Thienoisoindigo-Based Semiconductor Nanowires Assembled with 2-Bromobenzaldehyde via Both Halogen and Chalcogen Bonding

We fabricated nanowires of a conjugated oligomer and applied them to organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). The supramolecular assemblies of a thienoisoindigo-based small molecular organic semiconductor (TIIG-Bz) were prepared by co-precipitation with 2-bromobenzaldehyde (2-BBA) via a combination of halogen bonding (XB) between the bromide in 2-BBA and electron-donor groups in TIIG-Bz, and chalcogen bonding (CB) between the aldehyde in 2-BBA and sulfur in TIIG-Bz. It was found that 2-BBA could be incorporated into the conjugated planes of TIIG-Bz via XB and CB pairs, thereby increasing the pi - pi stacking area between the conjugated planes. As a result, the driving force for one-dimensional growth of the supramolecular assemblies via pi - pi stacking was significantly enhanced. TIIG-Bz/2-BBA nanowires were used to fabricate OFETs, showing significantly enhanced charge transfer mobility compared to OFETs based on pure TIIG-Bz thin films and nanowires, which demonstrates the benefit of nanowire fabrication using 2-BB

Key signalling nodes in mammary gland development and cancer. Mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling in experimental models of breast cancer progression and in mammary gland development

Seven classes of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) intracellular signalling cascades exist, four of which are implicated in breast disease and function in mammary epithelial cells. These are the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 pathway, the ERK5 pathway, the p38 pathway and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. In some forms of human breast cancer and in many experimental models of breast cancer progression, signalling through the ERK1/2 pathway, in particular, has been implicated as being important. We review the influence of ERK1/2 activity on the organised three-dimensional association of mammary epithelial cells, and in models of breast cancer cell invasion. We assess the importance of epidermal growth factor receptor family signalling through ERK1/2 in models of breast cancer progression and the influence of ERK1/2 on its substrate, the oestrogen receptor, in this context. In parallel, we consider the importance of these MAPK-centred signalling cascades during the cycle of mammary gland development. Although less extensively studied, we highlight the instances of signalling through the p38, JNK and ERK5 pathways involved in breast cancer progression and mammary gland development

Circular dichroism from single plasmonic nanostructures with extrinsic chirality

<div> Circular dichroism (CD) studies on single nanostructures can yield novel&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> insights into chiroptical physics that are not available from traditional ensemble-</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> based measurements, yet they are challenging because of their weak signals. By&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> introducing an oblique excitation beam, we demonstrate the observation and&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> spectroscopic analysis of a prominent plasmonic chiroptical response from a single&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> v-shaped gold nanorod dimer nanostructure. We show that circular differential&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> scattering from the obliquely excited gold nanorod dimer yields a characteristic&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> bisignate peak-dip spectral shape at hybridized energies of the dimer. This&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> chiroptical response can be ascribed to extrinsic chirality which depends on the&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> geometry configurations of the chiral arrangement. Due to strong near-field&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> coupling, the dipole orientations of the hybridized resonance modes can be in favor&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> of the incident circularly polarized light where a maximum g-factor of similar to&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> 0.4 is observed. Promising applications of this chiroptical arrangement as a key&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> component can be in electronics, photonics, or metamaterials.&nbsp;</div