A novel reverse fluorescent immunoassay approach for sensing human chorionic gonadotropin based on silver-gold nano-alloy and magnetic nanoparticles.

A novel and environmentally friendly reverse fluorescent immunoassay approach was proposed and utilized for sensing human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in human serum by coupling a newly prepared and highly fluorescent glutathione-stabilized silver-gold nano-alloy (GSH-AgAuNAs) with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). To construct such a reverse system, fluorescent GSH-AgAuNAs and MNPs were first prepared and bio-functionalized with monoclonal antibodies (Mab-I and Mab-II) toward HCG antigen, respectively. Then, the GSH-AgAuNAs functionalized with Mab-I were incubated with HCG, followed by the addition of MNPs attached to Mab-II. Thereafter, a sandwich-type immunoassay could be constructed for determination of HCG owing to the antibody-antigen recognition between the functionalized GSH-AgAuNAs and MNPs. Afterwards, a magnetic collection was employed. Hence, the amount of GSH-AgAuNAs would be reduced through an immuno-magnetic separation, thus weakening the fluorescent intensity. Different from conventional immunoassay, our work determined the quantitative signal by measuring the decreasing gradient fluorescent intensity. Under optimal conditions, the developed reverse method exhibited a wide linear range of 0.5-600 ng mL(-1) toward HCG with a detection limit of 0.25 ng mL(-1). Additionally, the proposed immunoassay was validated using spiked samples, illustrating a satisfactory result in practical application.

Tuning polymeric amphiphilicity via Se-N interactions: towards one-step double emulsion for highly selective enzyme mimics.

A selenium-containing small molecule is exploited to controllably tune the polymer amphiphilicity, leading to fabrication of appropriate polymer surfactants through which one-step double emulsions can be obtained in a facile, scalable, surfactant-free approach. After solvent evaporation, these resulting porous microparticles are shown to be the exceptional artificial GPx enzyme mimics.

High-Internal-Phase Emulsion Tailoring Polymer Amphiphilicity towards an Efficient NIR-Sensitive Bacteria Filter.

Emulsions having a high internal-phase volume fraction­termed as HIPEs for high internal phase emulsions­are in high demand as templates for functional macroporous materials. Designing molecular surfactants with appropriate amphiphilicity plays a critical role in the HIPE preparation. In this study, successful tailoring of the amphiphilicity of the originally hydrophobic block co-polymer of polystyrene-b-polyvinylpyridine (PS-b-P4VP) is reported. In combination with trifluoroacetic acid, less than 5 wt% of the polymer-CF3COOH system is feasible as a surfactant for HIPE preparation; this is lower than the amounts typically needed for commonly used commercial surfactants. Using the HIPEs as templates, well-defined closed- and open-cell macroporous triacrylate-based monoliths are fabricated simply through the adjustment of the ratio of the water phase to oil phase. After coating the resulting macroporous material with polypyrrole nanoparticles, the system can be exploited as an NIR-sensitive filter for bacteria; it not only excludes oversized bacteria, but it also kills the bacteria with the help of NIR-induced heat.

Anisotropic particles from a one-pot double emulsion induced by partial wetting and their triggered release.

A family of anisotropic particles is synthesized via a facile, scalable, and versatile method based on a conventional double emulsion, which is very well suited for practical production and applications. Partial wetting theory is well established as a powerful instrument to elucidate the controlled phase separation within the double emulsion. This theory is employed to assist the manipulation of the phase separation process for the formation of well-defined nonspherical particles as well as their triggered release.

Smart packaging films based on corn starch/polyvinyl alcohol containing nano SIM-1 for monitoring food freshness.

There is at present an acute need for the construction of biopolymer-based smart packaging material that can be applied for the real-time visual monitoring of food freshness. Herein, a nano-sized substituted imidazolate material (SIM-1) with ammonia-sensitive and antibacterial ability was effectively manufactured and then anchored within corn starch/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) blend to construct biopolymeric smart active packaging material. The structure, physical and functional performances of CS/PVA-based films with different content of SIM-1 (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 wt% on CS/PVA basis) were then explored in detail. Results revealed that the incorporated SIM-1 nanocrystals were equally anchored within the CS/PVA matrix owing to the establishment of potent hydrogen-bonding interactions, which produced an obvious improvement in the compatibility of CS/PVA blend film, as well as its mechanical strength, water/oxygen barrier and UV-screening performances. The constructed CS/PVA/SIM-1 blend films further demonstrated superior long-term color stability property, ammonia-sensitive and antibacterial functions. Furthermore, the CS/PVA/SIM-1 blend films were utilized for effectively monitoring the deterioration of shrimp via observable color alteration. The above findings suggested the potential applications of CS/PVA/SIM-1 blend films in smart active packaging.

One-step preparation of macroporous polymer particles with multiple interconnected chambers: a candidate for trapping biomacromolecules.

Taking advantage of photothermal conversion, the surface pores of water-dispersible single-walled carbon nanotubes assembled on polymer particles were rapidly closed by NIR irradiation to produce macroporous polymeric microspheres with multiple interconnected chambers. These particles can act as smart containers to encapsulate and hold DNA molecules.

Supercritical Fluid-Driven Polymer Phase Separation for Microlens with Tunable Dimension and Curvature.

Microlenses are highly sought as reliable means for high-resolution optical imaging at low illumination intensities. Plano-convex configuration with tunable dimension and curvature is an essential feature in the microlens fabrication. In this study, we present a facile and green route for preparing well-defined microlenses based on polymer phase separation in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). The behaviors of linear polymethylmethacrylate protruded from cross-linked silicone network in scCO2 environment are investigated from the perspectives of thermodynamics and kinetics. Microlenses with dimensions from 2 to 15 µm and contact angles from 55° to 112° are successfully obtained through the adjustment of the kinetic conditions and outgassing rate. With the tunable focal length, they exhibit intrinsic function of discerning submicroscale patterns that are unable to be observed directly under optical microscope. Moreover, size confinement on the substrate results in the generation of well-ordered microlens arrays, affording great promise for applications in bioimaging, photolithography, light harvesting, and optical nanosensing.