Latest ArticlesZinc plays a pivotal role in maintaining skin homeostasis, wound healing, and immune regulation, making it a promising therapeutic agent for diverse dermatological conditions. Despite its wide clinical application, conventional zinc formulations face significant limitations, including low bioavailability, systemic side effects, rapid ion release, and poor skin penetration. These shortcomings restrict their clinical efficacy and translation. Engineered carriers such as nanoparticles (NPs), hydrogels, and microneedles (MNs) offer opportunities to achieve controlled zinc release, enhance transdermal penetration, reduce local irritation, and enable combinational therapies with synergistic bioactivities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of zinc’s biological functions in skin physiology and pathology, critically discusses the bottlenecks of current zinc-containing medical materials, and highlights emerging delivery platforms designed to unlock its therapeutic potential. We further propose future research directions focusing on precision-targeted delivery, integration with advanced biomaterials, and exploration of zinc-based synergistic therapies.
We report here an aerobic oxyalkylation reaction of alkenes with cyclopropanols that enables the facile synthesis of 1,5-diketones. Key to success of this reaction is utilization of a CuCl2·Phen catalyst, with the ambient air serving as both the oxidant and oxygen source. The reaction proceeds via a domino process involving a free-radical ring-opening addition of cyclopropanols to alkenes and radical capture by O2. Both intra- and intermolecular variants are feasible, providing stream-lined access to a broad range of 1,5-diketones possessing fused, spiro, bridged, and linear frameworks. The synthetic utility of this method is showcased by late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules and synthesis of natural products (analogues).
Organic phosphine scale inhibitors are widely used chemical additives in industrial water treatment. Due to its high stability, high solubility and anti-biodegradability, it can persist in water bodies for a long time and is a potential long-term source of phosphorus pollution. This study developed a novel Ti/IrO2–RuO2 electrode co-modified with bismuth and ionic liquid [Emim]BF4 via thermal decomposition for electrocatalytic degradation of hydroxyethylene-1,1-diphosphate (HEDP) in reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC). Analyses with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that adding (Bi+[Emim]BF4) to the electrode reduced the crystal grain size by 33%, enhancing compactness while maintained the typical oxide crystals rutile crystal structure. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the Ti/IrO2-RuO2(Bi+[Emim]BF4) electrode significantly outperformed its Ti/IrO2-RuO2 counterpart and had a lifespan 1.2 times longer. Then, at optimal conditions, current density of 30 mA/cm2, initial pH of 3, 0.25 mol/L NaCl electrolyte, and a reaction time of 120 min, the removal of HEDP reached 84.22%. Mechanistic studies indicated that indirect oxidation by active chlorine dominated. Ultimately, the Ti/IrO2-RuO2(Bi+[Emim]BF4) electrode system removed 82.77% of HEDP, 83.16% of COD, and 49.73% of UV254 from actual ROC within 60 min, albeit with a limited TOC removal rate of 30.23%. Notably, it achieved a 91.55% removal rate for fluorescent substances within 10 min. This research provides valuable insights for enhancing the performance of iridium-ruthenium electrode and designing efficient electrocatalytic oxidation systems for treating phosphorus-containing wastewater.
This study introduces a functionalized carbon nanotube (CNT) membrane electrode integrated into an electrochemical system for the efficient activation of peracetic acid (PAA) and the enhanced degradation of aniline (AN). The system achieves a remarkable 95.5% removal of AN within 120 min, significantly outperforming individual electrochemical and catalytic processes. Kinetic analysis reveals a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 2.41 × 10−2 min−1, representing 12.7-fold and 2.3-fold enhancement compared to electrochemical and catalytic systems alone. The novel approach exploits the synergistic effects of an applied electric field and the functionalized surface of CNT, with C–OH groups identified as the primary active sites for radical generation. The degradation proceeds via dual pathways: A dominant surface-mediated route involving reactive R–O• radicals, and an electron-transfer pathway, which is more prominent in the absence of an electric field. The applied voltage (2.0 V) shifts the system to favor the radical-mediated pathway, significantly improving degradation efficiency. The system also demonstrates excellent stability, maintaining over 90% efficiency across multiple cycles and robust performance in complex water matrices. Furthermore, anti-fouling tests and XDLVO theory affirmed that the H-CNT membrane possesses exceptional stability and anti-fouling properties. Life cycle assessment further highlights the reduced environmental footprint of the proposed technology. Overall, this work provides essential insights into the carbon-catalyzed PAA activation mechanism and presents a promising strategy for sustainable wastewater treatment, effectively reducing the toxicity of degradation intermediates.
In the context of dwindling energy resources and worsening environmental conditions, the dual-functional photocatalysis for hydrogen production and pollutant degradation has garnered widespread attention. This review systematically summarizes the latest advancements in photocatalytic technology in these two fields. The article first introduces the preparation methods of photocatalysts, focusing on several promising fundamental materials such as graphitic carbon nitride, metal organic frameworks, and metal oxides/sulfides. It also discusses in detail the synthesis methods of these materials, including pyrolysis, wet chemistry, and deposition methods, which are crucial for enhancing the performance of photocatalysts. Next, the article delves into the applications of dual-functional photocatalysts in hydrogen production and pollutant degradation, particularly the mechanisms and effects of simultaneous hydrogen generation and pollutant degradation. It emphasizes the performance and potential of dual-functional catalysts in these two processes, especially how photocatalysts can achieve both hydrogen evolution and pollutant degradation concurrently. Finally, the article looks ahead to future research directions, highlighting the challenges faced by dual-functional catalysts in technological applications, including the source of H atoms in hydrogen production, the common patterns of reaction sites during pollutant degradation, and the differing properties of oxidation products. It also underscores the potential development opportunities by utilizing hydrogen sources from pollutants and optimizing catalyst design.
Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have garnered significant attention in the biomedical field due to their exceptional antimicrobial properties. However, the precise antimicrobial mechanism of GNPs remains unclear, which greatly hinders their extensive applications. Herein, we established a bacterial metabolomic analysis platform for in-depth exploration of GNP-bacteria interactions using nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nESI-MS), which enables a direct and precise analysis of bacterial metabolites without the use of extractant. Employing nESI-MS, we analyzed the metabolites of Klebsiella pneumonia (K. p) treated by GNPs. More than 60 metabolites involving 6 major metabolic pathways, including energy metabolism, redox homeostasis, oxidative defense, membrane integrity, osmoregulation, and quorum sensing were identified. Moreover, apart from primary metabolites, we found a critical role of secondary metabolites in GNPs-bacteria interactions. Our approach provides a foundation for exploring nanomaterial-bacteria interactions and advancing knowledge of antibacterial mechanism, guiding the development of next-generation antibacterial agents.
Membrane distillation (MD) suffers from severe fouling when treating high-salinity and high-organic shale gas produced water (SGPW). This study introduces a Fe(Ⅱ)/Fe(Ⅵ)-activated sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) pretreatment that generates sulfate radicals with high pH tolerance and strong organic degradation capacity. The process achieved total organic carbon (TOC) removals of 17.82% (Fe(Ⅱ)) and 13.83% (Fe(Ⅵ)) and maintained MD flux at 80.95%-85.70% of the initial value, while permeate conductivity decreased by 23.46% and 28.74%. Pollutant deposition decreased by 44.32% and 61.79%, with liquid entry pressure recovering to 89.20% and 90.86% of original value. Scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed significant fouling layer reduction and maintained membrane hydrophobicity. Mechanistic studies indicate pretreatment optimizes fouling behavior by regulating organic concentration, hydrophilic/hydrophobic distribution, and coagulation efficiency. This work provides an efficient, low-cost green pretreatment for SGPW and deepens understanding of multi-mechanism fouling control by Na2SO3 oxidation.
Photocatalytic CO2 reduction is a cutting-edge technology with significant strategic importance for mitigating climate change and advancing energy transitions. In this study, we developed a high-performance photocatalyst by constructing a tightly interfaced S-scheme heterojunction from Prussian blue analogs (PBAs). Using [Co2+(CN)6]4− as the base, we selected two PBAs with high energy-level matching and connected them via M-NC-Co-CN-M bonds. Experimental results showed that the optimized Ni/Zn-Co PBAs S-scheme photocatalyst achieved a CO2 conversion rate of ~38 µmol g-1 h-1 (94.13% CO and 5.87% CH4). This design effectively improved the utilization efficiency of photogenerated charges and enhanced redox capabilities, while the Ni site further boosted CO2 activation. This study not only offers new insights into designing efficient PBA-based photocatalysts but also demonstrates the promise of S-scheme mechanism in improving photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity.
A highly efficient and energy-saving photothermal synergistic catalytic oxidation technology was developed to eliminate ethyl acetate (EA) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) over MoOx–TiO2, derived by MIL-125(Ti), supported Ru catalysts (Ru/MoOx–TiO2). The introduction of MoOx enhanced the light absorption capacity, carrier separation capacity and redox capacity of the catalyst, thus significantly improving the photothermal synergistic catalytic performance, with Ru/MoOx–TiO2 exhibiting outstanding activity for EA and 1,2-DCE oxidation (T90% = 212 and 319 ℃, respectively). Meanwhile, the abundant Brønsted acidic sites on Ru/MoOx–TiO2 were inclined to generate more HCl and CO2, and reduce the release of chlorine-containing byproducts than that over Ru/TiO2. The characterization results by the in situ XPS, in situ PL and in situ EPR exhibited that the improvement of the photothermal synergistic catalytic oxidation performance was attributed to the coupling effect between electron migration on the catalyst surface and active oxygen species during the photothermal synergistic catalytic reaction process. This work has provided a promising path for simultaneously enhancing the removal efficiency of multi-component VOCs and the selectivity of target products.
Oligonucleotide therapy offers a promising approach for the treatment of various diseases by specifically targeting genes or pathogenic molecules with therapeutic oligonucleotides, demonstrating significant therapeutic efficacy and application potential. To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved over 20 oligonucleotide-based drugs. Pharmacokinetics plays a critical role in the regulatory approval of these drugs, which necessitates robust bioanalytical techniques. In this review, we first elucidate the mechanisms and representative drugs associated with different classes of therapeutic oligonucleotides, alongside an overview of their commonly used delivery systems. Subsequently, we provide a systematic overview of current bioanalytical methodologies, including sample preparation, separation, and detection, and highlight advantages, recent advancements, and challenges. Finally, we discuss future directions for analytical technique development for oligonucleotides.
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