Glassy carbon electrode modified with graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles for ascorbic acid detection

Glassy carbon electrodes modified with graphene oxide (GO), gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and methylene blue (MB) were produced by drop casting method for ascorbic acid (AA) determination. Nafion was used as a polymeric immobilizing matrix. The GCE/GO-AuNP-MB-Nafion and GCE/GO-AuNP-Nafion electrodes were characterized by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to investigate electrocatalytic effect, stability and reproductibility. After optimization, the analytical parameters of the modified electrodes were determined by amperometry. The limit of detection for ascorbic acid at GCE/GO-AuNP-Nafion modified electrode was 2.4 µM and the linear domain from 5 to 50 µM. The electrodes showed significant electrocatalytic effect with good stability and reproductibility

Glassy Carbon Electrodes Modified with Ordered Mesoporous Silica for the Electrochemical Detection of Cadmium Ions

Four different samples of ordered mesoporous silica powders (MCM-41 and SBA-15) and amino-functionalized mesoporous silica (MCM-41-NH2 and SBA-15-NH2) were used to prepare modified glassy carbon electrodes coated with ion-exchange polymer Nafion to be used for the electrochemical detection of Cd(II). The mesoporous silica samples were characterized through transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and N2-adsorption/desorption isotherms. The electrodes were characterized by using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The effect of pH and of the silica type on the electrodes' response was investigated. The influence of amino functional groups grafted on the silica surface toward Cd(II) ion detection was also examined. The detection limits determined with the new silica-modified electrodes [between 0.36 and 1.68 μM Cd(II)] are slightly higher than those reported in the literature, but they are lower than those stipulated in the European legislation [45 μM Cd(II)] and, consequently, the electrodes could be successfully used to detect Cd(II) in aqueous solutions

Influence of HAP on the Morpho-Structural Properties and Corrosion Resistance of ZrO₂-Based Composites for Biomedical Applications

In the present work, ZrO2-based composites were prepared by adding different amounts of antibacterial magnesium oxide and bioactive and biocompatible hydroxyapatite (HAP) to the inert zirconia. The composites were synthesized by the conventional ceramic processing route and morpho-structurally analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Two metallic dental alloys (i.e., Ni–Cr and Co–Cr) coated with a chitosan (Chit) membrane containing the prepared composites were exposed to aerated artificial saliva solutions of different pHs (i.e., 4.3, 5, 6) and the corrosion resistances were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. The obtained results using the two investigated metallic dental alloys shown quasi-similar anticorrosive properties, having quasi-similar charge transfer resistance, when coated with different ZrO2-based composites. This behavior could be explained by the synergetic effect between the diffusion process through the Chit-composite layer and the roughness of the metallic electrode surface

Silica-Modified Electrodes for Electrochemical Detection of Malachite Green

New silica-modified glassy carbon electrodes prepared with three different sorts of ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) were characterized and tested for the electrochemical detection of Malachite Green (MG). The electrodes were prepared by drop casting using silica suspensions and, for stability sake, a Nafion coating was deposited on the electrode top by the same technique. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry was used to investigate the effect of various experimental parameters (deposition time, solution pH, silica type and concentration) on the performance of the modified electrodes. The best electrode (GC/MCM-41-NH2/Nafion) with detection limit 0.36μM, sensitivity 0.164±0.003A/M; linear domain 1-6μM was applied to detect MG in a commercial product commonly used as biocide in aquaria for ornamental fish

Investigation of the Real-Time Release of Doxycycline from PLA-Based Nanofibers

Electrospun mats of PLA and PLA/Hap nanofibers produced by electrospinning were loaded with doxycycline (Doxy) through physical adsorption from a solution with initial concentrations of 3 g/L, 7 g/L, and 12 g/L, respectively. The morphological characterization of the produced material was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The release profiles of Doxy were studied in situ using the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) electrochemical method on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and validated through UV-VIS spectrophotometric measurements. The DPV method has been shown to be a simple, rapid, and advantageous analytical technique for real-time measurements, allowing accurate kinetics to be established. The kinetics of the release profiles were compared using model-dependent and model-independent analyses. The diffusion-controlled mechanism of Doxy release from both types of fibers was confirmed by a good fit to the Korsmeyer–Peppas model

Preparation and Characterization of Doxycycline-Loaded Electrospun PLA/HAP Nanofibers as a Drug Delivery System

The present study aimed to prepare nanofibers by electrospinning in the system polylactic acid-hydroxyapatite-doxycycline (PLA-HAP-Doxy) to be used as a drug delivery vehicle. Two different routes were employed for the preparation of Doxy-containing nanofibers: Immobilization on the electrospun mat’s surface and encapsulation in the fiber structure. The nanofibers obtained by Doxy encapsulation were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The adsorption properties of pure PLA and PLA-HAP nanofibers were investigated for solutions with different Doxy concentrations (3, 7 and 12 wt%). Moreover, the desorption properties of the active substance were tested in two different fluids, simulated body fluid (SBF) and phosphate buffer solution (PBS), to evidence the drug release properties. In vitro drug release studies were performed and different drug release kinetics were assessed to confirm the use of these nanofiber materials as efficient drug delivery vehicles. The obtained results indicate that the PLA-HAP-Doxy is a promising system for biomedical applications, the samples with 3 and 7 wt% of Doxy-loaded PLA-HAP nanofibers prepared by physical adsorption are the most acceptable membranes to provide prolonged release in PBS/SBF rather than an immediate release of Doxy