M. A. Quintana, D. Rodriguez-Padrón, P. Jiménez-Calvo, M. Calero, R. R. Solís and M. J. Muñoz-Batista
{"title":"Selective production of aldehydes: from traditional alternatives to alcohol photo-oxidation using g-C3N4-based materials","authors":"M. A. Quintana, D. Rodriguez-Padrón, P. Jiménez-Calvo, M. Calero, R. R. Solís and M. J. Muñoz-Batista","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00229J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00229J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Once largely overlooked, selective photocatalysis has recently seen rapid development and now includes several new applications. One of the most sought-after applications is the photocatalytic oxidation of alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes. There is significant interest in the selective production of compounds such as benzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, and vanillin using this technology, among various other valuable components. This work examines common production methods and alternative synthesis routes for aldehydes from their alcohols, focusing on g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small>-based photocatalytic schemes. The discussion includes an analysis of g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small> structures that have shown significant results in the selective oxidation of alcohols and provides a critical review of the mechanism, highlighting the importance of reporting quantum yields of the reaction. Literature data suggest that photocatalysis is a viable alternative to traditional aldehyde production methods, with maximum selectivity values towards the product of interest (>99%), but catalytic activity remains limited, with relatively low quantum yields, restricting the transition beyond the laboratory scale. However, the charge handling in g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small>-based advanced materials is adequate for this application, and their implementation under solar illumination conditions is promising.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 12","pages":" 3760-3784"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00229j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaoyan Yang, Xiaoke Lv, Tao Wen, Zhen Wang, Yubin Zhou, Tianmeng Zhang and Jianfeng Zhang
{"title":"In situ polymerized porous Ti3C2Tx/PANI as an electrode material for enhanced desalination performance in asymmetric capacitive deionization†","authors":"Xiaoyan Yang, Xiaoke Lv, Tao Wen, Zhen Wang, Yubin Zhou, Tianmeng Zhang and Jianfeng Zhang","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00123D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00123D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Capacitive deionization (CDI) has emerged as a sustainable technology for water desalination due to its low energy consumption and environmental compatibility. MXenes are promising CDI electrode materials owing to their hydrophilicity, metallic conductivity, and surface redox activity. However, the strong interlayer van der Waals forces between Ti<small><sub>3</sub></small>C<small><sub>2</sub></small>T<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small> layers lead to severe self-restacking, thus decreasing the desalination performance. Herein, a porous Ti<small><sub>3</sub></small>C<small><sub>2</sub></small>T<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small>/polyaniline (PANI) composite material synthesized through <em>in situ</em> polymerization achieves a remarkable salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of 32.06 mg g<small><sup>−1</sup></small> in 500 mg L<small><sup>−1</sup></small> NaCl solution, surpassing pristine Ti<small><sub>3</sub></small>C<small><sub>2</sub></small>T<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small> by 78%. Polyaniline can effectively reduce the self-stacking effect of Ti<small><sub>3</sub></small>C<small><sub>2</sub></small>T<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small>, increase its exposed active sites, and improve the stability and conductivity of Ti<small><sub>3</sub></small>C<small><sub>2</sub></small>T<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small> through the addition of polyaniline, thereby enhancing its salt adsorption capacity and rate in capacitive deionization technology. This work provides a rational design strategy for MXene-based composites toward high-performance CDI systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 12","pages":" 4037-4045"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00123d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Strategic design of binary transition metal sulfides for superior asymmetric supercapacitors†","authors":"Junaid Khan, A. Ahmed and Abdullah A. Al-Kahtani","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00052A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00052A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Transition metal sulfides have emerged as promising materials for asymmetric supercapacitors due to their excellent electrochemical properties, including high specific capacitance and superior cycling stability. These characteristics offer significant potential for advancing energy storage technologies with improved performance and efficiency. In this study, a series of bimetallic sulfides were synthesized by systematically varying the nickel-to-cobalt ratio, starting from individual phases of NiS<small><sub>2</sub></small> and CoS<small><sub>2</sub></small>. Among the prepared compositions, Ni<small><sub>0.5</sub></small>Co<small><sub>0.5</sub></small>S<small><sub>2</sub></small> demonstrated the most outstanding electrochemical behavior, achieving a high specific capacity of 1710 C g<small><sup>−1</sup></small> at a scan rate of 0.002 V s<small><sup>−1</sup></small>. When employed as the anode material in an asymmetric supercapacitor device, it delivered an impressive energy density of 120 W h kg<small><sup>−1</sup></small> at a power density of 1020 W kg<small><sup>−1</sup></small>. Notably, even at a high power density of 8510 W kg<small><sup>−1</sup></small>, the device retained a substantial energy density of 36 W h kg<small><sup>−1</sup></small>. Furthermore, the device exhibited excellent long-term cycling performance, maintaining 96% of its initial capacity after 4000 continuous charge–discharge cycles at a current density of 10 A g<small><sup>−1</sup></small>. These findings highlight the strong potential of Ni<small><sub>0.5</sub></small>Co<small><sub>0.5</sub></small>S<small><sub>2</sub></small> as an efficient and durable electrode material for next-generation high-performance asymmetric supercapacitor systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 10","pages":" 3344-3354"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00052a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joanne Li, Armando Garcia, Anett Kondor, Corinne Stone, Martin Smith, Mike Dennis and Koon-Yang Lee
{"title":"Zeolitic imidazolate framework decorated bacterial cellulose coating for enhancing particulate filtration and adsorption from liquid and vapour phases of woven fabric†","authors":"Joanne Li, Armando Garcia, Anett Kondor, Corinne Stone, Martin Smith, Mike Dennis and Koon-Yang Lee","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00048C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00048C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >There is currently a timely need for protective textiles used against hazardous chemical warfare agents (CWAs) to move away from fluorinated polymers due to the increasing environmental and health concerns associated with perfluoroalkyl substances. This represents a technical challenge as fluorinated surfaces are important to impart hydrophobicity and oleophobicity to prevent liquid CWAs from reaching the skin level. In this work, we report an alternative approach to increase the adsorption capacity and barrier properties of textiles through metal–organic framework decorated nanocellulose. Bacterial cellulose (BC) was decorated with zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) through the growing of ZIF-67 in the presence of BC. ZIF-BC possessed a higher surface area of ∼400 m<small><sup>2</sup></small> g<small><sup>−1</sup></small>, higher <em>n</em>-hexane and ethanol vapour sorption, as well as higher Congo red liquid sorption capacities compared to neat BC. When used as an ultra-low grammage coating for an open porous woven textile substrate, ZIF-67 decorated BC was able to offer an enhanced barrier performance in terms of reduced air permeability and increased aerosol particulate filtration efficiency (up to 97% for PM<small><sub>1</sub></small> at a coating grammage of 1 g m<small><sup>−2</sup></small>) without sacrificing moisture transmission rate compared to uncoated woven textile and woven textile decorated with ZIF-67 only. Our work opens up new possibilities in the fluorine-free coating of protective textiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 13","pages":" 4202-4210"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00048c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144519511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"High photocatalytic performance of ZnGa2O4/Ga2O3 double-shell hollow sphere structures prepared via a one-step hydrothermal method†","authors":"Zeyu Yang, Jizhou Yang and Haibo Fan","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00179J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00179J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In this study, photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) using one-step hydrothermally prepared ZnGa<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small>/Ga<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small> heterojunctions with double-shell hollow sphere structures was investigated. It was found that this structure greatly improved the photocatalytic performance through the formation of an S-scheme heterojunction at the interface between ZnGa<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> and Ga<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small>. By optimizing the feed ratio, a maximum RhB degradation rate of 0.1133 min<small><sup>−1</sup></small> was obtained, which was nearly 2 times higher than that of the Ga<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small> monomer photocatalyst, 5 times higher than that of the ZnGa<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> monomer photocatalyst, and 96 times higher than the RhB self-degradation rate. Capture experiments showed that h<small><sup>+</sup></small> played a key role in the efficient decomposition of RhB reactive groups. This study provides a new idea and a simple preparation method for the novel ZnGa<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small>/Ga<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small> S-scheme heterojunctions for efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 12","pages":" 4096-4105"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00179j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucas Santos-Juanes, Noelia Rodriguez-Sanchez, Salvador R. G. Balestra, Nuria O. Núñez, Antonio Arques, A. Rabdel Ruiz-Salvador and Menta Ballesteros
{"title":"A hypervalent metal MOF catalyst as an avenue to go beyond heterogeneous Fenton-like processes for organic contaminant removal in water†","authors":"Lucas Santos-Juanes, Noelia Rodriguez-Sanchez, Salvador R. G. Balestra, Nuria O. Núñez, Antonio Arques, A. Rabdel Ruiz-Salvador and Menta Ballesteros","doi":"10.1039/D4MA01217H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MA01217H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently been proposed as a plausible solution to the pressing issue of water scarcity and as a means of remediating contaminated water bodies. In light-assisted water treatment, they have so far only been exploited <em>via</em> the hydroxyl radical route, through Fenton-like processes. A new avenue is introduced here by the biomimetic conceptual design of MOF bearing hypervalent metal atoms for photocatalytic water treatment. We report a zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF) material doped with iron (Fe-ZIF-7-III; UPO-4) synthesized <em>via</em> a novel mild treatment to stabilize photoactive hypervalent ferryl ions for the first time in a MOF for water treatment. The successful synthesis of the 2D material and the adequate incorporation of iron into the structure were demonstrated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A simulation study analyzed the structure and stability of the Fe-ZIF-7-III material as well as the involvement of ferryl ions in the photo-Fenton-type process. Furthermore, the calculated band gap of this material shows its viability for use in photocatalysis using sunlight. This was confirmed by evaluating the photodegradation of caffeine, a model pollutant in water, without the assistance of hydroxyl radicals as indicated by a scavenger test. The recyclability test revealed that Fe-ZIF-7-III could be used continuously with effective catalytic activity, thus opening the door to the field of studying hypervalent metal MOFs not yet explored in water treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 11","pages":" 3612-3621"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d4ma01217h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144206229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abir Douzi, Sami Slimi, Eduard Madirov, Masood Ghotbi, Andrey Turshatov, Rosa Maria Solé, Magdalena Aguiló, Francesc Díaz, Ezzedine Ben Salem, Bryce S. Richards and Xavier Mateos
{"title":"Photoluminescence characteristics and optical temperature sensing of orange-red emitting oxyapatite phosphor Ca3La7(SiO4)5(PO4)O2:Sm3+","authors":"Abir Douzi, Sami Slimi, Eduard Madirov, Masood Ghotbi, Andrey Turshatov, Rosa Maria Solé, Magdalena Aguiló, Francesc Díaz, Ezzedine Ben Salem, Bryce S. Richards and Xavier Mateos","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00128E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00128E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In this study, we successfully synthesized a series of oxyapatite phosphors, Ca<small><sub>3</sub></small>La<small><sub>7</sub></small>(SiO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)<small><sub>5</sub></small>(PO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)O<small><sub>2</sub></small> doped with Sm<small><sup>3+</sup></small> ions, using a high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The synthesis process involved varying the concentrations of Sm<small><sup>3+</sup></small> dopants to investigate their impact on the phosphors' structural and luminescent properties. The phase purity of the synthesized material was evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which confirmed a hexagonal crystal structure. Additionally, the XRD results validated the high phase purity of the prepared oxyapatite phosphors and demonstrated the successful incorporation of Sm<small><sup>3+</sup></small> ions into two separate crystallographic sites within the lattice. Raman scattering spectra revealed distinct vibrational modes corresponding to the stretching and bending vibrations of the PO<small><sub>4</sub></small> and SiO<small><sub>4</sub></small> groups in the structure of the synthesized material. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrated the morphology of the sample. The photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra of Ca<small><sub>3</sub></small>La<small><sub>7</sub></small>(SiO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)<small><sub>5</sub></small>(PO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)O<small><sub>2</sub></small>:Sm<small><sup>3+</sup></small> phosphors were investigated. Upon excitation with near-ultraviolet (near-UV) light, the phosphors exhibited four distinct emission peaks at wavelengths of 565 nm, 598 nm, 648 nm, and 708 nm. Ca<small><sub>3</sub></small>La<small><sub>7</sub></small>(SiO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)<small><sub>5</sub></small>(PO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)O<small><sub>2</sub></small>:Sm<small><sup>3+</sup></small> phosphors exhibit strong orange-red emission centered at 598 nm, attributed to multipole–multipole interactions, and demonstrate rapid decay rates, making them promising candidates for temperature sensing and supplementary solid-state lighting applications. The CIE chromaticity coordinates of phosphors with varying Sm<small><sup>3+</sup></small> concentrations consistently fall within the orange-red region, confirming their characteristic light emission. Consequently, the synthesized Ca<small><sub>3</sub></small>La<small><sub>7</sub></small>(SiO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)<small><sub>5</sub></small>(PO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)O<small><sub>2</sub></small>:Sm<small><sup>3+</sup></small> phosphor shows significant potential for use in white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). The relative sensitivity of the Ca<small><sub>3</sub></small>La<small><sub>7</sub></small>(SiO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)<small><sub>5</sub></small>(PO<small><sub>4</sub></small>)O<small><sub>2</sub></small>:6 at% Sm<small><sup>3+</sup></small> was measured to be approximately 0.212% K","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 11","pages":" 3634-3647"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00128e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144206231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Megan Heath, Elise Fosdal Closs, Svein Sunde and Frode Seland
{"title":"Exploring the combustion synthesis for yttrium ruthenate pyrochlores as OER electrocatalysts†","authors":"Megan Heath, Elise Fosdal Closs, Svein Sunde and Frode Seland","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00362H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00362H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Yttrium ruthenate pyrochlores have become popular as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in water electrolysis. However, the traditional synthesis routes used to prepare these Y<small><sub>2</sub></small>Ru<small><sub>2−<em>x</em></sub></small>Y<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small>O<small><sub>7</sub></small> electrocatalysts require calcination at temperatures higher than 1000 °C for extended periods of time, resulting in highly sintered particles. We propose an alternative synthesis route, a glycine combustion method, that reduces the calcination time to only two hours to obtain porous pyrochlores. These pyrochlores contain a small RuO<small><sub>2</sub></small> impurity phase that is eliminated when the combusted product is calcined for nine hours instead of two. When the combustion synthesis is combined with a molten salt synthesis (MSS), there is no impurity phase, but large pyrochlore crystallites in a porous matrix are produced. The electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) is an order of magnitude lower than the other pyrochlores prepared, negatively affecting the electrocatalytic activity. In addition to altering the fuel and calcination conditions used in the synthesis, the oxidiser : fuel ratio (<em>ϕ</em>) has also been altered to manipulate the intensity of the combustion reaction. A <em>ϕ</em> = 1, an explosive reaction takes place. The intensity is reduced to a slow burn when adjusting <em>ϕ</em> to 0.3. The synthesised pyrochlores have been analysed with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and Raman spectroscopy. They have also been tested as OER electrocatalysts in 0.5 M H<small><sub>2</sub></small>SO<small><sub>4</sub></small>. Combustion-synthesised Y<small><sub>2</sub></small>Ru<small><sub>2−<em>x</em></sub></small>Y<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small>O<small><sub>7</sub></small> calcined for nine hours has an active-area normalised current of 1.52 mA cm<small><sup>−2</sup></small> at 1.6 V, which is almost two times higher than that of the same pyrochlore prepared by citric acid, and three times higher than that of RuO<small><sub>2</sub></small> and IrO<small><sub>2</sub></small>.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 11","pages":" 3622-3633"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00362h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144206230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Procion red dye chemically bonded PGMA microspheres towards leakage free and sensitivity improved lateral flow immunoassay†","authors":"Yunpeng Wang, Xiaoru Dai, Songle Wang, Pragati Awasthi, Wenkun Dong, Dong Chen, Shisheng Ling, Xvsheng Qiao, Zhiyu Wang, Xianping Fan and Guodong Qian","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00130G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00130G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Lateral flow immunoassay strips (LFIAs) are reliable tools for point-of-care testing. However, their sensitivity is limited by the low extinction coefficient of microspheres with low dye content. To avoid these flaws, we report here a type of Procion red chemical-bonded amino-decorated poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) microspheres through a three-step process, including a soap-free emulsion polymerization and carboxyl-functionalization, an amination, and a final colorization process. Ethylenediamine and Procion red are introduced onto PGMA microspheres with high concentrations of 10.2 N wt% and 39.1 wt%, respectively. Due to such heavy introduction of chemically bonded dyes, the molar extinction coefficient reached up to 3.28 × 10<small><sup>11</sup></small> L mol<small><sup>−1</sup></small> cm<small><sup>−1</sup></small>, which significantly exceeds that of commercially used colloidal gold nanoparticles (9.44 × 10<small><sup>9</sup></small> L mol<small><sup>−1</sup></small> cm<small><sup>−1</sup></small>). Based on the colored PGMA microspheres, we propose a drop casting and photo scanning protocol to find the minimum detectable particle density of the microspheres. As a result, the Procion red bonded PGMA microspheres could be easily identified with a density as low as 4.43 × 10<small><sup>4</sup></small> particles per mm<small><sup>2</sup></small>. Finally, when applied to COVID-19 antigen detection, the microspheres achieved a sensitivity of 0.025 ng mL<small><sup>−1</sup></small> and exhibited broad pH (3–11) and long-term (7 months) stability and high specificity. They are better or comparable to other typical bio-label materials, such as colloidal gold nanoparticles and dye-composite polystyrene (PS) microspheres. The Procion red bonded PGMA microspheres offer several advantages for diagnosing major sudden and high-incidence diseases, facilitating rapid screening while maintaining high bio-detection sensitivity and stability without modifying the test format.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 12","pages":" 4016-4026"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00130g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessment of hyaluronic acid-conjugated pH-sensitive liposomes for prednisolone delivery to activated macrophages†","authors":"Andreia Marinho, Salette Reis and Cláudia Nunes","doi":"10.1039/D5MA00041F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00041F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Background: inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, are major health problems worldwide, often treated with glucocorticoids. These exert anti-inflammatory effects by modulating macrophages and other cells involved in the inflammatory response. While they can be highly effective in managing inflammation, long-term use of glucocorticoids is associated with significant side effects, highlighting the need for targeted strategies and controlled release in specific tissues and cells. We propose the use of hyaluronic acid-conjugated pH-sensitive liposomes to deliver prednisolone (LipoHA:PDP) to activated macrophages. Materials & methods: we evaluated the cytotoxicity and targeting potential of LipoHA:PDP using the THP-1 cell line. Results: LipoHA:PDP significantly inhibited the release of inflammatory mediators and reduced NF-κB translocation to the nucleus. The liposomes also decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Moreover, LipoHA:PDP prevented albumin denaturation, which impacts immune recognition, inflammation, and tissue damage. Conclusion: LipoHA:PDP was revealed to be a promising nanotherapy to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and efficiency of prednisolone on chronic inflammation long-term treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":18242,"journal":{"name":"Materials Advances","volume":" 12","pages":" 3875-3888"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ma/d5ma00041f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}