Analyst Blog

Chang et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 5222

Lead has no biological function in the human body, and high concentrations can cause detrimental health effects, especially for children. The large instruments used for detecting lead mostly test contaminated water, and cannot be transported to remote areas or test blood samples. Huan-Tsung Chang and researchers at National Taiwan University created a unique binding complex composed of gold nanoparticles, DNA, and Amplex UltraRed to combat this problem. In this system, lead ions form an alloy with the gold nanoparticles increasing catalytic activity, which results in oxidation of the DNA-conjugated Amplex UltraRed and production of a detectable fluorescent signal. This simple yet effective sensor detected lead concentrations down to 0.1 nM in blood samples.

This paper will be free to read until the end of the month.

Peroxidase mimicking DNA–gold nanoparticles for fluorescence detection of the lead ions in blood
Chi-Lin Li, Chih-Ching Huang, Wei-Hsi Chen, Cheng-Kang Chiang and Huan-Tsung Chang
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5222-5228
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35599J

We have a bumper crop of nine HOT articles in this new issue 22 of Analyst!

Kranz et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 5208

From the outside front cover we have Boris Mizaikoff, Christine Kranz and colleagues paper on a miniaturized cell stretching device for mechanically stimulating living cells at physiologically relevant levels applicable to a wide variety of adherent cell types.

Combining atomic force-fluorescence microscopy with a stretching device for analyzing mechanotransduction processes in living cells
E. Hecht, P. Knittel, E. Felder, P. Dietl, B. Mizaikoff and C. Kranz
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5208-5214
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36001B

We also have a number of exciting papers on a range of topics including;

Peroxidase mimicking DNA–gold nanoparticles for fluorescence detection of the lead ions in blood
Chi-Lin Li, Chih-Ching Huang, Wei-Hsi Chen, Cheng-Kang Chiang and Huan-Tsung Chang
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5222-5228
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35599J

Selective fluorometric detection of pyrophosphate by 3-hydroxyflavone-diphenyltin(IV) complex in aqueous micellar medium
Raul Villamil-Ramos, Víctor Barba and Anatoly K. Yatsimirsky
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5229-5236
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35999E

Layer-by-layer self-assembled graphene oxide/silica microsphere composites as stationary phase for high performance liquid chromatography
Xiaojing Liang, Shujuan Liu, Xinwang Song, Yangwen Zhu and Shengxiang Jiang
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5237-5244
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36091H

One-step immobilization of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ in a silica matrix for the construction of a solid-state electrochemiluminescent sensor with high performance
Jing Li, Fang-Nan Xiao and Xing-Hua Xia
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5245-5250
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35980D

Rossi et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 5251

Nanopatterned submicron pores as a shield for nonspecific binding in surface plasmon resonance-based sensing
Sabina Rebe Raz, Gerardo R. Marchesini, Maria G. E. G. Bremer, Pascal Colpo, Cesar Pascual Garcia, Guido Guidetti, Willem Norde and Francois Rossi
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5251-5259
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35521C

Tactile multisensing on flexible aluminum nitride
Simona Petroni, Francesco Guido, Bruno Torre, Andrea Falqui, Maria Teresa Todaro, Roberto Cingolani and Massimo De Vittorio
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5260-5264
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36015B

Protection and functionalisation of silver as an optical sensing platform for highly sensitive SPR based analysis
Gowri Manickam, Ram Gandhiraman, Rajani K. Vijayaraghavan, Laura Kerr, Colin Doyle, David E. Williams and Stephen Daniels
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5265-5271
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35826C

Platinum nanoparticles intermediate layer in solid-state selective electrodes
Beata Paczosa-Bator, Leszek Cabaj, Robert Piech and Krzysztof Skupień
Analyst, 2012, 137, 5272-5277
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35933B

These papers will be free to read until Oct 31st.

Take a look below at some wonderful HOT articles we’ve recently published this month in Analyst. There are papers covering a large variety of fields, including SPR-based analysis, platinum nanoparticles, and cancer cell research. These HOT papers will be free to read for two weeks.

Fluorescent polymer-based post-translational differentiation and subtyping of breast cancer cells
Michael D. Scott ,  Rinku Dutta ,  Manas K. Haldar ,  Anil Wagh ,  Thomas R. Gustad ,  Benedict Law ,  Daniel L. Friesner and Sanku Mallik
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35877H

Aptamer carbon nanodot sandwich used for fluorescent detection of protein
Bailu Xu ,  Chuanqi Zhao ,  Weili Wei ,  Jinsong Ren ,  Daisuke Miyoshi ,  Naoki Sugimoto and Xiaogang Qu
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36174D

Microfluidic integration of Western blotting is enabled by electrotransfer-assisted sodium dodecyl sulfate dilution
Chenlu Hou and Amy E. Herr
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36033K

Affinity surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for peptide enrichment
Yannick Coffinier ,  Nhung Nguyen ,  Hervé Drobecq ,  Oleg Melnyk ,  Vincent Thomy and Rabah Boukherroub
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35803D

Protection and functionalisation of silver as an optical sensing platform for highly sensitive SPR based analysis
Gowri Manickam ,  Ram Gandhiraman ,  Rajani K. Vijayaraghavan ,  Laura Kerr ,  Colin Doyle ,  David E. Williams and Stephen Daniels
Analyst, 2012,137, 5265-5271
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35826C

A terbium(III)-organic framework for highly selective sensing of cytidine triphosphate
Xi Juan Zhao ,  Rong Xing He and Yuan Fang Li
Analyst, 2012,137, 5190-5192
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36188D

Platinum nanoparticles intermediate layer in solid-state selective electrodes
Beata Paczosa-Bator ,  Leszek Cabaj ,  Robert Piech and Krzysztof Skupień
Analyst, 2012,137, 5272-5277
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35933B

Nanopatterned submicron pores as a shield for nonspecific binding in surface plasmon resonance-based sensing
Sabina Rebe Raz ,  Gerardo R. Marchesini ,  Maria G. E. G. Bremer ,  Pascal Colpo ,  Cesar Pascual Garcia ,  Guido Guidetti ,  Willem Norde and Francois Rossi
Analyst, 2012,137, 5251-5259
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35521C

Liu et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4943

By Jennifer A. Dougan, Imperial College London, Web Writer

In a HOT new Analyst article, Yu-Chuan Liu and collaborators from Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, have reported the preparation of highly sensitive substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy.  The surface enhancement of Raman scattering relies on the use of suitably roughened metal surfaces.  Liu et al. used electrochemical underpotential deposition (UPD) of silver onto gold nanoparticles on a platinum substrate via sonoelectrochemical deposition-dissolution cycles to prepare the SERS active substrates.  The use of Rhodamine 6 G as a model analyte revealed that the UPD silver on gold substrates show marked SERS enhancement when compared with bulk silver coating or gold nanoparticles alone [a limit of detection of 2 × 10^-14 M is reported].  SERS is now used as a detection technique across a range of disciplines and the simple preparation of ultra-sensitive substrates will, potentially, have wide-ranging impact. This paper will be free to read until Oct 29th.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active gold nanoparticles modified with a monolayer of silver film
Chun-Chao Chang, Kuang-Hsuan Yang, Yu-Chuan Liu, Chung-Chin Yu and Yi-Hao Wu
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4943-4950
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35912J