Growth-dissolution-regrowth transitions of Fe3O4 nanoparticles as building blocks for 3D magnetic nanoparticle clusters under hydrothermal conditions

Recent Advances in Molecular Imprinting for Proteins on Magnetic Microspheres

The separation of proteins in biological samples plays an essential role in the development of disease detection, drug discovery, and biological analysis. Protein imprinted polymers (PIPs) serve as a tool to capture target proteins specifically and selectively from complex media for separation purposes. Whereas conventional molecularly imprinted polymer is time-consuming in terms of incubation studies and solvent removal, magnetic particles are introduced using their magnetic properties for sedimentation and separation, resulting in saving extraction and centrifugation steps. Magnetic protein imprinted polymers (MPIPs), which combine molecularly imprinting materials with magnetic properties, have emerged as a new area of research hotspot. This review provides an overview of MPIPs for proteins, including synthesis, preparation strategies, and applications. Moreover, it also looks forward to the future directions for research in this emerging field.

Iron oxide magnetic aggregates: Aspects of synthesis, computational approaches and applications

Superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles have been central to numerous investigations in the past few decades for their use in many applications, such as drug delivery, medical diagnostics, magnetic separation, and material science. However, the properties of single magnetic nanoparticles are sometimes not sufficient to accomplish tasks where a strong magnetic response is required. In light of this, aggregated magnetite nanoparticles have been proposed as an alternative advanced material, which may expand and combine some of the advantages of single magnetic nanoparticles, including superparamagnetism, with an enhanced magnetic moment and increased colloidal stability. This review comprehensively discusses the current literature on aggregates made of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. This review is divided into three sections. First, the current synthetic strategies for magnetite nanoparticle aggregates are discussed, together with the influence of different stabilizers on the primary crystals and the final aggregate size and morphology. The second section is dedicated to computational approaches, such as density functional methods (which permit accurate predictions of electronic and magnetic properties and shed light on the behavior of surfactant molecules on iron oxide surfaces) and molecular dynamics simulations (which provide additional insight into the influence of ligands on the surface chemistry of iron oxide nanocrystals). The last section discusses current and possible future applications of iron oxide magnetic aggregates, including wastewater treatment, water purification, medical applications, and magnetic aggregates for materials displaying structural colors.

A magnetically recyclable carboxyl-functionalized chitosan composite for efficiently removing methyl orange from wastewater: Isotherm, kinetics, thermodynamic, and adsorption mechanism

In this study, a kind of magnetically recyclable adsorbent for dyes was synthesized by grafting diethylenetriamine pentaacetate acid (DTPA) to the composite of Fe3O4 microspheres and crosslinked chitosan (CS). The microstructures, molecular structure, crystal structure, and magnetic hysteresis loops of the chitosan matrix adsorbent before and after grafting was characterized. The results suggested that DTPA was covalent bonded with the composite of Fe3O4 microspheres and chitosan. The modified composite has larger specific surface area and can realize rapid solid-liquid separation. Batch experiments were conducted to optimize the parameters affecting the adsorption of methyl orange (MO). The adsorption process could be better described by pseudo-second-order kinetics model and Langmuir isotherm equation, and its saturated adsorption capacity of the modified adsorbents was 1541.5 mg·g-1 at 25 °C, which was 1.40 times of that the unmodified adsorbent (1104.1 mg·g-1). The obtained values of the thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption was a spontaneous process. The regeneration experiment proved the stability and reproducibility of the adsorbent even after five cycles of adsorption-desorption. The primary adsorption mechanism was electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. The adsorbent could be potentially applied for removing dyes from wastewater in wide pH of range, especially acid wastewater.

Systematically Designed Surface and Morphology of Magnetite Nanoparticles Using Monocarboxylic Acid with Various Chain Lengths under Hydrothermal Condition

Hydrothermal synthesis of surface-modified magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) was performed in a batch reactor at 200 °C for 20 min while using monocarboxylic acid with various alkyl chain lengths (C6 to C18) as surface modifiers. The short-chain cases (C6 to C12) successfully gave the surface-modified NPs with uniform shape and magnetite structure, while the long-chain cases (C14 to C18) gave the NPs with nonuniform shape and two structures (magnetite and hematite). Additionally, the synthesized NPs were revealed to have single crystallinity, high stability, and ferromagnetic property, which were useful for hyperthermia therapy via various characterization techniques. These investigations would guide the selection guidelines for a surface modifier to control the structure, surface, and magnetic properties of surface-modified magnetite NPs with high crystallinity and stability, particularly for hyperthermia therapy applications.

Agronomic Investigation of Spray Dispersion of Metal-Based Nanoparticles on Sunflowers in Real-World Environments

In environmental and agronomic settings, even minor imbalances can trigger a range of unpredicted responses. Despite the widespread use of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) and new bio-nanofertilizers, their impact on crop production is absent in the literature. Therefore, our research is focused on the agronomic effect of spray application of gold nanoparticles anchored to SiO₂ mesoporous silica (AuSi-NPs), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs), and iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄-NPs) on sunflowers under real-world environments. Our findings revealed that the biosynthetically prepared AuSi-NPs and ZnO-NPs were highly effective in enhancing sunflower seasonal physiology, e.g., the value of the NDVI index increased from 0.012 to 0.025 after AuSi-NPs application. The distribution of leaf trichomes improved and the grain yield increased from 2.47 t ha^-1 to 3.29 t ha^-1 after ZnO-NPs application. AuSi-NPs treatment resulted in a higher content of essential linoleic acid (54.37%) when compared to the NPs-free control (51.57%), which had a higher determined oleic acid. No NPs or residual translocated metals were detected in the fully ripe sunflower seeds, except for slightly higher silica content after the AuSi-NPs treatment. Additionally, AuSi-NPs and NPs-free control showed wide insect biodiversity while ZnO-NPs treatment had the lowest value of phosphorus as anti-nutrient. Contradictory but insignificant effect on physiology, yield, and insect biodiversity was observed in Fe₃O₄-NPs treatment. Therefore, further studies are needed to fully understand the long-term environmental and agricultural sustainability of NPs applications.

Highly efficient fabrication of functional hepatocyte spheroids by a magnetic system for the rescue of acute liver failure

Engineering hepatocytes as multicellular cell spheroids can improve their viability after implantation in vivo for effective rescue of the devastating acute liver failure (ALF). However, there is still a lack of straightforward methods for efficient generation of functional hepatocyte spheroids. In this study, a magnetic system, consisting of magnetic microwell arrays and magnet blocks, is developed to realize magnetically controlled 3D cell capture and spatial confinement-mediated cell aggregation. The cell spheroids with smaller size show superior hepatic functions than the larger-sized counterparts. Notably, the intrinsic magnetism of magnetic microwell arrays can regulate superoxide anions in hepatocyte spheroids and herein promote various biological processes, including antioxidation, hepatocyte-related functions, and pro-angiogenic potential. Ectopic implantation of the functional cell spheroids in ALF-challenged mice significantly prolongs the animal survival, ameliorates inflammation, and promotes liver regeneration. Hence, application of the magnetic system for generation of functionally enhanced hepatocyte spheroids holds great potential for clinical translation in the future.

A Versatile Synthetic Pathway for Producing Mesostructured Plasmonic Nanostructures

Highly branched gold (Au) nanostructures with sharp tips are considered excellent substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensing technologies. Here, a simple synthetic route for producing Au or Au-Ag bimetallic mesostructures with multiple sharpened tips in the presence of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) is presented. The morphologies of these mesostructured plasmonic nanoparticles (MSPNs) can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of CQDs, reaction temperatures, and seed particles. The optimal molar ratio for [HAuCl₄ ]/[CQDs] is found to be ≈25. At this molar ratio, the diameters of MSPNs can be tuned from 80 to 200 nm by changing the reaction temperature from 25 to 80 °C. In addition, it is found that hierarchical MSPNs consisting of multiple Au nanocrystals can be formed over the entire seed particle surface. Finally, the SERS activity of these MSPNs is examined through the detection of rhodamine 6G and methylene blue. Of the different mesostructures, the bimetallic MSPNs have the highest sensitivity with the ability to detect 10^-7  m of rhodamine 6G and 10^-6  m of methylene blue. The properties of these MSPN particles, made using a novel synthetic process, make them excellent candidates for SERS-based chemical sensing applications.

One-Pot Synthesis of Magnetoplasmonic Au@FexOy Nanowires: Bioinspired Bouligand Chiral Stack

One-dimensional hybrid nanostructures composed of a plasmonic gold nanowire core covered by a shell of magnetic oxide nanoparticles (Au@Fe_xO_y NWs) were synthesized by a one-pot solvothermal synthesis process. The effects of reaction temperature, time, reducing agent, and precursor as well as postsynthesis treatment were optimized to produce highly uniform NWs with a diameter of 226 ± 25 nm and a plasmonic core aspect ratio of 25 to 82. By exploiting the interaction of NWs with an external magnetic field, precise arrangements into highly periodic photonic structures were achieved, which can generate distinctive structural colors that are vividly iridescent and polarization-sensitive. Furthermore, a Bouligand-type chiral nematic film consisting of multistacked unidirectional layers of achiral NWs was fabricated using a modified layer-by-layer deposition method, which displays circular dichroism (CD) and chiral sensing capability. The addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein analyte induced a concentration-dependent wavelength shift of CD peaks. These intriguing properties of magnetoplasmonic anisotropic NWs and their self-assemblies could be consequently valuable for developing nature-inspired structural color imprints as well as solid-state chiral sensing devices.

Chondrogenic preconditioning of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells within a magnetic scaffold for osteochondral repair

Stem cell therapy using mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) represents a novel approach to treating severe diseases, including osteoarthritis (OA). However, the therapeutic benefit of MSCs is highly dependent on their differentiation state, which can be regulated by many factors. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) magnetic scaffolds were successfully fabricated by incorporating magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into electrospun gelatin nanofibers. When positioned near a rotating magnet (f= 0.5 Hz), the magnetic scaffolds with the embedded MSCs were driven upward/downward in the culture container to induce mechanical stimulation to MSCs due to spatial confinement and fluid flow. The extracellular matrix-mimicking scaffold and the alternating magnetic field significantly enhanced chondrogenesis instead of osteogenesis. Furthermore, the fibre topography could be tuned with different compositions of the coating layer on MNPs, and the topography had a significant impact on MSC differentiation. Selective up-regulation of chondrogenesis-related genes (COL2A1andACAN) was found for the magnetic scaffolds with citric acid-coated MNPs (CAG). In contrast, osteogenesis-related genes (RUNX2andSPARC) were selectively and significantly up-regulated for the magnetic scaffolds with polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated MNPs (PVPG). Prior to implantation in vivo, chondrogenic preconditioning of MSCs within the CAG scaffolds under a dynamic magnetic field resulted in superior osteochondral repair. Hence, the magnetic scaffolds together with an in-house rotating magnet device could be a novel platform to initiate multiple stimuli on stem cell differentiation for effective repair of osteochondral defects.

Fabrication of magnetically separable ruthenium nanoparticles decorated on channelled silica microspheres: Efficient catalysts for chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes

Fe₃O₄-SiO₂ microspheres were synthesized by a three-step synthetic procedure involving silica coating, surface capping, and surface modification. These magnetic mesoporous microspheres were employed as sorbents for the incorporation of ultrasmall Ru nanoparticles (2-5 nm) followed by thermal aggregation of the microspheres for achieving better heterogeneity and low leaching. The Ru decorated Fe₃O₄-SiO₂ microspheres (Ru@Fe₃O₄-CSM) were applied as chemoselective catalysts to convert more than 20 substituted nitroarenes to corresponding amines with good-to-excellent conversion (77-99%) and selectivity (70-100%) under mild conditions; the catalyst can be magnetically recovered within a frame of 90s (recovery time-lapse) and reused up to 5 times without significant decrease in activity or selectivity. Magnetic hysteresis studies were performed to elucidate the magnetic behavior of the ruthenium decorated materials.

Time-course effect of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on intracellular iron metabolism and ferroptosis activation

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death caused by excessive peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It can be activated by iron-based nanoparticles as a potential cancer therapeutic target. However, the intracellular transformation of iron-based nanoparticles is still ambiguous and the subsequent ferroptosis mechanism is also obscure. Here, we identified the time-course metabolism of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIO) in cells by using X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy. Also, the integrated quantitative transcriptome and proteome data obtained from the cells exposed to USPIO exhibited hallmark features of ferroptosis. With the chemical species of iron oxide transforming to ferritin, the intracellular GPX4 down-regulated, and lipid peroxide began to accumulate. These results provide evidence that the intracellular metabolism of USPIO induced ferroptosis in a time-dependent manner, and iron over-loaded in cytoplasm along with lipid peroxidation of the membrane are involved in the detailed mechanism of ferroptosis signaling activation.

Selective Capacitive Removal of Pb2+ from Wastewater over Redox-Active Electrodes

Water pollution has become an environmental hazard. Diverse metal cations exist in wastewater; lead is the most common heavy metal pollutant among them. Selective removal of highly toxic and ultradiluted lead ions from wastewater is a major challenge for water purification. Here, selective capacitive removal (SCR) of lead ions from wastewater over redox-active molybdenum dioxide/carbon (MoO₂/C) electrodes was developed by an environment-friendly asymmetric capacitive deionization (CDI) method. The MoO₂/C spheres act as cathodes of an asymmetric CDI device and effectively reduce the concentration of Pb²⁺ from 50 ppm to <0.21 ppb. Moreover, the SCR efficiency of lead ions over redox-active MoO₂/C electrodes is >99% in mixtures of 100 ppm Pb(NO₃)₂ and 100 ppm NaCl solutions. In addition, the electrodes exhibit high regeneration performance in mixtures of NaCl and Pb(NO₃)₂ and high SCR efficiency for lead ions from mixtures of heavy metal ions. The tetrahedral structure of the [MoO₄] lattice is shown to be more favorable for the intercalation of lead ions. In situ Raman spectroscopy further shows that the transition of the crystal interface between [MoO₆] and [MoO₄] cluster lattice could be electrochemically controlled during SCR. Therefore, this study provides a new direction for the SCR of lead ions from wastewater.

Preparation and surface engineering of CM-β-CD functionalized Fe3O4@TiO2 nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from transformer oil

The aim of the present research is to investigate the efficiency of surface-modified magnetic nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of PCBs from transformer oil. Therefore, CMCD-Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ was successfully produced via grafting of carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CM-β-CD) onto the core-shell titania magnetic nanoparticles surface. The photocatalytic efficiency of CMCD-Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ for degradation of PCBs was systematically evaluated using an experimental design and the process parameters were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The central composite design (CCD) with four experimental parameters was used successfully in the modeling and optimization of photocatalytic efficiency in removing PCBs from transformer oil. ANOVA analysis confirmed a high R-squared value of 0.9769 describing the goodness of fit of the proposed model for the significance estimation of the individual and the interaction effects of variables. The optimal degradation yields of PCBs was achieved 83 % at a temperature of 25 °C, time of 16 min, the dosage of the catalyst of 8.35 mg and oil: ethanol ratio of 1:5. These findings encourage the practical use of CM-β-CD-Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ as a promising and alternative photocatalyst on an industrial scale for the cleaning of organic pollutants such as PCBs due to its environmental friendliness, the benefit of magnetic separation and good reusability after five times.

Controlled Synthesis of EDTA-Modified Porous Hollow Copper Microspheres for High-Efficiency Conversion of CO2 to Multicarbon Products

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ into value-added products is an effective approach to relieve environmental and energetic issues. Herein, EDTA anion-modified porous hollow copper microspheres (H-Cu MPs) were constructed by EDTA-2Na-assisted electrodeposition. The faradic efficiency (FE) of ethylene doubled from 23.3% to 50.1% at -0.82 V vs RHE in nearly neutral 0.1 M KHCO₃ solution, one of the highest values among copper-based electrodeposited catalysts. Apart from the favorable influence from morphology regulated by EDTA-2Na, theoretical calculations revealed that the adsorbed EDTA anions were able to create a local charged copper surface to stabilize the transition state and dimer and to assist in the stabilization by interacting with OCCO adsorbate synergistically, which contributed to the outstanding catalytic performance together.

Mesoporous silica-protected silver nanoparticle disinfectant with controlled Ag+ ion release, efficient magnetic separation, and effective antibacterial activity

Ag is the most effective metal disinfectant against pathogenic microorganisms and thus, various approaches have been exploited to enhance the dispersity and control the release of Ag+ ions from Ag nanoparticles. In this study, a superparamagnetic Fe3O4@SiO2@Ag@porous SiO2 disinfectant with a double-layer core-shell structure was developed. Its superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanosphere core ensured its good dispersity in water and allowed its easy magnetic separation after treatment. Its dense SiO2 inner shell protected the Fe3O4 nanosphere core and allowed a good loading of Ag nanoparticles. Its mesoporous SiO2 outer layer effectively protected the Ag nanoparticles from detachment, and its mesoporous channels resulted in lower silver oxidation and dissolution for the controlled release of Ag+ ions. Thus, a highly efficient, silver-based disinfectant was developed, as demonstrated by its effective disinfection of Escherichia coli bacteria with good recycle performance, while the silver concentration in the treated water met the MCL of silver for drinking water.

NO Removal with Efficient Recovery of N2O by Using Recyclable Fe3O4@EDTA@Fe(II) Complex: A Novel Approach toward Resource Recovery from Flue Gas

Traditional technologies for handling nitrogen oxides (NO _x) from flue gas commonly entail the formation of harmless nitrogen gas (N₂), while less effort has been made to recover the N-containing chemicals produced. In this work, we developed a novel nanomagnetic adsorbent, Fe₃O₄@EDTA@Fe(II) (MEFe(II)), for NO removal. The NO adsorbed by MEFe(II) was then selectively converted to N₂O, a valuable compound in many industries, by using sulfite (a product from desulfurization in flue gas treatment) as the reductant for the regeneration of MEFe(II). Because of the magnetic and solid properties of MEFe(II), the processes of NO adsorption and N₂O recovery can be readily carried out under their optimal pH conditions in separate systems. In addition, the produced N₂O is easily handled without unwanted release to the atmosphere. At the optimal pH (7.5 and 8.0 for NO adsorption and N₂O recovery, respectively), the maximum NO adsorption capacity of MEFe(II) was measured as 0.303 ± 0.037 mmol·g^-1, over 90% of which was converted to N₂O during the recovery process. Moreover, MEFe(II) exhibited good five consecutive cycles. All of above reactions were performed at room temperature. These findings indicate MEFe(II) may hold great potential for application to NO removal from flue gas with the benefits of resource recovery, decreased chemical use, and low energy consumption.

Synthesis engineering of iron oxide raspberry-shaped nanostructures

Magnetic porous nanostructures consisting of oriented aggregates of iron oxide nanocrystals display very interesting properties such as a lower oxidation state of magnetite, and enhanced saturation magnetization in comparison with individual nanoparticles of similar sizes and porosity. However, the formation mechanism of these promising nanostructures is not well understood, which hampers the fine tuning of their magnetic properties, for instance by doping them with other elements. Therefore the formation mechanism of porous raspberry shaped nanostructures (RSNs) synthesized by a one-pot polyol solvothermal method has been investigated in detail from the early stages by using a wide panel of characterization techniques, and especially by performing original in situ HR-TEM studies in temperature. A time-resolved study showed the intermediate formation of an amorphous iron alkoxide phase with a plate-like lamellar structure (PLS). Then, the fine investigation of PLS transformation upon heating up to 500 °C confirmed that the synthesis of RSNs involves two iron precursors: the starting one (hydrated iron chlorides) and the in situ formed iron alkoxide precursor which decomposes with time and heating and contributes to the growth step of nanostructures. Such an understanding of the formation mechanism of RSNs is necessary to envision efficient and rational enhancement of their magnetic properties.

Polydopamine as a bridge to decorate monodisperse gold nanoparticles on Fe3O4 nanoclusters for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The in situ assembly of Au nanoparticles on Fe₃O₄@PDA showed excellent recyclability and good stability for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

A rolling circle amplification signal-enhanced immunosensor for ultrasensitive microcystin-LR detection based on a magnetic graphene-functionalized electrode

Construction of a rolling circle amplification signal-enhanced immunosensor for ultrasensitive microcystin-LR detection by using a magnetic graphene functionalized electrode.

Colloidal Assembly of Hierarchically Structured Porous Supraparticles from Flower-Shaped Protein-Inorganic Hybrid Nanoparticles

Mimicry of biomineralization is an attractive strategy to fabricate nanostructured hybrid materials. While biomineralization involves processes that organize hybrid clusters into complex structures with hierarchy, arrangement of artificial components in biomimetic approaches has been challenging. Here, we demonstrate self-assembly of hierarchically structured porous supraparticles from protein-inorganic hybrid flower-shaped (FS) nanoparticle building blocks. In our strategy, the FS nanoparticles self-assemble via high valency interactions in combination with interfacial adsorption and compression. The flower-like shape directed robust assembly of the FS nanoparticles into chain-like clusters in solution, which were further assembled into spherical supraparticles during rotation of FS nanoparticle solution. Continuously expanding and contracting the air-water interface during rotation catalyzed assembly of FS nanoparticle clusters, indicating that adsorption and compression of the building blocks at the interface were critical. The resulting supraparticles contain hierarchical pores which are translated from the structural characteristics of individual FS nanoparticle building blocks. The protein-inorganic supraparticles are protein-compatible, have large surface area, and provide specific affinity recognition for robust protein immobilization. A variety of functional proteins could be immobilized to the porous supraparticles, making it a general platform that could provide benefits for many applications.

Magnetic Core-Shell Silica Nanoparticles with Large Radial Mesopores for siRNA Delivery

A novel type of magnetic core-shell silica nanoparticles is developed for small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery. These nanoparticles are fabricated by coating super-paramagnetic magnetite nanocrystal clusters with radial large-pore mesoporous silica. The amine functionalized nanoparticles have small particle sizes around 150 nm, large radial mesopores of 12 nm, large surface area of 411 m(2) g(-1) , high pore volume of 1.13 cm(3) g(-1) and magnetization of 25 emu g(-1) . Thus, these nanoparticles possess both high loading capacity of siRNA (2 wt%) and strong magnetic response under an external magnetic field. An acid-liable coating composed of tannic acid can further protect the siRNA loaded in these nanoparticles. The coating also increases the dispersion stability of the siRNA-loaded carrier and can serve as a pH-responsive releasing switch. Using the magnetic silica nanoparticles with tannic acid coating as carriers, functional siRNA has been successfully delivered into the cytoplasm of human osteosarcoma cancer cells in vitro. The delivery is significantly enhanced with the aid of the external magnetic field.

Facile synthesis of superparamagnetic magnetite nanoflowers and their applications in cellular imaging

Thermal decomposition of an iron-oleate complex in the presence of a surfactant gives water-soluble biocompatible superparamagnetic magnetite nanoflowers via a one-pot reaction.

Thermo-responsive adsorption and separation of amino acid enantiomers using smart polymer-brush-modified magnetic nanoparticles

A novel type of multifunctional magnetic nanoparticle with highly chiral recognition capability, excellent thermo-sensitive adsorption and decomplexation properties toward amino acid enantiomers, and recyclability was developed in this study.

Controllable synthesis of coralloid Fe3O4 nanoclusters in an ionic liquid for catalytic applications

Coralloid Fe₃O₄ nanoclusters stacked by nanosheets, which expose specific planes, have been successfully synthesized with an ionic liquid-assisted solvothermal method.

In-situ assembly of biocompatible core-shell hierarchical nanostructures sensitized immunosensor for microcystin-LR detection

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a kind of hepatotoxin which can cause functional and structural disturbances of the liver, accumulate in aquatic organisms and transfer to higher trophic levels, a biocompatible electrochemical immunosensor was constructed to detect MC-LR sensitively and selectively. The three-dimensional villiform-like carbon nanotube/cobalt silicate (CNT@Co silicate) core-shell nanocomposites were synthesized and firstly used as the substrate to immobilize the antigen of MC-LR (Ag), while Fe3O4 nanoclusters/polydopamine/gold nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA-Au) core-shell magnetic nanocomposites were prepared as the label carrier of the immunosensor to conjugate the second antibody (Ab2) and horse radish peroxidase (HRP). Since the toxicity of nanomaterials is important in the construction of biosensors including the immobilization of antigen or antibody, the biocompatibility of such nanocomposites were investigated by monitoring the cell viability after culturing with Hela cells. Due to the excellent biocompatibility, the immunosensor can immobilize more antigens by the large surface area of the three-dimensional villiform-like structure in CNT@Co silicate, and provide high electrochemical signals by Fe3O4@PDA-Au labeled Ab2 and HRP. After investigation of the binding capability of biomolecules on nanomaterials and optimization of the conditions in the competitive immunoassay, the proposed electrochemical immunosensor shows a linear response to MC-LR in the range from 0.005 μg/L to 50 μg/L with a detection limit of 0.004 μg/L. In addition, the specificity, reproducibility and stability of the immunosensor were also proved to be acceptable, indicating its potential application in environmental monitoring.

Temperature-switched controlled release nanosystems based on molecular recognition and polymer phase transition

Novel temperature-switched controlled release nanosystems based on molecular recognition of β-CD and thermosensitivity of PNIPAM phase transition of is developed.

Fabrication of Fe3O4@SiO2@RGO nanocomposites and their excellent absorption properties with low filler content

The minimum reflection loss of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@RGO nanocomposites can reach −26.6 dB at 9.7 GHz with low filler content; the mechanism was also explained.

Hierarchical Ba2(B5O9)Cl·(H2O)0.5 microspheres: surfactant-assisted facile hydrothermal synthesis, Tb3+ doping and photoluminescence properties

Uniform hierarchical Ba₂(B₅O₉)Cl·(H₂O)_0.5 microspheres containing nanorod-like sub-units were synthesized via a mild EDTA-2Na assisted hydrothermal process, which were manifested as great potential green-emitting host materials via Tb³⁺ doping.

Hydrothermal synthesis of 3D hollow porous Fe3O4 microspheres towards catalytic removal of organic pollutants

Three-dimensional hollow porous superparamagnetic Fe3O4 microspheres were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process. A series of characterizations done with X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy indicated that the production of Fe3O4 microspheres possessed good monodispersity, uniform size distribution, hollow and porous structural characters, and strong superparamagnetic behavior. The obtained Fe3O4 microspheres have a diameter of ca. 300 nm, which is composed of many interconnected nanoparticles with a size of ca. 20 nm. The saturation magnetization is 80.6 emu·g(-1). The as-prepared products had promising applications as novel catalysts to remove organic pollutants (methylene blue) from wastewater in the presence of H2O2 and ultrasound irradiation.