An upconversion luminescence probe for the detection of Cu 2+ is constructed by assembling meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine dihydrochlorid (TSPP) on SiO 2-encapsulated β-NaYF 4 :Yb,Er,Gd nanorods which were synthesized by hydrothermal reaction and encapsulated with a layer of ultrathin silica through a water-in-oil reverse microemulsion strategy. Under excitation of 980 nm, the nanorods emit upconversion lights at 545 nm and 659 nm, respectively. While in the presence of Cu 2+ , Cu 2+ forms complex with TSPP, which shifts the maximum absorption of TSPP from 515 to 545 nm. As the maximum absorption of TSPP-Cu 2+ is overlapped with the emission at 545 nm of the nanorods, the luminescence energy of the nanorods can be transferred to TSPP-Cu 2+ complex, resulting in a quench of the emission at 545 nm, while the upconversion emission at 659 nm is not affected by Cu 2+ , and can be used as a reference. Cu 2+ was therefore quantified based on the ratio of the upconversion luminescence at 545 to that at 659 nm. Using the ratiometric *Manuscript Click here to view linked References

A novel photoelectrode based on ZnS/CdTe/Mn-CdS/ZnS-sensitized three-dimensional macroporous ZnO nanosheet (NS) has been prepared by electrodeposition and successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The photoelectrode performances were significantly improved through the coupling of the core/shell CdTe/Mn-CdS quantum dots (QDs) with ZnO NS, and the introduction of the ZnS layer as a potential barrier. The photocurrent density systematically increases from ZnO NS (0.45 mA/cm(2)), CdTe/Mn-CdS/ZnO NS (4.98 mA/cm(2)), to ZnS/CdTe/Mn-CdS/ZnS/ZnO (6.23 mA/cm(2)) under the irradiation of AM 1.5G simulated sunlight. More important, the ZnS/CdTe/Mn-CdS/ZnS-sensitized ZnO NS photoelectrode provides a remarkable photoelectrochemical cell efficiency of 4.20% at -0.39 V vs Ag/AgCl.

A VS2/aptamer-based cytochromecsensor was successfully constructed by first applying the DNA-adsorbing ability/fluorescence-quenching properties of VS2in bioanalysis.

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