Damini Jagankar, Geethika Manohar, Priyanka Srivastava and Chandan Maity
This work reports a sustainable and equipment-free one-pot strategy for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) embedded within a hydrogel matrix at room temperature. In this method, Au NPs are formed in situ through simple mixing of aqueous sodium alginate (Alg, 3 wt%), citric acid (CA, 0.5 M), and chloroauric acid (0.5 mM), where CA serves a dual role as both crosslinker and a reducing agent. The resulting hydrogel exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward the reductive degradation of organic dyes, achieving rapid decolorization efficiencies of 91% for Congo red and 97% for methylene blue within 5 min in the presence of sodium borohydride while maintaining reusability over five cycles. Besides, the material also effectively degrades real wastewater samples from the textile industry, highlighting its potential for sustainable wastewater treatment applications. Additionally, the material exhibits potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii. This activity is attributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated membrane disruption, and the sustained release of Au NPs from the hydrogel matrix. This simple one-pot synthesis strategy highlights significant potential for biomedical application and environmental remediation, especially in resource-limited settings.
{"title":"Facile room-temperature one-pot synthesis of a gold nanoparticle-embedded hydrogel for recyclable dye degradation and antimicrobial applications","authors":"Damini Jagankar, Geethika Manohar, Priyanka Srivastava and Chandan Maity","doi":"10.1039/D5EN00722D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EN00722D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This work reports a sustainable and equipment-free one-pot strategy for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) embedded within a hydrogel matrix at room temperature. In this method, Au NPs are formed <em>in situ</em> through simple mixing of aqueous sodium alginate (Alg, 3 wt%), citric acid (CA, 0.5 M), and chloroauric acid (0.5 mM), where CA serves a dual role as both crosslinker and a reducing agent. The resulting hydrogel exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward the reductive degradation of organic dyes, achieving rapid decolorization efficiencies of 91% for Congo red and 97% for methylene blue within 5 min in the presence of sodium borohydride while maintaining reusability over five cycles. Besides, the material also effectively degrades real wastewater samples from the textile industry, highlighting its potential for sustainable wastewater treatment applications. Additionally, the material exhibits potent antibacterial activity against <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, <em>Escherichia coli</em>, and <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em>. This activity is attributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated membrane disruption, and the sustained release of Au NPs from the hydrogel matrix. This simple one-pot synthesis strategy highlights significant potential for biomedical application and environmental remediation, especially in resource-limited settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 861-878"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/en/d5en00722d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146097825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ingrid Gregorovic, Nahid Lotfian, Ruhollah Khajavian, Sukanya Maity, Masoud Mirzaei, Sib Sankar Mal, Manuel Aureliano, Annette Rompel
Over recent decades, while environmental awareness and pollution control efforts have yielded localized improvements, ongoing industrial growth, rapid global population expansion, and escalating energy demands continue to drive significant global environmental pollution challenges. Polyoxometalates, a remarkable class of metal-oxide complexes, have recently emerged as promising compounds in the development of multifunctional materials for environmental pollutant removal, energy conversion and storage, and sensing. This review critically examines current research on their use for the removal of common toxic gases − such as H₂S, NOₓ, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) − from polluted air, as well as the elimination of various organic dyes, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical contaminants from wastewater. POMs have also gained recognition as adaptable redox-active materials suitable for next-generation energy storage systems. Their high electron-transfer capacity, structural flexibility, and remarkable chemical stability make them ideal candidates for various applications. POMs can facilitate multi-electron redox processes, allowing for their application in batteries, supercapacitors, and hybrid devices, which results in improved energy density and cycling performance. Recent developments in POM-based composites and electrode designs are further discussed for innovative, sustainable, and scalable energy storage solutions. Additionally, their tunable electrical and magnetic properties make them effective sensors for detecting various environmental pollutants.
{"title":"Polyoxometalates in Environmental Remediation and Energy Storage","authors":"Ingrid Gregorovic, Nahid Lotfian, Ruhollah Khajavian, Sukanya Maity, Masoud Mirzaei, Sib Sankar Mal, Manuel Aureliano, Annette Rompel","doi":"10.1039/d5en00964b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00964b","url":null,"abstract":"Over recent decades, while environmental awareness and pollution control efforts have yielded localized improvements, ongoing industrial growth, rapid global population expansion, and escalating energy demands continue to drive significant global environmental pollution challenges. Polyoxometalates, a remarkable class of metal-oxide complexes, have recently emerged as promising compounds in the development of multifunctional materials for environmental pollutant removal, energy conversion and storage, and sensing. This review critically examines current research on their use for the removal of common toxic gases − such as H₂S, NOₓ, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) − from polluted air, as well as the elimination of various organic dyes, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical contaminants from wastewater. POMs have also gained recognition as adaptable redox-active materials suitable for next-generation energy storage systems. Their high electron-transfer capacity, structural flexibility, and remarkable chemical stability make them ideal candidates for various applications. POMs can facilitate multi-electron redox processes, allowing for their application in batteries, supercapacitors, and hybrid devices, which results in improved energy density and cycling performance. Recent developments in POM-based composites and electrode designs are further discussed for innovative, sustainable, and scalable energy storage solutions. Additionally, their tunable electrical and magnetic properties make them effective sensors for detecting various environmental pollutants.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146115870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abhrajit Debroy, Mrudula Pulimi, N Chandrasekaran, Willie Peijnenburg, Amitava Mukherjee
The role of Algal-EPS in modifying the short-term and long-term toxicity of binary mixtures of TBBPA and GFNs towards the marine Chlorella sp.: Cellular toxicity, uptake, and environmental risk assessment.
{"title":"The role of Algal-EPS in modifying the short-term and long-term toxicity of binary mixtures of TBBPA and GFNs towards the marine Chlorella sp.: Cellular toxicity, uptake, and environmental risk assessment","authors":"Abhrajit Debroy, Mrudula Pulimi, N Chandrasekaran, Willie Peijnenburg, Amitava Mukherjee","doi":"10.1039/d5en01078k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en01078k","url":null,"abstract":"The role of Algal-EPS in modifying the short-term and long-term toxicity of binary mixtures of TBBPA and GFNs towards the marine Chlorella sp.: Cellular toxicity, uptake, and environmental risk assessment.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"180 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shariqah Hijazi, Adil Shafi Ganie, Mohammed M. Rahman and Wajaht A. Shah
Retraction of ‘Facile synthesis of surface-functionalized fluorescent carbon quantum dots for the selective detection of ferric ions’ by Shariqah Hijazi et al., Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2023, 10, 3281–3294, https://doi.org/10.1039/d3en00376k.
{"title":"Retraction: Facile synthesis of surface-functionalized fluorescent carbon quantum dots for the selective detection of ferric ions","authors":"Shariqah Hijazi, Adil Shafi Ganie, Mohammed M. Rahman and Wajaht A. Shah","doi":"10.1039/D5EN90054A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EN90054A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Retraction of ‘Facile synthesis of surface-functionalized fluorescent carbon quantum dots for the selective detection of ferric ions’ by Shariqah Hijazi <em>et al.</em>, <em>Environ. Sci.: Nano</em>, 2023, <strong>10</strong>, 3281–3294, https://doi.org/10.1039/d3en00376k.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1234-1234"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/en/d5en90054a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
1, 4-Naphthoquinone is a widely used intermediate in the fields of medicine and chemical engineering. However, they are moderately toxic and can cause serious pollution to water, soil, and air. Thus, the selective removal of 1, 4-naphthoquinone from the environment has become an urgent issue. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have highly ordered structures, adjustable pore sizes, and customizable chemically functionalized surfaces, which offer them great potential to realize adsorption of 1, 4-naphthoquinone. However, the molecular recognition and separation performance of COFs largely depend on their physico-chemical properties. Therefore, precise control of the physico-chemical properties of COFs and exploration of their role mechanisms in target molecule recognition and separation are of great significance for enhancing the application performance of COF materials. In this work, three different COF nanostructures (COFTF-DBD, COFTFP-DBD, and COFTMTF-DBD) are synthesized, and their adsorption performances for 1, 4-naphthoquinone are investigated. It is found that the pore size and polar groups within the COF channels play decisive roles in their adsorption capacity. Among them, COFTMTF-DBD demonstrates the best performance in adsorbing 1,4-naphthoquinone pollutants due to its stronger hydrophobicity, more suitable pore structure, and larger specific surface area, with an adsorption capacity of up to 150.65 mg/g. Moreover, in a 1,4-naphthoquinone solution with an initial concentration of 160 mg/L, COFTMTF-DBD could remove over 55% of 1,4-naphthoquinone within 30 minutes and achieve a removal efficiency of 88% after 120 minutes. Further mechanism studies reveal that the physico-chemical properties of COF channels not only affects the adsorption rate of pollutants but also influences their adsorption capacity.
{"title":"Efficient adsorption of 1, 4-naphthoquinone on covalent organic frameworks","authors":"Yiting Wang, Jing Pan, Fan Xia","doi":"10.1039/d5en01025j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en01025j","url":null,"abstract":"1, 4-Naphthoquinone is a widely used intermediate in the fields of medicine and chemical engineering. However, they are moderately toxic and can cause serious pollution to water, soil, and air. Thus, the selective removal of 1, 4-naphthoquinone from the environment has become an urgent issue. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have highly ordered structures, adjustable pore sizes, and customizable chemically functionalized surfaces, which offer them great potential to realize adsorption of 1, 4-naphthoquinone. However, the molecular recognition and separation performance of COFs largely depend on their physico-chemical properties. Therefore, precise control of the physico-chemical properties of COFs and exploration of their role mechanisms in target molecule recognition and separation are of great significance for enhancing the application performance of COF materials. In this work, three different COF nanostructures (COFTF-DBD, COFTFP-DBD, and COFTMTF-DBD) are synthesized, and their adsorption performances for 1, 4-naphthoquinone are investigated. It is found that the pore size and polar groups within the COF channels play decisive roles in their adsorption capacity. Among them, COFTMTF-DBD demonstrates the best performance in adsorbing 1,4-naphthoquinone pollutants due to its stronger hydrophobicity, more suitable pore structure, and larger specific surface area, with an adsorption capacity of up to 150.65 mg/g. Moreover, in a 1,4-naphthoquinone solution with an initial concentration of 160 mg/L, COFTMTF-DBD could remove over 55% of 1,4-naphthoquinone within 30 minutes and achieve a removal efficiency of 88% after 120 minutes. Further mechanism studies reveal that the physico-chemical properties of COF channels not only affects the adsorption rate of pollutants but also influences their adsorption capacity.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146070195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The aggregation behavior of nanoplastics (NPs) is largely controlled by the photoaging process. However, it remains unclear how the release of nanoplastic-derived dissolved organic matter (NPDOM) induced by photoaging affects the aggregation behavior of NPs with different surface functional groups. Herein, the aggregation behavior was studied for three types of polystyrene NPs, namely, pristine NPs (PS-Bare), NPs with amino (PS-NH2) and NPs with carboxyl (PS-COOH), in monovalent and divalent counterion solutions. The dominating mechanisms were addressed using various characterization methods and calculation by extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (XDLVO) theories. The results showed that the photoaging process inhibited the aggregation for PS-Bare and PS-COOH in a NaCl solution due to the increased steric repulsion arising from the adsorption of the NPDOM but promoted their aggregation in a CaCl2 solution due to the bridging effect between Ca2+ and the newly generated O-containing functional groups. In contrast, the aggregation of PS-NH2 was facilitated by photoaging both in mono- and divalent counterions, primarily attributed to reduced electrostatic repulsion and diminished hydration repulsion. These findings provide new insights into understanding and predicting the transport and fate of NPs with different surface chemistry properties in natural environments.
{"title":"Photoaging alters the aggregation behavior of functionalized nanoplastics differently: effects of leached organic matter and surface properties changes","authors":"Tingting Hu, Yandi Hu, Zhixiong Li, Shuhan Yu, Juanjuan Liu, Jiawei Chen","doi":"10.1039/d5en01063b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en01063b","url":null,"abstract":"The aggregation behavior of nanoplastics (NPs) is largely controlled by the photoaging process. However, it remains unclear how the release of nanoplastic-derived dissolved organic matter (NPDOM) induced by photoaging affects the aggregation behavior of NPs with different surface functional groups. Herein, the aggregation behavior was studied for three types of polystyrene NPs, namely, pristine NPs (PS-Bare), NPs with amino (PS-NH<small><sub>2</sub></small>) and NPs with carboxyl (PS-COOH), in monovalent and divalent counterion solutions. The dominating mechanisms were addressed using various characterization methods and calculation by extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (XDLVO) theories. The results showed that the photoaging process inhibited the aggregation for PS-Bare and PS-COOH in a NaCl solution due to the increased steric repulsion arising from the adsorption of the NPDOM but promoted their aggregation in a CaCl<small><sub>2</sub></small> solution due to the bridging effect between Ca<small><sup>2+</sup></small> and the newly generated O-containing functional groups. In contrast, the aggregation of PS-NH<small><sub>2</sub></small> was facilitated by photoaging both in mono- and divalent counterions, primarily attributed to reduced electrostatic repulsion and diminished hydration repulsion. These findings provide new insights into understanding and predicting the transport and fate of NPs with different surface chemistry properties in natural environments.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julia Subbotina, Oran McElligott, Vladimir Lobaskin
Micro- and nanoplastic pollution has been raising increasing concern due to their adverse environmental and potential human health effects. The impact of plastic particulates, especially in their nanoforms, on the health of living organisms is not fully understood. Based on substantial evidence, it can be assumed that the key processes underlying the bioaccumulation and toxicity of nano-sized materials are controlled by bio-nano interactions, particularly through the formation of protein coronas. Understanding the composition of such biocoronas and the factors governing their formation can aid in material risk assessment and the development of safety measures. In this study, we report on novel parametrization of UA/CoronaKMC coarse-grained multiscale approach for predicting protein corona composition that can be formed on pristine (PS) and modified forms (PS-NH2 and PS-COOH) of polystyrene nanoplastics in blood plasma. Reported methodology extends the use of UA/CoronaKMC method for further implementations into digital machine-learning SSbD frameworks for pre-assessments of the nanotoxicity of novel polymers.
{"title":"Modelling bionano interactions and potential health risks for environmental nanoplastics: the case of functionalized polystyrene.","authors":"Julia Subbotina, Oran McElligott, Vladimir Lobaskin","doi":"10.1039/d5en00784d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00784d","url":null,"abstract":"Micro- and nanoplastic pollution has been raising increasing concern due to their adverse environmental and potential human health effects. The impact of plastic particulates, especially in their nanoforms, on the health of living organisms is not fully understood. Based on substantial evidence, it can be assumed that the key processes underlying the bioaccumulation and toxicity of nano-sized materials are controlled by bio-nano interactions, particularly through the formation of protein coronas. Understanding the composition of such biocoronas and the factors governing their formation can aid in material risk assessment and the development of safety measures. In this study, we report on novel parametrization of UA/CoronaKMC coarse-grained multiscale approach for predicting protein corona composition that can be formed on pristine (PS) and modified forms (PS-NH2 and PS-COOH) of polystyrene nanoplastics in blood plasma. Reported methodology extends the use of UA/CoronaKMC method for further implementations into digital machine-learning SSbD frameworks for pre-assessments of the nanotoxicity of novel polymers.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"282 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fluoride (F−) is widely distributed in nature, but its excessive discharge can lead to severe ecological and health problems. Therefore, it is of very great significance to develop sensitive and accurate method for F− detection. Herein, dual-mode fluorometric and colorimetric sensors based on MIL-53(Fe)-CQDs@SiO2 are synthesized by the step-by-step self-assembly method. Notably, introduced carbon quantum dots (CQDs) can accelerate the charge transfer and activate the intrinsic active sites of MIL-53(Fe), thereby enhancing peroxidase-like activity of MIL-53(Fe). Meanwhile, CQDs as functional group can also impart the fluorescence property to MIL-53(Fe), and outer SiO2 is acted as the start switch controlling peroxidase-like activity and fluorescence property of MIL-53(Fe)-CQDs@SiO2. Benefiting from peroxidase-like activity and fluorescence property of MIL-53(Fe)-CQDs@SiO2, a feasible and effective fluorescence and colorimetric dual-mode analytical method for specificity detecting F− is established. The application of two analytical platform will improve the accuracy and reliability of detection method. As expected, both fluorescence and colorimetric analytical methods exhibit the broad linear ranges and low limit of detection values, demonstrating the excellent application potential in the detection of F−. Furthermore, the mechanism analysis suggests that SiO2 is acted as the recognition site and is etched by F− so influencing the changes in absorbance and fluorescence of system. All in all, current work provides a sensitive and reliable method for detecting F−.
{"title":"Dual-mode fluorometric and colorimetric sensors based on carbon quantum dots-doped MIL-53(Fe) encapsulated in SiO2 shells for fluoride detection","authors":"Yujun Mo, Ziyi Guo, Shengran Yu, Zihan Xu, Zetao Cai, Yudi Wang, Shi-Wen Lv, Yanqing Cong","doi":"10.1039/d5en01045d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en01045d","url":null,"abstract":"Fluoride (F−) is widely distributed in nature, but its excessive discharge can lead to severe ecological and health problems. Therefore, it is of very great significance to develop sensitive and accurate method for F− detection. Herein, dual-mode fluorometric and colorimetric sensors based on MIL-53(Fe)-CQDs@SiO2 are synthesized by the step-by-step self-assembly method. Notably, introduced carbon quantum dots (CQDs) can accelerate the charge transfer and activate the intrinsic active sites of MIL-53(Fe), thereby enhancing peroxidase-like activity of MIL-53(Fe). Meanwhile, CQDs as functional group can also impart the fluorescence property to MIL-53(Fe), and outer SiO2 is acted as the start switch controlling peroxidase-like activity and fluorescence property of MIL-53(Fe)-CQDs@SiO2. Benefiting from peroxidase-like activity and fluorescence property of MIL-53(Fe)-CQDs@SiO2, a feasible and effective fluorescence and colorimetric dual-mode analytical method for specificity detecting F− is established. The application of two analytical platform will improve the accuracy and reliability of detection method. As expected, both fluorescence and colorimetric analytical methods exhibit the broad linear ranges and low limit of detection values, demonstrating the excellent application potential in the detection of F−. Furthermore, the mechanism analysis suggests that SiO2 is acted as the recognition site and is etched by F− so influencing the changes in absorbance and fluorescence of system. All in all, current work provides a sensitive and reliable method for detecting F−.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Interactions between nanoplastics and soil proteins can profoundly influence their environmental behavior and transformation in terrestrial environments. Here, experimental characterisation combined with molecular dynamics simulations was employed to elucidate the mechanisms governing the interactions between soil proteins and nanoplastics with different surface functionalities. All three nanoplastics adsorbed soil proteins to form distinct protein coronas. Amino-modified nanoplastics formed more complex and stable coronas primarily through electrostatic interactions, whereas unmodified and carboxyl-modified particles exhibited weaker adsorption driven by hydrophobic interactions. Spectroscopic analyses revealed protein conformational rearrangements upon adsorption, while proteomic profiling indicated enrichment of proteins related to microbial metabolism and environmental adaptation. Molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed strong and stable binding between amino-modified nanoplastics and the representative soil protein elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), dominated by electrostatic forces. These findings provide molecular-level insights into how surface modification modulates nanoplastic–protein interactions in soil-relevant systems.
{"title":"Unraveling the interfacial fate of nanoplastics in soil: proteomics and molecular dynamics decipher the protein corona governed by surface functionalization","authors":"Kejie Tao, Yaning Luan and Jing Li","doi":"10.1039/D5EN01079A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EN01079A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Interactions between nanoplastics and soil proteins can profoundly influence their environmental behavior and transformation in terrestrial environments. Here, experimental characterisation combined with molecular dynamics simulations was employed to elucidate the mechanisms governing the interactions between soil proteins and nanoplastics with different surface functionalities. All three nanoplastics adsorbed soil proteins to form distinct protein coronas. Amino-modified nanoplastics formed more complex and stable coronas primarily through electrostatic interactions, whereas unmodified and carboxyl-modified particles exhibited weaker adsorption driven by hydrophobic interactions. Spectroscopic analyses revealed protein conformational rearrangements upon adsorption, while proteomic profiling indicated enrichment of proteins related to microbial metabolism and environmental adaptation. Molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed strong and stable binding between amino-modified nanoplastics and the representative soil protein elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), dominated by electrostatic forces. These findings provide molecular-level insights into how surface modification modulates nanoplastic–protein interactions in soil-relevant systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1195-1213"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this work, WO3 was used as a support to prepare noble metal-based IrRu/WO3 catalysts for the CO selective catalytic reduction (CO-SCR) in oxygen-rich flue gas. The CO-SCR activity was promoted through the synergistic interaction between Ir and Ru, coupled with the tailored interface between oxygen-deficient WO3 and the bimetallic IrRu nanoclusters. XRD and TEM results confirmed the formation of well-dispersed Ir–Ru nanoparticles, as well as a reduction-induced transformation of WO3 to WO2.92. Various techniques, along with DFT calculations, were employed to investigate the synergistic roles of Ir and Ru, as well as the contribution of the WO3 support. The enhanced CO-SCR activity of IrRu/WO3 was attributed to the electronic synergy between Ir and Ru, which stabilized Ir0 and facilitated NO activation, and the oxygen vacancies in WO3 induced by the strong metal–support interaction (SMSI). These vacancies not only protected active metal sites but also generated reactive oxygen species that stabilize NOx as nitrates. This work addresses the gap in understanding WO3-supported IrRu bimetallic catalysts and provides new perspectives for designing efficient CO-SCR catalysts, setting the stage for further mechanistic and kinetic investigations.
{"title":"Designing bimetallic IrRu nanoparticles on oxygen-deficient WO3 for efficient NO reduction by CO","authors":"Wenjun Zhang, Yanshan Gao and Qiang Wang","doi":"10.1039/D5EN01096A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EN01096A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In this work, WO<small><sub>3</sub></small> was used as a support to prepare noble metal-based IrRu/WO<small><sub>3</sub></small> catalysts for the CO selective catalytic reduction (CO-SCR) in oxygen-rich flue gas. The CO-SCR activity was promoted through the synergistic interaction between Ir and Ru, coupled with the tailored interface between oxygen-deficient WO<small><sub>3</sub></small> and the bimetallic IrRu nanoclusters. XRD and TEM results confirmed the formation of well-dispersed Ir–Ru nanoparticles, as well as a reduction-induced transformation of WO<small><sub>3</sub></small> to WO<small><sub>2.92</sub></small>. Various techniques, along with DFT calculations, were employed to investigate the synergistic roles of Ir and Ru, as well as the contribution of the WO<small><sub>3</sub></small> support. The enhanced CO-SCR activity of IrRu/WO<small><sub>3</sub></small> was attributed to the electronic synergy between Ir and Ru, which stabilized Ir<small><sup>0</sup></small> and facilitated NO activation, and the oxygen vacancies in WO<small><sub>3</sub></small> induced by the strong metal–support interaction (SMSI). These vacancies not only protected active metal sites but also generated reactive oxygen species that stabilize NO<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small> as nitrates. This work addresses the gap in understanding WO<small><sub>3</sub></small>-supported IrRu bimetallic catalysts and provides new perspectives for designing efficient CO-SCR catalysts, setting the stage for further mechanistic and kinetic investigations.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1097-1111"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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