Poly Allylamine Hydrochloride Research Articles

Efficient in situ synthetic routes of the polymeric composite containing clinoptilolite using ultrasonic assistance for sorption of some lanthanides

The ultrasound assistance synthesis strategy of the polymeric composite is based on free radical polymerization of polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) cationic polyelectrolyte, with vinyl sulfonic acid (VSA) anionic monomer with microporous crystalline alumino silicate clinoptilolite clay. The P(AH-co-VSA)/clinoptilolite polymeric composite was fully characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscope. FTIR demonstrated the presence of PAH and VSA, confirming the composition of the prepared composite. It was also used to map the energy-dispersive X-ray to affirm the interdependence of the clinoptilolite into the polymeric matrix. Consequently, the physicochemical characteristics of this copolymer may be adjusted using VSA and PAH suitable combinations. Batch experiments were applied and maximal sorption capacities for studied ions Nd3+, Ce3+, Y3+, Gd3+, and Eu3+ were 36.6, 50.2, 55.9, 57.2, and 57.7 mg/g, respectively. Sorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherm were conducted. Experimental isotherms of studied ions were successfully fit to pseudo-second-order model, langmuir isotherm model. The Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) isotherm was found to be applicable and suggesting that, the sorption occurs via a ion exchange reaction. The breakthrough data were measured in a fixed bed column, and variable process factors were examined, including bed depth, flow velocity, and initial metal ion concentration. The experimental work was then focused, for continuous investigations, on Ce3+, Eu3+, and Y3+ to represent light, intermediate, and heavy lanthanides respectively. The overall bed capacity and total metal ion adsorption increased when the flow rate increased. They reduced with rising initial metal ion concentration and bed depth, and reached 22.8, 31.4, and 28.5 mg/g for Ce3+, Eu3+, and Y3+ metal ions, respectively.

Platelet Extracellular Vesicles Loaded Gelatine Hydrogels for Wound Care.

Platelet extracellular vesicles (pEVs)isolated from clinical-grade human platelet concentratesare attracting attention as a promising agent for wound healing therapies. Although pEVs have shown potential for skin regeneration, their incorporation into wound bandages has remained limitedly explored. Herein, gelatine-based hydrogel (PAH-G) foams for pEVs loading and release are formulated by crosslinking gelatine with poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH) in the presence of glutaraldehyde and sodium bicarbonate. The optimized PAH-G hydrogel foam, PAH0.24G37, displayed an elastic modulus G' = 8.5 kPa at 37°C and retained a rubbery state at elevated temperatures. The excellent swelling properties of PAH0.24G37 allowed to easily absorb pEVs at high concentration (1×1011 particles mL-1). The therapeutic effect of pEVs was evaluated in vivo on a chronic wound rat model. These studies demonstrated full wound closure after 14 days upon treatment with PAH0.24G37@pEVs. The maintenance of a reduced-inflammatory environment from the onset of treatment promoted a quicker transition to skin remodeling. Promotion of follicle activation and angiogenesis as well as M1-M2 macrophage modulation are evidenced. Altogether, the multifunctional properties of PAH0.24G37@pEVs addressed the complex challenges associated with chronic diabetic wounds, representing a significant advance toward personalized treatment regimens for these conditions.

Synergistic surface ligand modification of Ni-Pt bimetallic nanozymes: Enhanced catalytic activity and versatile detection of penicillin

Monitoring and control of penicillin (PCN) in the environment are critically important for reducing the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, ensuring food safety, and safeguarding human health. In this study, we introduce a novel and facile strategy for modulating the catalytic activity of bimetallic nanozymes through surface ligand engineering. Experimental activity assays and theoretical model calculations confirm that Ni-Pt nanozymes coated with polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAM) exhibit significantly enhanced peroxidase (POD)-like activity compared to their counterparts coated with conventional polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS). Leveraging the potent reactivity between PCN and the hydroxyl radicals (∙OH) generated by Ni-Pt@PAM catalytic system, we have developed a colorimetric sensor that directly detects PCN, demonstrating a linear response range from 0.5 to 10 μM and detection limit as low as 13.5 nM. Additionally, a fluorescent sensing platform utilizing self-synthesized fluorophore Rho-Si based on inner filter effect (IFE), has been successfully established. These two sensing platforms, capable of generating both colorimetric and fluorescent signals, enable sensitive, rapid, and straightforward detection of PCN in water samples. This work not only offers an innovative approach for tuning the POD-like activity of Ni-Pt bimetallic nanozymes but also presents a promising avenue for their application in PCN monitoring.

From enzyme dispersion to purification: Optimizing biocatalytic membranes for high-purity ginsenoside Rd production

This study presents a novel biocatalytic membrane (BM) system for the continuous production of high-purity ginsenoside Rd. Recognizing that enzymes concentrated on one side of BM caused by reverse filtration hinder substrate access and catalytic efficiency, polyethyleneimine (PEI) and polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) were added during dopamine (DA) deposition. They effectively disrupted the clustering of enzyme molecules, enabling a more homogeneous enzyme distribution within BMs, as confirmed by microscopy, activity assays, and simulations. This controlled dispersion, facilitated by Protein-Polyelectrolyte Complexes (PPCs) formation, significantly improved substrate accessibility and catalytic performance. Exceptional catalytic performance was exhibited by the optimized PDA/PEI BM (using 1800 Da PEI), enabling highly efficient conversion of Rb1 to Rd. This high conversion efficiency, coupled with the inherent temperature-dependent solubility of Rd, enables a remarkably simple purification process. By exploiting Rd precipitation upon cooling, high-purity (93.1 %) Rd was achieved at a 55.6 % recovery from a 70 % purity Rb1 feed using a simple solid–liquid separation, eliminating the need for other separation techniques. This study provides new insights into the preparation of BMs and offers innovative strategies for the transformation and purification of ginsenosides.

Exosomal fragment enclosed polyamine-salt nano-complex for co-delivery of docetaxel and mir-34a exhibits higher cytotoxicity and apoptosis in breast cancer cells

A novel core–shell nanocarrier system has been designed for co-delivery of a small anticancer drug, docetaxel (DTX) and tumor suppressor (TS) miR-34a named as Exo(PAN34a+DTX). The core is formed by pH dependent polyamine salt aggregates (PSA) containing both the payloads and the shell is formed by RAW 264.7 cell derived exosomal fragments. Herein, phosphate driven polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH, MW:17,500 Da) PSA was formed in presence of miR-34a and DTX to form PAN34a+DTX. The formulation exhibited pH dependent DTX release with only 33.55 ± 2.12% DTX release at pH 7.2 and 75.21 ± 1.8% DTX release till 144 h at pH 5.5. At 1.21 molar ratio of phosphate to the amine (known as R value), efficient complexation of miR-34a (3.6 μM) in the PAN particles was obtained. PAN34a+DTX demonstrated particle size (163.86 ± 12.89 nm) and zeta-potential value of 17.53 ± 5.10 mV which upon exosomal fragment layering changed to − 7.23 ± 2.75 mV which is similar to the zeta-potential of the exosomal fragments, i.e., − 8.40 ± 1.79 mV. The final formulation Exo(PAN34a+DTX), loaded with 40 ng/mL DTX and 50 nM miR-34a exhibited 48.20 ± 4.59% cytotoxicity in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, 4T1. Co-localization of CM-DiI (red fluorescence) stained exosomal fragments and FAM-siRNA (green fluorescence) in the cytoplasm of 4T1 cells after 6 h of Exo(PANFAM) treatment confirmed the efficiency of the designed system to co-deliver two actives. Exo(PAN34a+DTX) also reduced BCL-2 expression (target gene for miR-34a) by 8.98 folds in comparison to free DTX confirming promising co-delivery and apoptosis inducing effect of Exo(PAN34a+DTX) in 4T1.

Novel Electrospun Zwitterionic Nanofibers for Point‐Of‐Care Nucleic Acid Isolation Strategies Under Mild Conditions

AbstractNucleic acid (NA) testing at the point‐of‐care requires efficient NA extraction followed by post‐NA amplification to achieve necessary detection sensitivity. Nanofibers (NFs) are demonstrated to be an ideal solid surface in an NA extraction process but necessitate harsh conditions that interfere with the subsequent NA amplification process. It is demonstrated that novel, pH tunable, zwitterionic NFs composed of uncharged nylon doped with the weakly basic, cationic polyallylamine hydrochloride and the weakly acidic anionic polycarboxylic acid to address the issue. Unlike the other cationic polymers investigated, e.g. polybrene and polyaniline, these polymers allow efficient NA extraction in Tris‐ethylenediamine tetra‐acetic acid buffer under mild conditions (pH 4.5 containing 0.1% Tween 20 for adsorption, and pH 10 with 50 mM NaCl for elution). Adsorption and elution yields over 95% and 70%, respectively, are achieved. It also discovered a correlation between material morphologies and the NA extraction suggests that the combination of polymer chemistries and nanofiber morphologies facilitates efficient NA extraction at low concentrations (ng range) within a short time period (<10 min). Considering the simple protocols and instrument‐free operation the as‐developed NFs are highly attractive for use in sample‐to‐answer NA testing in point‐of‐care settings.

Incorporation of CuS nanorods in polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules improved cancer cell cytotoxicity and signal intensity in ultrasound imaging

The fabrications of hollow microcapsules (MCs) with new architecture and ability to incorporate different nanomaterials have received great interest for targeted cancer therapy. Recently, CuS based nanomaterials have been demonstrated to possess the ability to mimic Fenton-like activity in tumor environment and inducing cancer cell apoptosis by generating highly reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we have developed poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH)/dextran sulfate (DS) polyelectrolyte MCs capable of carrying doxorubicin (DOX) for targeted cancer therapy and ultrasound imaging. The electron microscopy investigations showed the formation of polymeric MCs of 3 µm in size with incorporated CuS NRs in their interior structure. The surface modification of MCs with folic acid (FA), and encapsulation of model hydrophilic molecules in MCs was studied by UV–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The encapsulation efficiency of DOX was found to be 56 % and the release was found to be linear at pH 5.5 and 7.4 in the absence of ultrasound exposure. The ultrasound exposure resulted in sudden rupture of MCs at 1 MHz and 1 W/cm2 and caused burst release of DOX at both pH conditions. The FA decorated PAH/DS/CuS NR MCs exhibited improved anti-cancer activity against MDA-MB-231 cancer cells due to the synergistic effects of ultrasound mediated burst release of chemotherapeutic drug (DOX), glutathione-stimulated ROS and targeted cancer therapy. Further, the capsules showed better echogenicity than that of control PAH/DS MCs when imaged under medical ultrasound-scanning system. Hence, the MCs demonstrated in this study have huge potential for targeted cancer theranostics by offering an option to image the cancer cells during the treatment period.

Effect of surfactants on the permeation rate and selectivity of polyamide composite membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration

Solvent-resistant membranes are pivotal in industrial separations. This study aims to develop thin-film composite polyamide (TFC-PA) membranes with enhanced organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) capabilities. Polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAAH) was used as the aqueous amine and isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) as the crosslinker to form the polyamide active layer by interfacial polymerization (IP) on a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) support. The impact of using anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to act as phase transfer agents during IP was investigated to understand their potential for facilitating the transfer of PAAH to the organic phase for reaction with IPC. The SDS and CTAB were separately dissolved into the PAAH solutions before IP to evaluate their effects on membrane properties. Extensive characterization including SEM, EDX, AFM, Water Contact Angle, ATR-FTIR, and Solid (CP-MAS) 13C NMR revealed various chemical and structural features of the membrane. The membrane M2 (PAAH-IPC) (exhibited >98% rejection for various anionic and cationic dyes. The inclusion of SDS during interfacial polymerization led to a substantial 3-fold increase in methanol permeate flux from 31 L m−2 h−1 to 119 L m−2 h−1, at a pressure of 15 bar. Conversely, the addition of CTAB resulted in membranes with higher permeate flux but insufficient dye rejection. Moreover, after three weeks of static aging of the membranes no significant changes were detected in either permeability or solute rejection, substantiating the stability of membranes.

Thiolated Cyanines Appended to Partially Pegylated Gold Nanoparticles for Fluorescence Quenching of Two-Channel Photothermal Inks.

Following a new approach, we prepared a nanoink with two separate photothermally responsive absorption bands. One is the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption of gold nanoparticles (AuNP, d=17 nm), the second is the absorption band of two cyanine (Cy) dyes, Cy7-C6 or Cy7-C11, grafted to the AuNP surface through thiolated bridges of different lengths: the close proximity to the Au surface induces full quenching of the Cy fluorescence, resulting in thermal relaxation on irradiation. Attempts to full coat AuNP with the lipophilic Cy7-C6 and Cy7-C11 lead to precipitation from aqueous solutions. We thus prepared AuNP with partial pegylation (30, 50, or 70 %), using a long chain thiol-terminated PEG bearing a -COOH function. Addition until saturation of either Cy7-C6 or Cy7-C11 to the partially pegylated AuNP gave the AuNP@Cy/PEGX% hybrids (X=30, 50, 70) that are stable in water and in the water/alcohol mixtures used to prepare the nanoinks. Further overcoating of AuNP@Cy7-C6/PEG50 % with PAH (polyallylamine hydrochloride) avoids LSPR hybridization in the dry nanoink printouts, that present two separate bands. When irradiated with laser sources near their absorption maxima, the printouts of the AuNP@Cy7-C6/PEG50 %@PAH nanoink respond on two channels, giving different temperature increases depending on the irradiation wavelengths. This enhances the potentiality of use of these nanoinks for photothermal anticounterfait printouts, making more difficult to reproduce the correct ΔT vs λirradiation output.

DNA Delivery by Virus-Like Nanocarriers in Plant Cells.

Tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV)-like nanocarriers were designed for gene delivery to plant cells. High aspect ratio TMGMVs were coated with a polycationic biopolymer, poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH), to generate highly charged nanomaterials (TMGMV-PAH; 56.20 ± 4.7 mV) that efficiently load (1:6 TMGMV:DNA mass ratio) and deliver single-stranded and plasmid DNA to plant cells. The TMGMV-PAH were taken up through energy-independent mechanisms in Arabidopsis protoplasts. TMGMV-PAH delivered a plasmid DNA encoding a green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the protoplast nucleus (70% viability), as evidenced by GFP expression using confocal microscopy and Western blot analysis. TMGMV-PAH were inactivated (iTMGMV-PAH) using UV cross-linking to prevent systemic infection in intact plants. Inactivated iTMGMV-PAH-mediated pDNA delivery and gene expression of GFP in vivo was determined using confocal microscopy and RT-qPCR. Virus-like nanocarrier-mediated gene delivery can act as a facile and biocompatible tool for advancing genetic engineering in plants.

Polyoxometalate coupled polymers induced molybdenum phosphide with large surface area for efficient hydrogen evolution

Developing highly active hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts possesses great significance for the green renewable energy conversion and storage. Here, through the electrostatic attraction between polyoxometalate (PMo12) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and the coordination with polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH), the precursor was constructed, and then nitrogen-doped graphite carbon layer-coated MoP active particles (MoP@NC) were successfully prepared by high temperature carbonization. For HER, the overpotential of η10 for MoP@NC is 119 and 126 mV in acidic and alkaline electrolyte. Furthermore, in alkaline solution, when the current density reaches a certain degree (≥110 mA cm−2), the hydrogen production activity of the catalysts are the same as that of the industrial Pt/C catalysts, or even have a slight advantage. The synergistic interaction of active particles (MoP) and graphitic carbon layers and high specific surface area ensure the excellent activity of HER. N-doped porous carbon layers also protect MoP@NC working for 24 h. Moreover, the catalysts prepared in the same experimental environment with ammonium molybdate as metal source also showed good HER performance in acidic and alkaline environments. This study opens a general way to develop earth-rich Mo-based phosphide electrocatalysts with high activity for hydrolysis applications.

Influence of density and chemical additives on paper mechanical properties

In this work we have investigated the effect of surface modification of fibres on the overall mechanical properties of high-density papers. Paper sheets were prepared by a combination of heat-pressing and polyelectrolyte Layer-by-Layer (LbL) modification of different softwood fibres. LbLs of Polyallylamine Hydrochloride (PAH) and Hyaluronic Acid (HA) were adsorbed onto unbleached kraft fibres and bleached Chemo-ThermoMechanical Pulp (CTMP) to improve the strength of the fibre–fibre joints in papers made from these fibres. Additionally, different sheet-making procedures were used to prepare a range of network densities with different degrees of fibre–fibre interaction in the system. The results demonstrate that interfacial adhesion within fibre–fibre joints plays a pivotal role in the network's performance, even at higher paper densities. Hygroexpansion measurements and fracture zone imaging with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) further support the claim that stronger interactions between the fibres allow for a better utilisation of the inherent fibre properties. Surface treatments and network densification significantly improved the paper sheets' mechanical properties. Specifically, LbL-treatments alone increased specific stiffness up to 60% and specific strength by over 100%. This improvement is linked to the build-up of residual stresses during drying. Due to a high interaction between the fibres during water removal the fibres become constrained, leading to increased stretching of fibre segments. Strengthened fibre joints intensify this constraint, further increasing the stretch and, consequently, the paper's strength.

Supramolecular citrate poly allylamine hydrochloride nanoparticles for citrate delivery and calcium oxalate nanocrystal dissolution

HypothesisRenal calculi (kidney stones) are mainly made by calcium oxalate and can cause different complications including malfunction of the kidney. The most important urinary stone inhibitors are citrate molecules. Unfortunately, the amount of citrate reaching the kidney after oral ingestion is low. We hypothesized that nanoparticles of polyallylamine hydrochloride (CIT-PAH) carrying citrate ions could simultaneously deliver citrates while PAH would complex oxalate triggering dissolution and removal of CaOx nanocrystals. ExperimentsWe successfully prepared nanoparticles of citrate ions with polyallylamine hydrochloride (CIT-PAH), PAH with oxalate (OX-PAH) and characterize them by Small Angle X ray Scattering (SAXS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and NMR. Dissolution of CaOx nanocrystals in presence of CIT-PAH have been followed with Wide Angle Xray Scattering (WAXS), DLS and Confocal Raman Microscopy. Raman spectroscopy was used to study the dissolution of crystals in synthetic urine samples. The release of citrate from CIT-PAH was followed by diffusion NMR. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to study the interaction of CIT and OX ions with PAH. FindingsCIT-PAH nanoparticles dissolves CaOx nanocrystals as shown by NMR, DLS, TEM and WAXS in water and by Raman spectroscopy in artificial human urine. WAXS and Raman show that the crystal structure of CaOx disappears in the presence of CIT-PAH. DLS shows that the time required for CaOX dissolution will depend on the concentration of CIT-PAH NPs. NMR proves that citrate ions are released from the CIT PAH NPs during CaOX dissolution, MD simulations showed that oxalates exhibit a stronger interaction for PAH than citrate, explaining the removal of oxalate ions and replacement of the citrate in the polymer nanoparticles.

Preparation and corrosion resistance study of a pH-responsive plasma electrolytic oxidation coating modified by halloysite nanotubes

In this research work, pH-responsive halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) microcontainers were utilized to load 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) corrosion inhibitors by adopting the layer-by-layer assembly method (LbL). Additionally, a pH-responsive composite self-healing coating was fabricated utilizing plasma electrolytic oxidation combined with micro/nano-container loadings in organic coating technology. To study the evolution of the structure and repair performance of the composite self-healing layer under various pH values, and understand the release behavior of the corrosion inhibitor, SEM, TEM, DTA, infrared absorption spectroscopy, and electrochemical testing techniques were employed. The results of the study indicated that poly allylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and poly sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (PSS) displayed efficient encapsulation of HNTs, and the release rate revealed an increase in acidic and alkaline solutions, while it showed a decrease in neutral solutions. Furthermore, scratch tests were conducted on the coated samples, demonstrating that the HNTs-loaded corrosion inhibitors significantly improved the corrosion resistance and repair performance of the coating. Besides, the protonation of the polyelectrolyte coating layer enabled the corrosion inhibitor MBT to gradually release and diffuse into the defects, leading to the formation of an adsorption film, thus inhibiting corrosion and achieving a self-healing effect.

Buffer induced ionically crosslinked polyelectrolyte treatment for self-extinguishing polyester

Over 60 million tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers are produced annually for clothing, upholstery, linens, and carpeting. Despite its widespread use, the versatility of PET is constrained by its flammability, which poses a particular fire hazard to homes with synthetic furnishings. To mitigate this fire risk, a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) solution composed of polyallylamine hydrochloride and poly(sodium phosphate) is deposited onto the surface of 100% polyester fabric to render it self-extinguishing and eliminate melt dripping. A buffered solution of acetic acid, citric acid, or formic acid is used to initiate ionic complexation, rendering the PEC water resistant. Buffer identity affects deposition, but does not significantly influence the intumescent mechanism. This rapidly deposited aqueous coating primarily operates by facilitating production of an insulating char layer that limits the heat release and degradation of polyester into volatile byproducts.

Azo dye polyelectrolyte multilayer films reversibly re-soluble with visible light

Polymeric multilayer films were prepared using a layer-by-layer (LBL) technique on glass surfaces, by repeated and sequential dipping into dilute aqueous solutions of various combinations of water-soluble polyanions (polyacrylic acid (PAA)), polycations (polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) or chitosan (CS)), with bi-functional water-soluble cationic azo dyes bismark brown R bismarck brown red or bismark brown Y (BBY), or anionic azo dyes allura red (ALR) or amaranth (AMA), as ionic cross-linkers. The electrostatically-assembled ionically-paired films showed good long-term stability to dissolution, with no re-solubility in water. However, upon exposure to low power visible light under running water, the films photo-disassembled back to their water-soluble constituent components, via structural photo-isomerization of the azo ionic crosslinkers. The relative rate of the disassembly (RRD) of the films was established using UV-Vis spectroscopy, demonstrating that these assemblies can in principle represent fully recyclable, environmentally structurally degradable materials triggered by exposure to sunlight, with full recovery of starting components. A density functional theory treatment of the allura red azo dye rationalizes the geometrical isomerization mechanism of the photo-disassembly and provides insight into the energetics of the optically-induced structural changes that trigger the disassembly and recovery.

Polyelectrolyte complex‐based thermochromic hydrogels containing carbonized polymer dots for smart windows with fast response, excellent solar modulation ability, and high durability

AbstractThermochromic smart windows have gained increasing popularity in light modulation and energy management in buildings. However, the fabrication of flexible thermochromic smart windows with high luminous transmittance (Tlum), tailorable critical temperature (τc), strong solar modulation ability (ΔTsol), and long‐term durability remains a huge challenge. In this study, hydrogel‐based thermochromic smart windows are fabricated by sandwiching thermochromic hydrogels of polyallylamine hydrochloride, polyacrylic acid, and carbonized polymer dots (CPDs) complexes between two pieces of transparent substrates. Benefiting from the incorporation of nanosized CPDs, the thermochromic hydrogel has an ultrahigh Tlum of ~98.7%, a desirable τc of ~24.2 °C, a ΔTsol of ~89.3% and a rapid transition time of ~3 s from opaque state to transparent state. Moreover, the thermochromic hydrogel exhibits excellent anti‐freezing ability, tight adhesion toward various substrates, and excellent self‐healing capability. The self‐healing capability enables the fabrication of large‐area smart windows by welding multiple hydrogel pieces. The smart windows retain their original thermochromic properties after being stored under ambient conditions for at least 147 days or undergoing 10,000 uninterrupted heating/cooling cycles. The model houses with smart windows can achieve a temperature reduction of 9.2 °C, demonstrating the excellent indoor temperature modulation performance of the smart windows.

Biosensors Based on Stanniocalcin-1 Protein Antibodies Thin Films for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis.

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent tumors in men, accounting for about 7.3% of cancer deaths. Although there are several strategies for diagnosing prostate cancer, these are only accurate when the tumor is already at a very advanced stage, so early diagnosis is essential. Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) is a secreted glycoprotein, which has been suggested as a tumor marker as its increased expression is associated with the development and/or progression of different types of malignant tumors. In this work, an electronic tongue (ET) prototype, based on a set of four sensors prepared from thin films that included STC1 antibodies for detecting prostate cancer, was developed. In the preparation of the thin films, polyelectrolytes of polyallylamine hydrochloride, polystyrene sulfonate of sodium and polyethyleneimine, and the biomolecules chitosan, protein A, and STC1 antibody were used. These films were deposited on quartz lamellae and on solid supports using layer-on-layer and self-assembly techniques. The deposition of the films was analyzed by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and the detection of STC1 in aqueous solutions of PBS was analyzed by impedance spectroscopy. The impedance data were statistically analyzed using principal component analysis. The ETs formed by the four sensors and the three best sensors could detect the antigen at concentrations in the range from 5 × 10-11 to 5 × 10-4 M. They showed a linear dependence with the logarithm of the antigen concentration and a sensitivity of 5371 ± 820 and 4863 ± 634 per decade of concentration, respectively. Finally, the results allow us to conclude that this prototype can advance to the calibration phase with patient samples.

Acoustofluidics-Assisted Coating of Microparticles.

Microparticles have been applied in many areas, ranging from drug delivery, diagnostics, cosmetics, personal care, and the food industry to chemical and catalytic reactions, sensing, and environmental remediation. Coating further provides additional functionality to the microparticles, such as controlled release, surface modification, bio-fouling resistance, stability, protection, etc. In this study, the conformal coating of microparticles with a positively charged polyelectrolyte (polyallylamine hydrochloride, PAH) by utilizing an acoustofluidic microchip was proposed and demonstrated. The multiple laminar streams, including the PAH solution, were formed inside the microchannel, and, under the traveling surface acoustic wave, the microparticles traversed through the streams, where they were coated with PAH. The results showed that the coating of microparticles can be achieved in a rapid fashion via a microfluidic approach compared to that obtained by the batch method. Moreover, the zeta potentials of the microparticles coated via the microfluidic approach were more uniform. For the unfunctionalized microparticles, the charge reversal occurred after coating, and the zeta potential increased as the width of the microchannel or the concentration of the PAH solution increased. As for the carboxylate-conjugated microparticles, the charge reversal again occurred after coating; however, the magnitudes of the zeta potentials were similar when using the microchannels with different widths or different concentrations of PAH solution.

A spectrophotometric trimethylamine monooxygenase assay.

Trimethylamine monooxygenase (Tmm, EC-1.14.13.148) belongs to the family of flavin-containing monooxygenases that oxidize trimethylamine into trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). Conventional methods for assaying Tmm are accurate over a narrow range of substrate/product concentrations. Here we report a TMAO-specific enzymatic assay for Tmm using polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAHCl)-capped MnO2 nanoparticles (PAHCl@MnO2 ). We achieved TMAO specificity using iodoacetonitrile to remove interfering trimethylamine. The change in the concentration of TMAO is measured by observing the difference in the absorbance of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) at 650 nm. The assay is tolerant to several interfering metal ions and other compounds. This method is more accessible and reliable than currently known methods. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) are 1 μM and 10 μM, respectively, for direct TMAO measurement.