1. Optical Biosensor Detects Biological Toxins and Infectious Agents
Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Property Optimization of Novel Arsenides, Antimonides and Bismuthides
Svilen Bobev Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware Newark, DE 19716
The focus of this study was on the synthesis and structural characterization of the new Zintl phases Ba2ZnPn2 (Pn = As, Sb, Bi). Electronic structure calculations carried out by the LMTO method indicate small band-gap semiconducting behavior for Ba2ZnAs2 and semi- or poorly-metallic behavior for Ba2ZnSb2 and Ba2ZnBi2—desirable characteristics for thermoelectric materials. Based on the above and on parallels with the structurally related AZn2Sb2 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Yb), which previous work has suggested as candidates for high-efficiency thermoelectric energy conversion, one could expect Ba2ZnPn2 to become materials of practical importance. However, all three title compounds were found to be extremely air- and/or moisture-sensitive, which could significantly limit their prospects for widespread applications.
From a fundamental point of view, Ba2ZnPn2 (Pn = As, Sb, Bi) are new phases in the respective ternary systems, where, for a long time, only very few structurally characterized compounds. Their structures are based on isolated [ZnSb2]4– chains of edge-shared ZnSb4 tetrahedra. Such motifs are unique among the Zintl phases with d-metals and appear, so far, to be limited to Zn-containing compounds only. For example, NaCdSb is a network structure with the TiNiSi type, while NaZnSb, which was used as a “parent” structure to derive Ba2ZnSb2, forms with the layered anti-PbClF type. Despite repeated attempts, Ba2CdSb2 isopointal with Ba2ZnSb2 could never be synthesized. The closest (compositionally) compound that was found is Ba11Cd6Sb12, which forms with an entirely different structure made of corner-sharing CdSb4 tetrahedra. Analogously, the CdSb4-based compounds Ba21Cd4Sb18, Ba3Cd2Sb4, or Ba2Cd2As3 and Ba2Cd2Sb3, do not seem to have Zn-counterparts. Nonetheless, the apparent distinction between the Cd- and Zn-chemistries, and the structural relationships discussed in this paper can be a good starting point for the rational synthesis of new ternary and quaternary compounds with unprecedented structures. Such studies are presently ongoing.
Optical Biosensor Detects Biological Toxins and Infectious Agents
Toxins (poisons produced by living organisms) and disease-causing organisms such as viruses work by binding to specific receptors on the surface of an affected cell. Binding causes the receptors to aggregate, allowing the toxin or invading virus to enter the cell.
Our Optical Biosensor uses optically tagged natural receptors embedded in a synthetic cell membrane to mimic a natural chain of events. When a target protein binds, the receptors in the cell membrane are pulled into a cluster by the toxin’s binding sites (shown for cholera toxin in red). The close proximity of the receptors, which are normally further apart, triggers an energy transfer leading to a fluorescent response.