Sustainable bioelectric activation of periodate for highly efficient micropollutant abatement

The periodate (PI)-based advanced oxidation process is valued for environmental remediation, but current activation methods involve high costs, secondary contamination risks, and limited applicability due to external energy inputs (e.g., UV), catalyst incorporation (e.g., Fe2+), or environmental modifications (e.g., freezing). In this work, novel bioelectric activation of PI using the electrons generated by electroactive bacteria was developed and investigated for rapid removal of carbamazepine (CBZ), achieving 100 %, 100 %, and 76 % removal efficiency for 4.22 µM of CBZ in 20 min at pH 2, 120 min at pH 6.4, and HRT of 30 min at pH 8.5, respectively, with a 1 mM PI dose and without an input voltage. It was deduced that electrons derived from bacteria could directly activate PI using Ti mesh electrodes and generate •IO3 via single electron transfer under strongly acidic conditions (e.g., pH 2). Nevertheless, under weak alkaline conditions (e.g., pH 8.5), biogenic electrons indirectly activated PI by generating OH-via 4e-reduction at the Ti mesh cathode, resulting in the formation of •O2- and 1O2. In addition to the metal cathode, a carbon-based cathode finely modulates the 2e-reduction, yielding H2O2 and activating PI to mainly form •OH. Moreover, primarily non-toxic IO3- was produced during treatment, while no detectable reactive iodine species (HOI, I2, and I3-) were observed. Furthermore, the bioelectric activation of PI demonstrated its capability to remove various micropollutants present in secondary-treated municipal wastewater, showcasing its broad-spectrum degradation ability. This study introduces a novel, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly PI activation technique with promising applicability for micropollutant elimination in water treatment.

Additive manufacturing-derived free-standing 3D pyrolytic carbon electrodes for sustainable microbial electrochemical production of H2O2

Producing H2O2 via microbial electrosynthesis is a cost-effective and environmentally favorable alternative to the costly and environmentally hazardous anthraquinone method. However, most studies have relied on carbon electrodes with two-dimensional (2D) surfaces (e.g., graphite), which have limited surface area and active sites, resulting in suboptimal H2O2 production. In this study, we demonstrate the enhanced efficiency of microbial H2O2 synthesis using three-dimensional (3D) electrodes produced through additive manufacturing technology due to their larger surface area than conventional carbon electrodes with 2D surfaces. This work innovatively combines 3D printed pyrolytic carbon (3D PyrC) electrodes with highly defined outer geometry and internal mesh structures derived from additive manufacturing with high-temperature resin precursors followed by pyrolysis with microbial electrochemical platform technology to achieve efficient H2O2 synthesis. The 3D PyrC electrode produced a maximum of 129.2 mg L-1 of H2O2 in 12 h, which was 2.3-6.9 times greater than conventional electrodes (e.g., graphite and carbon felt). Furthermore, the scalability, reusability and mechanical properties of the 3D PyrC electrode were exemplary, showcasing its practical viability for large-scale applications. Beyond H2O2 synthesis, the study explored the application of the 3D PyrC electrode in the bio-electro-Fenton process, demonstrating its efficacy as a tertiary treatment technology for the removal of micropollutants. This dual functionality underscores the versatility of the 3D PyrC electrode in addressing both the synthesis of valuable chemicals and environmental remediation. This study shows a novel electrode design for efficient, sustainable synthesis of H2O2 and subsequent environmental remediation.

A tunable flat terahertz lens using Dirac semimetals: a simulation study

We propose and design a flat and tunable terahertz lens achieved through a two-dimensional photonic crystal composed of an array of rods made of a Dirac semimetal placed in air as the background medium. The structure of interest is a graded index photonic crystal, made possible by the slight variations in the rods' radii in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the light propagation. Dirac semimetals' ability to respond to variations in their Fermi energy level manifested as a change in the refractive index provides the tunability of our proposed lens. The interaction of electromagnetic waves with the designed structure is investigated for both transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarizations using two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method.

Modular 3D printed platform for fluidically connected human brain organoid culture

Brain organoid technology has transformed both basic and applied biomedical research and paved the way for novel insights into developmental processes and disease states of the human brain. While the use of brain organoids has been rapidly growing in the past decade, the accompanying bioengineering and biofabrication solutions have remained scarce. As a result, most brain organoid protocols still rely on commercially available tools and culturing platforms that had previously been established for different purposes, thus entailing suboptimal culturing conditions and excessive use of plasticware. To address these issues, we developed a 3D printing pipeline for the fabrication of tailor-made culturing platforms for fluidically connected but spatially separated brain organoid array culture. This all-in-one platform allows all culturing steps-from cellular aggregation, spheroid growth, hydrogel embedding, and organoid maturation-to be performed in a single well plate without the need for organoid manipulation or transfer. Importantly, the approach relies on accessible materials and widely available 3D printing equipment. Furthermore, the developed design principles are modular and highly customizable. As such, we believe that the presented technology can be easily adapted by other research groups and fuel further development of culturing tools and platforms for brain organoids and other 3D cellular systems.

Flexible and sewable electrode based on Ni-Co@PANI-salphen composite-coated on textiles for wearable supercapacitor

Flexible electrodes with high deformability and energy density are critical for electronic textiles. The key factor for achieving high-performance supercapacitors with superior power and energy density is the evaluation of materials that exhibit exceptional capacitive performance. Herein, we have prepared Ni-Co nanoparticles at the surface of polyaniline-salphen (Ni-Co@PS). Then, followed by casting Ni-Co@PS on a conductive carbon cloth (CC) as a substrate through a facile in-situ polymerization strategy. The morphologies of Ni-Co@PS composite were characterized by different methods such as FE-SEM, XPS, XRD, BET, and electrochemical methods. This nanocomposite showed high tolerability and a large surface area with excellent behavior as a new nanomaterial for supercapacitor application. Thus, the optimum composite designed with a metal ratio (nickel-cobalt 3:1 w/w) satisfactorily possesses a specific capacitance of up to 549.994 C g-1 (1447.2 F g-1) under 0.5 A g-1 and long-term cyclic stability featuring capacity retention of 95.9% after 5000 cycles at a current density of 9.0 A g-1. The Ni-Co@PS-CC, is a material with great potential as an electrode in asymmetric wearable supercapacitor (AWSC) apparatus, demonstrating a remarkable specific capacity of 70.01, and accompanied by an energy density of 23.46 Wh k g-1 at a power density of 800 W k g-1.

Tunable multichannel Fibonacci one-dimensional terahertz photonic crystal filter

This paper proposes a multichannel terahertz optical filter based on a one-dimensional photonic crystal with a third-order Fibonacci structure, including a bulk Dirac semimetal. The tuning of the optical properties of the proposed structure has been theoretically studied as a function of the Dirac semimetals' Fermi energy. Furthermore, the effects of the Fibonacci structure's periodic number and light's incident angle on optical channels were investigated. The results reveal that changes in the Fermi energy and incident angle remarkably affect the frequency and transmission of the optical channels. Additionally, the number of optical channels increases by increasing the periodic number of the Fibonacci structure.

Valley-optical absorption in planar transition metal dichalcogenide superlattices

In this study, we investigate the optical absorption of a planar superlattice comprising alternatively arranged two-dimensional Transition Metal DiChalcogenide semiconductors. Within a semi-classical model and using the Dirac-like equation in the presence of light interaction as a perturbation, we obtained the governing Hamiltonian. Using this Hamiltonian, we derived a fully analytical relationship for the absorption coefficient of the structure. By calculating the effective mass for different bands and using the Drude-Lorentz model, our approach is able to determine the oscillator strength and the effective refractive index of the structure. We found that the spin-orbit coupling has important effect on the absorption coefficient and energy bands where it reduces the absorption coefficient of the structure from typical value of [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text], also the valence band experiences a significant blue shift, while the conduction band shows minor changes due to spin orbit coupling. Moreover, the role of incident light angle and light polarization were studied in details at different valleys of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The most important finding is that by changing the polarization of incident light, it is possible to increase the absorption coefficients of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] valleys by up to 30 times. For light propagation direction close to perpendicular to the plane of the superlattice, the right-circular polarization is absorbed only by [Formula: see text] valley in contrast to the left-circular polarization, which is absorbed by the [Formula: see text] valley. Our model might be used to design newly developed 2D optovalleytronic devices.

Graphene-like sheets supported Fe-Co layered double hydroxides nanoflakes as an efficient electrocatalyst for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction, A green investigation

Herein, a nanohybrid material containing graphene-like sheets (GS) and Fe-Co layered double hydroxides nanoflakes (LDHs) was synthesized via simple two-step processes and named Fe-Co LDHs/GS. The Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid was characterized by various techniques. Fe-Co LDHs nanoflakes were grown on GS in Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid. The electrochemical surface area of Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid was obtained 0.05 cm² based on the Randles-Sevcik equation. The Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid was applied as an electrocatalyst of HER and OER in a 1.0 M KOH. The electrochemical performance of Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid was surveyed by several electrochemical methods, and long-term electrochemical stability. The onset potential, overpotential at 10 mA cm^-1 current density, and Tafel slope for the Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid were obtained -0.33 V, -0.43 V (_vs. RHE), and 122 mV dec^-1, respectively. The Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid has long-term stability over 35 h in alkaline media toward HER. Furthermore, the onset potential, overpotential at 10 mA/cm, and Tafel slope for the Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid were obtained as 1.52 V, 1.60 V (vs. RHE), and 44 mV dec^-1, respectively. The Fe-Co LDHs/GS nanohybrid has long-term durability over 10 h in alkaline media toward OER.

Green application of trimetallic nickel-cobalt-molybdenum nanocomposites on 3D graphene oxide as a powerful electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

In-situ designing of multiple metals electrocatalysts with high active sites and performance is the main challenge for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). So in this work, 3D-rGO was easily obtained from 2D-graphene by a simple one-step hydrothermal method to create the interspace sites and active surface area. The Ni-Co-Mo tri-metallic@3D-rGO was synthesized and fully characterized by different techniques, e.g., FT-IR, XRD, Raman, FE-SEM, TEM, EDS, mapping, ICP-OES, AFM, voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. According to the FE-SEM and TEM images, the Ni-Co-Mo tri-metallic@3D-rGO has a crumpled-formed structure. The as-prepared nanocomposite has high HER performance with a low potential of -0.11 (vs. RHE) to deliver 10 mA cm^-2 and Tafel slope of 68 mV dec^-1 for Pt and -0.25 V (vs. RHE) to deliver 10 mA cm^-2 and Tafel slope of 110 mV dec^-1 for graphite counter electrode. Furthermore, the 3D structure illustrates high long-term durability in the HER process for 1000 continuous cycles and 12 h operation at -0.42 V (vs. RHE) for Pt and graphite counter electrode. It's noticeable HER performance has the synergetic effect between 3D-rGO and tri-metallic structure with high porosity and electrical conductivity, enhancing HER kinetic.

A theoretical and experimental study of polyaniline/GCE and DNA G-quadruplex conformation as an impedimetric biosensor for the determination of potassium ions

An electrochemical aptasensor has been developed to determine K⁺ using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The polyaniline (PANI) coating was first electrodeposited on a GCE. Then, the potassium-selective aptamer [G₃(T₂AG₃)₃] was adsorbed through an electrostatic force between PANI and aptamer. In the presence of K⁺, the single-stranded DNA is folded into the G-quadruplex configuration, which acts as a barrier against electron transfer at the GCE surface. AFM and FE-SEM images characterize the surface morphology at each fabrication stage. As the K⁺ concentration increased, the charge transfer resistance (R_ct) increased, and the plot of ΔR_ct versus the logarithm of the K⁺ concentration is linear over a wide range of 10 pM-60 μM with a low detection limit of 3.7 pM. Finally, the proposed sensor was used to determine K⁺ in water, serum, urine, and fruit samples. Moreover, the binding stability of the aptamer/PANI and K⁺/Aptamer/PANI and the interactions between the aptamer and PANI were analyzed through molecular dynamics simulation.

Stereolithography-Derived Three-Dimensional Pyrolytic Carbon/Mn3O4 Nanostructures for Free-Standing Hybrid Supercapacitor Electrodes

The development of permeable three-dimensional (3D) macroporous carbon architectures loaded with active pseudocapacitive nanomaterials offers hybrid supercapacitor (SC) materials with higher energy density, shortened diffusion length for ions, and higher charge-discharge rate capability and thereby is highly relevant for electrical energy storage (EES). Herein, structurally complex and tailorable 3D pyrolytic carbon/Mn₃O₄ hybrid SC electrode materials are synthesized through the self-assembly of MnO₂ nanoflakes and nanoflowers onto the surface of stereolithography 3D-printed architectures via a facile wet chemical deposition route, followed by a single thermal treatment. Thermal annealing of the MnO₂ nanostructures concurrent with carbonization of the polymer precursor leads to the formation of a 3D hybrid SC electrode material with unique structural integrity and uniformity. The microstructural and chemical characterization of the hybrid electrode reveals the predominant formation of crystalline hausmannite-Mn₃O₄ after the pyrolysis/annealing process, which is a favorable pseudocapacitive material for EES. With the combination of the 3D free-standing carbon architecture and self-assembled binder-free Mn₃O₄ nanostructures, electrochemical capacitive charge storage with very good rate capability, gravimetric and areal capacitances (186 F g^-1 and 968 mF cm^-2, respectively), and a long lifespan (>92% after 5000 cycles) is demonstrated. It is worth noting that the gravimetric capacitance value is obtained by considering the full mass of the electrode including the carbon current collector. When only the mass of the pseudocapacitive nanomaterial is considered, a capacitance value of 457 F g^-1 is achieved, which is comparable to state-of-the-art Mn₃O₄-based SC electrode materials.

On-Demand Reversible UV-Triggered Interpenetrating Polymer Network-Based Drug Delivery System Using the Spiropyran-Merocyanine Hydrophobicity Switch

A reversible switchable on-demand UV-triggered drug delivery system (DDS) based on interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) with silicone as the host polymer and spiropyran (SP)-functionalized guest polymer is designed and demonstrated. The photo-responsive IPNs provide a new triggered drug delivery concept as they exploit the change in intermolecular interactions (work of adhesion) among the drug, matrix, and solvent when the incorporated hydrophobic SP moieties transform into the hydrophilic merocyanine form upon light irradiation without degradation and disruption of the DDS. The change in how the copolymer composition (hydrophilicity and content) and the lipophilicity of the drug (log P) affect the release profile was investigated. A thermodynamic model, based on Hansen solubility parameters, was developed to design and optimize the polymer composition of the IPNs to obtain the most efficient light-triggered drug release and suppression of the premature release. The developed IPNs showed excellent result for dopamine, l-dopa, and prednisone with around 90-95% light-triggered release. The model was applied to study the release behavior of drugs with different log P and to estimate if the light-induced hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic switch can overcome the work of adhesion between polymers and drugs and hence the desorption and release of the drugs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that work of adhesion is used for this aim. Comparing the result obtained from the model and experiment shows that the model is useful for evaluating and estimating the release behavior of specific drugs merocyanine, IPN, DDS, and spiropyran.

A novel aptasensor based on 3D-reduced graphene oxide modified gold nanoparticles for determination of arsenite

In this study, a sensitive aptasensor based on three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide-modified gold nanoparticles (3D-rGO/AuNPs) was fabricated for the determination of arsenite (As(III)). The 3D-rGO/AuNPs was fully characterized with various techniques. The 5'-thiolate aptamer was first self-assembled on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) that it's modified with 3D-rGO/AuNPs via Au-S covalent bonding. In the presence of As(III), the G-quadruplex interaction was formed between a single-stranded DNA and the target, which produced a hindrance for electron transfer. Consequently, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy signals of a GCE modified with 3D-rGO/AuNPs was increased. In order to improve the response of the designing aptasensor, the effect of the various parameters was optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the aptasensor has an extraordinarily low detection limit of 1.4 × 10^-7 ng mL^-1 toward As(III) with a dynamic range of 3.8 × 10^-7 3.0 × 10^-4 ng mL^-1. The 3D-rGO/AuNPs aptasensor displayed superior selectivity and reproducibility with an acceptable recovery for determination of As(III) in real water samples.

Tunable Bragg defect mode in one-dimensional photonic crystal containing a graphene-embedded defect layer

Using the transfer matrix method, the transmission properties of defective one-dimensional photonic crystal are analyzed in the terahertz region. The defect layer is composed of a graphene-embedded dielectric layer. We investigate the variation of the defect mode's frequency as a function of graphene chemical potential for different values of incident angles. The numerical results show that the frequency of the defect mode can be tuned effectively as the chemical potential of graphene nanolayers changes using an applied gate voltage. The present results can be useful in designing tunable graphene-based photonic devices such as filters and sensors in terahertz regions.

An electrochemical immunosensor for cardiac Troponin I using electrospun carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotube-whiskered nanofibres

A sandwich-type nanostructured immunosensor based on carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotube (CMWCNT)-embedded whiskered nanofibres (WNFs) was developed for detection of cardiac Troponin I (cTnI). WNFs were directly fabricated on glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) by removing the sacrificial component (polyethylene glycol, PEG) after electrospinning of polystyrene/CMWCNT/PEG nanocomposite nanofibres, and utilised as a transducer layer for enzyme-labeled amperometric immunoassay of cTnI. The whiskered segments of CMWCNTs were activated and utilised to immobilise anti-cTnT antibodies. It was observed that the anchored CMWCNTs within the nanofibres were suitably stabilised with excellent electrochemical repeatability. A sandwich-type immuno-complex was formed between cTnI and horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-cTnI (HRP-anti-cTnI). The amperometric responses of the immunosensor were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) through an enzymatic reaction between hydrogen peroxide and HRP conjugated to the secondary antibody. The nanostructured immunosensor delivered a wide detection range for cTnI from the clinical borderline for a normal person (0.5-2ngmL^-1) to the concentration present in myocardial infarction patients (> 20ngmL^-1), with a detection limit of ~ 0.04ngmL^-1. It also showed good reproducibility and repeatability for three different cTnI concentration (1, 10 and 25ngmL^-1) with satisfactory relative standard deviations (RSD). Hence, the proposed nanostructured immunosensor shows potential for point-of-care testing.

Non-enzymatic glucose electrochemical sensor based on silver nanoparticle decorated organic functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes

Silver nanoparticles were decorated on organic amine chain functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes to fabricate a sensitive glucose sensor.

Electrochemical biosensors based on nanofibres for cardiac biomarker detection: A comprehensive review

The vital importance of early and accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) to prevent the irreversible damage or even death of patients has driven the development of biosensor devices for detection and quantification of cardiac biomarkers. Electrochemical biosensors offer rapid sensing, low cost, portability and ease of use. Over the past few years, nanotechnology has contributed to a tremendous improvement in the sensitivity of biosensors. In this review, the authors summarise the state-of-the-art of the application of one particular type of nanostructured material, i.e. nanofibres, for use in electrochemical biosensors for the ultrasensitive detection of cardiac biomarkers. A new way of classifying the nanofibre-based electrochemical biosensors according to the electrical conductance and the type of nanofibres is presented. Some key data from each article reviewed are highlighted, including the mechanism of detection, experimental conditions and the response range of the biosensor. The primary aim of this review is to emphasise the prospects for nanofibres for the future development of biosensors in diagnosis of CVDs as well as considering how to improve their characteristics for application in medicine.

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles decorated on exfoliated graphene oxide, application for amperometric determination of NADH and H2O2

Here, cobalt ferrite nanohybrid decorated on exfoliated graphene oxide (CoFe2O4/EGO) was synthesized. The nanohybrid was characterized by different methods such as X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray diffraction microanalysis, transmission electron microscopy, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. The CoFe2O4/EGO nanohybrid was used to modify glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The voltammetric investigations showed that CoFe2O4/EGO nanohybrid has synergetic effect towards the electro-reduction of H2O2 and electro-oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Rotating disk chronoamperometry was used for their quantitative analysis. The calibration curves were observed in the range of 0.50 to 100.0 μmol L(-1) NADH and 0.9 to 900.0 μmol L(-1) H2O2 with detections limit of 0.38 and 0.54 μmol L(-1), respectively. The repeatability, reproducibility and selectivity of the electrochemical sensor for analysis of the analytes were studied. The new electrochemical sensor was successfully applied for the determination of NADH and H2O2 in real samples with satisfactory results.

Label-free and turn-on fluorescent cyanide sensor based on CdTe quantum dots using silver nanoparticles

A turn-on fluorescence sensor is introduced for determination of trace amount of cyanide, based on glutathione-capped Cd–Te quantum dots.