Fabrication of the Ni/ZnO/BiOI foam for the improved electrochemical biosensing performance to glucose

Highly efficient photocathodic cascade material for constructing sensitive photoelectrochemical biosensor

Photocathodic biosensor possesses excellent anti-interference capability in bioanalysis, which however suffers from high electron-hole recombination rate with low photocurrent. Herein, a high-performance inorganic organic P₃HT@C₆₀@ZnO nanosphere with cascade energy band arrangement was synthesized as photoactive signal probe, which inherited the advantages of inorganic strong optical absorptivity and organic high mobility for photo-generated holes. Specifically, the well-matched band gap endowed not only the improved life for light generated carrier and promoted separation of electron-hole pairs, but also the expansion of charge-depletion layer, significantly improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency for acquiring an extremely high photocathodic signal that increased by 30 times compared with individual materials. Accordingly, by integrating with the efficient amplification of DNA nanonet derived from clamped hybrid chain reaction (C-HCR), a sensitive P₃HT@C₆₀@ZnO nanosphere based photocathodic biosensor was proposed for accurate detection of p53. The experimental results showed that the biosensor had a wide detection range from 0.1 fM to 10 nM and a low detection limit of 0.37 fM toward p53, offering a new avenue to construct sensitive PEC platform with superior anti-interference ability and hold a prospective application in early disease diagnosis and biological analysis.

Photobio-electrocatalytic production of H2 using fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes covered with a NiO-In2S3 p-n junction and NiFeSe hydrogenase

Clean energy vectors are needed towards a fossil fuel-free society, diminishing both greenhouse effect and pollution. Electrochemical water splitting is a clean route to obtain green hydrogen, the cleanest fuel; although efficient electrocatalysts are required to avoid high overpotentials in this process. The combination of inorganic semiconductors with biocatalysts for photoelectrochemical H₂ production is an alternative approach to overcome this challenge. N-type semiconductors can be coupled to a co-catalyst for H₂ production in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor in solution, but the replacement of the latter with an electrode is a challenge. In this work we attach a NiFeSe-hydrogenase with high activity for H₂ production with the n-type semiconductor indium sulfide, which upon visible irradiation is able to transfer its excited electrons to the enzyme. In order to enhance the transfer of the generated holes towards the electrode for their replenishment, we have explored the inclusion of a p-type material, NiO, to induce a p-n junction for H₂ production in a photoelectrochemical biocatalytic system in absence of sacrificial reagents.

Electrochemical fabrication of Co(OH)2 nanoparticles decorated carbon cloth for non-enzymatic glucose and uric acid detection

Cobalt hydroxide nanoparticles (Co(OH)₂ NPs) were uniformly deposited on flexible carbon cloth substrate (Co(OH)₂@CC) rapidly by a facile one-step electrodeposition, which can act as an enzyme-free glucose and uric acid sensor in an alkaline electrolyte. Compositional and morphological characterization were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), which confirmed the deposited nanospheres were Co(OH)₂ nanoparticles (NPs). The electrochemical oxidation of glucose and uric acid at Co(OH)₂@CC electrode was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and chronoamperometry methods. The results revealed a remarkable electrocatalytic activity toward the single and simultaneous determination of glucose and uric acid at about 0.6 V and 0.3 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), respectively, which is attributed to a noticeable synergy effect between Co(OH)₂ NPs and CC with good repeatability, satisfactory reproducibility, considerable long-term stability, superior selectivity, outstanding sensitivity, and wide linear detection range from 1 uM to 2 mM and 25 nM to 1.5 uM for glucose and UA, respectively. The detection limits were 0.36 nM for UA and 0.24 μM for glucose (S/N = 3). Finally, the Co(OH)₂@CC electrode was utilized for glucose and uric acid determination in human blood samples and satisfying results were obtained. The relative standard derivations (RSDs) for glucose and UA were in the range 6 to 14% and 0 to 3%, respectively. The recovery ranges for glucose an UA were 97 to 103% and 95 and 101%, respectively. These features make the novel Co(OH)₂@CC sensor developed by a low-cost, efficient, and eco-friendly preparation method a potentially practical candidate for application to biosensors.

Advances in Medical Wearable Biosensors: Design, Fabrication and Materials Strategies in Healthcare Monitoring

In the past decade, wearable biosensors have radically changed our outlook on contemporary medical healthcare monitoring systems. These smart, multiplexed devices allow us to quantify dynamic biological signals in real time through highly sensitive, miniaturized sensing platforms, thereby decentralizing the concept of regular clinical check-ups and diagnosis towards more versatile, remote, and personalized healthcare monitoring. This paradigm shift in healthcare delivery can be attributed to the development of nanomaterials and improvements made to non-invasive biosignal detection systems alongside integrated approaches for multifaceted data acquisition and interpretation. The discovery of new biomarkers and the use of bioaffinity recognition elements like aptamers and peptide arrays combined with the use of newly developed, flexible, and conductive materials that interact with skin surfaces has led to the widespread application of biosensors in the biomedical field. This review focuses on the recent advances made in wearable technology for remote healthcare monitoring. It classifies their development and application in terms of electrochemical, mechanical, and optical modes of transduction and type of material used and discusses the shortcomings accompanying their large-scale fabrication and commercialization. A brief note on the most widely used materials and their improvements in wearable sensor development is outlined along with instructions for the future of medical wearables.

Recent Advances in Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors Based on Metal and Metal Oxide Nanostructures for Diabetes Management- A Review

There is an undeniable growing number of diabetes cases worldwide that have received widespread global attention by many pharmaceutical and clinical industries to develop better functioning glucose sensing devices. This has called for an unprecedented demand to develop highly efficient, stable, selective, and sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensors (NEGS). Interestingly, many novel materials have shown the promising potential of directly detecting glucose in the blood and fluids. This review exclusively encompasses the electrochemical detection of glucose and its mechanism based on various metal-based materials such as cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), titanium (Ti), iridium (Ir), and rhodium (Rh). Multiple aspects of these metals and their oxides were explored vis-à-vis their performance in glucose detection. The direct glucose oxidation via metallic redox centres is explained by the chemisorption model and the incipient hydrous oxide/adatom mediator (IHOAM) model. The glucose electrooxidation reactions on the electrode surface were elucidated by equations. Furthermore, it was explored that an effective detection of glucose depends on the aspect ratio, surface morphology, active sites, structures, and catalytic activity of nanomaterials, which plays an indispensable role in designing efficient NEGS. The challenges and possible solutions for advancing NEGS have been summarized.

Progress in ZnO Nanosensors

Developing various nanosensors with superior performance for accurate and sensitive detection of some physical signals is essential for advances in electronic systems. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a unique semiconductor material with wide bandgap (3.37 eV) and high exciton binding energy (60 meV) at room temperature. ZnO nanostructures have been investigated extensively for possible use as high-performance sensors, due to their excellent optical, piezoelectric and electrochemical properties, as well as the large surface area. In this review, we primarily introduce the morphology and major synthetic methods of ZnO nanomaterials, with a brief discussion of the advantages and weaknesses of each method. Then, we mainly focus on the recent progress in ZnO nanosensors according to the functional classification, including pressure sensor, gas sensor, photoelectric sensor, biosensor and temperature sensor. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the research status and constraints for the development of ZnO nanosensor in each category. Finally, the challenges and future research directions of nanosensors based on ZnO are prospected and summarized. It is of profound significance to research ZnO nanosensors in depth, which will promote the development of artificial intelligence, medical and health, as well as industrial, production.