Development of ternary hybrid composites of transition metal and noble metal-based heterostructures: Ultrasensitive simultaneous electrochemical detection of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in food samples

Bisphenols threaten human health and sensitive detection is crucial. The present study aims to develop ternary composites of copper metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) with AuAg microstructures. The composite structure was formed by a galvanic displacement reaction and confirmed using SEM. A binder-free catalyst was used to study the electrochemical redox reaction of bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS); an irreversible cyclic voltammetric signal at +0.70 V and + 0.91 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), in the dynamic range of 20 nM to 2.0 mM, and 10 nM to 1.0 mM, with limits of detection of 2.9 nM, and 3.2 nM (S/N = 3) was obtained. Practical analysis was applied to frozen tomatoes, tuna fish, milk powder, PET bottles, raw milk, and urine samples with a recovery rate of 94.00-100.80% (n = 3). Voltammetric results were validated using HPLC detection with high precision. The sensor is a promising alternative platform for measuring BPA in food samples.

2D/2D heterostructure Ni-Fe LDH/black phosphorus nanosheets with AuNP for noxious substance diphenylamine detection in food samples

In this study, gold nanoparticles decorated on nickel-iron layered double hydroxide with black phosphorus nanosheets (AuNP/Ni-Fe LDH/BPNSs) composite were prepared using a stirring method. Analyte tracing is required for developing viable sensors. The AuNP/Ni-Fe LDH/BPNSs composite exhibited a large specific surface area, high conductivity, high electrocatalytic activity, and rapid electron transfer. These properties play a vital role in monitoring diphenylamine (DPA) in food samples. The formation of the AuNP/Ni-Fe LDH/BPNSs composite was confirmed using various structural and morphological characterization techniques. The electroanalytical character of the AuNP/Ni-Fe LDH/BPNSs composite was evaluated using voltammetry. Interestingly, the AuNP/Ni-Fe LDH/BPNSs showed a wide linear range of 0.0125-1003.82 μM and a detection limit of 4.63 nM with a sensitivity of 0.399 µA µM-1 cm-2. The constructed sensor shows considerable selectivity, stability, repeatability, and reproducibility, and the practicability of DPA was monitored in the apples, sweet tomatoes, pears, and grapes with satisfactory recoveries.

Electron Microscopy Methods for Phage-Based Study

Electron microscopy (EM) techniques play a vital role in virology research including phage discovery and their identification. The use of different staining protocols based on the concept of negative staining is one of the most important steps in the EM processing. This chapter will summarize the widely used EM protocols in phage research, their advantages, and limitations. Phage-based therapy, especially recently developed nanoparticle-phage conjugates, are expected to find clinical significance in the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) epidemic. EM techniques are important to characterize these conjugates and we will also discuss the methods here.

Photoreduction of Cr(VI) by TiO2 adsorbed gold nanoparticles and perylene as a novel organic-inorganic hybrid photocatalyst

The photoreduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) using TiO₂ adsorbed gold nanoparticles and perylene (Au/Pe/TiO₂) as a novel organic-inorganic hybrid photocatalyst has been studied. The irradiation by a Xe lamp of a Cr (VI) aqueous solution (0.1 mM) with the Au/Pe/TiO₂ powder resulted in the reduction of the Cr(VI). The rate of Cr(VI) reduction reached 98.3% by the irradiation for 60 min. The reaction rate constant using Au/Pe/TiO₂ (0.0545 min^-1) was higher than that of TiO₂ (0.0218 min^-1), Pe/TiO₂ (0.0303 min^-1), or Au/TiO₂ (0.0393 min^-1). Gold nanoparticles and perylene synergistically accelerated the TiO₂ photocatalytic reaction. This result is due to the Z-scheme electron transfer between Pe and TiO₂ and the suppression of charge recombination by the gold nanoparticles. The irradiation of sunlight also led to the photocatalytic reduction of the Cr(VI) by Au/Pe/TiO₂. In addition, successive reduction of the Cr(VI) was achieved by using a column packed with the Au/Pe/TiO₂ powder immobilized by calcium alginate gel.

Real-time fluorescence sensing of single photoactive proteins using silver nanowires

We demonstrate that single functionalized silver nanowires form a geometric platform suitable for efficient real-time detection of single photoactive proteins. By collecting series of images using wide-field fluorescence microscopy, events of single protein attachment can be distinguished with the signal to noise ratio further improved by fluorescence enhancement due to plasmon excitations in the nanowires. The enhancement is evidenced by strong shortening of the fluorescence decay of single photoactive proteins conjugated to the silver nanowires.

Effect of electrical discharge plasma on cytotoxicity against cancer cells of N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan-stabilized gold nanoparticles

Electrical discharge plasma in a liquid phase can generate reactive species, e.g. hydroxyl radical, leading to rapid reactions including degradation of biopolymers. In this study, the effect of plasma treatment time on physical properties and cytotoxicity against cancer cells of N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan-stabilized gold nanoparticles (CMC-AuNPs) was investigated. AuNPs were synthesized by chemical reduction of HAuCl₄ in 2 % CMC solution to obtain CMC-AuNPs, before being subjected to the plasma treatment. Results showed that the plasma treatment not only led to the reduction of hydrodynamic diameters of CMC-AuNPs from 400 nm to less than 100 nm by the plasma-induced degradation of CMC but also provided the narrow size distribution of AuNPs having diameters in the range of 2-50 nm, that were existing in CMC-AuNPs. In addition, the plasma-treated CMC-AuNPs could significantly reduce the percentage of cell viability of breast cancer cells by approximately 80 % compared to the original CMC and CMC-AuNPs.

Faraday-Cage-Type Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay: A Rise of Advanced Biosensing Strategy

Electrochemiluminescence immunoassays are usually carried out through "on-electrode" strategy, i.e., sandwich-type immunoassay format, the sensitivity of which is restricted by two key bottlenecks: (1) the number of signal labels is limited and (2) only a part of signal labels could participate in the electrode reaction. In this Perspective, we discuss the development of an "in-electrode" Faraday-cage-type concept-based immunocomplex immobilization strategy. The biggest difference from the traditional sandwich-type one is that the designed "in-electrode" Faraday-cage-type immunoassay uses a conductive two-dimensional (2-D) nanomaterial simultaneously coated with signal labels and a recognition component as the detection unit, which could directly overlap on the electrode surface. In such a case, electrons could flow freely from the electrode to the detection unit, the outer Helmholtz plane (OHP) of the electrode is extended, and thousands of signal labels coated on the 2-D nanomaterial are all electrochemically "effective." Thus, then, the above-mentioned bottlenecks obstructing the improvement of the sensitivity in sandwich-type immunoassay are eliminated, and as a result a much higher sensitivity of the Faraday-cage-type immunoassay can be obtained. And, the applications of the proposed versatile "in-electrode" Faraday-cage-type immunoassay have been explored in the detection of target polypeptide, protein, pathogen, and microRNA, with the detection sensitivity improved tens to hundreds of times. Finally, the outlook and challenges in the field are summarized. The rise of Faraday-cage-type electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (FCT-ECLIA)-based biosensing strategies opens new horizons for a wide range of early clinical identification and diagnostic applications.

Cobalt Oxide Porous Nanocubes-Based Electrochemical Immunobiosensing of Hepatitis B Virus DNA in Blood Serum and Urine Samples

In this work, we report a new biosensing platform for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA genosensing using cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanostructures. The tunable morphologies of Co₃O₄ nanostructures such as porous nanocubes (PNCs), nanooctahedra (NOHs), and nanosticks (NSKs) are synthesized, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms (BET), and electrochemical impedance spectral (EIS) methods. The HBV probe DNA (ssDNA) is immobilized on the Co₃O₄ nanostructures through coordinate bond formation between nucleic acid of ssDNA and Co metal, which results in highly stable nanostructured biosensing platform. To the best of our knowledge, first time the target cDNA of HBV is detected using ssDNA/Co₃O₄PNCs/GCE electrode by EIS method with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.38 pM (signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 3). Moreover, the ssDNA/Co₃O₄PNCs/GCE has shown excellent specificity to HBV target cDNA, compared with noncomplementary DNA, and 1- and 3-mismatch DNAs. Finally, we explore ssDNA/Co₃O₄PNCs/GCE as potential electrode to test HBV DNA in blood serum and urine samples for practical applications.

Virus-like nanoparticles as a novel delivery tool in gene therapy

Viruses are considered as natural nanomaterials as they are in the size range of 20-500 nm with a genetical material either DNA or RNA, which is surrounded by a protein coat capsid. Recently, the field of virus nanotechnology is gaining significant attention from researchers. Attention is given to the utilization of viruses as nanomaterials for medical, biotechnology and energy applications. Removal of genetic material from the viral capsid creates empty capsid for drug incorporation and coating the capsid protein crystals with antibodies, enzymes or aptamers will enhance their targeted drug deliver efficiency. Studies reported that these virus-like nanoparticles have been used in delivering drugs for cancer. It is also used in imaging and sensory applications for various diseases. However, there is reservation among researchers to utilize virus-like nanoparticles in targeted delivery of genes in gene therapy, as there is a possibility of using virus-like nanoparticles for targeted gene delivery. In addition, other biomedical applications that are explored using virus-like nanoparticles and the probable mechanism of delivering genes.

Chitosan-templated Pt nanocatalyst loaded mesoporous SnO2 nanofibers: a superior chemiresistor toward acetone molecules

In this work, we introduce a chitosan-Pt complex (CS-Pt) as an effective template for catalytic Pt sensitization and creation of abundant mesopores in SnO2 nanofibers (NFs). The Pt particles encapsulated by the CS exhibit ultrasmall size (∼2.6 nm) and high dispersion characteristics due to repulsion between CS molecules. By combining CS-Pt with electrospinning, mesoporous SnO2 NFs uniformly functionalized with the Pt catalyst (CS-Pt@SnO2 NFs) are synthesized. Particularly, numerous mesopores with diameters of ∼20 nm form through the decomposition of CS, while a small SnO2 grain size (14.32 nm) is achieved by the pinning effect of CS. It is observed that CS-Pt@SnO2 NFs exhibit outstanding response (Rair/Rgas = 141.92 at 5 ppm), excellent selectivity, stability, and fast response (12 s)/recovery (44 s) speed toward 1 ppm of acetone at 350 °C and high humidity (90% RH). In addition, by applying an exponential fitting tool to experimental response values toward 0.1-5 ppm of acetone, it is estimated that CS-Pt@SnO2 NFs can detect 5 ppb of acetone with a notable response (Rair/Rgas = 2.9). Furthermore, the sensor array based on CS-Pt@SnO2 NFs, CS-driven SnO2 NFs, polyol-Pt loaded SnO2 NFs, and dense SnO2 NFs obviously classifies simulated diabetic breath and healthy human breath by using a pattern recognition tool. These results clearly demonstrate that mesoporous SnO2 NFs, particularly functionalized with CS-Pt templated nanocatalysts, open up a new class of sensing layers offering high sensitivity and selectivity.

Viral-based nanomaterials for plasmonic and photonic materials and devices

Over the last decade, viruses have established themselves as a powerful tool in nanotechnology. Their proteinaceous capsids benefit from biocompatibility, chemical addressability, and a variety of sizes and geometries, while their ability to encapsulate, scaffold, and self-assemble enables their use for a wide array of purposes. Moreover, the scaling up of viral-based nanotechnologies is facilitated by high capsid production yield and speed, which is particularly advantageous when compared with slower and costlier lithographic techniques. These features enable the bottom-up fabrication of photonic and plasmonic materials, which relies on the precise arrangement of photoactive material at the nanoscale to control phenomena such as electromagnetic wave propagation and energy transfer. The interdisciplinary approach required for the fabrication of such materials combines techniques from the life sciences and device engineering, thus promoting innovative research. Materials with applications spanning the fields of sensing (biological, chemical, and physical sensors), nanomedicine (cellular imaging, drug delivery, phototherapy), energy transfer and conversion (solar cells, light harvesting, photocatalysis), metamaterials (negative refraction, artificial magnetism, near-field amplification), and nanoparticle synthesis are considered with exclusive emphasis on viral capsids and protein cages. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.

Close-packed assemblies of discrete tiny silver nanoparticles on triangular gold nanoplates as a high performance SERS probe

An island like array of tiny Ag nanoparticles bounded on triangular Au nanoplates was synthesized as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate.