Enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation by tuning hydrazone linkage density in covalent organic frameworks.

The conversion of solar energy into chemical energy or high-value chemicals has attracted considerable research interest in the context of the global energy crisis. Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is a versatile and powerful oxidizing agent widely used in chemical synthesis and medical disinfection. HO also serves as a clean energy source in fuel cells, generating electricity with zero-carbon emissions.

A Complete Description of the Ultrafast Proton Transfer Dynamics in the Excited State of D-Luciferin.

Excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) in organic photoacids is a widely studied phenomenon in which D-luciferin is of special mention, considering the fact that apart from its phenolic OH group, the nitrogen atoms at either of the two thiazole moieties could also participate in hydrogen bonding interactions with a proton-donating solvent during ESPT. As a result, several transient species could appear during the ESPT process. We hereby deploy subpicosecond time-resolved fluorescence upconversion (FLUP) and transient absorption (TA) spectroscopic techniques to understand the detailed photophysics of D-luciferin in water as well as in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and ethanol.

Microtubule-Targeting NAP Peptide-Ru(II)-polypyridyl Conjugate As a Bimodal Therapeutic Agent for Triple Negative Breast Carcinoma.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses significant treatment challenges due to its high metastasis, heterogeneity, and poor biomarker expression. The N-terminus of an octapeptide NAPVSIPQ () was covalently coupled to a carboxylic acid derivative of Ru(2,2'-bipy) () to synthesize an N-stapled short peptide-Rubpy conjugate (). This photosensitizer (PS) was utilized to treat TNBC through microtubule (MT) targeted chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Mesoporous NiFe2O4@g-C3N4-based p-n Heterostructures for Boosting Solar-Driven Photocatalytic Dye Degradation and Hydrogen Evolution.

Mass-fraction-optimized heterojunction composites featuring precisely engineered interfaces and mesoporous structures are crucial for improving light absorption, minimizing electron-hole recombination, and boosting overall catalytic efficiency. Herein, highly efficient mesoporous-NiFe2O4@g-C3N4 heterojunctions were developed by embedding p-type NiFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) within n-type porous ultrathin g-C3N4 (p-uCN) nanosheets. The optimized NiFe2O4@g-C3N4, loaded with 20wt% magnetic counterparts, exhibits exceptional photocatalytic methylene blue degradation, achieving the highest performance in both photocatalytic and photo-Fenton processes with rate constants of 0.

Current fluctuations in the symmetric zero-range process below and at critical density.

Characterizing current fluctuations in a steady state is of fundamental interest and has attracted considerable attention in the recent past. However, the bulk of the studies are limited to systems that either do not exhibit a phase transition or are far from criticality. Here we consider a symmetric zero-range process on a ring that is known to show a phase transition in the steady state.

Charge noise in low Schottky barrier multilayer tellurium field-effect transistors.

Creating van der Waals (vdW) homojunction devices requires materials with narrow bandgaps and high carrier mobilities for bipolar transport, which are crucial for constructing fundamental building blocks like diodes and transistors in a 2D architecture. Following the recent discovery of elemental 2D tellurium, here, we systematically investigate the electrical transport and flicker noise of hydrothermally grown multilayer tellurium field effect transistors. While the devices exhibit a dominant p-type behavior with high hole mobilities up to ∼242 cm V s at room temperature and almost linear current-voltage characteristics down to 77 K, ambipolar behavior was observed in some cases.

Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalysis.

The global energy crisis and environmental concerns are driving research into renewable energy and sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies. Solar energy, as an ideal sustainable resource, has significant potential to contribute to the goal of net-zero carbon emissions if effectively harnessed and converted into a reliable and storable form of energy. Photocatalysts have the potential to convert sunlight into chemical energy carriers.

Optical excitation and detection of high-frequency Sezawa modes in Si/SiO system decorated with NiFe nanodot arrays.

Surface acoustic waves have emerged as one of the potential candidates for the development of next-generation wave-based information and computing technologies. For practical devices, it is essential to develop the excitation techniques for different types of surface acoustic waves, especially at higher microwave frequencies, and to tailor their frequency versus wave vector characteristics. We show that this can be done by using ultrashort laser pulses incident on the surface of a multilayer decorated with a periodic array of metallic nanodots.

2025 Roadmap on 3D Nano-magnetism.

The transition from planar (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) magnetic nanostructures represents a significant advancement in both fundamental research and practical applications, offering vast potential for next-generation technologies like ultrahigh-density storage, memory, logic, and neuromorphic computing. Despite being a relatively new field, the emergence of 3D nanomagnetism presents numerous opportunities for innovation, prompting the creation of a comprehensive roadmap by leading international researchers. This roadmap aims to facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogue to address challenges in materials science, physics, engineering, and computing.

Excipient Induced Unusual Phase Separation in Bovine Serum Albumin Solution: An Explicit Role Played by Ion-Hydration.

We report an instantaneous room-temperature phase separation of 1 mM bovine serum albumin solution in the presence of (20% acetic acid+0.2 M NaCl), a routinely used food preservative; an opaque liquid-like phase (L) coexists in equilibrium with a granular gel like phase (G). Interestingly, neither 20% acetic acid nor 0.

Boosting quantum efficiency and suppressing self-absorption in CdS quantum dots through interface engineering.

Applications of photoluminescence (PL) from semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have faced the dichotomy of excitonic emission being susceptible to self-absorption and shallow defects reducing quantum yield (QY) catastrophically, and doped emissions sacrificing the tunability of the emission wavelength a quantum size effect, making it extremely challenging, if not impossible, to optimize all desirable properties simultaneously. Here we report a strategy that simultaneously optimizes all desirable PL properties in CdS QDs by leveraging interface engineering through the growth of two crystallographic phases, namely wurtzite and zinc blende phases, within individual QDs. These engineered interfaces result in sub-bandgap emissions ultrafast energy transfer (∼780 fs) from band-edge states to interface states protected from surface defects, enhancing stability and prolonging the PL lifetime.

Harmonically trapped inertial run-and-tumble particle in one dimension.

We study the nonequilibrium stationary state of a one-dimensional inertial run-and-tumble particle (IRTP) trapped in a harmonic potential. We find that the presence of inertia leads to two distinct dynamical scenarios, namely, overdamped and underdamped, characterized by the relative strength of the viscous and the trap timescales. We also find that inertial nature of the active dynamics leads to the particle being confined in specific regions of the phase plane in the overdamped and underdamped cases, which we compute analytically.

A Pleiotropic Nanomedicine Mitigates Splenic Hyperplasia, Ineffective Erythropoiesis, G6PDH Anomaly through Redox Buffering in Preclinical Mice Model.

Here, we present a pleiotropic nanomedicine-a smart, functionalized redox buffering nanoparticle-that may be used to treat hematological diseases, associated splenic hyperplasia, and issues related to restricted erythropoiesis. With a diameter of 5-7 nm, the spherical nanomaterial is made of manganese oxide and citrate. Here, we have produced the novel nanomaterial and, using cutting-edge electron microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, extensively assessed its redox buffering potential in vitro with its structural integrity.

Elucidating the molecular mechanism of noncompetitive inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by an antidiabetic drug chlorpropamide: identification of new allosteric sites.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has emerged as an important drug target for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent experimental studies indicate that certain antidiabetic drugs can be repurposed as potent AChE inhibitors. Enzymatic kinetic assays suggest that the antidiabetic drug chlorpropamide (CPM) acts as a noncompetitive inhibitor, but the mechanism of action and the binding site(s) of interaction with AChE are not known.

Topological Hall effect instigated in kagome MnSn due to Mn-deficit induced noncoplanar spin structure.

Magnetic topological semimetals are manifestations of the interplay between electronic and magnetic phases of matter, leading to peculiar characteristics such as the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and the topological Hall effect (THE). MnSn is a time-reversal symmetry-broken magnetic Weyl semimetal showing topological characteristics within the Kagome lattice network. This study reveals a large THE in MnSn (6% Mn deficit MnSn) at room temperature in the-plane, despite being an antiferromagnet.

Kinetic energy driven two-sublattice double-exchange: a general mechanism of magnetic exchange in transition metal compounds.

One of the most important phenomena in magnetism is the exchange interaction between magnetic centres. In this topical review, we focus on the exchange mechanism in transition-metal compounds and establish kinetic-energy-driven two-sublattice double-exchange as a general mechanism of exchange, in addition to well-known mechanisms like superexchange and double exchange. This mechanism, which was first proposed (Sarma20002549), in the context of SrFeMoO, a double-perovskite compound, later found to describe a large number of 3d and 4d or 5d transition metal-based double perovskites.

Ion-Pairing Propensity in Guanidinium Salts Dictates Their Protein (De)stabilization Behavior.

Since the proposition of the Hofmeister series, guanidinium (Gdm) salts hold a special mention in protein science owing to their contrasting effect on protein(s) depending on the counteranion(s). For example, while GdmCl is known to act as a potential protein denaturant, GdmSO offers minimal effect on protein structure. Despite the fact that theoretical studies reckon the formation of ion-pairing to be responsible for such behavior, experimental validation of this hypothesis is still in sparse.

Flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) disrupts histone acetylation during zebrafish maternal-to-zygotic transition.

3,3',5.5'-Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a widely used brominated flame-retardant. The objective of this study is to use zebrafish as a model and determine the effects of TBBPA exposure on early embryogenesis.

Anomalous relaxation and hyperuniform fluctuations in center-of-mass conserving systems with broken time-reversal symmetry.

We study the Oslo model, a paradigm for absorbing-phase transition, on a one-dimensional ring of L sites with a fixed global density ρ[over ¯]; we consider the system strictly above critical density ρ_{c}. Notably, microscopic dynamics conserve both mass and center of mass (CoM), but lack time-reversal symmetry. We show that, despite having highly constrained dynamics due to CoM conservation, the system exhibits diffusive relaxation away from criticality and superdiffusive relaxation near criticality.

Rational Design of Mesoporous ZnFeO@g-CN Heterojunctions for Environmental Remediation and Hydrogen Evolution.

Mesoporous catalysts with a high specific surface area, accessible pore structures, and appropriate band edges are desirable for optimal charge transfer across the interfaces, suppress electron-hole recombination, and promote redox reactions at the active sites. The present study demonstrates the rational design of mesoporous ZnFeO@g-CN magnetic nanocomposites (MNCs) with different pore sizes and pore volumes following a combination of facile thermal itching and thermal impregnation methods. The MNCs preserve the structural, morphological, and physical attributes of their counterparts while ensuring their effectiveness and superior catalytic capabilities.

Exploring the capabilities and limitations of the Van Hove function to understand directional correlations in ion movements within Li-ion battery electrolytes.

Understanding microscopic directional correlations in ion movements within lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrolytes is important because these correlations directly affect the ionic conductivity. Onsager transport coefficients are widely used to understand these correlations. On the other hand, the Van Hove function (VHF) is also capable of determining correlated motions.

From 'halogen' to 'tetrel' bonds: matrix isolation IR spectroscopic and quantum mechanical studies of the effect of central atom substitution in donor tetrahalogens on binary complex formation with formic acid.

Binary complex formation between silicon tetrachloride (SiCl) and formic acid (FA) has been observed in an argon matrix environment. Such complex formation manifests as spectral shifts in signature vibrations of the latter, namely the , and vibrations. Quantum chemical calculations reveal that the most stable conformers of the complex involve predominantly the tetrel bond, which has been defined in existing literature as a variant of the "σ-hole" interactions.