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In this communication, we report the first demonstration of an efficient photoelectrochemical aptasensor based on sputtering Au nanoparticle-modified nanoporous BiVO 4 for the excellent sensitive and selective detection of thrombin with a low detection limit of 0.5 pM and a large linear range.

Non-noble metal for surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-induced nano-enzymatic photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensors is a promising method for broad applications. Non-noble metal bismuth (Bi) is gradually being valued for their properties such as non-toxicity, abundant reserves, and good catalysis. Meanwhile, metallic Bi nanoparticles (NPs) have superior SPR properties similar to that of noble metal. Therefore, a non-noble metal Bi/BiVO4 photoanode based on SPR was designed for the PEC detection of H2O2 in this work. The synergistic effect of BiVO4 with suitable band gap (2.5 eV) and Bi NPs with superior SPR effectively reduces the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, which significantly improves the PEC activity of Bi/BiVO4 electrode at low voltage. The in situ Bi/BiVO4/FTO photoelectrode not only exhibits a more comprehensive linear range of 0.005–2.6 mM with a lower detection limit of 2.0 μM but also possesses excellent selectivity for the determination of H2O2 because the coexisting substances are difficult to be oxidized at 0 V bias voltage. The investigation of Bi/BiVO4-based sensor has contributed to the development of non-noble metal for SPR-induced PEC biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth (Bi) is a particular element with many distinctive properties such as low toxicity or nontoxicity, high specific gravity, photoluminescence, photoelectronic and photovoltaic effects, strong oxidation ability, water insolubility, etc. These distinctive properties help to boost various applications of Bi. The recent decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the application research of Bi‐based materials, especially on photocatalysis. This paper begins with an introduction to the history of Bi, followed by a summary of its distinctive properties, and then provides a comprehensive overview of its applications in photocatalysis, sensing, medicine, and diagnosis and treatments, with a particular focus on near‐infrared photocatalysis, flexible wearable sensor, in vivo detection and therapeutics. Finally, the main challenges and development prospects of the Bi‐based materials are introduced. With the development trends of Bi research discussed, this paper is aimed at improving the knowledge of Bi and arising the research interest of Bi in the hope of extending the applications of Bi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis conditions of most phosphors doped with lanthanide ions with d–f transition require a reducing atmosphere. The doping Bi3+ ions selected in this study perfectly avoid this requirement, and they are environmentally friendly and safe. Nevertheless, the spectral tuning of Bi3+ is a great challenge that limits its application. Herein, by regulating the value of x in the new solid solution Sr2+xLa1−xGaO5−xFx, the luminescence of Bi3+ is well promoted. Through an excitation-driven strategy, the emission peak position of Bi3+ is redshifted, and the luminescence of trivalent bismuth is successfully adjusted, which can also be applied to anti-blue lighting. In addition, we constructed a Bi3+–Eu3+ dual luminescence system, and, regardless of changes in the Bi3+/Eu3+ concentration or excitation wavelength, a single matrix white light phosphor was realized. Through calculations, the activation energy of the phosphor doped with 2.5%Eu3+ was found to be 0.257 eV, which is higher than the activation energy of some common compounds. This indicates that the phosphor has good application prospects in the field of solid-state lighting. It is worth noting that based on the different thermal response behaviors of Bi3+ and Eu3+, when the Eu3+ content is fixed at 1%, the maximum relative sensitivity of the optical thermometer based on its fluorescence intensity ratio is about 1.46% K−1 at 383 K, which is higher than that of Bi3+ and Eu3+ co-doped phosphors previously reported. We also obtained a high absolute sensitivity of 0.00139 K−1 at 403 K. Therefore, we also studied the thermal sensitivity of Bi3+ and Er3+ co-doped solid solutions. The results show that this solid-solution phosphor has far-reaching application prospects in the temperature sensing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]