Showing papers by "Donghua University published in 2011"

Hydrophilic Cu9S5 Nanocrystals: A Photothermal Agent with a 25.7% Heat Conversion Efficiency for Photothermal Ablation of Cancer Cells in Vivo

Abstract: Photothermal ablation (PTA) therapy has a great potential to revolutionize conventional therapeutic approaches for cancers, but it has been limited by difficulties in obtaining biocompatible photothermal agents that have low cost, small size (<100 nm), and high photothermal conversion efficiency. Herein, we have developed hydrophilic plate-like Cu(9)S(5) nanocrystals (NCs, a mean size of ∼70 nm × 13 nm) as a new photothermal agent, which are synthesized by combining a thermal decomposition and ligand exchange route. The aqueous dispersion of as-synthesized Cu(9)S(5) NCs exhibits an enhanced absorption (e.g., ∼1.2 × 10(9) M(-1) cm(-1) at 980 nm) with the increase of wavelength in near-infrared (NIR) region, which should be attributed to localized surface plasmon resonances (SPR) arising from p-type carriers. The exposure of the aqueous dispersion of Cu(9)S(5) NCs (40 ppm) to 980 nm laser with a power density of 0.51 W/cm(2) can elevate its temperature by 15.1 °C in 7 min; a 980 nm laser heat conversion efficiency reaches as high as 25.7%, which is higher than that of the as-synthesized Au nanorods (23.7% from 980 nm laser) and the recently reported Cu(2-x)Se NCs (22% from 808 nm laser). Importantly, under the irradiation of 980 nm laser with the conservative and safe power density over a short period (∼10 min), cancer cells in vivo can be efficiently killed by the photothermal effects of the Cu(9)S(5) NCs. The present finding demonstrates the promising application of the Cu(9)S(5) NCs as an ideal photothermal agent in the PTA of in vivo tumor tissues.

Hydrophilic flower-like CuS superstructures as an efficient 980 nm laser-driven photothermal agent for ablation of cancer cells.

Abstract: Photothermal ablation (PTA) therapy has attracted much interest in recent years as a minimally invasive alternative to conventional approaches, such as surgery and chemotherapy, for therapeutic intervention of specifi c biological targets. [ 1 , 2 ] In particular, near-infrared (NIR, λ = 700–1100 nm) laser-induced PTA, which converts NIR optical energy into thermal energy, has attracted increasing attention, because the NIR laser is absorbed less by biological tissues and the typical penetration depth of the NIR (such as 980 nm) light can be several centimeters in biological tissues. [ 3 , 4 ] A prerequisite for the development of the NIR laser-induced PTA is to gain access to biocompatible and effi cient photothermal coupling agents. As the well-known NIR photothermal conversion agents, gold (Au) nanostructures, including supramolecularly assembled nanoparticles, [ 5–8 ]

Supramolecular linear heterojunction composed of graphite-like semiconducting nanotubular segments.

Abstract: One-dimensionally connected organic nanostructures with dissimilar semiconducting properties are expected to provide a reliable platform in understanding the behaviors of photocarriers, which are important for the development of efficient photon-to-electrical energy conversion systems Although bottom-up supramolecular approaches are considered promising for the realization of such nanoscale heterojunctions, the dynamic nature of molecular assembly is problematic We report a semiconducting nanoscale organic heterojunction, demonstrated by stepwise nanotubular coassembly of two strategically designed molecular graphenes The dissimilar nanotubular segments, thus connected noncovalently, were electronically communicable with one another over the heterojunction interface and displayed characteristic excitation energy transfer and charge transport properties not present in a mixture of the corresponding homotropically assembled nanotubes

Bi2WO6 micro/nano-structures: Synthesis, modifications and visible-light-driven photocatalytic applications

Abstract: Currently, the photocatalytic reactions occurring under solar illumination have attracted worldwide attentions due to a tremendous set of environmental problems. Taking the sunlight into account, it is indispensable to develop highly effective visible-light-driven photocatalysts. Bi2WO6 is one of newly developed visible-light-driven photocatalysts, and its photocatalytic performance is seriously dependent on its structure, morphology and components. This article features recent research progress in the preparation and growth mechanism of Bi2WO6 micro/nano-structures, including nanoplates, nanoparticles, superstructures and thin films. In addition, the advances in the doped Bi2WO6 and Bi2WO6 based composites have also been overviewed. These Bi2WO6 based micro/nano-structures exhibit different photocatalytic performances on the degradation of the organic pollutant as well as the disinfection of the bacteria, and the effects of their structures and components on photocatalytic activities are also compared.

Stimulus responsive nanogels for drug delivery

Abstract: Stimulus responsive nanogels are polymeric nanoparticles which are capable of responding to external stimuli by changing their physico-chemical properties, such as volume, water content, refractive index, permeability, and hydrophilicity–hydrophobicity. Compared with other polymer nanoparticles used for drug delivery, stimulus responsive nanogels are noted for their ability to encapsulate bioactive drugs, their high stability for prolonged circulation in the blood stream, and their controlled release and site-specific targeting of loaded drugs modulated by environment stimuli. Particularly, the application of stimulus responsive nanogels provides an interesting opportunity for drug delivery in which the delivery system becomes an active participant, rather than a passive carrier, in the optimization of disease therapy. In this article, the authors review the recent developments in the preparation and application in drug delivery of stimulus responsive nanogels which can respond to small temperature and pH changes, light, magnetic field, biomolecule recognition (specifically glucose responsive nanogels for insulin delivery), and multi-responsive nanogels. The limitations and future improvements of stimulus responsive nanogels are also discussed.

Flexible electrically conductive nanocomposite membrane based on bacterial cellulose and polyaniline.

Abstract: The novel conductive polyaniline/bacterial cellulose (PANI/BC) nanocomposite membranes have been synthesized in situ by oxidative polymerization of aniline with ammonium persulfate as an oxidant and BC as a template. The resulting PANI-coated BC nanofibrils formed a uniform and flexible membrane. It was found that the PANI nanoparticles deposited on the surface of BC connected to form a continuous nanosheath by taking along the BC template, which greatly increases the thermal stability of BC. The content of PANI and the electrical conductivity of composites increased with increasing reaction time from 30 to 90 min, while the conductivity decreased because of the aggregation of PANI particles by further prolonging the reaction time. In addition, the acids remarkably improve the accessibility and reactivity of the hydroxyl groups of BC. The results indicate that the composites exhibit excellent electrical conductivity (the highest value was 5.0 × 10–2 S/cm) and good mechanical properties (Young’s modulus wa...

Bounded $H_{\infty}$ Synchronization and State Estimation for Discrete Time-Varying Stochastic Complex Networks Over a Finite Horizon

Abstract: In this paper, new synchronization and state estimation problems are considered for an array of coupled discrete time-varying stochastic complex networks over a finite horizon. A novel concept of bounded H∞ synchronization is proposed to handle the time-varying nature of the complex networks. Such a concept captures the transient behavior of the time-varying complex network over a finite horizon, where the degree of bounded synchronization is quantified in terms of the H∞-norm. A general sector-like nonlinear function is employed to describe the nonlinearities existing in the network. By utilizing a timevarying real-valued function and the Kronecker product, criteria are established that ensure the bounded H∞ synchronization in terms of a set of recursive linear matrix inequalities (RLMIs), where the RLMIs can be computed recursively by employing available MATLAB toolboxes. The bounded H∞ state estimation problem is then studied for the same complex network, where the purpose is to design a state estimator to estimate the network states through available output measurements such that, over a finite horizon, the dynamics of the estimation error is guaranteed to be bounded with a given disturbance attenuation level. Again, an RLMI approach is developed for the state estimation problem. Finally, two simulation examples are exploited to show the effectiveness of the results derived in this paper.

iDNA-Prot: Identification of DNA Binding Proteins Using Random Forest with Grey Model

Abstract: DNA-binding proteins play crucial roles in various cellular processes. Developing high throughput tools for rapidly and effectively identifying DNA-binding proteins is one of the major challenges in the field of genome annotation. Although many efforts have been made in this regard, further effort is needed to enhance the prediction power. By incorporating the features into the general form of pseudo amino acid composition that were extracted from protein sequences via the “grey model” and by adopting the random forest operation engine, we proposed a new predictor, called iDNA-Prot, for identifying uncharacterized proteins as DNA-binding proteins or non-DNA binding proteins based on their amino acid sequences information alone. The overall success rate by iDNA-Prot was 83.96% that was obtained via jackknife tests on a newly constructed stringent benchmark dataset in which none of the proteins included has pairwise sequence identity to any other in a same subset. In addition to achieving high success rate, the computational time for iDNA-Prot is remarkably shorter in comparison with the relevant existing predictors. Hence it is anticipated that iDNA-Prot may become a useful high throughput tool for large-scale analysis of DNA-binding proteins. As a user-friendly web-server, iDNA-Prot is freely accessible to the public at the web-site on http://icpr.jci.edu.cn/bioinfo/iDNA-Prot or http://www.jci-bioinfo.cn/iDNA-Prot. Moreover, for the convenience of the vast majority of experimental scientists, a step-by-step guide is provided on how to use the web-server to get the desired results.

A flexible piezoelectric force sensor based on PVDF fabrics

Abstract: Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film has been widely investigated as a sensor and transducer material due to its high piezo-, pyro- and ferroelectric properties. To activate these properties, PVDF films require a mechanical treatment, stretching or poling. In this paper, we report on a force sensor based on PVDF fabrics with excellent flexibility and breathability, to be used as a specific human-related sensor. PVDF nanofibrous fabrics were prepared by using an electrospinning unit and characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. Preliminary force sensors have been fabricated and demonstrated excellent sensitivity and response to external mechanical forces. This implies that promising applications can be made for sensing garment pressure, blood pressure, heartbeat rate, respiration rate and accidental impact on the human body.

Facile preparation and enhanced capacitance of the polyaniline/sodium alginate nanofiber network for supercapacitors.

Abstract: A porous and mat-like polyaniline/sodium alginate (PANI/SA) composite with excellent electrochemical properties was polymerized in an aqueous solution with sodium sulfate as a template. Ultraviolet–visible spectra, X-ray diffraction pattern, and Fourier transform infrared spectra were employed to characterize the PANI/SA composite, indicating that the PANI/SA composite was successfully prepared. The PANI/SA nanofibers with uniform diameters from 50 to 100 nm can be observed on scanning electron microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests were carried out to investigate the electrochemical properties. The PANI/SA nanostructure electrode exhibits an excellent specific capacitance as high as 2093 F g–1, long cycle life, and fast reflect of oxidation/reduction on high current changes. The remarkable electrochemical characteristic is attributed to the nanostructured electrode materials, which generates a high electrode/electrolyte contact area and short path lengths for electronic t...

Structural Origin of the Strain‐Hardening of Spider Silk

Abstract: Spider dragline silk, as a type of high-performance natural fiber, displays a unique combination of tensile strength and extensibility that gives rise to a greater toughness than any other natural or synthetic fiber. In contrast to silkworm silk, spider dragline silk displays a remarkable strain-hardening character for which the origin remains unknown. In this paper, the performance of silkworm silk and spider dragline fibers under stretching is compared based on a combined structural and mechanical analysis. The molecular origin of the strain-hardening of spider silk filaments is addressed in comparison to rubber and Kevlar. Unlike rubber, the occurrence of strain-hardening can be attributed to the unfolding of the intramolecular β-sheets in spider silk fibrils, which serve as “molecular spindles” to store lengthy molecular chains in space compactly. With the progressive unfolding and alignment of protein during fiber extension, protein backbones and nodes of the molecular network are stretched to support the load. Consequently the dragline filaments become gradually hardened, enabling efficient energy buffering when an abseiling spider escapes from a predator. As distinct from synthetic materials such as rubber (elastomers), this particular structural feature of spider draglines not only enables quick energy absorption, but also efficiently suppresses the drastic oscillation which occurs upon an impact. The mimicking of this strain-hardening character of spider silk will give rise to the design and fabrication of new advanced functional materials with applications in kinetic energy buffering and absorption.

Highly aligned SnO2 nanorods on graphene sheets for gas sensors

Abstract: Highly aligned SnO2 nanorods on graphene 3-D array structures were synthesized by a straightforward nanocrystal-seeds-directing hydrothermal method. The diameter and density of the nanorods grown on the graphene can be easily tuned as required by varying the seeding concentration and temperature. The array structures were used as gas sensors and exhibit improved sensing performances to a series of gases in comparison to that of SnO2 nanorod flowers. For nanorod arrays of optimal diameter and distribution, these structures were proved to exert an enhanced sensitivity to reductive gases (especially H2S), which was twice as high as that obtained using SnO2 nanorod flowers. The improved sensing properties are attributed to the synergism of the large surface area of SnO2 nanorod arrays and the superior electronic characteristics of graphene.

Fabrication of biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces inspired by lotus leaf and silver ragwort leaf

Abstract: Inspired by the self-cleaning lotus leaf and silver ragwort leaf, here we demonstrate the fabrication of biomimetic superhydrophobic fibrous mats viaelectrospinning polystyrene (PS) solution in the presence of silica nanoparticles. The resultant electrospun fiber surfaces exhibited a fascinating structure with the combination of nano-protrusions and numerous grooves due to the rapid phase separation in electrospinning. The content of silica nanoparticles incorporated into the fibers proved to be the key factor affecting the fiber surface morphology and hydrophobicity. The PS fibrous mats containing 14.3 wt% silica nanoparticles showed a stable superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle as high as 157.2°, exceeding that (147°) of the silver ragwort leaf and approaching that (160°) of the lotus leaf. The superhydrophobicity was explained by the hierarchical surfaces increasing the surface roughness which trapped more air under the water droplets that fell on the fibers.

Facile immobilization of gold nanoparticles into electrospun polyethyleneimine/polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers for catalytic applications

Abstract: We report a facile approach to immobilizing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into electrospun polyethyleneimine (PEI)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers for catalytic applications. In this study, electrospun PEI/PVA nanofibers with a mean diameter of 490 nm were first crosslinked with glutaraldehyde vapor to render them water stable. Then, the water-insoluble nanofibrous mats were used as nanoreactors to complex AuCl4− anions via binding with the free amine groups of PEI for subsequent formation and immobilization of AuNPs. The formed AuNPs with a diameter of 11.8 nm within the nanofibers do not significantly change the morphology of the nanofibers; while importantly the mechanical property of the fibers was greatly improved compared to the crosslinked fibers without AuNPs. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize these hybrid nanofibers. Furthermore, we show that the AuNP-containing nanofibers display an excellent catalytic activity and reusability for the transformation of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. The present approach to fabricating AuNP-containing nanofibers may be extended for producing other nanoparticle-containing composite nanofibrous materials for various applications in catalysis, sensing, and biomedical sciences.

Distributed $H_{\infty}$ Filtering for Polynomial Nonlinear Stochastic Systems in Sensor Networks

Abstract: In this paper, the distributed H∞ filtering problem is addressed for a class of polynomial nonlinear stochastic systems in sensor networks. For a Lyapunov function candidate whose entries are polynomials, we calculate its first- and second-order derivatives in order to facilitate the use of Ito's differential rule. Then, a sufficient condition for the existence of a feasible solution to the addressed distributed H∞ filtering problem is derived in terms of parameter-dependent linear matrix inequalities (PDLMIs). For computational convenience, these PDLMIs are further converted into a set of sums of squares that can be solved effectively by using the semidefinite programming technique. Finally, a numerical simulation example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed design approach.

A Stochastic Sampled-Data Approach to Distributed $H_{\infty }$ Filtering in Sensor Networks

Abstract: In this paper, the problem of distributed H∞ filtering in sensor networks using a stochastic sampled-data approach is investigated. A set of general nonlinear equations described by sector-bounded nonlinearities is utilized to model the system and sensors in networks. Each sensor receives the information from both the system and its neighbors. The signal received by each sensor is sampled by a sampler separately with stochastic sampling periods before it is employed by the corresponding filter. By converting the sampling periods into bounded time-delays, the design problem of the stochastic sampled-data based distributed H∞ filters amounts to solving the H∞ filtering problem for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems with multiple bounded time-delays. Then, by constructing a new Lyapunov functional and employing both the Gronwall's inequality and the Jenson integral inequality, a sufficient condition is derived to guarantee the H∞ performance as well as the exponential mean-square stability of the resulting filtering error dynamics. Subsequently, the desired sampled-data based distributed H∞ filters are designed in terms of the solution to certain matrix inequalities that can be solved effectively by using available software. Finally, a numerical simulation example is exploited to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed sampled-data distributed H∞ filtering scheme.