Cadmium sulphide-reduced graphene oxide-modified photoelectrode-based photoelectrochemical sensing platform for copper(II) ions

A photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor with excellent sensitivity and detection toward copper (II) ions (Cu2+) was developed using a cadmium sulphide-reduced graphene oxide (CdS-rGO) nanocomposite on an indium tin oxide (ITO) surface, with triethanolamine (TEA) used as the sacrificial electron donor. The CdS nanoparticles were initially synthesized via the aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) method using cadmium acetate and thiourea as the precursors to Cd2+ and S2-, respectively. Graphene oxide (GO) was then dip-coated onto the CdS electrode and sintered under an argon gas flow (50 mL/min) for the reduction process. The nanostructured CdS was adhered securely to the ITO by a continuous network of rGO that also acted as an avenue to intensify the transfer of electrons from the conduction band of CdS. The photoelectrochemical results indicated that the ITO/CdS-rGO photoelectrode could facilitate broad UV-visible light absorption, which would lead to a higher and steady-state photocurrent response in the presence of TEA in 0.1 M KCl. The photocurrent decreased with an increase in the concentration of Cu2+ ions. The photoelectrode response for Cu2+ ion detection had a linear range of 0.5-120 μM, with a limit of detection (LoD) of 16 nM. The proposed PEC sensor displayed ultra-sensitivity and good selectivity toward Cu2+ ion detection

Electrospun nanofiber membranes as ultrathin flexible supercapacitors

A highly flexible electrochemical supercapacitor electrode was developed with a novel metal oxide-reinforced nanofiber electrode by utilizing a solution-based electrospinning technique. The facile fabrication steps involved the introduction of metal precursors into a polymeric solution, which was subjected to an in situ electrospinning process. The electrospun polymeric web with metallic ingredients was then subjected to an oxidative stabilization process that induced the formation of metal oxide nanoparticles within the polymer structure. Finally, the metal oxide nanoparticles incorporated with nanofibers were obtained using a carbonization process, thus converting the polymer backbones into a carbon-rich conductive nanofiber structure. The fabricated nanofibers were decorated and implanted with metal oxide nanoparticles that had a surface-decorated structure morphology due to the solubility of the precursors in the reaction solution. The electrochemical performance of the fabricated metal oxide reinforced with nanofiber electrodes was investigated as an electrochemical system, and the novel morphology significantly improved the specific capacitance compared to a pristine carbon nanofiber membrane. As a result of the uniform dispersion of metal oxide nanoparticles throughout the surface of the nanofibers, the overall capacitive behavior of the membrane was enhanced. Furthermore, a fabricated free-standing flexible device that utilized the optimized nanofiber electrode demonstrated high stability even after it was subjected to various bending operations and curvatures. These promising results showed the potential applications of these lightweight, conductive nanofiber electrodes in flexible and versatile electronic devices

Titanium dioxide-reduced graphene oxide thin film for photoelectrochemical water splitting

The incorporation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on a TiO2 surface had been demonstrated to be an effective method to enhance the photoelectrochemical performance. A TiO2–rGO thin film was fabricated by depositing TiO2 on ITO using an aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition method and GO dip-coating, followed by thermal reduction of the GO layer. The fabricated thin film was characterized using XRD and FESEM techniques. The photoelectrotrochemical performance of the TiO2–rGO thin film was investigated under the illumination of simulated solar light. The TiO2–rGO showed a higher photocurrent response (80.2 µA) than bare TiO2 (13.1 µA). This improved photoelectrochemical performance was due to the rGO, which increased the electron transport and thereby minimized the charge recombination process. The TiO2–rGO thin film showed good stability, even after being subjected to 1000 voltammetric cycles, and the rGO sheets remained adhered to the surface of the TiO2 thin film

Enhanced photovoltaic performance using reduced graphene oxide assisted by triple-tail surfactant as an efficient and low-cost counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

In this work, 4-bis(neopentyloxy)-3-(neopentyloxycarbonyl)-1,4-dioxobutane-2-silphonate (TC14) surfactant assisted reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used as a counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Field emission scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that the TC14-rGO film was well dispersed on fluorine-doped tin oxide surface. The TC14-rGO modified CE based DSSC showed a power conversion efficiency of 0.828%, a short current density (JSC) of 2.72 mA cm−2, an open circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.65 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 41.9 which were higher than those CE fabricated from commercially available SDS surfactant assisted rGO. Results revealed that TC14-rGO is a potential CE material to construct efficient DSSC for future solar cell applications

From cheek swabs to consensus sequences : an A to Z protocol for high-throughput DNA sequencing of complete human mitochondrial genomes

Background: Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technologies have made huge impacts in many fields of biological research, but especially in evolutionary biology. One area where NGS has shown potential is for high-throughput sequencing of complete mtDNA genomes (of humans and other animals). Despite the increasing use of NGS technologies and a better appreciation of their importance in answering biological questions, there remain significant obstacles to the successful implementation of NGS-based projects, especially for new users. Results: Here we present an ‘A to Z’ protocol for obtaining complete human mitochondrial (mtDNA) genomes – from DNA extraction to consensus sequence. Although designed for use on humans, this protocol could also be used to sequence small, organellar genomes from other species, and also nuclear loci. This protocol includes DNA extraction, PCR amplification, fragmentation of PCR products, barcoding of fragments, sequencing using the 454 GS FLX platform, and a complete bioinformatics pipeline (primer removal, reference-based mapping, output of coverage plots and SNP calling). Conclusions: All steps in this protocol are designed to be straightforward to implement, especially for researchers who are undertaking next-generation sequencing for the first time. The molecular steps are scalable to large numbers (hundreds) of individuals and all steps post-DNA extraction can be carried out in 96-well plate format. Also, the protocol has been assembled so that individual ‘modules’ can be swapped out to suit available resources

Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles Decorated with Au Quantum Dots as Ultrasensitive Photoelectrochemical Sensor for Selective Detection of Copper(II) Ions

Anomalous ingestion of copper has significant adverse effects and shows acute toxicity in living organisms. Recently, photoelectrochemical (PEC) method has attracted much attention as a platform for a Cu²⁺ ion sensor because of its high sensitivity, selectivity, low-cost, and accurate selection compared to other conventional methods. In this work, stepwise hydrothermal and <i>in situ</i> chemical approaches for synthesizing cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdS NPs) for decorating gold quantum dots (Au QDs) are presented, along with notable PEC performance. The amount of Au QDs loaded on the CdS NPs had a significant influence on the PEC performance. CdS NPs-Au QDs-2 with 1.0 mmol % Au QDs demonstrated an exceptional photocurrent density of 350.6 μA cm^–2, which was 3.7-, 2.2-, and 2.0-fold higher than those of CdS NPs, CdS NPs-Au QDs-1 (0.75 mmol %), and CdS NPs-Au QDs-3 (1.25 mmol %), respectively. Femtosecond transient absorption dynamics of the ground state recovery showed a buildup time of 243 fs for Au and 268 fs for CdS, which were assigned to cooling of the photoexcited electrons. For CdS NPs-Au QDs, the transient spectrum was dominated by a signal from CdS with no contribution from Au. The fast buildup dynamic was absent in CdS-Au, indicating a rapid transfer of the photoexcited electrons from CdS to Au before cooling down. Unquestionably, the CdS NPs-Au QDs-2 photoelectrode response upon Cu²⁺ detection showed the lowest limit of detection of 6.73 nM in a linear range of 0.5–120 nM. The selectivity of CdS NPs-Au QDs-2 toward Cu²⁺ ions in lake and tap water was also studied, which suggested that CdS NPs-Au QDs-2 is promising as a photoactive material for PEC-based environmental monitoring and analysis

Surfactant exfoliated 2D hexagonal Boron Nitride (2D-hBN) explored as a potential electrochemical sensor for dopamine: surfactants significantly influence sensor capabilities.

Surfactant exfoliated 2D hexagonal Boron Nitride (2D-hBN) nanosheets are explored as a potential electrochemical sensing platform and evaluated towards the electroanalytical sensing of dopamine (DA) in the presence of the common interferents, ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA). Surfactant exfoliated 2D-hBN nanosheets (2-4 layers) fabricated using sodium cholate in aqueous media are electrically wired via a drop-casting modification process onto disposable screen-printed graphite electrodes (SPEs). We critically evaluate the performance of these 2D-hBN modified SPEs and demonstrate the effect of 'mass coverage' towards the detection of DA, AA and UA. Previous studies utilising surfactant-free (pristine) 2D-hBN modified SPEs have shown a beneficial effect towards the detection of DA, AA and UA when compared to the underlying/unmodified graphite-based electrode. We show that the fabrication route utilised to prepare 2D-hBN is a vital experimental consideration, such that the beneficial effect previously reported is considerably reduced when surfactant exfoliated 2D-hBN is utilised. We demonstrate for the first time, through implementation of control experiments in the form of surfactant modified graphite electrodes, that sodium cholate is a major contributing factor to the aforementioned detrimental behaviour. The significance here is not in the material per se, but the fundamental knowledge of the surfactant and surface coverage changing the electrochemical properties of the material under investigation. Given the wide variety of ionic and non-ionic surfactants that are utilised in the manufacture of novel 2D materials, the control experiments reported herein need to be performed in order to de-convolute the electrochemical response and effectively evaluate the 'underlying surface/surfactant/2D materials' electrocatalytic contribution

Facile preparation of a cellulose microfibers–exfoliated graphite composite: a robust sensor for determining dopamine in biological samples

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V. A simple and robust dopamine (DA) sensor was developed using a cellulose microfibers (CMF)–exfoliated graphite composite-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) for the first time. The graphite-CMF composite was prepared by sonication of pristine graphite in CMF solution and was characterized by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform, infrared, and Raman spectroscopy. The cyclic voltammetry results reveal that the graphite-CMF composite modified SPCE has superior electrocatalytic activity against oxidation of dopamine than SPCE modified with pristine graphite and CMF. The presence of large edge plane defects on exfoliated graphite and abundant oxygen functional groups of CMF enhance electrocatalytic activity and decrease potential to oxidize DA. Differential pulse voltammetry was used to quantify DA using the graphite-CMF composite-modified SPCE and demonstrated a linear response for DA detection in the range of 0.06–134.5 µM. The sensor shows a detection limit at 10 nM with an appropriate sensitivity and displays appropriate recovery of DA in human serum samples with good repeatability. Sensor selectivity is demonstrated in the presence of 50-fold concentrations of potentially active interfering compounds including ascorbic acid, uric acid, and dihydroxybenzene isomers