New Journal of Chemistry最新文献

Uric acid (UA) is a metabolic product of purine nucleotides in the human body. Excessive intake of high-purine foods can lead to elevated UA levels in the body, which increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, gout, and related conditions. In this work, an integrated flexible three-electrode system for uric acid detection was constructed using a silk protein film as the substrate, carbon ink as the working and counter electrodes, and AgCl/Ag as the reference electrode. To further enhance the sensitivity and stability of the sensor, the carbonized derivative of ZIF-8 was employed as the sensing element to modify the surface of the working electrode. In the detection of uric acid, the modified sensor exhibited high sensitivity, strong stability, and good reproducibility. Additionally, the sensor possesses excellent breathability and biocompatibility, allowing it to adhere to the skin without causing discomfort or allergic reactions. The wearable uric acid sensor constructed in this study can detect changes in uric acid levels in sweat, providing a novel and cost-effective strategy for the development of high-performance in situ sweat monitoring platforms.

Development of an environmentally friendly catalyst system is a highly attractive strategy for modern organic synthesis. In this work, the direct alkenylation of 2-methylquinoline and benzaldehyde was achieved over a USY zeolite in the absence of any additive. The abundant accessible Brønsted acid sites promoted the adsorption and activation of 2-methylquinoline and benzaldehyde, leading to the formation of highly reactive intermediates of 2-methylene-1,2-dihydroquinoline and protonated benzaldehyde, respectively, through electrostatic interactions of the protic hydrogens at the Brønsted acid sites with N or O atoms in the substrates. The activity of the USY zeolite outperformed that of mesoporous HBeta and HZSM-5 zeolites with fewer accessible Brønsted acid sites.

The ubiquity and persistence of microplastics (MPs) and hydrophobic organic pollutants pose serious threats to aquatic environments and human health, necessitating the development of effective remediation strategies. In this study, a fluorine-free polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) functionalized platform was successfully fabricated via a UV-assisted thiol–ene click reaction without any initiator. The platform contained both SH- and OV-POSS, which led to a sponge with durable superhydrophobicity, enhanced stability, and dual adsorption capability toward oils and microplastics. The structural and chemical features of the POSS modified sorbent were systematically confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis. The modified platform by POSS features a highly interconnected porous structure and enhanced surface hydrophobicity (water contact angle: 153°). Kinetic and isotherm analyses demonstrate that the adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and is best described by the Freundlich isotherm, indicating multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces. The modified platform rapidly adsorbed nearly 90% of MPs from aqueous suspension, maintaining high removal efficiency even after multiple reuse cycles. The POSS modified sponge also shows outstanding oil and organic solvent sorption capacities and retains its efficiency after performing multiple absorption/desorption cycles, and an absorption capacity of up to 89 g g⁻¹ for oil/organic solutions was achieved. Overall, the POSS-functionalized sponge proves to be a sustainable, efficient, and versatile platform for large-scale water treatment applications targeting both microplastics and oil pollution removal from aquatic media.

Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as a pressing planetary issue, necessitating immediate attention from scientists, engineers, and industrialists. Owing to their synthetic and non-degradable nature, coupled with their diminutive sizes, MPs can easily infiltrate biological systems through inhalation, consumption, or ingestion. Considering the toxicological impacts of MPs on humans and aquatic biota, scientific communities are devising innovative technological solutions to eliminate MPs from contaminated water. Recent removal contrivances employing cutting-edge phenomenal approaches include filtration, adsorption, electrocoagulation, phytoremediation, phycoremediation, etc. Of these, adsorption stands out as a potential contender because of its simple operation, greater proficiency, reduced initial investment cost, low energy consumption, minimal sludge generation, and availability of precursor materials for sorbent development. To date, the potential of the adsorption process has not been comprehensively reviewed for the removal of MPs from aqueous media. Therefore, the current review aims to analyze recent technological advancements in developing promising sorbents and examine their efficacies for eradicating MPs. This study provides an in-depth assessment of distinct adsorbents, the adsorption mechanism, parameters impacting the mechanism, process modelling, and reusability assessment of sorbents. Furthermore, this review deciphers the challenges associated with the market penetration of produced adsorbents in expediting the transition from laboratory to commercial-scale applications. A bibliometric analysis is conducted to bridge existing knowledge gaps and previous studies to help the scientific community develop improved adsorption-based solutions. Hence, this review underscores the sustainability of adsorption-based methods, paving the way for the next-generation to adopt competent, sustainable and economical adsorbents for efficient expulsion of MPs from water.

Skin wound infections pose significant challenges in clinical practice, often leading to delayed healing and systemic complications. The overuse of antibiotics has exacerbated bacterial resistance, necessitating the development of alternative antibacterial strategies. Inspired by natural small molecule self-assembly, we developed a novel antibacterial dressing by inducing gallic acid (GA) to self-assemble into fibers through coordination with manganese ions (Mn²⁺). The Mn²⁺/GA self-assembled fibers exhibited excellent biocompatibility, sustained GA release, and enhanced antibacterial activity. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that these fibers significantly promoted the healing of Staphylococcus aureus-infected wounds by inhibiting bacterial growth and reducing inflammation. This study provides a new therapeutic strategy for treating infected wounds using metal ion-induced self-assembly of natural drug molecules.

Low-temperature plasma (LTP) degradation, a green and efficient technology, is widely used in the treatment of organic waste gases. n-Hexane is the main component of tar during biomass gasification. The treatment of high concentration n-hexane is much needed for practical applications, but it is rarely reported. In this study, the degradation process and mechanism of high concentration n-hexane under LTP treatment were investigated. The results showed that the removal efficiency of n-hexane increased with increasing specific input energy (SIE) and residence time. However, it decreased with increasing concentration under constant SIE and residence time. Under humid air conditions, with a concentration of 130 000 ppm and a residence time of 13.3 s, the maximum removal efficiency of n-hexane reached 87.6%. At the same time, the introduction of water vapor enhances the dissociation process of n-hexane, leading to increased hydrogen, CO, and CO₂, improving the DBD environment, and preventing the attachment of solid residues. Through mechanism analysis, it is speculated that there are three possible conversion paths of n-hexane. This research not only fills a theoretical gap in this field but also provides a foundation for future low-temperature plasma degradation of n-hexane.

Kinetics of aminolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene by PAMAM dendrimers of four generations (G0, G1, G3 and G4) and a reference compound, N-acetyl ethylenediamine (AcEn), have been studied within a pH range of 6 to 11. Observed rate constants per one amino group for dendrimers are close to those for AcEn at high pH but in neutral solutions a 10-fold dendritic effect is observed with both substrates. For G0 and G1 the individual rate constants of dendrimer species in different protonation states were determined analyzing the pH-rate profiles by multiple linear regression using the species distribution diagrams obtained from the potentiometric titrations of dendrimers. Although the protonation of dendrimers induces a decrease in pK_a values of protonated amino groups, the rate constants remain unaffected by protonation and the dendritic effect can be attributed entirely to an increased relative fraction of neutral amino groups in partially protonated species due to a decrease in pK_a. A similar conclusion can be drawn for G3 and G4 dendrimers analyzing the dependencies of the observed rate constants based on potentiometrically determined concentrations of free amino groups at variable pH. The reaction with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene can be used for a quantification of dendrimers in a µM concentration range in DMSO solution.

Phosphate-intercalated MgAl–LDH phases were successfully synthesized using three distinct synthetic approaches, and their phosphate release properties were thoroughly investigated. By tuning the synthesis parameters, the particle size was modulated from 2.0 ± 0.3 µm (urea method) to 75 ± 10 nm (flash co-precipitation). Following anion exchange, each phosphate-loaded phase exhibited a phosphorus content consistent with the stoichiometry of pure HPO₄²⁻-containing LDH, while preserving both particle size and morphology. Structural characterization revealed that the intercalation modes and basal stacking configurations varied with particle size. Simulations of ³¹P MAS NMR spectra identified up to five distinct phosphorus environments, indicating complex structural heterogeneity. The mechanism of phosphate incorporation was found to be strongly influenced by the size of the LDH precursor particles, whereas the total phosphate content correlated primarily with the M(II)/M(III) molar ratio. Our results demonstrated that smaller particles exhibit enhanced phosphate release, with release kinetics governed by a combination of mechanisms, including partial matrix dissolution, anion exchange with carbonate, and phase-specific dissolution. These findings provided new insights into the design of LDH-based materials for controlled phosphate delivery applications.

Ureteral stents are widely used in urological surgery to maintain urinary drainage and facilitate postoperative recovery, yet for short-term biodegradable stents, achieving simultaneous control over degradation rate and mode remains a major challenge. Poly(glycolide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PGC) is an elastomeric copolymer with excellent mechanical flexibility but insufficiently rapid degradation for short-term indwelling use. In this study, nano magnesium oxide (MgO) was incorporated into PGC to regulate its degradation behavior and mechanical stability. The structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of PGC/MgO composites were characterized using FT-IR, SEM-EDS, DSC, and mechanical testing, while their in vitro degradation was systematically evaluated in simulated urine. PGC initially exhibited a bulk-degradation mode that gradually transitioned to a surface erosion-like pattern. The incorporation of MgO effectively accelerated degradation by promoting ester bond hydrolysis and facilitating molecular chain scission, whereas excessive MgO loading caused premature loss of mechanical integrity. The 5 wt% MgO formulation achieved the most balanced performance, maintaining sufficient mechanical support for approximately four weeks and enabling gradual, particulate-type degradation thereafter. Mg²⁺ release remained within physiologically safe limits, confirming good biocompatibility. These findings are based on experiments conducted on specimens, and further research is needed. This work can serve as a valuable reference for future stent designs and animal studies.

B(C₆F₅)₃-catalyzed one-pot formations of Se–P and C–Se bonds are described. A variety of selenocyanates coupled with phosphonates or indoles to provide the corresponding phosphoroselenoates and 3-selenylindoles in moderate to good yields. The distinct advantages of this one-pot protocol include the use of readily available starting materials, mild reaction conditions, and a broad substrate scope. Mechanistic studies suggest that the borane catalyst activates selenocyanates to form electrophilic species, which drive this selenation reaction.