Molecular Systems Design & Engineering最新文献

Adsorption-based processes are showing substantial potential for carbon capture. Due to the vast space of potential solid adsorbents and their influence on the process performance, the choice of the material is not trivial but requires systematic approaches. In particular, the material choice should be based on the performance of the resulting process. In this work, we present a method for the process-based screening of porous materials for pressure and vacuum swing adsorption. The method is based on an equilibrium process model that incorporates one-dimensional classical density functional theory (1D-DFT) and the PC-SAFT equation of state. Thereby, the presented method can efficiently screen databases of potential adsorbents and identify the best-performing materials as well as the corresponding optimized process conditions for a specific carbon capture application. We apply our method to a point-source carbon capture application at a cement plant. The results show that the process model is crucial to evaluating the performance of adsorbents instead of relying solely on material heuristics. Furthermore, we enhance our approach through multi-objective optimization and demonstrate for materials with high performance that our method is able to capture the trade-offs between two process objectives, such as specific work and purity. The presented method thus provides an efficient screening tool for adsorbents to maximize process performance.

An efficient screening of azobenzene (AB) derivatives for Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) applications based on ground state properties (energy stored per molecule and Z isomer stability) could be performed with quasi-CASPT2 accuracy. In this work, we show how wavefunction and electron density based methods can be efficiently combined in a computational protocol that yields accurate potential energy profiles with a significant reduction in computational cost compared to that of a fully-CASPT2 characterization. Our results on prototypical electron donor/withdrawing AB derivatives clearly identify pull–pull substitution as the most promising, allowing to draw guidelines for the chemical design of promising azo-MOST candidates.

Visualizing singlet oxygen (¹O₂) in biological systems could greatly enhance our understanding of its biological roles and offer new diagnostics and therapeutics. However, ¹O₂ is unstable and highly reactive, making its detection in living systems a significant challenge. To address this, we have developed dually-labelled polymeric micelles designed to trace both the location and levels of ¹O₂.

Selective nanoparticle surface patterning presents incredible promise for broadening programmable materials design into a space beyond “close-packed” morphologies. These “patchy” particles impose directional attractions between neighbors that favor the formation of low-coordination, open structures previously inaccessible via their isotropically interacting nanoparticle counterparts. However, unlike patchy colloids, patches on nanoparticles are highly deformable, presenting challenges for their predictive design. Here, we present a multi-faceted approach combining theory and simulation to investigate the underlying forces governing interactions between nanoparticles with flexible patches. We first develop a thermodynamic perturbation theory to fundamentally capture the interplay between patch–patch merging and directional entropic forces in controlling particle organization. We then employ theoretical insights to explicitly consider how monomer geometry synergizes with monomer connectivity in sculpting the equilibrium morphologies for polymeric chains composed of anisotropic monomeric subunits. Theory predictions are then validated using simulations, with excellent agreement across both local and global length scales. Combined, our findings indicate that a large suite of orientational and structural diversity can be attained via precision engineering of how patch–patch and entropic forces between the anisotropic nanoparticles counterbalance each other. These findings on nanoscale patchy interactions offer newer avenues for directing the assembly process of novel polymeric and metamaterials.

Wireframe DNA origami nanostructures present significant potential for a variety of applications in nanotechnology, primarily due to their straightforward design and construction processes. The precise control afforded by these nanostructures renders them exceptionally suitable for executing specific tasks. This study introduces innovative designs by altering short strands (staples) in wireframe DNA origami nanostructures, leading to different behaviors at human body temperature. These behaviors include the selective opening of certain parts of the structure while keeping other parts closed. Our research demonstrates that wireframe DNA origami nanostructures, with their numerous edges, can be engineered to allow selective opening of specific edges. This capability facilitates precise control over the structural configuration, enabling designers to customize these nanostructures to fulfill specific functional requirements. Consequently, the use of these controllable nanostructures opens up new avenues for developing nanorobots. By leveraging the unique properties of wireframe DNA origami, this study paves the way for advancements in the field of nanotechnology, particularly in the creation of versatile and adaptable nanoscale devices.

Glucose-responsive hydrogel systems are increasingly explored for insulin delivery, with dynamic-covalent crosslinking interactions between phenylboronic acids (PBA) and diols forming a key glucose-sensing mechanism. However, commonly used PBA and diol chemistries often have limited responsiveness to glucose under physiological concentrations. This is due, in part, to the binding of PBA to the commonly used diol chemistries having higher affinity than for PBA to glucose. The present study addresses this challenge by redesigning the diol chemistry in an effort to reduce its binding affinity to PBA, thereby enhancing the ability of glucose to compete with these redesigned PBA–diol crosslinks at its physiological concentration, thus improving responsiveness of the hydrogel network. Rheological analyses support enhanced sensitivity of these PBA–diol networks to glucose, while insulin release likewise improves from networks with reduced crosslink affinities. This work thus offers a new molecular design approach to improve glucose-responsive hydrogels for insulin delivery in diabetes management.

Substituent engineering is a key route to high-performance functional molecular materials in the same way as the development of a π-electron core for organic (opto-)electronics. Here we demonstrate a comparative study between aromatic phenyl- and aliphatic cyclohexyl-terminated side-chain substituents on an electron-deficient π-electron core, 3,4,9,10-benzo[de]isoquinolino[1,8-gh]quinolinetetracarboxylic diimide (BQQDI), to get insights into the impact of intermolecular interactions between the substituents in the solid state on high-performance electron-transport properties. In the BQQDI system, both phenyl- and cyclohexyl-terminated ethyl substituents show similar packing structures, demonstrating the unobvious impact of terminal groups. However, solution-processed single-crystal transistor studies revealed a relatively low electron mobility of cyclohexyl-terminated BQQDI. Based on molecular dynamics simulations, we attribute this discrepancy to dynamic molecular motions coupled with electronic coupling in the solid state. While phenyl groups in the phenylethyl substituent show intermolecular C–H⋯π interactions which lead to less dynamic motions, the cyclohexyl counterpart does not show any specific intermolecular interactions. Hence, a low-dynamic feature thanks to inter-side-chain interactions is promising for excellent charge-transport properties. The present findings underline the crucial role of interactions between substituents in the development of organic materials via side-chain-engineered control of the solid-state dynamic motions.

Herein, we have synthesized an ESIPT inbuilt novel tripodal gelator TH-AIL, which upon dissolution in DMSO followed by the addition of water (1 : 1) leads to the formation of a unique orange fluorescent organohydrogel (0.35% w/v, OHG). The obtained OHG reveals responses towards base NH₃ and acid HCl by way of reversible change in fluorescence colour from orange to green along with restorable conversion from gel to sol phase.

Astrovirus MLB2 (AstV-MLB2) is an emerging gastrointestinal virus causing meningitis and disseminated infections. Currently, there are no vaccine-based therapies available for AstV-MLB2. This study aims to develop multi-epitope vaccine models using candidate proteins from AstV-MLB2. Highly immunogenic epitopes (IC₅₀ < 200 μM) exhibiting conservation, antigenicity, and non-allergenicity were called from these proteins. Additionally, the selection criteria for epitopes were based on their potential to trigger immune cells and stimulate IFN-γ-mediated immune responses. The model vaccine constructs were designed from identified lead epitopes, along with immune-enhancer adjuvants and linker sequences. The proposed vaccine models were assessed for allergenicity, antigenicity, and structural integrity to ensure their safety and effectiveness. The binding potential of the vaccine models to HLA and TLR-4 immune cell receptors was evaluated to identify their capacity to stimulate immune responses. Among several raw constructs, MLB2-V1 and MLB2-V2 were identified as potential vaccine candidates due to their non-allergenic features, enhanced antigenic properties, and structural stability. Both these constructs were extensively evaluated and predicted to effectively bind to and interact with immune cell receptors, potentially triggering cellular and innate immune responses. Additionally, the prioritized constructs were deemed suitable for cloning and expression using recombinant DNA systems. The model vaccine constructs showed promise, warranting further investigation into their immune efficacy against MLB2-mediated infections through experimental assays and clinical trials.