Superior Non-Invasive Glucose Sensor Using Bimetallic CuNi Nanospecies Coated Mesoporous Carbon

Multifunctional nanomaterials for smart wearable diabetic healthcare devices

Wearable diabetic healthcare devices have attracted great attention for real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) using biofluids such as tears, sweat, saliva, and interstitial fluid via noninvasive ways. In response to the escalating global demand for CGM, these devices enable proactive management and intervention of diabetic patients with incorporated drug delivery systems (DDSs). In this context, multifunctional nanomaterials can trigger the development of innovative sensing and management platforms to facilitate real-time selective glucose monitoring with remarkable sensitivity, on-demand drug delivery, and wireless power and data transmission. The seamless integration into wearable devices ensures patient's compliance. This comprehensive review evaluates the multifaceted roles of these materials in wearable diabetic healthcare devices, comparing their glucose sensing capabilities with conventionally available glucometers and CGM devices, and finally outlines the merits, limitations, and prospects of these devices. This review would serve as a valuable resource, elucidating the intricate functions of nanomaterials for the successful development of advanced wearable devices in diabetes management.

Flexible Textile-Based Sweat Sensors for Wearable Applications

The current physical health care system has gradually evolved into a form of virtual hospitals communicating with sensors, which can not only save time but can also diagnose a patient's physical condition in real time. Textile-based wearable sensors have recently been identified as detection platforms with high potential. They are developed for the real-time noninvasive detection of human physiological information to comprehensively analyze the health status of the human body. Sweat comprises various chemical compositions, which can be used as biomarkers to reflect the relevant information of the human physiology, thus providing references for health conditions. Combined together, textile-based sweat sensors are more flexible and comfortable than other conventional sensors, making them easily integrated into the wearable field. In this short review, the research progress of textile-based flexible sweat sensors was reviewed. Three mechanisms commonly used for textile-based sweat sensors were firstly contrasted with an introduction to their materials and preparation processes. The components of textile-based sweat sensors, which mainly consist of a sweat transportation channel and collector, a signal-selection unit, sensing elements and sensor integration and communication technologies, were reviewed. The applications of textile-based sweat sensors with different mechanisms were also presented. Finally, the existing problems and challenges of sweat sensors were summarized, which may contribute to promote their further development.

Bimetallic Nanomaterials: A Promising Nanoplatform for Multimodal Cancer Therapy

Bimetallic nanomaterials (BMNs) composed of two different metal elements have certain mixing patterns and geometric structures, and they often have superior properties than monometallic nanomaterials. Bimetallic-based nanomaterials have been widely investigated and extensively used in many biomedical fields especially cancer therapy because of their unique morphology and structure, special physicochemical properties, excellent biocompatibility, and synergistic effect. However, most reviews focused on the application of BMNs in cancer diagnoses (sensing, and imaging) and rarely mentioned the application of the treatment of cancer. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive perspective on the recent progress of BNMs as therapeutic agents. We first introduce and discuss the synthesis methods, intrinsic properties (size, morphology, and structure), and optical and catalytic properties relevant to cancer therapy. Then, we highlight the application of BMNs in cancer therapy (e.g., drug/gene delivery, radiotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, enzyme-mediated tumor therapy, and multifunctional synergistic therapy). Finally, we put forward insights for the forthcoming in order to make more comprehensive use of BMNs and improve the medical system of cancer treatment.

Bi-functional 3D-NiCu-Double Hydroxide@Partially Etched 3D-NiCu Catalysts for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Detection and the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Hydrogen production, which is in the spotlight as a promising eco-friendly fuel, and the need for inexpensive and accurate electronic devices in the biochemistry field are important emerging technologies. However, the use of electrocatalytic devices based on expensive noble metal catalysts limits commercial applications. In recent years, to improve performance and reduce cost, electrocatalysts based on cheaper copper or nickel materials have been investigated for the non-enzymatic glucose oxidation reaction (GOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, we demonstrate a facile and easy electrochemical method of forming a cheap nickel copper double hydroxide (NiCu-DH) electrocatalyst deposited onto a three-dimensional (3D) CuNi current collector, which can effectively handle two different reactions due to its high activity for both the GOR and the HER. The as-prepared electrode has a structure comprising abundant 3D-interconnected porous dendritic walls for easy access of the electrolyte ions and highly conductive networks for fast electron transfer; additionally, it provides numerous electroactive sites. The synergistic combination of the dendritic 3D-CuNi with its abundant active sites and the self-made NiCu-DH with its excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of glucose and HER enables use of the catalyst for both reactions. The as-prepared electrode as a glucose sensor exhibits an outstanding glucose detection limit value (0.4 μM) and a wide detection range (from 0.4 μM to 1.4 mM) with an excellent sensitivity of 1452.5 μA/cm2/mM. The electrode is independent of the oxygen content and free from chloride poisoning. Furthermore, the as-prepared electrode also requires a low overpotential of -180 mV versus reversible hydrogen electrode to yield a current density of 10 mA/cm2 with a Tafel slope of 73 mV/dec for the HER. Based on this performance, this work introduces a new paradigm for exploring cost-effective bi-functional catalysts for the GOR and HER.

Bimetallic Nanomaterials-Based Electrochemical Biosensor Platforms for Clinical Applications

Diabetes is a foremost health issue that results in ~4 million deaths every year and ~170 million people suffering globally. Though there is no treatment for diabetes yet, the blood glucose level of diabetic patients should be checked closely to avoid further problems. Screening glucose in blood has become a vital requirement, and thus the fabrication of advanced and sensitive blood sugar detection methodologies for clinical analysis and individual care. Bimetallic nanoparticles (BMNPs) are nanosized structures that are of rising interest in many clinical applications. Although their fabrication shares characteristics with physicochemical methodologies for the synthesis of corresponding mono-metallic counterparts, they can display several interesting new properties and applications as a significance of the synergetic effect between their two components. These applications can be as diverse as clinical diagnostics, anti-bacterial/anti-cancer treatments or biological imaging analyses, and drug delivery. However, the exploitation of BMNPs in such fields has received a small amount of attention predominantly due to the vital lack of understanding and concerns mainly on the usage of other nanostructured materials, such as stability and bio-degradability over extended-time, ability to form clusters, chemical reactivity, and biocompatibility. In this review article, a close look at bimetallic nanomaterial based glucose biosensing approaches is discussed, concentrating on their clinical applications as detection of glucose in various real sample sources, showing substantial development of their features related to corresponding monometallic counterparts and other existing used nanomaterials for clinical applications.