Highly Sensitive and Automated Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering-based Immunoassay for H5N1 Detection with Digital Microfluidics

Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a powerful platform for a broad range of applications, especially immunoassays having multiple steps, due to the advantages of low reagent consumption and high automatization. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been proven as an attractive method for highly sensitive and multiplex detection, because of its remarkable signal amplification and excellent spatial resolution. Here we propose a SERS-based immunoassay with DMF for rapid, automated, and sensitive detection of disease biomarkers. SERS tags labeled with Raman reporter 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) were synthesized with a core@shell nanostructure and showed strong signals, good uniformity, and high stability. A sandwich immunoassay was designed, in which magnetic beads coated with antibodies were used as solid support to capture antigens from samples to form a beads–antibody–antigen immunocomplex. By labeling the immunocomplex with a detection antibody-functionalized SERS tag, antigen can be sensitively detected through the strong SERS signal. The automation capability of DMF can greatly simplify the assay procedure while reducing the risk of exposure to hazardous samples. Quantitative detection of avian influenza virus H5N1 in buffer and human serum was implemented to demonstrate the utility of the DMF-SERS method. The DMF-SERS method shows excellent sensitivity (LOD of 74 pg/mL) and selectivity for H5N1 detection with less assay time (<1 h) and lower reagent consumption (∼30 μL) compared to the standard ELISA method. Therefore, this DMF-SERS method holds great potentials for automated and sensitive detection of a variety of infectious diseases

Probing Hydrogen Bond Energies by Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry with desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is demonstrated to be useful for probing the strength of hydrogen bonding, exemplified by various complexes of benzothiazoles and carboxylic acids in the solid state. Efficiencies for fragmentation of the complexes, quantified by collision-induced dissociation (CID) technology, correspond well with energies of the hydrogen bonds of O–H···N and N–H···O bridging each pair of benzothiazole and carboxylic acid. Linear correlations (with correlation factors of 0.8953 and 0.9928) have been established for the calibration curves of normalized collision energy at 100% fragmentation rate vs the length between donor and acceptor (in the hydrogen bond of O–H···N) as well as the slope of the fragmentation efficiency curve vs the average length difference between O–H···N and N–H···O in the complex. The mechanism responsible for determination of the hydrogen bonds is proposed on the basis of the experiments starting from the mixtures of the complexes as well as labeling with deuterium. As a complement of previously available methods (e.g., X-ray diffraction analysis), expectably, the proposed mass spectrometric method seems to be versatile for probing hydrogen bond energies

Probing Hydrogen Bond Energies by Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry with desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is demonstrated to be useful for probing the strength of hydrogen bonding, exemplified by various complexes of benzothiazoles and carboxylic acids in the solid state. Efficiencies for fragmentation of the complexes, quantified by collision-induced dissociation (CID) technology, correspond well with energies of the hydrogen bonds of O–H···N and N–H···O bridging each pair of benzothiazole and carboxylic acid. Linear correlations (with correlation factors of 0.8953 and 0.9928) have been established for the calibration curves of normalized collision energy at 100% fragmentation rate vs the length between donor and acceptor (in the hydrogen bond of O–H···N) as well as the slope of the fragmentation efficiency curve vs the average length difference between O–H···N and N–H···O in the complex. The mechanism responsible for determination of the hydrogen bonds is proposed on the basis of the experiments starting from the mixtures of the complexes as well as labeling with deuterium. As a complement of previously available methods (e.g., X-ray diffraction analysis), expectably, the proposed mass spectrometric method seems to be versatile for probing hydrogen bond energies

Pentagon-Fused Hollow Fullerene in C₇₈ Family Retrieved by Chlorination

C78 is one of the most widely investigated higher fullerenes. Among its huge isomer family, only one non-IPR (IPR = isolated pentagon ring) cage, the C2-symmetric #22010C78, was previously stabilized by endohedral derivatization. Here we report a new C1-symmetric non-IPR hollow isomer, #23863C78, which was captured as #23863C78Cl8 and then subjected to a regioselective substitution reaction with benzyl hydroperoxide to form #23863C78(OOCH2C6H5)Cl7. The structural connectivity of #23863C78, which contains a pair of fused pentagons, was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the #23863C78(OOCH2C6H5)Cl7 molecule, which shares the same fullerene core with #23863C78Cl8; support for the structure is provided by comparable IR measurements and computation. Theoretical studies suggest that the differences in C−Cl bond length, intermediate stability, and steric effects of the involved molecules account for the chemical regioselectivity of the substitution reaction

Hierarchical Assembly of a {Mn^II₁₅Mn^III₄} Brucite Disc: Step-by-Step Formation and Ferrimagnetism

In search of functional molecular materials and the study of their formation mechanism, we report the elucidation of a hierarchical step-by-step formation from monomer (Mn) to heptamer (Mn₇) to nonadecamer (Mn₁₉) satisfying the relation 1 + Σ_<i>n</i>6<i>n</i>, where <i>n</i> is the ring number of the Brucite structure using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESI-MS). Three intermediate clusters, Mn₁₀, Mn₁₂, and Mn₁₄, were identified. Furthermore, the Mn₁₉ disc remains intact when dissolved in acetonitrile with a well-resolved general formula of [Mn₁₉­(<i>L</i>)_<i>x</i>­(OH)_<i>y</i>­(N₃)_{36–<i>x</i>−<i>y</i>}]²⁺ (<i>x</i> = 18, 17, 16; <i>y</i> = 8, 7, 6; H<i>L</i> = 1-(hydroxy­methyl)-3,5-dimethylpyrazole) indicating progressive exchange of N₃^– for OH^–. The high symmetry (<i>R</i>-3) Mn₁₉ crystal structure consists of a well-ordered discotic motif where the peripheral organic ligands form a double calix housing the anions and solvent molecules. From the formula and valence bond sums, the charge state is mixed-valent, [Mn^II₁₅Mn^III₄]. Its magnetic properties and electrochemistry have been studied. It behaves as a ferrimagnet below 40 K and has a coercive field of 2.7 kOe at 1.8 K, which can be possible by either weak exchange between clusters through the anions and solvents or through dipolar interaction through space as confirmed by the lack of ordering in frozen CH₃CN. The moment of nearly 50 Nμ_B suggests Mn^II–Mn^II and Mn^III–Mn^III are ferromagnetically coupled while Mn^II–Mn^III is antiferromagnetic which is likely if the Mn^III are centrally placed in the cluster. This compound displays the rare occurrence of magnetic ordering from nonconnected high-spin molecules

Pentagon-Fused Hollow Fullerene in C₇₈ Family Retrieved by Chlorination

C78 is one of the most widely investigated higher fullerenes. Among its huge isomer family, only one non-IPR (IPR = isolated pentagon ring) cage, the C2-symmetric #22010C78, was previously stabilized by endohedral derivatization. Here we report a new C1-symmetric non-IPR hollow isomer, #23863C78, which was captured as #23863C78Cl8 and then subjected to a regioselective substitution reaction with benzyl hydroperoxide to form #23863C78(OOCH2C6H5)Cl7. The structural connectivity of #23863C78, which contains a pair of fused pentagons, was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the #23863C78(OOCH2C6H5)Cl7 molecule, which shares the same fullerene core with #23863C78Cl8; support for the structure is provided by comparable IR measurements and computation. Theoretical studies suggest that the differences in C−Cl bond length, intermediate stability, and steric effects of the involved molecules account for the chemical regioselectivity of the substitution reaction

Hierarchical Assembly of a {Mn^II₁₅Mn^III₄} Brucite Disc: Step-by-Step Formation and Ferrimagnetism

In search of functional molecular materials and the study of their formation mechanism, we report the elucidation of a hierarchical step-by-step formation from monomer (Mn) to heptamer (Mn₇) to nonadecamer (Mn₁₉) satisfying the relation 1 + Σ_<i>n</i>6<i>n</i>, where <i>n</i> is the ring number of the Brucite structure using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESI-MS). Three intermediate clusters, Mn₁₀, Mn₁₂, and Mn₁₄, were identified. Furthermore, the Mn₁₉ disc remains intact when dissolved in acetonitrile with a well-resolved general formula of [Mn₁₉­(<i>L</i>)_<i>x</i>­(OH)_<i>y</i>­(N₃)_{36–<i>x</i>−<i>y</i>}]²⁺ (<i>x</i> = 18, 17, 16; <i>y</i> = 8, 7, 6; H<i>L</i> = 1-(hydroxy­methyl)-3,5-dimethylpyrazole) indicating progressive exchange of N₃^– for OH^–. The high symmetry (<i>R</i>-3) Mn₁₉ crystal structure consists of a well-ordered discotic motif where the peripheral organic ligands form a double calix housing the anions and solvent molecules. From the formula and valence bond sums, the charge state is mixed-valent, [Mn^II₁₅Mn^III₄]. Its magnetic properties and electrochemistry have been studied. It behaves as a ferrimagnet below 40 K and has a coercive field of 2.7 kOe at 1.8 K, which can be possible by either weak exchange between clusters through the anions and solvents or through dipolar interaction through space as confirmed by the lack of ordering in frozen CH₃CN. The moment of nearly 50 Nμ_B suggests Mn^II–Mn^II and Mn^III–Mn^III are ferromagnetically coupled while Mn^II–Mn^III is antiferromagnetic which is likely if the Mn^III are centrally placed in the cluster. This compound displays the rare occurrence of magnetic ordering from nonconnected high-spin molecules