Changsheng Shan

Direct Electrochemistry of Glucose Oxidase and Biosensing for Glucose Based on Graphene

We first reported that polyvinylpyrrolidone-protected graphene was dispersed well in water and had good electrochemical reduction toward O(2) and H(2)O(2). With glucose oxidase (GOD) as an enzyme model, we constructed a novel polyvinylpyrrolidone-protected graphene/polyethylenimine-functionalized ionic liquid/GOD electrochemical biosensor, which achieved the direct electron transfer of GOD, maintained its bioactivity and showed potential application for the fabrication of novel glucose biosensors with linear glucose response up to 14 mM.

Graphene/AuNPs/chitosan nanocomposites film for glucose biosensing

A novel glucose biosensor based on immobilization of glucose oxidase in thin films of chitosan containing nanocomposites of graphene and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at a gold electrode was developed. The resulting graphene/AuNPs/chitosan composites film exhibited good electrocatalytical activity toward H(2)O(2) and O(2). The wide linear response to H(2)O(2) ranging from 0.2 to 4.2 mM (R=0.998) at -0.2V, high sensitivity of 99.5 microA mM(-1) cm(-2) and good reproducibility were obtained. The good electrocatalytical activity might be attributed to the synergistic effect of graphene and AuNPs. With glucose oxidase (GOD) as a model, the graphene/AuNPs/GOD/chitosan composite-modified electrode was constructed through a simple casting method. The resulting biosensor exhibited good amperometric response to glucose with linear range from 2 to 10 mM (R=0.999) at -0.2V and from 2 to 14 mM (R=0.999) at 0.5 V, good reproducibility and detection limit of 180 microM. Glucose concentration in human blood was studied preliminarily. From 2.5 to 7.5 mM, the cathodic peak currents of the biosensor decrease linearly with increasing the glucose concentrations. The graphene/AuNPs/GOD/chitosan composites film shows prominent electrochemical response to glucose, which makes a promising application for electrochemical detection of glucose.

Water-Soluble Graphene Covalently Functionalized by Biocompatible Poly-l-lysine

Graphene sheets functionalized covalently with biocompatible poly-l-lysine (PLL) were first synthesized in an alkaline solution. PLL-functionalized graphene is water-soluble and biocompatible, which makes it a novel material promising for biological applications. Graphene sheets played an important role as connectors to assemble these active amino groups of poly-l-lysine, which provided a very biocompatible environment for further functionalization, such as attaching bioactive molecules. As an example, an amplified biosensor toward H(2)O(2) based on linking peroxidase onto PLL-functionalized graphene was investigated.

Covalent functionalization of chemically converted graphene sheets via silane and its reinforcement

Polydisperse, functionalized, chemically converted graphene (f-CCG) nanosheets, which can be homogeneously distributed into water, ethanol, DMF, DMSO and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS), were obtained via facile covalent functionalization with APTS. The resulting f-CCG nanosheets were characterized by FTIR, XPS, TGA, EDX, AFM, SEM, and TEM. Furthermore, the f-CCG nanosheets as reinforcing components were extended into silica monoliths. Compressive tests revealed that the compressive failure strength and the toughness of f-CCG-reinforced APTS monoliths at 0.1 wt% functionalized, chemically converted graphene sheets compared with the neat APTS monolith were greatly improved by 19.9% and 92%, respectively.

Electrochemical determination of NADH and ethanol based on ionic liquid-functionalized graphene.

It is firstly reported that low-potential NADH detection and biosensing for ethanol are achieved at an ionic liquid-functionalized graphene (IL-graphene) modified electrode. A substantial decrease (440 mV) in the overvoltage of the NADH oxidation was observed using IL-graphene/chitosan coating, with oxidation starting at ca. 0 V (vs. Ag|AgCl). And the NADH amperometric response at such a modified electrode is more stable (95.4% and 90% of the initial activity remaining after 10 min and 30 min at 1 mM NADH solution) than that at bare electrode (68% and 46%). Furthermore, the IL-graphene/chitosan-modified electrode exhibited a good linearity from 0.25 to 2 mM and high sensitivity of 37.43 microA mM(-1)cm(-2). The ability of IL-graphene to promote the electron transfer between NADH and the electrode exhibited a novel and promising biocompatible platform for development of dehydrogenase-based amperometric biosensors. With alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) as a model, the ADH/IL-graphene/chitosan-modified electrode was constructed through a simple casting method. The resulting biosensor showed rapid and highly sensitive amperometric response to ethanol with a low detection limit (5 microM). Moreover, the proposed biosensor has been used to determine ethanol in real samples and the results were in good agreement with those certified by the supplier.

Carbon nanotube/gold nanoparticles/polyethylenimine-functionalized ionic liquid thin film composites for glucose biosensing

A novel glucose biosensor based on immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOD) in thin films of polyethylenimine-functionalized ionic liquid (PFIL), containing a mixture of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and deposited on glassy carbon electrodes, was developed. Direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase in the film was observed, with linear glucose response up to 12mM. The PFIL-stabilized gold nanoparticles had a diameter of 2.4+/-0.8nm and exhibited favorable stability (stored even over one month with invisible change in UV-vis spectroscopic measurements). In addition, CNT were also well dispersed in the PFIL matrix, then, the resulting CNT/AuNPs/PFIL composites film showed high electrocatalytic activity toward reduction of hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. Here, PFIL, due to its high ionic conductivity, good solubility to CNT, and stability to nanoparticles, played an important role in constructing stable CNT/AuNPs/PFIL/GOD composites. And good biocompatibility of PFIL also offered a friendly environment for the immobilization of biomolecules.

The synthesis of perylene-coated graphene sheets decorated with Au nanoparticles and its electrocatalysis toward oxygen reduction

Chemically converted graphene (CCG)/3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic acid (PTCA)/Au-ionic liquid (Au-IL) composites (CCG/PTCA/Au-IL) have been prepared by a chemical route that involves functionalization of CCG with PTCA followed by deposition of Au-IL. Transmission electron microscopy revealed well-distributed Au with a high surface coverage. The identity of the hybrid material was confirmed through X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CCG/PTCA/Au-IL composites exhibited good electrocatalytic behavior toward oxygen reduction. The results indicate that modification of CCG with Au-IL could play an important role in increasing the electrocatalytic activity of CCG.

MgxZn1−xO-based photodetectors covering the whole solar-blind spectrum range

A series of MgxZn1−xO thin films has been prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and metal-semiconductor-metal structured ultraviolet photodetectors are fabricated from these films. The cutoff wavelengths of the photodetectors can cover the whole solar-blind spectrum range (220–280 nm) by varying Mg content in the MgxZn1−xO thin films. As a representative, the photodetector fabricated from Mg0.52Zn0.48O shows an ultraviolet/visible rejection ratio of about four orders of magnitude, and the dark current is 15 pA at 10 V bias. These results demonstrate that high-performance photodetectors operating in the whole solar-blind spectrum range can be realized in MgxZn1−xO films.

Convenient preparation of tunably loaded chemically converted graphene oxide/epoxy resin nanocomposites from graphene oxide sheets through two-phase extraction

We report a facile method to create the chemically converted graphene oxide/epoxy resin nanocomposites from graphene oxide sheets through two-phase extraction. Great improvements in mechanical properties such as compressive failure strength and toughness have been achieved for the chemically converted graphene oxide/epoxy resin for a 0.0375 wt% loading of chemically converted graphene oxide sheets in epoxy resin by 48.3% and 1185.2%, respectively. In addition, the loading of graphene is also conveniently tunable even to 0.15 wt% just by increasing the volume of the graphene oxide dispersion.

Stable, Conductive Supramolecular Composite of Graphene Sheets with Conjugated Polyelectrolyte

Supramolecularly functionalized graphene-based materials with conjugated poly(2,5-bis (3-sulfonatopropoxy)-1,4-ethynylphenylene-alt-1,4-ethynylphenylene) polyelectrolyte were successfully obtained and exhibited high conductivity and stability (even for 8 months without any aid of free polymer in solution). The excellent aqueous solubility and the possibility for self-assembly through electrostatic interactions (i.e., layer-by-layer assembly) will be realized through various applications of graphene. In addition, PPE-SO(3)(-) molecules exhibit interesting optoelectronic properties, making the resulting graphene-based materials potentially useful in a variety of optoelectronic device applications.