A highly dispersible and stable nanocomposite of Cu(tpa)-GO (Cu(tpa) = copper terephthalate metal-organic framework, GO = graphene oxide) was prepared through a simple ultrasonication method. The morphology and structure of the obtained composite were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). On the basis of the characterization results, the binding mechanism of the Cu(tpa) and GO was speculated to be the cooperative interaction of π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and Cu-O coordination. The electrochemical sensing property of Cu(tpa)-GO composite was investigated through casting the composite on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), followed by an electro-reduction treatment to transfer the GO in the composite to the highly conductive reduced form (electrochemically reduced graphene, EGR). The results demonstrated that the electrochemical signals and peak profiles of the two drugs of acetaminophen (ACOP) and dopamine (DA) were significantly improved by the modified material, owing to the synergistic effect from high conductivity of EGR and unique electron mediating action of Cu(tpa). Under the optimum conditions, the oxidation peak currents of ACOP and DA were linearly correlated to their concentrations in the ranges of 1-100 and 1-50 μM, respectively. The detection limits for ACOP and DA were estimated to be as low as 0.36 and 0.21 μM, respectively.

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Herein we report the development of a turn‐on lanthanide luminescent probe for time‐gated detection of nitroreductases (NTRs) in live bacteria. The probe is activated through NTR‐induced formation of the sensitizing carbostyril antenna and resulting energy transfer to the lanthanide center. This novel NTR‐responsive trigger is virtually non‐fluorescent in its inactivated form and features a large signal increase upon activation. We show that the probe is capable of selectively sensing NTR in lysates as well as in live bacteria of the ESKAPE family which are clinically highly relevant multiresistant pathogens responsible for the majority of hospital infections. The results suggest that our probe could be used to develop diagnostic tools for bacterial infections.

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The development of effective electrocatalysts for sustainable energy conversion and storage is highly desired, but still a considerable challenge due to the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we report...