Novel ZIFs nanostructures electro-engineered at carbon fiber for the highly sensitive and selective detection of isoeugenol.

Novel zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), classical subtypes of metal organic frameworks (MOFs), and nanostructures are electro-engineered onto carbon fiber (CF), leading to a unique freestanding electrochemical platform of budlike nano Zn-ZIFs decorated CF (BN-Zn-ZIFs/CF). The unique morphology, structure, and composition are characterized by electron microscopy and energy spectrum analysis. Notably, the BN-Zn-ZIFs/CF platform displays superb electrocatalysis towards the oxidation of isoeugenol with encouragingly low overpotential and high current response. The strong electrocatalytic oxidation capability of BN-Zn-ZIFs/CF makes it an excellent sensing platform for isoeugenol detection. BN-Zn-ZIFs/CF sensor exhibits high-performance isoeugenol sensing with an extremely low limit of detection (13 nM) and wide detection range (0.1-700 µM). Besides, the BN-Zn-ZIFs/CF sensor can greatly resist interference from common ions, major biomolecules, and some amino acids. Moreover, excellent reliability, stability, and practicality are obtained. Our work demonstrates that the as-prepared BN-Zn-ZIFs/CF can act as an high-performance electrochemical sensor for the isoeugenol detection, the well-developed ZIF nanocrystal-modified conductive substrates can be a unique platform for the efficient sensing of other molecules, and the electrochemical engineering strategy can be an effective method for the growing of fresh MOF nanocrystals at conductive substrates in various electrochemical applications.

Biodegradable double-network GelMA-ACNM hydrogel microneedles for transdermal drug delivery.

As a minimally invasive drug delivery platform, microneedles (MNs) overcome many drawbacks of the conventional transdermal drug delivery systems, therefore are favorable in biomedical applications. Microneedles with a combined burst and sustained release profile and maintained therapeutic molecular bioactivity could further broaden its applications as therapeutics. Here, we developed a double-network microneedles (DN MNs) based on gelatin methacrylate and acellular neural matrix (GelMA-ACNM). ACNM could function as an early drug release matrix, whereas the addition of GelMA facilitates sustained drug release. In particular, the double-network microneedles comprising GelMA-ACNM hydrogel has distinctive biological features in maintaining drug activity to meet the needs of application in treating different diseases. In this study, we prepared the double-network microneedles and evaluated its morphology, mechanical properties, drug release properties and biocompatibility, which shows great potential for delivery of therapeutic molecules that needs different release profiles in transdermal treatment.