Metal nanoparticles are garnering considerable attention owing to their high potential for use in various applications in the material, electronics, and energy industries. Recent research efforts have focused on the biosynthesis of metal nanomaterials using microorganisms rather than traditional chemical synthesis methods. Microorganisms have evolved to possess molecular machineries for detoxifying heavy metals, mainly by employing metal-binding proteins and peptides. Biosynthesis of diverse metal nanoparticles has recently been demonstrated using such heavy metal detoxification systems in microorganisms, which provides several advantages over the traditional chemical synthesis methods. First, metal nanoparticles can be synthesized at mild temperatures, such as at room temperature, with less energy input. Second, no toxic chemicals or reagents are needed, and thus the process is environmentally friendly. Third, diverse metal nanoparticles, including those that have never been chemically synthesized, can be biosynthesized. Here, we review the strategies for the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles using microorganisms, and provide future prospects.
Hierarchical hollow spheres of Fe2 O3 @polyaniline are fabricated by template-free synthesis of iron oxides followed by a post in- and exterior construction. A combination of large surface area with porous structure, fast ion/electron transport, and mechanical integrity renders this material attractive as a lithium-ion anode, showing superior rate capability and cycling performance.
Sensors with autonomous self-healing properties offer
enhanced
durability, reliability, and stability. Although numerous self-healing
polymers have been attempted, achieving sensors with fast and reversible
recovery under ambient conditions with high mechanical toughness remains
challenging. Here, a highly sensitive wearable sensor made of a robust
bio-based supramolecular polymer that is capable of self-healing via
hydrogen bonding is presented. The integration of carbon fiber thread
into a self-healing polymer matrix provides a new toolset that can
easily be knitted into textile items to fabricate wearable sensors
that show impressive self-healing efficiency (>97.0%) after 30
s at
room temperature for K+/Na+ sensing. The wearable
sweat-sensor systemcoupled with a wireless electronic circuit
board capable of transferring data to a smart phonesuccessfully
monitors electrolyte ions in human perspiration noninvasively in real
time, even in the healed state during indoor exercise. Our smart sensors
represent an important advance toward futuristic personalized healthcare
applications.
Antimicrobial resistance and multidrug resistance are slower-moving pandemics than the fast-spreading coronavirus disease 2019; however, they have potential to cause a much greater threat to global health. Here, we report a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-mediated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) assay for multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. This assay was developed via a synergistic combination of the specific gene-recognition ability of the CRISPR system, superb sensitivity of SERS, and simple separation property of magnetic nanoparticles. This assay detects three multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, species Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, without purification or gene amplification steps. Furthermore, MDR A. baumannii-infected mice were successfully diagnosed using the assay. Finally, we demonstrate the on-site capture and detection of MDR bacteria through a combination of the three-dimensional nanopillar array swab and CRISPR-mediated SERS assay. This method may prove effective for the accurate diagnosis of MDR bacterial pathogens, thus preventing severe infection by ensuring appropriate antibiotic treatment.
ZnSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) with efficient blue emission are in situ synthesized using a novel microfluidic reaction system. This advances research on both simple one‐step synthesis of core/shell QDs and their production using thermoplastic‐based microfluidic reaction systems. Furthermore, QD light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are demonstrated using ZnSe/ZnS QDs as wavelength converters.
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