Acetylene sensor based on Pt/ZnO thick films as prepared by flame spray pyrolysis

ZnO nanoparticles loaded with 0.2-2.0 at.% Pt have been successfully produced in a single step by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) technique using zinc naphthenate and platinum(II) acetylacetonate, as precursors dissolved in xylene and their acetylene sensing characteristics have been investigated. The particle properties were analyzed by XRD, BET, TEM, SEM and EDS. Under the 5/5 (precursor/oxygen) flame condition, ZnO nanoparticles and nanorods were observed. The crystallite sizes of ZnO spherical and hexagonal particles were found to be ranging from 5 to 20 nm while ZnO nanorods were seen to be 5-20 nm in width and 20-40 nm in length. In addition, very fine Pt nanoparticles with diameter of ∼1 nm were uniformly deposited on the surface of ZnO particles. From gas-sensing characterization, acetylene sensing characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles is significantly improved as Pt content increased from 0 to 2  at.%. The 2 at.% Pt loaded ZnO sensing film showed an optimum C₂H₂ response of ∼836 at 1% acetylene concentration and 300 °C operating temperature. A low detection limit of 50 ppm was obtained at 300 °C operating temperature. In addition, Pt loaded ZnO sensing films exhibited good selectivity towards hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide.     

Ag nanoparticles modified TiO2 spherical heterostructures with enhanced gas-sensing performance

Monodispersed TiO₂ spherical colloids with diameters of about 250 nm were prepared by a sol-gel method. Heterostructural Ag-TiO₂ spheres were manipulated by surface engineering, in which the Ag nanoparticles with an average size of 10 nm were uniformly distributed on the surface of the TiO₂ nanospheres by in situ reduction and growth. The gas-sensing properties of the TiO₂ nanospheres and heterostructural Ag-TiO₂ nanospheres to ethanol and acetone were measured at 350 °C. The results indicated that Ag nanoparticles greatly enhanced the response, stability and response characteristic of TiO₂ nanospheres to the tested gases. Response times of Ag-TiO₂ sensor to 30 ppm acetone and 50 ppm ethanol were <5 s.     

Effect of thickness of platinum catalyst clusters on response of SnO2 thin film sensor for LPG

This paper reports the sensing response characteristics of rf-sputtered SnO₂ thin films (90 nm thick) loaded with platinum catalyst cluster of varying thickness (2-20 nm) for LPG detection. The enhanced response (5 × 10³) was obtained for 200 ppm LPG with the presence of 10 nm thin and uniformly distributed Pt catalyst clusters on the surface of SnO₂ thin film at a relatively low operating temperature (220 °C). The high response for LPG is shown to be primarily due to the enhanced catalytic activity for adsorbed oxygen on the surface of SnO₂ thin film besides the spill over mechanism at elevated temperature.     

Enhanced room temperature response of SnO2 thin film sensor loaded with Pt catalyst clusters under UV radiation for LPG

The room temperature response characteristics of SnO₂ thin film sensor loaded with platinum catalyst clusters are investigated for LPG under the exposure of ultraviolet radiation. The SnO₂-Pt cluster sensor structures have been prepared using rf sputtering. Combined effect of UV radiation exposure (λ = 365 nm) and presence of Pt catalyst clusters (10 nm thick) on SnO₂ thin film sensor surface is seen to lead to an enhanced response (4.4 × 10³) for the detection of LPG (200 ppm) at room temperature whereas in the absence of UV illumination a comparable response (∼5 × 10³) could be obtained but only at an elevated temperature of 220 °C. The present study therefore investigates the effect of UV illumination on LPG sensing characteristics of SnO₂ sensors loaded with Pt clusters of varying thickness values. Results indicate the possibility of utilizing the sensor structure with novel dispersal of Pt catalyst clusters on SnO₂ film surface for efficient detection of LPG at room temperature under the illumination of UV radiations.     

Development of silver nanorod array based fiber optic probes for SERS detection

The development of intrinsic SERS fiber optic sensors, i.e., fiber optical sensors that also serve as SERS active platforms, is challenging in that an easy, robust method that integrates the SERS active platform with fiber optics is still largely missing. There is a trade-off between implementing optimal morphology of SERS active nanostructures for best enhancement effect and preserving optical transparency that allows maximum transmission of the excitation radiation and the detected signals. In the present work, highly sensitive and reproducible silver nanorod arrays (AgNRs) have been integrated to a fiber optic probe for SERS detection. The films underlying the AgNR coating have been tailored to allow maximum light transmission while maintaining optimal SERS activity. The intense spectral background from the probe fiber core is largely eliminated by using a GRIN lens to produce a tight focus of the incident radiation at the AgNR coating. The performance of the AgNR fiber optic probes has been evaluated in a forward scattering optical configuration using BPE and adenine. The low detection limit of BPE and adenine is 10⁻⁷ M. Reproducibility and sampling methods are also discussed.     

Rapid parallelized and quantitative analysis of five pathogenic bacteria by ITS hybridization using QCM biosensor

We developed a 2 × 5 model quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) DNA biosensor array for detection of five bacteria, which based on hybridization analysis of bacterial 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. A pair of universal primers was designed for PCR amplification of the ITSs. The PCR products were analyzed by the biosensor. We used gold nanoparticles to amplify the frequency shift signals. Fifty clinical samples were detected by both the biosensor and conventional bacteria culture method. We found a linear quantitative relationship between frequency shift and logarithmic concentration of synthesized oligonucleotides or bacteria cells. The measurable concentration ranged from 10⁻¹² to 10⁻⁸ M for synthesized oligonucleotides and 1.5 × 10² to 1.5 × 10⁸ CFU/mL for bacteria. The 10⁻¹² M of synthesized oligonucleotides or 1.5 × 10² CFU/mL of Pseudomonas aeruginosa could be detected by the biosensor system. The detection could be completed within 5 h including the PCR amplification procedure. Compared with bacteria culture method, the detection sensitivity and specificity of the biosensor system were 94.12% and 90.91%, respectively. There was no significant difference between these two methods (P = 0.625 > 0.05). The biosensor system provides a rapid and sensitive method for parallelized and quantitative analysis of multiple pathogenic bacteria in clinical diagnosis.     

An application of a plasmonic chip with enhanced fluorescence to a simple biosensor with extended dynamic range

Plasmonic chips coated with thin silver and SiO₂ layers were applied to a simple biosensor with wide dynamic range, which has some advantages in the points of sensitivity and surface selectivity in spite of a simple fluorescence detection system without complex optical stuffs. The enhanced fluorescence of fluorescent labeled-marker proteins, cy5-streptavidin (SA), excited by irradiation light from the rear panel of the chip was measured. To obtain the maximum fluorescence enhancement by excitation under an electric field enhanced by grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance from the rear irradiation, the optimal silver thickness was studied and found to be 30-35 nm. A directional fluorescence due to re-coupling between fluorescence and plasmon polaritons was also observed on the plasmonic chips and enhanced fluorescence 90 times compared with that on glass slides was superior to the others reported. The limit of detection (LOD) studied here was improved up to 50 pM after 10-min incubation and dynamic range was also extended by 2 order, compared with that on glass slides. The irradiation from the rear panel demonstrated advantage in the surface-selective detection of cy5-SA at 100 nM concentration. Our plasmonic chip has great potential in biosensing application due to its advantages of rapid detection, simple operation, high sensitivity (wide dynamic range), surface selectivity, and suppression of non-specific adsorption.     

A sensitive hydrazine electrochemical sensor based on electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles on choline film modified glassy carbon electrode

A highly sensitive hydrazine sensor was developed based on the electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles onto the choline film modified glassy carbon electrode (GNPs/Ch/GCE). The electrochemical experiments showed that the GNPs/Ch film exhibited a distinctly higher activity for the electro-oxidation of hydrazine than GNPs with 3.4-fold enhancement of peak current. The kinetic parameters such as the electron transfer coefficient (α) and the rate of electron exchange (k) for the oxidation of hydrazine were determined. The diffusion coefficient (D) of hydrazine in solution was also calculated by chronoamperometry. The sensor exhibited two wide linear ranges of 5.0 × 10⁻⁷-5.0 × 10⁻⁴ and 5.0 × 10⁻⁴-9.3 × 10⁻³ M with the detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ M (s/n = 3). The proposed electrode presented excellent operational and storage stability for the determination of hydrazine. Moreover, the sensor showed outstanding sensitivity, selectivity and reproducibility properties. All the results indicated a good potential application of this sensor in the detection of hydrazine.     

Fabrication of novel chitosan nanofiber/gold nanoparticles composite towards improved performance for a cholesterol sensor

A novel amperometric cholesterol biosensor was fabricated by the immobilization of ChOx (cholesterol oxidase) onto the chitosan nanofibers/gold nanoparticles (designated as CSNFs/AuNPs) composite network (NW). The fabrication involves preparation of chitosan nanofibers (CSNFs) and subsequent electrochemical loading of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used to investigate the morphology of CSNFs (sizes in the range of ∼50-100 nm) and spherical AuNPs. Cyclic voltammetry, hydrodynamic voltammetry and amperometry were used to examine the performance of CSNF-AuNPs/ChOx biosensor. The CSNF-AuNPs/ChOx biosensor exhibited a wide linear response to cholesterol (concentration range of 1-45 μM), good sensitivity (1.02 μA/μM), low response time (∼5 s) and excellent long term stability. The combined existence of AuNPs within CSNFs NW provides the excellent performance of the biosensor towards the electrochemical detection of cholesterol.     

A novel amperometric biosensor for oxalate determination using multi-walled carbon nanotube-gold nanoparticle composite

An amperometric oxalate biosensor using nanohybrid film of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and gold colloidal nanoparticles (GNPs) via carbodiimide chemistry by forming amide linkages between carboxylic acid groups on the CNTs and amine residues of cysteamine self-assembled monolayer (SAM) has been prepared. The c-MWCNTs were immobilized on the gold (Au) electrode and characterized by FTIR. The morphologies of the c-MWCNT/Au and GNPs/MWCNT/Au electrodes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the electrochemical performance of the Au, c-MWCNT/Au and GNPs/c-MWCNT/Au electrodes were also studied amperometrically. The Cl⁻ and NO₃⁻ insensitive oxalate oxidase from grain sorghum was finally immobilized on this electrode. The influence of pH, temperature and oxalate concentration on electrode activity was studied. The electrode showed optimum response within 7 s. The electrocatalytic response showed a linear dependence on the oxalic acid concentration ranging from 1 to 800 μM with a detection limit of 1 μM. The K_m value for the oxalic acid sensor was 444.44 μM. The enzyme electrode retained 30% of its initial activity after 5 months, when stored at 4 °C. The electrode was employed for measurement of oxalic acid in serum, urine and foodstuffs.     

Design and performances of immunoassay based on SPR biosensor with Au/Ag alloy nanocomposites

A novel method for detecting human IgG is reported, which is based on Au/Ag alloy nanocomposites for amplifying surface plasmon resonance response. Au/Ag alloy nanocomposites were characterized in detail by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Covalent immobilization of about 24 nm diameter of Au/Ag alloy nanocomposites on the Au film results in a large shift in resonance wavelength, which is due to the increase of the thickness of the sensing membrane, high dielectric constant of Au/Ag nanoparticles, and electromagnetic coupling between Au/Ag alloy nanocomposites and Au film. The SPR biosensor based on Au/Ag alloy nanocomposites exhibits a satisfactory response for human IgG in the concentration range of 0.15-40.00 μg mL⁻¹. While the biosensor based on Au nanoparticles shows a response in the concentration range of 0.30-20.00 μg mL⁻¹ and the biosensor based on Au film shows a response for human IgG in the concentration range of 1.25-20.00 μg mL⁻¹.     

Selectivity of flame-spray-made Nb/ZnO thick films towards NO2 gas

Unloaded ZnO and Nb/ZnO nanoparticles containing 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mol.% Nb were produced in a single step by flame-spray pyrolysis (FSP) technique. The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The BET surface area (SSA_BET) of the nanoparticles was measured by nitrogen adsorption. FSP yielded small Nb particles attached to the surface of the supporting ZnO nanoparticles, indicating a high SSA_BET. The morphology and accurate size of the primary particles were further investigated by TEM. Nb/ZnO nanoparticles paste composed of ethyl cellulose and terpineol as binder and solvent respectively was coated on Al₂O₃ substrate interdigitated with gold electrodes to form thick films by spin coating technique. After the sensing tests, the morphology and the cross-section of sensing film were analyzed by SEM and EDS analyses. The influence on a low dynamic range of Nb concentration on NO₂ response (0.1-4 ppm) of thick film sensor elements was studied at the operating temperatures ranging from 250 to 350 °C in the presence of dry air. The optimum Nb concentration was found be 0.5 mol.% and 0.5 mol.% Nb exhibited an optimum NO₂ response of ∼1640 and a short response time (27 s) for NO₂ concentration of 4 ppm at 300 °C.     

Cu chemosensing behaviour of self-organized micro-array structures of a donor-acceptor bichromophoric compound anchored onto Ag nanoisland films

This work reports on the Cu²⁺ chemosensing behaviour of self-organized micro-array structures of a novel donor-acceptor bichromophoric compound anchored onto Ag nanoisland films. The system exhibits quenching of the fluorescence in the presence of Cu²⁺ ions, with detection range extending from 2 × 10⁻⁸ M up to 3 × 10⁻⁶ M and limit of detection (LOD) of 8 × 10⁻⁹ M. The quenching of fluorescence is accompanied by a quenching of SERS signal from the metal-organic structure, which is consistent with an electron transfer between the copper cation and the organic moiety. The self-organization property of the sensing complexes into micrometric arrays offers great potential for miniaturization and future development of Cu²⁺ detection systems based on real-time observation of fluorescence or SERS quenching by fluorescence microscopy or microRaman spectroscopy.     

Enhanced wetting properties of silicon mesh microchannels coated with SiO2/SnO2 nanoparticles through layer-by-layer self assembly

The enhanced wetting property of silicon mesh microchannels coated with SiO₂/SnO₂ nanoparticles is presented in this paper. The SiO₂/SnO₂ bi-layers are prepared using layer-by-layer nano self assembly. It is found that the silicon mesh microchannels are super hydrophilic and demonstrated powerful capillary. The capillary rise rate is characterized by measuring the front location of liquid on the silicon mesh surface, laid on a 45° inclined platform. For a silicon mesh sample with an overall dimension of 25 mm × 25 mm, when the microchannel width is 0.5 mm, the liquid front can reach the top edge of the sample in approximately 30 s. The mesh silicon surface with a SiO₂/SnO₂ multilayer film presented in this paper has better wettability and higher capillary pressure than other hydrophilic surfaces reported. The results provide a new way to improve the capillary in microchannels with enhanced super hydrophilic surfaces in microchannels for variety of micro/nanofluidic applications.     

Development of molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor with titanium oxide and gold nanomaterials enhanced technique for determination of 4-nonylphenol

4-Nonylphenol (4-NP) was reported to affect the health of wildlife and humans through altering endocrine function. A novel electrochemical sensor for sensitive and fast determination of 4-NP was developed. Titanium oxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were introduced for the enhancement of electron conduction and sensitivity. 4-NP-imprinted functionalized AuNPs composites with specific binding sites for 4-NP was modified on electrode. The resulting electrodes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Rebinding experiments were carried out to determine the specific binding capacity and selective recognition. The linear range was over the range from 4.80 × 10⁻⁴ to 9.50 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹, with the detection limit of 3.20 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The sensor was successfully employed to detect 4-NP in real samples.     

Examination of Au/SnO2 core-shell architecture nanoparticle for low temperature gas sensing applications

Au/SnO₂ core-shell structure nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using two methods, microwave and conventional precipitation. In both cases, the size of the Au core was 12-18 nm and the thickness of the SnO₂ shell was 8-12 nm. The particle size of SnO₂ synthesized using the microwave and precipitation method was 3-5 nm and 1-2 nm, respectively. Upon heating to 400-600 °C, both particles maintained their core-shell morphology but the smaller SnO₂ particles prepared using the precipitation method were more sintered. The resistance changes in films of these particles were measured as a function of CO concentration. The Au/SnO₂ particles prepared using the microwave method showed higher sensor response than those prepared using the precipitation method, even providing a significant signal at testing temperatures approaching ambient conditions, thereby affording a new class of material for gas sensing. Both sets of core-shell particles showed higher sensor response than the SnO₂ nanoparticles. The role of the Au core as a catalyst in improving the adsorption and oxidation of CO gas is important for improving the low temperature response. In addition, the maintenance of the size of SnO₂ in the microwave method during sintering contributed to the higher response towards CO sensing.     

Electrochemical studies of bovine serum albumin immobilization onto the poly-o-phenylenediamine and carbon-coated nickel composite film and its interaction with papaverine

A biosensor based on bovine serum albumin (BSA) and poly-o-phenylenediamine (PoPD)/carbon-coated nickel (C-Ni) nanobiocomposite film modified electrode has been developed to study the interaction of BSA with papaverine (PAP). The well-dispersed C-Ni nanoparticles were dripped onto the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface firstly, and PoPD films were subsequently electropolymerized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) to prepare PoPD/C-Ni/GCE. Finally, the BSA was easily immobilized on the PoPD films via electrostatic adsorption. The morphology and the electrochemical properties of the fabricated composite electrodes were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. The interaction of PAP with BSA was monitored by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), using PoPD as the electrochemical indicator. The binding constant (K), obtained by DPV, was 1.7 × 10⁴ L/mol, which was consistent with the fluorescence analysis. This constructed biosensor also exhibited a fine linear correlation with PAP concentration range of 2.5 × 10⁻⁹-4.5 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L and a detection limit of 8.3 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol/L was achieved by DPV.     

Magnetically actuated micromechanical tweezers

Two planar actuators with magnetic thin films are used for magnetic tweezers. The planar actuators consisting of a pair of a 75 × 0.8 × 0.3 μm³ silicon oxide beam and a 72 × 13 × 0.3 μm³ silicon oxide plate deposited with a 65 × 4 × 0.1 μm³ Ni magnetic thin film are successfully fabricated and successfully gripped to a single NPC-tw01 cell consisting of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles under a vertical magnetic field. The planar actuator bends under an external magnetic field because of the high shape magnetic anisotropy of the Ni magnetic thin film and a highly sensitive microcantilever. NPC-tw01 cells, which are adherent cells, are cultivated in a culture solution. The two planar actuators are placed in water to move and grip a living cell.     

Label-free electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of kanamycin

A novel label-free electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of kanamycin based on water-soluble graphene sheet (WGS)/prussian blue-chitosan (PB-CTS)/nanoporous gold (NPG) composited film has been reported. PB was selected as an electron transfer mediator, and was modified onto the electrode together with WGS through electrostatic adsorption. Then NPG was immobilized onto the as-prepared film for biomolecules anchoring. The electroactivity of PB was greatly enhanced in the presence of WGS and NPG. It could mainly be ascribed to the fact that the good conductivity of WGS and NPG promoted electron transfer and enhanced the sensitivity. kanamycin antibody, as a model, was immobilized onto the composite film for the detection of kanamycin. Under optimum conditions, the amperometric signal of PB decreased linearly with kanamycin concentration (0.02-14 ng mL⁻¹), a linear calibration plot (y = 1.3817 + 4.7544x, r = 0.9993), resulting in a low limit of detection (6.31 pg mL⁻¹). The novel immunosensor for the detection of kanamycin in real sample with satisfactory results has been proved. In addition, this method would be easily adapted for the detection of other residual antibiotics in animal derived foods.     

Detecting very small quantity of molecular probes in solution using nano-mechanically made Au-cavities array with SERS-active effect

Well-ordered nano-mechanically made Au-cavities array (nAu) is tailored as a functional surface with high density tip-to-tip cavities, adjustable indentation depths, and a number of edges within the nanostructures. In this study, the nAu was fabricated by a physical way and utilized as a characterization tool with the advantage of preventing samples from chemical or residual contaminations. Two types of molecular probe solutions: 5,5′-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and Rhodamine 6G (R6G) were evaluated. For DTNB solution, the chemically adsorbed monolayer was formed upon the nAu, which resulted in the effect of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), mainly induced by the combined chemical and electromagnetic effects. Within the range of 1 × 10⁻²³ to 3.2 × 10⁻²² mole, Raman intensity and the quantity of DTNB molecules exhibited a sharp exponential relationship. For R6G solution within the equivalent nAu and the identical range, the relationship exhibited nearly linear; however, within an extended range of 1 × 10⁻²³ to 3.2 × 10⁻²¹ mole, a moderate exponential relationship was obtained. The enhancement factors for detecting DTNB and R6G solutions using the nAu could be optimized to 1.62 × 10⁸ and 4.60 × 10⁷, respectively.