Xing-Jiu Huang

A dielectric-modulated field-effect transistor for biosensing

Interest in biosensors based on field-effect transistors (FETs), where an electrically operated gate controls the flow of charge through a semiconducting channel, is driven by the prospect of integrating biodetection capabilities into existing semiconductor technology. In a number of proposed FET biosensors, surface interactions with biomolecules in solution affect the operation of the gate or the channel. However, these devices often have limited sensitivity. We show here that a FET biosensor with a vertical gap is sensitive to the specific binding of streptavidin to biotin. The binding of the streptavidin changes the dielectric constant (and capacitance) of the gate, resulting in a large shift in the threshold voltage for operating the FET. The vertical gap is fabricated using simple thin-film deposition and wet-etching techniques. This may be an advantage over planar nanogap FETs, which require lithographic processing. We believe that the dielectric-modulated FET (DMFET) provides a useful approach towards biomolecular detection that could be extended to a number of other systems.

Electrical nanogap devices for biosensing

For detecting substances that are invisible to the human eye or nose, and particularly those biomolecules, the devices must have very small feature sizes, be compact and provide a sufficient level of sensitivity, often to a small number of biomolecules that are just a few nanometres in size. Electrical nanogap devices for biosensing have emerged as a powerful technique for detecting very small quantities of biomolecules. The most charming feature of the devices is to directly transduce events of biomolecules specific binding into useful electrical signals such as resistance/impedance, capacitance/dielectric, or field-effect. Nanogap devices in electrical biosensing have become a busy area of research which is continually expanding. A wealth of research is available discussing planar and vertical nanogap devices for biosensing. Planar nanogap devices including label-free, gold nanoparticle-labeled, nanoparticles-enhanced, nanogapped gold particle film, and carbon nanotube nanogap devices as well as vertical nanogap devices with two and three terminals for biosensing are carefully reviewed. The aim of this paper is to provide an updated overview of the work in this field. In each part, we discuss the principles of operation of electrical biosensing and consider major strategies for enhancing their performance and/or key challenges and opportunities in current stages, and in their further development.

Adsorption of Lead(II) on O2-Plasma-Oxidized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes: Thermodynamics, Kinetics, and Desorption

O(2)-plasma-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (po-MWCNTs) have been used as an adsorbent for adsorption of lead(II) in water. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy measurements show that the bulk properties of MWCNTs were not changed after O(2)-plasma oxidation. The adsorption capacity of MWCNTs for lead(II) was greatly enhanced after plasma oxidation mainly because of the introduction of oxygen-containing functional groups onto the surface of MWCNTs. The removal of lead(II) by po-MWCNTs occurs rather quickly, and the adsorption kinetics can be well described by the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption isotherm of lead(II) onto MWCNTs fits the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption of lead(II) onto MWCNTs is strongly dependent upon the pH values. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows that the adsorption mechanism is mainly due to the chemical interaction between lead(II) and the surface functional groups of po-MWCNTs. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG°) calculated from the adsorption isotherms suggest that the adsorption of lead(II) onto MWCNTs is endothermic and spontaneous. The regeneration performance shows that lead(II) can be easily regenerated from po-MWCNTs by altering the pH values of the solution.

Microelectrode arrays for electrochemistry: approaches to fabrication.

Microelectrode arrays have unique electrochemical properties such as small capacitive-charging currents, reduced iR drop, and steady-state diffusion currents. These properties enable the use of microelectrode arrays and have captured much interest in the field of electrochemistry. Techniques for the fabrication of such arrays are reviewed. The relative features and merits of different techniques are also discussed.

Novel 3D Hierarchical Cotton-Candy-Like CuO: Surfactant-Free Solvothermal Synthesis and Application in As(III) Removal

Novel three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical cotton-candy-like CuO microspheres were synthesized by a facile precursor templated conversion method. The precursor was prepared by solvothermal method in ethylene glycol (EG) without the use of any surfactant. The possible formation mechanism of the precursor was proposed and it was found that the synthetic parameters for the precursor such as the ratio of Cu(2+) to urea, the reaction temperature, and the use of EG are crucial for the formation of the cotton-candy-like CuO precursor nanostructures. The cotton-candy-like CuO obtained by calcination were used as an adsorbent for removing As(III) in water. The adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics, the effects of competing anions and pH, and the adsorption mechanism were also investigated.

ZnO/CuO Hetero-Hierarchical Nanotrees Array: Hydrothermal Preparation and Self-Cleaning Properties

ZnO/CuO heterohierarchical nanotrees array has been prepared via a simple hydrothermal approach combined with thermal oxidation method on Cu substrates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffractometer(XRD) are employed to characterize and analyze the as-synthesized samples. The results demonstrate that the secondary growth of ZnO nanorods enclose with CuO nanowires, leading to the formation of ZnO/CuO heterohierarchical nanotrees array. The hierarchical nanostructures have isotropic crystal symmetry and they have no 6-fold (or 4-fold or 2-fold) symmetry as general epitaxial growth. Enlightened by the similarity with microstructure of lotus, the wettability of ZnO/CuO heterohierarchical nanotrees array has been investigated. It is revealed that as-prepared ZnO/CuO nanotrees array after silanization present remarkable superhydrophobic performance, which is attributed to the trapped air and hierarchical roughness. Furthermore, their wettability could be manipulated by the morphologies of hierarchical ZnO nanorods. At the optimal condition, the greatest static angle of water droplet on the obtained heterohierarchical nanotrees array could reach almost 170°, and this substrate could be used as self-cleaning surface.

Facile synthesis of urchin-like NiCo2O4 hollow microspheres with enhanced electrochemical properties in energy and environmentally related applications.

A facile synthesis of novel urchin-like NiCo2O4 hierarchical hollow microspheres has been developed based on a template-free solvothermal and subsequent calcination method. The growth process of NiCo2O4 hollow microsphere precursors has been investigated, and a plausible mechanism was proposed. Because of their unique structure and high specific surface area, these NiCo2O4 hollow microspheres displayed enhanced electrochemical properties in methanol electrooxidation and determination of heavy-metal ions compared with solid urchin-like NiCo2O4 microspheres, Co3O4, and NiO microspheres. The good electrochemical performances suggested that these unique hierarchical NiCo2O4 hollow microspheres could be promising materials for energy and environmentally related applications.

Three-dimensional hierarchical flower-like Mg–Al-layered double hydroxides: highly efficient adsorbents for As(V) and Cr(VI) removal

3D hierarchical flower-like Mg-Al-layered double hydroxides (Mg-Al-LDHs) were synthesized by a simple solvothermal method in a mixed solution of ethylene glycol (EG) and water. The formation mechanism of the flower-like Mg-Al-LDHs was proposed. After calcination, the flower-like morphology could be completely preserved. With relatively high specific surface areas, Mg-Al-LDHs and calcined Mg-Al-LDHs with 3D hierarchical nanostructures were tested for their application in water purification. When tested as adsorbents in As(V) and Cr(VI) removal, the as-prepared calcined Mg-Al-LDHs showed excellent performance, and the adsorption capacities of calcined Mg-Al-LDHs for As(V) and Cr(VI) were better than those of Mg-Al-LDHs. The adsorption isotherms, kinetics and mechanisms for As(V) and Cr(VI) onto calcined Mg-Al-LDHs were also investigated. The high uptake capability of the as-prepared novel 3D hierarchical calcined Mg-Al-LDHs make it a potentially attractive adsorbent in water purification. Also, this facile strategy may be extended to synthesize other LDHs with 3D hierarchical nanostructures, which may find many other applications due to their novel structural features.

High adsorptive γ-AlOOH(boehmite)@SiO2/Fe3O4 porous magnetic microspheres for detection of toxic metal ions in drinking water

γ-AlOOH(boehmite)@SiO(2)/Fe(3)O(4) porous magnetic microspheres with high adsorption capacity toward heavy metal ions were found to be useful for the simultaneous and selective electrochemical detection of five metal ions, such as ultratrace zinc(II), cadmium(II), lead(II), copper(II), and mercury(II), in drinking water.

Electrochemical Detection of Arsenic(III) Completely Free from Noble Metal: Fe3O4 Microspheres-Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Composite Showing Better Performance than Gold

In recent decades, electrochemical detection of arsenic(III) has been undergoing revolutionary developments with higher sensitivity and lower detection limit. Despite great success, electrochemical detection of As(III) still depends heavily on noble metals (predominantly Au) in a strong acid condition, thus increasing the cost and hampering the widespread application. Here, we report a disposable platform completely free from noble metals for electrochemical detection of As(III) in drinking water under nearly neutral condition by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. By combining the high adsorptivity of Fe3O4 microspheres toward As(III) and the advantages of room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), the Fe3O4-RTIL composite modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) showed even better electrochemical performance than commonly used noble metals. Several ionic liquids with different viscosities and surface tensions were found to have a different effect on the voltammetric behavior toward As(III). Under the optimized conditions, the Fe3O4-RTIL composites offered direct detection of As(III) within the desirable range (10 ppb) in drinking water as specified by the World Health Organization (WHO), with a detection limit (3σ method) of 8 × 10(-4) ppb. The obtained sensitivity was 4.91 μA ppb(-1), which is the highest as far as we know. In addition, a possible mechanism for As(III) preconcentration based on adsorption has been proposed and supported by designed experiments. Finally, this platform was successfully applied to analyzing a real sample collected from Inner Mongolia, China.