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Based on signal amplification strategy of dendritic mesoporous silica nanospheres loaded with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (DMSN@QDs), an ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor with magnetic separation was constructed for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP). DMSN, a mesoporous material with abundant radial pores, large specific surface area and high porosity, can increase the loading capacity of QDs and hinder their aggregation as the nanocarrier. DMSN@QDs with good ECL efficiency were used as signal labels to construct a sandwich immunosensor. The designed ECL immunosensor displayed a good linear relationship for NP concentrations ranging from 0.005 ng mL−1 to 50 ng mL−1, with a limit of detection of 3.33 pg mL−1. The ECL immunosensor was successfully applied to detect NP in human serum samples with satisfactory recovery. This strategy provided a new method for detecting NP and expanded the application field of DMSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB) has attracted attention as a carbon-free energy source owing to its non-toxicity, high solubility in water, and high stability under ambient conditions. Unlike its traditional application as an efficient hydrogen storage material, AB has the potential to be used in alkaline fuel cells directly as an anode fuel. The direct ammonia borane fuel cell (DABFC) with a high equilibrium voltage of 1.616 V possesses high capacity and energy density with a value of 5200 A h kg−1 and 8400 W h kg−1, respectively. The AB oxidation reaction (ABOR) as the anodic reaction of the DABFC is the key to improving the electrochemical performance of the whole fuel cell. Up to now, there has been no report summarizing the direct application of AB as a fuel. In this mini-review, the mechanism, catalysts, applications, and challenges of AB applied as a fuel are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB), a carbon-free-energy material, has attracted enormous attention not only as the hydrogen storage source but also as the anodic fuel for direct AB fuel cells (DABFCs). The rational design of electrocatalysts for AB oxidation reaction (ABOR) is the key to improve the electrochemical performance of DABFCs. Herein, copper-doped nickel metaphosphates (Cu–Ni(PO3)2) with modulated electronic structure and abundant lattice defects through tuning dopant ratios are synthesized and applied towards ABOR for the first time. The optimal Cu–Ni(PO3)2 catalyst shows excellent electrocatalytic performance with an onset potential of −0.282 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE) which is superior to the published noble-metal and other transition metal electrocatalysts. And the density functional theory (DFT) computations verified that the active sites in the Cu–Ni(PO3)2 towards ABOR are the dopant Cu ions, the optimized Ni ions, and the induced lattice distortions, which indicates that the doping of Cu ions can indeed improve the electrocatalytic activity of the host catalyst Ni(PO3)2. This work provides a new candidate for the electrocatalyst of ABOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]