The sensor performs cheap, sensitive, and visual DNA/RNA detection based on target-triggered change of surface wettability.

The sensor performs cheap, sensitive, and visual DNA/RNA detection based on target-triggered change of surface wettability.

The sensor performs cheap, sensitive, and visual DNA/RNA detection based on target-triggered change of surface wettability.

Histamine receptor, one typical G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), can be activated by histamine and form the most important drug targets involved in allergy and reflux diseases. Here, we report an artificial model to mimic the wettability-induced activation of natural GPCRs via histamine-modulated enhancement of wettability in a bionic nanochannel. The artificial receptor is constructed by introducing key recognition factors in nature, L-lysine modified fluorescein isothiocyanate (L-lysine-FITC), into a conical nanochannel. The conductance of the L-lysine-FITC-modified nanochannel increases with the histamine-induced wettability enhancement due to the various interactions between histamine and L-lysine-FITC molecules including hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions, as well as the proton transfer reaction. This study represents a crucial step towards the design of artificial GPCRs with wettability-induced activation and provides an opportunity to construct artificial models of GPCRs in

Quantifying the wettability of clay surfaces and how it changes in the presence of gas mixtures is crucial for designing geo-energy applications such as underground hydrogen storage and carbon capture and sequestration. While computational studies exist for the wettability of atomically perfect mineral substrates, actual minerals possess heterogeneities. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to examine the impact of surface defects on the wettability of kaolinite surfaces exposed to hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. The results show that siloxane surfaces become more hydrophilic as defect densities increase and that the gases can strongly affect wettability. Carbon dioxide, in particular, shows stronger adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces than hydrogen and methane. As a consequence, carbon dioxide can strongly affect wettability. Additionally, our results show that higher salt concentrations reduce water contact angle, which is important because salt is likely present in the subsurface. A machine learning classification algorithm is applied to interpret the results and develop predictive capabilities. Our findings highlight the importance of surface defects on wettability, which is essential for designing geological repositories for geo-energy applications ranging from enhanced gas recovery to carbon sequestration and intermittent hydrogen storage.

Hospital-acquired infections remain a critical challenge in healthcare, with pathogens often proliferating via contaminated surfaces and aerosol trans…

Read the full paper: Intrinsic Wettability of Talc