Integrating plasma proteome with genome reveals novel protein biomarkers in colorectal cancer.

Background: Biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) can complement population screening methods, but so far, few plasma proteins have been identified as biomarkers for CRC. This study aims to identify potential protein biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CRC within the proteome range.

Methods: We extracted summary-level data of circulating protein from 7 published genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of plasma proteome for Mendelian randomization (MR), summary-data-based MR (SMR), and co-localization analyses to screen and validate proteins with causal effects in CRC.

Scalable graphene sensor array for real-time toxins monitoring in flowing water.

Risk management for drinking water often requires continuous monitoring of various toxins in flowing water. While they can be readily integrated with existing water infrastructure, two-dimensional (2D) electronic sensors often suffer from device-to-device variations due to the lack of an effective strategy for identifying faulty devices from preselected uniform devices based on electronic properties alone, resulting in sensor inaccuracy and thus slowing down their real-world applications. Here, we report the combination of wet transfer, impedance and noise measurements, and machine learning to facilitate the scalable nanofabrication of graphene-based field-effect transistor (GFET) sensor arrays and the efficient identification of faulty devices.

Sensitive field-effect transistor sensors with atomically thin black phosphorus nanosheets.

Atomically thin black phosphorus (BP) field-effect transistors have excellent potential for sensing applications. However, commercial scaling of PFET sensors is still in the early stage due to various technical challenges, such as tedious fabrication, low response% caused by rapid oxidation, non-ideal response output (spike/bidirectional), and large device variation due to poor control over layer thickness among devices. Attempts have been made to address these issues.

Ultratrace antibiotic sensing using aptamer/graphene-based field-effect transistors.

Antibiotic residue, as emerging pollution resulting from antibiotic abuse, poses a serious threat on ecosystem and human health. Conventional methods for antibiotic detection, e.g.

Resonance-Frequency Modulation for Rapid, Point-of-Care Ebola-Glycoprotein Diagnosis with a Graphene-Based Field-Effect Biotransistor.

Recent outbreaks of Ebola-virus infections in several countries demand a rapid point-of-care (POC)-detection strategy. This paper reports on an innovative pathway founded on electronic-resonance-frequency modulation to detect Ebola glycoprotein (GP), on the basis of a carrier-injection-trapping-release-transfer mechanism and the standard antibody-antigen-interaction principle within a dielectric-gated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) field-effect transistor (GFET). The sensitivity of Ebola detection can be significantly enhanced by monitoring the device's electronic-resonance frequency, such as its inflection frequency ( f), where the phase angle reaches a maximum (θ).

Facile Synthesis of Highly Dispersed CoO Nanoparticles on Expanded, Thin Black Phosphorus for a ppb-Level NO Gas Sensor.

Expanded few-layer black phosphorus nanosheets (FL-BP NSs) were functionalized by branched polyethylenimine (PEI) using a simple noncovalent assembly to form air-stable overlayers (BP-PEI), and a CoO@BP-PEI composite was designed and synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The size of the highly dispersed CoO nanoparticles (NPs) on the FL-BP NSs can be controlled. The BP-C5 (190 °C for 5 h) sensor, with 4-6 nm CoO NPs on the FL-BP NSs, exhibited an ultrahigh sensitivity of 8.

Organometallic Precursor-Derived SnO/Sn-Reduced Graphene Oxide Sandwiched Nanocomposite Anode with Superior Lithium Storage Capacity.

Benefiting from the reversible conversion reaction upon delithiation, nanosized SnO, with its theoretical capacity of 1494 mA h g, has gained special attention as a promising anode material. Here, we report a self-assembled SnO/Sn-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sandwich nanocomposite developed by organometallic precursor coating and in situ transformation. Ultrafine SnO nanoparticles with an average diameter of 5 nm are sandwiched within the rGO/carbonaceous network, which not only greatly alleviates the volume changes upon lithiation and aggregation of SnO nanoparticles but also facilitates the charge transfer and reaction kinetics of SnO upon lithiation/delithiation.

Impedimetric phosphorene field-effect transistors for rapid detection of lead ions.

Stimuli-responsive field-effect transistors (FETs) based on 2D nanomaterials have been considered as attractive candidates for sensing applications due to their rapid response, high sensitivity, and real-time monitoring capabilities. Here we report on an impedance spectroscopy technique for FET sensor applications with ultra-high sensitivity and good reproducibility. An alumina-gated FET, using an ultra-thin black phosphorus flake as the channel material, shows significantly improved stability and ultra-high sensitivity to lead ions in water.

Rapid detection of single E. coli bacteria using a graphene-based field-effect transistor device.

Contamination of surface and drinking water due to the presence of Escherichia coli bacteria is a major cause of water-borne disease outbreak. To address unmet challenges for practical pathogen detection in contaminated samples, we report fabrication of thermally reduced graphene oxide-based field-effect transistor (rGO FET) passivated with an ultrathin layer of AlO for real-time detection of E. coli bacteria.

Pulse-Driven Capacitive Lead Ion Detection with Reduced Graphene Oxide Field-Effect Transistor Integrated with an Analyzing Device for Rapid Water Quality Monitoring.

Rapid and real-time detection of heavy metals in water with a portable microsystem is a growing demand in the field of environmental monitoring, food safety, and future cyber-physical infrastructure. Here, we report a novel ultrasensitive pulse-driven capacitance-based lead ion sensor using self-assembled graphene oxide (GO) monolayer deposition strategy to recognize the heavy metal ions in water. The overall field-effect transistor (FET) structure consists of a thermally reduced graphene oxide (rGO) channel with a thin layer of AlO passivation as a top gate combined with sputtered gold nanoparticles that link with the glutathione (GSH) probe to attract Pb ions in water.

Two-dimensional nanomaterial-based field-effect transistors for chemical and biological sensing.

Meeting the increasing demand for sensors with high sensitivity, high selectivity, and rapid detection presents many challenges. In the last decade, electronic sensors based on field-effect transistors (FETs) have been widely studied due to their high sensitivity, rapid detection, and simple test procedure. Among these sensors, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial-based FET sensors have been demonstrated with tremendous potential for the detection of a wide range of analytes which is attributed to the unique structural and electronic properties of 2D nanomaterials.

Field-Effect Transistor Biosensor for Rapid Detection of Ebola Antigen.

The Ebola virus transmits a highly contagious, frequently fatal human disease for which there is no specific antiviral treatment. Therefore, rapid, accurate, and early diagnosis of Ebola virus disease (EVD) is critical to public health containment efforts, particularly in developing countries where resources are few and EVD is endemic. We have developed a reduced graphene oxide-based field-effect transistor method for real-time detection of the Ebola virus antigen.

Field-effect transistor biosensors with two-dimensional black phosphorus nanosheets.

A black phosphorous (BP)-based field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor was fabricated by using few-layer BP nanosheets labeled with gold nanoparticle-antibody conjugates. BP nanosheets were mechanically exfoliated and used as the sensing/conducting channel in the FET, with an AlO thin film as the dielectric layer for surface passivation. Antibody probes were conjugated with gold nanoparticles that were sputtered on the BP through surface functionalization.

Nanomaterial-enabled Rapid Detection of Water Contaminants.

Water contaminants, e.g., inorganic chemicals and microorganisms, are critical metrics for water quality monitoring and have significant impacts on human health and plants/organisms living in water.

Stabilizing MoS2 Nanosheets through SnO2 Nanocrystal Decoration for High-Performance Gas Sensing in Air.

The unique properties of MoS(2) nanosheets make them a promising candidate for high-performance room temperature sensing. However, the properties of pristine MoS(2) nanosheets are strongly influenced by the significant adsorption of oxygen in an air environment, which leads to instability of the MoS(2) sensing device, and all sensing results on MoS(2) reported to date were exclusively obtained in an inert atmosphere. This significantly limits the practical sensor application of MoS(2) in an air environment.

A hierarchical tin/carbon composite as an anode for lithium-ion batteries with a long cycle life.

Tin is a promising anode candidate for next-generation lithium-ion batteries with a high energy density, but suffers from the huge volume change (ca. 260 %) upon lithiation. To address this issue, here we report a new hierarchical tin/carbon composite in which some of the nanosized Sn particles are anchored on the tips of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that are rooted on the exterior surfaces of micro-sized hollow carbon cubes while other Sn nanoparticles are encapsulated in hollow carbon cubes.

Real-time, selective detection of Pb(2+) in water using a reduced graphene oxide/gold nanoparticle field-effect transistor device.

A field-effect transistor (FET) device-based sensor is developed to specifically detect Pb(2+) ions in an aqueous environment that is notably toxic. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO), as the semiconducting channel material, was utilized in the FET device through a self-assembly method. An l-glutathione reduced was employed as the capture probe for the label-free detection.

Ultrasensitive chemical sensing through facile tuning defects and functional groups in reduced graphene oxide.

Herein, we report on a facile, low-cost, and efficient method to tune the structure and properties of chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by applying a transient voltage across the rGO for ultrasensitive gas sensors. A large number of defects, including pits, are formed in the rGO upon the voltage activation. More interestingly, the number of epoxide and ether functional groups in the rGO increased after the voltage activation.

Hierarchical nanohybrids with porous CNT-networks decorated crumpled graphene balls for supercapacitors.

One of the most challenging issues in developing supercapacitor technology is the rational design and synthesis of active electrode materials, at the nanoscale, with favorable morphologies, reasonable porous structure, and excellent conductivity. By transforming a two-dimensional (2D) graphene sheet into a crumpled ball shape, a novel three-dimensional (3D) graphene structure with a large surface area and aggregation-resistant properties has been proposed as an active material in supercapacitors to address the issues associated with the restacking of 2D graphene sheets. To further improve the mass transport/electron transfer and address the issue of limited contact spots between the crumpled graphene balls (CGBs) or between the CGBs and the current collector, we report here a unique hierarchical nanohybrid with porous carbon nanotube (CNT)-networks decorated CGBs (p-CNTn/CGBs), which not only greatly improves the affinity for bridging the active material and the current collector but also maintains favorable features for supercapacitor applications, such as a large surface area, 3D hierarchical nanostructure, excellent electrical conductivity, and outstanding aggregation-resistance.

Graphene-based sensors for detection of heavy metals in water: a review.

Graphene (G) is attracting significant attention because of its unique physical and electronic properties. The production of graphene through the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) is a low-cost method. The reduction of GO can further lead to electrically conductive reduced GO.

Improved cyclic performance of Si anodes for lithium-ion batteries by forming intermetallic interphases between Si nanoparticles and metal microparticles.

Silicon, an anode material with the highest capacity for lithium-ion batteries, needs to improve its cyclic performance prior to practical applications. Here, we report on a novel design of Si/metal composite anode in which Si nanoparticles are welded onto surfaces of metal particles by forming intermetallic interphases through a rapid heat treatment. Unlike pure Si materials that gradually lose electrical contact with conductors and binders upon repeated charging and discharging cycles, Si in the new Si/metal composite can maintain the electrical contact with the current collector through the intermetallic interphases, which are inactive and do not lose physical contact with the conductors and binders, resulting in significantly improved cyclic performance.

Multilayered Si nanoparticle/reduced graphene oxide hybrid as a high-performance lithium-ion battery anode.

Multilayered Si/RGO anode nanostructures, featuring alternating Si nanoparticle (NP) and RGO layers, good mechanical stability, and high electrical conductivity, allow Si NPs to easily expand between RGO layers, thereby leading to high reversible capacity up to 2300 mAh g(-1) at 0.05 C (120 mA g(-1) ) and 87% capacity retention (up to 630 mAh g(-1) ) at 10 C after 152 cycles.