From Glucose to Polymers: A Continuous Chemoenzymatic Process

Efforts to synthesize degradable polymers from renewable resources are deterred by technical and economic challenges; especially, the conversion of natural building blocks into polymerizable monomers is inefficient, requiring multistep synthesis and chromatographic purification. Herein we report a chemoenzymatic process to address these challenges. An enzymatic reaction system was designed that allows for regioselective functional group transformation, efficiently converting glucose into a polymerizable monomer in quantitative yield, thus removing the need for chromatographic purification. With this key success, we further designed a continuous, three-step process, which enabled the synthesis of a sugar polymer, sugar poly(orthoester), directly from glucose in high yield (73 % from glucose). This work may provide a proof-of-concept in developing technically and economically viable approaches to address the many issues associated with current petroleum-based polymers.     

Cu-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensing

Copper-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) Cu_xZn_1−xO (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04) were synthesized via a sol-gel process and used as an active electrode material to fabricate a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for the detection of glucose. Their structure, composition, and chemical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies, and zeta potential measurements. The electrochemical characterization of the sensors was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Cu doping was shown to improve the electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of glucose, which resulted from the accelerated electron transfer and greatly improved electrochemical conductivity. The experimental conditions for the detection of glucose were optimized: a linear dependence between the glucose concentration and current intensity was established in the range from 1 nM to 100 μM with a limit of detection of 0.7 nM. The proposed sensor exhibited high selectivity for glucose in the presence of various interfering species. The developed sensor was also successfully tested for the detection of glucose in human serum samples.     

基于中空多孔金纳米/石墨烯复合纳米材料的葡萄糖氧化酶直接电化学及其生物传感研究

采用溶液相牺牲模板法制备中空多孔金纳米粒子（HPAuNPs）,并将该材料与还原氧化石墨烯（rGO）复合,用于葡萄糖氧化酶（GOx）在玻碳电极（GCE）表面的有效固定,构建GOx/HPAuNPs/rGO/GCE传感界面。利用扫描和透射电镜、X射线光电子能谱、X射线衍射谱、红外光谱及电化学等方法对材料的形貌与结构,GOx的固定化过程,以及传感器的直接电化学和电催化性能进行表征。结果表明,HPAuNPs和rGO的协同作用能有效促进GOx与电极之间的直接电子转移（DET）。基于GOx/HPAuNPs/rGO/GCE对葡萄糖的良好电催化性能,该方法有效实现了对葡萄糖的高灵敏度检测,其电流响应的线性范围为0.05～7.0 mmol/L,检出限（S/N=3）为16μmol/L。该传感器具有良好的选择性、重现性及稳定性,对实际样品血清中血糖的测定结果令人满意,回收率为98.0%～103%,相对标准偏差不大于5.0%。     

葡萄糖对溶胶凝胶法制备Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2正极材料性能的影响

利用XRD、SEM、EDS、BET、激光粒度、循环伏安、恒流充放电、交流阻抗方法研究了葡萄糖为碳源对溶胶凝胶法制备Li_1.2Ni_0.13Co_0.13Mn_0.54O₂正极材料的结构、形貌以及电化学性能的影响。结果表明:与前驱体中未加入葡萄糖所制备的材料相比,掺葡萄糖后样品颗粒分布相对均匀,粒径变小,D₅₀从11.56减小至9.94μm,比表面积增加近1倍。经0.05C充放电活化后,未掺葡萄糖和掺葡萄糖样品0.2C放电比容量分别为183.4、211.6mAh·g^-1,2C容量分别为其0.2C的62.2%、77.6%。1C循环50次后放电比容量分别为133.3、173.6mAh·g^-1,容量保持率分别为95.1%、100%。掺葡萄糖可降低首次不可逆容量损失,提高材料的倍率性能与循环稳定性,减少电荷传递阻抗、Warburg阻抗以及双电层弥散效应,但不改变材料的晶型结构。     

两种功能化纳米金粒子固酶电极的催化性能

以合成的4-巯基苯甲酸功能化纳米金粒子和聚乙烯基吡啶包覆纳米金粒子分别作为固酶载体,制备了2种新型固酶电极,在此基础上组装了2种酶燃料电池。采用电化学方法结合紫外可见分光光度法、透射电镜技术等手段研究了固酶载体的形貌,酶-载体间相互作用对电极表面固定酶分子的光谱学性质,酶-电极间直接电子迁移能力和催化底物反应性能的影响,进一步评估和比较了两种酶燃料电池的能量输出性能。实验结果表明：4-巯基苯甲酸功能化纳米金粒子固酶基电极可以实现酶-电极间的直接电子迁移而且对葡萄糖和氧气具有良好的催化性能(催化反应起始电位分别为-0.03和0.96 V,底物转化频率分别是1.3和0.5 s^-1),其催化性能的重现性、长期使用性能、酸碱耐受性和热稳定性良好,随着自组装固酶层数的增加,催化性能随之增强直至达到极限催化电流;电池性能测试结果表明4-巯基苯甲酸功能化纳米金粒子固酶基燃料电池的开路电压为0.88 V,最大输出能量密度：864.0 μW·cm^-2,长期使用性能优异(储存3 周后仍可达到最佳能量输出的80%以上)。     

Improved thromboresistance and analytical performance of intravascular amperometric glucose sensors using optimized nitric oxide release coatings

In this work, nitric oxide (NO) release coatings designed for intravenous amperometric glucose sensors are optimized through the use of a polylactic acid (PLA) layer doped with a lipophilic diazeniumdiolated species that releases NO through a proton-driven mechanism. An Elast-Eon E2As polyurethane coating is used to both moderate NO release from the sensor surface and increase the sensor''s linear detection range toward glucose. These sensors were evaluated for thromboresistance and in vivo glucose performance through implantation in rabbit veins. By maintaining NO flux on a similar scale to endogenous endothelial cells, implanted glucose sensors exhibited reduced surface clot formation which enables more accurate quantitative glucose measurements continuously. An in vivo time trace of implanted venous sensors demonstrated glucose values that correlated well with the discrete measurements of blood samples on a benchtop point-of-care sensor-based instrument. The raw measured currents from the implanted glucose sensors over 7 h time periods were converted to glucose concentration through use of both a one-point in vivo calibration and a calibration curve obtained in vitro within a bovine serum solution. Control sensors, assembled without NO release functionality, exhibit distinctive surface clotting over the 7 h in vivo implantation period.     

An Antibacterial Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensor Composed of Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with Silver Nanoparticles

A glucose sensor composed of silver nanoparticles decorated carbon nanotubes (Ag‐NPs/CNTs) prepared by ion implantation is described. Ag‐NPs with size of 2–4 nm are uniformly distributed in the CNTs after ion implantation. This process provides a strong combination between Ag‐NPs and CNTs and can effectively prevent the Ag‐NPs from aggregation. A linear range of 125 µM to 10 mM towards glucose determination was obtained. The Ag‐NPs/CNTs electrode shows minimal interferences from co‐existence species such as uric acid and ascorbic acid and an antibacterial rate of 94 % towards E. coli.     

Molecularly engineered graphene surfaces for sensing applications: A review

Graphene is scientifically and commercially important because of its unique molecular structure which is monoatomic in thickness, rigorously two-dimensional and highly conjugated. Consequently, graphene exhibits exceptional electrical, optical, thermal and mechanical properties. Herein, we critically discuss the surface modification of graphene, the specific advantages that graphene-based materials can provide over other materials in sensor research and their related chemical and electrochemical properties. Furthermore, we describe the latest developments in the use of these materials for sensing technology, including chemical sensors and biosensors and their applications in security, environmental safety and diseases detection and diagnosis.     

Facile synthesis of ultrafine Co3O4 nanocrystals embedded carbon matrices with specific skeletal structures as efficient non-enzymatic glucose sensors

A facile, effective, and environmentally friendly method has been adopted for the first time to prepare tiny Co₃O₄ nanocrystals embedded carbon matrices without using surfactants, harmful organic reagents or extreme conditions. Structural characterizations reveal that the size-controlled Co₃O₄ nanocrystals are uniformly dispersed on carbon matrices. Electrochemical measurements reveal that Co₃O₄-ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) can more efficiently catalyze glucose oxidation and acquire better detection parameters compared with those for the Co₃O₄-macroporous carbon, Co₃O₄-reduced graphene oxide, and free Co₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) (such as: the large sensitivity (2597.5 μA cm⁻² mM⁻¹ between 0 and 0.8 mM and 955.9 μA cm⁻² mM⁻¹ between 0.9 and 7.0 mM), fast response time, wide linear range, good stability, and surpassingly selective capability to electroactive molecules or Cl⁻). Such excellent performances are attributed to the synergistic effect of the following three factors: (1) the high catalytic sites provided by the uniformly dispersed and size-controlled Co₃O₄ nanocrystals embedded on OMC; (2) the excellent reactant transport efficiency caused by the abundant mesoporous structures of OMC matrix: (3) the improved electron transport in high electron transfer rate (confinement of the Co₃O₄ NPs in nanoscale spaces ensured intimate contact between Co₃O₄ nanocrystals and the conducting OMC matrix). The superior catalytic activity and selectivity make Co₃O₄-OMC very promising for application in direct detection of glucose.     

Three-dimensional roselike α-Ni(OH)2 assembled from nanosheet building blocks for non-enzymatic glucose detection

Glucose detection plays very important roles in diagnostics and management of diabetes. The search for novel catalytic materials with appropriate architectures is the key step in the fabrication of highly sensitive glucose sensors. In this work, α-Ni(OH)₂ roselike structures (Ni(OH)₂-RS) assembled from nanosheet building blocks were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method through the hydrolysis of nickel chloride in the mixed solvents of water and ethanol with the assistance of polyethylene glycol (PEG). The structure and morphology of the roselike α-Ni(OH)₂ were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherm measurement. TEM and FE-SEM images showed that the synthesized Ni(OH)₂ was roselike and the size of the leaf-shaped nanosheet was about 5 nm in thickness, which leads to larger active surface areas and faster electron transfer for the detection of glucose. Compared with the bare GCE and bulk Ni(OH)₂/GCE, the Ni(OH)₂-RS/GCE had higher catalytic activity toward the oxidation of glucose. Under the optimal conditions, the Ni(OH)₂-RS/GCE offers a variety of merits, such as a wide linear response window for glucose concentrations ranging from 0.87 μM to 10.53 mM, short response time (3 s), a lower detection limit of 0.08 μM (S/N = 3), as well as long term stability and repeatability.