Fluorescence detection of Europiumdoped very small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in murine hippocampal slice cultures

In the late 1980s,superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles（SPIO）moved into focus as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging（MRI）,due to their strong relaxivity and resulting higher resolution of images.At the time,no one anticipated their high potential in basic research or for medical diagnostic andtreatment. Since then, SPIO have been evaluated notonly as spe- cific markers for MRI, but also for cell labeling and tracking （Li et al., 2013）.

Colloidally deposited nanoparticle wires for biophysical detection

Among the techniques developed to prepare nanoparticle wires for multiple applications, the colloidal deposition method at interface has been regarded as cost-efficient and eco-friendly, and hence has attracted an increasing amount of research attention. In this report, the recent developments in preparing nanoparticle wires and integrated nanoparticle wire arrays using this technique have been reviewed. Furthermore, we have also discussed the application of these nanoparticle structures in detecting chemical and biological molecules.

Preparation of SiO_2@Au nanorod array as novel surface enhanced Raman substrate for trace pollutants detection

An effective surface enhanced Raman scattering（SERS） substrate is designed and fabricated by synthesis of Si O2 nanorods array via glancing angle deposition, followed by coating Au nanoparticles onto Si O2 surface in order to create numerous ＂hot spots＂. The detecting sensitivity of such substrate could be optimized by simply adjusting the deposition time of Au. Thus, it can be used for detection of Rhodamine 6G at concentration as low as 10^-9M. Furthermore, our SERS substrate is applied to detect 5 μg/g polychlorinated biphenyls in soil sample, which proves its potential for trace environmental pollutants detection.

Preparation of highly luminescent nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanoparticles for iron(Ⅲ)ions detection and cell imaging

Highly photoluminescent nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanoparticles（CNPs） ca. 56 nm have been prepared through a green one-step hydrothermal synthesis route by using millet powder as carbon sources, in which the nitrogen and sulfur co-doping improves the photoluminescent efficiency of the CNPs. The as-prepared CNPs display excellent fluorescent properties and low biotoxicity with a relatively high quantum yield of 30.4%, which have been applied for bioimaging and highly sensitive and selective detection of iron（III） ions.

SERS detection of arsenic in water:A review

Arsenic（As） is one of the most toxic contaminants found in the environment. Development of novel detection methods for As species in water with the potential for field use has been an urgent need in recent years. In past decades, surface-enhanced Raman scattering（SERS）has gained a reputation as one of the most sensitive spectroscopic methods for chemical and biomolecular sensing. The SERS technique has emerged as an extremely promising solution for in-situ detection of arsenic species in the field, particularly when coupled with portable/handheld Raman spectrometers. In this article, the recent advances in SERS analysis of arsenic species in water media are reviewed, and the potential of this technique for fast screening and field testing of arsenic-contaminated environmental water samples is discussed. The problems that remain in the field are also discussed and an outlook for the future is featured at the end of the article.

Electrochemical DNA nano-biosensor for the detection of genotoxins in water samples

In the present study, a disposable electrochemical DNA nano-biosensor is proposed for the rapid detection of genotoxic compounds and bio-analysis of water pollution. The DNA nano-biosensor is prepared by immobilizing DNA on Au nanoparticles and a self-assembled monolayer of cysteamine modified Au electrode. The assembly processes of cysteamine, Au nanoparticles and DNA were characterized by cyclic voltammetry （CV）. The Au nanoparticles enhanced DNA immobilization resulting in an increased guanine signal. The interaction of the analyte with the immobilized DNA was measured through the variation of the electrochemical signal of guanine by square wave voltammetry （SWV）. The biosensor was able to detect the known genotoxic compounds： 2-anthramine, acridine orange and 2- naphthylamine with detection limits of 2, 3 and 50 nmol/L, respectively. The biosensor was also used to test actual water samples to evaluate the contamination level. Additionally, the comparison of results from the classical genotoxiciw bioassay has confirmed the applicability of the method for real samoles.

Recent progress in detection of mercury using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy — A review

Concerns over exposure to mercury have motivated the exploration of cost-effective,rapid,and reliable method for monitoring Hg^2＋ in the environment.Recently,surface-enhanced Raman scattering（SERS） has become a promising alternative method for Hg^2＋ analysis.SERS is a spectroscopic technique which combines modern laser spectroscopy with the optical properties of nano-sized noble metal structures,resulting in substantially increased Raman signals.When Hg^2＋ is in a close contact with metallic nanostructures,the SERS effect provides unique structural information together with ultrasensitive detection limits.This review introduces the principles and contemporary approaches of SERS-based Hg^2＋detection.In addition,the perspective and challenges are briefly discussed.

Colorimetric detection of glucose using a boronic acid derivative receptor attached to unmodified AuNPs

A simple, cheap and non-enzymatic colorimetric strategy for glucose detection has been designed based on the interactions between a phenylboronic acid （PBA） derivative, which is coupled with gold nanoparticles （AuNPs） as the colorimetric reporters, and glucose. The PBA-AuNPs hybrid system proposed here exhibits ordered photochemistry behaviors upon the addition of glucose at different pH values. There are two linear regions of glucose concentration for the glucose sensor at different pH values, i.e., between 0.1 mmol/L and 9.8 mmol/L at pH 6 with the detection limit of 64μmol/L and between 0 and 6.5 mmol/L with the detection limit of 48 μmol/L at pH 9, respectively. To test the practicality of the sensor system, we also applied this assay to detect a glucose sample in the artificial saliva.

Upconversion luminescence turning of NaREF4(RE=0.4Y＋0.4La＋0.2(Yb, Er, Tm))nanoparticles and their applications for detecting Rhodamine B in shrimp

Biocompatible NaREF_4（RE=0.4Y＋0.4La＋0.2（Yb,Er,Tm）（molar ratio）） upconversion nanoparticles（UCNPs） with strong visible fluorescence were synthesized by a solvothermal method and subsequent surface modification. Modulated upconversion luminescence emission spectra were obtained via changing the doping. In vitro and in vivo bioimagings were carried out with shrimps. The upconversion nanoprobes with an acidic/PEG hybrid ligand could quickly capture the basic Rhodamine-B（RB） in shrimp cells and formed a close UCNPs@RB system. The residual organic dye RB in shrimps could be detected on the basis of luminescent resonance energy transfer（LRET）. It could be rapidly addressed based on LRET detection that RB residue existed in the shrimps after incubating in the aqueous solution of RB higher than 3 μg/m L for 12 h.