Determination of 2,6-Dichlorophenol by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering with Molecular Imprinting

A novel method has been reported for 2,6-dichlorophenol using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). SiO₂/gold composites were selected as the SERS substrates to provide the response of gold nanoparticles. Molecular imprinting was subsequently used for the development of a specific detector to 2,6-dichlorophenol with precipitation polymerization. The molecularly imprinted polymer provided sensitive and selective SERS detection for the determination of 2,6-dichlorophenol. The intensity and concentration obeyed a linear relationship from 1?×?10^?5 to 1?×?10^?9?mol?L^?1 2,6-dichlorophenol. The sensitivity of SERS with the molecularly imprinted polymers provides a promising approach for practical analysis.     

Determination of NH(3) gas by combination of nanosized LaCoO(3) converter with chemiluminescence detector

Combination of a novel NH₃ converter based on nanosized materials with chemiluminescence (CL) detector for the determination of NH₃ gas was demonstrated in this paper. NH₃ gas is oxidized on different nanosized catalysts to produce NO_x, which can react with luminol to generate CL emission. Eight nanosized materials were investigated as catalyst, and CL was detected from seven of them. The nanosized LaCoO₃ was chosen as the catalyst for preparing the converter because of its higher activity than others. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range of CL intensity versus concentration of NH₃ gas is 0.04-10 ppm (r=0.9951, n=14) with the detection limit of 0.014 ppm. The method offers advantages of long lifetime of the converter, fast response and high selectivity to NH₃. There was no response while the foreign substances, such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, formaldehyde, acetone and gasoline passing through the CL detection system, and the interference of CCl₄, ethanol, ethylene and toluene was insignificant.     

Luminescent dual sensor for time-resolved imaging of pCO2 and pO2 in aquatic systems

An optical dual sensor for the two-dimensional detection of pCO₂ and pO₂ is described. Tris(tetraoctylammonium)-8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate ((TOA)₃HPTS) acting together with the lipophilic buffer tetraoctylammonium hydrogen carbonate ((TOA)HCO₃) as pCO₂-sensing system along with the oxygen indicator tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) ruthenium(II) bis(3-(trimethylsilyl)-1-propanesulfonate) (Ru(dpp)₃TMS₂) are incorporated into a single layer ethyl cellulose matrix. A second layer of black silicone rubber served as an optical isolation. The two indicators were simultaneously excited with a 460-nm LED, and a fast-gateable CCD camera was used as the detector. The time-gated imaging scheme enables the mapping of pCO₂ and pO₂ within one measurement, where images in three different time windows during and after a series of square-shaped excitation pulses are recorded. A numerical evaluation method for the resolution of the single parameter maps from these three overall images is described. The response of the sensor has been optimized for use in aquatic systems.     

Capillary electrophoresis procedure for the simultaneous analysis and stoichiometry determination of a drug and its counter-ion by using dual-opposite end injection and contactless conductivity detection: Application to labetalol hydrochloride

In this work, a capillary electrophoresis (CE) procedure was developed for the simultaneous determination of a pharmaceutical drug and its counter-ion, namely labetalol hydrochloride. For this purpose, an uncoated fused-silica capillary, a low conductivity background electrolyte (BGE) and a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector (C⁴D) were employed. This detection system is highly sensitive and enables detection of inorganic as well as organic ions unlike with direct UV detection. Moreover, to be able to simultaneously analyze the cationic drug (labetalol⁺) and its anionic counter-ion (Cl⁻) in the same electrophoretic run without the need of a coated capillary, a dual-opposite end injection was performed. In this technique, the sample is hydrodynamically injected into both ends of the capillary. This method is simple and easy to perform since the different injection steps are automated by the CE software.This novel CE-C⁴D procedure with dual-opposite end injection has been successfully validated and applied for the analysis of chloride content in an adrenergic antagonist (labetalol hydrochloride). Thus, the hereby developed method has been shown to enable fast (analysis time < 10 min), precise (repeatability of migration times < 0.7% and of corrected-peak areas < 3.3%; n = 6) and rugged analyses for the simultaneous determination of a pharmaceutical drug and its counter-ion.     

The use of carbon monoxide and water gas as the flame-forming agent in the thermionic detector

Summary The use of carbon monoxide were suggested as the flame-forming agent in the thermionic detector (TID). The main characteristics of this detector were studied. It was shown that the optimum flow rate of carbon monoxide is 40 ml/min at an air flow rate of 400–550 ml/min. The response increases twice with the positive potential on the collector. Molar responses of TID were compared with those obtained when using carbon monoxide and hydrogen. For instance, for phosphorus containing compounds they are approximately the same (10²), while for nitrogen containing compounds in the case of carbon monoxide, there is a 2–5 fold increase in the response. The linear dynamic range for methaphose and azobenzene is 10³.     

Porous redox-active Cu2O-SiO2 nanostructured film: Preparation, characterization and application for a label-free amperometric ferritin immunosensor

A novel Cu₂O-SiO₂ nanostructured particle was synthesized by a solution-phase method and was adopted for construction of a label-free amperometric immunosensor. The porous Cu₂O-SiO₂ nanoparticles had good redox electrochemical activity, large surface-to-volume ratio, film-forming ability and high stability. The physical morphology and structure of Cu₂O-SiO₂ nanoparticles were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The chemical component of Cu₂O-SiO₂ was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and auger electron spectra (AES). The electrode modification process was probed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the performance of the immunosensor was studied by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurements. To improve the analytical characteristics of the immunosensor, the experimental conditions were optimized. The immunosensor exhibited a good response to ferritin in ranges from 1.0 to 5.0 and 5.0 to 120.0 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.4 ng mL⁻¹. The fabricated immunosensor could make a low-cost, sensitive, quantitative detection of ferritin, and would have a potential application in clinical immunoassays.     

Determination of β2-Agonists in Porcine Urine by Molecularly Imprinted Solid Phase Extraction Followed Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Detection

A novel, sensitive, and robust method has been developed to detect 9 β₂-agonists in porcine urine to monitor illegal use of β₂-agonists in swine rearing. The method based on the molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) rapid extraction followed ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) detection. The cleaning efficiency of MIP cartridges was demonstrated by comparing with common ion exchange solid phase extraction. The presented method was validated in accordance with the European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The linearity, decision limit (CCα), detection capability (CCβ), recovery, precision, robustness, and stability were studied in detail. CCα and CCβ values were from 0.006 ng/mL to 0.03 ng/mL and from 0.02 ng/mL to 0.08 ng/mL, respectively. The mean recoveries and repeatability varied from 68.8% to 94.2% and from 2.8% to 10.1%. The proposed method was applied to test 170 porcine urine samples from the Shaanxi province in China and two urine samples were confirmed as clenbuterol positive and the concentrations of clenbuterol in positive urine samples were about 0.08 ng/mL and 0.1 ng/mL, respectively. The developed method was demonstrated to be more sensitive and robust for the determination of 9 β₂-agonists in porcine urine. The method was proven to be simple and easy in operation with high selectivity and good reproducibility.     

A novel H(2)O(2) amperometric biosensor based on gold nanoparticles/self-doped polyaniline nanofibers

A new kind of gold nanoparticles/self-doped polyaniline nanofibers (Au/SPAN) with grooves has been prepared for the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The ratio of gold in the composite nanofibers was up to 64%, which could promote the conductivity and biocompatibility of SPAN and increase the immobilized amount of HRP molecules greatly. The electrode exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic activity in the reduction of H₂O₂ in the presence of the mediator hydroquinone (HQ). The effects of concentration of HQ, solution pH and the working potential on the current response of the modified electrode toward H₂O₂ were optimized to obtain the maximal sensitivity. The proposed biosensor exhibited a good linear response in the range from 10 to 2000 μM with a detection limit of 1.6 μM (S/N = 3) under the optimum conditions. The response showed Michaelis–Menten behavior at larger H₂O₂ concentrations, and the apparent Michaelis–Menten constant K_m was estimated to be 2.21 mM. The detection of H₂O₂ concentration in real sample showed acceptable accuracy with the traditional potassium permanganate titration.     

一维Ga2O3/SnO2纳米纤维的制备及其气敏性能

通过静电纺丝法制备了一维Ga2O3/SnO2纳米纤维,采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)等方法对材料进行了表征,测试了不同Ga2O3质量分数(0、40%、50%、60%、70%、100%)的Ga2O3/SnO2纳米纤维(650℃,5 h)对应元件对三甲胺、丙酮、乙醛、乙酸、氨气、乙醇、甲醛7种气体的气敏性能。结果表明:在室温(25℃)时,60%(w/w)Ga2O3-40%(w/w)SnO2纳米纤维对三甲胺气体具有较高的灵敏度和较短的响应/恢复时间。对1000μL·L^-1三甲胺的灵敏度达到51;检出限达到0.8μL·L^-1,其灵敏度为1.3。     

A monitor for atmospheric sulphur dioxide,based on enrichment of SO2 by a polydispersive water aerosol

A monitor for continuous analysis of sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere at the ppb v/v level (1 ppb v/v = 2.62 g/m³ SO₂) is described. The apparatus operates on the principle of equilibrium accumulation of sulphur dioxide from the air by a polydispersive water aerosol which continuously transfers SO₂ from an air-flow of l/min into microlitre volumes of water condensate. High sensitivity (1 ppb v/v), low relative error (± 5% at 4 ppb v/v SO₂), high selectivity (CO₂ does not interfere at a concentration of 2 × 10³ ppm v/v, interference by NO _x and H₂S is acceptably low), and low response delay (10 s) are provided by a compact coupling of the enrichment procedure with conductivity detection of SO₂ in the film of water aerosol condensate formed directly on the wire-gauze sensor. The reliability of the method has been studied under simulated conditions, with spectrophotometric method as reference. The analyser is computer-controlled, and the detector response is processed on-line and displayed (as g/m³) in real-time on a screen or is transmitted telemetrically to a control centre. It is portable and suitable for use in both stationary and moving locations.The paper is dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the birthday of Prof. Josef F. K. Huber     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of nitric oxide at nano-TiO2/Nafion composite film modified glassy carbon electrode

A novel nanocrystalline TiO₂ (nano-TiO₂) and Nafion composite film modified glassy carbon electrode has been developed for the determination of nitric oxide (NO) radical in an aqueous solution. This modified electrode can be employed as a NO sensor with a low detection limit, fast response, high sensitivity and selectivity. Two apparent anodic peaks were observed at 0.67 and 0.95 V at the nano-TiO₂ modified glassy carbon electrode by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). After further modification with a thin film of Nafion, which was capable of preventing some anionic interference such as nitrite and ascorbic acid, only one peak appeared and the peak current enhanced greatly. The chronocoulometric experimental results showed NO was oxidized by one-electron transfer reaction at the composite film modified electrode. The amperometric responses increased linearly with the concentrations of NO ranging from 3.6×10⁻⁷ mol/L to 5.4×10⁻⁵ mol/L. The detection limit was estimated to be 5.4×10⁻⁸ mol/L. In this sensor system, the modification film provides complete selectivity for NO over nitrite anions (NO₂⁻).     

Application of MoS2 modified screen-printed electrodes for highly sensitive detection of bovine serum albumin

The present work reports the application of a new molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂)-based electrochemical platform for highly sensitive quantitation of an iron-binding protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). The gold screen-printed electrodes were modified with MoS₂ nanoflakes, followed by bioconjugation with anti-BSA antibodies. Using the above bioelectrode, cyclic voltammetric analysis was carried out in the presence of a Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ redox probe which exhibited a linear response of peak current with varying concentrations of BSA up to 10 ng/mL (with a detection limit of 0.006 ng/mL). This study is novel in that it shows a considerable enhancement of signal during electrochemical sensing of a protein.     

A novel luminescent lifetime-based optrode for the detection of gaseous and dissolved oxygen utilising a mixed ormosil matrix containing ruthenium (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)3Cl2 (Ru.dpp)

A novel luminescent lifetime optrode is presented for the detection of gaseous and dissolved oxygen. The optrode utilises ruthenium (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)₃Cl₂ as the sensing fluorophore immobilised in a hydrophobic ormosil matrix. The ormosil matrix is synthesised at room temperature from octyltriethoxysilane and methyltriethoxysilane precursors. Investigations of different ormosils were conducted and the most effective one was selected for optrode production. Optrodes were tested for responses to gaseous and dissolved oxygen. Their responses were modelled using traditional two-site or two-exponential methods and feed-forward artificial neural networks. Comparison of the two modelling methodologies is presented and further improvements in modelling and ormosil design are suggested.     

A sensitive mediator-free tyrosinase biosensor based on an inorganic-organic hybrid titania sol-gel matrix

A novel inorganic-organic hybrid titania sol-gel nanocomposite film was prepared to fabricate a sensitive tyrosinase biosensor for the amperometric detection of trace phenolic compounds without additional electron mediators. Acetylacetone worked as a complexing ligand to chelate with Ti atom in the synthesis process, and the pH of the titania solution could be adjusted to the value which was optimum for retaining tyrosinase activity and such a membrane was stably attached on to the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). This titania matrix could supply a good environment for enzyme loading, which resulted in a high sensitivity of 15.78 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻² for monitoring phenols with a detection limit of 1×10⁻⁸ M at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The TiO₂ sol-gel derived biosensor exhibited a fast response less than 10 s and a good stability for more than 2 months.     

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.     

A fiber-optic evanescent wave sensor for dissolved oxygen detection based on novel hybrid fluorinated xerogels immobilized with [Ru(bpy)3]2+

We have prepared a novel fiber-optic evanescent wave sensor (FEWS) for dissolved oxygen (DO) detection. The sensor fabrication was based on coating a decladded portion of an optical fiber with a microporous coating, which was prepared from 3,3,3-trifluoropropyltrimethoxysilane and n-propyltrimethoxysilane. The fluorophores were immobilized in the porous coating and excited by the evanescent wave field produced on the core surface of the optical fiber. The sensitivity of the sensor was quantified by the ratio of the fluorescence intensities in pure deoxygenated (I ₀) and in pure oxygenated environments (I). Results show that the quenching response of DO is increased with the enhancement of the coating surface hydrophobicity using the presented hybrid fluorinated ORMOSILs. The calibration curve of I ₀/I to [O₂] is linear from 0 to 40 ppm and the detection limit is 0.05 ppm (3σ) with a short response time of 15 s for DO detection. Figure       

Composite film of carbon nanotubes and chitosan for preparation of amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor

A new amperometric biosensor for hydrogen peroxide was developed based on cross-linking horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by glutaraldehyde with multiwall carbon nanotubes/chitosan (MWNTs/chitosan) composite film coated on a glassy carbon electrode. MWNTs were firstly dissolved in a chitosan solution. Then the morphology of MWNTs/chitosan composite film was characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that MWNTs were well soluble in chitosan and robust films could be formed on the surface. HRP was cross-linked by glutaraldehyde with MWNTs/chitosan film to prepare a hydrogen peroxide biosensor. The enzyme electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity and rapid response for H₂O₂ in the absence of a mediator. The linear range of detection towards H₂O₂ (applied potential: −0.2 V) was from 1.67 × 10⁻⁵ to 7.40 × 10⁻⁴ M with correction coefficient of 0.998. The biosensor had good repeatability and stability for the determination of H₂O₂. There were no interferences from ascorbic acid, glucose, citrate acid and lactic acid.     

Glutathione-capped CdTe quantum dots for the sensitive detection of glucose

A simple and sensitive assay system for glucose based on the glutathione (GSH)-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) was developed. GSH-capped CdTe QDs exhibit higher sensitivity to H₂O₂ produced from the glucose oxidase catalyzed oxidation of glucose, and are also more biocompatible than other thiols-capped QDs. Based on the quenching of H₂O₂ on GSH-capped QDs, glucose can be detected. The detection conditions containing reaction time, the concentration of glucose oxidase and the sizes of QDs were optimized and the detection limits for glucose was determined to be 0.1 μM; two detection ranges of glucose from 1.0 μM to 0.5 mM and from 1.0 mM to 20 mM, respectively were obtained. The detection limit was almost a 1000 times lower than other QDs-based optical glucose sensing systems. The developed glucose detection system was simple and facile with no need of complicated enzyme immobilization and modification of QDs.     

A novel photoelectrochemical immunosensor by integration of nanobody and TiO2 nanotubes for sensitive detection of serum cystatin C

Cystatin C (CysC) is a sensitive marker for the estimation of the glomerular filtration rate and the clinical diagnosis of different diseases. In this paper, CysC-specific nanobodies (Nbs) were isolated from a phage display nanobody library. A simple and sensitive photoelectrochemical immunosensor based on TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNAs) was proposed for the sensitive detection of CysC. The TiO₂ nanotube arrays deposited by electrochemical anodization displayed a high and stable photocurrent response under irradiation. After coupling CysC-specific nanobody to TNA (Nb/TNA), the proposed immunosensor for CysC can be utilized for tracking the photocurrent change of Nb/TNA caused by immunoreactions between CysC and the immobilized CysC-specific Nb. This allowed for the determination of CysC with a calibration range from 0.72 pM to 7.19 nM. The variation of the photocurrent was in a linear relationship with the logarithm of the CysC concentration in the range of 0.72 pM–3.6 nM. The immunosensor had a correlation coefficient of 0.97 and a detection limit of 0.14 pM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The proposed immunosensor showed satisfactory intra- and inter-assay accuracy, high selectivity and good stability. As a result, this proposed strategy would offer a novel and simple approach for the detection of immunoreactions, provide new insights in popularizing the diagnosis of CysC, and extend the application of TiO₂ nanotubes.     

Ag/Ag2MoO4/Bi2MoO6复合光催化剂的制备及其光催化性能

采用水热、化学沉积和原位光还原的方法成功制备了新型Ag/Ag₂MoO₄/Bi₂MoO₆三元复合光催化剂。通过X射线粉末衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和紫外可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）等技术对材料的组成、形貌、光吸收特性和光电化学性能等进行系统分析。以四环素为目标污染物,研究Ag/Ag₂MoO₄/Bi₂MoO₆在可见光下的光催化性能。研究结果表明,相比于纯Ag₂MoO₄和Bi₂MoO₆,Ag的表面等离子体共振（SPR）效应显著拓宽了催化体系对可见光的吸收能力及响应范围。当Ag₂MoO₄理论负载量（质量分数）为24.6%时,Ag/Ag₂MoO₄/Bi₂MoO₆复合材料在20 min内可将四环素完全降解,且5次循环使用后仍保持较高的催化活性,表现出良好的循环稳定性。