1
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Cremaschini S, Cattelan A, Ferraro D, Filippi D, Marinello F, Meggiolaro A, Pierno M, Sada C, Zaltron A, Umari P, Mistura G. Trifurcated Splitting of Water Droplets on Engineered Lithium Niobate Surfaces. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:4271-4282. [PMID: 38194671 PMCID: PMC10811617 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c16573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Controlled splitting of liquid droplets is a key function in many microfluidic applications. In recent years, various methodologies have been used to accomplish this task. Here, we present an optofluidic technique based on an engineered surface formed by coating a z-cut iron-doped lithium niobate crystal with a lubricant-infused layer, which provides a very slippery surface. Illuminating the crystal with a light spot induces surface charges of opposite signs on the two crystal faces because of the photovoltaic effect. If the light spot is sufficiently intense, millimetric water droplets placed near the illuminated spot split into two charged fragments, one fragment being trapped by the bright spot and the other moving away from it. The latter fragment does not move randomly but rather follows one of three well-defined trajectories separated by 120°, which reflect the anisotropic crystalline structure of Fe:LiNbO3. Numerical simulations explain the behavior of water droplets in the framework of the forces induced by the interplay of pyroelectric, piezoelectric, and photovoltaic effects, which originate simultaneously inside the illuminated crystal. Such a synergetic effect can provide a valuable feature in applications that require splitting and coalescence of droplets, such as chemical microreactors and biological encapsulation and screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Cremaschini
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alberto Cattelan
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Ferraro
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Daniele Filippi
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Filippo Marinello
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessio Meggiolaro
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Pierno
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Cinzia Sada
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Annamaria Zaltron
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Umari
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Mistura
- Dipartimento di Fisica e
Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università
di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
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2
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Gabrielli L, Goldin L, Chandrabhas S, Dalla Valle A, Prins LJ. Chemical Information Processing by a Responsive Chemical System. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:2080-2088. [PMID: 38214581 PMCID: PMC10811666 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Nature has an extraordinary capacity to precisely regulate the chemical reactivity in a highly complex mixture of molecules that is present in the cell. External stimuli lead to transient up- and downregulation of chemical reactions and provide a means for a cell to process information arriving from the environment. The development of synthetic chemical systems with life-like properties requires strategies that allow likewise control over chemical reactivity in a complex environment. Here, we show a synthetic system that mimics the initial steps that take place when a natural signal transduction pathway is activated. Monophosphate nucleosides act as chemical triggers for the self-assembly of nanoreactors that upregulate chemical reactions between reagents present at low micromolar concentrations. Different nucleotides template different assemblies and hence activate different pathways, thus establishing a distinct connection between input and output molecules. Trigger-induced upregulation of chemical reactivity occurs for only a limited amount of time because the chemical triggers are gradually removed from the system by enzymes. It is shown that the same system transiently produces different output molecules depending on the chemical input that is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Gabrielli
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Goldin
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Sushmitha Chandrabhas
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Andrea Dalla Valle
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Leonard J. Prins
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, Padova 35131, Italy
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3
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Suarato G, Pressi S, Menna E, Ruben M, Petrini EM, Barberis A, Miele D, Sandri G, Salerno M, Schirato A, Alabastri A, Athanassiou A, Proietti Zaccaria R, Papadopoulou EL. Modified Carbon Nanotubes Favor Fibroblast Growth by Tuning the Cell Membrane Potential. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:3093-3105. [PMID: 38206310 PMCID: PMC10811621 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c14527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
As is known, carbon nanotubes favor cell growth in vitro, although the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. In this study, we explore the hypothesis that electrostatic fields generated at the interface between nonexcitable cells and appropriate scaffold might favor cell growth by tuning their membrane potential. We focused on primary human fibroblasts grown on electrospun polymer fibers (poly(lactic acid)─PLA) with embedded multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The MWCNTs were functionalized with either the p-methoxyphenyl (PhOME) or the p-acetylphenyl (PhCOMe) moiety, both of which allowed uniform dispersion in a solvent, good mixing with PLA and the consequent smooth and homogeneous electrospinning process. The inclusion of the electrically conductive MWCNTs in the insulating PLA matrix resulted in differences in the surface potential of the fibers. Both PLA and PLA/MWCNT fiber samples were found to be biocompatible. The main features of fibroblasts cultured on different substrates were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry, Rt-qPCR, and electrophysiology revealing that fibroblasts grown on PLA/MWCNT reached a healthier state as compared to pure PLA. In particular, we observed physiological spreading, attachment, and Vmem of fibroblasts on PLA/MWCNT. Interestingly, the electrical functionalization of the scaffold resulted in a more suitable extracellular environment for the correct biofunctionality of these nonexcitable cells. Finally, numerical simulations were also performed in order to understand the mechanism behind the different cell behavior when grown either on PLA or PLA/MWCNT samples. The results show a clear effect on the cell membrane potential, depending on the underlying substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Suarato
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Samuel Pressi
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padua, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Interdepartmental
Centre Giorgio Levi Cases for Energy Economics and Technology, University of Padua, via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Enzo Menna
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padua, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Interdepartmental
Centre Giorgio Levi Cases for Energy Economics and Technology, University of Padua, via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Massimo Ruben
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Barberis
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Dalila Miele
- Department
of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Sandri
- Department
of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Salerno
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Andrea Schirato
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Pizza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan 20133, Italy
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Alessandro Alabastri
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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4
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Gazzola G, Antonello A, Isse AA, Fantin M. Simple Iron Halides Enable Electrochemically Mediated ATRP in Nonpolar Media. ACS Macro Lett 2023; 12:1602-1607. [PMID: 37955645 PMCID: PMC10734308 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
An electrochemically controlled atom transfer radical polymerization (eATRP) was successfully carried out with a minimal amount (ppm-level) of FeBr3 catalyst in a nonpolar solvent, specifically anisole. Traditionally, nonpolar media have been advantageous for Fe-based ATRP, but their low conductivity has hindered any electrochemical application. This study introduces the application of electrocatalytic methods in a highly nonpolar polymerization medium. Precise control over the polymerization was obtained by employing anhydrous anisole with only 400 ppm of FeBr3 and applying a negative overpotential of 0.3 V. Additionally, employing an undivided cell setup with two simple iron wire electrodes resulted in a significant 15-fold reduction in electrical resistance compared to traditional divided cell setups. This enabled the production of polymers with a dispersity of ≤1.2. Lastly, an examination of kinetic and thermodynamic aspects indicated that the ppm-level catalysis was facilitated by the high ATRP equilibrium constant of Fe catalysts in nonpolar environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Abdirisak A. Isse
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Fantin
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
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5
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Tosato M, Franchi S, Isse AA, Del Vecchio A, Zanoni G, Alker A, Asti M, Gyr T, Di Marco V, Mäcke H. Is Smaller Better? Cu 2+/Cu + Coordination Chemistry and Copper-64 Radiochemical Investigation of a 1,4,7-Triazacyclononane-Based Sulfur-Rich Chelator. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:20621-20633. [PMID: 37115633 PMCID: PMC10731632 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c00621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
The biologically triggered reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+ has been postulated as a possible in vivo decomplexation pathway in 64/67Cu-based radiopharmaceuticals. In an attempt to hinder this phenomenon, we have previously developed a family of S-containing polyazamacrocycles based on 12-, 13-, or 14-membered tetraaza rings able to stabilize both oxidation states. However, despite the high thermodynamic stability of the resulting Cu2+/+ complexes, a marked [64Cu]Cu2+ release was detected in human serum, likely as a result of the partially saturated coordination sphere around the copper center. In the present work, a new hexadentate macrocyclic ligand, 1,4,7-tris[2-(methylsulfanyl)ethyl)]-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (NO3S), was synthesized by hypothesizing that a smaller macrocyclic backbone could thwart the observed demetalation by fully encapsulating the copper ion. To unveil the role of the S donors in the metal binding, the corresponding alkyl analogue 1,4,7-tris-n-butyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (TACN-n-Bu) was considered as comparison. The acid-base properties of the free ligands and the kinetic, thermodynamic, and structural properties of their Cu2+ and Cu+ complexes were investigated in solution and solid (crystal) states through a combination of spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The formation of two stable mononuclear species was detected in aqueous solution for both ligands. The pCu2+ value for NO3S at physiological pH was 6 orders of magnitude higher than that computed for TACN-n-Bu, pointing out the significant stabilizing contribution arising from the Cu2+-S interactions. In both the solid state and solution, Cu2+ was fully embedded in the ligand cleft in a hexacoordinated N3S3 environment. Furthermore, NO3S exhibited a remarkable ability to form a stable complex with Cu+ through the involvement of all of the donors in the coordination sphere. Radiolabeling studies evidenced an excellent affinity of NO3S toward [64Cu]Cu2+, as quantitative incorporation was achieved at high apparent molar activity (∼10 MBq/nmol) and under mild conditions (ambient temperature, neutral pH, 10 min reaction time). Human serum stability assays revealed an increased stability of [64Cu][Cu(NO3S)]2+ when compared to the corresponding complexes formed by 12-, 13-, or 14-membered tetraaza rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Tosato
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Sara Franchi
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Giordano Zanoni
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - André Alker
- Roche
Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Asti
- Radiopharmaceutical
Chemistry Section, Nuclear Medicine Unit, AUSL-IRCCS Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Thomas Gyr
- Division
of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear
Medicine, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valerio Di Marco
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Helmut Mäcke
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital
Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany
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6
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Vanzin A, Franchin C, Arrigoni G, Battisti I, Masi A, Squartini A, Bisutti V, Giannuzzi D, Gallo L, Cecchinato A, Pegolo S. Subclinical Mastitis from Streptococcus agalactiae and Prototheca spp. Induces Changes in Milk Peptidome in Holstein Cattle. J Agric Food Chem 2023; 71:16827-16839. [PMID: 37890871 PMCID: PMC10636762 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c03065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Early detection of bovine subclinical mastitis may improve treatment strategies and reduce the use of antibiotics. Herein, individual milk samples from Holstein cows affected by subclinical mastitis induced by S. agalactiae and Prototheca spp. were analyzed by untargeted and targeted mass spectrometry approaches to assess changes in their peptidome profiles and identify new potential biomarkers of the pathological condition. Results showed a higher amount of peptides in milk positive on the bacteriological examination when compared with the negative control. However, the different pathogens seemed not to trigger specific effects on the milk peptidome. The peptides that best distinguish positive from negative samples are mainly derived from the most abundant milk proteins, especially from β- and αs1-casein, but also include the antimicrobial peptide casecidin 17. These results provide new insights into the physiopathology of mastitis. Upon further validation, the panel of potential discriminant peptides could help the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Vanzin
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Cinzia Franchin
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Giorgio Arrigoni
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Ilaria Battisti
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Antonio Masi
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Andrea Squartini
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Vittoria Bisutti
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Diana Giannuzzi
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Luigi Gallo
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Alessio Cecchinato
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Sara Pegolo
- Department
of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, Legnaro
(PD) 35020, Italy
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7
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Zeppilli D, Madabeni A, Sancineto L, Bagnoli L, Santi C, Orian L. Role of Group 12 Metals in the Reduction of H 2O 2 by Santi's Reagent: A Computational Mechanistic Investigation. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:17288-17298. [PMID: 37769326 PMCID: PMC10598800 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
PhSeZnCl, which is also known as Santi's reagent, can catalyze the reduction of hydrogen peroxide by thiols with a GPx-like mechanism. In this work, the first step of this catalytic cycle, i.e., the reduction of H2O2 by PhSeZnCl, is investigated in silico using state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations. Then, the role of the metal is evaluated by replacing Zn with its group 12 siblings (Cd and Hg). The thermodynamic and kinetic factors favoring Zn are elucidated. Furthermore, the role of the halogen is considered by replacing Cl with Br in all three metal compounds, and this turns out to be negligible. Finally, the overall GPx-like mechanism of PhSeZnCl and PhSeZnBr is discussed by evaluating the energetics of the mechanistic path leading to the disulfide product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Zeppilli
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Madabeni
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Sancineto
- Gruppo
di Catalisi Sintesi e Chimica Organica Verde Dipartimento di Scienze
Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi
di Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06122 Perugia, Italy
| | - Luana Bagnoli
- Gruppo
di Catalisi Sintesi e Chimica Organica Verde Dipartimento di Scienze
Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi
di Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06122 Perugia, Italy
| | - Claudio Santi
- Gruppo
di Catalisi Sintesi e Chimica Organica Verde Dipartimento di Scienze
Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi
di Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06122 Perugia, Italy
| | - Laura Orian
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
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8
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Benedet M, Gallo A, Maccato C, Rizzi GA, Barreca D, Lebedev OI, Modin E, McGlynn R, Mariotti D, Gasparotto A. Controllable Anchoring of Graphitic Carbon Nitride on MnO 2 Nanoarchitectures for Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:47368-47380. [PMID: 37769189 PMCID: PMC10571007 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c09363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
The design and fabrication of eco-friendly and cost-effective (photo)electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key research goal for a proper management of water splitting to address the global energy crisis. In this work, we focus on the preparation of supported MnO2/graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) OER (photo)electrocatalysts by means of a novel preparation strategy. The proposed route consists of the plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) of MnO2 nanoarchitectures on porous Ni scaffolds, the anchoring of controllable g-CN amounts by an amenable electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process, and the ultimate thermal treatment in air. The inherent method versatility and flexibility afforded defective MnO2/g-CN nanoarchitectures, featuring a g-CN content and nano-organization tunable as a function of EPD duration and the used carbon nitride precursor. Such a modulation had a direct influence on OER functional performances, which, for the best composite system, corresponded to an overpotential of 430 mV at 10 mA/cm2, a Tafel slope of ≈70 mV/dec, and a turnover frequency of 6.52 × 10-3 s-1, accompanied by a very good time stability. The present outcomes, comparing favorably with previous results on analogous systems, were rationalized on the basis of the formation of type-II MnO2/g-CN heterojunctions, and yield valuable insights into this class of green (photo)electrocatalysts for end uses in solar-to-fuel conversion and water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Benedet
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, Padova University
and INSTM, 35131 Padova, Italy
- CNR-ICMATE
and INSTM, Department of Chemical Sciences, Padova University, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Gallo
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, Padova University
and INSTM, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Maccato
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, Padova University
and INSTM, 35131 Padova, Italy
- CNR-ICMATE
and INSTM, Department of Chemical Sciences, Padova University, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Gian Andrea Rizzi
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, Padova University
and INSTM, 35131 Padova, Italy
- CNR-ICMATE
and INSTM, Department of Chemical Sciences, Padova University, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Barreca
- CNR-ICMATE
and INSTM, Department of Chemical Sciences, Padova University, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Oleg I. Lebedev
- Laboratoire
CRISMAT, UMR 6508 CNRS/ENSICAEN/UCBN, 14050 Caen Cedex 4, France
| | - Evgeny Modin
- CIC
nanoGUNE BRTA, Donostia, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ruairi McGlynn
- School
of Engineering, Ulster University, 2-24 York Street, Belfast BT15 1AP, Northern Ireland
| | - Davide Mariotti
- School
of Engineering, Ulster University, 2-24 York Street, Belfast BT15 1AP, Northern Ireland
| | - Alberto Gasparotto
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, Padova University
and INSTM, 35131 Padova, Italy
- CNR-ICMATE
and INSTM, Department of Chemical Sciences, Padova University, 35131 Padova, Italy
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9
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Ragonese P, Kalinic B, Franco L, Girardi L, Fernández Peréz BM, Carbonera D, Mattei G, Rizzi GA, Maurizio C. Effect of Interfacial SiO x Defects on the Functional Properties of Si-Transition Metal Oxide Photoanodes for Water Splitting. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:46933-46940. [PMID: 37782757 PMCID: PMC10571009 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c09555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The transfer of photogenerated charges through interfaces in heterojunction photoanodes is a key process that controls the efficiency of solar water splitting. Considering Co3O4/SiOx/Si photoanodes prepared by physical vapor deposition as a representative case study, it is shown that defects normally present in the native SiOx layer dramatically affect the onset of the photocurrent. Electron paramagnetic resonance indicates that the signal of defects located in dangling bonds of trivalent Si atoms at the Si/SiOx interface vanishes upon vacuum annealing at 850 °C. Correspondingly, the photovoltage of the photoanode increases to ≈500 mV. Similar results are obtained for NiO/SiOx/Si photoanodes. Photoelectrochemical analysis and impedance spectroscopy (in solution and in the solid state) indicate how the defect annealing modifies the Co3O4/SiOx/Si junction. This work shows that defect annealing at the solid-solid interface in composite photoanodes strongly improves the efficiency of charge transfer through interfaces, which is the basis for effective solar-to-chemical energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Ragonese
- Physics
and Astronomy Department, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, Padova I-35131, Italy
| | - B. Kalinic
- Physics
and Astronomy Department, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, Padova I-35131, Italy
| | - L. Franco
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, Padova I-35131, Italy
| | - L. Girardi
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, Padova I-35131, Italy
| | - B. M. Fernández Peréz
- Physics
and Astronomy Department, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, Padova I-35131, Italy
| | - D. Carbonera
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, Padova I-35131, Italy
| | - G. Mattei
- Physics
and Astronomy Department, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, Padova I-35131, Italy
| | - G.-A. Rizzi
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, Padova I-35131, Italy
| | - C. Maurizio
- Physics
and Astronomy Department, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, Padova I-35131, Italy
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10
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Peruffo N, Bruschi M, Fresch B, Mancin F, Collini E. Identification of Design Principles for the Preparation of Colloidal Plexcitonic Materials. Langmuir 2023; 39:12793-12806. [PMID: 37641919 PMCID: PMC10501205 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c01642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal plexcitonic materials (CPMs) are a class of nanosystems where molecular dyes are strongly coupled with colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles, acting as nanocavities that enhance the light field. As a result of this strong coupling, new hybrid states are formed, called plexcitons, belonging to the broader family of polaritons. With respect to other families of polaritonic materials, CPMs are cheap and easy to prepare through wet chemistry methodologies. Still, clear structure-to-properties relationships are not available, and precise rules to drive the materials' design to obtain the desired optical properties are still missing. To fill this gap, in this article, we prepared a dataset with all CPMs reported in the literature, rationalizing their design by focusing on their three main relevant components (the plasmonic nanoparticles, the molecular dyes, and the capping layers) and identifying the most used and efficient combinations. With the help of statistical analysis, we also found valuable correlations between structure, coupling regime, and optical properties. The results of this analysis are expected to be relevant for the rational design of new CPMs with controllable and predictable photophysical properties to be exploited in a vast range of technological fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Peruffo
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Bruschi
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Barbara Fresch
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Padua
Quantum Technologies Research Center, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Mancin
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Collini
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Padua
Quantum Technologies Research Center, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35122 Padova, Italy
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11
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Braghetto A, Orlandini E, Baiesi M. Interpretable Machine Learning of Amino Acid Patterns in Proteins: A Statistical Ensemble Approach. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:6011-6022. [PMID: 37552831 PMCID: PMC10500975 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Explainable and interpretable unsupervised machine learning helps one to understand the underlying structure of data. We introduce an ensemble analysis of machine learning models to consolidate their interpretation. Its application shows that restricted Boltzmann machines compress consistently into a few bits the information stored in a sequence of five amino acids at the start or end of α-helices or β-sheets. The weights learned by the machines reveal unexpected properties of the amino acids and the secondary structure of proteins: (i) His and Thr have a negligible contribution to the amphiphilic pattern of α-helices; (ii) there is a class of α-helices particularly rich in Ala at their end; (iii) Pro occupies most often slots otherwise occupied by polar or charged amino acids, and its presence at the start of helices is relevant; (iv) Glu and especially Asp on one side and Val, Leu, Iso, and Phe on the other display the strongest tendency to mark amphiphilic patterns, i.e., extreme values of an effective hydrophobicity, though they are not the most powerful (non)hydrophobic amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Braghetto
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
- INFN,
Sezione di Padova, Via
Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Enzo Orlandini
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
- INFN,
Sezione di Padova, Via
Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Marco Baiesi
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
- INFN,
Sezione di Padova, Via
Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
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12
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Ribaudo G, Carotti M, Ongaro A, Oselladore E, Scano M, Zagotto G, Sandonà D, Gianoncelli A. Synthesis and Evaluation of Bithiazole Derivatives As Potential α-Sarcoglycan Correctors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:1049-1053. [PMID: 37583821 PMCID: PMC10424318 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
4'-Methyl-4,5'-bithiazoles were previously identified as cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) correctors, thus being able to correct folding defective mutants of the channel regulating chloride transport through the membrane. Additionally, bithiazole derivative C17 was reported to recover α-sarcoglycan in vitro and in vivo. We report here the synthesis of two new derivatives of C17, in which the two sides of the bithiazole scaffold were modified. The synthesized compounds and the corresponding precursors were tested in myogenic cells to evaluate the expression of α-sarcoglycan. The results highlighted that both substitutions of the bithiazole scaffold are important to achieve the maximum recovery of the α-sarcoglycan mutant. Nonetheless, partial preservation of the activity was observed. Accordingly, this paves the way to further derivatizations/optimization and target fishing studies, which were preliminarily performed in this study as a proof of concept, allowing the investigation of the molecular mechanisms leading to the α-sarcoglycan correction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Ribaudo
- Department
of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, viale Europa 11, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Marcello Carotti
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alberto Ongaro
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Erika Oselladore
- Department
of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, viale Europa 11, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Martina Scano
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Zagotto
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Dorianna Sandonà
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gianoncelli
- Department
of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, viale Europa 11, 25121 Brescia, Italy
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13
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Bruschi M, Bolzonello L, Gallina F, Fresch B. Unifying Nonlinear Response and Incoherent Mixing in Action-2D Electronic Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:6872-6879. [PMID: 37490770 PMCID: PMC10405272 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Action-detection has expanded the scope and applicability of 2D electronic spectroscopy, while posing new challenges for the unambiguous interpretation of spectral features. In this context, identifying the origin of cross-peaks at early waiting times is not trivial, and incoherent mixing is often invoked as an unwanted contribution masking the nonlinear signal. In this work, we elaborate on the relation between the nonlinear response and the incoherent mixing contribution by analyzing the action signal in terms of one- and two-particle observables. Considering a weakly interacting molecular dimer, we show how cross-peaks at early waiting times, reflecting exciton-exciton annihilation dynamics, can be equivalently interpreted as arising from incoherent mixing. This equivalence, on the one hand, highlights the information content of spectral features related to incoherent mixing and, on the other hand, provides an efficient numerical scheme to simulate the action response of weakly interacting systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bruschi
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, via Marzolo 1, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Luca Bolzonello
- ICFO
- Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona
Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels, Barcelona 08860, Spain
| | - Federico Gallina
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, via Marzolo 1, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Barbara Fresch
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, via Marzolo 1, Padua 35131, Italy
- Padua
Quantum Technologies Research Center, Università
degli Studi di Padova, Padua 35131, Italy
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14
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Lunardon M, Kosmala T, Ghorbani-Asl M, Krasheninnikov AV, Kolekar S, Durante C, Batzill M, Agnoli S, Granozzi G. Catalytic Activity of Defect-Engineered Transition Me tal Dichalcogenides Mapped with Atomic-Scale Precision by Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy. ACS Energy Lett 2023; 8:972-980. [PMID: 36816778 PMCID: PMC9926491 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Unraveling structure-activity relationships is a key objective of catalysis. Unfortunately, the intrinsic complexity and structural heterogeneity of materials stand in the way of this goal, mainly because the activity measurements are area-averaged and therefore contain information coming from different surface sites. This limitation can be surpassed by the analysis of the noise in the current of electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM). Herein, we apply this strategy to investigate the catalytic activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction of monolayer films of MoSe2. Thanks to atomically resolved potentiodynamic experiments, we can evaluate individually the catalytic activity of the MoSe2 basal plane, selenium vacancies, and different point defects produced by the intersections of metallic twin boundaries. The activity trend deduced by EC-STM is independently confirmed by density functional theory calculations, which also indicate that, on the metallic twin boundary crossings, the hydrogen adsorption energy is almost thermoneutral. The micro- and macroscopic measurements are combined to extract the turnover frequency of different sites, obtaining for the most active ones a value of 30 s-1 at -136 mV vs RHE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Lunardon
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Tomasz Kosmala
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
- Institute
of Experimental Physics, University of Wrocław, Wrocław 50-204, Poland
| | - Mahdi Ghorbani-Asl
- Institute
of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf Dresden 01328, Germany
| | - Arkady V. Krasheninnikov
- Institute
of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf Dresden 01328, Germany
- Department
of Applied Physics, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Sadhu Kolekar
- Department
of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Christian Durante
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Matthias Batzill
- Department
of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Stefano Agnoli
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
- INSTM
Research
Unit, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Gaetano Granozzi
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
- INSTM
Research
Unit, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
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15
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Ivanovskaya V, Zobelli A, Basagni A, Casalini S, Colazzo L, de Boni F, de Oteyza DG, Sambi M, Sedona F. On-Surface Synthesis and Evolution of Self-Assembled Poly( p-phenylene) Chains on Ag(111): A Joint Experimental and Theoretical Study. J Phys Chem C Nanomater Interfaces 2023; 127:393-402. [PMID: 36660099 PMCID: PMC9841565 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c06926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The growth of controlled 1D carbon-based nanostructures on metal surfaces is a multistep process whose path, activation energies, and intermediate metastable states strongly depend on the employed substrate. Whereas this process has been extensively studied on gold, less work has been dedicated to silver surfaces, which have a rather different catalytic activity. In this work, we present an experimental and theoretical investigation of the growth of poly-p-phenylene (PPP) chains and subsequent narrow graphene ribbons starting from 4,4″-dibromo-p-terphenyl molecular precursors deposited at the silver surface. By combing scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging and density functional theory (DFT) simulations, we describe the molecular morphology and organization at different steps of the growth process and we discuss the stability and conversion of the encountered species on the basis of calculated thermodynamic quantities. Unlike the case of gold, at the debromination step we observe the appearance of organometallic molecules and chains, which can be explained by their negative formation energy in the presence of a silver adatom reservoir. At the dehydrogenation temperature, the persistence of intercalated Br atoms hinders the formation of well-structured graphene ribbons, which are instead observed on gold, leading only to a partial lateral coupling of the PPP chains. We numerically derive very different activation energies for Br desorption from the Ag and Au surfaces, thereby confirming the importance of this process in defining the kinetics of the formation of molecular chains and graphene ribbons on different metal surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alberto Zobelli
- Université
Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique
des Solides, 91405Orsay, France
| | - Andrea Basagni
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, 35131Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Casalini
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, 35131Padova, Italy
| | - Luciano Colazzo
- Center
for Quantum Nanoscience, Institute for Basic
Science (IBS), Seoul03760, Republic
of Korea
- Ewha
Womans University, Seoul03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Francesco de Boni
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, 35131Padova, Italy
| | - Dimas G. de Oteyza
- Nanomaterials
and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN), CSIC-UNIOVI-PA, 33940El Entrego, Spain
| | - Mauro Sambi
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, 35131Padova, Italy
| | - Francesco Sedona
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, 35131Padova, Italy
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16
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Mastrotto F, Pirazzini M, Negro S, Salama A, Martinez-Pomares L, Mantovani G. Sulfation at Glycopolymer Side Chains Switches Activity at the Macrophage Mannose Receptor (CD206) In Vitro and In Vivo. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:23134-23147. [PMID: 36472883 PMCID: PMC9782796 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mannose receptor (CD206) is an endocytic receptor expressed by selected innate immune cells and nonvascular endothelium, which plays a critical role in both homeostasis and pathogen recognition. Although its involvement in the development of several diseases and viral infections is well established, molecular tools able to both provide insight on the chemistry of CD206-ligand interactions and, importantly, effectively modulate its activity are currently lacking. Using novel SO4-3-Gal-glycopolymers targeting its cysteine-rich lectin ectodomain, this study uncovers and elucidates a previously unknown mechanism of CD206 blockade involving the formation of stable intracellular SO4-3-Gal-glycopolymer-CD206 complexes that prevents receptor recycling to the cell membrane. Further, we show that SO4-3-Gal glycopolymers inhibit CD206 both in vitro and in vivo, revealing hitherto unknown receptor function and demonstrating their potential as CD206 modulators within future immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Mastrotto
- School
of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
- School
of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 5, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Marco Pirazzini
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Samuele Negro
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Alan Salama
- Department
of Renal Medicine, University College London, London NW3 2PF, U.K.
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17
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Mazzucato M, Gavioli L, Balzano V, Berretti E, Rizzi GA, Badocco D, Pastore P, Zitolo A, Durante C. Synergistic Effect of Sn and Fe in Fe-N x Site Formation and Activity in Fe-N-C Catalyst for ORR. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:54635-54648. [PMID: 36468946 PMCID: PMC9756292 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c13837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) materials emerged as one of the best non-platinum group material (non-PGM) alternatives to Pt/C catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of O2 in fuel cells. Co-doping with a secondary metal center is a possible choice to further enhance the activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, classical Fe-N-C materials were co-doped with Sn as a secondary metal center. Sn-N-C according to the literature shows excellent activity, in particular in the fuel cell setup; here, the same catalyst shows a non-negligible activity in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte but not as high as expected, meaning the different and uncertain nature of active sites. On the other hand, in mixed Fe, Sn-N-C catalysts, the presence of Sn improves the catalytic activity that is linked to a higher Fe-N4 site density, whereas the possible synergistic interaction of Fe-N4 and Sn-Nx found no confirmation. The presence of Fe-N4 and Sn-Nx was thoroughly determined by extended X-ray absorption fine structure and NO stripping technique; furthermore, besides the typical voltammetric technique, the catalytic activity of Fe-N-C catalyst was determined and also compared with that of the gas diffusion electrode (GDE), which allows a fast and reliable screening for possible implementation in a full cell. This paper therefore explores the effect of Sn on the formation, activity, and selectivity of Fe-N-C catalysts in both acid and alkaline media by tuning the Sn/Fe ratio in the synthetic procedure, with the ratio 1/2 showing the best activity, even higher than that of the iron-only containing sample (jk = 2.11 vs 1.83 A g-1). Pt-free materials are also tested for ORR in GDE setup in both performance and durability tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Mazzucato
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Gavioli
- i-LAMP
& Department of Mathematics and Physics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via della Garzetta 46, 25133Brescia, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Balzano
- i-LAMP
& Department of Mathematics and Physics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via della Garzetta 46, 25133Brescia, Italy
| | - Enrico Berretti
- Institute
of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds (ICCOM)—National Research
Council (CNR), Via Madonna
del Piano 10, 50019Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Gian Andrea Rizzi
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131Padova, Italy
| | - Denis Badocco
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Pastore
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Zitolo
- Synchrotron
SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, BP 48 Saint Aubin, 91192Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Christian Durante
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131Padova, Italy
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18
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Peruffo N, Mancin F, Collini E. Ultrafast Dynamics of Multiple Plexcitons in Colloidal Nanomaterials: The Mediating Action of Plasmon Resonances and Dark States. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:6412-6419. [PMID: 35815626 PMCID: PMC9310092 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plexcitons, that is, mixed plasmon-exciton states, are currently gaining broad interest to control the flux of energy at the nanoscale. Several promising properties of plexcitonic materials have already been revealed, but the debate about their ultrafast dynamic properties is still vibrant. Here, pump-probe spectroscopy is used to characterize the ultrafast dynamics of colloidal nanohybrids prepared by coupling gold nanoparticles and porphyrin dyes, where one or two sets of plexcitonic resonances can be selectively activated. We found that these dynamics are strongly affected by the presence of a reservoir of states including plasmon resonances and dark states. The time constants regulating the plexciton relaxations are significantly longer than the typical values found in the literature and can be modulated over more than 1 order of magnitude, opening possible interesting perspectives to modify rates of chemically relevant molecular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Peruffo
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Mancin
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Collini
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Padua
Quantum Technologies Research Center, 35122 Padova, Italy
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19
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Pini F, Pilot R, Ischia G, Agnoli S, Amendola V. Au-Ag Alloy Nanocorals with Optimal Broadband Absorption for Sunlight-Driven Thermoplasmonic Applications. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:28924-28935. [PMID: 35713483 PMCID: PMC9247974 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Noble metal nanoparticles are efficient converters of light into heat but typically cover a limited spectral range or have intense light scattering, resulting in unsuited for broadband thermoplasmonic applications and sunlight-driven heat generation. Here, Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles were deliberately molded with an irregular nanocoral (NC) shape to obtain broadband plasmon absorption from the visible to the near-infrared yet at a lower cost compared to pure Au nanostructures. The Au-Ag NCs are produced through a green and scalable methodology that relies on pulsed laser fragmentation in a liquid, without chemicals or capping molecules, leaving the particles surface free for conjugation with thiolated molecules and enabling full processability and easy inclusion in various matrixes. Numerical calculations showed that panchromism, i.e., the occurrence of a broadband absorption from the visible to the near-infrared region, is due to the special morphology of Au-Ag alloy NCs and consists of a purely absorptive behavior superior to monometallic Au or Ag NCs. The thermoplasmonic properties were assessed by multiwavelength light-to-heat conversion experiments and exploited for the realization of a cellulose-based solar-steam generation device with low-cost, simple design but competitive performances. Overall, here it is shown how laser light can be used to harvest solar light. Besides, the optimized broadband plasmon absorption, the green synthetic procedure, and the other set of positive features for thermoplasmonic applications of Au-Ag NCs will contribute to the development of environmentally friendly devices of practical utility in a sustainable world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Pini
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Roberto Pilot
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Consorzio
INSTM, via G. Giusti
9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Gloria Ischia
- Department
of Industrial Engineering, University of
Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Stefano Agnoli
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Amendola
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
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20
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Ribaudo G, Bortoli M, Witt CE, Parke B, Mena S, Oselladore E, Zagotto G, Hashemi P, Orian L. ROS-Scavenging Selenofluoxetine Derivatives Inhibit In Vivo Serotonin Reuptake. ACS Omega 2022; 7:8314-8322. [PMID: 35309454 PMCID: PMC8928538 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
While the neurochemistry that underpins the behavioral phenotypes of depression is the subject of many studies, oxidative stress caused by the inflammation comorbid with depression has not adequately been addressed. In this study, we described novel antidepressant-antioxidant agents consisting of selenium-modified fluoxetine derivatives to simultaneously target serotonin reuptake (antidepressant action) and oxidative stress. Excitingly, we show that one of these agents (1-F) carries the ability to inhibit serotonin reuptake in vivo in mice. We therefore present a frontier dual strategy that paves the way for the future of antidepressant therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Ribaudo
- Dipartimento
di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Bortoli
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Institut
de Química Computacional i Catàlisi and Departament
de Química, Universitat de Girona, c/Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, 17003 Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Colby E. Witt
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of South Carolina, Columbia South Carolina 29201, United States
| | - Brenna Parke
- Department
of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Sergio Mena
- Department
of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Erika Oselladore
- Dipartimento
di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Zagotto
- Dipartimento
di Scienze del Farmaco, Università
degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Parastoo Hashemi
- Department
of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of South Carolina, Columbia South Carolina 29201, United States
| | - Laura Orian
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
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21
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Biondi B, Syryamina VN, Rocchio G, Barbon A, Formaggio F, Toniolo C, Raap J, Dzuba SA. Is Cys(MTSL) the Best α-Amino Acid Residue to Electron Spin Labeling of Synthetically Accessible Peptide Molecules with Nitroxides? ACS Omega 2022; 7:5154-5165. [PMID: 35187331 PMCID: PMC8851612 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c06227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, particularly its pulse technique double electron-electron resonance (DEER) (also termed PELDOR), is rapidly becoming an extremely useful tool for the experimental determination of side chain-to-side chain distances between free radicals in molecules fundamental for life, such as polypeptides. Among appropriate probes, the most popular are undoubtedly nitroxide electron spin labels. In this context, suitable biosynthetically derived, helical regions of proteins, along with synthetic peptides with amphiphilic properties and antibacterial activities, are the most extensively investigated compounds. A strict requirement for a precise distance measurement has been identified in a minimal dynamic flexibility of the two nitroxide-bearing α-amino acid side chains. To this end, in this study, we have experimentally compared in detail the side-chain mobility properties of the two currently most widely utilized residues, namely, Cys(MTSL) and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-4-amino-4-carboxylic acid (TOAC). In particular, two double-labeled, chemically synthesized 20-mer peptide molecules have been adopted as appropriate templates for our investigation on the determination of the model intramolecular separations. These double-Cys(MTSL) and double-TOAC compounds are both analogues of the almost completely rigid backbone peptide ruler which we have envisaged and 3D structurally analyzed as our original, unlabeled compound. Here, we have clearly found that the TOAC side-chain labels are largely more 3D structurally restricted than the MTSL labels. From this result, we conclude that the TOAC residue offers more precise information than the Cys(MTSL) residue on the side chain-to-side chain distance distribution in synthetically accessible peptide molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Biondi
- Institute
of Biomolecular Chemistry, Padova Unit, CNR, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Victoria N. Syryamina
- Institute
of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Gabriele Rocchio
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Antonio Barbon
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Fernando Formaggio
- Institute
of Biomolecular Chemistry, Padova Unit, CNR, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Claudio Toniolo
- Institute
of Biomolecular Chemistry, Padova Unit, CNR, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Jan Raap
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories,
Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sergei A. Dzuba
- Institute
of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
- Department
of Physics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
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22
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Madabeni A, Nogara PA, Bortoli M, Rocha JB, Orian L. Effect of Methylmercury Binding on the Peroxide-Reducing Potential of Cysteine and Selenocysteine. Inorg Chem 2021; 60:4646-4656. [PMID: 33587617 PMCID: PMC8763373 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c03619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (CH3Hg+) binding to catalytically fundamental cysteine and selenocysteine of peroxide-reducing enzymes has long been postulated as the origin of its toxicological activity. Only very recently, CH3Hg+ binding to the selenocysteine of thioredoxin reductase has been directly observed [Pickering, I. J. Inorg. Chem., 2020, 59, 2711-2718], but the precise influence of the toxicant on the peroxide-reducing potential of such a residue has never been investigated. In this work, we employ state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations to study the reactivity of molecular models of the free and toxified enzymes. Trends in activation energies are discussed with attention to the biological consequences and are rationalized within the chemically intuitive framework provided by the activation strain model. With respect to the free, protonated amino acids, CH3Hg+ binding promotes oxidation of the S or Se nucleus, suggesting that chalcogenoxide formation might occur in the toxified enzyme, even if the actual rate of peroxide reduction is almost certainly lowered as suggested by comparison with fully deprotonated amino acids models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Madabeni
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Pablo A. Nogara
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Departamento
de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900 Santa
Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Marco Bortoli
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - João B.
T. Rocha
- Departamento
de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900 Santa
Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Laura Orian
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli
Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
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