38 research outputs found

    Probing the Biogenesis of Polysaccharide Granules in Algal Cells at Sub-Organellar Resolution via Raman Microscopy with Stable Isotope Labeling

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    Phototrophs assimilate CO2 into organic compounds that accumulate in storage organelles. Elucidation of the carbon dynamics of storage organelles could enhance the production efficiency of valuable compounds and facilitate the screening of strains with high photosynthetic activity. To comprehensively elucidate the carbon dynamics of these organelles, the intraorganellar distribution of the carbon atoms that accumulate at specific time periods should be probed. In this study, the biosynthesis of polysaccharides in storage organdies was spatiotemporally probed via stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy using a stable isotope (C-13) as the tracking probe. Paramylon granules (a storage organelle of beta-1,3-glucan) accumulated in a unicellular photosynthetic alga, Euglena gracilis, were investigated as a model organelle. The carbon source of the culture medium was switched from NaH12CO3 to NaH13CO3 during the production of the paramylon granules; this resulted in the distribution of the C-12 and C-13 constituents in the granules, so that the biosynthetic process could be tracked. Taking advantage of high-resolution SRS imaging and label switching, the localization of the C-12 and C-13 constituents inside a single paramylon granule could be visualized in three dimensions, thus revealing the growth process of paramylon granules. We propose that this method can be used for comprehensive elucidation of the dynamic activities of storage organelles

    Research update: mesoporous sensor nanoarchitectonics

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    In this short review, we have selected three main subjects: (i) mesoporous materials, (ii) sensing applications, and (iii) the concept of nanoarchitectonics, as examples of recent hot topics in nanomaterials research. Mesoporous materials satisfy the conditions necessary not only for a wide range of applications but also for ease of production, by a variety of simple processes, which yield bulk quantities of materials without loss of their well-defined nanometric structural features. Sensing applications are of general importance because many events arise from interaction with external stimuli. In addition to these important features, nanoarchitectonics is a concept aimed at production of novel functionality of whole units according to concerted interactions within nanostructures. For the combined subject of mesoporous sensor nanoarchitectonics, we present recent examples of research in the corresponding fields categorized according to mechanism of detection including optical, electrical, and piezoelectric sensing. (C) 2014 Author(s)

    Salt-triggered Active Plasmonic Systems Based on the Assembly/Disassembly of Gold Nanorods in a DNA Brush Layer on a Solid Substrate

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    In this study, we demonstrate that the plasmonic properties of gold nanorods (GNRs) electrostatically adsorbed on a DNA brush substrate are reversibly controlled by changes in NaCl concentration. This plasmonic change results from GNR assembly/disassembly in a DNA brush layer. In addition, we show that this active plasmonic system exhibits intense and switchable chiroptical properties

    Core-Gap-Shell Nanoparticles@Polyaniline with TunablePlasmonic Chiroptical Activities by pH and Electric Potential Dual Modulation

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    The emerging concept of tunable plasmonicchirality is mostly observed as a reconfigurable behavior or afeature of complex chiral plasmonic assemblies. For discretecolloidal particles, it is challenging to achieve reversible tunabilityor a transient response with regard to chiroptical activities,particularly in the visible or near-infrared region. Herein, wedemonstrate a stimulus-responsive system based on chiralmolecule-achiral plasmonic nanoparticles coated with polyaniline(PANI) as a variable dielectric layer, in whichL-/D-cysteinemolecules are introduced between the gold core and the shell as astatic chiral source, allowing the chiral transfer effect to be greatlyamplified by the hotspot gap of sub-monomolecular thickness. By taking advantage of the responsive properties to either pH or theelectric potential dual stimuli of PANI, which also provides a stable and real-time switchable dielectric environment for the wholesystem, dynamic tuning of the plasmon and its induced chiroptical activities of core-gap-shell nanoparticles@PANI were preciselyobtained. This well-defined design provides an open platform forflexible and rational tailoring of plasmonic cores, chiral molecules,and variable dielectrics to chiroptical needs, which is important for realizing applications in chemical sensing, chiral nanocatalysis,enantioselective separations, and novel optical device

    Driving nanocars and nanomachines at interfaces: From concept of nanoarchitectonics to actual use in world wide race and hand operation

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    cited By 9International audienceNanomachine and molecular machines are state-of-the-art objects in current physics and chemistry. The operation and manufacturing of nanosize machines are top-level technologies that we have desired to accomplish for a long time. There have been extensive attempts to design and synthesize nanomachines. In this paper, we review the these attempts using the concept of nanoarchitectonics toward the design, synthesis, and testing of molecular machinery, especially at interfacial media. In the first half of this review, various historical attempts to design and prepare nanomachines are introduced as well as their operation mechanisms from their basic principles. Furthermore, in order to emphasize the importance and possibilities of this research field, we also give examples of two new challenging topics in the second half of this review: (i) a world wide nanocar race and (ii) new modes of nanomachine operation on water. The nanocar race event involves actual use of nanomachines and will take place in the near future, and nanomachine operation of a dynamic fluidic interface will enable future advances in nanomachine science and technology

    Hysteresis in the Thermo-Responsive Assembly of Hexa(ethylene glycol) Derivative-Modified Gold Nanodiscs as an Effect of Shape

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    Anisotropic gold nanodiscs (AuNDs) possess unique properties, such as large flat surfaces and dipolar plasmon modes, which are ideal constituents for the fabrication of plasmonic assemblies for novel and emergent functions. In this report, we present the thermo-responsive assembly and thermo-dynamic behavior of AuNDs functionalized with methyl-hexa(ethylene glycol) undecane-thiol as a thermo-responsive ligand. Upon heating, the temperature stimulus caused a blue shift of the plasmon peak to form a face-to-face assembly of AuNDs due to the strong hydrophobic and van der Waals interactions between their large flat surfaces. Importantly, AuNDs allowed for the incorporation of the carboxylic acid-terminated ligand while maintaining their thermo-responsive assembly ability. With regard to their reversible assembly/disassembly behavior in the thermal cycling process, significant rate-independent hysteresis, which is related to their thermo-dynamics, was observed and was shown to be dependent on the carboxylic acid content of the surface ligands. As AuNDs have not only unique plasmonic properties but also high potential for attachment due to the fact of their flat surfaces, this study paves the way for the exploitation of AuNDs in the development of novel functional materials with a wide range of applications
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