In Situ High Selectivity Contact-Electroreduction of CO2 to Methanol Using an Imine-Mediated Metal-Free Vitrimer Catalyst.

Metal catalysts for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) face challenges such as high cost, limited durability and environmental impact. Although various diverse and functional metal-free catalysts have been developed, they often suffer from slow kinetics, low selectivity, and non-recyclability, significantly limiting their practical applications. In this study, we introduce a recyclable non-metallic polymer material (vitrimer) for a new platform in contact-electro-catalysis.

Target High-Efficient Ethylene Production from Dilute CO Enabled by Sustainable Contact Electrons.

The electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR) exhibits significant potential to efficiently convert CO into ethylene (CH). However, achieving high CH selectivity remains a considerable challenge due to the difficulty in effective C─C coupling and stringent requirements on CO purity. Herein, a novel contact-electro-catalysis method for CORR is presented by constructing dual-active-site catalysts on the electronegative tribolayer of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), including single copper atom anchored polymeric carbon nitride (Cu─PCN) and CuO nanoparticle, achieving an outstanding CH Faradaic efficiency of 63.

Sustainable nanofibrous membranes for air filtration, water purification and oil removal.

The increasing demand for sustainable solutions to address environmental and energy challenges has driven the development of advanced materials. Among them, nanofibrous membranes have emerged due to their high surface area, tunable porosity and versatile mechanical properties. However, traditional nanofibrous membranes, made from petroleum-based synthetic polymers, pose significant environmental concerns due to their non-biodegradability and reliance on fossil resources.

In-situ oxygen-supplying ROS nanopurifier for enhanced healing of MRSA-infected diabetic wounds via microenvironment modulation.

Hypoxia, high ROS levels and chronic inflammation are the main factors that hinder the healing of diabetic wounds. Long-term exposed wounds are prone to bacterial infection, especially MRSA infection, which exacerbates the complex wound microenvironment of diabetes and threatens patients' lives. Here, we developed a ROS nanopurifier (CSVNP), which was prepared by loading superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and vancomycin into nanogels through in-situ polymerization.

Water-resistant boronic ester vitrimer with hydrophobic side chain protection.

A boronic ester vitrimer with high hydrolytic stability afforded by fluorinated side-chain protection is reported, withstanding high moisture and underwater environments with no performance degradation, which can also be self-healed, reprocessed and recycled, presenting a significant step towards the design of more robust and eco-friendly circular materials.

Mitochondria-Targeted Gold Biometallization for Photoacoustically Visualized Photothermal Cancer Therapy.

Subcellular biomineralization systems with cellular intervention functions have shown great potential in cancer theranostic applications. However, the lack of subcellular specificity, high ion concentrations, and long incubation time required for biomineralization still limit its therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we report a mitochondria-targeted polymer-gold complex (TPPM-Au) to realize mitochondrial biometallization, which involves analogous mechanisms during biomineralization, for cancer treatment .

A Recyclable Ionogel with High Mechanical Robustness Based on Covalent Adaptable Networks.

Ionogels are an emerging class of soft materials for flexible electronics, with high ionic conductivity, low volatility, and mechanical stretchability. Recyclable ionogels are recently developed to address the sustainability crisis of current electronics, through the introduction of non-covalent bonds. However, this strategy sacrifices mechanical robustness and chemical stability, severely diminishing the potential for practical application.

Advancing Recyclable Thermosets through C═C/C═N Dynamic Covalent Metathesis Chemistry.

Thermoset polymers have become integral to our daily lives due to their exceptional durability, making them feasible for a myriad of applications; however, this ubiquity also raises serious environmental concerns. Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) with dynamic covalent linkages that impart efficient reprocessability and recyclability to thermosets have garnered increasing attention. While various dynamic exchange reactions have been explored in CANs, many rely on the stimuli of active nucleophilic groups and/or catalysts, introducing performance instability and escalating the initial investment.

Thermosensitive Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Hybrid Hydrogel Enhances the Antibacterial Efficiency of Erythromycin in Bacterial Keratitis.

Bacterial keratitis is a serious ocular infection that can impair vision or even cause blindness. The clinical use of antibiotics is limited due to their low bioavailability and drug resistance. Hence, there is a need to develop a novel drug delivery system for this infectious disease.

Dynamic Covalent Bonds Enabled Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers Recyclability and Material Circularity.

Due to their remarkable features of lightweight, high strength, stiffness, high-temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance, carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are extensively used in sports equipment, vehicles, aircraft, windmill blades, and other sectors. The urging need to develop a resource-saving and environmentally responsible society requires the recycling of CFRPs. Traditional CFRPs, on the other hand, are difficult to recycle due to the permanent covalent crosslinking of polymer matrices.

Innovative biomaterials for food packaging: Unlocking the potential of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolyesters show a good balance between sustainability and performance, making them a competitive alternative to conventional plastics for ecofriendly food packaging. With an emphasis on developments over the last decade (2014-2024), this review examines the revolutionary potential of PHAs as a sustainable food packaging material option. It also delves into the current state of commercial development, competitiveness, and the carbon footprint associated with PHA-based products.

Contact-electro-catalytic CO reduction from ambient air.

Traditional catalytic techniques often encounter obstacles in the search for sustainable solutions for converting CO into value-added products because of their high energy consumption and expensive catalysts. Here, we introduce a contact-electro-catalysis approach for CO reduction reaction, achieving a CO Faradaic efficiency of 96.24%.

Combined activation of artificial and natural ion channels for disrupting mitochondrial ion homeostasis towards effective postoperative tumor recurrence and metastasis suppression.

: Pharmacological targeting of mitochondrial ion channels is developing as a new direction in cancer therapy. The opening or closing of these channels can impact mitochondrial function and structure by interfering with intracellular ion homeostasis, thereby regulating cell fate. Nevertheless, their abnormal expression or regulation poses challenges in eliminating cancer cells, and further contributes to metastasis, recurrence, and drug resistance.

Knoevenagel C═C Metathesis Enabled Glassy Vitrimers with High Rigidity, Toughness, and Malleability.

Thermosets, characterized by their permanent cross-linked networks, present significant challenges in recyclability and brittleness. In this work, we explore a polarized Knoevenagel C═C metathesis reaction for the development of rigid yet tough and malleable thermosets. Initial investigation on small molecule model reactions reveals the feasibility of conducting the base-catalyzed C═C metathesis reaction in a solvent-free environment.

Ultrafast Self-Healing Elastomer with Closed-Loop Recyclability.

The loss of function after prolonged periods of use is inevitable for all materials including plastics. Hence, self-healing capabilities are a key development to prolong the service lifetime of materials. One of such self-healing capabilities can be achieved by integrating dynamic bonds such as boronic ester linkages into polymeric materials, however the rate of self-healing in these materials is insufficient and current methods to accelerate it are limited.

Recyclable, Malleable, and Strong Thermosets Enabled by Knoevenagel Adducts.

Plastic recycling is critical for waste management and achieving a circular economy, but it entails difficult trade-offs between performance and recyclability. Here, we report a thermoset, poly(α-cyanocinnamate) (PCC), synthesized using Knoevenagel condensation between terephthalaldehyde (TPA) and a triarm cyanoacetate star, that tackles this difficulty by harnessing its intrinsically conjugated and dynamic chemical characteristics. PCCs exhibit extraordinary thermal and mechanical properties with a typical of ∼178 °C, Young's modulus of 3.

Catalyst-Free α-Acetyl Cinnamate/Acetoacetate Exchange to Enable High Creep-Resistant Vitrimers.

Vitrimers represent an emerging class of polymeric materials that combine the desirable characteristics of both thermoplastics and thermosets achieved through the design of dynamic covalent bonds within the polymer networks. However, these materials are prone to creep due to the inherent instability of dynamic covalent bonds. Consequently, there are pressing demands for the development of robust and stable dynamic covalent chemistries.

Revamping Triboelectric Output by Deep Trap Construction.

High output performance is critical for building triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for future multifunctional applications. Unfortunately, the high triboelectric charge dissipation rate has a significant negative impact on its electrical output performance. Herein, a new tribolayer is designed through introducing self-assembled molecules with large energy gaps on commercial PET fibric to form carrier deep traps, which improve charge retention while decreasing dissipation rates.

Next-Generation Vitrimers Design through Theoretical Understanding and Computational Simulations.

Vitrimers are an innovative class of polymers that boast a remarkable fusion of mechanical and dynamic features, complemented by the added benefit of end-of-life recyclability. This extraordinary blend of properties makes them highly attractive for a variety of applications, such as the automotive sector, soft robotics, and the aerospace industry. At their core, vitrimer materials consist of crosslinked covalent networks that have the ability to dynamically reorganize in response to external factors, including temperature changes, pressure variations, or shifts in pH levels.

2D/2D Heterojunction of BiOBr/BiOI Nanosheets for In Situ H O Production and Activation toward Efficient Photocatalytic Wastewater Treatment.

The presence of toxic organic pollutants in aquatic environments poses significant threats to human health and global ecosystems. Photocatalysis that enables in situ production and activation of H O presents a promising approach for pollutant removal; however, the processes of H O production and activation potentially compete for active sites and charge carriers on the photocatalyst surface, leading to limited catalytic performance. Herein, a hierarchical 2D/2D heterojunction nanosphere composed of ultrathin BiOBr and BiOI nanosheets (BiOBr/BiOI) is developed by a one-pot microwave-assisted synthesis to achieve in situ H O production and activation for efficient photocatalytic wastewater treatment.

Injectable Supramolecular Hydrogels for In Situ Programming of Car-T Cells toward Solid Tumor Immunotherapy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy is approved in the treatment of hematological malignancies, but remains far from satisfactory in solid tumor treatment due to inadequate intra-tumor CAR-T cell infiltration. Herein, an injectable supramolecular hydrogel system, based on self-assembly between cationic polymer mPEG-PCL-PEI (PPP) conjugated with T cell targeting anti-CD3e f(ab')2 fragment and α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), is designed to load plasmid CAR (pCAR) with a T cell specific CD2 promoter, which successfully achieves in situ fabrication and effective accumulation of CAR-T cells at the tumor site in humanized mice models. More importantly, due to this tumor microenvironment reprogramming, secretion of cellular inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)) or tumor killer protein granzyme B is significantly promoted, which reverses the immunosuppressive microenvironment and significantly enhances the intra-tumor CAR-T cells and cytotoxic T cells infiltration.

Mitochondrial Artificial K Channel Construction Using MPTPP@5F8 Nanoparticles for Overcoming Cancer Drug Resistance via Disrupting Cellular Ion Homeostasis.

Mitochondrial potassium ion channels have become a promising target for cancer therapy. However, in malignant tumors, their low expression or inhibitory regulation typically leads to undesired cancer therapy, or even induces drug resistance. Herein, this work develops an in situ mitochondria-targeted artificial K channel construction strategy, with the purpose to trigger cancer cell apoptosis by impairing mitochondrial ion homeostasis.

Research advances in smart responsive-hydrogel dressings with potential clinical diabetic wound healing properties.

The treatment of chronic and non-healing wounds in diabetic patients remains a major medical problem. Recent reports have shown that hydrogel wound dressings might be an effective strategy for treating diabetic wounds due to their excellent hydrophilicity, good drug-loading ability and sustained drug release properties. As a typical example, hyaluronic acid dressing (Healoderm) has been demonstrated in clinical trials to improve wound-healing efficiency and healing rates for diabetic foot ulcers.