材料科学最新文献

X-ray imaging encryption has garnered significant attention but remains vulnerable to information leakage and hard to detect breaches. Herein, an irreversible acid-responsive radioluminescence memory scintillator, Zn_1.3Ga_1.4Ge_0.3O₄:Cr³⁺@Zn₂GeO₄:Eu³⁺ (ZGGO@ZGO), is developed, which not only enhances information security but also enables real-time leakage detection. The ZGGO@ZGO exhibits visible and near-infrared (NIR) dual-emitting persistent radioluminescence (PRL), in which the visual signal acts as a decoy to mislead potential offenders. Upon acid treatment, Zn₂GeO₄:Eu³⁺ (ZGO) shell undergoes rapid degradation, enabling ZGGO@ZGO to realize the transformation of dual-emitting PRL into single-emitting imperceptible NIR PRL. The transformation of PRL effectively prevents visual detection by the naked eye, allowing decryption only through a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to reveal the hidden information. Through engineering a dual-layer security system composed of ZGGO@ZGO and ZGO, visual misdirection is synergized with sequential logic gates requiring acid treatment and CCD detection, significantly reducing leakage risks. Importantly, the acid-responsive PRL transformation is irreversible. Once decoded, the information is permanently locked in its altered state, allowing the detection of information leakage and the effective mitigation of subsequent harm. This approach surpasses traditional encryption methods by providing both enhanced security and the ability to identify unauthorized access, potentially revolutionizing information protection in sensitive applications.

Potentiostatic electrolysis is a widely used technique for evaluating the long-term performance of electrocatalysts in key electrochemical processes such as hydrogen and oxygen evolution, CO₂ and nitrate reduction. However, accurate comparison of catalyst activity is often impaired by uncompensated solution resistance (IR drop), which causes a portion of the applied potential to be lost outside the electrode interface. This is especially problematic when the resistance varies dynamically during high-current experiments. In this study, a straightforward method is presented for achieving 100% dynamic IR compensation using commercially available Metrohm Autolab PGSTAT potentiostats. This approach is based on a continuous monitoring of the high-frequency resistance and direct current during electrolysis, and an adaptive digital setpoint adjustment to maintain a constant effective electrode potential. The applicability of the method is demonstrated through a case study on nitrate-to-ammonia reduction at high current densities, achieving stable operation without oscillations, even in cases where thermal effects and the related resistance decrease make the system prone to control instabilities. The method is described in detail, and free software and example code are provided to enable adoption by the broader electrocatalysis community.

Dendrimer-based nucleic acid (NA) delivery systems have attracted significant attention due to their synthetic versatility, monodispersity, nuclease resistance, high payload release, and transfection efficiency. The conventional dendrimers are non-fluorescent, limiting their utility in real-time tracking and monitoring of drug delivery. Although terminal functionalization with fluorophores can partially address this issue, it often alters critical physicochemical properties and transfection efficiency. In this study, we report the design and development of far-red fluorescent dendrimers with a naphthalene diimide (NDI)-core for efficient and traceable gene and RNA delivery. These intrinsically fluorescent dendrimers enable real-time monitoring of cellular uptake and delivery. The NDI G3 formulation effectively condenses DNA, protects it from DNase-mediated degradation, and facilitates efficient transfection in cells. Therapeutically, NDI G3 demonstrated efficient glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) siRNA delivery, comparable to PAMAM G3 and Lipofectamine 3000. Notably, the NDI G3-Ca²⁺-GPX4 siRNA-FINO2 formulation sensitizes human colon cancer-derived cells to ferroptosis, synergistically annihilating cancer cells compared to treatment with FINO2 alone. The intrinsically far-red fluorescent NDI G3 dendrimer with a dynamic fluorescence response developed for the combinatorial delivery of siRNA and drug molecules offers a generalized framework for designing next-generation far-red fluorescent dendrimers for nucleic acid therapeutics and theranostic applications.