Colorimetric IPN hydrogels embedded with colloidal photonic crystals: A novel approach for the detection of ethanol and Ba ions in water.

A critical bottleneck in sensor technology is the rapid and precise detection of specific analytes in complex matrices, hindering advancements in environmental monitoring, healthcare, and industrial process control. This study addresses this challenge by introducing a novel composite hydrogel sensor designed for rapid and selective detection of ethanol and barium ions (Ba) in aqueous environments. The sensor integrates interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels with embedded colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs), synthesized via a solution-based polymerization approach.

Silver nanoprism-mediated colourimetric sensing probe for efficient detection of Pd(II) and Pt(II) ions in water and reuse of formed bimetallic nanoprisms.

Sensitive and selective methods for detecting Pd(II) and Pt(II) ions in water are crucial for environmental monitoring and remediation. Although traditional methods for detection of Pd(II) and Pt(II) ions are accurate and sensitive, they face substantial challenges due to high costs, reliance on specialised equipment and limited field applicability, thereby presenting notable limitations. In this study, we introduce a novel colourimetric sensing probe designed specifically to identify Pd(II) and Pt(II) ions in aqueous solutions.

Cellulose/GO monolith covered with Pd-Pt bimetallic nanocrystals for continuous-flow catalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium.

Cellulose monolith materials have interconnected open porous structures with very high porosity, making them attractive structures for use as support materials in heterogeneous catalysis applications. In this study, we developed a highly efficient and reusable continuous-flow reactor for Cr(VI) remediation by combining the advantageous features of cellulose monoliths with suitable reinforcement techniques. We fabricated a porous monolithic cellulose/graphene oxide (GO) composite with a continuous three-dimensional skeletal framework using the thermally induced phase separation technique.

Colorimetric sensing of Cu(II) ions in water on the basis of selective chemical etching of EDA-capped Ag nanoplates.

Cu(II) ions are one of the essential mineral elements in the human body, but can pose a substantial health risk to people exposed to high concentrations of Cu(II) ions over a long period. Therefore, the ability to detect Cu(II) ions in drinking water is important. In this study, a novel colorimetric sensing probe for the easy and onsite detection of Cu(II) ions in drinking water was developed.

Completely green synthesis of rose-shaped Au nanostructures and their catalytic applications.

The importance of and demand for eco-friendly syntheses of metal nanocrystals are increasing. In this study, a novel protocol for the one-pot, template/seed-free, and completely green synthesis of rose-shaped Au nanostructures with unique three-dimensional hierarchical structures was developed. The synthesis of the nanostructures was carried out at room temperature using water as a reaction medium and an eco-friendly biopolymer (sodium salt of alginic acid (Na-alginate)) as a reducing agent.

One-step green synthesis of 2D Ag-dendrite-embedded biopolymer hydrogel beads as a catalytic reactor.

Silver (Ag) nanocrystals with a dendritic structure have attracted intensive attention because of their unique structural properties, which include abundant sharp corners and edges that provide a large number of active atoms. However, the synthesis of Ag dendrites a simple and environmentally friendly method under ambient conditions remains a challenge. In this paper, we report a simple water-based green method for the production of biopolymer hydrogel beads embedded with Ag dendrites without using an additional reducing agent, stabilizer, or crosslinking agent.

Solid-phase colorimetric sensing probe for bromide based on a tough hydrogel embedded with silver nanoprisms.

Sharp-tipped anisotropic silver (Ag) nanostructures are attracting increasing attention because of their unusual optical properties. However, the sharp tips make such nanostructures thermodynamically unstable; thus, they have been considered unsuitable for use in colorimetric sensing because of their tendency to aggregate or transform in a solution state. In the present study, a colorimetric sensing platform for detecting bromide (Br) in an aqueous medium was developed.

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Hollow Polymer Microparticles with an Open Hole on the Surface and Their Application.

Compared with hollow microparticles with a completely closed shell structure, hollow polymer microparticles with an open hole on their surface have attracted considerable attention because of the obvious importance of the open hole on their surface; however, the development of a facile method to synthesize such unique open-ended hollow particles has remained a great challenge. In this study, an easy-to-use method was developed to rapidly produce monodispersed hollow and pored microparticles in high reaction yield at room temperature. The key to achieving the unusually shaped polystyrene (PS) microparticles was the use of anisotropic PS seeds.

Blue emitting nitrogen-doped carbon dots as a fluorescent probe for nitrite ion sensing and cell-imaging.

This study examined the efficiency of pH-dependent, fluorescent carbon dots for the sensing of hazardous anions in aqueous media and cell imaging. The nitrite anion, an important water-soluble element for environmental and biological systems, requires continuous monitoring because a high concentration can affect the systems severely. The as-synthesized carbon dots efficiently detected the nitrite anion in aqueous solution through a fluorescent 'Turn Off' phenomenon.

Reshaping of triangular silver nanoplates by a non-halide etchant and its application in melamine sensing.

Although triangular silver (Ag) nanoplates are intrinsically unstable, this characteristic has been taken advantage of in the development of a novel sensing platform. However, most of these applications have relied on halide ions as etchants. In the current work, we used sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate (Na-VBS) as a new powerful etchant of triangular silver (Ag) nanoplates.

Zigzag-Shaped Silver Nanoplates: Synthesis via Ostwald Ripening and Their Application in Highly Sensitive Strain Sensors.

Zigzag-shaped Ag nanoplates display unique anisotropic planar structures with unusual jagged edges and relatively large lateral dimensions. These characteristics make such nanoplates promising candidates for metal inks in printed electronics, which can be used for realizing stretchable electrodes. In the current work, we used a one-pot coordination-based synthetic strategy to synthesize zigzag-shaped Ag nanoplates.

A systematic study of triangular silver nanoplates: one-pot green synthesis, chemical stability, and sensing application.

While there has been remarkable success in generating silver (Ag) nanoplates, and they have considerable potential applications, their degradation behavior in certain environments remains poorly understood. In the current work, we investigated the chemical stability of triangular Ag nanoplates. A one-step water-based synthesis method regulated by the coordination of ligands to Ag cations was successfully employed to produce triangular Ag nanoplates with a high yield.

One-Step Synthesis of Hollow Dimpled Polystyrene Microparticles by Dispersion Polymerization.

The design and preparation of hollow nonspherical microparticles are of great significance for their potential applications, but the development of a facile synthetic method using only one production step remains a great challenge. In the current work, a new template-free method based on dispersion polymerization was successfully developed to produce anisotropic hollow polystyrene (PS) microparticles in a single step. In the synthesis, ammonium persulfate (APS) played a critical role in the formation and growth of highly uniform and stable hollow PS microparticles.

Controlling Gaussian and mean curvatures at microscale by sublimation and condensation of smectic liquid crystals.

Soft materials with layered structure such as membranes, block copolymers and smectics exhibit intriguing morphologies with nontrivial curvatures. Here, we report restructuring the Gaussian and mean curvatures of smectic A films with free surface in the process of sintering, that is, reshaping at elevated temperatures. The pattern of alternating patches of negative, zero and positive mean curvature of the air-smectic interface has a profound effect on the rate of sublimation.

Photoaging behavior of 3-D colloidal photonic crystals.

Since most polymers are not inherently stable to light, their photochemical behavior remains a subject of constant interest. In this study, we investigated the photoaging behavior of polymeric colloidal photonic crystal films. As a consequence of photochemical reactions containing chain-scission, photoaging induced morphological changes in the film surface including changes in the size, surface roughness, shape, and packing structure of PS particles.

Morphological Evolution of Single-Crystal Ag Nanospheres during the Galvanic Replacement Reaction with HAuCl(4).

This paper presents a systematic study of the galvanic replacement reaction between 23.5 nm single-crystal Ag nanospheres and HAuCl(4) in an aqueous medium. We have monitored both morphological and spectral changes as the molar ratio of HAuCl(4) to Ag is increased.