Analytical chemistry articles within Nature Communications

Featured

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Despite its importance to the cement industry, tricalcium silicate hydration, with its sequence of induction, acceleration and deceleration steps, still hosts many open questions. Here, 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance provides new information on the silicate polymerization mechanism and its kinetics.

    • Elizaveta Pustovgar
    • , Rahul P. Sangodkar
    •  & Jean-Baptiste d’Espinose de Lacaillerie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Functionalizing antimicrobial peptides with fluorescent groups is a useful strategy for imaging infection, but the tag can alter the performance of the probe. Here, the authors report a spacer-free method to directly functionalise an amino acid with a fluorogenic group and prepare peptide-based imaging agents for fungal infection.

    • Lorena Mendive-Tapia
    • , Can Zhao
    •  & Marc Vendrell

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Real time cellular fluorescence imaging requires a probe that displays high degrees of localisation, low toxicity and good photostability. Here, the authors report a near infrared fluorophore that displays pH-sensitive fluorescence based on phenol/phenolate interconversion, showing real time imaging of cellular processes.

    • Marco Grossi
    • , Marina Morgunova
    •  & Donal F. O’Shea

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Assays for catalytic systems—particularly ones with simple colorimetric readouts—are useful for the rapid evaluation of performance. Here, the authors report an assay based on a concurrent colour-forming reaction working across a wide range that can be stopped to allow measurements and subsequently restarted.

    • Kazunori Koide
    • , Matthew P. Tracey
    •  & Christopher J. Welch

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Corona phase molecular recognition (CoPhMoRe) involves the deposition of a heteropolymer onto a nanoparticle surface, providing a recognition site for a given analyte. Here, the authors show that CoPhMoRe can be used to selectively detect proteins (fibrinogen) with high selectivity, including in a complex serum environment.

    • Gili Bisker
    • , Juyao Dong
    •  & Michael S. Strano

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nanopore sensors have shown tremendous potential for biomolecule sensing, though the diffusion-controlled capture can limit the speed of analysis. Here, the authors report a dielectrophoretic method to concentrate DNA near the tip of a nanopore, reducing the limit of detection by three orders of magnitude.

    • Kevin J. Freedman
    • , Lauren M. Otto
    •  & Joshua B. Edel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quantum dots with different size emit light at different wavelengths but also different brightness, which complicates analysis of fluorescence images. Here, the authors synthesize multicolour brightness-equalized quantum dots by controlling the composition and structure of core-shell HgCdSeS-CdZnS nanocrystals.

    • Sung Jun Lim
    • , Mohammad U. Zahid
    •  & Andrew M. Smith

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The construction of electronic skin requires simultaneous temperature and pressure detection. Here Zhang et al. utilize independent thermoelectric and piezoresistive effect in a single self-powered device, which shows a temperature resolution of <0.1 K and a pressure sensitivity of 28.9 kPa−1.

    • Fengjiao Zhang
    • , Yaping Zang
    •  & Daoben Zhu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Laplace NMR provides complementary information to traditional NMR, such as details of molecular motion. Here, the authors report a correlation experiment capable of providing information on the physical environment of molecules while enhancing the chemical resolution and greatly reducing the experiment times.

    • Susanna Ahola
    • , Vladimir V Zhivonitko
    •  & Ville-Veikko Telkki

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Covalency is a fundamental concept in chemical bonding, but experimentally it is not possible to measure the degree of covalency of a particular bond. Here, the authors report a model to link the covalency of hydrogen bonds in water with the anisotropy of the magnetic shielding tensor in the proton NMR.

    • Hossam Elgabarty
    • , Rustam Z. Khaliullin
    •  & Thomas D. Kühne

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Selective standoff detection of explosives is challenging due to the presence of volatile interferents. Here, the authors report dendrimer thin films that display distinct fluorescence responses when exposed to explosives as opposed to common interferents, allowing selective detection of nitrated explosives.

    • Yan Geng
    • , Mohammad A. Ali
    •  & Paul E. Shaw

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In-depth understanding of organic crystalline semiconductor thin films is critical for the development of many electronic and photonic devices. Here, the authors use combined linear dichroism and polarization-resolved photoluminescence scanning microscopy to unveil the nature of excited states in such systems.

    • Z. Pan
    • , N. Rawat
    •  & M. Furis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pressure- and temperature-induced phase transitions have long been studied, but little is known about the processes by which the atoms rearrange. Here, the authors presentin situmeasurements on shock compressed fused silica, revealing an amorphous to crystalline high pressure stishovite phase transition.

    • A. E. Gleason
    • , C. A. Bolme
    •  & W. L. Mao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding the catalytic mechanism of redox-active hydrogenases is a key to efficient hydrogen production and consumption. Here, the authors use nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy to study [NiFe]-hydrogenase, and observe a bridging hydride structure in an EPR silent intermediate.

    • Hideaki Ogata
    • , Tobias Krämer
    •  & Stephen P. Cramer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Separation and analysis of enantiomers is a difficult task due to the normally identical physical properties they display. Here, the authors show how chiral molecules with non-zero dipoles can be propelled in opposite directions under the influence of a rotating electric field.

    • Jonathon B. Clemens
    • , Osman Kibar
    •  & Mirianas Chachisvilis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    High-resolution microscopy methods provide a rich source of information, and allow highly precise measurements of atomic coordinates. Here, the authors report a method for quantitative analysis of material structures using multivariate statistical analysis to identify and distinguish various phases, defects and symmetries.

    • Alex Belianinov
    • , Qian He
    •  & Sergei V. Kalinin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hot electrons are generated when energy is transferred from an incoming photon, enabling an electron from a metal surface to become mobile. Here, the authors irradiate plasmonically active silver core-satellite superstructures and use the hot electrons to effect chemical reactions via photorecycling.

    • Wei Xie
    •  & Sebastian Schlücker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Detecting enantiomers in dilute mixtures of volatile organic compounds is a challenge. Here, the authors demonstrate a method to identify enantiomers and enantiomeric excess in a multi-component mixture containing two chiral species using laser mass spectrometry and photoelectron circular dichroism.

    • Mohammad M Rafiee Fanood
    • , N. Bhargava Ram
    •  & Maurice H. M. Janssen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    STED nanoscopy enables sub-diffraction imaging with a wide range of fluorescent probes. Here, the authors show that a bright and very photostable class of fluorescent quantum dots can be super-resolved with STED as biolabels in cellular contexts.

    • Janina Hanne
    • , Henning J. Falk
    •  & Stefan W. Hell

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Point-of-care analytical devices are of interest for diagnostic applications where larger scale laboratory instruments are not feasible or available. Here, the authors present a direct read-out colorimetric sensor which uses catalytic gas production to visualize picomolar concentrations of DNA.

    • Justin D. Besant
    • , Jagotamoy Das
    •  & Shana O. Kelley

  • Article |

    The development of improved DNA sequencing technologies relies on the ability to distinguish each of the four DNA nucleobases separately. Here, the authors fabricate a graphene field-effect transistor able to experimentally observe individual DNA nucleobases.

    • Nikolai Dontschuk
    • , Alastair Stacey
    •  & Jiri Cervenka

  • Article |

    Ball milling chemical reactions are of interest due to their environmental credentials and potential to achieve new reactions and materials. Here, the authors isolate a metastable material with a previously unknown net topology by in situmonitoring of the mechanosynthesis of a metal organic framework.

    • Athanassios D. Katsenis
    • , Andreas Puškarić
    •  & Tomislav Friščić

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mass spectrometry (MS) involves ionization of analytes with spectra dependent upon the mass-to-charge ratio. Here, the authors demonstrate that MS based on nanoelectromechanical systems gives results that are independent of the charge state and allow the mass spectrum of neutral species to be obtained.

    • Eric Sage
    • , Ariel Brenac
    •  & Sébastien Hentz

  • Article |

    Breaking chemical bonds with mechanical force can be a useful route to modify chemical species, but studying the process in detail can be challenging. Here, the authors use atomic force microscopy to apply pressure and monitor bond cleavage on chemically modified graphene.

    • Jonathan R. Felts
    • , Andrew J. Oyer
    •  & Paul E. Sheehan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is important as well as challenging to in situ probe redox mechanisms occurring at battery electrodes. Here, the authors develop an in situelectron paramagnetic resonance imaging technique and provide measurements on the nucleation growth of the anionic and cationic redox species at a battery electrode.

    • M. Sathiya
    • , J.-B. Leriche
    •  & H. Vezin

  • Article |

    The detection of high-frequency radiation emitted by a quantum conductor is promising but current approaches exhibit limited sensitivity. Here, Jompol et al. propose on-chip radiation detection based on photo-assisted shot noise and show the response to be independent of the nature and geometry of the quantum conductor.

    • Y. Jompol
    • , P. Roulleau
    •  & D. C. Glattli

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Organic bioelectronic devices can be used to convert biological recognition events to a signal output. Here, the authors show how a water gated field-effect transistor modified with odorant binding proteins can be used to analyse the enantioselectivity of carvone binding and also estimate free-energy changes.

    • Mohammad Yusuf Mulla
    • , Elena Tuccori
    •  & Luisa Torsi

  • Article |

    It is important as well as challenging to map out redox activity at battery electrodes. Here, the authors present a scanning electrochemical cell microscope approach, which allows redox activity and ion flux processes at battery electrodes to be visualized with high space and time resolution.

    • Yasufumi Takahashi
    • , Akichika Kumatani
    •  & Tomokazu Matsue

  • Article |

    There is a great need for inexpensive and sensitive tests to measure HIV viral load in patients’ samples. Here, Zhao et al. describe a cost-effective colorimetric method based on synthetic peptide nucleic acids that quantifies HIV RNA molecules from infected patients’ plasma.

    • Chao Zhao
    • , Travis Hoppe
    •  & Daniel H. Appella

  • Article |

    Accurately detecting low concentrations of oxygen is important in many fields, but current detection systems have limited sensitivity. Here, the authors report sensor materials based on phosphorescent boron or aluminium complexes in perfluorinated polymers, capable of detecting oxygen down to picomolar levels.

    • Philipp Lehner
    • , Christoph Staudinger
    •  & Ingo Klimant

  • Article |

    Reliable detection and identification of explosives is difficult due to the large numbers of compounds and the trace amount of material with which to work. Here, the authors show a nanosensor array capable of fingerprinting individual explosives and detecting them down to the parts-per-quadrillion concentration range.

    • Amir Lichtenstein
    • , Ehud Havivi
    •  & Fernando Patolsky

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chiral determination of vapours is possible in biological systems as an important part of the olfactory system. Here, the authors describe a system that is capable of visually detecting and distinguishing the chirality of vapour-phase molecules by structural changes in a liquid crystal confined in open microchannels.

    • Takuya Ohzono
    • , Takahiro Yamamoto
    •  & Jun-ichi Fukuda

  • Article |

    Ionic liquids are widely used in diverse applications as solvents with high thermal and chemical stability. Gunawan et al.develop a protocol for fabrication of an ionic liquid microdroplet array using a soft lithography technique, and demonstrate its utility as a membrane-free high-performance gas sensor.

    • Christian A. Gunawan
    • , Mengchen Ge
    •  & Chuan Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Materials capable of colour changes in response to stimuli are useful in sensors and other applications. Here the authors show a conjugated polymer that rapidly responds to the presence of water, and use it as a sensor to map active sweat pores as a means of fingerprint analysis.

    • Joosub Lee
    • , Minkyeong Pyo
    •  & Jong-Man Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The oxidation state of hydride ions in oxide hosts is a matter of debate. Here, the authors address this question with a range of techniques and suggest that the electron density near an incorporated hydride ion is less than that at the hydrogen in a hydroxide ion, contrary to formal valence arguments.

    • Katsuro Hayashi
    • , Peter V. Sushko
    •  & Hideo Hosono

  • Article |

    The direct detection of metabolites secreted by cells can indicate how cellular dynamics affects population development. Here, the authors present an integrated circuit-based method for electrochemical imaging of redox-active signalling molecules with spatial resolution within bacterial colonies.

    • Daniel L. Bellin
    • , Hassan Sakhtah
    •  & Kenneth L. Shepard

Browse broader subjects

Browse narrower subjects

Browse Analytical chemistry across other nature.com journals