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One-for-all phototheranostics, referring to a single component simultaneously exhibiting multiple optical imaging and therapeutic modalities, has attracted significant attention due to its excellent performance in cancer treatment. Benefitting from the superiority in balancing the diverse competing energy dissipation pathways, aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) are proven to be ideal templates for constructing one-for-all multimodal phototheranostic agents. However, to this knowledge, the all-round AIEgens that can be triggered by a second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) light have not been reported. Given the deep tissue penetration and high maximum permissible exposure of the NIR-II excitation light, herein, this work reports for the first time an NIR-II laser excitable AIE small molecule (named BETT-2) with multimodal phototheranostic features by taking full use of the advantage of AIEgens in single molecule-facilitated versatility as well as synchronously maximizing the molecular donor-acceptor strength and conformational distortion. As formulated into nanoparticles (NPs), the high performance of BETT-2 NPs in NIR-II light-driven fluorescence-photoacoustic-photothermal trimodal imaging-guided photodynamic-photothermal synergistic therapy of orthotopic mouse breast tumors is fully demonstrated by the systematic in vitro and in vivo evaluations. This work offers valuable insights for developing NIR-II laser activatable one-for-all phototheranostic systems., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Epsilon toxin (ETX) is an exotoxin produced by type B and D Clostridium perfringens that causes enterotoxemia or necrotic enteritis in animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle. Vaccination is a key method in preventing such diseases. In this study, we developed a new type of dissolving microneedle patch (dMN) with a nanoparticle adjuvant for enhanced immune response to deliver the rETX Y196E -C protein vaccine. We chose FDA-approved poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) to prepare nanospheres as the vaccine adjuvant and introduced dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB) to make the surface of PLGA nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) positively charged for antigen adsorption. PLGA NPs with a diameter of 100~200 nm, a surface ZETA potential of approximately +40 mV, and good safety were successfully prepared and could effectively adsorb rETX Y196E -C protein. Using non-toxic and antibacterial fish gelatin as the microneedle (MN) matrix, we prepared a PLGA-DDAB dMN vaccine with good mechanical properties that successfully penetrated the skin. After immunization of subcutaneous (SC) and dMN, antibody titers of the PLGA and Al adjuvant groups were similar in both two immune ways. However, in vivo neutralization experiments showed that the dMN vaccines had a better protective effect. When challenged with 100 × LD 50 GST-ETX, the survival rate of the MN group was 100%, while that of the SC Al group was 80%. However, a 100% protective effect was achieved in both immunization methods using PLGA NPs. In vitro neutralization experiments showed that the serum antibodies from the dMN and SC PLGA NPs groups both protect naive mice from 10 × LD 50 GST-ETX attack after being diluted 20 times and could also protect MDCK cells from 20 × CT 50 GST-ETX attack. In conclusion, the PLGA-DDAB dMN vaccine we prepared has good mechanical properties, immunogenicity, and protection, and can effectively prevent ETX poisoning. This provides a better way of delivering protein vaccines.

Recently, considerable progress has been made in the environmental application of nanotechnology. However, little is known about how nanomaterials might affect the cyanobacterial suppression potential of allelochemicals. In this study, a microcosm was employed to simulate and verify the effect of magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (MFN) on the inhibitory influence of allelopathic hydroxybenzoic acid (p-Ha) on bloom-forming Microcystis aeruginosa. MFN had a hormetic effect on cyanobacterial growth. At a neutral concentration of 182 mg/L, MFN enhanced the algal suppression by p-Ha and decreased the IC 50 by half, which was significantly and positively associated with the amount of OH. Furthermore, adding MFN induced a stronger physiological response than treatment with only p-Ha. The cellular integrity was severely disrupted for the cyanobacterium M. aeruginosa. The total protein content decreased rapidly to inactivate the algae by limiting the amounts of extracellular microcystin and polysaccharide released. The modification of the effect of p-Ha by MFN was reflected by the intracellular NO content of M. aeruginosa. In addition, the typical radical scavengers ascorbic acid and 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide decreased OH production to weaken algal suppression under the combined treatment with p-Ha and MFN. By contrast, the addition of Fe 3+ and increasing the light intensity triggered the generation of OH and strong cyanobacterial suppression. Thus, MFN could enhance the cyanobacterial control efficiency of p-Ha and decrease the input of allelochemicals in the field. These findings suggest a novel mode of allelochemical modification by nanomaterials as a promising cyanobactericide for harmful algal bloom management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, in vivo animal experiments with 12 nude mice bearing breast-cancer-patient-tissue-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors were performed aiming to verify the imaging capability of a novel miniaturized fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) endoscope, in combination with targeted nanoparticle-near-infrared (NIR) dye conjugates. Tumor-bearing mice were divided into two groups by systematic injection with urokinase plasminogen activator receptor-targeted ( n = 7) and nontargeted ( n = 5) imaging nanoprobes as a contrast agent, respectively. Each mouse was imaged at 6, 24, and 48 h following the injection of nanoprobes using the FMT endoscope. The results show that systemic delivery of targeted nanoprobes produced a 4-fold enhancement in fluorescence signals from tumors, compared with tumors that received nontargeted nanoprobes. This study indicates that our miniaturized FMT endoscope, coupled with the targeted nanoparticle-NIR dye conjugates as a contrast agent, has high sensitivity and specificity, and thus great potential to be used for image-guided detection and removal of a primary tumor and local metastatic tumors during surgery.

Background: Nanoparticles exhibit great promise for improving the solubility and tissue-specific distribution of chemotherapeutic agents; however, the passive and highly variable enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects observed in tumors frequently leads to insufficient delivery of nanodrugs into tumors. The tumor-penetrating peptide iRGD can actively enhance tumor-selective delivery of nanoparticles into tumors by binding to integrin and interacting with tissue-penetrating receptor neuropilin-1., Materials and Methods: To improve colorectal cancer treatment, in this study, we prepared a paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded PLGA nanoparticle (PLGA-PTX) and evaluated its tumor-targeting and antitumor activity by co-administration with iRGD., Results: Compared to free PTX, encapsulated PTX retained preferential cytotoxicity toward various colorectal cancer cells while effectively sparing healthy cells. PLGA-PTX treatment resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and apoptosis, leading to inhibition of cancer cell migration and invasion. PLGA-PTX combined with iRGD displayed little enhancement of cytotoxicity in vitro. Despite this, iRGD receptors integrin and neuropilin-1 were found to be primarily overexpressed on abundant tumor vessels in mice bearing colorectal tumors. Consequently, co-administration of nanoparticles with iRGD promoted the selective delivery of nanoparticles into tumor tissues in vivo. Additionally, the combined regimen enhanced the antitumor effects compared to those of each individual reagent., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PLGA nanoparticles combined with the iRGD peptide provide a promising drug delivery strategy for facilitating active drug accumulation into tumors, given that iRGD receptors are overexpressed on tumor vessels. This co-administration system lacking covalent conjugation provides a more convenient means to combine various therapeutic agents with iRGD to achieve personalized nanotherapy., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2019 Zhong et al.)

Reconciling the conflicting needs for a prolonged circulation time, enhanced cellular uptake by bulk tumor cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs), and extensive tumor tissue penetration remains a major challenge for current nano drug delivery systems. Here we describe smart poly( N-isopropylacrylamide)-based nanogels with a fast adaptive hydrophobicity to solve these contradictory requirements for enhanced cancer chemotherapy. The nanogels are hydrophilic in the blood to prolong their circulation time. Once they accumulate at tumor sites, they rapidly become hydrophobic in response to tumor extracellular acidity. The adaptive hydrophobicity of the nanogels facilitates tumor accumulation, deep tumor penetration, and efficient uptake by bulk tumor cells and CSCs, resulting in a greater in vivo enrichment in tumor cells and side population cells. Together with lysosomal pH-regulated charge reversal and redox-responsive intracellular drug release, the nanogels escape from lysosomes and release their cargo doxorubicin. Thus, the nanogels significantly improve the in vivo anticancer efficacy and decrease side effects of doxorubicin. Strikingly, the ratio of CSCs is greatly decreased after treatment with the nanogels loaded with doxorubicin. Our current study provides new insights into designing effective anticancer drug delivery systems.

Nanoparticles with size range of 10-500nm can be efficiently delivered into cancer cells by the Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect. Here, we prepared resveratrol (Res) loaded chitosan (CS) nanoparticles with the size of 172-217nm by an ionic cross-linking method, with sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) as the cross-linking agent, to improve the stability, solubility and tumors targeting of the natural anti-cancer drug Res. The prepared Res loaded CS-TPP nanoparticles presented long-term storage stability and UV light stability. The cumulative drug release from nanoparticles in mimetic tumor tissue condition (pH 6.5) was higher than that in physiological condition (pH 7.4). Further, Res-loaded CS-TPP nanoparticles maintained the antioxidant activity of Res even after UV light irradiation. Cell viability study shows that the as prepared drug loaded nanoparticles had similar antiproliferative activity on hepatocellular carcinoma cells SMMC 7721 and lower cytotoxicity on normal hepatocyte cells L02 compared with free Res. Fluorescence microscopy observation revealed that the nanoparticles were efficiently taken in by SMMC 7721 cells. This work indicates the potential use of drug loaded CS-TPP nanoparticles for the efficient delivery of bioactive Res for chemotherapy., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In recent decades, microbial synthesis of polysaccharides with special functional properties has attracted increasing attention. This work reported a novel exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing strain, Klebsiella sp. PHRC1.001 isolated from activated sludge. Physicochemical, rheological, emulsifying and toxicological properties of the obtained EPS were characterized. The EPS was mainly composed of d-glucose and l-arabinose, and was found to exist in aqueous solution in a nano-particulated form (∼50nm in diameter) with a strong tendency of aggregation. Rheological analysis showed that the EPS aqueous solution was a typical pseudoplastic fluid at higher concentration and could form weak gel upon alkaline treatment followed by neutralization. The EPS exhibited excellent emulsifying properties in stabilizing oil-in-water emulsions presumably by a Pickering mechanism owing to its nanoparticle structure. Acute toxicity test showed that 1.8g EPS per kg of body weight caused no toxic effect on mice. PHRC1.001 EPS has the potential to be a novel industrial polysaccharide., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ideal anticancer nano drug delivery systems (NDDSs) need to overcome a series of physiological barriers including blood circulation, tumor accumulation, tumor penetration, internalization by cancer cells, lysosomal escape, and on-demand intracellular drug release following systemic administration. However, it remains a big challenge to construct NDDSs that can overcome all the barriers at the same time. Here, we develop zwitterionic temperature/redox-sensitive nanogels loaded with near-infrared (NIR) dye Indocyanine green (ICG) and anticancer drug doxorubicin (I/D@NG). I/D@NG exhibits enhanced photothermal effects, and NIR irradiation markedly decreases its diameter. NIR irradiation at tumor sites significantly enhances tumor accumulation, tumor penetration, and cellular uptake of I/D@NG with prolonged blood circulation time. Furthermore, I/D@NG can effectively escape from lysosomes by singlet oxygen-induced lysosomal disruption, and DOX is then sufficiently released from the nanogels to the nucleus in response to high intracellular GSH and photothermal effects. This nanoplatform for thermo-chemotherapy not only efficiently exerts synergistic cytotoxicity but also overcomes all the physiological barriers of therapeutic agent, thereby providing a substantial in vivo anticancer effect. The multiple functions of I/D@NG provide new insights into designing nanoplatforms for synergistic cancer therapy.

While electroporation has been widely used as a physical method for gene transfection in vitro and in vivo, its application in gene therapy of cardiovascular cells remains challenging. Due to the high concentration of ion-transport proteins in the sarcolemma, conventional electroporation of primary cardiomyocytes tends to cause ion-channel activation and abnormal ion flux, resulting in low transfection efficiency and high mortality. In this work, a high-throughput nanoelectroporation technique based on a nanochannel array platform is reported, which enables massively parallel delivery of genetic cargo (microRNA, plasmids) into mouse primary cardiomyocytes in a controllable, highly efficient, and benign manner. A simple "dipping-trap" approach was implemented to precisely position a large number of cells on the nanoelectroporation platform. With dosage control, our device precisely titrates the level of miR-29, a potential therapeutic agent for cardiac fibrosis, and determines the minimum concentration of miR-29 causing side effects in mouse primary cardiomyocytes. Moreover, the dose-dependent effect of miR-29 on mitochondrial potential and homeostasis is monitored. Altogether, our nanochannel array platform provides efficient trapping and transfection of primary mouse cardiomyocyte, which can improve the quality control for future microRNA therapy in heart diseases., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Efficient accumulation and intracellular drug release in cancer cells remain a crucial challenge in developing ideal anticancer drug delivery systems. Here, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-ss-acrylic acid (P(NIPAM-ss-AA)) nanogels based on NIPAM and AA cross-linked by N,N'-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) were constructed by precipitation polymerization. The nanogels exhibited pH/redox dual responsive doxorubicin (DOX) release behavior in vitro and in tumor cells, in which DOX release from nanogels was accelerated in lysosomal pH (pH 4.5) and cytosolic reduction (10 mM GSH) conditions. Moreover, intracellular tracking of DOX-loaded nanogels confirmed that after the nanogels and the loaded DOX entered the cells simultaneously mainly via lipid raft/caveolae-mediated endocytosis, DOX-loaded nanogels were transported to lysosomes and then the loaded DOX was released to nucleus triggered by lysosomal pH and cytoplasmic high GSH. MTT analysis showed that DOX-loaded nanogels could efficiently inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells. In vivo animal studies demonstrated that DOX-loaded nanogels were accumulated and penetrated in tumor tissues more efficiently than free DOX. Meanwhile, DOX-loaded nanogels exhibited stronger tumor inhibition activity and fewer side effects. This study indicated that pH/redox dual-responsive nanogels might present a prospective platform for intracellular drug controlled release in cancer therapy.

Polymeric nanoparticles with glucose-responsiveness are of great interest in developing a self-regulated drug delivery system. In this work, glucose-responsive polymer vesicles were fabricated based on the complexation between a glucosamine (GA)-containing block copolymer PEG45-b-P(Asp-co-AspGA) and a phenylboronic acid (PBA)-containing block copolymer PEG114-b-P(Asp-co-AspPBA) with α-CD/PEG45 inclusion complex as the sacrificial template. The obtained polymer vesicles composed of cross-linked P(Asp-co-AspGA)/P(Asp-co-AspPBA) layer as wall and PEG chains as both inner and outer coronas. The vesicular morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the glucose-responsiveness was investigated by monitoring the variations of hydrodynamic diameter (Dh) and light scattering intensity (LSI) in the polymer vesicle solution with glucose using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Vancomycin as a model drug was encapsulated in the polymer vesicles and sugar-triggered drug release was carried out. This kind of polymer vesicle may be a promising candidate for glucose-responsive drug delivery.

Multifunctional Bi2O3 porous nanospheres (PNs) with tunable size have been successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. The obtained Bi2O3 porous nanospheres demonstrate outstanding performance in visible-light-driven photocatalysis for Cr(VI) and organic dye removal, inactivation of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as template-synthesis for fabrication of bismuth-related hollow nanostructures.

A novel glucose sensing strategy by using bi-enzyme coated monodispered silica nanoparticles (SiO2) was proposed. The monodispered SiO2 was synthesized according to our previously reported seed-growth methods. Glucose oxidase (GOD) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were simultaneously covalent immobilized on the surface of SiO2 nanoparticles through the cross-linker of glutaraldehyde. The immobilized bi-enzyme remained their bioactivities well for the substrate reaction. Thus, the resultant SiO2-GOD/HRP nanocomposites could be used as catalyst for enzymatic substrate reactions in the presence of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as chromogenic reagent and glucose as substrate. The factors of affecting the catalytic activities of enzymes were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the absorbance at 450 nm in UV-visible spectra increased with the glucose concentration, which could be used for glucose detection with a linear range from 0.5 μM to 250 μM and a detection limit of 0.22 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3σ. Considering the potential of making pills using this SiO2-GOD/HRP, the present strategy has good prospect in the clinic science and other fields in future., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hummers method is commonly used for the fabrication of graphene oxide (GO) from graphite particles. The oxidation process also leads to the cutting of graphene sheets into small pieces. From a thermodynamic perspective, it seems improbable that the aggressive, somewhat random oxidative cutting process could directly result in graphene nanosheets without destroying the intrinsic π-conjugated structures and the associated exotic properties of graphene. In Hummers method, both KMnO4 and NO2(+) (nitronium ions) in concentrated H2SO4 solutions act as oxidants via different oxidation mechanisms. From both experimental observations and theoretical calculations, it appears that KMnO4 plays a major role in the observed oxidative cutting and unzipping processes. We find that KMnO4 also limits nitronium oxidative etching of graphene basal planes, therefore slowing down graphene fracturing processes for nanosheet fabrication. By intentionally excluding KMnO4 and exploiting pure nitronium ion oxidation, aided by the unique thermal and kinetic effects induced by microwave heating, we find that graphite particles can be converted into graphene nanosheets with their π-conjugated aromatic structures and properties largely retained. Without the need of any postreduction processes to remove the high concentration of oxygenated groups that results from Hummers GO formation, the graphene nanosheets as-fabricated exhibit strong absorption, which is nearly wavelength-independent in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions, an optical property typical for intrinsic graphene sheets. For the first time, we demonstrate that strong photoacoustic signals can be generated from these graphene nanosheets with NIR excitation. The photo-to-acoustic conversion is weakly dependent on the wavelength of the NIR excitation, which is different from all other NIR photoacoustic contrast agents previously reported.

A targeted detection of gastric cancer cells is achieved by combining the giant magnetoimpedance (GMI)-based biosensing system and RGD-4C peptide coupled, chitosan covered superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (RGD-Fe(3)O(4)@chitosan). The micro-patterned GMI sensor for targeted detection is made of Co-based ribbon and fabricated by micro electromechanical system (MEMS) technology. Functionalized nanoparticles were designed by coating Fe(3)O(4) with chitosan and conjugating with RGD-4C peptides. The targeted cells were trickled down into the detection area of the system. The detection of each sample is carried out in ten-fold manner and average value is taken as the final result. This system can identify the differences between targeted cells and non-targeted cells. It is of considerable interest due to its potential application in the biomedical field of various specific detections., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) was grafted onto carbon black surface by ambient surface-initiated atom radical transfer polymerization. And the carbon paste electrodes modified by CB-g-PSS and MWNTs were completed. CB-g-PSS and MWNTs had no effect on direct electron transfer based on the carbon paste electrode, but increased the redox speed of Fe [(CN)(6)](3-) / Fe[(CN)(6)](4-) and led to stronger current response. The experimental results indicate that the sensitivity of modified by CB-g-PSS is 2.1 times of no modified, and MWNTs is 4 times. Measurable linear range is 1.1 mmol/L approximately 33.3 mmol/L. For sensors modified by CB-g-PSS, testing of different concentration glucose: RSD<7%; sensors modified by MWNTs, RSD<7.5% (glucose < 15 mmol/L), RSD<10% (glucose > 15 mmol/L) respectively.

Nowadays, bacterial infection is regarded as a serious threat to humankind, which needs to be taken care of. The emergence of antibiotic resistance and multidrug resistance (MDR) is rendering this situation more troublesome. However, several alternative treatment regimens have aided such diseases quite well in the recent past, among which dynamic antibacterial therapies combat this situation quite well. Among various dynamic therapies, piezodynamic therapy is a very recent avenue, in which mechanical stimuli have been exploited to treat bacterial infections. Herein, piezo-active bismuth ferrite-loaded poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) polymer has been utilized to eradicate gram-positive bacteria (E. faecalis) and gram-negative bacteria (E. coli). The sample has been designed in a free-standing membrane form, which, under soft ultrasound (~10 kHz), generates reactive radicals to ablate bacteria. Initially, the structure and morphology of the membrane have been substantiated by using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy methods; besides, Fourier transform infrared spectrum of the sample depicts a tremendously high value of polarizability and further confirms the piezo-activity of the membrane. More than 99% of E. coli and E. faecalis have been successfully eradicated within 30 min of ultrasound. Moreover, the solid-state structure and hydrophobic nature of the membrane help us to reuse it in a cyclic manner, which is possibly reported herein for the very first time. This novel membrane could be deployed in healthcare systems and pigment industries and could be exploited as a self-cleaning material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lowering noble‐metal Pt usage and simultaneously enhancing electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and stability of Pt‐based ORR electrocatalysts is the key to realize the large‐scale application of fuel cells. Here, an effective strategy is developed to reduce Pt usage through the strong electron interaction between uniform Pt nanoparticles (≈4.0 nm) and abundant atomically dispersed Fe–N4 sites modified on an ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) surface for efficiently enhancing ORR performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the strong electron interactions between Pt and Fe–N4 sites decrease the d‐band center of Pt in Pt@Fe–N–OMC‐2 by 0.21 eV relative to that of as‐prepared Pt@OMC, indicating the weakened O2 adsorption and accelerated desorption of oxygenated species on Pt sites. In situ Raman spectra demonstrate that the introduction of Fe–N4 moieties promotes the O–OH dissociation process. Finite element method simulations reveal that the electric and thermal field of the embedded Pt nanoparticle surface is enhanced through modifying Fe–N4 sites on the OMC surface, accelerating the accumulation of ORR‐related species (O2, H+, and H2O), which is conductive to electrocatalyzing the ORR. This innovative approach not only illustrates the synergistic mechanism between Pt and Fe–N4 sites, but also simultaneously provides new avenues to design advanced electrocatalysts for fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active catalysts play a key role in the hydrogen evolution of electrocatalytic water splitting for efficient and economical production of hydrogen. Herein a simple synthetic route to heterometallic metal–organic nanofibers (Pd–Co, Pd–Ni, and Pd–Mn, etc.) is developed via metal–organic gelation synthesized from pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid, Pd2+, and various transition-metal ions at molar ratio of 2:1:2 at room temperature. These nanofiber catalysts show excellent electrochemical performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Especially, heterometallic Pd–Co nanofibers loaded on nickel foam by drop-casting showed the best HER performance at 96 mV (Pd–Ni, 107 mV; Pd–Mn, 132 mV) under the current density 10 mA cm–2, and it has a smaller Tafel slope at 63 mV dec–1. The HER performance of the heterometallic Pd–Co nanofibers is greatly improved by in situ electrochemical activation (EA) strategy (activated at the current density of 10 mA cm–2 for about 40000 s) to obtain EA Pd–Co@Pd NPs. EA Pd–Co@Pd NPs showed low overpotential of 57 mV (vs RHE) at 10 mA cm–2 and 134 mV (vs RHE) at 100 mA cm–2, and smaller Tafel slope of 55 mV dec–1 than Pd–Co nanofiber, which implies faster HER kinetics after EA. The HER performance of EA Pd–Co@Pd NPs is even better than that of commercial Pt/C at high current density, which is attributed to the formation of Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs) grown on the fibrous network during the EA process. The valence state of Pd changes from +2 to 0 valence after the EA, and the resulting Pd NPs exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity for HER. Meanwhile, EA Pd–Co@Pd NPs are stable at ambient temperature and exhibit excellent electrochemical stability for more than 80 h. This work provides opportunities for the development of metal–organic materials for advanced energy conversion, and a method is proposed to improve the efficiency of using precious metals as electrocatalysts for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Chemical sensing in living systems demands optical sensors that are bright, stable, and sensitive to the rapid dynamics of chemical signaling. Lanthanide-doped upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) efficiently convert near infrared (NIR) light to higher energy emission and allow biological systems to be imaged with no measurable background or photobleaching, and with reduced scatter for subsurface experiments. Despite their advantages as imaging probes, UCNPs have little innate chemical sensing ability and require pairing with organic fluorophores to act as biosensors, although the design of stable UCNP-fluorophore hybrids with efficient upconverted energy transfer (UET) has remained a challenge. Here, we report Yb3+- and Er3+-doped UCNP-fluorophore conjugates with UET efficiencies up to 88%, and photostabilities 100-fold greater by UET excitation than those of the free fluorophores under direct excitation. Despite adding distance between Er3+ donors and organic acceptors, thin inert shells significantly enhance overall emission without compromising UET efficiency. This can be explained by the large increase in quantum yield of Er3+ donors at the core/shell interface and the large number of fluorophore acceptors at the surface. Sensors excited by UET show increases in photostability well beyond those reported for other methods for increasing the longevity of organic fluorophores, and those covalently attached to UCNP surface polymers show greater chemical stability than those directly coordinated to the nanocrystal surface. By conjugating other fluorescent chemosensors to UCNPs, these hybrids may be extended to a series of NIR-responsive biosensors for quantifying the dynamic chemical populations critical for cell signaling. Highlights • NIR-excitable UCNPs conjugated to fluorophores have energy transfer efficiencies up to 88% under microscopic laser powers. • UCNP-fluorophore conjugates are up to 100-fold more photostable than free fluorophores. • Conjugates with fluorophores are covalently attached to surface polymers show greatly enhanced chemical stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The ultraviolet (UV)-C ageing behavior of silicone rubber (SiR) incorporated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) was studied under UV-C radiation. The SiR incorporated with nano-TiO2 displayed excellent physical properties when exposed to UV-C radiation. With the increase of the ageing time, the SiR with nano-TiO2 showed no significant change in crosslinking density and Shore A hardness. Moreover, compared with the SiR without nano-TiO2, the SiR incorporated with nano-TiO2 also exhibited high retention ratio in tensile properties, especially elongation at break. It was found that nano-TiO2 was a good ultraviolet light stabilizer during the UV ageing process of SiR and the optimum content of nano-TiO2 was 2 phr. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the appearance of OH and CO and the decrease of the intensity of SiC2O2 in SiR samples during the process of UV-C ageing. Based on these results, a possible UV ageing mechanism of SiR could be proposed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46099. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel Ni/CdS composite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by an efficient and simple photo-deposition method. Importantly, the morphology and structural characterization showed that the CdS prepared by solvothermal method was nanorod-like and no impurities. The deposited Ni nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed on the surface of the CdS nanorods. The optical properties results showed that it more conducive to absorption of light after introduction of Ni nanoparticles, which is beneficial to photocatalytic spite water to hydrogen evolution. The kinetic study indicants that the hydrogen production activity of the composite catalyst Ni/CdS (471.2 μmol) is about 70 times higher than that of the pure CdS (6.7 μmol) under the same conditions. In addition, the time of photo-deposition and the pH of the hydrogen production system have a great effect on the activity of the composite catalyst. The roles of Ni nanoparticles over CdS nanorods for improved photocatalytic stability and activity were systematically studied by means of SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, UV–Vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra etc. The introduction of Ni nanoparticles has significantly enhanced the stability and activity of CdS nanorods. Ni nanoparticles act as electron outlet, it may combine with protons in the solution to form hydrogen molecules and can avoid the recombination of photogenerated electron hole pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasingly significant issue on oil/water separation in modern chemical industry and environmental protection on account of the frequent oil spills and large amounts of oily industrial wastewater. Herein, we demonstrate an underwater superoleophobic BiVO 4 coated mesh with sunlight-driven self-cleaning property for oil/water separation. The as-prepared coating has micro/nano structures and shows underwater superoleophobicity for various oils and organic solvents. It also exhibits excellent durability against abrasion, cavitation erosion and ultra-low temperature. Such coating can be used in separation of oil/water mixtures and further applied in a continuous oil-water separation system. More importantly, the BiVO 4 coating can decompose organic contaminants in water and those absorbed on the surface under simulated solar irradiation, thus make both water and the coating clean. All these features make the BiVO 4 coated mesh an ideal candidate for potential application in water contamination treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have received tremendous attention in recent years due to their unique advantages, their application in membrane processes for liquid mixture separation has not been explored. In this study, COF-based hybrid membranes were fabricated by incorporating COF SNW-1 into sodium alginate (SA) matrices and used for ethanol dehydration. Due to the remarkable density difference between SNW-1 and the membrane casting solvent, majority of SNW-1 nanoparticles floated to the top of the membrane and minority of SNW-1 nanoparticles were entrapped in SA during the slow evaporation of the solvent, resulting in asymmetric distributions. The surface hydrophilicity and water sorption capacity of the hybrid membrane are enhanced by the enriched SNW-1. And the porous structure of SNW-1 could render additional selectivity and free volume cavities for water molecules transfer. As a result, the hybrid membrane shows high separation factor and permeation flux of 1293 and 2397 g/m 2 h, respectively. Moreover, the incorporation of SNW-1 also endows membranes with enhanced thermal and mechanical stability, good anti-swelling properties and desirable long-term operation stability. This study offers a novel approach to design high performance hybrid membranes by incorporating fillers with the density different from that of the membrane casting solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a facile approach to prepare poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) modified Fe 3 O 4 @Au nanoparticles. PNIPAM was synthesized through reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and modified on the surface of Fe 3 O 4 @Au nanoparticles by reducing trithiocarbonate to thiol. These PNIPAM modified nanoparticles exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 37 °C, and responsiveness to both magnetic field and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) induced photothermal and photoelectrocatalysis effects are crucial for catalytic reactions in many areas. However, it is still difficult to distinguish these two effects quantitatively. Here we used surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to detect the photothermal and photoelectrocatalytic effects induced by SPR from Au core Pt shell Nanoparticles (Au@Pt NPs), and calculated the quantitative contribution of the ratio of the photothermal and photoelectrocatalysis effects towards the catalytic activity. The photothermal effect on the nanoparticle surface after illumination is detected by SERS. The photoelectrocatalytic effect generated from SPR is proved by SERS with a probe molecule of p-aminothiophenol (PATP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After long electrochemical cycles, the continuous loss in the capacity of nickel oxide (NiO) hinders its practical application as anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The need to improve the lithium-storage performance of NiO becomes essential for the accomplishment of high-performance lithium-ion batteries. In this respect, a new form of 3D NiO, which comprises TiO2 nanoparticles, has been fabricated and used as anode for lithium-ion storage. The as-prepared 3D NiO-TiO2 nanocomposites achieved areal discharge capacities of 1.49 and 0.78 mAh cm−2 at current densities of 1.0 and 6.0 mA cm−2, respectively. The improvement in the lithium-storage properties of the NiO/TiO2 nanocomposite is attributed to the TiO2 nanoparticles creating rational interfaces with the NiO, which incredibly supports the NiO surface and improves the structural stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 1. rGO-ZnO could be successfully prepared, and exhibit higher performance than sole ZnO. • 2. Degradation rate of PNP in plasma system was enhanced from 68.5% to 97.6% with ZnO-6rGO. • 3. OH, O 2 –, HO 2 , 1O 2 , h+ and e- played crucial in PNP degradation. • 4. The degradation pathways were mainly related to electrophilic and nucleophilic reaction. • 5. The toxicity of PNP were alleviated after plasma-catalytic treatment. This paper aims to investigate plasma-catalytic degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) with graphene-ZnO nanoparticles based on theoretical and experimental perspects. The graphene-ZnO nanoparticles were firstly prepared by hydrothermal process, which were then systematically characterized with scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectrum, UV–Vis spectrophotometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and nitrogen adsorption desorption analyzer. Combined with the analysis of Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), the morphology, structure, specific surface area, absorption light range and electron transfer of the prepared catalyst are described in detail. The prepared graphene-ZnO nanocomposites displayed larger specific surface area and wider light absorption range. The charge could be transferred from ZnO to graphene. The catalytic degradation performace was further examined. Results indicated that degradation rate of PNP was enhanced from 68.5% to 80.2% with ZnO, which could futher improved to 97.6% with graphene (6%)-ZnO nanocomposites. The prepared samples exhibited good stability. Active species including OH, O 2 –, HO 2 , 1O 2 , h+ and e- played crucial role in PNP degradation. The degradation pathways were proposed based on DFT calculation and relevant literatures. Lastly, ECOSAR algorithm illustrated that the toxicity of PNP can be relieved after plasma-catalytic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microdigitate stromatolites from the Mesoproterozoic. • Coccoid-like microfossils or in small aggregated colonies. • Filamentous microfossils are occasionally in the coloumns of stromatolites. • Three types of nano-particles suggestive of biosignatures. • Abundant and diverse biosignatures (spheroids, tubular filaments, and nano-particles) are identified in the Mesoproterozoic stromatolites. Stromatolites have been widely reported from the Archean and Paleoproterozoic successions worldwide, and they could represent one of oldest life forms on Earth. Of these, a group of small stromatolites occur as microdigitate low-relief columns, and are also conspicuous in the field. However, biogenicity of these microdigitate stromatolites (MDSs) has long been disputed due to to the abundance of radial-fibrous texture and a lack of convincing microfossils. New examples of MDS are documented from the Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation of the Jixian area, North China. Vertically oriented fibrous fabrics are conspicuous and penetrate laminae as well as microscopic spheroids, which point to an abiotic genesis for this specific fabric. Stromatolite laminae contain abundant spheroids, typically 15–30 μm in diameter, with single or double outlines and they occur as solitary coccoid-like microfossils or in small aggregated colonies. Spheroids show strong fluorescence under both green and purple exciting lights, consistent with their composition of organic matter. Spheroids are abundant in the Wumishan stromatolites and they are categorized into two types. The first kind comprises micrite nuclei surrounded by sparitic sheaths, without nano-particle coatings. A smooth to grainy spheroidal surface defines the first kind of spheroids that also has a distinct rounded opening, which is often broken probably due to diagenesis and silicification. The second kind of spheroids is usually covered with nano-particles and lacks circular opening on surface. These spheroids possess large nuclei of single sparitic calcite coated with thin sparry sheaths. Overall, the Wumishan spheroids resemble coccoidal microorganisms reported from other Archean-Paleoproterozoic strata worldwide, but they are also better preserved. The rounded opening on spheroid surface is interpreted as division point of unicells during reproduction of the life cycle of bacteria akin to Myxococcoides grandis. Clump-like micro-particle aggregates in nuclei could represent daughter cells released from the parental envelope, similar to the reproduction process and life cycle suggested for similar spheroidal microfossils from other similar Precambrian occurrences. The Wumishan spheroids therefore may represent fossilized prokaryotes that could have contributed to construct the MDS. Moreover, filamentous microfossils are occasionally present in the coloumns of stromatolites, and they resemble filamentous cyanobacteria, but may not be major constructors of MDS due to their rarity in the buildups. Three types of nano-particles are also conspicuous: (1) putative organic relics, such as fragmented filaments and mucuslike biofilms (purported EPS), (2) organominerals, including nanoglobules, polyhedrons, and their aggregates, and (3) dumbbell-shaped nano-particle aggregates. All of these nano-particles are interpreted to be likely biogenic in origin, and many of them were found from the radial-fibrous fabrics of carbonate precipitates in the MDS, implying that some heterotrophic bacteria may have afficliated the precipitation of radial fibers in deep-time radial-fibrous carbonate precipitates. Therefore, abundant and diverse biosignatures (spheroids, tubular filaments, and nano-particles) are identified in the Wumishan MDSs, and we conclude that diverse filamentous and coccoidal micro-organismscontributed to the formation of the Wumishan stromatolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymeric nanoparticles with glucose-responsiveness underphysiologicalconditions are of great interests in developing drug delivery systemfor the treatment of diabetes. Herein, glucose-responsive complexmicelles were prepared by self-assembly of a phenylboronic acid-containedblock copolymer PEG-b-P(AA-co-APBA)and a glycopolymer P(AA-co-AGA) based on the covalentcomplexation between phenylboronic acid and glycosyl. The formationof the complex micelles with a P(AA-co-APBA)/P(AA-co-AGA) core and a PEG shell was confirmed by HNMR analysis.The glucose-responsiveness of the complex micelles was investigatedby monitoring the light scattering intensity and the fluorescence(ARS) of the micelle solutions. The complex micelles displayed anenhanced glucose-responsiveness compared to the simple PEG-b-P(AA-co-APBA) micelles and the sensitivityof the complex micelles to glucose increased with the decrease ofthe amount of P(AA-co-AGA) in the compositions. Thecytotoxicity of the polymers and the complex micelles was also evaluatedby MTT assay. This kind of complex micelles may be an excellent candidatefor insulin delivery and may find application in the treatment ofdiabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this research, we aimed to evaluate the biological effects of physically gold nanoparticle-collagen nanocarrier incorporated with alkaloid berberine (Au-Col-BB) on non-transformed bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) and Her-2 breast cancer cell lines through in vitro and in vivo assessments. Au-Col-BB showed better cytotoxicity, as well as significantly induced cell apoptosis in Her-2 cancer cells compared with normal cells (non-transformed BAEC). Further, Au-Col-BB also demonstrated better anti-cancer capacity for inhibiting cell growth in Her-2 tumor-bearing mice. In brief, we confirmed that the Au-Col-BB nanocarrier could be a potential nanodrug for increasing the efficiency of specific therapeutic effects in breast cancer disease. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were fabricated with biocompatible collagen (Col) and then conjugated with berberine (BB), denoted as Au-Col-BB, to investigate the endocytic mechanisms in Her-2 breast cancer cell line and in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). Owing to the superior biocompatibility, tunable physicochemical properties, and potential functionalization with biomolecules, AuNPs have been well studied as carriers of biomolecules for diseases and cancer therapeutics. Composites of AuNPs with biopolymer, such as fibronectin or Col, have been revealed to increase cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. BB is a natural compound with impressive health benefits, such as lowering blood sugar and reducing weight. In addition, BB can inhibit cell proliferation by modulating cell cycle progress and autophagy, and induce cell apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. In the current research, BB was conjugated on the Col-AuNP composite ("Au-Col"). The UV-Visible spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy confirmed the conjugation of BB on Au-Col. The particle size of the Au-Col-BB conjugate was about 227 nm, determined by dynamic light scattering. Furthermore, Au-Col-BB was less cytotoxic to BAEC vs. Her-2 cell line in terms of MTT assay and cell cycle behavior. Au-Col-BB, compared to Au-Col, showed greater cell uptake capacity and potential cellular transportation by BAEC and Her-2 using the fluorescence-conjugated Au-Col-BB. In addition, the clathrin-mediated endocytosis and cell autophagy seemed to be the favorite endocytic mechanism for the internalization of Au-Col-BB by BAEC and Her-2. Au-Col-BB significantly inhibited cell migration in Her-2, but not in BAEC. Moreover, apoptotic cascade proteins, such as Bax and p21, were expressed in Her-2 after the treatment of Au-Col-BB. The tumor suppression was examined in a model of xenograft mice treated with Au-Col-BB nanovehicles. Results demonstrated that the tumor weight was remarkably reduced by the treatment of Au-Col-BB. Altogether, the promising findings of Au-Col-BB nanocarrier on Her-2 breast cancer cell line suggest that Au-Col-BB may be a good candidate of anticancer drug for the treatment of human breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Stöber method is extended to prepare carbon spheres (CS) by polymerizing resorcinol and formaldehyde. The obtained monodisperse CS are used as the supports of Pt nanoparticles for methanol oxidation in alkaline media. Compared with Pt supported on commercial Vulcan XC-72R carbon (Pt/C) electrocatalysts, Pt supported on carbon spheres (Pt/CS) electrocatalysts, which give peak current density 2.6 times higher and 100mV more negative shift toward methanol oxidation, shows better electrocatalytic activity. This is attributed to the higher electrochemical active surface area of Pt/CS with 56m2 g−1, as compared with that of Pt/C with 28m2 g−1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• MoP@nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers are synthesized via electrospinning and an in-situ carbothermic self-reduction. • The as-prepared nanofibers with uniformly distributed MoP nanoparticles are interconnected into a conductive network. • The unique structure alleviates pulverization of active material and enhances ion/charge-transfer for a high Li/Na storage. • Quantitative kinetics analysis confirms that the charge storage behavior is governed by pseudocapacitance. Transition metal phosphide anodes have received increasing attention for lithium/sodium-ion batteries due to their high theoretical capacities and apposite intercalation potential range. However, the mechanical stress induced dramatic volumetric expansion upon a conversion reaction mechanism has hindered the practical applications. Herein, we demonstrate a high performance anode of MoP@nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (MoP@NCNFs), which are prepared from an electrospinning method followed by an in-situ carbothermic self-reduction process. The well-crystallized MoP nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the interweaving nanofibers, affording a conductive network for fast charge/ion transport and adequate buffer space for volumetric expansion. Benefit from the unique structure, the MoP@NCNFs synthesized at 800 °C delivers a reversible capacity of 840 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 200 cycles. At 2 A g−1, longer cycling upto 1300 cycles is achieved with a capacity of 377 mAh g−1 along with a Coulombic efficiency of 99% for Li storage. And a decent performance is also available for sodium storage. Quantitative kinetics analysis confirms that the charge storage behavior is governed by pseudocapacitance, especially at high rates (75.9% at 1 mV s–1), boosting the high-rate lithium/sodium storage performance. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small amount of ionic liquid [bmim][BF4] was found to be an efficient aid for microwave heating of nonpolar dibenzyl ether in high temperature solution-phase synthesis of monodisperse magnetite nanoparticles. It was found to act as both microwave absorber and assistant stabilizer in the reactive process and was recovered and reused in successive reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdS has desirable band gap, strong light absorption, and broad application prospects in environmental treatment and energy conversion. However, CdS photogenerated carriers are easy to recombine and compromise the intended photocatalytic activity. In this study, CdS nanoparticles are prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. The phase junction in the CdS nanoparticles is produced by controlling the hydrothermal temperature. A dynamic field is excited inside the CdS nanoparticles by the vibration of ultrasonic waves. The piezoelectric field cooperates with the phase junction to promote the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. When the built-in electric field of the phase junction and the piezoelectric field of CdS are active independently, the separation of the carriers can be promoted. However, when the piezoelectric field cooperates with the built-in electric field of the phase junction, the separation effect of the carriers is related to the angle between the directions of the piezoelectric field and the built-in electric field of the phase junction. • A cubic-hexagonal phase junction was formed in the CdS NPs at 180 °C. • A built-in piezoelectric field was created in the CdS NPs by ultrasonic vibration. • The decolorization rate of CdS NPs was increased by the synergistic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Au@Pt@Au core-shell nanoparticles, synthesized through chemical reduction, are utilized to improve the photoelectric performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in which carbon films are used as the counter electrode, and the hole-transporting layer is not used. After a series of experiments, these Au@Pt@Au core-shell nanoparticles are optimized and demonstrate outstanding optical and electrical properties due to their local surface plasmon resonance and scattering effects. PSC devices containing 1 wt.% Au@Pt@Au core-shell nanoparticles have the highest efficiency; this is attributable to their significant light trapping and utilization capabilities, which are the result of the distinctive structure of the nanoparticles. The power conversion efficiency of PSCs, with an optimal content of plasmonic nanoparticles (1 wt.%), increased 8.1%, compared to normal PSCs, which was from 12.4% to 13.4%; their short-circuit current density also increased by 5.4%, from 20.5 mA·cm−2 to 21.6 mA·cm−2. The open-circuit voltages remaining are essentially unchanged. When the number of Au@Pt@Au core-shell nanoparticles in the mesoporous TiO2 layer increases, the photovoltaic parameters of the former shows a downward trend due to the recombination of electrons and holes, as well as the decrease in electron transporting pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one‐pot synthetic method is developed for the fabrication of 3D self‐growth NiO/TiO2 through a simple low‐temperature hydrothermal synthesis by simply immersing nickel foam in an aqueous solution of TiCl4. The 3D NiO/TiO2 nanoparticles exhibit enhanced lithium‐ion‐storage performance. More details can be found in the Communication by Y. Tong et al. on page 1243 in Issue 9, 2015 (DOI: 10.1002/celc.201500146). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a facile one-pot solvothermal approach, nano-sized SnS 2 particles were homogeneously anchored on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for the first time. As an anode material for lithium ion battery, the SnS 2 /SWCNTs hybrid exhibits excellent rate capacity (about 498 mA h g −1 at 2000 mA g −1 ) and good cycle stability (about 509 mA h g −1 at 1000 mA g −1 after 100 cycles). The improved electrochemical performance can be attributed to the use of SWCNTs, which not only serve as templates to restrict the size of SnS 2 particles during synthesis, and also provide flexible conductive matrix to buffer the volume change during cycling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CuOx@pTTh is synthesized from poly-terthiophene (pTTh) and CuOx nanoparticles (NPs). • It shows good light absorption capacity due to heterojunction engineering between CuOx and pTTh. • Shows also good ability to separate photo generated electron hole pairs for efficient phenol degradation. • XPS and calculations confirm the existence of strong electronic interaction between CuOx and pTTh. • Intermediates analysis (HPLC) provides reasonable degradation-routes (ring-open processes). Herein, resulting from the heterojunction engineering, poly-terthiophene (pTTh) hybridized CuO x nanoparticles (abbreviated as CuO x @pTTh) are firstly synthesized and adopted as a promising photoelectrocatalyst for phenol degradation in wastewater. The resultant CuO x @pTTh manifests outstanding light-harvesting ability and remarkable capacity to separate photo-generated electron-hole pairs for phenol degradation in aqueous solution. X-ray photoelectron (XPS) characterizations and theoretical calculations further identify that there exists a strong electronic interaction between CuO x nanoparticles and pTTh, further enhancing the charge carriers transfer dynamics of the as-prepared catalysts. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are applied to explore the active species and the degradation mechanism of photoelectrocatalyis (PEC) reactions. It is found that in PEC degradation of phenol the main active species are ·O 2 − and ·OH. Also, it can be concluded that phenol can eventually be step by step oxidized to CO 2 and H 2 O through different pathways, according to the different detected intermediates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Surface modification of SiO 2 nanoparticles was finely tuned by a novel large-scale production method. • Phase inversion of Pickering emulsions was regulated by the amount of KH-570 grafted on the nanoparticles surface. • Geometry and stability of emulsions were affected by the coverage area of dispersed droplets provided by the stabilizing particles. • Solid-oil intermolecular energy provided an indicator to predict the type of Pickering emulsions. Pickering emulsions hold great potential in solving the mass transfer limitation in gas-liquid-solid and/or liquid-liquid-solid multiphase systems. In the present study, the surface properties of SiO 2 nanoparticles were finely tuned by a novel large-scale production method, which determined the final geometry of the dispersed droplets and their stability. By controlling the amount of KH-570 grafted on the nanoparticles surface the phase inversion of Pickering emulsions was regulated. The addition of stabilizing nanoparticles, the particle size, and the amount of dispersed phase all significantly affected the geometry and stability of the dispersed droplets, mainly attributed to the varying coverage area of dispersed droplets provided by the stabilizing particles at varying grafting degrees. Mechanistic investigation suggested that estimating the value of the solid-oil intermolecular energy provided an indicator measure to predict the type of Pickering emulsions, while the estimate of interfacial tension values gave an additional measure to determine the amount of solid particles needed for forming stable Pickering emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To synthesize small and evenly distributed fillers in polymer matrix is important to fulfill the advantage of nanocomposite membranes in overcoming the tradeoff effect between permeability and selectivity. In this study, nanocomposite membranes were prepared by synthesizing calcium oxalate (CaOx) nanoparticles in confined space of the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembled polymer network through bio-inspired mineralization. The active layer was tightly coated on hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile substrate with thickness less than 200 nm. The CaOx nanoparticles were uniformly distributed in the polymer matrix with diameter less than 50 nm. The hydrophilicity of the nanocomposite membranes was decreased due to the incorporation of CaOx nanoparticles. And the free volume properties were tuned by creating new polymer/filler interface. At precursor concentration of 1 mM, the permeation flux increased by 14% to 958 g/(m2h), the separation factor increased by 2.36 times to 1562 compared to the control membrane, and the membrane showed good operating stability. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • Ultrathin nanocomposite membranes were prepared based on LbL self-assembly. • CaOx was in situ synthesized in confined space of polymer via biomineralization. • The nanocomposite membrane showed good performance in ethanol dehydration. • The nanocomposite membrane showed good operating stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For enhanced solar energy application, double-layered nitrogen-doped Zn 2 SnO 4 film consisting of bottom nanosheets and top nanoparticles is designed and synthesized on flexible woven metal wires. The effects of doping concentration of nitrogen element (N) and the amount of coating nanoparticles on electronic, optical properties and stability are investigated in detail by various testing techniques. The results show that in the double-layered structure, the nanosheets array can provide direct transport pathways for photoinduced electrons, while the nanoparticles can provide high surface area. On the other hand, doped N element is conducive not only to the absorption of visible light due to narrowed band gap, but also to suppression of charge recombination. With the optimized double-layered N-doped Zn 2 SnO 4 as photoanodes of flexible dye-sensitized solar cells, the corresponding photoelectric conversion efficiency is 2.302% compared to 1.332% and 1.826% in case of pure Zn 2 SnO 4 nanosheets and N-doped Zn 2 SnO 4 nanosheets; The double-layered N-doped Zn 2 SnO 4 is also determined to be high-performance immobilized photocatalyst with a better recyclability for the photodegradation of organic pollutant under sunlight irradiation; More importantly, the preparation methods is also applicable to fabricate other composite oxides on wire-shaped substrate for more practical applications in flexible devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submicrometer grain-sized (1.5 µm) yttria ceramics exhibited the remarkable flexural strength enhancement from 28.5 to 165.0 MPa, and equivalent or superior transparency (81.8%, 1064 nm) to that of single crystal under the two-step sintering of 1550–1500 °C and Al 2 O 3 additive amount of only 150 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fe0 nanoparticles were uniformly immobilized on COFs by a an in-situ growth method. • The Fe0/TpPa-1@DOPA has high Cr(VI) removal performance. • The high Cr(VI) removal performance could be realized in acidic, neutral and alkaline environments. Nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI, Fe0) has been widely used for reduction of strong toxic Cr(VI) to low toxic Cr(III), however, given the easy aggregation of NZVI, developing new substrate support for NZVI is highly desirable. In this study, via a simple in-situ growth method, NZVI was immobilized on porous TpPa-1 covalent organic frameworks (COFs), making it an effective adsorbent for adsorption and reduction of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. Meanwhile, to make the composite of NZVI and COFs a uniform system, dopamine (DOPA) was used as a connector to combine them. The COFs with porous crystal structure provides controlled anchors for Fe0 loading as well as the reaction sites. Results verify that the Fe0/TpPa-1@DOPA exhibited an excellent performance in Cr(VI) removal due to synergistic effect of the composite, with the maximum removal capacity up to 516 mg/g. Furthermore, it maintained high removal capacity under acidic, neutral and alkaline environments. Therefore, the Fe0/TpPa-1@DOPA is a promising material for Cr(VI) removal from wastewater in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understanding the processes involved in the cellular uptake of nanoparticles is critical for developing effective nano drug delivery systems. In this paper we found that PEG-b-PLA polymeric micelles firstly interacted with cell membrane using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and then released their core-loaded agents into the cell membrane by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The released agents were internalized into the cells via lipid raft/caveolae-mediated endocytosis using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) and endocytic inhibitors. Further studies revealed that paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded PEG-b-PLA micelles (M-PTX) increased the cellular accumulation of PTX in PTX-resistant human ovarian cell line A2780/T which resulted in more apoptosis as measured by flow cytometry and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) compared with free PTX. PEG-b-PLA micelles inhibited P-glycoprotein (Pgp) function and Pgp ATPase activity but had no effect on Pgp protein expression. The membrane microenvironment studies showed that PEG-b-PLA micelles induced cell membrane depolarization and enhanced membrane microviscosity. These results suggested that PEG-b-PLA micelles might inhibit Pgp function to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) via interaction with cell membrane to affect the membrane microenvironment. This study provides a foundation for understanding the mechanism of reversing MDR by nanoparticles better and designing more effective nano drug carriers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a simple strategy for covalently attaching nanoparticles onto the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to fabricate hybrid nanostructure. Densely distributed magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) with a size of ∼8nm have been deposited on the surface of carbon nanotubes by covalent interaction. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FT-IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis have been used to study the formation of MNP/CNT nanostructure. The strategy employed herein is quite generic and applicable to a variety of nanoparticles, including metal, quantum dot and oxide. These composite nanostructures should open up new possibilities in areas such as nanoelectronics, chemical sensing, field-emission displays, nanotribology, and cell adhesion/biorecognition investigations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Metallic nanoparticles were extensively examined to explore their impending exploitations over pharmaceutical purposes. Current work attempting to explores the cytotoxic capacity of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles besides to human melanoma cell line (A375). Viability of cells was resoluted, and the promising cytotoxicity potential was exhibited by zinc oxide nanoparticles. Cellular adhesion and morphology was determined by propidium iodide assay. Characterization studies like UV-Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigation, transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spec, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) examination confirms the accessibility of measurement, form and volume. The mRNA expression of apoptotic genes like caspase 3, 8 and 9 was elevated followed by the exposure to ZnO nanoparticles and it was narrowly proved that ZnO nanoparticles stimulates the apoptotic cell necrosis at the transcriptional stage. Cardiospermum halicacabum down regulated the apoptotic gene expressions. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation was augmented at concentration reliant mode, that changed normalize numerous indicator pathways and manipulate the kinetic cellular actions. ZnO nanoparticle synthesized Cardiospermum halicacabum might persuades programmed cell necrosis via elevated ROS levels in cells. CH-ZnONPs was further stimulates the markers of apoptosis and aggravates necrosis of cancerous cells, toxicity to cells, and accretion of ROS. With sourced on above whole data, this might accomplished that CH-ZnONPs amalgamated Cardiospermum halicacabum appreciably possessed a toxicity to human melanoma cells (A375) via provoking the apoptotic cell necrosis, entailed feasible efficacy of CH-ZnONPs besides malignancy management. • Metal oxide related nanoparticle has been extensively examined for its impending use in the biomedical purposes. • Cardiospermum halicacabum proposes an environmental friendly, simple and dexterous way for amalgamation of nanoparticles. • ZnONPs that further mediate apoptotic markers, alteration on ultrastructures, toxicity to cells, and ROS development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]