With the growing demand for precise and minimally invasive intracellular delivery, photoporation has emerged as a powerful non-viral strategy. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of photoporation as a versatile intracellular delivery platform, with particular emphasis on the role of micro- and nanostructured materials in enabling efficient transport across a wide range of biomolecular sizes. A key novelty of this review is its size-centric organizational framework, which systematically classifies photoporation strategies based on biomolecular cargo size, from small molecules and nucleic acids to ultralarge assemblies and bacteria, rather than conventional material- or laser-based categorizations. The review examines laser-induced mechanisms responsible for transient membrane permeabilization and highlights critical material parameters, including composition, size, shape, surface charge, and optical properties, that govern light–matter interactions and delivery efficiency. Comparative evaluation of micro- and nanostructured materials across different size regimes provides a practical framework for rational material selection and platform design. In addition, key challenges related to delivery precision, biocompatibility, scalability, and clinical translation are critically discussed alongside emerging optimization strategies. By integrating mechanistic insights with translational considerations, this review provides a structured roadmap for developing safe, efficient, and size-adaptive photoporation platforms for biological research and therapeutic applications.
{"title":"Advanced Photoporation: Micro-Nanostructures for Size-Specific Highly Efficient Biomolecular Delivery","authors":"Ashwini Surendra Shinde, Gayathri R., Nandhini Balasubramaniam, Athira Prasad, Donia Dominic, Moeto Nagai, Srabani Kar, Tuhin Subhra Santra","doi":"10.1002/smll.202511843","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202511843","url":null,"abstract":"With the growing demand for precise and minimally invasive intracellular delivery, photoporation has emerged as a powerful non-viral strategy. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of photoporation as a versatile intracellular delivery platform, with particular emphasis on the role of micro- and nanostructured materials in enabling efficient transport across a wide range of biomolecular sizes. A key novelty of this review is its size-centric organizational framework, which systematically classifies photoporation strategies based on biomolecular cargo size, from small molecules and nucleic acids to ultralarge assemblies and bacteria, rather than conventional material- or laser-based categorizations. The review examines laser-induced mechanisms responsible for transient membrane permeabilization and highlights critical material parameters, including composition, size, shape, surface charge, and optical properties, that govern light–matter interactions and delivery efficiency. Comparative evaluation of micro- and nanostructured materials across different size regimes provides a practical framework for rational material selection and platform design. In addition, key challenges related to delivery precision, biocompatibility, scalability, and clinical translation are critically discussed alongside emerging optimization strategies. By integrating mechanistic insights with translational considerations, this review provides a structured roadmap for developing safe, efficient, and size-adaptive photoporation platforms for biological research and therapeutic applications.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seon Tae Kim, Eun Ji Kim, Yun Ji Jung, Jaehun Han, Minho Yang, Jong Seob Choi, Jae Hwan Jung
Clinical translation of dissolving microneedles (DMNs) is hindered by critical challenges such as drug diffusion into the backing layer during fabrication and slow dissolution rates, which compromise dose accuracy, delivery efficiency, and user compliance. Although lyophilization has emerged as a strategy to accelerate microneedle dissolution by inducing a porous, amorphous microstructure, the resulting mechanical fragility limits effective skin insertion. To overcome these issues, we developed a Lyophilized Microneedle System using Biocompatible Glue (LMS-BG), wherein a lyophilized, drug-loaded microneedle tip is coupled with a prefabricated backing via a biodegradable, ethanol-based glue (BC glue). This system enables tip-localized drug confinement, rapid dissolution, and mechanical reinforcement through partial interpenetration of BC glue into the porous tip. Using lidocaine hydrochloride (LiH) as a model drug, LMS-BG exhibited an 11-fold faster dissolution rate than conventional DMNs, with over 96% of the drug retained in the tip and a transdermal delivery efficiency exceeding 90% within 2 min. In vivo studies in rats confirmed superior local anesthetic efficacy and biocompatibility of LMS-BG compared to commercial lidocaine gel. Furthermore, the LMS-BG fabrication method was successfully extended to various microneedle platforms using soluble polymers, hydrogels, and PLGA nanoparticles, demonstrating its scalability and versatility. Overall, the LMS-BG platform addresses key translational barriers of conventional DMNs and presents a modular strategy for rapid, efficient, and clinically viable transdermal drug delivery.
{"title":"Biocompatible Glue-Enabled Drug Localization and Mechanical Reinforcement of Lyophilized Microneedle Systems","authors":"Seon Tae Kim, Eun Ji Kim, Yun Ji Jung, Jaehun Han, Minho Yang, Jong Seob Choi, Jae Hwan Jung","doi":"10.1002/smll.202512379","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512379","url":null,"abstract":"Clinical translation of dissolving microneedles (DMNs) is hindered by critical challenges such as drug diffusion into the backing layer during fabrication and slow dissolution rates, which compromise dose accuracy, delivery efficiency, and user compliance. Although lyophilization has emerged as a strategy to accelerate microneedle dissolution by inducing a porous, amorphous microstructure, the resulting mechanical fragility limits effective skin insertion. To overcome these issues, we developed a Lyophilized Microneedle System using Biocompatible Glue (LMS-BG), wherein a lyophilized, drug-loaded microneedle tip is coupled with a prefabricated backing via a biodegradable, ethanol-based glue (BC glue). This system enables tip-localized drug confinement, rapid dissolution, and mechanical reinforcement through partial interpenetration of BC glue into the porous tip. Using lidocaine hydrochloride (LiH) as a model drug, LMS-BG exhibited an 11-fold faster dissolution rate than conventional DMNs, with over 96% of the drug retained in the tip and a transdermal delivery efficiency exceeding 90% within 2 min. In vivo studies in rats confirmed superior local anesthetic efficacy and biocompatibility of LMS-BG compared to commercial lidocaine gel. Furthermore, the LMS-BG fabrication method was successfully extended to various microneedle platforms using soluble polymers, hydrogels, and PLGA nanoparticles, demonstrating its scalability and versatility. Overall, the LMS-BG platform addresses key translational barriers of conventional DMNs and presents a modular strategy for rapid, efficient, and clinically viable transdermal drug delivery.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Metal-free phthalocyanines (Pcs) have rarely been explored in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to poor solubility and limited processability. Here, we introduce CG-0, a fully substituted metal-free Pc bearing peripheral chlorine atoms and non-peripheral ethoxy chains that confer exceptional solubility, near-infrared absorption, and photochemical robustness. As an additive in wide-bandgap (WBG) PSCs, CG-0 promotes high-quality crystallization, passivates defects, and suppresses non-radiative recombination. Strikingly, ultra-high doping levels (1.75 mm) are tolerated without performance loss, yielding a PCE of 20.41% with an FF of 83.2% under AM 1.5G, and a PCE of 38.60% with an FF of 82.2% under 1000 lux white LED. At high loadings, CG-0 also imparts a vivid, tunable film color, enabling aesthetic and multifunctional device designs. This work establishes a rational molecular design paradigm in which solubility-driven processability, multi-point defect passivation, and interfacial stabilization are integrated into a single additive. The approach not only delivers record WBG PSC efficiencies under both solar and indoor light, but also breaks the constraint of fixed device appearance, opening avenues toward efficient, color-adaptive perovskite photovoltaics.
{"title":"A Metal-Free Phthalocyanine Additive for Defect Passivation and Processing Tolerance in High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells","authors":"Chuan-Hung Huang, Zhong-En Shi, Yi-Han Zheng, Yu-Cheng Chen, Chih-Ping Chen, Chih-Hsin Chen","doi":"10.1002/smll.202512151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512151","url":null,"abstract":"Metal-free phthalocyanines (Pcs) have rarely been explored in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to poor solubility and limited processability. Here, we introduce CG-0, a fully substituted metal-free Pc bearing peripheral chlorine atoms and non-peripheral ethoxy chains that confer exceptional solubility, near-infrared absorption, and photochemical robustness. As an additive in wide-bandgap (WBG) PSCs, CG-0 promotes high-quality crystallization, passivates defects, and suppresses non-radiative recombination. Strikingly, ultra-high doping levels (1.75 m<span>m</span>) are tolerated without performance loss, yielding a PCE of 20.41% with an FF of 83.2% under AM 1.5G, and a PCE of 38.60% with an FF of 82.2% under 1000 lux white LED. At high loadings, CG-0 also imparts a vivid, tunable film color, enabling aesthetic and multifunctional device designs. This work establishes a rational molecular design paradigm in which solubility-driven processability, multi-point defect passivation, and interfacial stabilization are integrated into a single additive. The approach not only delivers record WBG PSC efficiencies under both solar and indoor light, but also breaks the constraint of fixed device appearance, opening avenues toward efficient, color-adaptive perovskite photovoltaics.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"91 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peptide-based self-assembled nanostructures offer great promise for targeted drug delivery due to their intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability, and structural tunability. However, their limited optical properties and lack of functional sites for selective targeting restrict their use in theranostics. Here, we report a fluorophore-integrated, pH-responsive dipeptide nanocarrier engineered from phenylalanine–tryptophan (F–W) conjugated with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD) as a fluorescent probe and vitamin B6 (VitB6) as a pH-sensitive unit. The resulting vitamin B6-modified nanoparticles (PS-Dox) exhibited charge reversal from negative to positive under mildly acidic conditions (pH 5.0), promoting doxorubicin (Dox) release, endosomal escape, and nuclear localization. PS-Dox demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity, DNA damage, and apoptosis induction in multiple cancer cell lines, while showing negligible toxicity toward non-malignant cardiomyocytes (AC-16 and H9C2). In vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetic studies revealed increased tumour accumulation and superior tumour growth inhibition compared with Dox. Importantly, PS-mediated encapsulation effectively mitigated Dox-associated cardiotoxicity, a major limitation of conventional chemotherapy. Overall, this study establishes a vitamin B6-mediated, charge-reversible peptide nanocarrier as a biocompatible and efficient platform for targeted anticancer drug delivery, combining tumour-specific therapeutic efficacy with improved cardiac safety.
{"title":"NBD Integrated and Vitamin B6-Driven Charge-Reversible Peptide-Based Nanocarriers for Targeted Therapeutic Delivery","authors":"Suman Nayak, Anushree Lye, Subhabrata Guha, Nanjundan Raghul, Adele Stewart, Gaurav Das, Biswanath Maity, Priyadip Das","doi":"10.1002/smll.202513436","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202513436","url":null,"abstract":"Peptide-based self-assembled nanostructures offer great promise for targeted drug delivery due to their intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability, and structural tunability. However, their limited optical properties and lack of functional sites for selective targeting restrict their use in theranostics. Here, we report a fluorophore-integrated, pH-responsive dipeptide nanocarrier engineered from phenylalanine–tryptophan (F–W) conjugated with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD) as a fluorescent probe and vitamin B6 (VitB6) as a pH-sensitive unit. The resulting vitamin B6-modified nanoparticles (<b>PS-Dox</b>) exhibited charge reversal from negative to positive under mildly acidic conditions (pH 5.0), promoting doxorubicin (Dox) release, endosomal escape, and nuclear localization. <b>PS-Dox</b> demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity, DNA damage, and apoptosis induction in multiple cancer cell lines, while showing negligible toxicity toward non-malignant cardiomyocytes (AC-16 and H9C2). <i>In vivo</i> biodistribution and pharmacokinetic studies revealed increased tumour accumulation and superior tumour growth inhibition compared with Dox. Importantly, <b>PS</b>-mediated encapsulation effectively mitigated Dox-associated cardiotoxicity, a major limitation of conventional chemotherapy. Overall, this study establishes a vitamin B6-mediated, charge-reversible peptide nanocarrier as a biocompatible and efficient platform for targeted anticancer drug delivery, combining tumour-specific therapeutic efficacy with improved cardiac safety.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhe Wang, Yutian Yang, Hang Li, Yuying Zhang, Feng Ouyang, Wenjing Dong, Quan Zong, Shuang Zhou, Anqiang Pan
The development of hard carbon (HC) anode is severely hindered by limited Na+ storage capacity and poor cycling stability, which are closely related to its microstructure and interface. In this work, a synergistic microstructure-interface modulation strategy is demonstrated to regulate the Na+ storage active sites and structural stability of resin-based HC. The introduced C═O enables reversible Na+ adsorption, while carboxyl and neighboring phenolic hydroxyl functional groups anchor the template metal ions (Zn2+), thereby constructing a hierarchical pore structure with abundant sites for reversible Na+ storage. Additionally, expanded interlayer spacing promotes the kinetics of reversible Na+ intercalation/deintercalation. Based on this strategy, the optimized HC material (ZGB-HC) exhibits an extra-high capacity of 406 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1 and maintains exceptional cycling stability of over 1000 cycles for 1 A g−1. More surprisingly, the assembled Na3V2(PO4)3||ZGB-HC full cell delivers a superior rate capability of 96.4 mAh g−1 at 4 C and maintains excellent cycling stability for over 250 cycles at 2C. This work develops an innovative strategy for designing HC anodes with advanced microstructure-interface and new insights into their structural evolution during cycling.
硬碳（HC）阳极的发展受到Na+存储容量有限和循环稳定性差的严重阻碍，这与它的微观结构和界面密切相关。在这项工作中，证明了一种协同微结构-界面调制策略可以调节树脂基HC的Na+存储活性位点和结构稳定性。引入的C = O实现了可逆的Na+吸附，而羧基和邻近的酚羟基官能团锚定了模板金属离子（Zn2+），从而构建了具有丰富可逆Na+存储位点的分层孔结构。此外，层间距的扩大促进了可逆的Na+插/脱插动力学。基于该策略，优化的HC材料（ZGB-HC）在50 mA g - 1下具有406 mAh g - 1的超高容量，并且在1 A g - 1下保持超过1000次循环的优异稳定性。更令人惊讶的是，组装的Na3V2(PO4)3||ZGB-HC全电池在4℃下提供了96.4 mAh g−1的卓越倍率能力，并在2C下保持了250多次循环的优异稳定性。这项工作开发了一种创新的策略来设计具有先进微观结构界面的HC阳极，并对其在循环过程中的结构演变有了新的见解。
{"title":"Microstructure-Interface Modulation Boosts Sodium Storage Capacity and Stability of Hard Carbon","authors":"Zhe Wang, Yutian Yang, Hang Li, Yuying Zhang, Feng Ouyang, Wenjing Dong, Quan Zong, Shuang Zhou, Anqiang Pan","doi":"10.1002/smll.202513954","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202513954","url":null,"abstract":"The development of hard carbon (HC) anode is severely hindered by limited Na<sup>+</sup> storage capacity and poor cycling stability, which are closely related to its microstructure and interface. In this work, a synergistic microstructure-interface modulation strategy is demonstrated to regulate the Na<sup>+</sup> storage active sites and structural stability of resin-based HC. The introduced C═O enables reversible Na<sup>+</sup> adsorption, while carboxyl and neighboring phenolic hydroxyl functional groups anchor the template metal ions (Zn<sup>2+</sup>), thereby constructing a hierarchical pore structure with abundant sites for reversible Na<sup>+</sup> storage. Additionally, expanded interlayer spacing promotes the kinetics of reversible Na<sup>+</sup> intercalation/deintercalation. Based on this strategy, the optimized HC material (ZGB-HC) exhibits an extra-high capacity of 406 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 50 mA g<sup>−1</sup> and maintains exceptional cycling stability of over 1000 cycles for 1 A g<sup>−1</sup>. More surprisingly, the assembled Na<sub>3</sub>V<sub>2</sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>||ZGB-HC full cell delivers a superior rate capability of 96.4 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 4 C and maintains excellent cycling stability for over 250 cycles at 2C. This work develops an innovative strategy for designing HC anodes with advanced microstructure-interface and new insights into their structural evolution during cycling.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kehan Qu, Yujie You, Qiangyu Xue, Sanyu Yi, Yinsong Si
The integration of ultrahigh thermal stability, minimal thermal conductivity, and robust mechanical flexibility into a single thermal insulation material remains a critical challenge, especially for safeguarding against transient thermal extremes like lithium battery thermal runaway. This study presents an all-inorganic flexible membrane fabricated via a facile electrospinning technique, which strategically embeds hollow silica (SiO2) microspheres (HSMs) within a scaffold of SiO2 nanofibers (SNF). This design yields a 3D self-lubricating architecture that confers extraordinary mechanical durability, withstanding over 100 000 bending cycles under 99% strain and 72 h of vibration without significant weight loss—a performance that surpasses conventional ceramics by orders of magnitude. Simultaneously, the composite membrane exhibits an ultralow and stable thermal conductivity of 31.39 mW m−1 K−1, together with a high specific airflow resistance of 122.11 (kPa S m−1) mm−1, synergistically inhibiting heat conduction and convection. The SNF/HSMs composite membrane demonstrates exceptional thermal resilience, enduring long-term exposure at 1100°C and surviving drastic thermal shocks from 1300°C to −196°C. When evaluated in a practical flame test at 700°C, a mere 5-mm-thick membrane effectively maintains a low backside temperature of ≈160°C. This work establishes a groundbreaking design principle for high-performance, flexible thermal protection systems.
将超高的热稳定性、最小的热导率和强大的机械灵活性整合到单一的隔热材料中仍然是一个关键的挑战，特别是在防止锂电池热失控等瞬态极端热的情况下。本研究提出了一种通过静电纺丝技术制备的全无机柔性膜，该膜将空心二氧化硅（SiO2）微球（hsm）策略性地嵌入二氧化硅纳米纤维（SNF）支架中。这种设计产生了一种3D自润滑结构，赋予了非凡的机械耐久性，在99%的应变和72小时的振动下承受了超过10万次的弯曲循环，而没有明显的重量减轻，这一性能超过了传统陶瓷的数量级。同时，复合膜具有31.39 mW m−1 K−1的超低稳定导热系数，以及122.11 (kPa S m−1)mm−1的高比气流阻力，协同抑制热传导和对流。SNF/ hsm复合膜具有优异的热弹性，可承受1100°C的长期暴露，并可承受1300°C至- 196°C的剧烈热冲击。当在700°C的实际火焰测试中进行评估时，仅仅5毫米厚的薄膜就能有效地保持约160°C的低背面温度。这项工作为高性能、灵活的热保护系统建立了开创性的设计原则。
{"title":"Self-Lubricating Nanofiber/Hollow Microsphere All-Ceramic Architecture for Robust Flexible Thermal Insulation","authors":"Kehan Qu, Yujie You, Qiangyu Xue, Sanyu Yi, Yinsong Si","doi":"10.1002/smll.202514094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202514094","url":null,"abstract":"The integration of ultrahigh thermal stability, minimal thermal conductivity, and robust mechanical flexibility into a single thermal insulation material remains a critical challenge, especially for safeguarding against transient thermal extremes like lithium battery thermal runaway. This study presents an all-inorganic flexible membrane fabricated via a facile electrospinning technique, which strategically embeds hollow silica (SiO<sub>2</sub>) microspheres (HSMs) within a scaffold of SiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers (SNF). This design yields a 3D self-lubricating architecture that confers extraordinary mechanical durability, withstanding over 100 000 bending cycles under 99% strain and 72 h of vibration without significant weight loss—a performance that surpasses conventional ceramics by orders of magnitude. Simultaneously, the composite membrane exhibits an ultralow and stable thermal conductivity of 31.39 mW m<sup>−1</sup> K<sup>−1</sup>, together with a high specific airflow resistance of 122.11 (kPa S m<sup>−1</sup>) mm<sup>−1</sup>, synergistically inhibiting heat conduction and convection. The SNF/HSMs composite membrane demonstrates exceptional thermal resilience, enduring long-term exposure at 1100°C and surviving drastic thermal shocks from 1300°C to −196°C. When evaluated in a practical flame test at 700°C, a mere 5-mm-thick membrane effectively maintains a low backside temperature of ≈160°C. This work establishes a groundbreaking design principle for high-performance, flexible thermal protection systems.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jingwen Xu, Kaiqiang Lv, Sijuan Wang, Guangwen Luo, Shasha Chen, Ning Guo, Yijie Li, Guoliang Li
The by-products of thermally processed foods, carbon quantum dots (CQDs), pose unpredictable risks to human health due to their nanoscale size and abundant surface functional groups that can readily accumulate in organs. Herein, mice were oral-exposed to grilled lamb-derived CQDs (25 mg kg−1) for 9 weeks. The results indicated that CQDs exposure resulted in liver and intestinal barrier injury, as well as an increase in intestinal microbiota-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). CQDs exposure directly and indirectly upregulated the expression of bile acid (BA) synthesis genes (Cyp7a1, Cyp8b1, and Cyp27a1) by activating MyD88 in the intestinal LPS-TLR4 pathway, as well as MyD88 and NFκB, downstream molecules of LPS-TLR4 pathway in the liver, leading to increased BA synthesis. Concurrently, the expression of BA excretion genes Bsep and Mrp2 was downregulated, contributing to cholestasis. With prolonged exposure, the levels of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) inhibitor tauro-β-muricholic acid increased, while that of agonists chenodeoxycholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic acid decreased, further exacerbating cholestasis. Supplementation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC8014 mitigated cholestasis by reducing the relative abundance of g_Flexispira, increasing the relative abundance of g_Adlercreutzia, and remodeling the intestinal barrier. This study provides substantial evidence for the comprehensive assessment, control, and intervention regarding the hepatotoxicity of foodborne CQDs.
热加工食品的副产品碳量子点（CQDs）由于其纳米级尺寸和丰富的表面官能团易于在器官中积累，对人类健康构成不可预测的风险。在本研究中，小鼠口服暴露于烤羊肉来源的CQDs (25 mg kg - 1) 9周。结果表明，CQDs暴露导致肝脏和肠道屏障损伤，以及肠道微生物源性脂多糖（LPS）的增加。CQDs暴露通过激活肠道LPS-TLR4通路MyD88以及肝脏LPS-TLR4通路下游分子MyD88和NFκB，直接或间接上调胆汁酸（BA）合成基因Cyp7a1、Cyp8b1和Cyp27a1的表达，导致BA合成增加。同时，BA排泄基因Bsep和Mrp2表达下调，导致胆汁淤积。随着暴露时间的延长，法脂类X受体（FXR）抑制剂牛磺酸-β-胆酸的水平升高，而激动剂鹅去氧胆酸和牛磺酸去氧胆酸的水平下降，进一步加剧了胆汁淤积。补充植物乳杆菌ATCC8014可以通过降低g_Flexispira的相对丰度、增加g_Adlercreutzia的相对丰度和重塑肠道屏障来减轻胆汁淤积。本研究为食源性CQDs肝毒性的综合评估、控制和干预提供了有力证据。
{"title":"Exposure to Grilled Lamb-Borne Carbon Quantum Dots Induces Intrahepatic Cholestasis by Activating the Intestinal Microbial-Derived Lipopolysaccharide-TLR4 Pathway","authors":"Jingwen Xu, Kaiqiang Lv, Sijuan Wang, Guangwen Luo, Shasha Chen, Ning Guo, Yijie Li, Guoliang Li","doi":"10.1002/smll.202512173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512173","url":null,"abstract":"The by-products of thermally processed foods, carbon quantum dots (CQDs), pose unpredictable risks to human health due to their nanoscale size and abundant surface functional groups that can readily accumulate in organs. Herein, mice were oral-exposed to grilled lamb-derived CQDs (25 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>) for 9 weeks. The results indicated that CQDs exposure resulted in liver and intestinal barrier injury, as well as an increase in intestinal microbiota-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). CQDs exposure directly and indirectly upregulated the expression of bile acid (BA) synthesis genes (<i>Cyp7a1</i>, <i>Cyp8b1</i>, and <i>Cyp27a1</i>) by activating MyD88 in the intestinal LPS-TLR4 pathway, as well as MyD88 and NFκB, downstream molecules of LPS-TLR4 pathway in the liver, leading to increased BA synthesis. Concurrently, the expression of BA excretion genes <i>Bsep</i> and <i>Mrp2</i> was downregulated, contributing to cholestasis. With prolonged exposure, the levels of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) inhibitor tauro-β-muricholic acid increased, while that of agonists chenodeoxycholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic acid decreased, further exacerbating cholestasis. Supplementation with <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> ATCC8014 mitigated cholestasis by reducing the relative abundance of <i>g_Flexispira</i>, increasing the relative abundance of <i>g_Adlercreutzia</i>, and remodeling the intestinal barrier. This study provides substantial evidence for the comprehensive assessment, control, and intervention regarding the hepatotoxicity of foodborne CQDs.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shin Wei Chong, Li Liu, Daryan Kempe, Yingqi Zhang, Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh, Marcela M. M. Bilek, Lining Arnold Ju, Maté Biro, Daniele Vigolo
Microfabricated stiffness gradient hydrogels hold significant value for advancing mechanobiology, tissue engineering, and in vitro tissue models. However, it remains challenging to design these materials given their broad processing parameter space. The continuum of stiffness values also makes it difficult to precisely correlate the local substrate properties and observed biological responses, often relying on cumbersome characterization methods such as atomic force microscopy. To address these bottlenecks, we present a straightforward thermophoresis-based fabrication strategy to pattern stiffness gradients in a fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled hydrogel network, which displays a polymer concentration-dependent fluorescence readout. This approach enables quantitative assessment of the gradient formation process and contactless stiffness mapping via standard microscopy imaging. Using gelatin methacryloyl and Gellan gum as model systems, it is shown that substrate stiffness and extracellular matrix protein composition work together to affect 3T3-L1 fibroblast cell morphology and migration, with the underlying hydrogel type also affecting the outcome. By offering a simple and reliable approach for characterizing stiffness gradient hydrogels, this work advances the thermophoretic fabrication platform, opening avenues for new biomaterial systems for understanding and controlling the cell-material interplay.
{"title":"Fluorescently Labeled Gradient Hydrogels Reveal Matrix-Dependent Cell Responses to Substrate Stiffness","authors":"Shin Wei Chong, Li Liu, Daryan Kempe, Yingqi Zhang, Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh, Marcela M. M. Bilek, Lining Arnold Ju, Maté Biro, Daniele Vigolo","doi":"10.1002/smll.202512198","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512198","url":null,"abstract":"Microfabricated stiffness gradient hydrogels hold significant value for advancing mechanobiology, tissue engineering, and in vitro tissue models. However, it remains challenging to design these materials given their broad processing parameter space. The continuum of stiffness values also makes it difficult to precisely correlate the local substrate properties and observed biological responses, often relying on cumbersome characterization methods such as atomic force microscopy. To address these bottlenecks, we present a straightforward thermophoresis-based fabrication strategy to pattern stiffness gradients in a fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled hydrogel network, which displays a polymer concentration-dependent fluorescence readout. This approach enables quantitative assessment of the gradient formation process and contactless stiffness mapping via standard microscopy imaging. Using gelatin methacryloyl and Gellan gum as model systems, it is shown that substrate stiffness and extracellular matrix protein composition work together to affect 3T3-L1 fibroblast cell morphology and migration, with the underlying hydrogel type also affecting the outcome. By offering a simple and reliable approach for characterizing stiffness gradient hydrogels, this work advances the thermophoretic fabrication platform, opening avenues for new biomaterial systems for understanding and controlling the cell-material interplay.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiaomei Xiao, Guanfa Wang, Yan Chen, Gaixiu Yang, Jianlin Huang
Although modulating the d-band center (εd) is an effective strategy to improve electrocatalytic activity, precise regulation of εd for CO2 electroreduction to CO remains a substantial challenge. Here, we report a heterostructured catalyst consisting of In2O3-incorporated 3D nanowire copper foam (Cu2O/In2O3@CF), with tunable εd via Cu–O–In bridges for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (eCO2R) to CO. The optimized Cu2O/In2O3@CF delivers impressive CO Faradaic efficiency (FECO) exceeding 90% over a broad potential range from −0.47 to −0.87 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE), with a peak FECO of 95.8% at −0.67 V (vs. RHE), and a high production rate of 1035.3 µmol cm−2 h−1, along with stable operation for over 130 h. In situ Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the formation of Cu2O/In2O3 heterointerface with Cu–O–In bridge facilitates charge redistribution, upshifting the εd of Cu sites and downshifting that of In sites, thereby optimizing the adsorption-desorption energies of reaction intermediates during eCO2R. This synergistic design of oxide-oxide heterointerface with an interconnected 1D nanowires architecture offers an innovative strategy for enhancing eCO2R performance.
虽然调节d波段中心（εd）是提高电催化活性的有效策略，但精确调节CO2电还原为CO的εd仍然是一个重大挑战。在这里,我们报告一个用In2O3-incorporated 3 d纳米线组成的催化剂铜泡沫(Cu2O / In2O3@CF),通过高效electrocatalytic Cu-O-In桥梁与可调εd减少二氧化碳(eCO2R)有限公司优化Cu2O / In2O3@CF提供令人印象深刻的公司感应电流的效率(摘要)超过90%在一个广泛的潜在范围从0.47−−0.87 V (vs可逆氢电极,流值),所以峰值的95.8%−0.67 V(和流值)和高产量的1035.3µ摩尔厘米−2 h−1,原位拉曼和傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）分析结合密度泛函理论（DFT）计算表明，Cu2O/In2O3异质界面与Cu - o - In桥的形成促进了电荷的重新分配，提高了Cu位的εd，降低了In位的εd，从而优化了反应中间体在eCO2R过程中的吸附-解吸能。这种氧化物-氧化物异质界面与相互连接的一维纳米线结构的协同设计为提高eCO2R性能提供了一种创新策略。
{"title":"Cu–O–In Bridge Engineering in Cu2O/In2O3 Nanowires for Efficient CO2-to-CO Electroreduction","authors":"Jiaomei Xiao, Guanfa Wang, Yan Chen, Gaixiu Yang, Jianlin Huang","doi":"10.1002/smll.202513217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202513217","url":null,"abstract":"Although modulating the d-band center (ε<sub>d</sub>) is an effective strategy to improve electrocatalytic activity, precise regulation of ε<sub>d</sub> for CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction to CO remains a substantial challenge. Here, we report a heterostructured catalyst consisting of In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-incorporated 3D nanowire copper foam (Cu<sub>2</sub>O/In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>@CF), with tunable ε<sub>d</sub> via Cu–O–In bridges for efficient electrocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> reduction (eCO<sub>2</sub>R) to CO. The optimized Cu<sub>2</sub>O/In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>@CF delivers impressive CO Faradaic efficiency (FE<sub>CO</sub>) exceeding 90% over a broad potential range from −0.47 to −0.87 V (<i>vs</i>. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE), with a peak FE<sub>CO</sub> of 95.8% at −0.67 V (vs. RHE), and a high production rate of 1035.3 µmol cm<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, along with stable operation for over 130 h. In situ Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the formation of Cu<sub>2</sub>O/In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> heterointerface with Cu–O–In bridge facilitates charge redistribution, upshifting the ε<sub>d</sub> of Cu sites and downshifting that of In sites, thereby optimizing the adsorption-desorption energies of reaction intermediates during eCO<sub>2</sub>R. This synergistic design of oxide-oxide heterointerface with an interconnected 1D nanowires architecture offers an innovative strategy for enhancing eCO<sub>2</sub>R performance.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The photocatalytic performance of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is often restricted by the inefficient utilization of photogenerated charge carriers. Achieving precise regulation of their electronic structures to facilitate charge separation and transport remains a great challenge. Herein, two regioisomeric COFs bearing pyrene units substituted at the 1,6- or 2,7-positions were rationally designed and synthesized to elucidate the influence of isomerism on electron distribution and photocatalytic behavior. Despite their comparable chemical composition and framework topology, the two regioisomeric COFs exhibited distinct photocatalytic activities. The 2,7-substituted P-COF exhibited a remarkable hydrogen evolution rate of 12.3 mmol h−1 g−1, whereas the 1,6-substituted D-COF displayed only negligible activity of 0.42 mmol h−1 g−1. Furthermore, P-COF achieved a H2O2 generation rate of 4.25 mmol h−1 g−1 using benzyl alcohol as sacrificial agent, much higher than that of D-COF (0.64 mmol h−1 g−1). A combination of experimental characterization and theoretical analysis revealed that regioisomerism exerts a decisive effect on the electronic structures as well as charge separation and transport dynamics, thereby substantially enhancing photocatalytic performance of pyrene-based COFs.
{"title":"Regioisomeric Engineering of Covalent Organic Frameworks toward Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance","authors":"Guoye Yu, Guangchao Han, Xin Zhao, Jialin Cui, Yingjie Zhao, Yuancheng Wang","doi":"10.1002/smll.202512472","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512472","url":null,"abstract":"The photocatalytic performance of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is often restricted by the inefficient utilization of photogenerated charge carriers. Achieving precise regulation of their electronic structures to facilitate charge separation and transport remains a great challenge. Herein, two regioisomeric COFs bearing pyrene units substituted at the 1,6- or 2,7-positions were rationally designed and synthesized to elucidate the influence of isomerism on electron distribution and photocatalytic behavior. Despite their comparable chemical composition and framework topology, the two regioisomeric COFs exhibited distinct photocatalytic activities. The 2,7-substituted P-COF exhibited a remarkable hydrogen evolution rate of 12.3 mmol h<sup>−1</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>, whereas the 1,6-substituted D-COF displayed only negligible activity of 0.42 mmol h<sup>−1</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>. Furthermore, P-COF achieved a H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> generation rate of 4.25 mmol h<sup>−1</sup> g<sup>−1</sup> using benzyl alcohol as sacrificial agent, much higher than that of D-COF (0.64 mmol h<sup>−1</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>). A combination of experimental characterization and theoretical analysis revealed that regioisomerism exerts a decisive effect on the electronic structures as well as charge separation and transport dynamics, thereby substantially enhancing photocatalytic performance of pyrene-based COFs.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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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