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Nitrate is a crucial nutrient in the natural nitrogen cycle. However, human activities have elevated nitrate levels in aquatic ecosystems beyond natural thresholds, posing risks to human health and the environment. In this work, ZnCl 2 -doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (ZnCl 2 @MSN) were synthesized using a one-pot preparation method, leading to a streamlined process with reduced time and energy consumption. The homogeneous mesoporous ZnCl 2 @MSN exhibited efficient nitrate removal from water, primarily through ion exchange mechanisms (70.97%), with additional support from electrostatic attraction (29.03%). A removal efficiency of 85.11% ± 4.96% was achieved, with a maximum removal capacity of 22.37 mg g -1 within 15 min in synthetic water (0.75 g ZnCl 2 @MSN; 100 mL of 100 mg L -1 nitrate solution, without pH adjustment, at room temperature (25 °C)). Furthermore, batch adsorption demonstrated a removal efficiency of up to 99.05% ± 5.88% for real water samples. The experimental data fitted best to the Langmuir isotherm model (R 2  = 0.9966) and the pseudo-second-order model (R 2  = 0.9985). Thermodynamic studies revealed a spontaneous and exothermic adsorption process. Nitrate exhibited tolerance to coexisting ions using ZnCl 2 @MSN in the order of PO 4 3-  > CO 3 2-  > F -  > Cl -  > SO 4 2-  > Br - , and the material could be reused up to three times. This research highlights the significant advantages of ZnCl 2 @MSN, which is synthesized through a simpler and more energy-efficient procedure compared to similar materials reported previously. Despite its streamlined preparation, ZnCl 2 @MSN achieves a superior adsorption capacity, requiring less adsorbent for effective treatment. This not only minimizes waste generation but also reduces operational costs. Furthermore, its excellent reusability enhances cost-efficiency, making it a highly practical solution. Importantly, the evaluation of treated water confirmed that the zinc concentration remained well below the EPA discharge limit. These findings underscore the potential of ZnCl 2 @MSN as an advanced, sustainable, and economical material for nitrate removal., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Diatoms have developed unique micro- and nanostructures and photonic crystal properties during billions of years of life evolution. In this study, a fluorescence sensor substrate (QD-Diatom) was prepared by biofabrication, and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) were immobilized on the surface of diatom biosilica. The concentration of CdSe/ZnS QDs of 7.5×10 -3 nmol/mL showed no significant toxicity to the growth of the diatom, which is considered suitable for biofabrication. QD-Diatom preserves the porous structure of diatoms and improves the fluorescence stability of quantum dots. Upon binding to DBs, the fluorescence intensity of QDs was enhanced and the wavelength was red-shifted. The purification of QD-Diatom by chemical reagents and physical calcination was investigated. The results showed that the fluorescence activity of QDs could be maintained and the interference of organic pigments could be removed by soaking in 2 % Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) or NaOH and calcining at 180 °C for 1 h. The fluorescence activity of QDs could be maintained and the interference of organic pigments could be eliminated. These results indicate that QD-Diatom can be used as a new type of fluorescent biosensor by simple biofabrication., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts to declare. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is considered an effective and safe therapeutic modality in supporting the treatment of complications from a global pandemic-diabetes. In this study, PBM therapy is investigated to accelerate wound healing in diabetic mice (DM), under the combined biological effects of red light from a red organic light-emitting diode (ROLED) and near-infrared (NIR) light from an NIR conversion film (NCF) with dispersed CuInS 2 /ZnS quantum dots (QDs). The QD concentration and the NCF structure were optimized to maximize the optical properties and mechanical stability. A merged red/NIR device (MRND) was produced by integrating the optimized NCF and ROLED for PBM therapy. As a result of irradiating DM with MRND at a dose of 2 J/cm 2 , after 10 days, the wounds recovered three times faster than DM without MRND. Additionally, MRND light not only restored the epidermal thickness to normal but also significantly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The experimental results show that the proposed PBM therapy has the potential to improve the quality of life of diabetic patients by helping them with rapid wound healing.

Morphology regulation and element doping are effective means to improving the photocatalytic performance of graphite-phase carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ). In this article, using melamine and zinc chloride as raw materials, a novel kind of Zn/Cl-doped hollow microtubular g-C 3 N 4 (Zn-HT-CN) by a hydrothermal method was developed. The structure and morphology of Zn-HT-CN and reference samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The doping of Zn/Cl narrowed the bandgap width of the hollow microtubular g-C 3 N 4 , as well as the inhibiting recombination of photogenerated electron and holes. Compared with the pure g-C 3 N 4 microtube, Zn-HT-CN showed excellent catalytic performance for the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) under irradiation of visible light. The photodegradation rate of TCH reached 94.41% in 40 min, which was about two times as high as that catalyzed by the pure g-C 3 N 4 microtube. Moreover, it was also superior to the g-C 3 N 4 microtube doped with other typical metal elements. In addition, Zn-HT-CN showed good tolerance to environmental pH, and the catalytic efficiency of the material remained at 78.78% after five cycles.

The optimal method for three-dimensional thermal imaging within cells involves collecting intracellular temperature responses while simultaneously obtaining corresponding 3D positional information. Current temperature measurement techniques based on the photothermal properties of quantum dots face several limitations, including high cytotoxicity and low fluorescence quantum yields. These issues affect the normal metabolic processes of tumor cells. This study synthesizes a low-toxicity cell membrane-targeted quantum dot temperature sensor by optimizing the synthesis method of CdTe/CdS/ZnS core-shell structured quantum dots. Compared to CdTe-targeted quantum dot temperature sensors, the cytotoxicity of CdTe/CdS/ZnS-targeted quantum dot temperature sensors is reduced by 40.79%. Additionally, a novel cepstrum-based spatial localization algorithm is proposed to achieve rapidly compute the three-dimensional positions of densely distributed quantum dot temperature sensors. Ultimately, both targeted and non-targeted CdTe/CdS/ZnS quantum dot temperature sensors were used simultaneously to label the internal and external regions of human osteosarcoma cells to obtain temperature data at these labeling positions. By combining this with the cepstrum-based spatial localization algorithm, the spatial coordinates of the quantum dot temperature sensors were obtained. Three-dimensional temperature field reconstruction of three local regions was achieved within a 12 μm axial range in living cells. The method described in this paper can be widely applied to the quantitative study of intracellular thermal responses., (© 2025 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

The development of high-performance cellulose-based sensors with superior interfacial compatibility, flexibility, and strength has always been challenging. Drawing inspiration from the intricate multiscale hierarchy found in resilient natural materials, the incorporation of this structure into cellulose-based hydrogels using biomimetic strategies is anticipated to enhance their properties. Therefore, the cellulose/polyacrylamide (PAM) hybrid hydrogels are fabricated using the aqueous AlCl 3 /ZnCl 2 system through an all-green one-pot method at room temperature, achieving efficient dissolution of cellulose at multiple scales and in-situ polymerization of polyacrylamide. The multiscale cellulose/PAM hydrogels achieve good interfacial compatibility, with the reinforcing mechanism being confirmed through a combination of experimental validation and atomic simulations. The findings underscore the key elements that drive the multiscale behavior of hydrogels, encompassing a range of factors such as multiple interfacial interactions, hierarchical molecular entanglements, and microskeleton reinforcement. The hydrogels exhibit satisfactory stretchability (412 %), compressive strength (1.2 MPa), conductivity (1.65 S m -1 ), and ultralong circulability (> 12,000 cycles), rendering them suitable for various scenarios of human-computer interaction. This work establishes a comprehensive interpretation of the strengthening mechanism in cellulose-based multiscale hierarchical structures, thereby providing novel insights for the advanced design strategies of other promising hierarchical materials., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconducting inorganic nanocrystals, that have garnered interest in biological and medical spheres due, to their potential benefits in biomedical imaging and drug-delivery systems. Indium phosphide QDs shelled with zinc sulphide (InP/ZnS) are viewed as more biocompatible than previous heavy metal based QDs. However, little is known about how InP/ZnS QDs affect a key blood cell, the platelet. Understanding how platelets interact with QDs is critical as unwanted activation can lead to pathological thrombus formation. Herein, we demonstrate PEGylation of InP/ZnS QDs coated with lipoic acid (QD-LA) or coated with penicillamine (QD-Pen) surface ligands induced markedly less platelet aggregation, platelet-QD interactions, integrin activation, alpha granule secretion and restored platelet spreading in washed platelets in comparison to their non-PEGylated counterparts. Furthermore, in whole blood, PEGylation of QDs reduced the number of QDs in the thrombus, thereby helping to minimise the chance of dysfunctional thrombus formation. Overall, we show that QD PEGylation is important to help prevent QD mediated platelet activation. In combination with the most biocompatible coating, PEGylation markedly reduced platelet activation, widening the concentrations at which QDs were viable for development as potential drug delivery or imaging agents.

Phthalocyanines are versatile photodynamic therapy agents whose biological activity depends on their aggregation state, which is expected to be influenced by binding to biomolecules. Here, guanine-rich nucleic acid binding of a water-soluble cationic, regiopure C 4h zinc phthalocyanine bearing four triethylene glycol methyl ether and four N-methyl-4-pyridinium substituents (1) is reported. In contrast to double-stranded DNA, guanine systems GpG, (GG) 10 , poly(G) and quadruplex DNA are shown to effectively disrupt phthalocyanine aggregates in buffered solution. This process is accompanied by evolution of the Q-band absorbance and enhanced emission. Increasing the sequence length from GpG to (GG) 10 increases the binding and confirms the importance of multiple binding interactions. Enhanced binding in the presence of KCl suggests the importance of nucleobase hydrogen-bonded mosaics in phthalocyanine binding. Notably, the (GT) 10 sequence is even more effective than quadruplex and pure guanine systems at disrupting the aggregates of 1. Significant time-dependent binding of 1 with poly(G) reveals biexponential binding over minutes and hours, which is linked to local conformations of poly(G) that accommodate monomers of 1 over time. The study highlights the ability of biomacromolecules to disrupt phthalocyanines aggregates over time, which is an important consideration when rationalizing photoactivity of photosensitizers in-vivo., (© 2024 The Author(s). Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Compared to natural enzymes, the development of efficient artificial simulated enzymes, such as those based on bimetallic materials with high catalytic activity and good stability, is an important way until now. Herein, we employed ZnCo 2 O 4 microspheres as carriers to synthesize Pt-doped composites with different amounts using a one-pot method. The morphology and structure of the synthesized materials were characterized using XRD, SEM, BET, FT-IR, XPS, and Zeta potential techniques. It was found that Pt 0 adhered well to the surface of ZnCo 2 O 4 microspheres, with a 12.5% Pt doped ratio exhibiting abundant oxygen vacancies, excellent substrate affinity, and high peroxidase-like activity. Using fluorescent probes and electrochemical methods, the peroxidase-like catalytic mechanism has been explored that Pt@ZnCo 2 O 4 microspheres can accelerate the electron transfer between H 2 O 2 and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). Based on the optimal loading ratio of 12.5% of Pt@ZnCo 2 O 4 , a colorimetric sensor for visual detection of L-cysteine (L-Cys) was constructed, exhibiting a wide linear range of 0.1~50 µM and a low detection limit of 0.0163 µM. The sensor possesses good selectivity, reusability, and usage stability, which can be well applied to the determination of L-Cys in health product capsules with recovery rates of 96.9%~103.7% and RSD of 1.07%~6.50%. This work broadens the application prospects of spinel materials such as ZnCo 2 O 4 in the field of biological analysis and also provides inspiration for the development of new artificial simulated enzymes.

Background: With the rapid development of industrialization, the excessive emission of S 2- have become increasingly serious, leading to a surge in the content of S 2- in nature. Rapid and accurate detection of S 2- contamination in natural adaptogens is crucial for food safety. Annually, discarded eggshell waste, rich in organic and inorganic materials, poses environmental risks if landfilled. Utilizing waste eggshell membrane biomass for S 2- detection is cost-effective, yet designing biochar materials for sensors requires balancing catalytic enhancement and anti-interference capabilities. Improving the catalytic performance of biochar for colorimetric S 2- detection without metal ion interference presents a challenging issue., Results: We first modified biochar (EBc) derived from waste eggshell membranes using a combination of thiourea and ZnS nanoparticles, fabricating ZnS-decorated, S-N co-doped biochar (ZnS-SN-EBc) nanozymes, which were applied for the colorimetric assay detection of S 2- contamination. The addition of thiourea significantly increases the proportion of pyridinic-N in biochar, enhancing the peroxidase-like activity of the nanozyme. The growth of ZnS nanoparticles on the biochar not only enhances the catalytic performance by increasing the S content but also reduces the content of oxidized S, thereby improving resistance to interference. The detection range for S 2- was expanded from 0.1 to 45 μM for EBc to 0.05-225 μM for ZnS-SN-EBc, and the limit of detection improved to 0.0397 μM. Additionally, ZnS-SN-EBc significantly enhanced metal ion interference resistance. S 2- detection in five types of adaptogenic herbs verified the accuracy and practicality of the colorimetric assay, with recovery rates comparable to national standards., Significance: We innovatively repurposed waste eggshell membranes to develop a selective and catalytic peroxidase-like nanozyme, ZnS-decorated S-N co-doped biochar (ZnS-SN-EBc). The developed colorimetric assay utilizing ZnS-SN-EBc demonstrates significant potential for the detection of sulfur ions in adaptogenic herbs, thus contributing to both waste resource utilization and the advancement of food safety detection technologies., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel dual-mode detection method for microRNA-21 was developed. Photoluminescent (PL) and multiphonon resonant Raman scattering (MRRS) techniques were combined by using ZnTe nanoparticles as signal probes for reliable detection. The catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) strategy was integrated with superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle clusters (NCs) to enhance sensitivity. A remarkable detection sensitivity was achieved, with an ultralow limit of detection (LOD) of 310 aM for PL and 460 aM for MRRS. A wide detection range spanning from 500 aM to 100 nM for PL and 500 aM to 10 nM for MRRS was demonstrated, showcasing the versatility and efficacy of the method. Comparing to current methods and our previous work, both sensitivity and detection range showed significant advancements. The consistency between the detection results of PL and MRRS modes highlights the reliability and robustness of our method, offering compelling internal validation. This work not only opens new avenues for achieving sensitive and accurate detection of miRNAs, but also shows significant promise for advancing diagnostic applications in disease management., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Liver cancer is globally the most frequent fatal malignancy, and its identification is critical for making clinical decisions about treatment options. Pathological diagnostics and contemporary imaging technologies provide insufficient information for tumor identification. Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), an emerging biomarker is a powerful oxidant found in the tumor microenvironment, and stimulates the invasion, proliferation, and metastasis of liver cancer cells. This study describes a medically effective and sensitive electrochemical sensor based on ascorbic acid immobilized zinc selenide nanoparticles (AsA@Zn-Se NPs) decorated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for determining H 2 O 2 in PBS and human serum samples of liver cancer patients. The morphological and structural characterization of fabricated sensor is done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ascorbic acid (AsA), an antioxidant for H 2 O 2 redox behavior, is immobilized on Zn-Se NPs to aid H 2 O 2 detection through cyclic voltammetry (CV). The sensor exhibits a low detection limit, and board linear range of 0.49 µM and 0-70 µM, respectively. The low-cost electrochemical sensor is robust for up to 100 cycles. Elecys AFP assay results validate that increasing alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration, a biomarker for liver cancer, can increase the H 2 O 2 levels in serum samples. Therefore, the proposed sensor can be used to diagnose liver cancer in clinical settings., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Anticancer therapies with cisplatin and volasertib (BI-6727) were monitored by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) in live SK-Mel-2 melanoma cells. A CdSe/ZnS quantum dot functionalized with a peptide containing D-penicillamine and histidine (CdSe/ZnS-PH) was used as intracellular pH fluorescent probe. A faster cytosol acidification was observed for cells treated with cisplatin when compared to volasertib. The first changes in the intracellular pH were found after 2 hours of treatment with cisplatin and 8 hours with volasertib. Additionally, the relationship between cytosol acidification and apoptosis was investigated using an innovative methodology based on time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Similar low percentages of apoptotic cells were observed after short incubation periods (2 - 8 hours) with both drugs. In contrast, late apoptosis and death were found for a large fraction of cells during 24-hour incubation with cisplatin but not volasertib. Thus, the early acidification observed in cisplatin treatment could accelerate apoptosis and cell death. Despite volasertib treatment shows slower mechanism of action than cisplatin, similar inhibitory effects were found for both drugs at longer incubation periods (72 hours). This study proves the potential of CdSe/ZnS-PH nanoparticle as a fluorescence lifetime probe in the study of the mechanism of action of antitumor drugs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Ivan Bravo reports financial support was provided by Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. Andres Garzon-Ruiz reports financial support was provided by Spain Ministry of Science and Innovation. If there are other authors, they 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

For cancer patients with a high risk of ovarian tissue metastasis, ovarian autotransplantation is not advised due to the potential spread of malignant cells. Ex vivo purging of ovarian fragments may offer a more suitable alternative for fertility restoration. Eradicating malignant cells should be done selectively without affecting follicles or ovarian stromal cells (SCs). As a clinically licensed method, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive treatment to destroy cancer cells. This study evaluates the effectiveness of nanoemulsions (NE) containing two phthalocyanine photosensitizers; aluminum (III) phthalocyanine (AlPc) and zinc (II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) in eliminating cancer cells. Human leukemic malignant (HL-60) and ovarian stromal cells (SCs) were treated with AlPc/ZnPc loaded NEs with or without diode laser irradiation. HL-60 leukemia cells in 2D culture were eliminated by treatment with 10 nM AlPc-NE or 0.1 µM ZnPc-NE, while no toxicity was observed in SCs. In 3D culture models, although the cells showed more resistance to the NEs as a result of limited oxygen and photosensitizer penetration, the treatment remained selective for cancer cells. These approaches have the potential to eliminate malignant cells from ovarian tissue fragments., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Christiani A. Amorim reports financial support was provided by Louvain Foundation. Saba Nikanfar reports financial support was provided by FSR Belgium. If there are other authors, they 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cadmium-free and NIR fluorescent QDs are promising candidates for bio-application. Thus, we present the synthesis of ternary ZnCuInS 2 /ZnS (ZCIS/ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) where the molar variation of Cu/Zn of the precursors was used to tune the optical and structural properties. QDs with Cu/Zn molar ratio of 2/1 passivated with ZnS exhibited the best optical properties. They showed dominant near-infrared photoluminescence (approx. 850 nm) and highest quantum yield (approx. 52 %, λ exc  = 500 nm). Therefore, they were further subject to modification to ensure their transfer to the aqueous phase and improve biocompatibility. For this, different functionalization approaches were used. The first method relied on encapsulation with polymers like PSMA (poly(styrene co-maleic anhydride)) and PMAO (poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene) coupled with polyetheramine (JEFF; Jeffamine M-1000), and the second relied on hydrophilization with PMAO. Furthermore, we also applied a surface ligand exchange process using DHLA (dihydrolipoic acid) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-appended DHLA. The comprehensive study indicated that ZnCuInS 2 /ZnS QDs functionalized with PMAO (ZnCuInS 2 /ZnS@PMO) exhibited the highest photoluminescence (PL QY) along with ensured high colloidal stability in aqueous media. Moreover, no noticeable deterioration of the photoluminescence profile was observed for all used functionalization approaches. However, a significant decrease in QY was observed for almost all functionalized QDs except those that were PMO-capped. The synthesized QDs were systematically characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Biological studies indicate that the obtained hydrophilic ZCIS QDs are biocompatible and localized intracellularly inside endosomes., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Accurately differentiating respiratory diseases caused by viruses is challenging because of the similarity in their early or clinical symptoms. Moreover, different infection sources require different treatments. However, the current diagnostic methods have limited differentiating efficiency and sensitivity. We developed a dual-system immunosensor with a bilayer fluorescent label as a signal amplifier for the on-site, sensitive, and accurate identification of multiple respiratory viruses (RVs). The nanomaterial, comprising a polystyrene (PS) nanosphere core encapsulated by two layers of CdSe@ZnS-COOH quantum dots (QDs), outperforms the conventional color and fluorescent labels in RV detection. The dual-system detection platform, comprising a PS@DQD-based lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) and a PS@DQD-based homogeneous sensor, enables qualitative and quantitative screening of multiple respiratory viruses within 10 and 30 min, respectively, depending on the specific detection requirements for different application scenarios. This remarkable method provides 51.2 to 1000 times sensitivity improvement over commercial antigen detection kits and greater than 12.5 to 100 times improvement over QD-based immunosensors. Furthermore, we comprehensively evaluated the specificity, reproducibility, and stability of the integrated dual-system detection platform, demonstrating its reliability. Remarkably, the respiratory viral testing was validated using biological samples, thus illustrating its promise and convenience in the detection of respiratory viruses., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) and nitroxide exchange reaction (NER) are very efficient methodologies that require only suitable alkoxyamine derivatives and create different polymeric architectures in a controlled manner. Herein, the synthesis of star polymers containing TEMPO-substituted symmetric zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) is presented via NMP and NER. Moreover, linear polymer formation is conducted in a single arm on TEMPO-substituted asymmetric ZnPc to elucidate the properties of star polymers. All linear and star polymers are characterized by FT-IR, UV-vis, fluorescence, GPC, NMR, and EPR techniques. The results show that the proposed reactions are capable of forming controlled star-shaped polymers. The increasing arm number (from a single to four arms) results in variable dispersity values (Đ) (1.2-3) due to different arm lengths, especially in NMP. However, this difficulty has been overcome via NER, and star polymers have been successfully synthesized with relatively low molecular weight (30 K > 10 K) and low dispersity (1.2-1.9). The results clearly indicate that while styrene and 4-vinyl benzyl chloride monomers are introduced to the structure equally, star polymers with phthalocyanine can be synthesized in a controlled manner, and their quarternized derivatives have the potential to be effective as photoactive agents in photodynamic therapy., (© 2024 The Author(s). Macromolecular Rapid Communications published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

In this study, we used a starch paste stabilizer to synthesize ZnSe: Mn/ZnS- Starch and ZnSe/ZnS: Mn/ZnS-starch quantum dot (QDs) in a non-toxic aqueous solvent. The -CH 2 -OH group of the starch paste promotes dispersibility and improves the compatibility of quantum dots with antibodies, its bonding is observed in the FTIR spectrum. Besides, the Mn-doped ZnS buffer shell with various concentrations (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9%) influence structure, optical, and photoluminescence of QDs properties were investigated in detail. The greatest luminescence intensity is achieved at a molar ratio of 3% Mn 2+ /Zn 2+ . Moreover, the ZnS: Mn buffer shell helps to enhance the fluorescence intensity and quantum yield (QY) of the ZnSe/ZnS: Mn/ZnS QDs, which are higher than ZnSe: Mn/ZnS-starch QDs. Through protein A and EDC bridging, ZnSe/ZnS:3%Mn/ZnS- Starch resulted in good signal and sensitivity, with no toxicity to E. coli O157:H7 and MRSA strains., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical Approval: Not applicable. Consent to Participate: Not applicable. Consent for Publication: Not applicable. Competing Interest: The authors have no competing interest to declare, (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In the present study, extracellular cell-free filtrate (CFF) of fungal Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC) species, was utilized to biosynthesize zinc oxide /zinc sulfide (ZnO/ZnS) nanocomposite. This was achieved by mixing the metal salt with the fungal CFF for 96 h at a temperature of 27 ± 1.0 °C and a pH of 6.5. Several analytical techniques, such as XRD, TEM, UV-Vis, FTIR, DLS, and zeta potential studies, have confirmed the synthesis of NPs. Fungal CFF enzymes and metabolites stabilized produced NPs, according to FTIR. The nanocomposite particle diameter (15-80 nm) was estimated using HR-TEM imaging. The DLS and XRD measurements verified those findings. The zone of inhibition diameter for MRSA was 35 ± 0.21 mm, while B. subtilis measured 33 ± 0.32 mm against the nanocomposite. For E. coli and S. typhi bacterial isolates, it was 25 ± 0.19 and 32 ± 0.36 mm, respectively. The determined MIC value for E. coli was 5,000 µg/mL and MRSA was 500 µg/mL. The ZnO/ZnS nanocomposite has a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cells, with an IC 50 of 197 ± 0.895 µg/mL. The Methylene blue dye was removed by 87.51% using the nanocomposite. Thus, green biosynthesized ZnO/ZnS nanocomposites are recommended for pharmaceutical, industrial, and biological applications., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A consistent part of gas sensor research activities aims to improve sensing performances by synthesizing new sensing materials, improving the selection of elements in arrays, and optimizing the feature extraction and classification algorithms. This paper combines most of these aspects to confer selectivity to a low-selectivity sensor by using feature extraction algorithms applied to the sensor response kinetics. Several algorithms were employed to represent the kinetic behavior of the sensor response during the adsorption and desorption phases. In detail, we utilized fitting functions, dynamic descriptors, and a mirrored fast Fourier transform (FFT) to extrapolate information from the desorption and adsorption phases. As sensitive material, we synthesized as a receptor a novel Zn(II) phthalocyanine derivative bearing long aliphatic chains, namely, 4-[2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2-(4,8,12-trimethyl-tridecyl)-chroman-6-yloxy] units that allow good solubilization of the complex in most of the solvents tested and confer a large set of sites to potentially interact with volatile compound (VC) analytes by different portions of the molecular skeleton. After deposition onto a quartz crystal microbalance (QMB) transducer, this single sensor has been tested to recognize five VCs as chemical probes of different chemical families. Remarkably, the results disclose that responses at equilibrium are mainly correlated with nonspecific interactions, while the kinetic parameters are more correlated with stronger and more specific interactions. Finally, the desorption phases bear a higher information content about the chemical identities of the compounds. Eventually, features extracted by a modified version of the FFT obtained the highest clustering (principal component analysis) and classification performances (95% classification accuracy with linear discriminant analysis), suggesting the possibility of developing virtual electronic noses based on a single sensor and a minimal set of descriptors.

Background: Ciprofloxacin is a widely used antibiotic in medicine and agriculture. It can cause pollution to the environment and food, thereby affecting human health., Objective: This study proposes the preparation of molecular imprinted fluorescent sensors and their selective detection of ciprofloxacin, with the aim of achieving specific recognition and accurate detection of ciprofloxacin., Methods: Rare earth metal Er3+ is added to ZnS quantum dots to prepare a molecularly imprinted fluorescence sensor (MIP/Er3+/ZnS QDs). The effects of substance concentration, pH value, and time on the fluorescence detection intensity are analyzed to determine the optimal fluorescence detection conditions., Results: Experimental results showed that the sensor accurately detected ciprofloxacin with a detection limit of 31 nmol/L and the linear range of 0.1-10 μmol/L. The sensor had a recovery rate of 99.7% to 103.5% for ciprofloxacin in milk samples, with a relative standard deviation of less than 5%, indicating accurate determination of ciprofloxacin content., Conclusion: Molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensors have enormous application potential in the monitoring and control of ciprofloxacin, and are of great significance for ensuring environmental and food safety., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Chiral recognition holds tremendous significance in both life science and chemistry. The ability to differentiate between enantiomers is crucial because one enantiomer typically holds greater biological relevance while its counterpart is often not only unnecessary but also potentially harmful. In this regard, homochiral metallacycle [ZnCl 2 L] 2 is used in this study to understand and differentiate between the R and S enantiomers of amino acids (alanine, proline, serine, and valine). The electronic, geometric, and thermodynamic stabilities of the amino acid enantiomers inside the metallacycle are determined through various analyses. The greater interaction energy ( E int ) is obtained for the ser@metallacycle complexes i.e. , -33.03 and -30.75 kcal mol -1 , respectively for the S and R enantiomers. The highest chiral discrimination energy of 3.11 kcal mol -1 is achieved for ala@metallacycle complexes. Regarding the electronic properties, the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis indicates that the energy gap decreases after complexation, which is confirmed through density of states (DOS) analysis. Moreover, natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis determines the amount and direction of charge transfer i.e. , from metallacycle towards amino acids. The maximum NBO charge transfer is observed for S -pro@metallacycle complex i.e. , -0.291 | e |. Electron density difference (EDD) analysis further proves the direction of charge transfer. Noncovalent interaction index (NCI) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses demonstrate that the noncovalent interactions present between the host and guest are the weak van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. The results of NCI and QTAIM analyses for all the complexes are in alignment with those of the interaction energy ( E int ) and chiral discrimination energy ( E chir ) analyses, i.e. , significantly greater non-bonding interactions are observed for the complexes with greater E chir , i.e. , for ala@metallacycle. Overall, our analyses demonstrate the excellent chiral discrimination ability of metallacycle towards chiral molecules, i.e. , for enantiomers of amino acids through host-guest supramolecular chemistry.

Herein, it is demonstrated that 0D/2D design of zinc sulfide quantum dots encapsulated with yttrium tungstate nanosheets, which were subsequently used to increase the removal of brilliant blue (BB), methyl red (MR) dyes and doxycycline drug using UV-visible light. The produced ZnS-Y 2 WO 6 nanohybrids exhibited excellent catalytic activity, reaching degradation efficiencies of around 89.92%, 80% and 85.51 % for BB, MR dyes and doxycycline drug, respectively, with a minimum irradiation duration of 120, 60 and 125 min. These nanohybrids outperformed Y 2 WO 6 in terms of photocatalytic efficacy due to enhanced light absorption, efficient charge transfer, and decreased charge carrier recombination between ZnS and Y 2 WO 6 nanoparticles. The synergistic combination of ZnS and Y 2 WO 6 nanoparticles resulted in multiple active sites on the composite surface. Furthermore, the ZnS-Y 2 WO 6 nanohybrids maintained excellent degradation efficiencies of 79.45% and 70.12% for BB and MR dyes, respectively, even after five consecutive cycles, with no significant loss of catalytic activity. The produced ZnS-Y 2 WO 6 nanohybrids were thoroughly analyzed utilizing a variety of analytical methods. Furthermore, the degradation of organic dyes and doxycycline drug related possible mechanism were examined using experimental data, indicating the potential of ZnS-Y 2 WO 6 nanohybrids as excellent photocatalytic materials for oxidizing organic dyes and drugs in aquatic conditions., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nanostructured materials have been suggested to be used as a source of dietary zinc for livestock animals. In this study, we assessed the cytotoxicity of newly synthesized nanostructured zinc carbonate hydroxide (ZnCH) Zn 5 (CO 3 )(OH) 6 microflakes. Cytotoxicity of the microflakes was assessed against murine L929 cell line and rat mature erythrocytes. Viability, motility, cell death pathways, implication of Ca 2+ , reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) signaling, caspases, and alterations of cell membranes following exposure of L929 cells to the microflakes were assessed. To assess hemocompatibility of the Zn-containing microflakes, osmotic fragility and hemolysis assays were performed, as well as multiple eryptosis parameters were evaluated. Our findings indicate a dose-response cytotoxicity of ZnCH microflakes against L929 cells with no toxicity observed for low concentrations (10 mg l -1 and below). At high concentrations (25 mg l -1 and above), ZnCH microflakes promoted nitrosyl stress, Ca 2+ - and caspase-dependent apoptosis, and altered lipid order of cell membranes in a dose-dependent manner, evidenced by up to 7-fold elevation of RNS-dependent fluorescence, 2.9-fold enhancement of Fura 2-dependent fluorescence, over 20-fold elevation of caspases-dependent fluorescence (caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9), and up to 4.4-fold increase in the ratiometric index of the NR12S probe. Surprisingly, toxicity to enucleated mature erythrocytes was found to be lower compared to L929 cells. ZnCH microflakes induced eryptosis associated with oxidative stress, nitrosyl stress, Ca 2+ signaling and recruitment of caspases at 25-50-100 mg l -1 . Eryptosis assays were found to be more sensitive than evaluation of hemolysis. Zn 5 (CO 3 )(OH) 6 microflakes show no cytotoxicity at low concentrations indicating their potential as a source of zinc for livestock animals., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

Flexible wearable sensors have obtained tremendous interest in various fields and conductive hydrogels are a promising candidate. Nevertheless, the insufficient mechanical properties, the low electrical conductivity and sensitivity, and the limited functional properties prevent the development of hydrogels as wearable sensors. In this study, an SFMA/BAChol/PAA/ZnCl 2 hydrogel was fabricated with high mechanical strength and versatile comprehensive properties. Specifically, the obtained hydrogel displayed excellent adhesion and mechanical stability, cryophylactic ability, stable sensitive freezing-tolerant conductivity, and feasible electrical conduction under a wide temperature range, demonstrating the high application potential as a flexible wearable sensor for movement behavior surveillance, even under harsh environments. Furthermore, the mechanical strength of the hydrogel could easily be regulated by varying the copolymer content. The molecular mechanisms of the hydrogel formation and the reversible adhesion during the wet-dry transition were proposed. The non-covalent interactions, including the electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bond interaction and hydrophobic association, and coordination interaction, were dynamically presented in the hydrogel network and hence supported the versatile comprehensive properties of the hydrogel. This study provides a strategy for designing novel hydrogels to promote the development of flexible sensors with stable sensitive freezing-tolerant conductivity.

Interest in antibacterial nanomaterials has surged in recent years, driven by the rise in antibiotic resistance among microbes. However, their practical application remains limited because many crucial properties have yet to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, we have developed novel nanofibrous membranes based on hydrophilic polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or hydrophobic polycaprolactone (PCL) with embedded hydrophilic or hydrophobic zinc(II)phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) as photosensitizers and investigated their water disinfection properties. Several key characteristics were evaluated to link the activity of the material and composition/structure. As demonstrated by reflectance UV/Vis spectroscopy, the aggregation states of dyes within the polymer support vary significantly. We have proposed and validated the use of fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) for visualizing "active sites" in the membranes. The results of this study provide useful insights for the engineering of photoactive nanomaterials with tailor-made properties and highlight the crucial role of the nature of polymeric support in modulating the material's activity., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

This study incorporated ZnO/ZnS nanoparticles with Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003, forming a hybrid system to promote photo-fermentative hydrogen production. The results indicate that the material's photocatalytic activity and concentration significantly affected hydrogen yield. The addition of ZnO/ZnS exhibited a more significant auxiliary effect than ZnO and achieved an approximately 30% increase in hydrogen production compared to the control group. ZnO/ZnS enhanced the production of extracellular polymers, thereby strengthening the synergy between the nanomaterials and the bacteria. The photogenerated electrons from ZnO/ZnS were utilized by the photosynthetic bacteria. Furthermore, the activity of nitrogenase was enhanced, resulting in improved hydrogen production performance. This study provides insights into hydrogen production by photosynthetic bacteria with the assistance of inorganic semiconductor nanomaterials., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Degradable phosphate glasses have shown favorable properties for tissue engineering. By changing the composition of the glasses, the degradation rate, and ion release are controllable. Zinc oxide can function as a glass network modifier and has been shown to play a positive role in bone formation. Also, phosphate glasses can easily be processed into microspheres, which can be used as microcarriers. This study aims to develop zinc phosphate glasses microspheres and explore the optimized size and composition for applications in bone tissue engineering. Zinc-titanium-calcium-sodium phosphate glasses with 0, 1, 3, 5, or 10 mol % zinc oxide were prepared and processed into microspheres. The smaller microspheres ranged in size from 50 to 106 μm, while the larger ones ranged from 106 to 150 μm. The characteristics of glasses were examined. The osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 was cultured on the surface of microspheres and the cell viability was examined. To evaluate osteogenic differentiation, Alizarin Red S staining, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis were performed after 14 days. Different sizes of zinc phosphate glass microspheres were successfully made. The glass microspheres with <10 mol % zinc oxide were able to support the adhesion and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cell lines. The relative gene expression of BMP2 was significantly upregulated in the smaller glass microspheres containing 3 mol % zinc oxide (26-fold, p < .001) and both sizes of microspheres containing 5 mol % zinc oxide (smaller: 27-fold, p < .001; larger: 35-fold, p < .001). Additionally, cluster formation was observed in glass microspheres after 14 days, and the mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cell lines was promoted. Based on these findings, the glass microspheres containing 3-5 mol % of zinc oxide can promote osteogenic differentiation for MC3T3-E1 cells., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Wound regeneration with integral function and cutaneous appendages remains challenging in wound dressing applications. Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) exhibit remarkable characteristics in wound dressing applications; however, their utility in the wound healing process is limited by insufficient scar inhibition and regenerative healing. Herein, inspired by fibroblast heterogeneity mediating wound healing and skin regeneration, we developed a CNF scaffold designed to block Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 positive (DPP4 + ) fibroblasts for regenerative healing. CNF encapsulated sitagliptin (SITA) and zinc sulfide nanoparticles (NZnS), namely CNF@SITA@NZnS, to fabricate a novel biomaterial for scar reduction and regenerative healing. The scaffold promoted scarless healing and hair follicle regeneration in rats. In vivo experiments, the wounds in the scaffold showed less skin fibrosis, a better collagen ratio and more new hair follicles. In vitro experiments showed that the scaffold material promoted scarless healing, possibly by inhibiting the secretion of extracellular matrix and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast conversion. The promotion of hair follicle regeneration by the scaffold material may be due to promotion of the migration and proliferation of human hair follicle papilla cells. RNA sequencing is performed to explore the underlying mechanisms, which can activate ECM-receptor interaction pathway in favor of the wound healing process. The inhibiting effect of CNF@SITA@NZnS scaffold on DPP4 + fibroblasts can be a potential target to reduce scarring and promote skin regeneration., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we demonstrate a simple hydrothermal route to synthesizing ZnSe/ZnO type II heterostructure using L-cysteine as a capping agent. The use of nanomaterials in bioimaging and photocatalysis towards the degradation of Azophloxine dye is of potential interest. The synthesized ZnSe/ZnO nanomaterials were characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It exhibits a strong sharp emission at 465 nm in fluorescence spectroscopy. The synthesized nanomaterials were used as an excellent fluorescence probe for imaging live-cell bacteria such as E. coli and S. aureus compared with the commercial staining dye PI (propidium iodide). The synthesized ZnSe/ZnO possess more photo-stability and showed excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of azophloxine dye under sunlight., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Tumor microenvironment, characterized by dense extracellular matrix and severe hypoxia, has caused pronounced resistance to photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, it has designed an artificial nitric oxide (NO) nanotractor with a unique "motor-cargo" structure, where a photoswitching upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) core serves as the optical engine to harvest NIR light and asymmetrically coated mesoporous silica (SiO 2 ) shell acts as a cargo unit to load nitric oxide (NO) fuel molecule (RBS, Roussin's black salt) and PDT photosensitizer (ZnPc, zinc phthalocyanine). Upon illumination by 980 nm light, the UCNP emits blue light to excite RBS salt and release NO gas. On one hand, NO is used as the driving force to propel the particle with a high speed of ≈194 µm s -1 that generates significant rupture stress (over 0.95 kPa) on cell membrane to promote cellular endocytosis and intratumoral penetration. On the other hand, NO enables to alleviate tumor hypoxia by inhibiting cellular respiration as an oxygen conserver. When the excitation is subsequently switched to 808 nm light, the UCNP emits red light, triggering ZnPc to produce large amount of reactive oxygen species for PDT treatment. This study explores Janus-typed nanostructures for cell-particle interaction and gas-assisted phototherapy, opening avenues for versatile bioapplications., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Anticancer theranostic nanocarriers have the potential to enhance the efficacy of pharmaceutical evaluation of drugs. Semiconductor nanocrystals, also known as quantum dots (QDs), are particularly promising components of drug carrier systems due to their small sizes and robust photoluminescence properties. Herein, bright CdZnSeS quantum dots were synthesized in a single step via the hot injection method. The particles have a quasi-core/shell structure as evident from the high quantum yield (85 %), which decreased to 41 % after water solubilization. These water solubilized QDs were encapsulated into gallic acid / alginate (GA-Alg) matrices to fabricate imaging QDs@mod-PAA/GA-Alg particles with enhanced stability in aqueous media. Cell viability assessments demonstrated that these nanocarriers exhibited viability ranging from 63 % to 83 % across all tested cell lines. Furthermore, the QDs@mod-PAA/GA-Alg particles were loaded with betulinic acid (BA) and ceranib-2 (C2) for in vitro drug release studies against HL-60 leukemia and PC-3 prostate cancer cells. The BA loaded QDs@mod-PAA/GA-Alg had a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) of 8.76 μg/mL against HL-60 leukemia cells, which is 3-fold lower than that of free BA (IC 50  = 26.55 μg/mL). Similar enhancements were observed with nanocarriers loaded with C2 and simultaneously with both BA and C2. Additionally, BA:C2 loaded QDs@mod-PAA/GA-Alg nanocarriers displayed a similar enhancement (IC50 = 3.37 μg/mL compared against IC50 = 11.68 μg/mL for free BA:C2). The C2 loaded QDs@mod-PAA/GA-Alg nanocarriers had an IC50 = 2.24 μg/mL against HL-60 cells. C2 and BA loaded QDs@mod-PAA/GA-Alg NCr had IC50 values of 7.37 μg/mL and 24.55 μg/mL against PC-3 cells, respectively., 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 © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A sensitive and efficient fluorescent sensor based on a magnetic manganese-doped zinc sulfide molecularly imprinted probe (Fe 3 O 4 /Mn-ZnS/MIP) was successfully developed for the detection of chlorpyrifos (CPF). The probe combined the advantages of magnetic separation, the fluorescence properties of Mn-ZnS, and the exceptional molecule recognition capabilities of molecularly imprinted polymers. The developed sensor exhibits selective binding to CPF, resulting in a quenching of fluorescence intensity of Fe 3 O 4 /Mn-ZnS/MIP by a photo-induced electron transfer mechanism. The sensor demonstrated a detection limit of 0.41 ng/mL within a linear range of 1-50 ng/mL. Further, the probe was effectively utilized to analyze vegetable samples (cabbage, and cauliflower), yielding recoveries of 97.10-102.15 %. The objective of this research is to contribute to the development of a highly effective fluorescence sensing system capable of detecting several dangerous substances, including chlorpyrifos., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Psychological stress is a major contributor to individual health disparities. Accurate and quantitative detection of stress markers is crucial preventing mental health related problems. Supramolecular chemistry is widely used in drug delivery, catalysis, sensors and other applications. However, due to the difficulty of host functionalization such as cyclodextrins and solid-state pillar[n], it is still a challenge to directly realize the detection of guests through host-guest recognition behavior. Here, we reported an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) fluorescent biosensor for direct and selective detection of guest molecule stress marker cortisol, translating molecular recognition behavior into quantifiable detection signals. Realizes quantitative chemical detection and builds a portable and affordable sensing platform for quantitative detection of target molecules without complex cross-linking steps. Overcomes the disadvantages of traditional methods that require the use of antibodies or are difficult to functionalize during the host-guest recognition process. This ATRP fluorescent biosensor was fabricated by employing zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) as a photocatalyst under 630 nm wavelength radiation, β-CD-Br 15 as a macromolecular initiator, and fluorescein O-methacrylate (FMA-O) as a monomer for polymerization. The system provides ultra-high sensitivity for the detection of cortisol (limit of detection 0.47 ng/mL) and specificity for the detection of cortisol in the presence of interfering substances such as progesterone and urea. Selective and real sample experiments confirm the specificity and scalability of this mechanism can also be customized by the rational design of the host-guest complex to quantitatively detect various molecules. This study confirms the feasibility of using a cyclodextrin-centered macromolecular initiator as a capture and label-free fluorescent biosensor for cortisol, a stress biomarker., 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 © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Nanoparticles (NPs) continue to be developed as labels for bioanalysis and imaging due to their small size and, in many cases, emergent properties such as photoluminescence (PL) and superparamagnetism. Some applications stand to benefit from amplification of the advantageous properties of a NP, but this amplification is not a simple matter of scaling for size-dependent properties. One promising approach to amplification is, therefore, to assemble many copies of a NP into a larger but still nanoscale and colloidal entity. Here, we use multiple types of hydrophobic nanocrystal to show that amphiphilic dextran is a versatile material for the preparation and surface functionalization of such super-NP assemblies: CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), InP/ZnS QDs, and Si QDs; iron oxide magnetic NPs (MNPs); composites of QDs and MNPs; and composites of QDs and MNPs with fluorene-based and phenylenevinylene-based conjugated polymers. The amphiphilic dextran was also useful for the preparation of conjugated polymer NPs (CPNs) without the inclusion of inorganic nanocrystals. The prepared super-NPs and CPNs were characterized, physically and photophysically, at both the ensemble and the single-particle levels. Per colloidal entity, the super-QDs were orders of magnitude brighter than the individual QDs. This enhancement enabled assemblies of nominally more benign InP/ZnS and Si QDs to be competitive alternative materials to CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs, which are normally much brighter when compared as individual nanocrystals. The dextran functionalization imparted low nonspecific binding and enabled the use of tetrameric antibody complexes (TACs) for simple and selective immunolabeling of cells with all of the prepared super-NP, CPN, and composite materials. Labeling with the super-QDs provided significantly enhanced PL signals, the super-MNPs enabled magnetic pull-down of cells, and both capabilities were concurrently available with composite assemblies. Overall, this study demonstrates that the preparatory method and functional benefits of amphiphilic dextran extend to a range of hydrophobic materials and combinations thereof. There is strong potential for assembling a diverse set of property-amplified designer labels that are ready-made for in vitro applications in bioanalysis and imaging.

As one of the most harmful pathogenic bacteria in shrimp aquaculture, Vibrio parahaemolyticus often causes massive mortality in shrimp. Accurate and rapid detection of V. parahaemolyticus in shrimp farming is essential for avoiding huge economic losses caused by related diseases. In this study, we designed a dual-recognition platform for efficient identification and quantification of V. parahaemolyticus. First, the target bacterium was captured with magnetic beads functionalized by aptamers (Apt-MBs), and then, the broad-spectrum fluorescent probe FcMBL@CdSe-ZnS was used to detect the bacterium based on the interactions between fragment crystallizable mannose-binding lectin (FcMBL) and pathogenic bacteria. The proposed dual-recognition strategy centered around aptamers and FcMBL@CdSe-ZnS was applied to definite quantification of V. parahaemolyticus over a wide range of 10-10 8 CFU/mL with a limit of detection of 4 CFU/mL within 55 min. The feasibility was demonstrated by using the platform to detect V. parahaemolyticus from shrimp intestine, aquaculture water, and seawater., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

This work introduces rationally designed, improved amphiphilic single-chain polymer nanoparticles (SCNPs) for imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in zebrafish embryo xenografts. SCNPs are ultrasmall polymeric nanoparticles with sizes similar to proteins, making them ideal for biomedical applications. Amphiphilic SCNPs result from the self-assembly in water of isolated synthetic polymeric chains through intrachain hydrophobic interactions, mimicking natural biomacromolecules and, specially, proteins (in size and when loaded with drugs, metal ions or fluorophores also in function). These ultrasmall, soft nanoparticles have various applications, including catalysis, sensing, and nanomedicine. Initial in vitro experiments with nonfunctionalized, amphiphilic SCNPs loaded with a photosensitizing Zn phthalocyanine with four nonperipheral isobutylthio substituents, ZnPc, showed promise for PDT. Herein, the preparation of improved, amphiphilic SCNPs containing ZnPc as highly efficient photosensitizer encapsulated within the nanoparticle and surrounded by anthracene units is disclosed. The amount of anthracene groups and ZnPc molecules within each single-chain nanoparticle controls the imaging and PDT properties of these nanocarriers. Critically, this work opens the way to improved PDT applications based on amphiphilic SCNPs as a first step toward ideal, long-term artificial photo-oxidases (APO)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Sulfide ZnS-SiO 2 composite photocatalysts with biogenic silica matrix were prepared by sol-gel method based on wet gel and xerogel. FT-IR, SEM, XRD, EDXRF, UV-Vis, and XPS methods were systematically used to characterize the obtained materials. The use of support allowed to obtain stable porous (S BET  = 79-105 m 2  g -1 ; V pore  = 0.25-0.17 cm 3 ·g -1 ) ZnS-SiO 2 photocatalysts in aqueous solutions. Zn 2+ content in methyl orange solution after its degradation was 0.4 MPC. ZnS-SiO 2 composites had 3.68-3.70 eV band gap. The obtained materials were photoactive under different irradiation conditions (sunlight, UV-light, Xenon light, visible light) due to effective separation of charge carriers (e - and h + ). Methyl orange degradation degree under UV light excitation was 35-88%, under sunlight - 11-30%. ZnS-SiO 2 composite synthesized using silica xerogel showed a greater photoactivity due to a presence of cone-shaped or cylindrical pores with one open end in its structure and a higher content of ZnS photoactive component. A comparative study of photocatalytic performance of methyl orange degradation by ZnS-SiO 2 under UV irradiation was investigated using radical scavengers. • O 2 - was main active species during MO degradation under UV irradiation, and electrons played additional role during the photocatalytic process., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS), as a category of persistent organic pollutants, have garnered extensive concern due to their resilience against environmental degradation. Herein, we developed an amine-functionalized sphalerite (ZnS) with adjustable surface amine functional groups and Zn defects (ZnS-X%[N]) by in situ coprecipitation and simple hydrothermal method in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). This material demonstrated efficient PFAS adsorption and subsequent photo-induced degradation under UV irradiation. The characterization results by TEM, BET, FTIR, XPS and EPR revealed that CTAB primarily influences ZnS by modulating surface amine functionalities, zinc defect density, and enhancing its photoreductive capacity. Adsorption and kinetic degradation experiments further showed that a medium CTAB concentration in ZnS-40%[N] achieves highest PFAS adsorption capacity (C max : 0.201 mol kg -1 ), and the corresponding decomposition rate was the fastest (k de : 1.53; k df : 1.19). This efficacy is attributed to the ZnS-40%[N]'s ideal adsorptive sites and surface shallow defects. Moreover, theoretical simulation also supports the above experimental inference. Overall, ZnS-X%[N] exhibits a synergistic effect on PFAS adsorption and degradation, showcasing its potential for environmental adaptability and practical application., 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 © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this work, a facile and fast aqueous-phase synthetic method is proposed to prepare water-soluble ZnS quantum dots stabilized simultaneously with glutathione and L-cysteine (ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys). As-synthesized ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys were monodispersed spherical nanocrystals with a mean diameter of 5.0 ± 0.7 nm. Besides, the obtained ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys emitted more intensive blue fluorescence and exhibited an improved stability in aqueous solution compared with ZnS quantum dots merely stabilized with GSH (ZnS QDs-GSH). Interestingly, Adriamycin, a representative anticancer drug, was added into the solution of ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys, the blue fluorescence of ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys was greatly enhanced instead of being quenched, which indicated that ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys can be used as an enhanced-fluorescence nanoprobe for determining Adriamycin. The observed fluorescent enhancement could be attributed to the blocking of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) in ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys due to the electrostatic interaction between the -COO- groups on the surface of quantum dots and the -NH 3 + groups in Adriamycin, followed by the coordination interaction among ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys and Adriamycin. The fluorescence intensity of ZnS QDs-GSH/L-Cys presented a good linear response with the concentration of Adriamycin ranging from 2.0 to 20 µg•mL -1 . The proposed fluorescent nanoprobe exhibited an excellent sensitivity with the LOD of 0.1 µg•mL -1 and a good accuracy for detecting Adriamycin., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical Approval: Not applicable. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In recent years, flexible sensors constructed mainly from hydrogels have received increasing attention. However, conventional hydrogels need to be prepared by high-temperature or radiation-induced polymerization reactions, which limits their practical applications due to their suboptimal electrical conductivity and weak mechanical properties. In this paper, using sodium lignosulfonate as the raw material, a dynamic catechol-quinone redox system formed by lignin‑zinc ions was constructed to initiate rapid free radical polymerization of acrylamide (AM) monomer at room temperature. In addition, Deep eutectic solvent (DES) can form a strong hydrogen bonding network within the molecules and between the molecules of the hydrogel, resulting in a hydrogel with good tensile properties (hydrogel elongation at break of 727.19 %, breaking strength of 84.09 kPa), and provides the hydrogel with high electrical conductivity, anti-dehydration, anti-freezing, and anti-bacterial properties. Meanwhile, the addition of lignin also improved the adhesion and UV resistance of the hydrogel. This hydrogel assembled into a flexible sensor can sense various small and large amplitude movements such as nodding, smiling, frowning, etc., and has a wide range of applications in flexible sensors., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Numerous microbial species have caused infectious diseases worldwide, which have become a social burden and a menace to the community. So, there is a need to develop antimicrobial materials and specialized materials for biomedical applications. In the present investigation, we report the simple synthesis, the physicochemical, and antibacterial activity of Silver doped zinc sulfide (ZnS: Ag) capped with Chitosan (CS) to produce ZnS: Ag/CS bionanocomposites (BNCs). The prepared BNCs was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. According to the XRD results, ZnS: Ag/CS particles with semicrystalline chitosan/hexagonal ZnS phase structures and an average crystallite size in the range of 30-40 nm was formed. According to FESEM images, a spherical/hexagonal shape of ZnS: Ag particles embedded in the polymeric chitosan matrix. The colony counting method was employed to investigate the antibacterial activity on Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The results revealed that ZnS: Ag particles and ZnS: Ag/CS BNCs have stronger antibacterial activities than pure CS and ZnS. The reduction percentage of ZnS: Ag/CS BNCs against S. aureus and E. coli after 6 h of treatment was >99.9 % and 70 % respectively. These findings suggest that ZnS: Ag/CS BCs not only offer superior antimicrobial properties compared to individual ZnS and CS but also have great potential for advancing biomedical applications due to their enhanced antibacterial performance. The simplicity of the synthesis method and the use of non-toxic materials like chitosan make this a sustainable approach for developing antimicrobial agents, which is a key advantage of this study., 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 © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Florfenicol (F), an antimicrobial agent exclusive to veterinary use within the chloramphenicol class, is extensively applied as a broad-spectrum remedy for animal diseases. Despite its efficacy, concerns arise over potential deleterious residues in animal-derived edibles, posing threats to human health. This study pioneers an innovative approach, introducing a quantum dot fluorescence-based immunoassay (FLISA) for the meticulous detection of F residues in animal-derived foods and feeds. This method demonstrates heightened sensitivity, with a detection limit of 0.3 ng/mL and a quantitative detection range of 0.6-30.4 ng/mL. Method validation, applied to diverse food sources, yields recoveries from 90.4 % to 109.7 %, featuring RSDs within 1.3 % to 8.7 %, the results showed high consistency with the national standard HPLC-MS/MS detection method. These findings underscore the method's accuracy and precision, positioning it as a promising tool for swift and reliable F residue detection, with substantial implications for fortifying food safety monitoring., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

While treating zinc-containing wastewater, recovering zinc for reuse as a secondary resource has significant environmental and economic benefits. Herein, based on the alkali-activated tourmaline tailings geopolymers (TTG) after adsorption of zinc ions (Zn (II)), a series of new composites with in-situ construction ZnS nanoparticles on TTG (ZnS/TTG) were synthesized, and used as photocatalysts for the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) in solution. Specifically, ZnS nanoparticles were uniformly and stably distributed in the layered structure of TTG, interweaving with each other to generate an interfacial electric field, which could induce more photocarrier generation. Meanwhile, TTG acted as an electron acceptor to accelerate the electron transfer at the interface, thus enhancing the photodegradation activity for TCH. The active radical quenching experiments combined with the ESR indicated that the active species produced during the photocatalytic degradation of TCH by ZnS/TTG composites were •O 2 - and photogenerated h + . When the initial concentration of Zn (II) was 60 mg/L, the synthesized 60-ZnS/TTG composites (0.5 g/L) reached 91.53% degradation efficiency of TCH (10 mg/L) at pH = 6. Furthermore, the possible pathways and mechanism of 60-ZnS/TTG composites photodegraded TCH were revealed with the aid of degraded intermediates. This report not only proposed valuable references for reusing heavy metal ions and removing TCH from wastewater, but also provided promising ideas for realizing the conversion of used adsorbents into high-efficiency photocatalysts., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study presents a novel blend of synthesis techniques for shape-controlled ZnS nanoparticles. Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles with distinct morphologies cauliflower-like microstructures (∼4.5 μm) and uniform nanospheres (200-700 nm) were synthesized through an innovative blend of precipitation and hydrothermal techniques. Capping with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) significantly decreased crystallite size (3.93 nm-2.36 nm), modulated the band gap (3.57 eV-3.71 eV), and dramatically influenced morphology, highlighting the novelty of shape-controlled synthesis and its impact on optoelectronic and functional properties. X-ray diffraction confirmed crystallinity and revealed the size-controlling influence of PVP. UV-vis spectroscopy suggested potential tuning of optical properties due to band gap widening upon PVP capping. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) unveiled distinct morphologies: cauliflower-like microstructures for ZnS and uniform nanospheres (200-700 nm) for PVP-ZnS. Both structures were composed of smaller spherical nanoparticles, demonstrating the role of PVP in promoting controlled growth and preventing agglomeration. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images depicted that the majority of nanoparticles maintain a spherical shape, though slight deviations from perfect sphericity can be discerned. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that successful PVP encapsulation is crucial for shaping nanospheres and minimizing aggregation through steric hindrance. Photocatalytic activity evaluation using methylene blue (MB) dye degradation revealed significantly faster degradation by PVP-ZnS under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (within 60 min as compared to 120 min for ZnS), showcasing its superior performance. This improvement can be attributed to the smaller size, higher surface area, and potentially optimized band gap of PVP-ZnS. Additionally, PVP-ZnS exhibited promising antibacterial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, with increased activity at higher nanoparticle concentrations., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this work, we report a study of a zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanocrystal and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite-based non-enzymatic uric acid biosensor. ZnS nanocrystals with different morphologies were synthesized through a hydrothermal method, and both pure nanocrystals and related ZnS/RGO were characterized with SEM, XRD and an absorption spectrum and resistance test. It was found that compared to ZnS nanoparticles, the ZnS nanoflakes had stronger UV light absorption ability at the wavelength of 280 nm of UV light. The RGO significantly enhanced the electron transfer efficiency of the ZnS nanoflakes, which further led to a better photoelectrochemical property of the ZnS/RGO nanocomposites. The ZnS nanoflake/RGO nanocomposite-based biosensor showed an excellent uric acid detecting sensitivity of 534.5 μA·cm -2 ·mM -1 in the linear range of 0.01 to 2 mM and a detection limit of 0.048 μM. These results will help to improve non-enzymatic biosensor properties for the rapid and accurate clinical detection of uric acid.

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) constitute the most widely employed class of pesticides. However, the prevalent use of OPPs, while advantageous, raises concerns due to their toxicity, posing serious threats to food safety. Chemical sensors utilizing quantum dots (QDs) demonstrate promising applications in rapidly detecting OPPs residues, thereby facilitating efficient inspection of agricultural products. In this study, we employ an aqueous synthesis approach to prepare low toxic CdTe@ZnS QDs with stable fluorescence properties. To mitigate the risk of imprecise measurements stemming from the inherent susceptibility of fluorescence to quenching, we have adopted the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) for the construction of the turn-on quantum dot sensor. With a detection limit for chlorpyrifos as low as 10 ppb (10 μg/L), the QDs sensor exhibits notable resistance to interference from various pesticides. Application of this system to detect organophosphorothioate pesticides in apples produced results consistent with those obtained from high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detection, affirming the promising application prospects of this sensing system for the rapid detection of OPPs residues., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

P53 is a transcription factor that controls a variety of genes, primarily involved in cell cycle and other processes related to cell survival and death. We have isolated peptides targeting P53 (protein and domains) using the "phage display" technique. Interestingly, adding ZnCl2 at 5-10 mM in panning solutions helped to recover more plaque-forming units at least at round one of the screening. Subtractive docking analyses were designed by using a pool of common redundant peptides known as parasites. This rationale helped us differentiate between possibly specific and non-specific bindings. We found notable differences in docking characteristics between different sets of peptides either related to different targets or related to zinc-conditions. The set of zinc-related peptides shows advantageous docking profiles: sharper binding for some positions and distinct exclusive bound residues, including the relevant R248 and R273. Zinc would have modulating/helping role in the targeting of protein P53 by phage displayed peptides in addition to an enhancement action on bacterial infection., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Ben Abid et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Universal sample preparation for proteomic analysis that enables unbiased protein manipulation, flexible reagent use, and low protein loss is required to ensure the highest sensitivity of downstream liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. To address these needs, we developed a ZnCl 2 precipitation-assisted sample preparation method (ZASP) that depletes harsh detergents and impurities in protein solutions prior to trypsin digestion via 10 min of ZnCl 2 and methanol-induced protein precipitation at room temperature (RT). ZASP can remove trypsin digestion and LC-MS incompatible detergents such as SDS, Triton X-100, and urea at high concentrations in solution and unbiasedly recover proteins independent of the amount of protein input. We demonstrated the sensitivity and reproducibility of ZASP in an analysis of samples with 1 μg to 1000 μg of proteins. Compared to commonly used sample preparation methods such as SDC-based in-solution digestion, acetone precipitation, FASP, and SP3, ZASP has proven to be an efficient approach. Here, we present ZASP, a practical, robust, and cost-effective proteomic sample preparation method that can be applied to profile different types of samples., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nanophotothermolysis (NPhT) effect is considered to be an approach for the development of highly selective modalities for anticancer treatment. Herein, we evaluated an antitumor efficacy of NPhT with intravenously injected zinc phthalocyanine particles (ZnPcPs) in murine subcutaneous syngeneic tumor models. In S37 sarcoma-bearing mice a biodistribution of ZnPcPs was studied and the high antitumor efficacy of ZnPcPs-mediated NPhT was shown, including a response of metastatic lesions. The morphological investigation showed the main role of a local NPhT-induced vascular damage in the tumor growth and tumor spread inhibition. Murine tumors of different histological origin were not equally sensitive to the treatment. The results demonstrate a potential of ZnPcPs-mediated NPhT for treatment of surface tumors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)