Gold nanostar-enhanced surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on carboxyl-functionalized graphene oxide

A new high-sensitivity surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on biofunctional gold nanostars (AuNSs) and carboxyl-functionalized graphene oxide (cGO) sheets was described. Compared with spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), the anisotropic structure of AuNSs, which concentrates the electric charge density on its sharp tips, could enhance the local electromagnetic field and the electronic coupling effect significantly. cGO was obtained by a diazonium reaction of graphene oxide (GO) with 4-aminobenzoic acid. Compared with GO, cGO could immobilize more antibodies due to the abundant carboxylic groups on its surface. Testing results show that there are fairly large improvements in the analytical performance of the SPR biosensor using cGO/AuNSs-antigen conjugate, and the detection limit of the proposed biosensor is 0.0375 μg mL⁻¹, which is 32 times lower than that of graphene oxide-based biosensor.     

Pure Graphene Oxide Vertical p–n Junction with Remarkable Rectification Effect

Graphene p-n junctions have important applications in the fields of optical interconnection and low–power integrated circuits. Most current research is based on the lateral p-n junction prepared by chemical doping and other methods. Here, we report a new type of pure graphene oxide (pGO) vertical p-n junctions which do not dope any other elements but only controls the oxygen content of GO. The I–V curve of the pGO vertical p–n junction demonstrates a remarkable rectification effect. In addition, the pGO vertical p–n junction shows stability of its rectification characteristic over long-term storage for six months when sealed and stored in a PE bag. Moreover, the pGO vertical p–n junctions have obvious photoelectric response and various rectification effects with different thicknesses and an oxygen content of GO, humidity, and temperature. Hall effect test results show that rGO is an n–type semiconductor; theoretical calculations and research show that GO is generally a p–type semiconductor with a bandgap, thereby forming a p–n junction. Our work provides a method for preparing undoped GO vertical p–n junctions with advantages such as simplicity, convenience, and large–scale industrial preparation. Our work demonstrates great potential for application in electronics and highly sensitive sensors.     

基于计算谱学的纳米材料结构表征及其在石墨烯氧化物中的应用

从理论上对材料结构进行表征一般是基于第一性原理电子结构计算对可能的结构模型进行能量分析, 从而得到材料的基态构型. 而经过复杂路径合成的纳米材料并不总是处于基态能量构型. 因此, 对可能的结构模型进行计算谱学模拟, 然后直接与实验谱图对比, 可以提供更为可靠的结构信息. 本文简单介绍了谱学模拟的理论背景, 以石墨烯氧化物为例展示了计算谱学在复杂纳米材料结构表征中的关键作用.     

Structure of the oxidized active site of galactose oxidase from realistic in silico models

A systematic in silico approach is employed to generate an accurate model for the catalytically important oxidized state of galactose oxidase (GO) using spectroscopically calibrated hybrid density-functional theory. GO displays three distinct oxidation states: oxidized [Cu(II)-Y*], semireduced [Cu(II)-Y], and fully reduced [Cu(I)-Y], but only the [Cu(II)-Y*] and the [Cu(I)-Y] states are assumed to be involved in catalysis. We have developed multiple models for the oxidized [Cu(II)-Y*] state, whose structure has not yet been fully characterized. These models were evaluated by comparison of calculated and experimental structural data, singlet-triplet energy gaps, and electronic transitions for the antiferromagnetically coupled oxidized [Cu(II)-Y*] state. An extended model system that includes explicit solvent molecules and second coordination sphere residues (R330, Y405, and W290) is essential to obtain the correct electronic structure of the active site. The model with all the residues that have been shown to affect the radical stability and catalysis resulted in a singlet ground state with the radical centered on the Y272-C228 cofactor. The optimized structure of the oxidized GO [Cu(II)-Y*] reveals a five-coordinated square pyramidal coordination geometry very similar to [Cu(II)-Y] with considerably different Cu-ligand distances. The hydrogen-bonding interactions involving Y495 modulates the spin density distribution and the singlet-triplet energy gaps. The final model as the most reasonable structure of the oxidized [Cu(II)-Y*] state in GO reproduces the spectroscopic signature of oxidized GO.     

High-performance graphene oxide electromechanical actuators

Having demonstrated unparalleled actuation stresses and strains, covalently bonded carbon-based nanomaterials are emerging as the actuators of the future. To exploit their full potential, further investigations into the optimum configurations of these new materials are essential. Using first-principle density functional calculations, we examine so-called clamped and unzipped graphene oxide (GO) as potential electromechanical actuator materials. Very high strains are predicted for hole injection into GO, with reversible and irreversible values of up to 6.3% and 28.2%, respectively. The huge 28% irreversible strain is shown to be the result of a change in the atomic structure of GO from a metastable clamped to more stable unzipped configuration. Significantly, this strain generation mechanism makes it possible to hold a constant strain of 23.8% upon removal of the input power, making this material ideal for long-term, low-power switching applications. A unique contraction of unzipped GO upon electron injection is also observed. It is shown that the origin of this unique behavior is the modulation of the structural rippling effect, which is a characteristic feature of GO. With reversible strains and stresses in excess of 5% and 100 GPa, respectively, GO is poised to be an extremely useful material for micro/nanoelectromechanical system actuators.     

A Review on Graphene Oxide Two-dimensional Macromolecules: from Single Molecules to Macro-assembly

Graphene oxide(GO), which consists of two-dimensional(2 D) sp2 carbon hexagonal networks and oxygen-contained functional groups, has laid the foundation of mass production and applications of graphene materials. Made by chemical oxidation of graphite, GO is highly dispersible or even solubilized in water and polar organic solvents, which resolves the hard problem of graphene processing and opens a door to wet-processing of graphene. Despite its defects, GO is easy to functionalize, dope, punch h...     

Preparation of stable and superior flux GO/LDH/PDA‐based nanofiltration membranes through electrostatic self‐assembly for dye purification

Graphene oxide (GO) has triggered significant attention as a new type of self‐assembly membrane material. However, the low filtration flux and unstable performance of GO membrane limit its practical application. Hence, in this work, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), as a 2D material with double‐layer channel structure and positive electricity, were self‐assembled with GO at weight ratio of 7:3 by electrostatic interaction. Then, the GO/LDH hybrids combined with polydopamine (PDA) to obtain stable and high‐flux GO‐based membranes through vacuum filtration and the structure and morphology of as‐prepared samples were characterized by FT‐IR, XRD, XPS, and SEM. Furthermore, the separation performance and surface electronegativity of membranes were tested via pure water flux, rejection efficiency, recycle experiments, and zeta potential. Results revealed that the stability and flux of composite membrane were enhanced significantly compared with neat GO‐based membrane. Further, the dye rejection rate of methylene blue (MB) is higher than Congo red (CR) and rhodamine B (Rh B) and reached to 99.8%.     

Sulfur‐Functionalized Graphene Oxide by Epoxide Ring‐Opening

The treatment of graphene oxide (GO) with potassium thioacetate followed by an aqueous work‐up yields a new material via the ring‐opening of the epoxide groups. The new material is a thiol‐functionalized GO (GO‐SH) which is able to undergo further functionalization. Reaction with butyl bromide gives another new material, GO‐SBu, which shows significantly enhanced thermal stability compared to both GO and GO‐SH. The thiol‐functionalized GO material showed a high affinity for gold, as demonstrated by the selective deposition of a high density of gold nanoparticles.     

Graphene oxide as an enzyme inhibitor: modulation of activity of α-chymotrypsin

We have investigated the efficacy of graphene oxide (GO) in modulating enzymatic activity. Specifically, we have shown that GO can act as an artificial receptor and inhibit the activity of α-chymotrypsin (ChT), a serine protease. Most significantly, our data demonstrate that GO exhibits the highest inhibition dose response (by weight) for ChT inhibition compared with all other reported artificial inhibitors. Through fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism studies, we have shown that this protein-receptor interaction is highly biocompatible and conserves the protein's secondary structure over extended periods (>24 h). We have also explored GO-enzyme interactions by controlling the ionic strength of the medium, which attenuates the host-guest electrostatic interactions. These findings suggest a new generation of enzymatic inhibitors that can be applied to other complex proteins by systematic modification of the GO functionality.     

Thermodynamic equations of state from molecular solvation

A general expression of the canonical partition function for mixture fluids in terms of solvation free energy is presented. Following the same approach as set forth in generalized van der Waals theory, we show that the physical assumptions made in existing thermodynamic models from the perspective of molecular solvation can be prevailed. For example, the temperature dependence on the coordination number, i.e. the number of solvent molecules surrounding the solute, has an impact not only on the temperature dependence of the solvation free energy but on the non-linear solvent reaction field response as well. More importantly, the new formulation provides a unified scheme for deriving the commonly used equations of state (EOS) and newly developed COSMO-type liquid activity coefficient models. We show that from this new formulation it is possible to develop a new class of thermodynamic models that behave like existing EOS and liquid models in the low and high-density limits, respectively.     

Mn_3O_4/氧化石墨烯纳米复合物的制备及其超级电容性能

利用锰前驱体与氧化石墨烯(GO)原位反应制备了Mn3O4/GO纳米复合物超级电容器电极材料;采用扫描电镜、透射电镜及X射线衍射仪分析了纳米复合物的形貌和结构;并利用交流阻抗分析及充放电测试测定了纳米复合材料的电化学性质和电容性质.结果表明,引入氧化石墨烯可增强纳米复合物的导电性及稳定性,提高Mn3O4的电容特性,从而使得纳米复合物具有较高的比电容(350F/g)和较长的循环寿命(超过1 000次).     

Relationships between structure and activity of carbon as a multifunctional support for electrocatalysts

We report on new insights into the relationships between structure and activity of glassy carbon (GC), as a model material for electrocatalyst support, during its anodization in acid solution. Our investigation strongly confirms the role of CFGs in promotion of Pt activity by the "spill-over" effect related to CO(ads) for methanol electrooxidation (MEO) on a carbon-supported Pt catalyst. Combined analysis of voltammetric and impedance behaviour as well as changes in GC surface morphology induced by intensification of anodizing conditions reveal an intrinsic influence of the carbon functionalization and the structure of a graphene oxide (GO) layer on the electrical and electrocatalytic properties of activated GC. Although GO continuously grows during anodization, it structurally changes from being a graphite inter-layer within graphite ribbons toward a continuous GO surface layer that deteriorates the native structure of GC. As a consequence of the increased distance between GO-spaced graphite layers, the GC conductivity decreases until the case of profound GO exfoliation under drastic anodizing conditions. This exposes the native, yet abundantly functionalized, GC texture. While GC capacitance continuously increases with intensification of anodizing conditions, the surface nano-roughness and GO resistance reach the highest values at modest anodizing conditions, and then decrease upon drastic anodization due to the onset of GO exfoliation. We found for the first time that the activity of a GC-supported Pt catalyst in MEO, as one of the promising half-reactions in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, strictly follows the changes in GC nano-roughness and GO-induced GC resistance. The highest GC/Pt MEO activity is reached when optimal distance between graphite layers and optimal degree of GC functionalization bring the highest amount of CFGs into intimate contact with the Pt surface. This confirms the promoting role of CFGs in MEO catalysis.     

Electric field assisted oxygen removal from the basal plane of the graphitic material

We provide a novel strategy to eliminate the epoxy group from the basal plane of graphene platelets. Given that the current reduction methods are unsatisfactory to clean the epoxides or sometimes cause undesirable structure deformations, the proposed strategy restores the original hexagonal carbon network without creating other new defects. To the best of our knowledge, the electric field mediated graphene oxide (GO) reduction has not yet been systematically investigated. The capability would permit the improvement of existing GO reduction methods and assist in the fabrication of high‐quality graphitic materials. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Remotely controlled electro-responsive on-demand nanotherapy based on amine-modified graphene oxide for synergistic dual drug delivery

This study focuses on the development of a new electric field responsive graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticle system for on-demand drug delivery. Today, GO is an attractive option adopted in various biological applications for its exclusive features such as flexibility, conductiveness, cost-effectiveness, and external stimuli-responsive nature. It is usual to utilize multiple drugs in cancer treatment. This kind of therapy has lesser side-effects, drug resistance, and is more effective than utilizing only one drug. This study aims to determine low-voltage-controlled dual drug (aspirin and doxorubicin) release from GO surface. Here, we have demonstrated how to control the drug release rate remotely with a handy mobile phone, with zero passive release at idle time. In addition, the study focused to estimate the synergism of aspirin with doxorubicin in the release mechanism from GO in the presence of external voltage, using the spectroscopic method. Moreover, we observed aspirin- and doxorubicin-induced synergistic antitumor activity in MDA-MB 231 (breast cancer cell) in vitro. Thus, our study presents a noble combination of aspirin and doxorubicin that could be utilized for remotely controlled on-demand drug delivery for triple negative breast cancer treatment, using GO as a carrier.     

Investigation on the Use of Graphene Oxide as Novel Surfactant for Stabilizing Carbon Based Materials

The present work reported on the use of graphene oxide (GO) as effective dispersant to isolate different carbon allotropes. The nature of its chemical structure which consists of hydrophobic and hydrophilic components enables GO to behave as surfactant, paving routes for dissolution of graphitic materials and achieving surfactant free all-carbon solutions. Two additional carboneous materials under the family of fullerene (carbon nanofiber—CNF) and graphite (graphene nanoplatelets—GnP) were introduced within the present study to form a new GO based hybrid complexes on top of the commonly investigated carbon nanotube (CNT) based GO hybrid. Investigation on GO stability with respect to particle size and zeta potential measurements showed that the strength of its dispersibility was highly dependent on its morphological size and less affected by the pH. Rheological study revealed that GO shear–strain relationship is highly sensitive to the particle size. The GO viscosity experienced dramatic changes from Newtonian toward shear thinning behaviors as the particle size increases. Thermal conductivity measurement highlighted as high as 8% increase in magnitude with the addition of CNT, CNF, and GnP carbon constituents, indicating that the enhancement may be attributed to the much efficient thermal transport along the conducting path of pristine carbon allotropes.     

Preparation of graphene oxide and its application in Ni<Superscript>2+</Superscript> removal

Graphene oxide (GO) has been prepared by the modified Hummers method using graphite as starting material. The product was studied by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopic, transmission electron microscopic (TEM), and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analyses. Adsorption capacity of GO for heavy metal ions was studied for the example of the Ni²⁺ ions and the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm were determined. It was shown that the adsorption equilibrium curves are adequately described by the Langmuir equation.     

氧化石墨烯基柔性发电机的构筑及其水蒸发发电性能

如何利用自然界广泛存在的水蒸发能是一个具有挑战性的课题。 以表面具有丰富官能团和优异亲水性的氧化石墨烯(GO)做发电材料,以肼还原制备的还原氧化石墨烯(RGO)作电极材料,通过简单滴注法在聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯(PET)衬底上构筑GO/RGO的柔性发电机,并研究其水蒸发诱导的发电性能。 结果表明,固定GO薄膜发电机的工作面积为4.5 cm×1.5 cm,以室温自然水蒸发为驱动力,可以输出90 mV的开路电势(V_oc)以及0.6 μA的短路电流(I_sc),最大功率密度可达1.25 μW/cm³。 该驱动器同时展示出优异的柔性和较高的稳定性。 通过控制体系的水蒸发发生与否,并基于经典流动电势理论,提出了水蒸发诱导的GO/RGO柔性发电机的发电机制。 提出了步骤简易、成本低廉、性能稳定的水蒸发驱动的发电机制备新思路,为新型水蒸发能的利用提供了新途径。     

Designs,Synthesis, Characterization and Direct Electrochemistry of Zinc‐Porphyrin Bearing Pyrene Noncovalent Functionalized Graphene Oxide Sheet

We have designed and synthesis a new compound of zinc‐porphyrin bearing four pyrene groups (ZnP‐t‐P(py)₄) and prepared a new hybrid materials of ZnP‐t‐P(py)₄ with graphene oxide (GO) via non‐covalent interactions. The ZnP‐t‐P(py)₄, along with four pendant pyrene entities ZnP‐t‐P(py)₄, stacking on the (GO) surface due to π‐ π interactions, has been revealed by AFM measurements. FTIR, UV‐vis absorption confirm the non‐covalent functionalization of the GO. Raman spectral measurements revealed the electronic structure of the GO to be intact upon hybrid formation. In this donor‐acceptor nanohybrid, the fluorescence of photoexcited ZnP‐t‐P(py)₄ is effectively quenched by a possible electron‐transfer process. The fluorescence and photoelectrical response measurements also showed that this hybrid may act as an efficient photoelectric conversion material for optoelectronic applications.