Finely Tailored Conjugated Small Molecular Nanoparticles for Near-Infrared Biomedical Applications.

Near-infrared (NIR) phototheranostics (PTs) show higher tissue penetration depth, signal-to-noise ratio, and better biosafety than PTs in the ultraviolet and visible regions. However, their further advancement is severely hindered by poor performances and short-wavelength absorptions/emissions of PT agents. Among reported PT agents, conjugated small molecular nanoparticles (CSMNs) prepared from D-A-typed photoactive conjugated small molecules (CSMs) have greatly mediated this deadlock by their high photostability, distinct chemical structure, tunable absorption, intrinsic multifunctionality, and favorable biocompatibility, which endows CSMNs with more possibilities in biological applications.

Enhanced skin penetration of curcumin by a nanoemulsion-embedded oligopeptide hydrogel for psoriasis topical therapy.

Topical delivery of therapeutics on the skin can effectively alleviate skin symptoms of psoriasis and reduce systemic toxicity. However, the low delivery efficiency caused by the stratum corneum barrier limits the therapeutic impact. Here, we reported an oligopeptide hydrogel that encapsulates cell-penetrating-peptide (CPP)-decorated curcumin-loaded nanoemulsions (Cur-CNEs) to enhance the skin penetration of curcumin for topical treatment of psoriasis.

Evolution rom [Zn] to a record-high [Zn] subblock and engineering a hierarchical supramolecular framework for enhanced iodine uptake.

Hierarchical supramolecular frameworks are being designed and constructed for various applications, yet the controlled assembly and process understanding incorporating giant building blocks remains a great challenge. Here, we report a strategy of "rivet" substitution and "hinge" linkage for the controlled assembly of the hierarchical supramolecular framework. The replacement of two "rivet" ethylene glycol (EG) molecules for triangular prism [Zn] (a small block in 1) with a 1,3-propanediol (PDO) provides space for a "hinge" linkage from adjacent ligands, thus providing a hierarchical (from micro- to mesopores, from the internal cavity to external surface) supramolecular framework (2) based on a coordinative subblock with the record number of zinc ions ([Zn]).

Dynamic Modulation of Afterglow Emission in Polymeric Phosphors via Inverse Opal Photonic Structures.

Tuning the afterglow of polymeric phosphors is critical for advancing their use in optical data storage and display technologies. Despite advancements in polymer matrix design and dopant engineering, achieving dynamic control over afterglow intensity remains a significant challenge. In this study, a novel approach is introduced for dynamically tuning the afterglow of polymeric phosphors by integrating them into an inverse opal photonic structure.

Enhancing the Pseudocapacitive Energy Storage of Coordination Polymers by Artificially Constructed Defective Sites Anchoring Redox-Active Species.

Coordination polymers (CPs) have emerged as potential energy storage materials for supercapacitors due to their tunable chemical composition, structural diversity, and multielectron redox-active sites. However, besides poor cycling stability, the practical application of dense CPs in supercapacitors is generally limited by low specific capacitance and high resistance, which are caused by their low specific surface area and dense frameworks, resulting in insufficient redox reactions of metal sites and poor ion diffusion, respectively. Here, we synthesize a new dense CP {CP-1: [Ce(obb)(HCOO)]} via self-assembly of the Ce cation and 4,4'-oxidibenzoate (obb).

Understanding the effects of different loadings on properties of a silicon/carbon anode for lithium batteries.

Battery cells based on different silicon/carbon (Si/C) loadings were assembled in this work. Their battery performance, in particular their capacity and cycling stability, was evaluated. The battery was assembled in a way that a pure Li metal counter electrode, LiPF liquid electrolyte and pole piece with Si/C coatings were employed.

Development of flexible Zn/MnO secondary batteries using a fumed silica-doped hydrogel electrolyte.

Hydrogel electrolytes have received tremendous research interest in designing flexible zinc-ion secondary batteries, making them highly promising for flexible energy storage and wearable electronic devices. Herein, we report a composite hydrogel electrolyte (CHE) prepared using a fumed silica-doped gelatin hydrogel. This electrolyte is specifically designed for use in rechargeable aqueous Zn/MnO batteries (ReAZMBs).

Machine Learning-Guided Discovery of Copper(I)-Iodide Cluster Scintillators for Efficient X-ray Luminescence Imaging.

Developing efficient scintillators with environmentally friendly compositions, adaptable band gaps, and robust chemical stability is crucial for modern X-ray radiography. While copper(I)-iodide cluster crystals show promise, the vast design space of inorganic cores and organic ligands poses challenges for conventional approaches. In this study, we present machine learning-guided discovery of copper(I)-iodide cluster scintillators for efficient X-ray luminescence imaging.

Double-Shell Encapsulation of Lead-Free Tin Halide Perovskite for Self-Powered Smart Windows.

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSC) have the potential application in building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV). 0D tin-based perovskites are a promising embedding phosphor in LSC due to the large Stokes shift and high photoluminescence quantum yield. But the instability and uncontrollable crystal growth are severe limiting their successful utilization in device fabrication.

Photocatalytic overall water splitting endowed by modulation of internal and external energy fields.

The pursuit of sustainable and clean energy sources has driven extensive research into the generation and use of novel energy vectors. The photocatalytic overall water splitting (POWS) reaction has been identified as a promising approach for harnessing solar energy to produce hydrogen to be used as a clean energy carrier. Materials chemistry and associated photocatalyst design are key to the further improvement of the efficiency of the POWS reaction through the optimization of charge carrier separation, migration and interfacial reaction kinetics.

Achieving Efficient X-ray Scintillation of Purely Organic Phosphorescent Materials by Chromophore Confinement.

Scintillators have attracted significant attention due to their wide-ranging applications in both industrial and medical fields. However, one of the ongoing challenges is the efficient utilization of triplet excitons to achieve high radioluminescence efficiency. Here, a series of purely organic phosphors is presented for X-ray scintillation, employing a combined rigid and flexible host-guest doping strategy.

Dynamic Organic Phosphorescence Glass by Rigid-Soft Coupling.

Organic phosphorescence glass has garnered considerable attention owing to the excellent shaping ability and photophysical behavior, but facile construction from single-component phosphors is still challenging. Herein, a rigid-soft coupling design is adopted in organic phosphors of ICO, CCO and PCO, thus preparing phosphorescence glasses through melting-quenching method to give excellent shaping ability and dynamic phosphorescence. RTP performance is significantly enhanced in the dense-structure glass, and intriguing high-temperature phosphorescence (HTP) is still observable even at 400 K.

Engineering AIEgens-Tethered Gold Nanoparticles with Enzymatic Dual Self-Assembly for Amplified Cancer-Specific Phototheranostics.

Accurate imaging and precise treatment are critical to controlling the progression of pancreatic cancer. However, current approaches for pancreatic cancer theranostics suffer from limitations in tumor specificity and invasive surgery. Herein, a pancreatic cancer-specific phototheranostic modulator (AuHQ) dominated by aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens-tethered gold nanoparticles is meticulously designed to facilitate prominent fluorescence-photoacoustic bimodal imaging-guided photothermal immunotherapy.

Biodegradable persistent ROS-generating nanosonosensitizers for enhanced synergistic cancer therapy by inducing cascaded oxidative stress.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is gaining popularity in cancer treatment due to its superior controllability and high tissue permeability. Nonetheless, the efficacy of SDT is severely diminished by the transient generation of limited reactive oxygen species (ROS). Herein, we introduce an acid-activated nanosonosensitizer, CaO@PCN, by the controllable coating of porphyrinic metal-organic frameworks (PCN-224) on CaO to induce cascaded oxidative stress in tumors.

Efficient metal free organic radical scintillators.

The development of high-performance metal-free organic X-ray scintillators (OXSTs), characterized by a synergistic combination of robust X-ray absorption, efficient exciton utilization, and short luminescence lifetimes, poses a considerable challenge. Here we present an effective strategy for achieving augmented X-ray scintillation through the utilization of halogenated open-shell organic radical scintillators. Our experimental results demonstrate that the synthesized scintillators exhibit strong X-ray absorption derived from halogen atoms, display efficacious X-ray stability, and theoretically achieve 100% exciton utilization efficiency with a short lifetime (∼18 ns) due to spin-allowed doublet transitions.

Matrix-induced defects and molecular doping in the afterglow of SiO microparticles.

A deep understanding of how the host matrix influences the afterglow properties of molecule dopants is crucial for designing advanced afterglow materials. Despite its appeal, the impact of defects on the afterglow performance in molecule-doped SiO matrices has remained largely unexplored. Herein, we detail the synthesis of monodisperse SiO microparticles by hydrothermally doping molecules, such as 4-phenylpyridine, 4,4'-bipyridine, and 1,4-bis(pyrid-4-yl)benzene.

Opal-Inspired SiO-Mediated Carbon Dot Doping Enables the Synthesis of Monodisperse Multifunctional Afterglow Nanocomposites for Advanced Information Encryption.

Despite recent advancements in inorganic and organic phosphors, creating monodisperse afterglow nanocomposites (NCs) remains challenging due to the complexities of wet chemistry synthesis. Inspired by nanoinclusions in opal, we introduce a novel SiO-mediated carbon dot (CD) doping method for fabricating monodisperse, multifunctional afterglow NCs. This method involves growing a SiO shell matrix on monodisperse nanoparticles (NPs) and doping CDs into the SiO shell under hydrothermal conditions.

Edible Ultralong Organic Phosphorescent Excipient for Afterglow Visualizing the Quality of Tablets.

Stimuli-responsive ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) materials that in response to external factors such as light, heat, and atmosphere have raised a tremendous research interest in fields of optoelectronics, anticounterfeiting labeling, biosensing, and bioimaging. However, for practical applications in life and health fields, some fundamental requirements such as biocompatibility and biodegradability are still challenging for conventional inorganic and aromatic-based stimuli-responsive UOP systems. Herein, an edible excipient, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCC), of which UOP properties exhibit intrinsically multistimuli responses to excited wavelength, pressure, and moisture, is reported.

Functional adhesive hydrogels for biological interfaces.

Hydrogel adhesives are extensively employed in biological interfaces such as epidermal flexible electronics, tissue engineering, and implanted device. The development of functional hydrogel adhesives is a critical, yet challenging task since combining two or more attributes that seem incompatible into one adhesive hydrogel without sacrificing the hydrogel's pristine capabilities. In this Review, we highlight current developments in the fabrication of functional adhesive hydrogels, which are suitable for a variety of application scenarios, particularly those that occur underwater or on tissue/organ surface conditions.

Unusual quadruple bonds featuring collective interaction-type σ bonds between first octal-row atoms in the alkaline-earth compounds AeOLi (Ae = Be-Ba).

Quantum chemical calculations are reported for the complexes of alkaline earth metals AeOLi (Ae = Be-Ba) at the BP86-D3(BJ)/def2-QZVPP and CCSD(T)/def2-QZVPPQZVPP levels. The nature of the Ae-OLi bond has been analyzed with a variety of methods. The AeOLi molecules exhibit an unprecedented σ donor bond Ae→OLi where the ()s lone-pair electrons of the Ae atom are donated to vacant O-Li antibonding orbitals having the largest coefficient at lithium.

Correlating active sites and oxidative species in single-atom catalyzed Fenton-like reactions.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have gained widespread popularity in heterogeneous catalysis-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), owing to their optimal metal atom utilization efficiency and excellent recyclability by triggering reactive oxidative species (ROS) for target pollutant oxidation in water. Systematic summaries regarding the correlation between the active sites, catalytic activity, and reactive species of SACs have rarely been reported. This review provides an overview of the catalytic performance of carbon- and metal oxide-supported SACs in Fenton-like reactions, as well as the different oxidation pathways induced by the metal and non-metal active sites, including radical-based pathways (, ·OH and SO˙) and nonradical-based pathways ( O, high-valent metal-oxo species, and direct electron transfer).