Although various physical tweezers and external fields based on optical, magnetic, electrical, and acoustic interactions have been developed for noncontact droplet manipulation, existing techniques are limited by the use of responsive additives in droplets/substrates or changes in the droplet’s physical and chemical properties during operation. Herein, we report a wind tweezer (WT) that uses a controlled airflow field (wind force) to remotely and programmatically manipulate droplets in a highly precise and flexible manner. A comprehensive equation is developed to characterize the wind force acting on a droplet within the WT system, taking into account variables such as wind speed, WT height, pipe diameter, droplet size, and droplet’s deviation distance. The versatile WT can manipulate droplets with variable volumes (100 nL to 3 mL), chemical compositions, and high velocities (up to 160 mm/s), as well as droplet arrays on various substrates and Leidenfrost droplets on superheated smooth surfaces. Vertical droplet manipulation is also allowed. The WT has been successfully used in various exciting applications, such as circuit welding/repair, cell transport in bioactive liquids, and improving the detection performance of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).
{"title":"Wind Tweezer for Versatile Droplet Manipulation on the Femtosecond Laser-Structured Superhydrophobic Platform","authors":"Zhenrui Chen,Chunyu Zhang,Jiale Yong,Youdi Hu,Shuneng Zhou,Xinlei Li,Cunyuan Chen,Zhicheng Zhang,Suwan Zhu,Hang Ding,Yanlei Hu,Dong Wu","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c21018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c21018","url":null,"abstract":"Although various physical tweezers and external fields based on optical, magnetic, electrical, and acoustic interactions have been developed for noncontact droplet manipulation, existing techniques are limited by the use of responsive additives in droplets/substrates or changes in the droplet’s physical and chemical properties during operation. Herein, we report a wind tweezer (WT) that uses a controlled airflow field (wind force) to remotely and programmatically manipulate droplets in a highly precise and flexible manner. A comprehensive equation is developed to characterize the wind force acting on a droplet within the WT system, taking into account variables such as wind speed, WT height, pipe diameter, droplet size, and droplet’s deviation distance. The versatile WT can manipulate droplets with variable volumes (100 nL to 3 mL), chemical compositions, and high velocities (up to 160 mm/s), as well as droplet arrays on various substrates and Leidenfrost droplets on superheated smooth surfaces. Vertical droplet manipulation is also allowed. The WT has been successfully used in various exciting applications, such as circuit welding/repair, cell transport in bioactive liquids, and improving the detection performance of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"90 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tianren Zhang,Yi Shi,Jacob R. Schwartz,Zihan Zhang,Sabrina E. Liskey,Christopher J. Kloxin,Jeffery G. Saven,Darrin J. Pochan
Elucidation of the sequence-level dynamics that direct the hierarchical assembly of peptides remains a challenge. Herein, a simulation-guided experimental framework demonstrates that computationally designed, single charge-type (SC), coiled-coil peptides exhibit multiple lyotropic liquid-crystalline (LC) phases via programmable, robust, nonionic, end-to-end stacking. This macroscopic phase behavior is encoded directly in the molecular interaction among terminal residues of the coiled-coil constituent peptides. Specifically, the conformational flexibility of the N-terminus and attractive interactions at the C-terminus promote end-to-end stacking between adjacent coiled coils, providing a lever for fine-tuning of interfacial interactions and, thus, the critical LC-forming concentration (CLC). The phase behavior of SC particles is presented with variation of added salt as well as peptide particle concentration, revealing a rich lyotropic behavior spanning nematic, hexagonal columnar, smectic A, and smectic B phases. Harnessing the molecular control over the stacked interface, tryptophan-mediated cross-linking at the terminal residues was performed, which significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the liquid crystal system. These findings establish a clear strategy for encoding macroscopic material properties at the molecular level, offering a versatile blueprint for future de novo peptide design with coiled-coil building blocks.
{"title":"Terminal-Directed Supramolecular Liquid Crystal Formation by Designed Coiled-Coil Interparticle Stacking","authors":"Tianren Zhang,Yi Shi,Jacob R. Schwartz,Zihan Zhang,Sabrina E. Liskey,Christopher J. Kloxin,Jeffery G. Saven,Darrin J. Pochan","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c17943","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c17943","url":null,"abstract":"Elucidation of the sequence-level dynamics that direct the hierarchical assembly of peptides remains a challenge. Herein, a simulation-guided experimental framework demonstrates that computationally designed, single charge-type (SC), coiled-coil peptides exhibit multiple lyotropic liquid-crystalline (LC) phases via programmable, robust, nonionic, end-to-end stacking. This macroscopic phase behavior is encoded directly in the molecular interaction among terminal residues of the coiled-coil constituent peptides. Specifically, the conformational flexibility of the N-terminus and attractive interactions at the C-terminus promote end-to-end stacking between adjacent coiled coils, providing a lever for fine-tuning of interfacial interactions and, thus, the critical LC-forming concentration (CLC). The phase behavior of SC particles is presented with variation of added salt as well as peptide particle concentration, revealing a rich lyotropic behavior spanning nematic, hexagonal columnar, smectic A, and smectic B phases. Harnessing the molecular control over the stacked interface, tryptophan-mediated cross-linking at the terminal residues was performed, which significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the liquid crystal system. These findings establish a clear strategy for encoding macroscopic material properties at the molecular level, offering a versatile blueprint for future de novo peptide design with coiled-coil building blocks.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Il-Soo Park,Younghak Cho,Yen Jea Lee,Daniela Gutierrez,Ronald N. Zuckermann,Hyejeong Seong,Jae Hong Kim
Supramolecular hydrogels that mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) represent promising materials for tissue engineering and drug delivery. However, conventional hydrogels formed via the self-assembly of natural or synthetic building blocks often face a trade-off between biological functionality and biochemical stability, limiting their utility in long-term or protease-rich environments. Peptoids, a class of peptide-inspired, sequence-defined polymers, offer a compelling alternative due to their exceptional proteolytic resistance and bioactivity. Despite this potential, the development of supramolecular peptoid hydrogels has been hindered by the absence of backbone hydrogen bond donors, which limits long-range ordering necessary for efficient hydrogel formation. This work describes a short peptoid functionalized at the N-terminus with an octyl chain that readily self-assembles into hydrogels. Hydrophobic interactions among pendant octyl groups promote directional peptoid packing into highly ordered nanosheets, which interconnect to form a porous hydrogel network. These hydrogels exhibit tunable viscoelasticity, shear-thinning, and self-healing properties, enabling their use as inks for extrusion-based 3D printing. They support NIH-3T3 fibroblast adhesion, spreading, and proliferation, maintaining greater than 95% cell viability over 4 days. Moreover, the hydrogels retain their macroscopic integrity under protease-rich conditions, enabling sustained cargo release and uniform cellular uptake. Together, this study demonstrates a class of supramolecular peptoid hydrogelators that integrate biocompatibility, 3D printability, and proteolytic stability, providing a versatile platform for ECM-mimetic scaffolds in regenerative medicine and long-term therapeutic delivery.
{"title":"N-Terminal Octylated Peptoid Hydrogels as 3D-Printable Cell Scaffolds and Proteolytically Robust Cargo Depots","authors":"Il-Soo Park,Younghak Cho,Yen Jea Lee,Daniela Gutierrez,Ronald N. Zuckermann,Hyejeong Seong,Jae Hong Kim","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c16998","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c16998","url":null,"abstract":"Supramolecular hydrogels that mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) represent promising materials for tissue engineering and drug delivery. However, conventional hydrogels formed via the self-assembly of natural or synthetic building blocks often face a trade-off between biological functionality and biochemical stability, limiting their utility in long-term or protease-rich environments. Peptoids, a class of peptide-inspired, sequence-defined polymers, offer a compelling alternative due to their exceptional proteolytic resistance and bioactivity. Despite this potential, the development of supramolecular peptoid hydrogels has been hindered by the absence of backbone hydrogen bond donors, which limits long-range ordering necessary for efficient hydrogel formation. This work describes a short peptoid functionalized at the N-terminus with an octyl chain that readily self-assembles into hydrogels. Hydrophobic interactions among pendant octyl groups promote directional peptoid packing into highly ordered nanosheets, which interconnect to form a porous hydrogel network. These hydrogels exhibit tunable viscoelasticity, shear-thinning, and self-healing properties, enabling their use as inks for extrusion-based 3D printing. They support NIH-3T3 fibroblast adhesion, spreading, and proliferation, maintaining greater than 95% cell viability over 4 days. Moreover, the hydrogels retain their macroscopic integrity under protease-rich conditions, enabling sustained cargo release and uniform cellular uptake. Together, this study demonstrates a class of supramolecular peptoid hydrogelators that integrate biocompatibility, 3D printability, and proteolytic stability, providing a versatile platform for ECM-mimetic scaffolds in regenerative medicine and long-term therapeutic delivery.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Low-permeability (LP) tumor vasculature constitutes a major barrier to efficient nanomedicine delivery, making quantitative assessment and mechanistic understanding of vascular permeability essential for the rational design of delivery strategies. Here, we introduce a deep learning-guided microneedle (MN) delivery platform that enables localized and spatiotemporally precise modulation of tumor vasculature to enhance nanoparticle extravasation. By integrating the MN system with an upgraded single-vessel analysis framework (nano-ISML 1.1), we quantitatively mapped vascular remodeling and nanoparticle transport across diverse tumor types and particle sizes. Localized histamine delivery via MNs selectively expanded endothelial junctions through VE-cadherin-mediated regulation, significantly increasing the frequency and length of interendothelial gaps, and thereby reprogramming LP tumors toward a high-permeability phenotype. This controlled vascular remodeling established a pronounced size-dependent permeability window, defined by locally induced gap dimensions that varied across tumor types, permitting efficient penetration of nanoparticles ≤200 nm while largely excluding particles >500 nm. By uniting nanotechnology, vascular biology, and artificial intelligence, this interdisciplinary framework provides a mechanistic and predictive paradigm for overcoming vascular barriers and advancing the rational design of tumor-targeted nanomedicines.
{"title":"Redefining Tumor Vascular Permeability through Deep Learning-Guided Microneedle Delivery","authors":"Jingwei Tian,Mingsheng Zhu,Zhenyu Guan,Jianxin Liu,Yuanke Li,Qiqi Liu,Yingqi Miao,Jin Wu,Che Zhou,Xiangyang Wang,Jie Zhuang,Xinglu Huang","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c16558","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c16558","url":null,"abstract":"Low-permeability (LP) tumor vasculature constitutes a major barrier to efficient nanomedicine delivery, making quantitative assessment and mechanistic understanding of vascular permeability essential for the rational design of delivery strategies. Here, we introduce a deep learning-guided microneedle (MN) delivery platform that enables localized and spatiotemporally precise modulation of tumor vasculature to enhance nanoparticle extravasation. By integrating the MN system with an upgraded single-vessel analysis framework (nano-ISML 1.1), we quantitatively mapped vascular remodeling and nanoparticle transport across diverse tumor types and particle sizes. Localized histamine delivery via MNs selectively expanded endothelial junctions through VE-cadherin-mediated regulation, significantly increasing the frequency and length of interendothelial gaps, and thereby reprogramming LP tumors toward a high-permeability phenotype. This controlled vascular remodeling established a pronounced size-dependent permeability window, defined by locally induced gap dimensions that varied across tumor types, permitting efficient penetration of nanoparticles ≤200 nm while largely excluding particles >500 nm. By uniting nanotechnology, vascular biology, and artificial intelligence, this interdisciplinary framework provides a mechanistic and predictive paradigm for overcoming vascular barriers and advancing the rational design of tumor-targeted nanomedicines.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian Bunker,Silas Hoffman,Shuanglong Liu,Xiao-Guang Zhang,Hai-Ping Cheng
While molecular spin qubits (MSQs) are a promising platform for quantum computing, read-out has been largely limited to electron paramagnetic resonance, which is often slow and requires a global system drive. Moreover, because one prerequisite for the Elzerman and Pauli spin blockade read-out mechanisms typical of semiconductor spin qubits is tunneling of electrons between sites, these read-out modalities are unavailable in MSQs. Here, we theoretically demonstrate electrical read-out of entangled MSQs via driven many-electron spin-unpolarized currents. In particular, using a time-dependent density matrix renormalization group approach, we simulate a maximally entangled MSQ pair between two electronic leads. Driving itinerant electrons between the two leads, we find that the conductance is greater when the MSQs are in the entangled singlet state compared to the entangled triplet state. This contrast in conductance is enhanced when the electronic density of states at the Fermi energy is large and for a narrow bandwidth. Our results are readily applicable to molecules supramolecularly functionalizing semiconductors with relatively flat bands, such as single-wall carbon nanotubes under a magnetic field.
{"title":"Using Near-Flat-Band Electrons for Read-Out of Molecular Spin Qubit Entangled States","authors":"Christian Bunker,Silas Hoffman,Shuanglong Liu,Xiao-Guang Zhang,Hai-Ping Cheng","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c16530","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c16530","url":null,"abstract":"While molecular spin qubits (MSQs) are a promising platform for quantum computing, read-out has been largely limited to electron paramagnetic resonance, which is often slow and requires a global system drive. Moreover, because one prerequisite for the Elzerman and Pauli spin blockade read-out mechanisms typical of semiconductor spin qubits is tunneling of electrons between sites, these read-out modalities are unavailable in MSQs. Here, we theoretically demonstrate electrical read-out of entangled MSQs via driven many-electron spin-unpolarized currents. In particular, using a time-dependent density matrix renormalization group approach, we simulate a maximally entangled MSQ pair between two electronic leads. Driving itinerant electrons between the two leads, we find that the conductance is greater when the MSQs are in the entangled singlet state compared to the entangled triplet state. This contrast in conductance is enhanced when the electronic density of states at the Fermi energy is large and for a narrow bandwidth. Our results are readily applicable to molecules supramolecularly functionalizing semiconductors with relatively flat bands, such as single-wall carbon nanotubes under a magnetic field.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xingjun Liu,Jinghan Wang,Jiqiang Zhan,Qixin Wang,Xiaojing Lin,Hongpeng Li,Hongsen Li
Modulating the electronic structure of catalysts through external magnetic fields is a promising strategy for enhancing electrocatalytic activity, which has been successfully demonstrated in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), zinc-air batteries and lithium–sulfur batteries. However, conventional magnetic regulation approaches typically focus solely on spin-state modulation, neglecting the ion transport limitations in practical systems. Additionally, existing permanent magnets and ferromagnetic additives generate magnetic fields with limited intensity and nonuniform directionality, restricting their effectiveness. Herein, we propose a tip-enhanced magnetic-electric dual-field strategy by rationally designing ferromagnetic NiCo2O4 catalysts with nanotip architectures to address long-standing kinetic bottlenecks in aluminum–sulfur (Al–S) batteries. Finite element analysis demonstrates that the high-curvature tips significantly amplify local electric and magnetic fields by approximately 4.2- and 2.6-fold, respectively, under an external field. Moreover, the induced spin-state transition of Ni3+ to high-spin (HS) states enhances d-p orbital hybridization with polysulfide intermediates, effectively lowering reaction barriers. This dual enhancement synergistically promotes ion transport via magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects, leading to substantially reduced voltage hysteresis and markedly improved electrochemical performance, delivering a high reversible capacity of 513 mAh g–1 after 700 cycles in Al–S batteries. By integrating geometric field amplification with spin-state modulation, this work presents a highly efficient and scalable strategy for approach to designing high-performance catalysts for advanced Al–S batteries.
{"title":"Dual-Field Amplification via Nanotip-Engineered Catalysts for Efficient Spin-State and Ion Regulation in Aluminum–Sulfur Batteries","authors":"Xingjun Liu,Jinghan Wang,Jiqiang Zhan,Qixin Wang,Xiaojing Lin,Hongpeng Li,Hongsen Li","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c16319","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c16319","url":null,"abstract":"Modulating the electronic structure of catalysts through external magnetic fields is a promising strategy for enhancing electrocatalytic activity, which has been successfully demonstrated in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), zinc-air batteries and lithium–sulfur batteries. However, conventional magnetic regulation approaches typically focus solely on spin-state modulation, neglecting the ion transport limitations in practical systems. Additionally, existing permanent magnets and ferromagnetic additives generate magnetic fields with limited intensity and nonuniform directionality, restricting their effectiveness. Herein, we propose a tip-enhanced magnetic-electric dual-field strategy by rationally designing ferromagnetic NiCo2O4 catalysts with nanotip architectures to address long-standing kinetic bottlenecks in aluminum–sulfur (Al–S) batteries. Finite element analysis demonstrates that the high-curvature tips significantly amplify local electric and magnetic fields by approximately 4.2- and 2.6-fold, respectively, under an external field. Moreover, the induced spin-state transition of Ni3+ to high-spin (HS) states enhances d-p orbital hybridization with polysulfide intermediates, effectively lowering reaction barriers. This dual enhancement synergistically promotes ion transport via magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects, leading to substantially reduced voltage hysteresis and markedly improved electrochemical performance, delivering a high reversible capacity of 513 mAh g–1 after 700 cycles in Al–S batteries. By integrating geometric field amplification with spin-state modulation, this work presents a highly efficient and scalable strategy for approach to designing high-performance catalysts for advanced Al–S batteries.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nanoparticle–protein corona interactions critically determine biological responses but remain poorly characterized in living systems due to the lack of noninvasive analytical tools. In this study, we developed a redox-omics strategy that facilitated the in situ mapping of corona composition by tracking cysteine thiol oxidation markers induced by nanoparticles. As a research tool, we synthesized natural-organic-matter-derived carbon dots (nCDs) with dual superoxide dismutase/catalase-mimetic activity. A global redox-omics analysis identified 104 proteins that demonstrated significant redox reactions in response to treatment with nCDs. In particular, we found that nCDs specifically induced a conformational change in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) by selectively reversing the oxidation of cysteine 269 (Cys269). In the mechanism, the site-specific reduction in cysteine 269 (Cys269) triggered a conformational switch of IDH1 that restored mitochondrial α-ketoglutarate flux and NADPH homeostasis, thereby blocking cytosolic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leakage and subsequent cGAS-STING-driven neuroinflammation. Crucially, the nCDs-mediated metabolic checkpoint control inhibited the pro-inflammatory (M1) phenotypes of microglia, thereby achieving therapeutic efficacy in both zebrafish and murine ischemic stroke models, without inducing detectable toxicity. Collectively, we developed a label-free platform enabling in situ decoding of protein corona interactions via redox-sensitive cysteine profiling, eliminating the need for nanoparticle surface modifications.
{"title":"In Situ Redox-Omics Decoding of Nanoparticle–Protein Corona Interactions Drives the Mitochondrial Metabolic-Immunological Mechanism in Microglia","authors":"Ze-Kun Chen,Ming Yu,Zhong-Yao Li,Ling-Li Zheng,Ji-Chao Zhang,Ting-Ting Liu,Zhuo Yang,Ling Li,Zhi-Yuan Lu,Tian-Tian Wei,Hua Wang,Bo Han,Wei Yu,Peng-Fei Tu,Ke-Wu Zeng","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c21740","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c21740","url":null,"abstract":"Nanoparticle–protein corona interactions critically determine biological responses but remain poorly characterized in living systems due to the lack of noninvasive analytical tools. In this study, we developed a redox-omics strategy that facilitated the in situ mapping of corona composition by tracking cysteine thiol oxidation markers induced by nanoparticles. As a research tool, we synthesized natural-organic-matter-derived carbon dots (nCDs) with dual superoxide dismutase/catalase-mimetic activity. A global redox-omics analysis identified 104 proteins that demonstrated significant redox reactions in response to treatment with nCDs. In particular, we found that nCDs specifically induced a conformational change in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) by selectively reversing the oxidation of cysteine 269 (Cys269). In the mechanism, the site-specific reduction in cysteine 269 (Cys269) triggered a conformational switch of IDH1 that restored mitochondrial α-ketoglutarate flux and NADPH homeostasis, thereby blocking cytosolic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leakage and subsequent cGAS-STING-driven neuroinflammation. Crucially, the nCDs-mediated metabolic checkpoint control inhibited the pro-inflammatory (M1) phenotypes of microglia, thereby achieving therapeutic efficacy in both zebrafish and murine ischemic stroke models, without inducing detectable toxicity. Collectively, we developed a label-free platform enabling in situ decoding of protein corona interactions via redox-sensitive cysteine profiling, eliminating the need for nanoparticle surface modifications.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146139085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is increasingly prevalent, and it is characterized by frequent recurrence and complex etiology. Aberrant ceruloplasmin (Cp) localization at the astrocytic endfeet, coupled with oxidative stress-induced dysregulation of iron regulatory proteins, is a central trigger of the iron dyshomeostasis that drives CAA progression. However, therapeutic strategies that specifically target iron transport regulation in astrocytes remain lacking. Here, we develop lattice-expanded Au/CeO2 with strong antioxidant capacity validated by DFT calculations. Its mesoporous architecture enables the loading of the phospholipase C inhibitor ET-18-OCH3, and further DAG peptide conjugation yields the astrocyte-targeted, biocompatible, and pluripotent nanomedicine DACe@ET. This nanoplatform stabilizes Cp at the astrocytic endfeet and restores the expression of DMT1 and FPN1. By suppressing anomalous Fe2+ influx while promoting efficient efflux and subsequent extracellular oxidation to nontoxic Fe3+, DACe@ET reestablishes a closed-loop Fe2+ export–oxidation system and restores iron homeostasis. In 3 × Tg mice, DACe@ET reduces cerebral iron deposition, decreases amyloid-β burden, attenuates neurodegeneration, and improves cognitive performance. This work demonstrates that restoring astrocytic iron trafficking hub function can serve as an effective therapeutic strategy for CAA, highlighting DACe@ET as a promising disease-modifying therapy with potential applicability to other neurological disorders marked by iron dyshomeostasis while establishing a foundation for future translational research.
{"title":"Astrocyte-Targeted Nanotherapeutics Modulate Iron Homeostasis in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy by Restoring the Astrocytic Trafficking Hub Function","authors":"Lingling Zhou,Yanjun Xu,Peng Yang,Jia Zhou,Mingkang Wang,Yixian Li,Xiyu Yang,Xuan Liu,Tianying Wang,Cui Yao,Kang Qian,Jing Wu,Yongkang Mu,Wenxian Du,Yuehua Li,Qizhi Zhang","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c16884","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c16884","url":null,"abstract":"Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is increasingly prevalent, and it is characterized by frequent recurrence and complex etiology. Aberrant ceruloplasmin (Cp) localization at the astrocytic endfeet, coupled with oxidative stress-induced dysregulation of iron regulatory proteins, is a central trigger of the iron dyshomeostasis that drives CAA progression. However, therapeutic strategies that specifically target iron transport regulation in astrocytes remain lacking. Here, we develop lattice-expanded Au/CeO2 with strong antioxidant capacity validated by DFT calculations. Its mesoporous architecture enables the loading of the phospholipase C inhibitor ET-18-OCH3, and further DAG peptide conjugation yields the astrocyte-targeted, biocompatible, and pluripotent nanomedicine DACe@ET. This nanoplatform stabilizes Cp at the astrocytic endfeet and restores the expression of DMT1 and FPN1. By suppressing anomalous Fe2+ influx while promoting efficient efflux and subsequent extracellular oxidation to nontoxic Fe3+, DACe@ET reestablishes a closed-loop Fe2+ export–oxidation system and restores iron homeostasis. In 3 × Tg mice, DACe@ET reduces cerebral iron deposition, decreases amyloid-β burden, attenuates neurodegeneration, and improves cognitive performance. This work demonstrates that restoring astrocytic iron trafficking hub function can serve as an effective therapeutic strategy for CAA, highlighting DACe@ET as a promising disease-modifying therapy with potential applicability to other neurological disorders marked by iron dyshomeostasis while establishing a foundation for future translational research.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Borophene on the mostly used Ag(111) substrate undergoes a perplexing transition from the v1/6 to the v1/5 phases as temperature increases, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive, hindering fine control over borophene synthesis. Here, we propose that the phase transition is driven by a critical synergy between in-plane migration of boron atoms and their sinking into the substrate. Ab initio calculations show that atoms in the v1/6 phase can migrate to form patches with higher coordination numbers, where atoms are easier to sink into the substrate. Atomic sinking further promotes boron migration, locally nucleating v1/5 domains that eventually expand into a perfect sheet via iterative sinkings and migrations. This temperature-driven, stepwise transition is substantiated by machine-learning-assisted molecular dynamics simulations with an enhanced sampling technique. Moreover, our simulations rationalize the experimental temperature window for synthesizing a series of intermixed v1/6 and v1/5 phases. These findings can inform experimental efforts to achieve structure- and layer-controllable borophene synthesis.
{"title":"Mechanism for Borophene Phase Transition on Substrate","authors":"Maolin Yu,Yangming Gui,Zhiqiang Zhao,Jidong Li,Xu Guo,Zhuhua Zhang","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c17811","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c17811","url":null,"abstract":"Borophene on the mostly used Ag(111) substrate undergoes a perplexing transition from the v1/6 to the v1/5 phases as temperature increases, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive, hindering fine control over borophene synthesis. Here, we propose that the phase transition is driven by a critical synergy between in-plane migration of boron atoms and their sinking into the substrate. Ab initio calculations show that atoms in the v1/6 phase can migrate to form patches with higher coordination numbers, where atoms are easier to sink into the substrate. Atomic sinking further promotes boron migration, locally nucleating v1/5 domains that eventually expand into a perfect sheet via iterative sinkings and migrations. This temperature-driven, stepwise transition is substantiated by machine-learning-assisted molecular dynamics simulations with an enhanced sampling technique. Moreover, our simulations rationalize the experimental temperature window for synthesizing a series of intermixed v1/6 and v1/5 phases. These findings can inform experimental efforts to achieve structure- and layer-controllable borophene synthesis.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"241 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MXenes have emerged as promising solid lubricants due to their layered structure, tunable chemistry, and ability to form mechanically robust, wear-resistant tribo-films. However, most studies have focused on single-metal MXenes such as Ti3C2Tx, Ti3CNTx, or V2CTx, leaving multimetal MXenes largely unexplored. Here, we present a comprehensive tribological and mechanochemical evaluation of ordered double-transition metal Mo2TiC2Tx and Mo2Ti2C3Tx coatings under dry sliding in ambient conditions. Using nanoindentation mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, we demonstrate that Mo2Ti2C3Tx tends to form dense, chemically stabilized, and mechanically robust tribo-layers thus maintaining a low and stable coefficient of friction (∼0.1) and wear rate (∼0.1 × 10–3 mm3/N·m) under a contact pressure of 0.55 GPa. These tribolayers exhibit improved mechanical properties (hardness ∼ 4.2 GPa; Young’s modulus ∼ 103 GPa), along with increased carbide retention and reduced surface oxidation. In contrast, Mo2TiC2Tx coatings display a less favorable behavior, resulting in a higher COF (∼0.5), greater wear rate (∼1.3 × 10–3 mm3/N·m), and the formation of thinner, chemically degraded tribo-layers under comparable conditions. Mo2Ti2C3Tx exhibited the best tribological and mechanical performance under comparable conditions, clearly outperforming Ti3C2Tx, Ti3CNTx, and Mo2TiC2Tx. Our study introduces Mo-based MXenes as an emerging frontier in solid lubrication and the importance of MXene structure and composition in their tribo-layer evolution and stress accommodation mechanisms.
{"title":"Effect of Stoichiometry in Mo-Based Ordered Double Transition Metal Carbide MXenes on Solid Lubrication and Tribo-Film Formation","authors":"Dario Zambrano,Bo Wang,Beichen Duan,Javier Marqués Henríquez,Paulina Valenzuela,William Gacitúa,Markus Varga,Manel Rodríguez-Ripoll,Krutarth Kiran Kamath,Brian C. Wyatt,Babak Anasori,Andreas Rosenkranz","doi":"10.1021/acsnano.5c18644","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c18644","url":null,"abstract":"MXenes have emerged as promising solid lubricants due to their layered structure, tunable chemistry, and ability to form mechanically robust, wear-resistant tribo-films. However, most studies have focused on single-metal MXenes such as Ti3C2Tx, Ti3CNTx, or V2CTx, leaving multimetal MXenes largely unexplored. Here, we present a comprehensive tribological and mechanochemical evaluation of ordered double-transition metal Mo2TiC2Tx and Mo2Ti2C3Tx coatings under dry sliding in ambient conditions. Using nanoindentation mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, we demonstrate that Mo2Ti2C3Tx tends to form dense, chemically stabilized, and mechanically robust tribo-layers thus maintaining a low and stable coefficient of friction (∼0.1) and wear rate (∼0.1 × 10–3 mm3/N·m) under a contact pressure of 0.55 GPa. These tribolayers exhibit improved mechanical properties (hardness ∼ 4.2 GPa; Young’s modulus ∼ 103 GPa), along with increased carbide retention and reduced surface oxidation. In contrast, Mo2TiC2Tx coatings display a less favorable behavior, resulting in a higher COF (∼0.5), greater wear rate (∼1.3 × 10–3 mm3/N·m), and the formation of thinner, chemically degraded tribo-layers under comparable conditions. Mo2Ti2C3Tx exhibited the best tribological and mechanical performance under comparable conditions, clearly outperforming Ti3C2Tx, Ti3CNTx, and Mo2TiC2Tx. Our study introduces Mo-based MXenes as an emerging frontier in solid lubrication and the importance of MXene structure and composition in their tribo-layer evolution and stress accommodation mechanisms.","PeriodicalId":21,"journal":{"name":"ACS Nano","volume":"161 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146139000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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