Nanoscale & Nanoscale Advances Blog

HOT Nanoscale Communication

Scientists in China have developed a sensitive method for detecting the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus which is a major cause of food poisoning as well as community- and hospital-acquired infections.

The researchers functionalized gold nanoparticles with phenylboronic acid which could react with the cis-diol groups found on the bacteria’s surface, causing a detectable colour change.

Using this method they could detect the bacteria down to a concentration of 50 cells per mL.

Read the full exciting Nanoscale communication now:

Phenylboronic acid functionalized gold nanoparticles for highly sensitive detection of Staphylococcus aureus
Jine Wang, Jingqing Gao, Dianjun Liu, Dongxue Han and Zhenxin Wang
DOI: 10.1039/C2NR11657J

HOT Nanoscale Communication

Maboudia and co-workers describe a simple method for decorating graphene with metal nanoparticles. The graphene is grown by a chemical vapour deposition method on a copper substrate, then the copper is used as a reducing agent for the electroless deposition of a noble metal – the authors used gold, platinum, palladium and silver.

The method has the advantages of allowing controlled, reproducible and homogeneous surface coverage.

The authors show that a gas sensor produced using this method is capable of detecting H₂S, and they intend to develop the work to produce electrochemical biosensors.

Read this HOT Nanoscale communication in full:

Graphene decoration with metal nanoparticles: Towards easy integration for sensing applications
Albert Gutés, Ben Hsia, Allen Sussman, Willi Mickelson, Alex Zettl, Carlo Carraro and Roya Maboudia
DOI: 10.1039/C1NR11537E

We would like to share with you some of the exciting research on nanowires which has recently been published in Nanoscale.

We invite you to submit your research to Nanoscale.

Read a selection of our high impact nanowires research today:

Review articles:

Porous silicon nanowires
Yongquan Qu, Hailong Zhou and Xiangfeng Duan
DOI: 10.1039/C1NR10668F

ZnO nanowire lasers
Daniël Vanmaekelbergh and Lambert K. van Vugt
DOI: 10.1039/C1NR00013F

Aligned Si nanowire-based solar cells
Junshuai Li, HongYu Yu and Yali Li
DOI: 10.1039/C1NR10943J

Oxide nanowire networks and their electronic and optoelectronic characteristics
Nripan Mathews, Binni Varghese, Cheng Sun, Velmurugan Thavasi, Björn P. Andreasson, Chornghaur H. Sow, Seeram Ramakrishna and Subodh G. Mhaisalkar
DOI: 10.1039/C0NR00285B

Original research:

Ultra-sensitive detection of adipocytokines with CMOS-compatible silicon nanowire arrays
Tze-Sian Pui, Ajay Agarwal, Feng Ye, Zhi-Qiang Tou, Yinxi Huang and Peng Chen
DOI: 10.1039/B9NR00092E

A silicon nanowire-based electrochemical glucose biosensor with high electrocatalytic activity and sensitivity
Shao Su, Yao He, Shiping Song, Di Li, Lihua Wang, Chunhai Fan and Shuit-Tong Lee
DOI: 10.1039/C0NR00314J

Large-scale fabrication of single crystalline tin nanowire arrays
Bin Luo, Dachi Yang, Minghui Liang and Linjie Zhi
DOI: 10.1039/C0NR00206B

Controlled synthesis of a large fraction of metallic single-walled carbon nanotube and semiconducting carbon nanowire networks
Z. J. Han, S. Yick, I. Levchenko, E. Tam, M. M. A. Yajadda, S. Kumar, P. J. Martin, S. Furman and K. Ostrikov
DOI: 10.1039/C1NR10327J

Conductive indium-tin oxide nanowire and nanotube arrays made by electrochemically assisted deposition in template membranes: switching between wire and tube growth modes by surface chemical modification of the template
Nina I. Kovtyukhova and Thomas E. Mallouk
DOI: 10.1039/C0NR00789G

Assorted analytical and spectroscopic techniques for the optimization of the defect-related properties in size-controlled ZnO nanowires
Kin Mun Wong, Yaoguo Fang, André Devaux, Liaoyong Wen, Jian Huang, Luisa De Cola and Yong Lei
DOI: 10.1039/C1NR10806A

Nanoparticles (NPs) show potential as carriers of drugs to specific locations in the body. In order to achieve this without being rejected by the body, they may be “disguised” by coating their surface with a layer which is biocompatible.

Gong and Winnik describe the strategies which have been used to produce these coated NPs and their application, as well as suggesting some future prospects for this exciting research area.

Read the full Nanoscale Feature article today:

Strategies in biomimetic surface engineering of nanoparticles for biomedical applications
Yong-kuan Gong and Françoise M. Winnik
DOI: 10.1039/C1NR11297J