Publikationen

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) antibodies (Abs) can mediate and activate blood cells, forming blood clots. To detect HIT Abs, immunological assays with high sensitivity (≥95%) and fast response are widely used, but only about 50% of these tests are accurate as non-HIT Abs also bind to the same antigens. We aim to develop biosensor-based electrical detection to better differentiate HIT-like from non-HIT-like Abs. As a proof of principle, we tested with two types of commercially available monoclonal Abs including KKO (inducing HIT) and RTO (noninducing HIT). Platelet factor 4/Heparin antigens were immobilized on gold electrodes, and binding of antibodies on the chips was detected based on the change in the charge transfer resistance (Rct). Binding of KKO on sensors yielded a significantly lower charge transfer resistance than that of RTO. Bound antibodies and their binding characteristics on the sensors were confirmed and characterized by complementary techniques. Analysis of thermal kinetics showed that RTO bonds are more stable than those of KKO, whereas KKO exhibited a higher negative ζ potential than RTO. These different characteristics made it possible to electrically differentiate these two types of antibodies. Our study opens a new avenue for the development of sensors for better detection of pathogenic Abs in HIT patients.

It is common knowledge that molecular energy level offsets of a type II heterojunction formed at the donor-acceptor interface are considered to be the driving force for photoinduced charge transfer in organic solar cells. Usually, these offsets - present between molecular energy levels of the donor and acceptor - are obtained via cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements of organic semiconductors cast in a film or dissolved in solution. Simply transferring such determined energy levels from solution or film of single materials to blend films may be obviously limited and not be possible in full generality. Herein, we report various cases of material combinations in which novel non-fullerene acceptors did not yield successful charge transfer, although energy levels obtained by CV on constituting single materials indicate a type II heterojunction. Whilst the integer charge transfer (ICT) model provides one explanation for a relative rise of molecular energy levels of acceptors, further details and other cases have not been studied so far in great detail. By applying energy-resolved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (ER-EIS) on several donor-acceptor combinations, a Fano-like resonance feature associated with a distinctive molecular energy level of the acceptor as well as various relative molecular energy level shifts of different kinds could be observed. By analyzing ER-EIS and absorption spectra, not only the exciton binding energy within single materials could be determined, but also the commonly unknown binding energy of the CT state with regard to the joint density of states (jDOS) of the effective semiconductor. The latter is defined by transitions between the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) of the donor and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO) of the acceptor. Using this technique among others, we identified cases in which charge generation may occur either via uphill or by downhill processes between the charge transfer exciton and the electronic gap of the effective semiconductor. Exceptionally high CT-exciton binding energies and thus low charge generation yields were obtained for a case in which the donor and acceptor yielded a too intimate blend morphology, indicating π-π stacking as a potential cause for unfavorable molecular energy level alignment.

Berberine (Ber) is a herbal alkaloid with pharmacological activity in general and a high anticancer potency in particular. However, due to its low bioavailability, the difficulty in reaching a target and choosing the right dose, there is a need to improve approaches of Ber use in anticancer therapy. In this study, Ber, noncovalently bound to a carbon nanostructure C60 fullerene (C60) at various molar ratios of the components, was explored against Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC).

Fluorescence probes have widely been used for detecting and imaging Ca2+-enriched parts of cells but more rarely for quantitative determination of concentrations. In this study we show how this can be achieved by a novel approach using hydrogel particles. In a microfluidic co-flow arrangement spherical droplets were generated from an aqueous solution of acrylamide, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide crosslinker and photoinitiator and subsequently photo-cured in situ yielding gel particles in a sub millimeter range. These particles were separated, dried under reduced pressure and re-swollen in water containing Rhod-5N tri potassium salt as calcium ion selective fluorescence probe. After that the particles were dried again and stored for further investigations. Upon exposure of dried particles to calcium chloride solutions they swell and take up Ca2+-ions forming a strong fluorescing complex with Rhod-5N. Thus, fluorescence intensity increases with calcium ion concentration. Up to ca. 0.50 mM the enhancement effect is strong and then becomes considerably weaker. The intensity-concentration-dependence is well described by an equation derived from the equilibrium of the formation of a 1:1 Ca2+:Rhod-5N complex. The particles allow for a fast optical determination of Ca2+-concentrations up to 0.50 mM in analyte volumes down to below 10 [my]L.

The term "Nanotechnology" describes a large field of scientific and technical activities dealing with objects and technical components with small dimensions. Typically, bodies that are in-at least-two dimensions smaller than 0.1 [my]m are regarded as "nanobjects". By this definition, a lot of advanced materials, as well as the advanced electronic devices, are objects of nanotechnology. In addition, many aspects of molecular biotechnology as well as macromolecular and supermolecular chemistry and nanoparticle techniques are summarized under "nanotechnology". Despite this size-oriented definition, nanotechnology is dealing with physics and chemistry as well as with the realization of technical functions in the area between very small bodies and single particles and molecules. This includes the shift from classical physics into the quantum world of small molecules and low numbers or single elementary particles. Besides the already established fields of nanotechnology, there is a big expectation about technical progress and solution to essential economic, medical, and ecological problems by means of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology can only meet these expectations if fundamental progress behind the recent state of the art can be achieved. Therefore, very important challenges for nanotechnology are discussed here.