{"title":"Hierarchically structured PCL/CNT nanocomposites with optimized crosslinking for chemiresistive detection of acetic acid","authors":"Pragati Patil , Sakshey Mittal , Raj Kumar Mondal , Kumar Abhinav Dubey , Y.K. Bhardwaj","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138976","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138976","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study reports crosslinked polycaprolactone/carbon nanotube (cPCL/CNT) nanocomposites as chemiresistive sensors for acetic acid. The composites show an exceptionally low percolation threshold (ϕc = 0.002) with conductivity spanning twelve orders of magnitude. Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA)-induced crosslinking yields a hierarchical structure characterized by a self-limiting crosslink density with non-monotonic crystallinity, peaking at 45 % for 12.5 wt% TMPTA. The optimized sensor (2.5 wt% TMPTA) exhibits high sensitivity (134 % response/%), excellent linearity (R² = 0.98) across broad analytical range (0.004–0.418 %), and consistent cyclic performance. All sensing experiments were performed under ambient conditions (25 ± 2°C, ∼55 % RH), while humidity tolerance was confirmed by varying chamber humidity (45–95 % RH). Sensitivity progressively declined at higher crosslinking densities (>7.5 wt% TMPTA) due to reduced flexibility. The sensing mechanism involves acetic acid absorption disrupting the CNT network, with crosslinking density critically modulating the balance between matrix rigidity and analyte accessibility. Contact angle measurements reveal dramatic wettability transitions upon analyte contact (from 76.9° to 14.7°), highlighting the exceptional selectivity toward acetic acid through H-bonding with PCL carbonyl groups. Importantly, these nanocomposites address the unmet requirements of breath analyzers, maintaining robust performance under varying humidity conditions (45–95 % RH), and thus hold strong potential for industrial monitoring and breath analysis applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138976"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145289521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xia Yi , Jiahao Wang , Min Wu , Wan Huang , Guosong Lai
{"title":"DNA nanostructure assembly via super-intercrossed hybridization chain reaction for ultrasensitive dual-mode biosensing","authors":"Xia Yi , Jiahao Wang , Min Wu , Wan Huang , Guosong Lai","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138982","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138982","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hybridization chain reaction provides a useful approach to construct DNA nanostructures for electrochemical biosensing. However, most of them rely on various linear DNA assembly reactions. Herein, we design a novel super-intercrossed hybridization chain reaction (SC-HCR) for efficient assembly of a stable DNA nanostructure, thus developing an electrochemical/fluorescence dual-mode biosensing method for kanamycin (Kana) antibiotic detection. Under the exonuclease III-assisted signal amplification to SC-HCR, we demonstrated the ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of Kana in the linear range from 0.1 pg mL<sup>–1</sup> to 10 ng mL<sup>–1</sup> with a detection limit down to 15.1 fg mL<sup>–1</sup>. Meanwhile, a \"waste-to-signal\" strategy was proposed to achieve the ultrasensitive fluorescence detection of Kana in the linear range from 1 pg mL<sup>–1</sup> to 100 ng mL<sup>–1</sup> with a detection limit of 0.194 pg mL<sup>–1</sup>. As the whole assay was performed in homogeneous solutions, this method has simple operability and good repeatability. In addition, the dual-mode cross-validation to detection results decides the excellent accuracy and reliability of the method and its good value for practical application. This SC-HCR also provides a novel approach for efficient assembly of stable DNA nanostructures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138982"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145289523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lisha Yang , Xue Sun , Juan Li , Xinying Jing , Xiuqi Kong , Minggang Tian , Faqi Yu , Weiying Lin
{"title":"Rational design of a polymer-based ratiometric fluorescent probe for tracing the polarity changes and heterogeneity of lipid droplets","authors":"Lisha Yang , Xue Sun , Juan Li , Xinying Jing , Xiuqi Kong , Minggang Tian , Faqi Yu , Weiying Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138987","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138987","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lipid droplets (LDs) are key organelles for intracellular storage of lipids and play a multifaceted and important role in life activities. Abnormal polarity changes of LDs may cause health problems such as metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, it is important to develop a probe to monitor the polarity changes of LDs. In this paper, a novel polymer-based ratiometric fluorescent probe <strong>NP-PEGMA</strong> is proposed. The probe <strong>NP-PEGMA</strong>, combined unconventional fluorescent polymer with a polarity-responsive fluorescent platform, can effectively monitor the polarity changes of LDs with good selectivity and photostability. The results show that <strong>NP-PEGMA</strong> can be used to monitor the polarity changes of LDs in cells under various physiological conditions and programmed cell death as well as can also track the polarity changes of LDs in living organisms under LPS and hypoxic stimuli. Moreover, <strong>NP-PEGMA</strong> achieves tracing the polarity heterogeneity of LDs in cells and mouse tissues. Therefore, this work provides a useful tool for tracing the polarity changes and heterogeneity of LDs and studying LDs-related diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138987"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145334205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dehui Yu , Hongli Cao , Yingjie Zhao , Rujia Liu , Xiaoyue Shen , Dengchao Wang
{"title":"Electrochemical quantification of intracellular hydrogen peroxide using cobalt phthalocyanine modified carbon nanopipettes","authors":"Dehui Yu , Hongli Cao , Yingjie Zhao , Rujia Liu , Xiaoyue Shen , Dengchao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the most stable member of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) serves as both the key signaling molecule and pathological mediator. Real-time monitoring and quantitative analysis of H₂O₂ at the individual cell level are highly needed to fully resolve the cellular heterogeneity and uncover H₂O₂ roles in cellular metabolism and disease progression. Herein, we reported an electrochemical nanosensor for H₂O₂ detection based on sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine modified carbon nanopipettes, and achieved real-time monitoring and quantification of H₂O₂ in a single living HeLa cell. Meanwhile, the numerical simulation was also conducted to help understand the different current trends when monitoring the intracellular H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> in different cells. This work provided a new platform for single-cell electrochemical detection of H₂O₂, promoting the understanding of ROS related cellular processes under oxidative stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138983"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145295426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Light-actuated nanoporous membrane based on host-guest complex for electrochemical quantification of exosomal membrane protein","authors":"Yahui Wang, Xue Chen, Hongfang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138981","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138981","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exosomal membrane protein plays a crucial role due to its distinctive cellular functions and close association with cancer types. Here, gold nanoparticles were in situ assembled on the surface of a nanoporous membrane (NM), forming net-like gold-coated nanoporous membrane (netAu-NM). Benefiting from the high surface area and porous architecture of the gold layer, the prepared netAu-NM exhibited enhanced ion transport through the nanochannels of the NM. A supramolecular assembly has been constructed based on the host-guest interaction between cucurbit[8]uril, benzeneseleninic acid as well as azobenzene-grafted aptamer. Benzeneseleninic acid was applied to anchor the host-guest complex onto the netAu layer via Au–Se bonds. The aptamer oriented on the netAu-NM can specifically recognize and capture CD63 protein on the exosomal surface. Current-potential (<em>I</em>-<em>V</em>) response was utilized to monitor the aptamer-target interaction that occurred on the surface of NM. On this basis, the sensing method could achieve quantitative determination of CD63 protein, with a limit of detection of 3.5 ng·mL<sup>−1</sup>. Moreover, the aptamer-target bioconjugate could be released under ultraviolet light irradiation, which allowed for the subsequent immobilization of new aptamer. This strategy can be employed for the capture and detection of exosomes. The reusability of the membranes provided a sustainable and cost-effective platform for the detection of other disease biomarkers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138981"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145288921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jia Hao Xie , Min Yu Han , Li Meng , Nian Bing Li , Peng Xue , Hong Qun Luo
{"title":"A highly efficient turn-on fluorescent probe for the rapid and sensitive detection of cysteine","authors":"Jia Hao Xie , Min Yu Han , Li Meng , Nian Bing Li , Peng Xue , Hong Qun Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138986","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cysteine (Cys) plays a critical role in a variety of physiological and pathological processes; thus, it is meaningful to develop Cys-activated fluorescent probes with excellent sensing properties. Herein, we developed a series of fluorescent probe <strong>ML-1</strong> to <strong>ML-4</strong> capable of responding to Cys by decorating the phenyl or pyridine group at the terminal group of the <em>α</em>, <em>β</em>-unsaturated ketone unit. Experimental results showed that the probes containing pyridine units can respond more rapidly to Cys owing to the electron-deficient structure of the pyridine. Importantly, the mechanism involved in the rapid response of the probe <strong>ML-1</strong> to Cys has been well elucidated. Further studies revealed that <strong>ML-1</strong> performed desirable sensing properties toward Cys, such as efficient fluorescence turn-on ratio (up to 366.5-fold), fast response time (∼3 min), outstanding sensitivity (detection limit of 53.4 nM), and satisfactory specificity. Combined with its good biocompatibility, we demonstrated its potential application in monitoring the Cys fluctuations during isoniazid-induced liver injury progression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138986"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145283588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Microfluidic impedance cytometer with face-to-face electrodes for multi-parameter phenotyping and accurate discrimination of cells","authors":"Shu Zhu , Zheng Zhou , Nan Xiang , Zhonghua Ni","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138978","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138978","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Obtaining multiple cellular biophysical features is meaningful in single-cell analysis. Herein, we develop a CellDetector based on inertial microfluidics and impedance cytometry to acquire massive cellular features and realize accurate discrimination between different types of cells. In our device, a microfluidic serpentine channel, four pairs of face-to-face electrodes, and a 2-current differential method are applied to acquire impedance signals with four different peaks, which are helpful for obtaining massive cellular features. After the design of our device, numerical simulation and experiments are conducted to verify the feasibility of our device. The results demonstrated that 7–20 μm particles, WBCs and three types of tumor cells can be focused and detected precisely at the flow rate of 100 μL/min and 29 types of cellular dielectric features can be obtained according to the unique impedance signal waveforms. With the usage of machine learning algorithm, precise discrimination between WBCs and tumor cells can be achieved, where the highest accuracy can reach 99.1 %. Due to the advantages of portable and easy to use, our device may hold great potentials in the fields of medical diagnosis and biochemical analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138978"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145283590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yu-Ju Teng, Siang-Ren Yu, Shan-Rong Wu, Yu-Fen Huang, Wen-Chuan Ku, Hsin-Yu Yeh, Cai-Yu Pao, Yen-Chieh Huang, Cheng-Yu Lee
{"title":"A novel disposable electrochemical biosensor based on DNA-gated metal–organic frameworks and isothermal amplification for sensitive pathogen gene detection","authors":"Yu-Ju Teng, Siang-Ren Yu, Shan-Rong Wu, Yu-Fen Huang, Wen-Chuan Ku, Hsin-Yu Yeh, Cai-Yu Pao, Yen-Chieh Huang, Cheng-Yu Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138975","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138975","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the urgent need for rapid and ultrasensitive detection of foodborne pathogens, this study introduces a novel electrochemical biosensing platform that integrates DNA-gated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with rolling circle amplification (RCA) for enhanced signal output. This is the first reported biosensor to employ MOFs as nanocarriers for signal molecules in conjunction with RCA, offering a powerful and innovative strategy for nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics. A pathogenic gene from <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (<em>S. aureus</em>), a major foodborne pathogen capable of producing enterotoxins, was selected as the model target. In the proposed sensing mechanism, MOFs are pre-loaded with methylene blue (MB), which is confined within the porous structure via hybridized blocker DNA. Upon recognition of the target gene, RCA is initiated to produce long, repetitive DNA strands that displace the blocker DNA, effectively unsealing the MOFs and releasing MB to generate a strong electrochemical signal. The synergy between the high signal amplification efficiency of RCA and the superior cargo-loading capacity of MOFs results in a highly sensitive detection performance, achieving an ultralow detection limit of 1.89 fM and a broad dynamic range from 1 pM to 10 nM—surpassing the sensitivity of most existing biosensors. Furthermore, this platform offers modularity and flexibility; by simply altering the probe sequence, it can be adapted to detect a variety of targets. This study not only demonstrates a novel method for detecting the pathogenic gene of <em>S. aureus</em>, but also establishes a broadly applicable biosensing platform with great potential for food safety monitoring and clinical diagnostics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138975"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145326838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Metal-organic framework-derived In2O3@MoS2 nanocomposites: Enabling highly sensitive NO2 sensing with robust humidity tolerance at near-room temperature","authors":"Fuqiang Zhao, Zhuangzhuang Ma, Peijin Zou, Jiale Zhang, Ziyao Wei, Lichao Jia","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138919","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138919","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In complex practical environments, gas sensors with exceptional anti-interference capabilities are highly desirable. Nevertheless, developing metal oxide-based NO<sub>2</sub> gas sensors that maintain excellent humidity resistance at relatively low temperatures remains a significant challenge. In this work, Metal-organic framework-derived In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>@MoS<sub>2</sub> heterojunctions were successfully fabricated, which demonstrate remarkable NO<sub>2</sub> sensing performance characterized by low operating temperature, high selectivity, and outstanding humidity tolerance. Significantly, at near room temperature, the sensor demonstrates negligible response fluctuation of only 1.03 % to 10 ppm NO<sub>2</sub> across a wide relative humidity (RH) range of 15 %-85 %. Even at 65 % RH conditions, it still achieves a low detection limitation of 50 ppb. Further analysis reveals that edge-terminated unsaturated sulfur (S) atoms are the key factor for the enhanced sensing performance. Both porous strueture and enhanced charge transfer are also conducive to the enhancement. These findings highlight the potential of In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>@MoS<sub>2</sub>-based gas sensor as promising candidates for reliable NO<sub>2</sub> detection in high-humidity environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138919"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145289525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biotin-guided NIR fluorescent probe for in situ imaging of fibroblast activation protein in human breast cancer tissues","authors":"Xiaojing Ling , Zhongxi Huang , Wen Yun , Yezhi An , Wenhui Zhuo , Xiuyu Chen , Nianyang Ding , Changmin Yu , Jifu Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138970","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snb.2025.138970","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Breast cancer continues to be the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality rates among women. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a leading diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker associated with immune suppression, cancer metastasis, and poor prognosis in solid cancers, particularly in breast cancer. Therefore, developing a FAP-activated fluorescent probe holds considerable promise for the early detection and therapy of breast cancer. In this work, we designed a tumor-targeted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe, <strong>DCIP-Biotin</strong>, to detect FAP activity in human breast cancer cells, tumor-bearing mice and human breast cancer tissue samples. The probe incorporated a novel NIR fluorophore (dicyanoisophorone) with an FAP recognition substrate linked to a biotin tag. The probe exhibited a wider linear range, high sensitivity, good selectivity, and robust anti-interference capability. <strong>DCIP-Biotin</strong> could be specifically activated at 660 nm when FAP was present, enabling it to efficiently recognize and image FAP-expressing cells. Furthermore, excellent fluorescence imaging performance of <strong>DCIP-Biotin</strong> was observed in MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing mice and human breast cancer tissues, including high specificity, a high tumor-to-background ratio, deep tissue penetration, and stable fluorescence signal. <strong>DCIP-Biotin</strong> exhibits such good performance that it allows for clear demarcation between human breast cancer and adjacent non-cancerous regions, demonstrating considerable promise for use in intraoperative navigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":425,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 138970"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145283589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}