Rapid One-step Method Research Articles

One-Step Synthesis of Antimicrobial Polypeptide-Selenium Nanoparticles Exhibiting Broad-Spectrum Efficacy against Bacteria and Fungi with Superior Resistance Prevention.

The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) necessitates innovative strategies beyond conventional antibiotics. In response, we developed a rapid one-step method to sythesize antimicrobial peptide (AMP) ε-poly-L-lysine stabilized selenium nanoparticles (ε-PL-Se NPs). These polycrystalline NPs with highly positive net surface charges, exhibited superior antimicrobial activity against a broad panel of pathogens, including the Gram-positive and -negative bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and their drug-resistant counterparts, as well as the yeast Candida albicans. Notably, 10PL-Se NPs exhibited 6-log reduction of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) at a concentration of 5 μg/mL within 90 min, with minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) below 50 μg/mL for all tested bacterial strains. The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of 10PL-Se NPs against C. albicans was 26 ± 10 μg/mL. Crucially, bacteria exposed to ε-PL-Se NPs exhibited significantly delayed resistance development compared to the conventional antibiotic kanamycin. S. aureus developed resistance to kanamycin after ∼72 generations, whereas resistance to 10PL-Se NPs emerged after ∼216 generations. Remarkably, E. coli showed resistance to kanamycin after ∼39 generations but failed to develop resistance to 10PL-Se NPs even after 300 generations. This work highlights the synergistic interactions between ε-PL and Se NPs, offering a robust and scalable strategy to combat AMR.

Efficient and rapid one-step method to generate gene deletions in Streptococcus pyogenes.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a major human pathogen, causing diseases ranging from mild and superficial infections of the skin and pharyngeal epithelium to severe systemic and invasive diseases. Since June 2022, several European countries, the US, and Australia are facing an upsurge of invasive life-threatening GAS infections. Finding a good vaccine antigen and understanding the role of virulence factors in GAS infections have been hampered, in part, by technical difficulties to transform the many different GAS strains and generate knockout mutants. Moreover, these tools must be adapted to a large range of different strains, since GAS are divided into more than 260 emm-types (M-type). We have set up a method allowing the generation of non-polar mutants of GAS in 3 days and in diverse backgrounds, which contrasts with previously published protocols.

Biomolecules-mediated electrochemical signals of Cu2+: Y-DNA nanomachines enable homogeneous rapid one-step assay of lung cancer circulating tumor cells

This study presents a straightforward efficient technique for extracting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and a rapid one-step electrochemical method (45 min) for detecting lung cancer A549 cells based on the specific recognition of mucin 1 using aptamers and the modulation of Cu2+ electrochemical signals by biomolecules. The CTCs separation and enrichment process can be completed within 45 min using lymphocyte separation solution (LSS), erythrocyte lysis solution (ELS), and three centrifugations. Besides, the influence of various biomolecules on Cu2+ electrochemical signals is comprehensively discussed, with DNA nanospheres selected as the medium. Three single-stranded DNA sequences were hybridized to form Y-shaped DNA (Y-DNA), creating DNA nanospheres. Upon specific capture of mucin 1 by the aptamer, most DNA nanospheres could form complexes with Cu2+ (DNA nanosphere-Cu2+), significantly reducing the concentration of free Cu2+. Our approach yielded the limit of detection (LOD) of 2 ag/mL for mucin 1 and 1 cell/mL for A549 cells. 39 clinical blood samples were used for further validation, yielding results closely correlated with pathological, computed tomography (CT) scan findings and folate receptor-polymerase chain reaction (FR-PCR) kits. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve displayed an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.960, demonstrating 100% specificity and 93.1% sensitivity for the assay. Taken together, our findings indicate that this straightforward and efficient pretreatment and rapid, highly sensitive electrochemical assay holds great promise for liquid biopsy-based tumor detection using CTCs.

A rapid one-step electrodeposition method for fabrication of the superhydrophobic nickel/cobalt alloy surfaces with excellent robustness and durability features

The artificial superhydrophobic surfaces were successfully assembled on various substrates by adjusting surface roughness and reducing surface energy. In this work, a series of superhydrophobic Ni/Co alloy (SNCA) surfaces with hierarchical micro/nano rough structures were prepared on brass substrates by a facile one-step electrodeposition method. Based on these surfaces, the influences of manufacturing parameters and their structure on the wettability of SNCA were well discussed. The results confirmed that SNCAt under the synergy of multi-optimal parameters (m, i, t) displays a more ordered cone-flower structure, showing excellent superhydrophobicity (WCA = 167.9°, WSA = 3.2°), and the massive pollutants spread on its surface can be easily taken away by the rolling water droplets within 40 s. It is reassuring to know that SNCAt surface still retains good superhydrophobicity after undergoing blade scraping, tape stripping, sandpaper cyclic wear, heat treatment and chemical corrosion, which shows long-term durability. The corrosion protection capability of the as-fabricated SNCA was also evaluated by electrochemical corrosion techniques. The results show that SNCA has outstanding corrosion inhibition performance in simulated seawater solution, and especially the protection efficiency of SNCAt can reach above 98 %. In conclusion, the existence of superhydrophobic surface can be regarded as a barrier, and the perfect interface of gas-liquid can effectively inhibit the permeation of corrosive ions. Therefore, the superhydrophobic surface with robustness and durability will be a promising alternative technique for corrosion protection.

A rapid one-step preparation method of the repairable three-dimensional antifouling superhydrophobic 2.5EPZF coating on magnesium alloys

Although three-dimensional (3D) superhydrophobic coating has been gradually prepared on the surface of metal substrate for anticorrosion and antifouling, their complex preparation steps and equipment requirements limit their practical application. Herein, by a rapid one-step spray preparation method the fabricating 3D superhydrophobic 2.5EPZF (2.5 g epoxy resin/polycaprolactone (PCL)/zinc oxide/perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane) coating is prepared. This method utilizes a certain degree of directional arrangement of macromolecular long chain polymers (PCL) as solvent evaporation during the spraying process to form a filamentous structure to construct the 3D coating. This preparation mechanism provides us a novel theoretical guidance method for preparing 3D coating. Further, the silk thickness and mesh density of the 3D mesh structure is controlled by adding epoxy resin. When the amount of epoxy resin is 2.5 g, the surface of 2.5EPZF coating is with about 1–3 μm thick branch frame and 0.1–0.4 μm thin treetop. And the water-contact angle (CA) of 2.5EPZF is 156.6 ± 1.5° and the sliding angle (SA) is < 10° . The 2.5EPZF coating exhibits durable antifouling, strong mechanical&chemical durability, and corrosion resistance. The corrosion current of the 2.5EPZF coating for 0 day's immersion and 35 days’ immersion in NaCl solution is 1.043 × 10−12 A•cm−2 and 1.1703 × 10−11 A•cm−2, respectively. Under solar irradiation and at 50 °C for 30 min, the 2.5EPZF coating is with scratching recovering. Additionally, the composite coating can be prepared by a large area. It is expected that this method is readily used and shows great application potentials.

Efficient detection of nitrite in water based on an Au/NiO/Rh trimetallic composite modified laser-induced graphene electrode prepared by one-step electrodeposition

In this study, we employed a straightforward and rapid one-step electrodeposition method to enhance modify an Au/NiO/Rh composite on laser-induced graphene (LIG) for nitrite (NO2–) detection. We extensively characterized and tested the morphological composition and electrochemical properties of the electrode using scanning electron microscopy and other characterization techniques. To compare the electrochemical active surface areas of the electrode before and after modification, we conducted cyclic voltammetry experiments. Additionally, we confirmed the changes in electron transfer performance and adsorption energy of the modified electrode through by density functional theory calculations. The experimental results demonstrate that the combined modification of LIG with rhodium nanoparticles (RhNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) improves electron transport ability at the electrode interface and enhances the electrode's electrocatalytic performance. The incorporation of nickel oxide (NiO) also provides a larger reaction area and more active sites for NO2– detection. The synergistic effects of these three modified components significantly enhance NO2– detection at the electrode, surpassing the performance of the bimetallic modified electrode. Under optimized experimental conditions, the sensor exhibits a linear range of 1 μmol/L to 1 mmol/L and a detection limit of 0.3 μmol/L. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrates excellent anti-interference and repeatability properties. We successfully applied the sensor for determination of NO2– in tap water, yielding satisfactory results. This research presents a promising strategy for the portable, sensitive, and in-situ detection of NO2– in water environments using metal-based electrochemical sensors.

Application of a novel adsorbent UiO-66 modified by Ce to tetracycline removal in water bodies

In the present work, Ce-UiO-66, namely cerium-organic framework was prepared through rapid one-step solvothermal method, uncovering it potency to effectively get rid of tetracycline (TC) from an aqueous solution. The morphology and structure of Ce-UiO-66 materials were characterized by typical traditional methods such as FESEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS. The process performance in terms of TC removal was investigated at different operating conditions. Specifically, when the dose, pH value, adsorption time, and temperature were 20 mg, 9, 180 min, and 25 ℃ respectively, the removal effect of TC was the best. The adsorption process of TC was described using the Freundlich model and the quasi second order model, respectively. The removal efficiency of TC by UiO-66 before modification was only 40.37%, and the adsorption amount was 44.38 mg⋅g−1, while the removal efficiency of TC adsorption by Ce-UiO-66 could reach about 90% under the optimal adsorption conditions, and the maximum adsorption amount was 86.95 mg⋅g−1. The data showed that Ce-UiO-66 exhibits good TC adsorption performance. And TC adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic multi molecular layer chemical adsorption. Ce doping increased the quantity of active sites, and promoted the synergistic effects of electrostatic attraction, π-π conjugation, and hydrogen bonding between the adsorbent and TC, thus improving the adsorption effect of TC. As everyone knows that the application of UiO-66 in the adsorption field can be broadened by doping other metal ions, which prove that the metal skeleton adsorption material has broad development prospects in the next few years.

Cefminox sodium carbon nanodots for treatment and bacterial detection of bloodstream infection

Cefminox sodium carbon nanodots were synthesized via a rapid one-step microwave method using cefminox sodium as sole precursor. The prepared cefminox sodium carbon nanodots had good water solubility and the diameter was concentrated at 1.29 ± 0.40 nm with relative uniform. They exhibited fluorescence excitation-dependent property, of which optimal excitation wavelength was ∼ 390 nm, and optimal emission wavelength was ∼ 465 nm. As retained part of the structure and antibacterial properties of cefminox sodium, cefminox sodium carbon nanodots had low biological toxicity and sufficient antibacterial activity against bacteria in vitro. In vivo experiments demonstrated cefminox sodium carbon nanodots could exert a good therapeutic effect on acute bloodstream infection. In the mixed solution (Escherichia coli, blood and cefminox sodium carbon nanodots), the fluorescent intensity exhibited quadratic functional relationship with the concentration of Escherichia coli. The detection concentration range for Escherichia coli was 0.5 × 106 ∼ 1 × 109 CFU/mL, and the detection limit was 3.7 × 105 CFU/mL. It suggested cefminox sodium carbon nanodots can rapidly and quantitatively detect the number of Escherichia coli in blood while effectively treating bloodstream infection. Due to the long period of clinical detection time (about 1–5 days or more) for bacterial counts in the blood of patients, this method provides a new strategy for rapid clinical treatment and effective monitoring of the degree of infection in patients.

A green and facile one-step hydration method based on ZIF-8-PDA to prepare melamine composite sponges with excellent hydrophobicity for oil-water separation

Frequent crude oil spills and illegal discharges of industrial organic pollutants cause serious damage to the ecological environment and considerable loss of valuable resources. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop efficient strategies to separate and recover oils or reagents from sewage. Herein, a green, facile and rapid one-step hydration method was applied to obtain the composite sponge (ZIF-8-PDA@MS) that monodispersed zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles with high porosity and large specific surface area were firmly loaded onto the melamine sponge by ligand exchange and the self-assembly of dopamine. The water contact angle of ZIF-8-PDA@MS with multiscale hierarchical porous structure could reach 162°, which remained stable over a long period of time and a wide pH range. ZIF-8-PDA@MS displayed excellent adsorption capacities (up to 85.45–168.95 g⋅g−1), and could be reused at least 40 times. Besides, ZIF-8-PDA@MS exhibited remarkable photothermal effect. Simultaneously, Silver nanoparticle-immobilized composite sponges were also prepared via in-situ reduction of silver ions to inhibit bacterial contamination. The composite sponge developed in this work can be used not only for the treatment of industrial sewage, but also for the emergency response of large-scale marine oil spill accidents, which has inestimable practical value for water decontamination.

Mesoporous hollow nanospheres with amino groups for reverse osmosis membranes with enhanced permeability

Aiming at enhancing the permeability of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, polyaniline-co-polypyrrole hollow mesoporous nanospheres (PPHMNs) were synthesized with aniline and pyrrole monomers via a simple and rapid one-step method, and then added to the aqueous phase of interfacial polymerization to fabricate thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. Hollow cores of the PPHMNs embedded in polyamide layers could reduce the interior transfer resistance of the membrane and shorten the transmission pathway of water molecules. Mesoporous shell of PPHMNs provided more channels for rapid transmission of water molecules. Moreover, amino groups in PPHMNs originated from the monomer of aniline could not only be bonded to polyamide (PA) layer by reacting with acyl chloride groups to prevent the leakage but also improve hydrophilicity of the membrane. Water flux of TFN membrane doped with PPHMNs (TFN-Ps) of 0.005 wt% addition concentration was 34.1 L·m−2·h−1 which is 76.7% higher than that of thin-film composite (TFC) membrane, and the NaCl rejection all kept over 99.0%. The TFN-Ps also showed excellent long-term stability, chlorine resistance and anti-fouling performance. This work opens an avenue for application of mesoporous hollow nanospheres with amino groups synthesized by simple and time-saving methods in developing TFN membranes with improved water flux.

Development of a Colloidal Gold Immunochromatographic Strip for the One-Step Evaluation of the Total Content of Rhein and Aloe-Emodin in Rhubarb.

In this study, a colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip was developed for simultaneous detection of rhein and aloe-emodin in rhubarb. The cutoff value, defined as the lowest concentration for which the test line was invisible on the strip, was 50 ng mL−1 for both rhein and aloe-emodin. By contrast, the cutoff value for emodin was 2,000 ng mL−1. No competitive inhibition was observed up to 5,000 ng mL−1 of physcion, chrysophanol, sennoside A, sennoside B, or rhaponticin. Semiquantitative analyses of the total contents of rhein and aloe-emodin in raw drug materials via our colloidal gold immunochromatographic strips produced results agreeable with those determined by HPLC. Taken together, our findings suggest that the implementation of our colloidal gold immunochromatographic strips provides a rapid one-step method for estimating the total contents of rhein and aloe-emodin, which may represent a powerful tool for quality control of rhubarb.

Label-free microRNA detection using a locked-to-unlocked transforming system assembled by microfluidics.

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a potential biomarker for the early screening and diagnosis of cancers and is widely present in human blood, urine and saliva. Here, we report a microfluidics-assembled tool for miRNA detection based on the regulation of DNA locked and unlocked states and explore its application in complex samples. Microfluidic techniques are used to continuously assemble the locked-to-unlocked transforming system using a rapid one-step method. It only takes 2 min to produce enough locked-to-unlocked systems for a miRNA detection experiment. DNA molecules with a recognition sequence and a G-rich reporter sequence (G4m) are locked by attaching both ends to the surface of magnetic beads (MBs) in microchannels. The presence of the target miRNA can initiate the specific cleavage of one end of G4m by duplex-specific nuclease, resulting in the transition of G4m from a locked state to an unlocked state. This transition enables G4m to freely fold into a G-quadruplex, which can participate in the catalysis of ABTS oxidation and result in a turquoise color. During the whole process, the target miRNA remains intact and continuously initiate specific cleavage, facilitating signal amplification. Magnetic separation steps are employed to assist in miRNA enrichment and interference reduction. As a proof of concept, we quantified miRNA-21 using the locked-to-unlocked system. The assay allows specific detection of miRNA-21 in the range of 3.2-570 pM with a detection limit of 2.01 pM (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the locked-to-unlocked system is used to analyze miRNA-spiked urine, saliva and serum samples and shows robust performance in different matrices.

Facile preparation of Cucurbit[6]uril modified melamine sponge for efficient oil spill cleanup

Herein, as a part of a circular economy, we have utilized Cucurbit[6]uril CB6 (a major product formed during the synthesis of CBn), to convert commercial hydrophilic melamine sponge (MS) into hydrophobic CB6 coated melamine sponge (abbreviated as CB6@MS). A facile, cost-effective, and rapid one-step dip-coating method without using the toxic and expensive modifying agents for the preparation of CB6@MS at ambient conditions is described. The prepared modified sponge is characterized using Fe-SEM, FT-IR, TGA, and PXRD. Self-assembly of CB6 on the skeleton of MS by hydrogen bonding/electrostatic interactions enhanced MS surface roughness and improved MS stability by maintaining its original 3D porous structure. The CB6@MS hydrophobic sponge had excellent oil absorption potential for many oils and organic solvents (53–112 g/g). The absorbed oil or solvents could be recycled in the simple squeezing process because of structural stability and strong elasticity of CB6@MS sponge, and absorption performance was nearly unchangeable after 15 absorptions/squeezing cycles. The resultant sponge can also continuously absorb and extract oil from the pollutant water through a vacuum pump. Thus, the utilization of the major undesired product, simple preparation, economical, and excellent oil separation would give this approach great potential to develop various CB-based applied materials.

One Step Bioremediation of Olive-Oil-Mill Waste by Organoinorganic Catalyst for Humics-Rich Soil Conditioner Production

A new, simple, and rapid one-step integrated method for the biotechnology treatment of raw olive oil mill waste (OMW) is discussed. The innovations introduced involve primarily the application of microaerobic composting processes for OMW bioremediation plus the addition of both a zeolite and a tailor-made biocatalyst extremely rich in soil microorganisms. The latter operates at a wide pH range and provides, apart from soil microorganisms, nutrients to the compost, enhancement to the bio-oxidative phase and acceleration of biochemical reactions during bioremediation. The basic parameters affecting the bioprocess, i.e., electrical conductivity, pH, C/N ratio, specific weight, ash, organic matter, total organic carbon, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, microorganisms, humic substances, and total polyphenols, were monitored systematically to provide insight into the process and evaluate the product obtained. After a biotreatment of just 60 d, a significant reduction in polyphenols (91.4%) and an increased humic substances content (8%)—both serving as maturation indices—were observed. The OMW compost received is stable, free of toxic compounds and pathogens, affords a richness in cenose and a high humic substances content, both vital for soil fertility. Applications of the OMW product received, both in laboratory-scale and field cultivations, confirm its suitability as a first-class soil conditioner for organic farming.

Room-temperature fabrication of superhydrophobic covalent organic framework (COF) decorated cotton fabric for high-flux water-in-oil emulsion separation.

We report the preparation of a two-dimensional superhydrophobic covalent organic framework (COF)-coated cotton fabric via a rapid one-step method at room temperature. The COF-coated fabric was found to have stable superhydrophobicity and remarkable water-in-oil emulsion separation capacity with ultra-high flux under only gravity.

Rapid one-step scalable microwave synthesis of Ti3C2Tx MXene.

We demonstrate a rapid one-step scalable microwave heating-based method to prepare Ti3C2Tx MXenes, which shortens the synthesis time from tens of hours for state-of-the-art approaches to 15 minutes and avoids time-consuming delamination with organic compounds. Noticeably, the microwave-synthesized MXene nanosheets have a tailorable size, a stable colloidal dispersion, high electrical conductivity and superior near-infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion performance.

One-step synthesis of functional metal organic framework composite for the highly efficient adsorption of tylosin from water

Functional metal organic framework composite can effectively remove antibiotics from environmental water samples. However, designing excellent adsorbents with multiple active sites via a rapid one-step method is still a challenging problem. A novel metal organic framework composite (UiO-66-NH2-AMPS) was synthesized through one-step polymerization by adding functional monomer 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) during the preparation of UiO-66-NH2. The microstructure and morphology of the UiO-66-NH2-AMPS composite were characterized, and the adsorption performance towards tylosin (TYL) in water was explored by equilibrium adsorption experiment. The results illustrated that the adsorption equilibrium can be reached within 1 h, and the maximum binding amount of UiO-66-NH2-AMPS for TYL was 161.60 mg g−1, which was approximately 2.1–329 times of that of the other adsorbents. The pseudo second-order kinetic and Liu isotherm model were suitable for the adsorption process, and thermodynamic study displayed that the adsorption of UiO-66-NH2-AMPS composite for TYL is spontaneous and endothermal. The infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectra exhibited that hydrogen bond and electrostatic interaction were the primary recognition force for TYL. The UiO-66-NH2-AMPS composite have been successfully applied to remove TYL from environmental water. After 5 cycles, the removal efficiency of UiO-66-NH2-AMPS was still above 91.30%.

Flash nanoprecipitation with Gd(III)-based metallosurfactants to fabricate polylactic acid nanoparticles as highly efficient contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging.

Polylactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles coated with Gd(III)-based metallosurfactants (MS) are prepared using a simple and rapid one-step method, flash nanoprecipitation (FNP), for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. By co-assembling the Gd(III)-based MS and an amphiphilic polymer, methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (mPEG-b-PCL), PLA cores were rapidly encapsulated to form biocompatible T1 contrast agents with tunable particle size and narrow size distribution. The hydrophobic property of Gd(III)-based MS were finely tuned to achieve their high loading efficiency. The size of the nanoparticles was easily controlled by tuning the stream velocity, Reynolds number and the amount of the amphiphilic block copolymer during the FNP process. Under the optimized condition, the relaxivity of the nanoparticles was achieved up to 35.39 mM-1 s-1 (at 1.5 T), which is over 8 times of clinically used MRI contrast agents, demonstrating the potential application for MR imaging.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Graphene Supported Hexagonal Magnetite for Applications in Catalysis

Herein, we report a rapid one-step synthetic method using microwave irradiation for growing magnetite nanocrystals on reduced graphene oxide sheets. This developed strategy allows decorating graphene sheets with magnetite nanocrystals of well-defined morphology as cubes using microwave-driven reduction of iron chloride using hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent. The size and shape control was achieved via fine-tuning of the reaction conditions. The obtained results demonstrate the applicability of this microwave synthetic approach to control the morphology of the magnetite nanocrystals anchored on graphene sheets. Moreover, graphene sheets will enhance the nucleation and growth of magnetite nanoplates anchored on graphene. This approach can be used as a synthetic tool to synthesize a wide variety of metal and metal oxide architectures on graphene. This approach also provides plenty of advantages like catalyst recyclability, mild reaction conditions, easy separation, reproducibility, and minimization of agglomeration effect that cause the decrease in the catalyst catalytic activity.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Graphene Supported Hexagonal Magnetite for Applications in Catalysis

Herein, we report a rapid one-step synthetic method using microwave irradiation for growing magnetite nanocrystals on reduced graphene oxide sheets. This developed strategy allows decorating graphene sheets with magnetite nanocrystals of welldefined morphology as cubes using microwave-driven reduction of iron chloride using hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent. The size and shape control was achieved via fine-tuning of the reaction conditions. The obtained results demonstrate the applicability of this microwave synthetic approach to control the morphology of the magnetite nanocrystals anchored on graphene sheets. Moreover, graphene sheets will enhance the nucleation and growth of magnetite nanoplates anchored on graphene. This approach can be used as a synthetic tool to synthesize a wide variety of metal and metal oxide architectures on graphene. This approach also provides plenty of advantages like catalyst recyclability, mild reaction conditions, easy separation, reproducibility, and minimization of agglomeration effect that cause the decrease in the catalyst catalytic activity