High-resolution liquid refractive-index sensor using reflective arrayed-waveguide grating

A high-resolution sensor for measuring the refractive index of liquids using a reflective arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) is proposed. The refractive index of a liquid placed in the groove of the arrayed region is measured via the shift of the maximum intensity in the imaging plane of the AWG owing to the phase change in the region. The refractive index can be monitored in real time by measuring the power ratio between two output waveguides of the AWG with a narrow-band source. A mathematical model based on Fourier optics and wave optics is established. A fitting formula for the relationship between the power ratio and the refractive index of liquid is derived. The results of the study show that the proposed method can eliminate the effects of instability of the light source and the inner loss of the system and provide a refractive index resolution of 10⁻⁷.     

用于脉冲功率装置测量的混合式高压分压器

为准确测量脉冲放电电压,提出了固液混合式高压分压器的原理与结构,并进行了标定和实验测试。用简化模型分析了分压器系统的理想响应条件,讨论了两级分压的衰减特性,提出了控制误差的方法。通过负载标定,得到分压器脉冲电压频率响应大于2.9 MHz,最长脉冲宽度40 s,分压比(或衰减系数)为2.60 kV/V,测量误差小于5%。该高压分压器具有造价低、制作易,同时适于ns到s级脉冲电压的测量等优点,可以在实验室中得到应用。     

Cysteine combined with carbon black as support for electrodeposition of poly (1,8-Diaminonaphthalene): Application as sensing material for efficient determination of nitrite ions

Poly 1,8-Diaminonaphtahlene/cysteine (poly 1,8-DAN/Cys) combined with carbon black (CB) nanoparticles are proposed as an excellent sensor for the detection of nitrite ions. To design the electrocatalyst, a simple approach consisting on drop-casting method was applied to disperse carbon black on the surface of glassy carbon electrode, followed by the immobilization of cysteine on the surface of CB nanoparticles. The electrochemical polymerization of 1,8-Diaminonaphthalene was conducted in acidic medium by using cyclic voltammetry. The prepared hybrid material was denoted poly 1,8-DAN /Cys/CB. Several methods were used to characterize the structural and electrochemical behavior of the reported hybrid material including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), amperometry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The prepared electrode displayed an outstanding electroactivity towards nitrite ions reflected by an enhancement in the intensity of the current and a decrease of the charge transfer resistance. Poly 1,8-DAN/Cys/CB displayed an excellent sensing performance towards the detection of nitrite with a very low detection limit of 0.25 µM. Two linear ranges of 1–40 µM and 20–210 µM when using amperometry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were obtained respectively. This work highlights the simple preparation of a polymeric film rich in amine and thiol groups for nitrite detection.     

Process prediction of Ni–SiC coatings based on RBF-BP model

The preparation of Ni–SiC coatings using magnetic field-assisted jet electrodeposition under various plating settings is described in this study. A RBF-BP composite neural network with 4 × 4 × 4 × 7 × 10 × 1 was used to predict the corrosion resistance of Ni–SiC coatings prepared by employing different plating parameters. The results show that the fitting degree between the expected value and the actual value of the RBF-BP composite neural network is 0.97497. Moreover, the hybrid neural network can accurately predict the corrosion resistance of Ni–SiC coatings prepared under different process parameters. The corrosion weight loss of the coating is the lowest at the current density of 4 A/dm², a jet rate of 3 m/s, a SiC particle concentration of 8 g/L, and at a magnetic field intensity of 0.8 T, demonstrating its corrosion resistance under these conditions. According to the coating characterization analysis, the coating's grain size was significantly refined, and the surface was smoother with a high amount of uniformly sized SiC nanoparticles.     

Supramolecular optical sensor arrays for on-site analytical devices

Supramolecular optical chemosensors are useful tools in analytical chemistry for the visualization of molecular recognition information. One advantage is that they can be utilized for array systems to detect multiple analytes. However, chemosensor arrays have been evaluated mainly in the solution phase, which limits a wide range of practical applications. Thus, appropriate solid support materials such as polymer gels and papers are required to broaden the scope of the application of chemosensors as on-site analytical tools. In this review, we summarize the actual approaches for the fabrication of solid-state chemosensor arrays combined with powerful data processing techniques and portable digital recorders for real-world applications.     

Amperometric L‐cysteine Sensor Using a Gold Electrode Modified with Thiolated Catechol

A thiolated catechol (CA) consisting of 1,6‐Hexanedithiol (HDT) and CA was modified on a gold (Au) electrode to obtain an amperometric L‐cysteine sensor with detection limit of 60.6 nM. The preparation of thiolated CA was conducted via a thiol addition between HDT and electro‐oxidized CA (EOCA). Briefly, the thiol addition reaction was accomplished by potential cycling of HDT/Au electrode in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (PB, pH 7.2) containing CA, and an EOCA‐HDT/Au electrode was produced. The obtained EOCA‐HDT/Au electrode exhibits a pair of well‐defined redox peaks (at 0.22/0.10 V) of o‐quinone moiety, which effectively mediates the oxidation of L‐cysteine in a 0.1 M PB (pH 7.2), with an over‐potential decrease by ca. 0.12 V (versus bare Au electrode). Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, cyclic voltammetry and surface‐enhanced Raman spectra were used to study relevant processes and/or film properties. The amperometric L‐cysteine sensor has good anti‐interferent ability and reproducibility. It also has acceptable recovery for detection of L‐cysteine in urine samples.     

Instrument for generation of volatile organic compounds for the development of chemical sensors and evaluation of tube-type diffusive sampling

An automatic calibration apparatus for the dynamic generation of organic vapours was developed. The accurately controlled stream of nitrogen was drawn at a low flow-rate through a thermostated container filled with the standard substance, thus generating a continuous stream of saturated vapour of the compound. The compound holder vessel was thermostated at −16°C. A large stream of pure carrier gas was mixed with a low stream of substance in a mixing chamber for dilution. The fittings were manufactured from PTFE, and tubes were made of special PTFE with an inert inner surface to eliminate the wall adsorption and to decrease the cross-diffusion. Moisture interferences were reduced using a Nafion membrane filter. The vapour generator was validated by diffusive sampling and gas chromatographic methods. Standard mixtures have been prepared containing toluene at concentrations ranging from 3 to 3000 ppm. The combined uncertainty of preparative and analytical error components associated with the concentration of the analytes at the 95% confidence level typically ranges from 2 to 5% relative, depending upon the concentration. The measured and the calculated values were compared and good correlation (r²>0.99) was found.     

Potentiometric DNA Sensor Based on Electropolymerized Phenothiazines for Protein Detection

Novel method of potentiometric detection of DNA‐protein interactions has been proposed. For this purpose, polymeric phenothiazine dyes, methylene blue (MB) and methylene green (MG), were electrochemically deposited onto the glassy carbon electrode and covered with double stranded DNA (dsDNA) as a target for antibodies (DNA‐sensor) or DNA aptamer specific to human α‐thrombin (aptasensor). The biosensors were consecutively incubated at pH 7.5 and 3.0 and the difference in potentials, ΔE, was used as a measure of protein concentration. The potentiometric DNA‐sensors were tested in standard serum of autoimmune disease patients (systemic lupus erythemathosus (SLE) and autoimmune thyroidites). It was shown, that the ΔE value of DNA‐sensor depends on the dilution of serum in the range from 1 : 1 to 1 : 100. Nonthermostated serum exhibited bell‐shape dependence of ΔE on serum dilution due to interfering effect of serine proteins at maximum dilution between 1 : 20 and 1 : 50. For SLE serum thermostated at 56 °C the ΔE linearly decreased as a function of serum dilution and reached saturation at dilution 1 : 20. Similarly the changes in the potential of aptasensor allowed us to determine the α‐thrombin in the range from 1 nM to 1 μM. The Faradic impedance spectra measured at presence of redox probe [Fe(CN)₆]^4?/3? revealed changes in the resistance and capacitance attributed to the shielding effect of anti‐DNA antibodies and an increase in the electron transfer. The developed potentiometric biosensors can be used for preliminary diagnostics of autoimmune diseases and thrombin detection with sensitivity comparable to traditional methods. The developed assay is, however simpler and cheaper in comparison with commonly used methods.     

Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Thiabendazole in Fruits Using Ag−MoS2 Electrode

Herein, Ag nanoparticles (NPs) modified MoS₂ (Ag−MoS₂) was applied to the surface of glassy carbon (GC) to produce a robust electrochemical sensor for the detection of thiabendazole, a common antifungal in the post-harvesting of fruits. Cyclic voltammetry studies confirmed thiabendazole exhibited an irreversible, diffusion-controlled process on Ag−MoS₂ with a two-fold increase in peak current than the pristine MoS_2. A square wave voltammetry was used for the detection of TBZ. The developed sensor exhibited a linear range between 1–10 μM with LOD down to 0.1 μM (S/N>3). Analysis of TBZ in mango and banana matrices gave a recovery of 91.6–100.4 % indicating the suitability of the sensor for food safety monitoring.     

Covalent Organic Frameworks for Chemical and Biological Sensing

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a class of crystalline porous organic polymers with polygonal porosity and highly ordered structures. The most prominent feature of the COFs is their excellent crystallinity and highly ordered modifiable one-dimensional pores. Since the first report of them in 2005, COFs with various structures were successfully synthesized and their applications in a wide range of fields including gas storage, pollution removal, catalysis, and optoelectronics explored. In the meantime, COFs also exhibited good performance in chemical and biological sensing, because their highly ordered modifiable pores allowed the selective adsorption of the analytes, and the interaction between the analytes and the COFs’ skeletons may lead to a detectable change in the optical or electrical properties of the COFs. In this review, we firstly demonstrate the basic principles of COFs-based chemical and biological sensing, then briefly summarize the applications of COFs in sensing some substances of practical value, including some gases, ions, organic compounds, and biomolecules. Finally, we discuss the trends and the challenges of COFs-based chemical and biological sensing.