Synthesis and stabilization of Prussian blue nanoparticles and application for sensors

Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles were synthesized by two methods from FeCl2 and K3Fe(CN)6 and from FeCl3 and K3Fe(CN)6 based on the method published by Fiorito et al., and stabilized by different polymers like polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH), polydiallyl-dimethyldiammonium chloride (PDDA) and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS). The effect of the monomer/Fe3+ ratio was studied regarding the average particle size and zeta-potential. The forming PB structure was checked by X-ray diffraction. The stabilization was successful for every applied polymer, but the average particle size significantly differs. Particle size distributions were determined by Malvern type nanosizer equipment and by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and zeta potential values were determined for the obtained stabile samples. The results revealed that by using FeCl2 and K3Fe(CN)6 for PB preparation particles with narrow size distribution and average diameter of 1.7 nm occurred but stabilization was necessary. By the other method the dispersion was stabile with 182 nm particles but the particle size exponentially decreased to 18 nm with increasing PVP concentration. Ultrathin nanofilms were prepared on glass support by the alternating layer-by-layer (LbL) method from PB particles and PAH. The morphology of the prepared films was investigated also by AFM. The films were immobilized on interdigitated microsensor electrodes (IME) and tested in sensing hydrogen peroxide and different acids like acetic acid, hydrochloric acid vapors.     

Functionalization of graphene with Prussian blue and its application for amperometric sensing of H2O2

As a two-dimensional carbon material with high surface area and conductivity, graphene shows great promise for designing composite nanomaterials to achieve high-performance electrochemical devices. In this work, we prepared graphene-based nanocomposite material by electrochemically depositing Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles on the surface of graphene. Fourier transform infrared spectra, SEM, and cyclic voltammetry were used to characterize the successful immobilization of PB. Compared with PB films and graphene sheets, the PB–graphene composite films showed the largest current response to the reduction of H₂O₂, probably due to the synergistic effects between graphene sheets and PB nanoparticles. Therefore, a fast and highly sensitive amperometric sensor for H₂O₂ was obtained with a detection sensitivity of 1.6 μA μM^?1 H₂O₂ per cm² and a linear response range of 50～5,000 μM. The detection limit of H₂O₂ was 20 nM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. These obtained results are much better than those reported for carbon nanotubes-based amperometric sensors.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of multilayer films of polyelectrolytes and nanoparticles

We performed molecular dynamics simulations of multilayer assemblies of flexible polyelectrolytes and nanoparticles. The film was constructed by sequential adsorption of oppositely charged polymers and nanoparticles in layer-by-layer fashion from dilute solutions. We have studied multilayer films assembled from oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, oppositely charged nanoparticles, and mixed films containing both nanoparticles and polyelectrolytes. For all studied systems, the multilayer assembly proceeds through surface overcharging after completion of each deposition step. There is almost linear growth in the surface coverage and film thickness. The multilayer films assembled from nanoparticles show better layer stratification but at the same time have higher film roughness than those assembled from flexible polyelectrolytes.     

Layer-by-layer assembled multilayer of graphene/Prussian blue toward simultaneous electrochemical and SPR detection of H2O2

A new type of chemically converted graphene sheets, cationic polyelectrolyte-functionalized ionic liquid decorated graphene sheets (PFIL-GS) composite, was synthesized and characterized by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, Fourier transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the presence of PFIL enabled the formation of a very stable aqueous dispersion due to the electrostatic repulsion between PFIL modified graphene sheets. With respect to the excellent dispersibility of this material, we have fabricated a novel PFIL-GS/Prussian blue (PB) nanocomposite multilayer film via classic layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. The assembly process was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, which showed linear responses to the numbers of the deposited PFIL-GS/PB bilayers. Moreover, the as-prepared composite films were used to detect hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) by electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (EC-SPR) spectroscopy. This real time EC-SPR technique can provide simultaneous monitoring of both optical SPR signal and electrochemical current responses upon injecting H₂O₂ into the reaction cell. The experimental results revealed that both the electrochemical and SPR signal exhibited splendid linear relationship to the concentration of the injected H₂O₂, and the detection limit could be up to 1 μM.     

Synthesis, characterization, and immobilization of Prussian blue-modified Au nanoparticles: application to electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2

Au nanoparticles modified with electroactive Prussian blue (PB) were for the first time synthesized by a simple chemical method. Transmission electronic microscopy showed that the average size of the Prussian blue shell/Au core hybrid composite (PB@Au) was about 50 nm, and Fourier transform IR, UV-vis spectra, and cyclic voltammetry confirmed the existence of PB on the surface of Au nanoparticles. Using the LbL technique, multilayer thin films of PB@Au nanoparticles were prepared by the alternate adsorption of oppositely charged linear polyelectrolyte poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) onto ITO glass for the construction of a hydrogen peroxide sensor. The novel multilayer films were characterized by SEM, cyclic voltammetry, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The {PAH/PB@Au}n multilayer-modified electrode showed a well-defined pair of redox peaks and dramatic catalytic activity toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide.     

Prussian blue nanoparticles doped nanocage for controllable immobilization and selective biosensing of enzyme

A conductive nanocage composed of Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles doped mesocellular silica–carbon foam was prepared. This nanocage possessed ink-bottlelike structure with narrow and controllable pore-size distribution, good biocompatibility and favorable conductivity. The Prussian blue nanoparticles dispersed homogeneously on the mesowalls and provided the nanocage with highly catalytic ability toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The nanocage could be used for volume-selective entrapment of enzyme to prepare a biosensor. The use of the Prussian blue nanoparticles doped nanocage would open new horizons for fabrication of biosensors and biocatalysts.     

Viral capsids as templates for the production of monodisperse Prussian blue nanoparticles

The use of a viral template has allowed the synthesis of monodisperse Prussian blue nanoparticles with a diameter of 18 +/- 1.7 nm and their organization into hexagonal patterns on mica and hydrophilic carbon surfaces.     

普鲁士蓝/氧化锆复合材料的电化学行为及对H2O2的电催化

通过一步电沉积技术制备了普鲁士蓝/氧化锆修饰玻碳电极。采用电化学阻抗技术表征修饰电极。采用循环伏安法研究了pH值和扫描速率对该修饰电极的电化学行为的影响。结果表明:普鲁士蓝的峰电流与其扫描速率的一次方在一定范围内呈良好的线性关系。此外,该修饰电极在含有KCl(1.0mol/L)的磷酸盐缓冲溶液(0.1mol/L,pH=7.0)中,对H2O2具有明显的电催化作用,在无酶检测H2O2领域具有潜在的应用价值。     

Multilayer assembly of Prussian blue nanoclusters and enzyme-immobilized poly(toluidine blue) films and its application in glucose biosensor construction

A multilayered glucose biosensor via sequential deposition of Prussian blue (PB) nanoclusters and enzyme-immobilized poly(toluidine blue) films was constructed on a bare Au electrode using electrochemical methods. The whole configuration of the present biosensor can be considered as an integration of several independent hydrogen peroxide sensing elements. In each sensing element, the poly(toluidine blue) film functioned as both the supporting matrix for the glucose oxidase immobilization and the inhibitor for the diffusion of interferences, such as ascorbic acid and uric acid. Meanwhile, the deposited Prussian blue nanocluster layers acts as a catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide formed from enzymatic reaction. Performance of the whole multilayer configuration can be tailored by artificially arranging the sensing elements assembled on the electrode. Under optimal conditions, the biosensors exhibit a linear relationship in the range of 1 x 10(-4) to 1 x 10(-2) mol/L with the detection limit down to 10(-5) mol/L. A rapid response for glucose could be achieved in less than 3 s. For 1 mM glucose, 0.5 mM acetaminophen, 0.2 mM uric acid, and 0.1 mM ascorbic acid have no obvious interferences (<5%) for glucose detection at an optimized detection potential. The present multilayered glucose biosensor with a high selectivity and sensitivity is promising for practical applications.     

Assembly of multilayer films from polyelectrolytes containing weak and strong acid moieties

Multilayer films were assembled from a copolymer containing both weakly and strongly charged pendant groups, poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) (PSSMA), deposited in alternation with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). The strongly charged groups (styrene sulfonate, SS) are expected to form electrostatic linkages (to enhance film stability), while the weakly charged groups (maleic acid, MA) can alter multilayer film properties because they are responsive to external pH changes. In this study, we varied several assembly conditions such as pH, SS/MA ratio in PSSMA, and the ionic strength of the polyelectrolyte solutions. The multilayer films were also treated by immersion into pH 2 and 11 solutions after assembly. Quartz crystal microgravimetry and UV-visible spectrophotometry showed that the thickness of PSSMA/PAH multilayers decreases with increasing assembly pH regardless of whether salt was present in the polyelectrolyte solutions. When no salt was added, the multilayers are thinner, smoother, and grow less regularly. Atomic force microscopy images indicate that the presence of salt in polyelectrolyte solutions results in rougher surface morphologies, and this effect is especially significant in multilayers assembled at pH 2 and pH 11. When both polyelectrolytes are adsorbed at conditions where they are highly charged, salt was necessary to promote regular multilayer growth. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies show that the carboxylic acids in the multilayers are essentially ionized when assembled from different pHs in 0.5 M sodium chloride solutions, whereas some carboxylic acids remain protonated in the multilayers assembled from solutions with no added salt. This resulted in different pH stability regimes when the multilayers were exposed to different pH solutions, post assembly.     

Shape-dependent magnetic properties of low-dimensional nanoscale Prussian blue (PB) analogue SmFe(CN)6.4H2O

Unique nanorods and nanobelts of Prussian blue (PB) analogue SmFe(CN)6.4H2O have been successfully synthesized by using reverse micelles as colloidal soft templates; magnetic studies show that the shape of the low-dimensional nanoscale material is a dominating factor for its coercivity due to the effect of shape anisotropy.     

Electrochemical and electrocatalytic stability of Prussian blue/Berlin green redox transformation in Prussian blue-polypyrrole composite films

Redox transformation of Prussian blue to Berlin green (PB/BG) in Prussian blue-polypyrrole (PB-PPy) composites synthesized via original one-step method has been studied. It was shown that the nature of anion and composition of background electrolyte play an important role for both the stability and the shape of electrochemical response of composite film during redox transfer of Prussian blue to Berlin green. Nitric acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid and citric acid 0.05 N (eq/L) solutions and the same acids partially neutralized with 0.01 N KOH were used as electrolyte to study the role of potassium ions presence in solution. The most stable electrochemical response of PB/BG redox transfer was obtained for the nitrate anions containing solutions in the presence of potassium ions. Nevertheless, the stability of the electrochemical transformation PB/BG in composite films in other media is enough to detect the sulphite ions content in wine samples via electrocatalytic reaction at the potentials of PB/BG redox transformation.

     

Template-assisted synthesis of rough Ag nanorods and their application for amperometric sensing of H2O2

Silver nanorods (Ag NRs) with rough sidewalls were successfully obtained via extremely simple template-assisted electrochemical deposition followed by selective dealloying. Ag–Zn NRs with an average diameter of ∼250 nm and the atomic ratio of about 1:1 were synthesized inside the nanochannels of a polycarbonate membrane. A chemical etching of Zn in a sulfuric acid solution led to the formation of NRs with smaller diameters, rough sidewalls, and much lower Zn content. Such kind of a material exhibited quite promising electrocatalytic properties toward reduction of hydrogen peroxide and can be used as an amperometric sensor for the detection and determination of H₂O₂.     

基于聚苯胺-普鲁士蓝/普鲁士蓝复合膜的过氧化氢电化学传感器的制备及表征

利用聚苯胺和普鲁士蓝的协同作用,构建了聚苯胺-普鲁士蓝/普鲁士蓝复合膜的H2O2电化学传感器.聚苯胺的带正电骨架和带负电的普鲁士蓝粒子相互吸引,且聚苯胺提供了很多氧化还原位点,有利于普鲁士蓝粒子的进一步均匀生长,使制备的传感器具备优异的电催化性能.采用扫描电镜和电化学方法对修饰电极进行了表征.在最佳实验条件下,该修饰电...     

Nanocomposite of a chromium Prussian blue with TiO2. Redox reactions and the synthesis of Prussian blue molecule-based magnets

The reaction of [NEt₄]₃[Cr(CN)₆] with titanium(III) p-toluenesulfonate at a pH of 2 affords a gray solid whose metal content and spectroscopic and magnetic properties are fully consistent with it being a Prussian blue material of stoichiometry “Ti^III[Cr^III(CN)₆] · H₂O”. The carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen content, however, are not consistent with this stoichiometry, and further investigation showed that the gray material has a powder X-ray diffraction profile, infrared spectrum, and magnetic properties very similar to those of the “all-chromium” Prussian blue Cr^II[Cr^III(CN)₆]_0.67 · 6H₂O. All data, including the C, H, and N weight percentages, are consistent with the conclusion that the material isolated is a nanocomposite of Cr^II[Cr^III(CN)₆]_0.67 · xH₂O and TiO₂ in the ratio of 1–1.6. These results suggest that Ti^III reduces some of the [Cr^III(CN)₆]³⁻ ions to generate Ti^IV and Cr^II; the former hydrolyzes to amorphous TiO₂ · 2H₂O, the latter loses its bound CN ligands and reacts with unreacted [Cr^III(CN)₆]³⁻ ions to generate the crystalline all-chromium PB species. The electrochemical potentials suggest that the [Cr^III(CN)₆]³⁻ ion should not be reduced by Ti^III; evidently, this unfavorable reaction is driven by the insolubility of the reaction products. The results constitute a cautionary tale in two respects: first, that the characterization of Prussian blue materials must be conducted with care and, second, that the insolubility of Prussian blue analogues can sometimes drive reactions that in solution are thermodynamically unfavorable.     

On the mechanism of H2O2 reduction at Prussian Blue modified electrodes

Prussian Blue deposited on the electrode surface under certain conditions is known to be a selective electrocatalyst of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) reduction in the presence of O₂. The electrocatalyst was stabilized at cathodic potentials preventing its loss from the electrode surface. Hydrodynamic voltammograms of H₂O₂ reduction indicated the transfer of two electrons per catalytic cycle. The operational stability of Prussian Blue in H₂O₂ reduction was highly dependent on the buffer capacity of the supporting electrolyte. Since Prussian Blue is known to be dissolved in alkaline solution, it was confirmed that in neutral aqueous solutions the product of H₂O₂ electrocatalytic reduction is OH⁻.     

Immobilization of Prussian blue nanoparticles onto thiol SAM modified Au electrodes for analysis of DL-homocysteine

Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles were immobilized onto gold electrodes using L-cysteine, 1,3-propanedithiol, and 1,8-octanedithiol as a bridge between the gold surface and the PB nanoparticles by the self-assembly method. The obtained PB/thiol/Au electrodes exhibit direct and indirect electrocatalytic activity toward DL-homocysteine (HCys) oxidation. It is possible for these PB nanoparticles modified electrodes to be used for the determination of HCys. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Synthesis, characterization and immobilization of Prussian blue nanoparticles. A potential tool for biosensing devices

Prussian blue (PB) particles with the size of ca. 5 nm were synthesized and immobilized in a multilayer structure, as a strategy for the potential development of an amperometric transducer for oxidase-enzyme-based biosensors. Multilayer films composed of PB and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) were prepared via layer-by-layer (LbL) sequential deposition. The process was carefully monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The increase of the redox current peaks during the layer-by-layer deposition demonstrated that charge propagation within the film occurs. Linear increase of UV-vis absorbance with the number of deposited bilayers indicates that well-organized systems have been elaborated. ITO electrodes coated with PB/PAH films were used successfully for detecting H2O2, sensitivity being dependent on the number of PB/PAH layers.