RuCu Cage/Alloy Nanoparticles with Controllable Electroactivity for Specific Electroanalysis Applications

RuZn NPs with electroactivity and oxidase-like property for dual-mode anti-cancer drug monitoring

6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) as the effective anti-cancer drug was used for the treatment of Crohn's disease and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, but the response to maintenance therapy was variable with individual differences. In order to control the dosage and decrease the side effects of 6-MP, a sensitive and stable assay was urgently needed for 6-MP monitoring. Herein, RuZn NPs with electrochemical oxidation property and oxidase-like activity was proposed for dual-mode 6-MP monitoring. Burr-like RuZn NPs were prepared and explored to not only exhibit an electrochemical oxidation signal at 0.78 V, but also displayed excellent oxidase-like performances. RuZn NPs were utilized for the dual-mode monitoring of 6-MP, attributing to the formation of Ru-SH covalent bonding. The colorimetric method showed good linearity from 10 μM to 5 mM with the limit of detection (LOD) of 300 nM, while the electrochemical method provided a higher sensitivity with the LOD of 37 nM in range from 100 nM to 200 μM. This work provided a new way for the fabrication of dual-functional nanotags with electroactivity and oxidase-like property, and opened a dual-mode approach for the 6-MP detection applications with complementary and satisfactory results.

Biomimetic Chiral Nanomaterials with Selective Catalysis Activity

Chiral nanomaterials with unique chiral configurations and biocompatible ligands have been booming over the past decade for their interesting chiroptical effect, unique catalytical activity, and related bioapplications. The catalytic activity and selectivity of chiral nanomaterials have emerged as important topics, that can be potentially controlled and optimized by the rational biochemical design of nanomaterials. In this review, chiral nanomaterials synthesis, composition, and catalytic performances of different biohybrid chiral nanomaterials are discussed. The construction of chiral nanomaterials with multiscale chiral geometries along with the underlying principles for enhancing chiroptical responses are highlighted. Various biochemical approaches to regulate the selectivity and catalytic activity of chiral nanomaterials for biocatalysis are also summarized. Furthermore, attention is paid to specific chiral ligands, materials compositions, structure characteristics, and so on for introducing selective catalytic activities of representative chiral nanomaterials, with emphasis on substrates including small molecules, biological macromolecule, and in-site catalysis in living systems. Promising progress has also been emphasized in chiral nanomaterials featuring structural versatility and improved chiral responses that gave rise to unprecedented chances to utilize light for biocatalytic applications. In summary, the challenges, future trends, and prospects associated with chiral nanomaterials for catalysis are comprehensively proposed.

Plasmon-enhanced electroreduction activity of Au-AgPd Janus nanoparticles for ochratoxin a detection

Ochratoxin A (OTA) was a dangerous biological toxin, and would easily contaminate food and induced food safety problems. The development of electrochemical aptasensors by designing strong and anti-interfere electroactive labels could improve the sensitivity and accuracy of OTA detection. In this contribution, novel electroactive Au-AgPd Janus NPs were firstly synthesized and exhibited electroreduction signal at -0.4 V, owing to the reduction process of Pd²⁺. The electroreduction signal was amplified 1.5 times under local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) excitation, which could improve the sensitivity of OTA detection. Plasmon-enhanced electroreduction principle of Au-AgPd Janus NPs was verified, which endowed electrochemical aptasensor with high accuracy and anti-interference ability for OTA detection. Au-AgPd Janus NPs served as electrochemical beacon achieved sensitive and accurate OTA detection with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.98 pM. This work opens up new directions for the construction of electroactive heterostructures for the sensitive and accurate biotoxins electroanalytical applications.