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The challenge for fully exerting the excellent nature of graphene oxide (GO) within polymer composites was to realize its uniform dispersion and strong interfacial bonding in the polymer matrix through an efficient surface reduction approach. In this work, via the in situ activation effect of microwaves (MWs), a butyl glycidyl ether-modified ionic liquid (BIL)-GO hybrid was successfully synthesized at an ultrafast speed by introducing BIL into the two-dimensional lamellar structure of GO through chemically induced intercalation and noncovalent functions. Both GO and BIL components of BIL-GO had the positive synergism in absorbing MWs, which contributed much to enhancing its dispersibility in the epoxy (EP) matrix as compared with pristine GO. Superior to GO-filled systems, BIL-GO/EP composites showed lower activation energies (Ea1 and Ea2 reduced by 11.2 and 17.3%, respectively) over the range of cure following inside-out solidification modes because of the introduction of BIL because uniformly dispersed BIL-GO with exfoliated interlayers acted as trap centers of MWs. Additionally, BIL-GO/EP composites possessed a 22.1% increase in the strength of the transverse fiber bundle test over that of GO/EP composites, indicating better BIL-GO/EP interfacial bonding. The obtained results manifested that the advantageous effect of BIL through the in situ activation of MWs was to enhance the interface stress transfer and form a uniform BIL-GO network, thereby significantly enhancing the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of BIL-GO composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DosS is a heme-containing histidine kinase that triggers dormancy transformation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Sequence comparison of the catalytic ATP-binding (CA) domain of DosS to other well-studied histidine kinases reveals a short ATP-lid. This feature has been thought to block binding of ATP to DosS's CA domain in the absence of interactions with DosS's dimerization and histidine phospho-transfer (DHp) domain. Here, we use a combination of computational modeling, structural biology, and biophysical studies to re-examine ATP-binding modalities in DosS. We show that the closed-lid conformation observed in crystal structures of DosS CA is caused by the presence of Zn 2+ in the ATP binding pocket that coordinates with Glu537 on the ATP-lid. Furthermore, circular dichroism studies and comparisons of DosS CA's crystal structure with its AlphaFold model and homologous DesK reveal that residues 503-507 that appear as a random coil in the Zn 2+ -coordinated crystal structure are in fact part of the N-box α helix needed for efficient ATP binding. Such random-coil transformation of an N-box α helix turn and the closed-lid conformation are both artifacts arising from large millimolar Zn 2+ concentrations used in DosS CA crystallization buffers. In contrast, in the absence of Zn 2+ , the short ATP-lid of DosS CA has significant conformational flexibility and can effectively bind AMP-PNP ( K d = 53 ± 13 μM), a non-hydrolyzable ATP analog. Furthermore, the nucleotide affinity remains unchanged when CA is conjugated to the DHp domain ( K d = 51 ± 6 μM). In all, our findings reveal that the short ATP-lid of DosS CA does not hinder ATP binding and provide insights that extend to 2988 homologous bacterial proteins containing such ATP-lids.

Sustainable nitrogen cycle is an essential biogeochemical process that ensures ecosystem safety and byproduct greenhouse gas nitrous oxide reduction. Antimicrobials are always co-occurring with anthropogenic reactive nitrogen sources. However, their impacts on the ecological safety of microbial nitrogen cycle remain poorly understood. Here, a denitrifying bacterial strain Paracoccus denitrificans PD1222 was exposed to a widespread broad-spectrum antimicrobial triclocarban (TCC) at environmental concentrations. The denitrification was hindered by TCC at 25 μg L -1 and was completely inhibited once the TCC concentration exceeded 50 μg L -1 . Importantly, the accumulation of N 2 O at 25 μg L -1 of TCC was 813 times as much as the control group without TCC, which attributed to the significantly downregulated expression of nitrous oxide reductase and the genes related to electron transfer, iron, and sulfur metabolism under TCC stress. Interestingly, combining TCC-degrading denitrifying Ochrobactrum sp. TCC-2 with strain PD1222 promoted the denitrification process and mitigated N 2 O emission by 2 orders of magnitude. We further consolidated the importance of complementary detoxification by introducing a TCC-hydrolyzing amidase gene tcc A from strain TCC-2 into strain PD1222, which successfully protected strain PD1222 against the TCC stress. This study highlights an important link between TCC detoxification and sustainable denitrification and suggests a necessity to assess the ecological risks of antimicrobials in the context of climate change and ecosystem safety.

How to accurately detect and efficiently sweep Cr(VI) from contaminated water has come into focus. Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) play vital roles in water environmental chemistry due to excellent hydrolysis-resistant stability. However, as photochemical probes and photocatalysts, poor performances in detection sensitivity, selectivity, and photosensitiveness limit sole Zr-MOFs' applications. So, it is urgent to quest valid strategies to break through the dilemmas. Embedding luminous dyes into MOFs has been considered one of the most feasible avenues. Herein, a dual-emissive RhB@Zr-MOF with orange-yellow fluorescence has been assembled by in situ-encapsulating rhodamine B (RhB) into a zirconium-biquinoline-based MOF. Actually, within RhB@Zr-MOF, the aggregation fluorescence quenching (ACQ) effect of RhB molecules was effectively avoided. Notably, RhB@Zr-MOF exhibits a rapid fluorescence quenching response toward Cr(VI) ions with high selectivity, sensitivity, and anti-interference abilities. More interestingly, unlike the most widely reported fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between MOFs and encapsulated guest modules, photoinduced electron transfer from RhB to Zr-MOF has been confirmed by modeling the ground state and excited states of RhB@Zr-MOF using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT). The effective electron transfer makes RhB@Zr-MOF more sensitive in probing Cr 2 O 7 2- and CrO 4 2- ions with ultralow detection limit (DL) values of 6.27 and 5.26 ppb, respectively. Prominently, the detection sensitivity based on DL values has been increased about 6 and 9 times, respectively, compared with pristine Zr-MOF. Moreover, rather negative CB and positive VB potentials make RhB@Zr-MOF have excellent photochemical scavenging ability toward Cr(VI) and MO.

Chemical probes for epigenetic proteins are essential tools for dissecting the molecular mechanisms for gene regulation and therapeutic development. The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins are master transcriptional regulators. Despite promising therapeutic targets, selective small molecule inhibitors for a single bromodomain remain an unmet goal due to their high sequence similarity. Here, we address this challenge via a structure-activity relationship study using 1,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles against the BRD4 N-terminal bromodomain (D1). Leading compounds 26 and 30 have 15 and 18 nM affinity against BRD4 D1 and over 500-fold selectivity against BRD2 D1 and BRD4 D2 via ITC. Broader BET selectivity was confirmed by fluorescence anisotropy, thermal shift, and CETSA. Despite BRD4 engagement, BRD4 D1 inhibition was unable to reduce c-Myc expression at low concentration in multiple myeloma cells. Conversely, for inflammation, IL-8 and chemokine downregulation were observed. These results provide new design rules for selective inhibitors of an individual BET bromodomain.

The nucleosome remodeling factor (NURF) alters chromatin accessibility through interactions with its largest subunit,the bromodomain PHD finger transcription factor BPTF. BPTF is overexpressed in several cancers and is an emerging anticancer target. Targeting the BPTF bromodomain presents a potential strategy for its inhibition and the evaluation of its functional significance; however, inhibitor development for BPTF has lagged behind those of other bromodomains. Here we describe the development of pyridazinone-based BPTF inhibitors. The lead compound, BZ1 , possesses a high potency ( K d = 6.3 nM) and >350-fold selectivity over BET bromodomains. We identify an acidic triad in the binding pocket to guide future designs. We show that our inhibitors sensitize 4T1 breast cancer cells to doxorubicin but not BPTF knockdown cells, suggesting a specificity to BPTF. Given the high potency and good physicochemical properties of these inhibitors, we anticipate that they will be useful starting points for chemical tool development to explore the biological roles of BPTF.

The bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) protein family recognizes acetylated lysines within histones and transcription factors using two N-terminal bromodomains, D1 and D2. The protein-protein interactions between BET bromodomains, acetylated histones, and transcription factors are therapeutic targets for BET-related diseases, including inflammatory disease and cancer. Prior work demonstrated that methylated-1,2,3-triazoles are suitable N -acetyl lysine mimetics for BET inhibition. Here we describe a structure-activity relationship study of triazole-based inhibitors that improve affinity, D1 selectivity, and microsomal stability. These outcomes were accomplished by targeting a nonconserved residue, Asp144 and a conserved residue, Met149, on BRD4 D1. The lead inhibitors DW34 and 26 have a BRD4 D1 K d of 12 and 6.4 nM, respectively. Cellular activity was demonstrated through suppression of c-Myc expression in MM.1S cells and downregulation of IL-8 in TNF-α-stimulated A549 cells. These data indicate that DW34 and 26 are new leads to investigate the anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity of BET proteins.

Soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) is a multicomponent metalloenzyme capable of catalyzing the fissure of the C-H bond of methane and the insertion of one atom of oxygen from O 2 to yield methanol. Efficient multiple-turnover catalysis occurs only in the presence of all three sMMO protein components: hydroxylase (MMOH), reductase (MMOR), and regulatory protein (MMOB). The complex series of sMMO protein component interactions that regulate the formation and decay of sMMO reaction cycle intermediates is not fully understood. Here, the two tryptophan residues in MMOB and the single tryptophan residue in MMOR are converted to 5-fluorotryptophan (5FW) by expression in defined media containing 5-fluoroindole. In addition, the mechanistically significant N-terminal region of MMOB is 19 F-labeled by reaction of the K15C variant with 3-bromo-1,1,1-trifluoroacetone (BTFA). The 5FW and BTFA modifications cause minimal structural perturbation, allowing detailed studies of the interactions with sMMOH using 19 F NMR. Resonances from the 275 kDa complexes of sMMOH with 5FW-MMOB and BTFA-K15C-5FW-MMOB are readily detected at 5 μM labeled protein concentration. This approach shows directly that MMOR and MMOB competitively bind to sMMOH with similar K D values, independent of the oxidation state of the sMMOH diiron cluster. These findings suggest a new model for regulation in which the dynamic equilibration of MMOR and MMOB with sMMOH allows a transient formation of key reactive complexes that irreversibly pull the reaction cycle forward. The slow kinetics of exchange of the sMMOH:MMOB complex is proposed to prevent MMOR-mediated reductive quenching of the high-valent reaction cycle intermediate Q before it can react with methane.

We herein report a novel semiorganic NLO material, (C 5 H 6 ON) + (H 2 PO 4 ) - , 4HPP, showing promising excellent properties in the important solar-blind UV region where LAP and its deuterated form DLAP are the only commercialized semiorganic materials. For the first time, the 4-hydroxypyridine (4HP + , (C 5 H 6 ON) + ) cation is identified as NLO active and how to eliminate the dipole-dipole interaction to avoid the unwanted center-symmetry-trap caused by the polar-induced susceptibility is well demonstrated. Remarkably, 4HPP exhibits competitive and even better properties compared with LAP that include better thermal stability (decomposition at 166 vs 112 °C of LAP); wider transparency range (0.26-1.50 μm); very strong SHG response (3 × KDP); a suitable large birefringence (Δ n cal = 0.25 vs 0.075 of LAP); and a high laser-induced damage threshold (2.2 × KDP). First-principles calculations show that the π-conjugated organic (4HP) + cation governs the optical anisotropy, whereas the synergy of the organic and inorganic moieties dominates the SHG process. Our discovery points out a new path for the rational design of high performance semiorganic materials that require an acentric structure.

The metalloenzyme soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) consists of hydroxylase (sMMOH), regulatory (MMOB), and reductase components. When sMMOH forms a complex with MMOB, the rate constants are greatly increased for the sequential access of O 2 , protons, and CH 4 to an oxygen-bridged diferrous metal cluster located in the buried active site. Here, we report high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of the diferric and diferrous states of both sMMOH and the sMMOH:MMOB complex using the components from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. These structures are analyzed for O 2 access routes enhanced when the complex forms. Previously reported, lower-resolution structures of the sMMOH:MMOB complex from the sMMO of Methylococcus capsulatus Bath revealed a series of cavities through sMMOH postulated to serve as the O 2 conduit. This potential role is evaluated in greater detail using the current structures. Additionally, a search for other potential O 2 conduits in the M. trichosporium OB3b sMMOH:MMOB complex revealed a narrow molecular tunnel, termed the W308-tunnel. This tunnel is sized appropriately for O 2 and traverses the sMMOH-MMOB interface before accessing the active site. The kinetics of reaction of O 2 with the diferrous sMMOH:MMOB complex in solution show that use of the MMOB V41R variant decreases the rate constant for O 2 binding >25000-fold without altering the component affinity. The location of Val41 near the entrance to the W308-tunnel is consistent with the tunnel serving as the primary route for the transfer of O 2 into the active site. Accordingly, the crystal structures show that formation of the diferrous sMMOH:MMOB complex restricts access through the chain of cavities while opening the W308-tunnel.

The chlorinated nitroaromatic antibiotic chloramphenicol (CAP) is a refractory contaminant that is widely present in various environments. However, few CAP-mineralizing bacteria have been documented, and a complete CAP catabolism pathway has yet to be identified. In this study, the bacterial strain Sphingobium sp. CAP-1 was isolated from an activated sludge sample and was shown to be capable of aerobically subsisting on CAP as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source while simultaneously and efficiently degrading CAP. p -Nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA), p -nitrobenzaldehyde (PNBD), protocatechuate (PCA), and the novel side chain C 3 -hydroxy-oxygenated product of CAP (O-CAP) were identified during CAP degradation. Strain CAP-1 was able to convert O-CAP to intermediate product PNBA. The putative functional genes associated with PNBA catabolism into the tricarboxylic acid cycle via PCA and floc formation were also identified by genome sequencing and comparative proteome analysis. A complete pathway for CAP catabolism was proposed. The discovery of a novel CAP oxidation/detoxification process and a complete pathway for CAP catabolism enriches the fundamental understanding of the bacterial catabolism of antibiotics, providing new insights into the microbial-mediated fate, transformation, and resistance risk of CAP in the environment. The molecular basis of CAP catabolism and floc formation in strain CAP-1 also offers theoretical guidance for the enhanced bioremediation of CAP-containing environments.

The "mud"-like off-odor, which is an odor reminiscent of musty and strong animal fecal odors, affects the quality classification of the strong-aroma types of baijiu (SAB), but little is known about which compounds are responsible for this aroma, except for certain phenolic compounds. However, not all mud-like off-odor expressions in SAB can be attributed to those phenolic compounds. In this work, volatile compounds in pit mud and SAB samples were isolated by headspace solid-phase microextraction and liquid-liquid extraction. An odoriferous zone was detected by GC-MS/olfactometer and GC-MS and was attributed to 3-methylindole rather than ethyl oleate on the basis of their odor characteristics, MS data, and retention indices. Combined with the detection threshold of 3-methylindole determined by a three-alternative forced-choice (6.09 μg/L) procedure, odor activity values in the tested base SAB were from 1 to 23. Sensory studies and the prepared heat map highlighted the contribution of this compound to the odor characteristics for the first time.

The c-MYC oncogene is overactivated during Burkitt's lymphoma pathogenesis. Targeting c-MYC to inhibit its transcriptional activity has emerged as an effective anticancer strategy. We synthesized four series of disubstituted quindoline derivatives by introducing the second cationic amino side chain and 5-N-methyl group based on a previous study of SYUIQ-5 (1) as c-MYC promoter G-quadruplex ligands. The in vitro evaluations showed that all new compounds exhibited higher stabilities and binding affinities, and most of them had better selectivity (over duplex DNA) for the c-MYC G-quadruplex compared to 1. Moreover, the new ligands prevented NM23-H2, a transcription factor, from effectively binding to the c-MYC G-quadruplex. Further studies showed that the selected ligand, 7a4, down-regulated c-MYC transcription by targeting promoter G-quadruplex and disrupting the NM23-H2/c-MYC interaction in RAJI cells. 7a4 could inhibit Burkitt's lymphoma cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and suppress tumor growth in a human Burkitt's lymphoma xenograft.

The specificity of nucleic acids' binders is crucial for developing this kind of drug, especially for novel G-quadruplexes' binders. Quindoline derivatives have been developed as G-quadruplex stabilizers with good interactive activities. In order to improve the selectivity and binding affinity of quindoline derivatives as c-myc G-quadruplex binding ligands, novel triazole containing benzofuroquinoline derivatives (T-BFQs) were designed and synthesized by using the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a series of alkyne and azide building blocks. The selectivity toward c-myc G-quadruplex DNA of these novel T-BFQs was significantly improved, together with an obvious increase on binding affinity. Further cellular and in vivo experiments indicated that the T-BFQs showed inhibitory activity on tumor cells' proliferation, presumably through the down-regulation of transcription of c-myc gene. Our findings broadened the modification strategies of specific G-quadruplex stabilizers.

Angiogenesis is important in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF) is an angiogenic growth factor that plays a crucial role in tumor progression. The G-rich region within the 5'-untranslated regions (5'-UTR) of hVEGF-A mRNA can form a "switchable" RNA G-quadruplex structure that is essential for a cap-independent translation initiation. We screened our small-molecule library for binders of this G-tract. One novel quinazoline derivative, compound 1, showed a significant specific interaction with the G-tract and destabilized the G-quadruplex structure. The results of cellular experiments revealed that compound 1 down-regulated hVEGF-A translation and significantly impeded tumor cells migration. We also found that compound 1 exhibited tumor-inhibiting activity in MCF-7 xenograft tumors, which might be related to its ability to reduce hVEGF expression. These findings present a new strategy of hVEGF-A translational control in which small molecules interact with G-quadruplex structure in the 5'UTR.

The on-surface Heck reaction of aryl bromides with terminal alkene has been achieved for the first time. With palladium as the catalyst, cross-coupling of porphyrin-derived aryl bromides with terminal alkene proceeds with high selectivity on an Au(111) surface, as determined by scanning tunneling microscopy at the single molecular level. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the on-surface Heck reaction proceeds via debromination of aryl bromide, addition to the C═C bond, and elimination of hydrogen, ultimately affording the cross-coupling product.

The detailed relationship between film morphology and the performance of solution processed n-type organic thermoelectric (TE) devices is investigated. It is interesting to find that the better ordered molecular packing of n-type polymer can be achieved by adding a small fraction of dopant molecules, which is not observed before. The better ordered structure will be favorable for the charge carrier mobility. Meanwhile, dopant molecules improve free carrier concentration via doping reaction. As a result, a significantly enhanced electrical conductivity (12 S cm(-1)) and power factor (25.5 μW m(-1) K(-2)) of TE devices are obtained. Furthermore, the phase separation of conjugated polymer/dopants is observed for the first time with resonant soft X-ray scattering. Our results indicate that the miscibility of conjugated polymers and dopants plays an important role on controlling the morphology and doping efficiency of TE devices.

On-surface Ullmann coupling reaction of aryl chlorides has been achieved on Cu(111), Ag(111), and Au(111), and the mechanism has been investigated on the single molecule level using scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory. The different reactivity of the aryl halides was utilized to design a stepwise on-surface synthesis, which affords a zigzag template and then converts to 2D porous networks.

Three n-type polymers BDPPV, ClBDPPV, and FBDPPV which exhibit outstanding electrical conductivities when mixed with an n-type dopant, N-DMBI ((4-(1,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)phenyl)dimethylamine), in solution. High electron mobility and an efficient doping process endow FBDPPV with the highest electrical conductivities of 14 S cm(-1) and power factors up to 28 μW m(-1) K(-2), which is the highest thermoelectric (TE) power factor that has been reported for solution processable n-type conjugated polymers. Our investigations reveal that introduction of halogen atoms to the polymer backbones has a dramatic influence on not only the electron mobilities but also the doping levels, both of which are critical to the electrical conductivities. This work suggests the significance of rational modification of polymer structures and opens the gate for applying the rapidly developed organic semiconductors with high carrier mobilities to thermoelectric field.

Transition metal-free cascade reactions of alkynols with imines have been achieved using potassium tert-butoxide as catalyst. Switching the reaction solvent gives two kinds of products in good yield: isoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives and dihydroisobenzofuran derivatives. This approach was used to generate the natural product 8-oxypseudopalmatine in a two-step procedure from commercially available starting materials. Additionally, multicomponent reactions of alkynols, aldehydes, and amines were also successfully achieved to afford isoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives.

Zein protein has been of scientific interest in the development of biodegradable functional food packaging. This study aimed at developing a novel zein-based biopolymer film with ice nucleation activity through layer-by-layer deposition of biogenic ice nucleators, that is, extracellular ice nucleators (ECINs) isolated from Erwinia herbicola , onto zein film surface. The adsorption behaviors and mechanisms were investigated using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). On unmodified zein surface, the highest ECINs adsorption occurred at pH 5.0; on UV/ozone treated zein surface followed by deposition of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) layer, the optimum condition for ECINs adsorption occurred at pH 7.0 and I 0.05 M, where the amount of ECINs adsorbed was also higher than that on unmodified zein surface. QCM-D analyses further revealed a two-step adsorption process on unmodified zein surfaces, compared to a one-step adsorption process on PDADMAC-modified zein surface. Also, significantly, in order to quantify the ice nucleation activity of ECINs-coated zein films, an empirical method was developed to correlate the number of ice nucleators with the ice nucleation temperature measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Calculated using this empirical method, the highest ice nucleation activity of ECINs on ECINs-modified zein film reached 64.1 units/mm(2), which was able to elevate the ice nucleation temperature of distilled water from -15.5 °C to -7.3 °C.

Zein protein is a major coproduct of biofuel from corn. To reduce the brittleness of zein films, a new type of zein-based biomaterial, was synthesized by chemical modification of zein with lauryl chloride through an acylation reaction. The final products were confirmed by (1)H NMR, FT-IR analysis, and SDS-PAGE. Thermal analysis detected no microphase separation in the synthesized polymer matrix. As the content of lauryl moiety increased, the glass transition temperatures of modified zein decreased by as large as 25.8 °C due to the plasticization effect of the lauryl moiety. In addition, mechanical and surface properties of cast films from acylated zein were also investigated. The elongation at break of modified zein sheet was increased by about 7-fold at the high modification level with some loss of mechanical strength. The surfaces of modified zein films were as uniform as unmodified zein film but more hydrophobic, further suggesting that no microphase separation happened during the film formation process. This work indicated the potential of these new biomaterials in the development of biodegradable food packaging materials and delivery systems.

The amino acid compositions, secondary structure, and self-assembly of oat protein isolate (OPI), which was purified from the high-protein Chinese oat, have been investigated by using a combination of amino acid analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TP-AFM). OPI, with molecular weights ranging from 14.0 kDa to 66.0 kDa, was rich in essential amino acids and contained 24.7% glutamic acid and 8.1% leucine. The amino acid contents of OPI are 4.5-8.7 times higher than those of oat flour. The secondary structures of OPI have been quantified by the deconvolution of the amide I band of the FTIR spectrum of OPI, which were found to contain approximately 7% beta-turn, 19% alpha-helix, and 74% beta-sheet. Tapping mode AFM results further suggest that the oat protein isolate has two major types of shapes, ellipsoidal and disk-like. At protein concentrations below 0.5 mg/mL, most of the OPI molecules are in the isolated form. However, when the concentration of OPI reaches 1.0 mg/mL, some of the OPI molecules self-assembled into large and heterogeneous protein aggregates.

A new method to engineer zein films with controlled surface morphology and hydrophilicity has been developed. The resulting surface morphology and surface hydrophilicity have been studied by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TP-AFM) and a combination of water contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Our AFM results revealed that zein films cast from acetic acid showed much smoother surfaces as compared to those cast from ethanol aqueous solutions. Furthermore, zein films of controlled hydrophilicity have been engineered through the use of UV/ozone treatment, which can efficiently decrease the water contact angles of zein films from approximately 80 degrees to less than 10 degrees within 130 s. XPS results suggest that the difference in surface hydrophilicity of zein films is due to the difference in surface elemental composition, and UV/ozone treatment converted some of the surface methyl groups mainly to carbonyl groups, therefore decreasing the water contact angles and increasing the surface hydrophilicity of zein films. This research opens up new opportunities of using zein as barrier materials and delivery vehicles for functional food ingredients, drugs, and dietary supplements.