A Quantitative Detection Algorithm for Multi-Test Line Lateral Flow Immunoassay Applied in Smartphones.

The traditional lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) detection method suffers from issues such as unstable detection results and low quantitative accuracy. In this study, we propose a novel multi-test line lateral flow immunoassay quantitative detection method using smartphone-based SAA immunoassay strips. Following the utilization of image processing techniques to extract and analyze the pigments on the immunoassay strips, quantitative analysis of the detection results was conducted. Experimental setups with controlled lighting conditions in a dark box were designed to capture samples using smartphones with different specifications for analysis. The algorithm's sensitivity and robustness were validated by introducing noise to the samples, and the detection performance on immunoassay strips using different algorithms was determined. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed lateral flow immunoassay quantitative detection method based on image processing techniques achieves an accuracy rate of 94.23% on 260 samples, which is comparable to the traditional methods but with higher stability and lower algorithm complexity.

Significant Differences in the Effects of Nitrogen Doping on Pristine Biochar and Graphene-like Biochar for the Adsorption of Tetracycline.

To improve the adsorption efficiency of pollutants by biochar, preparing graphene-like biochar (GBC) or nitrogen-doped biochar are two commonly used methods. However, the difference in the nitrogen doping (N-doping) effects upon the adsorption of pollutants by pristine biochar (PBC) and GBC, as well as the underlying mechanisms, are still unclear. Take the tetracycline (TC) as an example, the present study analyzed the characteristics of the adsorption of TCs on biochars (PBC, GBC, N-PBC, N-GBC), and significant differences in the effects of N-doping on the adsorption of TCs by PBC and GBC were consistently observed at different solution properties. Specifically, N-doping had varied effects on the adsorption performance of PBC, whereas it uniformly improved the adsorption performance of GBC. To interpret the phenomenon, the N-doping upon the adsorption was revealed by the QSAR model, which indicated that the pore filling (VM) and the interactions between TCs with biochars (Ead-v) were found to be the most important two factors. Furthermore, the density functional theory (DFT) results demonstrated that N-doping slightly affects biochar's chemical reactivity. The van der Waals (vdWs) and electrostatic interactions are the main forces for TCs-biochars interactions. Moreover, N-doping mostly strengthened the electrostatic interactions of TCs-biochars, but the vdWs interactions of most samples remained largely unaffected. Overall, the revealed mechanism of N-doping on TCs adsorption by biochars will enhance our knowledge of antibiotic pollution remediation.

Ultrasensitive detection of DNA methyltransferase activity: a novel dual-amplification fluorescence technique.

DNA methyltransferase (MTase) is an important regulatory enzyme in various biological processes. However, current methods for investigating MTase activity are still limited in terms of sensitivity and/or generality. Herein, we proposed a dual amplification fluorescence strategy for the ultrasensitive detection of DNA adenine methylation methyltransferase (Dam MTase) activity based on strand displacement amplification (SDA) coupled with rolling circle amplification (RCA). In this study, the hairpin probe could not be cleaved by Nt.AlwI nicking endonuclease (Nt.AlwI) in the presence of Dam MTase, and the subsequent SDA-RCA reaction was blocked, resulting in a weak fluorescence signal. Moreover, the blocking effect was more pronounced at a higher concentration of Dam MTase. This assay provides a very low detection limit (down to 0.0067 U ml-1), as well as good selectivity against other types of MTases (e.g., CpG methyltransferase (M.SssI MTase)). In addition, the analytical mode improves the generality and can be extended to the detection of other types of DNA MTases.

Determination of selenium and copper in water and food by hierarchical dendritic nano-gold modified glassy carbon electrodes.

The sensitive determination of selenium and copper is of importance for environmental monitoring and food safety. A stripping voltammetric determination of selenium and copper in water and selenium-rich foods was developed using hierarchical dendritic gold nanostructure (AuHD) modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE). The AuHD thin films were electrodeposited potentiostatically onto the GCE from a solution containing 25 mM HAuCl4 and 0.1 M Na2SO4 at -0.6 V for 20 min. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) studies showed that the electrodeposited gold thin film shows a nanoforest-like morphology with a thickness of about 30-40 µm and a hierarchical dendritic structure with primary-, secondary-, and higher-order branches. Se(iv) and Cu(ii) in a 0.1 M H2SO4 solution were determined by square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry using the AuHDs/GCE as the working electrode. Prior to anodic stripping, Se(iv) and Cu(ii) were accumulated onto the working electrode surface at -0.2 V for 300 s. The stripping peak currents of Se(iv) at 0.81 V and Cu(ii) at 0.31 V were positively correlated with the concentrations of Se(iv) and Cu(ii) in a range of 50-700 nM. The limits of detection (3σ) for Se(iv) and Cu(ii) were 1.4 nM and 3.7 nM, respectively. The accuracy of the method was verified by analysing certified water standard reference materials, and the results showed that the method has good accuracy and high precision. The method was used to determine selenium and copper in tap water, selenium-rich rice and selenium-rich eggs. The results were compared with those obtained by using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and found to be consistent with those of ICP-MS. The proposed method had the advantages of simplicity, rapidity, good reproducibility, and high sensitivity and it can be used for the analysis of real samples.

Rapid and sensitive electrochemical detection of microRNAs by gold nanoparticle-catalyzed silver enhancement.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have played a vital role in the regulation of gene expression and have been considered as potential biomarker candidates for early cancer diagnosis. Rapid and sensitive detection of microRNAs is highly desired. Here, we present a new method to rapidly and sensitively determine microRNAs based on the technology of gold nanoparticle catalyzed silver staining enhancement. The new method involves the sandwich hybridization of a capture probe immobilized on a magnetic bead, a reporter probe assembled on gold nanoparticles and a miRNA target, catalytic silver precipitation by gold nanoparticles, magnetic collection of the enhanced sandwich complex, dissolution of the silver precipitation and stripping detection. Using the proposed method the microRNA-7a assay was successfully carried out in less than 70 min and the detection limit was as low as 15 fM. The proposed biosensor may hold great promise in biological monitoring of microRNAs.

Fabrication of paper devices via laser-heating-wax-printing for high-tech enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with low-tech pen-type pH meter readout.

In this work, a new method named laser-heating-wax-printing (LHWP) is described to fabricate paper devices for developing sensitive, affordable, user-friendly paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (P-ELISAs) that initially use common pen-type pH meters for portable, quantitative readout. The LHWP enables a rapid patterning of wax in paper via one step of heating the wax layer coated on the paper surface using a mini-type CO2 laser machine. Wax-patterned paper microzones created in this way are utilized to conduct the pen-type pH meter-based P-ELISAs with enzyme-loaded SiO2 microbeads for highly efficient signal amplification of each antibody-antigen binding event. The results show that this new P-ELISA system is quantitatively sensitive to the concentrations of a model protein analyte in buffer samples ranging from 12.5 to 200 pg mL-1, with a limit of detection of ca. 7.5 pg mL-1 (3σ). Moreover, the satisfactory recovery results of assaying several human serum samples validate its feasibility for practical applications.

A novel integrated lateral flow immunoassay platform for the detection of cardiac troponin I using hierarchical dendritic copper-nickel nanostructures.

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a critical biomarker for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Herein, we report a novel integrated lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) platform for highly sensitive point-of-care testing (POCT) of cTnI using hierarchical dendritic copper-nickel (HD-nanoCu-Ni) nanostructures. The electrodeposited HD-nanoCu-Ni film (∼22 µm thick) on an ITO-coated glass substrate exhibits superior capillary action and structural integrity. These properties enable efficient sample transport and antibody immobilization, making it a compelling alternative to conventional multi-component paper-based LFIA test strips, which are often plagued by structural fragility and susceptibility to moisture damage. The biofunctionalized HD-nanoCu-Ni substrates were laser-etched with lateral flow channels, including a sample loading/conjugate release zone, a test zone, and a control zone. Numerical simulations were used to further optimize the design of these channels to achieve optimal fluid flow and target capture. The HD-nanoCu-Ni LFIA device utilizes a fluorescence quenching based sandwich immunoassay format using antibody-labeled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as quenchers. Two different fluorescent materials, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs), were used as background fluorophores in the device. Upon the formation of a sandwich immunocomplex with cTnI on the HD-nanoCu-Ni device, introduced AuNPs led to the fluorescence quenching of the background fluorophores. The total assay time was approximately 15 min, demonstrating the rapid and efficient nature of the HD-nanoCu-Ni LFIA platform. For FITC, both inner filter effect (IFE) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) contributed to the AuNP-mediated quenching. In the case of CdSe@ZnS QDs, IFE dominated the AuNP-induced quenching. Calibration curves were established based on the relationship between the fluorescence quenching intensity and cTnI concentration in human serum samples, ranging from 0.5 to 128 ng/mL. The limits of detection (LODs) were determined to be 0.27 ng/mL and 0.40 ng/mL for FITC and CdSe@ZnS QDs, respectively. A method comparison study using Passing-Bablok regression analysis on varying cTnI concentrations in human serum samples confirmed the equivalence of the HD-nanoCu-Ni LFIA platform to a commercial fluorescence cTnI LFIA assay kit, with no significant systematic or proportional bias observed.

An integrated immunochromatographic device for C-reactive protein detection using hierarchical dendritic gold nanostructure films.

Immunochromatographic test strips typically consist of sample pad, conjugate pad, nitrocellulose membrane, and absorbent pad. Even minute variations in the assembly of these components can lead to inconsistent sample-reagent interactions, thereby reducing reproducibility. In addition, the nitrocellulose membrane is susceptible to damage during assembly and handling. To address this issue, we propose to replace the sample pad, conjugate pad, and nitrocellulose membrane with hierarchical dendritic gold nanostructure (HD-nanoAu) films to develop a compact integrated immunochromatographic strip. The strip uses quantum dots as a background fluorescence signal and employs fluorescence quenching to detect C-reactive protein (CRP) in human serum. A 5.9 µm thick HD-nanoAu film was electrodeposited on an ITO conductive glass by the constant potential method. The wicking kinetics of the HD-nanoAu film was thoroughly investigated, and the results indicated that the film exhibited favorable wicking properties, with a wicking coefficient of 0.72 µm ms-0.5. The immunochromatographic device was fabricated by etching three interconnected rings on HD-nanoAu/ITO to designate sample/conjugate (S/C), test (T), and control (C) regions. The S/C region was immobilized with mouse anti-human CRP antibody (Ab1) labeled with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), while the T region was preloaded with polystyrene microspheres decorated with CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as background fluorescent material, followed by mouse anti-human CRP antibody (Ab2). The C region was immobilized with goat anti-mouse IgG antibody. After the samples were added to the S/C region, the excellent wicking properties of the HD-nanoAu film facilitated the lateral flow of the CRP-containing sample toward the T and C regions after binding to AuNPs labeled with CRP Ab1. In the T region, CRP-AuNPs-Ab1 formed sandwich immunocomplexes with Ab2, and the fluorescence of QDs was quenched by AuNPs. The ratio of fluorescence intensity in the T region to that in the C region was used to quantify CRP. The T/C fluorescence intensity ratio was negatively correlated with the CRP concentration in the range of 26.67-853.33 ng mL-1 (corresponding to 300-fold diluted human serum), with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.98. The limit of detection was 15.0 ng mL-1 (corresponding to 300-fold diluted human serum), and the range of relative standard deviation: 4.48-5.31%, with a recovery rate of 98.22-108.33%. Common interfering substances did not cause significant interference, and the range of relative standard deviation: 1.96-5.51%. This device integrates multiple components of conventional immunochromatographic strips onto a single HD-nanoAu film, resulting in a more compact structure that improves the reproducibility and robustness of detection, making it promising for point-of-care testing applications.

A flexible gradient lateral flow immunochromatographic assay for qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative determination of serum amyloid A.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute-phase protein produced in response to inflammatory proteins during infections, inflammation, trauma, surgery, cancer, and other conditions. Early and accurate detection of SAA is necessary for diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. To meet this need, we developed a gradient lateral flow immunoassay test strip using Au nanoparticles as signal reporters. The test strip has three test (T1, T2, and T3) lines with progressively decreasing concentrations of SAA antibody, enabling the determination of high, medium, and low concentrations of SAA in serum. The test strip results were analyzed using three distinct readout methods, each with different sensitivity, accuracy, and precision for SAA concentration measurements. Qualitative judgment is based on the color of the T1 line. Semi-quantitative assessment of SAA concentration is determined by the number of colored T-lines. Specifically, color development in T1 line alone indicates a concentration range of 10-50 µg/mL, while T1 and T2 lines together indicate a range of 50-100 µg/mL, and development in all three lines (T1, T2, and T3) indicates a concentration of >100 µg/mL. Quantitative analysis was performed using either smartphone imaging or image scanning with ImageJ software. By using a five-parameter logistic function, we found a strong correlation (R2 = 0.998) between the ratio of signal intensities of (T1 + T2 + T3) to the control (C) line and SAA concentrations ranging from 5 to 1000 µg/mL. At lower concentrations (0-100 µg/mL), we observed a proportional relationship between the value of (T1 + T2 + T3)/C and SAA concentration. The limit of detection for SAA was 9.33 ng/mL (or 6.53 µg/mL of SAA in undiluted serum samples) for the smartphone method and 3.06 ng/mL (or 2.14 µg/mL of SAA in undiluted serum samples) for the scanner method. The gradient test strip was highly consistent with a commercially available SAA immunochromatographic test strip when tested with real human serum samples. Passing-Bablok regression indicated that results obtained using the smartphone app and scanner methods of the gradient test strip were comparable to those obtained using the commercial test strip. The gradient test strip is flexible and adaptable, providing solutions for qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative SAA measurements.

Research and Application of Highly Selective Molecular Imprinting Technology in Chiral Separation Analysis.

Since residual chiral pollutants in the environment and toxic or ineffective chiral components in drugs can threat human health, there is an urgent need for methods to separation and analyze chiral molecules. Molecular imprinting technology (MIT) is a biomimetic technique for specific recognition of analytes with high potential for application in the field of chiral separation and analysis. However, since MIT has some disadvantages when used for chiral recognition, such as poor rigidity of imprinted materials, a single type of recognition site, and poor stereoselectivity, reducing the interference of conformationally and structurally similar substances to increase the efficiency of chiral recognition is difficult. Therefore, improving the rigidity of imprinted materials, increasing the types of imprinted cavity recognition sites, and constructing an imprinted microenvironment for highly selective chiral recognition are necessary for the accurate identification of chiral substances. In this article, the principle of chiral imprinting recognition is introduced, and various strategies that improve the selectivity of chiral imprinting, using derivative functional monomers, supramolecular compounds, chiral assembly materials, and biomolecules, are reviewed in the past 10 years.

Molecularly imprinted electrochemical luminescence sensor based on signal amplification for selective determination of trace gibberellin A3.

A new molecularly imprinted electrochemical luminescence (MIP-ECL) sensor was developed for Gibberellin A3 (GA3) determination. This sensor is based on competitive binding between the GA3 and the Rhodamine B (RhB)-labeled GA3 (RhB-GA3) to the MIP film. After the competitive binding, the residual RhB-GA3 on the MIP was electro-oxidized to produce RhB oxide, which could greatly amplify the weak electrochemiluminescence (ECL) signal of luminol. The ECL intensity decreased when the RhB-GA3 was replaced by GA3 molecules in the samples. Accordingly, GA3 was determined in the concentration range from 1 × 10(-11) to 3 × 10(-9) mol/L with a detection limit of 3.45 × 10(-12) mol/L. The sensor shows high sensitivity and selectivity, wide response range, good accuracy, and fast response. Beer samples were assayed by using the sensors, and the recoveries ranging from 96.0% to 103.2% were obtained.

Signal-on electrochemical DNA (E-DNA) sensor for accurate quantification of nicking-assisted rolling circle amplification (N-RCA) products with attomolar sensitivity.

Rolling circle amplification (RCA) has become an increasingly important amplification technique in nucleic acid analysis, immunoassay, and molecular diagnosis due to its high specificity and sensitivity. However, the accurate quantification of RCA products via the extensively used fluorescent signaling method has been challenged primarily by the non-specific and sequence-independent binding of the fluorescent dyes to DNA. Here, we have developed a signal-on E-DNA sensor for accurate quantification of the RCA products with high specificity and sensitivity. A restriction enzyme was introduced to cleave the long tandem repeat sequences generated in the RCA reaction into many short monomers. The short monomers were then used as secondary targets to trigger the E-DNA sensor to produce an amplified redox current and thus the resulting RCA products were detected. The method was successfully applied to the detection of miR-7a with high specificity and the detection limit was as low as 0.59 fM.

Plasmonic Cu(2-x)S nanocrystals: optical and structural properties of copper-deficient copper(I) sulfides.

Cu(2-x)S (x = 1, 0.2, 0.03) nanocrystals were synthesized with three different chemical methods: sonoelectrochemical, hydrothermal, and solventless thermolysis methods in order to compare their common optical and structural properties. The compositions of the Cu(2-x)S nanocrystals were varied from CuS (covellite) to Cu(1.97)S (djurleite) through adjusting the reduction potential in the sonoelectrochemical method, adjusting the pH value in the hydrothermal method and by choosing different precursor pretreatments in the solventless thermolysis approach, respectively. The crystallinity and morphology of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which shows that most of them might be of pure stoichiometries but some of them are mixtures. The obtained XRDs were studied in comparison to the XRD patterns of previously reported Cu(2-x)S. We found consistently that under ambient conditions the copper deficient Cu(1.97)S (djurleite) is more stable than Cu(2)S (chalcocite). Corroborated by recent computational studies by Lambrecht et al. and experimental work by Alivisatos et al. This may be the reason behind the traditionally known instability of the bulk Cu(2)S/CdS interface. Both Cu(2)S and the copper-deficient Cu(1.97)S have very similar but distinguishable electronic and crystal structure. The optical properties of these Cu(2-x)S NCs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and NIR. All presented Cu(2-x)S NCs show a blue shift in the band gap absorption compared to bulk Cu(2-x)S. Moreover the spectra of these Cu(2-x)S NCs indicate direct band gap character based on their oscillator strengths, different from previously reported experimental results. The NIR spectra of these Cu(2-x)S NCs show a carrier concentration dependent plasmonic absorption.

Catalytic effect of nanogold on Cu(II)-N2H4 reaction and its application to resonance scattering immunoassay.

In the medium of EDTA-NaOH, nanogold strongly catalyzed the slow reaction between hydrazine (N2H4) and Cu(II) to form Cu particles, which exhibited a strong resonance scattering (RS) peak at 602 nm. The increased RS intensity at 602 nm (DeltaI(RS)) was linear to the nanogold concentration in the range of 0.008-2.64 nM, with a detection limit of 1.0 pM Au. The rate equation obtained by the initial rate procedure was V(Cu) = K(Cu)[C(Cu(II))](2)C(OH)(1)C(Au)(1)C(N2)H4(1), with an apparent activation energy of 38 kJ x mol(-1), and the catalytic reaction mechanism was also discussed. An immunonanogold-catalytic resonance scattering spectral (RSS) assay was established for detection of microalbumin (Malb), using 10 nm nanogold to label goat antihuman Malb to obtain an immunonanogold probe (AuMalb) for Malb. In pH 5.0 citric acid-Na2HPO4 buffer solution, the AuMalb aggregated nonspecifically. Upon addition of Malb, it reacted with the probe to form dispersive AuMalb-Malb immunocomplex in the solution. After centrifugation, the supernatant containing AuMalb-Malb was obtained, and exhibited a catalytic effect on the reaction of N2H4-Cu(II) to produce large Cu particles that resulted in the I(602 nm) increasing. The increased RS intensity at 602 nm (DeltaI(602 nm)) was linear to Malb concentration (C(Malb)) in the range of 0.4 to 460 pg x mL(-1), with the regression equation of DeltaI(602 nm) = 0.3713 C(Malb) + 7.2, correlation coefficient of 0.9981 and detection limit of 0.1 pg x mL(-1) Malb. The proposed method was applied to detect Malb in healthy human urine samples, with satisfactory results.

CdTe quantum dots as probes for near-infrared fluorescence biosensing using biocatalytic growth of Au nanoparticles.

A near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence sensing strategy for glucose and xanthine has been developed based on the interaction between CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and biocatalytic generated Au nanoparticles. The fluorescence of CdTe QDs is modulated by changing concentration of AuCl4- and Au nanoparticles during the growth process of Au nanoparticles. Two cases were considered. In the first case, the glucose oxidase (GOx) catalyzes the oxidation of glucose to generate H2O2. Under the catalysis of Au nanoparticles seeds, the AuCl4- is reduced by the H2O2 to form the Au nanoparticles. In the second case, the xanthine oxidase acts as the reducing reagents to reduce AuCl4- forming Au nanoparticles. The interaction between CdTe quantum dots (QDs), AuCl4-, and Au nanoparticles resulted in the fluorescence changes of CdTe QDs, allowing the detection of glucose and xanthine. The effects of Au nanoparticles and AuCl4- on the fluorescence of CdTe QDs were discussed. A model was developed to explain the mechanism of the CdTe QDs fluorescence changes by biocatalytic growth of Au nanoparticles. The difference in the Stern-Volmer quenching constant between AuCl4- and Au nanoparticles is the dominant factor for the CdTe QDs fluorescence changes. The developed method provides low limits of detection, wide linear ranges, and detection wavelengths in the NIR region and can be easily extended to other substrate/oxidase systems.

Molecularly imprinted sensor based on Russian Matryoshka structured molecules for enhanced specific identification and double amplification in ultra-trace Tb3+ determination.

The selective and sensitive detection of rare earth elements is thought to be difficult because the concentration of those elements in the sample is commonly at a low level and they normally have severe mutual interference which is caused by homologous chemical properties. In this study, a novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor was fabricated for highly sensitive and selective determination of ultra-trace Tb3+. The Tb3+-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid complex (Tb-EDTA) as the template molecule was incorporated into mono-6-mercapto-ß-cyclodextrin (mono-6-SH-ß-CD) to form a Russian Matryoshka (RM)-structured molecule (CD/Tb-EDTA). Titanium isopropoxide was utilized in vapor sol-gel polymerization to construct MIP membrane. Moreover, the selectivity of the RM MIP sensor was remarkably enhanced by the "triple-selectivity" recognition of EDTA-to-Tb3+, ß-CD-to-(Tb-EDTA), and 3D cavity-to-(CD/Tb-EDTA), while the sensitivity of the MIP sensor was significantly improved by ECL signal enhancement based on double amplification, in other words, the electrochemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (ECL-RET) between the ECL donor of CD/Tb-EDTA and the ECL acceptor of Ru(bpy)32+, and the ECL enhancement by the co-reactant of CD/Tb-EDTA on Ru(bpy)3Cl2. When the imprinted cavities were occupied by Tb-EDTA during rebinding, the host-guest inclusion structured complex was formed and the ECL intensities produced by the Ru(bpy)3Cl2 ECL system increased with increasing concentration of Tb-EDTA. The proposed sensor was used for quantitative analysis of Tb3+ with concentrations ranging from 8.00 × 10-13 mol/L to 4.00 × 10-9 mol/L and successfully applied to detect Tb3+ in seawater samples. The detection limit of the sensor was found to be 3.90 × 10-13 mol/L (DL = 3δb/K), which is lower than previously reported values. Thus, the fabricated sensor is feasible for practical applications.

Highly luminescent zinc(II)-bis(8-hydroxyquinoline) complex nanorods: sonochemical synthesis, characterizations, and protein sensing.

Highly luminescent zinc(II)-bis(8-hydroxyquinoline) (Znq(2)) complex nanorods have been synthesized via a sonochemical route from the microemulsion containing zinc acetate and 8-hydroxyquinoline. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the products were rod-like morphology with a diameter of about 200-450 nm and a length of about 1-3 microm. A possible mechanism for the formation of Znq(2) nanorods is proposed that the ultrasound wave might urge the collision and fusion of initial Znq(2) nuclei to form nanorods. The photoluminescence (PL) and resonance light scattering (RLS) of the products were also investigated. The Znq(2) nanorods were found to be sensitive to several proteins, such as human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), bovine hemoglobin (Hb), and egg albumin (EA), displaying an increase in intensities of both PL and RLS. The protein-concentration dependence of the PL and RLS intensities can be well described as a Langmuir-type binding isotherm. This is the first report on the enhancement of PL and RLS intensities of Znq(2) nanorods by proteins. On the basis of enhanced PL and RLS intensities, the protein could be detected at the nanogram per milliliter level. The experimental results clearly showed that the Znq(2) nanorods were good protein probes for easy and highly sensitive detection.

Sonochemical route for self-assembled V2O5 bundles with spindle-like morphology and their novel application in serum albumin sensing.

Novel self-assembled V2O5 bundles with highly ordered superstructures and spindle-like morphology were synthesized by a rapid high-yielding sonochemical method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, a field-emission scanning electron microscope, and a transmission electron microscope. The spindle-like V2O5 bundles are composed of several tens of homogeneous nanowires with diameters of 30-50 nm and lengths of 3-7 microm. A sensitive resonance light scattering method for the detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA) based on the self-assembled V2O5 bundles was developed. The results of the polarized resonance light scattering demonstrated that the Cabannes factor for the V2O5 bundles-BSA aggregates was BSA concentration-dependent.

A new strategy for label-free electrochemical immunoassay based on "gate-effect" of ß-cyclodextrin modified electrode.

A novel label-free electrochemical immunoassay was developed for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) detection via using ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) assembled layer created gates for the electron transfer of probe. To construct the sensor, a gold electrode was self-assembled with monoclonal anti-PSA antibody labeled 6-mercapto-ß-cyclodextrin. Interspaces among ß-CD molecules in the layer were automatically formed on gold electrode, which act as the channel of the electron transfer of [Fe(CN)6](3-/4-) probe. When PSA bind with anti-PSA, it can block these channels on the electrode surface due to their steric hindrance effect, resulting in the decrease in redox current of the probe. Through such a gate-controlled effect, ultra trace amount of PSA may make the currents change greatly after the immunoreaction, which enhanced the signal-to-noise ratio to achieve the amplification effect. By evaluating the logarithm of PSA concentrations, the immunosensor had a good linear response to the current changes with a detection limit of 0.3 pg/mL (S/N = 3) when PSA concentration ranged from 1.0 pg/mL to 1.0 ng/mL. The label-free immunosensor exhibited satisfactory performances in sensitivity, repeatability as well as specificity.

Luminescence effect of silver nanoparticle in water phase.

Yellow silver nanoparticles in water phase were prepared by microwave synthesis method. Study found that there is a fluorescence peak at 465 nm and a strongest resonance scattering peak at 460 nm for the nanoparticles. The resonance scattering intensity at 465 nm I(460 nm). fluorescence intensity at 465 nm F(465)(nm) and absorbance at 455 nm A(455 nm) were found linear to the concentration c(Ag) in the range from 0 to 3.5x10(-4)mol/L Ag, with linear regression equation for I(460 nm)=48.1x10(4) c(Ag)+3.69 and F(465 nm)=28.7x10(4)c(Ag)+3.50 and A(455 nm)1.23x10(4)c(Ag)+0.01, their regression coefficient for 0.9976, 0.9954 and 0.9957, respectively. When the c(Ag) was over 3.5x10(-4)mol/L, the resonance scattering peak and fluorescence peak of 465 nm take place red-shift and display luminescence quenching, but the absorption peak place does not change and the absorption intensity enhances. The paper reports the spectral properties of silver nanoparticles in water phase, and offers the principle of interface luminescence electron to state the luminescence effect of silver nanoparticles.