The Royal Society of Chemistry最新文献

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory bowel disease with an increasing global burden. Although various terpenoids have demonstrated significant efficacy against UC, the therapeutic mechanism of bornyl acetate (BA), a monocyclic diterpene derived from pine needle essential oil (PNEO), remains unclear. This study systematically investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and microbiota-modulating mechanisms of PNEO and BA by using an integrated approach that combined in vitro and in vivo models with 16S rRNA sequencing. These results showed that while PNEO significantly inhibited pro-inflammatory mediators like NO and TNF-α, its therapeutic efficacy against UC was modest. In contrast, BA exerted potent anti-inflammatory effects by downregulating the transcriptional activity of p65 in the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, BA enhanced the transcription and expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, claudin-1, and occludin), thereby restoring intestinal barrier integrity in mice with UC. Moreover, BA treatment effectively suppressed the abnormal expansion of opportunistic pathogens (Erysipelotrichaceae, Saccharimonadaceae, Escherichia-Shigella, Turicibacter, Ruminococcus and Candidatus Saccharimonas) while significantly promoting the proliferation of the potential probiotic Akkermansia. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the abundance of Akkermansia was negatively correlated with p65 transcriptional activity in the NF-κB pathway but positively correlated with anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the mRNA levels of barrier proteins (ZO-1 and occludin). In conclusion, these findings indicated that BA alleviates UC through a synergistic mechanism encompassing NF-κB pathway inhibition, microbiota homeostasis restoration and intestinal barrier repair. This discovery offers a theoretical basis for novel functional foods leveraging terpenoids to restore gut microecological balance.

Tailoring the coordinative structure of a single-atom catalyst is a universal yet challenging route toward enhanced electrocatalysis. Herein, a coordinative compound impregnation strategy is reported for the synthesis of a Co-N₃S/C catalyst with asymmetric coordination for the oxygen reduction reaction, which demonstrates excellent performance in a Zn-air battery.

Surfactants with novel molecular architectures are increasingly being explored to achieve enhanced surface activity, stability, and biocompatibility. Among them, peptide-based surfactants have emerged as versatile alternatives to conventional systems due to their structural tunability and eco-friendly nature. In this study, we report the rational design and synthesis of an unconventional peptide-based dicephalic surfactant featuring a unique molecular topology, one long hydrophilic tail and two short hydrophobic heads. This configuration contrasts with traditional dicephalic surfactants, which typically possess a single hydrophobic tail and two hydrophilic heads. The hydrophilic segment comprises a collagen-derived peptide with repeating GXZ tripeptide units (G: glycine; X: proline or glutamic acid; Z: hydroxyproline or arginine), while the N-terminus is modified with di-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (DiFm)-functionalized L-lysine, introducing two aromatic hydrophobic heads. The resulting molecule, DiFm-GXZ, undergoes a conformational transition from a polyproline II-type single strand to a triple-helical structure. Remarkably, DiFm-GXZ exhibits excellent surface-active properties, with an exceptionally low critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of 70 µM. Self-assembly studies revealed the formation of unimicellar aggregates (∼20 nm) that further organize into higher-order multimicellar aggregates. Biophysical characterization confirmed that the self-assembly process is primarily governed by π-π stacking among aromatic groups and hydrogen bonding within the peptide backbone. The design strategy demonstrated here introduces a new class of peptide-based dicephalic surfactants with inverse architecture and tunable molecular features, offering valuable insights into the structure-property relationships governing self-assembly and interfacial behavior in peptide surfactant systems.

Nonconventional luminophores have gained significant attention for their distinctive luminescence behaviors and promising applications. However, achieving precise control over their photoluminescence (PL) remains a substantial challenge. Current strategies for structural modification remain largely semi-empirical, lacking robust frameworks to effectively correlate molecular-level variations with aggregate states and their corresponding PL. In this study, we demonstrate tunable full-color emission (blue to red) with a high quantum yield of up to 58.9%, through site-selective thiolation of hydantoin (HA) and subsequent host-guest doping. We elucidate the thionation effect on both individual molecules and their molecular arrangements, revealing that CS groups and parallel molecular arrangement promote extensive electron delocalization and redshifted PL. Leveraging the structural and packing similarity between the host and guest, we achieve fine-tuning of PL by doping thionated molecules into HA and thiazolidinedione crystals, establishing a direct structure-property relationship without requiring complex molecular redesign. Furthermore, we showcase the applicability of these luminophores in advanced anti-counterfeiting, information encryption and high-resolution visualization of latent fingerprints. This research offers novel insights and broadly applicable strategies for achieving tunable emission in nonconventional luminophores by precisely controlling electronic structures and molecular arrangement.

Organic photonics is a vibrant research field that harnesses the unique optical properties of organic small molecules and polymers, offering significant potential for applications in displays, sensors, and quantum communication. However, single-component materials are increasingly inadequate for meeting the demands of complex optical functionalities. In this study, we have fabricated organic branched heterostructures (OBHs) via a sequential process combining lattice-matched epitaxial growth and controlled stepwise crystallization. The structure consists of a laser gain medium as the main chain, with branches made from energy receptor molecules that possess efficient waveguide properties. The excitation dipole moments between the main chain and the branches are aligned at a fixed, well-defined angle, enabling the integration of organic laser materials with complex waveguide functions while maintaining excellent polarization retention properties. Under circularly polarized light excitation, the heterostructure demonstrates remarkable circularly polarized laser emission (|g_lum| = 0.05) from the trunk and chiral transmission (|g_lum| = 0.03) to the branch. Our work demonstrates that the rational design of OBH structures provides an innovative strategy for circularly polarized laser design and opens new avenues for research in chiral photonic chips.

In this study, we have systematically modulated the intersystem crossing/reverse intersystem crossing (ISC/RISC) competition in organic molecules (PhODCB, PhSDCB and PhSeDCB) with a D-A-D configuration to achieve emission from fluorescence to thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) and then to room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) by incorporating the chalcogen atoms oxygen (O), sulfur (S) and selenium (Se), respectively. Their distinct photophysical behaviors can be ascribed to both the enhanced heavy-atom effect and n → π* transition from O to Se atoms, which can enhance the quantum yield and effectively promote radiative decay of the triplet excited states to the ground state. Notably, with o-carborane as a strong electron acceptor, PhSeDCB can represent an unprecedented red-emitting RTP molecule with a very impressive photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 0.48 and a short lifetime of 14.7 µs. In addition, the first red organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) prepared with PhSeDCB show a high electroluminescence efficiency of 18.9%. All these encouraging results have indicated the great potential of metal-free phosphorescent materials in the field of OLEDs.

This study presents the fabrication of tungsten oxide-tungsten disulfide, h-WO₃/2H-WS₂ (WS_xO_y), and its integration on the nanostructured diatomaceous earth (DE) microalgae surface to obtain a novel photocatalyst known as DE-h-WO₃/2H-WS₂ (DE-WS_xO_y) for the first time. It is significant to mention that the integration of WS_xO_y on the DE surface is directed toward enhancing the overall photocatalytic properties and performances. The developed novel photocatalyst is characterized using various techniques to study its morphological surface chemistry features, interface interactions and photochemical properties. The novelty of this study lies in the synthesis of a new photocatalyst integrated with microalgae, enabling rapid and high-performance solar-driven degradation. Importantly, through the support of the DE surface, the photocatalyst exhibits higher photocatalytic ability in aqueous phase reactions when compared with WS_xO_y alone, which could be due to synergistic effects such as higher adsorption properties, dispersibility, stability and more catalytic reaction sites. Furthermore, using rhodamine B (Rh B) as a model pollutant, the designed photocatalyst validated with 99.8% of decoloration efficiency was achieved. The prepared photocatalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic degradation efficiency under various solution conditions for multiple dyes and mixed dye solutions, demonstrating its potential industrial significance. Besides, this work expanded towards investigating its photocatalytic reaction mechanisms and factors affecting photocatalytic activities. As a proof of concept/pioneering technology, the DE-WS_xO_y photocatalyst was integrated with PDMS in the form of easily adaptable discs to explore the real-time photodegradation of industrial wastewater (IWW), which can be regarded as next-generation photocatalyst development.

Wearable temperature sensors are essential for medical and personal thermal management applications but often face challenges in achieving accuracy, flexibility and multifunctionality. To address these limitations, we developed a biodegradable polymer-based quaternary composite that leverages a binary eutectic fatty acid system and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) to deliver self-regulating heating and temperature sensing capabilities. The incorporation of polycaprolactone (PCL), lauric acid (LA) and myristic acid (MA) facilitates precise thermal control by enabling a tuneable phase transition range of 30 to 60 °C, while GNPs enhance electrical conductivity and thermal response. Notably, the material exhibits a distinct double positive temperature coefficient (PTC) effect, maintaining PTC behaviour up to 80 °C without transitioning to a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) effect. This double PTC behaviour enables precise thermal regulation, with self-regulating heating at ∼36 °C under low-power operation (∼100-250 mW), demonstrating stable power consumption and effective heat absorption through its phase change properties. The composite also supports operation under practical voltages, 5 V (standard power bank), making it well-suited for wearable systems. Additionally, the material demonstrates excellent recyclability through a simple dissolution and recasting process, retaining its stable thermal response even after recycling. These attributes make the composite highly suitable for electronic skins, smart thermal regulation and overcurrent protection fuses. The integration of PCL and fatty acids (FAs) enhances recyclability, promoting sustainable and long-term applications in personal thermal management systems.

Chemobrain is a major debilitating effect on cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin for chemotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of the ethanol extract of the edible aerial parts of Rosmarinus officinalis against chemobrain and neuroinflammation in rats. The metabolic profiling of the ethanol extract of the Rosmarinus officinalis L. aerial parts was performed by LC-qTOF-MS/MS, and 16 compounds belonging to phenolic diterpenes, triterpenes and monoterpenes were revealed. The prepared Rosmarinus officinalis L. nanoemulsion revealed optimal polydispersity, nanoscale particle size, and a negatively charged surface in both freshly prepared and after storage states. Cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation were induced in rats using oxaliplatin. Male rats were allocated into five groups: group 1 was the vehicle reference group and groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 received oxaliplatin (4 mg kg^-1, i.p.) twice a week for four weeks. Groups 3 and 4 received a daily oral dose of Rosmarinus officinalis at 50 and 100 mg kg^-1, respectively, for four successive weeks. Group 5 received a daily intranasal dose of Rosmarinus officinalis nanoemulsion of 1 mg kg^-1. Behavioral, histological and biochemical parameters were determined to evaluate the cognitive function in rats. Rosmarinus officinalis extracts and the administered nanoemulsion halted the destruction of hippocampal normal structure and memory decline, triggered by the oxaliplatin injection. They hindered the effects of oxaliplatin on antioxidant markers, such as catalase and reduced glutathione. Rosmarinus officinalis treatment activated Wnt/β-catenin axis and ameliorated neuroinflammation and apoptotic markers, such as caspase-3 and p53, showing no effect on the anticancer activity of oxaliplatin. This highlighted the promising neuroprotective potential of Rosmarinus officinalis in chemofog, which further consolidated its folk medicinal popularity.

Correction for 'Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) fortified functional foods ameliorate iron and protein malnutrition by improving growth and modulating oxidative stress and gut microbiota in rats' by Raman Kumar et al., Food Funct., 2023, 14, 1160-1178, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2FO02226E.