Preparation of graphene platelet-Ru(phen) 3 2+ assemblies and their application in electrochemiluminescence detection

Graphene platelet (GP)-Ru(phen) ₃ ²⁺ assembles have been prepared through self-assembly of poly sodium styrenesulfonate (PSS) functionalized GPs and Ru(phen) ₃ ²⁺ driven by electrostatic attraction interactions in aqueous solution. The resultant assembled GP-Ru(phen) ₃ ²⁺ hybrid structure modified electrode exhibits excellent electrochemiluminescence (ECL) behaviors because of the ECL active species Ru(phen) ₃ ²⁺ contained therein.     

Empetrifranzinans A和Empetrifranzinans C的全合成及其抗肿瘤活性

以间苯三酚为起始原料,L-脯氨酸为催化剂,经由两步反应首次合成了Empetrifranzinans A(1a,总收率60%)和Empetrifranzinans C(总收率55%),其结构经1H NMR,13C NMR和HR-MS确证。初步药理筛选实验结果表明,1a对人结肠癌、肝癌、胃癌、肺腺癌、卵巢癌细胞表现出了较强的细胞毒作用,其IC50分别为<0.1,1.31,4.90,8.98和3.65μmol·L-1。     

A Hairpin Electrochemical Aptasensor for Sensitive and Specific Detection of Thrombin Based on Homogenous Target Recognition

An electrochemical aptasensor was developed for sensitive and specific detection of thrombin by combining homogenous recognition strategy and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) amplification. Streptavidin‐alkaline phosphatase was used as reporter molecule. Compared with the traditional hairpin aptasensor monitoring the distance of the redox molecule from the electrode surface, the proposed aptasensor successfully overcome the limitations of distance and improved the stability and high affinity of the aptamer hairpin through homogenous recognition, which enhanced the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensors effectively. Additionally, AuNPs were employed to increase the active area and conductivity of the electrode, thus, improving the sensitivity of the aptasensor. As a result, the designed thrombin detection sensor obtained a lower detection limit of 0.52 pM in buffer and 6.9 pM in blood serum.     

Modified capillary electrophoresis based measurement of the binding between DNA aptamers and an unknown concentration target

The recognition of targets such as biomacromolecules, viruses and cells by their aptamers is crucial in aptamer-based biosensor platforms and research into protein function. However, it is difficult to evaluate the binding constant of aptamers and their targets that are hard to purify and quantify, especially when the targets are undefined. Therefore, we aimed to develop a modified capillary electrophoresis based method to determine the dissociation constant of aptamers whose targets are hard to quantify. A protein target, human thrombin, and one of its aptamers were used to validate our modified method. We demonstrated that the result calculated by our method, only depending on the aptamer’s concentrations, was consistent with the classical method, which depended on the concentrations of both the aptamers and the targets. Furthermore, a series of DNA aptamers binding with avian influenza virus H9N2 were confirmed by a four-round selection of capillary electrophoresis–systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment, and we identified the binding constant of these aptamers by directly using the whole virus as the target with the modified method. In conclusion, our modified method was validated to study the interaction between the aptamer and its target, and it may also advance the evaluation of other receptor–ligand interactions.     

Selective separation of lambdacyhalothrin by porous/magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization

Porous/magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (PM‐MIPs) were prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization. The reaction was carried out in an oil/water emulsion using magnetic halloysite nanotubes as the stabilizer instead of a toxic surfactant. In the oil phase, the imprinting process was conducted by radical polymerization of functional and cross‐linked monomers, and porogen chloroform generated steam under the high reaction temperature, which resulted in some pores decorated with easily accessible molecular binding sites within the as‐made PM‐MIPs. The characterization demonstrated that the PM‐MIPs were porous and magnetic inorganic–polymer composite microparticles with magnetic sensitivity (M_s = 0.7448 emu/g), thermal stability (below 473 K) and magnetic stability (over the pH range of 2.0–8.0). The PM‐MIPs were used as a sorbent for the selective binding of lambdacyhalothrin (LC) and rapidly separated under an external magnetic field. The Freundlich isotherm model gave a good fit to the experimental data. The adsorption kinetics of the PM‐MIPs was well described by pseudo‐second‐order kinetics, indicating that the chemical process could be the rate‐limiting step in the adsorption of LC. The selective recognition experiments exhibited the outstanding selective adsorption effect of the PM‐MIPs for target LC. Moreover, the PM‐MIPs regeneration without significant loss in adsorption capacity was demonstrated by at least four repeated cycles.     

Coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction and expanded bed adsorption for simplified medicinal plant processing and its theoretical model: Extraction and enrichment of ginsenosides from Radix Ginseng as a case study

A high‐efficient and environmental‐friendly method for the preparation of ginsenosides from Radix Ginseng using the method of coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction with expanded bed adsorption is described. Based on the optimal extraction conditions screened by surface response methodology, ginsenosides were extracted and adsorbed, then eluted by the two‐step elution protocol. The comparison results between the coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction with expanded bed adsorption method and conventional method showed that the former was better than the latter in both process efficiency and greenness. The process efficiency and energy efficiency of the coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction with expanded bed adsorption method rapidly increased by 1.4‐fold and 18.5‐fold of the conventional method, while the environmental cost and CO₂ emission of the conventional method were 12.9‐fold and 17.0‐fold of the new method. Furthermore, the theoretical model for the extraction of targets was derived. The results revealed that the theoretical model suitably described the process of preparing ginsenosides by the coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction with expanded bed adsorption system.     

Electropolymerization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes composited with polypyrrole as a solid‐phase microextraction fiber for the detection of acrylamide in food samples using GC with electron‐capture detection

We developed a solid‐phase microextraction coupled to GC with electron‐capture detection method for the detection of acrylamide in food samples. Single‐walled carbon nanotubes and polypyrrole were electropolymerized onto a stainless‐steel wire as a coating, which possessed a homogeneous, porous, and wrinkled surface, chemical and mechanical stability, long lifespan (over 300 extractions), and good extraction efficiency for acrylamide. The linearity range between the signal intensity and the acrylamide concentration was found to be in the range 0.001–1 μg/mL, and the coefficient of determination was 0.9985. The LOD, defined as three times the baseline noise, was 0.26 ng/mL. The reproducibility for each single fiber (n = 6) and the fiber‐to‐fiber (n = 5) repeatability prepared in the same batch were less than 4.1 and 11.2%, respectively.