Machine Learning-Integrated Numerical Simulation for Predicting Photothermal Conversion Performance of Metallic Nanofluids.

Photothermal conversion in metallic nanofluids, driven by localized surface plasmon resonances, is essential for applications in biomedicine, such as cancer treatment and biosensing. However, accurately predicting photothermal conversion performance, particularly the spatial temperature distribution, remains challenging due to the complex interplay of nanoparticle properties. Existing experimental methods are labor-intensive and often insufficient in providing detailed thermal profiles.

Supramolecular Chiral Assembly of Dendritic Amphiphiles in Aqueous Media.

Dendritic amphiphiles are a promising class of topological blocks for self-assembly to construct chiral supramolecular aggregates in aqueous media. Their unique dendritic geometry, structure variability and multivalence can mediate the assemblies with versatile morphologies and functions. The bulky dendritic moieties also enable the appropriate association-repulsion balance to control supramolecular growth, and simultaneously shield the assemblies with enhanced stabilities.

Hierarchical assembly of thermoresponsive helical dendronized poly(phenylacetylene)s through photo-crosslinking of the thermal aggregates.

Supramolecular assembly of helical homopolymers to form stable chiral entities in water is highly valuable for creating chiral nanostructures and fabricating chiral biomaterials. Here we report on thermally induced supramolecular assembly of helical dendronized poly(phenylacetylene)s (PPAs) in aqueous solutions, and their in-situ photo-crosslinking at elevated temperatures to afford crosslinked nano-assemblies with hierarchical structures and stabilized helicities. These helical dendronized homopolymers carry cinnamate-cored dendritic oligoethylene glycol (OEG) pendants, which exhibit characteristic thermoresponsive behavior.

BODIPY-labeled aptasensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes as the quencher for "off-on" detection of catechin.

A low-cost and simple boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-labeled aptasensor (B-aptamer) was designed for rapid, sensitive and turn-on catechin detection. B-aptamer as signal indicator and recognition element initially stacked on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via π-π conjugation, resulting in efficient quenching of the fluorescence of the aptasensor. Upon addition of catechin, catechin was adsorbed to B-aptamer, thereby undergoing a conformational change to form B-aptamer/catechin complex, which prompted the release of the signaling probe from the surface of MWCNTs.

Thermoresponsive Helical Dendronized Poly(phenylacetylene)s: Remarkable Stabilization of Their Helicity via Photo-Dimerization of the Dendritic Pendants.

Dynamic helical polymers can change their helicity according to external stimuli due to the low helix-inversion barriers, while helicity stabilization for polymers is important for applications in chiral recognition or chiral separations. Here, we present a convenient methodology to stabilize dynamic helical conformations of polymers through intramolecular cross-linking. Thermoresponsive dendronized poly(phenylacetylene)s (PPAs) carrying 3-fold dendritic oligoethylene glycol pendants containing cinnamate moieties were synthesized.

Supramolecular assembly of dendronized spiropyrans in aqueous solutions into nanospheres with photo- and thermo-responsive chiralities.

Tailoring the amphiphilicity of a molecule through external stimuli can alter the balance between self-association and repulsion, resulting in different propensities for its assembly. Here we report on the supramolecular assembly of a series of dendronized spiropyrans (DSPs) in water. These DSPs carry 3-fold dendritic oligoethylene glycols (OEGs) with either methoxyl or ethoxyl terminals for different hydrophilicities, and contain an Ala-Gly dipeptide to provide the chirality.

Dual-Responsive Supramolecular Chiral Assemblies from Amphiphilic Dendronized Tetraphenylethylenes.

Supramolecular assembly of amphiphilic molecules in aqueous solutions to form stimuli-responsive entities is attractive for developing intelligent supramolecular materials for bioapplications. Here we report on the supramolecular chiral assembly of amphiphilic dendronized tetraphenylethylenes (TPEs) in aqueous solutions. Hydrophobic TPE moieties were connected to the hydrophilic three-fold dendritic oligoethylene glycols (OEGs) through a tripeptide proline-hydroxyproline-glycol (POG) to afford the characteristic topological structural effects of dendritic OEGs and the peptide linker.

Factors influencing the fate of antibiotic resistance genes during thermochemical pretreatment and anaerobic digestion of pharmaceutical waste sludge.

The prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in waste sludge, especially for the pharmaceutical waste sludge, presents great potential risks to human health. Although ARGs and factors affecting their spreading are of major importance for human health, the factors influencing the fate of ARGs during sludge treatment, especially for pharmaceutical sludge treatment are not yet well understood. In order to be able to minimize ARGs spreading, it is important to find what is influencing their spreading.

Occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements in enterococci and genomic DNA during anaerobic digestion of pharmaceutical waste sludge with different pretreatments.

Pharmaceutical waste sludge harbors large amounts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and it is necessary to study the reduction of ARGs and MGEs during sludge treatment. Therefore, the antibiotic resistance phenotypes and genotypes of enterococci, and the ARGs and MGEs in genomic DNA were investigated during anaerobic digestion (AD) with microwave (MW), thermal hydrolysis (TH) and ozone pretreatment. Results showed that sludge pretreatment increased the occurrence of the resistance phenotypes and genotypes of enterococci.

Transformation of Flame Retardant Tetrabromobisphenol A by Aqueous Chlorine and the Effect of Humic Acid.

In this work, it was found that the most widely used brominated flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A (TBrBPA) could be transformed by free chlorine over a wide pH range from 5 to 10 with apparent second-order rate constants from 138 to 3210 M(-1)·s(-1). A total of eight products, including one quinone-like compound (i.e.

Impacts of addition of natural zeolite or a nitrification inhibitor on antibiotic resistance genes during sludge composting.

Composting is commonly used for the treatment and resource utilization of sewage sludge, and natural zeolite and nitrification inhibitors can be used for nitrogen conservation during sludge composting, while their impacts on ARGs control are still unclear. Therefore, three lab-scale composting reactors, A (the control), B (natural zeolite addition) and C (nitrification inhibitor addition of 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, DMPP), were established. The impacts of natural zeolite and DMPP on the levels of ARGs were investigated, as were the roles that heavy metals, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and the bacterial community play in ARGs evolution.

Activation of Peroxymonosulfate by Benzoquinone: A Novel Nonradical Oxidation Process.

The reactions between peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and quinones were investigated for the first time in this work, where benzoquinone (BQ) was selected as a model quinone. It was demonstrated that BQ could efficiently activate PMS for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX; a frequently detected antibiotic in the environments), and the degradation rate increased with solution pH from 7 to 10. Interestingly, quenching studies suggested that neither hydroxyl radical (•OH) nor sulfate radical (SO4•-) was produced therein.

Understanding the role of manganese dioxide in the oxidation of phenolic compounds by aqueous permanganate.

Recent studies have shown that manganese dioxide (MnO2) can significantly accelerate the oxidation kinetics of phenolic compounds such as triclosan and chlorophenols by potassium permanganate (Mn(VII)) in slightly acidic solutions. However, the role of MnO2 (i.e.