Nanoscale interactions of arginine-containing dipeptide repeats with nuclear pore complexes as measured by transient scanning electrochemical microscopy.

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) plays imperative biological and biomedical roles as the sole gateway for molecular transport between the cytoplasm and nucleus of eukaryotic cells. The proteinous nanopore, however, can be blocked by arginine-containing polydipeptide repeats (DPRs) of proteins resulting from the disordered C9orf72 gene as a potential cause of serious neurological diseases. Herein, we report the new application of transient scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to quantitatively characterize DPR-NPC interactions for the first time.

Transient theory for scanning electrochemical microscopy of biological membrane transport: uncovering membrane-permeant interactions.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) has emerged as a powerful method to quantitatively investigate the transport of molecules and ions across various biological membranes as represented by living cells. Advantageously, SECM allows for the and non-destructive imaging and measurement of high membrane permeability under simple steady-state conditions, thereby facilitating quantitative data analysis. The SECM method, however, has not provided any information about the interactions of a transported species, , a permeant, with a membrane through its components, , lipids, channels, and carriers.

Suppression of Resistive Coupling in Nanogap Electrochemical Cell: Resolution of Dual Pathways for Dopamine Oxidation.

A nanogap cell involves two working electrodes separated by a nanometer-wide solution to enable unprecedented electrochemical measurements. The powerful nanogap measurements, however, can be seriously interfered with by resistive coupling between the two electrodes to yield erroneous current responses. Herein, we employ the nanogap cell based on double carbon-fiber microelectrodes to suppress resistive coupling for the assessment of intrinsic current responses.

Nanoelectrochemistry at liquid/liquid interfaces for analytical, biological, and material applications.

Herein, we feature our recent efforts toward the development and application of nanoelectrochemistry at liquid/liquid interfaces, which are also known as interfaces between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES). Nanopipets, nanopores, and nanoemulsions are developed to create the nanoscale ITIES for the quantitative electrochemical measurement of ion transfer, electron transfer, and molecular transport across the interface. The nanoscale ITIES serves as an electrochemical nanosensor to enable the selective detection of various ions and molecules as well as high-resolution chemical imaging based on scanning electrochemical microscopy.

Nanogap-Resolved Adsorption-Coupled Electron Transfer by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy: Implications for Electrocatalysis.

Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the mechanism of adsorption-coupled electron-transfer (ACET) reactions can be identified experimentally. The electron transfer (ET) and specific adsorption of redox-active molecules are coupled in many electrode reactions with practical importance and fundamental interest. ACET reactions are often represented by a concerted mechanism.

Simultaneous Intelligent Imaging of Nanoscale Reactivity and Topography by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) enables reactivity and topography imaging of single nanostructures in the electrolyte solution. The in situ reactivity and topography, however, are convoluted in the real-time image, thus requiring another imaging method for subsequent deconvolution. Herein, we develop an intelligent mode of nanoscale SECM to simultaneously obtain separate reactivity and topography images of non-flat substrates with reactive and inert regions.