Chemiluminescence aptasensor for cocaine based on double-functionalized gold nanoprobes and functionalized magnetic microbeads

This year inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) moves into the fourth decade of development. In this article, some recent trends and developments in ICP-MS are reviewed, with special focus on instrumental development and emerging applications. Some key trends include a novel mass spectrometer for elemental and speciation analysis in Mattauch–Herzog geometry with a focal-plane-camera array detector. The reason for this development is the possibility to record the full elemental mass range simultaneously and all the time. Monitoring fast transient signals in chromatography or laser ablation is now possible and will become an important asset in future studies, e.g., for isotope ratio analysis. In addition, there is a lot of new activity and interest in the area of nanosciences and medicine. Here, instrumental developments are reported that allow the direct analysis of microparticles and single cells.     

Label-free colorimetric aptasensor for sensitive detection of ochratoxin A utilizing hybridization chain reaction

The combination of high selectivity of aptamer with the peroxidase-mimicking property of DNAzyme has presented considerable opportunities for designing colorimetric aptasensor for detection of ochratoxin A (OTA). The activities of both aptamer (as biorecognition element) and DNAzyme (as signal amplification element) are blocked via base pairing in the hairpin structure. Hybridization chain reaction (HCR) between two hairpin DNAs was employed to further improve the sensitivity of this method. The presence of OTA triggers the opening of the hairpin structure and the beginning of HCR, which results in the release of many DNAzyme, and generates enhanced colorimetric signals, which is correlated to the amounts of OTA with linear range between 0.01 to 0.32 nM, and the limit of detection is 0.01 nM under optimal conditions. OTA in yellow rice wine and wheat flour samples was also detected using this method. We demonstrate that a new colorimetric method for the detection of OTA has been established, which is simple, easy to conduct, label-free, sensitive, high throughput, and cost-saving.     

Phenylboronic acid functionalized SBA-15 for sugar capture

The synthesis and characterization of organic-inorganic hybrid materials that selectively capture sugars from model biomass hydrolysis mixtures are reported. 3-Aminophenylboronic acid (PBA) groups that can reversibly form cyclic esters with 1,2-diols, and 1,3-diols including sugars are attached to mesoporous SBA-15 via different synthetic protocols. In the first route, a coupling agent is used to link PBA and SBA-15, while in the second route poly(acrylic acid) brushes are first grafted from the surface of SBA-15 by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization and PBA is then immobilized. The changes in pore structure, porosity, and pore size due to the loading of organic content are measured by powder X-ray diffraction and nitrogen porosimetry. The increase in organic content after each synthesis step is monitored by thermal gravimetric analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis are used to characterize the chemical compositions of the hybrid materials synthesized. D-(+)-Glucose and D-(+)-xylose, being the most commonly present sugars in biomass, are chosen to evaluate the sugar adsorption capacity of the hybrid materials. It is found that the sugar adsorption capacity is determined by the loading of boronic acid groups on the hybrid materials, and the hybrid material synthesized via route two is much better than that through route one for sugar adsorption. Mathematical modeling of the adsorption data indicates that the Langmuir model best describes the sugar adsorption behavior of the hybrid material synthesized through route one, while the Freundlich model fits the data most satisfactorily for the hybrid material prepared via route two. The adsorption kinetics, reusability, and selectivity toward some typical chemicals in cellulose acidic hydrolysis mixtures are also investigated.     

Label-free electrochemical aptasensor constructed by layer-by-layer technology for sensitive and selective detection of cancer cells

Here, a cytosensor was constructed with ferrocene-appended poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (Fc-PAH) functionalized graphene (Fc-PAH-G), poly(sodium-p-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and aptamer (AS1411) by layer-by-layer assembly technology. The hybrid nanocomposite Fc-PAH-G not only brings probes on the electrode and also promotes electron transfer between the probes and the substrate electrode. Meanwhile, LBL technology provides more effective probes to enhance amplified signal for improving the sensitivity of the detection. While AS1411 forming G-quardruplex structure and binding cancer cells, the current response of the sensing electrode decreased due to the insulating properties of cellular membrane. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was performed to investigate the electrochemical detection of HeLa cells attributing to its sensitivity of the current signal change. The as-prepared aptasensor showed a high sensitivity and good stability, a widely detection range from 10 to 10⁶ cells/mL with a detection limit as low as 10 cells/mL for the detection of cancer cells.     

Sonosynthesis of spiroindolines using functionalized SBA-15

Functionalized SBA-15 (immobilization of Pd on the modified SBA-15) has been used as an efficient catalyst for the preparation of spiroindolines by multi-component reactions of isatins, cyclic-1,3-diketones, and 6-amino-1,3-dimethyluracil under ultrasonic irradiation in water. The catalyst has been characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N₂ adsorption analysis, temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The advantages of this method include the reusability of the catalyst, low catalyst loading, excellent yields in short reaction times and easy separation of products, and use of ultrasonic irradiation as a valuable and powerful technology.

     

Hierarchical dendritic gold microstructure-based aptasensor for ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of thrombin using functionalized mesoporous silica nanospheres as signal tags

A sensitive electrochemical approach for the detection of thrombin was designed by using densely packed hierarchical dendritic gold microstructures (HDGMs) with secondary and tertiary branches as matrices, and thionine-functionalized mesoporous silica nanospheres as signal tags. To prepare the signal tags, the positively charged thionine (as an indicator) was initially adsorbed onto the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). Then [AuCl₄]⁻ ions were in situ reduced on the thionine-modified MSNs by ascorbic acid to construct nanogold-decorated MSNs (GMSNs). The formed GMSNs were employed as label of the aminated aptamers. The assay was carried out in PBS, pH 7.4 with a sandwich-type assay mode by using the assembled thionine in the GMSNs as indicators. Compared with the pure silica nanoparticles, mesoporous silica could provide a larger surface for the immobilization of biomolecules and improve the sensitivity of the aptasensor. Under optimal conditions, the electrochemical aptasensors exhibited a wide linear range from 0.001 to 600 ng mL⁻¹ (i.e. 0.03 pM to 0.018 μM thrombin) with a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.5 pg mL⁻¹ (≈15 fM) thrombin at 3σ. No obvious non-specific adsorption was observed during a series of analyses to detect target analyte. The precision, selectivity and stability of the aptasensors were acceptable. Importantly, the methodology was evaluated with thrombin spiked samples in blank fetal calf serum, and the recoveries were 94.2–112%, indicating an exciting potential for thrombin detection.     

A competitive immunoassay for sensitive detection of small molecules chloramphenicol based on luminol functionalized silver nanoprobe

Chloramphenicol (CHL) as a broad-spectrum antibiotic has a broad action spectrum against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as anaerobes. The use of CHL is strictly restricted in poultry because of its toxic effect. However, CHL is still illegally used in animal farming because of its accessibility and low cost. Therefore, sensitive methods are highly desired for the determination of CHL in foodstuffs. The immunoassays based on labeling as an important tool have been reported for the detection of CHL residues in food-producing animals. However, most of the labeling procedures require multi-step reactions and purifications and thus they are complicated and time-consuming. Recently, in our previous work, luminol functionalized silver nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized, which exhibits higher CL efficiency than luminol functionalized gold nanoparticles. In this work, the new luminol functionalized silver nanoparticles have been used for the labeling of small molecules CHL for the first time and a competitive chemiluminescent immunoassay has been developed for the detection of CHL. Owing to the amplification of silver nanoparticles, high sensitivity for CHL could be achieved with a low detection limit of 7.6 × 10⁻⁹ g mL⁻¹ and a wide linear dynamic range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁸–1.0 × 10⁻⁶ g mL⁻¹. This method has also been successfully applied to determine CHL in milk and honey samples with a good recoveries (92% and 102%, 99% and 107% respectively), indicating that the method is feasible for the determination of CHL in real milk and honey samples. The labeling procedure is simple, convenient and fast, superior to previously reported labeling procedures. The immunoassay is also simple, fast, sensitive and selective. It is of application potential for the determination of CHL in foodstuffs.     

A novel electrochemiluminescence aptasensor for protein based on a sensitive N-(aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol-functionalized gold nanoprobe

A novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor for platelet-derived growth factor B chain (PDGF-BB) assay was developed by assembling N-(aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol functionalized gold nanoparticles (ABEI-AuNPs) with aptamers as nanoprobes. In the protocol, the biotinylated aptamer capture probes were first immobilized on a streptavidin coated gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) modified electrode, afterwards, the target PDGF-BB and the ABEI-AuNPs tagged aptamer signal probe were successively attached to the modified electrode by virtue of the dimer structure of PDGF-BB to fabricate a "sandwich" conjugate modified electrode, i.e. an aptasensor. ECL measurement was carried out with a double-step potential in carbonate buffer solution containing H(2)O(2). The aptasensor showed high sensitivity and selectivity toward PDGF-BB and specificity toward PDGF-BB aptamer. The detection limit was as low as 2.7 × 10(-14) M. In this work, the ABEI-AuNPs synthesized by a simple seed growth method have been successfully used as aptamer labels, which greatly amplified the ECL signal by binding numbers of ABEI molecules on the surface of AuNPs. The ABEI-AuNPs signal amplification is superior to other reported signal amplification strategies based on aptamer-related polymerase chain reaction or functionalized nanoparticles in simplicity, stability, labeling property and practical applicability. And the ABEI-AuNPs based nanoprobe is more sensitive than the luminol functionalized AuNPs based nanoprobe. Moreover, such an ultra-sensitive and low-cost assay can be accomplished with a simple and fast procedure by using a simple ECL instrumentation. The aptasensor was also applied for the detection of PDGF-BB in human serum samples, showing great application potential. Given these advantages, the ECL aptasensor is well suited for the direct, sensitive and rapid detection of protein in complex clinical samples.     

Label-free electrochemical aptasensor for the detection of lysozyme

This work reports the advantages of a label free electrochemical aptasensor for the detection of lysozyme. The biorecognition platform was obtained by the adsorption of the aptamer on the surface of a carbon paste electrode (CPE) previously blocked with mouse immunoglobulin under controlled-potential conditions. The recognition event was detected from the decrease in the guanine and adenine electro-oxidation signals produced as a consequence of the molecular interaction between the aptamer and lysozyme. The biosensing platform demonstrated to be highly selective even in the presence of large excess (9-fold) of bovine serum albumin, cytochrome C and myoglobin. The reproducibility for 10 repetitive determinations of 10.0 mg L⁻¹ lysozyme solution was 5.1% and 6.8% for guanine and adenine electro-oxidation signals, respectively. The detection limits of the aptasensor were 36.0 nmol L⁻¹ (if considering guanine signal) and 18.0 nmol L⁻¹ (if taking adenine oxidation current). This new sensing approach represents an interesting and promising alternative for the electrochemical quantification of lysozyme.     

Seeded growth of two-dimensional dendritic gold nanostructures

We show that seeded growth can be applied to creating two-dimensional (2D) dendritic Au nanostructures on sample grids, which can be directly characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The 2D synthesis of highly consistent structures offers a novel mechanistic perspective on the aggregation of colloidal Au nanocrystals on a surface.     

A dual-amplification aptasensor for highly sensitive detection of thrombin based on the functionalized graphene-Pd nanoparticles composites and the hemin/G-quadruplex

In this work, an advanced sandwich-type electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin was proposed by integrating hemin/G-quadruplex with functionalized graphene-Pd nanoparticles composites (PdNPs-RGs). The hemin/G-quadruplex formed by intercalating hemin into thrombin binding aptamer (TBA), firstly acted as a NADH oxidase, assisting the oxidation of NADH to NAD⁺ accompanying with the generation of H₂O₂ in the presence of dissolved O₂. Subsequently, the hemin/G-quadruplex acted as HRP-mimicking DNAzyme that rapidly bioelectrocatalyze the reduction of the produced H₂O₂. At the same time, the Pd nanoparticles supported on p-iodoaniline functionalized graphene were also adopted to catalyze the reduction of H₂O₂. Thus, with the dual catalysis, a dramatically amplified electrochemical signal could be obtained. Besides, the avidin–biotin system for binding aptamer sequences on electrodes not only improved the sensitivity of thrombin analysis but also obtained an acceptable repeatability of the aptasensor. With several factors mentioned above, a wide linear ranged from 0.1 pM to 50 nM was acquired with a relatively low detection limit of 0.03 pM (defined as S/N = 3). These excellent performances provided our approach a promising way for ultrasensitive assay in electrochemical aptasensors.     

Self-assembled host-guest nanostructures on gold electrodes for thiodianiline determination

Self-assembled monolayers of thiolated β-cyclodextrins on a gold electrode have been developed for the determination of thiodianiline. Pentanethiol was employed to fill the empty space between the β-cyclodextrins on the surface. The formation of a 1:2 inclusion complex between thiodianiline and β-cyclodextrin was studied by electrochemistry. The parameters affecting the modification of the electrode and the determination of thiodianiline by square wave voltammetry were optimized. The limits of detection and determination are 190 and 205 μg?L^?1, respectively. The accuracy, in terms of relative error values, is <7%. The precision, in terms of RSD (for n?=?5), is <5%. The method was applied to the determination of thiodianiline in real wastewater samples with RSD values of <11% and an average recovery of 98% for all the spiking levels assayed.     

A sensitive impedance immunosensor based on functionalized gold nanoparticle-protein composite films for probing apolipoprotein A-I

A sensitive and label-free electrochemical impedance immunosensor via covalent coupling the antibody with functionalized gold nanoparticles (FAuNP) for probing apolipoprotein A-I was presented. The hybrid gold nanoparticles were prepared with a two-in-one strategy, i.e. via the stepwise employment of self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and sol-gel techniques, to improve the performance of such a label-free immunosensor, which was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was found that this novel FAuNP immunosensor showed higher protein-loading capacity and better response properties (6-17 times) than that fabricated by normal SAM technique did. The remarkably improved properties of the immunosensor were ascribed to FAuNP with the larger surface-to-volume ratio, more free amino linkage groups, and the lower nonspecific protein adsorption. As a result, the thus-prepared antibody-modified immunosensor showed reproducible (R.S.D. = ±3.2%, n = 10) linear response to apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) antigens in the range of 0.1-10 ng mL⁻¹. The detection limit of this immunosensor was 50 pg mL⁻¹ (corresponding to 1.8 pmol L⁻¹), which was two orders of magnitude lower than that of the traditional methods. These results exhibited the novel immunosensor had a high sensitivity, stability and selectivity for the determination of Apo A-I, especially in clinic microanalysis.     

Sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive determination of IgG based on the enhanced effects of poly-L-lysine functionalized reduced graphene oxide nanosheets and gold nanoparticles

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Poly-L-lysine functionalized reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (PLL-rGO) were prepared and thoroughly characterized with transmission electron microscopy,...     

Novel functionalized mesopore of SBA-15 as prospective sorbent for praseodymium and lutetium

In the present work, results of γ-irradiation on normal and functionalized SBA-15 by aurintricarboxylic acid have been reported. Characterization of normal and functionalized SBA-15 particles before and after γ-irradiation was carried out using Fourier-transform infrared technique. Aurintricarboxylic acid ligand connected to SBA-15 was also analyzed using UV/Vis spectrophotometer. The modified sorbent was then used as a new sorbent for separation of trace amounts of praseodymium and lutetium ions from nuclear waste waters in batch techniques. Based on the results of distribution coefficients determination, and investigation of sorption process in various conditions, the parameters were optimized for separation lanthanides. It can be concluded that the functionalized SBA-15 is a promising sorbent for praseodymium and lutetium cations.     

Mesoporous silica SBA-15 functionalized with phosphonate and amino groups for uranium uptake

Mesoporous silicas have a very attractive ability of sorption and enrichment of metal ions due to their huge surface area and facile functionalization by organic ligands.In this work,phosphonate-amino bifunctionalized mesoporous silica SBA-15(PA-SBA-15) as U(VI) sorbent was fabricated through post-grafting method.The obtained mesoporous silica was characterized by SEM,XRD,NMR and nitrogen sorption/desorption experiments,which revealed the existence of ordered mesoporous structure with uniform pore diameter and large surface area.The adsorptivity of PA-SBA-15 for U(VI) from aqueous solution was investigated using batch sorption technique under different experimental conditions.The preliminary results show that the U(VI) sorption by PA-SBA-15 is very quick with equilibrium time of less than 1 h,and the U(VI) uptake is as large as 373 mg/g at pH 5.5 under 95 ℃.The sorption isotherm has been successfully modeled by the Langmuir isotherm,suggesting a monolayer homogeneous sorption of U(VI) in PA-SBA-15.The sorption is pH-dependent due to the pH-dependent charge of sorbent in the aqueous solution.The thermodynamics research shows that the sorption is a feasible and endothermic process.Based on these results,PA-SBA-15 could be a promising solid phase sorbent for highly-efficient removal of U(VI) ions from waste water and enrichment of U(VI) from a solution at a very low level.     

Highly sensitive fluorescence determination of silver ions based on functionalized cadmium telluride nanorods

Microchimica Acta - Water-soluble fluorescent CdTe nanorods (NRs) capped with L-cysteine (Cys) and thioglycolic acid (TGA) were prepared for optical determination of silver ions. These NRs are...     

Electroanalytical performance of self-assembled monolayer gold electrode for chloramphenicol determination

Monolayers of 2-mercapto-5-methylbenzimidazole (MMB) were prepared on a polycrystalline gold electrode via a self-assembly process to produce a self-assembled monolayer. The resulting electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and applied to the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) in a pharmaceutical formulation using flow injection analysis along with amperometric detection. The amperometric cell was operated at ?0.75 V (vs Ag/AgCl) at a flow rate of 3 mL min^?1. The method was applied to the determination of CAP in ophthalmic solutions, and its performance was compared to a previously validated HPLC method. The response to CAP is linear in the range from 0.050 to 1.000 µmol L^?1 (r?=?0.9990), and the limit of detection is 44 µmol L^?1.     

Electrochemical sensor based on f-SWCNT and carboxylic group functionalized PEDOT for the sensitive determination of bisphenol A

A simple,sensitive,and reliable method for the voltammetric determination of bisphenol A(BPA) by using carboxylic group functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes(f-SWCNT)/carboxylic-functionalized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)(PC4) complex modified glassy carbon electrode(GCE) has been successfully developed.The electrochemical behavior of BPA at the surface of the modified electrode is investigated by electrochemical techniques.The cyclic voltammetry results show that the as-prepared electrode exhibits strong catalytic activity toward the oxidation of BPA with a well-defined anodic peak at 0.623 V in PBS(0.1 mol/L,pH 7.0).The surface morphology of the 3D network of composite film is beneficial for the adsorption of analytes.Under the optimized conditions,the oxidation peak current is proportional to BPA concentration in the range between 0.099 and 5.794 μmol/L(R~2 = 0.9989),with a limit of detection of 0.032 μmol/L(S/N = 3).The enhanced performance of the sensor can be attributed to the excellent electrocatalytic property of/-SWCNT and the extraordinary conductivity of PC4.Furthermore,the proposed modified electrode displays high stability and good reproducibility.The good result on the voltammetric determination of BPA also indicates that the asfabricated modified electrode will be a good candidate for the electrochemical determination and analysis of BPA.