首页 > 期刊 > Chinese Chemical Letters
Communication
Achieving reusability of leachate for multi-element recovery of the discarded LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 cathode by regulating the co-precipitation coefficient
Liang Lou, Xuncheng Liu, Yuanyu Wang, Tao Hu, Zhongjie Wang, Houqiang Shi, Junkai Xiong, Siqi Jing, Liankang Ye, Qihui Guo, Xiang Ge
2025, 36(5): 109726  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109726
[摘要]  (226) [HTML全文] (226) [PDF 5526KB] (8)
摘要:
Conventional hydrometallurgy recycling process for treating wasted lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) typically results in the consumption of large amounts of corrosive leachates. Recent research on reusable leachate is expected to significantly improve the economic and environmental benefits, but is usually limited to specific and unique chemical reactions which could only apply to one type of metal elements. Herein, we report the co-extraction of multiple metal elements can be extracted without adding precipitates by mixed crystal co-precipitation, which enables the reusability of the leachate. We show that an oxalic acid (OA): choline chloride (ChCl): ethylene glycol (EG) type DES leachate system can leach transition metals from wasted LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (NCM) cathode materials with satisfactory efficiency (The time required for complete leaching at 120 ℃ is 1.5 h). The transition metals were then efficiently extracted (with a recovery efficiency of over 96% for all elements) by directly adding water without precipitants. Noteworthy, the leachate can be efficiently recovered by directly evaporating the added water. The successful realization of reusability of leachate for the synergistic extraction of multiple elements relies on the regulation of the mixed crystal co-precipitation coefficient, which is realized by rationally design the reaction condition (composition of leachate, temperature and time) and induces the extraction of originally soluble manganese element. Our strategy is expected to be generally applicable and highly competent for industrial applications.
Eco-friendly aqueous binder derived from waste ramie for high-performance Li-S battery
Shuang Ma, Guangying Wan, Zhuoying Yan, Xuecheng Liu, Tiezhu Chen, Xinmin Wang, Jinhang Dai, Juan Lin, Tiefeng Liu, Xingxing Gu
2025, 36(5): 109853  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109853
[摘要]  (139) [HTML全文] (139) [PDF 5077KB] (3)
摘要:
Even the sulfur cathode in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery has the advantages of high theoretical energy density, wide source of raw materials, no pollution to the environment, and so on. It still suffers the sore points of easy electrode collapse due to large volume expansion during charge and discharge and low active materials utilization caused by the severe shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Therefore, in this work, ramie gum (RG) was extracted from ramie fiber degumming liquid and used as the functional binder to address the above problems and improve the Li-S battery's performance for the first time. Surprisingly, the sulfur cathode using RG binder illustrates a high initial capacity of 1152.2 mAh/g, and a reversible capacity of 644.6 mAh/g after 500 cycles at 0.5 C, far better than the sulfur cathode using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) binder. More importantly, even if the active materials loading increased to as high as 4.30 mg/cm2, the area capacity is still around 3.1 mAh/cm2 after 200 cycles. Such excellent performances could be attributed to the abundant oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups of RG that can effectively inhibit the shuttle effect of LiPSs, as well as the excellent viscosity and mechanical properties that can maintain electrode integrity during long-term charging/discharging. This work verifies the feasibility of RG as an eco-friendly and high-performance Li-S battery binder and provides a new idea for the utilization of agricultural biomass resources.
Identifying key determinants of discharge capacity in ternary cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries
Xiangyue Li, Dexin Zhu, Kunmin Pan, Xiaoye Zhou, Jiaming Zhu, Yingxue Wang, Yongpeng Ren, Hong-Hui Wu
2025, 36(5): 109870  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109870
[摘要]  (129) [HTML全文] (129) [PDF 2657KB] (1)
摘要:
Although lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) currently dominate a wide spectrum of energy storage applications, they face challenges such as fast cycle life decay and poor stability that hinder their further application. To address these limitations, element doping has emerged as a prevalent strategy to enhance the discharge capacity and extend the durability of Li-Ni-Co-Mn (LNCM) ternary compounds. This study utilized a machine learning-driven feature screening method to effectively pinpoint four key features crucially impacting the initial discharge capacity (IC) of Li-Ni-Co-Mn (LNCM) ternary cathode materials. These features were also proved highly predictive for the 50th cycle discharge capacity (EC). Additionally, the application of SHAP value analysis yielded an in-depth understanding of the interplay between these features and discharge performance. This insight offers valuable direction for future advancements in the development of LNCM cathode materials, effectively promoting this field toward greater efficiency and sustainability.
Molybdenum-glycerate@zeolitic imidazolate framework spheres derived hierarchical nitrogen-doped carbon-encapsulated bimetallic selenides heterostructures for improved lithium-ion storage
Ming Zhong, Xue Guo, Yang Liu, Kun Zhao, Hui Peng, Suijun Liu, Xiaobo Zhang
2025, 36(5): 109873  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109873
[摘要]  (160) [HTML全文] (160) [PDF 6467KB] (1)
摘要:
In this work, the synthesis of uniform zeolitic imidazolate framework-coated Mo-glycerate spheres and their subsequent conversion into hierarchical architecture containing bimetallic selenides heterostructures and nitrogen-doped carbon shell are reported. Selenization temperature plays a significant role in determining the phases, morphology, and lithium-ion storage performance of the composite. Notably, the optimal electrode demonstrates an ultrahigh reversible capacity of 1298.2 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 0.2 A/g and an outstanding rate capability with the capacity still maintained 505.7 mAh/g after 300 cycles at 1.0 A/g, surpassing the calculated theoretical capacity according to individual component and most of the reported MoSe@C- or ZnSe@C-based anodes. Furthermore, ex-situ X-ray diffraction patterns reveal the combined conversion and alloying reaction mechanisms of the composite.
S-doped carbonized wood fiber decorated with sulfide heterojunction-embedded S, N-doped carbon microleaf arrays for efficient high-current-density oxygen evolution
Bin Zhao, Heping Luo, Jiaqing Liu, Sha Chen, Han Xu, Yu Liao, Xue Feng Lu, Yan Qing, Yiqiang Wu
2025, 36(5): 109919  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109919
[摘要]  (128) [HTML全文] (128) [PDF 6827KB] (0)
摘要:
Industrial high-current-density oxygen evolution catalyst is the key to accelerating the practical application of hydrogen energy. Herein, Co9S8/CoS heterojunctions were rationally encapsulated in S, N-codoped carbon ((Co9S8/CoS)@SNC) microleaf arrays, which are rooted on S-doped carbonized wood fibers (SCWF). Benefiting from the synergistic electronic interactions on heterointerfaces and the accelerated mass transfer by array structure, the obtained self-supporting (Co9S8/CoS)@SNC/SCWF electrode exhibits superior performance toward alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with an ultra-low overpotential of 274 mV at 1000 mA/cm2, a small Tafel slope of 48.84 mV/dec, and ultralong stability up to 100 h. Theoretical calculations show that interfacing Co9S8 with CoS can upshift the d-band center of the Co atoms and strengthen the interactions with oxygen intermediates, thereby favoring OER performance. Furthermore, the (Co9S8/CoS)@SNC/SCWF electrode shows outstanding rechargeability and stable cycle life in aqueous Zn-air batteries with a peak power density of 201.3 mW/cm2, exceeding the commercial RuO2 and Pt/C hybrid catalysts. This work presents a promising strategy for the design of high-current-density OER electrocatalysts from sustainable wood fiber resources, thus promoting their practical applications in the field of electrochemical energy storage and conversion.
Facile synthesis of phenazine-conjugated polymer material with extraordinary proton-storage redox capability
Renyuan Wang, Lei Ke, Houxiang Wang, Yueheng Tao, Yujie Cui, Peipei Zhang, Minjie Shi, Xingbin Yan
2025, 36(5): 109920  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109920
[摘要]  (142) [HTML全文] (142) [PDF 3452KB] (1)
摘要:
Aqueous proton batteries (APBs) embody a compelling alternative in the realm of economical and reliable energy technologies by virtue of their distinctive "Grotthuss mechanism". Sustainable production and adjustable molecular structure make organic polymers a promising choice for APB electrodes. However, inadequate proton-storage redox capability currently hinders their practical implementation. To address this issue, we introduce a pioneering phenazine-conjugated polymer (PPZ), synthesized through a straightforward polymerization process, marking its debut in APB applications. The inclusion of N-heteroaromatic fused-ring in the extended π-conjugated framework not only prevents the dissolution of redox-active units but also refines the energy bandgap and electronic properties, endowing the PPZ polymer with both structural integrity and enhanced redox activity. Consequently, the PPZ polymer as an electrode material achieves a remarkable proton-storage capacity of 211.5 mAh/g, maintaining a notable capacity of 158.3 mAh/g even under a high rate of 8 A/g with a minimal capacity fade of merely 0.00226% per cycle. The rapid, stable and impressive redox behavior is further elucidated through in-situ techniques and theoretical calculations. Ultimately, we fabricate an APB device featuring satisfactory electrochemical attributes with an extraordinary longevity over 10,000 cycles, thereby affirming its auspicious potential for eminent applications.
Electronic modulation of VN on Co5.47N as tri-functional electrocatalyst for constructing zinc-air battery to drive water splitting
Xinxin Zhang, Zhijian Liang, Xu Zhang, Qian Guo, Ying Xie, Lei Wang, Honggang Fu
2025, 36(5): 109935  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109935
[摘要]  (153) [HTML全文] (153) [PDF 13951KB] (3)
摘要:
Developing effective strategy for constructing the electrocatalysts enable tri-functional electrocatalytic activity of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the premise to achieve both the zinc-air battery (ZAB) and overall water splitting. Herein, we utilize density functional theory to calculate the cobalt nitride (CoxN, x = 1, 2, 4, 5.47) system, revealing that the Co5.47N maybe exhibits a tri-functional activity due to the diverse valence states and high-density d-electron state of Co site. Furthermore, the electron of Co site is further delocalized by the electronic compensation effect of vanadium nitride (VN), thus improving the intermediates absorption and electrocatalytic activity. Accordingly, the Co5.47N/VN heterojunction is designed and synthesized via an electrospinning and a subsequent pyrolysis route. As expected, it displays excellent HER, OER, and ORR activity in alkaline electrolyte, which can be applied to assemble ZAB with a high power density of 207 mW/cm2 and overall water splitting system only requires a lower voltage of 1.53 V to achieve 10 mA/cm2. The electron regulation effect of VN makes the Co valence state decrease in the reduction reaction whereas increase in the oxidization reaction as evidenced by quasi-operando XPS analyses. Importantly, two ZABs connected in series could drive overall water splitting, indicating the potential application in renewable energy technologies.
Design and fabrication of CuI/CuII-MOF-incorporated hydrogel photocatalysts for synergy removal of Cr(VI) and congo red
Quanquan Li, Chenzhu Zhao, Shanshan Jia, Qiang Chen, Xusheng Li, Mengyao She, Hua Liu, Ping Liu, Yaoyu Wang, Jianli Li
2025, 36(5): 109936  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109936
[摘要]  (114) [HTML全文] (114) [PDF 3572KB] (0)
摘要:
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide great prospective in the photodegradation of pollutants. Nevertheless, the poor separation and recovery hamper their pilot- or industrial-scare applications because of their microcrystalline features. Herein, this challenge can be tackled by integrating Cu-MOFs into an alginate substrate to offer environmentally friendly, sustainable, facile separation, and high-performance MOF-based hydrogel photocatalysis platforms. The CuII-MOF 1 and CuI-MOF 2 were initially synthesized through a direct diffusion and single-crystal to single-crystal (SCSC) transformation method, respectively, and after the immobilization into alginate, more effective pollutant decontamination was achieved via the synergistic effect of the adsorption feature of hydrogel and in situ photodegradation of Cu-MOFs. Specifically, Cu-MOF-alginate composites present an improved and nearly completed Cr(VI) elimination at a short time of 15–25 min. Additionally, the congo red (CR) decolorization can be effectively enhanced in the presence of Cr(VI), and 1-alginate showed superior simultaneous decontamination efficiency of CR and Cr(VI) with 99% and 78%, respectively. Furthermore, Cu-MOF-alginate composites can maintain a high pollutant removal after over 10 continuous cycles (95% for Cr(VI) after 14 runs, and 90% for CR after 10 runs). Moreover, the Cr(VI)/CR degradation mechanism for Cu-MOF-alginate composite was investigated.
Auto-tandem CO2 reduction by reconstructed Cu imidazole framework isomers: Unveiling pristine MOF-mediated CO2 activation
Xiang-Da Zhang, Jian-Mei Huang, Xiaorong Zhu, Chang Liu, Yue Yin, Jia-Yi Huang, Yafei Li, Zhi-Yuan Gu
2025, 36(5): 109937  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109937
[摘要]  (152) [HTML全文] (152) [PDF 4002KB] (0)
摘要:
Cu-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are widely employed in CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR). Mostly, the in-situ reconstructed derivatives such as Cu or Cu oxides during CO2RR are regarded as the catalytic active center for the formation of catalytic products. However, in many cases, the pristine MOFs still exist during the catalytic process, the key role of these pristine MOFs is often ignored in revealing the catalytic mechanism. Here, we designed two Cu(imidazole) with different coordination environments, namely CuN2 and Cu2N4 for CO2RR. The structures of the two MOFs were still remained after the catalytic reaction. We discovered that the pristine MOFs served as activation catalysts for converting CO2 into CO. Sequentially, the Cu-based derivatives, in the two cases, Cu(111) converted the CO into C2+ products. The CuN2 with more exposed Cu-N centers showed a higher FECO and a higher final FEC2+ than Cu2N4. This auto-tandem catalytic mechanism was supported by electrocatalytic performance, TPD-CO, HRTEM, SAED, XPS, in-situ XANES and XES and DFT computation. The auto-tandem catalytic mechanism provides a new route to design Cu-based MOF electrocatalysts for high product selectivity in CO2RR.
Highly selective QCM sensor based on functionalized hierarchical hollow TiO2 nanospheres for detecting ppb-level 3-hydroxy-2-butanone biomarker at room temperature
Siqi Sun, Cheng Zhao, Zhaohuan Zhang, Ding Wang, Xinru Yin, Jingting Han, Jinlei Wei, Yong Zhao, Yongheng Zhu
2025, 36(5): 109939  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109939
[摘要]  (130) [HTML全文] (130) [PDF 5657KB] (0)
摘要:
Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a dangerous foodborne pathogen for humans. One emerging and validated method of indirectly assessing LM in food is detecting 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3H2B) gas. In this study, the synthesis of 3-(2-aminoethylamino) propyltrimethoxysilane (AAPTMS) functionalized hierarchical hollow TiO2 nanospheres was achieved via precise controlling of solvothermal reaction temperature and post-grafting route. The sensors based on as-prepared materials exhibited excellent sensitivity (480 Hz@50 ppm), low detection limit (100 ppb), and outstanding selectivity. Moreover, the evaluation of LM with high sensitivity and specificity was achieved using the sensors. Such stable three-dimensional spheres, whose distinctive hierarchical and hollow nanostructure simultaneously improved both sensitivity and response/recovery speed dramatically, were spontaneously assembled by nanosheets. Meanwhile, the moderate loadings of AAPTMS significantly improved the selectivity of sensors. Then, the gas-sensing mechanism was explored by utilizing thermodynamic investigation, Gaussian 16 software, and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared transform spectroscopy, illustrating the weak chemisorption between the -NH- group and 3H2B molecules. These portable sensors are promising for real-time assessment of LM at room temperature, which will make a magnificent contribution to food safety.
Ultrathin NiS2 nanocages with hierarchical-flexible walls and rich grain boundaries for efficient oxygen evolution reaction
Chupeng Luo, Keying Su, Shan Yang, Yujia Liang, Yawen Tang, Xiaoyu Qiu
2025, 36(5): 109940  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109940
[摘要]  (117) [HTML全文] (117) [PDF 4805KB] (0)
摘要:
Shape control of nickel sulfide (NiS2) catalysts is beneficial for boosting their catalytic performances, which is vital to their practical application as a class of advanced non-noble electro-catalysts. However, precisely controlling the formation kinetics and fabricate ultrathin NiS2 nanostructures still remains challenge. Herein, we provide an injection rate-mediated method to fabricate ultrathin NiS2 nanocages (HNCs) with hierarchical walls, high-density lattice defects and abundant grain boundaries (GBs). Through mechanism analysis, we find the injection rate determines the concentration of S2− in the steady state and thus control the growth pattern, leading to the formation of NiS2 HNCs at slow etching kinetics and NiCo PBA@NiS2 frames at fast etching kinetics, respectively. Benefiting from the ultrathin and hierarchical walls that minimize the mass transport restrictions, the high-density lattice defects and GBs that offer abundant unsaturated reaction sites, the NiS2 HNCs exhibit obviously enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability toward OER, with overpotential of 255 mV to reach 10 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope of 27.44 mV/dec, surpassing the performances of NiCo PBA@NiS2 frames and commercial RuO2.
P2-type low-cost and moisture-stable cathode for sodium-ion batteries
Xuan Wang, Peng Sun, Siteng Yuan, Lu Yue, Yufeng Zhao
2025, 36(5): 110015  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110015
[摘要]  (131) [HTML全文] (131) [PDF 4305KB] (0)
摘要:
Mn-based P2-type oxides are considered as promising cathodes for Na-ion batteries; however, they face significant challenges, including structural degradation when charged at high cutoff voltages and structural changes upon storing in a humid atmosphere. In response to these issues, we have designed an oxide with co-doping of Cu and Al which can balance both cost and structural stability. The redox reaction of Cu2+/3+ can provide certain charge compensation, and the introduction of Al can further suppress the Jahn-Teller effect of Mn, thereby achieving superior long-term cycling performance. The ex-situ XRD testing indicates that Cu/Al co-doping can effectively suppress the phase transition of P2-O2 at high voltage, thereby explaining the improvement in electrochemical performance. DFT calculations reveal a high chemical tolerance to moisture, with lower adsorption energy for H2O compared to pure Na0.67Cu0.25Mn0.75O2. A representative Na0.67Cu0.20Al0.05Mn0.75O2 cathode demonstrates impressive reversible capacities of 148.7 mAh/g at 0.2 C, along with a remarkable capacity retention of 79.1% (2 C, 500 cycles).
Shellac-based capsule for long-term controlled releasing urea with a broad soil pH tolerance
Liang-Yu Chang, Li-Ju Xu, Dong Qiu
2025, 36(5): 110034  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110034
[摘要]  (141) [HTML全文] (141) [PDF 3397KB] (1)
摘要:
Environmentally friendly slow-release fertilizers are highly desired in sustainable agriculture. Encapsulating fertilizers can routinely achieve controlled releasing performances but suffers from short-term effectiveness or environmental unfriendliness. In this work, a bio-derived shellac incorporated with poly-dodecyl trimethoxysilane (SL-PDTMS) capsule was developed for long-term controlled releasing urea. Due to enhanced hydrophobicity and thus water resistance, the SL-PDTMS encapsulated urea fertilizer (SPEU) demonstrated a long-term effectiveness of 60 d, compared with SL encapsulated urea fertilizer (SEU, 30 d) and pure urea fertilizer (U, 5 min). In addition, SPEU showed a broad pH tolerance from 5.0 to 9.0, covering most various soil pH conditions. In the pot experiments, promoted growth of maize seedlings was observed after applying SPEU, rendering it promising as a high-performance controlled-released fertilizer.
An ESIPT-boosted NIR nanoprobe for ratiometric sensing of carbon monoxide via activatable aggregation-induced dual-color fluorescence
Min Liu, Bin Feng, Feiyi Chu, Duoyang Fan, Fan Zheng, Fei Chen, Wenbin Zeng
2025, 36(5): 110043  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110043
[摘要]  (144) [HTML全文] (144) [PDF 6446KB] (0)
摘要:
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a crucial gaseous signaling molecule that regulates various physiological and pathological processes, and may exert an anti-inflammatory and protective role in drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Despite this, understanding the exact relationship between CO and the occurrence and development of DILI remains challenging. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop a reliable and robust tool for the rapid visual detection and assessment of CO in this context. Herein, we presented a novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanoprobe with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) characteristics for the detection and imaging of CO both in vitro and in vivo. Simultaneously, the nanoprobe enables self-assembly form nanoaggregates in aqueous media with high biocompatible, which can sense CO in situ through the conversion of yellow-to-red fluorescence facilitated aggregation-induced dual-color fluorescence. What is more, this nanoprobe shows ratiometric respond to CO, which demonstrates excellent stability, high sensitivity (with a detection limit of 12.5 nmol/L), and superior selectivity. Crucially, this nanoprobe enables the visual detection of exogenous and endogenous CO in living cells and tissues affected by DILI, offering a user-friendly tool for real-time visualization of CO in living system. Hence, it holds great promise in advancing our understanding of CO's role.
In situ synthesis of MnO2 micro/nano-adjuvants for enhanced immunotherapy of breast tumors
Kun Chen, Huimin Lin, Xin Peng, Ziying Wu, Jingyue Dai, Yi Sun, Yaxuan Feng, Ziyi Huang, Zhiqiang Yu, Meng Yu, Guangyu Yao, Jigang Wang
2025, 36(5): 110045  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110045
[摘要]  (116) [HTML全文] (116) [PDF 5522KB] (0)
摘要:
This study presents an approach to enhanced cancer immunotherapy through the in situ synthesis of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) derived manganese dioxide (MnO2) micro/nano-adjuvants. Addressing the limitations of traditional immunotherapy due to patient variability and the complexity of the tumor microenvironment, our research establishes KMnO4 as a potent immunomodulator that enhances the efficacy of anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (αPD-L1) antibodies. The in situ synthesized MnO2 adjuvants in the tumor exhibit direct interactions with biological systems, leading to the reduction of MnO2 to Mn2+ within the tumor, and thereby improving the microenvironment for immune cell activity. Our in vitro and in vivo models demonstrate KMnO4’s capability to induce concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in tumor cells, triggering DNA damage and apoptosis. It also potentiates immunogenic cell death by upregulating calreticulin and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) on the cell surface. The combination of KMnO4 with αPD-L1 antibodies substantially inhibits tumor growth, promotes dendritic cell maturation, and enhances CD8+ T cell infiltration, resulting in a significant phenotypic shift in tumor-associated macrophages towards a pro-inflammatory M1 profile. Our findings advocate for further research into the long-term efficacy of KMnO4 and its application in diverse tumor models, emphasizing its potential to redefine immune checkpoint blockade therapy and offering a new vista in the fight against cancer.
Targeting TRPA1 with liposome-encapsulated drugs anchored to microspheres for effective osteoarthritis treatment
Yulin Chen, Guangchao Wang, Fengjin Zhou, Zhifeng Yin, Fuming Shen, Weizong Weng, Hao Zhang, Yingying Jiang, Xinru Liu, Yonghui Deng, Yuan Chen, Ke Xu, Jiacan Su
2025, 36(5): 110053  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110053
[摘要]  (159) [HTML全文] (159) [PDF 7360KB] (0)
摘要:
Crucial for mediating inflammation and the perception of pain, the ion channel known as transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) holds significant importance. It contributes to the increased production of cytokines in the inflammatory cells of cartilage affected by osteoarthritis and represents a promising target for the treatment of this condition. By leveraging the unique advantages of liposomes, a composite microsphere drug delivery system with stable structural properties and high adaptability can be developed, providing a new strategy for osteoarthritis (OA) drug therapy. The liposomes as drug reservoirs for TRPA1 inhibitors were loaded into hyaluronic acid methacrylate (HAMA) hydrogels to make hydrogel microspheres via microfluidic technology. An in vitro inflammatory chondrocyte model was established with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) to demonstrate HAMA@Lipo@HC's capabilities. A destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) mouse model was also created to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular injections for treating OA. HAMA@Lipo@HC has a uniform particle-size distribution and is injectable. The drug encapsulation rate was 64.29% ± 2.58%, with a sustained release period of 28 days. Inhibition of TRPA1 via HC-030031 effectively alleviated IL-1β-induced chondrocyte inflammation and matrix degradation. In DMM model OA mice, microspheres showed good long-term sustained drug release properties, improved joint inflammation microenvironment, reduced articular cartilage damage and decreased mechanical nociceptive threshold. This research pioneers the creation of a drug delivery system tailored for delivery into the joint cavity, focusing on TRPA1 as a therapeutic target for osteoarthritis. Additionally, it offers a cutting-edge drug delivery platform aimed at addressing diseases linked to inflammation.
Injectable hydrogel-based tumor vaccine with fibrotic tumor immune microenvironment remodeling to prevent breast cancer postoperative recurrence and metastases
Honghao Sun, Huimin Zhao, Ronghui Yin, Chenxi Zhou, Ming Wu, Yueyang Deng, Zhanwei Zhou, Minjie Sun
2025, 36(5): 110067  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110067
[摘要]  (167) [HTML全文] (167) [PDF 5769KB] (0)
摘要:
Postoperative recurrence and metastasis are still the main challenges of cancer therapy. Tumor vaccines that induce potent and long-lasting immune activation have great potential for postoperative cancer therapy. However, the clinical effects of therapeutic tumor vaccines are unsatisfactory due to immune escape caused by the lack of immunogenicity after surgery and the local fibrosis barrier of the tumor which limits effector T cell infiltration. To overcome these challenges, we developed an injectable hydrogel-based tumor vaccine, RATG, which contains whole tumor cell lysates (TCL), Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist imiquimod (R837) and an antifibrotic drug ARV-825. TCL and R837 were loaded onto the hydrogel to achieve a powerful reservoir of antigens and adjuvants that induced potent and lasting immune activation. More importantly, ARV-825 could be slowly and sustainably released in the tumor resection cavity to downregulate α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen levels, disintegrate fibrosis barriers and promote T cell infiltration after immune activation to reduce immune escape. In addition, ARV-825 also directly acted on the remaining tumor cells to degrade bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) which is a critical epigenetic reader overexpressed in tumor cells, inhibiting tumor cell migration and invasion. Therefore, our injectable hydrogel created a powerful immune niche in postoperative tumor resection cavity, significantly enhancing the efficacy of tumor vaccines. Our strategy potently activates the immune system and disintegrates the fibrotic barrier of residual tumors with immune microenvironment remodeling in situ, showing anti-recurrence and anti-metastatic effects, and provides a new paradigm for postoperative treatment of tumors.
Ultrafast crystallinity engineering of PtCo3 alloy for enhanced oxygen reduction reaction
Xiaoya Cui, Yanchang Liu, Qiang Li, He Zhu, Shibo Xi, Jianrong Zeng
2025, 36(5): 110069  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110069
[摘要]  (140) [HTML全文] (140) [PDF 5210KB] (0)
摘要:
Efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) show significant importance for advancing the performance and affordability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells and other energy conversion devices. Herein, PtCo3 nanoalloys dispersed on a carbon black support, were prepared using ultrafast Joule heating method. By tuning the heating modes, such as high-temperature shock and heating for 2 s, two kinds of PtCo3 nanoalloys with varying crystallinities were obtained, referred to as PtCo3HTS (average size of 5.4 nm) and PtCo3HT-2 s (average size of 6.4 nm), respectively. Impressively, PtCo3HTS exhibited superior electrocatalytic ORR activity and stability (E1/2 = 0.897 V vs. RHE and 36 mV negative shift after 50, 000 cycles), outperforming PtCo3HT-2 s (E1/2 = 0.872 V and 16.2 mV negative shift), as well as the commercial Pt/C (20 wt%) catalyst (E1/2 = 0.847 V and 21.0 mV negative shift). The enhanced ORR performance of PtCo3HTS may be attributed to its low crystallinity, which results in an active local electronic structure and chemical state, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses. The ultrafast Joule heating method showed great potential for crystallinity engineering, offering a promising pathway to revolutionize the manufacturing of cost-effective and environmentally friendly catalysts for clean energy applications.
Highly efficient green light-excited AIE photosensitizers derived from BF2-curcuminoid for specific photodynamic eradication of Gram-negative bacteria
Ziyong Li, Jinzhao Song, Xinyu Gao, Xiaoxie Ma, Keyu Liu, Ziwei Ma, Qilian Wang, Xinliang Zeng, Haining Zhang, Pei Zhang, Hui Guo, Jun Yin
2025, 36(5): 110073  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110073
[摘要]  (117) [HTML全文] (117) [PDF 3350KB] (0)
摘要:
Diseases associated with bacterial infection, especially those caused by gram-negative bacteria, have been posing a serious threat to human health. Photodynamic therapy based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizer have recently emerged and provided a promising approach for bacterial discrimination and efficient photodynamic antimicrobial applications. However, they often suffer from the shorter excitation wavelength and lower molar extinction coefficients in the visible region, severely limiting their further applications. Herein, three novel BF2-curcuminoid-based AIE photosensitizers, TBBC, TBC and TBBC-C8, have been rationally designed and successfully developed, in which OCH3- and OC8H17-substituted tetraphenylethene (TPE) groups serve as both electron donor (D) and AIE active moieties, BF2bdk group functions as electron acceptor (A), and styrene (or ethylene) group as π-bridge in this D-π-A-π-D system, respectively. As expected, these resulting BF2-curcuminoids presented solvent-dependent photophysical properties with large molar extinction coefficients in solutions and excellent AIE properties. Notably, TBBC showed an effective singlet oxygen generation efficiency thanks to the smaller singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEST), and remarkable photostability under green light exposure at 530 nm (8.9 mW/cm2). More importantly, TBBC was demonstrated effectiveness in selective staining and photodynamic killing of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in vitro probably due to its optimal molecular size compared with TBC and TBBC-C8. Therefore, TBBC will have great potential as a novel AIE photosensitizer to apply in the discrimination and selective sterilization between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Rationally designed an innovative proximity labeling near-infrared fluorogenic probe for imaging of peroxynitrite in acute lung injury
Dandan Tang, Ningge Xu, Yuyang Fu, Wei Peng, Jinsheng Wu, Heng Liu, Fabiao Yu
2025, 36(5): 110082  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110082
[摘要]  (124) [HTML全文] (124) [PDF 5278KB] (0)
摘要:
Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious clinical condition with a high mortality rate. Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of ALI. ONOO is a key mediator that exacerbates oxidative damage and microvascular permeability in ALI. Accurate detection of ONOO would facilitate early diagnosis and intervention in ALI. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) probes offer new solutions due to their sensitivity, depth of tissue penetration, and imaging capabilities. However, the developed ONOO fluorescent probes face problems such as interference from other reactive oxygen species and easy intracellular diffusion. To address these issues, we introduced an innovative self-immobilizing NIRF probe, DCI2F-OTf, which was capable of monitoring ONOO in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, leveraging the high reactivity of the methylene quinone (QM) intermediate, DCI2F-OTf was able to covalently label proteins in the presence of ONOO, enabling in situ imaging. In mice models of ALI, DCI2F-OTf enabled real-time imaging of ONOO levels and found that ONOO was tightly correlated with the progression of ALI. Our findings demonstrated that DCI2F-OTf was a promising chemical tool for the detection of ONOO, which could help to gain insight into the pathogenesis of ALI and monitor treatment efficacy.
Apatinib potentiates doxorubicin with cRGD-functionalized pH-sensitive micelles against glioma
Hongyi Huang, Siyao Che, Wenjie Zhou, Yunchu Zhang, Weiling Zhuo, Xijing Yang, Songping Zheng, Jiagang Liu, Xiang Gao
2025, 36(5): 110084  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110084
[摘要]  (146) [HTML全文] (146) [PDF 5501KB] (0)
摘要:
Glioma is a severe malignant brain tumor marked by an exceedingly dire prognosis and elevated incidence of recurrence. The resilience of such tumors to chemotherapeutic agents, coupled with the formidable obstacle the blood-brain barrier (BBB) presents to most pharmacological interventions are major challenges in anti-glioma therapy. In an endeavor to surmount these impediments, we have synergized pH-sensitive nanoparticles carrying doxorubicin and apatinib to amplify the anti-neoplastic efficacy with cyclic arginine–glycine–aspartate acid (cRGD) modification. In this study, we found that the combination of doxorubicin (DOX) and apatinib (AP) showed a significant synergistic effect, achieved through cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis, which might be due to the increased intracellular uptake of DOX following AP treatment. Besides, polycaprolactone-polyethylene glycol-cRGD (PCL-PEG-cRGD) drug carrier could cross the BBB by its targeting ability, and then deliver the drug to the glioma site via pH-responsive release, increasing the concentration of the drugs in the tumor. Meanwhile, DOX/AP-loaded PCL-PEG-cRGD nanoparticles effectively inhibited cell proliferation, enhanced glioma cell apoptosis, and retarded tumor growth in vivo. These results collectively identified DOX/AP-loaded PCL-PEG-cRGD nanoparticles as a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of glioma.
Enhanced ferroptosis by a nanoparticle mimicking hemoglobin coordinate pattern with self-supplying hydrogen peroxide
Yan Gao, Zi-Lin Song, Shuang Yu, Xiu-Li Zhao, Da-Wei Chen, Ming-Xi Qiao
2025, 36(5): 110097  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110097
[摘要]  (141) [HTML全文] (141) [PDF 7535KB] (0)
摘要:
Insufficient endogenous H2O2 for generation of hydroxyl radicals (OH) has strikingly compromised anti-tumor benefits of ferroptosis. Herein, we develop a H2O2 self-supplying nanoparticle based on a pH-responsive lipopeptide C18-pHis10. Inspired by the coordinate pattern of hemoglobin binding heme, Fe2+ and tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) were delicately encapsulated by formation of coordination compounds with His. Ascorbgyl palmitate (AscP) was also incorporated into the nanoparticles for generation of H2O2 by reduction 1O2 produced from TCPP, meanwhile prevented Fe2+ from being oxidized. The protonation of pHis in acidic endo-lysosome induced the breakage of Fe2+/His/TCPP coordinate interactions, leading to accelerated release of payloads and the following escape to cytoplasm. Upon laser irradiation, TCPP produces excessive 1O2 followed by conversion to H2O2 in the presence of AscP, which is further catalyzed to lethal OH by Fe2+ via Fenton reaction. The self-supplying H2O2 was found to result significantly higher accumulation of lipid peroxides and more effective tumor inhibition. Overall, this work sheds new a light on H2O2 self-supplying strategy to enhance ferroptosis by taking advantage of 1O2 generated by photodynamic therapy (PDT).
NIR-II emissive aza-BODIPY-based nanoparticles for triggering glioblastoma apoptosis in brain
Mengjie Gao, Zhiqiang Cui, Yue Shen, Yikun Li, Dongxiang Zhang, Xiaoyan Gao, Yaguang Sun, Xin-Dong Jiang, Jianjun Du, Xiaohong Sun
2025, 36(5): 110098  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110098
[摘要]  (133) [HTML全文] (133) [PDF 8196KB] (0)
摘要:
D-D'-A type aza-borondipyrromethenes (aza-BODIPYs) were prepared by Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. Photothermal conversion efficiency of self-assemble aza-BODIPY-based nanoparticles (DA-azaBDP-NPs) with NIR-II emission (λem = 1065 nm) was 37.2% under near infrared (NIR) irradiation, and the outstanding cytotoxicity was triggered by coexistence of DA-azaBDP-NPs and the NIR irradiation, with the decrease of glioblastoma migration and the inhibition of glioblastoma proliferation. DA-azaBDP-NPs could promote glioblastoma autophagy and accelerate the process of cell death. The photothermal therapy (PTT) of DA-azaBDP-NPs can effectively induce glioblastoma death by apoptosis under the NIR irradiation, which is highly promising to be applied in vivo experiments of brain.
Ultra-high signal-to-noise ratio near-infrared chemiluminescent probe for in vivo sensing singlet oxygen
Meiling Zhao, Yao Lu, Yutao Zhang, Haoyun Xue, Zhiqian Guo
2025, 36(5): 110105  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110105
[摘要]  (138) [HTML全文] (138) [PDF 3696KB] (0)
摘要:
Singlet oxygen (1O2), as the primary reactive oxygen species in photodynamic therapy, can effectively induce excessive oxidative stress to ablate tumors and kill germs in clinical treatment. However, monitoring endogenous 1O2 is greatly challenging due to its extremely short lifetime and high reactivity in biological condition. Herein, we report an ultra-high signal-to-ratio near-infrared chemiluminescent probe (DCM-Cy) for the precise detection of endogenous 1O2 during photodynamic therapy (PDT). The methoxy moiety was removed from enolether unit in DCM-Cy to suppress the potential self-photooxidation reaction, thus greatly eliminating the photoinduced background signals during PDT. Additionally, the compact cyclobutane modification of DCM-Cy resulted in a significant 6-fold increase in cell permeability compared to conventional adamantane-dioxane probes. Therefore, our "step-by-step" strategy for DCM-Cy addressed the limitations of traditional chemiluminescent (CL) probes for 1O2, enabling effectively tracking of endogenous 1O2 level changes in living cells, pathogenic bacteria and mice in PDT.
Differential releasing hydrogel loaded with oncolytic viruses and anti-CAFs drug to enhance oncology therapeutic efficacy
Xiaoyu Hou, Mingyang Liu, Hu Wu, Nan Wang, Xu Zhao, Xifeng Qin, Xiaomin Su, Hanwei Huang, Zihan Ma, Jiahao Liu, Onder Ergonul, Füsun Can, Wei Liu, Zhiqing Pang, Funan Liu
2025, 36(5): 110106  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110106
[摘要]  (144) [HTML全文] (144) [PDF 9586KB] (0)
摘要:
Interstitial hypertension and extracellular matrix (ECM) barriers imposed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) at the tumor site significantly impede the retention of intratumorally administered oncolytic viruses (OVs) as well as their efficacy in infecting and eradicating tumor cells. Herein, a stable, controllable, and easily prepared hydrogel was developed for employing a differential release strategy to deliver OVs. The oncolytic herpes simplex virus-2 (oH2) particles were loaded within sodium alginate (ALG), together with the small molecule drug PT-100 targeting CAFs. The rapid release of PT-100 functions as an anti-CAFs agent, reducing ECM, and alleviating interstitial pressure at the tumor site. Consequently, the delayed release of oH2 could more effectively invade and eradicate tumor cells while also facilitating enhanced infiltration of immune cells into the tumor microenvironment, thereby establishing an immunologically favorable milieu against tumors. This approach holds significant potential for achieving highly efficient oncolytic virus therapy with minimal toxicity, particularly in tumors rich in stromal components.
Multi-dimensional hydrogen bonds regulated emissions of single-molecule system enabling surficial hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity mapping
Hao Gu, Rui Li, Qiuying Li, Sheng Lu, Yahui Chen, Xiaoning Yang, Huili Ma, Zhijun Xu, Xiaoqiang Chen
2025, 36(5): 110116  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110116
[摘要]  (124) [HTML全文] (124) [PDF 4898KB] (0)
摘要:
Constructing multi-dimensional hydrogen bond (H-bond) regulated single-molecule systems with multi-emission remains a challenge. Herein, we report the design of a new excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) featured chromophore (HBT-DPI) that shows flexible emission tunability via the multi-dimensional regulation of intra- and intermolecular H-bonds. The feature of switchable intramolecular H-bonds is induced via incorporating several hydrogen bond acceptors and donors into one single HBT-DPI molecule, allowing the "turn on/off" of ESIPT process by forming isomers with distinct intramolecular H-bonds configurations. In response to different external H-bonding environments, the obtained four types of crystal/cocrystals vary in the contents of isomers and the molecular packing modes, which are mainly guided by the intermolecular H-bonds, exhibiting non-emissive features or emissions ranging from green to orange. Utilizing the feature of intermolecular H-bond guided molecular packing, we demonstrate the utility of this fluorescent material for visualizing hydrophobic/hydrophilic areas on large-scale heterogeneous surfaces of modified poly(1,1-difluoroethylene) (PVDF) membranes and quantitatively estimating the surface hydrophobicity, providing a new approach for hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity monitoring and measurement. Overall, this study represents a new design strategy for constructing multi-dimensional hydrogen bond regulated ESIPT-based fluorescent materials that enable multiple emissions and unique applications.
Ratiometric NIR-Ⅱ fluorescent organic nanoprobe for imaging and monitoring tumor-activated photodynamic therapy
Baoli Yin, Xinlin Liu, Zhe Li, Zhifei Ye, Youjuan Wang, Xia Yin, Sulai Liu, Guosheng Song, Shuangyan Huan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110119  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110119
[摘要]  (124) [HTML全文] (124) [PDF 5641KB] (0)
摘要:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising approach for tumor treatment due to its non-invasiveness and high selectivity. However, the off-target activation of phototoxicity and the limited availability of tumor-specific biomarkers pose challenges for effective PDT. Here, we present the development of a novel ratiometric near-infrared-Ⅱ (NIR-Ⅱ) fluorescent organic nanoprobe, BTz-IC@IR1061, which responds specifically to hypochlorite (HClO) within tumors. This nanoprobe allows ratiometric fluorescence imaging to monitor and guide activated tumor PDT. BTz-IC@IR1061 nanoparticles were synthesized by codoping the small molecule dye BTz-IC, which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), with the commercial dye IR1061. The presence of HClO selectively activates the fluorescence and photodynamic properties of BTz-IC while destroying IR1061, enabling controlled release of ROS for tumor therapy. We demonstrated the high selectivity of the nanoprobe for HClO, as well as its excellent photostability, photoacoustic imaging capability, and photothermal effects. Furthermore, in vivo studies revealed effective tumor targeting and remarkable tumor growth inhibition through tumor-activated PDT. Our findings highlight the potential of BTz-IC@IR1061 as a promising tool for tumor-specific PDT, providing new opportunities for precise and controlled cancer therapy.
Direct observation of natural products bound to protein based on UHPLC-ESI-MS combined with molecular dynamics simulation
Jinqi Yang, Xiaoxiang Hu, Yuanyuan Zhang, Lingyu Zhao, Chunlin Yue, Yuan Cao, Yangyang Zhang, Zhenwen Zhao
2025, 36(5): 110128  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110128
[摘要]  (126) [HTML全文] (126) [PDF 3338KB] (0)
摘要:
The bioactive constituents found in natural products (NPs) are crucial in protein-ligand interactions and drug discovery. However, it is difficult to identify ligand molecules from complex NPs that specifically bind to target protein, which often requires time-consuming and labor-intensive processes such as isolation and enrichment. To address this issue, in this study we developed a method that combines ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS) with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to identify and observe, rapidly and efficiently, the bioactive components in NPs that bind to specific protein target. In this method, a specific protein target was introduced online using a three-way valve to form a protein-ligand complex. The complex was then detected in real time using high-resolution MS to identify potential ligands. Based on our method, only 10 molecules from green tea (a representative natural product), including the commonly reported epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG), as well as the previously unreported eepicatechin (4β→8)-epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (EC-EGCG) and eepiafzelechin 3-O-gallate-(4β→8)-epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (EFG-EGCG), were screened out, which could form complexes with Aβ1–42 (a representative protein target), and could be potential ligands of Aβ1–42. Among of them, EC-EGCG demonstrated the highest binding free energy with Aβ1–42 (−68.54 ± 3.82 kcal/mol). On the other side, even though the caffeine had the highest signal among green tea extracts, it was not observed to form a complex with Aβ1–42. Compared to other methods such as affinity selection mass spectrometry (ASMS) and native MS, our method is easy to operate and interpret the data. Undoubtedly, it provides a new methodology for potential drug discovery in NPs, and will accelerate the research on screening ligands for specific proteins from complex NPs.
Adaptive emission profile of transformable fluorescent probes as fingerprints: A typical application in distinguishing different surfactants
Guangying Wang, Qinglong Qiao, Wenhao Jia, Yiyan Ruan, Kai An, Wenchao Jiang, Xuelian Zhou, Zhaochao Xu
2025, 36(5): 110130  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110130
[摘要]  (125) [HTML全文] (125) [PDF 5090KB] (0)
摘要:
The overuse of surfactants has made them well-known environmental pollutants. So far, it is still a challenge to simultaneously distinguish cationic, anionic, zwitterionic, nonionic surfactants and surfactants with similar structures based on traditional analytical techniques. We developed a high-throughput method for distinguishing various surfactants based on the adaptive emission profile as fingerprints (AEPF). The fluorescence response of the sensor was based on the interaction between surfactants and 1,3-diacetylpyrene (o-DAP) probe. The interaction affected the reversible conversion of free molecules and two aggregates in the solution, thereby changing the relative abundance and the fluorescence intensity ratio of two aggregates emitting different fluorescence. The o-DAP sensor can distinguish four types of surfactants (16 surfactants), especially surfactants of the same type with similar structures. The o-DAP sensor sensitively determined the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 16 surfactants based on the interaction between o-DAP and surfactants. Additionally, the o-DAP sensor can detect and distinguish artificial vesicles made from different surfactants.
Biomimetic nanofibrillar/hyaluronic acid hydrogels remodel the neuromodulatory microenvironment for enhanced bone regeneration
Jielin Wang, Han Ye, Bozhuang Zhou, Zhen Pan, Yucai Li, Zhenyuan Wei, Bin Chai, Yizhou Gao, Xiaojian Ye, Jiangming Yu
2025, 36(5): 110133  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110133
[摘要]  (165) [HTML全文] (165) [PDF 13352KB] (2)
摘要:
Severe traumatic bone healing relies on the involvement of growth factors. However, excessive supplementation of growth factors can lead to ectopic ossification and inflammation. In this study, utilizing the neural regulatory mechanism of bone regeneration, we have developed a multifunctional three dimensions (3D) printed scaffold containing both vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and nerve growth factor (NGF) as an effective new method for achieving bone defect regeneration. The scaffold is provided by a controlled biodegradable and biomechanically matched poly(lactide-ethylene glycol-trimethylene carbonate) (PLTG), providing long-term support for the bone healing cycle. Factor loading is provided by peptide fiber-reinforced biomimetic antimicrobial extracellular matrix (ECM) (B-ECM) hydrogels with different release kinetics, the hydrogel guides rapid bone growth and resists bacterial infection at the early stage of healing. Physical and chemical characterization indicates that the scaffold has good structural stability and mechanical properties, providing an ideal 3D microenvironment for bone reconstruction. In the skull defect model, compared to releasing VIP or NGF alone, this drug delivery system can simulate a natural healing cascade of controllable release factors, significantly accelerating nerve/vascular bone regeneration. In conclusion, this study provides a promising strategy for implanting materials to repair bone defects by utilizing neuroregulatory mechanisms during bone regeneration.
Discovery of a self-assembling small molecule that sequesters RNA-binding proteins
Hyoseok Kim, Changyi Cui, Kohei Toh, Genyir Ado, Tetsuya Ogawa, Yixin Zhang, Shin-ichi Sato, Yong-Beom Lim, Hiroki Kurata, Lu Zhou, Motonari Uesugi
2025, 36(5): 110135  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110135
[摘要]  (133) [HTML全文] (133) [PDF 2803KB] (0)
摘要:
Biomolecular condensates, also known as membraneless organelles, play a crucial role in cellular organization by concentrating or sequestering biomolecules. Despite their importance, synthetically mimicking these organelles using non-peptidic small organic molecules has posed a significant challenge. The present study reports the discovery of D008, a self-assembling small molecule that sequesters a unique subset of RNA-binding proteins. Analysis and screening of a comprehensive collection of approximately 1 million compounds in the Chinese National Compound Library (Shanghai) identified 44 self-assembling small molecules in aqueous solutions. Subsequent screening of the focused library, coupled with proteome analysis, led to the discovery of D008 as a small organic molecule with the ability to condensate a specific subset of RNA-binding proteins. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the D008-induced sequestration of RNA-binding proteins impeded mRNA translation. D008 may offer a unique opportunity for studying the condensations of RNA-binding proteins and for developing an unprecedented class of small molecules that control gene expression.
Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids prevent epithelial-mesenchymal transition-mediated diabetic fibrosis by targeting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Yujie Zhu, Ruijianghan Shi, Weitong Lu, Yang Chen, Yunfeng Lin, Sirong Shi
2025, 36(5): 110140  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110140
[摘要]  (154) [HTML全文] (154) [PDF 9119KB] (1)
摘要:
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is recognized as a severe complication in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM), posing a significant burden for global health. Major characteristics of DKD kidneys include tubulointerstitial oxidative stress, inflammation, excessive extracellular matrix deposition, and progressing renal fibrosis. However, current treatment options are limited and cannot offer enough efficacy, thus urgently requiring novel therapeutic approaches. Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNAs) are a novel type of self-assembled DNA nanomaterial with excellent structural stability, biocompatibility, tailorable functionality, and regulatory effects on cellular behaviors. In this study, we established an in vitro high glucose (HG)-induced human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) pro-fibrogenic model and explored the antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic capacity of tFNAs and the potential molecular mechanisms. tFNAs not only effectively alleviated oxidative stress through reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging and activating the serine and threonine kinase (Akt)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway but also inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in diabetic HK-2 cells. Additionally, tFNAs significantly downregulated the expression of Collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), two representative biomarkers of pro-fibrogenic myofibroblasts in the renal tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, we found that tFNAs exerted this function by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, preventing the occurrence of EMT and fibrosis. The findings of this study demonstrated that tFNAs are naturally endowed with great potential to prevent fibrosis progress in DKD kidneys and can be further combined with emerging pharmacotherapies, providing a secure and efficient drug delivery strategy for future DKD therapy.
Computation assisted chemical study of photo-induced late-stage skeleton transformation of marine natural products towards new scaffolds with biological functions
Quan Xu, Ye-Qing Du, Pan-Pan Chen, Yili Sun, Ze-Nan Yang, Hui Zhang, Bencan Tang, Hong Wang, Jia Li, Yue-Wei Guo, Xu-Wen Li
2025, 36(5): 110141  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110141
[摘要]  (133) [HTML全文] (133) [PDF 3565KB] (0)
摘要:
A computer-assisted chemical investigation of an intriguing photoreaction of norditerpenoids (37) has been first reported, leading to not only their biomimetic conversion, but also the generation of several new products with uncommon 4,14-dioxabicyclo[10.2.1]pentadecane scaffold (8, 9, 1214). In bioassay, compounds 10 and 15 exhibited significant stimulation of GLP-1 secretion. This study has given an insight for the application of computational methods on the late-stage skeleton transformation of complex natural products towards new bioactive compounds.
Glycoengineering-assistant biomineralization for tumor blockade therapy
Yang Liu, Minglu Li, Jianxun Ding, Xuesi Chen
2025, 36(5): 110146  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110146
[摘要]  (145) [HTML全文] (145) [PDF 4629KB] (0)
摘要:
Tumor blockade therapy inhibits tumor progression by cutting off essential supplies of nutrients, oxygen, and biomolecules from the surrounding microenvironments. Inspired by natural processes, tumor biomineralization has evolved due to its biocompatibility, self-reinforcing capability, and penetration-independent mechanism. However, the selective induction of tumor biomineralization using synthetic tools presents a significant challenge. Herein, a metabolic glycoengineering-assistant tumor biomineralization strategy was developed. Specifically, the azido group (N3) was introduced onto the cytomembrane by incubating tumor cells with glycose analog Ac4ManNAz. In addition, a bisphosphonate-containing polymer, dibenzocyclooctyne-poly(ethylene glycol)-alendronate (DBCO-PEG-ALN, DBPA) was synthesized, which attached to the tumor cell surface via "click chemistry" reaction between DBCO and N3. Subsequently, the bisphosphonate group on the cell surface chelated with positively charged ions in the microenvironments, triggering a consecutive process of biomineralization. This physical barrier significantly reduced tumor cell viability and mobility in a calcium ion concentration-dependent manner, suggesting its potential as an effective anti-tumor strategy for in vivo applications.
Near-infrared fluorescent probe with large Stokes shift and long emission wavelength for rapid diagnosis of lung cancer via aerosol inhalation delivery
Wenping Dong, Mo Ma, Jingkang Li, Lanlan Xu, Dejiang Gao, Pinyi Ma, Daqian Song
2025, 36(5): 110147  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110147
[摘要]  (112) [HTML全文] (112) [PDF 2812KB] (0)
摘要:
The aggressive nature and high mortality rate of lung cancer underscore the imperative need for early diagnosis of the disease. Thus, aminopeptidase N (APN), a potential biomarker for lung cancer, should be thoroughly investigated in this context. This report describes the development of HA-apn, a novel near-infrared fluorescent probe, specifically engineered for the sensitive detection of endogenous APN. Characterized by its high selectivity, straightforward molecular architecture, and suitable optical properties, including a long-wavelength emission at 835 nm and a large Stokes shift of 285 nm, HA-apn had high efficacy in identifying overexpressed APN in tumor cells, which shows its potential in pinpointing malignancies. To further validate its applicability and effectiveness in facilitating the direct and enhanced visualization of pulmonary alterations, an in situ lung cancer mouse model was employed. Notably, HA-apn was applied for in vivo imaging of APN activity in the lung cancer mouse model receiving the probe through aerosol inhalation, and rapid and precise diagnostic results were achieved within 30 min post-administration. Overall, HA-apn can be applied as an effective, non-intrusive tool for the rapid and accurate detection of pulmonary conditions.
Structure elucidation of plumerubradins A–C: Correlations between 1H NMR signal patterns and structural information of [2+2]-type cyclobutane derivatives
Yu Xiong, Li-Jun Hu, Jian-Guo Song, Di Zhang, Yi-Shuang Peng, Xiao-Jun Huang, Jian Hong, Bin Zhu, Wen-Cai Ye, Ying Wang
2025, 36(5): 110149  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110149
[摘要]  (176) [HTML全文] (176) [PDF 2908KB] (3)
摘要:
[2+2]-Type cyclobutane derivatives comprise a large family of natural products with diverse molecular architectures. However, the structure elucidation of the cyclobutane ring, including its connection mode and stereochemistry, presents a significant challenge. Plumerubradins A–C (13), three novel iridoid glycoside [2+2] dimers featuring a highly functionalized cyclobutane core and multiple stereogenic centers, were isolated from the flowers of Plumeria rubra. Through biomimetic semisynthesis and chemical degradation of compounds 13, synthesis of phenylpropanoid-derived [2+2] dimers 710, combined with extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and microcrystal electron diffraction experiments, the structures with absolute configurations of 13 were unequivocally elucidated. Furthermore, quantum mechanics-based 1H NMR iterative full spin analysis successfully established the correlations between the signal patterns of cyclobutane protons and the structural information of the cyclobutane ring in phenylpropanoid-derived [2+2] dimers, providing a diagnostic tool for the rapid structural elucidation of [2+2]-type cyclobutane derivatives.
Two-dimensional design strategy to construct smart dual-responsive fluorescent probe for the precise tracking of ischemic stroke
Jiayu Zeng, Minhui Liu, Ting Yang, Jia Huang, Songjiao Li, Wanting Zhang, Dan Cheng, Longwei He, Jia Zhou
2025, 36(5): 110166  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110166
[摘要]  (115) [HTML全文] (115) [PDF 6181KB] (0)
摘要:
Early recognition is key to improving the prognosis of ischemic stroke (IS), while available imaging methods tend to target events that have already undergone ischemia. A new method to detect early IS is urgently needed, as well as further study of its mechanisms. Viscosity and cysteine (Cys) levels of mitochondria have been associated with ferroptosis and IS. It is possible to identify IS and ferroptosis accurately and early by monitoring changes in mitochondrial Cys and viscosity simultaneously. In this work, a viscosity/Cys dual-responsive mitochondrial-targeted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (NVCP) was constructed for the precise tracking of IS using a two-dimensional design strategy. NVCP consists of a chromophore dyad containing diethylaminostyrene quinolinium rotor and chloro-sulfonylbenzoxadiazole (SBD-Cl) derivative with two easily distinguished emission bands (λem = 592 and 670 nm). NVCP performs the way of killing two birds with one stone, that is, the probe exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity for detecting viscosity and Cys in living cells with excellent biocompatibility and accurate mitochondrial targeting capability by dual channel imaging mode. In addition, NVCP recognized that the viscosity increases and Cys level decreases in cells when undergoing ferroptosis and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) stress by confocal imaging, flow cytometry, and Western blot experiments. Treatment of ferroptosis inhibitors (ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) and deferoxamine (DFO)) could reverse the variation tendency of viscosity and Cys. This is the first time that the relationship between ferroptosis and IS was identified through an analysis of Cys and viscosity. More importantly, the ischemic area was also instantly distinguished from normal tissues through fluorescence imaging of NVCP in vivo. The developed NIR dual-responsive probe NVCP toward viscosity and Cys could serve as a sensitive and reliable tool for tracking ferroptosis-related pathological processes during IS.
Ru(Ⅱ)-based aggregation-induced emission (AIE) agents with efficient 1O2 generation, photo-catalytic NADH oxidation and anticancer activity
Yunli Xu, Xuwen Da, Lei Wang, Yatong Peng, Wanpeng Zhou, Xiulian Liu, Yao Wu, Wentao Wang, Xuesong Wang, Qianxiong Zhou
2025, 36(5): 110168  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110168
[摘要]  (131) [HTML全文] (131) [PDF 5781KB] (0)
摘要:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has received much attention in recent years. However, traditional photosensitizers (PSs) applied in PDT usually suffer from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect in H2O, single and inefficient photochemical mechanism of action (MoA), poor cancer targeting ability, etc. In this work, two novel Ru(Ⅱ)-based aggregation-induced emission (AIE) agents (Ru1 and Ru2) were developed. Both complexes exhibited long triplet excited lifetimes and nearly 100% singlet oxygen quantum yields in H2O. In addition, Ru1 and Ru2 displayed potent photo-catalytic reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidation activity with turnover frequency (TOF) values of about 1779 and 2000 h−1, respectively. Therefore, both Ru1 and Ru2 showed efficient PDT activity towards a series of cancer cells. Moreover, Ru2 was further loaded in bovine serum albumin (BSA) to enhance the tumor targeting ability in vivo, and the obtained Ru2@BSA could selectively accumulate in tumor tissues and effectively inhibit tumor growth on a 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model. So far as we know, this work represents the first report about Ru(Ⅱ) AIE agents that possess high singlet oxygen quantum yields and also potent photo-catalytic NADH oxidation activity, and may provide new ideas for rational design of novel PSs with efficient PDT activity.
A β-lapachone-loaded iron-polyphenol nanocomplex enhances chemodynamic therapy through cascade amplification of ROS in tumor
Xueying Shi, Xiaoxuan Zhou, Bing Xiao, Hongxia Xu, Wei Zhang, Hongjie Hu, Shiqun Shao, Zhuxian Zhou, Youqing Shen, Xiaodan Xu, Jianbin Tang
2025, 36(5): 110178  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110178
[摘要]  (157) [HTML全文] (157) [PDF 5943KB] (0)
摘要:
Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), using Fenton agents to generate highly cytotoxic OH from H2O2 has been demonstrated as a powerful anticancer method. However, the insufficient endogenous H2O2 in tumor cells greatly limited its therapeutic effect. Herein, we prepared a pH-responsive β-lapachone-loaded iron-polyphenol nanocomplex (LIPN) through a one-pot method. β-Lapachone in LIPN selectively enhanced H2O2 concentration in tumor cells, and ferrous ions cascadely generated abundant cytotoxic OH. Therefore, LIPN with cascade amplification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) showed high chemodynamic cytotoxicity in tumor cells, efficiently improving the expression of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and exerting strong immunogenic cell death (ICD). As a result, LIPN exhibited efficient tumor inhibition ability in 4T1 subcutaneous tumor model in vivo with great biocompatibility. Additionally, the infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes and inhibition of regulatory CD4+ FoxP3+ T lymphocytes in tumors demonstrated the activation of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by LIPN-induced ICD. Therefore, this work provided a new approach to enhance ICD of chemodynamic therapy through selective cascade amplification of ROS in cancer cells.
Modulating single-atom Co and oxygen vacancy coupled motif for selective photodegradation of glyphosate wastewater to circumvent toxicant residue
Jinshu Huang, Zhuochun Huang, Tengyu Liu, Yu Wen, Jili Yuan, Song Yang, Hu Li
2025, 36(5): 110179  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110179
[摘要]  (165) [HTML全文] (165) [PDF 8382KB] (0)
摘要:
The typical wastewater treatment is focused on the photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of organic pollutants, with little attention to the involved selectivity which may correlate with toxicant residues. Herein, an electron localization strategy for specific O2 adsorption/activation enabled by photothermal/pyroelectric effect and in situ constructed active centers of single-atom Co and oxygen vacancy (Co-OV) on the Co/BiOCl-OV photocatalyst was developed for photocatalytic degradation of glyphosate (GLP) wastewater of high performance/selectivity. Under full-spectrum-light irradiation, a high GLP degradation rate of 99.8% with over 90% C‒P bond-breaking selectivity was achieved within 2 h, while effectively circumventing toxicant residues such as aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). X-ray absorption spectroscopy and relevant characterizations expounded the tailored anchoring of Co single atoms onto the BiOCl-OV carrier and photothermal/pyroelectric effect. The oriented formation of more O2 on Co/BiOCl-OV could be achieved with the Co-OV coupled center that had excellent O2 adsorption/activation capacity, as demonstrated by quantum calculations. The formed unique Co-OV active sites could largely decrease the C‒P bond-breaking energy barrier, thus greatly improving the selectivity toward the initial C‒P bond scission and the activity in subsequent conversion steps in the directional photocatalytic degradation of GLP. The electron localization strategy by in situ constructing the coupled active centers provides an efficient scheme and new insights for the low-toxic photodegradation of organic pollutants containing C‒X bonds.
Efficient serum lipids profiling by TiO2-dopamin-assisted MALDI-TOF MS for breast cancer detection
Xinyue Han, Yunhan Yang, Jiayin Lu, Yuxiang Lin, Dongxue Zhang, Ling Lin, Liang Qiao
2025, 36(5): 110183  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110183
[摘要]  (158) [HTML全文] (158) [PDF 3363KB] (0)
摘要:
Lipids serve as fundamental constituents of cell membranes and organelles. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of lipids as biomarkers in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Although liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is widely employed for lipid analysis in complex samples, it suffers from limitations such as complexity and time-consuming procedures. In this study, we have developed dopamine-modified TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-DA) and applied the materials to assist the analysis of lipids by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The TiO2-DA can provide large specific surface area and acidic environment, well suited for lipid analysis. The method was initially validated using standard lipid molecules. Good sensitivity, reproducibility and quantification performance was observed. Then, the method was applied to the analysis of 90 serum samples from 30 patients with breast cancer, 30 patients with benign breast disease and 30 healthy controls. Five lipid molecules were identified as potential biomarkers for breast cancer. We constructed a classification model based on the MALDI-TOF MS signal of the 5 lipid molecules, and achieved high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the differentiation of breast cancer from benign breast disease and healthy control. We further collected another 60 serum samples from 20 healthy controls, 20 patients with benign breast disease and 20 patients with breast cancer for MALDI-TOF MS analysis to verify the accuracy of the classification model. This advancement holds great promise for the development of diagnostic models for other lipid metabolism-related diseases.
The synthesis and evaluation of novel BPA derivatives for enhanced blood-brain barrier penetration and boron neutron capture therapy
Shushan Mo, Zhaoshuo Wang, Dandan Ding, Zhengzheng Yan, Yunlu Dai, Jinchao Zhang, Huifang Liu, Tianjiao Liang, Jianfei Tong, Zhenhua Li, Xueyi Wang
2025, 36(5): 110190  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110190
[摘要]  (155) [HTML全文] (155) [PDF 2447KB] (0)
摘要:
Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has emerged as a promising treatment for cancers, offering a unique approach to selectively target tumor cells while sparing healthy tissues. Despite its clinical utility, the widespread use of fructose-BPA (F-BPA) has been hampered by its limited ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and potential risks for patients with certain complications such as diabetes, hyperuricemia, and gout, particularly with substantial dosages. Herein, a series of novel BPA derivatives were synthesized. After the primary screening, geniposide-BPA (G-BPA) and salidroside-BPA (S-BPA) exhibited high water solubility, low cytotoxicity and safe profiles for intravenous injection. Furthermore, both G-BPA and S-BPA had demonstrated superior efficacy in vitro against the 4T1 cell line compared with F-BPA. Notably, S-BPA displayed optimal BBB penetration capability, as evidenced by in vitro BBB models and glioblastoma models in vivo, surpassing all other BPA derivative candidates. Meanwhile, G-BPA also exhibited enhanced performance relative to the clinical drug F-BPA. In brief, G-BPA and S-BPA, as novel BPA derivatives, demonstrated notable safety profiles and remarkable boron delivery capabilities, thereby offering promising therapeutic options for BNCT in the clinic.
Lipid droplets and gallbladder targeted fluorescence probe for ratiometric NO imaging in gallstones disease models
Zhoupeng Zheng, Shengyi Gong, Qianhua Li, Shiya Zhang, Guoqiang Feng
2025, 36(5): 110191  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110191
[摘要]  (117) [HTML全文] (117) [PDF 4946KB] (0)
摘要:
Gallstones are a common disease worldwide, often leading to obstruction and inflammatory complications, which seriously affect the quality of life of patients. Research has shown that gallstone disease is associated with ferroptosis, lipid droplets (LDs), and abnormal levels of nitric oxide (NO). Fluorescent probes provide a sensitive and convenient method for detecting important substances in life systems and diseases. However, so far, no fluorescent probes for NO and LDs in gallstone disease have been reported. In this work, an effective ratiometric fluorescent probe LR-NH was designed for the detection of NO in LDs. With an anthracimide fluorophore and a secondary amine as a response site for NO, LR-NH exhibits high selectivity, sensitivity, and attractive ratiometric capability in detecting NO. Importantly, it can target LDs and shows excellent imaging ability for NO in cells and ferroptosis. Moreover, LR-NH can target the gallbladder and image NO in gallstone disease models, providing a unique and unprecedented tool for studying NO in LDs and gallbladder.
Improved hydrogen and oxygen evolution rates in Pt@TiO2@RuO2 hollow nanoshells through dielectric Mie resonance and spatial cocatalyst separation
Xiaxi Yao, Xiuli Hu, Fangcheng Huang, Xuhong Wang, Xuekun Hong, Dawei Wang
2025, 36(5): 110192  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110192
[摘要]  (157) [HTML全文] (157) [PDF 2673KB] (0)
摘要:
Photocatalytic overall water splitting is a promising method for producing clean hydrogen energy, but faces challenges such as low light utilization efficiency and high charge carrier recombination rates. This study demonstrates that dielectric Mie resonance in TiO2 hollow nanoshells can enhance electric field intensity and increase light absorption through resonant energy transfer, compared to crushed TiO2 nanoparticles. The Mie resonance effect was confirmed through fluorescence spectra, photo-response current measurements, photocatalytic water splitting experiments, and Mie calculation. The incident electric-field amplitude was doubled in hollow nanoshells, allowing for increased light trapping. Additionally, the spatially separated Pt and RuO2 cocatalysts on the inner and outer surfaces facilitated the separation of photoinduced electrons and holes. Pt@TiO2@RuO2 hollow nanoshells exhibited superior photocatalytic water splitting performance, with a stable H2 generation rate of 50.1 µmol g−1 h−1 and O2 evolution rate of 25.1 µmol g−1 h−1, outperforming other nanostructures such as TiO2, Pt@TiO2, and TiO2@RuO2 hollow nanoshells. This study suggests that dielectric Mie resonance and spatially-separated cocatalysts offer a new approach to simultaneously enhance light absorption and charge carrier transfer in photocatalysis.
Pt/Ti3C2 electrode material used for H2S sensor with low detection limit and high stability
Huakang Zong, Xinyue Li, Yanlin Zhang, Faxun Wang, Xingxing Yu, Guotao Duan, Yuanyuan Luo
2025, 36(5): 110195  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110195
[摘要]  (146) [HTML全文] (146) [PDF 4453KB] (0)
摘要:
Traditional Pt/C electrode materials are prone to corrosion and detachment during H2S detection, leading to a decrease in fuel cell-type sensor performance. Here, a high-performance H2S sensor based on Pt loaded Ti3C2 electrode material with -O/-OH terminal groups was designed and prepared. Experimental tests showed that the Pt/Ti3C2 sensor has good sensitivity (0.162 µA/ppm) and a very low detection limit to H2S (10 ppb). After 90 days of stability testing, the response of the Pt/Ti3C2 sensor shows a smaller decrease of 2% compared to that of the Pt/C sensor (22.9%). Meanwhile, the sensor also has high selectivity and repeatability. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation combined with the experiment results revealed that the improved H2S sensing mechanism is attributed to the fact that the strong interaction between Pt and Ti3C2 via the Pt-O-Ti bonding can reduce the formation energy of Pt and Ti3C2, ultimately prolonging the sensor’s service life. Furthermore, the catalytic property of Pt can decrease the adsorption energy and dissociation barrier of H2S on Pt/Ti3C2 surface, greatly enhance the ability to generate protons and effectively transfer charges, realizing good sensitivity and high selectivity of the sensor. The sensor works at room temperature, making it very promising in the field of H2S detection in future.
Terpolymers of alkyl methacrylate-trans anethole-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride copolymers: A low dosage and high-efficiency cold flow improver for diesel fuel
Bowen Xu, Jiahao Chen, Lulu Cui, Xinyue Li, Yuan Xue, Sheng Han
2025, 36(5): 110196  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110196
[摘要]  (147) [HTML全文] (147) [PDF 2445KB] (0)
摘要:
The addition of cold flow improvers (CFIs) is considered as the optimum strategy to improve the cold flow properties (CFPs) of diesel fuels, but this strategy is always limited by the required large dosage. To obtain low-dosage and high-efficiency CFIs for diesel, 1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (THPA) was introduced as a third and polar monomer to enhance the depressive effects of alkyl methacrylate-trans anethole copolymers (C14MC-TA). The terpolymers of alkyl methacrylate-trans anethole-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (C14MC-TA-THPA) were synthesized and compared with the binary copolymers of C14MC-TA and alkyl methacrylate-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (C14MC-THPA). Results showed that C14MC -THPA achieved the best depressive effects on the cold filter plugging point (CFPP) and solid point (SP) by 11 ℃ and 16 ℃ at a dosage of 1250 mg/L and monomer ratio of 6:1, while 1500 mg/L C14MC-TA (1:1) reached the optimal depressive effects on the CFPP and SP by 12 ℃ and 18 ℃. THPA introduction significantly improved the depressive effects of C14MC-TA. Lower dosages of C14MC-TA-THPA in diesel exerted better improvement effects on the CFPP and SP than that of C14MC-TA and C14MC-THPA. When the monomer ratio and dosage were 6:0.6:0.4 and 1000 mg/L, the improvement effect of C14MC-TA-THPA on diesel reached the optimum level, and the CFPP and SP were reduced by 13 ℃ and 19 ℃, respectively. A 3D nonlinear surface diagram fitted by a mathematical model was also used for the first time to better understand the relationships of monomer ratios, dosages, and depressive effects of CFIs in diesel. Surface analysis results showed that C14MC-TA-THPA achieved the optimum depressive effects at a monomer ratio of 6:0.66:0.34 and dosage of 1000 mg/L, and the CFPP and SP decreased by 14 ℃ and 19 ℃, respectively. The predicted results were consistent with the actual ones. Additionally, the improvement mechanism of these copolymers in diesel was also explored.
Solar-light-driven photocatalytic degradation and detoxification of ciprofloxacin using sodium niobate nanocubes decorated g-C3N4 with built-in electric field
Hui Wang, Haodong Ji, Dandan Zhang, Xudong Yang, Hanchun Chen, Chunqian Jiang, Weiliang Sun, Jun Duan, Wen Liu
2025, 36(5): 110200  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110200
[摘要]  (147) [HTML全文] (147) [PDF 7810KB] (0)
摘要:
Simultaneous degradation and detoxification during pharmaceutical and personal care product removal are important for water treatment. In this study, sodium niobate nanocubes decorated with graphitic carbon nitride (NbNC/g-C3N4) were fabricated to achieve the efficient photocatalytic degradation and detoxification of ciprofloxacin (CIP) under simulated solar light. NaNbO3 nanocubes were in-situ transformed from Na2Nb2O6·H2O via thermal dehydration at the interface of g-C3N4. The optimized NbNC/g-C3N4–1 was a type-Ⅰ heterojunction, which showed a high conduction band (CB) level of −1.68 eV, leading to the efficient transfer of photogenerated electrons to O2 to produce primary reactive species, O2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the density of states indicated that C 2p and Nb 3d contributed to the CB, and 0.37 e transferred from NaNbO3 to g-C3N4 in NbNC/g-C3N4 based on the Mulliken population analysis of the built-in electric field intensity. NbNC/g-C3N4–1 had 3.3- and 2.3-fold of CIP degradation rate constants (k1 = 0.173 min−1) compared with those of pristine g-C3N4 and NaNbO3, respectively. In addition, N24, N19, and C5 in CIP with a high Fukui index were reactive sites for electrophilic attack by O2, resulting in the defluorination and ring-opening of the piperazine moiety of the dominant degradation pathways. Intermediate/product identification, integrated with computational toxicity evaluation, further indicated a substantial detoxification effect during CIP degradation in the photocatalysis system.
Doped cobalt for simultaneously promoting active (001) facet exposure of MIL-68(In) and acting as reactive sites in peroxymonosulfate-mediated photocatalytic decontamination
Chunrui Zhao, Tianren Li, Jiage Li, Yansong Liu, Zian Fang, Xinyu Wang, Mingxin Huo, Shuangshi Dong, Mingyu Li
2025, 36(5): 110201  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110201
[摘要]  (146) [HTML全文] (146) [PDF 5239KB] (0)
摘要:
Rational tuning of crystallographic surface and metal doping were effective to enhance the catalytic performance of metal organic frameworks, but limited work has been explored for achieving modulation of crystal facets and metal doping in a single system. MIL-68(In) was promising for photocatalytic applications due to its low toxicity and excellent photoresponsivity. However, its catalytic activity was constrained by severe carrier recombination and a lack of active sites. Herein, increased (001) facet ratio and active sites exposure were simultaneously realized by cobalt doping in MIL-68(In) through a one-pot solvothermal strategy. Optimized MIL-68(In/Co)-2.5 exhibited remarkable catalytic performance in comparison with pristine MIL-68(In) and other MIL-68(In/Co). The reaction kinetic constant and degradation efficiency of MIL-68(In/Co) were approximately twice and 17% higher than the pristine MIL-68(In) in 36 min reaction, respectively. Density functional theory calculations revealed that Co dopant could modulate the orientation of MIL-68(In) facets, facilitate the exchange of electrons and reduce the adsorption energy of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). This work provides a novel pathway for improvement of In-based MOFs in PMS/vis system, it also promotes the profound comprehension of the correlation between crystal facet regulation and catalytic activation in the PMS/vis system.
New insights into transformation mechanisms for sulfate and chlorine radical-mediated degradation of sulfonamide and fluoroquinolone antibiotics
Jinshuai Zheng, Junfeng Niu, Crispin Halsall, Yadi Guo, Peng Zhang, Linke Ge
2025, 36(5): 110202  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110202
[摘要]  (101) [HTML全文] (101) [PDF 3119KB] (0)
摘要:
As antibiotic pollutants cannot be incompletely removed by conventional wastewater treatment plants, ultraviolet (UV) based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as UV/persulfate (UV/PS) and UV/chlorine are increasingly concerned for the effective removal of antibiotics from wastewaters. However, the specific mechanisms involving degradation kinetics and transformation mechanisms are not well elucidated. Here we report a detailed examination of SO4•−/Cl-mediated degradation kinetics, products, and toxicities of sulfathiazole (ST), sarafloxacin (SAR), and lomefloxacin (LOM) in the two processes. Both SO4•−/Cl-mediated transformation kinetics were found to be dependent on pH (P < 0.05), which was attributed to the disparate reactivities of their individual dissociated forms. Based on competition kinetic experiments and matrix calculations, the cationic forms (H2ST+, H2SAR+, and H2LOM+) were more highly reactive towards SO4•− in most cases, while the neutral forms (e.g., HSAR0 and HLOM0) reacted the fastest with Cl for the most of the antibiotics tested. Based on the identification of 31 key intermediates using tandem mass spectrometry, these reactions generated different products, of which the majority still retained the core chemical structure of the parent compounds. The corresponding diverse transformation pathways were proposed, involving S−N breaking, hydroxylation, defluorination, and chlorination reactions. Furthermore, the toxicity changes of their reaction solutions as well as the toxicity of each intermediate were evaluated by the vibrio fischeri and ECOSAR model, respectively. Many primary by-products were proven to be more toxic than the parent chemicals, raising the wider issue of extended potency for these compounds with regards to their ecotoxicity. These results have implications for assessing the degradative fate and risk of these chemicals during the AOPs.
Isotope-labeled click-free probes to identify protein targets of lysine-targeting covalent reversible molecules
Xingyu Ma, Yi-Xin Chen, Zi Ye, Chong-Jing Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110203  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110203
[摘要]  (115) [HTML全文] (115) [PDF 5347KB] (0)
摘要:
Recent advances in drug development and bioactive molecules that covalently target lysine residues have shown substantial progress. Both reversible and irreversible covalent inhibitors are developed for targeting lysine residues. The identification of protein targets and binding sites of these lysine-targeting molecules in the whole proteome is crucial to understand their proteome-wide selectivity. For covalent inhibitors, the pull down-based methods including activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) are commonly used to profile their target proteins. For covalent reversible inhibitors, it is not easy to pull down the potential protein targets as the captured proteins may get off beads because of the reversible manner. Here, we report a pair of isotope-labelled click-free probes to competitively identify the protein targets of lysine-targeting covalent reversible small molecules. This pair of isotopic probes consists of a lysine-reactive warhead, a desthiobiotin moiety and isotopicable linker. This integrated probe could eliminate the background proteins induced by the click chemistry during the pull-down process. To demonstrate the feasibility of our newly-developed probes for the protein target identification, we selected the natural product Gossypol in that we proved for the first time that it could modify the lysine residue in a covalent reversible manner. Finally, we confirmed that this pair of integrated probes can be used in a competitive manner to precisely identify the protein target as well as binding sites of Gossypol. Interestingly, pretreatment of Gossypol could stop the antibody from recognizing Gossypol-binding proteins. Together, our isotope-labeled click-free probes could be used for whole-proteome profiling of lysine-targeting covalent reversible small molecules.
Fluoride-promoted Ni-catalyzed cyanation of C–O bond using CO2 and NH3
Yang Li, Yanan Dong, Zhihong Wei, Changzeng Yan, Zhen Li, Lin He, Yuehui Li
2025, 36(5): 110206  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110206
[摘要]  (136) [HTML全文] (136) [PDF 1998KB] (0)
摘要:
The selective conversion of CO2 and NH3 into valuable nitriles presents significant potential for CO2 utilization. In this study, we exploited the synergistic interplay between silicon and fluoride to augment the nickel-catalyzed reductive cyanation of aryl pseudohalides containing silyl groups, utilizing CO2 and NH3 as the CN source. Our methodology exhibited exceptional compatibility with diverse functional groups, such as alcohols, ketones, ethers, esters, nitriles, olefins, pyridines, and quinolines, among others, as demonstrated by the successful synthesis of 58 different nitriles. Notably, we achieved high yields in the preparation of bifunctionalized molecules, including intermediates for perampanel, derived from o-silylaryl triflates, which are well-known as aryne precursors. Remarkably, no degradation of substrates or formation of aryne intermediates were observed. Mechanistic studies imply that the formation of penta-coordinated silyl isocyanate intermediates is crucial for the key C–C coupling step and the presence of vicinal silyl group in the substrate is beneficial to further make this step kinetically favorable.
Rapidly diastereoselective assembly of ten-membered N-heterocycles between two 1,3-dipoles and their diversity to access fused N-heterocycles
Yan Luo, Yan-Jiao Lu, Mei-Mei Pan, Yu-Feng Liang, Wei-Min Shi, Chun-Hua Chen, Cui Liang, Gui-Fa Su, Dong-Liang Mo
2025, 36(5): 110207  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110207
[摘要]  (117) [HTML全文] (117) [PDF 2857KB] (1)
摘要:
The development of general and practical strategies toward the construction of medium-sized rings is still challenging in organic synthesis, especially for the multiple stereocenters control of substituted groups on the ring owing to the long distance between groups. Thus, stereoselective synthesis of multi-substituted ten-membered rings is attractive. Herein, a rapid assembly of various highly substituted ten-membered nitrogen heterocycles between two 1,3-dipoles through a tandem [3 + 3] cycloaddition/aza-Claisen rearrangement of N-vinyl-α,β-unsaturated nitrones and aza-oxyallyl or oxyallyl cations are disclosed. Products containing two or multiple stereocenters could be obtained in up to 96% yield with high regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. Selective N-O bond cleavages of ten-membered nitrogen heterocycles lead to various novel 5,6,6-perifused benzofurans, bicyclo[4.4.0] or bicyclo[5.3.0] skeletons containing three or multiple continuous stereocenters in good yields and high diastereoselectivity. Biological tests show that the obtained ten-membered N-heterocycles and bicyclo[4.4.0] skeletons inhibited nitric oxide generation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and might serve as good anti-inflammatory agents.
Deep learning-based simultaneous bioavailability assessment and speciation analysis of dissolved organic copper
Zhaojing Huang, Hao Li, Jiayi Luo, Shunxing Li, Ming Zhao, Fengjiao Liu, Haijiao Xie
2025, 36(5): 110209  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110209
[摘要]  (115) [HTML全文] (115) [PDF 2956KB] (0)
摘要:
Algal copper uptake (i.e., Cu bioavailability) in the euphotic zone plays a vital role in algal photosynthesis and respiration, affecting the primary productivity and the source and sink of atmospheric carbon. Algal Cu uptake is controlled by natural dissolved organic Cu (DOCu) speciation (i.e., complexed with the dissolved organic matter) that conventionally could be tested by model prediction or molecular-level characterizations in the lab, while DOCu uptake are hardly directly assessed. Thus, the new chemistry-biology insight into the mechanisms of the Cu uptake process in algae is urgent. The DOCu speciation transformation (organic DOCu to free Cu(Ⅱ) ions), enzymatic reduction-induced valence change (reduction of free Cu(Ⅱ) to Cu(Ⅰ) ions), and algal Cu uptake at the algae-water interface are imitated. Herein, an intelligent system with DOCu colorimetric sensor is developed for real-time monitoring of newly generated Cu(Ⅰ) ions. Deep learning with whole sample image-based characterization and powerful feature extraction capabilities facilitates colorimetric measurement. In this context, the Cu bioavailability with 7 kinds of organic ligands (e.g., amino acids, organic acids, carbohydrates) can be predicted by the mimetic intelligent biosensor within 15.0 min, i.e., the DOCu uptake and speciation is successfully predicted and streamlined by the biomimetic approach.
A general synthesis of gem–difluorobicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes
Mengyu Wu, Kewei Ren, Chengyu Zou, Jiacheng Chen, Rui Ma, Chuan Zhu, Chao Feng
2025, 36(5): 110213  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110213
[摘要]  (157) [HTML全文] (157) [PDF 4955KB] (0)
摘要:
Bridged bicyclic cores have been recognized as valuable bioisosteres of benzene ring, which are of great value in medicinal chemistry. However, the development of fluorinated bicyclic skeletons, which encompass two privileged elements widely acknowledged for fine tuning the working effect of target molecules, are far less common. Herein, we present a general and practical synthesis of gem–difluorobicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes (diF-BCHs) from readily available difluorinated hexa-1,5-dienes through energy transfer photocatalysis. By taking advantage of an efficient Cope rearrangement, the preparation of both constitutional isomers of diF-BCHs is readily achieved under identical conditions. The operational simplicity, mild conditions and wide scope further highlight the potential application of this protocol. Moreover, computational studies indicated a positive effect of fluorine atoms in lowering either the triplet or FMO energies of the hexa-1,5-diene substrates, thus promoting the present photoinduced [2 + 2] cycloaddition.
Redox-responsive hyaluronic acid-celastrol prodrug micelles with glycyrrhetinic acid co-delivery for tumor combination therapy
Li Fu, Ziye Su, Shuyang Wu, Yanfen Cheng, Chuan Hu, Jinming Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110227  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110227
[摘要]  (126) [HTML全文] (126) [PDF 4444KB] (0)
摘要:
Combining cytotoxic drugs with tumor microenvironment (TME) modulator agents is an effective strategy to enhance anti-tumor effects. In this study, two natural anti-tumor active ingredients celastrol (CEL) and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) were combined for tumor treatment. In order to ensure the precise co-delivery and controllable synchronous release of combined drugs to tumors, it is necessary to construct a suitable nano-drug delivery platform. Based on this, we coupled hyaluronic acid (HA) with CEL by amide reaction to obtain an amphiphilic polymer prodrug HA-SS-CEL, and GA was spontaneously loaded into polymer micelles by self-assembly to obtain G/HSSC-M. G/HSSC-M has ideal size distribution, redox-responsive synchronous drug release, enhanced tumor cell internalization and in vivo tumor targeting. Compared with free drugs, the construction of multifunctional polymer micelles makes G/HSSC-M show better anticancer effect at the same concentration, and can significantly inhibit the proliferation and migration of HepG2 and 4T1 cells. In the in vivo experiments, G/HSSC-M achieved a tumor inhibition rate as high as 75.12% in H22 tumor-bearing mice. The mechanism included regulation of M1/M2 macrophage polarization, inhibition of Janus kinase 1/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK1/STAT3) signaling pathway, and remodeling of tumor blood vessels. Therefore, the development of prodrug micelles co-loaded with CEL and GA provides a promising drug co-delivery strategy for combined cancer therapy.
Two-tailed modification module tuned steric-hindrance effect enabling high therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel prodrug nanoassemblies
Wenfeng Zang, Yixin Sun, Jingyi Zhang, Yanzhong Hao, Qianhui Jin, Hongying Xiao, Zuo Zhang, Xianbao Shi, Jin Sun, Zhonggui He, Cong Luo, Bingjun Sun
2025, 36(5): 110230  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110230
[摘要]  (127) [HTML全文] (127) [PDF 6488KB] (0)
摘要:
Self-assembled prodrug nanomedicine has emerged as an advanced platform for antitumor therapy, mainly comprise drug modules, response modules and modification modules. However, existing studies usually compare the differences between single types of modification modules, neglecting the impact of steric-hindrance effect caused by chemical structure. Herein, single-tailed modification module with low-steric-hindrance effect and two-tailed modification module with high-steric-hindrance effect were selected to construct paclitaxel prodrugs (P-LAC18 and P-BAC18), and the in-depth insights of the steric-hindrance effect on prodrug nanoassemblies were explored. Notably, the size stability of the two-tailed prodrugs was enhanced due to improved intermolecular interactions and steric hindrance. Single-tailed prodrug nanoassemblies were more susceptible to attack by redox agents, showing faster drug release and stronger antitumor efficacy, but with poorer safety. In contrast, two-tailed prodrug nanoassemblies exhibited significant advantages in terms of pharmacokinetics, tumor accumulation and safety due to the good size stability, thus ensuring equivalent antitumor efficacy at tolerance dose. These findings highlighted the critical role of steric-hindrance effect of the modification module in regulating the structure-activity relationship of prodrug nanoassemblies and proposed new perspectives into the precise design of self-assembled prodrugs for high-performance cancer therapeutics.
Pd-catalyzed enantioselective and regioselective asymmetric hydrophosphorylation and hydrophosphinylation of enynes
Yanxin Jiang, Kwai Wun Cheng, Zhiping Yang, Jun (Joelle) Wang
2025, 36(5): 110231  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110231
[摘要]  (119) [HTML全文] (119) [PDF 1827KB] (0)
摘要:
The chemo-, regio-, and enantio-controlled synthesis of P-chiral phosphines in a general and efficient manner remains a significant synthetic challenge. In this study, a Pd-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization is developed for the highly selective synthesis of P-stereogenic alkenylphosphinates and alkenylphosphine oxides via conjugate addition of enynes. Notably, this methodology is suitable for both phosphine oxide and phosphinate nucleophiles, providing a versatile approach for the construction of diverse P-chiral organophosphosphorus compound.
Temperature-controlled electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry study on protein/small molecule interaction
Wen Su, Siying Liu, Qingfu Zhang, Zhongyan Zhou, Na Wang, Lei Yue
2025, 36(5): 110237  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110237
[摘要]  (120) [HTML全文] (120) [PDF 3178KB] (0)
摘要:
Traditional electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn) has been a powerful tool in diverse research areas, however, it faces great limitations in the study of protein-small molecule interactions. In this article, the state-of-the-art temperature-controlled electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (TC-ESI-MSn) is applied to investigate interactions between ubiquitin and two flavonol molecules, respectively. The combination of collision-induced dissociation (CID) and MS solution-melting experiments facilitates the understanding of flavonol-protein interactions in a new dimension across varying temperature ranges. While structural changes of proteins disturbed by small molecules are unseen in ESI-MSn, TC-ESI-MSn allows a simultaneous assessment of the stability of the complex in both gas and liquid phases under various temperature conditions, meanwhile investigating the impact on the protein’s structure and tracking changes in thermodynamic data, and the characteristics of structural intermediates.
Azvudine alleviates SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation by targeting myeloperoxidase in NETosis
Yang Li, Ning Sheng, Kun Wang, Yuhuan Li, Jiandong Jiang, Jinlan Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110238  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110238
[摘要]  (155) [HTML全文] (155) [PDF 6875KB] (0)
摘要:
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation (NETosis), is a crucial immune system mechanism mediated by neutrophils, measuring the capacity to induce NETosis is proposed as a clinical biomarker indicating the severity of COVID-19 and long COVID. Azvudine (FNC), has shown efficacy in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection and potential for alleviating inflammation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory effects has not been extensively investigated. Therefore, a series of experiments were conducted on SARS-CoV-2 infected rhesus macaques (RMs) to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of FNC. The experiments involved HE staining, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, validation experiments conducted in vivo using RMs tissues and in vitro differentiation of HL-60 cells. Additionally, interaction investigations were carried out utilizing LiP-MS, CETSA, Co-IP along with molecular docking. The results demonstrated that FNC treatment effectively alleviated neutrophil infiltration and attenuated inflammatory injury following infection. In addition to exhibiting antiviral effects, FNC treatment exhibited a reduction in inflammation-associated proteins and pathways such as myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the formation of NETs, respectively. Validation experiments confirmed the impact of FNC on regulating NETs formation, interaction experiments suggested that MPO may serves as a therapeutic target. The multifaceted properties of FNC, including its antiviral and anti-inflammatory characteristics, highlight the therapeutic potential in diseases associated with NETosis, particularly those involving concurrent SARS-CoV-2 infection, providing insights for drug development targeting MPO and NETosis-associated diseases.
Regio- and enantioselective hydrofluorination of internal alkenes via nickel-catalyzed hydrogen atom transfer
Fan Chen, Xiaoyu Zhao, Weihang Miao, Yingying Li, Ye Yuan, Lingling Chu
2025, 36(5): 110239  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110239
[摘要]  (143) [HTML全文] (143) [PDF 1751KB] (0)
摘要:
Here we present a highly efficient protocol utilizing nickel-hydride hydrogen atom transfer catalysis for the regio- and enantioselective hydrofluorination of internal alkenes. This method efficiently assembles a wide array of enantioenriched β-fluoro amides with excellent regio- and enantioselectivity from internal unactivated alkenes. Mechanistic investigations suggest that this transformation proceeds via a NiH-hydrogen atom transfer to alkene, followed by a stereoselective fluorine atom transfer process. The weak coordination effect of the tethered amide group is identified as a crucial factor governing the observed regio- and enantioselectivity.
Enhanced removal of polystyrene nanoplastics by air flotation modified by dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride: Performance and mechanism
Jinhui Xu, Yanting Zhang, Kecheng Wen, Xinyu Wang, Zhiwei Yang, Yuan Huang, Guozhong Zheng, Lupeng Huang, Jing Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110240  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110240
[摘要]  (152) [HTML全文] (152) [PDF 3499KB] (0)
摘要:
Nanoplastics exhibit greater environmental biotoxicity than microplastics and can be ingested by humans through major routes such as tap water, bottled water and other drinking water. Nanoplastics present a challenge for air flotation due to their minute particle size, negative surface potential, and similar density to water. This study employed dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) as a modifier to improve conventional air flotation, which significantly enhanced the removal of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs). Conventional air flotation removed only 3.09% of PSNPs, while air flotation modified by dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC-modified air flotation) increased the removal of PSNPs to 98.05%. The analysis of the DTAC-modified air flotation mechanism was conducted using a combination of instruments, including a zeta potential analyzer, contact angle meter, laser particle size meter, high definition camera, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The results indicated that the incorporation of DTAC reversed the electrostatic repulsion between bubbles and PSNPs to electrostatic attraction, significantly enhancing the hydrophobic force in the system. This, in turn, improved the collision adhesion effect between bubbles and PSNPs. The experimental results indicated that even when the flotation time was reduced to 7 min, the DTAC-modified air flotation still achieved a high removal rate of 96.26%. Furthermore, changes in aeration, pH, and ionic strength did not significantly affect the performance of the modified air flotation for the removal of PSNPs. The removal rate of PSNPs in all three water bodies exceeded 95%. The DTAC-modified air flotation has excellent resistance to interference from complex conditions and shows great potential for practical application.
Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids enhance osteogenic differentiation and prevent apoptosis for dental follicle stem cell therapy in diabetic bone repair
Ruijianghan Shi, Yujie Zhu, Weitong Lu, Yuhan Shao, Yang Chen, Mi Zhou, Yunfeng Lin, Sirong Shi
2025, 36(5): 110241  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110241
[摘要]  (126) [HTML全文] (126) [PDF 14081KB] (0)
摘要:
Hyperglycemia resulting from diabetes mellitus (DM) exacerbates osteoporosis and fractures, damaging bone regeneration due to impaired healing capacity. Stem cell therapy offers the potential for bone repair, accelerating the healing of bone defects by introducing stem cells with osteogenic differentiation ability. Dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) are a newly emerging type of dental stem cells that not only have the potential for multipotent differentiation but also hold easy accessibility and can stand long-term storage. However, DM-associated oxidative stress and inflammation elevate the risk of DFSCs dysfunction and apoptosis, diminishing stem cell therapy efficacy. Recent nanomaterial advances, particularly in DNA nanostructures like tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNAs), have been promising candidates for modulating cellular behaviors. Accumulating experiments have shown that tFNAs' cell proliferation and migration-promoting ability and induce osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. Meanwhile, tFNAs can scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and downregulate the secretion of inflammatory factors by inhibiting various inflammation-related signaling pathways. Here, we applied tFNAs to modify DFSCs and observed enhanced osteogenic differentiation alongside ROS scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects mediated by suppressing the ROS/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. This intervention reduced stem cell apoptosis, bolstering stem cell therapy efficacy in DM. Our study establishes a simple yet potent tFNAs-DFSCs system, offering potential as a bone repair agent for future DM treatment.
Asymmetric Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK)-type reaction of isatins with aromatic iodides by cobalt catalysis
Jieshuai Xiao, Yuan Zheng, Yue Zhao, Zhuangzhi Shi, Minyan Wang
2025, 36(5): 110243  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110243
[摘要]  (116) [HTML全文] (116) [PDF 3120KB] (0)
摘要:
The asymmetric addition of aromatic organometallic compounds to the carbonyl group (C-3) of isatins, catalyzed by transition metals, has emerged as a remarkably efficient method for the synthesis of chiral 3-hydroxyoxindoles. Here, an exceptionally enantioselective approach was developed for the first time to achieve a catalytic NHK reaction of isatins with aromatic halides (both aryl and heteroaryl). Utilizing chiral cobalt complexes as catalysts, and the presence of a diboron reagent B2nep2 as both a reducing agent and determinant in enantiocontrol, has resulted in the triumphantly achieved synthesis of enantioenriched products. Compared to reported strategies, this approach exhibits remarkable compatibility with substrates bearing sensitive functional groups, such as halides and borate esters, while also eliminating the need for organometallic reagents as required in previous strategies. Through experimental investigations, the presence of aryl-cobalt species during the addition process was confirmed, rather than in-situ generation of an arylboron reagent. Furthermore, the successful attainment of the R absolute configuration through aryl addition was demonstrated.
Synergistic adsorption and singlet oxygenation of humic acid on alkali-activated biochar via peroxymonosulfate activation
Huazhe Wang, Chenghuan Qiao, Chuchu Chen, Bing Liu, Juanshan Du, Qinglian Wu, Xiaochi Feng, Shuyan Zhan, Wan-Qian Guo
2025, 36(5): 110244  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110244
[摘要]  (154) [HTML全文] (154) [PDF 4158KB] (1)
摘要:
Humic acid (HA), as a represent of natural organic matter widely existing in water body, dose harm to water quality and human health; however, it was commonly treated as an environmental background substance while not targeted contaminant in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Herein, we investigated the removal of HA in the alkali-activated biochar (KBC)/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system. The modification of the original biochar (BC) resulted in an increased adsorption capacity and catalytic activity due to the introduction of more micropores, mesopores, and oxygen-containing functional groups, particularly carbonyl groups. Mechanistic insights indicated that HA is primarily chemically adsorbed on the KBC surface, while singlet oxygen (1O2) produced by the PMS decomposition served as the major reactive species for the degradation of HA. An underlying synergistic adsorption and oxidation mechanism involving a local high concentration reaction region around the KBC interface was then proposed. This work not only provides a cost-effective solution for the elimination of HA but also advances our understanding of the nonradical oxidation at the biochar interface.
Bowl-in-bowl encapsulation of corannulene by herteroatom-bridged nanobelts
Xia Li, Yandie Liu, Zhenglin Du, Qiangsheng Zhang, Qing Chen, Jialin Xie, Kelong Zhu
2025, 36(5): 110249  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110249
[摘要]  (152) [HTML全文] (152) [PDF 6013KB] (0)
摘要:
Nanobelts are a rapidly developing family of macrocycles with appealing features. However, their host-guest chemistry is currently limited to the recognition of fullerenes via π–π interactions. Herein, we report two heteroatom-bridged [8]cyclophenoxathiin nanobelts ([8]CP-Me and [8]CP) encapsulate corannulene (Cora) to form bowl-in-bowl supramolecular structures stabilized mainly through CH–π interactions in solid-state. The convex surface of corannulene is oriented towards the cavity due to geometry complementarity. The complex Cora⊂[8]CP exhibits a unique 2:2 capsule-like structure in crystal packing, in which corannulene adopts a concave-to-concave assembling fashion. This work enriches the molecular recognition of nanobelts and demonstrates that CH–π interactions can act as the main driving force for nanobelts host-guest complexes.
Alkylarylation of alkenes with arylsulfonylacetate as bifunctional reagent via photoredox radical addition/Smiles rearrangement cascade
Chonglong He, Yulong Wang, Quan-Xin Li, Zichen Yan, Keyuan Zhang, Shao-Fei Ni, Xin-Hua Duan, Le Liu
2025, 36(5): 110253  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110253
[摘要]  (156) [HTML全文] (156) [PDF 7475KB] (2)
摘要:
The radical difunctionalization of alkenes with sulfonyl bifunctional represents a powerful and straightforward approach to access functionalized alkane derivatives. However, both the mechanistic activation mode and the substrate scopes of this type of radical difunctionalizations are still limited. We demonstrate herein a modular photoredox strategy for the difunctionalization of alkenes, employing arylsulfonyl acetate as the bifunctional reagent. This approach involves a radical addition/Smiles rearrangement cascade process, offering a robust alternative for the synthesis of valuable γ,γ-diaryl and γ-aryl esters. A complementary oxidative bifunctional reagents activation mode is identified to govern the radical cascade reactions, facilitating the simultaneous incorporation of aryl and carboxylate-bearing alkyl groups into the alkenes with excellent diastereoselectivity. Noteworthy features of this method include mild reaction conditions, organophotocatalysis, high atom- and step-economy, excellent functional group compatibility and great structural diversity.
FRET-based in vitro assay for rapid detecting of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors
Chunyu Yan, Qinglong Qiao, Wei Zhou, Xuelian Zhou, Yonghui Chen, Lu Miao, Zhaochao Xu
2025, 36(5): 110258  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110258
[摘要]  (115) [HTML全文] (115) [PDF 4106KB] (0)
摘要:
The continuous mutation and rapid spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have led to the ineffectiveness of many antiviral drugs targeting the original strain. To keep pace with the virus' evolutionary speed, there is a crucial need for the development of rapid, cost-effective, and efficient inhibitor screening methods. In this study, we created a novel approach based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology for in vitro detection of inhibitors targeting the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein RBD (s-RBD) and the virus receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Utilizing crystallographic insights into the s-RBD/ACE2 interaction, we modified ACE2 by fusing SNAP tag to its N-terminus (resulting in SA740) and Halo tag to s-RBD’s C-terminus (producing R525H and R541H), thereby ensuring the proximity (< 10 nm) of labeled FRET dyes. We found that relative to the R541H fusion protein, R525H exhibited higher FRET efficiency, which attributed to the shortened distance between FRET dyes due to the truncation of s-RBD. Utilizing the sensitive FRET effect between SA740 and R525H, we evaluated its efficacy in detecting inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 entry in solution and live cells. Ultimately, this FRET-based detection method was demonstrated high sensitivity, rapidity, and simplicity in solution and held promise for high-throughput screening of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors.
Tuning TM–O interaction by acid etching in perovskite catalysts boosting catalytic performance
Yanyu Jin, Wenzhe Si, Xing Yuan, Hongjun Cheng, Bin Zhou, Li Cai, Yu Wang, Qibao Wang, Junhua Li
2025, 36(5): 110260  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110260
[摘要]  (146) [HTML全文] (146) [PDF 6631KB] (0)
摘要:
Perovskite oxides have been widely applied as an effective catalyst in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the rational design of active catalysts has been restricted by the lack of understanding of the electronic structure. The correlations between surface properties and bulk electronic structure have been ignored. Herein, a simple handler of LaFeO3 with diluted HNO3 was employed to tune the electronic structure and catalytic properties. Experimental analysis and theoretical calculations elucidate that acid etching could raise the Fe valence and enhance Fe–O covalency in the octahedral structure, thereby lessening charge transfer energy. Enhanced Fe–O covalency could lower oxygen vacancy formation energy and enhance oxygen mobility. In-situ DRIFTS results indicated the inherent adsorption capability of Toluene and CO molecules has been greatly improved owing to higher Fe–O covalency. As compared, the catalysts after acid etching exhibited higher catalytic activity, and the T90 had a great reduction of 45 and 58 ℃ for toluene and CO oxidation, respectively. A deeper understanding of electronic structure in perovskite oxides may inspire the design of high-performance catalysts.
Near-infrared light responsive upconversion-DNA nanocapsules for remote-controlled CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing
Yuqing Liu, Shiling Zhang, Kai Jiang, Shiyue Ding, Limei Xu, Yingqi Liu, Ting Wang, Fenfen Zheng, Weiwei Xiong, Jun-Jie Zhu
2025, 36(5): 110282  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110282
[摘要]  (124) [HTML全文] (124) [PDF 5757KB] (1)
摘要:
As a renovator in the field of gene editing, CRISPR-Cas9 has demonstrated immense potential for advancing next-generation gene therapy owing to its simplicity and precision. However, this potential faces significant challenges primarily stemming from the difficulty in efficiently delivering large-sized genome editing system (including Cas9 protein and sgRNA) into targeted cells and spatiotemporally controlling their activity in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the development of CRISPR/Cas9 nanovectors that integrate high loading capacity, efficient encapsulation and spatiotemporally-controlled release is highly desirable. Herein, we have engineered a near-infrared (NIR) light-activated upconversion-DNA nanocapsule for the remote control of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. The light-responsive upconversion-DNA nanocapsules consist of macroporous silica (mSiO2) coated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and photocleavable o-nitrobenzyl-phosphate-modified DNA shells. The UCNPs act as a "nanotransducers" to convert NIR light (980 nm) into local ultraviolet light, thereby facilitating the cleavage of photosensitive DNA nanocapsules and enabling on-demand release of CRISPR-Cas9 encapsuled in the macroporous silica. Furthermore, by formulating a sgRNA targeted to a tumor gene (polo-like kinase-1, PLK-1), the CRISPR-Cas9 loaded UCNP-DNA nanocapsules (crUCNP-DNA nanocapsules) have effectively suppressed the proliferation of tumor cells through NIR light-activated gene editing both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this UCNP-DNA nanocapsule holds tremendous potential for CRISPR-Cas9 delivery and remote-controlled gene editing in deep tissues, as well as the treatment of diverse diseases.
Computational insights into three-centre four-electron bridging hydride bond in boryl type PBP-M dihydride complexes✰ ✩
Yubang Liu, Jiaxin Lin, Huayu Liang, Yinwu Li, Zhuofeng Ke
2025, 36(5): 110291  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110291
[摘要]  (142) [HTML全文] (142) [PDF 4334KB] (0)
摘要:
Metal hydrides serve as crucial intermediates in many chemical processes, facilitating the utilization of hydrogen resources. Traditionally, three-centre metal hydrides have been viewed as less reactive due to their multi-stabilization effects. However, recent discoveries show the "three-centre four-electron" (3c-4e) bridging hydride bond exhibits significant activity in boryl transition metal systems. This research employs computational techniques to explore the factors that influence the formation of the 3c-4e bridging hydride, focusing on boryl 3d non-noble transition metals ranging from chromium (Cr) to nickel (Ni). By analyzing bond distances and bond orders, the study sheds light on the electronic and structural characteristics of the B-H-M bridging hydride. It reveals a clear link between the metal centre's redox properties and the emergence of bridging hydrides. Specifically, metal centres like Cr and Co, which have lower oxidation states and electronegativity, are more inclined to form active 3c-4e bridging hydrides. These insights, derived from computational analyses, offer valuable guidelines for the development of active 3c-4e bridging metal hydrides, thereby contributing to the advancement of new hydrogen transformation catalysts.
New insights into electrocatalytic singlet oxygen generation for effective and selective water decontamination
Shengtao Jiang, Mengjiao Xie, Limin Jin, Yifan Ren, Wentian Zheng, Siping Ji, Yanbiao Liu
2025, 36(5): 110293  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110293
[摘要]  (129) [HTML全文] (129) [PDF 4400KB] (0)
摘要:
Singlet oxygen (1O2), as an electrophilic oxidant, is essential for the selective water decontamination of pollutants from water. Herein, we showcase a high-performing electrocatalytic filtration system composed of carbon nanotubes functionalized with CoFe alloy nanoparticles (CoFeCNT) to selectively facilitate the electrochemical activation of O2 to 1O2. Benefiting from the prominently featured bimetal active sites of CoFeCNT, nearly complete production of 1O2 is achieved by the electrocatalytic activation of O2. Additionally, the proposed system exhibits a consistent pollutant removal efficiency > 90% in a flow-through reactor over 48 h of continuous operation without a noticeable decline in performance, highlighting the dependable stability of the system for practical applications. The flow-through configuration demonstrates a striking 8-fold enhancement in tetracycline oxidation compared to a conventional batch reactor. This work provides a molecular level understanding of the oxygen reduction reaction, showing promising potential for the selective removal of emerging organic contaminants from water.
Improved N2 selectivity for low-temperature NOx reduction over etched ZSM-5 supported MnCe oxide catalysts
Shanyuan Bi, Jin Zhang, Dengchao Peng, Danhong Cheng, Jianping Zhang, Lupeng Han, Dengsong Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110295  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110295
[摘要]  (119) [HTML全文] (119) [PDF 3316KB] (0)
摘要:
Developing a high-efficiency catalyst with both superior low-temperature activity and good N2 selectivity is still challenging for the NH3 selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx from mobile sources. Herein, we demonstrate the improved low-temperature activity and N2 selectivity by regulating the redox and acidic properties of MnCe oxides supported on etched ZSM-5 supports. The etched ZSM-5 enables the highly dispersed state of MnCeOx species and strong interaction between Mn and Ce species, which promotes the reduction of CeO2, facilitates electron transfer from Mn to Ce, and generates more Mn4+ and Ce3+ species. The strong redox capacity contributes to forming the reactive nitrate species and -NH2 species from oxidative dehydrogenation of NH3. Moreover, the adsorbed NH3 and -NH2 species are the reactive intermediates that promote the formation of N2. This work demonstrates an effective strategy to enhance the low-temperature activity and N2 selectivity of SCR catalysts, contributing to the NOx control for the low-temperature exhaust gas during the cold-start of diesel vehicles.
Coordinating lithium polysulfides to inhibit intrinsic clustering behavior and facilitate sulfur redox conversion in lithium-sulfur batteries
Qihou Li, Jiamin Liu, Fulu Chu, Jinwei Zhou, Jieshuangyang Chen, Zengqiang Guan, Xiyun Yang, Jie Lei, Feixiang Wu
2025, 36(5): 110306  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110306
[摘要]  (99) [HTML全文] (99) [PDF 5149KB] (0)
摘要:
The intrinsic clustering behavior and kinetically sluggish conversion process of lithium polysulfides seriously limit the electrochemical reversibility of sulfur redox reactions in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Here, we introduce molybdenum pentachloride (MoCl5) into the electrolyte which could coordinate with lithium polysulfides and inhibit their intrinsic clustering behavior, subsequently serving as an improved mediator with the bi-functional catalytic effect for Li2S deposition and activation. Moreover, the coordination bonding and accelerated conversion reaction can also greatly suppress the dissolution and shuttling of polysulfides. Consequently, such polysulfide complexes enable the Li-S coin cell to exhibit good long-term cycling stability with a capacity decay of 0.078% per cycle after 400 cycles at 2 C, and excellent rate performance with a discharge capacity of 589 mAh/g at 4 C. An area capacity of 3.94 mAh/cm2 is also achieved with a high sulfur loading of 4.5 mg/cm2 at 0.2 C. Even at -20 ℃, the modified cell maintains standard discharge plateaus with low overpotential, delivering a high capacity of 741 mAh/g at 0.2 C after 80 cycles. The low-cost and convenient MoCl5 additive opens a new avenue for the effective regulation of polysulfides and significant enhancement in sulfur redox conversion.
Chiroptical sensing for remote chiral amines via a C–H activation reaction
Xin Li, Jia-Min Lu, Bo Li, Chen Zhao, Bei-Bei Yang, Li Li
2025, 36(5): 110310  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110310
[摘要]  (158) [HTML全文] (158) [PDF 4556KB] (0)
摘要:
An electronic circular dichroism (ECD)-based chiroptical sensing method has been developed for β- and γ-chiral primary amines via a C–H activation reaction. With the addition of Pd(OAc)2, the flexible remote chiral primary amine fragment in the bidentate ligand intermediate was fixed to form a cyclopalladium complex, producing an intense ECD response. The correlation between the sign of Cotton effects and the absolute configuration of substrates was proposed, together with theoretical verification using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). Chiroptical sensing of an important drug raw material was performed to provide rapid and accurate information on the absolute optical purity. This work introduces an alternative perspective of C–H activation reaction as well as a feasible chiroptical sensing method of remote chiral amines.
Construction of a three-step sequential energy transfer system with selective enhancement of superoxide anion radicals for photocatalysis
Yusong Bi, Rongzhen Zhang, Kaikai Niu, Shengsheng Yu, Hui Liu, Lingbao Xing
2025, 36(5): 110311  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110311
[摘要]  (125) [HTML全文] (125) [PDF 3762KB] (0)
摘要:
Achieving artificial simulations of multi-step energy transfer processes and conversions in nature remains a challenge. In this study, we present a three-step sequential energy transfer process, which was constructed through host-guest interactions between a piperazine derivative (PPE-BPI) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) in water to serve as ideal energy donors. To achieve multi-step sequential energy transfer, we employ three distinct fluorescent dyes Eosin B (EsB), Sulforhodamine 101 (SR101), and Cyanine 5 (Cy5) as energy acceptors. The PPE-PBI-2CB[7]+EsB+SR101+Cy5 system demonstrates a highly efficient three-step sequential energy transfer mechanism, starting with PPE-PBI-2CB[7] and transferring energy successively to EsB, SR101, and finally to Cy5, with remarkable energy transfer efficiencies. More interestingly, with the progressive transfer of energy in the multi-step energy transfer system, the generation efficiency of superoxide anion radical (O2•–) increased gradually, which can be used as photocatalysts for selectively photooxidation of N-phenyltetrahydroisoquinoline in an aqueous medium with a high yield of 86% after irradiation for 18 h. This study offers a valuable investigation into the simulation of multi-step energy transfer processes and transformations in the natural world, paving the way for further research in the field.
Radiation reduction modification of sp2 carbon-conjugated covalent organic frameworks for enhanced photocatalytic chromium(VI) removal
Shouchao Zhong, Yue Wang, Mingshu Xie, Yiqian Wu, Jiuqiang Li, Jing Peng, Liyong Yuan, Maolin Zhai, Weiqun Shi
2025, 36(5): 110312  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110312
[摘要]  (155) [HTML全文] (155) [PDF 4194KB] (0)
摘要:
A sp2 carbon-conjugated covalent organic framework (BDATN) was modified through γ-ray radiation reduction and subsequent acidification with hydrochloric acid to yield a novel functional COF (named rBDATN-HCl) for Cr(VI) removal. The morphology and structure of rBDATN-HCl were analyzed and identified by SEM, FTIR, XRD and solid-state 13C NMR. It is found that the active functional groups, such as hydroxyl and amide, were introduced into BDATN after radiation reduction and acidification. The prepared rBDATN-HCl demonstrates a photocatalytic reduction removal rate of Cr(VI) above 99% after 60 min of illumination with a solid-liquid ratio of 0.5 mg/mL, showing outstanding performance, which is attributed to the increase of dispersibility and adsorption sites of rBDATN-HCl. In comparison to the cBDATN-HCl synthesized with chemical reduction, rBDATN-HCl exhibits a better photoreduction performance for Cr(VI), demonstrating the advantages of radiation preparation of rBDATN-HCl. It is expected that more functionalized sp2 carbon-conjugated COFs could be obtained by this radiation-induced reduction strategy.
2,3-Arylacylation of allenes through synergetic catalysis of palladium and N-heterocyclic carbene
Zhao Gu, Yunhui Yang, Song Ye, Congyang Wang
2025, 36(5): 110334  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110334
[摘要]  (153) [HTML全文] (153) [PDF 2401KB] (0)
摘要:
An unprecedented 2,3-arylacylation reaction of allenes with aryl iodides and aldehydes was developed by resorting to Pd/NHC synergetic catalysis. It is the first time that allene was introduced into transition metal and NHC synergetic catalysis, which demonstrated a versatile three-component reaction pattern, thus enabling two C-C bonds forged regioselectively in the reaction. The important reaction intermediates were successfully captured and characterized by HRMS analysis, and the migrative insertion of allene to the Ph-Pd species was identified as the reaction rate-limiting step by kinetic experiments.
pH-responsive chiral supramolecular cysteine-Zn2+-indocyanine green assemblies for triple-level chirality-specific anti-tumor efficacy
Qianyun Ye, Yuanyuan Liang, Yuhe Yuan, Xiaohuan Sun, Liqi Zhu, Xuan Wu, Jie Han, Rong Guo
2025, 36(5): 110432  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110432
[摘要]  (148) [HTML全文] (148) [PDF 10934KB] (0)
摘要:
Chirality, ubiquitous in living matter, plays vital roles in a series of physiological processes. The clarification of the multiple functions of chirality in bioapplications may provide innovative methodologies for engineering anti-tumor agents. Nevertheless, the related research has been rarely explored. In this study, the chiral supramolecular l/d-cysteine (Cys)-Zn2+-indocyanine green (ICG) nanoparticles were constructed through the coordination interaction between l/d-Cys and Zn2+, followed by the encapsulation of ICG. Experimental findings revealed that the d-Cys-Zn2+-ICG exhibited 17.31 times higher binding affinity toward phospholipid-composed liposomes compared to l-Cys-Zn2+-ICG. Furthermore, driven by chirality-specific interaction, a 2.07 folds greater cellular internalization of d-Cys-Zn2+-ICG than l-Cys-Zn2+-ICG was demonstrated. Additionally, the triple-level chirality-dependent photothermal, photodynamic and Zn2+ releasing anti-tumor effects of l/d Cys-Zn2+-ICG in vitro were verified. As a result, the d-formed nanoparticles achieved 1.93 times higher anti-tumor efficiency than the l-formed ones. The triple-level chirality-mediated anti-tumor effect highlighted in this study underscores the enormous potential of chirality in biomedicine and holds substantial significance in improving cancer therapeutic efficacy.
Amplifying STING activation and immunogenic cell death by metal-polyphenol coordinated nanomedicines for enhanced cancer immunotherapy
Yanjun Cai, Yong Jiang, Yu Chen, Erzhuo Cheng, Yuan Gu, Yuwei Li, Qianqian Liu, Jian Zhang, Jifang Liu, Shisong Han, Bin Yang
2025, 36(5): 110437  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110437
[摘要]  (135) [HTML全文] (135) [PDF 6993KB] (0)
摘要:
Ferroptosis in combination with immune therapy emerges as a promising approach for cancer therapy. Herein, dual-responsive metal-polyphenol coordinated nanomedicines were developed for pH/glutathione (GSH)-responsive synergistic ferroptosis and immunotherapy. Our innovative strategy involves the development of a manganese-polyphenol coordinated nanostructure, leveraging the biocompatibility of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a template to encapsulate the anticancer drug sorafenib. The tumor microenvironment (pH/GSH) prompts the disassembly of MnO2 and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), thereby releases the anticancer payload. Concurrently, MnO2 acts to deplete intracellular GSH, which in turn suppresses glutathione peroxidase activity, leading to an accumulation of lipid peroxides with cell ferroptosis. Additionally, the release of Mn2+ ions bolster the cyclic guanosine monophosphlic acid (GMP)-adenosine monophosphlic acid (AMP) synthase-stimulator of interferon gene (cGAS-STING) pathway, which, in conjunction with the immunogenic cell death (ICD) effect induced by tumor cell apoptosis, significantly promotes dendritic cell (DC) maturation and enhances the presentation of tumor antigens. This successively ignites a robust innate and adaptive immune response. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have demonstrated that the concurrent administration of ferroptosis-inducing and immune-stimulating therapies can significantly inhibit tumor growth.
Transdermal delivery of amphotericin B using deep eutectic solvents for antifungal therapy
Bing Xie, Qi Jiang, Fang Zhu, Yaoyao Lai, Yueming Zhao, Wei He, Pei Yang
2025, 36(5): 110508  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110508
[摘要]  (123) [HTML全文] (123) [PDF 2414KB] (0)
摘要:
Candida albicans is one of the most common pathogens causing invasive fungal infections, with a mortality rate of up to 20%–50%. Amphotericin B (AmB), a biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS) IV drug, significantly inhibits Candida albicans. AmB is primarily administered via oral and intravenous infusion, but severe infusion adverse effects, nephrotoxicity, and potential hepatotoxicity limit its clinical application. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), with excellent solubilization ability and skin permeability, are attractive for transdermal delivery. Herein, we used DESs to deliver AmB for antifungal therapy transdermally. We first prepared and characterized DESs with different stoichiometric ratios of choline (Ch) and geranate (Ge). DESs increased the solubility of AmB by a thousand-fold. In vitro and in vivo, skin permeation studies indicated that DES1:2 (Ch and Ge in 1:2 ratio) had the most outstanding penetration and delivered fluorescence dye to the dermis layer. Then, DES1:2-AmB was prepared and in vitro antifungal tests demonstrated that DES1:2-AmB had superior antifungal effects compared to AmB and DES1:2. Furthermore, DES1:2-AmB was skin-irritating and biocompatible. In conclusion, DES-AmB provides a new and effective therapeutic solution for fungal infections.
Online detecting living cells released TNF-α and studying intercellular communication using SuperDNA self-assembled conical nanochannel
Weiwei Liu, Yu Liu, Zhaoyan Tian, Zhaohan Wang, Hui Liu, Songqin Liu, Yafeng Wu
2025, 36(5): 110561  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110561
[摘要]  (141) [HTML全文] (141) [PDF 4257KB] (0)
摘要:
Nanochannel technology based on ionic current rectification has emerged as a powerful tool for the detection of biomolecules owing to unique advantages. Nevertheless, existing nanochannel sensors mainly focus on the detection of targets in solution or inside the cells, moreover, they only have a single function, greatly limiting their application. Herein, we fabricated SuperDNA self-assembled conical nanochannel, which was clamped in the middle of self-made device for two functions: Online detecting living cells released TNF-α and studying intercellular communication. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) membrane incubated tumor associated macrophages and tumor cells was rolled up and inserted into the left and right chamber of the device, respectively. Through monitoring the ion current change in the nanochannel, tumor associated macrophages released TNF-α could be in situ and noninvasive detected with a detection limit of 0.23 pg/mL. Furthermore, the secreted TNF-α induced epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of tumor cells in the right chamber was also studied. The presented strategy displayed outstanding performance and multi-function, providing a promising platform for in situ non-destructive detection of cell secretions and related intercellular communication analysis.
Polymer microparticles with ultralong room-temperature phosphorescence for visual and quantitative detection of oxygen through phosphorescence image and lifetime analysis
Zeyin Chen, Jiaju Shi, Yusheng Zhou, Peng Zhang, Guodong Liang
2025, 36(5): 110629  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110629
[摘要]  (142) [HTML全文] (142) [PDF 4838KB] (0)
摘要:
Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials exhibiting long emission lifetimes have gained increasing attention owing to their potential applications in encryption, anti-counterfeiting, and sensing. However, most polymers exhibit a short RTP lifetime (<1 s) because of their unstable triplet excitons. Herein, a new strategy of polymer chain stabilized phosphorescence (PCSP), which yields a new kind of RTP polymers with an ultralong lifetime and a sensitive oxygen response, has been reported. The rigid polymer chains of poly(methyl mathacrylate) (PMMA) immobilize the emitter molecules through multiple interactions between them, giving rise to efficient RTP. Meanwhile, the loosely-packed amorphous polymer chains allow oxygen to diffuse inside, endowing the doped polymers with oxygen sensitivity. Flexible and transparent polymer films exhibited an impressive ultralong RTP lifetime of 2.57 s at room temperature in vacuum, which was among the best performance of PMMA. Intriguingly, their RTP was rapidly quenched in the presence of oxygen. Furthermore, RTP microparticles with a diameter of 1.63 µm were synthesized using in situ dispersion polymerization technique. Finally, oxygen sensors for quick, visual, and quantitative oxygen detection were developed based on the RTP microparticles through phosphorescence lifetime and image analysis. With distinctive advantages such as an ultralong lifetime, oxygen sensitivity, ease of fabrication, and cost-effectiveness, PCSP opens a new avenue to sensitive materials for oxygen detection.
Hierarchical zeolites stabilized cobalt(Ⅱ) as propane dehydrogenation catalyst: Enhanced activity and coke tolerance via alkaline post-treatment
Kun Yang, Anhui Li, Peng Zhang, Guilin Liu, Liusai Huang, Yumeng Fo, Luyuan Yang, Xiangyang Ji, Jian Liu, Weiyu Song
2025, 36(5): 110663  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110663
[摘要]  (132) [HTML全文] (132) [PDF 7341KB] (1)
摘要:
Transition metal cobalt exhibits strong activation capabilities for alkanes, however, the instability of Co sites leads to sintering and coke deposition, resulting in rapid deactivation. Hierarchical zeolites, with their diverse pore structures and high surface areas, are used to effectively anchor metals and enhance coke tolerance. Herein, a post-treatment method using an alkaline solution was employed to synthesize meso-microporous zeolite supports, which were subsequently loaded with Co species for propane dehydrogenation catalyst. The results indicate that the application of NaOH, an inorganic base, produces supports with a larger mesopore volume and more abundant hydroxyl nests compared to TPAOH, an organic base. UV–vis, Raman, and XPS analyses reveal that Co in the 0.5Co/SN-1–0.05 catalyst is mainly in the form of tetrahedral Co2+, which effectively activates CH bonds. In contrast, the 0.5Co/S-1 catalyst contains mainly Co3O4 species. Co2+ supported on hierarchical zeolites shows better propane conversion (58.6%) and propylene selectivity (>96%) compared to pure silica zeolites. Coke characterization indicates that hierarchical zeolites accumulate more coke, but it is mostly in the form of easily removable disordered carbon. The mesopores in the microporous zeolite support help disperse the active Co metal and facilitate coke removal during dehydrogenation, effectively preventing deactivation from sintering and coke coverage.
Multidimensional droplet manipulation on superhydrophobic surfaces using acoustic tweezers
Guifeng Wen, Zheyuan Zhong, Yue Fan, Xuelin Tian, Shilin Huang
2025, 36(5): 110672  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110672
[摘要]  (114) [HTML全文] (114) [PDF 3660KB] (0)
摘要:
On-demand droplet manipulation plays a critical role in microfluidics, bio/chemical detection and micro-reactions. Acoustic droplet manipulation has emerged as a promising technique due to its non-contact nature, biocompatibility and precision, circumventing the complexities associated with other methods requiring surface or droplet pretreatment. Despite their promise, existing methods for acoustic droplet manipulation often involve complex hardware setups and difficulty for controlling individual droplet amidst multiple ones. Here we fabricate simple yet effective acoustic tweezers for in-surface and out-of-surface droplet manipulation. It is found that droplets can be transported on the superhydrophobic surfaces when the acoustic radiation force surpasses the friction force. Using a two-axis acoustic tweezer, droplets can be maneuvered along arbitrarily programmed paths on the surfaces. By introducing multiple labyrinthine structures on the superhydrophobic surface, individual droplet manipulation is realized by constraining the unselected droplets in the labyrinthine structures. In addition, a three-axis acoustic tweezer is developed for manipulating droplets in three-dimensional space. Potential applications of the acoustic tweezers for micro-reaction, bio-assay and chemical analysis are also demonstrated.
Spatial-confinement combustion strategy enabling free radicals chemiluminescence direct-measurement in flame-retardant mechanism
Xuan Song, Teng Fu, Yajie Yang, Yahan Kuang, Xiuli Wang, Yu-Zhong Wang
2025, 36(5): 110699  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110699
[摘要]  (132) [HTML全文] (132)
摘要:
Generally, gaining fundamental insights into chain processes during the combustion of flame-retardant polymers relies on the qualitative and quantitative characterization of key chain carriers. However, polymer combustion processes based on conventional solid-fuel combustion strategies, due to the high coupling of pyrolysis, combustion, soot formation and oxidation, exhibit relatively high complexity and poor flame stability, and lead to a huge obstacle to the use of optical diagnostics. Herein, a spatial-confinement combustion strategy, which can produce a special staged flame with multi-jets secondary wave, is devised to provide a highly decoupled combustion environment. Glowing soot particles are therefore decoupled from main chemiluminescence region and confined to the flame tip to provide a well-controlled, optical-thin test environment for combustion diagnostic. Based on this strategy, a multi-nozzle-separation (MNS) burner is designed and fabricated, and the combustion processes associated with four model compounds, PVC, PS, PP/TBBA blends and PP/RP blends are investigated by spontaneous spectral diagnosis, and the chemiluminescence fingerprint of key diatomic/triatomic intermediates (such as OH, CH, C2, ClO, Br2, and PHO) are clearly observed. This encouraging result means that the strategy of spatial-confinement combustion we proposed shows promising prospect in many subjects associated with combustion chain regulation, such as efficient design of flame retardants.
Molecular engineering of dibenzo-heterocyclic core based hole-transporting materials for perovskite solar cells
Yajie Yang, Mengde Zhai, Haoxin Wang, Cheng Chen, Ziyang Xia, Chengyang Liu, Yi Tian, Ming Cheng
2025, 36(5): 110700  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110700
[摘要]  (162) [HTML全文] (162) [PDF 3588KB] (1)
摘要:
Heterocyclic compounds play an important role in organic hole transport materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, a series of linear D-π-D HTMs (OCBz, S-CBz, SO2-CBz) with different dibenzo-heterocycles core (dibenzofuran, dibenzothiophene, dibenzothiophene sulfone) were designed and synthesized, and their applications in PSCs were investigated. The intrinsic properties (CV, UV–vis, hole mobility and conductivity) were systematically investigated, demonstrating that all three materials are suitable HTMs for planar n-i-p type PSCs. Benefiting from the excellent hole mobility and conductivity, good film forming ability, and outstanding charge extraction and transport capability of S-CBz, FAPbI3-based PSCs using S-CBz as HTM achieved a PCE of 25.0%, which is superior to that of Spiro-OMeTAD-based PSCs fabricated under the same conditions (23.9%). Furthermore, due to the interaction between S and Pb2+, S-CBz-based PSC devices exhibited improved stability. This work demonstrates that dibenzothiophene-based architectures are promising candidates for high-performance HTMs in perovskite solar cell architectures.
Boosting the first C–H bond activation of propane on rod-like V/CeO2 catalyst by photo-assisted thermal catalysis
Xiangyang Ji, Yishuang Chen, Peng Zhang, Shaojia Song, Jian Liu, Weiyu Song
2025, 36(5): 110719  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110719
[摘要]  (129) [HTML全文] (129) [PDF 3738KB] (0)
摘要:
Crystalized CeO2 structures were typically considered potential photocatalysts due to their great capacity to alter the active sites’ size and ability to absorb light. However, the controllable fabrication of well-defined hierarchical structures of CeO2 with high reactive facets is significant and challenging. Herein, a series of CeO2 supports including hierarchical flower-like (F-CeO2), ball-like (B-CeO2), cube-like (CCeO2), and rod-like CeO2(R-CeO2) supports were prepared by hydrothermal method (B-CeO2, R-CeO2 and CCeO2) or ice-bath method (F-CeO2) respectively. V atoms were selected as the active atoms and loaded on these supports. Their structure-activity relationship in photo-assisted thermal propane dehydrogenation (PTPDH) was investigated systematically. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and Fourier transform infrared spectrum. Results show that R-CeO2 support exhibits the biggest surface area thus achieving the best dispersion of VOx species. UV–vis spectrum and photoluminescence spectrum indicate that V/F-CeO2 has the best light adsorption property and V/R-CeO2 has the best carrier migration capacity. The activity tests demonstrate that the V/R-CeO2 has the largest net growth rate and the V/F-CeO2 has the biggest relative growth ratio. Furthermore, the non-thermal effect was confirmed by the kinetic method, which lowers the propane reaction orders, selectively promoting the first C–H bond activation. The light radiation TPSR experiment confirmed this point. DFT calculations show a good linear relationship between the energy barrier and the exchanged electron number. It inspires the design of high-reactive facets for boosting the intrinsic activity of the C–H bond in photo-assisted thermal chemical processes.
Significantly boosting circularly polarized luminescence by synergy of helical and planar chirality
Fengying Ye, Ming Hu, Jun Luo, Wei Yu, Zhirong Xu, Jinjin Fu, Yansong Zheng
2025, 36(5): 110724  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110724
[摘要]  (131) [HTML全文] (131) [PDF 3726KB] (1)
摘要:
To get large dissymmetric factor (glum) of organic circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials is still a great challenge. Although helical chirality and planar chirality are usual efficient access to enhancement of CPL, they are not combined together to boost CPL. Here, a new tetraphenylethylene (TPE) tetracycle acid helicate bearing both helical chirality and planar chirality was designed and synthesized. Uniquely, synergy of the helical chirality and planar chirality was used to boost CPL signals both in solution and in helical self-assemblies. In the presence of octadecylamine, the TPE helicate could form helical nanofibers that emitted strong CPL signals with an absolute glum value up to 0.237. Exceptionally, followed by addition of para-phenylenediamine, the glum value was successively increased to 0.387 due to formation of bigger helical nanofibers. Compared with that of TPE helicate itself, the CPL signal of the self-assemblies was not only magnified by 104-fold but also inversed, which was very rare result for CPL-active materials. Surprisingly, the interaction of TPE helicate with xylylenediamine even gave a gel, which was transformed into suspension by shaking. Unexpectedly, the suspension showed 40-fold stronger CPL signals than the gel with signal direction inversion each other. Using synergy of the helical chirality and planar chirality to significantly boost CPL intensity provides a new strategy in preparation of organic CPL materials having very large glum value.
Modified triphenylamine donors with shallower HOMO energy levels to construct long-wavelength TADF emitters of efficient organic light-emitting diodes
Hao Zhuo, Ming Zhang, Hengyuan Zhang, Hui Lin, Gang Yang, Silu Tao, Caijun Zheng, Xiaohong Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110760  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110760
[摘要]  (140) [HTML全文] (140) [PDF 3011KB] (0)
摘要:
Triphenylamine (TPA) is the most promising donor fragment for the construction of long-wavelength thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters owing to its suitable dihedral angle that could enhance radiative decay to compete with the serious non-radiative decay. However, the moderate electron-donating capacity of TPA seriously limits the selection of acceptor for constructing long-wavelength TADF emitters with narrow bandgaps. To address this issue, in this work, the peripheral benzene of TPA was replaced with 1,4-benzodioxane and anisole to obtain two new electron-donating units N-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin-6-yl)-N-phenyl-2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin-6-amine (TPADBO, −5.02 eV) and 4-methoxy-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-N-phenylaniline (TPAMO, −5.00 eV), which possess much shallower highest occupied molecule orbital (HOMO) energy levels than the prototype TPA (−5.33 eV). Based on TPA and the modified TPA donor fragments, three TADF emitters were designed and synthesized, namely Py-TPA, Py-TPADBO and Py-TPAMO, with the same acceptor fragment 12-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)pyrido[2′,3′:5,6]pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline (Py). Among them, Py-TPAMO exhibits the highest photoluminescence quantum yield of 78.4% and the smallest singlet-triplet energy gap, which is because the introduction of anisole does not cause significant molecule deformation for the excited Py-TPAMO. And Py-TPAMO-based OLEDs successfully realize a maximum external quantum efficiency of 25.5% with the emission peak at 605 nm. This work provides a series of candidate of donor fragments for the development of efficient long-wavelength TADF emitters.
Thermally robust bis(imino)pyridyl iron catalysts for ethylene polymerization: Synergy effects of weak π-π interaction, steric bulk, and electronic tuning
Heng Gao, Zhaocong Cheng, Guangshui Tu, Zonglin Qiu, Xieyi Xiao, Haotian Zhou, Handou Zheng, Haiyang Gao
2025, 36(5): 110762  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110762
[摘要]  (178) [HTML全文] (178) [PDF 2984KB] (0)
摘要:
A series of “half-sandwich” bis(imino)pyridyl iron complexes with a substituted 8-(p-X-phenyl)naphthylamine (X = OMe, Me, CF3) was designed and synthesized by combining weak π-π interaction with steric and electronic tunings. The weak noncovalent π-π interaction as well as the steric and electronic effects of bis(imino)pyridyl iron complexes were identified by experimental analyses and calculations. The roles of weak π-π interaction, steric bulk, and electronic tuning on the ethylene polymerization performance of bis(imino)pyridyl iron catalysts were studied in detail. The combination of π-π interaction with steric and electronic tunings can access to thermally stable bis(imino)pyridyl iron at 130 ℃.
Supramolecular-orchestrated carrier-free chemodynamic synergists with augmented oxidative damage for potentiated cancer therapy
Xiaoyi Meng, Xinyue Sun, Zhaogang Sun, Yue Cheng, Yong Wang, Jun Ye, Yin Xiao, Hongqian Chu
2025, 36(5): 110765  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110765
[摘要]  (168) [HTML全文] (168) [PDF 7579KB] (2)
摘要:
Metal ions trigger Fenton/Fenton-like reactions, generating highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (OH) for chemodynamic therapy (CDT), which is crucial in inducing lethal oxidative DNA damage and subsequent cell apoptosis. However, tumor cells can counteract this damage through repair pathways, particularly MutT homolog 1 (MTH1) protein attenuation of oxidative DNA damage. Suppression of MTH1 can enhance CDT efficacy, therefore, orderly integrating Fenton/Fenton-like agents with an MTH1 inhibitor is expected to significantly augment CDT effectiveness. Carrier-free CuTH@CD, self-assembled through the supramolecular orchestration of γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) with Cu2+ and the MTH1 inhibitor TH588, effectively overcoming tumor resistance by greatly amplifying oxidative damage capability. Without additional carriers and mediated by multiple supramolecular regulatory effects, CuTH@CD enables high drug loading content, stability, and uniform size distribution. Upon internalization by tumor cells, CuTH@CD invalidates repair pathways through Cu2+-mediated glutathione (GSH) depletion and TH588-mediated MTH1 inhibition. Meanwhile, both generated Cu+ ions and existing ones within the nanoassembly initiate a Fenton-like reaction, leading to the accumulation of OH. This strategy enhances CDT efficiency with minimal side effects, improving oxidative damage potency and advancing self-delivery nanoplatforms for developing effective chemodynamic tumor therapies.
Review
Recent advances in polyoxometalates based strategies for green synthesis of drugs
Tengteng Wang, Yiming Ju, Yao Cheng, Haiyang Wang, Dejin Zang
2025, 36(5): 109871  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109871
[摘要]  (140) [HTML全文] (140) [PDF 7994KB] (0)
摘要:
Green synthesis of drugs is of paramount importance for current public health and a prerequisite to new drugs exploiting. Nowadays, novel strategies of disease diagnosis and therapies are in blooming development as remarkable advances have been achieved which are all highly depended on drug development. Under the current requirements to high production capacity and novel synthesis methods of drugs, green synthesis based on strategies with different ways of empowering, advanced catalysts and unique reaction equipment are attracting huge attention and of great challenging. Higher quality products and environmentally friendly synthesis conditions are becoming more and more important for manufacturing process which has new requirements for catalyst materials and synthesis processes. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are class of transition metals-oxygen clusters with precise molecular structures and superior physicochemical properties which have made longstanding and important applications upon research community of functional materials, catalysis and medicine. In this review, the recent advances of polyoxometalates based strategies for green synthesis of drugs are summarized including POMs based catalysts, alternative reaction equipment based novel synthesis protocols. The significance of POMs to pharmaceutical and industrial field is highlighted and the related perspective for future development are well discussed.
The advanced development of one-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide nanotubes: From preparation to application
Fengshun Wang, Huachao Ji, Zefei Wu, Kang Chen, Wenqi Gao, Chen Wang, Longlu Wang, Jianmei Chen, Dafeng Yan
2025, 36(5): 109898  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109898
[摘要]  (127) [HTML全文] (127) [PDF 12580KB] (0)
摘要:
Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal sulfides (TMDs) are emerging and highly well received 2D materials, which are considered as an ideal 2D platform for studying various electronic properties and potential applications due to their chemical diversity. Converting 2D TMDs into one-dimensional (1D) TMDs nanotubes can not only retain some advantages of 2D nanosheets but also providing a unique direction to explore the novel properties of TMDs materials in the 1D limit. However, the controllable preparation of high-quality nanotubes remains a major challenge. It is very necessary to review the advanced development of one-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide nanotubes from preparation to application. Here, we first summarize a series of bottom-up synthesis methods of 1D TMDs, such as template growth and metal catalyzed method. Then, top-down synthesis methods are summarized, which included self-curing and stacking of TMDs nanosheets. In addition, we discuss some key applications that utilize the properties of 1D-TMDs nanotubes in the areas of catalyst preparation, energy storage, and electronic devices. Last but not least, we prospect the preparation methods of high-quality 1D-TMDs nanotubes, which will lay a foundation for the synthesis of high-performance optoelectronic devices, catalysts, and energy storage components
Iridium-based catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis
Jiawei Ge, Xian Wang, Heyuan Tian, Hao Wan, Wei Ma, Jiangying Qu, Junjie Ge
2025, 36(5): 109906  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109906
[摘要]  (131) [HTML全文] (131) [PDF 11249KB] (0)
摘要:
Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a favorable technology for producing high-purity hydrogen under high current density using intermittent renewable energy. The performance of PEMWE is largely determined by the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a sluggish four-electron reaction with a high reaction barrier. Nowadays, iridium (Ir)-based catalysts are the catalysts of choice for OER due to their excellent activity and durability in acidic solution. However, its high price and unsatisfactory electrochemical performance severely restrict the PEMWE’s practical application. In this review, we initiate by introducing the current OER reaction mechanisms, namely adsorbate evolution mechanism and lattice oxygen mechanism, with degradation mechanisms discussed. Optimized strategies in the preparation of advanced Ir-based catalysts are further introduced, with merits and potential problems also discussed. The parameters that determine the performance of PEMWE are then introduced, with unsolved issues and related outlooks summarized in the end.
Structure factors dictate the ionic conductivity and chemical stability for cubic garnet-based solid-state electrolyte
Jingyu Shi, Xiaofeng Wu, Yutong Chen, Yi Zhang, Xiangyan Hou, Ruike Lv, Junwei Liu, Mengpei Jiang, Keke Huang, Shouhua Feng
2025, 36(5): 109938  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109938
[摘要]  (169) [HTML全文] (169) [PDF 5334KB] (1)
摘要:
Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), as the core component within the next generation of key energy storage technologies - solid-state lithium batteries (SSLBs) - are significantly leading the development of future energy storage systems. Among the numerous types of SSEs, inorganic oxide garnet-structured superionic conductors Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) crystallized with the cubic Ia3d space group have received considerable attention owing to their highly advantageous intrinsic properties encompassing reasonable lithium-ion conductivity, wide electrochemical voltage window, high shear modulus, and excellent chemical stability with electrodes. However, no SSEs possess all the properties necessary for SSLBs, thus both the ionic conductivity at room temperature and stability in ambient air regarding cubic garnet-based electrolytes are still subject to further improvement. Hence, this review comprehensively covers the nine key structural factors affecting the ion conductivity of garnet-based electrolytes comprising Li concentration, Li vacancy concentration, Li carrier concentration and mobility, Li occupancy at available sites, lattice constant, triangle bottleneck size, oxygen vacancy defects, and Li-O bonding interactions. Furthermore, the general illustration of structures and fundamental features being crucial to chemical stability is examined, including Li concentration, Li-site occupation behavior, and Li-O bonding interactions. Insights into the composition-structure-property relations among cubic garnet-based oxide ionic conductors from the perspective of their crystal structures, revealing the potential compatibility conflicts between ionic transportation and chemical stability resulting from Li-O bonding interactions. We believe that this review will lay the foundation for future reasonable structural design of oxide-based or even other types of superionic conductors, thus assisting in promoting the rapid development of alternative green and sustainable technologies.
Enzyme-based colorimetric signal amplification strategy in lateral flow immunoassay
Haijiang Gong, Qingtan Zeng, Shili Gai, Yaqian Du, Jing Zhang, Qingyu Wang, He Ding, Lichun Wu, Anees Ahmad Ansari, Piaoping Yang
2025, 36(5): 110059  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110059
[摘要]  (120) [HTML全文] (120) [PDF 7314KB] (0)
摘要:
Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA), a rapid detection technique noted for simplicity and economy, has showcased indispensable applicability in diverse domains such as disease screening, food safety, and environmental monitoring. Nevertheless, challenges still exist in detecting ultra-low concentration analytes due to the inherent sensitivity limitations of LFIA. Recently, significant advances have been achieved by integrating enzyme activity probes and transforming LFIA into a highly sensitive tool for rapidly detecting trace analyte concentrations. Specifically, modifying natural enzymes or engineered nanozymes allows them to function as immune probes, directly catalyzing the production of signal molecules or indirectly initiating enzyme activity. Therefore, the signal intensity and detection sensitivity of LFIA are markedly elevated. The present review undertakes a comprehensive examination of pertinent research literature, offering a systematic analysis of recently proposed enzyme-based signal amplification strategies. By way of comparative assessment, the merits and demerits of current approaches are delineated, along with the identification of research avenues that still need to be explored. It is anticipated that this critical overview will garner considerable attention within the biomedical and materials science communities, providing valuable direction and insight toward the advancement of high-performance LFIA technologies.
Polymeric micelle-hydrogel composites design for biomedical applications
Hongyi Li, Huiyun Wen, He Zhang, Jin Li, Xiang Cao, Jiaqing Zhang, Yutao Zheng, Saipeng Huang, Weiming Xue, Xiaojun Cai
2025, 36(5): 110072  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110072
[摘要]  (150) [HTML全文] (150) [PDF 4383KB] (1)
摘要:
Designing advanced hydrogels with controlled mechanical properties, drug delivery manner and multifunctional properties will be beneficial for biomedical applications. However, the further development of hydrogel is limited due to its poor mechanical property and structural diversity. Hydrogels combined with polymeric micelles to obtain micelle-hydrogel composites have been designed for synergistic enhancement of each original properties. Incorporation polymeric micelles into hydrogel networks can not only enhance the mechanical property of hydrogel, but also expand the functionality of hydrogel. Recent advances in polymeric micelle-hydrogel composites are herein reviewed with a focus on three typical micelle incorporation methods. In this review, we will also highlight some emerging biomedical applications in developing micelle-hydrogel composite with multiple functionalities. In addition, further development and application prospects of the micelle-hydrogels composites have also been addressed.
Recent progress of chemical methods for lysine site-selective modification of peptides and proteins
Jian Li, Jinjin Chen, Qi-Long Hu, Zhen Wang, Xiao-Feng Xiong
2025, 36(5): 110126  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110126
[摘要]  (135) [HTML全文] (135) [PDF 2666KB] (0)
摘要:
Chemical modification of native peptides and proteins is a versatile strategy to facilitate late-stage diversification for functional studies. Among the proteogenic amino acids, lysine is extensively involved in post-translational modifications and the binding of ligands to target proteins, making its selective modification attractive. However, lysine’s high natural abundance and solvent accessibility, as well as its relatively low reactivity to cysteine, necessitate addressing chemoselectivity and regioselectivity for the Lys modification of native proteins. Although Lys chemoselective modification methods have been well developed, achieving site-selective modification of a specific Lys residue remains a great challenge. In this review, we discussed the challenges of Lys selective modification, presented recent examples of Lys chemoselective modification, and summarized the currently known methods and strategies for Lys site-selective modification. We also included an outlook on potential solutions for Lys site-selective labeling and its potential applications in chemical biology and drug development.
MOFs helping heritage against environmental threats
Kunpeng Zhou, Zhihao Shi, Xiao-Hong Yi, Peng Wang, Aiqun Li, Chong-Chen Wang
2025, 36(5): 110226  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110226
[摘要]  (124) [HTML全文] (124) [PDF 9090KB] (0)
摘要:
The heritage preservation is of great intractability to the conservators as each kind of heritage material has unique and diverse requirements on temperature, humidity and air cleanliness. It is promising for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the multifunctional environment remediation materials, to be applied in heritage environmental protection. The advantages of MOFs lie in their multifunction like adsorption, photocatalysis, sterilization, as well as the controllable structure and properties that could be flexibly adjusted as demands, helping the heritage against various environmental threats. Thereby, the applications and the corresponding mechanisms of MOFs in cultural heritage preservation were reviewed in this work, including harmful gas adsorption, surface waterproofing, particulate matters (PM) removal, anti-bacterial and humidity control of environment. Finally, the selection principles and precautions of MOFs in heritage preservation were discussed, aiming to provide a forward-looking direction for the selection and application of MOFs.
Hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis via two-electron oxygen reduction: From pH effect to device engineering
Xuyun Lu, Yanan Chang, Shasha Wang, Xiaoxuan Li, Jianchun Bao, Ying Liu
2025, 36(5): 110277  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110277
[摘要]  (122) [HTML全文] (122) [PDF 6691KB] (0)
摘要:
As a versatile and environmentally benign oxidant, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is highly desired in sanitation, disinfection, environmental remediation, and the chemical industry. Compared with the conventional anthraquinone process, the electrosynthesis of H2O2 through the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e ORR) is an efficient, competitive, and promising avenue. Electrocatalysts and devices are two core factors in 2e ORR, but the design principles of catalysts for different pH conditions and the development trends of relevant synthesis devices remain unclear. To this end, this review adopts a multiscale perspective to summarize recent advancements in the design principles, catalytic mechanisms, and application prospects of 2e ORR catalysts, with a particular focus on the influence of pH conditions, aiming at providing guidance for the selective design of advanced 2e ORR catalysts for highly-efficient H2O2 production. Moreover, in response to diverse on-site application demands, we elaborate on the evolution of H2O2 electrosynthesis devices, from rotating ring-disk electrodes and H-type cells to diverse flow-type cells. We elaborate on their characteristics and shortcomings, which can be beneficial for their further upgrades and customized applications. These insights may inspire the rational design of innovative catalysts and devices with high performance and wide serviceability for large-scale implementations.
Recent advances in electrochemiluminescence based on polymeric luminophores
Sijia Zhou, Tianyi Zhou, Yuhua Hou, Wang Li, Yanfei Shen, Songqin Liu, Kaiqing Wu, Yuanjian Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110284  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110284
[摘要]  (121) [HTML全文] (121) [PDF 12681KB] (0)
摘要:
Developing efficient, non-toxic, and low-cost emitters is a key issue in promoting the applications of electrochemiluminescence (ECL). Among varied ECL emitters, polymeric emitters are attracting dramatically increasing interest due to tunable structure, large surface area, brilliant transfer capability, and sustainable raw materials. In this review, we present a general overview of recent advances in developing polymeric luminophores, including their structural and synthetic methodologies. Methods rooted in straightforward unique structural modulation have been comprehensively summarized, aiming at enhancing the efficiency of ECL along with the underlying kinetic mechanisms. Moreover, as several conjugated polymers were just discovered in recent years, promising prospects and perspectives have also been deliberated. The insight of this review may provide a new avenue for helping develop advanced conjugated polymer ECL emitters and decode ECL applications.
Antioxidative strategies of 2D MXenes in aqueous energy storage system
Li Li, Xue Ke, Shan Wang, Zhuo Jiang, Yuzheng Guo, Chunguang Kuai
2025, 36(5): 110423  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110423
[摘要]  (130) [HTML全文] (130) [PDF 12461KB] (0)
摘要:
As a novel two-dimensional (2D) material, MXenes are anticipated to have a significant impact on future aqueous energy storage and conversion technologies owing to their unique intrinsic laminar structure and exceptional physicochemical properties. Nevertheless, the fabrication and utilization of functional MXene-based devices face formidable challenges due to their susceptibility to oxidative degradation in aqueous solutions. This review begins with an outline of various preparation techniques for MXenes and their implications for structure and surface chemistry. Subsequently, the controversial oxidation mechanisms are discussed, followed by a summary of currently employed oxidation characterization techniques. Additionally, the factors influencing MXene oxidation are then introduced, encompassing chemical composition (types of M, X elements, layer numbers, terminations, and defects) as well as environment (atmosphere, temperature, light, potential, solution pH, free water and O2 content). The review then shifts its focus to strategies aiming to prevent or delay MXene oxidation, thereby expanding the applicability of MXenes in complex environments. Finally, the challenges and prospects within this rapidly-growing research field are presented to promote further advancements of MXenes in aqueous storage systems.
Synthesis of organoboron compounds via heterogeneous C–H and C–X borylation
Shuai Tang, Zian Wang, Mengyi Zhu, Xinyun Zhao, Xiaoyun Hu, Hua Zhang
2025, 36(5): 110503  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110503
[摘要]  (133) [HTML全文] (133) [PDF 7518KB] (0)
摘要:
Homogeneous C–H and C–X borylation via transition-metal-catalysis have undergone rapid development in the past decades and become one of the most practical methods for the synthesis of organoboron compounds. However, the catalysts employed in homogeneous catalysis are generally expensive, sensitive, and difficult to separate from the reaction mixture and reuse. With the rapid development of heterogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous C–H and C–X borylation have emerged as highly efficient and sustainable approaches towards the synthesis of organoboron compounds. This review aims to highlight the recent advances in the synthesis of organoboron compounds employing heterogeneous C–H and C–X borylation strategies. We endeavor to shed light on new perspectives and inspire further research and applications in this emerging area.
Advances in photocatalytic deracemization of sp3-hybridized chiral centers via hydrogen atom transfer
Yuan Liu, Zhu Yin, Xintuo Yang, Jiajia Cheng
2025, 36(5): 110521  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110521
[摘要]  (153) [HTML全文] (153) [PDF 3393KB] (1)
摘要:
The enantioselective separation of racemate, particularly those containing C(sp3)-H bonds knowns for their high bond dissociation energies and significant polarity, presents a significant challenge in pharmaceutical synthesis. Recent advances have witnessed the fusion of photocatalysis with hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) methodologies, marking a notable trend in synthesis of chiral molecules. This technique uses the excitation of a catalyst to activate substrates, enabling the selective isomerization of chiral centers containing C(sp3) configurations. This process distinctively facilitates the direct activation of the C(sp3)-H bond in targeted reagents. This review systematically discusses the photocatalytic isomerization of various chiral molecule featuring C(sp3)-H centers, capable of undergoing deracemization through two primary HAT mechanisms: direct and indirect pathways. From the perspective of synthetic organic chemistry, this field has progressed towards the development of isomerization strategies for molecules that incorporate an activating group at the α-position adjacent to the C(sp3) chiral center. Moreover, it covers methodologies applicable to molecules characterized by specific C-C and C-S bond configurations. The integration of photocatalysis with HAT technology thus provides valuable strategies for the synthesis of enantiopure compounds with enhanced selectivity and efficiency.
Intestinal transporters and oral absorption enhancing strategies based on these transporters
Ju Wang, Yongbing Sun, Lingbang Meng, Jianfang Feng, Meng Cheng, Liangxing Tu
2025, 36(5): 110529  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110529
[摘要]  (149) [HTML全文] (149) [PDF 13252KB] (1)
摘要:
Utilizing transporter-mediated drug delivery to achieve effective oral absorption emerges as a promising strategy. Researchers have been concentrated on discovering solutions to the issues of low solubility and poor permeability of insoluble drugs, whereas, current reports have revealed that drug transporter proteins are abundantly expressed in the mucosa of intestinal epithelial cells, and that their mediated drug absorption effectively improved the bioavailability of orally administered drugs. There are two main categories based on the transporter mechanism, which include the family of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters with efflux effects that reduce drug bioavailability and the family of solute carriers (SLC) transporters with uptake effects that promote drug absorption, respectively. Thus, we review studies of intestinal transporter-mediated delivery of drugs to enhance oral absorption, including the types of intestinal transporters, distribution characteristics, and strategies for enhancing oral absorption using transporter-mediated drug delivery systems are summarized, with the aim of providing important theoretical references for the development of intestinal-targeted delivery system.
Review on near-infrared absorbing/emissive carbon dots: From preparation to multi-functional application
Yupeng Liu, Hui Wang, Songnan Qu
2025, 36(5): 110618  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110618
[摘要]  (124) [HTML全文] (124) [PDF 17996KB] (0)
摘要:
Carbon dots (CDs) are an emerging class of zero-dimensional carbon nano optical materials that are as promising candidates for various applications. Through the exploration of scientific researchers, the optical band gap of CDs has been continuously regulated and red-shifted from the initial blue-violet light to longer wavelengths. In recent years, CDs with near-infrared (NIR) absorption/emission have been gradually reported. Because NIR light has deeper penetration and lower scattering and is invisible to the human eye, it has great application prospects in the fields of biological imaging and treatment, information encryption, optical communications, etc. Although there are a few reviews on deep red to NIR CDs, they only focus on the single biomedical direction. There is still a lack of comprehensive reviews focusing on NIR (≥700 nm) absorption and luminescent CDs and their multifunctional applications. Based on our research group’s findings on NIR CDs, this review summarizes recent advancements in their preparation strategies and applications, points out the current shortcomings and challenges, and anticipates future development trajectories.
Recent advances in phosphine-mediated sequential annulations
Xuling Pan, Wei Cai, You Huang
2025, 36(5): 110628  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110628
[摘要]  (132) [HTML全文] (132) [PDF 6218KB] (0)
摘要:
Polycyclic compounds are widely found in natural products and drug molecules with important biological activities, which attracted the attention of many chemists. Phosphine-catalyzed nucleophilic addition is one of the most powerful tools for the construction of various cyclic compounds with the advantages of atom economy, mild reaction conditions and simplicity of operation. Allenolates, Morita−Baylis−Hillman (MBH) alcohols and their derivatives (MBHADs), electron-deficient olefins and alkynes are very efficient substrates in phosphine mediated annulations, which formed many phosphonium species such as β-phosphonium enolates, β-phosphonium dienolates and vinyl phosphonium ylides as intermediates. This review describes the reactivities of these phosphonium zwitterions and summarizes the synthesis of polycycle compounds through phosphine-mediated intramolecular and intermolecular sequential annulations. Thus, a systematic summary of the research process based on the phosphine-mediated sequential annulations of allenolates, MBH alcohols and MBHADs, electron-deficient olefins and alkynes are presented in Chapters 2–6, respectively.
Editorial
Stacking solid-state electrolyte and aluminum pellets for anode-free solid-state batteries
Jing Guo
2025, 36(5): 110764  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110764
[摘要]  (126) [HTML全文] (126) [PDF 1498KB] (0)
摘要:
Iron-catalyzed C–H activation: A sustainable approach to efficient organic synthesis
Qiao Song, Xue Peng, Zhouyu Wang, Leyong Wang
2025, 36(5): 110869  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.110869
[摘要]  (123) [HTML全文] (123) [PDF 835KB] (0)
摘要:
Stabilized carbon radical-mediated three-component functionalization of amino acid/peptide derivatives
Shaofeng Gong, Zi-Wei Deng, Chao Wu, Wei-Min He
2025, 36(5): 110936  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.110936
[摘要]  (167) [HTML全文] (167) [PDF 598KB] (0)
摘要:

Communication
Bistable switch molecule DPACdCl4 showing four physical channels and high phase transition temperature
Ying-Yu Zhang, Jia-Qi Luo, Yan Han, Wan-Ying Zhang, Yi Zhang, Hai-Feng Lu, Da-Wei Fu
2025, 36(1): 109530  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109530
[摘要]  (581) [HTML全文] (581) [PDF 3546KB] (581)
摘要:
Multiple switchable physical channels within one material or device, encompassing optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical pathways, can enable multifunctionality in mechanical-thermal-opto-electronic applications. Achieving integrated encryption and enhanced performance in storage and sensing presents a formidable challenge in the synthesis and functionality of new materials. In an effort to overcome the complexities associated with these multiple physical functions, this study investigates the large-size crystal of DPACdCl4 (DPA = diisopropylammonium), revealing significant features in rare multi-channel switches. This compound demonstrates the ability to switch between "OFF/0" and "ON/1" states in the mechanical-thermal-opto-electronic channels. Consequently, DPACdCl4 possesses four switchable physical channels, characterized by a higher phase transition temperature of 440.7 K and a competitive piezoelectric coefficient of 46 pC/N. Furthermore, solid-state NMR analysis indicates that thermally activated molecular vibrations significantly contribute to its multifunctional switching capabilities.
Potassium ion doped manganese oxide nanoscrolls enhanced the performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Yang Li, Xiaoxu Liu, Tianyi Ji, Man Zhang, Xueru Yan, Mengjie Yao, Dawei Sheng, Shaodong Li, Peipei Ren, Zexiang Shen
2025, 36(1): 109551  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109551
[摘要]  (451) [HTML全文] (451) [PDF 6184KB] (451)
摘要:
α-MnO2 is a potential positive electrode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries, but its electrochemical performance of zinc storage requires further improvement. In this paper, potassium ion-doped manganese dioxide nanoscrolls (KMnO2) with oxygen vacancy were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. It was observed that the electrochemical specific capacity was 250.9 mAh/g at a current density of 0.2 C, which was better than the existing commercial α-MnO2. At a high current of 1 C, these batteries demonstrate improved cycle stability. Synchrotron radiation and other experiments as well as DFT theoretical calculations provided additional evidence that K doping was efficient in regulating the metal bond type and the mean charge regulation of covalent bonds with oxygen atoms in MnO2. When MnO and MnK bonds are present, KMnO2 showed outstanding adsorption of Zn2+ and further enhanced the Zn2+ embedding process. Simultaneously, oxygen defects caused by doping boosted the development of the nanoscroll structure, leading to an increase in active sites available for electrochemical reactions and subsequently enhancing the electrical conductivity of α-MnO2. This study exhibits the potential of optimizing materials based on manganese with the introduction of a potassium doping strategy, resulting in improved performance for aquatic zinc-ion batteries, and presents novel perspectives for related research.
Support effect and confinement effect of porous carbon loaded tin dioxide nanoparticles in high-performance CO2 electroreduction towards formate
Xingxing Jiang, Yuxin Zhao, Yan Kong, Jianju Sun, Shangzhao Feng, Xin Lu, Qi Hu, Hengpan Yang, Chuanxin He
2025, 36(1): 109555  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109555
[摘要]  (402) [HTML全文] (402) [PDF 4957KB] (402)
摘要:
Leveraging the interplay between the metal component and the supporting material represents a cornerstone strategy for augmenting electrocatalytic efficiency, e.g., electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Herein, we employ freestanding porous carbon fibers (PCNF) as an efficacious and stable support for the uniformly distributed SnO2 nanoparticles (SnO2PCNF), thereby capitalizing on the synergistic support effect that arises from their strong interaction. On one hand, the interaction between the SnO2 nanoparticles and the carbon support optimizes the electronic configuration of the active centers. This interaction leads to a noteworthy shift of the d-band center toward stronger intermediate adsorption energy, consequently lowering the energy barrier associated with CO2 reduction. As a result, the SnO2PCNF realizes a remarkable CO2RR performance with excellent selectivity towards formate (98.1%). On the other hand, the porous carbon fibers enable the uniform and stable dispersion of SnO2 nanoparticles, and this superior porous structure of carbon supports can also facilitate the exposure of the SnO2 nanoparticles on the reaction interface to a great extent. Consequently, adequate contact between active sites, reactants, and electrolytes can significantly increase the metal utilization, eventually bringing forth a remarkable 7.09 A/mg mass activity. This work might provide a useful idea for improving the utilization rate of metals in numerous electrocatalytic reactions.
Diluent modified weakly solvating electrolyte for fast-charging high-voltage lithium metal batteries
Haining Peng, Huijun Liu, Chengzong Li, Yingfu Li, Qizhi Chen, Tao Li
2025, 36(1): 109556  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109556
[摘要]  (478) [HTML全文] (478) [PDF 3948KB] (478)
摘要:
Weakly solvating electrolyte (WSE) demonstrates superior compatibility with lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs). However, its application in fast-charging high-voltage LMBs is challenging. Here, we propose a diluent modified WSE for fast-charging high-voltage LMBs, which is formed by adding diluent of 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (TTE) into the tetrahydropyran (THP) based WSE. A relatively loose solvation structure is formed due to the formation of weak hydrogen bond between TTE and THP, which accelerates the de-solvation kinetics of Li+. Besides, more anions are involved in solvation structure in the presence of TTE, yielding inorganic-rich interphases with improved stability. Li (30 µm)LiNi0.5 Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (4.1 mAh/cm2) batteries with the TTE modified WSE retain over 64% capacity retention after 175 cycles under high rate of 3 C and high-voltage of 4.5 V, much better than that with pure THP based WSE. This work points out that the combination of diluent with weakly solvating solvent is a promising approach to develop high performance electrolytes for fast-charging high-voltage LMBs.
Hierarchical porous carbon guided by constructing organic-inorganic interpenetrating polymer networks to facilitate performance of zinc hybrid supercapacitors
Ting Shi, Ziyang Song, Yaokang Lv, Dazhang Zhu, Ling Miao, Lihua Gan, Mingxian Liu
2025, 36(1): 109559  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109559
[摘要]  (385) [HTML全文] (385) [PDF 4926KB] (385)
摘要:
Customized design of well-defined cathode structures with abundant adsorption sites and rapid diffusion dynamics, holds great promise in filling capacity gap of carbonaceous cathodes towards high-performance Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHC). Herein, we fabricate a series of dynamics-oriented hierarchical porous carbons derived from the unique organic-inorganic interpenetrating polymer networks. The interpenetrating polymer networks are obtained through physically knitting polyferric chloride (PFC) network into the highly crosslinked resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) network. Instead of covalent bonding, physical interpenetrating force in such RF-PFC networks efficiently relieves the RF skeleton shrinkage upon pyrolysis. Meanwhile, the in-situ PFC network sacrifices as a structure-directing agent to suppress the macrophase separation, and correspondingly 3D hierarchical porous structure with plentiful ion-diffusion channels (pore volume of 1.35 cm3/g) is generated in the representative HPC4 via nanospace occupation and swelling effect. Further removal of Fe fillers leaves behind a large accessible specific surface area of 1550 m2/g for enhanced Zn-ion adsorption. When used as the cathode for ZHC, HPC4 demonstrates a remarkable electrochemical performance with a specific capacity of 215.1 mAh/g at 0.5 A/g and a high Zn2+ ion diffusion coefficient of 11.1 × 10−18 cm2/s. The ZHC device yields 117.0 Wh/kg energy output at a power density of 272.1 W/kg, coupled with good cycle lifespan (100,000 cycles@10 A/g). This work inspires innovative insights to accelerate Zn diffusion dynamics by structure elaboration towards high-capacity cathode materials.
Efficient catalysis of FeNiCu-based multi-site alloys on magnesium-hydride for solid-state hydrogen storage
Shuai Li, Liuting Zhang, Fuying Wu, Yiqun Jiang, Xuebin Yu
2025, 36(1): 109566  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109566
[摘要]  (458) [HTML全文] (458) [PDF 6630KB] (458)
摘要:
Hydrogen, as a cheap, clean, and cost-effective secondary energy source, performs an essential role in optimizing today’s energy structure. Magnesium hydride (MgH2) represents an attractive hydrogen carrier for storage and transportation, however, the kinetic behavior and operating temperature remain undesirable. In this work, a dual-phase multi-site alloy (MsA) anchored on carbon substrates was designed, and its superior catalytic effects on the hydrogen storage properties of MgH2 were reported. Mechanism analysis identified that multi-site FeNi3/NiCu nanoalloys synergistically served as intrinsic drivers for the striking de/hydrogenation performance of the MgH2−MsA systems. Concretely, the unique multi-metallic site structure attached to the surface of MgH2 provided substantial reversible channels and accessible active sites conducive to the adsorption, activation, and nucleation of H atoms. In addition, the coupling system formed by FeNi3 and NiCu dual-phase alloys further enhanced the reactivity between Mg/MgH2 and H atoms. Hence, the onset dehydrogenation temperature of MgH2 + 5 wt% MsA was reduced to 195 ℃ and the hydrogen desorption apparent activation energy was reduced to 83.6 kJ/mol. 5.08 wt% H2 could be released at 250 ℃ in 20 min, reaching a high dehydrogenation rate of 0.254 wt% H2/min, yet that for MgH2 at a higher temperature of 335 ℃ was only 0.145 wt% H2/min. Then, the dehydrogenated MgH2−MsA sample could absorb hydrogen from room temperature (30 ℃) and charge 3.93 wt% H2 at 100 ℃ within 20 min under 3.0 MPa H2 pressure. Benefiting from carbon substrates, the 5 wt% MsA doped-MgH2 could still maintain 6.36 wt% hydrogen capacity after 20 cycles. In conclusion, this work provides experimental rationale and new insights for the design of efficient catalysts for magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage materials.
Al-F co-doping towards enhanced electrolyte-electrodes interface properties for halide and sulfide solid electrolytes
Han Yan, Jingming Yao, Zhangran Ye, Qiaoquan Lin, Ziqi Zhang, Shulin Li, Dawei Song, Zhenyu Wang, Chuang Yu, Long Zhang
2025, 36(1): 109568  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109568
[摘要]  (516) [HTML全文] (516) [PDF 6772KB] (516)
摘要:
All-solid-state Li batteries (ASSLBs) using solid electrolytes (SEs) have gained significant attention in recent years considering the safety issue and their high energy density. Despite these advantages, the commercialization of ASSLBs still faces challenges regarding the electrolyte/electrodes interfaces and growth of Li dendrites. Elemental doping is an effective and direct method to enhance the performance of SEs. Here, we report an Al-F co-doping strategy to improve the overall properties including ion conductivity, high voltage stability, and cathode and anode compatibility. Particularly, the Al-F co-doping enables the formation of a thin Li-Al alloy layer and fluoride interphases, thereby constructing a relatively stable interface and promoting uniform Li deposition. The similar merits of Al-F co-doping are also revealed in the Li-argyrodite series. ASSLBs assembled with these optimized electrolytes gain good electrochemical performance, demonstrating the universality of Al-F co-doping towards advanced SEs.
Enhanced oxygen reduction reaction on La-Fe bimetal in porous N-doped carbon dodecahedra with CNTs wrapping
Yi Zhou, Yanzhen Liu, Yani Yan, Zonglin Yi, Yongfeng Li, Cheng-Meng Chen
2025, 36(1): 109569  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109569
[摘要]  (437) [HTML全文] (437) [PDF 3993KB] (437)
摘要:
The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a crucial process in Zn-air systems, and the catalyst plays a significant role in this reaction. However, reported catalysts often suffer from poor durability and stability during the ORR process. Herein, we synthesized La-Fe bimetallic nanoparticles encapsulated in a N-doped porous carbon dodecahedron (La-Fe/NC) originated from ZIF-8 by a simple direct carbonization. The La-Fe/NC catalyst had a numerous mesopores and dendritic outer layer generated by carbon nanotubes (CNTs), forming a high conductivity network that helped to optimize electron transfer and mass transport in the ORR process. The effect of different doping transition metals and metal ratios on the ORR activity of Zn-air batteries was investigated. In alkaline media, the La-Fe/NC showed the highest ORR catalytic activity, with a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.879 V (vs. RHE, Pt/C 0.845 V). After 5000 cycles, the E1/2 of the La-Fe/NC catalyst only decreased by 7 mV, and its performance in stability tests and methanol tolerance tests was superior to Pt/C. When used as the air electrode in a Zn-air battery, the La-Fe/NC catalyst demonstrated an excellent specific capacity of 755 mAh/g and a peak power density of 179.8 mW/cm2. The results provide important insights for the development of high-performance Zn-air batteries and new directions for the design of ORR catalysts.
Axial coordinated iron-nitrogen-carbon as efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and oxygen redox reactions
Yanan Zhou, Li Sheng, Lanlan Chen, Wenhua Zhang, Jinlong Yang
2025, 36(1): 109588  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109588
[摘要]  (412) [HTML全文] (412) [PDF 3133KB] (412)
摘要:
Designing highly active electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution and reduction reactions (OER and ORR) is pivotal to renewable energy technology. Herein, based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we systematically investigate the catalytic activity of iron-nitrogen-carbon based covalent organic frameworks (COF) monolayers with axially coordinated ligands (denotes as FeN4-X@COF, X refers to axial ligand, X = -SCN, -I, -H, -SH, -NO2, -Br, -ClO, -Cl, -HCO3, -NO, -ClO2, -OH, -CN and -F). The calculated results demonstrate that all the catalysts possess good thermodynamic and electrochemical stabilities. The different ligands axially ligated to the Fe active center could induce changes in the charge of the Fe center, which further regulates the interaction strength between intermediates and catalysts that governs the catalytic activity. Importantly, FeN4-SH@COF and FeN4OH@COF are efficient bifunctional catalysts for HER and OER, FeN4OH@COF and FeN4-I@COF are promising bifunctional catalysts for OER and ORR. These findings not only reveal promising bifunctional HER/OER and OER/ORR catalysts but also provide theoretical guidance for designing optimum iron-nitrogen-carbon based catalysts.
CoPSe nanoparticles confined in nitrogen-doped dual carbon network towards high-performance lithium/potassium ion batteries
Zhong-Hui Sun, Yu-Qi Zhang, Zhen-Yi Gu, Dong-Yang Qu, Hong-Yu Guan, Xing-Long Wu
2025, 36(1): 109590  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109590
[摘要]  (469) [HTML全文] (469) [PDF 4903KB] (469)
摘要:
The metal ion batteries have gained widespread attention for wearable electronics due to their competitive energy density and long cycling life. Exploring the advanced anode materials is significant for next generation energy storage systems. However, severe electrode volume changes and sluggish redox kinetics are the critical problems for lithium/potassium ion batteries (LIBs/PIBs) towards large-scale applications. Herein, we prepare a novel anode material, which consists of reduced graphene oxide wrapping one-dimensional (1D) N-doped porous carbon nanotube with cobalt phosphoselenide (CoPSe) nanoparticles embedded inside them (rGO@CoPSe/NC). Benefited from the dual carbon decorations and ultrafine nanoparticles structure, it achieves a reversible capacity of 245 mAh/g at 5 A/g after 2000 cycles for LIBs and 215 mAh/g at 1 A/g after 500 cycles for PIBs. The pseudocapacitance and GITT measurements are used to investigate the electrochemical kinetics of rGO@CoPSe/NC for LIBs. In addition, the lithium ion full cell also shows good electrochemical performance when paired with high capacity LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode. This work provides a feasible electrode design strategy for high-efficiency metal ion batteries based on multidimensional nanoarchitecture engineering and composition tailoring.
B-embedded narrowband pure near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescent iridium(Ⅲ) complexes and solution-processed OLED application
Fuzheng Zhang, Chao Shi, Jiale Li, Fulin Jia, Xinyu Liu, Feiyang Li, Xinyu Bai, Qiuxia Li, Aihua Yuan, Guohua Xie
2025, 36(1): 109596  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109596
[摘要]  (432) [HTML全文] (432) [PDF 3119KB] (432)
摘要:
Pure near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescent materials with emission peak larger than 700 nm are of great significance for the development of optoelectronics and biomedicine. We have designed and synthesized two new B-embedded pure near-infrared (NIR)-emitting iridium complexes (Ir(Bpiq)2acac and Ir(Bpiq)2dpm) with peaks greater than 720 nm. More importantly, they exhibit very narrow phosphorescent emission with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of only about 50 nm (0.12 eV), resulting in a high NIR content (> 90%) in their spectrum. In view of better optical property and solubility, the complex Ir(Bpiq)2dpm was used as the emitting layer of a solution-processed OLED device, and achieved good maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) (2.8%) peaking at 728 nm. This research provides an important strategy for the design of narrowband NIR-emitting phosphorescent iridium complexes and their optoelectronic applications.
One-step synthesis of nanowoven ball-like NiS-WS2 for high-efficiency hydrogen evolution
Lanfang Wang, Jiangnan Lv, Yujia Li, Yanqing Hao, Wenjiao Liu, Hui Zhang, Xiaohong Xu
2025, 36(1): 109597  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109597
[摘要]  (398) [HTML全文] (398) [PDF 5212KB] (398)
摘要:
Exploring transition metal sulfide electrocatalysts with high-efficiency for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is essential to produce H2 fuel through water splitting. Herein, novel nickel tungsten sulfide heterojunction (NiS-WS2) with a nanowoven ball-like structure were directed synthetized by a facile hydrothermal method. The hierarchical NiS-WS2 exhibited excellent HER activity with a relatively small overpotential of 142 and 137 mV at 10 mA/cm2 in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 and 1 mol/L KOH, which is much better than that of single NiS and WS2. The impressive performance of NiS-WS2 heterojunction is owed to the collective synergy of special morphological and more exposed active sites between the crystal interfacial of NiS and WS2. In addition, the hierarchical NiS-WS2 can facilitate the transport of charge/mass by optimized electronic structure, which further improves the HER activity of electrocatalysts. These outcomes provide a simple method to prospect towards the design and application of heterostructures as efficient electrocatalysts, shedding some light on the development of functional materials in energy chemistry.
Unraveling the reaction mechanism of high reversible capacity CuP2/C anode with native oxidation POx component for sodium-ion batteries
Huixin Chen, Chen Zhao, Hongjun Yue, Guiming Zhong, Xiang Han, Liang Yin, Ding Chen
2025, 36(1): 109650  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109650
[摘要]  (384) [HTML全文] (384) [PDF 2209KB] (384)
摘要:
Phosphorus-based anode is a promising anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high specific capacity, however, suffers from poor electronic conductivity and unfavorable electrochemical reversibility. Incorporating metals such as copper (Cu) into phosphorus has been demonstrated to not only improve the electronic conductivity but also accommodate the volume change during cycling, yet the underline sodiation mechanism is not clear. Herein, take a copper phosphide and reduced graphene oxide (CuP2/C) composite as an example, which delivers a high reversible capacity of > 900 mAh/g. Interestingly, it is revealed that the native oxidation PO components of the CuP2/C composite show higher electrochemical reversibility than the bulk CuP2, based on a quantitative analysis of high-resolution solid-state 31P NMR, ex-situ XPS and synchrotron X-ray diffraction characterization techniques. The sodiation products Na3PO4 and Na4P2O7 derived from PO could react with Na-P alloys and regenerate to PO during charge process, which probably accounts for the high reversible capacity of the CuP2/C anode. The findings also illustrate that the phosphorus transforms into nanocrystalline Na3P and NaP alloys, which laterally shows crystallization-amorphization evolution process during cycling.
Growth of CeCo-MOF in dendritic mesoporous organosilica as highly efficient antioxidant for enhanced thermal stability of silicone rubber
Guizhi Zhu, Junrui Tan, Longfei Tan, Qiong Wu, Xiangling Ren, Changhui Fu, Zhihui Chen, Xianwei Meng
2025, 36(1): 109669  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109669
[摘要]  (448) [HTML全文] (448) [PDF 3767KB] (448)
摘要:
High-efficient rubber antioxidants for enhanced heat resistance without compromising mechanical properties remain an enormous and long-term challenge for the rubber industry. Herein, we employed the in-situ growth of Ce-doped Co-metal-organic framework (CeCo-MOF) in dendritic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (DMONs@CeCo-MOF, denoted as DCCM) to prepare a novel antioxidant that exhibit outstanding thermal stability. Dendritic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (DMONs) effectively alleviated the incompatibility of CeCo-MOF in the polymer matrix, and the effective scavenging of free radicals was attributed to the various oxidation states of metal ions in CeCo-MOF. Surprising, by adding only 0.5 phr (parts per hundred of rubber) of DMONs@CeCo-MOF to silicone rubber, (SR), the retention rate of tensile strength increased from 37.3% to 61.6% after aging 72 h at 250 ℃, and the retention rate of elongation at break of DCCM/SR1 composites reached 68%, which was 5.43 times of SR. The strategy of anchoring MOFs on the surface of silica also provides a viable method for preparing effective compound functionalized rubber antioxidant.
A nanocomposite film with layer-by-layer self-assembled gold nanospheres driven by cucurbit[7]uril for the selective transport of L-tryptophan and lysozyme
Hao Zhang, Haonan Qu, Ehsan Bahojb Noruzi, Haibing Li, Feng Liang
2025, 36(1): 109731  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109731
[摘要]  (430) [HTML全文] (430) [PDF 2510KB] (430)
摘要:
Selective separation of amino acids and proteins is crucial in various areas of research, including proteomics, protein structure and function studies, protein purification and drug development, and biosensing and biodetection. A nanocomposite film is formed by combining layer-by-layer self-assembled gold nanospheres (AuNPs) driven by cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) film. Due to the host-guest interactions, the selective transmission of L-tryptophan in the nanocomposite film is confirmed by the current-voltage measurements using a picoammeter. Furthermore, by adjusting the particle size of AuNPs to increase channel size, lysozyme containing multiple tryptophan residues can selectively pass through the nanocomposite film, indicating the high versatility and adaptability of the nanocomposite film. This study will provide a new direction for the selective separation of amino acids and proteins.
Formation mechanism of herpetrione self-assembled nanoparticles based on pH-driven method
Yuwen Zhu, Xiang Deng, Yan Wu, Baode Shen, Lingyu Hang, Yuye Xue, Hailong Yuan
2025, 36(1): 109733  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109733
[摘要]  (407) [HTML全文] (407) [PDF 5484KB] (407)
摘要:
The self-assembled nanoparticles (SAN) formed during the decoction process of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exhibit non-uniform particle sizes and a tendency for aggregation. Our group found that the pH-driven method can improve the self-assembly phenomenon of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall., and the SAN exhibited uniform particle size and demonstrated good stability. In this paper, we analyzed the interactions between the main active compound, herpetrione (Her), and its main carrier, Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall. polysaccharide (HCWP), along with their self-assembly mechanisms under different pH values. The binding constants of Her and HCWP increase with rising pH, leading to the formation of Her-HCWP SAN with a smaller particle size, higher zeta potential, and improved thermal stability. While the contributions of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction to the formation of Her-HCWP SAN increase with rising pH, the hydrophobic force consistently plays a dominant role. This study enhances our scientific understanding of the self-assembly phenomenon of TCM improved by pH driven method.
A novel supramolecular assembly based on nor-seco-cucurbit[10]uril for spermine sensing and artificial light-harvesting
Ran Cen, Yan-Yan Tang, Li-Xia Chen, Zhu Tao, Xin Xiao
2025, 36(1): 109744  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109744
[摘要]  (405) [HTML全文] (405) [PDF 3472KB] (405)
摘要:
A supramolecular assembly composed of perylene diimide derivative (PDI-nm) and nor-seco-cucurbit[10]uril (ns-Q[10]) was designed. The excellent host-guest interaction between PDI-nm and ns-Q[10] prevented the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect of PDI-nm, resulting in a luminescent assembly. The addition of spermine to the PDI-nm/ns-Q[10] assembly restored the ACQ of PDI-nm due to the competitive binding of spermine to ns-Q[10], which released PDI-nm. The assembly based on this principle showed ultra-high sensitivity for the detection of spermine with a detection limit as low as 7.84 × 10−7 mol/L in aqueous solution and 3.69 × 10−7 mol/L in plasma solution. Moreover, an artificial light-harvesting system based on this assembly was proposed, benefiting from its good luminescent performance. Nile red (NiR) functioned as an acceptor loaded into assembly, and a highly efficient energy transfer process occurred from PDI-nm/ns-Q[10] to NiR, with an efficiency up to 87%.
Efficient continuous synthesis of 2-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]malonic acid, a key intermediate of Triflumezopyrim, coupling with esterification-condensation-hydrolysis
Yuexiang Liu, Xiangqiao Yang, Tong Lin, Guantian Yang, Xiaoyong Xu, Bubing Zeng, Zhong Li, Weiping Zhu, Xuhong Qian
2025, 36(1): 109747  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109747
[摘要]  (521) [HTML全文] (521) [PDF 2774KB] (521)
摘要:
Triflumezopyrim (TFM) is a novel mesoionic pyrido[1,2-α]pyrimidinones insecticide, which acts on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and has no cross-resistance with other insecticides. Herein, we firstly developed a new continuous flow approach to synthesis 2-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]malonic acid, a key intermate of TFM, coupling with esterification, condensation, and hydrolysis. All three-step reactions were optimized and transformed into a continuous synthesis mode by three micro reaction units. Compared with the batch mode, the total reaction time and overall separation yield were improved from more than 12 h and 60% to 18 min and 73.38%, respectively. The solvent consumption and waste emission were significantly reduced, which also provides an eco-friendly and efficient potential tool for the development and production of mesoionic pyrido[1,2-α]pyrimidinones insecticide.
Radical dehydroxymethylative fluorination of aliphatic primary alcohols and diverse functionalization of α-fluoroimides via BF3·OEt2-catalyzed C‒F bond activation
Peng Wang, Jianjun Wang, Ni Song, Xin Zhou, Ming Li
2025, 36(1): 109748  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109748
[摘要]  (417) [HTML全文] (417) [PDF 1180KB] (417)
摘要:
Ag2CO3-promoted dehydroxymethylative fluorination of aliphatic alcohols has been achieved with Selectfluor as both oxidant and fluorine source. The reaction involves β-fragmentation of primary alkoxy radicals, followed by the fluorination of the resulting C-centered radical intermediates. The transformation proceeds under mild reaction conditions and exhibits a broad substrate scope, thus opening up a new entrance to the synthesis of fluorinated constructs including α-fluoroimides and 1-fluoroalkyl benzoates as well as secondary and tertiary alkyl fluorides like versatile 2-fluoro-2-alkyl 1,3-propandiol derivatives. The divergent functionalization of the obtained α-fluoroimides enables an efficient access to amine derivatives through C–F bond activation under the action of BF3·OEt2.
A supramolecular formulation of icariin@sulfonatoazocalixarene for hypoxia-targeted osteoarthritis therapy
Chao Zhang, Ai-Feng Liu, Shihui Li, Fang-Yuan Chen, Jun-Tao Zhang, Fang-Xing Zeng, Hui-Chuan Feng, Ping Wang, Wen-Chao Geng, Chuan-Rui Ma, Dong-Sheng Guo
2025, 36(1): 109752  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109752
[摘要]  (421) [HTML全文] (421) [PDF 4540KB] (421)
摘要:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease and icariin is a promising drug for its treatment. However, the clinical use of icariin is hindered by poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and non-specific release and biological distribution. Herein, sulfonated azocalix[4]arene (SAC4A) with enhanced water solubility, recognition capacity, and designed responsiveness was used to improve the efficiency of icariin for OA therapy. SAC4A, a macrocycle with well-defined molecular weight and structure, could encapsulate and enhance water solubility of various drugs. In addition, SAC4A enables hypoxia-responsive release of loaded drug. Compared with icariin treatment, supramolecular complex icariin@SAC4A significantly relieved OA symptoms of rats, including more regular bone morphology and structure, and lower degree of cartilage damage. Moreover, the supramolecular formulation demonstrated various advantages, including easy preparation, hypoxia-triggered release, and small size that conducive to drug penetration.
Metal-free construction of diverse 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyridines on water
Chunhua Ma, Mengjiao Liu, Siyu Ouyang, Zhenwei Cui, Jingjing Bi, Yuqin Jiang, Zhiguo Zhang
2025, 36(1): 109755  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109755
[摘要]  (444) [HTML全文] (444) [PDF 3338KB] (444)
摘要:
A transition-metal- and oxidant-free amination/cyclization reaction to access 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyridines was realized in water by using amino diphenylphosphinate as amino source. A broad array of readily accessible N-(pyridyl)amides could be converted into the products featuring a diverse set of functional groups. The sustainable methodology was successfully applied to the late-stage functionalization of natural products and drugs.
Modulated synthesis of stoichiometric and sub-stoichiometric two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks for enhanced ethylene purification
Jiahao Li, Guinan Chen, Chunhong Chen, Yuanyuan Lou, Zhihao Xing, Tao Zhang, Chengtao Gong, Yongwu Peng
2025, 36(1): 109760  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109760
[摘要]  (436) [HTML全文] (436) [PDF 5854KB] (436)
摘要:
Controlled synthesis of two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs), including stoichiometric and sub-stoichiometric variations, is a topic of growing interest due to its potential in gas separation applications. In this study, we successfully synthesized three distinct 2D COFs by carefully adjusting solvent compositions and monomer ratios during the synthesis of [4 + 4] type COFs. These included a stoichiometric [4 + 4] type COF and two sub-stoichiometric [4 + 2] type COFs, featuring unreacted amino or formyl groups. The resulting COFs exhibit different gas adsorption and separation properties. Specifically, sub-stoichiometric COF-DA with residual amino groups shows comparable adsorption capacity for C2H2, C2H4, and CO2 to stoichiometric COF-DAPy. In contrast, sub-stoichiometric COF-Py with residual formyl groups displays enhanced adsorption selectivity for C2H2/C2H4 and C2H2/CO2 separation, with the C2H2/C2H4 selectivity being the highest among reported COFs, attributed to increased pore polarity resulting from the presence of formyl groups. This study not only offers an additional example of sub-stoichiometric COF synthesis but also advocates for further exploration of sub-stoichiometric COF materials, particularly in the field of gas adsorption and separation.
Biomimetic nanoplatform integrates FRET-enhanced photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy for cascaded revitalization of the tumor immune microenvironment in OSCC
Wenbin Zhou, Yafei Gao, Xinyu Feng, Yanqing Zhang, Cong Yang, Lanxi He, Fenghe Zhang, Xiaoguang Li, Qing Li
2025, 36(1): 109763  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109763
[摘要]  (388) [HTML全文] (388) [PDF 5866KB] (388)
摘要:
Immunotherapy offers significant potential but is often hampered by the immunosuppressive environment in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). To address this, we propose an enhanced immunotherapeutic strategy that revitalizes the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in OSCC by integrating upconversion-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) with chemotherapy. Using a red blood cell membrane-inspired biomimetic nanoplatform, our approach concurrently delivers chlorin e6@upconversion nanoparticles (Ce6@UCNP) and doxorubicin (DOX). By leveraging fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) for 980 nm to 660 nm upconversion excitation, we address challenges such as limited tissue penetration and tissue damage, as well as nanoplatform issues including immunogenicity and targeting inaccuracy Our integrated approach enhances PDT and chemotherapy with the goal of transforming immunologically "cold" tumors into "hot" ones through a cascaded therapy, thereby revitalizing the tumor immune microenvironment in OSCC.
Rapid and specific fluorescent probe visualizes dynamic correlation of Cys and HClO in OGD/R
Pei Huang, Weijie Zhang, Junping Wang, Fangjun Huo, Caixia Yin
2025, 36(1): 109778  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109778
[摘要]  (477) [HTML全文] (477) [PDF 5280KB] (477)
摘要:
Intracellular redox homeostasis is of indispensable importance in pathophysiology. In order to maintain the balance of the redox state within the cell, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive sulfur species (RSS) react and transform with each other, and their levels also directly reflect the degree of oxidative stress and disease. Hypochlorous acid (HClO) and cysteine (Cys) usually co-exist in organisms, interacting with each other in many important physiological processes and synergistically maintaining the dynamic redox balance in the body. To understand the relevance and pathophysiological effects of these two signaling molecules in oxidative stress, unique fluorescence imaging tools are required. Herein, we designed and developed a dual-channel fluorescent probe HP, for the individual and continuous detection of HClO and Cys. This probe could simultaneously monitor the changes in the concentrations of HClO and Cys in cells, and was characterized by a fast response, high sensitivity and high selectivity, especially compared with glutathione (GSH) and homocysteine (Hcy), the probe had a good specificity for Cys. Importantly, probe HP successfully observed dynamic changes in HClO- and Cys-mediated redox status in the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model of HeLa cells and dynamically monitored fluctuations in endogenous HClO levels in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced peritonitis mice.
Bifunctional organocatalyst-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution of hemiketals for synthesis of chiral ketals via hydrogen bonding control
Meng Shan, Yongmei Yu, Mengli Sun, Shuping Yang, Mengqi Wang, Bo Zhu, Junbiao Chang
2025, 36(1): 109781  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109781
[摘要]  (439) [HTML全文] (439) [PDF 1395KB] (439)
摘要:
Herein, we report the dynamic kinetic resolution asymmetric acylation of γ-hydroxy-γ-perfluoroalkyl butenolides/phthalides catalyzed by amino acid-derived bifunctional organocatalysts, and a series of ketals were obtained in high yields (up to 95%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99%). In terms of synthetic utility, the reaction can be performed on a gram scale, and the product can be converted into potential biological nucleoside analog.
Smartphone-assisted electrochemiluminescence imaging test strips towards dual-signal visualized and sensitive monitoring of aflatoxin B1 in corn samples
Miao-Miao Chen, Min-Ling Zhang, Xiao Song, Jun Jiang, Xiaoqian Tang, Qi Zhang, Xiuhua Zhang, Peiwu Li
2025, 36(1): 109785  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109785
[摘要]  (414) [HTML全文] (414) [PDF 4195KB] (414)
摘要:
Aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) contamination in agro-food holds great threaten to human and animal health. Conventional test strips for rapid AFB1 visualized monitoring remains challenged by improvement of sensitivity and matrix interference resistance. In this case, we developed a portable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) imaging test strip with dual-signal outputs for AFB1 quantification in corn samples. Ru-PEI@SiO2@Au nanospheres were synthesized for bonding with anti-AFB1 antibody and then colorimetrical signal-reported on test line through the capillary flow at strips. Meanwhile, ECL imaging signal of the constructed carbon-ink-based working electrode on polyvinyl chloride substrate of strips was exported under an applied potential of 1.25 V. The whole ECL test strips not only endowed convenient colorimetric responses but guaranteed quick-witted ECL image distinguishment even at extremely low AFB1 content. The detection limit of this ECL imaging-integrated mode was 10-fold lower than that of only colorimetric mode. Furthermore, satisfactory selectivity, reliability and practicability of the as-proposed ECL test strips were demonstrated. This work offered a promising platform for on-site, accurate and sensitive detection of pollutants in foods.
"Superimposed" spectral characteristics of fluorophores arising from cross-conjugation hybridization
Kai An, Qinglong Qiao, Lovelesh, Syed Ali Abbas Abedi, Xiaogang Liu, Zhaochao Xu
2025, 36(1): 109786  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109786
[摘要]  (401) [HTML全文] (401) [PDF 4897KB] (401)
摘要:
The demand for enhanced optical properties in advanced fluorescence technologies has driven research into the structure-property relationship of fluorophores. In this paper, we use naphthalene fluorophores NaDC-Aze and PhDO-Aze as a case study to emphasize the pivotal role of cross conjugation in tuning the optical structure-property relationship. NaDC-Aze and PhDO-Aze, formed by hybridizing two distinct conjugated systems in a single naphthalene molecule, exhibit spectral characteristics from both conjugated systems. Experimental data and theoretical calculations demonstrate the coexistence of two electron-delocalization systems in a cross-conjugation manner in both NaDC-Aze and PhDO-Aze. The cross-conjugation fluorophores exhibit high brightness, large Stokes shift, and a broad absorption wavelength range by combining distinct spectral properties from its parent fluorophores. These spectral properties will be advantageous for certain applications (i.e., panchromatic absorption in organic solar cells, and fluorophores compatible with a wide range of excitation wavelengths).
Highly enantioselective carbene-catalyzed δ-lactonization via radical relay cross-coupling
Yuhan Liu, Jingyang Zhang, Gongming Yang, Jian Wang
2025, 36(1): 109790  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109790
[摘要]  (405) [HTML全文] (405) [PDF 1286KB] (405)
摘要:
An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyzed enantioselective cyclisation and trifluoromethylation of olefins with cinnamaldehydes via radical relay cross-coupling in the presence of Togni reagent is reported and δ-lactones tolerated with stereogenic centers at β- and γ-positions are obtained in moderate to high yields and with high enantioselectivities. Further computational studies explain that the radical cross-coupling step is the key to determining the enantioselectivity. Energy analysis of key transition states and intermediates also provides a reasonable explanation for the difficulty of diastereoselective control. DFT calculations also reveal that the hydrogen-bonding interaction plays a vital role in the promotion of this chemistry.
Mechanism study of the molluscicide candidate PBQ on Pomacea canaliculata using a viscosity-sensitive fluorescent probe
Lanyun Zhang, Weisi Wang, Yu-Qiang Zhao, Rui Huang, Yuxun Lu, Ying Chen, Liping Duan, Ying Zhou
2025, 36(1): 109798  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109798
[摘要]  (482) [HTML全文] (482) [PDF 5796KB] (482)
摘要:
PBQ [1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(pyridin-3-yl)urea], an enormous potent molluscicide, showed excellent Pomacea canaliculata (P. canaliculata) control activity and low toxicity for other aquatic organisms, but its snail-killing mechanisms are still not fully understood. We employed an optical method to elucidate PBQ action via a novel fluorescent viscosity probe, NCV. As the viscosity in the test solutions increased, compared with that in pure ethanol, a 54-fold fluorescence intensity enhancement of NCV was observed in 310 cP of 90% glycerol. Furthermore, NCV successfully exhibited a selective fluorescence response towards monensin-induced cellular viscosity changes in HepG2 cells. The liver, stomach, and foot plantar of the tested snails were frozen and sectioned for fluorescent imaging experiments after the treatment with different PBQ concentrations over various times. A significant fluorescent increase in the snail's liver was observed upon exposure to 0.75 mg/L PBQ for 72 h, which highlighted an increase in viscosity. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining further supported PBQ-induced liver damage with a viscosity increase in P. canaliculata. Our study provides a new rapid optical visualization method to study the killing mechanisms of PBQ and may help discover new chemicals that control snail populations.
I2-DMSO mediated tetra-functionalization of enaminones for the construction of novel furo[2′,3′:4,5]pyrimido[1,2-b]indazole skeletons via in situ capture of ketenimine cations
You Zhou, Li-Sheng Wang, Shuang-Gui Lei, Bo-Cheng Tang, Zhi-Cheng Yu, Xing Li, Yan-Dong Wu, Kai-Lu Zheng, An-Xin Wu
2025, 36(1): 109799  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109799
[摘要]  (458) [HTML全文] (458) [PDF 6032KB] (458)
摘要:
The first-ever synthesis of the unknown furo[2′,3′:4,5]pyrimido[1,2-b]indazole skeleton was demonstrated based on the undiscovered tetra-functionalization of enaminones, with simple substrates and reaction conditions. The key to realizing this process lies in the multiple trapping of the in situ generated ketenimine cation by the 3-aminoindazole, which results in the formation of four new chemical bonds and two new rings in one pot. Moreover, the products of this new reaction were found to exhibit aggregation-induced emission (AIE) without modification.
Full biosynthetic pathway of pyrrolobenzoxazines
Kunya Wang, Bingyu Liu, Daojiang Yan, Jian Bai, Haibo Yu, Youcai Hu
2025, 36(1): 109811  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109811
[摘要]  (446) [HTML全文] (446) [PDF 2912KB] (446)
摘要:
Pyrrolobenzoxazines are a rare terpene-amino acid family of natural products with potent biological activities. Here, we reported the full biosynthetic pathway of paeciloxazine (1), a typical pyrrolobenzoxazine, with significant insecticidal activity. Base on heterologous expression, chemical complement experiment, and in vitro biochemical assays, we demonstrated the sesquiterpene portion of 1 derived from discontinuously oxidations of amorphdiene, in which P450 monooxygenase PaxH catalyzed a cascade of hydroxylation and epoxidation, while two flavin dependent monooxygenases are involved in the transformation of the esterified tryptophan into a pyrrolobenzoxazine core. Furthermore, a total of 15 compounds were generated through heterologous expression, of which 13, 17 and 20 showed potential antiepileptic activity. This study fully elucidated the biosynthetic pathway of paeciloxazine (1) and showed the diversity and complexity of constructing natural products by organisms.
Trifluoromethylative homo-coupling of carbonyl compounds
Xinlong Han, Huiying Zeng, Chao-Jun Li
2025, 36(1): 109817  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109817
[摘要]  (419) [HTML全文] (419) [PDF 2411KB] (419)
摘要:
Carbonyl compounds are abundant in nature and represent a substantial portion of biomass resources. Despite significant recent progress in homo-coupling of carbonyl compounds, achieving their deoxy-functionalization homo-coupling remains a highly intricate challenge. Herein, we report an entirely novel reaction paradigm: the trifluoromethylative homo-coupling of carbonyl compounds via hydrazones, which enables the formation of three C(sp3)–C(sp3) bonds in a single step. This method provides a new pathway for synthesizing trifluoromethylative coupling product which has unique applications in both fields of medical and material sciences. Mechanistic investigations have unveiled that the formation of a trifluoromethyl-substituted benzyl radical plays a pivotal role as a key intermediate in this reaction.
Desymmetrized pillar[8]arenes: High-yield synthesis, functionalization, and host-guest chemistry
Jie Yang, Xin-Yue Lou, Dihua Dai, Jingwei Shi, Ying-Wei Yang
2025, 36(1): 109818  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109818
[摘要]  (404) [HTML全文] (404) [PDF 3883KB] (404)
摘要:
The preparation, functionalization, and investigations in host-guest properties of high-level pillararene macrocycles have long been a big challenge because of the lack of efficient synthetic methods. Herein, a novel type of pillararene derivative, namely desymmetrized pillar[8]arene (DP[8]A), has been successfully synthesized via a facile two-step strategy with high yield. Compared with its pillar[8]arene counterpart, DP[8]A is composed of four alkoxy-substituted benzene units and four bare benzene rings. Single crystal analysis has been performed in order to unveil the molecular conformation and packing mode of DP[8]A, which indicated that DP[8]A possesses a unique chair-like structure and much smaller steric hindrance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and electrostatic potential map suggested the inhomogeneous electronic distribution in the DP[8]A cavity. Water-soluble carboxylate-modified DP[8]A, that is, CDP[8]A, was also prepared to investigate the host-guest properties in aqueous solution with methyl viologen (MV), where the binding constant and morphologies of the formed host-guest complexes have been studied. In all, this new version of eight-membered pillararene derivative might potentially serve as a powerful macrocycle candidate for further applications in supramolecular chemistry.
NIR-Ⅱ fluorescence lateral flow immunosensor based on efficient energy transfer probe for point-of-care testing of tumor biomarkers
Zhaorui Song, Qiulian Hao, Bing Li, Yuwei Yuan, Shanshan Zhang, Yongkuan Suo, Hai-Hao Han, Zhen Cheng
2025, 36(1): 109834  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109834
[摘要]  (424) [HTML全文] (424) [PDF 3594KB] (424)
摘要:
Fluorescence lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) has emerged as a powerful tool for rapid screening of various biomarkers owing to its simplicity, sensitivity and flexibility. It is noteworthy that fluorescent probe mainly determines the analytical performance of LFA. Due to the emission and excitation wavelengths are located in the visible region, most fluorophores are inevitably subject to light scattering and background autofluorescence. Herein, we reported a novel LFA sensor based on the second near-infrared (NIR-Ⅱ) fluorescent probe with excellent anti-interference capability. The designed NIR-Ⅱ probe was the Nd3+ and Yb3+ doped rare earth nanoparticles (RENPs) by employing Nd3+ as energy donor and Yb3+ as energy acceptor, which of the donor-acceptor energy transfer (ET) efficiency reached up to 80.7%. Meanwhile, relying on the convenient and effective encapsulation strategy of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres to RENPs, the surface functionalized NIR-Ⅱ probe (RE@PLGA) was obtained for subsequent bioconjugation. Benefiting from the optical advantages of NIR-Ⅱ probe, this proposed NIR-Ⅱ LFA displayed a good linear relationship ranging from 7 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL for the detection of α-fetoprotein (AFP), an important biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The limit of detection (LOD) was determined as low as 3.0 ng/mL, which was of 8.3 times lower than clinical cutoff value. It is promising that LFA sensor based on this efficient RENPs probe provides new opportunities for high sensitive detection of various biomarkers in biological samples.
Utilizing bivalent aptamers as first DNA agonist to activate RTKs heterodimer of different families
Kun Liu, Yulin Cong, Xiongfeng Luo, Meicun Yao, Zhiyong Xie, Hao Li
2025, 36(1): 109839  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109839
[摘要]  (476) [HTML全文] (476) [PDF 3799KB] (476)
摘要:
Heterodimerization in RTKs is of vital importance in the RTK signaling and cell functions. Heterodimerization between RTKs can result in diversity of downstream signals, increasing the ability of cells to respond to external experiments. Traditional RTKs heterodimerization always occur in the same families and is lack of agonists to activate the heterodimeric RTKs signaling pathway. Herein, we developed the DNA agonist based on bivalent aptamers for the heterodimerized RTKs of different families, AF/AM-1, which could simultaneously activate FGFR1 and c-Met signaling. It is the first agonist that realizing the heterodimerization and activation of FGFR1 and c-Met, two different RTK families. The activation of FGFR1/c-Met heterodimer result in the down-stream signals transduction, such as the phosphorylation of Akt and Erk, inducing the cell migration and proliferation. The DNA agonist for RTK heterodimer of different families would have potential applications in the fields of biomedicine.
A dual drug-loaded tumor vasculature-targeting liposome for tumor vasculature disruption and hypoxia-enhanced chemotherapy
Cheng-Zhe Gao, Hao-Ran Jia, Tian-Yu Wang, Xiao-Yu Zhu, Xiaofeng Han, Fu-Gen Wu
2025, 36(1): 109840  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109840
[摘要]  (464) [HTML全文] (464) [PDF 5710KB] (464)
摘要:
Vascular disrupting agents (VDAs) can destroy tumor vasculature and lead to tumor ischemia and hypoxia, resulting in tumor necrosis. However, VDAs are easy to induce the upregulation of genes that are associated with cancer cell drug resistance and angiogenesis in tumor cells. Hypoxia-activated chemotherapy will be an ideal supplement to VDAs therapy since it can help to fully utilize the ischemia and hypoxia induced by VDAs to realize a synergistic antitumor therapeutic outcome. Here, we design a liposome whose surface is modified with a tumor-homing peptide Cys-Arg-Glu-Lys-Ala (CREKA, which can specifically target tumor vessels and stroma) and whose aqueous cavity and lipid bilayer are loaded by a hypoxia-activatable drug banoxantrone dihydrochloride (AQ4N) and a VDA combretastatin A4 (CA4), respectively. CA4 can selectively target vascular endothelial cells and destroy the tumor blood vessels, which will cause the rapid inhibition of blood flow in tumor and enhance the hypoxia in the tumor region. As a consequence, AQ4N can exert its boosted cytotoxicity under the enhanced hypoxic environment. The as-prepared liposome with a uniform particle size exhibits good stability and high cancer cell killing efficacy in vitro. In addition, in vivo experiments confirm the excellent tumor-targeting/accumulation, tumor vasculature-damaging, and tumor inhibition effects of the liposome. This work develops a liposomal which can achieve safe and effective tumor suppression without external stimulus excitation by only single injection, and is expected to benefit the future development of effective antitumor liposomal drugs.
Synergistic Brønsted/Lewis acid catalyzed atroposelective synthesis of aryl-β-naphthol
Jiajun Lu, Zhehui Liao, Tongxiang Cao, Shifa Zhu
2025, 36(1): 109842  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109842
[摘要]  (407) [HTML全文] (407) [PDF 2042KB] (407)
摘要:
Axially chiral binaphthol have achieved great success in asymmetric catalysis. Compared to α-binaphthol, axially chiral aryl-β-naphthol are far less reported. Here, we report a method of asymmetric catalysis to construct β-naphthol with up to 99% yield, 95.5:4.5 enantiomeric ratio, using alkynyl esters as precursors and chiral phosphonic acid (CPA)/Lewis acid as catalysts. Key steps involve oxygen transfer and de novo arene formation to set up the chiral axis. Moreover, this methodology provides a versatile platform for structurally divergent synthesis of atroposelective β-naphthol analogs, which are widely found in bioactive molecules and asymmetric catalysts.
Decellularized amniotic membrane promotes the anti-inflammatory response of macrophages via PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α pathway
Xiongbo Song, Jinwen Xiao, Juan Wu, Li Sun, Long Chen
2025, 36(1): 109844  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109844
[摘要]  (423) [HTML全文] (423) [PDF 6089KB] (423)
摘要:
Macrophages undergo dynamic transitions between M1 and M2 states, exerting profound influences on both inflammatory and regenerative processes. The biocompatible and wound-healing properties of decellularized amniotic membrane (dAM) make it a subject of exploration for its potential impact on the anti-inflammatory response of macrophages. Experimental findings unequivocally demonstrate that dAM promotes anti-inflammatory M2 polarization of macrophage, with its cytokine-rich content posited as a potential mediator. The application of RNA sequencing unveils differential gene expression, implicating the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) signaling pathway in this intricate interplay. Subsequent investigation further demonstrates that dAM facilitates anti-inflammatory M2 polarization of macrophage through the upregulation of epidermal growth factor (EGF), which, in turn, activates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway and stabilizes HIF-1α. This cascade results in a noteworthy augmentation of anti-inflammatory gene expression. This study significantly contributes to advancing our comprehension of dAM's immunomodulatory role in tissue repair, thereby suggesting promising therapeutic potential.
Logically integrating exo/endogenous gated DNA trackers for precise microRNA imaging via synergistic manipulation
Fanghua Zhang, Yuyan Li, Hongyan Zhang, Wendong Liu, Zhe Hao, Mingzheng Shao, Ruizhong Zhang, Xiyan Li, Libing Zhang
2025, 36(1): 109848  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109848
[摘要]  (409) [HTML全文] (409) [PDF 6178KB] (409)
摘要:
Nanomaterials provide an ideal platform for biomolecular display due to their dimensions approach the molecular scale, facilitating binding behavior akin to that observed in solution-based processes. DNA nanoprobes hold great promise as miniature detectives capable of detecting miRNAs within cells. However, current nanoprobes face a challenge in achieving the required precision for accurate miRNA detection, particularly within the intricate confines of the cellular microenvironment, due to interference with biological autofluorescence, off-target effects, and a lack of spatiotemporal control. Here, we have designed a dual-stimuli responsive DNA tracker, synergistically utilizing specific intracellular cues and external triggers, which enables spatiotemporal-controlled and precise detection and imaging of miRNAs "on demand". The tracker, which combines zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) and unique hairpin DNA structures, effectively anchored onto the ZIF-67 through electrostatic interactions, remains in a dormant state until activated by abundant cellular ATP, resulting in the release of the hairpin structures that include a PC linker incorporated into the loop region. Subsequent irradiation triggers specific recognition of the target miRNA. The newly developed HP-PC-BT@ZIF-67 tracker demonstrates precise spatiotemporal miRNA detection and exhibits excellent biocompatibility, enabling specific miRNA recognition "on demand" within cancer cells. This research presents a reliable miRNA imaging platform in the intricate cellular environment, opening up the possibilities for precise biomedical analysis and disease diagnosis.
PD-L1 targeted iron oxide SERS bioprobe for accurately detecting circulating tumor cells and delineating tumor boundary
Ting Pan, Dinghu Zhang, Guomei You, Xiaoxia Wu, Chenguang Zhang, Xinyu Miao, Wenzhi Ren, Yiwei He, Lulu He, Yuanchuan Gong, Jie Lin, Aiguo Wu, Guoliang Shao
2025, 36(1): 109857  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109857
[摘要]  (436) [HTML全文] (436) [PDF 7784KB] (436)
摘要:
Early diagnosis and accurate boundary delineation are the key steps of tumor precision medicine. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection of liquid biopsy can provide abundant information for early diagnosis of cancer. High detection specificity and good enrichment features are two key factors for CTCs accurate identification in peripheral blood sample. For this purpose, iron oxide (IO)-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) bioprobes with good biocompatibility, high detection sensitivity, remarkable detection specificity, and good enrichment efficiency, were developed for detecting different types of CTCs. Magnetic SERS bioprobes combined with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibody are regarded as an effective way to boost the targeting ability and detection specificity, benefiting for accurately capturing and identifying rare CTCs. Four types of CTCs with different PD-L1 expression were accurately distinguished among white blood cells via high-resolution SERS mapping images and stable Raman signals. Subsequently, CTCs blood samples obtained from the triple negative breast cancer patients were also successfully recognized compared to that of health people, indicating IO@AR@PDA-aPD-L1 SERS bioprobe possessed great potential for CTCs detection in liquid biopsy. Additionally, IO-based bioprobe exhibited excellent dual-modal imaging abilities of high-resolution SERS imaging mode and microimaging magnetic resonance imaging mode. These two highly complementary imaging modes endowed IO-based bioprobes unrivalled capacity in tumor boundary differentiation, supporting tumor accurate resection and precise surgery. To our best knowledge, this is the first time that biocompatible IO-based SERS bioprobes without noble metal element were reported not only for CTCs accurate detection, but also for precise tumor boundary delineation, showing great advantages in tumor diagnosis and treatment.
Insight into the activation of peroxymonosulfate by N-doped copper-based carbon for efficient degradation of organic pollutants: Synergy of nonradicals
Mengmeng Ao, Jian Wei, Chuan-Shu He, Heng Zhang, Zhaokun Xiong, Yonghui Song, Bo Lai
2025, 36(1): 109882  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109882
[摘要]  (456) [HTML全文] (456) [PDF 4441KB] (456)
摘要:
The contamination of water resources by phenolic compounds (PCs) presents a significant environmental hazard, necessitating the development of novel materials and methodologies for effective mitigation. In this study, a metallic copper-doped zeolitic imidazolate framework was pyrolyzed and designated as Cu-NC-20 for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade phenol (PE). Cu-NC-20 could effectively address the issue of metal agglomeration while simultaneously diminishing copper dissolution during the activation of PMS reactions. The Cu-NC-20 catalyst exhibited a rapid degradation rate for PE across a broad pH range (3–9) and demonstrated high tolerance towards coexisting ions. According to scavenger experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis, singlet oxygen (1O2) and high-valent copper-oxo (Cu(Ⅲ)) were the predominant reactive oxygen species, indicating that the system was nonradical-dominated during the degradation process. The quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) between the oxidation rate constants of various substituted phenols and Hammett constants was established. It indicated that the Cu-NC-20/PMS system had the optimal oxidation rate constant with σ correlation and exhibited a typical electrophilic reaction pattern. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneous activation process for the selective removal of phenolic compounds.
A non-fluorinated liquid-like membrane with excellent anti-scaling performance for membrane distillation
Jianwen Zhao, Shuai Wang, Shanshan Zhao, Liwei Chen, Fangang Meng, Xuelin Tian
2025, 36(1): 109883  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109883
[摘要]  (434) [HTML全文] (434) [PDF 7419KB] (434)
摘要:
Membrane distillation (MD) has gained extensive attention for treating highly saline wastewater. However, membrane scaling during the MD process has hindered the rapid development of this technology. Current approaches to mitigate scaling in membrane distillation focus primarily on achieving enhanced hydrophobicity and even superhydrophobicity via utilizing fluorinated fibrous membrane or introducing perfluorosilane modification. Considering the environmental hazards posed by fluorinated compounds, it is highly desirable to develop non-fluorinated membranes with enhanced anti-scaling properties for effective membrane distillation. In this study, we present a non-fluorinated liquid-like MD membrane with exceptional anti-scaling performance. This membrane was facilely fabricated by grafting linear polydimethylsiloxane (LPDMS) onto a hydrophilic polyether sulfone (PES) membrane pre-coated with the intermediate layers of polydopamine and silica (denoted as LPDMS-PES). Remarkably, LPDMS-PES manifested a drastically improved scaling resistance in continuous MD tests than its perfluorinated counterpart, i.e., 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane-modified PES membrane (PFOS-PES), in both heterogeneous nucleation-dominated and crystal deposition-dominated scaling processes, despite the latter having a smaller surface energy. LPDMS-PES demonstrated a reduction of crystal accumulation of approximately 85% for NaCl and 73% for CaSO4 in the heterogeneous nucleation-dominated scaling process compared to PFOS-PES. Additionally, in the crystal deposition-dominated scaling process LPDMS-PES exhibited a reduction of about 70% in scale accumulation. These results explicitly evidenced the great potential of the liquid-like membrane to minimize scaling in membrane distillation by inhibiting both scale nucleation and adhesion onto the membrane. We believe the findings of this study have important implications for the design of high-performance MD membranes, particularly in the quest for environmentally sustainable alternatives to perfluorinated materials.
Non-specific/specific SERS spectra concatenation for precise bacteria classifications with few samples using a residual neural network
Feihu Wu, Gengwen Chen, Kaitao Lai, Shiqing Zhang, Yingchao Liu, Ruijian Luo, Xiaocong Wang, Pinzhi Cao, Yi Ye, Jiarong Lian, Junle Qu, Zhigang Yang, Xiaojun Peng
2025, 36(1): 109884  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109884
[摘要]  (429) [HTML全文] (429) [PDF 6474KB] (429)
摘要:
Deep learning neural network incorporating surface enhancement Raman scattering technique (SERS) is becoming as a powerful tool for the precise classifications and diagnosis of bacterial infections. However, the large amount of sample requirement and time-consuming sample collection severely hinder its applications. We herein propose a spectral concatenation strategy for residual neural network using non-specific and specific SERS spectra for the training data augmentation, which is accessible to acquiring larger training dataset with same number of SERS spectra or same size of training dataset with fewer SERS spectra, compared with pure non-specific SERS spectra. With this strategy, the training loss exhibit rapid convergence, and an average accuracy up to 100% in bacteria classifications was achieved with 50 SERS spectra for each kind of bacterium; even reduced to 20 SERS spectra per kind of bacterium, classification accuracy is still > 95%, demonstrating marked advantage over the results without spectra concatenation. This method can markedly improve the classification accuracy under fewer samples and reduce the data collection workload, and can evidently enhance the performance when used in different machine learning models with high generalization ability. Therefore, this strategy is beneficial for rapid and accurate bacteria classifications with residual neural network.
In situ regeneration of catalyst for Fenton-like degradation by photogenerated electron transportation: Characterization, performance and mechanism comparison
Ming-Zhen Li, Yang Zhang, Kun Li, Ya-Nan Shang, Yi-Zhen Zhang, Yu-Jiao Kan, Zhi-Yang Jiao, Yu-Yuan Han, Xiao-Qiang Cao
2025, 36(1): 109885  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109885
[摘要]  (423) [HTML全文] (423) [PDF 5250KB] (423)
摘要:
Inactivation of carbon-based transition metal catalysts, which was caused by electron loss, limited their application in advanced oxidation processes. Therefore, Co and TiO2 double-loaded carbon nanofiber material (Co@CNFs-TiO2) was synthesized in this study. Photocatalytic and chemical catalytic systems were synergized efficiently. Tetracycline was eliminated within 15 min. The degradation rate remained above 90% after five cycles, and the 50% promotion proved the high stability of Co@CNFs-TiO2. The main reactive oxygen species in this system were sulfate radicals, whereas Co and TiO2 represented the active sites of the catalytic reaction. Electrons generated from TiO2 during the photocatalytic process were transferred to Co, which promoted the Co(Ⅲ)/Co(Ⅱ) cycle and maintained Co in a low-valence state, thereby stimulating the generation of sulfate radicals. In this study, the effective regulation of reactive oxygen species in the reaction system was realized. The results provided a guidance for in situ electron replenishment and regeneration of carbon-based transition metal catalysts, which will expand the practical application of advanced oxidation processes.
An ionic liquid assisted hydrogel functionalized silica stationary phase for mixed-mode liquid chromatography
Tong Zhang, Xiaojing Liang, Licheng Wang, Shuai Wang, Xiaoxiao Liu, Yong Guo
2025, 36(1): 109889  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109889
[摘要]  (411) [HTML全文] (411) [PDF 3259KB] (411)
摘要:
An ionic liquid assisted hydrogel modified silica was synthesized using a one-pot polymerization and physical coating technique and subsequently applied to mixed-mode liquid chromatography. Analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and elemental analysis, etc., confirmed the successful prepared of this innovative stationary phase. The unique combination of amide, long alkyl chain, and imidazole ring in the hydrogel coating enables the stationary phase to function effectively in hydrophilic/reversed-phase/ion exchange liquid chromatography. Notably, the stationary phase exhibited superior separation performance owing to the synergistic effect of the ionic liquid and hydrogel. This was particularly evident when analyzing various analytes such as organic acids, nucleosides/bases, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and anions. Furthermore, under our operating conditions, an excellent column efficiency of 53, 642.9 plates/m was achieved for theobromine. In summary, we have proposed a straightforward strategy to enhance the separation performance of hydrogel coatings in liquid chromatography, thereby broadening the potential applications of hydrogels in the field of separation.
On-line determination of selenium compounds in tea infusion by extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry combined with a heating reaction device
Lu Huang, Jiang Wang, Hong Jiang, Lanfang Chen, Huanwen Chen
2025, 36(1): 109896  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109896
[摘要]  (468) [HTML全文] (468) [PDF 1823KB] (468)
摘要:
Selenium is one of the important trace elements in the human body. Its deficiency will directly affect human health. With people's attention to health, the content of selenium in food has gradually attracted attention. However, detecting selenium compounds in complex samples remains a challenge. In this work, we built an online heating-reaction device. This device combines the electrospray extraction ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS) with the heating reaction device, which can simultaneously detect various selenium compounds in complex liquid samples. Under acidic conditions, the sample was heated and catalyzed by a heating reaction device, so that the SeO32− and O-phenylenediamine (OPD) could generate 1,3-dihydro-2,1,3-benzoselenadiazole. Based on the above reactions, we can detect organic selenium, inorganic selenium and other compounds in liquid samples by organic mass spectrometry. In this experiment, we determined the content of three forms of selenium: selenomethionine (SeMet), l-selenocystine (SeCys(2)), and sodium selenite. The calibration curves for SeMet, SeCys(2), and sodium selenite showed strong linearity within a range of 0.50–50.00 µg/L. The limits of detection (LOD) for the three compounds were 0.22, 0.27, and 0.41 µg/L, respectively. The limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.68, 0.81, and 1.23 µg/L, respectively. Spiked recoveries at three levels ranged from 98.8% to 106.1%. In addition, this method can simultaneously detect three selenium compounds and three other specific chemical components in tea infusion samples, providing a rapid and efficient method for identifying tea quality.
High-temperature calcination dramatically promotes the activity of Cs/Co/Ce-Sn catalyst for soot oxidation
Meng Wang, Yan Zhang, Yunbo Yu, Wenpo Shan, Hong He
2025, 36(1): 109928  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109928
[摘要]  (408) [HTML全文] (408) [PDF 3641KB] (408)
摘要:
Catalytic oxidation of soot is of great importance for emission control on diesel vehicles. In this work, a highly active Cs/Co/Ce-Sn catalyst was investigated for soot oxidation, and it was unexpectedly found that high-temperature calcination greatly improved the activity of the catalyst. When the calcination temperature was increased from 500 ℃ to 750 ℃, T50 decreased from 456.9 ℃ to 389.8 ℃ in a NO/O2/H2O/N2 atmosphere. Characterization results revealed that high-temperature calcination can promote the ability to transfer negative charge density from Cs to other metal cations in Cs/Co/Ce-Sn, which will facilitate the production of more oxygen defects and the generation of more surface-active oxygen species. Surface-active oxygen species are beneficial to the oxidation of NO to NO2, leading to the high yield of NO2 exploitation. Therefore, the Cs/Co/Ce-Sn catalyst calcined at 750 ℃ demonstrated higher activity than that calcined at 500 ℃. This work provides a pathway to prepare high efficiency catalysts for the removal of soot and significant insight into the effects of calcination on soot oxidation catalysts.
Fluorine-functionalized zirconium-organic cages for efficient photocatalytic oxidation of thioanisole
Jia-Ru Li, Ning Li, Li-Ling He, Jun He
2025, 36(1): 109934  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109934
[摘要]  (458) [HTML全文] (458) [PDF 3337KB] (458)
摘要:
Zirconium-based metal-organic cages (Zr-MOCs) typically exhibit high stability, but their structural and application reports are scarce due to stringent crystallization conditions. We have successfully fluorinated the classical Zr-MOCs (ZrT-3) for the first time, obtaining the fluorinated MOCs (ZrT-3-F). Notably, ZrT-3-F not only inherits the high stability of its parent structure, but also acts as a catalyst for the effective oxidation of benzyl thioether for the first time. The reaction can reach a conversion rate of 99% in 6 h, and the selectivity reaches 95%, which far exceeds the non-fluorinated ZrT-3. This work proves that the specific functionalization of the classical Zr-MOCs can further expand their application potential, such as catalysis.
A new green approach to synthesizing MIP-202@porous silica microspheres for positional isomer/enantiomer/hydrophilic separation
Zhefei Hu, Jingwen Liao, Jiawen Zhou, Lulu Zhao, Yanjuan Liu, Yuefei Zhang, Wei Chen, Sheng Tang
2025, 36(1): 109985  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109985
[摘要]  (450) [HTML全文] (450) [PDF 2587KB] (450)
摘要:
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with superior physicochemical properties have great potential for applications in chromatographic separation. However, currently popular methods for the synthesis of MOF-based silica composite materials usually require the use of harmful organic solvents and long-term high-temperature sealing reactions. In order to respond to the needs of green chromatography, it is urgent to develop a new green organic-solvent-free strategy for the synthesis of MOF@SiO2 composites. MIP-202 is a zirconium-MOF constructed from zirconium ion and l-aspartic acid, which features green synthesis as well as good hydrolytic stability and chemical stability. In this paper, SiO2-NH2 was first prepared in a hydrophilic deep eutectic solvent, and then an amino acid-based MOF material (MIP-202) was modified on the surface of the SiO2-NH2 in an aqueous solution to obtain a MIP-202@SiO2 composite material. The multi-mode separation performance of MIP-202@SiO2 as a promising liquid chromatographic stationary phase was particularly evaluated and the separation mechanisms were discussed. The MIP-202@SiO2 column exhibited excellent separation ability for aromatic positional isomers. In addition, chiral enantiomers and hydrophilic analytes were also satisfactorily detected and separated. This work provides a new approach for the facile synthesis of MOF-based liquid chromatographic separation material by using green deep eutectic solvent and water as the reaction media.
Constructing diverse switchable circularly polarized luminescence via a single azobenzene polymer film
Xiang Wang, Qingping Song, Zixiang He, Gong Zhang, Tengfei Miao, Xiaoxiao Cheng, Wei Zhang
2025, 36(1): 110047  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110047
[摘要]  (425) [HTML全文] (425) [PDF 6082KB] (425)
摘要:
Recently circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials have attracted significant interest. Introducing reversible dynamic property to these materials has been a key focus in cutting-edge fields, such as in high-level information encryption. Here, we provided a novel and general strategy involving handedness-selective filtration and ground-state chiral self-recovery (CSR) in double film system to address this issue. Based on this strategy, we achieved CPL switch through the reversible modulation of ground-state chirality including absorption and scattering circular dichroism (CD) signals over the full UV-visible wavelength range (365-700 nm) in a single azobenzene polymer (PAzo) film. More importantly, by flexibly changing the type of fluorescent films, it is convenient to achieve general excited-state CSR, that is reversible switching of full-color including ideal white (CIE coordinate (0.33, 0.33)), as well as room-temperature phosphorescent CPL. All these CPL signals without almost any intensity decay after three cycles of on-and-off switching. Experimental results indicated that the trans-cis isomerization and ordered rearrangement of azobenzene units in PAzo film were the fundamental reasons for realizing CPL switching. Finally, based on this system we achieved dynamic visual encryption and decryption process including multiple decryption methods. This study provides an effective method for constructing a universally applicable chiroptical switch in excited state.
Deuterated chloroform replaces ultra-dry chloroform to achieve high-efficient organic solar cells
Zhiyang Zhang, Yi Chen, Yingnan Zhang, Chuanlang Zhan
2025, 36(1): 110083  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110083
[摘要]  (436) [HTML全文] (436) [PDF 2761KB] (436)
摘要:
Chloroform is a common and excellent solvent for preparing high-efficient organic solar cells (OSCs), however, it is toxic and poisonable chemical. In comparisons, deuterated chloroform (DC) is less toxic and costly, and particularly, it is non-poisonable chemical. In this paper, we use DC to replace ultra-dry chloroform (UC) as the processing solvent for preparation of active layers of organic solar cells. First, we selected PM6:BTP-eC9 as the basic binary and counted 100 solar cells' data, from which comparable device performance were obtained with use of DC and UC. Interestingly, DC showed better reproducibility, superior storage under a nitrogen atmosphere and a little better performance than UC. Both DC and UC gave rise of comparable hole and electron mobilities and similar charge recombination losses. Second, we based PM6:Y6 and D18-Cl: Y6 as the binaries and similar effects were obtained from both UC and DC when counting 30 devices for each binary. Third, the universality of the use of DC for preparing high-efficient OSCs were again checked with several binary and ternary systems. In all, this study demonstrate that DC can replace UC for use in the field of OSCs.
A mitochondria targeting Ir(III) complex triggers ferroptosis and autophagy for cancer therapy: A case of aggregation enhanced PDT strategy for metal complexes
Panpan Wang, Hongbao Fang, Mengmeng Wang, Guandong Zhang, Na Xu, Yan Su, Hongke Liu, Zhi Su
2025, 36(1): 110099  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110099
[摘要]  (620) [HTML全文] (620) [PDF 5680KB] (620)
摘要:
Metal complexes hold significant promise in tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, their potential applications in photodynamic therapy (PDT) are hindered by issues such as poor photostability, low yield of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and aggregation-induced ROS quenching. To address these challenges, we present a molecular self-assembly strategy utilizing aggregation-induced emission (AIE) conjugates for metal complexes. As a proof of concept, we synthesized a mitochondrial-targeting cyclometalated Ir(III) photosensitizer Ir-TPE. This approach significantly enhances the photodynamic effect while mitigating the dark toxicity associated with AIE groups. Ir-TPE readily self-assembles into nanoaggregates in aqueous solution, leading to a significant production of ROS upon light irradiation. Photoirradiated Ir-TPE triggers multiple modes of death by excessively accumulating ROS in the mitochondria, resulting in mitochondrial DNA damage. This damage can lead to ferroptosis and autophagy, two forms of cell death that are highly cytotoxic to cancer cells. The aggregation-enhanced photodynamic effect of Ir-TPE significantly enhances the production of ROS, leading to a more pronounced cytotoxic effect. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate this aggregation-enhanced PDT approach achieves effective in situ tumor eradication. This study not only addresses the limitations of metal complexes in terms of low ROS production due to aggregation but also highlights the potential of this strategy for enhancing ROS production in PDT.
Tuning up of chromism, luminescence in cadmium-viologen complexes through polymorphism strategy: Inkless erasable printing application
Yanting Yang, Guorong Wang, Kangjing Li, Wen Yang, Jing Zhang, Jian Zhang, Shili Li, Xianming Zhang
2025, 36(1): 110123  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110123
[摘要]  (396) [HTML全文] (396) [PDF 2752KB] (396)
摘要:
In our work, polymorphism strategy has been successfully applied to tune up chromism and luminescence properties of viologen-based materials. Two polymorphs of viologen-based complexes of α-CdBr2(PHSQ)2(H2O)2 (1) and β-CdBr2(PHSQ)2(H2O)2 (2) (PHSQ = N-(4-sulfophenyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium) were synthesized by changing the solvent. They can both respond to UV light and electricity in the manner of chromism visible to the naked eye and the coloration states have good reversibility, through which an inkless erasable printing model has been established. But the coloration contrast of 1 is higher compared to 2. Meanwhile, they both exhibit photoluminescence properties and the intensity of 1 is twice that of 2, which is accompanied by photoquenching upon continuous UV light irradiation. The only divergence of disordered/ordered O atoms in the two crystalline compounds leads to significantly different chromic and luminescent properties. Further explorations simultaneously demonstrate that the different chromic performance between 1 and 2 should attribute to the alteration of stimulus-induced (light/ electricity) electron transfer channels caused by the ordered/disordered O atoms in the complexes, which is achieved through CH···O and OH···O interactions to change crystal arrangement and structural rigidity, thus affect luminescent properties.
A self-powered cathodic molecular imprinting ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical tetracycline sensor via ZnO/C photoanode signal amplification
Qinghong Pan, Huafang Zhang, Qiaoling Liu, Donghong Huang, Da-Peng Yang, Tianjia Jiang, Shuyang Sun, Xiangrong Chen
2025, 36(1): 110169  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110169
[摘要]  (421) [HTML全文] (421) [PDF 2959KB] (421)
摘要:
Quantitative determination of tetracycline (TC) in environment and foods is of great importance, as excessive residues might have negative effects on human health and environmental risks. Herein, a self-powered molecularly imprinted photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor based on the ZnO/C photoanode and the Fe-doped CuBi2O4 (CBFO) photocathode is developed for the sensitive detection of TC. The photocathodic current can be amplified by the efficient electron transfer caused by the Fermi energy level gap between the photoanode and photocathode. Furthermore, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) at photocathode can selectivity identify the TC templates and thus improve the specificity. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor has a linear range of 10‒2–1.0 × 105 nmol/L, and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.007 nmol/L (S/N = 3). More crucially, the milk sample detection is carried out using the as-prepared sensor, and the outcome is satisfactory. The research gives us a novel sensing platform for quick and accurate antibiotic (like TC) in environment and food monitoring.
Control over electronic structures of organic diradicaloids via precise B/O-heterocycle fusion
Xinyu Tian, Jiaxiang Guo, Zeyi Li, Shihou Sheng, Tianyu Zhang, Xianfei Li, Chuandong Dou
2025, 36(1): 110174  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110174
[摘要]  (434) [HTML全文] (434) [PDF 5326KB] (434)
摘要:
Diradicaloid polycyclic hydrocarbons (PHs) own unique open-shell electronic structures and exhibit potential utility in the fields of organic electronics and spintronics. Herein, we disclose precise fusion of B/O-heterocycles onto PHs for control over their electronic structures and diradical properties. We designed and synthesized four B/O-containing diradicaloid isomers that feature the fluoreno[3,2-b]fluorene and fluoreno[2,1-a]fluorene π-skeletons, respectively. The precise B/O-heterocycle fusion modes along with the changed conjugation patterns lead to their modulated electronic structures and properties, such as diradical and aromatic structures, energy levels and band gaps, as well as magnetic, electrochemical and photophysical properties. Notably, the mode A may decrease the open-shell extent, whereas the mode B can enhance the diradical nature, leading to their well-tuned diradical characters in the range of 0.46‒0.70. Moreover, the mode A stabilizes the LUMOs and the mode B obviously increases the HOMO levels, which are remarkably contributed by the B and O atoms, respectively, further giving rise to the decreased band gaps and redshifted absorptions. This study clearly illustrates the electronic effects of B/O-heterocycle fusion on PHs and gains insight into B/O-type organic diradicaloids. These findings will provide an important guideline for the design of more fascinating heteroatom-containing diradicaloids.
Atomic cerium-doped CuOx catalysts for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to CH4
Xiangyu Chen, Aihao Xu, Dong Wei, Fang Huang, Junjie Ma, Huibing He, Jing Xu
2025, 36(1): 110175  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110175
[摘要]  (509) [HTML全文] (509) [PDF 7051KB] (509)
摘要:
Copper (Cu) is widely used in the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (ECO2RR) for efficient methane (CH4) product. However, the morphology and valence of Cu-based catalysts are usually unstable under reaction conditions. In this work, we prepared Ce-doped MOF-199 precursor (Ce/HKUST-1) and further obtained nanoparticle electrocatalyst Ce/CuOx-NPs by cyclic voltammetry (CV) pretreatment. The Faradic efficiency of methane () maintains above 62% within a broad potential window of 350 mV and the maximum reaches 67.4% with a partial current density of 293 mA/cm2 at −1.6 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode. Catalyst characterization and theoretical calculations revealed that the unique electronic structure and large ionic radius of Cerium (Ce) not only promoted the generation of key intermediate *CO but also lowered energy barrier of the *CO to *CHO step. This study provides a novel and efficient catalyst for methane production in ECO2RR and offers profound insights into constructing high performance Cu-based catalysts.
Cross-section design of the flow channels in membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer for CO2 reduction reaction through numerical simulations
Lili Zhang, Hui Gao, Gong Zhang, Yuning Dong, Kai Huang, Zifan Pang, Tuo Wang, Chunlei Pei, Peng Zhang, Jinlong Gong
2025, 36(1): 110204  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110204
[摘要]  (394) [HTML全文] (394) [PDF 2267KB] (394)
摘要:
Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is widely considered to be the most promising type of electrolyzer for the practical application of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). In MEAs, a square-shaped cross-section in the flow channel is normally adopted, the configuration optimization of which could potentially enhance the performance of the electrolyzer. This paper describes the numerical simulation study on the impact of the flow-channel cross-section shapes in the MEA electrolyzer for CO2RR. The results show that wide flow channels with low heights are beneficial to the CO2RR by providing a uniform flow field of CO2, especially at high current densities. Moreover, the larger the electrolyzer, the more significant the effect is. This study provides a theoretical basis for the design of high-performance MEA electrolyzers for CO2RR.
A portable and versatile fluorescent platform for high-throughput screening of toxic phosgene, diethyl chlorophosphate and volatile acyl chlorides
Beitong Zhu, Xiaorui Yang, Lirong Jiang, Tianhong Chen, Shuangfei Wang, Lintao Zeng
2025, 36(1): 110222  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110222
[摘要]  (395) [HTML全文] (395) [PDF 5411KB] (395)
摘要:
Highly toxic phosgene, diethyl chlorophosphate (DCP) and volatile acyl chlorides endanger our life and public security. To achieve facile sensing and discrimination of multiple target analytes, herein, we presented a single fluorescent probe (BDP-CHD) for high-throughput screening of phosgene, DCP and volatile acyl chlorides. The probe underwent a covalent cascade reaction with phosgene to form boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) with bright green fluorescence. By contrast, DCP, diphosgene and acyl chlorides can covalently assembled with the probe, giving rise to strong blue fluorescence. The probe has demonstrated high-throughput detection capability, high sensitivity, fast response (within 3 s) and parts per trillion (ppt) level detection limit. Furthermore, a portable platform based on BDP-CHD was constructed, which has achieved high-throughput discrimination of 16 analytes through linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Moreover, a smartphone adaptable RGB recognition pattern was established for the quantitative detection of multi-analytes. Therefore, this portable fluorescence sensing platform can serve as a versatile tool for rapid and high-throughput detection of toxic phosgene, DCP and volatile acyl chlorides. The proposed "one for more" strategy simplifies multi-target discrimination procedures and holds great promise for various sensing applications.
Persistent luminescence encoding for rapid and accurate oral-derived bacteria identification
Chaohui Zheng, Jing Xi, Shiyi Long, Tianpei He, Rui Zhao, Xinyuan Luo, Na Chen, Quan Yuan
2025, 36(1): 110223  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110223
[摘要]  (417) [HTML全文] (417) [PDF 3640KB] (417)
摘要:
The dysbiosis of oral microbiota contributes to diseases such as periodontitis and certain cancers by triggering the host inflammatory response. Developing methods for the immediate and sensitive identification of oral microorganism is crucial for the rapid diagnosis and early interventions of associated diseases. Traditional methods for microbial detection primarily include the plate culturing, polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which are either time-consuming or laborious. Herein, we reported a persistent luminescence-encoded multiple-channel optical sensing array and achieved the rapid and accurate identification of oral-derived microorganisms. Our results demonstrate that electrostatic attractions and hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions dominate the binding of the persistent luminescent nanoprobes to oral microorganisms and the microbial identification process can be finished within 30 min. Specifically, a total of 7 oral-derived microorganisms demonstrate their own response patterns and were differentiated by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with the accuracy up to 100% both in the solution and artificial saliva samples. Moreover, the persistent luminescence encoded array sensor could also discern the microorganism mixtures with the accuracy up to 100%. The proposed persistent luminescence encoding sensor arrays in this work might offer new ideas for rapid and accurate oral-derived microorganism detection, and provide new ways for disease diagnosis associated with microbial metabolism.
Methanol steam mediated corrosion engineering towards high-entropy NiFe layered double hydroxide for ultra-stable oxygen evolution
Jinqiang Gao, Haifeng Yuan, Xinjuan Du, Feng Dong, Yu Zhou, Shengnan Na, Yanpeng Chen, Mingyu Hu, Mei Hong, Shihe Yang
2025, 36(1): 110232  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110232
[摘要]  (396) [HTML全文] (396) [PDF 5643KB] (396)
摘要:
Rational design of viable routes to obtain efficient and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts remains challenging, especially under industrial conditions. Here, we provide a solvent-steam assisted corrosion engineering strategy to directly fabricate high-entropy NiFe-LDH with spatially resolved structural order. Ammonium fluoride in methanol steam enables the formation of nanosheets while Fe3+ effectively enhances their adhesion to the semi-sacrificial nickel-iron foam (NFF), thereby conjuring up a NiFe-LDH@NFF catalyst that exhibits remarkable adaptability to robust electrochemical activation yet with excellent stability. Comprehensive measurements reveal the in-situ formation of high-valance metal oxyhydroxide and the enhancement of adsorption-desorption process. Under the industrial condition (6 mol/L KOH, 60 ℃), the NiFe-LDH@NFF exhibits excellent activity of 50 mA/cm2 at 1.55 V and high durability of over 120 h at 200 mA/cm2. We anticipate that the steam assisted strategy could promote the development of efficient non-precious electrocatalysts for hydrogen energy.
Chlorination of benzyl group on the terminal unit of A2-A1-D-A1-A2 type nonfullerene acceptor for high-voltage organic solar cells
Jinge Zhu, Ailing Tang, Leyi Tang, Peiqing Cong, Chao Li, Qing Guo, Zongtao Wang, Xiaoru Xu, Jiang Wu, Erjun Zhou
2025, 36(1): 110233  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110233
[摘要]  (408) [HTML全文] (408) [PDF 3108KB] (408)
摘要:
Benzotriazole (BTA)-based A2-A1-D-A1-A2 type wide-bandgap (WBG) non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have shown promising potential in indoor photovoltaic, and in-depth investigation of their structure-property relationship is of great significance. Herein, we explored the chlorination effect of the side chain on the terminals. We introduced Cl atoms into the benzyl side chains in parent BTA5 to synthesize two NFAs, BTA5-Cl with mono-chlorinated benzyl groups and BTA5-2Cl containing bi-chlorinated benzyl groups. We chose D18-Cl with deep-energy levels and strong crystallinity to pair with these three acceptors, affording high photovoltage and photocurrent. With the stepwise chlorination, the open-circuit voltage (VOC) values decrease from 1.28, 1.22, to 1.20 V, while the corresponding power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) improve from 5.07%, 9.15%, to 10.96%. Compared with BTA5-based OSCs, introducing Cl atoms downshifts the energy levels and slightly increases the non-radiative energy loss (0.14 < 0.17 < 0.19 eV), resulting in a sequential decrease in VOC. However, more chlorine atom replacements produce more effective exciton dissociation, higher charge transfer, and balanced carrier mobility in the blend films, ultimately achieving better PCEs. This work indicates that chlorination of the benzyl group on the terminals can improve the device's performance, implying good application potential in indoor photovoltaics.
Regulating local electron transfer environment of covalent triazine frameworks through F, N co-modification towards optimized oxygen reduction reaction
Quanyou Guo, Yue Yang, Tingting Hu, Hongqi Chu, Lijun Liao, Xuepeng Wang, Zhenzi Li, Liping Guo, Wei Zhou
2025, 36(1): 110235  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110235
[摘要]  (425) [HTML全文] (425) [PDF 6039KB] (425)
摘要:
The high conductivity of electrocatalyst can eliminate the Schottky energy barrier at the interface of heterogeneous phases during an electrocatalytic reaction and accelerate the rapid electron transfer to the catalytic active center. Therefore, the electronic conductivity is a vital parameter for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) have shown great potential application as electrocatalysts in ORR with a merit of the diverse building blocks. However, the intrinsic low conductivity and high impedance of CTFs could be significant setbacks in electrocatalytic application. Herein, CTFs were constructed by introducing F and N co-modification for efficient 2e ORR. Compared with the pristine CTF, the co-presence of F, N could increase the conductivity obviously by 1000-fold. As a result, F-N-CTF exhibits enhanced catalytic performance of H2O2 generation and selectivity towards reaction pathways. This work reveals the importance of conductivity optimization for CTFs and provides guidance for designing high conductivity non-metallic organic semiconductor catalysts for 2e ORR.
Linear polyurethanes with excellent comprehensive properties from poly(ethylene carbonate) diol
Xinyu Liu, Jialin Yang, Zonglin He, Jiaoyan Ai, Lina Song, Baohua Liu
2025, 36(1): 110236  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110236
[摘要]  (457) [HTML全文] (457) [PDF 839KB] (457)
摘要:
The synthesis of polyurethanes (PUs) from the reaction of low molecular weight poly(ethylene carbonate) diol (PECD) is rarely investigated. This work reports a novel PU with excellent mechanical properties from the solution polymerization of 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) with PECD that was derived from the copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethylene oxide (EO). The tensile strength, the elongation at break and 300% constant tensile strength of the PECD-PU were up to 66 ± 2 MPa, 880% ± 50% and 13 MPa, respectively, higher than the control PUs from the reaction of MDI with commercial polyethers or polyesters. The PECD-PU with high CO2 carbonate content exhibited good solvent resistance and chemical stability. Of importance, the mechanical properties and chemical resistance of PECD-PU were significantly enhanced with the increasing content of CO2, i.e., the carbonate unit in PECD. This work provides comprehensive properties of PECD-derived PUs, indicating that PECD is a competitive precursor for the preparation of PU and has broad application prospects.
Boosted solar water oxidation steered by atomically precise alloy nanocluster
Xian Yan, Huawei Xie, Gao Wu, Fang-Xing Xiao
2025, 36(1): 110279  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110279
[摘要]  (412) [HTML全文] (412) [PDF 8068KB] (412)
摘要:
Atomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) have been deemed as a new generation of metal nanomaterials in the field of solar energy conversion due to their unique atomic stacking manner, quantum confinement effects, light-harvesting capability and multitude of active sites. Nonetheless, wide-spread application of monometallic NCs is blocked by the ultrashort carrier lifespan, uncontrollable charge transport pathway, and light-induced poor stability, impeding the construction of robust and stable metal NC-based photosystems. Herein, we report the fabrication of stable alloy (Au1-xPtx) NCs photosystem, for which tailor-made negatively charged l-glutathione (GSH)-capped Au1-xPtx NCs as the building blocks are controllably deposited on the BiVO4 (BVO) by a self-assembly approach for steering enhanced light absorption and interfacial charge transfer over alloy NCs-based photoanodes (Au1-xPtx/BVO). The self-assembled Au1-xPtx/BVO composite photoanode exhibits the significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation performances compared with pristine BVO and Aux/BVO photoanodes, which is caused by the Pt atom doping into the Aux NCs for elevating photosensitivity and boosting the stability. The synergy of Au and Pt atoms in alloy NCs protects the gold core from rapid oxidation, improving the photostability and accelerating the surface charge transfer kinetics. Our work would significantly inspire ongoing interest in unlocking the charge transport characteristics of atomically precise alloy NCs for solar energy conversion.
Interfacial B-O bonding modulated S-scheme B-doped N-deficient C3N4/O-doped-C3N5 for efficient photocatalytic overall water splitting
Entian Cui, Yulian Lu, Zhaoxia Li, Zhilei Chen, Chengyan Ge, Jizhou Jiang
2025, 36(1): 110288  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110288
[摘要]  (432) [HTML全文] (432) [PDF 10371KB] (432)
摘要:
Photocatalytic overall pure water splitting is a promising method for generating green hydrogen energy under mild conditions. However, this process is often hindered by sluggish electron-hole separation and transport. To address this, a step-scheme (S-scheme) B-doped N-deficient C3N4/O-doped C3N5 (BN-C3N4/O-C3N5) heterojunction with interfacial B-O bonds has been constructed. Utilizing Pt and Co(OH)2 as co-catalysts, BN-C3N4/O-C3N5 S-scheme heterojunction demonstrates significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for overall pure water splitting under visible light, achieving H2 and O2 evolution rates of 40.12 and 19.62 µmol/h, respectively. Systematic characterizations and experiments revealed the performance-enhancing effects of the enhanced built-in electric field and the interfacial B-O bonding. Firstly, the strengthened built-in electric field provides sufficient force for rapid interfacial electron transport. Secondly, by reducing the transport energy barrier and transfer distance, the interfacial B-O bonds facilitate rapid recombination of electrons and holes with relatively low redox potential via the S-scheme charge-transfer route, leaving the high-potential electrons and holes available for H+ reduction and OH oxidation reactions. Overall, the photocatalytic efficiency of BN-C3N4/O-C3N5 S-scheme heterojunction was significantly improved, making it a promising approach for green hydrogen production through overall pure water splitting.
Tumor acidic microenvironment activatable DNA nanostructure for precise cancer cell targeting and inhibition
Yanfei Liu, Yaqin Hu, Yifu Tan, Qiwen Chen, Zhenbao Liu
2025, 36(1): 110289  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110289
[摘要]  (393) [HTML全文] (393) [PDF 4602KB] (393)
摘要:
Precise tumor targeting and therapy is a major trend in cancer treatment. Herein, we designed a tumor acidic microenvironment activatable drug loaded DNA nanostructure, in which, we made a clever use of the sequences of AS1411 and i-motif, which can partially hybridize, and designed a simple while robust DNA d-strand nanostructure, in which, i-motif sequence was designed to regulate the binding ability of the AS1411 aptamer to target tumor. In the normal physiological environment, i-motif inhibits the targeting ability of AS1411. In the acidic tumor microenvironment, i-motif forms a quadruplex conformation and dissociates from AS1411, restoring the targeting ability of AS1411. Only when acidic condition and tumor cell receptor are present, this nanostructure can be internalized by the tumor cells. Moreover, the structure change of this nanostructure can realize the release of loaded drug. This drug loaded A-I-Duplex DNA structure showed cancer cell and spheroid targeting and inhibition ability, which is promising in the clinical cancer therapy.
Visible light excitation on CuPd/TiN with enhanced chemisorption for catalyzing Heck reaction
Xuhui Fan, Fan Wang, Mengjiao Li, Faiza Meharban, Yaying Li, Yuanyuan Cui, Xiaopeng Li, Jingsan Xu, Qi Xiao, Wei Luo
2025, 36(1): 110299  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110299
[摘要]  (388) [HTML全文] (388) [PDF 5691KB] (388)
摘要:
In this work, we developed plasmonic photocatalyst composed of CuPd alloy nanoparticles supported on TiN, the optimized Cu3Pd2/TiN catalyst shows excellent conversion (> 96%) and selectivity (> 99%) for Heck reaction at 50 ℃ under visible light irradiation. By in-situ spectroscopic investigations, we find that visible light excitation could achieve stable metallic Cu species on the surface of CuPd alloy nanoparticles, thereby eliminating the inevitable surface oxides of Cu based catalyst. The in-situ formed metallic Cu species under irradiation take advantage of the strong interactions of Cu with visible light, and manifest in the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) photoexcitation. Visible light excitation could further promote the charge transfer between catalytic Pd component and the support TiN, resulting in electron-rich Pd sites on CuPd/TiN. Moreover, light excitation on CuPd/TiN generates strong chemisorption of iodobenzene and styrene, favoring the activation of reactants for Heck reaction. DFT calculations suggest that electron-rich CuPd sites ideally lower the activation energy barrier for the coupling reaction. This work provides valuable insights for mechanistic understanding of plasmonic photocatalysis.
Polydopamine-modified biochar supported polylactic acid and zero-valent iron affects the functional microbial community structure for 1,1,1-trichloroethane removal in simulated groundwater
Haitao Yin, Liang Meng, Li Li, Jiamu Xiao, Longrui Liang, Nannan Huang, Yansong Shi, Angang Zhao, Jingwen Hou
2025, 36(1): 110313  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110313
[摘要]  (472) [HTML全文] (472) [PDF 4822KB] (472)
摘要:
In-situ enhanced bioreduction by functional materials is a cost-effective technology to remove chlorinated hydrocarbons in groundwater. Herein, a novel polydopamine (PDA)-modified biochar (BC)-based composite containing nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) and poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) (PB-PDA-Fe) was synthesized to enhance the removal of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) in simulated groundwater with actual site sediments. Its impact on functional microbial community structure in system was also investigated. The typical characterizations revealed uniform dispersion of PLA and nZVI particles on the BC surface, being smoother after PDA coating. The composite exhibited a significantly higher performance on 1,1,1-TCA removal (82.38%, initial concentration 100 mg/L) than Fe-PDA and PB-PDA treatments. The diversity and richness of the microbial community in the composite treatment consistently decreased during incubation due to a synergistic effect between PLLA-BC and nZVI. Desulfitobaterium, Pedobacter, Sphaerochaeta, Shewanella, and Clostridium were identified as enriched genera by the composite through DNA-stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP), playing a crucial role in the bioreductive dechlorination process. All the above results demonstrate that this novel composite selectively enhances the activity of microorganisms with extracellular respiration functions to efficiently dechlorinate 1,1,1-TCA. These findings could contribute to understanding the responsive microbial community by carbon-iron composites and expedite the application of in-situ enhanced bioreduction for effective remediation of chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated groundwater.
H2S and NIR light-driven nanomotors induce disulfidptosis for targeted anticancer therapy by enhancing disruption of tumor metabolic symbiosis
Shangqian Zhang, Jiaxuan Li, Xuan Hu, Zelong Chen, Junliang Dong, Chenhao Hu, Shuang Chao, Yinghua Lv, Yuxin Pei, Zhichao Pei
2025, 36(1): 110314  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110314
[摘要]  (424) [HTML全文] (424) [PDF 5623KB] (424)
摘要:
Disulfidptosis, a novel mechanism of programmed cell death through the disruption of tumor metabolic symbiosis (TMS), has showed tremendous potential in cancer therapy. However, the efficacy of disulfidptosis is limited by poor permeability of drugs in solid tumors. Herein, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and near-infrared (NIR) light-driven nanomotors (denoted as HGPP) have been constructed to efficiently penetrate tumors and induce disulfidptosis. HGPP demonstrate glutathione (GSH)-responsive release of H2S, which combined with NIR light-induced photothermal effect drive HGPP movement to facilitate deep tumor penetration. The released H2S induces tumor acidosis and disrupts TMS, where disulfide accumulation following cell starvation leads to disulfidptosis. In addition, HGPP induce hepatoma specific cellular uptake and catalyze the conversion of glucose and oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), leading to glucose starvation. Overall, this study has developed a multifunctional Janus nanomotor that provides a novel strategy for disulfidptosis-based solid tumor therapy.
Plasma metabolomics combined with mass spectrometry imaging reveals crosstalk between tumor and plasma in gastric cancer genesis and metastasis
Yanhua Chen, Xian Ding, Jun Zhou, Zhaoying Wang, Yunhai Bo, Ying Hu, Qingce Zang, Jing Xu, Ruiping Zhang, Jiuming He, Fen Yang, Zeper Abliz
2025, 36(1): 110351  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110351
[摘要]  (421) [HTML全文] (421) [PDF 14052KB] (421)
摘要:
Gastric Carcinoma (GC) is a highly fatal malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Its elevated mortality rates are primarily due to its proclivity for late-stage metastasis. Exploring the metabolic interactions between tumor microenvironment and the systemic bloodstream could help to clearly understand the mechanisms and identify precise biomarkers of tumor growth, proliferation, and metastasis. In this study, an integrative approach that combines plasma metabolomics with mass spectrometry imaging of tumor tissue was developed to investigate the global metabolic landscape of GC tumorigenesis and metastasis. The results showed that the oxidized glutathione to glutathione ratio (GSSH/GSH) became increased in non-distal metastatic GC (M0), which means an accumulation of oxidative stress in tumor tissues. Furthermore, it was found that the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as 9,10-EpOMe, 9-HOTrE, etc., were accelerated in both plasma and tumor tissues of distal metastatic GC (M1). These changes were further confirmed the potential effect of CYP2E1 and GGT1 in metastatic potential of GC by mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Collectively, our findings reveal the integrated multidimensional metabolomics approach is a clinical useful method to unravel the blood-tumor metabolic crosstalk, illuminate reprogrammed metabolic networks, and provide reliable circulating biomarkers.
Tuning the ion-dipole interactions between fluoro and carbonyl (EC) by electrolyte design for stable lithium metal batteries
Guihuang Fang, Ying Liu, Yangyang Feng, Ying Pan, Hongwei Yang, Yongchuan Liu, Maoxiang Wu
2025, 36(1): 110385  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110385
[摘要]  (373) [HTML全文] (373) [PDF 6891KB] (373)
摘要:
Ethylene carbonate (EC) is the conventional and promising solvent to achieve high energy lithium metal battery. However, the innate low energy level of lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) in EC makes it incompatible with lithium metal, causing uncontrolled lithium growth and low Coulombic efficiency (CE). Herein, we introduced bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate (TFEC), a carbonate with a strong electron-withdrawing effect (-CF3), which enhances the stability of EC at electrode interface by reducing ion-dipole interactions between Li+ and EC. As the interaction between Li and EC weakens, TFEC and more PF6 anions coordinate with Li+, promoting the formation of contact ion pairs (CIPs) and aggregates (AGGs), thereby increasing the inorganic composition within the solid electrolyte interphase. Additionally, the distinct solvated sheath structure favors the decomposition of fluorinated solvents and PF6 anions, forming inorganic-rich electrode-electrolyte interfaces (SEI and CEI), thereby ensuring high stability for both the Li anode and high-voltage cathode. Hence, when applied in the full-cell LiLiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4, it displays consistent cycling performance, exhibiting minimal capacity decay with a retention rate of 62.5% after 800 cycles, substantially surpassing that of cells using base electrolytes (29.8%).
Boron/phosphorus co-doped nitrogen-rich carbon nanofiber with flexible anode for robust sodium-ion battery
Jiaojiao Liang, Youming Peng, Zhichao Xu, Yufei Wang, Menglong Liu, Xin Liu, Di Huang, Yuehua Wei, Zengxi Wei
2025, 36(1): 110452  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110452
[摘要]  (373) [HTML全文] (373) [PDF 4910KB] (373)
摘要:
Flexible energy storage devices have been paid much attention and adapts to apply in various fields. Benefiting from the active sites of boron (B) and phosphorus (P) doping materials, co-doped carbon materials are widely used in energy storage devices for the enhanced electrochemical performance. Herein, B and P co-doped flexible carbon nanofibers with nitrogen-rich (B-P/NC) are investigated with electrospinning for sodium-ion battery. The flexible of binderless B-P/NC with annealing of 600 ℃ (B-P/NC-600) exhibits the remarkable performance for the robust capacity of 200 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g after 500 cycles and a durable reversible capacity of 160 mAh/g even at 1 A/g after 12, 000 cycles, exhibiting the equally commendable stability of flexible B-P/NC-600. In addition, B-P/NC-600 delivers the reversible capacity of 265 mAh/g with the test temperature of 60 ℃. More importantly, the flexible B-P/NC-600 is fabricated as anode for the whole battery, delivering the capacity of 90 mAh/g at 1 A/g after 200 cycles. Meanwhile, theoretical calculation further verified that boron and phosphorus co-doping can improve the adsorption capacity of nitrogen carbon materials. The favorable performance of flexible B-P/NC-600 can be ascribed to the nitrogen-rich carbon nanofibers with three-dimensional network matrix for the more active site of boron and phosphorus co-doping. Our work paves the way for the improvement of flexible anodes and wide-operating temperature of sodium-ion batteries by doping approach of much heteroatom.
Oxygen vacancies-rich molybdenum tungsten oxide nanowires as a highly active nitrogen fixation electrocatalyst
Jincheng Zhang, Mengjie Sun, Jiali Ren, Rui Zhang, Min Ma, Qingzhong Xue, Jian Tian
2025, 36(1): 110491  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110491
[摘要]  (469) [HTML全文] (469) [PDF 3239KB] (469)
摘要:
Herein, vacancy engineering is utilized reasonably to explore molybdenum tungsten oxide nanowires (W4MoO3 NWs) rich in O-vacancies as an advanced electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) electrocatalyst, realizing further enhancement of NRR performance. In 0.1 mol/L Na2SO4, W4MoO3 NWs rich in O vacancies (CTAB-D-W4MoO3) achieve a large NH3 yield of 60.77 µg h-1 mg-1cat. at -0.70 V vs. RHE and a high faradaic efficiency of 56.42% at -0.60 V, much superior to the W4MoO3 NWs deficient in oxygen vacancies (20.26 µg h-1 mg-1cat. and 17.1% at -0.70 V vs. RHE). Meanwhile, W4MoO3 NWs rich in O-vacancies also show high electrochemical stability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations present that O vacancies in CTAB-D-W4MoO3 reduce the energy barrier formed by the intermediate of *N-NH, facilitate the activation and further hydrogenation of *N-N, promote the NRR process, and improve NRR activity.
Review
Recent advancements in noble-metal electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction
Guoliang Gao, Guangzhen Zhao, Guang Zhu, Bowen Sun, Zixu Sun, Shunli Li, Ya-Qian Lan
2025, 36(1): 109557  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109557
[摘要]  (491) [HTML全文] (491) [PDF 28265KB] (491)
摘要:
Available online Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is a prominent technique for obtaining a sustainable hydrogen source and effectively managing the energy infrastructure. Noble metal-based electrocatalysts, owing to their exceptional hydrogen binding energy, exhibit remarkable catalytic activity and long-term stability in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the restricted accessibility and exorbitant cost of noble-metal materials pose obstacles to their extensive adoption in industrial contexts. This review investigates strategies aimed at reducing the dependence on noble-metal electrocatalysts and developing a cost-effective alkaline HER catalyst, while considering the principles of sustainable development. The initial discussion covers the fundamental principle of HER, followed by an overview of prevalent techniques for synthesizing catalysts based on noble metals, along with a thorough examination of recent advancements. The subsequent discussion focuses on the strategies employed to improve noble metal-based catalysts, including enhancing the intrinsic activity at active sites and increasing the quantity of active sites. Ultimately, this investigation concludes by examining the present state and future direction of research in the field of electrocatalysis for the HER.
Biomaterials for surgical repair of osteoporotic bone defects
Xu Luo, Jinwen Xiao, Qiming Yang, Xiaolong Lu, Qianjun Huang, Xiaojun Ai, Bo Li, Li Sun, Long Chen
2025, 36(1): 109684  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109684
[摘要]  (536) [HTML全文] (536) [PDF 566KB] (536)
摘要:
As the global population ages, osteoporotic bone fractures leading to bone defects are increasingly becoming a significant challenge in the field of public health. Treating this disease faces many challenges, especially in the context of an imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast activities. Therefore, the development of new biomaterials has become the key. This article reviews various design strategies and their advantages and disadvantages for biomaterials aimed at osteoporotic bone defects. Overall, current research progress indicates that innovative design, functionalization, and targeting of materials can significantly enhance bone regeneration under osteoporotic conditions. By comprehensively considering biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and bioactivity, these biomaterials can be further optimized, offering a range of choices and strategies for the repair of osteoporotic bone defects.
Peptide-based strategies for overcoming multidrug-resistance in cancer therapy
Xiaofang Luo, Ye Wu, Xiaokun Zhang, Min Tang, Feiye Ju, Zuodong Qin, Gregory J Duns, Wei-Dong Zhang, Jiang-Jiang Qin, Xin Luan
2025, 36(1): 109724  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109724
[摘要]  (464) [HTML全文] (464) [PDF 1474KB] (464)
摘要:
Despite ongoing advancements in cancer treatment, the emergence of primary and acquired resistance poses a significant challenge for both traditional chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade therapies. The demand for targeted therapeutics for multidrug-resistant cancer is more important than ever. Peptides, as emerging alternatives to current anticancer drugs, offer exquisite versatility in facilitating the design of novel oncology drugs, with the core superiorities of good biocompatibility and a low tendency to induce drug resistance. This review comprehensively introduces the pharmacological mechanisms of peptide-based drugs and strategies for overcoming multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancers, including inducing cell membrane lysis, targeting organelles, activating anticancer immune responses, enhancing drug uptake, targeting ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, and targeting B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins. Additionally, the current clinical applications of representative peptides in combating MDR cancers and their potential directions for medicinal chemistry research have been thoroughly discussed. This review offers essential insights into the novel treatment approaches for MDR cancers and highlights the trends and perspectives in this field.
Engineering strategies of biomaterial-assisted exosomes for skin wound repair: Latest advances and challenges
Yang Xu, Le Ma, Yang Wang, Chunmeng Shi
2025, 36(1): 109766  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109766
[摘要]  (419) [HTML全文] (419) [PDF 1701KB] (419)
摘要:
The treatment of skin wounds, especially chronic wounds, remains a critical clinical challenge and places a heavy burden on patients and healthcare systems. In recent years, the engineering strategy of using biomaterial-assisted exosomes has emerged as a powerful tool for skin repair. Compared to treatments such as debridement and regular dressing changes, the design of biomaterial-assisted exosomes not only maintains the bioactivity of exosomes at the wound site but also provides an appropriate microenvironment for the repair of complex tissues, thereby accelerating wound healing. This review systematically introduces the general characteristics of exosomes and their functions in skin wound healing, highlights recent advances in classification of natural exosomes and engineering methods which enriching their functions in intercellular communication. Then, various emerging and innovative approaches based on biomaterials delivery of exosomes are comprehensively discussed. The review seeks to bring an in-depth understanding of bioactive dressings based on exosomes therapeutic strategies, aiming to facilitate new clinical application value.
Chemistry-driven mass spectrometry for structural lipidomics at the C=C bond isomer level
Junmeng Luo, Qiongqiong Wan, Suming Chen
2025, 36(1): 109836  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109836
[摘要]  (426) [HTML全文] (426) [PDF 5976KB] (426)
摘要:
As more and more studies have shown that lipid molecules play an important role in the whole biology, in-depth analysis of lipid structure has become particularly important in lipidomics. Mass spectrometry (MS), as the preferred tool for lipid analysis, has greatly promoted the development of this field. However, the existing MS methods still face many difficulties in the in-depth or even comprehensive analysis of lipid structure. In this review, we discuss recent advances in MS methods based on double bond-specific chemistries for the resolving of C=C location and geometry isomers of lipids. This progress has greatly advanced the lipidomics analysis to a deeper structural level and facilitated the development of structural lipid biology.
Research progress on piperidine-containing compounds as agrochemicals
Wei Sun, Anjing Liao, Li Lei, Xu Tang, Ya Wang, Jian Wu
2025, 36(1): 109855  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109855
[摘要]  (542) [HTML全文] (542) [PDF 2248KB] (542)
摘要:
Piperidine is a crucial pharmacophore and a special scaffold in the realm of drug discovery. Its flexibility increases the molecule's capability to bind to the receptor. The piperidine-containing compounds are distinguished by their remarkable activity, and are increasingly becoming a vital category of pesticides. In this review, the research progress of piperidines in the discovery of pesticides was updated according to their active characteristics. The structure-activity relationships (SARs), and mechanisms of action of piperidine-containing compounds were also discussed. This article is meant to enable readers to quickly understand piperidines, while providing ideas for creating piperidines with novel structures and unique mechanisms of action.
Review on the abiotic degradation of biodegradable plastic poly(butylene adipate-terephthalate): Mechanisms and main factors of the degradation
Haibo Ye, Qianyu Li, Juan Li, Didi Li, Zhimin Ao
2025, 36(1): 109861  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109861
[摘要]  (425) [HTML全文] (425) [PDF 2712KB] (425)
摘要:
Poly(butylene adipate-terephthalate) (PBAT), as one of the most common and promising biodegradable plastics, has been widely used in agriculture, packaging, and other industries due to its strong biodegradability properties. It is well known that PBAT suffers a series of natural weathering, mechanical wear, hydrolysis, photochemical transformation, and other abiotic degradation processes before being biodegraded. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand the role of abiotic degradation in the life cycle of PBAT. Since the abiotic degradation of PBAT has not been systematically summarized, this review aims to summarize the mechanisms and main factors of the three major abiotic degradation pathways (hydrolysis, photochemical transformation, and thermochemical degradation) of PBAT. It was found that all of them preferentially destroy the chemical bonds with higher energy (especially C-O and C=O) of PBAT, which eventually leads to the shortening of the polymer chain and then leads to reduction in molecular weight. The main factors affecting these abiotic degradations are closely related to the energy or PBAT structure. These findings provide important theoretical and practical guidance for identifying effective methods for PBAT waste management and proposing advanced schemes to regulate the degradation rate of PBAT.
Highly anticipated natural diterpenoids as an important source of new drugs in 2013–2023
Yingjie Wang, Peng Tang, Wenchao Tu, Qi Gao, Cuizhu Wang, Luying Tan, Lixin Zhao, Hongye Han, Liefeng Ma, Kouharu Otsuki, Weilie Xiao, Wenli Wang, Jinping Liu, Yong Li, Zhajun Zhan, Wei Li, Xianli Zhou, Ning Li
2025, 36(1): 109955  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109955
[摘要]  (611) [HTML全文] (611) [PDF 7514KB] (611)
摘要:
This review covers the structures of diterpenoids, including chain (72), monocyclic (9), labdane-type (67), clerodane-type (127) abietane-type (716), ent-kaurane-type (89), grayanane-type (331), ingenane-type (55), tigliane-type (154), daphnane-type (237), and aconitine-type diterpene alkaloids (265) with rich biological activities reported in 2013–2023. And the drugs in clinical use or under clinical investigation of diterpenoids and leading compounds were summarized.
Construction and application of multicomponent fluorescent droplets
Wei-Tao Dou, Qing-Wen Zeng, Yan Kang, Haidong Jia, Yulian Niu, Jinglong Wang, Lin Xu
2025, 36(1): 109995  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109995
[摘要]  (466) [HTML全文] (466) [PDF 8409KB] (466)
摘要:
The rapid development of microfluidic technology has led to the evolution of microdroplets from simple emulsion structures to complex multilayered and multicompartmental configurations. These advancements have endowed microdroplets with the capability to contain multiple compartments that remain isolated from one another, enabling them to carry different molecules of interest. Consequently, researchers can now investigate intricate spatially confined chemical reactions and signal transduction pathways within subcellular organelles. Moreover, modern microdroplets often possess excellent optical transparency, allowing fluorescently labelled, multi-layered, and compartmental droplets to provide detailed insights through real-time, in situ, and dynamic fluorescence imaging. Hence, this review systematically summarizes current methodologies for preparing multicomponent microdroplets and their applications, particularly focusing on fluorescent microdroplets. Additionally, it discusses existing critical challenges and outlines future research directions. By offering a comprehensive overview of the preparation methods and applications of fluorescent microdroplets, this review aims to stimulate the interest of researchers and foster their utilization in more complex and biomimetic environments.
Molecular-based porous polymers with precise sites for photoreduction of carbon dioxide
Wei-Jia Wang, Kaihong Chen
2025, 36(1): 109998  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109998
[摘要]  (380) [HTML全文] (380) [PDF 12409KB] (380)
摘要:
Photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is one of the promising strategies for sustainably producing solar fuels. The precise identification of catalytic sites and the enhancement of photocatalytic CO2 conversion is imperative yet quite challenging. This critical review summarizes recent advances in porous photo-responsive polymers, including covalent organic frameworks (COFs), covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs), and conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), those can be rationally designed from the molecular level for visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Additionally, special emphasis is placed on how the well-defined active sites on these polymers can influence their properties and photocatalytic performance. The precise regulation and control of microenvironments and electronic properties of metal active centers are crucial for boosting catalytic efficiency and selectivity, as well as for the design of better photocatalysts for CO2 reduction.
Recent progress on surface chemistry Ⅱ: Property and characterization
Xin Li, Zhen Xu, Donglei Bu, Jinming Cai, Huamei Chen, Qi Chen, Ting Chen, Fang Cheng, Lifeng Chi, Wenjie Dong, Zhenchao Dong, Shixuan Du, Qitang Fan, Xing Fan, Qiang Fu, Song Gao, Jing Guo, Weijun Guo, Yang He, Shimin Hou, Ying Jiang, Huihui Kong, Baojun Li, Dengyuan Li, Jie Li, Qing Li, Ruoning Li, Shuying Li, Yuxuan Lin, Mengxi Liu, Peinian Liu, Yanyan Liu, Jingtao Lü, Chuanxu Ma, Haoyang Pan, JinLiang Pan, Minghu Pan, Xiaohui Qiu, Ziyong Shen, Qiang Sun, Shijing Tan, Bing Wang, Dong Wang, Li Wang, Lili Wang, Tao Wang, Xiang Wang, Xingyue Wang, Xueyan Wang, Yansong Wang, Yu Wang, Kai Wu, Wei Xu, Na Xue, Linghao Yan, Fan Yang, Zhiyong Yang, Chi Zhang, Xue Zhang, Yang Zhang, Yao Zhang, Xiong Zhou, Junfa Zhu, Yajie Zhang, Feixue Gao, Li Wang
2025, 36(1): 110100  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110100
[摘要]  (437) [HTML全文] (437) [PDF 53774KB] (437)
摘要:
Surface with well-defined components and structures possesses unique electronic, magnetic, optical and chemical properties. As a result, surface chemistry research plays a crucial role in various fields such as catalysis, energy, materials, quantum, and microelectronics. Surface science mainly investigates the correspondence between surface property and functionality. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques are important tools to characterize surface properties because of the capability of atomic-scale imaging, spectroscopy and manipulation at the single-atom level. In this review, we summarize recent advances in surface electronic, magnetic and optical properties characterized mainly by SPM-based methods. We focus on elucidating the π-magnetism in graphene-based nanostructures, construction of spin qubits on surfaces, topology properties of surface organic structures, STM-based light emission, tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and integration of machine learning in SPM studies.
Organic pollutant sensing for human health based on carbon dots
Quan Zhang, Shunjie Xing, Jingqian Han, Li Feng, Jianchun Li, Zhaosheng Qian, Jin Zhou
2025, 36(1): 110117  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110117
[摘要]  (418) [HTML全文] (418) [PDF 7254KB] (418)
摘要:
Organic pollutants are harmful and toxic chemical substances that adversely threaten human health and the living environment all over the world. More and more studies have been investigating the relationship between low level of human exposure of organic compounds and various internal diseases. For the sake of assessing disease risk due to organic compounds contact in a particular location, it is imperative for relevant government departments to make a human health risk assessment in view of the organic pollutants’ bioavailability and their dosage-response correlations. It is inevitable to make use of an efficient method to detect organic pollutants, which is significant for public health and safety. Fluorescent assays based on carbon dots thus would provide a very plausible candidate method. After consulting a large number of literatures, we offer a comprehensive review of the sensing applications of carbon dots for organic pollutants.
Recent advances in metal-loaded MOFs photocatalysts: From single atom, cluster to nanoparticle
Shenglan Zhou, Haijian Li, Hongyi Gao, Ang Li, Tian Li, Shanshan Cheng, Jingjing Wang, Jitti Kasemchainan, Jianhua Yi, Fengqi Zhao, Wengang Qu
2025, 36(1): 110142  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110142
[摘要]  (573) [HTML全文] (573) [PDF 10789KB] (573)
摘要:
Photocatalysis is widely regarded as a highly promising sustainable technique for addressing the challenges posed by environmental pollution and energy provision. In recent years, metal-loaded MOFs has become a rising star within the domain of photocatalysis due to its high specific surface area and porosity, adjustable structure, diverse and abundant catalytic components, which has exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity and exhibit great potential in a range of disciplines. In this paper, the principles for evaluating the photocatalytic performance of MOFs-based materials were firstly introduced, and some typical examples were also listed accordingly. Along with this, particular emphasis is paid to the main factors affecting the photocatalytic performance of metal-loaded MOFs. Then the synthesis and design strategies of MOFs loaded metal entities of varying sizes (single atoms, nanoclusters, and nanoparticles), and their applications in photocatalytic CO2 reduction, hydrogen production, photooxidation and photocatalytic hydrogenation were summarized and discussed. Finally, the opportunities and challenges faced in this kind of MOFs-based composites were analyzed from different perspectives. This report is expected to help researchers design and develop high-performance MOFs-based photocatalytic materials.
The advanced development of innovative photocatalytic coupling strategies for hydrogen production
Yuehai Zhi, Chen Gu, Huachao Ji, Kang Chen, Wenqi Gao, Jianmei Chen, Dafeng Yan
2025, 36(1): 110234  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110234
[摘要]  (539) [HTML全文] (539) [PDF 8970KB] (539)
摘要:
Photocatalytic technology harnesses solar energy to facilitate chemical transformations, presenting significant potential in energy generation and environmental remediation. However, the conventional O2 evolution process is hindered by high reaction barriers and inefficiencies, which limit its widespread application. Therefore, exploring novel photocatalytic coupling strategies to replace water oxidation has become a key route to enhance the efficiency of H2 production. In this review, organic pollutants removal and the valorization of organics as substitutes for water oxidation coupling strategies for photocatalytic H2 production are comprehensively summarized. These strategies not only circumvent the high reaction barriers associated with O2 evolution to enhance the H2 production but also aid in the removing of organic pollutants or synthesis of value-added chemicals. We also present future research directions and underscore the significance of advanced catalyst design, in-depth analysis of reaction mechanisms, and systematic optimization strategies in realizing an efficient and sustainable photocatalytic process. This guidance is anticipated to provide theoretical and practical new insights for the future development of photocatalytic coupling reactions, fostering further explorations in the realm of renewable energy and environmental governance.
Mini review: Strategies for enhancing stability of high-voltage cathode materials in aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Lingjiang Kou, Yong Wang, Jiajia Song, Taotao Ai, Wenhu Li, Mohammad Yeganeh Ghotbi, Panya Wattanapaphawong, Koji Kajiyoshi
2025, 36(1): 110368  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110368
[摘要]  (500) [HTML全文] (500) [PDF 7874KB] (500)
摘要:
As battery technology evolves and demand for efficient energy storage solutions, aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) have garnered significant attention due to their safety and environmental benefits. However, the stability of cathode materials under high-voltage conditions remains a critical challenge in improving its energy density. This review systematically explores the failure mechanisms of high-voltage cathode materials in AZIBs, including hydrogen evolution reaction, phase transformation and dissolution phenomena. To address these challenges, we propose a range of advanced strategies aimed at improving the stability of cathode materials. These strategies include surface coating and doping techniques designed to fortify the surface properties and structure integrity of the cathode materials under high-voltage conditions. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of designing antioxidant electrolytes, with a focus on understanding and optimizing electrolyte decomposition mechanisms. The review also highlights the significance of modifying conductive agents and employing innovative separators to further enhance the stability of AZIBs. By integrating these cutting-edge approaches, this review anticipates substantial advancements in the stability of high-voltage cathode materials, paving the way for the broader application and development of AZIBs in energy storage.
Recent progress on non-metallic carbon nitride for the photosynthesis of H2O2: Mechanism, modification and in-situ applications
Hao Lv, Zhi Li, Peng Yin, Ping Wan, Mingshan Zhu
2025, 36(1): 110457  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110457
[摘要]  (394) [HTML全文] (394) [PDF 12398KB] (394)
摘要:
Photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production has been considered as a promising strategy for H2O2 synthesis due to its environmentally friendly. Among various photocatalysts, carbon nitride-based materials are excellent candidates for H2O2 production because of their excellent visible-light response, low cost and high stability. In this review, we summarize in detail the research progress on the photocatalytic production of H2O2 by carbon nitride. First, we summarize the basic principles of photocatalysis and photocatalytic H2O2 production. Second, the classification and modification methods of carbon-nitride-based materials are discussed, including morphology modulation, noble metal loading, defect control, heterojunction regulation, molecular structure engineering and elemental doping. Finally, the different in-situ applications of H2O2 via photosynthesis were discussed, including disinfection and antibiotic resistant genes degradation, organic pollutants degradation, medical applications and fine chemical synthesis. This review brings great promise for in-situ H2O2 photosynthesis, which is expected to serve as a key component in future applications.
Editorial
Targeting novel sites represents an effective strategy for combating drug resistance
Shaoqing Du, Xinyong Liu, Xueping Hu, Peng Zhan
2025, 36(1): 110378  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110378
[摘要]  (524) [HTML全文] (524) [PDF 6580KB] (524)
摘要:
Topologically close-packed intermetallic alloy electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction towards high value-added multi-carbon chemicals
Qiyan Wu, Qing Li
2025, 36(1): 110384  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110384
[摘要]  (373) [HTML全文] (373) [PDF 1359KB] (373)
摘要:
EDA-complexes-enabled photochemical synthesis of α-amino acids with imines and tetrabutylammonium oxalate
Min-Hang Zhou, Jun Jiang, Wei-Min He
2025, 36(1): 110446  doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110446
[摘要]  (427) [HTML全文] (427) [PDF 1704KB] (427)
摘要: