Rapid identification of spinal ventral and dorsal roots using a quartz crystal microbalance

The fast and accurate identification of nerve tracts is critical for successful nerve anastomosis. Taking advantage of differences in acetylcholinesterase content between the spinal ventral and dorsal roots, we developed a novel quartz crystal microbalance method to distinguish between these nerves based on acetylcholinesterase antibody reactivity. The acetylcholinesterase antibody was immobilized on the electrode surface of a quartz crystal microbalance and reacted with the acetylcholinesterase in sample solution. The formed antigen and antibody complexes added to the mass of the electrode inducing a change in frequency of the electrode. The spinal ventral and dorsal roots were distinguished by the change in frequency. The ventral and dorsal roots were cut into 1 to 2-mm long segments and then soaked in 250 pL PBS. Acetylcholinesterase antibody was immobilized on the quartz crystal microbalance gold electrode surface. The results revealed that in 10 minutes, both spinal ventral and dorsal roots induced a frequency change; however, the frequency change induced by the ventral roots was notably higher than that induced by the dorsal roots. No change was induced by bovine serum albumin or PBS. These results clearly demonstrate that a quartz crystal microbalance sensor can be used as a rapid, highly sensitive and accurate detection tool for the quick identification of spinal nerve roots intraoperatively.

Quartz Crystal Microbalances for Evaluating Gas Motion Differences between Dichlorosilane and Trichlorosilane in Ambient Hydrogen in a Slim Vertical Cold Wall Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactor

A dichlorosilane gas and a trichlorosilane gas in ambient hydrogen were evaluated to show their different gas flow motions in a slim vertical cold wall chemical vapor deposition reactor for the Minimal Fab system. This evaluation was performed for improving and controlling the film qualities and the productivities, using two quartz crystal microbalances (QCM) installed at the inlet and exhaust of the chamber by taking into account that the QCM frequency corresponds to the real time changes in the gas properties. Typically, the time period approaching from the inlet to the exhaust was shorter for the trichlorosilane gas than that for the dichlorosilane gas. The trichlorosilane gas was shown to move like plug flow, while the dichlorosilane gas seemed to be well mixed in the entire chamber.

Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance(EQCM) Characterization of Electrodeposition and Catalytic Activity of Pd-based Electrocatalysts for Ethanol Oxidation

Pd was electrochemically deposited on gold-coated quartz crystals at nanogram-level. The coulombic efficiency and initial nucleation and growth mechanism of potentiostatic Pd deposition were investigated via in situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance（EQCM）. The coulombic efficieneies are 84%, 93% and 95% for Pd deposition at 0.3, 0.2 and 0.1 V（vs. SCE）, respectively. The results of chronoamperometric measurements show that the Pd deposition proceeded by an instantaneous nucleation（at 0.3 V） or progressive nucleation（at 0.2 and 0.1 V） in a three-dimensional（3D） growth mode. The catalytic activity of Pd-based electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation was characterized in an alkaline solution. It was found that the highest mass activity for ethanol oxidation on Pd-based electrocatalyst is 1.8× 10^4 A/（g Pd） deposited at 0.3 V for 5 s.

Charge Transport Processes of Immobilized Heteropolyanions at Self-assembled Monolayer Modified Gold Electrode by Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance Measurement

The in situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance（EQCM） technique was used to investigate the ion transport of immobilized heteropolyanions at a self-assembled monolayer（SAM） modified gold electrode during electrochemical redox process.A mixed transfer method was presented to analyse the abnormal change of resonant frequency based on the simultaneous insertion/extraction of different ions.The results indicate that the migration of HSO4-anions was indispensable in the redox process of the heteropolyanions in a 1 mol/L H2SO4 solution and played a key role in the abnormal change of the resonant frequency.Such a change was attributed to different packing densities derived by means of differently immobilized methods.

Hybrid temperature effect on a quartz crystal microbalance resonator in aqueous solutions

The quartz crystal microbalance（QCM） is an important tool that can sense nanogram changes in mass. The hybrid temperature effect on a QCM resonator in aqueous solutions leads to unconvincing detection results. Control of the temperature effect is one of the keys when using the QCM for high precision measurements. Based on the Sauerbrey＇s and Kanazawa＇s theories, we proposed a method for enhancing the accuracy of the QCM measurement, which takes into account not only the thermal variations of viscosity and density but also the thermal behavior of the QCM resonator. We presented an improved Sauerbrey equation that can be used to effectively compensate the drift of the QCM resonator. These results will play a significant role when applying the QCM at the room temperature.

Fabrication and evaluation of a portable and reproducible quartz crystal microbalance immunochip for label-free detection ofβ-lactoglobulin allergen in milk products

In this study,a label-free,portable and reproducible immunochip based on quartz crystal microbalance(QCM)was developed for the qualitative detection ofβ-lactoglobulin(β-LG),an allergen,in milk products.Experimental parameters in the fabrication and regeneration procedure such as pH of the coupling microenvironment,amount of anti-β-LG antibody and regeneration reagent were optimized in detail.Under optimal conditions,the proposed QCM immunochip exhibited good recognition of β-LG,with a calibration curve of ΔF=12.877 C_(β-LG)^(0.4809)(R^(2)=0.9982)and limit of detection of 0.04μg/mL.Additionally,this portable QCM immunochip had good stability,high specificity,and no obvious cross-reaction to three other milk proteins(α-casein,α-lactalbumin,and lactoferrin).It could compete a qualitative measurement within5 min,and could be reused at least ten times.In the β-LG analysis of actual milk samples,the developed QCM immunochip yielded reliable and accurate results,which correlated strongly with those from the standard HPLC method(R^(2)=0.9969).Thus,the portable,stable,and reproducible QCM immunochip developed in this study allowed the rapid,cost-effectively and sensitively measure theβ-LG in milk products.

Self-assembled graphene oxide/polyethyleneimine films as high-performance quartz crystal microbalance humidity sensors

As humidity is one of the most widely demanded environmental parameters,the precision of its detection is significant.An advanced humidity sensor will improve the validity of the humidity monitoring system.In this study,a facile chemical layer-by-layer self-assembly(CLS)method was developed for fabricating graphene oxide(GO)/polyethyleneimine(PEI)multilayer films.Owing to the chemical bonding between the PEI and GO,and the intrinsic stickiness of the PEI,layered films with different numbers of layers were successfully prepared using the CLS method and confirmed through ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis)spectroscopy and the mass loading of quartz crystal microbalance(QCM).Morphological measurements revealed that the roughness and thickness of the films increased exponentially with the number of bilayers.The GO/PEI films were deposited on QCM electrodes using the CLS method to produce the humidity sensors.The humidity measurement results showed a high sensitivity(37.84 Hz/%RH)and rapid response/recovery(<5 s/8 s)of the optimal sensor,which was superior to that of recently developed QCM sensors.

Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensor Deposited with LB Films of Functional Polymers for the Detection of Phenols in Vapour Phase

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Adsorption-desorption of Silica Nanoparticles on Poly（ethylene glycol） Brushes Grafted onto Au Substrate Studied by Quartz Crystal Microbalance

The adsorption-desorption of silica nanoparticles（NPs） on poly（ethylene glycol）（PEG） grafted onto gold（Au） substrate was studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring（QCM-D） technique. The results of frequency and dissipation show that SiO2 NPs can be adsorbed strongly on PEG-SH brushes at pH of 9.6, and a new dense and rigid construction is formed. Adjusting the pH from 9.6 to 12.3 resulted in the desorption of si- lica NPs from the PEG brushes because of a significant weakening of the hydrogen bond between the silica NPs and PEG chains. In addition, the viscoelastic properties of the system during the adsorption-desorption process were also analyzed via the relationship between the normalized frequency（Af/n） and mass. And the corresponding atomic force microscopy（AFM） images also exhibit morphological changes during the above process, consistent with the changes in viscoelasticity.

Protein adsorption behaviors on chitosan/poly(ε-caprolactone) blend films studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring(QCM-D)

Chitosan/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) blend films in different mass ratios were prepared using the chitosan/PCL mixture solutions in 80 vol.-% acetic acid by spin coating. Their surface micromorphologies were assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that the micromorphology of chitosan/PCL blend films was in large extent related to the mass ratio of chitosan. 25 wt% chitosan/PCL blend film presented microphase separation. The protein adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) onto chitosan/PCL blend films was investigated by using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) in real time. The results suggested that the amount of adsorbed BSA on the chitosan/PCL blend films decreased with the addition of chitosan, but the structure and viscoelastic properties of the adsorbed BSA layers were greatly affected by the surface micromorphology of chitosan/PCL blend films. BSA absorbed on the 25 wt% chitosan/PCL blend film with microphase separa- tion showed larger adsorption reversibility, and preferred to form a loose, dissipative layer in comparison with those on other chitosan/PCL blend films without microphase separation.

Vibration analysis of a new polymer quartz piezoelectric crystal sensor for detecting characteristic materials of volatility liquid

We present a new polymer quartz piezoelectric crystal sensor that takes a quartz piezoelectric crystal as the basal material and a nanometer nonmetallic polymer thin film as the surface coating based on the principle of quartz crystal microbalance （QCM）. The new sensor can be used to detect the characteristic materials of a volatile liquid. A mechanical model of the new sensor was built, whose structure was a thin circle plate composing of polytef/quartz piezoelectric/polytef. The mechanical model had a diameter of 8 mm and a thickness of 170 ~tm. The vibration state of the model was simulated by software ANSYS after the physical parameters and the boundary condition of the new sensor were set. According to the results of experiments, we set up a frequency range from 9.995850 MHz to 9.997225 MHz, 17 kinds of frequencies and modes of vibration were obtained within this range. We found a special frequency fsp of 9.996358 MHz. When the resonant frequency of the new sensor＇s mechanical model reached the special frequency, a special phenomenon occurred. In this case, the amplitude of the center point O on the mechanical model reached the maximum value. At the same time, the minimum absolute difference between the simulated frequency based on the ANSYS software and the experimental measured stable frequency was reached. The research showed that the design of the new polymer quartz piezoelectric crystal sensor perfectly conforms to the principle of QCM. A special frequency value fsp was found and subsequently became one of the most important parameters in the new sensor design.

Effect of N-doping-derived solvent adsorption on electrochemical double layer structure and performance of porous carbon

N-doped porous carbon has been extensively investigated for broad electrochemical applications.The performance is significantly impacted by the electrochemical double layer(EDL),which is material dependent and hard to characterize.Limited understanding of doping-derived EDL structure hinders insight into the structure-performance relations and the rational design of high-performance materials.Thus,we analyzed the mass and chemical composition variation of EDL within electrochemical operation by electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance,in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,and time-offlight secondary ion mass spectrometry.We found that N-doping triggers specifically adsorbed propylene carbonate solvent in the inner Helmholtz plane(IHP),which prevents ion rearrangement and enhances the migration of cations.However,this specific adsorption accelerated solvent decomposition,rendering rapid performance degradation in practical devices.This work reveals that the surface chemistry of electrodes can cause specific adsorption of solvents and change the EDL structure,which complements the classical EDL theory and provide guidance for practical applications.

Electrospun Poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) Nanofibrous Membranes for Catalase Immobilization:Effect of Porphyrin Filling on the Enzyme Activity

Porphyrin-filled nanofibrous membranes were facilely prepared by electrospinning of the mixtures of poly（acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid）（PANCAA） and porphyrins. 5,10,15,20-Tetraphenylporphyrin（TPP） and its metal-loderivatives（ZnTPP and CuTPP） were studied as filling mediators for the immobilization of redox enzyme. Results indicate that the introduction of TPP, ZnTPP and CuTPP improves the retention activity of the immobilized catalase. Among these three porphyrins, the ZnTPP-filled PANCAA nanofibrous membrane exhibits an activity retention of 93%, which is an exciting improvement. This improvement is attributed to both the strong catalase-porphyrin affinity and the possible facilitated electron transfer induced by the porphyrin as evidenced by quartz crystal microbalance （QCM） and fluorescence spectroscopy studies.

Research on Friction Properties of Mineral Lubricants in Thin-Film-Lubricating Regime

On the basis of thin film lubrication theory, the influence of fluid film(disordered film), ordered film and adsorbed film on tribological behavior of lubricating oil in thin-film lubrication(TFL) regime was studied. The μ-L(friction coefficient versus load) curves of different oil viscosity and additive dosage were obtained by a high frequency reciprocating test rig and the adsorption capacity of additive on steel surface were measured by QCM-D. Based on the Stribeck curve and thin film lubrication theory model, some conclusions can be drawn up, namely:(1) The μ-L curves and the parameters of L0 and μ0, obtained from the high frequency reciprocating test rig with ball-disc contact, can be used to study tribological behaviors of lubricating oil under TFL conditions.(2) In comparison with the high viscosity base fluid, the lower one can enter into TFL regime under lower load and keeps a lower friction coefficient in TFL regime.(3) The polar molecules in additive formulation produce ordered adsorbed layer on steel surface to reduce friction coefficient. And in TFL regime, the molecule's polarity, layer thickness and saturation degree on steel surface probably can influence lubricant's tribological behaviors between the moving interfaces. Moreover, the further study would be focused on the competitive adsorption of different additives, the formation of dual- and/or tri-molecular adsorption layers, and other aspects.

Piezoelectric transmission spectroelectrochemistry with a normal piezoelectric quartz crystal as an optically-transparent electrode

Piezoelectric transmission spectroelectrochemistry (PTSEC), i.e., the combination of electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry (SEC) with electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) technique is reported by using a normal piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) as an optically-transparent electrode (OTE). A theoretical relationship between the PQC response and the spectroelectrochemical response is derived and used to estimate the apparent molar absorptivity of the absorbing species deposited on the OTE on the PQC surface. The complex of copper with aspartic acid is used to test this new PQC-SEC technique. Results show that the combination of three such diverse techniques provides a very useful methodology for studying electrode processes and electrode surface characteristics in situ.

QCM Detection of Adhesion, Spreading and Proliferation of Human Breast Cancer Cells (MCF-7) on a Gold Surface

The quartz crystal microbalance （QCM） was used to monitor the one-day incubation of human breast cancer cells （MCF-7） on the gold electrode. In combination with an optical microscope simulation experiment, the cell-population pictures at various stages, the QCM responses to the cells＇ adhesion, spreading and proliferation on the electrode surface were discussed. The △f0 and △R1 responses were found mainly from mixed effects of viscodensity and surface stress, and in proportion to the cell coverage, rather than to the number of cells at the electrode. The significant fore-and-aft changes in cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the ferri-ferrocyanide redox couple also proved that the cells were adhesion to the gold surface.

Impacts of inorganic salts ions on the polar components desorption efficiency from tight sandstone:A molecular dynamics simulation and QCM-D study

Ions in brine significantly affect EOR.However,the mechanism of EOR with different brine is still controversial.By Combining Molecular Dynamics(MD)method and Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation(QCM-D)technology to analyze ions distribution and the mechanisms in detaching acidic components on the sandstone,an effective method to determine the detaching capacity was established.The results show that detaching capacity is related to ions distribution and hydration capacity.In the oil/brine/rock system,ions far from the rock are favorable for detaching,while ions near the rock are unfavorable for detaching due to ion bridging effect.The hydrogen bond between water and naphthenic acid is key to detaching.Cations strengthen the detaching by forming hydrated ions with water,and the detaching capacity is negatively correlated with hydrated ions radius and positively correlated with the water coordination number.The detaching determination coefficient was established by considering the ions distribution,ions types,and hydration strength,then verified by QCM-D.The brine detaching capacity with different Ca^(2+)/Mg^(2+)ratios was predicted based on MD and detaching determination coefficient,and verified by QCM-D.The optimal Ca^(2+)/Mg^(2+)ratio gave 7:3.This study provides theoretical guidance for targeted regulation of brine composition to improve the recovery of tight sandstone reservoir.

Chlorpyrifos Detection by Piezoelectric Biosensor Based on Acetylcholinesterase Immobilization

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was immobilized on multilayer films assembled by poly diallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) and ι-carrageenan (IC) on silver-coated crystal electrode surfaces to detect the chlorpyrifos belonging to the organophosphates pesticide.Mass sensitive quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used to study the effect of AChE concentration and pH of phosphate buffer solution on immobilized acetylcholinesterase.The optimized conditions were as follows: pH was 6.0 which was near isoelectric ...

Ultra-thin CoAl layered double hydroxide nanosheets for the construction of highly sensitive and selective QCM humidity sensor

To achieve real-time monitoring of humidity in various applications,we prepared facile and ultra-thin CoAl layered double hydroxide(CoAl LDH)nanosheets to engineer quartz crystal microbalances(QCM).The characteristics of CoAl LDH were investigated by transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy(XPS),Brunauer–Emmett–Telle(BET),atomic force microscopy(AFM)and zeta potential.Due to their large specific surface area and abundant hydroxyl groups,CoAl LDH nanosheets exhibit good humidity sensing performance.In a range of 11.3%and 97.6%relative humidity(RH),the sensor behaved an ultrahigh sensitivity(127.8 Hz/%RH),fast response(9.1 s)and recovery time(3.1 s),low hysteresis(3.1%RH),good linearity(R^(2)=0.9993),stability and selectivity.Besides,the sensor can recover the initial response frequency after being wetted by deionized water,revealing superior self-recovery ability under high humidity.Based on in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),the adsorption mechanism of CoAl LDH toward water molecules was explored.The QCM sensor can distinguish different respiratory states of people and wetting degree of fingers,as well as monitor the humidity in vegetable packaging,suggesting excellent properties and a promising application in humidity sensing.