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Antibodies represent highly specific and high binding affinity biomolecular recognition elements for diagnostic assays, biosensors, and therapeutics, but are sensitive to denaturation and degradation. Consequently, the combination of existing in a hydrated state with a large and complex biomolecular structure results in loss of antibody-antigen binding, limited shelf-life, and decreased sensor response over time and under non-optimal conditions. The development and use of water-free protein liquids has led to stabilization of labile biomolecules, solvents for biotransformation reactions, and formation of new bio-composites with incompatible materials. Here, we exploit the polycationic nature of modified antibodies and their ability to form ion pairs for the conversion of primary Immunoglobulin G antibodies into stable protein liquids that retained more than 60% binding activity after repeated heating up to 125 °C, and demonstrate compatibility with thermoplastics.

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a technique which utilizes a high energy pulsed laser ablation of targets to deposit thin films on substrates in a vacuum chamber. The high-intensity laser pulses create a plasma plume from the target material which is projected towards the substrate whereupon it condenses to deposit a thin film. Here we investigate the properties of vanadium oxide thin films prepared utilizing two variations of the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique: femtosecond PLD and nanosecond PLD. Femtosecond PLD (f-PLD) has a significantly higher peak intensity and shorter duration laser pulse compared to that of the excimer-based nanosecond PLD (n-PLD). Experiments have been conducted on the growth of thin films prepared from V2O5 targets on glass substrates using f-PLD and n-PLD. Characterization using SEM, XRD and Raman spectroscopy shows that the f-PLD films have significantly rougher texture prior to annealing and exhibit with an amorphous nano-crystalline character whereas the thin films grown using n-PLD are much smoother and highly predominantly amorphous. The surface morphology, structural, vibrational, and chemical- and electronic-state elemental properties of the vanadium oxide thin films, both prior to and after annealing to 450 °C, will be discussed.

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Group 6 transition metal oxide thin films are in large demand for photocatalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, fuel cell, battery and electronic applications. Pulsed laser deposition offers an inexpensive method for the preparation of nanostructured thin films that may be suitable for heterogeneous catalysis. We have synthesized molybdenum oxide thin films using two types of pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The first method utilizes femtosecond laser-based PLD (f-PLD) while the second method uses an excimer (nanosecond) laser-based PLD (n-PLD). The PLD films have been deposited using f-PLD and, separately, n-PLD on glass and silicon substrates and subsequently annealed to 450 °C for up to 20 hours in air using a Linkam stage. SEM, XRD and Raman spectroscopic characterization shows that the f-PLD films are substantially more textured and partially crystalline prior to annealing whereas the n-PLD-grown thin films are much smoother and predominantly amorphous. A 3-dimensional nano-crystalline structure is evident in the post-annealed f-PLD synthesized thin films, which is desirable for catalytic applications. XPS elemental analysis shows that the stoichiometry of the f-PLD and n-PLD thin films is consistent with the presence of MoO2 and MoO3. Our results are discussed in terms of thin film growth models suitable for f-PLD vs n-PLD.