ZEUS (ZIF-based electrochemical ultrasensitive screening) device for isopentane analytics with focus on lung cancer diagnosis

Naloxone-AuNPs@ZIF-8-Based Impedimetric Sensor Platform for Ultrasensitive Detection of Fentanyl and Fabrication of Fen-Track Prototype for Real-Field Analysis

Opioids are considered to be a global threat, and we are facing the worst opioid crisis of the decade. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are highly potent and deadly toward human body, and hence its detection is an inevitable requirement globally. Naloxone is known for its antagonist property toward fentanyl, and we performed computational simulations to find their interactions and use this principle to build the first of a kind impedimetric sensor device, transduced by 3D-ZIF-8 with in situ encapsulated naloxone-gold nanoparticles. The probe is synthesized using a unique encapsulation strategy, thoroughly characterized by various physicochemical and microscopic tools. The sensor is highly selective toward fentanyl and can detect fentanyl up to 100 ppm in a synthetic sample. A prototype device is also built based on the synthetic calibration and applied to the spiked urine sample, and the performance is evaluated using statistical and machine learning tools.

Recent Advances in Gas Detection Methodologies with a Special Focus on Environmental Sensing and Health Monitoring Applications─A Critical Review

With the expansion of the Internet-of-Things (IoT), the use of gas sensors in the field of wearable technology, smart devices, and smart homes has increased manifold. These gas sensors have two key applications─one is the detection of gases present in the environment and the other is the detection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are found in the breath. In this review, we focus systematically on the advancements in the field of various spectroscopic methods such as mass spectrometry-based analysis and point-of-care approach to detect VOCs and gases for environmental monitoring and disease diagnosis. Additionally, we highlight the development of smart sensors that work on the principle of electrochemical detection and provide examples of the same through an extensive literature review. At the end of this review, we highlight various challenges and future perspectives.

Metal-organic frameworks for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials provide unprecedented opportunities for evaluating valuable compounds for various medical applications. MOFs merged with biomolecules, used as novel biomaterials, have become particularly useful in biological environments. Bio-MOFs can be promising materials in the global to avoid utilization above toxicological substances. Bio-MOFs with crystallin and porosity nature offer flexible structure via bio-linker and metal node variation, which improves their wide applicability in medical science.

Engineering the ZIF-8 Pore for Electrochemical Sensor Applications-A Mini Review

Zinc imidazole framework-8, abbreviated as ZIF-8, is a member of the metal organic framework (MOF) family. The chemical architecture of ZIF-8 consists of zinc metal duly coordinated with an organic ligand/fragment, resulting in a cagelike three-dimensional network with unique porosity. Because of such a unique architecture and physicochemical property, ZIF-8 has recently been explored in various applications such as gas storage, catalysis, electrochemical sensing, drug delivery, etc. Electrochemical sensors are currently a hot topic in scientific advances, where small, portable, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices powered by electrochemical output show a newer path toward chemo and biosensor applications. The unique electrochemical property of ZIF-8 is hence explored widely for possible electrochemical sensor applications. The application and synthesis of the bare ZIF-8 have been widely reported for more than a decade. However, new scientific advancements depict tailoring the bare ZIF-8 structure to achieve smart hybrid ZIF-8 materials that show more advanced properties compared to bare ZIF-8. The framework is formed by joining inorganic (metal-containing) units with organic linkers by reticular synthesis, which results in the formation of a cross-linked crystalline network with permanent porosity. This unique porosity of ZIF-8 has recently been utilized for the encapsulation of suitable guest species to enhance the native physicochemical activity of ZIF-8. These engineered ZIF-8 materials show excellent results, especially for electrochemical sensing application. This review is intended to describe the research, including the one done by our group, where the ZIF-8 pore size is used for encapsulating nanoparticles, enzymes, and organic compounds to avail suitable sensor applications.

AuNP@ZeNose (ZIF-based electrochemical nose) for detection of flu biomarker in breath

A novel electrochemical sensor is reported for the detection of isoprene levels in breath using a ZIF-based electrochemical nose. This sensor incorporates a hybrid detection system using gold nanoparticles encapsulated inside the ZIF-8 moiety. Breath-based analysis is widely being used for monitoring the metabolic state of the body. It is associated with the change in the concentration of volatile organic compounds and inorganic gases released endogenously and can be tracked using breath as the sample. One such volatile organic compound, isoprene, has been correlated to the presence of influenza virus or respiratory inflammation. Analytical techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and tunneling electron microscopy were used to understand the structural features of the composite. The electrochemical nose system uses chronoamperometry as the transduction mechanism to monitor the diffusion kinetics of the target analyte across the electrode-electrolyte interface. The presented work demonstrates isoprene sensing with high sensitivity and specificity and a detection limit of 10 parts per billion in air. We successfully demonstrate the functionality of the ZIF-based electrochemical nose for point-of-care screening of isoprene levels by developing a prototype device using a commercially available development board. We foresee that the developed sensing platform can help in early screening for the presence of influenza virus and help control the infection rate.

Reproducibility and reporting, the routes to progress in breath research - highlights from the Breath Biopsy Conference 2021

With the continued presence of COVID-19 worldwide, it has been a challenge for the breath research community to progress with clinical studies and travel restrictions have also limited the opportunities to meet up, share ideas and celebrate the latest advances. The Breath Biopsy Conference 2021 provided a much-needed opportunityoffered the chance to catch up with the latest breath research and to share the researchprogress that researchers in the community have been able to progress make in these difficult times. Limited opportunities for clinical research have provided opportunitiesled many in the field to look more closely at different methods for breath collection and have contributed to the growing calls for consistent standards in how results are reported, shared and even how breath studies themselves are carried out. As such, standardization was a key theme for this year's event and featured prominently in the keynotes, discussions and throughout many of the presentation sessions. With over 900 registrants, almost 400 live attendees and 16 speakers, the Breath Biopsy Conference continues to bring together breath research leaders from around the world. This article provides an overview of the highlights from this event.