square regression (PLS). For this, a spectral library is built by using samples with known isotope composition. Results with an accuracy of 0.15 ‰ are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. Similar results are obtained for n isotope systems like Mg (24Mg, 25Mg, and 26Mg), where isotope shifts of their isotopologues can be resolved as shown in Fig.1b. The extension of this methodology to other elements like Li, Ca and Sr is discussed.
Diese Studie demonstriert die Bottom-up-Synthese
von Silbernanolinsen. Ein robustes Beschichtungsprotokoll
ermçglichte die Funktionalisierung unterschiedlich großer
Silbernanopartikel mit einzelstr-ngiger DNAunterschiedlicher
Sequenz. Derartig beschichtete Partikel mit Durchmessern von
10 nm, 20 nm und 60 nm wurden mithilfe von DNA-Origami-
Gergsten zu Silbernanolinsen angeordnet. Ein einzelnes Mo-
lekgldes Proteins Streptavidin ist in demjenigen Spalt zwi-
schenden Partikeln immobilisiert worden, der die hçchste
Feldverst-rkung zur Verfggung stellt. Streptavidin war dabei
mit Alkin-Gruppen modifiziert und fungierte als Modellanalyt
in Experimenten zur oberfl-chenverst-rkten Raman-Streuung
(SERS). Korrelierte Raman- und Rasterkraftmikroskopie-
Messungen ermçglichten die Aufnahme von SERS-Signalen
der Alkingruppen eines einzelnen Streptavidins,von einer
einzelnen Silbernanolinse.Diese diskreten, selbst-hnlichen
Silbernanopartikelaggregate versprechen vielf-ltige Anwen-
dungen im Feld der Plasmonik
This study demonstrates the bottom-up synthesis of
silver nanolenses.Arobust coating protocol enabled the
functionalization of differently sized silver nanoparticles with
DNAsingle strands of orthogonal sequence.Coated particles
10 nm, 20 nm, and 60 nm in diameter were self-assembled by
DNAorigami scaffolds to form silver nanolenses.Single
molecules of the protein streptavidin were selectively placed in
the gap of highest electric field enhancement. Streptavidin
labelled with alkyne groups served as model analyte in surface-
enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiments.Bycorre-
lated Raman mapping and atomic force microscopy, SERS
signals of the alkyne labels of asingle streptavidin molecule,
from asingle silver nanolens,were detected. The discrete,self-
similar aggregates of solid silver nanoparticles are promising
for plasmonic applications.
The physico-chemical basis of DNA radiosensitization: Implications for cancer radiation therapy
(2018)
High-energy radiation is used in combination with radiosensitizing therapeutics to treat cancer. The most common radiosensitizers are halogenatednucleo-sides and cisplatin derivatives, and recently also metal nanoparticles have been suggested as potentialradiosensitizing agents. The radiosensitizingaction of these compounds can at least partly be ascribed to an enhancedreactivity towards secondary low-energy electrons generated along the radiation track of the high-energyprimary radiation, or to an additional emission of secondary reactive electrons close to the tumor tissue. This is referred to as physico-chem ical radiosensitization. In this Conceptarticle we presentcurrent experimental methodsused to study fundamentalprocesses of physico-chemical radiosensitization and discuss the most relevant classes of radiosensitizers. Open questions in the current discussions are identified and future directions outlined, which can lead to optimized treatment protocols or even novel therapeuticconcepts.
Fluorescent carbon nanodots (CNDs) are very promising nanomaterials for a broad range of applications because of their high photostability, presumed selective luminescence, and low cost at which they can be produced. In this respect, CNDs are superior to well-established semiconductor quantum dots and organic dyes. However, reported synthesis protocols for CNDs typically lead to low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and low reproducibility, resulting in a poor understanding of the CND chemistry and photophysics. Here, we report a one-step synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots (N-CNDs) from various carboxylic acids, Tris, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid resulting in high PLQY of up to 90%. The reaction conditions in terms of starting materials, temperature, and reaction time are carefully optimized and their influence on the photophysical properties is characterized. We find that citric acid-derived N-CNDs can result in a very high PLQY of 90%, but they do not Show selective luminescence. By contrast, acetic acid-derived N-CNDs show selective luminescence but a PLQY of 50%. The chemical
composition of the surface and core of these two selected N-CND types is characterized among others by high-Resolution synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using single isolated N-CND clusters. The results indicate that photoexcitation occurs in the N-CND core, whereas the emission properties are determined by the N-CND surface groups.
The quantification of the elemental content in soils with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is challenging because of matrix effects strongly influencing the plasma formation and LIBS signal. Furthermore, soil heterogeneity at the micrometre scale can affect the accuracy of analytical results. In this paper, the impact of univariate and multivariate data evaluation approaches on the quantification of nutrients in soil is discussed. Exemplarily, results for calcium are shown, which reflect trends also observed for other elements like magnesium, silicon and iron. For the calibration models, 16 certified reference soils were used. With univariate and multivariate approaches, the calcium mass fractions in 60 soils from different testing grounds in Germany were calculated. The latter approach consisted of a principal component analysis (PCA) of adequately pre-treated data for classification and identification of outliers, followed by partial least squares regression (PLSR) for quantification. For validation, the soils were also characterised with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP OES) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. Deviations between the LIBS quantification results and the reference analytical results are discussed.
Equipping ZIF particles with a polyelectrolyte membrane provides functional groups at their interface, enabling further conjugations necessary for applications such as targeted drug delivery. Previous approaches to coat ZIF particles with polyelectrolytes led to surface corrosion of the template material. This work overcomes previous limitations by performing a Layer-by-Layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte coating onto ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 particles in nonaqueous environment. Using the 2-methylimidazolium salt of polystyrensulfonic acid instead of the acid itself and polyethyleneimine in methanol led to intact ZIF particles after polyelectrolyte coating. This was verified by electron microscopy. Further, zetapotential and atomic force microscopy measurements confirmed a continuous polyelectrolyte multilayer built up. The here reported adaption to the well-studied (LbL) polyelectrolyte selfassembly process provides a facile method to equip ZIF particles with a nanometer thin polyelectrolyte multilayer membrane.
2-Amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol (TRIS) and ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) are key components of biological buffers and are frequently used as DNA stabilizers in irradiation studies. Such surface or liquid phase studies are done with the aim to understand the fundamental mechanisms of DNA radiation damage and to improve cancer radiotherapy. When ionizing radiation is used, abundant secondary electrons are formed during the irradiation process, which are able to attach to the molecular compounds present on the surface. In the present study we experimentally investigate low energy electron attachment to TRIS and methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA), an analogue of EDTA, supported by quantum chemical calculations. The most prominent dissociation channel for TRIS is through hydroperoxyl radical formation, whereas the dissociation of MIDA results in the formation of formic and acetic acid. These compounds are well-known to cause DNA modifications, like strand breaks. The present results indicate that buffer compounds may not have an exclusive protecting effect on DNA as suggested previously.
During cancer radiation therapy high‐energy radiation is used to reduce tumour tissue. The irradiation produces a shower of secondary low‐energy (<20 eV) electrons, which are able to damage DNA very efficiently by dissociative electron attachment. Recently, it was suggested that low‐energy electron‐induced DNA strand breaks strongly depend on the specific DNA sequence with a high sensitivity of G‐rich sequences. Here, we use DNA origami platforms to expose G‐rich telomere sequences to low‐energy (8.8 eV) electrons to determine absolute cross sections for strand breakage and to study the influence of sequence modifications and topology of telomeric DNA on the strand breakage. We find that the telomeric DNA 5′‐(TTA GGG)2 is more sensitive to low‐energy electrons than an intermixed sequence 5′‐(TGT GTG A)2 confirming the unique electronic properties resulting from G‐stacking. With increasing length of the oligonucleotide (i.e., going from 5′‐(GGG ATT)2 to 5′‐(GGG ATT)4), both the variety of topology and the electron‐induced strand break cross sections increase. Addition of K+ ions decreases the strand break cross section for all sequences that are able to fold G‐quadruplexes or G‐intermediates, whereas the strand break cross section for the intermixed sequence remains unchanged. These results indicate that telomeric DNA is rather sensitive towards low‐energy electron‐induced strand breakage suggesting significant telomere shortening that can also occur during cancer radiation therapy.
The spectroscopic characterization by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has shown great potential in studies of heterogeneous catalysis. We describe a plug-in multifunctional optofluidic platform that can be tailored to serve both as a variable catalyst material and for sensitive optical characterization of the respective reactions using SERS in microfluidic systems. The platform enables the characterization of reactions under a controlled gas atmosphere and does not present with limitations due to nanoparticle adsorption or memory effects. Spectra of the gold-catalyzed reduction of p-nitrothiophenol by sodium borohydride using the plug-in probe provide evidence that the borohydride is the direct source of hydrogen on the gold surface, and that a radical anion is formed as an intermediate. The in situ monitoring of the photoinduced dimerization of p-aminothiophenol indicates that the activation of oxygen is essential for the plasmon-catalyzed oxidation on gold nanoparticles and strongly supports the central role of metal oxide species.
Lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) offer new strategies for luminescence-based sensing and imaging. One of the best studied materials are hexagonal ß-NaYF4 UCNPs doped with 20% Yb3+ and 2% Er3+, which efficiently convert 976 nm light to photons emitted at 540 nm, 655 nm, and 845 nm, respectively, reveal Long luminescence lifetimes (> 100 µs), and are very photostable and chemically inters.[1,2] The properties of their upconversion (UC) luminescence (UCL) are, however, strongly influenced by particle size, concentration and spatial arrangement of dopant Ions, surface chemistry, and microenvironment.[3,4] In addition, the multiphotonic absorption processes responsible for UCL render UCL dependent on excitation power density (P).
The rational design of brighter UCNPs particle architectures encouraged us to assess systematically the influence of these parameters on UCL for differently doped UCNPs relying on the commonly used ß-NaYf4 matrix using steady state and time resolved fluorometry as well as integrating sphere spectroscopy for P varied over almost three orders of magnitude. This includes comprehensive studies of the influence of size and shell, Yb3+ and Er3+ dopand concentrations, and energy Transfer processes from UCNPs to surface-bound organic dyes or vice versa [5]. Our results underline the need for really quantitative luminescence studies for mechanistic insights, the potential of high p to compensate for UCL surface quenching, and the matrix- and P-dependence of the optimum dopand concentration.