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Highlights: [•] We engineered a simple, micro-object mesosensor based on aluminosilica pellets. [•] Ultra-fast and specific remote visualization and removal of multi-toxic metals were evident. [•] The sensor shows high stability, reproducibility, and versatility over ion detections. [•] Selective removal of Hg2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+ ions from drinking water and blood was evident. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the remarkable progress in the field of gene technology, proteins have gained an important function in the field of disease diagnosis and treatment. Protein bioadsorption has drawn increasing attention partly because of the promising advances for diagnostic assays, sensors, separations, and gene technology. Mesocage alumina has a cage-type structure with high surface area and pore volume, exhibiting superior capabilities for protein adsorption. In this study, we report the size-selective adsorption/removal of virtual proteins having different shapes, sizes, functions, and properties, including insulin, HopPmaL domain, lysozyme, galectin-3, β-lactoglobulin, α-1-antitrypsin, α-amylase, and myosin in aqueous water using mesocage alumina. The mesoporous alumina monoliths have unique morphology and physical properties and enhanced protein adsorption characteristics in terms of sample loading capacity and quantity, thereby ensuring a higher concentration of proteins, interior pore diffusivity, and encapsulation in a short period. Thermodynamic analysis shows that protein adsorption on mesocage alumina monoliths is favorable and spontaneous. Theoretical models have been studied to investigate the major driving forces to achieve the most optimal performance of protein adsorption. The development of ultra- or micrometer-scale morphology composed of mesocage-shaped mesoporous monoliths or alumina network clusters can be effectively used to encapsulate the macromolecules into the interior cage cavities, which can greatly assist in other potentials for biomedical applications. Furthermore, the adsorption of a single protein from mixtures based on size- and shape-selective separation can open up new ways to produce micro-objects that suit a given protein encapsulation design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A general design for optical chemical nanosensors is necessary for the development of efficient sensing systems with high flexibility and low capital cost for the controlled recognition of heavy and toxic metals. In the present work, we designed optical chemical nanosensors for the colorimetric recognition and simultaneous removal of Cu(II) and Pd(II) ions. The optical nanosensors were designed by direct immobilization of a synthesized N,N′-disalicylidene-4,5-diamino-6-hydroxy-2-mercaptopyrimidine (DSAHMP) chelate onto hexagonal mesoporous aluminosilica carriers. The natural surfaces and active acid sites of the aluminosilicas strongly induced H-bonding and dispersive interactions with the DSAHMP chelate, leading to the formation of stable sensors without leaching of the chelate during sensing assays of metal ions. No elution of the probe molecules was evident with the addition of Cu(II) and Pd(II) analyte ions during the sensing process. In addition, the structural features of the open-pore, hexagonal mesostructures led to high rates of accessibility and adsorption capacity of the DSAHMP chelate. Within such a tailored nanosensor design, the ability to achieve flexibility in the specific activity of the electron acceptor/donor strength of the chemically responsive DSAHMP molecular probe enabled easy generation and transduction of optical color signals as a response to DSAHMP-Cu(II) or DSAHMP-Pd(II) binding events, even at ultra-trace concentrations (10−9 mol/dm3) of heavy metals. The functional and solid design of the nanosensors offered a simple, one-step sensing procedure for both the quantitate and visual detection of such elements from their sources without the need for sophisticated instruments. Controlled sensing and removal assays significantly enhanced nanosensor functionality in terms of long-term stability, reversibility, and selectivity. The key result in our study is that the design-made nanosensors exhibited significant ion-selectivity toward the target ions in environmental and waste disposal samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]