Three-dimensional mesoporous gold film to enhance the sensitivity of electrochemical detection

Cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion are fundamental and important in the development of a cell-based chip. In this study, a novel, simple, rapid, and one-step technique was developed for the fabrication of a uniform three-dimensional mesoporous gold thin film (MPGF) onto a gold (Au) coated glass plate based on an electrochemical deposition method. Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated that the resulting MPGF electrode had uniformly distributed pores with diameters of about 20 nm. The cyclic voltammetric behavior of [Fe(CN)(6)](4-/3-) coupled onto MPGF and Au electrodes demonstrated that the MPGF electrode had a higher electrocatalytic sensitivity and reversibility than the bare Au electrode. The Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence containing the peptide was immobilized on the MPGF and bare Au substrates. HeLa cancer cells were then cultured on the RGD peptide layer. The successful immobilization of the peptide and cells was confirmed by atomic force microscopy. The cell proliferation and viability were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and Trypan blue dyeing assay. These results indicated that the RGD/MPGF modified electrodes showed an electrochemical sensitivity in the detection of cancer cells which is approximately three times higher, especially at low cell density, than RGD/Au electrodes. This much improved sensitivity of the MPGF modified electrode demonstrates the potential for the fabrication of a highly sensitive and low-cost cell-based chip for rapid cancer detection.     

Copper corrosion protection of various silane-modified poly(vinyl imidazole) (1)s

Vinyl imidazole (VI) was copolymerized with four silane coupling agents, allyl trimethoxysilane (ATS), γ-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPS), 3(N-styrylmethoxyl-2-amino-ethylamino)propyltrimethoxysilane hydrochloride (STS), and vinyl trimethoxysilane (VTS), in benzene at 68°C using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. Fourier transform infrared reflection and absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-RAS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied to the study of the corrosion protection on copper by various silane-modified poly(vinyl imidazole)(1)s [PVI(1)]s. Four silane-modified PVI(1)s proved to be good corrosion inhibitors in humid conditions. However, the corrosion protection capability at an elevated temperature of silane-modified PVI(1)s depended on their thermal stability. Poly(VI-co-VTS) showed the best corrosion protection capability at elevated temperature due to its highest thermal stability. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 2585–2595, 1997     

Fabrication of gold nanoparticle modified ITO substrate to detect beta-amyloid using surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by the deposition of beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles in neurons. The Abeta peptide is a key molecule in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and an important marker for early diagnosis. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has recently been attracting keen interest in various fields such as for biosensors or immunoassays. In this study, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were electrochemically deposited on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate at different heights. Abeta antibodies were immobilized on the Au-NP-coated ITO substrate, after which the interactions between the antigen and the antibody were determined via SERS spectroscopy. The SERS responses were strongest at the Au NP array height of 91 nm, with a good linear relationship that corresponded to the change in the concentration of the antigen. This Au-NP-array-mediated SERS can be applied with a highly sensitive immunodetection biosensor.     

Analysis of effect of nanoporous alumina substrate coated with polypyrrole nanowire on cell morphology based on AFM topography

In this study, in situ electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole nanowires with nanoporous alumina template was described. The formation of highly ordered porous alumina substrate was demonstrated with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In addition, Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed that polypyrrole (PP) nanowires were synthesized by direct electrochemical oxidation of pyrrole. HeLa cancer cells and HMCF normal cells were immobilized on the polypyrrole nanowires/nanoporous alumina substrates to determine the effects of the substrate on the cell morphology, adhesion and proliferation as well as the biocompatibility of the substrate. Cell adhesion and proliferation were characterized using a standard MTT assay. The effects of the polypyrrole nanowires/nanoporous alumina substrate on the cell morphology were studied by AFM. The nanoporous alumina coated with polypyrrole nanowires was found to exhibit better cell adhesion and proliferation than polystyrene petridish, aluminum foil, 1st anodized and uncoated 2nd anodized alumina substrate. This study showed the potential of the polypyrrole nanowires/nanoporous alumina substrate as biocompatibility electroactive polymer substrate for both healthy and cancer cell cultures applications.     

Experimental investigation of friction noise on lubricated contact

In order to remove friction noise, a lubricant is normally applied on the friction surface either after cleansing the contact surface or without any surface treatment. As the friction continues, the lubrication performance deteriorates and the friction noise can reoccur in the both cases, but the cause of friction noise may be different. This study originally investigates the mechanism of friction noise under a lubricant on either the clean or contaminated surface. During the friction noise test, the vibration and sound pressure, the changes in friction coefficient and the characteristics of the contact surfaces are measured for the two lubrication scenarios. Particularly, the surface image and chemical state on the contact area are measured by SEM/EDS analysis in sequence. The results show that friction noise under the lubrication on the clean surface is induced by the reduction of the lubricant causing the increase of friction coefficient. For the lubrication on the contaminated surface by wear debris, the lubricant is mixed and contaminated with wear debris, and then friction noise eventually occurs with the negative slope of the friction-velocity curve in the absence of the increase of friction coefficient.     

Synthesis and characterization of vinyl silane modified imidazole copolymer as a novel corrosion inhibitor

For a novel corrosion inhibitor for copper, the free radical copolymerization of vinyl imidazole (VI) and vinyl trimethoxy silane (VTS) was carried out in benzene at 68 °C using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. The reactivity ratios of the two monomers were determined from instantaneous composition diagram: r _VI = 3.22 and r _VTS = 0. Thermal stability of poly(VI-co-VTS) depended on VTS mole fraction in the feed rather than the molecular weight of the copolymer, due to the disiloxane bond linkages formed during heating. Received: 21 October 1996/Revised: 9 December 1996/Accepted: 12 December 1996     

Synthesis of ceria nanoparticles by flame electrospray pyrolysis

A flame electrospray pyrolysis is presented for synthesizing CeO₂ nanoparticles with a dense morphology, high crystallinity and nanometer size. Hydrated cerium nitrate precursor dissolved in an ethanol/diethylene glycol butyl ether mixture was injected into a CH₄/air premixed flame using an electrospray method. The number size distributions of the as-prepared particles were trimodal. It is suggested that the particles for the fine mode were formed by a Rayleigh disintegration of the charged precursor droplets during the droplet evaporation. The particles for the coarse and middle modes are surmised to come from primary and secondary droplets, respectively, which were formed simultaneously during the atomization processes. The CeO₂ nanoparticles for the coarse mode were nonspherical and composed of few crystallites. The nanoparticles for the fine and middle modes were nearly spherical and nonagglomerated. The as-prepared CeO₂ nanoparticles showed highly crystallinity.     

Improvement of carbon fiber/PEEK hybrid fabric composites using plasma treatment

A carbon fiber (CF)/polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composite was manufactured using hybrid fabrics composed of CF and PEEK fiber. The fiber/matrix interface was modified by low temperature oxygen plasma treatment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) were used to relate the roughness and the functionality of the CF surface with the interfacial adhesion strength of the CF/PEEK composite. Scanning electron micrographs showed that plasma treatment increased the roughness of the CF surface up to 3 min of plasma treatment time; and prolonged treatment resulted in overall smoothing. XPS results confirmed that increasing treatment time marginally increased surface functionality: treatment for more than 5 min decreased the surface functionality by removing the active site of the CF surface. In addition, flexural strength and interlaminarshear strength (ILSS) of the CF/PEEK composite were measured. Their maximum values were observed at 3 min of plasma treatment time as a result of surface roughening by plasma etching. The SEM results were correlated with mechanical properties of the CF/PEEK composite.