Flexible SERS substrate based on Ag nanodendrite-coated carbon fiber cloth: simultaneous detection for multiple pesticides in liquid droplet.

We report a method for preparing flexible substrates based on 3D Ag nanodendrites (Ag NDs)/carbon fiber cloth substrate with superhydrophobic surface. Ag NDs were deposited on carbon fiber cloth by electrochemical deposition, and the superhydrophobicity of the surface was achieved by low surface energy modification. The cylinder shape of the carbon fiber provides a three-dimensional structure for Ag NDs, increasing the "hot spot" effect, and is the excellent choice as SERS substrate. At the same time, micro/nanostructures provided by fibers and nanodendrites can easily obtain ultra-wet surfaces. The analyte solution can be directly detected in a droplet onto the superhydrophobic surface without pretreatment, which greatly shortens the detection time. The lowest concentration of crystal violet (CV) that can be detected is 10-10 M, demonstrating good SERS sensitivity of the prepared substrate. It was successfully applied in simultaneous detection of at least three molecules. Thiram and malachite green (MG) can be detected simultaneously in real lake water. Moreover, the conductivity, physical flexibility, and stability of the flexible carbon fiber cloth gives this substrate potential in other fields such as electrochemistry. Graphical abstract Flexible SERS substrate based on Ag nanodendrite-coated carbon fiber cloth: simultaneous detection for multiple pesticides in liquid droplet.

One-Step Preparation Method of Flexible Metafilms on the Water-Oil Interface: Self-Assembly Surface Plasmon Structures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection.

The present study demonstrated a one-step method for the first time to fabricate self-assembled gold nanoparticle (AuNP) metafilms at the water-toluene interface by adding polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene as the support layer. The thiolated polyethylene glycol and ethanol were used to tune the surface charge density on the AuNPs, constructing a balanced situation at the water-toluene interface. The flexible (AuNP) metafilm can be easily obtained after evaporation of the toluene phase and further used as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for trace thiram detection. The SERS sensitivity was tested using standard Raman probes such as crystal violet and malachite green, both with the detect concentration reaching 1 × 10-11 M. Moreover, the excellent reproducibility and elastic properties make the metafilm promising in practical detection. Hence, the trace thiram detection on an orange pericarp was inspected with the detection limit of 0.5 ppm (1 × 10-6 M) as well as a favorable linearity relation with a correlation coefficient of 0.979, exactly matching the realistic application requirements.

Insights into the interplay between gut microbiota and lipid metabolism in the obesity management of canines and felines.

Obesity is a prevalent chronic disease that has significant negative impacts on humans and our companion animals, including dogs and cats. Obesity occurs with multiple comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and osteoarthritis in dogs and cats. A direct link between lipid metabolism dysregulation and obesity-associated diseases has been implicated. However, the understanding of such pathophysiology in companion animals is limited. This review aims to address the role of lipid metabolism in various metabolic disorders associated with obesity, emphasizing the involvement of the gut microbiota. Furthermore, we also discuss the management of obesity, including approaches like nutritional interventions, thus providing novel insights into obesity prevention and treatment for canines and felines.

Rapid fabrication of three-dimensional flower-like gold microstructures on flexible substrate for SERS applications.

In this work, hierarchical flower-like gold microstructures (HFGMs) are synthesized on a flexible PET film substrate by electrochemical deposition method as a SERS sensor without surfactant or directing agent. The effects of deposition current and electrolyte concentration on morphology and SERS performance are discussed to find the optimal preparation conditions. SERS activity of samples with different morphologies was investigated by comparing experiments and the mechanism was discussed. It shows the HFGMs with 3D nanoflakes and nanosheet tips present outstanding SERS activity with ultrasensitive detection limits. The lowest concentration of R6G that can be detected is 10-10 M, and the characteristic signals of thiram can be detected as low as 0.1 ppm. The HFGMs substrate show great potential of application in trace detection by SERS.