ON-OFF Switching of Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution by Built-in Pt-Nitrogen-Carbon Reticular Heterojunctions.

COF engineering with a built-in, high concentration of defined N-doped sites overcomes the "black-box" drawback of conventional trial-and-error N-doping methods (used in polymeric carbon nitride and graphene), that hamper a directed evolution of functional carbon interfaces based on structure-reactivity guidelines. The cutting-edge challenge is to dissect the many complex and interdependent functions that originate from reticular N-doping, including modification of the material optoelectronics, band alignments, interfacial contacts and co-localization of active-sites, producing a multiple-set of effectors that can all play a role to regulate photocatalysis. Herein, an ON-OFF gated photocatalytic H evolution (PHE) is dictated by the Pt-N-carbon active sites and probed with a dual COF platform, based on stable β-ketoenamine connectivities made of triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) as the acceptor knots and 1,4-diaminonaphtalene (Naph) or 5,8-diaminoisoquinoline (IsoQ) as donors.

Enhanced performance of impedimetric immunosensors to detect SARS-CoV-2 with bare gold nanoparticles and graphene acetic acid.

Immunosensors based on electrical impedance spectroscopy allow for label-free, real-time detection of biologically relevant molecules and pathogens, without requiring electro-active materials. Here, we investigate the influence of bare gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), synthesized via laser ablation in solution, on the performance of an impedimetric immunosensor for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Graphene acetic acid (GAA) was used in the active layer for immobilizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, owing to its high density of carboxylic groups.

Fe,Ni-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks Embedded in Nanoporous Nitrogen-Doped Graphene as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The quest for economically sustainable electrocatalysts to replace critical materials in anodes for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key goal in electrochemical conversion technologies, and, in this context, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer great promise as alternative electroactive materials. In this study, a series of nanostructured electrocatalysts was successfully synthesized by growing tailored Ni-Fe-based MOFs on nitrogen-doped graphene, creating composite systems named MIL-NG-n. Their growth was tuned using a molecular modulator, revealing a non-trivial trend of the properties as a function of the modulator quantity.

Development of ARPE-19-Equipped Ocular Cell Model for In Vitro Investigation on Ophthalmic Formulations.

Repeated intravitreal (IVT) injections in the treatment of retinal diseases can lead to severe complications. Developing innovative drug delivery systems for IVT administration is crucial to prevent adverse reactions, but requires extensive investigation including the use of different preclinical models (in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo). Our previous work described an in vitro tricompartmental ocular flow cell (TOFC) simulating the anterior and posterior cavities of the human eye.

Extracellular Vesicles: New Players in the Mechanisms of Sepsis- and COVID-19-Related Thromboinflammation.

Sepsis and COVID-19 patients often manifest an imbalance in inflammation and coagulation, a complex pathological mechanism also named thromboinflammation, which strongly affects patient prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles released by cells into extracellular space that have a relevant role in cell-to-cell communication. Recently, EVs have been shown to act as important players in a variety of pathologies, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.