In this paper, we develop an environmentally friendly, one-pot strategy toward rapid preparation of Ag nanoparticle-decorated reducd graphene oxide (AgNPs/rGO) composites by heating the mixture of GO and AgNO(3) aqueous solution in the presence of sodium hydroxide at 80 °C under stirring. The reaction was accomplished within a short period of 10 min without extra reducing agent. As-synthesized AgNPs/rGO composites have been successfully applied in photocurrent generation in the visible spectral region.

Increasing reaction temperature produces photoluminescent polymer nanodots (PPNDs) with decreased particle size and increased quantum yield. Such PPNDs are used as an effective fluorescent sensing platform for label-free sensitive and selective detection of Cu(II) ions with a detection limit as low as 1 nM. This method is successfully applied to determine Cu(2+) in real water samples.

The present communication demonstrates the proof of concept of using CoFe layered double hydroxide (CoFe-LDHs) nanoplates as an effective peroxidase mimetic to catalyze the oxidation of peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of H(2)O(2) to produce a blue solution. We further demonstrate successfully CoFe-LDHs nanoplate-based colorimetric assay to detect H(2)O(2) and glucose.

In this paper, we demonstrate the novel use of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)(PEDOT) nanoparticle as a very effective fluorescent sensing platform for the detection of nucleic acid sequences. The principle of the assay lies in the fact that the adsorption of the fluorescently labeled single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe by PEDOT nanoparticle leads to substantial fluorescence quenching, followed by specific hybridization with the complementary region of the target DNA sequence. This results in desorption of the hybridized complex from PEDOT nanoparticle surface and subsequent recovery of fluorescence. A detection limit as low as 30 pM could be achieved in this sensing system. We also demonstrate its application for multiplexed detection of nucleic acid sequences. Furthermore, this sensing system can realize the detection of single-base mismatch even in multiplexed format. It is of importance to note that the successful use of this sensing platform in human blood serum system is also demonstrated.

A stable aqueous dispersion of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)(PEDOT) nanorods stabilized by graphene oxide (GO) has been successfully prepared via interface polymerization of EDOT in the presence of GO for the first time. The non-covalent functionalization of PEDOT by GO leads to a PEDOT-GO dispersion that can be stable for several days without the observation of any floating or precipitated particles. Several analytical techniques including Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to characterize the resultant PEDOT-GO nanocomposites. It is found that such PEDOT-GO nanocomposites exhibit good catalytic activity toward the oxidation of nitrite, leading to a sensor for detection of nitrite. The linear detection range and detection limit are estimated to be 4 μM to 2.48 mM (r = 0.999), and 1.2 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, respectively.

In this communication, we demonstrate our recent finding that iron-substituted SBA-15 (Fe-SBA-15) microparticles possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and can catalyze the oxidation of peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H(2)O(2) to develop a blue color in aqueous solution, leading to a simple approach towards colorimetric detection of H(2)O(2) with a linear detection range from 0.4 μM to 15 μM (r = 0.997) and a detection limit of 0.2 μM.

Graphene platelet-glucose oxidase (GP-GOD) nanostructures have been prepared through self-assembly of GOD and chitosan (CS) functionalized GPs by electrostatic attraction in aqueous solution. The stable aqueous dispersion of GPs was prepared by chemical reduction of graphene oxide with the use of CS as a reducing and stabilizing agent. UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the resulting GPs and GP-GOD nanostructures. Furthermore, a glucose biosensor was constructed by deposition of the resultant GP-GOD on the surface of glassy carbon electrode. It was found that the resulting biosensor exhibits good response to glucose. The linear detection range is estimated to be from 2 to 22 mM (r=0.9987), and the detection limit is estimated to be 20 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.

In this communication, we demonstrate for the first time that conducting polymer polyaniline (PANI) nanofibres can serve as a novel fluorescent sensing platform for nucleic acid detection with a high selectivity down to single-base mismatch.

Herein, we develop a novel single fluorophore-labeled double-stranded oligonucleotide (OND) probe for rapid fluorescence-enhanced K(+) detection, based on an inherent quenching ability of guanine bases and G-rich OND conformation transition from duplex to G-quadruplex. This probe presents high sensitivity and good selectivity for the detection of K(+), and the assay process is simple and fast.

The present communication reports on the first preparation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-induced visible light photocatalytic reduction of GO with the use of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a plasmonic photocatalyst in the presence of an electron donor (ED).

There's something in the air …︁ A nanocomposite consisting of well-dispersed SnO(2) and Pt nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (see the high-resolution TEM image) exhibited very high responses to hydrogen at concentrations between 0.5 and 3 % in air, with response times of 3-7 s and recovery times of 2-6 s. The sensor was prepared by a straightforward microwave-assisted non-aqueous sol-gel approach.

Covalently functionalized reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheet was prepared by treating nitrogen-centered anions generated from poly(9,9'-diheylfluorene carbazole)(PCF) with GO. The resultant hybrids with different chemical behavior were separated by centrifugation. The covalent modification was fully characterized by IR spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, TEM, and SEM. It was found that RGO-PCF-s, the soluble part, was split into small platelets with a size of about 200 nm, and the hydrophobic polymer PCF became hydrophilic after wrapping by RGO. The content of RGO in RGO-PCF-s was about 11.9 %, and the hybrid material showed good dispersion stability in water. Besides, RGO-PCF-i, the insoluble part, with larger size, displayed excellent optical-limiting response, in which both nonlinear absorption and nonlinear scattering play important roles. As nitrogen-centered anions are an important type of intermediates in chemistry, this one-step "grafting-to" strategy could be used to obtain RGO-based materials with different applications.

Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were synthesized on the surface of graphene sheet by the simultaneous reduction of Ag+ and graphene oxide (GO) in the presence of simple reducing agent, hydrazine hydrate (N2H4 x H2O). Both the Ag+ and GO were reduced and Ag+ was nucleated onto graphene. GO flakes were prepared by conventional chemical exfoliation method and in the presence of strong acidic medium of potassium chlorate. Silver nanoparticles were prepared using 0.01 M AgNO3 solution. The reduced GO sheet decorated with Ag is referred as G-Ag sample. G-Ag was characterized by FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy using GO as standard. An explicit alkene peak appeared around 1625 cm(-1) was observed in G-Ag sample. Besides, the characteristic carbonyl and hydroxyl peaks shows well reduction of GO. The FTIR therefore confirms the direct interaction of Ag into Graphene. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and TEM (transmission electron microscopy) analysis were performed for morphological probing. The average size of Ag nanoparticles was confirmed by around 5-10 nm by the high-resolution TEM (HRTEM). The Ag quantum dots incorporated nanocomposite material could become prominent candidate for diverse applications including photovoltaic, catalysis, and biosensors etc.

We propose a new strategy to improve the enzyme stability, construction and sensitivity of a multifunctional sensor. An exfoliated graphene oxide sheet with carboxyl-long-chains (GO-CLC) was prepared in one step from primitive graphite via Friedel-Crafts acylation. Magnetic nanoparticles, glucose oxidase (GOD) and poly[aniline-co-N-(1-one-butyric acid) aniline](SPAnH) were then incorporated to form an electrochemical film (SPAnH-HMGO-CLC-GOD) for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and glucose. The GO and Fe(3)O(4) have intrinsic hydrogen peroxide catalytic activity and the activity will be enhanced by the combination of SPAnH coating and induces an amplification of electrochemical reduction current. This response can be used as a glucose sensor by tracing the released H(2)O(2) after enzymatic reaction of bound GOD. Our sensor was linear within the range from 0.01mM to 1mM H(2)O(2) and 0.1mM to 1.4mM glucose, with high sensitivities of 4340.6μAmM(-1)cm(-2) and 1074.6μAmM(-1)cm(-2), respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD) were 5.4% for H(2)O(2) detection and 5.8% for glucose detection. The true detecting range was 0.4-40mM for H(2)O(2) and 4-56mM for glucose, which multiplied by 40-fold of dilution. This sensor based on the catalysis of organic SPAnH and the enzymatic activity of GOD can be used for both H(2)O(2) and glucose sensing in potential clinical, environmental and industrial applications.

An imidazolium-modified hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene derivative (HBC-C(11)-MIM[Cl(-)]) was designed and synthesized as a stabilizer to fabricate reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The resulting RGO/HBC-C(11)-MIM[Cl(-)] hybrid shows excellent dispersivity (5.0 mg mL(-1)) and stability in water. RGO/HBC-C(11)-MIM[Cl(-)] was comprehensively characterized by using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy, thus revealing that one HBC-C(11)-MIM[Cl(-)] group can stabilize about 178 carbon atoms on the graphene sheets. The obtained hybrid film exhibits a high conductivity of 286 S m(-1). Furthermore, the HBC-C(11)-MIM[Cl(-)]-modified RGO sheets can be readily dispersed in polar organic solvents upon exchange of the hydrophilic Cl(-) ions for hydrophobic bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) amide (NTf(2)(-)) ions.

Cobalt oxyhydroxide, CoOOH, nanosheets were prepared via a surface alkaline treatment of cobalt foil at room temperature without using templates and catalysts. The morphology, chemical composition and structures of the nanosheets were characterized by XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, FESEM and TEM. These oriented and nanostructured arrays can be used directly as electrodes, thus simplifying the electrode fabrication process, as well as offering advantages such as enhanced electrode-electrolyte contact area, minimum diffusion resistance and direct active material-current collector connection for fast electron transport. The electrode was used as an electrochemical sensor towards non-enzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide and hydrazine in alkaline solution. The amperometric detection of H(2)O(2) and N(2)H(4) was carried out at low potential (0V and 0.1V). At 0.1V, the amperometric signals are linearly proportional to H(2)O(2) concentration up to 1.6mM (R(2)=0.995), showing a detection limit (S/N=3) of 40μM and a high sensitivity of 99μAmM(-1)cm(-2). For N(2)H(4), the amperometric signals are linearly proportional to concentration up to 1.2mM (R(2)=0.99), showing a detection limit (S/N=3) of 20μM and a high sensitivity of 155μAmM(-1)cm(-2) at 0.1V.

Electrochemical applications of graphene are of very high importance. For electrochemistry, bulk quantities of materials are needed. The most common preparation of bulk quantities of graphene materials is based on oxidation of graphite to graphite oxide and subsequent thermal exfoliation of graphite oxide to thermally reduced graphene oxide (TR-GO). It is important to investigate to which extent a reaction condition, that is, composition of the oxidation mixture and size of graphite materials, influences the properties of the resulting materials. We characterised six graphite materials with a range of particle sizes (0.05, 11, 20, 32, 35 and 41 μm) and the TR-GO products prepared from them by use of scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetric performance of the TR-GO samples was compared using ferro/ferricyanide and ascorbic acid. We observed no correlation between size of initial graphite and properties of the resultant TR-GO such as density of surface defects, amount of oxygen-containing groups, or rate of heterogeneous electron transfer (HET). A positive correspondence between HET rate and high defect density as well as low amounts of oxygen functionalities was noted. Our findings will have profound influence upon practical fabrication of graphene for applications in sensing and energy storage devices.

In this paper, a stable aqueous dispersion of graphene nanosheets (GNs) has been prepared by chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) with hydrazine hydrate in the presence of poly [(2-ethyldimethylammonioethyl methacrylate ethyl sulfate)-co-(1-vinylpyrrolidone)](PQ11). Taking advantages of the fact that PQ11 is a positively charged polymer exhibiting reducing ability, we further demonstrated the subsequent decoration of GN with gold nanoparticals (AuNPs) by in-situ chemical reduction of HAuCl4. It was found that such nanocomposites exhibit good catalytic activity toward 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction and the GN supports also enhance the catalytic activity via a synergistic effect.

In this study, monodisperse palladium (Pd) nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) surfaces were successfully prepared by a "wet" and "clean" method in aqueous solution. Without any surface treatment, Pd nanoparticles are firmly attached to the RGO sheets. These RGO/Pd nanocomposites exhibited catalytic activity in hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB). Their hydrolysis completion time and activation energy were 12.5 min and 51 ± 1 kJ mol(-1), respectively, which were comparable to the best Pd-based catalyst reported. The TOF values (mol of H(2) × (mol of catalyst × min)(-1)) of RGO/Pd is 6.25, which appears to be one of the best catalysts reported so far. We also obtained a (11)B NMR spectrum to investigate the mechanism of this catalytic hydrolysis process. This simple and straightforward method is of significance for the facile preparation of metal nanocatalysts with high catalytic activity on proper supporting materials.

Ni(x)Co(100-x)(x = 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100) nanoparticles were uniformly in situ grown on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets by a coreduction process for the first time. The as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that RGO nanosheets can effectively prevent the aggregation of Ni(x)Co(100-x) nanoparticles. The size and morphology of the Ni(x)Co(100-x) nanoparticles on RGO nanosheets can be slightly adjusted by changing the Ni:Co atomic ratio. The magnetic properties of the RGO-Ni(x)Co(100-x) composites were investigated at 300 and 1.8 K, respectively. The results reveal that the composites have ferromagnetic characteristics and show composition dependent magnetic properties. In addition, these RGO-Ni(x)Co(100-x) nanocomposites also exhibit enhanced catalytic activities toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by NaBH(4) as compared with bare Ni(x)Co(100-x) alloy, and the RGO-Ni(25)Co(75) shows the highest catalytic activity among the obtained nanocomposites. This general and facile coreduction route can be extended to synthesize other alloy nanostructures on RGO nanosheets with various morphologies and functions, and provides a new opportunity for the application of graphene-based materials.