Lysosome-targeted cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes as photosensitizers/photoredox catalysts for cancer therapy.

A novel lysosome-targeted photosensitizer/photoredox catalyst based on cyclometalated Ir(III) complex IrL has been designed and synthesized, which exhibited excellent phosphorescence properties and the ability to generate single oxygen (O) and photocatalytically oxidize 1,4-dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) under light irradiation. Most importantly, the aforementioned activities are significantly enhanced due to protonation under acidic conditions, which makes them highly attractive in light-activated tumor therapy, especially for acidic lysosomes and tumor microenvironments. The photocytotoxicity of IrL and the mechanism of cell death have been investigated.

Enantioselective Glutamic Acid Discrimination and Nanobiological Imaging by Chiral Fluorescent Silicon Nanoparticles.

Enantioselective discrimination of chiral molecules is essential in chemistry, biology, and medical science due to the configuration-dependent activities of enantiomers. Therefore, identifying a specific amino acid and distinguishing it from its enantiomer by using nanomaterials with outstanding performance are of great significance. Herein, blue- and green-emitting chiral silicon nanoparticles named bSiNPs and gSiNPs, respectively, with excellent water solubility, salt resistance, pH stability, photobleaching resistance, biocompatibility, and ability to promote soybean germination, were fabricated in a facile one-step method.

Crystalline Dual-Porous Covalent Triazine Frameworks as a New Platform for Efficient Electrocatalysis.

Crystalline covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) have gained considerable interest in energy and catalysis owing to their well-defined nitrogen-rich π-conjugated porosity and superior physicochemical properties, however, suffer from very limited molecular structures. Herein we report a novel solvent-free FeCl -catalyzed polymerization of 2, 6-pyridinedicarbonitrile (DCP) to achieve the first synthesis of crystalline, dual-porous, pyridine-based CTF (Fe-CTF). The FeCl could not only act as a highly active Lewis acid catalyst for promoting the two-dimensional ordered polymerization of DCP monomers, but also in situ coordinate with the tridentate chelators generated between pyridine and triazine groups to yield unique Fe-N single-atom active sites in Fe-CTF.

Dual-Function Precious-Metal-Free Metal-Organic Framework for Photocatalytic Conversion and Chemical Fixation of Carbon Dioxide.

Highly efficient transformation of carbon dioxide (CO) into value-added chemicals is considered a promising route for clean production and future energy sustainability, which is crucial for realizing a carbon-neutral economy. It remains a great challenge to develop highly stable and active catalysts with low-cost, environmentally friendly, and nontoxic materials for catalytic conversion of CO. Herein, a precious-metal-free and heterogeneous MOF (-) catalyst, composed of bis(terpyridine)iron(II) complexes and zirconium(IV) ions, was designed and prepared via a metalloligand approach.

A novel Gd DTPA-bisamide complex with high relaxivity as an MRI contrast agent.

A novel Gd(III) complex-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent GdL has been designed and synthesized, which exhibited a much higher relaxivity (7.8 mM s) than the commercially used Magnevist® (3.5 mM s), good water solubility (>100 mg mL), excellent thermodynamic stability (log GdL = 17.

Dual-Fluorophore and Dual-Site Multifunctional Fluorescence Sensor for Visualizing the Metabolic Process of GHS to SO and the SO Toxicological Mechanism by Two-Photon Imaging.

As a momentous gas signal molecule, sulfur dioxide (SO) participates in diverse physiological activities. Excess SO will cause an apparent decrease in the level of intracellular glutathione (GSH), thereby damaging the body's antioxidant defense system. In addition, endogenous SO can be generated from GSH by reacting with thiosulfate (SO) and enzymatically reduced to cysteine (Cys), a synthetic precursor of GSH.

Dual-Site Fluorescent Sensor as a Multiple Logic System for Studying the Dichotomous Function of Sulfur Dioxide under Oxidative Stress Induced by Peroxynitrite.

Intracellular reactive oxygen species and reactive sulfur play a vital role in regulating redox homeostasis and maintaining cell functions. Sulfur dioxide (SO) has emerged as an important gas signal molecule recently, which is not only a potential reducing agent but also a potential inductor of oxidative stress in organisms. Due to high reactivity, peroxynitrite (ONOO) could act on many biomolecules, such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, and cause irreversible damage, eventually leading to cell apoptosis or necrosis.