Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohamadmahdi Samandari, Laleh Rafiee, Fatemeh Alipanah, Amir Sanati-Nezhad, Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard
Summary: This study introduces a simple strategy for preparing a reusable microfluidic gradient generator to study cellular behavior. By directly mounting PDMS on commercial cell culture surfaces, the complexity of microfluidic assays is reduced and a reusable PDMS microchip is provided.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Olga Guliy, Stella S. Evstigneeva, Victor D. Bunin
Summary: This article describes a new microfluidic bioanalytical sensory system for indicating biofilm formation. By recording cell-polarizability changes, this method can complete the analysis in 20-30 minutes without the need to grow bacterial biofilms in the sensor.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Sadeq Abu-Dawas, Hawra Alawami, Mohammed Zourob, Qasem Ramadan
Summary: A low-cost, versatile, and reconfigurable fluidic routing system and chip assembly have been developed, showcasing the custom design of chip-to-chip communication and versatility for various biological models.
Article
Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Jesse Zaman, Kennedy Kambona, Wolfgang De Meuter
Summary: The emergence of participatory sensing has led to a wide range of supporting systems for environmental and behavioral monitoring. FLAMENCO platform is a reusable and reconfigurable system designed for deploying and monitoring collaborative participatory sensing projects, using Citizen Observatories to coordinate community-based activities.
FUTURE GENERATION COMPUTER SYSTEMS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ESCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Thakshila Nadeeshani Dharmapriya, Ken-Lin Chang, Po-Jung Huang
Summary: In this study, glucose-derived humin (GDH) was obtained by reacting D-glucose with an allylamine catalyst in a deep eutectic solvent medium, followed by a carbonization step. GDH was used as a low-cost, green, and reusable adsorbent for removing cationic methylene blue (MB) dye from water. The MB removal rate optimized through this model was 96.85%, which was in good agreement with the experimentally obtained value (92.49%). after 10 cycles, the MB removal rate remained above 80%, showcasing the potential for GDH reuse and cost-effective wastewater treatment.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Cornelia A. Hermann, Michael Mayer, Christian Griesche, Franziska Beck, Antje J. Baeumner
Summary: The study introduces a microfluidic method for labeling functional nanovesicles, avoiding the risk of conglomerate formation commonly observed in bulk reactions. Magnetic properties are beneficial for nanoparticles in improving separation capabilities.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Arpana Agrawal, Rustem Kecili, Fatemeh Ghorbani-Bidkorbeh, Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain
Summary: Green miniaturized technologies are essential for downsizing traditional analytical systems and protecting the environment. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the green aspects of miniaturized systems, including reducing sample/solvent volumes, replacing toxic solvents with green alternatives, and minimizing waste generation.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Bing Jie Xiang, Xin Dai, Kwai-Man Luk
Summary: This article presents a wideband 1-bit reflectarray antenna with 2-D electronically beam-scanning capability. By using a novel reconfigurable element, the antenna achieves wideband operation and variable resonance types. Results show that the antenna performs well across the operating bandwidth and is a promising candidate for intelligent reflective surface applications.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Francisco Mery, Francisco Aranda, Carolina Mendez-Orellana, Ivan Caro, Jose Pesenti, Javier Torres, Ricardo Rojas, Pablo Villanueva, Isabelle Germano
Summary: The study evaluated a low-cost 3D printed training model for aneurysm clipping, with 32 neurosurgery residents performing surgery using the model. Results showed high scores in feasibility and practicality, with a low training cost.
WORLD NEUROSURGERY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Daozhi Shen, Ming Xiao, Xiaoye Zhao, Yu Xiao, Walter W. Duley, Y. Norman Zhou
Summary: This study presents the development and application of low-cost triboelectric nanogenerators based on polypropylene fabrics. These generators, utilizing discarded medical masks, offer potential for sustainable energy harvesting and large-scale production of multifunctional wearable sensors for energy collection from biological systems.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Fahimeh Jafari, Mazdak Rad Malekshahi
Summary: This article proposes a low-cost and highly sensitive microwave microfluidic sensor implemented by two ring resonators for liquid characterization. The sensor applies liquid samples using a PVC microfluidic channel and a dropping-based method to measure the liquid's complex permittivity. Calibration and validation using ethanol-water mixtures improved measurement accuracy. Results showed that the proposed sensor has a compact size, simple design, and cost-effective fabrication process.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yan Wang, Feng Xu, Ya-Qiu Jin, Zhengwei Du
Summary: A reconfigurable 1-bit millimeter-wave array antenna for mobile terminals is studied, consisting of four reconfigurable 1-bit microstrip patch antenna elements. By selecting the feeding direction, the 1-bit patch antenna elements achieve phase values of -pi and 0. The performance of the 1-bit four-element array is analyzed, and a fixed phase is applied to minimize the negative effects of phase quantization errors. Comparisons are made between the four-element arrays with and without fixed phases, demonstrating the potential of the fixed phase array for beam steering at various frequencies.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Cristian F. Rodriguez, Valentina Andrade-Perez, Maria Camila Vargas, Andres Mantilla-Orozco, Johann F. Osma, Luis H. Reyes, Juan C. Cruz
Summary: Microfluidics is an interdisciplinary field that combines science and engineering to design and create devices that manipulate small volumes of fluids. The main goal is to achieve precision and accuracy while minimizing the use of reagents and equipment. This article explores inexpensive alternatives for the development of microfluidic devices, such as polymers, paper, and hydrogels, as well as various manufacturing techniques including soft lithography, laser plotting, and 3D printing. The selection of materials and techniques depends on the specific requirements and applications of each device. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the alternatives for low-cost microfluidic devices, which can be utilized in pharmaceutical, chemical, food, and biomedical industries.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Alan M. M. Gonzalez-Suarez, Alexander Long, XuHai Huang, Alexander Revzin
Summary: We present a control system for operating valve-enabled microfluidic devices and demonstrate its use in a complex workflow involving plasma separation and mixing. The control system includes pumps, pressure sensors, a microcontroller, solenoid valves, and off-the-shelf components, allowing precise fluid flow control.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Hamed Osouli Tabrizi, Razieh Salahandish, Pezhman Jalali, Mahmood Khalghollah, Fatemeh Haghayegh, Amir Sanati-Nezhad, Ebrahim Ghafar-Zadeh
Summary: This article presents a portable impedimetric biosensor for detecting infectious diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2 infections. A bio-ready sensing electrode functionalized with SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody was employed to quantitatively convert the concentration of nucleocapsid protein (N-protein) into impedance changes. The proposed impedimetric sensing system can be adopted for the detection of infectious diseases in the future.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INSTRUMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Julia J. Chang, Andrew Martin, Chuanshen Du, Alana M. Pauls, Martin Thuo
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Andrew Martin, Chuanshen Du, Boyce Chang, Martin Thuo
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andrew Martin, Boyce S. Chang, Alana M. Pauls, Chuanshen Du, Martin Thuo
Summary: Passivating oxide layers can protect the metal core and increase the activation energy needed for solidification, thus slowing down homogeneous nucleation of the metal. Research shows that the integrity of the oxide layer is crucial in stabilizing metal particles, and the influence of the passivating oxide may be more significant than size effects in undercooling.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Julia J. Chang, Chuanshen Du, Alana Pauls, Martin Thuo
Summary: The fabrication of tunable fine textures on solid metal surfaces can be achieved by exploiting in situ polymerization and self-assembly of inorganic adducts derived from liquid metals. By adjusting particle size, particle packing, and reactant concentration, diverse organometallic structures can be autonomously organized on a metal particle bed. Concomitant solidification and sintering of the undercooled particle bed lead to a multiscale patterned solid metal surface.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuanshen Du, Sean R. Norris, Abhishek Thakur, Jiahao Chen, Brett VanVeller, Martin Thuo
Summary: The study demonstrates that charge tunneling in self-assembled monolayers is correlated with conformational degrees of freedom and the orientation of the head group, showing an odd-even effect. The analysis of current density distributions highlights the importance of higher statistical moments in understanding these dynamic systems.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicholas A. Kotov, Luis M. Liz-Marzan, Zhihong Nie, Martin M. Thuo, Lauren D. Zarzar
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuanshen Du, Zhengjia Wang, Jiahao Chen, Andrew Martin, Dhruv Raturi, Martin Thuo
Summary: This study investigates the role of solvent polarity on the roughness-dependency of wetting behavior of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed on different surface morphology of Ag-based substrate. The results show that the roughness-dependent behavior of SAMs is not only determined by substrate roughness, but also by the polarity of the probing liquid.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chuanshen Du, Richard S. Andino, Matthew C. Rotondaro, Shane W. Devlin, Shyamsunder Erramilli, Lawrence D. Ziegler, Martin M. Thuo
Summary: The study investigates the influence of substrate type (gold or silver) and surface roughness on the odd-even effect in n-alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers using vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy. An inverted odd-even effect is observed for SAMs on silver substrates compared to those on gold substrates. The analysis of the SFG spectra provides insights into the cant angle and molecular twist dependence of interfacial group orientation. The results suggest that metal substrate roughness affects the odd-even methyl orientation anisotropy.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Andrew Martin, Boyce S. Chang, Martin Thuo
Summary: The role of surface structure/composition in altering solidification behavior is demonstrated by studying the undercooling of core-shell metal particles. The study reveals the importance of autonomous surface speciation in the passivating oxide, which affects the relaxation of molten metal. The concentration and composition of oxidizing species across the thickness of the oxide layer play a critical role in this process. Under oxidizing conditions, factors such as reduction potential, curvature, and surface plasticity dictate the spatial order and concentration of the oxidizing species. This research expands our understanding of nucleation theory and has implications for the development of low-temperature solders.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Brijith Thomas, Boyce S. Chang, Julia J. Chang, Martin Thuo, Aaron J. Rossini
Summary: This study successfully determined the molecular structures of self-assembled, one-dimensional metal coordination polymers using advanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and quantum chemical calculations. The research protocol was validated on a known structure and applied to determine the crystal structures of previously unknown coordination polymers. The obtained structures were confirmed by comparing experimental and simulated patterns and were found to be energetically stable according to density functional theory calculations.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuanshen Du, Paul Gregory, Dhanush U. Jamadgni, Alana M. Pauls, Julia J. Chang, Rick W. Dorn, Andrew Martin, E. Johan Foster, Aaron J. Rossini, Martin Thuo
Summary: Combustion is often difficult to spatially direct or tune, resulting in run-away reactions. By coupling pyrolytic chemical transformation to mass transport and reaction rates, spatially directed ignition with a switch from combustion to pyrolysis can be achieved. This allows for an "surface-then-core" order in ignition and a change in burning rate. Here, alkysilanes grafted onto cellulose fibers are pyrolyzed into non-flammable SiO2, leading to surface ignition propagation and stalling of flame propagation. Sustaining high temperatures triggers ignition in the bulk of the fibers but with restricted gas flow, resulting in significantly low rates of ignition propagation and pyrolysis compared to open flame.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andrew Martin, Martin Thuo
ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andrew Martin, Alana M. Pauls, Boyce Chang, Eva Boyce, Martin Thuo
Summary: By exploiting thin passivating oxides to stabilize an undercooled state, photo-perturbation of near-surface order induces convective Marangoni flows, edge-coalescence, and phase transition into a larger metastable solid bearing asymmetric composition between the near-surface and core. This process introduces a new form of high fidelity multi-dimensional photolithography based on material properties and relaxation kinetics of metastable states.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Emily Olson, Jonathan Blisko, Chuanshen Du, Yi Liu, Yifan Li, Henry Thurber, Greg Curtzwiler, Juan Ren, Martin Thuo, Xin Yong, Shan Jiang
Summary: This study investigates the correlation between the assembly structures of biobased nanocomposites and their performance, revealing new opportunities for developing high-performance sustainable materials using biobased polymers. The unique fractal assembly structures observed in silica nanoparticle assemblies with hydroxyethyl cellulose greatly improve adhesion and hydrophobicity of coatings, showcasing the potential for waterborne superhydrophobic formulations. These findings highlight the importance of molecular conformation in biobased polymers in influencing nanoscale assembly structures and macroscopic coating performance.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andrew Martin, Boyce Chang, Joel Cutinho, Liyang Shen, Thomas Ward, Eric W. Cochran, Martin M. Thuo
Summary: The thin passivating surface oxide layers on metal alloys create a dissipation horizon, allowing for the enrichment of the core through selective conversion of low standard reduction potential components into oxides. By engineering the passivating surface oxide, purification can be achieved through selective dealloying, leading to the formation of disparate particle morphologies.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qian Wu, Li Tian, Xiangyu Shan, Huiling Li, Chao Li, Juan Lu
Summary: A novel ECL sensor was developed by modifying Fe3CuO4-Ru(bpy)3+ and GO-CdS@ZnS on the electrode for the detection of permethrin. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity and a wide detection range.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Tingting Gong, Lei Liao, Bingying Jiang, Ruo Yuan, Yun Xiang
Summary: In this study, a fluorescent biosensing system for high sensitivity detection of MT was established using a new Ag+-stabilized DNA triplex probe (Ag+-SDTP) combined with catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) and CRISPR/Cas12a signal enhancements. The sensing method is able to selectively detect MT from other non-specific molecules and can achieve low level detection of MT in diluted human serums, demonstrating its potential for monitoring disease-specific MT biomarker at trace levels.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Estrella Sanz Rodriguez, Kyra Wood, Paul R. Haddad, Brett Paull
Summary: This study presents a simple, rapid, and reliable method for determining boron in aqueous solutions using suppressed ion chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The method achieved a low limit of detection and demonstrated excellent analytical performance.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Aline Cournut, Paul Moustiez, Yannick Coffinier, Christine Enjalbal, Claudia Bich
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a major cause of senile dementia and is characterized by the aggregation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain. The A beta 1-42 peptide is considered the primary cause of neurotoxicity due to its insolubility and subsequent aggregation. A beta 1-42 and A beta 1-40 have been identified as relevant biomarkers for AD diagnosis, and SurfaceAssisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry (SALDI-MS) was used to monitor the A beta 1-42/A beta 1-40 ratio without prior sample treatment.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Dotse Selali Chormey, Buse Tugba Zaman, Tulay Borahan Kustanto, Sezin Erarpat Bodur, Suleyman Bodur, Elif Ozturk Er, Sezgin Bakirdere
Summary: This review provides an overview of the harmful effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on human health and introduces the methods for analyzing EDCs. Recent research has focused on using green chemicals, such as deep eutectic solvents (DESs), for microextraction to ensure environmental safety.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yan Zhang, Renfeng Xu, Jingjing Wu, Zhenghong Zhang, Yuhuang Wang, Hongqin Yang, Sheng Zhang
Summary: This study visualized the pore-like structures in prostate cancer cell membranes after treatment with the anticancer drug paclitaxel, demonstrating its mechanism of action related to oxidative damage.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Chihong Ma, Qin Zhou, Jinjin Shi, Hua Gao, Di Huang, Huimin Xue, Han Wang, Zhenzhong Zhang, Sen Yang, Junli Zhang, Kaixiang Zhang
Summary: We developed a CRISPR-empowered electrochemical biosensor, named PER-E-CRISPR, for amplification-free and sensitive detection of miR-21. The biosensor combines the advantages of CRISPR/Cas13a and primer exchange reaction (PER) for target amplification. Under optimized conditions, the PER-E-CRISPR assay exhibits a linear range from 10-13 to 10-7 M and a limit of detection of 30.2 fM. The biosensor shows excellent performance in actual plasma, indicating promising prospects for miRNA detection in molecular diagnosis.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Gang Liang, Jie Zhao, Yufei Gao, Tao Xie, Jianhui Zhen, Ligang Pan, Wenwen Gong
Summary: Molecular docking (MD) analysis is widely used for studying the interaction between aptamers and small molecules. This study established steady-state aptamers of tertiary structures (SATS) using specific aptamers of tetracycline antibiotics as docking models. Molecular docking results revealed multiple binding sites in the SATS of aptamers, with significant variations in binding free energy (BFE) and docking score (DS). The study also proposed a method for MD analysis based on SATS, providing insights into binding mode and predicting binding sites.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yixuan Xu, Changchang Teng, Huiping Dang, Dalong Yin, Lifeng Yan
Summary: Stable organic radical molecules with high NIR fluorescence quantum efficiency have been synthesized and encapsulated into nanoparticles, which show great potential for both photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yu Su, Dandan Yang, Yanjie Wang, Jie Ding, Lan Ding, Daqian Song
Summary: In this study, a highly selective molecularly imprinted polymer Cu-MIPs@CS was designed and synthesized for bisphenol A (BPA). Cu-MIPs@CS showed significantly enhanced imprinting factor and selective factor towards BPA compared to MIPs@CS. It also exhibited superior discrimination ability between BPA and its structural analogue. Additionally, Cu-MIPs@CS were successfully applied as a solid phase extraction adsorbent for the determination of BPA in drinking water samples.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yi Qiao, Qiongdan Zhang, Yukun He, Tianguang Cheng, Jing Tu
Summary: Single cell heterogeneity plays an important role in many biological phenomena, and distinguishing cells with specific mutations is beneficial for clinical diagnosis and drug screening. This study introduces a gel plate platform that can distinguish cell types based on their phenotypes, with low equipment requirement. The gel platform has potential in point-of-care circumstances and single-cell stimulation responses that prioritize efficiency and simplicity.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Chengke Wang, Shuyang Sun, Ping Wang, Huawei Zhao, Wenling Li
Summary: The food safety of aquatic products is a global concern. Nanotechnology-based analyses have advantages in the detection of bacteria, metal ions, and small molecule contaminants. This review summarizes the recent advances in biosensing strategies for aquatic products and highlights the application of nanomaterials, lateral flow-based biosensors, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, microfluidic chips, and molecular imprinting technologies.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Liping Zhu, Zeng Tang, Xuemei Zhang, Li Zhu, Tian Meng, Linying Yu, Ting Xiao, Shasha Lu, Xiaoli Xiong, Xiurong Yang
Summary: A sensitive off-on electrochemiluminescence DNA sensor was developed using Exo III-assisted cascade amplification system. The sensor achieved high selectivity and ultra-high sensitivity in detecting target DNA by utilizing ECL and SPR effects. This study provides a new perspective for designing highly sensitive and programmable ECL biosensors.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Tong Li, Mengxu Sun, Suping Xia, Ting Huang, Rong-Tian Li, Chunrong Li, Zong Dai, Jin-Xiang Chen, Jun Chen, Nuan Jia
Summary: Here, we developed a binary system based on DNA tetrahedron and fluorogenic RNA aptamers for highly specific and label-free mRNA imaging in living cells. This system achieved high specificity label-free detection of nucleic acids with a detection limit of 1.34 nM. The method has potential applications in early disease diagnosis and new drug development.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yao Zhao, Shu Zhang, Wang Yao, Yuxuan Zhu, Jing Qian, Juan Yang, Nianjun Yang
Summary: A new hierarchical nanostructured composite with high conductivity and catalytic activity is synthesized. The sensor exhibits significant catalytic effect and high sensitivity for monitoring the environmental endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA).