Journal of Materials Chemistry B最新文献

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has emerged as a promising agent in cancer therapy due to its ability to induce oxidative stress selectively in tumor cells, however, its efficacy is severely hampered by H₂O₂ breakdown when administered via standard routes. Our study introduces an innovative electrochemical method for the controlled and continuous delivery of H₂O₂ directly to cancer cells, potentially enhancing the efficacy of cancer treatments. We investigated the performance of gold, titanium, stainless steel, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT, electrodes in generating H₂O₂, with PEDOT exhibiting superior consistency and efficiency in cell culture medium. The galvanostatic delivery of H₂O₂ demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability for U87 glioblastoma and A375 melanoma cells, confirming the cytotoxic impact of H₂O₂. The addition of catalase restored cell viability, further validating the specificity of H₂O₂-induced cell death. Our results showed that U87 cells exhibited higher resistance to H₂O₂ compared to A375 cells, aligning with known tumor-specific variations in H₂O₂ metabolism. This novel approach of electrochemical H₂O₂ delivery holds significant potential for enhancing targeted cancer therapies, offering a controllable, precise, and efficient method for inducing tumor cell death while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. These results showcase the remarkable ability of PEDOT electrodes as a reliable electrocatalytic source of on-demand H₂O₂ in electrochemically-challenging biological environments.

Alzheimer's disease continues to be a debilitating disorder, profoundly affecting the quality of life, despite decades of extensive research. The impermeability of the blood–brain barrier, multifactorial etiology of the disease and the repeated failures of single target therapy are the major contributors of this therapeutic stagnation. If there is a silver lining, it lies in the growing advancement of multi-targeted therapeutic approaches that address the complex pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. In this context, carbon dots have emerged as highly promising, ultrasmall and biocompatible nanomaterials capable of traversing the blood–brain barrier and targeting various pathophysiologies of the disease. These include but are not limited to inhibition of abnormal protein aggregation, scavenging of reactive oxygen species and attenuation of neuroinflammatory processes. This review aims to critically synthesize the current body of research on carbon dots with particular emphasis on their mechanistic insights, surface chemistry driven targeting strategies and ligand free transportation mechanisms. The indulgence of photodynamic therapy in targeting carbon dots has also been touched upon. The key regulatory hurdles and translational gaps have been addressed that hinder their journey from bench to bedside. This review highlights the potential of carbon dots as intelligent nanoplatforms by integrating the molecular and pharmacological perspectives.

The development of smart, selective, and multifunctional nanotherapeutics is crucial for advancing next-generation cancer treatments. In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoclusters (SPIONCs) were coated with mesoporous silica, functionalized with folic acid (FA), and co-loaded with curcumin (CUR) and capecitabine (CAPE) to create a novel nanocarrier system. To enhance cellular internalisation, magnetophoresis was applied before exposure of the cells to cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). The resulting FA-conjugated, CUR and CAPE-loaded nanoclusters were evaluated in vitro in MCF-7 breast cancer and HME-1 normal epithelial cells at varying CAP exposure durations (0, 10, and 20 s) and incubation times (24 and 48 h). This is the first report demonstrating the co-loading of CUR and CAPE into FA-functionalised mesoporous silica-coated magnetic nanoclusters. Drug release studies revealed significantly enhanced release profiles under acidic conditions (pH 5.0 and 6.5), mimicking lysosomal and tumour microenvironments, compared to physiological pH (7.4). Drug-loaded nanoclusters exhibited substantially higher cytotoxicity than the controls with no loading, with a more pronounced effect in MCF-7 cells. Notably, the combined treatment of CAP and CUR-CAPE loaded NCs showed a synergistic cytotoxic effect. IC₅₀ values, after 10 s CAP exposure and 24 h incubation, decreased to 0.43 µg mL⁻¹ for MCF-7 cells and 37 µg mL⁻¹ for HME-1 cells. The elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by CAP played a key role in the observed cytotoxic effects, and both CUR and CAPE were found to enhance this process through ROS-related and potentially additional molecular pathways. These findings highlight the potential of CAP-assisted multicomponent nanocarriers as a promising platform for effective cancer therapy.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a life-threatening clinical syndrome characterized by metabolic imbalance of renal proximal tubular cells (PTCs), including ATP depletion, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) deficiency, and NADPH exhaustion, and current therapies such as NAD+ precursors fail to address this multi-target metabolic disorder. This highlight integrates two innovative plant photosynthesis-based systems—nanothylakoid units coated with chondrocyte membranes (CM-NTU, Chen et al., Nature, 2022, 612, 546–554) and ultrasound-responsive thylakoid-integrating liposomes (LipTk-AA, Lei et al., Nat Biomed Eng., 2025, 9(10), 1740–1757)—to propose a synergistic fused platform that overcomes the limitations of individual systems. By combining CM-NTU's modular membrane camouflage and light-driven NADPH/ATP production with LipTk-AA's ultrasound deep-tissue activation and NAD+ de novo synthesis, the fused system achieves precise targeting, spatiotemporal control, and comprehensive metabolic repair encompassing ATP, NAD+, and NADPH; we elaborate on their metabolic cross-talk, material design, and clinical translation prospects, highlighting how this fusion drives the field of metabolic-regulatory therapy beyond single-system capabilities.

Maxillofacial electromyographic (EMG) signals serve as crucial indirect indicators of occlusal function, playing a significant role in clinical oral diagnosis. However, conventional gel electrodes with occlusive nature induce skin irritation and wearer discomfort, which limits long-term monitoring. Here, we developed an ultrathin, gas-permeable, and flexible electronic skin (e-skin) designed for imperceptible, long-term maxillofacial EMG monitoring. This e-skin comprises a stretchable substrate formed by core–shell elastic fibers fabricated via coaxial electrospinning, coated with PEDOT:PSS@MXene nanocomposite layers. The cross-linking effect between PEDOT:PSS and MXene (specifically, the hydrogen bonding between MXene and PSS chains and the electrostatic interaction between MXene and PEDOT chains) reduces the interlayer spacing, concurrently delaying MXene oxidation by repelling water and air and enhancing electron transfer between MXene layers. In sEMG measurement trials, the e-skin successfully acquired clear, stable myoelectric signals corresponding to various chewing intensities and patterns (e.g., gum chewing and intermittent occlusion). In particular, ultrathin dimensionality substantially diminishes foreign body perceptibility and associated wearer discomfort, thereby elevating sustained comfort thresholds and long-term therapeutic viability. This work presents a novel material-device strategy for next-generation wearable bioelectric sensing platforms, enabling comfortable, precise monitoring with applications in facial muscle assessment, rehabilitation medicine, and neuromuscular diagnostics.

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAm) microgel-based etalons exhibit visual color, and can be fabricated by sandwiching a monolithic microgel layer between two thin metal layers (typically Au). The color of the devices is a direct result of the device structure, and can be dynamically tuned by varying the thickness of the microgel layer in response to external stimuli. For many applications, the robustness of the etalon's structure, the spatial uniformity of the color, and the color change kinetics are of utmost importance. In this investigation, we determined how the composition of the layers that make up the etalon impacts their performance. Specifically, the results indicated that stable etalons can be constructed by simply depositing a layer of Au on top of the microgel layer, as opposed to using a Cr adhesion layer on top of the microgels prior to Au overlayer deposition. We show that thin Au overlayers without a Cr adhesion layer produces Au films that are discontinuous in nature, which in turn directly influences the kinetics of the etalon response. We also confirm that this response pattern holds true for etalon responses to various salt solutions, presenting potential for the future application to alternative analytes of interest.

Conductive polymers (CPs) have gained increasing attention in cardiac tissue engineering (CTE) due to their ability to restore electrical conductivity, enhance cardiomyocyte (CM) function, and support tissue regeneration. Despite significant progress in the field, challenges related to variability in biocompatibility testing, including dopant-dependent cytotoxicity, poor reporting of biodegradability, unpredictable long-term stability, and regulatory uncertainty of CPs continue to hinder their applications. To address this, we reviewed the properties, applications, and biocompatibility of the three most studied CPs: polypyrrole (PPy), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), and polyaniline (PANI) in CTE, and contrast their advantages and safety challenges with inorganic electrodes and carbon-based materials. We critically assessed current methods for evaluating the biocompatibility of CPs, highlighting limitations in traditional in vitro and in vivo approaches. Our analysis revealed a significant gap in chronic implantation data beyond six months and provided dopant-centered assessment and toxicity risks across different CP platforms. A comprehensive roadmap was further suggested to guide the evaluation of the biocompatibility of CPs, including material characterization, in vitro cytotoxicity testing with particular emphasis on in vitro 3D human heart model testing platforms of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived engineered heart tissues and cardiac organoids, and in vivo evaluation. Additionally, we discussed recent advances in improving the biocompatibility of CPs through hybrid scaffold development, molecular engineering, surface chemistry modifications, and the development of stimuli-responsive and targeted CP constructs. By establishing this standardized framework and highlighting critical regulatory requirements, this review aims to overcome current biocompatibility barriers and facilitate the improved implementation of CPs in CTE applications.

Phytic acid (PA), a naturally occurring phosphorylated anti-nutrient present in various food sources, exhibits both health benefits and adverse effects. Due to its strong metal-chelating ability, excessive intake can negatively impact human health, while its persistence in agricultural runoff also contributes to environmental pollution. Therefore, sensitive and reliable detection of PA is crucial for promoting both human well-being and sustainable development. In this study, we have developed and synthesized a series of metallosalen complexes containing zinc, copper, and iron centers. The zinc-based complexes exhibited high selectivity toward PA, showing a distinct fluorescence turn-off response accompanied by a visible color change from deep yellow to faint. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the observed quenching originated from PA-induced aggregation of the complexes via coordination through phosphate groups and electrostatic interactions. Notably, the dimeric zinc complex demonstrated a significantly stronger quenching effect compared to monomeric zinc complex, with a detection limit as low as 2.10 µM. In contrast, replacing zinc with iron resulted in a turn-off to turn-on response, attributed to demetallation of the iron complex upon PA addition, while the copper-based complex showed negligible interaction. Furthermore, the zinc complex with superior sensitivity was successfully applied for the quantification of PA in vegetable extracts such as carrot, soybean, and sesame seed, achieving excellent recovery rates between 97.2% and 115.2% with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 2–3.7%. Finally, a cellulose-based paper strip embedded with this zinc complex was fabricated for rapid, on-site PA detection.

The global pandemic caused by coronaviruses, particularly SARS-CoV-2, has highlighted the urgent need for biosensing platforms that enable early and self-administered viral detection. Home-used biosensors enable rapid, accurate, and highly sensitive detection in home settings, reducing the probability of cross-infection while circumventing the temporal, financial, and operational constraints of conventional hospital-based workflows. However, they face limitations in sensitivity. Isothermal nucleic acid amplification strategies under constant or ambient temperature conditions present a transformative solution, leveraging mild reaction conditions and operational simplicity to advance household-compatible diagnostics. In recent years, a variety of innovative at-home sensors with advanced performance have been developed based on different isothermal amplification strategies, including loop-mediated isothermal amplification, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, hybridization chain reaction, catalytic hairpin assembly, entropy-driven circuit and so on. Mainly taking the novel coronavirus as an example, this review systematically summarized the latest progress in the construction and application of household coronavirus sensors from three aspects: the targets of detection, the signal amplification strategies, and the biosensing platforms (fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance, colorimetry, and electrochemistry), as well as emphasized their advantages and challenges. We further delineate persistent challenges and future trajectories for enhancing the accessibility, accuracy, and multiplexing capacity of decentralized diagnostic platforms.

Currently, enzyme-MOF (enzyme@MOF) systems, where enzymes are immobilized within MOF structures, have become important in pharmaceutical and industrial research due to their enhanced stability, reusability, and catalytic performance. This review explores the pharmaceutical and industrial applications of enzyme@MOFs, highlighting different synthesis methods, functionalization techniques, and the mechanisms behind enzyme immobilization. We systematically cover recent advances in enzyme@MOF for drug delivery systems (DDS), focusing on stimuli-responsive release triggered by pH, ions, glucose, and enzymes. Additionally, we examine the role of enzyme@MOF in biocatalysis, bioimaging, antimicrobial therapies, and cancer treatment. A specific focus is also given to industrial uses, such as dye degradation, wastewater treatment, and biodiesel production, discussing their commercial importance and related challenges. The review highlights limitations, including scalability, biocompatibility, and controlled-release mechanisms, while suggesting future directions for clinical translation and product development. By elucidating structure–function relationships in enzyme@MOFs and their pharmaceutical potential, this review seeks to guide the rational design of advanced enzyme@MOF platforms for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.