Nanostructured and Selective Filter To Improve Detection of Arsenic on Surface Plasmon Nanosensors

The development of a pretreatment system to assist surface plasmon sensor-based measurement of arsenic in water is described. The system proposed addresses important issues, regarding the reliable in situ detection of arsenic in water. This system uses a primary filter made of nonactivated cotton fibers for particulate matter and chemical retention agents without modifying the arsenic concentration in the water sample. A secondary filter was designed for retention of mercury, lead, and other heavy metals without alteration of the arsenic concentration in the collected water samples to be sensed. This filter was made with amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes. The results of the operational assessment of this filter show a retention efficiency of 98% for suspended solids, 96% for mercury ions, and 2% for arsenic, a remarkable improvement toward the accurate detection and quantification of arsenic in contaminated waters

Nickel Nanoparticle-Doped Paper as a Bioactive Scaffold for Targeted and Robust Immobilization of Functional Proteins

Cellulose-based materials are widely used in analytical chemistry as platforms for chromatographic and immunodiagnostic techniques. Due to its countless advantages (<i>e.g.</i>, mechanical properties, three-dimensional structure, large surface to volume area, biocompatibility and biodegradability, and high industrial availability), paper has been rediscovered as a valuable substrate for sensors. Polymeric materials such as cellulosic paper present high protein capture ability, resulting in a large increase of detection signal and improved assay sensitivity. However, cellulose is a rather nonreactive material for direct chemical coupling. Aiming at developing an efficient method for controlled conjugation of cellulose-based materials with proteins, we devised and fabricated a hybrid scaffold based on the adsorption and <i>in situ</i> self-assembly of surface-oxidized Ni nanoparticles on filter paper, which serve as “docking sites” for the selective immobilization of proteins containing polyhistidine tags (His-tag). We demonstrate that the interaction between the nickel substrate and the His-tagged protein G is remarkably resilient toward chemicals at concentrations that quickly disrupt standard Ni-NTA and Ni-IDA complexes, so that this system can be used for applications in which a robust attachment is desired. The bioconjugation with His-tagged protein G allowed the binding of anti-<i>Salmonella</i> antibodies that mediated the immuno-capture of live and motile <i>Salmonella</i> bacteria. The versatility and biocompatibility of the nickel substrate were further demonstrated by enzymatic reactions

High Electrocatalytic Response of a Mechanically Enhanced NbC Nanocomposite Electrode Toward Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Resistant and efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are desired to replace scarce and commercially expensive platinum electrodes. Thin-film electrodes of metal carbides are a promising alternative due to their reduced price and similar catalytic properties. However, most of the studied structures neglect long-lasting chemical and structural stability, focusing only on electrochemical efficiency. Herein we report on a new approach to easily deposit and control the micro/nanostructure of thin-film electrodes based on niobium carbide (NbC) and their electrocatalytic response. We will show that, by improving the mechanical properties of the NbC electrodes, microstructure and mechanical resilience can be obtained while maintaining high electrocatalytic response. We also address the influence of other parameters such as conductivity and chemical composition on the overall performance of the thin-film electrodes. Finally, we show that nanocomposite NbC electrodes are promising candidates toward HER and, furthermore, that the methodology presented here is suitable to produce other transition-metal carbides with improved catalytic and mechanical properties

Palladium Nanoparticle-Loaded Cellulose Paper: A Highly Efficient, Robust, and Recyclable Self-Assembled Composite Catalytic System

We present a novel strategy based on the immobilization of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) on filter paper for development of a catalytic system with high efficiency and recyclability. Oleylamine-capped Pd nanoparticles, dispersed in an organic solvent, strongly adsorb on cellulose filter paper, which shows a great ability to wick fluids due to its microfiber structure. Strong van der Waals forces and hydrophobic interactions between the particles and the substrate lead to nanoparticle immobilization, with no desorption upon further immersion in any solvent. The prepared Pd NP-loaded paper substrates were tested for several model reactions such as the oxidative homocoupling of arylboronic acids, the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction, and nitro-to-amine reduction, and they display efficient catalytic activity and excellent recyclability and reusability. This approach of using NP-loaded paper substrates as reusable catalysts is expected to open doors for new types of catalytic support for practical applications

Acetate-Induced Disassembly of Spherical Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Clusters into Monodispersed Core–Shell Structures upon Nanoemulsion Fusion

It has been long known that the physical encapsulation of oleic acid-capped iron oxide nanoparticles (OA–IONPs) with the cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA⁺) surfactant induces the formation of spherical iron oxide nanoparticle clusters (IONPCs). However, the behavior and functional properties of IONPCs in chemical reactions have been largely neglected and are still not well-understood. Herein, we report an unconventional ligand-exchange function of IONPCs activated when dispersed in an ethyl acetate/acetate buffer system. The ligand exchange can successfully transform hydrophobic OA–IONP building blocks of IONPCs into highly hydrophilic, acetate-capped iron oxide nanoparticles (Ac–IONPs). More importantly, we demonstrate that the addition of silica precursors (tetraethyl orthosilicate and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane) to the acetate/oleate ligand-exchange reaction of the IONPs induces the disassembly of the IONPCs into monodispersed iron oxide–acetate–silica core–shell–shell (IONPs@acetate@SiO₂) nanoparticles. Our observations evidence that the formation of IONPs@acetate@SiO₂ nanoparticles is initiated by a unique micellar fusion mechanism between the Pickering-type emulsions of IONPCs and nanoemulsions of silica precursors formed under ethyl acetate buffered conditions. A dynamic rearrangement of the CTA⁺–oleate bilayer on the IONPC surfaces is proposed to be responsible for the templating process of the silica shells around the individual IONPs. In comparison to previously reported methods in the literature, our work provides a much more detailed experimental evidence of the silica-coating mechanism in a nanoemulsion system. Overall, ethyl acetate is proven to be a very efficient agent for an effortless preparation of monodispersed IONPs@acetate@SiO₂ and hydrophilic Ac–IONPs from IONPCs