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This work reports the development and optimization of a rapid and low-cost pen-on-paper plotting approach for the fabrication of paper-based analytical devices (PADs) using commercial writing stationery. The desired fluidic patterns were drawn on the paper substrate with commercial marker pens using an inexpensive computer-controlled x–y plotter. For the fabrication of electrochemical PADs, electrodes were further deposited on the devices using a second x–y plotting step with commercial writing pencils. The effect of the fabrication parameters (type of paper, type of marker pen, type of pencil, plotting speed, number of passes, single- vs. double-sided plotting), the chemical resistance of the plotted devices to different solvents and the structural rigidity to multiple loading cycles were assessed. The analytical utility of these devices is demonstrated through application in optical sensing of total phenols using reflectance calorimetry and in electrochemical sensing of paracetamol and ascorbic acid. The proposed manufacturing approach is simple, low cost, flexible, rapid and fit-for-purpose and enables the fabrication of sub-“one-dollar” PADs with satisfactory mechanical and chemical resistance and good analytical performance.

This paper describes a simple, low-cost, and highly flexible rapid prototyping method to construct electrochemical paper-based analytical device (ePAD) for multiplexed analyte determinations. The ePAD was composed of two electrochemical cell (EC) compartments, separated by hydrophobic barriers of wax, and screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) deposited directly over the surface of the filter paper. The ePAD was entirely constructed using an inexpensive craft cutter printer with no needed of a wax printer. The rapid prototyping method involves two steps: the deposition of the SPEs and the creation of the wax barriers. In this case, the SPEs were screen-printed on filter paper by using adhesive tape as mask by cutting the electrodes pattern with the cutter printer. Following, the wax barriers were created using stamps made of filter paper also cut with the printer and impregnated with wax. In the ePAD, each ECs containing an array of 4-working electrodes, allowing up to 4 replicates in a single measurement. Both ECs shared one counter and one reference electrodes, permitting the simultaneous multianalysis. The ePAD was successfully applied to simultaneous detection of paracetamol (PAR), caffeine (CAF), and ascorbic acid (AA) in drugs. PAR and CAF were detected in a sample using one EC and AA was detected, in a different sample, on the other EC, both with no chemical modifications in the working electrodes. Limits of detection of 0.04 mmol L−1 for PAR, 0.22 mmol L−1 for CAF, and 0.40 mmol L−1 for AA were obtained. The construction process proposed provide an easy way to implement screen-printing electrodes and wax barriers in filter paper to create electrochemical devices for fast and simultaneous multianalysis.

Analytical strategies to ensure the quality and safety of food products without the need for skilled personnel are highly required. The simplicity of glucose strips for diabetes monitoring should be translated to the agri-food sector, ensuring easy evaluation of certain molecules and/or the freshness of a beverage/foodstuff. In addition to the well-known advantages that are characteristic of electroanalytical methods over other methods, paper-based materials are being used to further reduce the gap between complex laboratory testing and simple point-of-need testing. This article highlights some of the most recent advances in the development of paper-based electrochemical approaches for food surveillance, specifically focusing on the use of novel paper-based materials. Two examples are discussed: the development of a miniaturized biosensor realized on copy paper for the quantification of ethanol in commercial beers, and the measurement of ascorbic acid in food supplements within printed electronics supports. Paper-based materials have the potential to lower economic costs, simplify the operative tasks, and most importantly reduce waste generation. The continued combination of manufacturing methods and functional (smart) materials will facilitate the implementation of food analysis at the point of need.

We studied the production and electrochemical performance of NiCo2S4 electrodeposited reduced graphene oxide (rGO) paper for use as a freestanding flexible electrode for the simultaneous determination of folic acid (FA) and ascorbic acid (AA). Production of rGO paper was achieved through vacuum filtration of the aqueous dispersion of graphene oxide, followed by chemical reduction in hydrogen iodide solution. NiCo2S4/rGO paper material was fabricated with a simple approach using electrodeposition of hydrothermal synthesized NiCo2S4 nanoparticles directly on rGO paper. The physicochemical properties of as-prepared flexible NiCo2S4/rGO paper were characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction patterns. This freestanding paper electrode demonstrated high sensitivity, a wide linear range, and a low detection limit towards the simultaneous detection of FA and AA. NiCo2S4/rGO paper sensor, possessing easy preparation, low cost, and high flexibility, was tested in real samples with promising recoveries. This study exhibited that the approach of the electrodeposition of bimetallic sulfides on freestanding graphene paper substrates has great potential to develop high-performance flexible electrochemical sensors.

Bisphenol A (BPA) was commonly used as color developer for thermal paper such as cash register receipts, labels or tickets. Therefore, thermal paper was considered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as the main source of human exposure to BPA beside epoxy based food contact materials. In this study, a German market analysis on the use of BPA and alternative color developers in thermal paper receipts is provided for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017.114 (2015), 98 (2016) and 99 (2017) samples were randomly collected and analyzed by HPLC-DAD. In summary, BPA was still the most frequently found color developer (48.2% in 2015, 46.9% in 2016 and 52.5% in 2017). The most commonly used alternative was the phenol-free substance Pergafast® 201 (34.2%, 33.7%, 40.4%). The bisphenol analogs bisphenol S (BPS; 11.4%, 9.2%, 6.1%) and D8 (6.1%, 7.1%, 1.0%) were less common. Another phenol-free substituent, a urea urethane compound (UU), was also detected (3.1% in 2016). Concentrations of color developers in thermal paper ranged from 1.4 to 32.4 mg/g (median values between 2.5 and 15.9 mg/g). Concentrations of BPA were found to be highest followed by BPS, UU, Pergafast® 201 and D8. In addition, two pharmacologically active substances, dapsone (6.0 mg/g) and tolbutamide (5.5 mg/g), were detected in a non-marketed thermal paper, that was supposed to use ascorbic acid as initial color developer. Different release experiments of the detected color developers were performed. Sensitizers 1,2-diphenoxy-ethane, 1-phenylmethoxy-naphthalene and diphenylsulfone, used frequently in the thermal paper processes, were quantified.

In this work, different paper surface modification strategies were compared to obtain an amine functionalized SBA-15 (N-SBA-15) composite for paper-based device development. The synthesized N-SBA-15 was characterized by N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and it was incorporated to different polymer matrices (κ-carrageenan (CA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyethylenimine (PEI)) for the development of the composite modified paper-based device. The retention, interactions, and morphology of the obtained composites were investigated by absorbance measurement, FTIR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. To demonstrate the applicability of the modified paper-based device, ascorbic acid (AA) quantification was carried out. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was immobilized onto the modified paper surface. HRP in the presence of H 2 O 2 catalyzes the oxidation of 10-acetyl-3,7-dyhidroxyphenoxazine (ADHP) to highly fluorescent resorufin, which was measured by LIF detector. Thus, when AA was added to the solution, it decreases the relative fluorescence signal proportionally to the AA concentration. The linear range from 50 nmol L −1 to 1500 nmol L −1 and a detection limit of 15 nmol L −1 were obtained for AA quantitation. The obtained results allowed us to conclude that N-SBA-15/PEI composite could be considered an excellent choice for the paper-based device modification procedure due to its inherent simplicity, low cost, and sensitivity. Fil: Moreira, Cristian Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina Fil: Scala Benuzzi, María Luz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; Argentina Fil: Takara, Eduardo Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; Argentina Fil: Pereira, Sirley Vanesa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; Argentina Fil: Regiart, Daniel Matias Gaston. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; Argentina Fil: Soler Illia, Galo Juan de Avila Arturo. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Nanosistemas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Raba, Julio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; Argentina Fil: Messina, Germán Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; Argentina

Detecting small amounts of analyte in clinical practice is challenging because of deficiencies in specimen sample availability and unsuitable sampling environments that prevent reliable sampling. Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) have successfully been used to detect ultralow amounts of analyte, and origami-based PADs (O-PADs) offer advantages that may boost the overall potential of PADs in general. In this study, we investigated two potential clinical applications for O-PADs. The first O-PAD we investigated was an origami-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system designed to detect different concentrations of rabbit IgG. This device was designed with four wing structures, each of which acted as a reagent loading zone for pre-loading ELISA reagents, and a central test sample loading zone. Because this device has a low limit of detection (LOD), it may be suitable for detecting IgG levels in tears from patients with a suspected viral infection (such as herpes simplex virus (HSV)). The second O-PAD we investigated was designed to detect paraquat levels to determine potential poisoning. To use this device, we sequentially folded each of two separate reagent zones, one preloaded with NaOH and one preloaded with ascorbic acid (AA), over the central test zone, and added 8 &micro, L of sample that then flowed through each reagent zone and onto the central test zone. The device was then unfolded to read the results on the test zone. The three folded layers of paper provided a moist environment not achievable with conventional paper-based ELISA. Both O-PADs were convenient to use because reagents were preloaded, and results could be observed and analyzed with image analysis software. O-PADs expand the testing capacity of simpler PADs while leveraging their characteristic advantages of convenience, cost, and ease of use, particularly for point-of-care diagnosis.

Food safety and access to systematic approaches for ensuring detection of food hazards is an important issue in most developing countries. With the arrival of paper-based analytical devices (&micro, PADs) as a promising, rapid, easy-to-use, and low-cost analytical tool, we demonstrated a simple microfluidic-based titration study for the analysis of packaged fruit juices. Similar, to the titration experiments using traditional glassware in chemistry laboratories, in this study the titration experiments were developed using paper microfluidics for the analysis of several analytes such as pH, vitamin C, sugars, and preservatives present in the packaged fruit juices. The allergen found commonly in dairy based mixtures and the non-pathogenic biochemical component responsible for food spoilage in cider based fruit juices were also determined. The results obtained using paper microfluidics were compared with those obtained using a conventional spectrophotometric technique. Finally, a paper microfluidics based multiplexed sensor was developed for the analysis of common nutritional ingredients, an allergen, and a non-pathogenic byproduct present in packaged fruit juices on a single platform. Overall, the results presented in this study reveal that the proposed paper microfluidic assisted colorimetric multiplexed sensor offers a quick and reliable tool for on-spot routine analysis for food safety applications.

Screen printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) are widely used in the field of electrochemical sensors, especially in the areas of food, water, environmental quality, and healthcare applications. In this context, microband SPCEs were fabricated on Whatman paper, overhead projection (OHP) sheet and cotton textile substrates for the development of cost-effective electrochemical biosensors. The fabricated electrodes were subjected to three consecutive processes such as thermal, electrochemical and oxygen plasma treatment. Surface morphologies of SPCEs after each treatment stage were observed using scanning electron microscope for process standardization. Electrochemical performances of the fabricated SPCEs were analyzed using cyclic voltammetry. SPCEs on OHP substrate exhibited a single electron transfer rate at ΔEp of 57 mV and ipa/ipc = 1 (n = 3) with significant repeatability and reproducibility compared to SPCEs on paper and textile substrates. The role of activation of edge plane pyrolytic graphite of SPCEs in achieving the reversible reaction with single electron transfer characteristics has been analysed and reported. The effectiveness of the activated SPCEs on the OHP substrate was tested by detecting 1 mM of uric acid and ascorbic acid with KCl as an electrolyte.

Recently paper based diagnostic kits have drawn great interest in the point-of-care testing market (POCT). The paper based detection systems provide inexpensive, rapid and safe analyses for disease markers and/or pathogens. Vitamin C (i.e., ascorbic acid) regulates body’s immune system as an antioxidant agent. Humans, however, do not have enough amounts of enzymes involved in the synthesis of vitamin C that it is required to be obtained from their diets (e.g., beverages and/or supplements). Here, we have prepared a paper based kit to detect the concentration of Vitamin C presented in commercially available beverages. The evaluation provides the fast, simple and accurate results for detecting Vitamin C in the prepared paper based kit.

A simple label-free colorimetric detection of epinephrine has been demonstrated based on its interaction with aptamer functionalized gold nanoparticles. The role of different parameters such as morphology of AuNPs, aptamer concentration and salt destabilization has been thoroughly investigated to enhance the performance of the sensor in terms of sensitivity and specificity. A range of common interfering agents such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), tryptophan, dopamine, ascorbic acid etc. showed very little/no aggregation in the solution which indicates the specificity of the sensor. The sensor was then tested on a hydrophobic paper substrate for the development of a cheap, portable and point of care diagnostic tool. A visible change in colour from red to blue was observed in the solution with increasing concentration of epinephrine. The present approach gave a detection limit of 0.9 nM using UV-visible spectroscopy which is by far the lowest detection limit of epinephrine using any colorimetric approach.

We report on a paper-based 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl (DPPH) assay for a simple, inexpensive, low reagent and sample consumption and high throughput analysis of antioxidant activity. The paper-based device was fabricated using a lamination method to create a 5-mm in diameter circular test zone that was embedded with a DPPH reagent. The analysis was carried out in one-step by dropping an antioxidant/sample onto the test zone. After reduction by the antioxidant, the DPPH radicals become stable DPPH molecules, resulting in a change in color from deep violet to pale yellow. The violet color intensity of DPPH was inversely proportional to the antioxidant activity of the samples, and was measured using imaging software. A high precision and a low limit of detection were found in the analysis of six standard antioxidants including gallic acid, trolox, ascorbic acid, caffeic acid, vanilliic acid and quercetin. The device was then validated against the traditional spectrophotometric DPPH assay by analyzing the antioxidant activity of 7 tea samples. The results showed no significant difference for gallic acid equivalent for all 7 samples obtained from the two methods at the 95% confidence level, indicating that the developed method was reliable for antioxidant activity analysis of real samples. Finally, the paper-based DPPH device was found to be stable over 10 days when stored in a refrigerator (2 - 4°C), making it an easy-to-use device for end-users.

Due to improper garbage disposal and rapid industrialization, concentrations of different metal ions are rising to toxic levels in natural water sources. Development of novel, selective and sensitive sensors for different metal ions is in high demand for rapid detection and remediation. Herein, we report nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) with high blue fluorescence, synthesized by a new one-step pyrolytic method using urea and ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA) acid as precursors. The NCDs were used for parallel detection of Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions in aqueous medium through a fluorescence ON–OFF–ON process. The minimum detection limit for Hg2+ and Cu2+ were 6.2 nM and 2.304 nM, respectively, in aqueous medium, which is close to or below the allowed levels of Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions, i.e., 6 ppb and 2 ppm, respectively, in drinking water as per World Health Organisation (WHO). Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions were discriminated with vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and trisodium citrate by a fluorescence turn on process. A filter paper based microfluidic device loaded with NCDs, vitamin C and trisodium citrate was developed using candle wax channels on a filter paper as a proof of principle, projecting NCDs as a promising material for parallel detection of multiple metal ions. The device demonstrated herein is capable of detecting Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions up to 0.1 μM. This simple, low cost, disposable paper-based device will be very useful for rapid onsite analysis.

There is growing interest in the development of simple, fast, sustainable and low-cost analytical methodologies on paper-based platforms. However, sensitive detection strategies that fit properly with these devices are still required. In this work, a calibration-free method is proposed for analytical determinations performed on paper-based electrochemical devices, in this case, for ascorbic acid. Carbon ink is deposited on a hydrophilic working area of the paper delimited with a hydrophobic wax. This maskless procedure is fast and cuts down ink waste. The connection of this working electrode to the potentiostat is provided by reusable gold-plated connector headers that provide also the reference and counter electrodes. The thickness of the paper substrate defines the electrochemical cell and confines a sample volume, ideal for thin-layer coulometry. Controlled-potential coulometry is performed applying a potential of +0.6 V for 50 s. The charge is calculated by measuring the area under the fast chronoamperogram and the concentration is determined following Faraday's law (known number of transferred electrons). This methodology was applied to the determination of ascorbic acid, with a limit of detection of 40 μM. Its concentration in commercial fruit juices can be directly determined in diluted samples. The absence of matrix effects is observed by comparing the results obtained before and after enzymatic reaction of the sample with cucumber ascorbate oxidase. Good accuracy and precision makes this method suitable for quality control of ascorbic acid in commercial juices. Underexploited coulometric readout can be applied as a fast (calibration-free) and low-cost (standards not required) transduction principle for the newly developed paper devices.

This paper describes a paper-based biochemical sensor that realizes redox cycling with close interelectrode distance. Two electrodes, the generator and collector electrodes, can detect steady-state oxidation and reduction currents when suitable potential is held at each electrode. The sensor has two gold plates on both sides of a piece of chromatography paper and defines the interelectrode distance by the thickness of the paper (180 μm) without any micro-fabrication processes. Our proposed sensor geometry has successfully exhibited signatures of redox cycling. As a result, the concentration of ferrocyanide as reversible redox molecules was successfully quantified under the interference by ascorbic acid as a strong irreversible reducing agent. This was possible because the ascorbic acids are completely consumed by the irreversible reaction, while maintaining redox cycling of reversible ferrocyanide. This suggests that a sensor based on the redox cycling method will be suitable for detecting target molecules at low concentration.

This paper presents a low-cost reflectometer for selective detection of Cu2+. The reflectometer is based on an emission light source using five light-emitting diodes at different wavelengths and a detector using a webcam. The samples were prepared using a filter paper-based colorimetric sensor with ascorbic acid-based quinoxaline derivative. Video analysis using gray color intensity was used to perform both copper ion screening (Cu2+, Pb2+, Cr+3, Ni2+, Fe2+, Sn2+, Mg2+, Cd2+, Ag+ and Co2+) and quantification of Cu2+ in spiked samples. In addition, a multivariate validation was performed. The system proved to be selective to Cu2+ among the screened ions, and its quantification was performed using partial least square regressions. Good linearity (R2 = 0.979, coefficient of determination), low root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP = 5.20 × 10-3 mol L-1) and high recovery (93.39-128.64%) were achieved. This method has potential to be employed for rapid and selective determination of Cu2+ in water using low-cost instrumentation.

In this study, distribution of metal accumulation and their biological changes of Indian mustard plants (Brassica nigra L.) grown in soil irrigated with different concentration of rayon grade paper effluent (RGPE, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, v/v) were studied. A pronounced effect was recorded at 50% (v/v) RGPE on germination of seeds, amylase activity and other growth parameters in Indian mustard plants. An increase in the chlorophyll and protein contents was also recorded at 75%). A significant increase lipid peroxidation was recorded, which was evidenced by the increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content in shoot, leaves and seeds in tested plant at all the concentrations of RGPE. This Indian mustard plants (Brassica nigra L.) are well adapted for tolerance of significant amount of heavy metals due to increased level of antioxidants (cysteine and ascorbic acid) in root shoot and leaves of treated plants at all concentration of RGPE. Moreover, it is also important that RGPE should be treated to bring down the metal concentration well within the prescribed limit prior to use in agricultural soil for ferti-irrigation.

A simple device which incorporates three electrodes (working electrode, counter electrode and reference electrode) was constructed to be used currently in laboratories without elevated cost. It does not need more than 2 μL of electrolyte, sample or working solution, his support material is paper, and the working electrode which is based on carbon ink can incorporate enzymes and cofactors. To test this concept we started this investigation using the NADH/NAD+ redox couple which is an omnipresent coenzyme in living systems but is also a challenge to electrochemistry. The paper sensor fabrication was simple, rapid and cheaper. NADH was incorporated in the carbon ink by mixing both and, this mixture was used to print the working electrode. The direct electrochemical system NADH/NAD+ signal obtained, using this device, appeared at low potentials. A quasi-reversible diffusional redox process was achieved and regeneration of the NADH after oxidation was reached. This small paper device was not only used to study the redox process of NAD+/NADH, but also its behavior in the presence of electroactive (ascorbic acid) and non-eletroactive species (glucose). publishersversion published

This study describes the use of electrochemical paper-based analytical devices (ePADs) drawn with graphite pencil for the determination of ascorbic acid (AA) in commercial tablets. ePADs were fabricated using vegetal paper and graphite pencil. First, the three-electrode electrochemical cell drawn using a graphical software and toner lines were laser printed on the vegetal paper surface to delimit the electrode areas. Then, the electrode regions were manually painted with graphite pencil. Afterwards, the pseudo-reference electrode was defined with the deposition of silver ink over the graphite surface. Cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry (SWV) experiments were performed to optimize the electroanalytical parameters as well as to quantitatively determine the AA concentration in two commercial tables. ePADs exhibited linear behavior for a concentration range between 0.5 and 3.0 mmol L-1. The achieved limit of detection and sensitivity were 70 μmol L-1 and 0.47 μA/mmol L-1, respectively. The AA concentration levels found by SWV experiments in both CenevitTM and Energil CTM were 2.80 ± 0.02 and 3.10 ± 0.01 mmol L-1, respectively. The accuracy of the proposed devices was investigated through recovery experiments in three concentration levels and it presented values between 95 and 115%.

The reduction of graphene oxide (GO) thin films deposited on substrates is crucial to achieve a technologically useful supported graphene material. However, the well-known thermal reduction process cannot be used with thermally unstable substrates (e.g., plastics and paper), in addition photo-reduction methods are expensive and only capable of reducing the external surface. Therefore, solid-state chemical reduction techniques could become a convenient approach for the full thickness reduction of the GO layers supported on thermally unstable substrates. Here, a novel experimental procedure for quantitative reduction of GO films on paper by a green and low-cost chemical reductant (L-ascorbic acid, L-aa) is proposed. The possibility to have an effective mass transport of the reductant inside the swelled GO solid (gel-phase) deposit was ensured by spraying a reductant solution on the GO film and allowing it to reflux in a closed microenvironment at 50 &deg, C. The GO conversion degree to reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) in attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mode and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). In addition, morphology and wettability of GO deposits, before and after reduction, were confirmed by digital USB microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contact angle measurements. According to these structural characterizations, the proposed method allows a bulky reduction of the coating but leaves to a GO layer at the interface, that is essential for a good coating-substrate adhesion and this special characteristic is useful for industrial exploitation of the material.

As a cost-effective alternative to silver nanoparticles, we have investigated the use of copper nanoparticles in paper filters for point-of-use water purification. This work reports an environmentally benign method for the direct in situ preparation of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in paper by reducing sorbed copper ions with ascorbic acid. Copper nanoparticles were quickly formed in less than 10 minutes and were well distributed on the paper fiber surfaces. Paper sheets were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Antibacterial activity of the CuNP sheets was assessed for by passing Escherichia coli bacteria suspensions through the papers. The effluent was analyzed for viable bacteria and copper release. The CuNP papers with higher copper content showed a high bacteria reduction of log 8.8 for E. coli. The paper sheets containing copper nanoparticles were effective in inactivating the test bacteria as they passed through the paper. The copper levels released in the effluent water were below the recommended limit for copper in drinking water (1 ppm).

Redox cycling is a phenomenon that occurs for redox species due to close interelectrode distance. [...]

While recent evidence indicates that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and associated oxidative damage are frequently observed in fish populations with exposure to pulp and paper mill effluents, the potential for ROS generation from municipal sewage effluents has not been addressed. This study investigates the utility of measures of oxidative stress in delineating the effects of both pulp and paper mill and municipal sewage discharges. Longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus) were collected below three pulp and paper mill and two municipal sewage effluent discharges over a 3-year period within the Wapiti and Athabasca River systems in northern Alberta. Biochemical responses in longnose sucker varied between the two rivers systems, with more pronounced changes occurring within the Wapiti River. Of the suite of biochemical parameters examined, fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (FAO) activity was the most sensitive indicator of pulp and paper mill exposure, but was only infrequently induced with exposure to municipal sewage effluent. Hepatic and gonadal 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, lipid hydroperoxides, and hepatic free iron were less consistently elevated with exposure to pulp and paper mill effluent than FAO activity, and were also only infrequently altered with sewage effluent exposure. Hepatic ascorbic acid, liver somatic index, and condition factor were consistently altered with exposure to both sewage and pulp and paper mill effluents. While specific biochemical and organismal responses varied with effluents and time, the collective suite of oxidative stress endpoints proved to be useful tools in identifying relative influences of municipal sewage and pulp and paper mill effluent on fish populations in adjacent receiving waters.

We report a novel and simple approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles capped with inositol (Ag NPs/Ino) by the reduction of silver salt with ascorbic acid under basic conditions. UV-vis, TEM, FTIR and TGA techniques were used to characterize the Ag NPs/Ino to determine the size, shape and surface modification of the NPs. Stable silver nano-ink was prepared in aqueous solution containing 1% PVP (stabilizer) and glycerol (cosolvent) and was used for the direct-writing of a paper electrode with a roller ball-point pen for electrochemical applications. The solvent, stabilizing agents, concentration of NPs (10%), paper substrate, sintering temperature (40 °C) and sintering time (15 min) were optimized to obtain a uniform coating of Ag NPs on the paper substrate. Further, the synthesis and fabrication of ZnO NPs on a paper substrate was put forward to design a touch pad device based on the piezoelectric effect. The preparation of paper based devices suggests a direction for the development of a simple, low cost and compatible approach for the direct-writing of paper based flexible electrodes and electronics for future applications.

The present work demonstrates the fabrication and sensing performance of a free-standing paper electrode composed of boron oxide (B2O3) and graphene for the application of the simultaneous detection of melatonin (MEL) and ascorbic acid (AA). The flexible paper electrode (B-RGO) was fabricated through vacuum filtration of homogeneous composite dispersion (B-GO) consisting of B2O3 in GO, followed by chemical reduction with HI. The structural, chemical and morphological characterization of B-RGO composite paper was performed by using various techniques. This flexible paper electrode exhibited high sensitivity, wide linear range and low detection limit for the simultaneous determination of MEL and AA. The outstanding performance of B-RGO paper electrode could be attributed to the round-edged rod-like B2O3 structures between graphene layers, which provide an increment of the surface area and the electrochemical activity of the composite paper. Furthermore, this paper electrode showed high sensitivity and selectivity for the determination of MEL and AA in real sample analysis.

In this paper, we have reported that paper-like graphene-Ag composite films could be prepared by a facile and novel chemical reduction method at a large scale. Using ascorbic acid as a reducing agent, graphene oxide films dipped in Ag+ aqueous solutions can be easily reduced along with the decoration of different sizes of Ag particles distributed uniformly. The results reveal that the obtained films exhibit improved mechanical properties with the enhancement of tensile strength and Young's modulus by as high as 82% and 136%, respectively. The electrical properties of graphene-Ag composite films were studied as well, with the sheet resistance of which reaching lower than approximately 600 Ω/□. The graphene-Ag composite films can be expected to find interesting applications in the area of nanoelectronics, sensors, transparent electrodes, supercapacitors, and nanocomposites.

In this work, Pt nanoparticles modified nanoporous AuSn(Pt@NP-AuSn) alloy on Ni buffered flexible carbon fiber paper (CFP) is fabricated by a simple replacement reaction in which NP-AuSn is fabricated by controllable dealloy of electrodeposited Au-Sn alloy films. The as prepared Pt@NP-AuSn/Ni/CFP possesses hierarchical pore structure, high specific surface area and excellent catalytic activity. Due to the bi-functions of both the large surface area of nanoporous metal and macroporous of carbon fiber paper facilitating mass transfer, the Pt@NP-AuSn/Ni/CFP shows high sensitivity of detecting ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA), with sensitivities of 0.14 μA μM−1 cm−2, 15.23 μA μM−1 cm−2, 0.28 μA μM−1 cm−2 under the concentration ranging from 200 to 2000 μM, 1–10 μM, and 25–800 μM for AA, DA and UA, respectively. Further, the Pt@NP-AuSn/Ni/CFP possesses long-term stability of sensing AA, DA and UA and presents great anti-interference towards a variety of common compounds in body fluid. All of these results manifest the Pt@NP-AuSn/Ni/CFP can be a promising candidate for the application of the electrochemical sensor for simultaneous detection of AA, DA and UA.

Combining microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μ-PAD) and the molecular imprinting technique, a visible light photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing platform for the detection of pentachlorophenol (PCP) was established on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) decorated paper working electrode using polypyrrole-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles. Ascorbic acid (AA) was exploited as an efficient and nontoxic electron donor for scavenging photogenerated holes under mild solution medium and facilitating the generation of stable photocurrent. The microfluidic molecular imprinted polymer-based PEC analytical origami device is developed for the detection of PCP in the linear range from 0.01 ng mL −1 to 100 ng mL −1 with a low detection limit of 4 pg mL −1 . This disposable microfluidic PEC origami device would provide a new platform for sensitive, specific, and multiplex assay in public health, environmental monitoring, and the developing world.

Introduction Ascorbic acid (AA), also known as vitamin C, is a water-soluble vitamin that can promote the body's absorption of iron to prevent iron-deficiency anemia. It also has an antioxidant effect, which can inhibit free radicals from oxidative damage to the human body, thereby preventing tumors. Because of its antioxidant properties, AA can also be used as antioxidants in foods and has a wide range of applications in foods such as cured meat products, canned fruits and vegetables, and beer beverages. Conventional AA detection methods such as fluorescence [1] and electrochemical methods are complicated and time-consuming, and are not suitable for rapid and portable detection. Based on this, this article proposes a high-efficient handheld spectrometer, which is mainly composed of a miniature spectrometer sensor, a broadband LED light source, an Arduino UNO board and a self-designed circuit board (Figure.1C). This device is equipped with a touch screen and some buttons which are designed to facilitate user operation (Figure.1 D). The entire system is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery. In addition, the device is designed by Solidworks software and fabricated by 3D printing (Figure.1 E). As shown in Figure 1C, the detection system is also equipped with 3D printed guide rails and a light-transmitting bracket, combined with commercial microplates to achieve detection of AA. The detected signal can be transmitted to a smartphone or PC via Bluetooth. The handheld spectrometer has high portability and simplicity and shows excellent sensitivity. Combined with the above high-efficient spectrometer, a colorimetric assay based on MnO2 nanosheet for AA detection was established with great sensitivity and portability. Method MnO2 nanosheets were firstly synthesized acting as a biomimetic oxidase with which TMB can be oxidized to oxide TMB with a color change from pale yellow to blue (Figure.1 A). The hydrochloric acid added can turn the color of the solution to yellow with characteristic absorption at 450 nm. When the solution contains AA, MnO2 nanosheets can be reduced to Mn2+ resulting in the oxidation rate decreasing. That induces an absorption change at 450 nm indicating the concentration of AA (Figure.1 B) [2]. All the above reactions were performed in microplates and the microplates were pushed along the track in the middle of the handheld device and pushed out from the other end. The top of the device is equipped with a broadband LED light source. The emitted light passes through the solution in the microplates and is coupled to the micro spectrometer through a collimator below [3]. The optical signal is converted into an electrical signal and processed by the detection circuit board, and then transmitted to the Arduino microcontroller for analyze. Since the detection process is carried out inside the device, in a relatively dark environment, and the first well of the microplates contains the blank solution to eliminate the weak ambient light interference, the handheld spectrometer can be used on almost all occasions. Results and Conclusions Under optimized experimental conditions, different concentrations of AA samples were prepared using multiple dilution from 80 μM to 0.1563 μM. The blank solution without AA was also prepared as a control group. All the AA detection experiments were conducted by both the microplate reader and the handheld spectrometer, and the analytical performance was compared. The comparison results demonstrated the two instruments both have good linearity in the AA concentration range from 0.6250 μM to 40 μM. Furthermore, according to the 3σ/slope rule, the LOD of the handheld spectrometer is 0.4946 μM, which is slightly lower than the microplate reader. The good performance of the handheld spectrometer demonstrates it can be a promising tool for POC applications in food security, disease diagnosis, and environmental monitoring. References [1] Q. Jin, Y. Li, J.Z. Huo, X.J. Zhao, The “off-on” phosphorescent switch of Mndoped ZnS quantum dots for detection of glutathione in food, wine, and biological samples, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 227 (2016) 108e116. [2] Y. Gan, N. Hua, C.J. He, S.Q. Zhou, J.W. Tu, T. Liang, Y.X. Pan, D. Kirsanov, A. Legin, H. Wan, P. Wang, MnO2 nanosheets as the biomimetic oxidase for rapid and sensitive oxalate detection combining with bionic E-eye, Biosens. Bioelectron. 130 (2019) 254e261 [3] Bayram, A., Horzum, N., Metin, A. U., Kilic, V., & Solmaz, M. E. (2018). Colorimetric Bisphenol-A Detection With a Portable Smartphone-Based Spectrometer. IEEE Sensors Journal, 18(14), 5948–5955. doi:10.1109/jsen.2018.2843794. Figure 1

Pinus radiata barks obtained from tress of different ages, as subproduct of pulp and paper (trees less than 10 years) and sawmill (trees between 20 to 25 years) industries, were used to produce extracts containing phenolic compounds. A factorial design 2³ was used to evaluate the influence of the variables temperature (25 - 35 ºC), solvent type (acetone - ethanol) and extraction time (1-12 h). The extracts were compared in their extraction yield (%), total phenols (by FolinCiocalteau), and radical scavenging activity (by DPPH). The extract obtained from old trunks presented a higher extraction yield than from young trees. The highest yield value was 2.56%, which was obtained using acetone as solvent for 12 h and 35°C. The highest concentration of phenol (5.84± 0.18 g CE g extract-1), and scavenging activity (IP=86.1± 4.4%) were also obtained for this type of extract. The extraction duration was the variable that most influenced the parameters studied. The bark’s radical scavenging power was greater than BHT (40%) and slightly lower than ascorbic acid (92%), common commercial antioxidants.