Synthesis and nonlinear optical properties of PMMA copolymers having novel benzoxazole chromophores attached with various electron-withdrawing groups

For improvements of thermal stability and nonlinear optical (NLO) activity of chromophores, we newly synthesized a series of NLO chromophores incorporating aromatic benzoxazole unit as a π-conjugated bridge with various electron-withdrawing groups, such as nitrophenyl, nitrothiophene, nitrofuran, dicyanovinylphenyl, and nitrophenylethenyl group. Polymethylmethacrylate copolymers (PMBz) containing these benzoxazole chromophores were synthesized and their properties were investigated by thermogravimetry and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The PMBz copolymers exhibited better thermal and ultraviolet stabilities than the corresponding copolymer with general stilbene chromophores (PMSt). Moreover, temporal stability of nonlinear optical coefficient (d₃₃) of PMBz copolymer increased in comparison with that of PMSt. The copolymer with benzoxazole–nitrothiophene chromophores had the largest d₃₃ value of 153 pm/V (at 1.064 mm) and nonresonant d₃₃ calculated by the two-level model was 21.3 pm/V.     

Hot-Wire Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles were synthesized by a hot-wire generator at atmospheric pressure using a gold-platinum composite wire. At low gas flow velocities the nanoparticles were found to be agglomerates of partially sintered primary particles. By reducing the tube size via the insertion of a nozzle with a throat diameter of 3 mm, the hot-wire generator was found to produce small (<10 nm diameter) crystalline gold particles. Elemental and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the particles showed that they were composed of gold with no platinum impurity. Charging analysis of the “as-produced” nanoparticles showed that fewer than 10% of the particles were charged, but the charge fraction increased as the applied power increased, as did the ratio of negatively-to-positively-charged particles.     

Cytotoxic Petrosiacetylenes from the Marine Sponge Petrosia sp.

A novel petrosiacetylene analog (petrosiacetylene E) has been isolated from the Korean marine sponge Petrosia sp., along with petrosiacetylene A, B and C. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods and the stereochemistry of the new compound was determined by using the modified Mosher’s method. Petrosiacetylene E showed higher cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines than petrosiacetylene A and B, presumably due to the additional hydroxy group located at C-16.     

Monolithic carbon structures including suspended single nanowires and nanomeshes as a sensor platform

With the development of nanomaterial-based nanodevices, it became inevitable to develop cost-effective and simple nanofabrication technologies enabling the formation of nanomaterial assembly in a controllable manner. Herein, we present suspended monolithic carbon single nanowires and nanomeshes bridging two bulk carbon posts, fabricated in a designed manner using two successive UV exposure steps and a single pyrolysis step. The pyrolysis step is accompanied with a significant volume reduction, resulting in the shrinkage of micro-sized photoresist structures into nanoscale carbon structures. Even with the significant elongation of the suspended carbon nanowire induced by the volume reduction of the bulk carbon posts, the resultant tensional stress along the nanowire is not significant but grows along the wire thickness; this tensional stress gradient and the bent supports of the bridge-like carbon nanowire enhance structural robustness and alleviate the stiction problem that suspended nanostructures frequently experience. The feasibility of the suspended carbon nanostructures as a sensor platform was demonstrated by testing its electrochemical behavior, conductivity-temperature relationship, and hydrogen gas sensing capability.     

Fabrication of Fe-Al nanoparticles by selective oxidation of Fe-Al thin films

The possibility of a new technique for fabricating nanoparticles from thin films using selective oxidation in an atmosphere mixture of water vapor and hydrogen was investigated. Fe-5wt.%Al films were RF-sputtered and annealed in the atmosphere mixture at 900°C for up to 200 min, in order to oxidize aluminum selectively. Thermodynamics simulation showed that temperatures exceeding 800°C are necessary to prevent iron from being oxidized, as confirmed by the depth profile of XPS. As the annealing time increased, the morphology of the 200-nm Fe-Al films changed from the continuous to the discontinuous type; thus, particulate Fe-Al films formed after 100 min. The particulate 10- to 100-nm Fe-Al films showed super-paramagnetic behavior after the oxidation. Thus, a new technique for fabricating nanoparticles was successfully introduced using selective oxidation.     

Protein nanopatterns and biosensors using gold binding polypeptide as a fusion partner

An efficient strategy for immobilizing proteins on a gold surface was developed by employing the gold binding polypeptide (GBP) as a fusion partner. Using the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) envelope protein (SCVme), and core streptavidin (cSA) of Streptomyces avidinii as model proteins, specific immobilization of the GBP-fusion proteins onto the gold nanoparticles and generation of protein nanopatterns on the bare gold surface were demonstrated. The GBP-fused SCVme bound to gold nanoparticles successfully interacted with its antibody and showed changes in absorbance and color, allowing efficient diagnosis of SARS-CoV. The fusion proteins could be successfully immobilized on the gold surface by nanopatterning and microcontact printing as examined by atomic force microscopy and surface plasmon resonance analysis. The poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic channels were created on the gold surface and were used for antigen-antibody and DNA-DNA interaction studies. Specific immobilization of GBP-EGFP fusion protein and its interaction with the antibody in the microchannels could be demonstrated. By immobilizing the DNA probe through the use of GBP-fused cSA, specific hybridization of the target DNA prepared from Salmonella could also be achieved. The GBP-fusion method allows immobilization of proteins onto the gold surface without surface modification and in bioactive forms suitable for studying protein-protein, DNA-DNA, and other biomolecular interaction studies. Furthermore, these studies can be carried out in a microfluidic system, which allows high-throughput analysis of biomolecular interactions.     

Optimization of Sr content in layered SmBa1–xSrxCo2O5+δ perovskite cathodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Cation ordered perovskites have been recognized as advanced cathode materials for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). This study focuses on the effects of Sr substitution on crystal characteristics, electrical properties, and electrochemical performance of SmBa_1−xSr_xCo₂O_5+δ (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0) as an IT-SOFC cathode material. The electrical conductivity improves with increasing Sr content due to the greater amount of electronic holes originated from the increased interstitial oxygen. The area specific resistances (ASRs) of SmBa_1−xSr_xCo₂O_5+δ decrease with Sr content up to x = 0.75 and increase abruptly for x = 1. For x = 0.75, the lowest ASR value, 0.138 Ω cm², and the highest single cell performance, 1.039 W cm⁻² at 600 °C, are obtained. These results indicate that SmBa_1−xSr_xCo₂O_5+δ is optimized at x = 0.75 in terms of obtaining the best performance for IT-SOFCs.     

Preparation and evaluation of poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide)-hexadecylamine-iron oxide for MR imaging of lymph nodes

The purpose of this study was to synthesize biocompatible poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide)–C₁₆-iron oxide (PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide) nanoparticles and to evaluate their efficacy as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging of lymph nodes. The PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by coprecipitation method. The core size of the PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide nanoparticles was about 5 to 7 nm, and the overall size of the nanoparticles was around 20, 60, and 150 nm in aqueous solution. The size of the nanoparticles was controlled by the amount of C₁₆. The 3.0-T MRI signal intensity of a rabbit lymph node was effectively reduced after intravenous administration of PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide with the size of 20 nm. The in vitro and in vivo toxicity tests revealed the high biocompatibility of PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide nanoparticles. Therefore, PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide nanoparticles with 20-nm size can be potentially useful as T2-weighted MR imaging contrast agents for the detection of lymph nodes.