Graphene-ceramic hybrid nanofibers for ultrasensitive electrochemical determination of ascorbic acid

Iron modified hydrogen-bonded organic framework as fluorescent sensor for ascorbic acid detection

Herein, iron modified hydrogen-bonded organic framework (Fe-HOF) was successfully prepared by introducing the yellow-green fluorescent ligand 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid into HOF and then modifying Fe3+. A simple turn-on fluorescence strategy is proposed for the detection of ascorbic acid (AA) based on Fe-HOF. Fe3+ could effectively quench fluorescence emission of HOF. In the presence of AA, Fe3+ was reduced to Fe2+, which led to the fluorescence recovery of HOF, thus realizing the fluorescence quantitative detection of AA. These fluorescence responsive behaviors of Fe-HOF ensure fluorescence assay of AA within 0.5 - 8 μM, along with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.14 μM. The sensing platform could realize the rapid detection of ascorbic acid in vitamin C pills, tablets and beverages in the detection of ascorbic acid with good recoveries.

Effect of Hydrogen Plasma Treatment on the Sensitivity of ZnO Based Electrochemical Non-Enzymatic Biosensor

Information on vitamin C-ascorbic acid (AA)-content is important as it facilitates the provision of dietary advice and strategies for the prevention and treatment of conditions associated with AA deficiency or excess. The methods of determining AA content include chromatographic techniques, spectrophotometry, and electrochemical methods of analysis. In the present work, an electrochemical enzyme-free ascorbic acid sensor for a neutral medium has been developed. The sensor is based on zinc oxide nanowire (ZnO NW) arrays synthesized via low-temperature chemical deposition (Chemical Bath Deposition) on the surface of an ITO substrate. The sensitivity of the electrochemical enzyme-free sensor was found to be dependent on the process treatments. The AA sensitivity values measured in a neutral PBS electrolyte were found to be 73, 44, and 92 µA mM-1 cm-2 for the ZnO NW-based sensors of the pristine, air-annealed (AT), and air-annealed followed by hydrogen plasma treatment (AT+PT), respectively. The simple H-plasma treatment of ZnO nanowire arrays synthesized via low-temperature chemical deposition has been shown to be an effective process step to produce an enzyme-free sensor for biological molecules in a neutral electrolyte for applications in health care and biomedical safety.

Applications of Ceramic/Graphene Composites and Hybrids

Research activity on ceramic/graphene composites and hybrids has increased dramatically in the last decade. In this review, we provide an overview of recent contributions involving ceramics, graphene, and graphene-related materials (GRM, i.e., graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and graphene nanoplatelets) with a primary focus on applications. We have adopted a broad scope of the term ceramics, therefore including some applications of GRM with certain metal oxides and cement-based matrices in the review. Applications of ceramic/graphene hybrids and composites cover many different areas, in particular, energy production and storage (batteries, supercapacitors, solar and fuel cells), energy harvesting, sensors and biosensors, electromagnetic interference shielding, biomaterials, thermal management (heat dissipation and heat conduction functions), engineering components, catalysts, etc. A section on ceramic/GRM composites processed by additive manufacturing methods is included due to their industrial potential and waste reduction capability. All these applications of ceramic/graphene composites and hybrids are listed and mentioned in the present review, ending with the authors' outlook of those that seem most promising, based on the research efforts carried out in this field.

Vitamin C-Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) has been known as an antioxidant for most people. However, its physiological role is much larger and encompasses very different processes ranging from facilitation of iron absorption through involvement in hormones and carnitine synthesis for important roles in epigenetic processes. Contrarily, high doses act as a pro-oxidant than an anti-oxidant. This may also be the reason why plasma levels are meticulously regulated on the level of absorption and excretion in the kidney. Interestingly, most cells contain vitamin C in millimolar concentrations, which is much higher than its plasma concentrations, and compared to other vitamins. The role of vitamin C is well demonstrated by miscellaneous symptoms of its absence-scurvy. The only clinically well-documented indication for vitamin C is scurvy. The effects of vitamin C administration on cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infections are rather minor or even debatable in the general population. Vitamin C is relatively safe, but caution should be given to the administration of high doses, which can cause overt side effects in some susceptible patients (e.g., oxalate renal stones). Lastly, analytical methods for its determination with advantages and pitfalls are also discussed in this review.

Molecularly Imprinted Sensor for Ascorbic Acid Based on Gold Nanoparticles and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

Background:

L-Ascorbic acid (AA) is a kind of water soluble vitamin, which is mainly present in fruits, vegetables and biological fluids. As a low cost antioxidant and effective scavenger of free radicals, AA may help to prevent diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Owing to its role in the biological metabolism, AA has also been utilized for the therapy of mental illness, common cold and for improving the immunity. Therefore, it is very necessary and urgent to develop a simple, rapid and selective strategy for the detection of AA in various samples.

Methods:

The molecularly imprinted poly(o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD) film was prepared for the analysis of L-ascorbic acid (AA) on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) - multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) by electropolymerization of o-phenylenediamine (oPD) and AA. Experimental parameters including pH value of running buffer and scan rates were optimized. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were utilized for the characterization of the imprinted polymer film.

Results:

Under the selected experimental conditions, the DPV peak currents of AA exhibit two distinct linear responses ranging from 0.01 to 2 μmol L-1 and 2 to 100 μmol L-1 towards the concentrations of AA, and the detection limit was 2 nmol L-1 (S/N=3).

Conclusion:

The proposed electrochemical sensor possesses excellent selectivity for AA, along with good reproducibility and stability. The results obtained from the analysis of AA in real samples demonstrated the applicability of the proposed sensor to practical analysis.

A review on recent advancements in electrochemical biosensing using carbonaceous nanomaterials

This review, with 201 references, describes the recent advancement in the application of carbonaceous nanomaterials as highly conductive platforms in electrochemical biosensing. The electrochemical biosensing is described in introduction by classifying biosensors into catalytic-based and affinity-based biosensors and statistically demonstrates the most recent published works in each category. The introduction is followed by sections on electrochemical biosensors configurations and common carbonaceous nanomaterials applied in electrochemical biosensing, including graphene and its derivatives, carbon nanotubes, mesoporous carbon, carbon nanofibers and carbon nanospheres. In the following sections, carbonaceous catalytic-based and affinity-based biosensors are discussed in detail. In the category of catalytic-based biosensors, a comparison between enzymatic biosensors and non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors is carried out. Regarding the affinity-based biosensors, scholarly articles related to biological elements such as antibodies, deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) and aptamers are discussed in separate sections. The last section discusses recent advancements in carbonaceous screen-printed electrodes as a growing field in electrochemical biosensing. Tables are presented that give an overview on the diversity of analytes, type of materials and the sensors performance. Ultimately, general considerations, challenges and future perspectives in this field of science are discussed. Recent findings suggest that interests towards 2D nanostructured electrodes based on graphene and its derivatives are still growing in the field of electrochemical biosensing. That is because of their exceptional electrical conductivity, active surface area and more convenient production methods compared to carbon nanotubes. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of carbonaceous nanomaterials used in electrochemical biosensing. The content is classified into non-enzymatic sensors and affinity/ catalytic biosensors. Recent publications are tabulated and compared, considering materials, target, limit of detection and linear range of detection.