Abstract: Intermediates and methods for forming passivated surfaces on oxide layers and articles produced thereby are described. Hydroxyl or hydroxide groups on the oxide surfaces are reacted with a metal reagent of the formula Y(L-Pol)m, where Y is a transition metal, magnesium or aluminum, L is oxygen, sulfur, selenium or an amine, and “Pol” represents a passivating agent such as a polyethylene glycol, a hydrocarbon, or a fluorocarbon. The resulting modified surface can be further reacted with a passivating agent having a phosphate functional group or a polyvalent reagent comprising a passivating moiety and a plurality of functional groups that are reactive with or that form complexes with Y. The passivating agent can also include a functional group such as biotin to provide surfaces with a desired functionality. The passivated surfaces exhibit minimal binding to bio-molecules and can be used in single-molecule detection schemes.

Abstract: Described are devices and methods for detecting binding on an electrode surface. In addition, devices and methods for electrochemically synthesizing polymers and devices and methods for synthesizing and detecting binding to the polymer on a common integrated device surface are described.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a high vacuum in-situ refining method for high-purity and superhigh-purity materials and the apparatus thereof, characterized in heating the upper part and lower part of crucible separately using double-heating-wires diffusion furnace under vacuum, thereby forming the temperature profile which is high at upper part and low at lower part of crucible, or in reverse during different stages; then heating the crucible in two steps to remove impurities with high saturation vapor pressure and low saturation vapor pressure respectively in efficiency; and obtaining high-purity materials eventually. The whole procedure is isolated from atmosphere, reducing contamination upon stuff remarkably. The present invention could provide products with high-quality and high production capacity, which are stable in performance, therefore is reliable and free from contamination.

Abstract: A metal chelating composition having the formula: wherein Q is a carrier; S1 is a spacer; L is -A-T-CH(X)— or —C(?O)—; A is an ether, thioether, selenoether, or amide linkage; T is a bond or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or alkenyl; X is —(CH2)kCH3, —(CH2)kCOOH, —(CH2)kSO3H, —(CH2)kPO3H2, —(CH2)kN(J)2, or —(CH2)kP(J)2, preferably —(CH2)kCOOH or —(CH2)kSO3H; k is an integer from 0 to 2; J is hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl; Y is —COOH, —H, —SO3H, —PO3H2, —N(J)2, or —P(J)2, preferably, —COOH; Z is —COOH, —H, —SO3H, —PO3H2, —N(J)2, or —P(J)2, preferably, —COOH; and i is an integer from 0 to 4, preferably 1 or 2.

Abstract: System and methods for detecting analytes such as pathogenic cells are described. The methods allow for the direct measurement of analytes such as pathogenic organisms without the need for sample preparation and/or PCR. The devices can be used individually as point-of-use sensors for airborne pathogens and other pathogenic organisms in foods and agriculture products.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a high vacuum in-situ refining method for high-purity and superhigh-purity materials and the apparatus thereof, characterized in heating the upper part and lower part of crucible separately using double-heating-wires diffusion furnace under vacuum, thereby forming the temperature profile which is high at upper part and low at lower part of crucible, or in reverse during different stages; then heating the crucible in two steps to remove impurities with high saturation vapor pressure and low saturation vapor pressure respectively in efficiency; and obtaining high-purity materials eventually. The whole procedure is isolated from atmosphere, reducing contamination upon stuff remarkably. The present invention could provide products with high-quality and high production capacity, which are stable in performance, therefore is reliable and free from contamination.

Abstract: Lateral collection photovoltaic (LCP) structures based on micro- and nano-collecting elements are used to collect photogenerated carriers. In one set of embodiments, the collecting elements are arrayed on a conducting substrate. In certain versions, the collecting elements are substantially perpendicular to the conductor. In another set of embodiments, the micro- or nano-scale collecting elements do not have direct physical and electrical contact to any conducting substrate. In one version, both anode and cathode electrodes are laterally arrayed. In another version, the collecting elements of one electrode are a composite wherein a conductor is separated by an insulator, which is part of each collector element, from the opposing electrode residing on the substrate. In still another version, the collection of one electrode structure is a composite containing both the anode and the cathode collecting elements for collection. An active material is positioned among the collector elements.

Abstract: Intermediates and methods for forming passivated surfaces on oxide layers and articles produced thereby are described. Hydroxyl or hydroxide groups on the oxide surfaces are reacted with a metal reagent of the formula Y(L-Pol)m, where Y is a transition metal, magnesium or aluminum, L is oxygen, sulfur, selenium or an amine, and “Pol” represents a passivating agent such as a polyethylene glycol, a hydrocarbon, or a fluorocarbon. The resulting modified surface can be further reacted with a passivating agent having a phosphate functional group or a polyvalent reagent comprising a passivating moiety and a plurality of functional groups that are reactive with or that form complexes with Y. The passivating agent can also include a functional group such as biotin to provide surfaces with a desired functionality. The passivated surfaces exhibit minimal binding to bio-molecules and can be used in single-molecule detection schemes.

Abstract: Raman-active molecules having specific affinity for phosphorylated peptides and proteins are provided. The Raman-active affinity molecules contain a Raman active group capable of providing a detectable spectrum. The affinity molecules act as tags or reporter molecules and are useful, for example in detecting the presence of a phosphorylated residue in a peptide or protein through the use of SERS spectroscopy. The affinity molecules provide the ability to detect and quantify phosphatase and kinase activities.

Abstract: Described are devices and methods for detecting binding on an electrode surface. In addition, devices and methods for electrochemically synthesizing polymers and devices and methods for synthesizing and detecting binding to the polymer on a common integrated device surface are described.

Abstract: A method is provided for label free analysis of nucleic acid materials. In accordance with the present invention, a fluorescent material is provided having a certain fluorescence emission without nucleic acids attached thereto. The fluorescent material of the present invention, has a greater emission upon the binding of a single stranded nucleic acid and an even greater emission upon the binding of a double stranded nucleic acid allowing detection of double stranded binding without using a label attached to the DNA.

Abstract: A method is provided for label free analysis of nucleic acid materials. In accordance with the present invention, a fluorescent material is provided having a certain fluorescence emission without nucleic acids attached thereto. The fluorescent material of the present invention, has a greater emission upon the binding of a single stranded nucleic acid and an even greater emission upon the binding of a double stranded nucleic acid allowing detection of double stranded binding without using a label attached to the DNA.

Abstract: The sensitivity of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy to silver nano-particle/peptide aggregates is increased by prior treatment of the peptides. According to a first type of embodiment, an enzyme such as Glu-C is used for protein(s) digestion based on the enzyme's ability to cleave proteins at a selected location having a negative charge, such as at aspartic acid and glutamic acid. This type of digestion is used to derive a higher proportion of positively charged component peptides sequences as compared to the component peptides sequences obtained by standard tryptic digestion of protein(s). According to a second type of embodiment, methyl-esterification of peptides suppresses the negative charge contributions of portions of the peptides such as aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and the C-terminus. Both types of embodiments result in increased binding affinity of the resulting component sequence peptides with negatively charged nano-particles such as silver nano-particles.

Abstract: The embodiments of the invention relate to a method for the introduction of a labeling structure such as a fluorescent molecules or a Raman tags to a compound. Imidazole functionalized resins or polymers are used to selectively immobilize phosphocompounds without protecting the carboxylic groups. Relying on the pKa difference between amines and hydrazides and carrying out the reaction in a slightly acidic buffer, all of the amines are protected by protonation while the hydrazides react with the phosphate imidazolide to form a phosphoramidate bond.

Abstract: The embodiments of the invention are directed to a SERS cluster comprising a capture particle that is at least partially surrounded by analyte molecules, wherein both the capture particle and the analyte molecules surrounding the capture particle are at least partially surrounded by enhancer particles, wherein a majority of the analyte molecules are either sandwiched between capture and enhancer particles or located between junctions of the enhancer particles. The embodiments of the invention also relate to methods of manufacturing and detecting the SERS cluster. The embodiments of the invention also relate to a SERS active particle comprising a tag molecule comprising a Raman active compound and a probe or a linker having a specific biochemical binding capability and to a method for detecting of a target molecule using a SERS active particle having a tag molecule comprising a Raman active compound and a probe or a linker.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for preparing a removable system on a mother substrate. The method deposits a high surface to volume sacrificial layer on a mother substrate and stabilizes the sacrificial layer by a) removing volatile chemical species in and on the sacrificial layer and/or b) modifying the surface of the layer. The method coats over the sacrificial layer with a capping medium. A system is the fabricated on the capping medium. The method provides through holes to access the sacrificial layer. The method may also apply a top layer onto the system to form a covered system. The invention also includes the step of removing the sacrificial layer to release the system from the mother substrate. Methods of the invention also include selectively removing a portion of the system and capping layers to form void regions defining an array of islands composed of device, structure, or system and capping layer regions, and optionally filling the island-defining void region with a sacrificial material.

Abstract: A method for converting a pseudoisocytidine base having the formula: to a pseudoisocytidine molecule having the formula: is disclosed. Such compounds are useful as nucleic acid labeling compounds.

Abstract: A SERS active particle having a metal-containing particle and a cationic coating on the metal-containing particle, wherein the SERS active particle carries a positive charge is disclosed. Also, a SERS active particle having a metal-containing particle and a non-metallic molecule, wherein the metal-containing particle is derivatized with the non-metallic molecule is disclosed. In addition, several methods of modifying the nanoparticles surfaces of a SERS active particle and of improving the interaction between the SERS active particle and an analyte are disclosed.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, methods are presented for labeling a cDNA strand with a labeled ribonucleotide base precursor which upon exposure to Mg2+, heat and base cleaves the cDNA at each place of incorporation of an RNA. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, compounds selected from the group consisting of are incorporated into the growing strand of a cDNA by a reverse transcriptase or a mutant reverse transcriptase. After subject the strands to Mg2+, base and heat, the 3? OH causes cleavage of the cDNA leaving a 2?OH phosphate with a biotin label. The biotin provides a label which may be bound to streptavidin and thereafter hybridized to a nucleic acid array.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide devices and methods for detecting, identifying, distinguishing, and quantifying modification states of peptides using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) and Raman spectroscopy. Additional embodiments provide strategies for chemically derivatizing post-translational modifications and detecting the chemically derivatized products using SERS. Applications of embodiments of the present invention include proteome wide modification profiling and analyses with applications in disease diagnosis, prognosis and drug efficacy studies, enzymatic activity profiling and assays.