Polymeric hydrogel integrated paper-based potentiometric ion-sensing device for the determination of sodium ions in human urine.

A paper-based potentiometric sensor integrated with a polymeric hydrogel has been developed for sodium ion (Na) determination in human urine. The construction of an all-solid-state ion selective electrode (s-ISE) and an all-solid-state reference electrode (s-RE) on a photo paper substrate was achieved using an inkjet printing method. For s-ISE fabrication, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were printed on the substrate as a nanocomposite solid contact.

Design of hybrid aptamer-molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles for selective binding of oxidized low-density lipoprotein in an ELISA-mimic system.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is the leading cause of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease development. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-mimic system for sensitive and specific oxLDL determination was developed using selective aptamer-molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (AP-MIP NP) coupled with an immunology-based colorimetric assay. The AP-MIP NP were synthesized using solid-phase molecular imprinting by incorporating aptamers into the MIP NP cavities.

Reduced Uptake of Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein by Macrophages Using Multiple Aptamer Combinations.

The accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in macrophages leads to the formation of foam cells and atherosclerosis development. Reducing the uptake of oxLDL in macrophages decreases the incidence and progression of atherosclerosis. Four distinct single-strand DNA sequences, namely, AP07, AP11, AP25, and AP29, were selected that demonstrated specific binding to distinct regions of oxidized apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100; the protein component of oxLDL) with low HDOCK scores.

Computational and experimental investigations of a novel aptamer targeting oxidized low-density lipoprotein.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) induces the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100) is a crucial protein component in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which includes oxLDL. The oxidation of amino acids and subsequent alterations in their structure generate oxLDL, which is a significant biomarker for the initial phases of coronary artery disease.

Correction: Ostermann et al. Development and Up-Scaling of Electrochemical Production and Mild Thermal Reduction of Graphene Oxide. 2022, , 4639.

In the original publication [...

Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticle Ensembles for Rapidly Identifying .

() belongs to methicillin-resistant bacteria strains that cause severe disease in humans. Herein, molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles resulting from solid-phase synthesis on entire cells were employed as a sensing material to identify the species. MIP nanoparticles revealed spherical shapes with diameters of approximately 70 nm to 200 nm in scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed.

Lightning Strike Protection: Current Challenges and Future Possibilities.

An airplane is statistically struck by lightning every year. The need for lightweight aircraft to reduce the production of carbon dioxide has significantly reduced the presence of metals in favour of composites, resulting in lower lightning strike protection efficiency. In this perspective, we critically review the state of technologies in lightning strike protection solutions based on carbon materials, graphene, and MXenes.

Origami 3D-microfluidic paper-based analytical device for detecting carbaryl using mesoporous silica-platinum nanoparticles with a molecularly imprinted polymer shell.

Herein, we present a novel Origami 3D-μPAD for colorimetric carbaryl detection using a super-efficient catalyst, namely mesoporous silica-platinum nanoparticles coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MSN-PtNPs@MIP). Morphological and structural characterization reveals that coating MIP on the MSN-PtNPs surface significantly increases the selective area, leading to larger numbers of imprinting sites for improved sensitivity and selectivity in determining carbaryl. The as-prepared MSN-PtNPs@MIP was used for catalytic oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by HO.

A simple aptamer/gold nanoparticle aggregation-based colorimetric assay for oxidized low-density lipoprotein determination.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is the leading cause of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Here, we created a simple colorimetric assay for sensitive and specific determination of oxLDL using a selective aptamer coupled with salt-induced gold nanoparticle (AuNP) aggregation. The aptamer was chosen by Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment to obtain a novel selective sequence towards oxLDL (as 5'-CCATCACGGGGCAGGCGGACAAGGGGTAAGGGCCACATCA-3').

Facile and Compact Electrochemical Paper-Based Analytical Device for Point-of-Care Diagnostic of Dual Carcinogen Oxidative Stress Biomarkers through a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Coated on Graphene Quantum-Dot Capped Gold.

Nanoscale imprinting significantly increases the specific surface area and recognition capabilities of a molecularly imprinted polymer by improving accessibility to analytes, binding kinetics, and template removal. Herein, we present a novel synthetic route for a dual molecularly imprinted polymer (dual-MIP) of the carcinogen oxidative stress biomarkers 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and 4-nitroquinolin-N-oxide (4-NQO) as coatings on graphene quantum-dot capped gold nanoparticles (GQDs-AuNPs). The dual-MIP was successfully coated on the GQDs-AuNPs core via a (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) linkage and copolymerization with the 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTMS) functional monomer.

Development of Colorimetric Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Detecting Feline Coronavirus.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a worldwide fatal disease caused by a mutant feline coronavirus (FCoV). Simple and efficient molecular detection methods are needed. Here, sensitive, specific, rapid, and reliable colorimetric reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) was developed to detect the ORF1a/1b gene of FCoV from cats with suspected FIP using neutral red as an indicator.

Development and Up-Scaling of Electrochemical Production and Mild Thermal Reduction of Graphene Oxide.

To reduce the global emissions of CO2, the aviation industry largely relies on new light weight materials, which require multifunctional coatings. Graphene and its derivatives are particularly promising for combining light weight applications with functional coatings. Although they have proven to have outstanding properties, graphene and its precursor graphene oxide (GO) remain far from application at the industrial scale since a comprehensive protocol for mass production is still lacking.

Raman and scanning probe microscopy for differentiating surface imprints of and .

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are artificial recognition materials mimicking biological recognition entities such as antibodies. The general model of imprinting assumes that functional monomers interact with functional groups present on the target species which leads to cavities complementing the template in surface chemistry and shape thus ensuring recognition. However, to date there is little independent experimental evidence supporting that the surface chemistry in the imprints is tailored to analyte recognition and thus differs from the surface chemistry of the surrounding polymer.

Investigations on sub-structures within cavities of surface imprinted polymers using AFM and PF-QNM.

Investigations on lithographically formed cavities of surface-imprinted polymers (SIP) can help to gain deeper understanding on cell recognition with SIPs: it is known that surface topography and biomolecules transferred during surface imprinting contribute to cell adhesion. In this work, SIPs synthesized two different imprinting techniques, namely stamp imprinting and polymerization of Pickering emulsions, were investigated and compared to each other, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Peak Force Quantitative Nano Mechanics (PF-QNM). We focused on SIPs based on poly(styrene--divinylbenzene) as model polymer and as model template for cell imprinting.

Raman Studies on Surface-Imprinted Polymers to Distinguish the Polymer Surface, Imprints, and Different Bacteria.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are widely used as robust biomimetic recognition layers in sensing devices targeting a wide variety of analytes including microorganisms such as bacteria. Assessment of imprinting success and selectivity toward the target is of great importance in MIP quality control. We generated -imprinted poly(styrene--DVB) as a model system for bacteria-imprinted polymers via surface imprinting using a glass stamp with covalently immobilized .

QCM-based assay designs for human serum albumin.

Solid-phase synthesis is an elegant way to create molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nano-MIPs) comprising a single binding site, i.e. mimics of antibodies.

Monitoring of Real-Time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification with QCM: Detecting .

Functionalized DNA sequences are promising sensing elements to combine with transducers for bio-sensing specific target microbes. As an application example, this paper demonstrates in situ detection of loop-mediated isothermal amplification products by hybridizing them with thiolated-ssDNA covalently anchored on the electrodes of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Such hybridization leads to a frequency signal, which is suitable for monitoring real-time LAMP amplification based on mass-sensing: it detects interactions between the complementary nucleobases of LAMP products in solution and the thiolated-ssDNA probe sequence on the gold surface.

Biomimetic Sensors to Detect Bioanalytes in Real-Life Samples Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: A Review.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) come with the promise to be highly versatile, useful artificial receptors for sensing a wide variety of analytes. Despite a very large body of literature on imprinting, the number of papers addressing real-life biological samples and analytes is somewhat limited. Furthermore, the topic of MIP-based sensor design is still, rather, in the research stage and lacks wide-spread commercialization.

Enhancing sensitivity of QCM for dengue type 1 virus detection using graphene-based polymer composites.

Graphene oxide-molecularly imprinted polymer composites (GO-MIP) have attracted significant attention as recognition materials in sensing due to their outstanding properties in terms of electrical and thermal conductivity, high mechanical modulus, and the comparably straightforward way to functionalize them. The aim of this study was to design a MIP-based sensor recognition material and enhance its sensitivity by blending it with GO for sensing a harmful dengue hemorrhagic fever pathogen, namely the dengue type 1 virus (DENV-1). Polymer composites comprising GO incorporated to an acrylamide (AAM)/methacrylic acid (MAA)/methyl methacrylate (MMA)/N-vinylpyrrolidone (VP) copolymer were synthesized and compared to the "pure" MIP, i.

Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring with Chemical Sensors.

Water quality is one of the most critical indicators of environmental pollution and it affects all of us. Water contamination can be accidental or intentional and the consequences are drastic unless the appropriate measures are adopted on the spot. This review provides a critical assessment of the applicability of various technologies for real-time water quality monitoring, focusing on those that have been reportedly tested in real-life scenarios.