An ultrasensitive bacterial imprinted electrochemical sensor for the determination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

An ultrasensitive label-free electrochemical sensor based on a homemade imprinted polypyrrole (PPy) polymer film was prepared to achieve quantitative determination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). The LGG-imprinted polymer (LIP) film was deposited on a portable screen-printed electrode (SPE) via electropolymerization, which constituted an independent integrated system. The main preparation parameters of the LIP sensor were investigated to obtain optimal performance. Under optimized conditions, the peak current response of the LIP sensor showed a linear relationship with the logarithmic value of LGG concentration in the range from 101 to 109 CFU mL-1 and a detection limit of 5 CFU mL-1. The proposed LIP sensor has achieved efficient, ultrasensitive, highly selective, and cost-effective detection of LGG and can be further developed for practical applications in the quality inspection and development of probiotic products.

CO2-assisted 'Weathering' of Steel Slag-Derived Calcium Silicate Hydrate: A Generalized Strategy for Recycling Noble Metals and Constructing SiO2-Based Nanocomposites.

The spent adsorbent loaded by toxic metals is a solid hazardous waste which could cause significant secondary pollution due to potential possible additional release of metal ions. Therefore, the main subject is direct reutilization of spent adsorbents which can further economically and realistically offer new features, like recycling metal adsorbed, or formation of functional SiO2-based nanocomposites. The nanoporous structure and negative surface charges enable steel slag-derived amorphous calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) to retain effectively the incoming metal ions (e. g. Au3+, Ag+, Pd2+, Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Ce3+, Y3+, and Gd3+) by chemisorption. Sparked by natural carbonation 'weathering', which ultimately sequestrates atmospheric CO2 by alkaline silicate minerals to leach calcium from mineral matrix, the decalcification reactions of metal-bearing CSH results in successful recovery of noble metals (Ag, Au, Pd) upon NaOH etching the resultant SiO2 support. Further, SiO2-based heterostructures, containing nanocrystalline metals (e. g. Au0, Ag0, Pd0, Fe0, Co0, Ni0, Cu0, and Zn0) or rare-earth oxides (e. g. CeO2, Y2O3, and Gd2O3), are formed after reduction in H2/Ar (5 vol% H2) flow, which is also very important for the multipurpose immobilization of diverse hybrid materials on SiO2 surface (e. g. Cu0-Ag0@SiO2, Cu0-CeO2@SiO2, and Cu0-Ag0-CeO2@SiO2).

Polarization dependence and independence of near-field enhancement through a subwavelength circle hole.

By setting a metal rod or tooth-type structures in a single subwavelength hole, its near-field can be strongly enhanced. The near-field enhancement has strong polarization dependence when the structure in hole is twofold symmetric. Only the polarization along the longitudinal side of the metal rod or tooth-type structure can lead to strongest enhancement, which is attributed to the resonance of the localized surface plasmon. However, if the structure in hole is fourfold symmetric, the near-field enhancement is free from the polarization.