A review of recent advances in chemiluminescence detection using nano-colloidal manganese(IV)

The application of 'soluble' (colloidal) manganese(IV) for chemiluminescence detection is reviewed, focussing on papers published since the last comprehensive review of the subject in 2008. Advances in this reagent system include: the on-line formation of manganese(IV); new insight into the light-producing pathway and selectivity of the reagent; its application to assess total antioxidants in plant derived samples and oxidative stress in biological fluids and tissues; and the replacement of the formaldehyde enhancer with ethanol.

Boron nitride colloidal solutions, ultralight aerogels and freestanding membranes through one-step exfoliation and functionalization

Manufacturing of aerogels and membranes from hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is much more difficult than from graphene or graphene oxides because of the poor dispersibility of h-BN in water, which limits its exfoliation and preparation of colloidal solutions. Here, a simple, one-step mechano-chemical process to exfoliate and functionalize h-BN into highly water-dispersible, few-layer h-BN containing amino groups is presented. The colloidal solutions of few-layer h-BN can have unprecedentedly high concentrations, up to 30 mg ml(-1), and are stable for up to several months. They can be used to produce ultralight aerogels with a density of 1.4 mg cm(-3), which is ∼1,500 times less than bulk h-BN, and freestanding membranes simply by cryodrying and filtration, respectively. The material shows strong blue light emission under ultraviolet excitation, in both dispersed and dry state.