Analyst Blog

This month we have a HOT article from the Chair of our Editorial Board, Paul Bohn. Together with his colleague Sean Branagan from the University of Notre Dame, US, they have been looking at thin Au films, patterned by focused ion beam (FIB) milling to contain an array of subwavelength nanopores, and how they exhibit enhanced optical transmission (EOT) via front–back resonance coupling. Click on the link below to read more.

Plasmonic response of electrified metal–liquid interfaces during faradaic and non-faradaic reactions by enhanced optical transmission
Sean P. Branagan and Paul W. Bohn
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35488H

Agnieszka Banas and Mark Breese from the National University of Singapore, and colleagues from Singapore and the UK have discovered there is more to be revealed in fingerprints. The non-destructive technique of synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infra-red (SR-FTIR) micro-imaging has been used to explore the molecular chemistry within the microstructures of microscopic particles found within latent fingerprints. Fingerprints can be contaminated with all sorts of things that a person has come in contact with, like powders, creams, medications and high explosive materials.

Click on the link below to read more about this work.

Detection of microscopic particles present as contaminants in latent fingerprints by means of synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infra-red micro-imaging
A. Banas, K. Banas, M. B. H. Breese, J. Loke, B. Heng Teo and S. K. Lim
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35355E

Mochalski & Amman et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 3278

In the last few years there have been a number of large natural disasters, including the earthquakes in Haiti and Indonesia, and the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan. These disasters result in devastation and the collapse of buildings and infrastructure in cities, town and villages. Search and rescue teams looking for survivors in the rubble currently use techniques like geophones, telescopic cameras, infrared (IR) cameras, or search dogs to locate survivors.  Paweł Mochalski, Anton Amann and a collaborative team from Poland, Austria and Greece have used headspace solid phase micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to study the biomarkers in urine, and looked at how the profile of 22 volatile species in urine changed when in contact with concrete and brick, in an attempt to signify human presence. Read about their interesting study below.

Permeation profiles of potential urine-borne biomarkers of human presence over brick and concrete
Paweł Mochalski, Agapios Agapiou, Milt Statheropoulos and Anton Amann
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3278-3285
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35214A

Check out some of the HOT articles published so far this month in Analyst. These papers will be free to access for 2 weeks.

The effect of anticancer drugs on seven cell lines monitored by FTIR spectroscopy
Allison Derenne, Magali Verdonck and Erik Goormaghtigh
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35116A

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization-derived large-volume monolithic supports for reversed-phase and anion-exchange chromatography of biomolecules
Rajendar Bandari and Michael R. Buchmeiser
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35193E

Facile magnetization of metal–organic framework MIL-101 for magnetic solid-phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental water samples
Shu-Hui Huo and Xiu-Ping Yan
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35429B

Generating contrast in hyperpolarized ¹³C MRI using ligand–receptor interactions
Kayvan R. Keshari, John Kurhanewicz, Jeffrey M. Macdonald and David M. Wilson
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35406C

Micro- and nanostructures and their application in gas chromatography
M. Mittermüller and D. A. Volmer
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35184F

Characterization of microstructured fibre emitters: in pursuit of improved nano electrospray ionization performance
Xinyun Wu, Richard D. Oleschuk and Natalie M. Cann
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35249D

Switchable ‘on–off–on’ electrochemical technique for direct detection of survivin mRNA in living cells
Jing Liu, Hong Zhou, Jing-Juan Xu and Hong-Yuan Chen
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35463B

We have a number of HOT articles in this week’s latest issue of Analyst. With topics including urine-borne biomarkers, nerve agent detection, nanostructures for gas chromatography and a bioelectronic sensor based on a dog’s nose, this is a very HOT issue indeed! These papers will be free to access until July 4th.

Micro- and nanostructures and their application in gas chromatography
M. Mittermüller and D. A. Volmer
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3195-3201
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35184F

“Turn on” electron-transfer-based selective detection of ascorbic acid via copper complexes immobilized on glass
Vikram Singh, Prakash Chandra Mondal, Jeyachandran Yekkoni Lakshmanan, Michael Zharnikov and Tarkeshwar Gupta
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3216-3219
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN16197D

A novel screen-printed electrode array for rapid high-throughput detection
Shuai Mu, Xiao Wang, Yuan-Ting Li, Yang Wang, Da-Wei Li and Yi-Tao Long
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3220-3223
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35261C

Fluorogenic and chromogenic probe for rapid detection of a nerve agent simulant DCP
Wei-hui Wu, Jun-jun Dong, Xin Wang, Jian Li, Shao-hui Sui, Gao-yun Chen, Ji-wei Liu and Ming Zhang
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3224-3226
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35428D

A bioelectronic sensor based on canine olfactory nanovesicle–carbon nanotube hybrid structures for the fast assessment of food quality
Juhun Park, Jong Hyun Lim, Hye Jun Jin, Seon Namgung, Sang Hun Lee, Tai Hyun Park and Seunghun Hong
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3249-3254
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN16274A

The effect of anticancer drugs on seven cell lines monitored by FTIR spectroscopy
Allison Derenne, Magali Verdonck and Erik Goormaghtigh
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3255-3264
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35116A

Simultaneous electrochemical measurement of metal and organic propellant constituents of gunshot residues
Maika Vuki, Kwok-Keung Shiu, Michal Galik, Aoife M. O’Mahony and Joseph Wang
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3265-3270
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35379B

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization-derived large-volume monolithic supports for reversed-phase and anion-exchange chromatography of biomolecules
Rajendar Bandari and Michael R. Buchmeiser
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3271-3277
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35193E

Permeation profiles of potential urine-borne biomarkers of human presence over brick and concrete
Paweł Mochalski, Agapios Agapiou, Milt Statheropoulos and Anton Amann
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3278-3285
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35214A

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Colorimetric recognition and sensing of nitrite with unmodified gold nanoparticles based on a specific diazo reaction with phenylenediamine
Jia Zhang, Cheng Yang, Xiaolei Wang and Xiurong Yang
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3286-3292
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35204D

Professor Pavel Matousek

In addition to the excellent themed issue collection on Single Entities, there are other high-profile names in the latest issue of Analyst.

Editorial Board member Pavel Matousek and collaborators employ transmission Raman spectroscopy for the first time to analyse model formulations comprising tabletted cocrystals.

Transmission Raman spectroscopy for quality control in model cocrystal tablets
Jonathan C. Burley, Aalae Alkhalil, Matthew Bloomfield and Pavel Matousek
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3052-3057
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35216H

Another Editorial Board member, Graham Cooks, also features. In his paper, leaf spray mass spectrometry is explored as a fast and simple way for direct analysis of glycosides in Stevia leaves without sample pretreatment.

Professor Graham Cooks

Direct analysis of steviol glycosides from Stevia leaves by ambient ionization mass spectrometry performed on whole leaves
J. Isabella Zhang, Xin Li, Zheng Ouyang and R. Graham Cooks
Analyst, 2012, 137, 3091-3098
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN16263F

There is also a collection of HOT papers to take a look at…

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Miao et al., Analyst, 2012, Advance Article

This HOT article features work from Xintao Shuai and colleagues of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhao, China.

They present a novel, sensitive Cu²⁺ sensor based on the use of dynamic light scattering (DLS) to detect difference in the hydrodynamic diameter of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The ability of DNA to adsorb on the AuNPs changes with the presence of Cu²⁺, affecting the disperse state of the AuNPs and, therefore, their average hydrodynamic diameter.

The Cu²⁺ ion plays a key role in many metabolic processes, so being able to accurately determine levels of Cu²⁺ is important in various aspects of biology.

The authors applied their technique to water samples and say that it is both simple and timesaving, with the potential to be extended to other bioassays in the future.

A highly sensitive sensor for Cu²⁺ with unmodified gold nanoparticles and DNAzyme by using the dynamic light scattering technique
Xiangmin Miao, Liansheng Ling, Du Cheng and Xintao Shuai
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35217F

This paper will be free to access until 21 June 2012.