Latest ArticlesExcessive Fe3+ ion concentrations in wastewater pose a long-standing threat to human health. Achieving low-cost, high-efficiency quantification of Fe3+ ion concentration in unknown solutions can guide environmental management decisions and optimize water treatment processes. In this study, by leveraging the rapid, real-time detection capabilities of nanopores and the specific chemical binding affinity of tannic acid to Fe3+, a linear relationship between the ion current and Fe3+ ion concentration was established. Utilizing this linear relationship, quantification of Fe3+ ion concentration in unknown solutions was achieved. Furthermore, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt was employed to displace Fe3+ from the nanopores, allowing them to be restored to their initial conditions and reused for Fe3+ ion quantification. The reusable bioinspired nanopores remain functional over 330 days of storage. This recycling capability and the long-term stability of the nanopores contribute to a significant reduction in costs. This study provides a strategy for the quantification of unknown Fe3+ concentration using nanopores, with potential applications in environmental assessment, health monitoring, and so forth.
Excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) based fluorescence probes are particularly attractive due to their unique properties including environmental sensitivity, a large Stokes shift, and potential for ratiometric sensing. In general, ESIPT-based fluorophore incorporates an intramolecular hydrogen bonding interaction between a hydrogen bond donor (–OH and NH2 are common) and a hydrogen bond acceptor (C=N and C=O). More, protection–deprotection of hydroxyl group as hydrogen bond donor could induce an off-on switch of ESIPT-based emission. Therefore, protection–deprotection of hydroxyl group has been the widely used strategy to design fluorescent probes, where the potential key issue is selecting a protective group that can specifically leave in the presence of the target analyte. In this review, we mainly summarize the specific protecting groups (sites) and deprotection mechanisms for biologically important species (including reactive sulfur species (RSS), reactive oxygen species (ROS), enzymes, etc.), and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different protection mechanisms from some aspects including probe stability, selectivity, response rate and assay system, etc. Based on the aforementioned, we further point out the current challenges and the potential future direction for developing ESIPT-based probes.
The first example of Nd@C3N4-photoredox/chlorine dual catalyzed alkylation with unactivated alkanes as the alkyl sources has been developed, which allows for the synthesis of various 4-alkylated cyclic sulfonyl ketimines. In this process, chlorine functions as both a redox and hydrogen atom transfer catalyst. The synergism of the reversible Nd2+/Nd3+ and Cl¯/Cl˙ redox pairs significantly enhances overall photocatalytic efficiency. The in vitro anticancer activity of 4-alkylated products was evaluated by using the CCK8 assay against both human choroidal melanoma (MUM-2B) and lung cancer (A549) cell. Compound 3da showed approximately triple the potency of 5-fluorouracil.
Herein, an alkyne-terminated acid/base responsive amphiphilic [2]rotaxane shuttle was synthesized, and then modified onto the glass surface through "click" reaction. The XPS N 1s spectrum and contact-angle measurement were performed to prove the successful immobilization. The amphiphilic [2]rotaxane functionalized surface presented controllable wettability responding to external acid-base stimuli. This bistable rotaxane modified material system promoted the practical application of molecular machines.
Up to now, numerous emerging methods of cancer treatment including chemodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy have rapidly entered a new stage of development. However, the single treatment mode is often constrained by the complex tumor microenvironment. Recently, the nanomaterials and nanomedicine have emerged as promising avenues to overcome the limitation in cancer theranostics. Especially, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained considerable interests in cancer therapy because of their customizable morphologies, easy functionalization, large specific surface area, and good biocompatibility. Among these MOFs, iron-based MOFs (Fe-MOFs) are particularly promising for cancer treatment due to their properties as nano-photosensitizers, peroxidase-like activity, bioimaging contrast capabilities, and biodegradability. Utilizing their structural regularity and synthetic tunability, Fe-MOFs can be engineered to incorporate organic molecules or other inorganic nanoparticles, thereby creating multifunctional nanoplatforms for single or combined theranostic modes. Herein, the minireview focuses on the recent advancements of the Fe-MOFs-based nanoplatforms for self-enhanced imaging and treatment at tumor sites. Furthermore, the clinical research development of Fe-MOFs-based nanoplatforms is discussed, addressing key challenges and innovations for the future. Our review aims to provide novice researchers with a foundational understanding of advanced cancer theranostic modes and promote their clinical applications through the modification of Fe-MOFs.
The nano-MOF-303 synthesized by microwave method exhibited efficient adsorption capacity (232 mg/g) toward Ag+, in which the adsorption behaviors were fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Freundlich isotherm model. The outstanding Ag+ sorption ability of nano-MOF-303 could be contributed to electrostatic interactions, weak coordination interaction of Ag-N, and AgCl precipitates originating from the stored Cl− in nano-MOF-303. Besides the adsorbent regeneration, the formed Ag/AgCl onto nano-MOF-303 could produce Ag/AgCl/MOF-303 as a photocatalyst for sulfamethoxazole degradation under visible light. In this work, both the adsorption and photocatalysis mechanisms were clarified, which might provide insight to develop more effective adsorbents for mining the critical resource from the wastewater.
White light illumination is essential in daily life, however, the substantial amount of blue light it contains can damage human eyes. Therefore, it is important to block this high-energy blue light to protect visual health. In this study, yellow-emitting carbon dots (CDs) with a quantum yield exceeding 94% were synthesized using citric acid and urea. These CDs effectively absorb blue light. By incorporating them into polystyrene, multiple films termed CDs-based blue light blocking films (CBFs) were developed, each offering different levels of blue light absorption. These CBFs exhibited excellent transparency and efficient blue light filtering capabilities. This study highlights the potential of high quantum yield CDs, which specifically absorb blue light, as foundational materials for developing light-blocking solutions against high-energy short-wavelength light.
Lithium metal is one of the most promising anodes for lithium batteries because of their high theoretical specific capacity and the low electrochemical potential. However, the commercialization of lithium metal anodes (LMAs) is facing significant obstacles, such as uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth and unstable solid electrolyte interface, leading to inferior Coulombic efficiency, unsatisfactory cycling stability and even serious safety issues. Introducing low-cost natural clay-based materials (NCBMs) in LMAs is deemed as one of the most effective methods to solve aforementioned issues. These NCBMs have received considerable attention for stabilizing LMAs due to their unique structure, large specific surface areas, abundant surface groups, high mechanical strength, excellent thermal stability, and environmental friendliness. Considering the rapidly growing research enthusiasm for this topic in the last several years, here, we review the recent progress on the application of NCBMs in stable and dendrite-free LMAs. The different structures and modification methods of natural clays are first summarized. In addition, the relationship between their modification methods and nano/microstructures, as well as their impact on the electrochemical properties of LMAs are systematically discussed. Finally, the current challenges and opportunities for application of NCBMs in stable LMAs are also proposed to facilitate their further development.
The interaction between nanoparticles (NPs) and pollutants affects their bioavailability and toxicity. However, the processes by which NPs and pollutants change in vivo have rarely been explored. Here, using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP–MS), we found that both nanoplastics and ZnO NPs caused more Cd to accumulate in zebrafish larvae, but with distinct pathways. Nanoplastics could adsorb Cd2+ and transfer it into the larvae through the "Trojan horse" effect. The coexposure of nanoplastics and Cd2+ caused Cd to accumulate in the abdomen where the nanoplastics were located without dissociation, showing a lower toxic effect than Cd2+ exposure alone. ZnO NPs weakly adsorbed Cd2+, but they increased the Zn and Cd contents in larvae by enhancing the expression of metal transporters. The coexposure of ZnO and Cd2+ evenly distributed Cd in the larvae, revealing a more severe toxic effect than Cd2+ exposure alone. Our results demonstrated the changing bioavailability and toxicity of Cd induced by different NPs. This also shows the vital role LA-ICP-MS plays in revealing the relationship between toxicity and bioavailability. In addition, the long-term effect of bioavailability on heavy metal toxicity and nanosafety deserves further investigation.
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