Conducting polyamic acid membranes for sensing and site-directed immobilization of proteins.

A biosensor platform based on polyamic acid (PAA) is reported for oriented immobilization of biomolecules. PAA, a functionalized conducting polymer substrate that provides electrochemical detection and control of biospecific binding, was used to covalently attach biomolecules, resulting in a significant improvement in the detection sensitivity. The biosensor sensing elements comprise a layer of PAA antibody (or antigen) composite self-assembled onto gold (Au) electrode via N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) linking.

Spectroelectrochemical characterization of pain biomarkers.

This article reports the first electrochemical characterization of pain biomarkers that include arachidonic acid (AA), prostaglandin G(2) (PGG(2)), and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2). These biomarkers are mediators of pathophysiology of pain, inflammation, and cell proliferation in cancer. The article also reports the development of an electrochemical immunosensor for monitoring these pain biomarkers.

Tuning the surfaces of palladium nanoparticles for the catalytic conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III).

This work reports the feasibility of using Pd nanoparticles as innovative catalysts in the conversion of reducible contaminants from toxic to benign forms. Cr(VI) is a known carcinogen while the trivalent chromium salts are believed to be non-toxic. The ability of Pd nanoparticles to catalyze the rapid reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) using reactive sulfur intermediates produced in situ was therefore studied.