Diffusive transport of adsorbed n-alkanes along e-beam irradiated plane surfaces and nanopillars

Diffusion of adsorbed n-alkanes was studied by means of electron beam induced deposition (EBID) technique. Carbon ring-like and pillar-like deposits were produced on bulk and thin substrates in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) operated in a “spot” mode. Residual nalkanes used as a precursor gas were delivered to the beam interaction region (BIR) via surface diffusion. The model of adsorbate diffusion along a heterogeneous surface with different diffusion coefficients D1 and D2 outside and inside the BIR, respectively, was proposed to explain the measured deposition rates. The estimates for diffusion coefficients ranging from ~1x10-10 to ~1x10-7 cm2s-1 at room temperature on surfaces with different roughness were obtained. These estimates most likely should be attributed to n-decane molecules expected to play the key role in the deposition process. Clusters of polymerized molecules produced by irradiation were assumed to act as effective traps hampering surface diffusion. For high D1/D2 ratios the deposition rates were found to be practically independent of the substrate material and initial roughness

Diffusive transport of adsorbed n-alkanes along e-beam irradiated plane surfaces and nanopillars

Diffusion of adsorbed n-alkanes was studied by means of electron beam induced deposition (EBID) technique. Carbon ring-like and pillar-like deposits were produced on bulk and thin substrates in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) operated in a “spot” mode. Residual nalkanes used as a precursor gas were delivered to the beam interaction region (BIR) via surface diffusion. The model of adsorbate diffusion along a heterogeneous surface with different diffusion coefficients D1 and D2 outside and inside the BIR, respectively, was proposed to explain the measured deposition rates. The estimates for diffusion coefficients ranging from ~1x10-10 to ~1x10-7 cm2s-1 at room temperature on surfaces with different roughness were obtained. These estimates most likely should be attributed to n-decane molecules expected to play the key role in the deposition process. Clusters of polymerized molecules produced by irradiation were assumed to act as effective traps hampering surface diffusion. For high D1/D2 ratios the deposition rates were found to be practically independent of the substrate material and initial roughness

Diffusive transport of adsorbed n-alkanes along e-beam irradiated plane surfaces and nanopillars

Diffusion of adsorbed n-alkanes was studied by means of electron beam induced deposition (EBID) technique. Carbon ring-like and pillar-like deposits were produced on bulk and thin substrates in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) operated in a “spot” mode. Residual nalkanes used as a precursor gas were delivered to the beam interaction region (BIR) via surface diffusion. The model of adsorbate diffusion along a heterogeneous surface with different diffusion coefficients D1 and D2 outside and inside the BIR, respectively, was proposed to explain the measured deposition rates. The estimates for diffusion coefficients ranging from ~1x10-10 to ~1x10-7 cm2s-1 at room temperature on surfaces with different roughness were obtained. These estimates most likely should be attributed to n-decane molecules expected to play the key role in the deposition process. Clusters of polymerized molecules produced by irradiation were assumed to act as effective traps hampering surface diffusion. For high D1/D2 ratios the deposition rates were found to be practically independent of the substrate material and initial roughness

SERS-Based Colloidal Aptasensors for Quantitative Determination of Influenza Virus

Development of sensitive techniques for rapid detection of viruses is on a high demand. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an appropriate tool for new techniques due to its high sensitivity. DNA aptamers are short structured oligonucleotides that can provide specificity for SERS biosensors. Existing SERS-based aptasensors for rapid virus detection had several disadvantages. Some of them lacked possibility of quantitative determination, while others had sophisticated and expensive implementation. In this paper, we provide a new approach that combines rapid specific detection and the possibility of quantitative determination of viruses using the example of influenza A virus

Improvement of Seed-Mediated Growth of Gold Nanoparticle Labels for DNA Membrane-Based Assays

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are popular labels for colorimetric detection of various analytes, involving proteins, nucleic acids, viruses, and whole cells because of their outstanding optical properties, inertness, and modification variability. In this work, we present an improved approach for enhancement of color intensity for DNA membrane microarrays based on seed-mediated growth of AuNP labels. Biotin-labeled DNA is hybridized with capture oligonucleotide probes immobilized on the microarrays. Then biotin is revealed by a streptavidin–AuNP conjugate followed by the detection of AuNPs. Optimization of seed-mediated enlargement of AuNPs by the reduction of tetrachloroauric acid with hydroxylamine made it possible to change the coloring of specific spots on the microarrays from pink to a more contrasting black with minor background staining. Mean size of the resulting AuNPs was four times larger than before the enhancement. Adjusting the pH of HAuCl4 solution to 3.5 and use of a large excess of hydroxylamine increased the signal/background ratio by several times. The method’s applicability was demonstrated for quantification of a short oligonucleotide of 19 bases and full-length TEM-type β-lactamase genes of 860 bp responsible for the development of bacterial resistance against β-lactam antibiotics. Improved protocol for AuNP enlargement may be further transferred to any other membrane-based assays of nucleic acids with both instrumental and visual colorimetric detection

Model of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus for Development of a DNA-Modified, Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Sensor with a Novel Hybrid Plasmonic Platform in Sandwich Mode

The recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has posed a great challenge for the development of ultra-fast methods for virus identification based on sensor principles. We created a structure modeling surface and size of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and used it in comparison with the standard antigen SARS-CoV-2—the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S-protein of the envelope of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the Wuhan strain—for the development of detection of coronaviruses using a DNA-modified, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based aptasensor in sandwich mode: a primary aptamer attached to the plasmonic surface—RBD-covered Ag nanoparticle—the Cy3-labeled secondary aptamer. Fabricated novel hybrid plasmonic structures based on “Ag mirror-SiO2-nanostructured Ag” demonstrate sensitivity for the detection of investigated analytes due to the combination of localized surface plasmons in nanostructured silver surface and the gap surface plasmons in a thin dielectric layer of SiO2 between silver layers. A specific SERS signal has been obtained from SERS-active compounds with RBD-specific DNA aptamers that selectively bind to the S protein of synthetic virion (dissociation constants of DNA-aptamer complexes with protein in the range of 10 nM). The purpose of the study is to systematically analyze the combination of components in an aptamer-based sandwich system. A developed virus size simulating silver particles adsorbed on an aptamer-coated sensor provided a signal different from free RBD. The data obtained are consistent with the theory of signal amplification depending on the distance of the active compound from the amplifying surface and the nature of such a compound. The ability to detect the target virus due to specific interaction with such DNA is quantitatively controlled by the degree of the quenching SERS signal from the labeled compound. Developed indicator sandwich-type systems demonstrate high stability. Such a platform does not require special permissions to work with viruses. Therefore, our approach creates the promising basis for fostering the practical application of ultra-fast, amplification-free methods for detecting coronaviruses based on SARS-CoV-2

Hyperon signatures in the PANDA experiment at FAIR

We present a detailed simulation study of the signatures from the sequential decays of the triple-strange pbar p -> Ω+Ω- -> K+ΛbarK- Λ -> K+pbarπ+K-pπ- process in the PANDA central tracking system with focus on hit patterns and precise time measurement. We present a systematic approach for studying physics channels at the detector level and develop input criteria for tracking algorithms and trigger lines. Finally, we study the beam momentum dependence on the reconstruction efficiency for the PANDA detector