Development of Integrin-Facilitated Bispecific Aptamer Chimeras for Membrane Protein Degradation.

The emergence of lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs), which represents a promising strategy for membrane protein degradation based on lysosomal pathways, has attracted much attention in disease intervention and treatment. However, the expression level of commonly used lysosome-targeting receptors (LTRs) varies in different cell lines, thus limiting the broad applications of LYTACs. To overcome this difficulty, we herein report the development of integrin α3ß1 (ITGA3B1)-facilitated bispecific aptamer chimeras (ITGBACs) as a platform for the degradation of membrane proteins. ITGBACs consist of two aptamers, one targeting ITGA3B1 and another binding to the membrane-associated protein of interest (POI), effectively transporting the POI into lysosomes for degradation. Our findings demonstrate that ITGBACs effectively eliminate pathological membrane proteins, such as CD71 and PTK7, inducing significant cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis and markedly inhibiting tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice models. Therefore, this work provides a novel and versatile membrane protein degradation platform, offering a promising targeted therapy based on tumor-specific LTRs.

Twisted Intramolecular Charge Transfer-Based Viscosity-Responsive Probe Reveals Lysosomal Degradation Process of Endocytosed Foreign Bodies.

The optimization of nanomedicines requires a thorough understanding of nanocarrier attrition during lysosome-mediated biological processes. Real-time monitoring of endocytosis provides valuable insights into the lysosomal effects on nanocarriers and the release of nanodrugs. We report the development of a coresponsive probe that detects changes in the spatial viscosity of the intracellular domain caused by lysosomal degradation of foreign bodies. The probe, based on a benzofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine structure, exhibits torsional intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) and responds to ambient viscosity changes with a sensitive fluorescence intensity. The antidiffused fluorescence transition of the probe in the spatially restricted domain serves as a key indicator for real-time monitoring. When encapsulated with diverse foreign bodies and emitted into macrophages by endocytosis, the probe forms nanoparticles. Lysosomes uptake these materials for intracellular digestion, causing alterations in the aggregation or depolymerization state of the nanoparticles, leading to viscosity changes manifested by the probe's fluorescence. By studying the spatial viscosity changes caused by lysosomal degradation of foreign bodies, our monitoring strategy contributes to understanding the digestion or escape capabilities of potential pharmaceutical-carrying nanocarriers, providing guidelines to design more effective nanocarriers that navigate lysosomal degradation to achieve precise drug payloads and release.

Integrating a Copper-Histidine Brace in a Mimetic Nanozyme Streamlines the Tyrosinase Recognition Moiety to Achieve Chiral Differentiation.

Designing artificial mimetic enzymes with high activity/selectivity to replace chiral bioenzymes is of great interest in the development of chiral materials consisting of molecules, enantiomers, that exist in two forms as mirror images of one another but cannot be superimposed. In this study, the chiral catalytic structural unit was streamlined from tyrosinase to integrate a mimetic nanozyme. The chiral amino acid l-histidine, as the chiral binding/recognition site, and the active metal site Cu were coupled (Cu@l-His) to create a copper-histidine brace with enantioselective catalytic ability to tyrosinol enantiomers. Results of kinetic parameters and activation energies confirmed the excellent peroxidase-like activity with a preference of Cu@l-His to l-tyrosinol. Such a preference could be attributed to the structurally oriented copper-histidine brace with a stronger affinity and catalytic activity to l-tyrosinol. By accurately evaluating chiral recognition units derived from bioenzymes, stable and superior chiral mimetic nanoenzymes could be constructed in a more straightforward and simplified manner, and they could also be extended to the reconstruction of diverse chiral enzymes.

An ATMND/SGI based three-way junction ratiometric fluorescent probe for rapid and sensitive detection of bleomycin.

In this work, we developed a rapid and sensitive label-free ratiometric fluorescent (FL) probe for the detection of bleomycin (BLM). The probe consists of a DNA sequence (D6) and two fluorophore groups, 2-amino-5,6,7-trimethyl-1,8-naphthalene (ATMND) and SYBR Green I (SGI). The D6 sequence could be folded into a three-way junction structure containing a C-C mismatch position in the junction pocket. The unique "Y" structure not only could entrap ATMND in the mismatch pocket with high affinity, leading to FL quenching at 408 nm, but also embed SGI in the grooves of the double-stranded portion, resulting in FL enhancement at 530 nm. In the presence of BLM-Fe(II), the "Y" structure of D6 was destroyed due to the specific cleavage of the BLM recognition site, the 5'-GT-3' site in D6. This caused the release of ATMND and SGI and thus the ratiometric signal change of FL enhancement by ATMND and FL quenching by SGI. Under optimal conditions, the ratiometric probe exhibited a linear correlation between the intensity ratio of F408/F530 and the concentration of BLM in the range of 0.5-1000 nM, with a detection limit of 0.2 nM. In addition, the probe was applied to detect BLM in human serum samples with satisfactory results, indicating its good clinical application potential.

An Aptamer-Based Nanoflow Cytometry Method for the Molecular Detection and Classification of Ovarian Cancers through Profiling of Tumor Markers on Small Extracellular Vesicles.

Molecular profiling of protein markers on small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) is a promising strategy for the precise detection and classification of ovarian cancers. However, this strategy is challenging owing to the lack of simple and practical detection methods. In this work, using an aptamer-based nanoflow cytometry (nFCM) detection strategy, a simple and rapid method for the molecular profiling of multiple protein markers on sEVs was developed. The protein markers can be easily labeled with aptamer probes and then rapidly profiled by nFCM. Seven cancer-associated protein markers, including CA125, STIP1, CD24, EpCAM, EGFR, MUC1, and HER2, on plasma sEVs were profiled for the molecular detection and classification of ovarian cancers. Profiling these seven protein markers enabled the precise detection of ovarian cancer with a high accuracy of 94.2 %. In addition, combined with machine learning algorithms, such as linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and random forest (RF), the molecular classifications of ovarian cancer cell lines and subtypes were achieved with overall accuracies of 82.9 % and 55.4 %, respectively. Therefore, this simple, rapid, and non-invasive method exhibited considerable potential for the auxiliary diagnosis and molecular classification of ovarian cancers in clinical practice.

Aptamer-Based Targeted Delivery of Functional Nucleic Acids.

Functional nucleic acid (NA)-based drugs have a broad range of applications since they allow the alteration and control of gene/protein expression patterns in cells. In principle, functional NAs need to be transported precisely and efficiently to target cells to guarantee both functionality and safety. Owing to their negative charges, it is difficult for natural NAs to cross the cell membrane composed of lipid bilayer and enter targeted cells. Worse still, the delivery of undirected functional NAs to nontargeted healthy cells and/or tissues would induce unpredictable adverse effects. Therefore, the precisely targeted delivery of functional NAs to specific cells/organs, particularly in extrahepatic sites, is required. Since aptamers can bind to various proteins on the cell surface with high specificity and selectivity, they can serve as the molecular recognition units to accurately bind target cells and subsequently enable the efficient delivery of cargo. In this perspective, we summarize the original, proof-of-concept aptamer-based strategies for the targeted delivery of functional NAs. A few specific examples are then discussed, followed by our perspectives on some of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

ClO- Induced Dual-Excitation Fluorescent Probes Responding to Diverse Testing Modes with Ratio Methodology.

Single-excitation ratio fluorescent probes have enabled the output signal with high signal-to-noise ratio, but are still plagued with technique challenges, including signal distortion and limited application scenario. Herein, a dual-excitation near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe P1 of coumarin derivatives is constructed, showing high signal output ability in the visible region and high tissue penetration depth ability in the NIR region. As NIR probe P1 selectively recognizes ClO-, the emission signal in the visible region (480 nm) of P1 is enhanced during the recognition process. Meanwhile, the NIR emission (830 nm) of the conjugated system is weakened, finally realizing that ClO- triggered the dual-excitation (720/400 nm) ratio fluorescence signal detection and monitoring. The signal of detection in vitro has high responsiveness. Meanwhile, in the process of NIR monitoring in vivo, positive contrast imaging of fluorescence is constructed, which can accurately monitor ClO- changes over time. The current dual-excitation fluorescence-based data calibration and/or comparison method improves the application of the traditional single-excitation ratio fluorescence strategy and provide innovative detection tools for accurate measurement of fluorescence detection, with detection/monitoring modes suitable for different physiological environments.

Ratiometric fluorescence determination of alkaline phosphatase activity based on carbon dots and Ce3+-crosslinked copper nanoclusters.

A new ratiometric fluorescent probe for efficient determination of ALP was developed. The probe was constructed by combining Ce3+-crosslinked copper nanoclusters (Ce3+-CuNCs) which exhibit the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature with carbon dots (CDs). The introduction of phosphate (Pi) induced the generation of CePO4 precipitation, resulting in significant decrease of fluorescence emission of CuNCs at 634 nm. At the same time, the fluorescence of CDs at 455 nm was obviously enhanced, thus generating ratiometric fluorescence response. Based on the fact that the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate (PPi) by ALP can produce Pi, the CD/Ce3+-CuNCs ratiometric probe was successfully used to determine ALP. A good linear relationship between the ratiometric value of F455/F634 and ALP concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 80 U·L- 1 was obtained, with a low detection limit of 0.1 U·L- 1. The ratiometric responses of the probe resulted in the visible fluorescence color change from orange red to blue with the increase of ALP concentration. The smartphone-based RGB recognition of the fluorescent sample images was used for ALP quantitative determination. A novel ratiometric fluorescent system based on Ce3+-CuNCs with AIE feature and CDs were constructed for efficient detection of ALP.

Ligand Dilution Analysis Facilitates Aptamer Binding Characterization at the Single-Molecule Level.

Cell-specific aptamers offer a powerful tool to study membrane receptors at the single-molecule level. Most target receptors of aptamers are highly expressed on the cell surface, but difficult to analyze in situ because of dense distribution and fast velocity. Therefore, we herein propose a random sampling-based analysis strategy termed ligand dilution analysis (LDA) for easily implemented aptamer-based receptor study. Receptor density on the cell surface can be calculated based on a regression model. By using a synergistic ligand dilution design, colocalization and differentiation of aptamer and monoclonal antibody (mAb) binding on a single receptor can be realized. Once this is accomplished, precise binding site and detailed aptamer-receptor binding mode can be further determined using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. The ligand dilution strategy also sets the stage for an aptamer-based dynamics analysis of two- and three-dimensional motion and fluctuation of highly expressed receptors on the live cell membrane.

Core-shell Cu@C@ZIF-8 composite: a high-performance electrode material for electrochemical sensing of nitrite with high selectivity and sensitivity.

Herein, an efficient electrochemical sensing platform is proposed for selective and sensitive detection of nitrite on the basis of Cu@C@Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (Cu@C@ZIF-8) heterostructure. core-shell Cu@C@ZIF-8 composite was synthesized by pyrolysis of Cu-metal-organic framework@ZIF-8 (Cu-MOF@ZIF-8) in Ar atmosphere on account of the difference of thermal stability between Cu-MOF and ZIF-8. For the sensing system of Cu@C@ZIF-8, ZIF-8 with proper pore size allows nitrite diffuse through the shell, while big molecules cannot, which ensures high selectivity of the sensor. On the other hand, Cu@C as electrocatalyst promotes the oxidation of nitrite, thereby resulting high sensitivity of the sensor. Accordingly, the Cu@C@ZIF-8 based sensor presents excellent performance for nitrite detection, which achieves a wide linear response range of 0.1-300.0µM, and a low limit of detection of 0.033µM. In addition, the Cu@C@ZIF-8 sensor possesses excellent stability and reproducibility, and was employed to quantify nitrite in sausage samples with recoveries of 95.45%-104.80%.

Enzyme-free nucleic acid dual-amplification strategy combined with mimic enzyme catalytic precipitation reaction for the photoelectrochemical detection of microRNA-21.

A novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor based on an enzyme-free nucleic acid dual-amplification strategy combined with a mimic enzyme to catalyze the deposition of a quencher is reported for the ultrasensitive detection of miRNA-21. A limited amount of target miRNA-21 can trigger the formation of long DNA duplexes on the electrode, owing to the synergistic effect of the enzyme-free nucleic acid dual-amplification strategy of entropy-driven strand displacement reaction (ESDR) amplification and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) amplification. The embedded manganese porphyrin (MnPP) in the long DNA duplexes acts as a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mimicking enzyme to catalyze the transformation of benzo-4-chlorohexadienone on the electrode surface, resulting in a significant reduction in photocurrent intensity. As a photosensitive material, BiOCl-BiOI is used as a tag to provide strong initial PEC signals. Based on the cascade integration of the enzyme-free nucleic acid dual-amplification strategy and the mimic enzyme-catalyzed precipitation reaction, the current PEC biosensor exhibits outstanding performance for miRNA-21 detection with an ultralow detection limit (33 aM) and a wide quantification range (from 100 aM to 1 nM). This work provides a new avenue toward the ultrasensitive detection of miRNAs, and is expected to be used for clinical and biochemical samples. A unique PEC biosensor with the BiOCl-BiOI composite, as the photosensitive material, has been developed for ultrasensitive miRNA-21 determination based on the combination of an enzyme-free nucleic acid dual-amplification strategy and mimic enzyme catalytic precipitation reaction.

Long-wavelength emission carbon dots as self-ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe for sensitive determination of Zn2.

A novel ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe based on long-wavelength emission carbon dots (CDs) was designed for high sensitive and selective detection of Zn2+. The CDs were conveniently prepared by a one-step solvothermal treatment of formamide and glutathione (GSH). Under single excitation wavelength (420 nm), the obtained CDs exhibit three emission peaks at 470, 650, and 685 nm, respectively. For the long-wavelength emission region of the CDs, the fluorescence at 685 nm can be quenched with different levels upon the addition of most metal ions. However, the presence of Zn2+ not only results in the fluorescence quenching at 685 nm effectively but also enhances at 650 nm remarkably, which may be due to the formation of CD-Zn2+ chelate complex inducing the dispersion of CDs aggregates and changes in the group distribution on the surface of CDs. Taking the advantage of the unique fluorescence response induced by Zn2+, the prepared CDs were successfully employed as nanoprobe for self-ratiometric fluorescence determination of Zn2+ with F650/F685 as signal output. A good linear relationship in the concentration range 0.01 to 2 µM, and a detection limit as low as 5.1 nM has been obtained. The ratiometric nanoprobe was successfully applied to  Zn2+ determination  in human serum samples.

Ultrasensitive Photoelectrochemical Biosensor Based on Novel Z-Scheme Heterojunctions of Zn-Defective CdS/ZnS for MicroRNA Assay.

The sensitive and accurate detection of microRNA (miRNA) has meaningful values for clinical diagnosis application as an early stage of tumor markers. Herein, a novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor was developed for the ultrasensitive and highly selective detection of microRNA-122 (miRNA-122) based on a direct Z-scheme heterojunction of Zn vacancy-mediated CdS/ZnS (CSZS-VZn). Impressively, the prepared Z-scheme heterojunction nanocomposite with defect level properties could make the photogenerated charges stay at the Zn vacancy defect levels and combine photogenerated holes in the valence bands of CdS, thus significantly achieving a better charge carrier separation efficiency and broadening the absorption of visible light and demonstrating 5-8 times enhancement of PEC response compared to single-component materials. Simultaneously, an exonuclease III (Exo-III)-assisted signal amplification strategy and a strand displacement reaction were combined to improve the conversion efficiency of the target and further increase the detection sensitivity. More importantly, the elaborated biosensor showed ultrasensitive and highly specific detection of the target miRNA-122 over a wide linear range from 10 aM to 100 pM with a low detection limit of 3.3 aM and exhibited enormous potential in the fields of bioanalysis and clinical diagnosis.

Construction of a Polarity-Switchable Photoelectrochemical Biosensor for Ultrasensitive Detection of miRNA-141.

As an early-stage tumor biomarker, microRNA (miRNA) has clinical application potential and its sensitive and accurate detection is significant for early tumor diagnosis. In this study, a photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing platform was fabricated for ultrasensitive miRNA-141 detection, which is based on a photocurrent polarity-switchable system using CdS quantum dots (QDs) in the presence of a 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4-aminophenyl)-21H,23H-porphine (Tph-2H)-coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE). As an excellent photoactive material, Tph-2H has a narrow band gap that effectively gathers photoelectrons under visible light irradiation and improves the transfer ability of photogenerated electrons. Further, the detection sensitivity of miRNA-141 could be significantly improved by combining an enzyme-assisted recycle amplification reaction and a magnetic bead-based separation strategy. The proposed photocurrent polarity-switchable PEC biosensor could efficiently eliminate the false-positive or false-negative signals and achieve a wide linear response range from 1 fM to 1 nM with a low detection limit of 0.33 fM for miRNA-141, providing a potentially alternative solution for detecting other biomarkers in bioanalysis and clinical diagnosis.

Naphthalimide Derivative-Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework for Highly Sensitive and Selective Determination of Aldehyde by Space Confinement-Induced Sensitivity Enhancement Effect.

Facile and sensitive determination of formaldehyde (FA) in indoor environments still remains challenging. Herein, a fluorescent probe, termed PHN@MOF, was synthesized by embedding the fluorescent molecule of N-propyl-4-hydrazine-naphthalimide (PHN) into a metal-organic framework (MOF) for sensitive and visual monitoring of FA. The hydrazine group of PHN acts as the specific reaction group with FA based on the condensation reaction. The host of MOF (UiO-66-NH2) offers the surrounding confinement space required for the reaction. Owing to the enrichment effect and molecular sieve selection of UiO-66-NH2 to FA, PHN@MOF, compared with free PHN, exhibits very high sensitivity and selectivity based on space confinement-induced sensitivity enhancement (SCISE). Moreover, the fluorescence of UiO-66-NH2 offers a reference signal for FA detection. Using this ratiometric fluorescent PHN@MOF probe, a colorimetric gel plate and test paper were developed and used to visually monitor FA in air.

A carbon dot doped lanthanide coordination polymer nanocomposite as the ratiometric fluorescent probe for the sensitive detection of alkaline phosphatase activity.

The development of sensitive methods for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity analysis is an important analytical topic. Based on the stimulus-responsive lanthanide coordination polymer, a simple ratiometric fluorescence sensing strategy was proposed to detect ALP activity. A carbon dot (CD) doped fluorescent supramolecular lanthanide coordination polymer (CDs@Tb-GMP) was prepared with Tb3+ and the ligand guanine single nucleotide (GMP). To construct a ratiometric fluorescence biosensor, the fluorescence of Tb-GMP was used as a response signal, and the fluorescence of CDs was used as a reference signal due to its good stability. When excited at 290 nm, the polymer network Tb-GMP emits characteristic fluorescence at 545 nm, while the CDs encapsulated in the polymer network emit fluorescence at 370 nm. After adding ALP to the system, the substrate GMP can be hydrolyzed by ALP, resulting in the destruction of the polymer network. Accordingly, the fluorescence of Tb-GMP significantly decreased, while the fluorescence of CDs slightly increased due to their release from the polymer network. By comparing the relationship between the fluorescence intensity ratio of the two signals and the concentration of ALP, sensitive detection of ALP could be achieved with the linear range from 0.5 to 80 U L-1 and a detection limit of 0.13 U L-1. Furthermore, the proposed ratiometric sensing system was applied to the detection of ALP in human serum samples with desirable results, indicating potential application in clinical diagnosis.

A novel ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe for sensitive determination of uric acid based on CD@ZIF-CuNC nanocomposites.

A novel ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe based on carbon dots (CDs) and Cu nanoclusters (CuNCs) was designed for the label-free determination of uric acid (UA). The metal-organic framework (MOF) encapsulated CuNCs (ZIF-CuNC), and nitrogen-doped CDs can self-assemble into well-defined spherical nanocomposites (CD@ZIF-CuNC) due to physical adsorption. Under the excitation wavelength of 360 nm, the CD@ZIF-CuNC nanocomposites exhibit two evident intrinsic emissions peaked at 460 nm (CDs) and 620 nm (ZIF-CuNC), respectively. In the presence of H2O2, the fluorescence of CD@ZIF-CuNC at 620 nm is quenched remarkably within 1 min, while little effect on the emission at 460 nm is observed. Therefore, taking the fluorescence at 620 nm as the report signal and 460 nm as the reference signal, ratiometric quantitative determination of H2O2 was achieved with a linear range of 1-100 µM and a detection limit of 0.30 µM. The CD@ZIF-CuNC nanoprobe was successfully applied to the determination of UA that is catalyzed by uricase to produce H2O2, obtaining the linear range of 1-30 µM and the detection limit of 0.33 µM. Eventually, this strategy has been successfully applied to the determination of UA in human urine samples. A novel and convenient CDs@ZIF-CuNCs-based nanoplatform was constructed for sensitive ratiometric fluorescence determination of UA.

A Boric Acid-Functionalized Lanthanide Metal-Organic Framework as a Fluorescence "Turn-on" Probe for Selective Monitoring of Hg2+ and CH3Hg.

Mercury detection remains an important task because of its high toxicity. Herein a new dual-signal probe based on a boric acid (BA)-functionalized lanthanide metal-organic framework (BA-Eu-MOF) was developed for the detection of Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ ions for the first time. The BA-Eu-MOF was synthesized by coordination of Eu3+ with 5-boronobezene-1, 3-dicarboxylic acid (5-bop) through a one-pot method. The 5-bop ligand not only acted as the "antenna" to sensitize the luminescence of Eu3+ but also provided reaction sites for Hg2+ and CH3Hg+. Owing to the electron-withdrawing effect of the BA group, the "antenna" effect of the ligand was passivating and the BA-Eu-MOF showed weak red emission in water. Upon addition of Hg2+ or CH3Hg+ into the system, a transmetalation reaction took place, i.e., BA groups were replaced by Hg2+ or CH3Hg+; therefore, the "antenna" effect of the ligand was triggered, leading to the enhancement of red emission. As Hg2+ or CH3Hg+ concentration increased, the red emission was gradually enhanced, and the color change was also observed with the naked eye under 365 nm ultraviolet light. Owing to the porous characteristics and the surface effect of the MOF, as well as the unique transmetalation reaction between the BA group and Hg2+ or CH3Hg+, the developed nanoprobe showed excellent characteristics for simultaneous detection of Hg2+ and CH3Hg+, such as simple preparation, convenient operation, "turn-on" signal output, high sensitivity, and selectivity. The unique features of the BA-Eu-MOF make it an attractive probe for monitoring Hg2+ and CH3Hg+.

Recent Progress and Development in Inorganic Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots for Photoelectrochemical Applications.

Inorganic halide perovskite quantum dots (IHPQDs) have recently emerged as a new class of optoelectronic nanomaterials that can outperform the existing hybrid organometallic halide perovskite (OHP), II-VI and III-V groups semiconductor nanocrystals, mainly due to their relatively high stability, excellent photophysical properties, and promising applications in wide-ranging and diverse fields. In particular, IHPQDs have attracted much recent attention in the field of photoelectrochemistry, with the potential to harness their superb optical and charge transport properties as well as spectacular characteristics of quantum confinement effect for opening up new opportunities in next-generation photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems. Over the past few years, numerous efforts have been made to design and prepare IHPQD-based materials for a wide range of applications in photoelectrochemistry, ranging from photocatalytic degradation, photocatalytic CO2 reduction and PEC sensing, to photovoltaic devices. In this review, the recent advances in the development of IHPQD-based materials are summarized from the standpoint of photoelectrochemistry. The prospects and further developments of IHPQDs in this exciting field are also discussed.

Seed-Morphology-Directed Synthesis of Concave Gold Nanocrystals with Tunable Sizes.

We report the fabrication of concave gold (Au) nanocrystals with a set of morphologies and controlled sizes via seeded growth. Starting with Au seeds with a well-defined morphology and uniform size, cubic and rodlike Au nanocrystals with a noticeable concave feature could be successfully obtained, respectively. We also track the growth process and record the shape evolution process. The effect of several reaction parameters on product morphology, such as capping agent and concentration of Ag+, are systematically investigated. Their optical and electrochemical properties are investigated via UV-vis extinction spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. Compared to spherical counterparts, the current concave Au nanocrystals exhibit a noticeable red shift of the absorbance peak in UV-vis extinction spectra and characterized electrochemical behavior of stepped facets, illustrating the morphological advantage.