Novel copper metal organic framework nanoparticles Cu-MOF-NPs (C1) were prepared via two simple alternative methods and confirmed by analytical characterization using mass, IR, Raman, XRD spectrum, HR-TEM and TGA-DSC. Mass spectroscopy revealed the molecular ion peak at 647 m/z for the monomeric unit structure n[Cu(AIP)₂(PIY)(H₂O)₂]·4H₂O, the presence of which was further supported by mass fragmentation. The Raman spectrum revealed two separate peaks corresponding to D and G bands of carbon in the structure of C1. Moreover, TGA-DSC showed the presence of CuO. XRD data were typically consistent with Raman and TGA-DSC data. In addition, HR-TEM revealed that the morphology of the C1 nanoparticles is uniform with well-distributed elliptical/spherical particles with a size range from 7 to 19 nm. The spectrophotometric and biological activity studies based on Cu-MOF-NPs were analyzed. The results indicated that Cu-MOF-NPs (C1) were successfully used as biosensors for the assessment of the triiodothyronine hormone (T3). The calibration plot was achieved over the concentration range of 40.0–100.0 ng dl⁻¹ T3 with limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) of 1.46 and 4.85 ng dl⁻¹, respectively, and a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.973. Moreover, the Cu-MOF-NPs (C1) show more enhanced biological activity against various pathogens (five strains of bacteria: Gram positive and Gram negative) when compared to an antibacterial agent and the effectiveness of Cu-MOF-NPs increases with increasing particle dose. The interactions of MOF-NPs (C1) with the biological targets were studied.

The nuclear industry is rapidly developing and the effective management of nuclear waste and monitoring the nuclear fuel cycle are crucial.

Hepatitis-C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV-RNA) recognition and quantification based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is key to infection control, management, and response to treatment due to its specificity, sensitivity, and quantification capabilities. However, the high cost, time requirements, and need for sophisticated laboratory infrastructure have limited the use of this method in rapid screening, blood banks, and point-of-care testing (POCT). In this work, a novel label-free electrochemical biosensor constructed using a polyaniline@nickel metal–organic framework (Ni-MOF) nanocomposite was developed for direct detection of unamplified HCV nucleic acid. A robust biosensor was fabricated using smooth layer-by-layer deposition of the polyaniline@Ni-MOF nanocomposite, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probe, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and was subsequently monitored real-time via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed biosensor were specifically examined using the EIS approach. The results revealed that the novel biosensor is highly efficient in quantitative sensing of the HCV target in the presence of nonspecific nucleic acids over the range of 1 fM–100 nM with a detection limit of 0.75 fM (at a S/N ratio of 3). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the proposed biosensor is superior to other MOF platforms. These research findings are expected to have a positive influence on the quantitative detection of HCV RNA and other nucleic acids by offering exceptional accuracy and cost effectiveness, especially in low resource countries. Moreover, this biosensor could be simply adopted for full automation and used in point-of-care testing.

Developing eco-friendly strategies to produce green fuel has attracted continuous and extensive attention. In this study, a novel gas-templating method was developed to prepare 2D porous S-doped g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst through simultaneous pyrolysis of urea (main g-C₃N₄ precursor) and ammonium sulfate (sulfur source and structure promoter). Different content of ammonium sulfate was examined to find the optimal synthesis conditions and to investigate the property-governed activity. The physicochemical properties of the obtained photocatalysts were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), specific surface area (BET) measurement, ultraviolet-visible light diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV/vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and reversed double-beam photo-acoustic spectroscopy (RDB-PAS). The as-prepared S-doped g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts were applied for photocatalytic H₂ evolution under vis irradiation. The condition-dependent activity was probed to achieve the best photocatalytic performance. It was demonstrated that ammonium sulfate played a crucial role to achieve concurrently 2D morphology, controlled nanostructure, and S-doping of g-C₃N₄ in a one-pot process. The 2D nanoporous S-doped g-C₃N₄ of crumpled lamellar-like structure with large specific surface area (73.8 m² g⁻¹) and improved electron−hole separation showed a remarkable H₂ generation rate, which was almost one order in magnitude higher than that of pristine g-C₃N₄. It has been found that though all properties are crucial for the overall photocatalytic performance, efficient doping is probably a key factor for high photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the photocatalysts exhibit significant stability during recycling. Accordingly, a significant potential of S-doped g-C₃N₄ has been revealed for practical use under natural solar radiation.