The potential of tetrazole-based ligands for forming energetic complexes applied in pyrotechnics and propellants is demonstrated with the use of 5,5’-(1,3-phenylene)bis(1H-tetrazole) (H2BTB) to generate an energetic complex with high energy. A new energetic complex of PbII-tetrazolate, [Pb2(BTB)2(H2O)8]·5H2O (1), was synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural analysis reveals that the central PbII ions present two distinct coordination environments in the asymmetric unit, including distorted pentagonal bipyramid and distorted tetragonal pyramid geometries, respectively. To identify potential combustion catalyst as additives in propellants, we employed differential scanning calorimetry technique to evaluate the influence of the complex on thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX). The kinetic parameters of an exothermic process for the catalytic system of RDX+1 were investigated by the Kissinger’s and Ozawa-Doyle’s methods. For both AP and RDX, the decomposition temperature decreased obviously in the presence of 1, and the released heat could effectively compensate the propellants. Our observations demonstrate that 1 shows good catalytic activity toward the thermal decomposition of AP and RDX.

A simple and sensitive electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) biosensor was designed for the determination of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were electrochemically deposited on the glassy carbon electrode as a base electrode and the biosensor was fabricated by self-assembling a special peptide (GIGKLHSAGKF) used as molecular recognition onto the GNPs surface according to the Au–S bond. Polyethylene glycol and 6-mercapto-1-hexanol were used to block the remaining sites of the modified electrode surface. When binding of LPS, the biosensor had a good response to different concentrations of LPS and the charge transfer resistance of the biosensor was directly related to the logarithm of LPS concentrations in the range of 0.01 pg mL-1-1.0 ng mL-1 with a limit of detection of 2.0 fg mL-1. The characteristics of the electrochemically deposited GNPs and the optimization concentration and the self-assembly time of peptide, as well as the performance of the EIS biosensors for LPS were investigated. The biosensor was used for real serum sample determination with satisfactory results.

A novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for highly sensitive and selective detection of Ag+ is developed based on the sensitive “turn-on” structure-switching trigeminal structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA-TS). DNA-TS consists of three oligonucleotides hybridized to form three double-stranded DNA like Y-shaped DNA structure. The formation of DNA-TS makes the ECL sign Ru(bpy)2(mcbpy-O-Su-ester)(PF6)2 of reporter probe approach to the electrode surface and thus increase the ECL signal intensity. The “signal-on” ECL biosensor could detect Ag+ concentration in the range from 1.0 × 10-11 to 3.2 × 10-9 mol L-1, and the limit of detection is 3.0 × 10-12 mol L-1. The strategy is sensitive and rapid. This approach could be extended to the design of sensors for other desired heavy metal ions as well. Such ECL sensors are promising for sensitive detection of other heavy metal ions.

It was found that cinnamic acid can react with potassium permanganate in the acidic medium and produce chemiluminescence, which was greatly enhanced by glyoxal. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range for the determination of cinnamic acid was 1.0×10-8 to 1.0×10-4 mol L-1 with a detection limit of 8.0×10-9 mol L-1, the relative standard deviation was 1.7% for 2.0×10-6 mol L-1 cinnamic acid solution in nine repeated measurements. This method was found to be novel0simple0fast and sensitive, it was successfully applied to the determination of cinnamic acid in human urine. Furthermore, the possible reaction mechanism was also discussed.