Quantum Obfuscation of Generalized Quantum Power Functions with Coefficient

Quantum obfuscation is one of the important primitives in quantum cryptography that can be used to enhance the security of various quantum cryptographic schemes. The research on quantum obfuscation focuses mainly on the obfuscatability of quantum functions. As a primary quantum function, the quantum power function has led to the development of quantum obfuscation because it is applicable to construct new obfuscation applications such as quantum encryption schemes. However, the previous definition of quantum power functions is constrained and cannot be beneficial to the further construction of other quantum functions. Thus, it is essential to extend the definition of the basic quantum power function in a more general manner. In this paper, we provide a formal definition of two quantum power functions called generalized quantum power functions with coefficients, each of which is characterized by a leading coefficient and an exponent that corresponds to either a quantum or classical state, indicating the generality. The first is the quantum power function with a leading coefficient, and the second is the quantum n-th power function, which are both fundamental components of quantum polynomial functions. In addition, obfuscation schemes for the functions are constructed by quantum teleportation and quantum superdense coding, and demonstrations of their obfuscatability are also provided in this paper. This work establishes the fundamental basis for constructing more quantum functions that can be utilized for quantum obfuscation, therefore contributing to the theory of quantum obfuscation

Incorporation of Amphipathic Diblock Copolymer in Lipid Bilayer for Improving pH Responsiveness

Diblock copolymers (mPEG-b-PDPA), which were designed to possess pH-sensitivity as well as amphipathy, were used as an intelligent lock in the liposomal membrane. The so-called pH-sensitive liposomes were prepared by simple mixing of the synthesized mPEG-b-PDPA with phospholipids and cholesterol. Fluorescence polarization at pH 7.4 showed that the membrane stability of the hybrid liposome was significantly increased compared with the pure liposome. Therefore, in the neutral environment, the leakage of doxorubicin (DOX) was inhibited. However, when pH decreased to 6.0, DOX release rate increased by 60% due to the escape of copolymer. The effects of the membrane composition and the PDPA segment length on bilayer membrane functions were investigated. These results revealed that the synthesized copolymers increased the difference in DOX cumulative release between pH 7.4 and 6.0, that is, improved the pH-controllability of the drug release from hybrid liposomes

Understanding surface charge regulation in silica nanopores

Nanoporous silica is used in a wide variety of applications, ranging from bioanalytical tools and materials for energy storage and conversion as well as separation devices. The surface charge density of nanopores is not easily measured by experiment yet plays a vital role in the performance and functioning of silica nanopores. Herein, we report a theoretical model to describe charge regulation in silica nanopores by combining the surface-reaction model and the classical density functional theory (CDFT). The theoretical predictions provide quantitative insights into the effects of pH, electrolyte concentration, and pore size on the surface charge density and electric double layer structure. With a fixed pore size, the surface charge density increases with both pH and the bulk salt concentration similar to that for an open surface. At fixed pH and salt concentration, the surface charge density rises with the pore size until it reaches the bulk asymptotic value when the surface interactions become negligible. At high pH, the surface charge density is mainly determined by the ratio of the Debye screening length to the pore size (λD/D)

Ionic Liquid-Polypyrrole-Gold Composites as Enhanced Enzyme Immobilization Platforms for Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing

In this work, three different aqueous solutions containing imidazole-based ILs with different alkyl chain lengths ([Cnmim]Br, n = 2, 6, 12) were adopted as the medium for the synthesis of ionic liquid-polypyrrole (IL-PPy) composites. Herein, the ILs undertook the roles of the pyrrole solvent, the media for emulsion polymerization of PPy and PPy dopants, respectively. The electrochemical performances of the three IL-PPy composites on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were investigated by electrochemical experiments, which indicated that [C12mim]Br-PPy (C12-PPy) composites displayed better electrochemical performance due to their larger surface area and firmer immobilization on the GCE. Further, C12-PPy/GCE were decorated with Au microparticles by electrodeposition that can not only increase the conductivity, but also immobilize sufficient biomolecules on the electrode. Then, the obtained C12-PPy-Au/GCE with outstanding electrochemical performance was employed as a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilization platform to fabricate a novel C12-PPy-Au-HRP/GCE biosensor for H2O2 detection. The results showed that the prepared C12-PPy-Au-HRP/GCE biosensor exhibited high sensitivity, fast response, and a wide detection range as well as low detection limit towards H2O2. This work not only provides an outstanding biomolecule immobilization matrix for the fabrication of highly sensitive biosensors, but also advances the understanding of the roles of ILs in improving the electrochemical performance of biosensors

Development and Application of an Efficient Medium for Chromogenic Catalysis of Tetramethylbenzidine with Horseradish Peroxidase

The alkylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquids (ILs) ([Cnmim]­[BF4] n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) and anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were combined together to produce effective mediums for chromogenic catalysis of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the presence of H2O2. The chromogenic performance, kinetic behavior, and the possible influencing mechanism for the chromogenic catalysis of HRP-H2O2-TMB were discussed in detail. Therein, the roles of ionic liquids (ILs) were highlighted by the combination of experiments and theoretical calculations. The SDS/[C4mim]­[BF4] combination displayed superiority in chromogenic catalysis by improving both the substrate solubility and product stability to the maximum extent possible. Furthermore, SDS/[C4mim]­[BF4] combination showed uniqueness for TMB in improving the chromogenic performance compared with other chromogenic substrates of HRP. Inspired by the efficient chromogenic system, an enhanced enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay strategy for the detection of human immunoglobulin G was established and the sensitive colorimetric strategies for the detection of H2O2 and glucose were further developed by employing SDS/[C4mim]­[BF4] combination as the medium of chromogenic catalysis of HRP-H2O2-TMB. This unique chromogenic system is endowed with multitude of potential applications in biological systems

Development and Application of an Efficient Medium for Chromogenic Catalysis of Tetramethylbenzidine with Horseradish Peroxidase

Photograph of the Doppler Radar at the National Severe Storms Laboratory

Surfactant Adsorption onto Interfaces: Measuring the Surface Excess in Time

We propose a direct method to measure the equilibrium and dynamic surface properties of surfactant solutions with very low critical micellar concentrations (CMC) using a pendant drop tensiometer. We studied solutions of the nonionic surfactant hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₆) and of the ionic surfactant hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) with concentrated sodium bromide (NaBr). The variation of the surface tension as a function of surface concentration is obtained easily without the need for complex models and compares well with the result obtained using the Gibbs adsorption equation. The time-dependent surface concentration of each surfactant was also measured, and the adsorption process was found to be diffusion-controlled. The diffusion coefficients of the two surfactants can be extracted from the data and were found in very good agreement with literature values, further validating the method

Understanding surface charge regulation in silica nanopores

Nanoporous silica is used in a wide variety of applications, ranging from bioanalytical tools and materials for energy storage and conversion as well as separation devices. The surface charge density of nanopores is not easily measured by experiment yet plays a vital role in the performance and functioning of silica nanopores. Herein, we report a theoretical model to describe charge regulation in silica nanopores by combining the surface-reaction model and the classical density functional theory (CDFT). The theoretical predictions provide quantitative insights into the effects of pH, electrolyte concentration, and pore size on the surface charge density and electric double layer structure. With a fixed pore size, the surface charge density increases with both pH and the bulk salt concentration similar to that for an open surface. At fixed pH and salt concentration, the surface charge density rises with the pore size until it reaches the bulk asymptotic value when the surface interactions become negligible. At high pH, the surface charge density is mainly determined by the ratio of the Debye screening length to the pore size (λD/D)