We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Tungsten oxide-like species embedded nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes electrode developed to measure extracellular oxidative stress
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers built a sensor made of carbon nanotubes coated with tungsten oxide and nitrogen to detect hydrogen peroxide, a marker of cell stress. In lab tests, the sensor detected hydrogen peroxide released by small water animals called Hydra after exposure to tiny polystyrene plastic particles.
Oxidative stress is an early biological response to contaminant exposure and may precede irreversible impairment at the organism and ecosystem levels. However, its evaluation commonly relies on destructive biochemical assays that are poorly suited to rapid or on-site environmental assessment. Here, we report tungsten oxide-embedded nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTN-W) as an electrochemical interface for detecting extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) released by living organisms under contaminant-induced stress. This functional material was prepared through polydopamine-assisted immobilization of tungsten precursors on carbon nanotubes, followed by pyrolysis under nitrogen. Structural characterization revealed a preserved nanotube framework, a nitrogen-doped carbon shell, and W-O-rich surface species. The proposed sensor demonstrated sensitive H 2 O 2 detection with a detection limit of 1.50 μM. It also showed satisfactory sensitivity of 6.789 μA μM −1 cm −2 , along with stability and reproducible responses. As an environmental proof of concept, the platform detected extracellular H 2 O 2 released by Hydra exposed to 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastic particles and subsequently validated the results through spiking experiments. These results demonstrate the potential of CNTN-W as an electrochemical sensing interface for H 2 O 2 detection in biologically relevant aquatic matrices and provide a foundation for future monitoring of extracellular oxidative-stress signals.
More Papers Like This
A sensitive electrochemical sensor for environmental toxicity monitoring based on tungsten disulfide nanosheets/hydroxylated carbon nanotubes nanocomposite
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a cell-based electrochemical sensor using tungsten disulfide nanosheet and carbon nanotube composites on a screen-printed electrode to detect aquatic pollutant toxicity, finding it more sensitive than conventional cell viability assays when tested against trichlorophenol, bisphenol AF, and polystyrene nanoplastics.
Nanoelectrochemistry monitoring of intracellular reactive oxygen and nitrogen species induced by nanoplastic exposure
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used tiny nanoelectrodes to measure reactive oxygen and nitrogen species inside lung cells exposed to nanoplastics. They found that nanoplastic exposure significantly increased nitrogen-based reactive species while oxygen-based species remained relatively stable. The study provides new evidence about the specific types of oxidative stress that airborne nanoplastics can trigger inside human cells.
Nanopipette confined hydrogel-catalyst networks for spatiotemporal monitoring of nanoplastics-induced oxidative stress in single cells
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists built a tiny, ultra-sensitive sensor that can detect the harmful chemical byproducts (a type of "oxidative stress") produced inside individual human cells when they're exposed to nanoplastics, tiny plastic particles from environmental pollution. Using this tool, they found that different types of human cells react differently to nanoplastic exposure, suggesting some tissues may be more vulnerable to plastic-related damage than others. This kind of precise, cell-by-cell measurement could help researchers better understand exactly how nanoplastics harm our bodies, an important step as concerns grow about plastic contam
Nanoparticle-Biological Interactions in a Marine Benthic Foraminifer
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed single-celled marine organisms called foraminifera to three types of engineered nanoparticles — including polystyrene nanoplastics — and found that all three accumulated inside the cells and triggered oxidative stress (a form of cellular damage). This study shows that even microscopic seafloor organisms are vulnerable to nanoplastic pollution, expanding the known range of species harmed by plastic contamination.
Spatiotemporal quantification of nanoplastic-induced oxidative stress in 3D cortical organoids by flexible electrodes
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists used a new flexible sensor to measure oxidative stress (cell damage linked to disease) in mini lab-grown brain tissue exposed to nanoplastics—those tiny plastic particles found throughout our environment. They found that the longer brain tissue was exposed to these plastics, the more damage built up, but the effects stayed concentrated near the surface (about the width of two human hairs deep) rather than spreading throughout the tissue. This research matters because it's one of the first tools to actually measure how deep nanoplastics penetrate into brain tissue and how much cellular stress they cause, giving scientists a better
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.