Aptamer biosensor for label-free impedance spectroscopy detection of thrombin based on gold nanoparticles

This paper presents a simple electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) aptasensor based on an anti-thrombin-aptamer as a molecular recognition element. Improvement in sensitivity was achieved by utilizing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which were self-assembled on the surface of a bare electrode by using 1,6-Hexanedithiol as a medium. To quantify the amount of thrombin, changes in the interfacial electron transfer resistance (R_et) of the aptasensor were monitored using the redox couple of an [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4− probe. The plot of (Reti−Ret₀)/Ret₀ against the logarithm of thrombin concentration is linear with over the range from 0.1 nM to 30 nM with a detection limit of 0.013 nM. Meanwhile, the packing density of aptamers was determined by cyclic voltammetric (CV) studies of redox cations (e.g., [Ru(NH₃)₆]³⁺) which were electrostatically bound to the DNA phosphate backbones. The results indicate that the total amount of aptamer probes immobilized on the gold nanoparticle surface is sixfold higher than that on the bare electrode. The aptasensor also showed good selectivity for thrombin without being affected by the presence of other proteins.     

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.     

Flexible H2 sensor fabricated by layer-by-layer self-assembly of thin films of polypyrrole and modified in situ with Pt nanoparticles

A novel flexible H₂ gas sensor was fabricated by the layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly of a polypyrrole (PPy) thin film on a polyester (PET) substrate. A Pt-based complex was self-assembled in situ on the as-prepared PPy thin film, which was reduced to form a Pt-PPy thin film. Microstructural observations revealed that Pt nanoparticles formed on the surface of the PPy film. The sensitivity of the PPy thin film was improved by the Pt nanoparticles, providing catalytically active sites for H₂ gas molecules. The interfering gas NH₃ affected the limit of detection (LOD) of a targeted H₂ gas in a real-world binary gas mixture. A plausible H₂ gas sensing mechanism involves catalytic effects of Pt particles and the formation of charge carriers in the PPy thin film. The flexible H₂ gas sensor exhibited a strong sensitivity that was greater than that of sensors that were made of Pd-MWCNTs at room temperature.     

Screen-printed carbon electrode for choline based on MnO2 nanoparticles and choline oxidase/polyelectrolyte layers

This paper presents the amperometric biosensor that determines choline and cholinesterase activity using a screen printed graphite electrode. In order to detect H₂O₂ we have blanket modified the electrode material with manganese dioxide nanoparticles layer. Using layer-by-layer technique on the developed hydrogen peroxide sensitive electrode surface choline oxidase was incorporated into the interpolyelectrolyte nanofilm. Its ability to serve as a detector of choline in bulk analysis and cholinesterase assay was investigated. We examined the interferences from red-ox species and heavy metals in the blood and in the environmental sample matrixes. The sensor exhibited a linear increase of the amperometric signal at the concentration of choline ranging from 1.3 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M, with a detection limit (evaluated as 3σ) of 130 nM and a sensitivity of 103 mA M⁻¹ cm⁻² under optimized potential applied (480 mV vs. Ag/AgCl). The biosensor retained its activity for more than 10 consecutive measurements and kept 75% of initial activity for three weeks of storage at 4 °C. The R.S.D. was determined as 1.9% for a choline concentration of 10⁻⁴ M (n = 10) with a typical response time of about 10 s. The developed choline biosensor was applied for butyrylcholinesterase assay showing a detection limit of 5 pM (3σ). We used the biosensor to develop the cholinesterase inhibitor assay. Detection limit for chlorpyrifos was estimated as 50 pM.     

纳米SiO2—x填充LDPE配复合棚膜的制备及结构和性能表征

以 ＬＤＰＥ为基体制备了纳米ＳｉＯ_(２－ｘ)／ＬＤＰＥ复合棚膜。利用万能拉力试验机测定了棚膜的机械性能。利用红外光谱、紫外光谱研究了棚膜的光学性质;利用ＳＥＭ研究了纳米复合棚膜料的内部结构。结果表明：尽管目前研制的棚膜的力学性能无显著改善,但棚膜中纳米ＳｉＯ_２－ｘ对７～１４μｍ的红外线具有屏蔽作用,对紫外线也有屏蔽作用,可提高棚膜的光学特性,为提高作物品质创造条件。     

Coatings of indium tin oxide nanoparticles on various flexible polymer substrates: Influence of surface topography and oscillatory bending on electrical properties

Abstract— Coatings of indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles on different flexible polymer substrates were investigated with respect to the achievable sheet resistance and their electrical behavior under oscillatory bending. As substrate materials, polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyethylenenaphthalate (PEN), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyimide (PI) were chosen, the surface resistances on the different polymer substrates were compared as a function of annealing temperature and surface topography. The surface topography, which has a strong influence on the surface resistance, was characterized by means of a white‐light confocal (WL‐CF) microscope. On the PET substrate, which exhibits the smoothest surface, the coating of ITO nanoparticles shows the lowest sheet resistance of 2 kΩ/□ for a layer thickness of 3 μm and an annealing temperature of 200°C. Furthermore, the electrical behavior of coatings of ITO nanoparticles under oscillatory bending was investigated using a special device. These coatings show a cyclic change of the conductivity which can be explained by an alternating compression and extension of crack flanks under the applied stress. Due to the growing number of cracks with increasing number of cycles, a decrease of the conductivity is observed in the bent state as well as in the balanced state. For a small bending radii, the decrease of the conductivity is stronger due to more cracks caused by the higher tensile stresses in the layer. The electrical behavior of the coatings of the annealed ITO nanoparticles on PET films under oscillatory bending was compared with commercially available sputtered ITO coatings. The annealed coatings of ITO nanoparticles demonstrate better electrical properties under oscillatory bending than coatings of sputtered ITO. The different electrical behavior under oscillatory bending can be related to differences in crack formation.     

Phase relations in the Barium Titanate—Titanium Oxide System

Phase relations in the BaTiO₃—TiO₂ system were studied at temperatures above 1300°C in air. Quenching experiments were performed with high-purity reagents, and a new equilibrium phase diagram was constructed. Results include redetermination of the liquidus boundaries, the eutectic temperature, the melting or decomposition temperatures of the stable compounds in the system, the cubic—hexagonal transition in BaTiO₃, and the solid solubility of TiO₂ in BaTiO₃.     

工艺参数对TiO2碳热还原合成Ti（C,N）粉末的影响

本文探讨了ＴｉＯ２碳热还原法合成Ｔｉ（Ｃ，Ｎ）粉末过程中合成温度，保温时间，Ｎ２气流量，Ｃ／Ｔｉ比值等工艺参数的变化对粉末性状的影响，实验表明，Ｎ比Ｃ更易于Ｔｉ结合，改变工艺对数可调整Ｔｉ（Ｃ１－ｘＮｘ）的ｘ值。在１４００～１７００℃间可获得ｘ值的０．６～０．８５的Ｔｉ（Ｃ１－ｘＮｘ）粉末。