Latest ArticlesAs the chemical industry expands, the use of benzene, toluene, and xylene (collectively known as BTX) in industrial production has increased greatly. Meanwhile, the toxic nature and potential health hazards of BTX gases cannot be ignored due to low-concentration leaks underline the critical need for rapid and real-time monitoring of these gases. Chemiresistive metal oxide semiconductor (MOS)-based gas sensors, which are extensively used for gas detection in both industrial settings and everyday life, emerge as one of the optimal solutions for trace BTX detection. These sensors are highly valued for their high sensitivity and low detection limits. Nevertheless, the improvement of selectivity towards specific BTX gases to achieve efficient and precise detection still remains challenging. This review summarizes the chemiresistive MOS-based gas sensors designed for BTX detection, categorizing them based on the components of sensing materials-basically into three groups: single-component, single heterojunction, and multiple heterojunctions gas sensing materials. Further, the review proposes the future application prospects of chemiresistive MOS-based BTX gas sensors, with specific emphasis on their significance in promoting industrial safety and environmental monitoring.
The high voltage of Li||LiCoO2 battery can increase the energy density. However, the cycling performance associated with cathode structural stability remains challenging. To address this question, we proposed an electrolyte strategy for improving the performance of 4.6 V Li||LiCoO2 battery by using trimethylsilyl isocyanate (TMIS) as electrolyte additive. The trimethylsilyl group of TMIS can trap HF while the isocyanate group brings polyamide components to the CEI and the SEI. By the synergistic action, the Co3+ dissolution problem of the LiCoO2 cathode was effectively curbed. Furthermore, TMIS regulates the construction of anion-dominated LiF-rich SEI by influencing the solvation structure of Li+. As expected, the 4.6 V Li||LiCoO2 battery with TMIS retains 77.9% initial capacity after 200 cycles at 0.5 C.
The insufficient performance of Pt and Pd benchmark catalysts remains a significant obstacle to the practical application of direct liquid fuel cells. In this study, we report a synthesis of amorphous PdSe/crystalline Pt nanoparticles (AC-PdPtSe NPs) by chemical leaching of PdPtSe NPs. AC-PdPtSe NPs display significantly enhanced activity and stability for the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol, far surpassing that of amorphous-dominant PdPtSe NPs, commercial Pd/C, and Pt/C catalysts. Notably, the integration of crystalline and amorphous domains leverages the advantages of high electrical conductivity and a wealth of active sites, which can substantially accelerate reaction kinetics. Furthermore, detailed investigations reveal that the boundary between the Pt crystalline and PdSe amorphous phases induces a 3% surface tensile strain. The formation of amorphous-crystalline heterointerfaces optimizes the d-band states, thereby strengthening the adsorption and activation of ethylene glycol and glycerol. This study highlights the advance in phase engineering toward the development of highly active noble-metal nanostructures.
Designing a highly active and stable bifunctional catalyst is essential for achieving superior overall water splitting (OWS). In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) core-shell structure Co3S4/CuS@NiFe LDH nanocoral spheres electrocatalyst was constructed on nickel foam (NF) via an interfacial engineering strategy. This 3D core-shell heterostructure maximizes the exposure of active sites, optimizes the charge transport pathway and accelerates gas release rates. The protective shell strategy of NiFe LDH provides favorable stability, which contributes to inhibiting the electrochemical corrosion of the electrocatalyst and mitigating the toxic effects of Cl− and other microorganisms during the seawater splitting process. Moreover, the introduction of NiFe LDH induces a change in the OER mechanism from an adsorption evolution mechanism (AEM) to a lattice oxygen mechanism (LOM), which improves the intrinsic activity of the catalyst. Consequently, Co3S4/CuS@NiFe LDH demonstrates exceptional performance in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) (η100 = 251 mV) and in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) (η100 = 254 mV), alongside remarkable stability over 100 h. For OWS, it exhibits a voltage of 1.46 V at 10 mA/cm2 and maintain stability for 100 h. Impressively, Co3S4/CuS@NiFe LDH still possesses outstanding activity and stability in natural alkaline seawater. This work proposes interfacial engineering to construct bifunctional catalysts with core-shell heterostructures, providing instructive guidelines for the design of highly efficient electrocatalysts toward seawater electrolysis.
New-skeleton terpenoids have prompted considerable interest owing to their chemical and biological significance. A chemical study on the bark of Croton laui led to the isolation and identification of a new norsesterterpenoid, crolatinoid A (1), and two new neoclerodane diterpenoids, crolatinoids B and C (2 and 3). Structurally, compound 1 exhibits an unprecedented 12,17-cyclo20-nor phenyllabdane skeleton. Compound 2 features a novel 19(5→4)-abeo-3,5-cycloneoclerodane skeleton, which is hypothetically derived from precursor 3 through an oxa-di-π-methane rearrangement process. Furthermore, compound 1 demonstrated a significant capacity to reverse multidrug resistance in paclitaxel-resistant HCT-15 cells with a reversal fold value of 16. All three compounds displayed adipogenesis inhibition in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. Its treatment remains a major challenge due to the disease's complexity, heterogeneity, and adaptive nature. Among the array of available treatments, targeted therapy emerges as a paramount approach to address this substantial unmet clinical need, owing to its precise tumor targeting capabilities and potential for mitigating tumor progression risks. Drug conjugates are in high demand for targeted therapy due to their unique ligand specificity and potent cytotoxicity, thereby significantly enhancing therapeutic efficacy and reducing the incidence of adverse effects. Therefore, as a burgeoning field in biomedical research, it is timely to outline the latest advances in drug conjugates-driven cancer treatment. Herein, we aim to present the emerging breakthroughs in this exciting field at the intersection of target ligands, linkers, payloads, and cancer treatments. This review focuses on several drug conjugates-related strategies, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), small molecule-drug conjugates (SMDCs), aptamer-drug conjugates (ApDCs) and radionuclide-drug conjugates (RDCs). Finally, we discuss the fundamentals behind drug conjugate-based anticancer therapeutics, along with their inherent advantages and associated challenges, as well as recent research advances.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to the lack of targeted treatments, rapid progression, high recurrence and metastasis rates, and overall poorer prognosis. Herein, the targeted theranostic platform of cysteine-modified gold nanodots-sulfhydrated luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (CGN-SLR) nanosystem was designed for target recognition and precise dual-mode imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) against TNBC. On the one hand, the CGN-SLR nanosystem can serve as an ideal targeting fluorescent probe and computed tomography (CT) enhancer to facilitate the accurate diagnosis and surgical guidance of TNBC. On the other hand, the CGN-SLR nanosystem with great targeting and PTT ability can significantly inhibit the growth of TNBC, without causing harm to normal tissues and healthy organs. It provides an effective strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of TNBC through the rational design of multifunctional nanoplatform with target recognition, multiple imaging guidance/monitoring, and high-efficiency PTT.
Triterpenoids are valuable medicinal scaffolds, characterized by excellent pharmacological properties and the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups that allow for further structural modifications. Expanding the scope of oxidative modifications on these molecules is crucial for increasing their synthetic structural diversity and unlocking new potential pharmacological activities. However, the progress has been limited by the scarcity of suitable tailoring enzymes. Here, we reported a break-through in achieving targeted and remote dual-site oxidation of licorice triterpenoids using a single P450 mutant. This approach successfully enabled the selective synthesis of the rare triterpenoid, liquiritic acid and 24-OH-liquiritic acid. Our findings demonstrate that microenvironmental accessibility engineering of triterpenoid substrates within the P450 enzyme is essential for continuous and regioselective oxidation. This study not only sheds light on the mechanistic aspects of P450 catalysis but also expands the enzymatic toolkit for selective oxidative modifications in triterpenoid biosynthesis.
The level of glutathione (GSH) is significantly associated with numerous pathological processes, thus, real-time detection of the GSH level is of significance for early diagnosis of GSH-related diseases. Herein, we developed in vivo second near-infrared (NIR-Ⅱ) window fluorescence (FL) and ratiometric photoacoustic (RPA) dual-modality imaging of GSH using a GSH-activatable probe (LET-14). LET-14 was synthesized based on a rhodamine hybrid xanthene skeleton with a FL shielding 2,4-dinitrobenzene sulfonyl group that can be specifically cleaved by GSH, thus resulting in a markedly bathochromic-shift absorption, a 6.5-fold increase in NIR-Ⅱ FL intensity (FL920) and a 13-fold increase in RPA signal (PA880/PA705) in vitro. Intriguingly, LET-14 exhibits good selectivity and sensitivity for NIR-Ⅱ FL and RPA dual-modality imaging of GSH in 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model. Our findings develop an in vivo detection tool of GSH, which has great potential in the field of cancer diagnosis.
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING), as a critical innate immune sensor, has been widely and continually explored in immune-related disease treatment. As lipid bilayer-closed particles derived from cells, extracellular vesicles (EVs) inherently function in target-guided intercellular communication. To incorporate the native merits of EVs into STING pathways, i.e., engineered EV@STING, poor bioavailability and off-target issues that STING activators possess could be significantly overcome. In this review, emerged STING activators such as nitrogen-containing heterocyclic structures and the universal STING activation strategy (uniSTING) are firstly summarized. Diverse EVs sources from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and innate and adaptive immune cells may evoke distinct regulatory results. Concurrently, how the EVs contents including double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), microRNA (miRNA), cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and 2′3′-cyclic GMP-AMP (2′3′-cGAMP) proteins participate in the regulation of STING activation are widely studied. After mastering the two pivotal aspects of EV@STING, their immunomodulatory roles including in pathogen infection, inflammatory diseases, and cancer therapy are comprehensively summed up and discussed. Finally, in cancer study field, therapeutic challenges and clinical translational opportunities of EV@STING are thoroughly evaluated.
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