Design of Smartphone-Assisted Point-of-Care Platform for Colorimetric Sensing of Uric Acid via Visible Light-Induced Oxidase-Like Activity of Covalent Organic Framework

In situ fabricated gold nanostars on hydrogel beads as photo-oxidase mimics for rapid and sustainable POCT of uric acid

Synthetic enzyme mimics surpass their natural counterparts in terms of stability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, making them highly valuable for catalytic applications. Gold nanomaterials, particularly gold nanostars, have emerged as promising enzyme mimetic nanocatalysts due to their enhanced light interaction and superior catalytic efficiency. In this study, gold nanostars grown in situ on the surface of core-shell hydrogel beads exhibited specific oxidase-like activity when exposed to light. Photoexcitation of gold nanostars generates singlet oxygen through the interaction of positive holes and superoxide radicals, resulting in photo-oxidase-like activity. Attaching the gold nanostars to the hydrogel bead surface prevented catalytic activity loss caused by agglomeration, resulting in a marked improvement in catalytic stability. This stability is evident from the sustained catalytic activity of the hydrogel bead-embedded gold nanostars, even after 60 days of prolonged incubation in an aqueous medium, and their strong catalytic performance across multiple reaction cycles. Leveraging this photo-oxidase-like activity, a point-of-care testing (POCT) setup is developed for highly sensitive uric acid detection. The system achieved a remarkable detection limit of 0.9 μM and demonstrated excellent accuracy in blood serum and urine sample analyses. Furthermore, the integration of smartphone technology facilitated rapid and convenient on-site testing, bridging the gap between laboratory settings and real-world applications. This approach offers a practical and sustainable solution for efficient and accurate uric acid monitoring in diverse settings.

A review of recent advancement in covalent organic framework (COFs) synthesis and characterization with a focus on their applications in antibacterial activity

The primary objective of this review is to present a comprehensive examination of the synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial applications of covalent organic frameworks (COFs). COFs represent a distinct category of porous materials characterized by a blend of advantageous features, including customizable pore dimensions, substantial surface area, and adaptable chemical properties. These attributes position COFs as promising contenders for various applications, notably in the realm of antibacterial activity. COFs exhibit considerable potential in the domain of antibacterial applications, owing to their amenability to functionalization with antibacterial agents. The scientific community is actively exploring COFs that have been imbued with metal ions, such as copper or silver, given their observed robust antibacterial properties. These investigations strongly suggest that COFs could be harnessed effectively as potent antibacterial agents across a diverse array of applications. Finally, COFs hold immense promise as a novel class of materials for antibacterial applications, shedding light on the synthesis, characterization, and functionalization of COFs tailored for specific purposes. The potential of COFs as effective antibacterial agents beckons further exploration and underscores their potential to revolutionize antibacterial strategies in various domains.

Bimetallic CuFe Prussian blue analogue cubes enhanced luminol chemiluminesence and its application

In this paper, bimetallic CuFe Prussian blue analogue (CuFe PBA) was discovered to have oxidase-like activity. Luminol can be oxidized under alkaline conditions without adding other oxidants. The chemiluminescence (CL) intensity produced is more than 1000 times that of the original luminol-NaOH system. Thus, a novel luminol-NaOH-CuFe PBA CL sensor was constructed. The CL intensity of the system would drastically decrease with the addition of uric acid (UA), it served as the foundation for the creation of an enzyme-free CL sensor for the determination of UA. The CL signal intensity of the system showed a linear connection with the square of the UA concentration in the range of 0.25 to 0.45 mmol·L-1, and the limits of detection was 0.10 mmol·L-1. This system could be used to construct an efficient CL sensor for the detection of UA in human serum.