An electrochemical sensing platform based upon screen-printing electrodes (SPEs) modified with nanostructured lanthanide metal oxides facilitate the detection of the widely misused drugs ...acetaminophen (ACP) and tramadol (TRA). Among the metal oxides examined, Yb
2
O
3
nanoplates (NPs) were found to give rise to an optimal electrochemical response. The electroanalysis of ACP and TRA individually, and within mixtures, was performed using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry. The ACP and TRA exhibited non-overlapping voltammetric signals at voltages of +0.30 and + 0.67 V (vs. Ag/AgCl; pH 9) using Yb
2
O
3
-SPEs. Pharmaceutical dosage forms and spiked human fluids were analyzed in wide linear concentration ranges of 0.25–654 and 0.50–115 μmol.L
−1
with limits of detection (LOD) of 55 and 87 nmol.L
−1
for ACP and TRA, respectively. The Yb
2
O
3
-SPEs offer a sensitive and chemically stable enzyme-free electrochemical platform for ACP and TRA assay.
Graphical abstract
Schematic presentation of one-shot electrochemical analysis of misused drugs, tramadol (TRA) and acetaminophen (ACP) by utilizing ytterbium oxide nanoplates modified screen-printed electrodes (Yb
2
O
3
-SPEs). The Yb
2
O
3
-SPEs showed interesting responses for ACP and TRA within pharmaceutical formulations and human fluids.
The effects of metal ion solutions (silver, copper, platinum, gold and palladium) were determined individually and in combination against Enterococcus faecium, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella ...pneumoniae. Platinum, gold and palladium showed the greatest antimicrobial efficacy in zone of inhibition (ZoI) assays. When tested in combinations using ZoI assays, gold/platinum, gold/palladium and platinum/palladium were indicative of synergy. Microbial inhibitory concentration demonstrated platinum and gold against Enterococcus faecium, platinum against Klebsiella pneumoniae and platinum and silver against Acinetobacter baumannii were optimal. Minimal bactericidal concentrations determined the greatest bactericidal activity was again platinum gold and palladium against all three bacteria. Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC) studies demonstrated that the silver/platinum combination against Enterococcus faecium, and silver/copper combination against Acinetobacter baumannii demonstrated antimicrobial synergy. Following crystal violet biofilm assays for single metal ion solutions, antimicrobial efficacies were demonstrated for all the metals against all the bacteria Synergistic assays against biofilms demonstrated gold/palladium, gold/platinumand platinum/palladium resulted in the greatest antimicrobial efficacy. Overall, platinum, palladium and gold metal ion solutions in individual use or combination demonstrated the greatest antimicrobial efficacies against planktonic or biofilm bacteria. This work demonstrates the potential for using a range of metal ions, as biocidal formulations against both planktonic or biofilm bacteria.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
► Graphene has reported advantages for electrochemical energy generation/storage applications. ► We overview this area providing a comprehensive yet critical report. ► The review is divided into ...relevant sections with up-to-date summary tables. ► Graphene holds potential in this area. ► Limitations remain, such as being poorly characterised, costly and poor reproducibility.
Energy production and storage are both critical research domains where increasing demands for the improved performance of energy devices and the requirement for greener energy resources constitute immense research interest. Graphene has incurred intense interest since its freestanding form was isolated in 2004, and with the vast array of unique and highly desirable electrochemical properties it offers, comes the most promising prospects when implementation within areas of energy research is sought. We present a review of the current literature concerning the electrochemical application of graphene in energy storage/generation devices, starting with its use as a super-capacitor through to applications in batteries and fuel cells, depicting graphene's utilisation in this technologically important field.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Our journal, C—Journal of Carbon Research (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/carbon), is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on carbon research, published quarterly online by ...MDPI ...
Convincing evidence is presented demonstrating that the electro-catalytic nature of graphene resides in electron transfer from the edge of graphene which structurally resembles the behaviour of edge ...plane (rather than basal plane) of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite. The impact of surfactants intrinsic to graphene on the electrochemical response is highlighted.
To overcome the recent outbreaks of hepatotoxicity-related drugs, a new analytical tool for the continuously determination of these drugs in human fluids is required. Electrochemical-based analytical ...methods offer an effective, rapid, and simple tool for on-site determination of various organic and inorganic species. However, the design of a sensitive, selective, stable, and reproducible sensor is still a major challenge. In the present manuscript, a facile, one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of bismuth oxide (Bi2O2.33) nanostructures (nanorods) was developed. These BiO nanorods were cast onto mass disposable graphite screen-printed electrodes (BiO-SPEs), allowing the ultrasensitive determination of acetaminophen (APAP) in the presence of its common interference isoniazid (INH), which are both found in drug samples. The simultaneous electroanalytical sensing using BiO-SPEs exhibited strong electrocatalytic activity toward the sensing of APAP and INH with an enhanced analytical signal (voltammetric peak) over that achievable at unmodified (bare) SPEs. The electroanalytical sensing of APAP and INH are possible with accessible linear ranges from 0.5 to 1250 μM and 5 to 1760 μM with limits of detection (3σ) of 30 nM and 1.85 μM, respectively. The stability, reproducibility, and repeatability of BiO-SPE were also investigated. The BiO-SPEs were evaluated toward the sensing of APAP and INH in human serum, urine, saliva, and tablet samples. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that BiO-SPEs sensing platforms provide a potential candidate for the accurate determination of APAP and INH within human fluids and pharmaceutical formulations.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Different types of carbon based electrodes have emerged over the last few years, significantly changing the scope and sensitivity of electro-analytical methods for the measurement of diverse targets ...from metal ions through gases to biological markers. This Highlight article shows how the use of carbon nanotube modified electrodes has led to a fundamental understanding of the location and nature of electron transfer processes on graphitic electrodes and to the realisation that edge plane pyrolytic graphite may represent, at present, an optimal electrode material of this type for electroanalysis.
New psychoactive substances (NPSs), sometimes referred to as "
legal highs
" in more colloquial environments/the media, are a class of compounds that have been recently made available for abuse (not ...necessarily recently discovered) which provide similar effects to the traditional well studied illegal drugs but are not always controlled under existing local, regional or international drug legislation. Following an unprecedented increase in the number of NPSs in the last 5 years (with 101 substances discovered for the first time in 2014 alone) its, occasionally fatal, consequences have been extensively reported in the media. Such NPSs are typically marketed as 'not for human consumption' and are instead labelled and sold as plant food, bath salts as well as a whole host of other equally nondescript aliases in order to bypass legislative controls. NPSs are a new multi-disciplinary research field with the main emphasis in terms of forensic identification due to their adverse health effects, which can range from minimal to life threatening and even fatalities. In this mini-review we overview this recent emerging research area of NPSs and the analytical approaches reported to provide detection strategies as well as detailing recent reports towards providing point-of-care/in-the-field NPS ("
legal high
") sensors.
New psychoactive substances (NPSs) are a class of compounds that have been recently made available for abuse. Following an unprecedented increase in the number of NPSs in the last 5 years this mini-review overviews this recent emerging research area and the analytical approaches reported.
This short article overviews the use of screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) in the field of electroanalysis and compares their application against traditional laboratory based analytical techniques. ...Electroanalysis coupled with SPEs can offer low-cost, precise, sensitive, rapid, quantitative information and laboratory equivalent results. The combined use of SPEs and electroanalysis reduces the need of sample transportation and preparation to a centralised laboratory allowing experimentalists to perform the measurements where they are needed the most. We first introduce the basic concepts and principles of analytical techniques to the reader, with particular attention to electroanalysis, and then discuss the application of SPEs to common analytical targets such as food, environmental, forensics, cancer biomarkers and pathogenic monitoring and sensing.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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