ACS Applied Electronic Materials最新文献

Clinical trials revealed that pioglitazone (PGZ) and dapagliflozin (DGZ) not only maintain normal blood glucose levels but also reduce complications of diabetes mellitus. To meet the demand for simultaneous measurement of these drugs in fixed combinations, an optimized and green UPLC method is required. The present study utilized Design of Experiments (DoE) software to optimize analytical parameters for simultaneous drug analysis. The method was validated for its linearity, accuracy, and precision. Furthermore, the drug content was estimated in different pharmaceutical dosage forms. Finally, Analytical Greenness (AGREE) software was utilized to assess the environmental sustainability of the optimized UPLC method. Drugs were successfully separated using optimized conditions on the C18 Acquity BEH column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) at a temperature of 45 °C. The mobile phase consisted of ethanol and 9 mM ammonium formate buffer (43.7:56.3), with elution carried out at a flow rate of 0.246 mL/min. The optimized method showed excellent linearity (R² > 0.999), accuracy (92.45–109.25%), and good precision (RSD < 6.27%) for both drugs. In addition, the optimized UPLC method was able to determine the drug content within the marketed pharmaceutical dosage form accurately. The developed UPLC method also prioritized eco-friendliness by using green solvents to minimize the negative impact on the environment. The green UPLC method provides a reliable and accurate approach to estimate PGZ and DGZ in a fixed diabetes treatment combination. It promotes sustainable lab practices and paves the way for analytical methods for new dose combinations.

Developing electrocatalysts for the N₂ reduction reaction (NRR) with high activity, high selectivity, and low cost is urgently required to enhance the NH₃ yield rate. Based on first-principles calculations, we predict a series of new transition metal boride TMB₆ (TM = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Co) monolayers and investigate their magnetoelectronic and electrocatalytic properties. The results reveal that VB₆ and CoB₆ favor ferromagnetic coupling, while TiB₆, CrB₆, MnB₆, and FeB₆ display antiferromagnetic ordering. Furthermore, TiB₆ exhibits a high Néel temperature of 344 K and a large magnetic anisotropy energy of 614 μeV per Ti atom. Most interestingly, TiB₆ and VB₆ exhibit superior NRR catalytic activity with a limiting potential of −0.50 and −0.19 V, respectively, and favorable NRR selectivity over the HER. Finally, the structural stability of TMB₆ monolayers has been confirmed by a set of phonon dispersion, molecular dynamics, and elastic constant calculations. Our results highlight the use of the newly designed two-dimensional (2D) TM borides as promising candidates for spintronic devices and nitrogen fixation applications.

Chronic diabetic wounds suffer from severe complications caused by long-term high levels of oxidative stress and bacterial infection. Quercetin (Que) has excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity, making it a promising drug to address the above issues. To exploit the benefits of Que in a more effective and sustained way to treat diabetic wounds, carboxymethyl β-cyclodextrin (CMCD) was synthesized and conjugated to keratin, then complexed with Que to form Que@Ker-CMCD inclusion, followed by electrospinning with polyurethane (PU) to afford Que@Ker-CMCD/PU mats. The approach significantly enhanced water solubility, bioavailability, and sustained release of Que. Crucially, these mats exhibited robust antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Moreover, the mats fostered an environment conducive to cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and re-epithelialization, pivotal processes in wound healing and remodeling. Consequently, a marked acceleration in remodeling chronic diabetic wounds was observed. In conclusion, this study introduces a novel therapeutic strategy that not only harnesses the multifaceted benefits of Que but also enhances its delivery and performance, offering a promising avenue for the effective treatment of chronic diabetic wounds.

Recently, naturally occurring linear 1,4-glycans have attracted remarkable attention for their activity in cancer and neurodegenerative disease treatment. Classical chemical synthetic strategies for linear 1,4-oligosaccharides are considerably time-consuming due to orthogonal protection/deprotection, the introduction of leaving groups, and various forms of activation of the glycosylation reaction. Herein, we present a new one-pot microwave-activated reiterative assembly of glycal-derived vinyl epoxides in an uncatalyzed substrate-dependent stereospecific process for the preparation of both β-1,4-d-Gulo and α-1,4-d-Manno oligosaccharides.

The construction of supported Ir-based catalysts can effectively reduce the amount of Ir and generate a synergistic effect that enhances the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and stability, making it one of the effective solutions for optimizing acidic OER catalysts. However, most reported metal oxide supports suffer from poor acid resistance and low electrical conductivity, which are critical for the OER process. Herein, we synthesized a nanosheet-like defected 1T phase-rich MoB_xS_2–x via a molten salt calcination process, during which the 1T phase was formed, and B was intercalated into MoS₂ to protect the 1T phase structure during annealing procedure. After the wet refluxing process, IrO_x clusters were uniformly deposited on the surface of MoB_xS_2–x to form IrO_x@MoB_xS_2–x, which exhibited an overpotential of 168 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^–2 with an Ir loading amount of 25.8 wt %. By comparing the OER performance of IrO_x@MoB_xS_2–x, IrO_x@MoS₂(Calcinated), and IrO_x@MoS₂, it is demonstrated that calcination and B intercalation of MoS₂ can significantly increase acidic OER performance. This work digs into the application of 1T-MoS₂ as an OER catalyst support, providing strategies for the phase and morphology control of 1T-MoS₂.

In order to preserve muscle mass during catabolic states, investigators are actively searching for a specific inhibitor of MuRF1, the only known E3 ligase that can target muscle contractile proteins for their degradation. However, what would be the consequences of such inhibitors on other organs, both in the short and long term? Indeed, skeletal muscles can provide amino acids for liver gluconeogenesis, which is a crucial adaptation for maintaining glucose homeostasis upon elevated energy demands (e.g., during prolonged starvation). Comparing 3-month-old wild-type and MuRF1-KO mice, we measured tissue weights, liver glycogen, lipid and protein content, and liver biochemical composition using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry in control animals and in dexamethasone (Dex)-treated animals. Dex induces a catabolic situation with muscle atrophy and lipid deposits in the liver. In response to Dex treatment, liver glycogen, lipid, and protein content increased in wild type (WT) and MuRF1-KO mice. We found that MuRF1 deletion differentially affected organ weights, the liver of KO mice being hypertrophied upon Dex treatment when compared to WT mice. Upon Dex treatment, muscle mass was preserved in MuRF1-KO mice, and by contrast, liver lipid content increased more in these animals than in WT mice. PLS-DA analysis of FTIR showed that the levels of 13 markers were significantly altered in KO vs WT mice, witnessing profound alterations of lipid, protein, and glycogen content in the liver due to the absence of MuRF1. Using Nile red and oil red lipid staining, we also found that both membrane-linked lipids and intracellular lipid droplets were altered due to the absence of MuRF1. Altogether, it seems that when the liver is deprived of the possibility of obtaining amino acids from muscle upon Dex treatment, there is a concomitant increase in tissue weight and anabolic activity.

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) combining the processability of the polymer with the transport properties of fillers have shown great potential for precise molecular separation (e.g., azeotropic mixture separation). Facile fabrication of ultrathin defect-free MMMs with high permeance and selectivity remains a grand challenge. Herein, we report a strategy of in situ formation of ultrathin zirconium–metal–organic framework (Zr-MOF) MMM for pervaporation separation of methanol/dimethyl carbonate (DMC) azeotropic mixture. Specifically, negatively charged ligands were preanchored in a positively charged chitosan (CS) polymer chain through electrostatic interactions to form ligand@polymer precursor, followed by in situ coordination with zirconium–oxo cluster to form Zr-MOF filler in the polymer solution. The as-synthesized Zr-MOF@CS solution was spin-coated on a porous substrate to form the ultrathin and defect-free MMM. The in situ incorporated MOF nanofillers highly enhanced the molecular-sieving and adsorption properties of the CS polymer membrane. The resulting Zr-MOF@CS MMM as thin as ∼130 nm showed excellent methanol/DMC separation performance with a total flux of 284.6 g·m^–2·h^–1 and a separation factor of 331.1 under the methanol concentration in feed of 10 wt %, and particularly total flux of 2250 g·m^–2·h^–1 and >97.5 wt % methanol purity in the permeate for methanol/DMC (70/30, w/w) azeotropic mixtures, transcending the upper bound of state-of-the-art membranes, showing great potential for azeotropic separation. Moreover, this ultrathin MMM fabrication strategy was proven to be valid for various kinds of MOFs and polymers.

Essential oils (EOs) are volatile secondary metabolites of natural plants with multitudinous pharmacological activities. However, limited by their properties, such as low solubility, high volatility, photothermal instability, irritation, release, etc., EOs encounter significant challenges in pharmaceutical applications. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been developed for the transdermal delivery of biomolecules and lipid-soluble drugs. Herein, a series of DES carriers were synthesized to improve the undesirable properties of EOs. We first optimized the DESs according to solubilization and aqueous dispersity using Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. EO (COEO) as a model EO. Then, the EO–DES formulations were diluted to prepare optimal aqueous EO–DES nanoformulations (AqEDs). Mechanically, hydrogen bonding allowed the DES to dissolve the complex components in EOs; meanwhile, the interaction forces, such as π–π stacking and hydrogen bonding, drove the EO–DES to assemble into nanostructures in aqueous conditions, forming AqEDs. Lastly, a case study demonstrated that clove EO-AqEDscould effectively promote methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-infected wound healing in vivo, along with biocompatibility. This AqED strategy provides a generalized platform for solubilizing EOs and improving their transdermal/topical delivery.