Polymer-Assisted Polymorph Transition in Melt-Processed Molecular Semiconductor Crystals.

A previously unreported polymorph of 5,11-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)anthradithiophene (TIPS ADT), Form II, crystallizes from melt-processed TIPS ADT films blended with 16 ± 1 wt % medium density polyethylene (PE). TIPS ADT/PE blends that initially are crystallized from the melt produce twisted TIPS ADT crystals of a metastable polymorph (Form IV, space group P1̅) with a brickwork packing motif distinct from the slipstack packing by solution-processed TIPS ADT crystals (Form I, space group P21/c) at room temperature. When these films were cooled to room temperature and subsequently annealed at 100 °C, near a PE melting temperature of 110 °C, Form II crystals nucleated and grew while consuming Form IV. The growth rate and orientations of Form II crystals were predetermined by the twisting pitch and growth direction of the original banded spherulites in the melt-processed films of the blends. Notably, the Form IV → II transition was not observed during thermal annealing of neat TIPS ADT films without PE. The presence of the mobile PE phase during thermal annealing of TIPS ADT/PE blend films increases the diffusion rate of TIPS ADT molecules, and the rate of nucleation of Form II. Form IV crystals are more conductive but less emissive compared to Form II crystals.

Characterization of Chiral Nanostructured Surfaces Made via Colloidal Lithography.

Optically anisotropic materials were produced via colloidal lithography and characterized using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), confocal microscopy, and polarimetry. A compact hexagonal array mask composed of silica sub-micron particles was fabricated via the Langmuir-Blodgett self-assembly technique. Subsequently, the mask pattern was transferred onto monocrystalline silicon and commercial glass substrates using ion beam etching in a vacuum. Varying the azimuthal angle while etching at oblique incidence carved screw-like shaped pillars into the substrates, resulting in heterochiral structures depending on the azimuthal angle direction. To enhance the material's optical properties through plasmon resonance, gold films were deposited onto the pillars. Polarimetric measurements were realized at normal and oblique incidences, showing that the etching directions have a clear influence on the value of the linear birefringence and linear dichroism. The polarimetric properties, especially the chiroptical responses, increased with the increase in the angle of incidence.

A pearl protein self-assembles to form protein complexes that amplify mineralization.

The formation of the nacre pearl in marine invertebrates represents an on-demand production of mineralization in response to an irritant or parasite threat to the mantle organ. In the Japanese pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata), this process is mediated by a 12-member protein family known as PFMG (Pinctada fucata mantle gene). One of these proteins, PFGM1, has been implicated in modulating calcium carbonate crystal growth and has been reported to possess an EF-hand-like domain. In this report, we establish that the recombinant PFMG1 (rPFMG1) is an intrinsically disordered "imitator" EF-hand protein that increases the number of calcium carbonate mineral crystals that form relative to control scenarios and does not induce aragonite formation. This protein possesses a modified pseudo-EF-hand sequence at the C-terminal end which exhibits low homology (30-40%) to the pseudo-EF-hand mitochondrial SCaMCs buffering/solute transport proteins. This low sequence homology is the result of the inclusion of disorder-promoting amino acids and short amyloid-like aggregation-prone cross-ß-strand sequences within the putative PFMG1 pseudo-EF-hand sequence region. Similar to other nacre proteins, rPFMG1 oligomerizes to form amorphous, heterogeneously sized protein oligomers and films in vitro, and this process is enhanced by Ca(2+), which promotes the formation of aggregation-prone extended ß-strand structure within rPFMG1. From these results, we conclude that PFMG1 forms supramolecular assemblies that play an important role in amplifying the nucleation process that is crucial for coating or neutralizing invasive threats to the mantle organ.

Determination of specific binding interactions at L-cystine crystal surfaces with chemical force microscopy.

The pathogenesis of L-cystine kidney stones involves four critical steps: nucleation, crystal growth, crystal aggregation, and crystal adhesion to cells. Although inhibition of crystal growth by L-cystine "imposters" at L-cystine crystal surfaces has been suggested as a plausible route for the suppression of stones, understanding the factors that govern crystal-crystal aggregation and adhesion of crystals to epithelial cells also is essential for devising strategies to mitigate L-cystine stone formation. Chemical force microscopy performed with atomic force microscope tips decorated with functional groups commonly found in urinary constituents that likely mediate aggregation and attachment (e.g., COOH, NH2, SH, CH3, OH) revealed signatures that reflect differences in the chemical affinity of these groups for the (001) and {100} faces of the naturally occurring hexagonal form of L-cystine single crystals and the {110} faces of the non-native tetragonal form. These signatures can be explained by the different chemical compositions of the crystal faces, and they reveal a remarkable binding specificity of the thiol group for the sulfur-rich {100} and {110} faces of the hexagonal and tetragonal forms, respectively. Collectively, these observations suggest that alterations of the crystal habit and polymorph by crystal growth inhibitors may not affect crystal aggregation or adhesion to cells significantly.