Small SciencePub Date : 2026-10-16eCollection Date: 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.70412
Vivek Manish, Roberto Baretta, Giada Bombardelli, Guglielmo Trentini, Chiara Morano, Andrea Gaiardo, Luisa Petti, Alvise Bagolini, Leonardo Pagnotta, Marco Frasconi, Maria F Pantano
{"title":"Highly Stretchable Polyrotaxane Thin-Film Substrates for Printed Electronics.","authors":"Vivek Manish, Roberto Baretta, Giada Bombardelli, Guglielmo Trentini, Chiara Morano, Andrea Gaiardo, Luisa Petti, Alvise Bagolini, Leonardo Pagnotta, Marco Frasconi, Maria F Pantano","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70412","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.70412","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thin polymeric films with high mechanical robustness and stretchability are essential for the development of flexible and stretchable electronic devices. Here, we present a versatile strategy for fabricating freestanding polymer films with tunable mechanical properties while maintaining large stretchability. The films are fabricated by chemically cross-linking multi-arm poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate (4-arm-PEG-A) with polyrotaxane (PR) units composed of α-cyclodextrins (α-CDs) threaded along a linear PEG backbone. By varying the degree of PR functionalization and its content, the mechanical properties of the films can be systematically tuned, enabling simultaneous enhancement of strength, toughness, and stiffness, with failure strains exceeding 150%. The resulting films were used as substrates for stretchable temperature sensors, which maintained stable performance under an applied strain of ~60%. These results demonstrate that polyrotaxane-based thin films provide mechanically robust and functionally compatible substrates for stretchable electronics operating under large deformations.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70412"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13673407/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149216836","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":"Phonon-Modulated Kerr Nonlinearity in Ultrathin 2<i>H</i>-MoTe<sub>2</sub>.","authors":"Shaoxiang Sheng, Yang Luo, Chenyu Wang, Sayooj Sateesh, Yaxian Wang, Marko Burkhard, Sayantan Patra, Bhumika Chauhan, Ashish Arora, Sheng Meng, Manish Garg","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70424","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.70424","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Controlling nonequilibrium responses in optically driven quantum materials is essential for advancing applications in energy conversion, ultrafast electronics, and quantum computation. Nonlinear optical spectroscopy serves as a powerful tool to investigate ultrafast electron and phonon dynamics in these systems; however, conventional nonlinear approaches often require intense laser pulses and typically encounter a strong background. Here, we introduce a phase-sensitive nonlinear spectroscopic technique that operates at low pulse energies (~10 pJ) and enables real-time monitoring and active control of coherent phonons in few-layer (three to five layers thick) 2<i>H</i>-MoTe<sub>2</sub>. Upon excitation with ultrashort (~10 fs) pump pulses, we achieve displacive excitation of coherent phonons, which periodically modulate the Kerr nonlinearity of the material, leading to cross-phase modulation (XPM) of a delayed probe pulse. This phase modulation induces spectral broadening and oscillations in the center of mass (COM) of the probe spectrum in time, enabling the detection of subtle nonlinear optical responses in a background-free manner. The nonlinear response can be selectively amplified or attenuated by adjusting the strength of the pump pulse. A dual-pump pulse scheme enables precise control of phonon oscillations, allowing selective activation or suppression of specific phonon modes and correspondingly the modulation of the Kerr nonlinearity.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70424"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13669667/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149216802","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}
Small SciencePub Date : 2026-10-14eCollection Date: 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.70411
Apurba Mahapatra, Ayon Das Mahapatra, Dipanjan Maity, Samrat Das Adhikari, Manoranjan Mandal, Alexander Eychmüller, Daniel Prochowicz, Fabian Paulus
{"title":"Future Outlook Toward Heavy-Metal-Free Metal Chalcogenide Nanocrystals for Optoelectronic Applications.","authors":"Apurba Mahapatra, Ayon Das Mahapatra, Dipanjan Maity, Samrat Das Adhikari, Manoranjan Mandal, Alexander Eychmüller, Daniel Prochowicz, Fabian Paulus","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70411","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.70411","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) represent a transformative class of materials for next-generation optoelectronic devices, including photodetectors (PDs), photovoltaics (PVs), catalysis, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Historically, research in this field has been dominated by toxic heavy-metal-based systems (Cd, Pb, Hg), but it is now undergoing a critical shift toward sustainability, driven by health concerns and RoHS regulations. This review provides a comprehensive overview of heavy-metal-free (HMF) chalcogenide NCs, including binary, ternary, and multinary systems. We analyze the fundamental principles governing their performance, specifically size-dependent quantum confinement and compositional tuning that allow these \"green\" alternatives to achieve photoluminescence quantum yields exceeding 70%-90% and power conversion efficiencies of 8%-12%. This review further explores the unique structure-property relationships of HMF chalcogenide NCs, highlighting their superior biocompatibility, low toxicity profiles, and defect-tolerant electronic structures. Diverse applications are evaluated, ranging from broadband infrared photodetection to high-purity color emission for QLEDs. Special emphasis is placed on the challenges of surface engineering and ligand exchange, focusing on the transition from time-consuming layer-by-layer processing to efficient one-step solution-phase strategies. Finally, future research directions are outlined, including mitigation of ions in HMF chalcogenide NCs and development of self-powered sensing platforms for the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable electronics.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70411"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662629/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149196704","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":"Electrochemical Investigation of Compatibility Between Chloride- and Sulfide-Based Solid Electrolytes Using Four-Electrode Cells.","authors":"Kotaro Yoshida, Atsunori Ikezawa, Peng Song, Shoma Yanagihara, Takuma Kasahara, Takeyoshi Okajima, Saneyuki Ohno, Hajime Arai","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70414","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.70414","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The use of solid electrolytes (SEs) allows for the construction of solid-state cells with bilayer-to-multilayer architectures. By appropriate choice of electrolytes for the positive- and negative-electrode sides, electrolyte degradation can be mitigated, thus considerably increasing the design flexibility. However, certain electrolyte combinations lead to nonideal chemical compatibility, increasing the heteroelectrolyte interfacial resistance. Precise measurement of the interfacial resistance is necessary for quantitatively evaluating the compatibility of solid electrolytes. In this work, we employed a solid-state four-electrode cell to investigate the compatibility between three chloride-based SEs-(Li<sub>3</sub>InCl<sub>6</sub> (LIC), Li<sub>3</sub>ScCl<sub>6</sub> (LSC), and Li<sub>3</sub>YCl<sub>6</sub> (LYC))-and the sulfide-based Li<sub>7</sub>P<sub>2</sub>S<sub>8</sub>I (LPSI). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis reveals that the growth rate of the interfacial resistance is the highest in LIC, but the activation energies of the interfacial resistances are identical in all three SEs. Temperature-dependent synchrotron X-ray diffraction and density functional theory calculations strongly suggest that Li<sub>4</sub>PS<sub>4</sub>I, whose activation energy is similar to those measured by EIS, is the common interfacial product among the three cells, and that its relative degree of formation is consistent with the difference in interfacial resistance growth. This study demonstrates that electrochemical measurements using solid-state four-electrode cells constitute a promising technique for precisely investigating unstable heteroelectrolyte interfaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70414"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650415/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168506","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}
Small SciencePub Date : 2026-10-08eCollection Date: 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.70425
Muhzamil A Khan, Elena Bernalte, Ridho Asra, Robert S Tapping, Ana C M Oliveira, Alan M Jones, Rodrigo A A Muñoz, Samuel Rowley-Neale, Robert D Crapnell, Craig E Banks
{"title":"Additive Manufacturing Engineering for Electrochemistry: Conductive High-Density Polyethylene Filament Expands the Materials Landscape.","authors":"Muhzamil A Khan, Elena Bernalte, Ridho Asra, Robert S Tapping, Ana C M Oliveira, Alan M Jones, Rodrigo A A Muñoz, Samuel Rowley-Neale, Robert D Crapnell, Craig E Banks","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.70425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Additive manufactured electrochemical platforms produced using bespoke conductive filaments are becoming increasingly established within modern electrochemical research; however, the latest developments within the field of additive manufacturing electrochemistry using fused filament fabrication technology have shown that it is constrained by the available material pool. Here, we introduce the first conductive high-density poly(ethylene) (HDPE) filament engineered for additive manufacturing implementation as a new alternative for conductive, chemically resilient filaments which is paramount to unlocking new applications. Using a thermal compounding process that avoids environmentally harmful chemical solvents, 40 wt% carbon black (CB) was incorporated into HDPE and extruded into a flexible, plasticizer-free filament with a low bulk resistivity of 16.4 (±1.0) Ω cm<sup>‒</sup> <sup>1</sup>. Following printing, electrochemical activation was required to expose the conductive carbon black phase and generate the functional electrode surface, particularly for inner-sphere electron transfer. Optimized additive manufacturing produced electrochemical platforms with reproducible performance and heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics corresponding to 2.93 (±0.19) × 10<sup>-3</sup> cm s<sup>-1</sup>. Electrochemical stability testing revealed that the CB/HDPE additive manufactured electrodes exhibited consistent voltammetric responses for over 60 scans, representing an improvement compared to other conductive polymer feedstocks. Over a 70-day period, the CB/HDPE electrodes also maintained chemical stability following immersion in six different solvents. The material's versatility was demonstrated through proof of concept for the electrosynthetic oxidation of chlorpromazine-to-chlorpromazine sulfoxide and the electroanalytical determination of caffeine in commercial energy and coffee beverages, which was validated against liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy, both in aqueous and organic media. This work establishes conductive HDPE as a new entrant to the additive manufacturing electrochemistry toolkit, expanding the material landscape and enabling applications previously inaccessible with existing polymers.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70425"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650387/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149169956","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}
Small SciencePub Date : 2026-10-07eCollection Date: 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.70422
Silas C Eiden, Robert F Sojka, Christian Delavier, Sebastian Grieger, Jana Zaumseil, Eva Blasco
{"title":"3D DLP Fabrication of Electrically Conductive Polypyrrole Nanocomposites.","authors":"Silas C Eiden, Robert F Sojka, Christian Delavier, Sebastian Grieger, Jana Zaumseil, Eva Blasco","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70422","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.70422","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conjugated polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) combine high electronic conductivity with good biocompatibility, making them attractive for flexible electronics or biomedical applications. However, their limited processability remains a major challenge, motivating the exploration of advanced fabrication strategies such as additive manufacturing. Among these, light-based 3D printing offers high resolution and geometric freedom. However, its compatibility with strong absorbing and poor soluble materials such as PPy remains limited. Here, we report a new strategy integrating presynthesized, defined PPy nanoparticles into photocurable inks for digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. Four distinct PPy nanoparticles have been synthesized via chemical oxidation polymerization using FeCl<sub>3</sub> or APS as oxidants and SDS or DBSA as surfactants in aqueous media. The resulting materials have been characterized in depth in terms of their structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties. Stable inks containing 3.0-5.0 wt% PPy nanoparticles enable DLP printing at 405 nm, yielding single- and multilayer 3D structures with high fidelity, rapid curing and electrical conductivities up to 3 × 10<sup>-2</sup> S cm<sup>-1</sup>. This work establishes a new route for direct incorporation of PPy into inks for DLP printing, opening new opportunities for the additive manufacturing of electrically conductive polymer materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70422"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646484/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149138471","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}
Small SciencePub Date : 2026-10-07eCollection Date: 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.70413
Jennifer Patino-Alonso, Mónica Muñoz-Úbeda, Iván López-Montero, M José Ruiz-Magaña, Carmen Ruiz-Ruiz, Ignacio Porras, Miquel Nuez-Martínez, Rosario Núñez, Beatriz M Illescas, Justo Cabrera-González, Nazario Martín
{"title":"[60]Fullerene-Cluster Hybrids as Boron-Dense Delivery Nanoplatforms.","authors":"Jennifer Patino-Alonso, Mónica Muñoz-Úbeda, Iván López-Montero, M José Ruiz-Magaña, Carmen Ruiz-Ruiz, Ignacio Porras, Miquel Nuez-Martínez, Rosario Núñez, Beatriz M Illescas, Justo Cabrera-González, Nazario Martín","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70413","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.70413","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) relies on the accumulation of boron-10 within tumor cells to induce highly localized cytotoxicity upon neutron irradiation. The development of boron delivery systems with high boron content, biocompatibility, and efficient cellular uptake remains a critical challenge. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of unprecedented fullerene-boron cluster hybrids that integrate the multivalent scaffold of [60]fullerene with anionic boron clusters. Two [60]fullerene hexakis-adducts bearing twelve peripheral cobaltabisdicarbollide (COSAN) or <i>closo</i>-dodecaborate boron clusters have been prepared through a Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition strategy. The resulting nanostructures incorporate up to 216 boron atoms while preserving the structural integrity of both the fullerene core and the anionic boron clusters. Comprehensive spectroscopic and electrochemical characterization confirms the successful formation of the hybrids. To enable biological evaluation, the compounds are formulated into liposomes, showing excellent cytocompatibility and efficient cellular internalization in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and Cal33 human head and neck cancer cells. Confocal microscopy reveals predominant endolysosomal localization without significant cytotoxicity at therapeutically relevant boron concentrations. These results establish fullerene-boron cluster conjugates as a new class of boron-rich nanomaterials and highlight their potential as boron delivery agents for future BNCT studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70413"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646491/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149138507","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}
Small SciencePub Date : 2026-10-06eCollection Date: 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.70421
Hyeonjung Park, Changwoo Han, Yejoo Choi, Junseok Kim, Myeongjae Choi, Huiseong Shin, Seungjoon Jeong, Jeongheon Cho, Chaeho Kwon, Sang Min Won, Changhwan Shin
{"title":"Unveiling Search-Robust One-Shot Learning Operation in FeTFT-Based Ternary Content-Addressable Memory.","authors":"Hyeonjung Park, Changwoo Han, Yejoo Choi, Junseok Kim, Myeongjae Choi, Huiseong Shin, Seungjoon Jeong, Jeongheon Cho, Chaeho Kwon, Sang Min Won, Changhwan Shin","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70421","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.70421","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the rapid growth of data-centric artificial intelligence (AI), ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) has emerged as a promising platform for parallel in-memory search. Here, we systematically investigate how the gate-dielectric material and structural design of metal-ferroelectric-metal-insulator-semiconductor (MFMIS) ferroelectric thin-film transistors (FeTFTs) affect TCAM search operation and long-term robustness. By comparing ZrO<sub>2</sub> (11 nm), ZrO<sub>2</sub> (8 nm), and HfO<sub>2</sub> (8 nm) gate dielectrics, we decouple the effects of material substitution, thickness scaling, and equivalent-oxide-thickness (EOT)-matched behavior. All devices show proper initial TCAM operation, with ZrO<sub>2</sub> 8 nm exhibiting the highest initial sensing performance owing to its larger read current. Under repeated search cycling, however, ZrO<sub>2</sub> 11 nm proves the most robust, while HfO<sub>2</sub> 8 nm suffers the most severe degradation-governed by competition between electron trapping and donor-like state creation rather than conventional ferroelectric fatigue. One-shot classification simulations using experimentally extracted bit error rate (BER) trends confirm that device-level degradation directly translates into accuracy loss, with ZrO<sub>2</sub> 11 nm retaining the highest accuracy. Increasing the memcapacitor area ratio enlarges the memory window but degrades sensing response due to added parasitic capacitance and RC delay. These findings establish gate-dielectric and interface design guidelines for search-robust FeTFT-based TCAM.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70421"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13643206/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149138483","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}
Small SciencePub Date : 2026-10-05eCollection Date: 2026-10-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.70415
Dona Manayath, Monica Granetto, Tiziana Tosco, Jadranka Travas-Sejdic, Erin M Leitao, Melanie Kah
{"title":"Particle Size Measurement of Organic Nanocarriers: A Case Study Using Polyacrylate-Based Polymer Nanocarriers.","authors":"Dona Manayath, Monica Granetto, Tiziana Tosco, Jadranka Travas-Sejdic, Erin M Leitao, Melanie Kah","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.70415","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluates the sensitivity, detection limits, and applicability of size measurement techniques to polyacrylate-based polymer nanocarriers (PNCs) in a hydrated state. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), particle tracking analysis (PTA), cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential centrifugal sedimentation (DCS) are applied to commercial and laboratory-scale PNCs to assess the effect of UV-mediated crosslinking, as well as the impact of active substances (ASs) and commercial dispersants on size distribution. Polydispersity and low refractive index make DLS unreliable. PTA does not detect PNCs <50 nm and requires adapting concentrations to each PNC, challenging comparisons. DCS captures polydispersity but could not detect PNCs <50 nm either. Importantly, DLS, PTA, and DCS assume spherical geometry, but commercial PNCs are unlikely to be spherical, thus seriously challenging data interpretation. Cryo-TEM detects PNCs <50 nm and delivers the most reliable size distribution. Large differences among the PNCs tested warn against the use of model PNCs and read across when conducting risk assessment. Our results confirm the challenges and inadequacies in existing approaches and call for more research to develop multimethod approaches and adaptation of OECD guidelines to characterize PNCs, which are increasingly used across various sectors.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70415"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13635878/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115609","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":"Visualizing Reversible Uranyl (UO<sub>2</sub> <sup>2+</sup>) Capture and Release With Self-Indicating Porous Organic Polymers.","authors":"Nilojyoti Sahoo, Laraib Akhtar, Rameshwar Rai, Srinivasu Kancharlapalli, Venkata Suresh Mothika","doi":"10.1002/smsc.70416","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.70416","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Seawater uranium extraction is a promising sustainable energy pathway; however, practical application requires advanced adsorbents that combine reversible, high uranium-uptake capacity with the ability to track sorption cycles. Herein, we report self-indicating porous organic polymers (POPs), <i>Sal-POP</i> and <i>Im-POP</i>, containing uranyl (UO<sub>2</sub> <sup>2+</sup>) ion-coordinating salphen and <i>o</i>-hydroxy imine cores with UO<sub>2</sub> <sup>2+</sup> binding energies up to -71.94 kcal mol<sup>-1</sup> as uranium adsorbents, and demonstrate their reversible, high uranium extraction capacities up to 0.114 g g<sup>-1</sup> h<sup>-1</sup>. Enabled by the extended conjugation of salphen unit and strong UO<sub>2</sub> <sup>2+</sup> binding, <i>Sal</i>-<i>POP</i> readily changes color at uranium saturation from yellow to black and allows visual tracking of uranium adsorption/desorption cycles. With a high density of UO<sub>2</sub> <sup>2+</sup> binding sites, both <i>Sal</i>-<i>POP</i> and <i>Im</i>-<i>POP</i> demonstrate rapid, reversible, and high uranium uptake capacity, with distribution coefficients (<i>K</i> <sub>d</sub>) of 1.88 × 10<sup>5</sup> and 2.94 × 10<sup>5</sup> mL g<sup>-1</sup>, and removal efficiencies up to 70% and 78%<b>.</b> The uranyl capture is highly reversible, and the POP color changes from black to yellow upon simple elution with Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>, thus acting as a self-indicating POP adsorbent.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"6 10","pages":"e70416"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13639394/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115531","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}