[Development of a high resolution simultaneous microwave plasma torch spectrometer].

A unique high resolution simultaneous microwave plasma torch (MPT) atomic emission spectrometer was developed and studied preliminarily. Some advanced technologies were applied to the spectrometer, such as echelle grating, UV-intensified CCD array detector, adjustable microwave generator, and water cooling system for the generator, etc. The detection limits of the spectrometer for some elements were determined, the spectral resolution and pixel resolution of the spectrometer were calculated, and an analysis of a practical sample was carried out. The preliminary results demonstrate that such simultaneous spectrometer has advantages of saving sample and time, possessing high sensitivity and resolution, and low-cost for the purchase and maintenance. Taking analytical figures of merit into consideration, the high resolution simultaneous MPT spectrometer will have extended application areas and greater competition potential as compared with sequential MPT spectrometers.

Selection of phage antibodies with GPX activity by combination of phage displayed antibody library with chemical modification and their characterization using a surface plasmon resonance biosensor.

Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) is an important antioxidant enzyme, which plays an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species. To obtain humanized GPX catalytic antibodies, the phage displayed human antibody library on the surface of the filamentous bacteriophage was used to select novel antibodies by repetitive screening. Phage antibodies B8, H6 and C1 with the GSH-binding site were obtained from the library by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis with four rounds of selection against three haptens, S-2,4-dinitrophenyl t-butyl ester [GSH-S-DNP-Bu (B)], S-2,4-dinitrophenyl t-hexyl ester [GSH-S-DNP-He (H)] and S-2,4-dinitrophenyl cycle-hexyl ester [GSH-S-DNP-cHe (C)], and characterized using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor. The gold layer was modified by dithiodiglycolic acid (DDA) and three haptens were easily attached to DDA by self-assembling to form a biosensor membrane. The membrane bounds specifically corresponding antibodies. The kinetic process of the reaction between phage antibodies and their haptens was studied by SPR biosensor. In order to improve selectivity, chemical modification was used to incorporate directly catalytic group selenocysteine (Sec) into selected phage clone B8, H6 and C1 to form Se-B8, Se-H6 and Se-C1, respectively. The GPX activities of Se-B8, Se-H6 and Se-C1 were found to be 3000, 2000 and 700units/mumol, respectively. Compared with conventional ELISA analysis, the proposed method based on SPR biosensor is much more rapid and simpler.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer in doubly-quantum dot labeled IgG system.

The mouse immunoglobulin G (mouse IgG) as a kind of bio-molecule was labeled with two different luminescent colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), green-emitting CdTe quantum dots and red-emitting CdTe quantum dots in this work. As a result of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the two different sizes nanoparticles with mouse IgG as the binding bridge, a significant enhancement of the emission of the red-emitting CdTe quantum dots and the corresponding quenching of the emission of green-emitting CdTe quantum dots were observed. The relationship between the concentration of the mouse immunoglobulin G and the fluorescence intensity ratio (I(a)/I(d)) of acceptors and donors was studied also. Under optimal conditions, the calibration graph is linear over the range of 0.1-20.0mg/L mouse IgG.

[Preliminary study on using acousto-optic tunable filter as wavelength selector for atomic absorption spectrometry].

An acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) is an all-solid-state, electronic monochromator that is based on the diffraction of light by an acoustic wave in an anisotropic crystal. It is a new kind of tunable small filter with narrow band compared with traditional unicolor filter. The filter can diffract incident white light at a specific wavelength when a specific radio frequency is applied into it. An AAS experimental setup using a microwave plasma torch (MPT) as the atomizer, and a visible AOTF as the wavelength selector was developed and the analytical performance was evaluated by determination of Na. The effect on the absorption signal of some operating conditions, including the observation height, the microwave forward power and the carrier and support gas flow rates for MPT, were investigated. The detection limit for Na was shown to be 0.23 microgram.mL-1 and the relative standard deviation was 2.6% (n = 6).

[Atomic/ionic fluorescence in microwave plasma torch discharge with excitation of high current and microsecond pulsed hollow cathode lamp: Ca atomic/ionic fluorescence spectrometry].

A system of atomic and ionic fluorescence spectrometry in microwave plasma torch (MPT) discharge excited by high current microsecond pulsed hollow cathode lamp (HCMP HCL) has been developed. The operation conditions for Ca atomic and ionic fluorescence spectrometry have been optimized. Compared with atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) in argon microwave induced plasma (MIP) and MPT with the excitation of direct current and conventional pulsed HCL, the system with HCMP HCL excitation can improve AFS and ionic fluorescence spectrometry (IFS) detection limits in MPT atomizer and ionizer. Detection limits (3 sigma) with HCMP HCL-MPT-AFS/IFS are 10.1 ng.mL-1 for Ca I 422.7 nm, 14.6 ng.mL-1 for Ca II 393.4 nm, and 37.4 ng.mL-1 for Ca II 396.8 nm, respectively.