Urease thin films have been immobilized using matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation for biosensor applications in clinical diagnostics. The targets exposed to laser radiation were made of frozen composites that had been manufactured by dissolving urease in distilled water. An UV KrF* (lambda = 248 nm, tauFWHM congruent with 30 ns, nu = 10 Hz) excimer source was used for the multipulse laser irradiation of the targets that were cooled down to solidification using Peltier elements. The incident laser fluence was set at 0.4 J/cm2. The surface morphology and chemical bonding states of the laser immobilized urease thin films were investigated by atomic force microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The enzymatic activity and kinetics of the immobilized urease were assayed by the Worthington method, which monitors urea hydrolysis by coupling ammonia production to a glutamate dehydrogenase reaction. Decreased absorbance was found at 340 nm and correlated with the enzymatic activity of urease.
Montmorillonite- composites containing various transition metal ions (silver, copper, or nickel) were prepared, and their photocatalytic efficiencies were tested in the degradation of ethanol vapor at 70% relative humidity. Two light sources, UV-rich ( = 254 nm) and visible ( = 435 nm), were used. The kinetics of degradation was monitored by gas chromatography. It was established that, in the case of each catalyst, ethanol degradation was more efficient in UV-C ( = 254 nm) than in visible light, furthermore, these samples containing silver or copper ions were in each case about twice more efficient than P25 (Degussa AG.) used as a reference. In photooxidation by visible light, /clay samples doped with silver or copper were also more efficient than the reference sample, P25 . We show that doping metal ions can also be delivered to the surface of the support by ion exchange and significantly alters the optical characteristics of the /clay composite.
Perforated magnetoplasmonic Au/Co/Au multilayers support both localized and propagating surface plasmon resonances. The presence of holes produces an enhancement of the magnetic field modulation of the propagating surface plasmon wavevector with respect to the isostructural continuous film in the spectral region corresponding to the hole associated localized plasmon resonance. This is due to the increased electromagnetic field in the surrounding area of the resonant hole, and the subsequent additional contribution to the magnetic modulation of the continuous film. This novel concept that gives rise to enhanced magnetic field induced nonreciprocal effects can be of interest in the development of innovative platforms for sensing applications, optical isolators and modulators.
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