Direct patterning of molecularly imprinted microdot arrays for sensors and biochips.

We have used fountain pen microlithography to deposit arrays of molecularly imprinted polymer microdots on flat substrates. We visualize analyte binding to the dots by fluorescence microscopy with the aid of fluorescein as a model analyte. Elution and readsorption of the analyte to the MIP dots were possible if the porosity of the dots was improved by a sacrificial polymeric porogen. The imprinting effect was confirmed by using compounds structurally related to fluorescein. In addition, we show with another MIP specific to 2,4-D that, apart from the direct measurement of the binding of fluorescent compounds, a competitive immunoassay-type format can also be used to transduce the binding. We believe that this technique has a strong potential for the fabrication of biomimetic microchips and other types of integrated biosensors.

New magnetic copper(II) coordination polymers with the polynitrile ligand (C[C(CN)2]3)2- and N-donor co-ligands.

Reactions between CuCl2 and K2tcpd (tcpd2- = [C10N6]2- = (C[C(CN)2]3)2-) in the presence of neutral co-ligands (bpym = 2,2'-bipyrimidine, and tn = 1,3-diaminopropane) in aqueous solution yield the new compounds [Cu2(bpym)(tcpd)2(H2O)4] x 2H2O (1), [Cu(tn)(tcpd)] (2), and [Cu(tn)2(tcpd)] x H2O (3), which are characterized by X-ray crystallography and magnetic measurements. Compound 1 displays a one-dimensional structure in which the bpym ligand, acting with a bis-chelating coordination mode, leads to [Cu2(bpym)]4+ dinuclear units which are connected by two mu2-tcpd2- bridging ligands. Compound 2 consists of a three-dimensional structure generated by [Cu(tn)]2+ units connected by a mu4-tcpd2- ligand. The structure of 3 is made up of centrosymmetric planar [Cu(tn)]2+ units connected by a mu2-tcpd2- ligand leading to infinite zigzag chains. In compounds 1 and 3, the bridging coordination mode of the tcpd2- unit involves only two nitrogen atoms of one C(CN)2 wing, while in 2, this ligand acts via four nitrogen atoms of two C(CN)2 wings. Despite this difference, the structural features of the tcpd2- units in 1-3 are essentially similar. Magnetic measurements for compound 1 exhibit a maximum in the chi(m) vs T plot (at approximately 150 K) which is characteristic of strong antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the Cu(II) metal ions dominated by the magnetic exchange through the bis-chelating bpym. The fit of the magnetic data to a dimer model gives J and g values of -90.0 cm(-1) and 2.12, respectively. For compounds 2 and 3 the thermal variations of the magnetic susceptibility show weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the Cu(II) metal ions that can be well reproduced with an antiferromagnetic regular S = 1/2 chain model that gives J values of -0.07(2) and -0.18(1) cm(-1) with g values of 2.12(1) and 2.13(1) for compounds 2 and 3, respectively (the Hamiltonian is written in all the cases as H = -2JS(a)S(b)).