Quenched electrochemiluminescence of Ag nanoparticles functionalized g-C3N4 by ferrocene for highly sensitive immunosensing

In this paper, a novel sandwich electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor was constructed by ferrocene for quenching Ag nanoparticles functionalized g-C₃N₄ (Ag@g-C₃N₄) emission. The prepared Ag@g-C₃N₄ had strong and stable ECL signals compared to pure g-C₃N₄ and primary antibody (Ab₁) can be immobilized on Ag@g-C₃N₄ by adsorption of Ag nanoparticles. Ferrocene carboxylic acid (Fc-COOH) labeled secondary antibody was immobilized on Au doped mesoporous Al₂O₃ nanorods (Au@Al₂O₃–Fc-COOH@Ab₂) as labels through adsorption ability of Au toward proteins. After a sandwich-type immunoreaction, a remarkable decrease of ECL signal was observed due to the ECL quenching of Ag@g-C₃N₄ by Au@Al₂O₃–Fc-COOH@Ab₂. As a result, the change of ECL intensity has a direct relationship with the logarithm of CEA concentrations in the range of 1 pg mL⁻¹–100 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.35 pg mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3). Additionally, the proposed immunosensor shows high specificity, good reproducibility, and long-term stability.     

CoFe2O4 nano-particles functionalized with 8-hydroxyquinoline for dispersive solid-phase micro-extraction and direct fluorometric monitoring of aluminum in human serum and water samples

A simple dispersive solid-phase micro-extraction method based on CoFe₂O₄ nano-particles (NPs) functionalized with 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) with the aid of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was developed for separation of Al(III) ions from aqueous solutions. Al(III) ions are separated at pH 7 via complex formation with 8-HQ using the functionalized CoFe₂O₄ nano-particles sol solution as a dispersed solid-phase extractor. The separated analyte is directly quantified by a spectrofluorometric method at 370 nm excitation and 506 nm emission wavelengths. A comparison of the fluorescence of Al(III)–8-HQ complex in bulk solution and that of Al(III) ion interacted with 8-HQ/SDS/CoFe₂O₄ NPs revealed a nearly 5-fold improvement in intensity. The experimental factors influencing the separation and in situ monitoring of the analyte were optimized. Under these conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.1–300 ng mL⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9986. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.03 ng mL⁻¹ and 0.10 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The inter-day and intra-day relative standard deviations for six replicate determinations of 150 ng mL⁻¹ Al(III) ion were 2.8% and 1.7%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to direct determine Al(III) ion in various human serum and water samples.     

Anti-idiotypic nanobody-alkaline phosphatase fusion proteins: Development of a one-step competitive enzyme immunoassay for fumonisin B1 detection in cereal

A rapid and sensitive one-step competitive enzyme immunoassay for the detection of FB₁ was developed. The anti-idiotypic nanobody–alkaline phosphatase (Ab2β−Nb−AP) was validated by the AP enzyme activity and the properties of bounding to anti-FB1-mAb (3F11) through colorimetric and chemiluminescence analyses. The 50% inhibitory concentration and the detection limit (LOD) of colorimetric enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for FB₁ were 2.69 and 0.35 ng mL⁻¹, respectively, with a linear range of 0.93–7.73 ng mL⁻¹. The LOD of the chemiluminescence ELISA (CLIA) was 0.12 ng mL⁻¹, and the IC₅₀ was 0.89 ± 0.09 ng mL⁻¹ with a linear range of 0.29–2.68 ng mL⁻¹. Compared with LC-MS/MS, the results of this assay indicated the reliability of the Ab2β−Nb−AP fusion protein based one-step competitive immunoassay for monitoring FB₁ contamination in cereals. The Ab2β−Nb−AP fusion proteins have the potential to replace chemically-coupled probes in competitive enzyme immunoassay systems.     

Magnetically assisted solid phase extraction using Fe3O4 nanoparticles combined with enhanced spectrofluorimetric detection for aflatoxin M1 determination in milk samples

A novel, facile and inexpensive solid phase extraction (SPE) method using ethylene glycol bis-mercaptoacetate modified 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-1-propanethiol grafted Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles coupled with spectrofluorimetric detection was proposed for determination of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in liquid milk samples. The method uses the advantage fluorescence enhancement by β-cyclodexterin complexation of AFM1 in 12% (v/v) acetonitrile–water and the remarkable properties of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles namely high surface area and strong magnetization were utilized to achieve high enrichment factor (57) and satisfactory extraction recoveries (91–102%) using only 100 mg of magnetic adsorbent. Furthermore, fast separation time of about 15 min avoids many time-consuming column-passing procedures of conventional SPE. The main factors affecting extraction efficiency including pH value, desorption conditions, extraction/desorption time, sample volume, and adsorbent amount were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, a wide linear range of 0.04–8 ng mL⁻¹ with a low detection limit of 0.015 ng mL⁻¹ was obtained. The developed method was applied for extraction and preconcentration of AFM1 in three commercially available milk samples and the results were compared with the official AOAC method.     

凹凸棒石/g-C3N4-AgFeO2复合材料制备及其光催化性能

以凹凸棒石(简称凹土,ATP)为基体,通过原位化学法一步直接合成g-C_3N_4薄层材料,并将其有效固载于凹土表面(ATP/gC_3N_4),再通过原位沉淀法引入不同比例AgFeO_2纳米颗粒,构筑系列兼具磁分离特性和高效光催化活性的ATP/g-C_3N_4-AgFeO_2-Y复合光催化剂(Y=wATP/g-C_3N_4/(wATP/g-C_3N_4+wAg FeO_2)×100%,表示ATP/g-C_3N_4在ATP/g-C_3N_4-AgFeO_2复合材料中所占的质量百分数)。采用XRD、SEM、BET、UV-Vis、PL和ICP表征其结构和物化性能,以酸性红G(ARG)为目标降解物,研究其光催化性能。研究发现:通过形成Si-O-C键,g-C_3N_4薄层被均匀固定在凹土表面;AgFeO_2纳米颗粒均匀沉积于ATP/g-C_3N_4表面并形成Z型异质结,ATP/gC_3N_4-AgFeO_2-Y具有比ATP/g-C_3N_4和AgFeO_2更优异的可见光光催化性能,且随着ATP/g-C_3N_4含量的增大呈先升高而后下降的趋势;当Y=57%时复合材料的性能最佳,ATP/g-C_3N_4-AgFeO_2-57%对20 mg·L-1酸性红G的降解率可达97.4%,循环4次使用后,降解率仍保持94.2%。通过自由基捕获实验研究了光催化反应机理,发现·O2-是光催化过程的主要活性物种。     

C18-attached membrane funnel-based spray ionization mass spectrometry for quantification of anti-diabetic drug from human plasma

In this work, sorbent-attached membrane funnel-based spray ionization mass spectrometry was explored for quantitative analysis of anti-diabetic drugs spiked in human plasma. C₁₈-attached membrane funnel was fabricated for in situ extraction and clean-up to alleviate matrix suppression effect in the ionization process. Repaglinide was used as a target analyte of anti-diabetic drugs. Under optimal working conditions, good linearity (R² > 0.99) was obtained in the concentration range of 1–100 ng mL⁻¹. The method detection limit of target drugs spiked in the human plasma was around 0.30 ng mL⁻¹. Through the application of an isotope-labeled internal standard, the signal fluctuation caused by residual background matrices was largely alleviated and the precision of measurement (RSD) was below 15%. The recovery of repaglinide for 5, 25, and 100 ng mL⁻¹ of spiked human plasma matrixes ranged from 87% to 112%. The developed method was successfully applied to determine repaglinide in plasma volunteers who orally received a dose of drug association. Our results demonstrated that membrane funnel-based spray is a simple and sensitive method for rapid screening analysis of complex biological samples.     

C/g-C3N4/MoS2复合材料的制备及光催化性能

首先以尿素和葡萄糖为前驱体,通过热缩合方法制备了C/g-C₃N₄,然后利用溶剂热法合成C/g-C₃N₄/MoS₂三元复合材料。通过不同的手段对其进行了表征,结果表明,与C/g-C₃N₄相比,该三元复合材料不仅具有更强的光吸收性能和更大的表面积,而且更有利于电子的转移。同时对其可见光催化降解甲基橙性能进行研究,结果发现,C/g-C₃N₄/MoS₂-2.0%复合材料(含有质量分数为2.0%的MoS₂)表现出最高的反应速率常数(0.0086 min^-1),分别为g-C₃N₄/MoS₂-2.0%(0.0015 min^-1)和C/g-C₃N₄(0.0036min^-1)的5.7倍和2.3倍。     

Preparation of Fe3O4 nanoparticle enclosure hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the determination of aconitines in human serum samples

A magnetic carbon nanomaterial for Fe₃O₄ enclosure hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Fe₃O₄-EC-MWCNTs-OH) was prepared by the aggregating effect of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle on MWCNTs-OH, and combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/diode array detection (DAD) to determine the aconitines (aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine) in human serum samples. Compared with other extraction modes investigated in experiment, Fe₃O₄-EC-MWCNTs-OH sorbents showed a good affinity to target analytes. Some important parameters that could influence extraction efficiency of aconitines, including the extraction mode, amounts of Fe₃O₄-EC-MWCNTs-OH, pH of sample solution, extraction time, desorption solvent and desorption time, were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the recoveries of spiked serum samples were between 98.0% and 103.0%; relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranged from 0.9% to 6.2%. The correlation coefficients varied from 0.9996 to 0.9998. The limits of detection ranged from 3.1 ng mL⁻¹ to 4.1 ng mL⁻¹ at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The experimental results showed that the proposed method was feasible for the analysis of aconitines in serum samples.     

中空管状g-C3N4/Ag3PO4复合催化剂的制备及其可见光催化性能

采用化学沉淀法制备中空管状 g-C₃N₄/Ag₃PO₄复合催化剂。通过 X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)和荧光光谱对其结构、形貌和光学性能进行了表征。结果表明：Ag₃PO₄纳米颗粒均匀地分散在中空管状g-C₃N₄表面,两者紧密结合形成异质结。研究复合催化剂在可见光照射下降解盐酸四环素(TC)的光催化活性。结果显示：复合催化剂在80 min内对TC的降解率为98%,其降解反应速率常数是纯相Ag₃PO₄的3倍。经过5次循环实验后复合催化剂对于TC的降解率仍保持87%,具有优良的循环稳定性。捕获实验表明空穴(h⁺)和超氧负离子(·O₂^ˉ)是光催化反应过程中的主要活性物种。根据能带理论,提出了复合催化剂异质结的Z型光催化机理。     

GO/TiO2-g-C3N4纳米复合材料的制备及可见光催化性能

以水热法制备的20% g-C₃N₄/TiO₂（20%为质量分数）为基,将其与不同质量分数的氧化石墨烯（GO）复合制备出可见光催化性能优良的GO/TiO₂-g-C₃N₄三元复合材料。利用X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）、紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）、光致荧光光谱（PL）、瞬态光电流响应等分析测试手段对样品的结构、形貌和光电性能进行表征。研究了不同质量分数GO的加入对GO/TiO₂-g-C₃N₄在可见光下降解亚甲基蓝（MB）溶液的影响。结果表明： g-C₃N₄/TiO₂与GO复合后,锐钛矿相TiO₂颗粒形成小团簇附着在g-C₃N₄和GO片层表面,且当GO含量为15%时,TiO₂形成的团簇最小,对可见光的吸收最多且光生电子-空穴对的复合率最低。可见光照射下,15% GO/TiO₂-g-C₃N₄复合材料对MB的降解率在3 h内可达98.4%,且其降解速率常数（0.022 4 min^-1）分别是纯TiO₂（0.001 5 min^-1）和g-C₃N₄/TiO₂（0.002 5 min^-1）的15倍和9倍。     

Preconcentration and determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in environmental water samples by solid-phase microextraction with Fe3O4-coated bamboo charcoal fibers prior to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In this paper, bamboo charcoals were modified using Fe₃O₄ nanosheets for the first time. The composites, as a novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating, were used for the extraction of seven polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in environmental water samples. The extraction factors (stirring rate, extraction time, and ionic strength) and desorption factors (desorption time and desorption temperature) of the fibers were systematically investigated and optimized. Under optimum conditions, the linear range was 1–1000 ng L⁻¹. Based on the ratio of chromatographic signal to base line noise (S N⁻¹ = 3), the limits of detection (LODs) can reach 0.25–0.62 ng L⁻¹. The novel method was successful in the analysis of PBDEs in real environmental water samples. The results indicate that bamboo charcoal/Fe₃O₄ as an SPME coating material coupled with gas chromatography–negative chemical ionization-mass spectrometry is an excellent method for the routine analysis of PBDEs at trace levels in environmental water samples.     

Facile synthesis of a boronate affinity sorbent from mesoporous nanomagnetic polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes composite and its application for enrichment of catecholamines in human urine

A boronate-decorated nanomagnetic organic-inorganic hybrid material was facilely synthesized by utilizing the nanomagnetic polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) composite (Fe₃O₄@POSS) as the base platform. A simple copolymerization occurred between 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid (AAPBA) and the residual end vinyl groups supplied by the substrate. Here the special emphasis was placed on the octavinyl POSS, which not only acted as the building blocks for a hybrid architecture but also facilitated the process of grafting boronate groups onto the surface of POSS based nanomagnetic composite (Fe₃O₄@POSS). The successful immobilization of affinity ligand-AAPBA on the Fe₃O₄@POSS was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES), field emission scanning electron microscope. A magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) for cis-diols enrichment was developed using the as-prepared Fe₃O₄@POSS-AAPBA material as an affinity sorbent and three catecholamines (CAs), namely noradrenaline, epinephrine and isoprenaline, as model analytes. Under the optimal extraction conditions, sensitive and simultaneous analysis of three CAs from the urine sample was achieved by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV). The limits of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) and the limits of quantitation (LOQ, S/N = 10) for the target analytes were 0.81–1.32 ng mL⁻¹ and 2.70–4.40 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. Also good recoveries (85.5–101.7%) and repeatability (RSD≤10.1%) were obtained by this method. This work not only showed a facility for the utilization of Fe₃O₄@POSS as a substrate for constructing a boronate functionalized nanomagnetic sorbent, but also demonstrated the capability of the derived material for recognition of trace amount of cis-diols biomolecules presented in complicated biological matrices.     

Thin metal organic frameworks coatings by cathodic electrodeposition for solid-phase microextraction and analysis of trace exogenous estrogens in milk

Cathodic electrodeposition (CED) has received great attention in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) synthesis due to its distinguished properties including simplicity, controllability, mild synthesis conditions, and product continuously. Here, we report the fabrication of thin (Et₃NH)₂Zn₃(BDC)₄ (E-MOF-5) film coated solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber by a one-step in situ cathodic electrodeposition strategy. Several etched stainless steel fibers were placed in parallel in order to achieve simultaneously electrochemical polymerization. The influence of different polymerization parameters Et₃NHCl concentration and polymerization time were evaluated. The proposed method requires only 20 min for the preparation of E-MOF-5 coating. The optimum coating showed excellent thermal stability and mechanical durability with a long lifetime of more than 120 repetitions SPME operations, and also exhibited higher extraction selectivity and capacity to four estrogens than commonly-used commercial PDMS coating. The limits of detection for the estrogens were 0.17–0.56 ng mL⁻¹. Fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (n = 8) was in the respective ranges of 3.5%–6.1% relative standard deviation (RSD) for four estrogens for triplicate measurements at 200 ng mL⁻¹. Finally, the (E-MOF-5) coated fiber was evaluated for ethinylestradiol (EE2), bisphenol A (BPA), diethylstilbestrol (DES), and hexestrol (HEX) extraction in the spiked milk samples. The extraction performance of this new coating was satisfied enough for repeatable use without obvious decline.     

Cu2O/g-C3N4催化合成吲哚-2-羧酸酯

我们通过原位还原的方法将吸附在g-C3N4表面上Cu2+还原,制备出Cu2O/g-C3N4复合材料,并利用XRD、SEM、FT-IR、XPS等分析手段表征Cu2O/g-C3N4.表征结果显示:Cu元素主要以Cu2O的形式吸附在g-C3N4载体上.另外,还考察了Cu2O/g-C3 N4在“一锅法”合成吲哚-2-甲酸乙酯的反应中的催化性能.结果表明:即使在较低的催化担载量和温和的反应条件下,Cu2O/g-C3 N4仍能表现出良好的催化性能并获得44.1％的收率.     

BiOBr/g-C3N4 S型异质结无H2O2光-自芬顿高效催化降解RhB

通过焙烧-超声混合法成功地制备了BiOBr/g-C₃N₄S型异质结复合光催化剂。采用多种表征手段对样品物理属性进行了表征,包括X射线多晶粉末衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)。研究了所制备样品有/无Fe³⁺的光-自芬顿催化/光催化降解罗丹明B(RhB)性能。通过捕获实验确定了光催化反应中的主要活性物种,提出了光-自芬顿反应的降解机理。研究结果表明,BiOBr/g-C₃N₄S型异质结能原位生成H₂O₂,添加Fe³⁺后,H₂O₂被原位活化成活性物种且光生电流和载流子分离效率获得显著提高。该光-自芬顿过程能高效降解RhB,其反应速率常数为0.208 min^-1,约为无Fe³⁺光催化反应速率常数的5.3倍,在光-自芬顿循环使用过程中表现出良好的稳定性。Fe...     

Near-infrared fluorimetric determination of nucleic acids by shifting the ion-association equilibrium between tetracarboxy aluminum phthalocyanine and tetra-N-hexadecylpyridiniumyl porphyrin

A new method was developed for determination of micro amounts of nucleic acids based on near-infrared (near-IR) fluorescence recovery, employing a two-reagent system which is composed of an anionic tetracarboxy aluminum phthalocyanine (AlC₄Pc) and a cationic tetra-N-hexadecylpyridiniumyl porphyrin (TC₁₆PyP). The fluorescence of the AlC₄Pc, with the maximum emission wavelength at 701 nm, could be quenched by TC₁₆PyP at its proper concentration, but recovered by adding nucleic acids. Under optimal conditions, the recovered fluorescence is proportional to the concentration of nucleic acids. The calibration graphs are linear over the range of 1-200 ng mL⁻¹ for fish sperm DNA (FS DNA) and 2-400 ng mL⁻¹ for calf thymus DNA (CT DNA). The corresponding detection limits are 0.59 ng mL⁻¹ for FS DNA and 0.82 ng mL⁻¹ for CT DNA, respectively. Four synthetic and three real nucleic acid samples were determined with satisfactory results.     

A novel miniaturized zinc oxide/hydroxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a stir-brush microextractor device for carbamate pesticides analysis

A novel miniaturized “stir-brush microextractor” was prepared using a zinc oxide/hydroxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (ZnO/MWCNTs–OH) coated stainless steel brush connected to a small dc motor. The synthesized zinc oxide on each strand of stainless steel had a flower-like nanostructure when observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). This structure produced a large surface area before it was coated with the hydroxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes sorbent. Under optimal conditions, the developed device provided a good linearity for the extraction of carbofuran and carbaryl, in the range of 25–500 ng mL⁻¹ and 50–500 ng mL⁻¹, respectively, with low limits of detection of 17.5 ± 2.0 ng mL⁻¹ and 13.0 ± 1.8 ng mL⁻¹. It also provided a good stir-brush-to-stir-brush reproducibility (% relative standard deviation < 5.6%, n = 6). The device was applied for the extraction and preconcentration of carbamate pesticides in fruit and vegetable samples prior to analysis with a gas chromatograph coupled with a flame ionization detector (GC–FID). Carbofuran was found at 9.24 ± 0.93 ng g⁻¹ and carbaryl was detected at 7.05 ± 0.61 ng g⁻¹ with good recoveries in the range of 73.7 ± 10.0% to 108.4 ± 2.6% for carbofuran and 75.7 ± 10.0% to 111.7 ± 5.7% for carbaryl.     

Electrochemiluminescence immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of biomarker using Ru(bpy)3-encapsulated silica nanosphere labels

Here, we describe a new approach for electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay with Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-encapsulated silica nanoparticle (SiO₂@Ru) as labels. A water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion method was employed for one-pot synthesis of SiO₂@Ru nanoparticles. The as-synthesized SiO₂@Ru nanoparticles have a narrow size distribution, which allows reproducible loading of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ inside the silica shell and of α-fetoprotein antibody (anti-AFP), a model antibody, on the silica surface with glutaraldehyde as linkage. The silica shell effectively prevents leakage of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ into the aqueous solution due to strong electrostatic interaction between the positively charged Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ and the negatively charged surface of silica. The porous structure of silica shell allowed the ion to move easily through the pore to exchange energy/electrons with the entrapped Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. The as-synthesized SiO₂@Ru can be used as a label for ultrasensitive detection of biomarkers through a sandwiched immunoassay process. The calibration range of AFP concentration was 0.05-30 ng mL⁻¹ with linear relation from 0.05 to 20 ng mL⁻¹ and a detection limit of 0.035 ng mL⁻¹ at 3σ. The resulting immunosensors possess high sensitivity and good analytical performance.     

N-alkylpyridinium quaternization combined with liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry: A highly sensitive method to quantify fatty alcohols in thyroid tissues

A highly sensitive method was developed for the identification and quantification of fatty alcohols in biological tissues. In the presence of pyridine-d₀ and triflic anhydride (Tf₂O), fatty alcohols were converted into permanently charged N-alkylpyridinium ions. Stable isotope-labeled derivatives were generated by pyridine-d₅ and added as internal standard (IS). The mixture was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to positive electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS/MS). This method was optimized and validated in terms of reaction time, derivatization efficiency, stability, desalting, and ion suppression effect. Besides, fatty alcohols exhibited good linear relationship (r² > 0.993) over the concentration range of 10 ng mL⁻¹–1 μg mL⁻¹. The limits of detection (LODs) were lowered from previously reported 0.1 ng mL⁻¹ to 0.25 pg mL⁻¹. Precision (RSD% < 15.6%), accuracy (93.0–107.2%), matrix effect, and recovery (in thyroid tissues) were validated as well. Finally, this method was applied for the analysis of ten even carbon-numbered fatty alcohols (C₈–C₂₄) in human thyroid carcinoma and para-carcinoma tissues, revealing a significant decrease of fatty alcohols (free and esterified) in thyroid carcinoma tissues (p < 0.05).