Enzyme-free detection of hydrogen peroxide from cerium oxide nanoparticles immobilized on poly(4-vinylpyridine) self-assembled monolayers.

A simple enzyme-free spectrophotometric detection of hydrogen peroxide is demonstrated based on its colorimetric reaction with oxygen deficient cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs). This colorimetric sensitivity of CNPs towards HO increases significantly with decreasing crystallite size due to an increase in the surface area as well as the concentration of Ce on the surface. The origin of this colorimetric reaction was studied using DFT that suggests the adsorption of peroxide and oxygen molecules on ceria nanoparticles creates new states in the electronic structure leading to transitions absorbing in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Manganese sulfide formation via concomitant microbial manganese oxide and thiosulfate reduction.

The dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 produced γ-MnS (rambergite) nanoparticles during the concurrent reduction of MnO₂ and thiosulfate coupled to H₂ oxidation. To investigate effect of direct microbial reduction of MnO₂ on MnS formation, two MR-1 mutants defective in outer membrane c-type cytochromes (ΔmtrC/ΔomcA and ΔmtrC/ΔomcA/ΔmtrF) were also used and it was determined that direct reduction of MnO₂ was dominant relative to chemical reduction by biogenic sulfide generated from thiosulfate reduction. Although bicarbonate was excluded from the medium, incubations of strain MR-1 with lactate as the electron donor produced MnCO₃ (rhodochrosite) as well as MnS in nearly equivalent amounts as estimated by micro X-ray diffraction (micro-XRD) analysis.

Effect of self-assembled monolayers on charge injection and transport in poly(3-hexylthiophene)-based field-effect transistors at different channel length scales.

Charge injection and transport in bottom-contact regioregular-poly(3-hexylthiophene) (rr-P3HT) based field-effect transistors (FETs), wherein the Au source and drain contacts are modified by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), is reported at different channel length scales. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy is used to measure the change in metal work function upon treatment with four SAMs consisting of thiol-adsorbates of different chemical composition. Treatment of FETs with electron-poor (electron-rich) SAMs resulted in an increase (decrease) in contact metal work function because of the electron-withdrawing (-donating) tendency of the polar molecules.

Competitive reduction of pertechnetate (99TcO4-) by dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria and biogenic Fe(II).

The fate of pertechnetate ((99)Tc(VII)O(4)(-)) during bioreduction was investigated in the presence of 2-line ferrihydrite (Fh) and various dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria (DMRB) (Geobacter, Anaeromyxobacter, Shewanella) in comparison with TcO(4)(-) bioreduction in the absence of Fh. In the presence of Fh, Tc was present primarily as a fine-grained Tc(IV)/Fe precipitate that was distinct from the Tc(IV)O(2)·nH(2)O solids produced by direct biological Tc(VII) reduction. Aqueous Tc concentrations (<0.

Application of surface chemical analysis tools for characterization of nanoparticles.

The important role that surface chemical analysis methods can and should play in the characterization of nanoparticles is described. The types of information that can be obtained from analysis of nanoparticles using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), low-energy ion scattering (LEIS), and scanning-probe microscopy (SPM), including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), are briefly summarized. Examples describing the characterization of engineered nanoparticles are provided.