Single-Atom Iron Anchored on 2-D Graphene Carbon to Realize Bridge-Adsorption of O-O as Biomimetic Enzyme for Remarkably Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of H2O2

Single-atom catalysis is mainly focused on its dispersed high-density catalytic sites, but delicate designs to realize a unique catalysis mechanism in terms of target reactions have been much less investigated. Herein an iron single atomic site catalyst anchored on 2-D N-doping graphene (Fe-SASC/G) was synthesized and further employed as a biomimetic sensor to electrochemically detect hydrogen peroxide, showing an extremely high sensitivity of 3214.28 μA mM^-1 cm^-2, which is much higher than that (6.5 μA mM^-1 cm^-2) of its dispersed on 1-D carbon nanowires (Fe-SASC/NW), ranking the best sensitivity among all reported Fe based catalyst at present. The sensor was also used to successfully in situ monitor H₂O₂ released from A549 living cells. The mechanism was further systematically investigated. Results interestingly indicate that the distance between adjacent single Fe atomic catalytic sites on 2-D graphene of Fe-SASC/G matches statistically well with the outer length of bioxygen of H₂O₂ to promote a bridge adsorption of -O-O- for simultaneous 2-electron transfer, while the single Fe atoms anchored on distant 1-D nanowires in Fe-SASC/NW only allow an end-adsorption of oxygen atoms for 1-electron transfer. These results demonstrate that Fe-SASC/G holds great promise as an advanced electrode material in selective and sensitive biomimetic sensor and other electrocatalytic applications, while offering scientific insights in deeper single atomic catalysis mechanisms, especially the effects of substrate dimensions on the mechanism.

MoS2-based nanocomposites for cancer diagnosis and therapy

Molybdenum is a trace dietary element necessary for the survival of humans. Some molybdenum-bearing enzymes are involved in key metabolic activities in the human body (such as xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase and sulfite oxidase). Many molybdenum-based compounds have been widely used in biomedical research. Especially, MoS2-nanomaterials have attracted more attention in cancer diagnosis and treatment recently because of their unique physical and chemical properties. MoS2 can adsorb various biomolecules and drug molecules via covalent or non-covalent interactions because it is easy to modify and possess a high specific surface area, improving its tumor targeting and colloidal stability, as well as accuracy and sensitivity for detecting specific biomarkers. At the same time, in the near-infrared (NIR) window, MoS2 has excellent optical absorption and prominent photothermal conversion efficiency, which can achieve NIR-based phototherapy and NIR-responsive controlled drug-release. Significantly, the modified MoS2-nanocomposite can specifically respond to the tumor microenvironment, leading to drug accumulation in the tumor site increased, reducing its side effects on non-cancerous tissues, and improved therapeutic effect. In this review, we introduced the latest developments of MoS2-nanocomposites in cancer diagnosis and therapy, mainly focusing on biosensors, bioimaging, chemotherapy, phototherapy, microwave hyperthermia, and combination therapy. Furthermore, we also discuss the current challenges and prospects of MoS2-nanocomposites in cancer treatment.

Self-/Magnetic-Propelled Catalytic Nanomotors Based on a Janus SPION@PEG-Pt/PCL Hybrid Nanoarchitecture: Single-Particle versus Collective Motions

In this paper, we synthesized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (Fe₃O₄@APTES). The synthesized NPs were coated with succinic anhydride (Fe₃O₄@COOH) in the next step. Half the surface of the NPs was shielded with wax microparticles via the Pickering emulsion technique, and the unshielded side was covered with poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether. Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) were deposited between PEG chains by the oxidation-reduction method through an in situ procedure to obtain a metal-polymer composite. These deposited Pt NPs have the potential to catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide at the surface of Janus nanomotors (JNMs). After de-waxing of the NPs, Irgacure 2959 (as the initiator) was reacted with the bare side of the NPs to provide the opportunity to grow poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) chains on the surface of the nanomotors through the "grafting from" method. The diffusion coefficient and velocity of the JNMs (before and after the PCL reaction) in the aqueous solution of 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide and in the presence of different concentrations of NaCl solutions (0, 5, and 10% (w/v)) were investigated by mean square displacement analysis for single-particle or collective motions of JNMs. In addition, the simultaneous effect of an external magnetic field and the NaCl concentration on the movement direction of JNMs was also evaluated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10%). Increasing the ionic strength through NaCl addition permits the JNMs to move with relatively lower amounts of fuel [i.e., 2% (w/w)]. The collective motion investigation of the JNMs showed the highest speed in the media with 10% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide and 5% (w/v) NaCl solution (about 1215.78 μm²/s) due to the surfactant effect of the Janus architecture.

Recent Advances in 2D Group VB Transition Metal Chalcogenides

2D materials have received considerable research interest owing to their abundant material systems and remarkable properties. Among them, 2D group VB transition metal chalcogenides (GVTMCs) stand out as emerging 2D metallic materials and significantly broaden the research scope of 2D materials. 2D GVTMCs have great advantages in electrical transport, 2D magnetism, charge density wave, sensing, catalysis, and charge storage, making them attractive in the fields of functional devices and energy chemistry. In this review, the recent progress of 2D GVTMCs is summarized systematically from fundamental properties, growth methodologies to potential applications. The challenges and prospects are also discussed for future research in this field.

Disposable and Low-Cost Colorimetric Sensors for Environmental Analysis

Environmental contamination affects human health and reduces the quality of life. Therefore, the monitoring of water and air quality is important, ensuring that all areas are acquiescent with the current legislation. Colorimetric sensors deliver quick, naked-eye detection, low-cost, and adequate determination of environmental analytes. In particular, disposable sensors are cheap and easy-to-use devices for single-shot measurements. Due to increasing requests for in situ analysis or resource-limited zones, disposable sensors’ development has increased. This review provides a brief insight into low-cost and disposable colorimetric sensors currently used for environmental analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of different colorimetric devices for environmental analysis are discussed.

Recent advances on TMDCs for medical diagnosis

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), such as MoS₂ and WS₂, have attracted much attention in biosensing and bioimaging due to its excellent stability, biocompatibility, high specific surface area, and wide varieties. In this review, we overviewed the application of TMDCs in biosensing and bioimaging. Firstly, the synthesis methods and surface functionalization methods of TMDCs were summarized. Secondly, according to the working mechanism, we classified and gave a detailed account of the latest research progress of TMDC-based biosensing for the detection of the enzyme, DNA, and other biological molecules. Then, we outlined the recent progress of applying TMDCs in bio-imaging, including fluorescence, X-ray computed tomographic, magnetic response imaging, photographic and multimodal imaging, respectively. Finally, we discussed the future challenges and development direction of the application of TMDCs in medical diagnosis. Also, we put forward our view on the opportunity of TMDCs in the big data of modern medical diagnosis.

Modulating physicochemical properties in Gd3+@Yb2O3 nanospheres for efficient electrochemical monitoring of H2O2

Herein, a uniform spherical shaped Gd(III) doped Yb₂O₃ (Gd@Yb₂O₃) nanoparticles (NPs) was successfully synthesized via hydrothermal method for electrochemical detection of H₂O₂. The calcination effect and porosity of the materials well elaborated in the present work. The optical properties, size, morphological, thermal, sensing, surface and crystalline properties of synthesized materials were examined by several techniques. The enhanced electrocatalytic performance of Gd@Yb₂O₃ make the present sensor excellent towards the determination of H₂O₂.The anodic and cathodic peak current increased regularly with addition of H₂O₂ solution. The electrode coating surface was stable even after a number of electrochemical cycles and have high limit of detection (51 nM). Moreover, the present sensor was successfully employed for detection of H₂O₂ in real samples.

2D Materials in Development of Electrochemical Point-of-Care Cancer Screening Devices

Effective cancer treatment requires early detection and monitoring the development progress in a simple and affordable manner. Point-of care (POC) screening can provide a portable and inexpensive tool for the end-users to conveniently operate test and screen their health conditions without the necessity of special skills. Electrochemical methods hold great potential for clinical analysis of variety of chemicals and substances as well as cancer biomarkers due to their low cost, high sensitivity, multiplex detection ability, and miniaturization aptitude. Advances in two-dimensional (2D) material-based electrochemical biosensors/sensors are accelerating the performance of conventional devices toward more practical approaches. Here, recent trends in the development of 2D material-based electrochemical biosensors/sensors, as the next generation of POC cancer screening tools, are summarized. Three cancer biomarker categories, including proteins, nucleic acids, and some small molecules, will be considered. Various 2D materials will be introduced and their biomedical applications and electrochemical properties will be given. The role of 2D materials in improving the performance of electrochemical sensing mechanisms as well as the pros and cons of current sensors as the prospective devices for POC screening will be emphasized. Finally, the future scopes of implementing 2D materials in electrochemical POC cancer diagnostics for the clinical translation will be discussed.

Recent advances in molybdenum disulfide-based electrode materials for electroanalytical applications

The primary objective of this review article is to summarize the development and structural diversity of 2D/3D molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) based modified electrodes for electrochemical sensors and biosensor applications. Hydrothermal, mechanical, and ultrasonic techniques and solution-based exfoliation have been used to synthesize graphene-like 2D MoS₂ layers. The unique physicochemical properties of MoS₂ and its nanocomposites, including high mechanical strength, high carrier transport, large surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and rapid electron transport rate, render them useful as efficient transducers in various electrochemical applications. The present review summarizes 2D/3D MoS₂-based nanomaterials as an electrochemical platform for the detection and analysis of various biomolecules (e.g., neurotransmitters, NADH, glucose, antibiotics, DNA, proteins, and bacteria) and hazardous chemicals (e.g., heavy metal ions, organic compounds, and pesticides). The substantial improvements that have been achieved in the performance of enzyme-based amperometry, chemiluminescence, and nucleic acid sensors incorporating MoS₂-based chemically modified electrodes are also addressed. We also summarize key sensor parameters such as limits of detection (LODs), sensitivity, selectivity, response time, and durability, as well as real applications of the sensing systems in the environmental, pharmaceutical, chemical, industrial, and food analysis fields. Finally, the remaining challenges in designing MoS₂ nanostructures suitable for electroanalytical applications are outlined. Graphical abstract • MoS₂ based materials exhibit high conductivity and improved electrochemical performance with great potential as a sensing electrode. • The role of MoS₂ nanocomposite films and their detection strategies were reviewed. • Biomarkers detection for disease identification and respective clinical treatments were discussed. • Future Challenges, as well as possible research development for "MoS₂ nanocomposites", are suggested.

MoS2/Pt nanocomposite-functionalized microneedle for real-time monitoring of hydrogen peroxide release from living cells

This work describes the adaptive use of a conventional stainless steel acupuncture needle as the electrode substrate for construction of a molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) layer-modified microneedle sensor for real-time monitoring of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) release from living cells. To construct the nanocomposite-functionalized microneedle, the needle surface was first coated with a gold film by ion sputtering to enhance the conductivity. Subsequently, an electrochemical deposition method was successfully employed to deposit MoS₂ nanosheet and Pt nanoparticles on the needle tip as the sensing interface. Electrochemical study demonstrated that the MoS₂/PtNPs nanocomposite-modified needle exhibited excellent catalytic performance and low over-potential toward the reduction of H₂O₂. Not only did the microneedle achieve a wide linear range from 1 to 100 μmol L^-1 with a limit of detection down to 0.686 μmol L^-1, but it also realized the highly specific detection of H₂O₂. Owing to these remarkable analytical advantages, the prepared microneedle was applied to determine H₂O₂ release from living cells with satisfactory results. The MoS₂/PtNPs nanocomposite-functionalized microneedle sensor is simple and affordable, and can serve as a promising electrochemical nonenzymatic sensing platform. Moreover, this superfine needle sensor shows great potential for real-time monitoring of reactive oxygen species in vivo with minimal damage.

A review on electrochemical biosensing platform based on layered double hydroxides for small molecule biomarkers determination

The development of layered double hydroxides (LDHs), also known as anionic clays with uniform distribution of metal ions and facile exchangeability of intercalated anions, are now appealing an immense deal of attention in synthesis of multifunctional materials. In electrochemical biosensors, LDHs provide stable environment for immobilization of enzymes or other sensing materials and play crucial roles in development of clinical chemistry, point-of-care devices through analysis of various small molecule metabolites excreted by biological processes which in turn serve as molecular biomarkers for medical diagnostics. In this review, we summarize the recent development in fabrication of LDH based nanoarchitectures and their electrocatalytic applications in ultrasensitive in vitro determination of conventional biomarkers, i.e., H₂O₂, glucose, dopamine and other biomolecules. Moreover, detailed discussion has been compiled to differentiate electrochemical enzymatic and nonenzymatic biosensors, to evaluate useful concentration ranges of H₂O₂ and glucose for analytical circumstances and to distinguish tumorigenic and normal cells via quantifying the released H₂O₂ efflux from living cells. Here, we envision that electrochemical sensing platform based on structurally integrated LDH nanohybrids with highly conducting substrates will assist as diseases diagnostic probe further enhancing diagnosis as well as therapeutic window for chronic diseases. Finally, the perspective for fabrication and assembly of LDH electrode is proposed for the future innovation of electrochemical biosensors with high performance making them more reliable for in vitro diagnostics.

Pt decorated MoS2 nanoflakes for ultrasensitive resistive humidity sensor

In this work, we report the fabrication of a low power, humidity sensor where platinum nanoparticles (NPs) decorated few-layered molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) nanoflakes have been used as the sensing layer. A mixed solvent was used to exfoliate the nanoflakes from the bulk powder. Then the Pt/MoS2 composites were prepared by reducing Pt NPs from chloroplatinic acid hexahydrate using a novel reduction technique using sulphide salt. The successful reduction and composite preparation were confirmed using various material characterization tools like scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. The humidity sensors were prepared by drop-coating the Pt-decorated MoS2 on gold interdigitated electrodes and then exposed to various levels of relative humidity (RH). Composites with different weight ratios of Pt were tested and the best response was shown by the Pt/MoS2 (0.25:1) sample with a record high response of ∼4000 times at 85% RH. The response and recovery times were ∼92 s and ∼154 s respectively with repeatable behaviour. The sensor performance was found to be stable when tested over a few months. The underlying sensing mechanisms along with detailed characterization of the various composites have been discussed.

2D transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheets for photo/thermo-based tumor imaging and therapy

Two-dimensional (2D) graphene-like nanomaterials show wide applications in the fields of nanodevices, sensors, energy materials, catalysis, drug delivery, bioimaging, and tissue engineering. Recently, many studies have been focused on the synthesis and application of 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets for various biomedical applications. In particular, 2D TMD nanosheets exhibit great advantages for tumor imaging and therapy compared to some traditional nanomaterials due to their high specific surface area, good biocompatibility, easy modification, and ultrahigh light and heat conversion efficiency. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the synthesis, modification, and photo/thermo-based tumor imaging and therapy of 2D TMD nanosheets. The important studies on tumor bioimaging with TMD nanosheets, such as X-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and photoacoustic imaging, are demonstrated and discussed. In another section, the physical photothermal and photodynamic therapies as well as the pharmacological therapy of tumors with TMD nanosheet-based nanohybrids are introduced. It is expected that this work will be valuable for readers to understand the synthesis and modification of TMD nanosheets to design novel 2D functional nanomaterials for photo/thermo-based tumor imaging and therapy in one aspect, and in another aspect will extend the applications of TMD-based nanomaterials in materials science, analytical science, electrocatalysis, tissue engineering, and others.

Electrochemical sensor based on novel two-dimensional nanohybrids: MoS2nanosheets conjugated with organic copper nanowires for simultaneous detection of hydrogen peroxide and ascorbic acid

MoS₂nanosheets were conjugated with organic copper nanowires for fabrication of electrochemical hydrogen peroxide and ascorbic acid sensors.

XPS and Raman study of the active-sites on molybdenum disulfide nanopetals for photocatalytic removal of rhodamine B and doxycycline hydrochlride

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanopetals were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method (sample without sintering) and then sintered at different temperature (sintered samples). The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen (N₂) adsorption analyses for Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) and Raman spectrum. XRD pattern indicated that the samples can be indexed to hexagonal phase 2H-MoS₂. SEM and TEM images showed that the sintered MoS₂ nanopetals had sizes ranging from 150 to 300 nm with almost the same morphology. The pore structure and surface area were nearly the same for the three sintered MoS₂ nanopetals. Interestingly, XPS and Raman spectra implied that there was a few 1T-phase in the MoS₂ nanopetals which enhanced the photocatalytic performance greatly when sintered at low temperature.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanopetals were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method (sample without sintering) and then sintered at different temperature (sintered samples).

NiS nanoparticle decorated MoS2 nanosheets as efficient promoters for enhanced solar H2 evolution over ZnxCd1−xS nanorods

NiS decorated MoS₂ nanosheets has been used as efficient promoter to enhance the solar hydrogen evolution over ZnCdS nanorods, which reaches a rate of 41.29 mmol g_cat⁻¹ h⁻¹.

Self-assembled mesoporous Ni0.85Se spheres as high performance counter cells of dye-sensitized solar cells

Mesoporous Ni_0.85Se spheres exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity as counter cell of dye-sensitized solar cells.