A Rapid,Highly Sensitive and Selective Phosgene Sensor Based on 5,6-Pinenepyridine

The toxicity of phosgene (COCl₂) combined with its extensive use as a reactant and building block in the chemical industry make its fast and accurate detection a prerequisite. We have developed a carboxylic derivative of 5,6-pinenepyridine which is able to act as colorimetric and fluorimetric sensor for phosgene in air and solution. For the first time, the formation of a pyrido-[2,1-a]isoindolone was used for this purpose. In solution, the sensing reaction is extremely fast (under 5 s), selective and highly sensitive, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 9.7 nM/0.8 ppb. When fixed on a solid support, the sensor is able to detect the presence of gaseous phosgene down to concentrations of 0.1 ppm, one of the lowest values reported to date.     

Graphene Nanocomposites Based Electrochemical Sensing Platform for Simultaneous Detection of Multi-drugs

Three reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites were employed to achieve the simultaneous electrochemical determination of multi-drugs including acetaminophen (ACTM), carbendazim (CB) and ciprofloxacin (CFX). All nanocomposite modified electrodes showed improved current responses for three drugs. Notably cauliflower-like platinum nanoparticles decorated reduced graphene oxide modified electrode (or Pt−RGO/GCE) exhibited the best performance in terms of electrochemical stability. Using Pt−RGO/GCE, the linear detect ranges of 30–120 μM, 25–115 μM and 10–25 μM, and detection limit values of 3.49, 2.96, and 1.53 μM were achieved for ACTM, CB and CFX respectively. The electrode was further used for the successful determination of above drugs in tap and river water using differential pulse voltammetry. From the obtained results, we believe that Pt-RGO/GCE is highly promising for the fabrication of robust electrochemical sensors for simultaneously determining ACTM, CB and CFX or similar types of drugs in the future.     

Supramolecular optical sensor arrays for on-site analytical devices

Supramolecular optical chemosensors are useful tools in analytical chemistry for the visualization of molecular recognition information. One advantage is that they can be utilized for array systems to detect multiple analytes. However, chemosensor arrays have been evaluated mainly in the solution phase, which limits a wide range of practical applications. Thus, appropriate solid support materials such as polymer gels and papers are required to broaden the scope of the application of chemosensors as on-site analytical tools. In this review, we summarize the actual approaches for the fabrication of solid-state chemosensor arrays combined with powerful data processing techniques and portable digital recorders for real-world applications.     

Design of fluorescence system based on rutin functionalized gold nanoparticles: Sensitive detection of etimicin via a smartphone in the food and human samples

The abuse and contamination of antibiotics have long been a hot issue of global concern. On the basis of inner filter effect (IFE), this article established the fluorescence detection system of a mixture of Rutin-AuNPs and 7-hydroxycoumarin, realizing the rapid and sensitive detection of etimicin. The system was also successfully applied to actual samples through a smartphone sensing platform. Due to the antioxidant property of rutin, Rutin-AuNPs were green synthesized with uniform particle size, good monodispersity, and favorable stability. As a good fluorescent quencher, Rutin-AuNPs could effectively quench the fluorescence of 7-hydroxycoumarin based on IFE with a quenching percent of 89.81 %. However, etimicin could bind tightly to the surface of Rutin-AuNPs through charge attraction, Au-N bond, and affinity between sugars, leading to the replacement of 7-hydroxycoumarin. In addition, one or more of the above effects caused aggregation of Rutin-AuNPs, leading to fluorescence recovery rapidly. A linear response between the fluorescence system and etimicin was reasonably established with detection limits as low as 0.12 μM. This system was successfully applied to real sample detection. Moreover, the great potential smartphone sensing platform was also built for practical application owing to its advantages of digitalization and portability.     

微纳电化学传感界面的构建及其用于单细胞实时监测

细胞是生物体形态结构和生命活动的基本单位.常规检测群体细胞的方法往往会掩盖细胞间的个体差异,因此亟需发展高效的单细胞分析策略,深入研究细胞生命活动过程,揭示疾病发生发展机制,推动个体化诊疗.超微电化学传感器具有尺寸小、灵敏度高、时空分辨率高等特点,在单细胞实时动态监测方面发挥了非常重要的作用.目前,微纳电化学传感器在电极制备、高性能传感界面构建、理论分析等方面已取得重要进展,且在单细胞实时监测及相关细胞机制研究方面取得突破.然而,单细胞内环境复杂、活性分子浓度低且随时空高度动态变化,这对微纳电化学传感器的灵敏度和选择性等综合性能提出了更高要求.我们课题组长期从事基于微纳电化学传感的单细胞与亚细胞实时动态监测研究,本文主要介绍了我们近10年来在该领域的研究进展,并对未来的挑战与机遇进行了探讨.     

Characterization of Food Packaging Films with Blackcurrant Fruit Waste as a Source of Antioxidant and Color Sensing Intelligent Material

Chitosan and pectin films were enriched with blackcurrant pomace powder (10 and 20% (w/w)), as bio-based material, to minimize food production losses and to increase the functional properties of produced films aimed at food coatings and wrappers. Water vapor permeability of active films increased up to 25%, moisture content for 27% in pectin-based ones, but water solubility was not significantly modified. Mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break and Young’s modulus) were mainly decreased due to the residual insoluble particles present in blackcurrant waste. FTIR analysis showed no significant changes between the film samples. The degradation temperatures, determined by DSC, were reduced by 18 °C for chitosan-based samples and of 32 °C lower for the pectin-based samples with blackcurrant powder, indicating a disturbance in polymer stability. The antioxidant activity of active films was increased up to 30-fold. Lightness and redness of dry films significantly changed depending on the polymer type. Significant color changes, especially in chitosan film formulations, were observed after exposure to different pH buffers. This effect is further explored in formulations that were used as color change indicators for intelligent biopackaging.     

Lemon Oils Attenuate the Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Quorum Sensing Inhibition

The chemical composition of three Citrus limon oils: lemon essential oil (LEO), lemon terpenes (LT) and lemon essence (LE), and their influence in the virulence factors production and motility (swarming and swimming) of two Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (ATCC 27853 and a multidrug-resistant HT5) were investigated. The main compound, limonene, was also tested in biological assays. Eighty-four compounds, accounting for a relative peak area of 99.23%, 98.58% and 99.64%, were identified by GC/MS. Limonene (59–60%), γ-terpinene (10–11%) and β-pinene (7–15%) were the main compounds. All lemon oils inhibited specific biofilm production and bacterial metabolic activities into biofilm in a dose-dependent manner (20–65%, in the range of 0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) of both strains. Besides, all samples inhibited about 50% of the elastase activity at 0.1 mg mL⁻¹. Pyocyanin biosynthesis decreases until 64% (0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) for both strains. Swarming motility of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was completely inhibited by 2 mg mL⁻¹ of lemon oils. Furthermore, a decrease (29–55%, 0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) in the synthesis of Quorum sensing (QS) signals was observed. The oils showed higher biological activities than limonene. Hence, their ability to control the biofilm of P. aeruginosa and reduce the production of virulence factors regulated by QS makes lemon oils good candidates to be applied as preservatives in the food processing industry.     

Selective sensing of CrVI and FeIII ions in aqueous solution by an exceptionally stable TbIII-organic framework with an AIE-active ligand

We herein report a new lanthanide metal-organic framework (MOF) that exhibits excellent chemical stability, especially in the aqueous solution over a wide pH range from 1 to 14. In contrast to many reported lanthanide MOFs, this Tb-based MOF emits cyan fluorescence inherited from the integrated AIE-active ligand, rather than Ln³⁺ ions. More remarkably, its fluorescence signal features a highly selective and sensitive “turn-off” response toward CrO₄²⁻, Cr₂O₇²⁻ and Fe³⁺ ions, highlighted with the low detection limits down to 68.18, 69.85 and 138.8 ppm, respectively. Thus, the exceptional structural stability and sensing performance render this material able to be a superior luminescent sensor for heavy metal ions in wastewater.     

等离子体金属纳米结构在SERS传感及可穿戴应力传感中的应用

等离子体金属(金、银)纳米结构因其特有的理化性能,被广泛应用于表面增强拉曼散射(Surface-enhanced Raman scattering,SERS)传感及可穿戴应力传感领域。其中,SERS是一种应用贵金属纳米材料增强拉曼散射信号的检测技术,该技术灵敏度高、特异性强,已被广泛用于生物医学、环境监测、食品药品检测等领域。随着电子检测技术和柔性电子材料的快速发展,柔性可穿戴传感技术也得到了快速发展,且取得了大量的研究成果。SERS检测技术主要依赖于贵金属纳米增强基底材料,而基于贵金属纳米结构的可穿戴传感元件对人体微应力、微应变的传感具有极高的灵敏度。SERS增强基底材料与可穿戴应力传感元件材料具有互通互用性,将贵金属纳米SERS基底应用于柔性可穿戴式检测,这是SERS检测技术比较新颖的、尚未深入研究的应用领域之一。该文综述了贵金属溶胶纳米结构的材料组成分类以及该类材料在SERS和可穿戴应力传感中的应用,并分析了胶体贵金属纳米结构组成及成分对SERS传感、可穿戴应力传感灵敏度、可重复性及稳定性的影响,最后展望了贵金属胶体纳米结构在SERS传感和柔性可穿戴应用中的发展趋势。     

基于电化学传感器检测赭曲霉毒素A的研究进展

赭曲霉毒素A(Ochratoxin A,OTA)是一种由赭曲霉、青霉菌等真菌产生的次级代谢产物,在自然界分布广泛,具有肝毒性、肾毒性、致癌、致突变作用。鉴于其危害的严重性和污染的广泛性,发展高灵敏度的OTA检测技术引起了研究者的广泛关注。该文阐述了近年来新型电化学传感技术在OTA 检测方面的发展及应用,全面综述了目前OTA电化学传感器的主要类型及其优缺点,并对其发展方向提出了展望,从而为基于OTA的电化学传感器的深入研究与应用提供了参考。