Multifunctional Copper Nanoclusters for the Detection of pH and Berberine Hydrochloride.

The copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) have been garnered significant attention owing to their low cost raw materials, outstanding optical properties, environmental friendliness and good biocompatibility. In this study, copper nanoclusters stabilized by Acid Chromic Blue K (ACBK-CuNCs) were synthesized. The optimal excitation wavelength of the synthesized ACBK-CuNCs is 344 nm and the optimal emission wavelength is 460 nm.

In Situ Preparation of High-Performance Silicon-Based Integrated Electrodes Using Cross-Linked Cyclodextrins.

The strategy of material modification for improving the stability of silicon electrodes is laborious and costly, while the conventional binders cannot withstand the repeated massive volume variability of silicon-based materials. Hence, there is a demand to settle the silicon-based materials' problems with green and straightforward solutions. This paper presents a high-performance silicon anode with a binder obtained by in situ thermal cross-linking of citric acid (CA) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) during the electrode preparation process.

Proton solvent-controllable synthesis of manganese oxalate anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Manganese oxalates with different structures and morphologies were prepared by the precipitation method in a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and proton solvents. The proton solvents play a key role in determining the structures and morphologies of manganese oxalate. Monoclinic MnCO·2HO microrods are prepared in HO-DMSO, while MnCO·HO nanorods and nanosheets with low crystallinity are synthesized in ethylene glycol-DMSO and ethanol-DMSO, respectively.

Cross-linked β-CD-CMC as an effective aqueous binder for silicon-based anodes in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

As a non-active material component, the binder can effectively maintain the integrity of battery electrodes. In this work, based on the inspired structure of fishing nets, a three-dimensional mesh adhesive using widely sourced raw materials CMC and β-CD was designed. These cross-linked cyclodextrins have the advantage of dispersing the stress at the anchor point and moderating the significant volume changes of the Si anode.

Clinical features and risk factors of severely and critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Background: As of June 1, 2020, over 370000 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization. However, the risk factors for patients with moderate-to-severe or severe-to-critical COVID-19 remain unclear.

Aim: To explore the characteristics and predictive markers of severely and critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Simple Preparation of Carbon Dots and Application in Cephalosporin Detection.

Carbon dots have good biocompatibility, low toxicity, excellent photoluminescence properties, and good light stability, endowing them good application prospects in drug detection, chemical analysis, drug delivery, and other fields. In this study, -phenylenediamine was used as the carbon source, and carbon dots were synthesized in hydrochloric acid medium using microwave method. When the excitation wavelength is about 300 nm, a strong emission peak of 689 nm is detected for the synthesized carbon dots.

Nuclear fast red-based colorimetric sensors for sensitive and selective detection of Ag ions.

The reduction of nuclear fast red (NFR) stain by sodium tetrahydroboron was catalyzed in the presence of silver ions (Ag ). The fluorescence properties of reduced NFR differed from that of NFR. The product showed fluorescence emission at 480 nm with excitation at 369 nm.

Deep Eutectic Solvent Synthesis of LiMnPO₄/C Nanorods as a Cathode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries.

Olivine-type LiMnPO₄/C nanorods were successfully synthesized in a chloride/ethylene glycol-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) at 130 °C for 4 h under atmospheric pressure. As-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrochemical tests. The prepared LiMnPO₄/C nanorods were coated with a thin carbon layer (approximately 3 nm thick) on the surface and had a length of 100-150 nm and a diameter of 40-55 nm.

Fast Preparation of Porous MnO/C Microspheres as Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Porous MnO/C microspheres have been successfully fabricated by a fast co-precipitation method in a T-shaped microchannel reactor. The structures, compositions, and electrochemical performances of the obtained MnO/C microspheres are characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, charge-discharge testing, cyclic voltammograms, and electrochemical impedance spectra. Experimental results reveal that the as-prepared MnO/C, with a specific surface area of 96.

Highly sensitive detection of bovine serum albumin based on the aggregation of triangular silver nanoplates.

A simple, fast and highly sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been developed based on the interactions between triangular silver nanoplates (TAgNPs) and BSA in the presence of Britton-Robison buffer solution (BR). Particularly, the wavelength of absorption maximum (λ(max)) of TAgNPs is red shifted in the presence of BSA together with Britton-Robinson buffer solution (BR, pH=2.56), and the color of the solution changed from blue to light blue.

Visual detection of trace copper ions based on copper-catalyzed reaction of ascorbic acid with oxygen.

A visual detection method for trace Cu(2+) in aqueous solutions using triangular silver nanoplates (abbreviated as TAgNPs) as the probe was developed. The method is based on that TAgNPs could be corroded in sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) solutions. The absorption spectrum of TAgNPs solution changed when it is corroded by Na2S2O3.

Visual determination of trace cysteine based on promoted corrosion of triangular silver nanoplates by sodium thiosulfate.

In this study, triangular silver nanoplates (TAg-NPs) were used to detect trace Cysteine concentration in the presence of sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3). Study showed that the TAg-NPs could be gently etched by Cysteine with the concentration of 1.0×10(-7) mol L(-1) through forming Ag-S covalent bond at the three corners.

Observable temperature-dependent compaction-decompaction of cationic polythiophene in the presence of iodide.

Investigation on compaction and decompaction of polymers is very important since it is a fundamental problem in polymer physics. With the aids of atomic force microscope (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements in this contribution, the temperature-dependent compaction/decompaction transition process of water-soluble cationic polythiophene (PT) was investigated in the presence of KI. The above process is characterized by the red-to-yellow color change and fluorescence recovery and is reversible during the heating-cooling cycles in the range from 25 to 55 °C, indicating that the compaction and decompaction of polymer can be employed as a temperature indicator.

A sensitive resonance light scattering spectrometry of trace Hg2+ with sulfur ion modified gold nanoparticles.

A new resonance light scattering (RLS) spectrometric method for mercury ions (Hg(2+)) in aqueous solutions with sulfur ion (S(2-)) modified gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs-S) has been developed in this contribution. It was found that S(2-) at the surface of Au-NPs resulting from the surface modification can interact with Hg(2+) to form very stable S-Hg-S bonds when Hg(2+) concentration is lower than that of S(2-), resulting in the aggregation of Au-NPs-S and causing enhanced RLS signals. The enhanced RLS intensities (DeltaI(RLS)) characterized at 392 nm were found to be proportional to the concentration of Hg(2+) in the range of 0.

A visual test paper for extremely strong concentrated acidity with a new synthesized isoindole reagent.

A visual test paper by taking common filter paper as solid support for extremely strong concentrated acidity has been developed in this contribution with a new synthesized isoindole compound starting from p-phenylenediamine and the coupled fluorogenic reagent of o-phthaldialdehyde-beta-mercaptoethanol. It was very easy for semiquantitative detection of acidity in the range of 0.2-18 M ([H(+)]) in extreme acidic solution based on the color changes of the solution or the visual test paper prepared by immerging filter paper slides into the solution of the new synthesized reagent.

A dual-wavelength resonance light scattering ratiometry of biopolymer by its electrostatic interaction with surfactant.

A dual-wavelength resonance lighting scattering (DW-RLS) ratiometry is developed to detect anion biopolymer based on their bindings with cation surfactant. Using the interaction of Hyamine 1622 (HM) with fish sperm DNA (fsDNA) as an example, a dual-wavelength resonance light scattering (DW-RLS) ratiometric method of DNA was constructed. In Britton-Robinson buffer controlled medium, fish sperm DNA (fsDNA) could interact with Hyamine 1622 (HM), displaying significantly enhanced RLS signals.

Selectively light scattering spectrometric detection of copper (II) based on a new synthesized oxamide ligand.

Light scattering (LS) signals have been applied for analytical detections, but the selectivity is poor. In order to improve the selectivity, pre-separation or new machines are generally considered. Differing from these methods, we synthesized a highly selective oxamide ligand, N',N'-bis (2-aminophenyl) oxamide (NAPO).

Tryptophan-contained peptide-functional nanomaterials as general spectrofluorometric reagents for enzyme.

By designing and coupling a functional peptide, Gly-Leu-Ala-Cys-Ser-Gly-Phe-Pro-Arg-Gly-Arg-Trp, which could be cleaved by thrombin at the site of Arg-Gly (R-G), to the surface of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs), we propose a simple spectrofluorometry for thrombin (TRB) in this contribution. Experiments showed that the peptide coupled to the surface of Au-NPs in a Tris-HCl buffer at 37 degrees C could be cleaved, leaving the fluorescent fragment of Gly-Arg-Trp in the Au-NPs suspension. By centrifuging the suspension and measuring the fluorescence signals resulting from the Trp residue of Gly-Arg-Trp fragment in the supernatant, we found that the fluorescence intensity is proportional to thrombin concentrations in the range of 1-100 nM with the limit of the detection of 0.

Conformational change detection of DNA with the fluorogenic reagent of o-phthalaldehyde-beta-mercaptoethanol.

o-Phthalaldehyde-beta-mercaptoethanol (OPAME) as a fluorogenic reagent has been found wide applications in the detection of amino acids based on its reaction with primary amino groups. In this contribution, we report our new findings concerning the reactions of OPAME with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), respectively. It has been found that ssDNA can react with OPAME easily as a result of giving rise to strong fluorescence emissions, while dsDNA, prepared by hybridizing ssDNA with its complementary target prior to the reaction, displays inert chemical activity and gives out weak fluorescence emission.

Enhanced plasmon resonance light scattering signals of colloidal gold resulted from its interactions with organic small molecules using captopril as an example.

Gold nanoparticles are known for their plasmon resonance absorption (PRA) depending on their size. Our this investigation shows that plasma resonance light scattering (PRLS) signals in the corresponding PRA region could be measured using a common spectrofluorometer, and be enhanced when aggregation of gold nanoparticles occurs due to their interaction with organic small molecules (OSMs). Using captopril (Cap) as an example, we investigated the interactions of gold nanoparticles with OSMs in order to propose a general method of OSMs such as typical clinic organic drugs.

Hybridization detection of DNA by measuring organic small molecule amplified resonance light scattering signals.

The interaction of organic small molecules (OSMs) with a biological molecule is very important. In this contribution, quinone-imine dyes including Acridine Yellow (AY), Neutral Red (NR), Acridine Orange (AO), Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB), Thionin (TN), Azur A (AA), Azur B (AB), and Methylene Blue (MB) respectively with double strand DNA (dsDNA) and single strand DNA (ssDNA) were investigated based on the measurements of enhanced resonance light scattering (RLS) and TEM. Mechanism investigations have shown that groove binding occurs between dsDNA and these OSMs, which depends on G-C sequences of dsDNA and the volumes of OSMs.

Spectral studies on the interaction of Amido black 10B with DNA in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide.

The interaction of Amido black 10B (AB) with DNA in basic medium was studied in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) based on the measurements of resonance light scattering (RLS), UV-vis, CD spectra, and RLS imaging. The interaction has been proved to give a ternary complex of CTMAB-DNA-AB in Britton-Robinson buffer of pH 11.55, which exhibits strong negative Cotton effect at 233.

[Determination of deoxyribonucleic acid with nitro-tetrazolium chloride blue by resonance light-scattering technique].

Characteristics of the interaction of nitro-tetrazolium chloride blue and Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) were studied in the of pH 1.8 buffer solution by Resonance Light-Scattering (RLS) technique. The effects of interference substances and the optimization of the procedure were investigated, and a new method for the determination of the DNA was established based on RLS.

[Resonance light scattering study on the interaction of Victory blue-B with deoxyribonucleic acid and application to DNA assay].

The enhancement of the Resonance Light Scattering (RLS) due to Victory blue-B on the molecular surface of DNA in alkalescence solution was studied. A method of resonance light scattering was developed to determine DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was studied in the range of pH 9.

[Determination of deoxyribonucleic acid with alkali blue 6B by resonance light-scattering method].

Characteristics of the interaction between alkali blue 6B with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was studied by resonance light-scattering (RLS) method in the pH 2.90 medium. The effects of interference substances and the optimization of procedure were investigated, and a new method based on RLS was established.