Browsing by Subject "Circular dichroism"

Now showing 1 - 12 of 12

Open Access
Chiral metamaterials with negative refractive index based on four "U" split ring resonators
(American Institute of Physics, 2010-08-23) Li, Z.; Zhao, R.; Koschny, T.; Kafesaki, M.; Alici, K. B.; Colak, E.; Caglayan, H.; Özbay, Ekmel; Soukoulis, C. M.
A uniaxial chiral metamaterial is constructed by double-layered four "U" split ring resonators mutually twisted by 90°. It shows a giant optical activity and circular dichroism. The retrieval results reveal that a negative refractive index is realized for circularly polarized waves due to the large chirality. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical results.
Open Access
Chiral metamaterials: From negative index to asymmetric transmission
(IEEE, 2013) Mutlu, Mehmet; Li, Zhaofeng; Özbay, Ekmel
Chiral metamaterials are attractive for their intriguing properties such as negative refractive index, optical activity and circular dichroism, and asymmetric transmission. In this paper, we review the research we have conducted for the purpose of investigating these exciting properties. © 2013 EurAAP.
Open Access
Complementary chiral metamaterials with giant optical activity and negative refractive index
(American Institute of Physics, 2011-04-20) Li, Z.; Alici, K. B.; Colak, E.; Özbay, Ekmel
A complementary bilayer cross-wire chiral metamaterial is proposed and studied experimentally and numerically. It exhibits giant optical activity and a small circular dichroism. The retrieval results reveal that a negative refractive index is realized for right circularly polarized waves due to the strong chirality. Our numerical results show that the mechanism of the chiral behavior at the resonance of lower frequency can be interpreted as the coupling effects between two sets of mutually twisted virtual magnetic dipoles, while the resonance of higher frequency shows complicated nonlocal features.
Open Access
Electronic excited states of the CP29 antenna complex of green plants: a model based on exciton calculations
(Springer / Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000) İşerı, E. İ.; Albayrak, D.; Gülen, D.
We have suggested a model for the electronic excited states of the minor plant antenna, CP29, by incorporating a considerable part of the current information offered by structure determination, site-directed mutagenesis, and spectroscopy in the modeling. We have assumed that the electronic excited states of the complex have been decided by the chlorophyll-chlorophyll (Chl) and Chl-protein interactions and have modeled the Coulombic interaction between a pair of Chls in the point-dipole approximation and the Chl-protein interactions are treated as empirical fit parameters. We have suggested the Qy dipole moment orientations and the site energies for all the chlorophylls in the complex through a simultaneous simulation of the absorption and linear dichroism spectra. The assignments proposed have been discussed to yield a satisfactory reproduction of all prominent features of the absorption, linear and circular dichroism spectra as well as the key spectral and temporal characteristics of the energy transfer processes among the chlorophylls. The orientations and the spectral assignments obtained by relatively simple exciton calculations have been necessary to provide a good point of departure for more detailed treatments of structure-function relationship in CP29. Moreover, it has been discussed that the CP29 model suggested can guide the studies for a better understanding of the structure-function relationship in the major plant antenna, LHCII.
Open Access
Electrostatic effects on nanofiber formation of self-assembling peptide amphiphiles
(Elsevier, 2011) Toksoz, S.; Mammadov R.; Tekinay, A. B.; Güler, Mustafa O.
Self-assembling peptide amphiphile molecules have been of interest to various tissue engineering studies. These molecules self-assemble into nanofibers which organize into three-dimensional networks to form hydrocolloid systems mimicking the extracellular matrix. The formation of nanofibers is affected by the electrostatic interactions among the peptides. In this work, we studied the effect of charged groups on the peptides on nanofiber formation. The self-assembly process was studied by pH and zeta potential measurements, FT-IR, circular dichroism, rheology, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The aggregation of the peptides was triggered upon neutralization of the charged residues by pH change or addition of electrolyte or biomacromolecules. Understanding the controlled formation of the hydrocolloid gels composed of peptide amphiphile nanofibers can lead us to develop in situ gel forming bioactive collagen mimetic nanofibers for various tissue engineering studies including bioactive surface coatings. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.
Open Access
Heparin mimetic peptide nanofiber gel promotes regeneration of full thickness burn injury
(Elsevier Ltd, 2017) Yergoz, F.; Hastar, N.; Cimenci, C. E.; Ozkan, A. D.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.; Tekinay, T.; Güler, Mustafa O.
Burn injuries are one of the most common types of trauma worldwide, and their unique physiology requires the development of specialized therapeutic materials for their treatment. Here, we report the use of synthetic, functional and biodegradable peptide nanofiber gels for the improved healing of burn wounds to alleviate the progressive loss of tissue function at the post-burn wound site. These bioactive nanofiber gels form scaffolds that recapitulate the structure and function of the native extracellular matrix through signaling peptide epitopes, which can trigger angiogenesis through their affinity to basic growth factors. In this study, the angiogenesis-promoting properties of the bioactive scaffolds were utilized for the treatment of a thermal burn model. Following the excision of necrotic tissue, bioactive gels and control solutions were applied topically onto the wound area. The wound healing process was evaluated at 7, 14 and 21 days following injury through histological observations, immunostaining and marker RNA/protein analysis. Bioactive peptide nanofiber-treated burn wounds formed well-organized and collagen-rich granulation tissue layers, produced a greater density of newly formed blood vessels, and exhibited increased re-epithelialization and skin appendage development with minimal crust formation, while non-bioactive peptide nanofibers and the commercial wound dressing 3M™ Tegaderm™ did not exhibit significant efficiency over sucrose controls. Overall, the heparin-mimetic peptide nanofiber gels increased the rate of repair of burn injuries and can be used as an effective means of facilitating wound healing.
Open Access
Investigation of binding properties of dicationic styrylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridinium dyes to human serum albumin by spectroscopic techniques
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2017) Özdemir, A.; Gökoğlu, E.; Yılmaz, Esra; Yalçın, E.; Gökoğlu, E.; Seferoğlu, Z.; Tekinay, T.
The binding interaction between two dicationic styrylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridinium dyes and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated at physiological conditions using fluorescence, UV–vis absorption, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies. Analysis of the fluorescence titration data at different temperatures suggested that the fluorescence quenching mechanism of HSA by these dyes was static. The calculated thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°) indicated that hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces played a major role in the formation of the dye–HSA complex. Binding distances (r) between dyes and HSA were calculated according to Förster's non-radiative energy transfer theory. Studies of conformational changes of HSA using CD measurements indicate that the α-helical content of the protein decreased upon binding of the dyes.
Open Access
Laminin mimetic peptide nanofibers regenerate acute muscle defect
(Acta Materialia Inc, 2017) Cimenci, C. E.; Uzunalli, G.; Uysal, O.; Yergoz, F.; Umay, E. K.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.
Skeletal muscle cells are terminally differentiated and require the activation of muscle progenitor (satellite) cells for their regeneration. There is a clinical need for faster and more efficient treatment methods for acute muscle injuries, and the stimulation of satellite cell proliferation is promising in this context. In this study, we designed and synthesized a laminin-mimetic bioactive peptide (LM/E-PA) system that is capable of accelerating satellite cell activation by emulating the structure and function of laminin, a major protein of the basal membrane of the skeletal muscle. The LM/E-PA nanofibers enhance myogenic differentiation in vitro and the clinical relevance of the laminin-mimetic bioactive scaffold system was demonstrated further by assessing its effect on the regeneration of acute muscle injury in a rat model. Laminin mimetic peptide nanofibers significantly promoted satellite cell activation in skeletal muscle and accelerated myofibrillar regeneration following acute muscle injury. In addition, the LM/E-PA scaffold treatment significantly reduced the time required for the structural and functional repair of skeletal muscle. This study represents one of the first examples of molecular- and tissue-level regeneration of skeletal muscle facilitated by bioactive peptide nanofibers following acute muscle injury. Significance Statement Sports, heavy lifting and other strength-intensive tasks are ubiquitous in modern life and likely to cause acute skeletal muscle injury. Speeding up regeneration of skeletal muscle injuries would not only shorten the duration of recovery for the patient, but also support the general health and functionality of the repaired muscle tissue. In this work, we designed and synthesized a laminin-mimetic nanosystem to enhance muscle regeneration. We tested its activity in a rat tibialis anterior muscle by injecting the bioactive nanosystem. The evaluation of the regeneration and differentiation capacity of skeletal muscle suggested that the laminin-mimetic nanosystem enhances skeletal muscle regeneration and provides a suitable platform that is highly promising for the regeneration of acute muscle injuries. This work demonstrates for the first time that laminin-mimetic self-assembled peptide nanosystems facilitate myogenic differentiation in vivo without the need for additional treatment.
Open Access
Orbital magnetization of single and double quantum dots in a tight-binding model
(American Physical Society, 2003) Aldea, A.; Moldoveanu, V.; Niţǎ, M.; Manolescu, A.; Gudmundsson, V.; Tanatar, Bilal
We calculate the orbital magnetization of single and double quantum dots coupled both by Coulomb interaction and by electron tunneling. The electronic states of the quantum dots are calculated in a tight-binding model, and the magnetization is discussed in relation to the energy spectrum and to the edge and bulk states. We identify effects of chirality of the electronic orbits and of the anticrossing of the energy levels when the magnetic field is varied. We also consider the effects of detuning the energy spectra of the quantum dots by an external gate potential. We compare our results with the recent experiments of Oosterkamp et al. [Phys, Rev. Lett. 80, 4951 (1998)].
Open Access
Spectroscopic evaluation of DNA–borate Interactions
(Humana Press Inc., 2015) Ozdemir, A.; Sarioglu O. F.; Tekinay, T.
We describe the binding characteristics of two natural borates (colemanite and ulexite) to calf thymus DNA by UV–vis absorbance spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and a competitive DNA binding assay. Our results suggest that colemanite and ulexite interact with calf thymus DNA under a non-intercalative mode of binding and do not alter the secondary structure of the DNA helix. The FT-IR spectroscopy results indicate that the two borates might interact with DNA through sugar-phosphate backbone binding. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Open Access
Supramolecular chirality in self-assembled peptide amphiphile nanostructures
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015) Garifullin, R.; Güler, Mustafa O.
Induced supramolecular chirality was investigated in the self-assembled peptide amphiphile (PA) nanosystems. Having shown that peptide chirality can be transferred to the covalently-attached achiral pyrene moiety upon PA self-assembly, the chiral information is transferred to molecular pyrene via weak noncovalent interactions. In the first design of a supramolecular chiral system, the chromophore was covalently attached to a peptide sequence (VVAGH) via an ε-aminohexanoic acid spacer. Covalent attachment yielded a PA molecule self-assembling into nanofibers. In the second design, the chromophore was encapsulated within the hydrophobic core of self-assembled nanofibers of another PA consisting of the same peptide sequence attached to lauric acid. We observed that supramolecular chirality was induced in the chromophore by PA assembly into chiral nanostructures, whether it was covalently attached, or noncovalently bound.
Open Access
A theoretical study of strained monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides based on simple band structures
(2019-10) Aas, Shahnaz
This doctoral thesis deals with optoelectronic and geometric band properties of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) under applied strain. First, we analyze various types of strain for the K valley optical characteristics of a freestanding monolayer MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2 within a two-band k p method. By this simple bandstructure combined with excitons at a variational level, we reproduce wide range of available strained-sample photoluminescence data. According to this model strain affects optoelectronic properties. Shear strain only causes a rigid wavevector shift of the valley without any alternation in the bandgap or the effective masses. Also, for exible substrates under applying stress the presence of Poisson's effect or the lack of it are investigated individually for the reported measurements. Furthermore, we show that circular polarization selectivity decreases/increases by tensile/compressive strain for energies above the direct transition onset. TMDs in addition to their different other attractive properties have rendered the geometric band effects directly accessible. The tailoring and enhancement of these features by strain is an ongoing endeavor. In the second part of this thesis, we consider spinless two and three band, and spinful four band bandstructure techniques appropriate to evaluate circular dichroism, Berry curvature and orbital magnetic moment of strained TMDs. First, we establish a new k p parameter set for MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2 based on recently released ab initio and experimental band properties. For most of these TMDs its validity range extend from K valley edge to several hundreds of millielectron volts for both valence and conduction band. We introduce strain to an available three band tight-binding Hamiltonian to extend this over a larger part of the Brillouin zone. Based on these we report that by applying a 2:5% biaxial tensile strain, both the Berry curvature and the orbital magnetic moment can be doubled compared to their unstrained values. These simple bandstructure tools can be suitable for the device modeling of the geometric band effects in strained monolayer TMDs.