A new Co(III) complex of Schiff base derivative for electrochemical recognition of nitrite anion

An electrochemical microfluidic sensor based on a Cu2O-GNP nanocomposite integrated hydrogel for nitrite detection in food samples

The integration of a nanocomposite composed of cuprous oxide-graphene nanoplatelet hydrogel (Cu2O-GNP hydrogel) has been investigated as an electrochemical interface for nitrite (NO2-) detection. The nanocomposite hydrogel was prepared through the sonochemical technique and characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), EDX (energy dispersive X-ray analysis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Electrochemical performance was further evaluated using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV). Cu2O provides a catalytic active site that lower the activation energy for NO2- oxidation, while GNPs enhance the electrode conductivity and increase the surface area for superior electron transfer. Additionally, a PDMS-based microfluidic device was developed and integrated with an electrochemical detection system, enabling continuous and real-time monitoring of NO2-. A syringe pump was used to maintain a stable NO2- solution flow through the microfluidic channels at a 10 μL per min flow rate, ensuring sufficient diffusion of NO2- ions to the electrode surface, and preventing excess analyte accumulation that could lead to signal distortion. The integrated microfluidic sensor exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, achieving a high sensitivity of 13.97 μA μM-1 cm-2 and a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.56 μM, with a linear range of 5-130 μM. Cu2O-GNP hydrogel/SPCE exhibited excellent selectivity and reproducibility for NO2- sensing. The developed sensor demonstrated good recovery percentages in sausages, pickled vegetables, and water samples, confirming its suitability for the food industry.

Simplistic approach to formulate an ionophore-based membrane and its study for nitrite ion sensing

A polymeric membrane based on a N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediaminocobalt(ii) complex as a cobalt ionophore (CI) was fabricated and optimized for nitrite ion sensing application. The membrane contained CI, 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (2-NPOE) as a plasticizer and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB) as a cationic additive in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix. The Nernstian slope (-0.020 mV per decade), detection limit (1 × 10-7 M to 3 M), and response (107 milliseconds) and recovery (22 milliseconds) times were recorded for optimum membrane composition. The ionophore functionality in the polymer matrix and their interaction were studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and optical microscopy analyses.

Bionic Enzyme-Assisted Ion-Selective Amperometric Biosensor Based on 3D Porous Conductive Matrix for Point-of-Care Nitrite Testing

Nitrite plays a critical role in a variety of physiological processes and maintaining the nitrite level in an appropriate range is vital to keep healthy. Current nitrite analysis methods lack sensitivity and require tedious operations, which could not meet the need of point-of-care (POC) nitrite detection in precision medicine. Here we present a cyanocobalamin (VB₁₂) bionic enzyme-assisted ion-selective amperometric biosensor based on 3D porous conductive matrix (PCM), which can facilitate rapid and accurate POC nitrite monitoring in complex biofluids. The experimental findings quantitatively demonstrate that the biosensor has a sensitivity of 64.08 μA/(mM·cm²), a wide linear range of 0.025-45 mM, and low limit of detection of 1 nM. Moreover, the developed VB₁₂/BSA-PCM biosensor shows outstanding stability after 21 days with 2% decline in current signal, and high repeatability between batches with RSD of only 1.29%. Real salivary nitrite detection has been evaluated, and the results match well with the commercial nitrite analyzer. Thus, the bionic enzyme-assisted ion-selective amperometric biosensor proposed herein has potential utility as an affordable tool for POC detection and home-based healthcare.

Two New Fluorinated Phenol Derivatives Pyridine Schiff Bases: Synthesis, Spectral, Theoretical Characterization, Inclusion in Epichlorohydrin-β-Cyclodextrin Polymer, and Antifungal Effect

It has been reported that the structure of the Schiff bases is fundamental for their function in biomedical applications. Pyridine Schiff bases are characterized by the presence of a pyridine and a phenolic ring, connected by an azomethine group. In this case, the nitrogen present in the pyridine is responsible for antifungal effects, where the phenolic ring may be also participating in this bioactivity. In this study, we synthesized two new pyridine Schiff Bases: (E)-2-[(3-Amino-pyridin-4-ylimino)-methyl]-4,6-difluoro-phenol (F1) and (E)- 2-[(3-Amino-pyridin-4-ylimino)-methyl]-6-fluoro-phenol (F2), which only differ in the fluorine substitutions in the phenolic ring. We fully characterized both F1 and F2 by FTIR, UV-vis, ¹H; ¹³C; ¹⁹F-NMR, DEPT, HHCOSY, TOCSY, and cyclic voltammetry, as well as by computational studies (DFT), and NBO analysis. In addition, we assessed the antifungal activity of both F1 (two fluorine substitution at positions 4 and 6 in the phenolic ring) and F2 (one fluorine substitution at position 6 in the phenolic ring) against yeasts. We found that only F1 exerted a clear antifungal activity, showing that, for these kind of Schiff bases, the phenolic ring substitutions can modulate biological properties. In addition, we included F1 and F2 into in epichlorohydrin-β-cyclodextrin polymer (βCD), where the Schiff bases remained inside the βCD as determined by the k_i, TGA, DSC, and S_BET. We found that the inclusion in βCD improved the solubility in aqueous media and the antifungal activity of both F1 and F2, revealing antimicrobial effects normally hidden by the presence of common solvents (e.g., DMSO) with some cellular inhibitory activity. The study of structural prerequisites for antimicrobial activity, and the inclusion in polymers to improve solubility, is important for the design of new drugs.