A Prussian blue/carbon dot nanocomposite as an efficient visible light active photocatalyst for C-H activation of amines.

A Prussian blue/carbon dot (PB/CD) nanocomposite was synthesised and used as a visible-light active photocatalyst for the oxidative cyanation of tertiary amines to α-aminonitriles by using NaCN/acetic acid as a cyanide source and H2O2 as an oxidant. The developed photocatalyst afforded high yields of products after 8 h of visible light irradiation at room temperature. The catalyst was recycled and reused several times without any significant loss in its activity.

Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensing Using Carbon Quantum Dots Decorated with Copper Oxide Nanoparticles.

Perturbations in glucose homeostasis is critical for human health, as hyperglycemia (defining diabetes) leads to premature death caused by macrovascular and microvascular complications. However, the simple and accurate detection of glucose in the blood at low cost remains a challenging task, although it is of great importance for the diagnosis and therapy of diabetic patients. In this work, carbon quantum dots decorated with copper oxide nanostructures (CQDs/Cu2O) are prepared by a simple hydrothermal approach, and their potential for electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose sensing is evaluated. The proposed sensor exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity towards glucose oxidation in alkaline solutions. The glucose sensor is characterized by a wide concentration range from 6 µM to 6 mM, a sensitivity of 2.9 ± 0.2 µA·µM-1·cm-2, and a detection limit of 6 µM at a signal-to-noise ratio S/N = 3. The sensors are successfully applied for glucose determination in human serum samples, demonstrating that the CQDs/Cu2O-based glucose sensor satisfies the requirements of complex sample detection with adapted potential for therapeutic diagnostics.

A 980nm driven photothermal ablation of virulent and antibiotic resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains using Prussian blue nanoparticles.

A 980nm laser-driven antimicrobial photothermal therapy using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) -coated Prussian Blue nanoparticles (PVP/PB NPs) is demonstrated. This approach allows an efficient eradication of a virulent strain of Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) associated with urinary tract infection as well as for the ablation of antibiotic resistant pathogens such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) E. coli. Interestingly the 980nm irradiation exhibits minimal effect on mammalian cells up to a PVP/PB NPs concentration of 50µgmL(-1), while at this concentration bacteria are completely eradicated. This feature is certainly very promising for the selective targeting of bacteria over mammalian cells.