Scientific Publications 2010
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2010. "Aerosol-Derived Bimetallic Alloy Powders: Bridging the Gap." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 114(40):17181-17190. doi:10.1021/jp103967x Abstract We present aerosol-derived alloy powders as a uniquely useful platform for studying the contribution of the metal phase to multifunctional supported catalysts. Multimetallic heterogeneous catalysts made by traditional methods are usually nonhomogenous while UHV-based methods, such as mass selected clusters or metal vapor deposited on single crystals, lead to considerably more homogeneous, well-defined samples. However, these well-defined samples have low surface areas and do not lend themselves to catalytic activity tests in flow reactors under industrially relevant conditions. Bimetallic alloy powders derived by aerosol synthesis are homogeneous and single phase and can have surface areas ranging 1-10 m2/g, making them suitable for use in conventional flow reactors. The utility of aerosol-derived alloy powders as model catalysts is illustrated through the synthesis of single phase PdZn which was used to derive the specific reactivity of the L10 tetragonal alloy phase for methanol steam reforming. Turnover frequencies on unsupported PdZn were determined from the experimentally determined metal surface area to be 0.21 molecules of methanol reacted per surface Pd at 250 °C and 0.06 molecules of CO oxidized to CO2 per surface Pd at 185 °C. The experimentally measured activation energies for MSR and CO-oxidation on PdZn are 48 and 87 kJ/mol, respectively.
2010. "Novel Ser/Thr Protein Phosphatase 5 (PP5) Regulated Targets during DNA Damage Identified by Proteomics Analysis." Journal of Proteome Research 9(2):945-953. doi:10.1021/pr9008207 Abstract The DNA damage response is a global phosphorylation signaling cascade process involved in sensing the damaged DNA condition and coordinating responses to cope with and repair the perturbed cellular state. We utilized a label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approach to evaluate changes in protein phosphorylation associated with PP5 activity during the DNA damage response. Biological replicate analyses of bleomycin-treated HeLa cells expressing either WT-PP5 or mutant inactive PP5 lead to the identification of six potential target proteins of PP5 action. Four of these putative targets are known to be involved in DNA damage responses. Using phospho-site specific antibodies, we confirmed that phosphorylation of one target, ribosomal protein S6, was selectively decreased in cells overexpressing catalytically inactive PP5. Our findings also suggest that PP5 may play a role in controlling translation and in regulating substrates for proline-directed kinases, such as MAP kinases and cyclin-dependent protein kinases that are involved in response to DNA damage.
2010. "ZnS Thin Films Deposited by a Spin Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction Process." Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters 13(8):D61-D64. doi:10.1149/1.3428742 Abstract In this article, we reported a spin successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method for the first time. ZnS thin films were deposited by spin SILAR using ZnCl2 and Na2S aqueous precursor solutions at room temperature and atmosphere pressure. The optical, structural, and morphological characterizations of the films were studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV/visible spectroscopy. Smooth (average roughness <3 nm), uniform, and highly transparent ZnS (transmittance of over 90% in the visible band) thin films could be successfully deposited using this technique with shorter cycle time and much less solvent usage.
2010. "Solid-State NMR Studies of HIV-1 Capsid Protein Assemblies." Journal of the American Chemical Society 132(6):1976-1987. doi:10.1021/ja908687k Abstract In mature HIV-1 virions, the 26.6 kDa CA protein is assembled into a characteristic cone-shaped core (capsid) that encloses the RNA viral genome. The assembled capsid structure is best described by a fullerene cone model that is made up from a hexameric lattice containing a variable number of CA pentamers, thus allowing for closure of tubular or conical structures. In this paper, we present a solid-state NMR analysis of the wild-type HIV-1 CA protein, prepared as conical and spherical assemblies that are stable and are not affected by magic angle spinning of the samples at frequencies between 10 and 25 kHz. Multidimensional homo- and heteronuclear correlation spectra of CA assemblies of uniformly 13C,15Nlabeled CA exhibit narrow lines, indicative of the conformational homogeneity of the protein in these assemblies. For the conical assemblies, partial residue-specific resonance assignments were obtained. Analysis of the NMR spectra recorded for the conical and spherical assemblies indicates that the CA protein structure is not significantly different in the different morphologies. The present results demonstrate that the assemblies of CA protein are amenable to detailed structural analysis by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.
2010. "Measured and Modeled Humidification Factors of Fresh Smoke Particles From Biomass Burning: Role of Inorganic Constituents." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 10(13):6179-6194. doi:10.5194/acp-10-6179-2010 Abstract During the 2006 FLAME study (Fire Laboratory at Missoula Experiment), laboratory burns of biomass fuels were performed to investigate the physico-chemical, optical, and hygroscopic properties of fresh biomass smoke. As part of the experiment, two nephelometers simultaneously measured dry and humidified light scattering coefficients (bsp(dry) and bsp(RH), respectively) in order to explore the role of relative humidity (RH) on the optical properties of biomass smoke aerosols. Results from burns of several biomass fuels showed large variability in the humidification factor (f(RH) = bsp(RH)/bsp(dry)). Values of f(RH) at RH=85-90% ranged from 1.02 to 2.15 depending on fuel type. We incorporated measured chemical composition and size distribution data to model the smoke hygroscopic growth to investigate the role of inorganic and organic compounds on water uptake for these aerosols. By assuming only inorganic constituents were hygroscopic, we were able to model the water uptake within experimental uncertainty, suggesting that inorganic species were responsible for most of the hygroscopic growth. In addition, humidification factors at 85-90% RH increased for smoke with increasing inorganic salt to carbon ratios. Particle morphology as observed from scanning electron microscopy revealed that samples of hygroscopic particles contained soot chains either internally or externally mixed with inorganic potassium salts, while samples of weak to non-hygroscopic particles were dominated by soot and organic constituents. This study provides further understanding of the compounds responsible for water uptake by young biomass smoke, and is important for accurately assessing the role of smoke in climate change studies and visibility regulatory efforts.
2010. "Combinatorial–Computational–Chemoinformatics (C³) Approach to Finding and Analyzing Low-Energy Tautomers." Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design 24(6-7):627-638. doi:10.1007/s10822-010-9344-6 Abstract Finding the most stable tautomer or a set of low-energy tautomers of molecules is critical in many aspects of molecular modelling or virtual screening experiments. Enumeration of low-energy tautomers of neutral molecules in the gas-phase or typical solvents can be performed by applying available organic chemistry knowledge. This kind of enumeration is implemented in a number of software packages and it is relatively reliable. However, in esoteric cases such as charged molecules in uncommon, non-aqueous solvents there is simply not enough available knowledge to make reliable predictions of low energy tautomers. Over the last few years we have been developing an approach to address the latter problem and we successfully applied it to discover the most stable anionic tautomers of nucleic acid bases that might be involved in the process of DNA damage by low-energy electrons and in charge transfer through DNA. The approach involves three steps: (1) combinatorial generation of a library of tautomers, (2) energy-based screening of the library using electronic structure methods, and (3) analysis of the information generated in step (2). In steps 1–3 we employ combinatorial, computational and chemoinformatics techniques, respectively. Therefore, this hybrid approach is named “Combinatorial*Computational*Chemoinformatics”, or just abbreviated as C³ (or C-cube) approach. This article summarizes our developments and most interesting methodological aspects of the C³ approach. It can serve as an example how to identify the most stable tautomers of molecular systems for which common chemical knowledge had not been sufficient to make definite predictions.
2010. "Hydrodesulfurization Properties of Rhodium Phosphide: Comparison withRhodium Metal and Sulfide Catalysts." Journal of Catalysis 276(2):249-258. doi:10.1016/j.jcat.2010.09.013 Abstract Silica-supported rhodium phosphide (Rh2P/SiO2) catalysts were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), 31P solid-state NMR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and chemisorption measurements. XRD and TEM analysis of a 5 wt.% Rh2P/SiO2 catalyst confirmed the presence of well-dispersed Rh2P crystallites on the silica support having an average crystallite size of 10 nm. NMR spectroscopy showed unsupported and silica-supported Rh2P to be metallic and XPS spectroscopy yielded a surface composition of Rh1.94P1.00 that is similar to that expected from the bulk stoichiometry. The 5 wt.% Rh2P/SiO2 catalyst exhibited a higher dibenzothiophene (DBT) hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity than did Rh/SiO2 and sulfided Rh/SiO2 catalysts having a similar Rh loading and was also more active than a commercial NiAMo/Al2O3 catalyst. The Rh2P/SiO2 catalyst showed excellent stability over a 100 h DBT HDS activity measurement and was more S tolerant than the Rh/SiO2 catalyst. The Rh2P/SiO2 catalyst strongly favored the hydrogenation pathway for DBT HDS, while the Rh/SiO2 and sulfided Rh/SiO2 catalysts favored the direct desulfurization pathway.
2010. "A Theoretical Study of CO2 Anions on Anatase (101) Surface." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 114(49):21474–21481. doi:10.1021/jp106579b Abstract Binding configurations of CO2 and CO2 - on perfect and oxygen-deficient anatase (101) surfaces were explored using first-principles calculations on both cluster and periodic models. The solvent effect was taken into account via the polarizable continuum model. Analysis of molecular orbitals, charge, and spin density distributions was used to help identify the radical anion CO2 - adsorbed on the surface. On defect-free surfaces, it is found to bind as a bridging bidentate configuration with both oxygens coordinating to the 5-fold Ti ions. Analysis of vibrational frequencies provides a specific signature of the CO2 anion to distinguish it from other species in experiments. The reduction potential of adsorbed CO2 on a (101) surface is lower by 0.24 V than the reduction potential of a CO2 molecule, both in aqueous solution, due to the formation of hybridized orbitals, which facilitates charge transfer to CO2. The reduced (101) surface of TiO2 is much more favorable for CO2 binding with accompanying charge transfer to CO2.
2010. "Low Temperature Oxidation of Fe2+ Surface Sites on the (2x1) Reconstructed Surface of α-Fe2O3(01(1) over-bar2)." Surface Science 604(13-14):1197-1201. Abstract Temperature programmed desorption (TPD), electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) were used to study the interaction of molecular oxygen with the (2x1) reconstructed surface of hematite α-Fe2O3(011bar2) under UHV conditions. The (2x1) surface is formed from vacuum annealing of the ‘ideal’ (1x1) surface and likely possesses Fe2+ surface sites. While O2 does not stick to the (1x1) surface at 120 K and high temperature, the amount of O2 adsorbed at 120 K on the (1x2) surface that can be recovered in TPD was estimated to be ~0.5 ML, with additional O2 irreversibly adsorbed based on subsequent H2O TPD. Molecularly and dissociatively adsorbed O2 is seen to modify the surface chemistry of H2O both in the form of stabilized OH groups and blocking of H2O adsorption sites. While O2 adsorption at low temperature does not transform the (2x1) surface into the (1x1) surface, the influence of O2 on the (2x1) surface involves both charge transfer from surface Fe2+ sites and formation of an ordered c(2x2) structure resulting from O2 dissociation.
2010. "Oxygen Plasma Activation of Cr(CO)(6) on α-Fe2O3(0001)." Surface Science 604(17-18):1502-1508. Abstract The chemistry of Cr(CO)6 on the Fe3O4(111) surface termination of α-Fe2O3(0001) was explored using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) both with and without activation from an oxygen plasma source. No thermal decomposition of Cr(CO)6 was detected on the surface in the absence of O2 plasma treatment, with first layer molecules desorbing in TPD at 215 K from a close-packed overlayer. The interaction of first layer Cr(CO)6 with the Fe3O4(111)-termination was weak, desorbing only ~30 K above the leading edge of the multilayer state. Activation of multilayer coverages of Cr(CO)6 with the O2 plasma source at 100K resulted in complete conversion of the outer Cr(CO)6 layers, presumably to a disordered Cr oxide film, with Cr(CO)6 molecules near the surface left unaffected. Absence of CO or CO2 desorption states suggests that all carbonyl ligands are liberated for each Cr(CO)6 molecule activated by the plasma. AES and SSIMS both show that O2 plasma activation of Cr(CO)6 results in a carbon-free surface (after desorption of unreacted Cr(CO)6). LEED, however, shows that the Cr oxide film is disordered at 600 K and likely O-terminated based on subsequent water TPD. Attempts to order the film at temperatures above 650 K results in dissolution of Cr into the α-Fe2O3(0001) crystal based on SSIMS, an observation that is linked to the Fe3O4(111) termination of the surface and not to the properties of α-Cr2O3/α-Fe2O3 corundum interfaces. Nevertheless, this study shows that O2 plasma activation of Cr(CO)6 is an effect means of depositing Cr oxide films on surface without accompanying carbon contamination.
2010. "Photochemistry of Methyl Bromide on the α-Cr2O3(0001) Surface." Surface Science 604(19-20):1800-1807. Abstract The photochemical properties of the Cr-terminated α-Cr2O3(0001) surface were explored using methyl bromide (CH3Br) as a probe molecule. CH3Br adsorbed and desorbed molecularly from the Cr-terminated α-Cr2O3(0001) surface without detectable thermal decomposition. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) revealed a CH3Br desorption state at 240 K for coverages up to 0.5 ML, followed by more weakly bound molecules desorbing at 175 K for coverages up to 1 ML. Multilayer exposures led to desorption at ~130 K. The CH3Br sticking coefficient was unity at 105 K for coverages up to monolayer saturation, but decreased as the multilayer formed. In contrast, pre-oxidation of the surface (using an oxygen plasma source) led to capping of surface Cr3+ sites and near complete removal of CH3Br TPD states above 150 K. The photochemistry of chemisorbed CH3Br was explored on the Cr-terminated surface using post-irradiation TPD and photon stimulated desorption (PSD). Irradiation of adsorbed CH3Br with broad band light from a Hg arc lamp resulted in both photodesorption and photodecomposition of the parent molecule at a combined cross section of ~10-22 cm2. Parent PSD was indicative of molecular photodesorption, but CH3 was also detected in PSD and Br atoms were left on the surface, both reflective of photo-induced CH3-Br bond dissociation. Use of a 385 nm cut-off filter effectively shut down the photodissociation pathway but not the parent molecule photodesorption process. From these observations it is inferred that d-to-d transitions in α-Cr2O3, occurring at photon energies <3 eV, are not responsible for photodecomposition of 2 adsorbed CH3Br. It is unclear to what extent band-to-band versus direct CH3Br photolysis play in CH3-Br bond dissociation initiated by more energetic photons.
2010. "ISDD: A Computational Model of Particle Sedimentation, Diffusion and Target Cell Dosimetry for In Vitro Toxicity Studies." Particle and Fibre Toxicology 7(November):Article No. 36. doi:10.1186/1743-8977-7-36 Abstract Background: The difficulty of directly measuring cellular dose is a significant obstacle to application of target tissue dosimetry for nanoparticle and microparticle toxicity assessment. As a consequence, the target tissue paradigm for dosimetry and hazard assessment of nanoparticles has largely been ignored in favor of using metrics of exposure (e.g. μg particle/mL culture medium, particle surface area/mL, particle number/mL). We have developed a computational model of solution particokinetics (sedimentation, diffusion) and dosimetry for non-interacting spherical particles and their agglomerates in monolayer cell culture systems. Particle transport to cells is calculated by simultaneous solution of Stokes Law (sedimentation) and the Stokes-Einstein equation (diffusion). Results: The In vitro Sedimentation, Diffusion and Dosimetry model (ISDD) was tested against measured transport rates or cellular doses for multiple sizes of polystyrene spheres (20-1100 nm), 35 nm amorphous silica, and large agglomerates of 30 nm iron oxide particles. Overall, without adjusting any parameters, model predicted doses were in close agreement with the experimental data, differing from as little as 5% to as much as three-fold, but in most cases approximately two-fold, within the limits of the accuracy of the measurement systems. Applying the model, we generalize the effects of particle size, particle density, agglomeration state and agglomerate characteristics on target cell dosimetry in vitro. Conclusions: Our results confirm our hypothesis that the dose-rates for all particles are not equal, but can vary significantly, in direct contrast to the assumption of dose-equivalency implicit in the use of mass-based media concentrations as metrics of exposure for dose-response assessment. The difference between equivalent nominal media concentration exposures on a μg/mL basis and target cell doses on a particle surface area or number basis can be as high as three to six orders of magnitude. As a consequence, in vitro hazard assessments utilizing mass-based exposure metrics have inherently high errors where particle number or surface areas target cells doses are believed to drive response. The gold standard for particle dosimetry for in vitro nanotoxicology studies should be direct experimental measurement of the cellular content of the studied particle. However, where such measurements are impractical, unfeasible, and before such measurements become common, particle dosimetry models such as ISDD provide a valuable, immediately useful alternative, and eventually an adjunct to such measurements.
2010. "Influence of Iron Redox Transformations on Plutonium Sorption to Sediments." Radiochimica Acta 98(9-11):685-692. doi:10.1524/ract.2010.1769 Abstract Plutonium subsurface mobility is primarily controlled by its oxidation state, which in turn is loosely coupled to the oxidation state of iron in the system. Experiments were conducted to examine the effect of sediment iron mineral composition and oxidation state on plutonium sorption and oxidation state. A pH 6.3 vadose zone sediment containing iron oxides and iron-containing phyllosilicates was treated with various complexants (ammonium oxalate) and reductants (dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate) to selectively leach and/or reduce iron oxide and phyllosilicate phases. Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to identify initial iron mineral composition of the sediment and monitor dissolution and reduction of iron oxides. Sorption of Pu(V) was monitored over one week for each of six treated sediment fractions. Plutonium oxidation state speciation in the aqueous and solid phases was monitored using solvent extraction, coprecipitation, and XANES. Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that the sediment contained 25-30% hematite, 60-65% Al-goethite, and <10%Fe(III) in phyllosilicate; there was no detectable Fe(II). Upon reduction with a strong chemical reductant (dithionite-citrate buffer, DCB), much of the hematite and goethite disappeared and the Fe in the phyllosilicate reduced to Fe(II). The rate of sorption was found to correlate with the 1 fraction of Fe(II) remaining within each treated sediment phase. Pu(V) was the only oxidation state measured in the aqueous phase, irrespective of treatment, whereas Pu(IV) and much smaller amounts of Pu(V) and Pu(VI) were measured in the solid phase. Surface-mediated reduction of Pu(V) to Pu(IV) occurred in treated and untreated sediment samples; Pu(V) remained on untreated sediment surface for two days before reducing to Pu(IV). Similar to the sorption kinetics, the reduction rate was correlated with sediment Fe(II) concentration. The correlation between Fe(II) concentrations and Pu(V) reduction demonstrates the potential impact of changing iron mineralogy on plutonium subsurface transport through redox transition areas. These findings should influence the conceptual models of long-term stewardship of Pu contaminated sites that have fluctuating redox conditions, such as vadose zones or riparian zones.
2010. "The structure of the Calix[4]arene-(H2O) Cluster: The World’s Smallest Cup of Water." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 114(9):2967-2972. Abstract The structure of the calix[4]arene(C4A)-(H2O) cluster formed in a supersonic beam has been investigated by mass-selected resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) spectroscopy, IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy, IR photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy and by high level quantum chemical calculations. The IR-UV double resonance spectrum of C4A-(H2O) exhibits a broad and strong hydrogen-bonded OH stretching band at 3160 cm-1 and a weak asymmetric OH stretching band at 3700 cm-1. The IRPD measurement of the cluster produced a value of 3140 cm-1 for the C4A-(H2O) → C4A + H2O dissociation energy. High level electronic structure calculations at the MP2 level of theory with basis sets up to quadruple zeta quality suggest that the endo-isomer (water inside the C4A cavity) is ~1100 cm-1 more stable than the exo-isomer (water hydrogen bonded to the rim of C4A). The endo-isomer has a best-computed (at the MP2/aug-cc-pVQZ level) value of 3127 cm-1 for the binding energy, just ~15 cm-1 shy of the experimentally determined threshold and an IR spectrum in excellent agreement with the experimentally observed one. In contrast, the B3LYP density functional fails to even predict a stable structure for the endo-isomer demonstrating the inability of that level of theory to describe the delicate balance between structures exhibiting cumulative OH-π H-bonding and dipole-dipole interactions (endo-isomer) when compared to the ones emanating from maximizing the cooperative effects associated with the formation of hydrogen bonded homodromic networks (exo-isomer). The comparison of the experimental results with the ones from high level electronic structure calculations therefore unambiguously assign the endo-isomer as the global minimum of the C4A-(H2O) cluster, world’s smallest cup of water. Part of this work is supported by the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, US Department of Energy. Battelle operates the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. This research was performed in part using the Molecular Science Computing Facility (MSCF) in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research.
2010. "Backbone Additivity in the Transfer Model of Protein Solvation." Protein Science 19(5):1011-1022. doi:10.1002/pro.378 Abstract The transfer model implying additivity of the peptide backbone free energy of transfer is computationally tested. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to determine the extent of change in transfer free energy (ΔGtr) with increase in chain length of oligoglycine with capped end groups. Solvation free energies of oligoglycine models of varying lengths in pure water and in the osmolyte solutions, 2M urea and 2M trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), were calculated from simulations of all atom models, and ΔGtr values for peptide backbone transfer from water to the osmolyte solutions were determined. The results show that the transfer free energies change linearly with increasing chain length, demonstrating the principle of additivity, and provide values in reasonable agreement with experiment. The peptide backbone transfer free energy contributions arise from van der Waals interactions in the case of transfer to urea, but from electrostatics on transfer to TMAO solution. The simulations used here allow for the calculation of the solvation and transfer free energy of longer oligoglycine models to be evaluated than is currently possible through experiment. The peptide backbone unit computed transfer free energy of –54 cal/mol/Mcompares quite favorably with –43 cal/mol/M determined experimentally.
2010. "Trimethylamine Ν-oxide Influence on the Backbone of Proteins: An Oligoglycine Model." Proteins. Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics 78(3):695-704. doi:10.1002/prot.22598 Abstract The study of organic osmolytes has been pivotal in demonstrating the role of solvent effects on the protein backbone in the folding process. Although a thermodynamic description of the interactions between the protein backbone and osmolyte has been well defined, the structural analysis of the effect of osmolyte on the protein backbone has been incomplete. Therefore, we have performed simulations of a peptide backbone model, glycine₁₅, in protecting osmolyte trimethylamine Ν-oxide (TMAO) solution, in order to determine the effect of the solution structure on the conformation of the peptide backbone. We show that the models chosen show that the ensemble of backbone structures shifts toward a more collapsed state in TMAO solution as compared with pure water solution. The collapse is consistent with preferential exclusion of the osmolyte caused by unfavorable interactions between osmolyte and peptide backbone. The exclusion is caused by strong triplet correlations of osmolyte, water, and peptide backbone. This provides a clear mechanism showing that even a modest concentration of TMAO forces the protein backbone to adopt a more collapsed structure in the absence of side chain effects.
2010. "Nanometer Resolution Imaging by SIngle Molecule Switching." Nano Reviews 1:5122. doi:10.3402/nano.v1i0.5122 Abstract The fluorescence intensity of single molecules can change dramatically even under constant laser excitation. The phenomenon is frequently called "blinking" and involves molecules switching between high and low intensity states.[1-3] In additional to spontaneous blinking, the fluorescence of some special fluorophores, such as cyanine dyes and photoactivatable fluorescent proteins, can be switched on and off by choice using a second laser. Recent single-molecule spectroscopy investigations have shed light on mechanisms of single molecule blinking and photoswitching. This ability to controllably switch single molecules led to the invention of a novel fluorescence microscopy with nanometer spatial resolution well beyond the diffraction limit.
2010. "Detailed Investigation of Ion Exchange in Ball Milled LiH+MgB2 System using Ultra-High Field NMR Spectroscopy." Journal of Power Sources 195(11):3645-3648. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2009.12.033 Abstract The present study with the detailed 1H-6Li cross polarization NMR analysis confirms the formation of a ternary compound, (Mg1-xLi2x)B2, during ball milling of LiH + ½ MgB2 at room temperature. The 6Li sites in (Mg1-xLi2x)B2 exhibit spinning sidebands (SSBs), whereas the 6Li sites in LiH do not. The SSBs and the very short spin-lattice relaxation time manifested by the 6Li sites in (Mg1-xLi2x)B2 indicate that the Li ions in (Mg1-xLi2x)B2 are located between the layered boron structures and close to Mg ions. The formation of (Mg1-xLi2x)B2 explains the previous observation that the LiH + ½ MgB2 mixture ball milled effectively has a greatly enhanced hydriding kinetics at temperatures below the melting point of LiBH4.
2010. "Effect of the surface on the secondary structure of soft landed peptide ions." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP 12(39):12802-12810. doi:10.1039/C0CP00825G Abstract Ion soft landing (SL) enables highly selective modification of substrates for applications in materials science, nanotechnology and biology. Our previous study showed that SL can be used for preparation of conformation-selected peptide arrays. Here we present a first study of the effect of the surface on the secondary structures of peptides soft-landed onto self-assembled monolayer surfaces (SAMs). Conformations of soft-landed peptide ions were examined using the newly constructed instrument that enables in situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) characterization of surfaces during and after ion deposition. Polyalanine peptides, Ac-AnK and Ac-KAn (n=7, 15), that have been extensively studied both in solution and in the gas phase were used as model systems in this study. We demonstrate that physical and chemical properties of SAM surfaces have a strong effect on the conformations of soft-landed peptides ions. For example, deposition of the α-helical [Ac-A15K+H]+ ion on the CH3-terminated (HSAM) surface results in immobilization of both the α- and 310-helical conformations. In contrast, a significant fraction of Ac-A15K molecules are present in the β-sheet conformation on the CF3- (FSAM) and COOH-terminated (COOH-SAM) surfaces. We show that the kinetic energy of the polyalanine ion, the charge, and the initial conformation have only a minor effect on the conformation of deposited species suggesting that the interaction between the molecule and the surface plays a major role in determining the secondary structures of immobilized polyalanines. This study demonstrates that SL of mass-selected ions can be utilized for obtaining fundamental understanding of the intrinsic properties of biomolecules and surfaces responsible for conformational changes upon adsorption.
2010. "Nearly Free Electron Superatom States of Carbon and Boron Nitride Nanotubes." Nano Letters 10(12):4830-4838. doi:10.1021/nl1023854 Abstract By first-principles theory we study the nearly free electron (NFE) states of carbon and boron nitride nanotubes. In addition to the well-known π* bands, we found a series of one-dimensional (1D) NFE bands with on-axis spatial distributions, which resemble atomic orbitals projected onto a plane. These bands are 1D counterparts of the recently discovered superatom orbitals of 0D fullerenes. In addition to the previously reported lowest energy NFE state with the angular quantum number l = 0 corresponding to s atomic orbital character, we find higher energy NFE bands with l > 0 corresponding to the p, d, etc., orbitals. We show that these atom-like states of nanotubes originate from the many-body screening, which is responsible for the image potential of the parent two-dimensional (2D) graphene or BN sheets. With a model potential that combines the short-range exchange-correlation and the long-range Coulomb interactions, we reproduce the energies and radial wave function profiles of the NFE states from the density functional theory calculations. When the nanotube radius exceeds the radial extent on NFE states, the NFE state energies converge to those of image potential states of the parent 2D molecular sheets. To explore possible applications in molecular electronics that take advantage of the NFE properties of nanotube building blocks, we investigate the modification of NFE states by transverse electric fields, alkali metal encapsulation, and lateral and concentric nanotube dimerization.
2010. "Nearly Free Electron Superatom States of Carbon and Boron Nitride Nanotubes." Nano Letters 10(12):4830-4838. doi:10.1021/nl1023854 Abstract By first-principles theory we study the nearly free electron (NFE) states of carbon and boron nitride nanotubes. In addition to the well-known π* bands, we found a series of one-dimensional (1D) NFE bands with on-axis spatial distributions, which resemble atomic orbitals projected onto a plane. These bands are 1D counterparts of the recently discovered superatom orbitals of 0D fullerenes. In addition to the previously reported lowest energy NFE state with the angular quantum number l = 0 corresponding to s atomic orbital character, we find higher energy NFE bands with l > 0 corresponding to the p, d, etc., orbitals. We show that these atom-like states of nanotubes originate from the many-body screening, which is responsible for the image potential of the parent two-dimensional (2D) graphene or BN sheets. With a model potential that combines the short-range exchange-correlation and the long-range Coulomb interactions, we reproduce the energies and radial wave function profiles of the NFE states from the density functional theory calculations. When the nanotube radius exceeds the radial extent on NFE states, the NFE state energies converge to those of image potential states of the parent 2D molecular sheets. To explore possible applications in molecular electronics that take advantage of the NFE properties of nanotube building blocks, we investigate the modification of NFE states by transverse electric fields, alkali metal encapsulation, and lateral and concentric nanotube dimerization.
2010. "Molecular Interactions of Plutonium(VI) with Synthetic Manganese-Substituted Goethite." Radiochimica Acta 98(9-11):655-663. doi:10.1524/ract.2010.1766 Abstract Plutonium(VI) sorption on the surface of well-characterized synthetic manganese-substituted goethite minerals (Fe1-xMnxOOH) was studied using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. We chose to study the influence of manganese as a minor component in goethite, since goethite rarely exists as a pure phase in nature. Manganese X-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements indicated that essentially all the Mn in the goethite existed as Mn(III), even though Mn was added during mineral synthesis as Mn(II). Importantly, energy dispersive X-ray analysis demonstrated that Mn did not exist as discrete phases and that it was homogeneously mixed into the goethite to within the limit of detection of the method. Furthermore, Mössbauer spectra demonstrated that all Fe existed as Fe(III), with no Fe(II) present. Plutonium(VI) sorption experiments were conducted open to air and no attempt was made to exclude carbonate. Plutonium X-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements carried out on these samples showed that Pu(VI) was reduced to Pu(IV) upon contact with the mineral. This reduction appears to be strongly correlated with mineral solution pH, coinciding with pH transitions across the point of zero charge of the mineral. Furthermore, extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements show evidence of direct plutonium binding to the metal surface as an inner-sphere complex. This combination of extensive mineral characterization and advanced spectroscopy suggests that sorption of the plutonium onto the surface of the mineral was followed by reduction of the plutonium at the surface of the mineral to form an inner-sphere complex. Because manganese is often found in the environment as a minor component associated with major mineral components, such as goethite, understanding the molecular-level interactions of plutonium with such substituted-mineral phases is important for risk assessment purposes at radioactively contaminated sites and long-term underground radioactive waste repositories.
2010. "In Situ Observation of the Electrochemical Lithiation of a Single SnO2 Nanowire Electrode." Science 330(6010):1515-1520. doi:10.1126/science.1195628 Abstract We report the first real-time transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of the structural evolution and phase transformation of lithium-ion battery anode during the battery charging process. A nanobattery consisting of a single SnO2 nanowire anode and an ionic liquid electrolyte was successfully constructed in a TEM. We observed that during the charging process, the SnO2 crystal was converted to Li2O glass with LixSn nanocrystalline precipitates as the reaction front propagated progressively along the nanowire. After the reaction front passed, the nanowire showed swelling, elongation, and large off-axis distortion (spiraling). Upon completion of the electrochemical charging, the nanowire showed up to 120% elongation and a 30% increase in diameter with a volume expansion of about 272%. The charging front, which separates the reacted and unreacted sections of the nanowire, contains a high density of mobile dislocations, which are continuously nucleated and annihilated at the moving reaction front. This dislocation cloud indicates large in-plane misfit stresses, and serves as structural precursor to the eventual complete solid-state amorphization. The rate of charging in our nanobatteries is found to be proportional to the inverse square root of nanowire length, indicating that a standalone nanobattery or integrated arrays of nanobatteries should have kinetic advantage over conventional battery design. The present observations also provide important mechanistic insights for the design of advanced batteries with improved performance and lifetime for broad electrical energy storage applications.
2010. "Superatom orbitals of Sc₃N@C₈₀ and their intermolecular hybridization on Cu(110)-(2x1)-O surface." Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics 81(8):085434. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.81.085434 Abstract We investigate the electronic structure of an endohedral fullerene, Sc₃N@C₈₀, chemisorbed on Cu(110)-(2x1)-O surface by scanning tunneling microscopy and density-functional theory. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy identify a series of delocalized atomlike superatom molecular orbitals (SAMOs) in the Sc₃N@C₈₀ and its aggregates. By contrast to C60, the encapsulated Sc₃N cluster in Sc₃N@C₈₀ distorts the nearly-spherical central potential of the carbon cage, imparting an asymmetric spatial distribution to the SAMOs. When Sc₃N@C₈₀ molecules form dimers and trimers, however, the strong intermolecular hybridization results in highly symmetric hybridized SAMOs with clear bonding and antibonding characteristics. The electronic-structure calculations on Sc3N@C80 and its aggregates confirm the existence of SAMOs and reproduce their hybridization as observed in the experiment.
2010. "Aging Impairs Myocardial Fatty Acid and Ketone Oxidation and Modifies Cardiac Functional and Metabolic Responses to Insulin in Mice." American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology 299:H868-H875. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00931.2009 Abstract Aging presumably initiates shifts in substrate oxidation mediated in part by changes in insulin sensitivity. Similar shifts occur with cardiac hypertrophy and may contribute to contractile dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that aging modifies substrate utilization and alters insulin sensitivity in mouse heart when provided multiple substrates. In vivo cardiac function was measured with microtipped pressure transducers in the left ventricle from control (4–6 mo) and aged (22–24 mo) mice. Cardiac function was also measured in isolated working hearts along with substrate and anaplerotic fractional contributions to the citric acid cycle (CAC) by using perfusate containing 13C-labeled free fatty acids (FFA), acetoacetate, lactate, and unlabeled glucose. Stroke volume and cardiac output were diminished in aged mice in vivo, but pressure development was preserved. Systolic and diastolic functions were maintained in aged isolated hearts. Insulin prompted an increase in systolic function in aged hearts, resulting in an increase in cardiac efficiency. FFA and ketone flux were present but were markedly impaired in aged hearts. These changes in myocardial substrate utilization corresponded to alterations in circulating lipids, thyroid hormone, and reductions in protein expression for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK)4. Insulin further suppressed FFA oxidation in the aged. Insulin stimulation of anaplerosis in control hearts was absent in the aged. The aged heart shows metabolic plasticity by accessing multiple substrates to maintain function. However, fatty acid oxidation capacity is limited. Impaired insulin-stimulated anaplerosis may contribute to elevated cardiac efficiency, but may also limit response to acute stress through depletion of CAC intermediates.
