A novel aptamer-based label-free electrochemical impedance spectroscopy biosensor for 17β-estradiol has been fabricated. The aptamers were firstly immobilized on the gold electrode through Au-S interaction; the aptamer probe was then bound with the addition of 17β-estradiol to form the estradiol/aptamer complex on the electrode surface. This leads to a significantly larger interfacial electron transfer resistance than that without the addition of 17β-estradiol. The change in the resistance had a linear relationship with 17β-estradiol concentration in the range of 1.0 × 10(-8) to 1.0 × 10(-11) mol L(-1), with a detection limit of 2.0 × 10(-12) mol L(-1). The biosensor showed high selectivity to 17β-estradiol and good stability. The designed biosensor has been applied to detect 17β-estradiol in human urine with satisfactory results.

A simple assay based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for detection of telomerase activity is developed, and it is demonstrated that the label-free EIS method is capable of detecting the telomerase activity in HeLa cells with a detection limit of 1000 HeLa cells without using any amplification technique.

Two-dimensional textured carbon fiber is an excellent electrode material and/or supporting substrate for active materials in fuel cells, batteries, and pseudocapacitors owing to its large surface area, high porosity, ultra-lightness, good electric conductivity, and excellent chemical stability in various liquid electrolytes. And Nickel hydroxide is one of the most promising active materials that have been studied in practical pseudocapacitor applications. Here we report a high-capacitance, flexible and ultra-light composite electrode that combines the advantages of these two materials for pseudocapacitor applications. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the 3D hybrid nanostructured carbon fiber–NiCo2O4–Ni(OH)2 composite electrode shows high capacitance, excellent rate capability. To the best of our knowledge, the electrode developed in this work possesses the highest areal capacitance of 6.04 F cm−2 at the current density of 5 mA cm−2 among those employing carbon fiber as the conductor. It still remains 64.23% at 40 mA cm−2. As for the cycling stability, the initial specific capacitance decreases only from 4.56 F cm−2 to 3.35 F cm−2 after 1000 cycles under a current density of 30 mA cm−2.

A novel nucleic acid hairpin structure composed of Pb(2+)-dependent DNAzyme and HRP-mimicking DNAzyme was developed. This hairpin structure can be used as a sensor for the detection of Pb(2+) based on colorimetry.

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