Graphene (G)-based composite materials have been widely explored for the sensing applications ascribing to their atom-thick two-dimensional conjugated structures, high conductivity, large specific ...surface areas and controlled modification. With the enormous advantages of film structure, G-based composite films (GCFs), prepared by combining G with different functional nanomaterials (noble metals, metal compounds, carbon materials, polymer materials, etc.), show unique optical, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and catalytic properties. Therefore, great quantities of sensors with high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability have been created in recent years. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in the fabrication technologies of GCFs and their specific sensing applications. In addition, the relationship between the properties of GCFs and sensing performance is concentrated on. Finally, the personal perspectives and key challenges of GCFs are mentioned in the hope to shed a light on their potential future research directions.
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•The fabrication technologies and sensing applications of GCFs were introduced.•The structure features of GCFs with special sensing performances were discussed.•The key challenges and future perspectives of GCFs were mentioned.
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS
2
) is a typical layered transition-metal dichalcogenide material, which has aroused a great deal of interest in the past few years. Recently, more and more attention has ...been focused on the synthesis and applications of MoS
2
-based nanocomposites. In this review, we aimed to present a wider view of the synthesis of various MoS
2
-based nanocomposites for sensor and biosensor applications. We highlighted the potential methods like self-assembly, hydrothermal reaction, chemical vapour deposition, electrospinning, as well as microwave and laser beam treatments for the successful preparation of MoS
2
-based nanocomposites. On the other hand, three representative types of detection devices fabricated by the MoS
2
-based nanocomposites, field-effect transistor, optical, and electrochemical sensors, were introduced in detail and discussed fully. The relationships between the sensing performances and the special nanostructures within the MoS
2
-based nanocomposites were presented and discussed.
We presented the technical synthesis of MoS
2
-based nanomaterials and their potential applications in high-performance sensors.
Self-assembled peptide and protein amyloid nanostructures have traditionally been considered only as pathological aggregates implicated in human neurodegenerative diseases. In more recent times, ...these nanostructures have found interesting applications as advanced materials in biomedicine, tissue engineering, renewable energy, environmental science, nanotechnology and material science, to name only a few fields. In all these applications, the final function depends on: (i) the specific mechanisms of protein aggregation, (ii) the hierarchical structure of the protein and peptide amyloids from the atomistic to mesoscopic length scales and (iii) the physical properties of the amyloids in the context of their surrounding environment (biological or artificial). In this review, we will discuss recent progress made in the field of functional and artificial amyloids and highlight connections between protein/peptide folding, unfolding and aggregation mechanisms, with the resulting amyloid structure and functionality. We also highlight current advances in the design and synthesis of amyloid-based biological and functional materials and identify new potential fields in which amyloid-based structures promise new breakthroughs.
Self-assembling amyloid materials with various length scales and tailored functions show wide applications in the fields of biomedicine, tissue engineering, energy materials, environmental science, nanodevices, biosensors, optical materials and liquid crystals.
A kind of hollow cupric oxide/polyaniline (CuO/ PANI) nano-hybrid fiber was prepared as high performance electrochemical sensor for accurately detecting hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and glucose.
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•Hollow CuO/ PANI nanofibers were prepared as electrochemical sensor for detecting H2O2 and glucose.•These nanofibers exhibit a wide linear range, low detection limit, high selectivity, and long-term stability.•Our strategy for fabricating the novel electrochemical sensor is cost-efficient and eco-friendly.
Herein, the hollow CuO/polyaniline (CuO/ PANI) nano-hybrid fibers have been prepared as a novel electrochemical sensor for accurately detecting hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and glucose. The unique hollow structure of PANI fibers can be achieved by utilizing the polyamic acid (PAA) electrospun fibers as a sacrificial template to promote accessible surface area and reactive sites for sensing. Moreover, in order to enhance the electrochemical properties of PANI fibers, CuO nanoparticles were doped onto the hollow PANI surfaces. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) characterizations identify the successful fabrication of hollow CuO/PANI nano-hybrid fibers, which have been designed as a novel non-enzymatic electrochemical biosensor. Furthermore, the H2O2 and glucose sensing tests indicate that the as-prepared non-enzymatic electrochemical biosensor exhibits a wide range, low detection limit, high selectivity, and long-term stability, suggesting the potential application in food security, biomedicine, environmental detection, and pharmaceutical analysis.
The design and applications of some inorganic two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials such as graphene, graphyne, and borophene have been widely studied in recent years. Meanwhile, it has been noticed ...that self-assembling two-dimensional organic biomaterials (2DOBMs) including films, membranes, nanosheets, nanoribbons, grids, arrays, and lattices based on various biomolecules also exhibited promising structures, functions, and applications. The in-depth studies on the self-assembly formation, structural and functional tailoring of 2DOBMs open new avenues for the next generation of novel nanomaterials with adjustable structure and functions, which would further promote the applications of 2DOBMs in materials science, nanodevices, energy and environmental science, biomedicine, tissue engineering, and analytical science. In this review, we summarize important information on the basic principles to fabricate self-assembling 2DOBMs based on peptides, proteins, DNA, RNA, viruses, and other biopolymers. The potential strategies and techniques for tailoring and controlling the structures and functions of 2DOBMs are presented and discussed further. The function-specific biomedical applications of 2DOBMs in biosensors, biomimetic mineralization, cell growth, drug/gene delivery, and bioimaging are also highlighted.
Self-assembling 2D organic biomaterials exhibit versatile abilities for structural and functional tailoring, as well as high potential for biomedical applications.
The design and fabrication of self-assembled peptide nanostructures offer an amazing platform for creating functional nanomaterials for various biomedical applications. Utilizing the mechanical and ...biological advantages of the protein-mimetic peptide (PMP) system, and combining self-assembled PMP nanofibers with other nanomaterials like nanoparticles, the fabricated PMP-based hybrid fibrous nanostructures can serve as promising candidates for advanced technological applications. In this review, we present the design, synthesis, modification, and fabrication of PMP nanofibers by mimicking the properties and functions of several types of proteins, including extracellular matrix proteins, silk proteins, amyloid proteins, and heparin. The sequence and motif design of PMPs, and the relationships between the design of PMP monomers and the fabrication of functional fibrous biomaterials are introduced and discussed. Furthermore, we summarize a basic classification of various peptide motifs, and provide some instructions for the function-based design of peptide nanostructures, in which some issues on the motif design and function tailoring are discussed. Finally, the recent advances in the PMP nanofiber-based functional nanomaterials in biomineralization, cell culture, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, hemostasis, bioimaging, and biosensors are presented in detail. We believe that this review will be very helpful for researchers to understand the property-specific molecular design, controllable supramolecular self-assembly, and motif-specific applications of both peptides and proteins.
Owing to its excellent optical, electronic properties, good chemical and thermal stability, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been applied in promising energy technologies including new dye-sensitized ...solar cells, rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, photocatalysts and gas sensors in recent years. However, wide band gap and poor electron transporting ability of TiO2 has largely limited its application in some aspects like photocatalytic hydrogen generation and lithium ion batteries. Therefore, the modification of TiO2 is essential for improving its optical and electrical properties. Graphene (GR), a two dimensional carbon nanostructure, is an ideal material to modify TiO2 owing to its excellent electronic transport properties, exceptional thermal, and electrical conductivity. Compared to a pure TiO2 nanostructure, the conjugation of GR leads to the increase of its adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity, and improve the electrical conductivity and Li-ion diffusion pathways. In this review, we have firstly discussed pure TiO2 nanostructures and introduced different methods for the preparation of TiO2-graphene nanohybrids (TiO2-GRNHs), and then discussed the practical applications of the TiO2-GRNHs in different energy technologies. It is expected that the continuous breakthroughs in the synthesis and modifications of TiO2-GRNHs will bring new high-performance materials with exotic properties and potential applications in emerging energy technologies.
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•The performance and nanostructures of pure TiO2 were discussed.•Different methods for preparing TiO2-graphene nanohybrids were compared.•Some energy applications based on TiO2-graphene nanohybrids were summarized.
Bioinspired synthesis offers potential green strategies to build highly complex nanomaterials by utilizing the unique nanostructures, functions, and properties of biomolecules, in which the ...biomolecular recognition and self-assembly processes play important roles in tailoring the structures and functions of bioinspired materials. Further understanding of biomolecular self-assembly for inspiring the formation and assembly of nanoparticles would promote the design and fabrication of functional nanomaterials for various applications. In this review, we focus on recent advances in bioinspired synthesis and applications of hierarchical nanomaterials based on biomolecular self-assembly. We first discuss biomolecular self-assembly towards biological nanomaterials, in which the mechanisms and ways of biomolecular self-assembly as well as various self-assembled biomolecular nanostructures are demonstrated. Secondly, the bioinspired synthesis strategies including molecule-molecule interaction, molecule-material recognition, molecule-mediated nucleation and growth, and molecule-mediated reduction/oxidation are introduced and discussed. Meanwhile, typical examples and discussions on how biomolecular self-assembly inspires the formation of hierarchical hybrid nanomaterials are presented. Finally, the applications of bioinspired nanomaterials in biofuel cells, light-harvesting systems, batteries, supercapacitors, catalysis, water/air purification, and environmental monitoring are presented and discussed. We believe that this review will be very helpful for readers to understand the self-assembly of biomolecules and the biomimetic/bioinspired strategies for synthesizing hierarchical nanomaterials on the one hand, and on the other hand to design novel materials for extended applications in nanotechnology, materials science, analytical science, and biomedical engineering.
Self-assembled biomolecular nanostructure-inspired hierarchical hybrid nanomaterials present promising applications in energy and environmental fields.
Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have generated enormous excitement because of their superiority in chemical inertness, biocompatibility and low toxicity. Due to quantum confinement and edge effects, ...GQDs have excellent properties, attracting extensive attention from scientists in the fields of chemistry, physics, materials science, biology, and other interdisciplinary sciences. In this review, we aim to present a comprehensive view on the synthesis of GQDs for biological applications. We highlight potential methods like acid oxidation, hydrothermal and solvothermal reactions, microwave-assisted methods, electrochemical oxidation, as well as pyrolysis and carbonization for the successful preparation of GQDs. Meanwhile, four representative types of biomedical application based on GQDs, bioimaging, biosensing, drug delivery, and antimicrobial materials, are introduced and discussed in detail. This work will be very useful for quickly gaining knowledge and experience for synthesizing various GQDs, and developing advanced strategies for creating novel functional GQD-based nanomaterials for further applications in biomedicine, materials science, analytical science, and optical nanodevices.
A comprehensive review on the technical synthesis and biomedical applications of graphene quantum dots was presented.
Fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have attracted increasing interest in cancer bioimaging due to their stable photoluminescence (PL), high stability, low cytotoxicity, and good ...biocompatibility. In this review, we present the synthesis and chemical modification of GQDs firstly, and then introduce their unique physical, chemical, and biological properties like the absorption, PL, and cytotoxicity of GQDs. Finally and most importantly, the recent applications of GQDs in cancer bioimaging are demonstrated in detail, in which we focus on the biofunctionalization of GQDs for specific cancer cell imaging and real-time molecular imaging in live cells. We expect this work would provide valuable guides on the synthesis and modification of GQDs with adjustable properties for various biomedical applications in the future.
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