The use of synthetic oligonucleotides and their mimics to inhibit gene expression by hybridizing with their target sequences has been hindered by their poor cellular uptake and inability to reach the nucleus. Covalent postsynthesis or solid-phase conjugation of peptides to oligonucleotides offers a possible solution to these problems. As feasible chemistry is a prerequisite for biological studies, development of efficient and reproducible approaches for convenient preparation of peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates has become a subject of considerable importance. The present review gives an account of the main synthetic methods available to prepare covalent conjugation of peptides to oligonucleotides.

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Graphene is an interesting two-dimensional carbon allotrope that has attracted considerable research interest because of its unique structure and physicochemical properties. Studies have been conducted on graphene-based nanomaterials including modified graphene, graphene/semiconductor hybrids, graphene/metal nanoparticle composites, and graphene-complex oxide composites. These nanomaterials inherit the unique properties of graphene, and the addition of functional groups or the nanoparticle composites on their surfaces improves their performance. Applications of these materials in pollutant removal and environmental remediation have been explored. From the viewpoint of environmental chemistry and materials, this paper reviews recent important advances in synthesis of graphene-related materials and their application in treatment of environmental pollution. The roles of graphene-based materials in pollutant removal and potential research are discussed. graphene, graphene-based material, environmental remediation, pollution Citation:Lü K, Zhao G X, Wang X K. A brief review of graphene-based material synthesis and its application in environmental pollution management. Chin Sci Bull, 2012Bull, , 57: 12231234, doi: 10.1007 Since the discovery of fullerene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), research has focused on another allotrope of carbon, graphene. Graphene is a two-dimensional nanomaterial that has between one and ten layers of sp 2 -hybridized carbon atoms arranged in six-membered rings. It has many unique properties, including interesting transport phenomena, and high Young's modulus (approximately 1100 GPa) [ Importantly, it could be used in pollutant removal in environmental remediation, which has attracted increasing research in recent few years [5][6][7][8][9][10] and is the focus of this review. Aggregation of graphene layers determines the practical specific surface area, and modification of pristine graphene with other compounds will decrease the aggregation and increase the effective surface area. Graphene with a high specific surface area has a large enough area for pollutant removal and functionalization. Modification of the graphene surface with specific functional groups or nanoparticles could be used to increase the graphene interaction with organic and inorganic pollutants, so they can be removed efficiently from solution through catalytic adsorption or degradation. Based on this, various graphene-based materials have been synthesized; these have enhanced new properties compared to pristine graphene.In this paper, we review recent research advances in graphene-based nanomaterial synthesis and the application of these materials to environmental remediation. Potential future research on high-performance graphene-based nanomaterials for pollutant removal is discussed.