基于对氨基苯硼酸修饰磁性纳米粒子及丝网印刷技术测定糖化血红蛋白

制备了对氨基苯硼酸修饰的磁性纳米粒子,其与血液中的糖化血红蛋白(Hb A1c)结合,通过网状玻璃态碳(RVC)电极的磁性区域后,可实现与未糖基化的血红蛋白分离。通过壳聚糖(CS)、正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)和碳纳米管构成的溶胶-凝胶膜修饰丝网印刷电极对血红蛋白进行电化学检测,从而建立了一种用于检测糖化血红蛋白的新方法。在0.10 V电位下,丝网印刷电极的电量与Hb A1c和Hb的浓度有较好的线性关系,检出限分别为6 mg/m L和0.05 mg/m L。该方法电极制作简单,有较好的重现性和稳定性,且能有效排除抗坏血酸(AA)、尿酸(UA)等的干扰,已成功应用于实际样品中Hb A1c的检测。     

A transflective polymer-stabilised blue-phase liquid display with partitioned wall-shaped electrodes

A transflective polymer-stabilised blue-phase liquid crystal display (BP-LCD) with partitioned wall-shaped electrodes is proposed. The etched polymer layer contributes to balance the optical phase retardation between transmissive (T) and reflective (R) regions. The partitioned wall-shaped electrodes generate uniform and horizontal fields throughout the entire LC layer to induce isotropic-to-anisotropic transition in the blue-phase liquid crystal medium through Kerr effect. Consequently, the accumulated phase retardation along beam path is large, resulting in reasonable low operation voltage and high transmittance both in T and R regions. This approach enables the BP-LCD to be addressed by amorphous silicon thin-film transistors. Moreover, it exhibits wide viewing angle and a well-matched gamma curve.     

Single layer graphene: an alternative electrode material for ferroelectric liquid crystal based displays

We made comparative investigations on indium tin oxide (ITO) and single-layer graphene (SLG)-coated glass substrate as electrodes, specially for ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC)-based system. We experimentally examined the comparative behaviour of important electro-optical FLC parameters for ITO- and SLG-based sample cells. The parameters are observed to be almost similar for both the cells. Interestingly, the value of threshold voltage is observed lower in SLG-based cell in comparison to that of conventional ITO/ITO cell. The presented results will definitely add a step to prove the suitability of graphene to be used as transparent electrodes in FLC-based display devices.     

Novel electrochemical procedure for the determination of metamitron

In this paper, a chronopotentiometric method for the determination of herbicide metamitron (MTM) using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and a thin film mercury electrode (TFME) as working electrodes is presented. MTM provided a well-defined reductive peak in the Britton–Robinson buffer on both working electrodes. Instrumental and chemical factors such as pH of the buffer, initial potential and reduction current influencing MTM chronopotentiometric response were optimised with the Box–Behnken experimental design. Under the optimal combination of factors, the analytical signal was linear in the MTM concentration range of 0.8–30 mg/L, with a detection limit of 68.53 µg/L using a TFME, and in the concentration range of 1–30 mg/L, with a detection limit of 92.91 µg/L using a GCE. The precision of the method was estimated as a function of repeatability and reproducibility, with the value of relative standard deviation lower than 2.6%. The applicability of the method was verified by direct analysis of MTM in spiked water samples and commercial pesticide formulations. The obtained results were in good agreement with those obtained using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method, or with those labelled by the manufacturer. By using chronopotentiometry, neither extraction nor preconcentration procedures are necessary, thus making this method simple, cost-effective and more feasible for analytical routine analysis.     

基于沸石咪唑酯骨架-8的LiFePO_4改性

商业化LiFePO_4(LFP)正极材料的导电性一直是制约其性能提高的关键。为了提高LFP的性能,利用沸石咪唑酯骨架-8(ZIF-8)制备多孔碳材料(CZIF-8)改善商业化LFP正极材料的导电性,对比了两种改性LFP的方法:1)将退火的ZIF-8以物理混合的方法与LFP混合制得LFP/CZIF-8正极材料;2)ZIF-8在LFP表面原位生长后退火制得LFP@CZIF-8正极材料。X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、氮气吸脱附(BET)和拉曼光谱等测试证明,改性后的LFP仍具有橄榄石型结构,同时出现了具有介孔结构的石墨化碳材料的特征。扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)测试证明LFP/CZIF-8样品中LFP与CZIF-8之间未形成链接结构,而在LFP@CZIF-8样品中二者形成了核壳结构。电化学阻抗测试(EIS)表明,改性后样品的离子传输阻抗明显减小,说明两种方法均提高了LFP的导电性。充放电循环测试表明,两种改性方法均能提高LFP的循环性能和库伦效率。不同的是,倍率性能测试表明,LFP/CZIF-8样品的高倍率性能比LFP@CZIF-8样品更有优势,在10.0 C电流倍率下能够达到57.8 m A·h/g。这一研究为商业化锂离子电池电极材料的改性提供了新的思路,并且通过方法优化为产业化做了铺垫。     

Studies of Electrode Reactions and Coordination Geometries of Cu(I) and Cu(II) Complexes with Bicinchoninic Acid

Bicinchoninic acid (BCA) is widely used for determining the valence state of copper in biological systems and quantification of the total protein concentration (BCA assay). Despite its well‐known high selectivity of Cu(I) over Cu(II), the exact formation constants for Cu(I)(BCA)₂³⁻ and Cu(II)(BCA)₂²⁻ complexes remain uncertain. These uncertainties, affect the correct interpretations of the roles of copper in biological processes and the BCA assay data. By studying the voltammetric behaviors of Cu(I)(BCA)₂³⁻ and Cu(II)(BCA)₂²⁻, we demonstrate that the apparent lack of redox reaction reversibility is caused by an adsorption wave of Cu(II)(BCA)₂²⁻. With the adsorption wave identified, we found that the Cu(I)/Cu(II) selectivity of BCA is essentially identical to another popular ligand, bathocuproinedisulfonic acid (BCS). Density functional theory calculation on the geometries of Cu(I)(BCA)₂³⁻ and Cu(II)(BCA)₂²⁻ rationalizes the preferential Cu(I) binding by BCA and the strong adsorption of the Cu(II)(BCA)₂²⁻ complex at the glassy carbon electrode. Based on the shift in the standard reduction potential of free Cu(II)/Cu(I) upon binding to BCA, we affirm that the formation constants for Cu(I)(BCA)₂³⁻ and Cu(II)(BCA)₂²⁻ are 10^17.2 and 10^8.9, respectively. Therefore, BCA can be chosen among various ligands for effective and reliable studies of the copper binding affinities of different biomolecules.     

Application of Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with Carbon Nanofibres/Polyaniline/Platinum Nanoparticles as an Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Bezafibrate

The present study deals with the development of an electrochemical sensor for quantitative determination of Bezafibrate (BZF) based on carbon nanofibers/polyaniline/platinum nanoparticles modified carbon paste electrode (CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE). BZF is a fibric acid derivative and is used largely in the treatment of lipid disorders. The nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ polymerization of aniline using ammonium persulphate and platinum nanoparticles were uniformly decorated on the CNF/PANI surface by reducing hexachloroplatinic acid using sodium borohydride. The electrochemical response of BZF at CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The above study resulted into significant improvement of the electrochemical signal towards the oxidation of BZF, revealing that the oxidation process is highly favorable at the surface of modified electrode. The anodic peak current I_p (μA) is found to be linearly dependent on BZF concentration in the range of 0.025 μM to 100 μM with a detection limit of 2.46 nM. The practical analytical utilities of the sensor were investigated by performing the experiments on synthetic pharmaceutical formulations, human blood serum and urine samples which offered good recovery, suggesting the high efficacy and authenticity of CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE sensor for BZF determination.     

Biomolecular Release from Alginate‐modified Electrode Triggered by Chemical Inputs Processed through a Biocatalytic Cascade – Integration of Biomolecular Computing and Actuation

Biocatalytic cascades involving more than one or two enzyme‐catalyzed step are inefficient inside alginate hydrogel prepared on an electrode surface. The problem originates from slow diffusion of intermediate products through the hydrogel from one enzyme to another. However, enzyme activity can be improved by surface immobilization. We demonstrate that a complex cascade of four consecutive biocatalytic reactions can be designed, with the enzymes immobilized in an LBL‐assembled polymeric layer at the alginate‐modified electrode surface. The product, hydrogen peroxide, then induces dissolution of iron‐cross‐linked alginate, which results in release process of entrapped biomolecular species, here fluorescently marked oligonucleotides, denoted F‐DNA. The enzymatic cascade can be viewed as a biocomputing network of concatenated AND gates, activated by combinations of four chemical input signals, which trigger the release of F‐DNA. The reactions, and diffusion/release processes were investigated by means of theoretical modeling. A bottleneck reaction step associated with one of the enzymes was observed. The developed system provides a model for biochemical actuation triggered by a biocomputing network of reactions.     

Modified Electrodes and Electrochemical Systems Switchable by Light Signals

This article is an overview of extensive research efforts in many laboratories in the last two decades in the area of light‐switchable electrochemical systems and modified electrodes. Electrochemical reactions, including electrocatalytic and bioelectrocatalytic processes, have been reversibly activated and inhibited upon irradiation with light at different wavelengths. In order to realize these light activated or inhibited processes, the electrodes or/and reacting molecules were functionalized with photoisomerizable molecules including various derivatives of diarylethene, phenoxynaphthacenequinone, azobenzene and spiropyran/merocyanine. Photochemical reactions of these species resulted in change of their redox activity, conformation and electrical charge. All these changes affected electrode surfaces or (bio)molecules resulting in switching ON‐OFF corresponding (bio)electrochemical processes. Various systems based on different light‐controlled reactions are reviewed and discussed with specific examples and with many illustrating figures. Possible extensions of the research area and future applications are briefly overviewed in the conclusion section. The present comprehensive review is addressed to a broad scientific community, including newcomers to the area.     

Investigation of Methanol Behavior at the Designed Electrochemical Sensor based on Ni(II) Complex and Graphene Nanosheets

In this work, the electrochemical oxidation of methanol was investigated by different electrochemical methods at a carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with (N‐5‐methoxysalicylaldehyde, N´‐2‐hydroxyacetophenon‐1, 2 phenylenediimino nickel(II) complex (Ni(II)–MHP) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO), which is named Ni(II)‐MHP/RGO/CPE, in an alkaline solution. This modified electrode was found to be efficient for the oxidation of methanol. It was found that methanol was oxidized by the NiOOH groups generated by further electrochemical oxidation of nickel(II) hydroxide on the surface of the modified electrode. Under optimum conditions, some parameters of the analyte (MeOH), such as the electron transfer coefficient (α), the electron transfer rate constant) k_s), and the diffusion coefficient of species in a 0.1 M solution (pH = 13), were determined. The designed sensor showed a linear dynamic range of 2.0–100.0 and 100.0–1000.0 μM and a detection limit of 0.68 μM for MeOH determination. The Ni(II)‐MHP/RGO/CPE sensor was used in the determination of MeOH in a real sample.