Novel Graphene-Gold Hybrid Nanostructures Constructed via Sulfur Modified Graphene: Preparation and Characterization by Surface and Electrochemical Techniques

Fabrication strategies and surface tuning of hierarchical gold nanostructures for electrochemical detection and removal of toxic pollutants

The intensive research on the synthesis and characterization of gold (Au) nanostructures has been extensively documented over the last decades. These investigations allow the researchers to understand the relationships between the intrinsic properties of Au nanostructures such as particle size, shape, morphology, and composition to synthesize the Au nano/hybrid nanostructures with novel physicochemical properties. By tuning the properties above, these nanostructures are extensively employed to detect and remove trace amounts of toxic pollutants from the environment. This review attempts to document the achievements and current progress in Au-based nanostructures, general synthetic and fabrication strategies and their utilization in electrochemical sensing and environmental remediation applications. Additionally, the applications of Au nanostructures (e.g., as adsorbents, sensing platforms, catalysts, and electrodes) and advancements in the field of electrochemical sensing of different target analytes (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids, heavy metals, small molecules, and antigens) are summarized. The literature survey concludes the existing methods for the detection of toxic contaminants at various concentration levels. Finally, the existing challenges and future research directions on electrochemical sensing and degradation of toxic contaminants using Au nanostructures are defined.

Geometrical optimization for silver nanowire mesh as a flexible transparent conductive electrode

We report the effect of the geometric parameters on transparency and conductivity in a metallic nanowire mesh as a transparent electrode. Today, indium tin oxide and fluorine-doped tin oxide are used as the transparent electrode for displays and solar cells. Still, there is a definite need for their replacement due to drawbacks such as brittleness, scarcity, and adverse environmental effects. Metallic nanowire mesh is likely the best replacement option, but the main issue is how to find the optimal structure and how to get the best performance. Since the interaction of light with nanowire mesh is complicated, there is no straightforward rule with a simple analytical solution. We developed a kit based on wave optics for calculating the optical transmission of metallic nanowire mesh, which, unlike previous works, includes the interaction of light with the nanowire mesh, such as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), surface plasmon polariton (SPP), and Rayleigh anomaly (RA). So, it is possible to accurately predict the effect of these phenomena and the transmission of mesh. Using the mentioned kit, we will be able to investigate the different geometrical structures of meshes to achieve optimal geometry. This kit is based on the classical Maxwell theory and empirical data and uses finite-difference time-domain for solving equations and experiential results for validation. Comparing the results by a redefined figure of merit shows that LSPR has the most significant reduction on transparency, whereas increasing the thickness (t) to width (w) ratio of the nanowire in the metallic mesh can reduce the LSPR effect and/or shifts it to the invisible region. The wire pitch (p) has no tangible impact on LSPR, but p can be chosen higher than 700 or lower than 350 nm to remove the extinction effects of the first-order RA. If p was larger than 150 nm, SPP could appear in the visible region of the spectrum. In small p, lower modes of SPP with higher intensities occur; therefore, there is an optimum value for p around 300 nm. The reduction of t and w reduces the intensity of SPP and causes it to red shift. By comparing the 900 different structures, the highest figure of merit is obtained in a p of 300 nm with a minimum w (10 nm) and maximum t (100 nm).

Fabrication of a Highly Flexible and Affordable Transparent Electrode By Aligned U-Shaped Copper Nanowires Using a New Electrospinning Collector with Convenient Transferability

By making aligned and suspended copper nanowires, a high performance, transferable, and flexible transparent electrode is reported. Indium tin oxide is often used in devices such as displays, solar cells, and touchscreens that require transparent and conductive plates. Because of problems such as brittleness, high cost, and environmental effects, this material is facing rivals, the most serious of which are metallic nanowire meshes, especially copper. We developed a simple technique which uses a U-shaped collector in the electrospinning process with three advantages including the enhancement of the figure of merit (which is related to the surface resistance R _s and the transmittance T) by about five times (about T = 90% and R _s = 5 Ω/□, respectively), solving the transfer problem of the nanowire metal mesh after production, and producing aligned metal nanowires for special applications. In this work, T and R _s of aligned copper nanowires were both measured and calculated, which are consistent with each other, and also, the mentioned results were compared with the work of others.

Ag and Au nanoparticles/reduced graphene oxide composite materials: Synthesis and application in diagnostics and therapeutics

The exceptional electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical properties have made two dimensional sp² hybridized graphene a material of choice in both academic as well as industrial research. In the last few years, researchers have devoted their efforts towards the development of graphene/polymer, graphene/metal nanoparticle and graphene/ceramic nanocomposites. These materials display excellent mechanical, electrical, thermal, catalytic, magnetic and optical properties which cannot be obtained separately from the individual components. Fascinating physical and chemical properties are displayed by noble metal nanomaterials and thus they represent model building blocks for modifying nanoscale structures for diverse applications extending from catalysis, optics to nanomedicine. Insertion of noble metal (Au, Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) into chemically derived graphene is thus of primary importance to open new avenues for both materials in various fields where the specific properties of each material act synergistically to provide hybrid materials with exceptional performances. This review attempts to summarize the different synthetic procedures for the preparation of Ag and Au NPs/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites. The synthesis processes of metal NPs/rGO composites are categorised into in-situ and ex-situ techniques. The in-situ approach consists of simultaneous reduction of metal salts and GO to obtain metal NPs/rGO nanocomposite materials, while in the ex-situ process, the metal NPs of desired size and shape are first synthesized and then transferred onto the GO or rGO matrix. The application of the Ag NPs and Au NPs/rGO composite materials in the area of biomedical (drug delivery and photothermal therapy) and biosensing are the focus of this review article.

Graphene- gold based nanocomposites applications in cancer diseases; Efficient detection and therapeutic tools

Early detection and efficient treatment of cancer disease remains a drastic challenge in 21st century. Throughout the bulk of funds, studies, and current therapeutics, cancer seems to aggressively advance with drug resistance strains and recurrence rates. Nevertheless, nanotechnologies have indeed given hope to be the next generation for oncology applications. According to US National cancer institute, it is anticipated to revolutionize the perspectives of cancer diagnosis and therapy. With such success, nano-hybrid strategy creates a marvelous preference. Herein, graphene-gold based composites are being increasingly studied in the field of oncology, for their outstanding performance as robust vehicle of therapeutic agents, built-in optical diagnostic features, and functionality as theranostic system. Additional modes of treatments are also applicable including photothermal, photodynamic, as well as combined therapy. This review aims to demonstrate the various cancer-related applications of graphene-gold based hybrids in terms of detection and therapy, highlighting the major attributes that led to designate such system as a promising ally in the war against cancer.

Electrochemical Detecting Lung Cancer-Associated Antigen Based on Graphene-Gold Nanocomposite

Using a Au nanoparticle/reduced graphene oxide composite (AuNP-RGO), a signal-enhanced electrochemical immunosensor without label was created to detect neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Furthermore, an environmentally-friendly method was developed to prepare AuNP-RGO by employing chitosan (CS), which served as reducing and stabilizing agent. We showed that the sensitivity of the immunosensor designed in this report was remarkably enhanced because of the numerous active sites in the sensor provided by the AuNP-RGO nanostructure. For the quantification of NSE, the immunosensor exhibited a positive linear relationship with the concentration in the range of 0.1 to 2000 ng/mL, where the limit of the detection was 0.05 ng/mL.

Graphene-Gold Nanoparticles Hybrid-Synthesis, Functionalization, and Application in a Electrochemical and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Biosensor

Graphene is a single-atom-thick two-dimensional carbon nanosheet with outstanding chemical, electrical, material, optical, and physical properties due to its large surface area, high electron mobility, thermal conductivity, and stability. These extraordinary features of graphene make it a key component for different applications in the biosensing and imaging arena. However, the use of graphene alone is correlated with certain limitations, such as irreversible self-agglomerations, less colloidal stability, poor reliability/repeatability, and non-specificity. The addition of gold nanostructures (AuNS) with graphene produces the graphene-AuNS hybrid nanocomposite which minimizes the limitations as well as providing additional synergistic properties, that is, higher effective surface area, catalytic activity, electrical conductivity, water solubility, and biocompatibility. This review focuses on the fundamental features of graphene, the multidimensional synthesis, and multipurpose applications of graphene-Au nanocomposites. The paper highlights the graphene-gold nanoparticle (AuNP) as the platform substrate for the fabrication of electrochemical and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based biosensors in diverse applications as well as SERS-directed bio-imaging, which is considered as an emerging sector for monitoring stem cell differentiation, and detection and treatment of cancer.

Graphene-based protein biomarker detection

An ability to detect and quantify protein molecules, harbingers of specific pathologies, potentially underpins both early disease diagnosis and an assessment of treatment efficacy. However, the specific detection of a particular protein biomarker in a complex environment is by no means an easy task and requires a progressive improvement in sensor technology. The high surface area, volume, electrical conductance, atomic level thickness and apparent biocompatibility of graphene makes it potentially an exceedingly powerful transducer of biorecognition events; the demands of its application in biosensing, and progress to date are reviewed herein.

Layer-by-layer reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/gold nanosheets (AuNSs) hybrid films: significantly enhanced photothermal transition effect compared with rGO or AuNSs films

The photothermal effects of layer-by-layer AuNS (gold nanosheets)/rGO hybrid films outperformed that of rGO or AuNSs films under NIR irradiation.

A sensitive electrochemical sensor for direct phoxim detection based on an electrodeposited reduced graphene oxide–gold nanocomposite

The principal objective of this study was to develop a sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for phoxim detection based on a reduced graphene oxide–gold nanocomposite (RGO–Au) modified grassy carbon electrode (GCE).

Au–Cu–Pt ternary catalyst fabricated by electrodeposition and galvanic replacement with superior methanol electrooxidation activity

The as-fabricated Au–Cu–Pt/GCE ternary catalyst exhibits flower-like cluster morphology and superior catalytic activity toward methanol electrooxidation.