Wei Huang

• PhD
• Hunan Normal University, Changsha

Although C-type lectin domain family 9A (Clec9A) on conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) plays a critical role in cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cell response in cancers and viral infections, its role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unknown. We measured the expression of Clec9A in sera, BALF, and PBMCs from controls and COPD patients. T...

A highly sensitive electrochemical sensing platform for hydrazine was developed based on a highly surface-roughened nanoporous gold electrode decorated with Pt nanoparticles (Pt/HNPG). The self-supporting composite electrode is binder-free, which was fabricated via anodization of a commercial AuSn alloy in HCl electrolyte and subsequent electrodepo...

For fabrication of composite electrode, one-pot strategy is highly attractive for convenience and efficiency. Here, a self-supporting Co 3 O 4 /nanoporous gold (NPG) composite electrode was one-pot prepared via one-step in situ anodization of a smooth gold electrode in a CoCl 2 solution within 100 s. It worked as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for...

Smoking is considered to be the main source of indoor pollution, and it has been identified as an important environmental factor contributing to asthma onset. We know that T helper 2 (Th2) response plays a crucial role in the process of asthma disease. We have investigated the reaction of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on Th polarization which is co...

Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at highly dispersed Pt atoms on nanoporous surfaces is of significance both in practice and in theory. In this work, in situ surface dispersion of tiny amount of Pt (NPGF-t-Pt) on a nanoporous gold film for HER has been carried out by repeated cyclic voltammetry for the first time. It involves simu...

Materials with patterned micro-/nano-structures fabricated via self-organization for the conversion and utilization of solar energy are attractive. Thin films of self-patterned irregular micro-blocks of closely packed SnO2 nanoparticles have been achieved here as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical cells for the first time, which are accomplished f...

Using one-step anodization strategy, a nanoporous gold film (HNPG) with large surface area was rapidly fabricated on Au80Sn20 (wt%) alloy in just 80 s. The formation of highly surface-roughened nanoporous structures results from a complex process of electrochemical dealloying of Sn component from AuSn alloy, anodic electrodissolution, disproportion...

A novel surface conversion of smooth copper electrodes into flower-like Cu2Se nanosheets is realized in 5∼150 s by a cathodic polarization at −2.1 V vs. saturated mercurous sulfate electrode in a solution of 0.5 M Na2SO4 containing 20 mM Na2SeSO3. It involves continuous autooxidation of Cu to Cu2Se and its electroreduction. The flower-like Cu2Se na...

Design and fabrication of micro-/nano-structured photoelectrodes is of significance to utilize the solar energy effectively for hydrogen production from water. In this work, irregular micro-island arrays (MIA) of CdO/CdS composites on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates have been prepared for the first time as photoanodes without using any te...

A Ni(OH)2/nanoporous gold (NPG) hybrid electrode was one-step obtained by anodizing gold in NiCl2 solution for 100 s. The as-prepared electrode is self-supported due to the nature of the synthesis method. Under the optimal condition, it showed an ultrahigh sensitivity (3286.1 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²) in a linear range from 0.2 μM to 1.1 mM, a low detection li...

CdSe is an important semiconductor for photoelectrochemistry. Here, we propose a two-step method for preparing thin films of aggregated CdSe nanoparticles on Cd electrodes. We first anodized the Cd electrode in an aqueous solution of 0.2 M KNO3 at −0.9 V (vs. Hg|Hg2SO4(s)|K2SO4 (saturated)) into a porous and layered structure covered with Cd(OH)2 p...

In this work, a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) was facilely constructed based on a Nafion modified glass carbon nanofilm electrode (Nafion-GCNFE). The GCNFE with high activity was quickly fabricated from a smooth GC surface in a blank electrolyte solution of H2SO4 with square wave potential pulses (SWPPs), where th...

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs, 2∼5 nm in size) were facilely prepared by dispersing a pure gold wire with one-step anodic oxidation in an acidic solution containing Cl⁻ and SnCl2. The formation processes of colloidal AuNPs, as investigated by in situ Raman spectra, mainly involved anodic dissolution of Au to AuCl4⁻, chemical reduction of AuCl4⁻ to Au(0...

A novel graphene oxide (GO) enwrapped Ag2SO3/AgBr (GO/Ag2SO3/AgBr) composite was fabricated through a facile solution approach via electrostatic interaction and precipitation transformation reaction for the first time. The results of XRD, Raman, SEM, TEM and XPS confirmed the structure, morphology and composition of the GO/Ag2SO3/AgBr composite ver...

We proposed a template-free method for preparation of micro-nanoporous TiO2 thin films via gas/liquid interface assembly of TiO2 nanoparticles and layer-by-layer transfers. The assembled porous TiO2 films maintained good adhesion onto the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glass after being dried. CdS nanocrystals were then filled into the m...

A new adsorbent of octahedron-structured basic bismuth(III) nitrate (OBBN), [Bi6O5(OH)3](NO3)5·3H2O, was synthesized by a mild hydrolysis route and used for the adsorption removal of sulfonated anionic dyes (SADs) from aqueous solutions. A typical SAD, methyl orange (MO), was taken to investigate the adsorption processes at different pH, adsorbent...

Thin films of CdSe nanoparticles (NPs) with good photoelectrochemical performances were rapidly fabricated by gas/liquid interface reactions and self-assembly. While dropping NaHSe ethanol solution onto the surface of CdCl2 solution, CdSe NPs formed rapidly, spread over the solution's surface, and assembled into a dense thin film with the help of a...

Voltammetric determination of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) has been preformed at uniform nanoparticle film electrode (UNFE) of glass carbon (GC) (GC-UNFE). The UNFE was facilely fabricated from smooth GC surface in a blank solution of NaOH with square wave potential pulses (SWPPs). This film was composed of uniform, dense GC nanoparticles decorated with ox...

Direct electrochemical shaping of metal surfaces into micro/nano-structures with desired functions is interesting and attractive. In this work, we employed square wave potential pulses (SWPP) to shape a smooth Cu surface into micro/nano-structures efficiently in a blank H2SO4 solution. Delightedly, we obtained Cu sub-micrometric islands on the surf...

Transparent fluorine-doped tin oxide (TFTO) coating on quartz glass is widely used as substrate in photoelectrochemistry for solar energy transformation, sensing and so on. We observed that the TFTO could become blackish by strongly cathodic polarization. Characterization of the black FTO (BFTO) by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, a...

Electrochemical fabrication of micro/nanostructured metallic surfaces with superhydrophobicity has recently aroused great attention. However, the origin still remains unclear why smooth hydrophilic metal surfaces become superhydrophobic by making micro/nanostructures without additional surface modifications. In this work, several superhydrophobic m...

Voltammetric determination of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) has been carried out on graphite nanoflakes (GNFs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) (GNFs/GCE). The GNFs were easily prepared by paired electrolysis of graphite rods in a blank solution of NaOH. In comparison with GCE, the GNFs/GCE showed higher electrocatalytic activity (positive shift of pe...

In this work, an ultrasensitive nonenzymatic amperometric glucose sensor was facilely constructed based on a novel stalactite-like copper micropillar array, which was fabricated by surface rebuilding of a smooth Cu electrode in a blank H2SO4 electrolyte without using templates and precursor solutions. During repeated square wave potential pulse per...

In this work, we constructed an ultrasensitive non-enzymatic amperometric glucose sensor based on a Cu-coated nanoporous gold film (Cu/NPGF) for the first time, which comprised two pairs of electron mediators, Cu(II)/Cu(III) and Au/Au(I). The nanoporous gold film with high roughness (R=136) was prepared by anodic potential step and the very thin Cu...

Fabrication of new advanced nonenzymatic electrochemical nano-sensors of glucose has recently attracted intensive attention. In this work, we designed a novel ultrasensitive nonenzymatic amperometric sensor for detection of glucose by incorporating two pairs of effective electron mediators, Ni(II)/Ni(III) and Au/Au(I), into a nanoporous structure,...

Thin films of CdS nanoparticles were prepared rapidly at gas/liquid interface by dropping Na2S ethanol solution onto CdCl2 solution surface with the help of a surfactant (dodecyl sulfate). The photoelectro-chemical cell that comprised of the prepared thin film photoanode of CdS nanoparticles and a Pt cathode generated a photocurrent density as high...

One-step anodic potential step treatment of pure gold electrode in HCl or KCl solution is a simple and efficient strategy to form nanoporous structures. This method has now been employed in NH4Cl solution to fast construct nanoporous gold (NPG) electrode for nonenzymatic glucose detection. The surface area of as-prepared NPG was greatly increased b...

We report a paired electrolysis method to prepare graphite nanoflakes (GNFs) and their supported noble metal/alloy nanoparticles (NM NPs/GNFs), by applying an alternating voltage (AV) on two graphite rod electrodes in a NaOH solution without/with noble-metal ions. The synthesis of GNFs might be related to the anodic exfoliation of graphite surface...

An electrochemical sensor was fabricated based on a modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode with layered Au/TiO2 nanofilms for sensing of hydrogen peroxide. Both nanofilms of Au and TiO2 nanoparticles were obtained by self-assembly at air/water interface and were successively transferred onto the GC surface layer by layer. The mesoporous structure of...

Porous thin films of Bi2O3/Bi2S3 nanocomposite semiconductors were prepared rapidly at gas/liquid interface for the first time by contacting an acidic Bi(NO3)3 solution with vapors from ammonia water and ammonium sulfide solution. Hydrolysis of Bi3+ into Bi2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) and their partial sulfurization into Bi2S3 occurred at/near the solut...

As a layered semiconductor, bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) has recently drawn much attention as a photocatalyst. However, BiOCl can only absorb ultraviolet light because of its wide bandgap (3.19 similar to 3.60 eV), which limits its efficient utilization of solar energy. We have found that the film of electrodeposited BiOCl nanoflakes can be sensitiz...

Superhydrophobic metallic surfaces are attracting wide interest. In this work, two facile one-step methods (displacement reaction and electrodeposition) were developed to fabricate superhydrophobic Bi/Bi2O3 surfaces with hierarchical porous dendritic structures, where the Bi2O3 cover layer was formed by surface self-passivation of the deposited Bi....

Superhydrophobic Sn/SnOx (x = 1 and 2) films were facilely fabricated by surface self-passivation of three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous dendritic Sn while exposed to the air. The porous dendritic Sn was obtained rapidly by electrodeposition accompanying release of hydrogen bubbles. Influence of electrodeposition parameters on the surface mo...

A cauliflower-like nanostructured Pd film (CNPF) has been fabricated by just applying one double-potential step on a pure Pd substrate in a KCl solution. The CNPF formation mainly involves the formation of K2PdCl4 salt from pure Pd and its electroreduction to Pd atoms. The as-prepared CNPF electrode exhibits high electrocatalytic activities toward...

We report here on preparation of SnO2/CdS heterostructural films on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates and their application in selective sensing of Cu2+ ions by photoelectrochemistry. Films of SnO2 particles were first synthesized by thermal decomposition of SnSO4 that was spreaded on the FTO substrates by solution evaporation, and SnO2/CdS...

In this communication, we report an unusual observation on vigorous gas release of H2 and CO2 from rapid auto-decomposition of formic acid at room temperature on nanodendritic AuPd and AgPd foam films. These new binary noble metal foams were prepared by electrodeposition under strongly cathodic polarization. The high catalytic activity was contribu...

Herein, two simultaneous replacement reactions were explored to prepare a variety of bimetallic dendrites (AgCu, AgPd, AuPd, CuAu, CuPt and CuPd) within one-step, using commercial Mg powder as a sacrificial metal to reduce the bimetallic precursors in aqueous solution. We demonstrate in detail how morphologies and compositions of bimetallic dendrit...

We developed a facile one-step method to fabricate nanoflower-like dendritic Au and polyaniline composite nanosheets at gas/liquid interface by contact of HAuCl4 solution with aniline vapor for short time. Polymerization of aniline and reduction of HAuCl4 took place simultaneously at the interface, and the in situ formed interfacial polyaniline fil...

Nanoporous gold films (NPGFs) with high roughness have been fabricated by strong anodization of pure gold substrates in an aqueous solution of oxalic acid (OA), a facile method similar to the recent work of Nishio and Masuda (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 50 (2011) 1). The influence of anodic step potential, anodic polarization time and OA concentration o...

Facile preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces of stable and cheap metals is practically important. We report here our findings on fabrication of a superhydrophobic metal Sn surface, which can be obtained at room temperature in 5 min through a displacement reaction between a zinc plate and an acidic SnCl2 solution without needing post-treatment an...

Ag2SO3 based composites, ASO/Ag2S (ASO=Ag2SO3/Ag2SO4) and ASO/AgX (X=Cl, Br), were prepared by a simple and mild gas–liquid reaction and ion-exchange method. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance absorption spectra (DRAS) were performed to charac...

PtPd alloy foam films comprised of nanodendrites have been firstly fabricated by a strategy of cathodic co-deposition utilizing hydrogen bubble dynamic templates. The deposition conditions like potential, deposition time, H2SO4 concentration, precursor concentrations were investigated in detail. We found that Pd played the predominant role in the f...

A facile, green method has been developed to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) flower-like nanostructured gold film (FNGF) by anodization of pure gold substrate in a mixed solution containing potassium chloride (KCl) and ascorbic acid (AA). The formation of FNGFs might be related to three main interfacial processes: gold electrodissolution, chemic...

We report here the first artificial fabrication of riomarinaite (Bi(OH)SO4 ⋅ H2O), a new mineral found in 2000 in Italy. Urchin-like Bi(OH)SO4 ⋅ H2O lump-assembled films were obtained by potentiostatic anodization of bismuth electrodes in H2SO4 solution. The dissolution–precipitation mechanism can account for the formation of Bi(OH)SO4 ⋅ H2O. The u...

A unique one‐step anodic potential step strategy has been developed recently by our group to fabricate a three‐dimensional (3D) nanoporous gold film (NPGF) within 1 min as an efficient surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrate. Gloria et al. (J. Electroanal. Chem. 2011, 656, 114–119) demonstrated that the prepared NPGF under optimum...

Ordered arrays of polystyrene (PS) spheres dissymmetrically decorated with gold nanoparticles (NPs) were facilely assembled at air/liquid interface by the combination of colloidal crystal templating and modified conventional electroless plating. Distinguishingly, Sn2+ ions served as the reductant and stabilizer in the preparation of Au colloid, and...

We report here the fabrication of clean dendritic gold (DG) directly on a smooth Au electrode via square wave potential pulses (SWPPs) in a blank H2SO4 solution containing no Au(III) species and additives. The effects of potential range, frequency and duration time of SWPPs and H2SO4 concentration on the construction of DG were systematically inves...

In this paper, hierarchical and high-rough PtZn alloy films were cathodically fabricated from a smooth Pt substrate in an alkaline aqueous solution of low ZnSO 4 concentration at a moderate temperature of 40 o C. Subsequently, the Pt/Zn atomic ratios for the films were regulated by dissolution of bulk Zn and partial dealloying of alloyed Zn in a H...

We report here a facile electrochemical method on the preparation of antimony nanoparticles (NPs) by dispersing a bulk antimony electrode under highly cathodic polarization in different media at room temperature, requiring neither precursor ions nor organic capping agents. The dispersion of bulk antimony in a tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (TBAB) acet...

Potential-dependent surface electrooxidation processes of a Pd electrode in chloride containing solutions have been investigated in detail by means of in situ confocal Raman spectroscopy for the first time. In a solution of HCl, characteristic Raman bands for the oxidative coordination of Pd with Cl−, the transformation of soluble Pd(II) to Pd(IV)...

AuPt alloy films with three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical pores consisting of interconnected dendrite walls were successfully fabricated by a strategy of cathodic codeposition utilizing the hydrogen bubble dynamic template. The foam films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spec...

We report a novel strategy on the controlled assembly of gold nanoparticles (NPs) at the air-water interface by designing a concentration gradient of electrolytes utilizing volatile weak acidic electrolytes. Films of close-packed Au NPs can be facilely obtained by exposing citrate-protected gold colloids to the vapor of formic acid for several hour...

We report here a green and facile one-step method to fabricate nano-network gold films of low roughness via anodization of gold electrodes in an aqueous solution of l-ascorbic acid (AA) or hydroquinone (H2Q) at the oxidation peak potential. The preparation involves the formation of thin gold oxide layer by anodization of gold and its simultaneous a...

An enzyme-free amperometric method was established for glucose detection using a nanoporous gold film (NPGF) electrode prepared by a rapid one-step anodic potential step method within 5 min. The prepared NPGF had an extremely high roughness and was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical responses...

Multifunctional three dimensional (3D) dendritic gold (DG) nanostructures have been synthesized facilely by square wave potential pulse (SWPP) with an Au45Sn55 (wt.%) alloy in an electrolyte of NaOH or H2SO4. The dendrite formation involves combined actions of selective removal of Sn, oxidation–reduction cycles (ORCs) of gold and intensive hydrogen...

This article reports a novel method of the fabrication of floating ultrathin nanoporous films and superlattice-like bottom sediment flakes of colloidal gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) by the oxygen-induced ligand replacement of inorganic species. The two nanoassemblies were realized in a weighing bottle simply by aging the Au colloid, which was synthes...

We report here a facile electrochemical method on simultaneous fabrications of nanoparticles and three-dimensional (3D) porous films of Pb or Sn by a highly cathodic polarization of pure metals in a NaOH solution. The nanoparticles produced from the formation and decomposition of unstable metal hydrides were assembled into 3D porous structures with...

A novel electrochemical approach has been developed to prepare clean bismuth nanoparticles (NPs) with a bulk Bi electrode in a 0.5moldm−3 NaOH solution under highly cathodic polarization of −8V versus a saturated mercurous sulfate electrode, requiring no any precursor ions and organic protective agents. The bulk Bi electrode can be facilely dispers...

Clean Rh hydrosols have been prepared through facile dispersion of 1 mm diameter pure Rh wire with square wave potential (SWP) or alternating voltage (AV), an interesting method similar to our recent work on preparing Pt hydrosols (Electrochem. Commun. 2009, 11: 469-472). The potential is controlled such that it involves Rh electro-redox and strong...

Pt hydrosols have been synthesized by dispersing a pure Pt wire in a NaOH solution with square wave potential (SWP) or alternating voltage (AV). The rearrangements of superfacial Pt atoms by repeated and fast electro-redox under the potential perturbations (PPs), coupling with the impetus of concurrent hydrogen gas, account for this novel dispersio...

We report here a novel one-step electrochemical method to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) micro−nano hierarchical porous gold films (PGFs) by the surface rebuilding of smooth gold substrates in a blank solution of NaOH with square wave potential pulse. The potential is controlled such that it involves repeated gold oxidation−reduction and intensiv...

A novel one-step method has been developed for the fabrication of a three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous gold film (NPGF). The NPGF can be facilely made within 1min from a pure gold substrate by applying a step potential just into the initial transition region of gold in an HCl medium. The pore formation and structural evolution have been revealed by...

Systematic investigations have been carried out on the electrocatalytic oxidation of several amino compounds in alkaline solutions on a nanoporous thin-film electrode of electrodeposited nickel hydroxide nanoflakes (NHNFs). The amino compounds studied here include two amines (ethylamine and propylamine), five amino acids (β-alanine, alanine, lysine...

Potential oscillations have been observed for the first time during the electro-oxidation of Pb electrode in sulfuric acid with SCN-. The oscillations occur in the phase transition region of PbSO4/PbO2 accompanying periodic oxygen evolution. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction results show that the PbO2 film formed by electro-oxidation can be...

Oscillations have been first observed during iodide oxidation in alkaline solution on a static platinum electrode, where phase transitions at the interface of electrode/solution are essential. The film formation of solid iodine acts as a negative nonlinear feedback slowing down the iodide oxidation due to its poor conductivity, and oxygen evolution...

In this communication, we report some new oscillatory phenomena on the electrodissolution of gold in sulfuric solution containing Br− or in concentrated HCl. It was found that gas evolution and/or liquid film can play important roles in the oscillatory electrodissolution of gold, in addition to the solid film of gold oxides as previously recognized...

This paper reports on the interface processes of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) at a roughened Au electrode by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for the first time. Both the adsorption and coordination of phen on the roughened gold electrode have been studied. In comparison to the normal Raman spectrum of phen monohydrate, the frequency and rela...

A film of Ni(OH)2 deposited cathodically on a roughened nickel substrate consists of even nanoparticles, which were characterized by atomic-force microscopy (AFM). The mechanism of potential oscillations in the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol on this film electrode in alkaline medium was studied in situ by means of Raman spectroscopy in comb...

Instead of CO(ad) formation and removal as on Pt electrodes, coupling of charge transfer with diffusion and convection mass transfer accounts for the oscillation found in the methanol electro-oxidation on the NNHF electrode.

Raman spectroscopy has been used for investigating the gold oscillatory electrodissolution processes in a 2 mol dm−3 HCl solution. The vibration bands for Au–Cl−, AuCl4− and Au–O(H) as a function of potential, the spatial profile of AuCl4− concentration in the diffusion layer, and the temporal evolution of AuCl4− during the current oscillations hav...