Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes, despite their advantages in wastewater treatment, suffer from inherent hydrophobicity. This research has presented a approach to address by fabricating a composite membrane via non-solvent-induced phase separation. The membrane incorporated a hydrothermally synthesized zinc oxide-graphene oxide (ZnO-GO) composite, with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) as a coupling agent to enhance the dispersion of ZnO-GO within the polymer matrix and introduce additional hydrophilic amino groups. The results demonstrated that the well-dispersed ZnO-GO composite, along with the chemical functionality provided by APTMS, led to a membrane with modulated surface roughness, and notably improved hydrophilicity. This synergistic modification resulted in superior separation performance: a pure water flux of 153.7 L m−2 h−1, a 99.88 % rejection rate for Direct Orange 26 dye, and an exceptional antifouling capability with over 92 % emulsified oil rejection. Furthermore, the composite membrane exhibited reduced mass transfer activation energy, underscoring its potential for energy-efficient filtration in dyeing wastewater treatment.
聚偏氟乙烯（PVDF）中空纤维膜虽然在污水处理中具有一定的优势，但其固有的疏水性是其缺点之一。本研究提出了一种通过非溶剂诱导相分离制备复合膜的方法。该膜采用水热合成的氧化锌-氧化石墨烯（ZnO-GO）复合材料，以3-氨基丙基三甲氧基硅烷（APTMS）作为偶联剂，以增强ZnO-GO在聚合物基体中的分散，并引入额外的亲水性氨基。结果表明，分散良好的ZnO-GO复合材料，加上APTMS提供的化学功能，使膜的表面粗糙度得到了调节，亲水性得到了显著提高。这种协同改性导致了卓越的分离性能：纯水通量为153.7 L m−2 h−1，直接橙26染料的去除率为99.88 %，并且具有超过92 %的乳化油去除率的特殊防污能力。此外，复合膜表现出较低的传质活化能，强调了其在印染废水处理中的节能过滤潜力。
{"title":"Synergistic effect of ZnO-GO and APTMS on the structure and performance of PVDF hollow fiber membranes","authors":"Junhui Ou, Jinpeng Mo, Zhenyu Wu, Meilin Zhang, Hui Wen, Zhifeng Huang, Litong Chen, Ruihang Xie, Yang Wang, Longfei Fan, Chunping Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139609","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139609","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes, despite their advantages in wastewater treatment, suffer from inherent hydrophobicity. This research has presented a approach to address by fabricating a composite membrane via non-solvent-induced phase separation. The membrane incorporated a hydrothermally synthesized zinc oxide-graphene oxide (ZnO-GO) composite, with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) as a coupling agent to enhance the dispersion of ZnO-GO within the polymer matrix and introduce additional hydrophilic amino groups. The results demonstrated that the well-dispersed ZnO-GO composite, along with the chemical functionality provided by APTMS, led to a membrane with modulated surface roughness, and notably improved hydrophilicity. This synergistic modification resulted in superior separation performance: a pure water flux of 153.7 L m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, a 99.88 % rejection rate for Direct Orange 26 dye, and an exceptional antifouling capability with over 92 % emulsified oil rejection. Furthermore, the composite membrane exhibited reduced mass transfer activation energy, underscoring its potential for energy-efficient filtration in dyeing wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 139609"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139665
Mengru Li , Ailin Sun , Wenqing Wang , Pengfei Qi , Zhiguo Zhu , Changhuan Zhang , Menghan Guo , Yifan Yan , Rui Wang
With the wide textiles usage and the increasing concern on the public security, high-quality fire-resistant fabrics are quite demanding but still challenging. Herein, environmentally friendly ionic liquids (ILs) was empolyed as the main flame retardant and was grafted onto polyester fabrics by the photo-induced electron transfer reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) technology under yellow LED irradiation. Firstly, chain transfer agent (CTA) 4-Cyano-4- [(dodecylsulfanylthiocarbonyl) sulfanyl] pentanoic (CDTPA) was deposited onto polydopamine-modified polyester fabrics, followed by glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) in-suit polymerization via surface-initiated PET-RAFT. Finally, ILs were grafted via secondary functionalization. The controlled PET-RAFT growth of PGMA was realized with a linear growth in the Mn with [M]: [CTA] kept increasing within the range of [M]:[CTA]< 500:1 and a relatively narrow Mn distribution (PDI<1.25). An apparent core-shell structure of polyester fiber was observed with 200–500 nm nanocoating. When the PGMA and IL grafting ratios were 3.29 wt% and 3.13 wt% respectively, both smoke release rate and total heat release were reduced by 30.3 % and 73.5 %, respectively, exhibiting excellent fire-resistant and smoke suppression performance. Furthermore, the fabrics achieved UL-94 V-0 grade with no melt dripping, and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) got 28 %. The ID/IG value of the residual char decreased by 24.4 %, indicating promoted degree of graphitization under the ILs catalyzation. The flame-retardant performance of this material derived from the synergistic effect of gas-phase radical quenching and condensed-phase char layer protection, while the residual char also contributed to its excellent anti-dripping behavior. This study provided a robust, energy conservation and eco-friendly strategy for the fabrication of high quality flame retardant fabrics with non-melt dripping.
{"title":"A versatile ionic liquid functionalized macromolecular nano-coating via surface-initiated PET-RAFT: Imparting flame retardancy, anti-dripping, and smoke suppression to polyester fabrics","authors":"Mengru Li , Ailin Sun , Wenqing Wang , Pengfei Qi , Zhiguo Zhu , Changhuan Zhang , Menghan Guo , Yifan Yan , Rui Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139665","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139665","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the wide textiles usage and the increasing concern on the public security, high-quality fire-resistant fabrics are quite demanding but still challenging. Herein, environmentally friendly ionic liquids (ILs) was empolyed as the main flame retardant and was grafted onto polyester fabrics by the photo-induced electron transfer reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) technology under yellow LED irradiation. Firstly, chain transfer agent (CTA) 4-Cyano-4- [(dodecylsulfanylthiocarbonyl) sulfanyl] pentanoic (CDTPA) was deposited onto polydopamine-modified polyester fabrics, followed by glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) in-suit polymerization via surface-initiated PET-RAFT. Finally, ILs were grafted via secondary functionalization. The controlled PET-RAFT growth of PGMA was realized with a linear growth in the <em>M</em><sub>n</sub> with [M]: [CTA] kept increasing within the range of [M]:[CTA]< 500:1 and a relatively narrow <em>M</em><sub>n</sub> distribution (PDI<1.25). An apparent core-shell structure of polyester fiber was observed with 200–500 nm nanocoating. When the PGMA and IL grafting ratios were 3.29 wt% and 3.13 wt% respectively, both smoke release rate and total heat release were reduced by 30.3 % and 73.5 %, respectively, exhibiting excellent fire-resistant and smoke suppression performance. Furthermore, the fabrics achieved UL-94 V-0 grade with no melt dripping, and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) got 28 %. The <em>I</em><sub>D</sub>/<em>I</em><sub>G</sub> value of the residual char decreased by 24.4 %, indicating promoted degree of graphitization under the ILs catalyzation. The flame-retardant performance of this material derived from the synergistic effect of gas-phase radical quenching and condensed-phase char layer protection, while the residual char also contributed to its excellent anti-dripping behavior. This study provided a robust, energy conservation and eco-friendly strategy for the fabrication of high quality flame retardant fabrics with non-melt dripping.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"737 ","pages":"Article 139665"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139677
Xiaowei Huang , Bao Ren , Fanfei Min , Jun Chen , Jiaqiang Zhu , Shangyu Hu
Efficient treatment of fine-grained tailings represents a pressing challenge in mineral industry. This study investigates polyacrylamide-based flocculants in a two-step flocculation process for enhanced solid-liquid separation of quartz suspensions. Combining experiment and simulation elucidated the synergistic mechanism of flocculant addition sequence at the quartz / water interface. Experiments demonstrated two-step flocculation significantly improved settling performance over single-flocculant process. Cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) as the first-step flocculant yielded superior turbidity reduction, while incorporating non-ionic polyacrylamide (NPAM) or anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) markedly improved floc settling velocity. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed a stable "cation-anion molecular bridge" in the (C+A)&Surface system. This structure arises from the sequential, strongly coupled adsorption of CPAM and APAM, stabilized by synergistic electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Its high continuity and strong intermolecular coupling establish it as the key structural basis for achieving highly efficient flocculation. In contrast, the (C+C)&Surface and (C+N)&Surface systems showed weak interlayer connections caused poor bridging. Using NPAM or APAM as the first-step flocculant resulted in high turbidity (400 – 4000 NTU) due to weak hydrogen bonding or electrostatic repulsion. This research clarifies the micro-scale synergy mechanism of two-step flocculation. It bridges the gap in atomic-level investigation where traditional experimental methods fall short, providing a theoretical basis and technical support for improved tailings treatment process.
{"title":"Synergistic adsorption of flocculant on quartz surface: Insights from experiment and molecular dynamics simulation","authors":"Xiaowei Huang , Bao Ren , Fanfei Min , Jun Chen , Jiaqiang Zhu , Shangyu Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139677","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139677","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Efficient treatment of fine-grained tailings represents a pressing challenge in mineral industry. This study investigates polyacrylamide-based flocculants in a two-step flocculation process for enhanced solid-liquid separation of quartz suspensions. Combining experiment and simulation elucidated the synergistic mechanism of flocculant addition sequence at the quartz / water interface. Experiments demonstrated two-step flocculation significantly improved settling performance over single-flocculant process. Cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) as the first-step flocculant yielded superior turbidity reduction, while incorporating non-ionic polyacrylamide (NPAM) or anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) markedly improved floc settling velocity. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed a stable \"cation-anion molecular bridge\" in the <em>(C+A)&Surface</em> system. This structure arises from the sequential, strongly coupled adsorption of CPAM and APAM, stabilized by synergistic electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Its high continuity and strong intermolecular coupling establish it as the key structural basis for achieving highly efficient flocculation. In contrast, the <em>(C+C)&Surface</em> and <em>(C+N)&Surface</em> systems showed weak interlayer connections caused poor bridging. Using NPAM or APAM as the first-step flocculant resulted in high turbidity (400 – 4000 NTU) due to weak hydrogen bonding or electrostatic repulsion. This research clarifies the micro-scale synergy mechanism of two-step flocculation. It bridges the gap in atomic-level investigation where traditional experimental methods fall short, providing a theoretical basis and technical support for improved tailings treatment process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 139677"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Evaporation-induced assembly of responsive core-shell soft nanospheres is one of the most convenient routes to construct responsive photonic crystal (RPC) film patterns. Nevertheless, a fundamental understanding of how emulsion composition and film formation conditions dictate the microstructure of resulting RPC films is still lacking. This lack of mechanistic insight constitutes a major bottleneck to promote the quality and functionality of RPC films. In this study, a series of monodisperse core-shell nanospheres with different size and glass transition temperature (Tg) have been facilely synthesized via soap-free emulsion polymerization, and then used to fabricate RPC film patterns by just drying the nanosphere emulsion in the patterned concaves under various conditions. Impacts of the ethylene glycol (EG) content, film formation humidity and temperature on the microstructure of resultant RPC films were mainly studied, and their influence mechanism was then clarified by combination of the structural color display of RPC film patterns after contact with water. The originally prepared RPC films were transparent, but could display brilliant structural color after wetting with water due to the increase of refractive index (RI) contrast of colloidal array. With EG content or humidity increasing, the structural color showed blue shift due to the denser colloidal stacking in pattern center induced by the suppression of the coffee-ring effect. With film formation temperature rising, the structural color displayed red shift at first due to the aroused coffee-ring effect, but then turned blue shift due to the formation of colloid skin (i.e. ordered accumulation and arrangement of nanospheres at air-liquid interface), which became denser with rising temperature. Besides, the fabricated RPC film patterns could display responsive structural color change under the stimuli of the pH, ionic strength and temperature of water as well as the organic solvent. Eventually, a multi-responsive colloidal crystal film pattern was successfully constructed. In summary, this study systematically elucidates the regulatory mechanisms of the microstructure of RPC films, providing a solid theoretical foundation and feasible process strategies for the controllable fabrication of high-performance anti-counterfeiting patterns.
{"title":"Construction of responsive photonic crystal patterns via tunable evaporation-induced assembly of soft core-shell nanospheres","authors":"Huiyang Wang , Xiaohu Wu , Ting Lü , Dongming Qi , Ying Pan , Dihua Wu , Suling Zhang , Dong Zhang , Hongting Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139675","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139675","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Evaporation-induced assembly of responsive core-shell soft nanospheres is one of the most convenient routes to construct responsive photonic crystal (RPC) film patterns. Nevertheless, a fundamental understanding of how emulsion composition and film formation conditions dictate the microstructure of resulting RPC films is still lacking. This lack of mechanistic insight constitutes a major bottleneck to promote the quality and functionality of RPC films. In this study, a series of monodisperse core-shell nanospheres with different size and glass transition temperature (<em>T</em><sub><em>g</em></sub>) have been facilely synthesized via soap-free emulsion polymerization, and then used to fabricate RPC film patterns by just drying the nanosphere emulsion in the patterned concaves under various conditions. Impacts of the ethylene glycol (EG) content, film formation humidity and temperature on the microstructure of resultant RPC films were mainly studied, and their influence mechanism was then clarified by combination of the structural color display of RPC film patterns after contact with water. The originally prepared RPC films were transparent, but could display brilliant structural color after wetting with water due to the increase of refractive index (RI) contrast of colloidal array. With EG content or humidity increasing, the structural color showed blue shift due to the denser colloidal stacking in pattern center induced by the suppression of the coffee-ring effect. With film formation temperature rising, the structural color displayed red shift at first due to the aroused coffee-ring effect, but then turned blue shift due to the formation of colloid skin (i.e. ordered accumulation and arrangement of nanospheres at air-liquid interface), which became denser with rising temperature. Besides, the fabricated RPC film patterns could display responsive structural color change under the stimuli of the pH, ionic strength and temperature of water as well as the organic solvent. Eventually, a multi-responsive colloidal crystal film pattern was successfully constructed. In summary, this study systematically elucidates the regulatory mechanisms of the microstructure of RPC films, providing a solid theoretical foundation and feasible process strategies for the controllable fabrication of high-performance anti-counterfeiting patterns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"737 ","pages":"Article 139675"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146045192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139678
Iago Dillion Lima Cavalcanti , Andreza Tallyne de Aguiar Silva , Vinícius Alexandre Fiaia Costa , Bruno Júnior Neves , Leandro Paes de Brito , José Maria Barbosa-Filho , Evandro Ferreira da Silva , Marcelo Sobral da Silva , Francisca Crislândia Oliveira Silva , Eloisa Berbel Manaia , Gilles Ponchel , Nereide Stela Santos Magalhães , Mariane Cajubá de Britto Lira Nogueira , Francisco Humberto Xavier-Júnior
Polysaccharides are increasingly being utilized in the development of pharmaceutical products due to their therapeutic properties, as well as their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Human serum albumin (HSA), an abundant protein in the body responsible for the biodistribution of molecules, has also been used to develop pharmaceutical products. Evaluating the interaction of these molecules is one of the extremely important preliminary steps in the development of a new product, considering the formation of complexes for the adsorption of albumin on the surface of nanocapsules, for example, for the targeted release of drugs at specific locations. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the interactions between fucoidan, chitosan, and levan with HSA, considering physicochemical and computational parameters. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and molecular docking to identify the mechanisms of interaction between the polysaccharides and HSA. By ITC analysis, all bindings occurred spontaneously (ΔG < 0), when fucoidan and chitosan were used, the interaction occurred through endothermic interactions (ΔH > 0 kJ.mol−1), while levan presented exothermic ones (ΔH= −128 kJ.mol−1). 1H NMR and FT-IR analysis indicate distinct binding mechanisms, wherein fucoidan seems to be associated primarily with sulfate groups, chitosan with hydroxyl groups, and levan with interactions occurring notably in the furanose region. The SEM results suggest the formation of complexes, with changes in the surface of the materials after the formation of the polysaccharide-HSA complex. Subsequently, an ensemble docking protocol revealed that chitosan exhibited the most stable interactions with HSA, characterized by high binding affinity and stable hydrogen bonds. Fucoidan, chitosan, and levan interact with HSA, however, chitosan stands out for its greater binding affinity. This work introduces techniques that allow for the evaluation of the interaction of polysaccharides with HSA, with consistent results that corroborate those presented in the literature. Furthermore, it offers innovative results that ensure the use of these complexes in the development of new products.
{"title":"Influence of sulfate and amide groups in different polysaccharides (fucoidan, chitosan, and levan) on the intermolecular interaction affinity with albumin","authors":"Iago Dillion Lima Cavalcanti , Andreza Tallyne de Aguiar Silva , Vinícius Alexandre Fiaia Costa , Bruno Júnior Neves , Leandro Paes de Brito , José Maria Barbosa-Filho , Evandro Ferreira da Silva , Marcelo Sobral da Silva , Francisca Crislândia Oliveira Silva , Eloisa Berbel Manaia , Gilles Ponchel , Nereide Stela Santos Magalhães , Mariane Cajubá de Britto Lira Nogueira , Francisco Humberto Xavier-Júnior","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139678","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139678","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polysaccharides are increasingly being utilized in the development of pharmaceutical products due to their therapeutic properties, as well as their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Human serum albumin (HSA), an abundant protein in the body responsible for the biodistribution of molecules, has also been used to develop pharmaceutical products. Evaluating the interaction of these molecules is one of the extremely important preliminary steps in the development of a new product, considering the formation of complexes for the adsorption of albumin on the surface of nanocapsules, for example, for the targeted release of drugs at specific locations. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the interactions between fucoidan, chitosan, and levan with HSA, considering physicochemical and computational parameters. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (<sup>1</sup>H NMR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and molecular docking to identify the mechanisms of interaction between the polysaccharides and HSA. By ITC analysis, all bindings occurred spontaneously (<em>ΔG</em> < 0), when fucoidan and chitosan were used, the interaction occurred through endothermic interactions (<em>ΔH</em> > 0 kJ.mol<sup>−1</sup>), while levan presented exothermic ones (ΔH= −128 kJ.mol<sup>−1</sup>). <sup>1</sup>H NMR and FT-IR analysis indicate distinct binding mechanisms, wherein fucoidan seems to be associated primarily with sulfate groups, chitosan with hydroxyl groups, and levan with interactions occurring notably in the furanose region. The SEM results suggest the formation of complexes, with changes in the surface of the materials after the formation of the polysaccharide-HSA complex. Subsequently, an ensemble docking protocol revealed that chitosan exhibited the most stable interactions with HSA, characterized by high binding affinity and stable hydrogen bonds. Fucoidan, chitosan, and levan interact with HSA, however, chitosan stands out for its greater binding affinity. This work introduces techniques that allow for the evaluation of the interaction of polysaccharides with HSA, with consistent results that corroborate those presented in the literature. Furthermore, it offers innovative results that ensure the use of these complexes in the development of new products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 139678"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139672
Guyu Sun , Jingshun Xu , Jianwei Tao , Rui Zhang , Yuhong Wang
How to design semiconductor-based photocatalyst with enhanced charge separation efficiency, broader light absorption, and structural robustness remains some challenges. Herein, we report the construction of a BiVO4/AgBiO3 (BA) heterojunction photocatalyst via a facile in-situ precipitation method. The heterojunction, featuring a type-II band alignment, enables efficient spatial separation of photogenerated carriers and improved interfacial charge transfer. Among the prepared heterojunctions, the optimized BA-1.5 exhibits superior visible-light-driven degradation efficiencies of 95 % for rhodamine B and 82 % for tetracycline, markedly outperforming the pristine BiVO4 and AgBiO3. Mechanism investigations reveal that the photodegradation process is dominated by holes (h⁺) and superoxide radicals (·O₂⁻). This study provides a new material platform and mechanistic insight for rationally designing heterojunction photocatalysts with enhanced charge dynamics, offering a viable strategy for future photocatalytic environmental remediation.
{"title":"In-situ precipitation synthesis of BiVO4/AgBiO3 heterojunction with enhanced charge dynamics and superior photodegradation performance","authors":"Guyu Sun , Jingshun Xu , Jianwei Tao , Rui Zhang , Yuhong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139672","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139672","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>How to design semiconductor-based photocatalyst with enhanced charge separation efficiency, broader light absorption, and structural robustness remains some challenges. Herein, we report the construction of a BiVO<sub>4</sub>/AgBiO<sub>3</sub> (BA) heterojunction photocatalyst <em>via</em> a facile <em>in-situ</em> precipitation method. The heterojunction, featuring a type-II band alignment, enables efficient spatial separation of photogenerated carriers and improved interfacial charge transfer. Among the prepared heterojunctions, the optimized BA-1.5 exhibits superior visible-light-driven degradation efficiencies of 95 % for rhodamine B and 82 % for tetracycline, markedly outperforming the pristine BiVO<sub>4</sub> and AgBiO<sub>3</sub>. Mechanism investigations reveal that the photodegradation process is dominated by holes (h⁺) and superoxide radicals (·O₂⁻). This study provides a new material platform and mechanistic insight for rationally designing heterojunction photocatalysts with enhanced charge dynamics, offering a viable strategy for future photocatalytic environmental remediation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 139672"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The construction and regulation of heterojunctions and their associated built-in electric fields (BIEFs) represent an effective strategy for enhancing the electrochemical overall water splitting performance of transition metal-based electrocatalysts. In this study, we develop an innovative approach to induce a strong BIEF through in-situ construction of a heterojunction, enabling precise electronic structure modulation of CoAl-LDH within the heterojunction framework, thereby significantly improving electrocatalytic water splitting performance. Specifically, an Ag2S@S/CoAl-LDH heterojunction system was designed and synthesized via interfacial chemical coupling between a p-type semiconductor (Ag2S) and an n-type semiconductor (CoAl-LDH). Both theoretical and experimental results confirm the formation of a high-intensity BIEF at the heterojunction interface, which drives directional charge transfer across the interface. Furthermore, the BIEF induces electronic localization reconstruction at the metal centers (Co2 +) of CoAl-LDH, significantly elevating the d-band center and enhancing its catalytic activity. Benefiting from this optimized electronic structure, the Ag2S@S/CoAl-LDH catalyst exhibits outstanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance in 1.0 M KOH, requiring an overpotential of only 197 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA·cm−2, along with a low Tafel slope of 56.6 mV·dec−1. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further reveal that the enhanced BIEF at the p-n heterojunction interface significantly reduces the energy barrier of the OER rate-determining step while optimizing the adsorption free energy of reaction intermediates. These findings underscore the dual role of interfacial electronic interactions in promoting reaction kinetics: the BIEF not only facilitates interfacial charge transfer but also strengthens the adsorption of reactants and intermediates, thereby improving both the reaction rate and overall catalytic performance. This study employs a p-n heterojunction engineering strategy to induce a built-in electric field, offering key insights for the design of high-performance electrode materials. The spontaneous construction of a BIEF for electrode optimization demonstrates considerable potential for application in clean energy technologies.
异质结及其相关内置电场的构建和调控是提高过渡金属基电催化剂电化学整体水分解性能的有效策略。在本研究中，我们开发了一种创新的方法，通过原位构建异质结来诱导强BIEF，从而在异质结框架内实现对煤- ldh的精确电子结构调制，从而显着提高电催化水分解性能。具体而言，通过p型半导体（Ag2S）和n型半导体（CoAl-LDH）之间的界面化学耦合，设计并合成了Ag2S@S/CoAl-LDH异质结体系。理论和实验结果均证实在异质结界面处形成了高强度的BIEF，并驱动了电荷在界面上的定向转移。此外，BIEF诱导了煤- ldh金属中心（Co2 +）的电子定位重建，显著提升了d带中心，增强了其催化活性。得益于这种优化的电子结构，Ag2S@S/煤- ldh催化剂在1.0 M KOH下表现出出色的析氧反应（OER）性能，只需要197 mV的过电位就可以实现10 mA·cm−2的电流密度，以及56.6 mV·dec−1的低塔非斜率。密度泛函理论（DFT）计算进一步表明，在p-n异质结界面处增强的BIEF显著降低了OER速率决定步骤的能垒，同时优化了反应中间体的吸附自由能。这些发现强调了界面电子相互作用在促进反应动力学中的双重作用：BIEF不仅促进了界面电荷转移，还加强了对反应物和中间体的吸附，从而提高了反应速率和整体催化性能。本研究采用p-n异质结工程策略来诱导内置电场，为高性能电极材料的设计提供关键见解。自发构建用于电极优化的BIEF在清洁能源技术中具有相当大的应用潜力。
{"title":"Interfacial charge engineering through in-situ Ag2S@S/CoAl-LDH heterojunction: Dual kinetic promotion via built-in electric field for efficient water oxidation","authors":"Hua-nan Zhang , Zhengang Guo , Huiping Zhang , Pengju Li , Hongyan Shen , Chaopeng Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The construction and regulation of heterojunctions and their associated built-in electric fields (BIEFs) represent an effective strategy for enhancing the electrochemical overall water splitting performance of transition metal-based electrocatalysts. In this study, we develop an innovative approach to induce a strong BIEF through in-situ construction of a heterojunction, enabling precise electronic structure modulation of CoAl-LDH within the heterojunction framework, thereby significantly improving electrocatalytic water splitting performance. Specifically, an Ag<sub>2</sub>S@S/CoAl-LDH heterojunction system was designed and synthesized via interfacial chemical coupling between a p-type semiconductor (Ag<sub>2</sub>S) and an n-type semiconductor (CoAl-LDH). Both theoretical and experimental results confirm the formation of a high-intensity BIEF at the heterojunction interface, which drives directional charge transfer across the interface. Furthermore, the BIEF induces electronic localization reconstruction at the metal centers (Co<sup>2 +</sup>) of CoAl-LDH, significantly elevating the <span>d</span>-band center and enhancing its catalytic activity. Benefiting from this optimized electronic structure, the Ag<sub>2</sub>S@S/CoAl-LDH catalyst exhibits outstanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance in 1.0 M KOH, requiring an overpotential of only 197 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA·cm<sup>−2</sup>, along with a low Tafel slope of 56.6 mV·dec<sup>−1</sup>. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further reveal that the enhanced BIEF at the p-n heterojunction interface significantly reduces the energy barrier of the OER rate-determining step while optimizing the adsorption free energy of reaction intermediates. These findings underscore the dual role of interfacial electronic interactions in promoting reaction kinetics: the BIEF not only facilitates interfacial charge transfer but also strengthens the adsorption of reactants and intermediates, thereby improving both the reaction rate and overall catalytic performance. This study employs a p-n heterojunction engineering strategy to induce a built-in electric field, offering key insights for the design of high-performance electrode materials. The spontaneous construction of a BIEF for electrode optimization demonstrates considerable potential for application in clean energy technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 139644"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Quantum dot (QD)-based nano-drug delivery systems (DDSs) represent a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of conventional cancer therapies, such as poor bioavailability, off-target effects, and systemic toxicity. In this study, we developed a lysosome-targeted nano-drug delivery system (LT-DDS) designated as CdSe/ZnS@PEI-SS-COOH-DOX-TAT, which was constructed using CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs with high fluorescence quantum yield and excellent colloidal stability, synthesized via a well-established organometallic route. The LT-DDS exhibited enhanced tumor selectivity, preferentially accumulating in the lysosomes of cancer cells while showing minimal cytotoxicity toward normal cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that the system not only significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation but also induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis through activation of caspase-3 signaling pathways. Conjugation with the trans-activator of transcription (TAT) peptide promoted efficient cellular uptake and lysosomal trafficking, ultimately leading to lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and subsequent caspase activation. These findings establish the LT-DDS as a promising tumor-specific drug delivery platform, offering improved therapeutic efficacy and biosafety over conventional DDSs.
{"title":"Rational design and mechanistic elucidation of targeted lysosomal quantum dot nanoplatforms for enhanced anticancer efficacy","authors":"Peng Yuan , Wen-Hao Zhang , Bin Ren , Mei-Xia Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantum dot (QD)-based nano-drug delivery systems (DDSs) represent a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of conventional cancer therapies, such as poor bioavailability, off-target effects, and systemic toxicity. In this study, we developed a lysosome-targeted nano-drug delivery system (LT-DDS) designated as CdSe/ZnS@PEI-SS-COOH-DOX-TAT, which was constructed using CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs with high fluorescence quantum yield and excellent colloidal stability, synthesized via a well-established organometallic route. The LT-DDS exhibited enhanced tumor selectivity, preferentially accumulating in the lysosomes of cancer cells while showing minimal cytotoxicity toward normal cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that the system not only significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation but also induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis through activation of caspase-3 signaling pathways. Conjugation with the trans-activator of transcription (TAT) peptide promoted efficient cellular uptake and lysosomal trafficking, ultimately leading to lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and subsequent caspase activation. These findings establish the LT-DDS as a promising tumor-specific drug delivery platform, offering improved therapeutic efficacy and biosafety over conventional DDSs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 139640"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139645
Zhenyu Ni, Mengnan Yu, Yanwei Du, Tianxiang Wu, Rongzhan Liu
The high stability of emulsified oily wastewater and the susceptibility of conventional membranes to oil fouling often led to severe flux decline and reduced separation efficiency, making the development of efficient and stable oil/water emulsion separation membranes an urgent challenge. Here, we developed an organic-inorganic hybrid poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composite membrane by constructing a hierarchical three-layer structure. Specifically, a one-pot sol-gel process generated a rough titania (TiO2) layer enriched with thiol groups, which subsequently served as anchoring sites for the covalent grafting of poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) molecular brushes via a UV-initiated thiol-ene click chemistry reaction. The robust PDMS brushes not only tailored the surface wettability but also endowed the membrane with remarkable anti-fouling and easy-cleaning capabilities, and the methyl blue contaminants on the membrane surface can be removed by water droplets. The membrane exhibits outstanding hydrophobic-oleophilic properties, with a water contact angle of 131.3° and an oil contact angle of 0°, achieving a separation efficiency of 99.3 % for water/soybean oil emulsions with a flux of 548.7 L·m−2·h−1, outperforming unmodified membranes in separation efficiency. This performance enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effect between the selective oil-capturing behavior of PDMS molecular brushes and the capillary effect of the rough TiO2 structure, which together promote preferential oil transport and efficient water-blocking performance. In addition, the covalently anchored interface provides excellent chemical stability, allowing it to maintain stable performance even in harsh environments. This research provides a novel strategy for developing highly efficient and stable organic-inorganic hybrid separation membranes, offering broad application prospects in the treatment of oily wastewater.
{"title":"Organic–inorganic hybrid PVDF membranes constructed via click chemistry for efficient oil–water emulsion separation","authors":"Zhenyu Ni, Mengnan Yu, Yanwei Du, Tianxiang Wu, Rongzhan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139645","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139645","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high stability of emulsified oily wastewater and the susceptibility of conventional membranes to oil fouling often led to severe flux decline and reduced separation efficiency, making the development of efficient and stable oil/water emulsion separation membranes an urgent challenge. Here, we developed an organic-inorganic hybrid poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composite membrane by constructing a hierarchical three-layer structure. Specifically, a one-pot sol-gel process generated a rough titania (TiO<sub>2</sub>) layer enriched with thiol groups, which subsequently served as anchoring sites for the covalent grafting of poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) molecular brushes via a UV-initiated thiol-ene click chemistry reaction. The robust PDMS brushes not only tailored the surface wettability but also endowed the membrane with remarkable anti-fouling and easy-cleaning capabilities, and the methyl blue contaminants on the membrane surface can be removed by water droplets. The membrane exhibits outstanding hydrophobic-oleophilic properties, with a water contact angle of 131.3° and an oil contact angle of 0°, achieving a separation efficiency of 99.3 % for water/soybean oil emulsions with a flux of 548.7 L·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>, outperforming unmodified membranes in separation efficiency. This performance enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effect between the selective oil-capturing behavior of PDMS molecular brushes and the capillary effect of the rough TiO<sub>2</sub> structure, which together promote preferential oil transport and efficient water-blocking performance. In addition, the covalently anchored interface provides excellent chemical stability, allowing it to maintain stable performance even in harsh environments. This research provides a novel strategy for developing highly efficient and stable organic-inorganic hybrid separation membranes, offering broad application prospects in the treatment of oily wastewater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 139645"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139648
Yong Tao , Yuxing Chen , Qingtao Wang , Qianxing Deng , Bin He
The repair of osteoporotic bone defects is still challenging because the injury sites are accompanied by elevated bone resorption and reduced bone regeneration. Our previous study found that the inhibition of epithelial stromal interaction 1 (EPSTI1) was effective to hinder bone resorption, while RADA16 peptide nanofibers were beneficial to improve bone formation. Thus, one multifunctional composite hydrogel (i.e. RADA16/siEPSTI1@GelMA hydrogel) containing EPSTI1 inhibitor (i.e. EPSTI1 siRNA) and RADA16 peptide nanofibers was designed and constructed in present research. In vitro experiments showed that the addition of EPSTI1 siRNA (siEPSTI1) into the composite hydrogel effectively restrained osteoclastogenic differentiation and osteoclastogenesis, while this RADA16/siEPSTI1@GelMA hydrogel also promoted osteogenic differentiation and calcium nodule formation. In vivo animal experiments exhibited that the composite hydrogel can substantially inhibit bone resorption and enhance the repair of osteoporotic bone defects. Collectively, these findings imply that RADA16/siEPSTI1@GelMA multifunctional hydrogel holds great promise to promote the repair of osteoporotic bone defects in terms of reducing bone resorption and enhancing bone formation.
{"title":"EPSTI1 inhibitor-encapsulated RADA16@GelMA multifunctional hydrogel for the repair of osteoporotic bone defects","authors":"Yong Tao , Yuxing Chen , Qingtao Wang , Qianxing Deng , Bin He","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139648","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.colsurfa.2026.139648","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The repair of osteoporotic bone defects is still challenging because the injury sites are accompanied by elevated bone resorption and reduced bone regeneration. Our previous study found that the inhibition of epithelial stromal interaction 1 (EPSTI1) was effective to hinder bone resorption, while RADA16 peptide nanofibers were beneficial to improve bone formation. Thus, one multifunctional composite hydrogel (i.e. RADA16/siEPSTI1@GelMA hydrogel) containing EPSTI1 inhibitor (i.e. EPSTI1 siRNA) and RADA16 peptide nanofibers was designed and constructed in present research. In vitro experiments showed that the addition of EPSTI1 siRNA (siEPSTI1) into the composite hydrogel effectively restrained osteoclastogenic differentiation and osteoclastogenesis, while this RADA16/siEPSTI1@GelMA hydrogel also promoted osteogenic differentiation and calcium nodule formation. In vivo animal experiments exhibited that the composite hydrogel can substantially inhibit bone resorption and enhance the repair of osteoporotic bone defects. Collectively, these findings imply that RADA16/siEPSTI1@GelMA multifunctional hydrogel holds great promise to promote the repair of osteoporotic bone defects in terms of reducing bone resorption and enhancing bone formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":278,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 139648"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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