Sunyoung Ham

Compositional analysis of electrodeposited bismuth telluride thermoelectric thin films using combined electrochemical quartz crystal microgravimetry--stripping voltammetry.

Bismuth telluride (Bi 2Te 3 ) is a benchmark material for thermoelectric power generation and cooling applications. Electrodeposition is a versatile technique for preparing thin films of this material; however, it affords films of variable composition depending on the preparation history. A simple and rapid assay of electrodeposited films, therefore, has both fundamental and practical importance. In this study, a new protocol for the electroanalysis of Bi 2Te 3 thin films is presented by combining the two powerful and complementary techniques of electrochemical quartz crystal microgravimetry (EQCM) and stripping voltammetry. First, any free (and excess) tellurium in the electrodeposited film was reduced to soluble Te ( 2- ) species by scanning to negative potentials in a 0.1 M Na 2SO 4 electrolyte, and the accompanying frequency increase (mass loss) was used to determine the content of free tellurium. The film was again subjected to cathodic stripping in the same medium (to generate Bi (0) and soluble Te (2-) from the Bi 2 Te 3 film component of interest), and the EQCM frequency change was used to determine the content of chemically bound Te in the Bi 2Te 3 thin film and thereby the compound stoichiometry. Finally, the EQCM frequency change during Bi oxidation to Bi (3+) and the difference between total Bi and Bi in Bi 2Te 3 resulted in the assay of free (excess) Bi in the electrodeposited film. Problems associated with the chemical/electrochemical stability of the free Bi species were circumvented by a flow electroanalysis approach. Data are also presented on the sensitivity of electrodeposited Bi 2Te 3 film composition to the electrodeposition potential. This newly developed method can be used for the compositional analysis of other thermoelectric thin-film material candidates in general.

A1E reduces stemness and self-renewal in HPV 16-positive cervical cancer stem cells

BackgroundCervical cancer is the second most common cancer in females. Recent reports have revealed the critical role of cervical cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumorigenicity and metastasis. Previously we demonstrated that A1E exerts an anti-proliferative action, which inhibits the growth of cervical cancer cells.MethodsA1E is composed of 11 oriental medicinal herbs. Cervical cancer cell culture, wund healing and invasion assay, flow cytometry, sheroid formation assay, and wstern blot assays were performed in HPV 16-positive SiHa cell and HPV 16-negative C33A cells.ResultsA1E targets the E6 and E7 oncogenes; thus, A1E significantly inhibited proliferation of human papilloma virus (HPV) 16-positive SiHa cells, it did not inhibit the proliferation of HPV-negative C33A cells. Accordingly, we investigated whether A1E can regulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), CSC self-renewal, and stemness-related gene expression in cervical cancer cells. Down rgulation of cell migration, cell invasion, and EMT was observed in A1E-treated SiHa cells. Specifically, A1E-treated SiHa cells showed significant decreases in OCT-3/4 and Sox2 expression levels and in sphere formation. Moreover, CSCs makers ALDH+ and ALDH, CD133 double positive cell were significantly decreased in A1E-treated SiHa cells. However, A1E treatment did not down regulate ALDH+ expression and the number of ALDH/CD133 double positive cells in C33A cells.ConclusionsTaken together, A1E can inhibit CSCs and reduce the expression of stemness markers. Treating CSCs with A1E may be a potential therapy for cervical cancer.

Electrodeposition of Ternary CdZnS Semiconductor Thin Films Using a S-Modified Polycrystalline Au Electrode

This paper describes a two-step approach for the electrochemical deposition of CdZnS thin films on the polycrystalline Au electrode. Initially, an Au substrate is electrochemically modified with a sulfur layer. In the second step, the layer is electroreduced to in the electrolyte dosed with the requisite amount of and ions to generate CdZnS films in situ. This approach was validated using a combination of linear sweep voltammetry and electrochemical quartz crystal microgravimetry. Thus synthesized CdZnS thin films have different composition depending on the composition of electrolytes. CdZnS thin films are characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and Raman spectroscopy.