{"title":"From Columns to Networks: Search toward the Elusive Single Gyroid with <i>π</i>-Shaped Polyphilic Liquid Crystalline Block Molecules.","authors":"Silvio Poppe, Changlong Chen, Yu Cao, Feng Liu, Carsten Tschierske","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500157","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500157","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Polyphilic block molecules form a wide range of new liquid crystalline (LC) phases with complex morphologies on a nanometer scale. Herein the soft self-assembly of <i>π</i>-shaped <i>p</i>-terphenyl-based bolapolyphiles having two adjacent aliphatic side chains at the central benzene ring (catechol dialkyl ethers) is reported with a focus on the design of single-network structures. Depending on the length of the side chains and temperature a series of polygonal honeycombs, a zeolite-like LC, a lamellar phase, and two segmented network phases with cubic symmetry is found. In these networks self-assembled glycerol spheres, forming the junctions, are interconnected by coaxial <i>p</i>-terphenyl bundles. Upon side-chain elongation, a double-gyroid phase with three-way junctions is replaced by the single diamond having a four-way junction network. However, the single gyroid supposed to be formed by further side-chain expansion could not be observed; instead, the LC self-assembly breaks down completely. It is hypothesized that the formation of single-network phases by bottom-up self-assembly in soft matter systems requires a minimum junction valence of at least 4 to stabilize the networks.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 7","pages":"2500157"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12257908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643717","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 : 2025-05-22eCollection Date: 2025-08-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202500198
Guanting Li, Jin Su, Chun Huang
{"title":"Battery Cathode with Vertically Aligned Microstructure Fabricated by Directional Ice Templating.","authors":"Guanting Li, Jin Su, Chun Huang","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500198","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500198","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conventional slurry coating (SC) makes battery electrodes with random microstructure containing tortuous pores that restrict lithium ion diffusion and reduce battery capacities at faster discharge rates. Herein, a novel directional ice templating (DIT) is developed to make LiNi<sub>0.8</sub>Mn<sub>0.1</sub>Co<sub>0.1</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (NMC811) cathodes that double the electrode mass loading and contain vertically aligned lamellae of electrode materials and pore channels to provide fast dual electron and ion transport. DIT uses in situ evolved ice structures to form the anisotropic microstructure. The effects on the chemical composition, bonding, and morphology of the NMC811 particles are studied using a range of surface-sensitive techniques including time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to guide the development of potentially more sustainable aqueous processing and eliminate the toxic, combustible organic solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone in conventional electrode processing. The DIT cathode breaks the trade-off between high energy densities and fast discharging, exhibiting higher areal capacities (12 mAh cm<sup>-2</sup>) than the SC electrode (7.0 mAh cm<sup>-2</sup>) at a discharge current density of 1.4 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, and maintains higher capacities at 9.8 mAh cm<sup>-2</sup> and 186 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> than 2.1 mAh cm<sup>-2</sup> and 64 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> for SC when the current is increased to 5.7 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 8","pages":"2500198"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12362797/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972023","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 : 2025-05-21eCollection Date: 2025-07-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202500263
{"title":"Correction to \"Programming-Assisted Imaging of Cellular Nitric Oxide Efflux Gradients and Directionality via Carbon Nanotube Sensors\".","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500263","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202500263","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202400493.].</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 7","pages":"2500263"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12257876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643713","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 : 2025-05-20eCollection Date: 2025-08-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202500234
Akanksha Pragya, Tushar K Ghosh
{"title":"Extrusion of Heterogeneous Filament-like Structures: A New Paradigm in Fabricating Soft Mechanical Gradient with Long Span.","authors":"Akanksha Pragya, Tushar K Ghosh","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500234","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500234","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soft-to-hard material interfaces found in multimaterial systems, such as microelectronics, prosthetics, body armor, and soft robotics, often suffer from mechanical mismatches that compromise their structural integrity overtime. These mismatches occur due to significant differences in mechanical properties, such as stiffness, between soft materials (e.g., polymers and biological tissues) and hard materials (e.g., metals and ceramics). In this study, an extrusion-based approach is presented to fabricate continuous stiffness gradient materials using polydimethylsiloxane and thermoplastic expandable microspheres (EM). Morphological characterization shows the intended distribution of EM content along the length of the filament and the corresponding variation in tensile and bending stiffness. The gradient mechanical properties can be tuned by varying the EM expansion temperature. Compared to traditional fabrication techniques, this method allows for precise control over gradient magnitude and span, even post-fabrication, offering greater flexibility for various applications. This work demonstrates a scalable and efficient solution for mitigating the mechanical mismatch at soft-hard material junctions, offering the potential for advanced material design in both industrial and biomedical applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 8","pages":"2500234"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12362831/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144971984","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 : 2025-05-20eCollection Date: 2025-07-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202500138
Tan Phuoc Ton, Richard Bright, Vi Khanh Truong, Krasimir Vasilev
{"title":"Fluorescent Antibiotics: Bridging Diagnostic and Therapy in the Fight against Bacterial Infections.","authors":"Tan Phuoc Ton, Richard Bright, Vi Khanh Truong, Krasimir Vasilev","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500138","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500138","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Infections caused by pathogenic bacteria pose a significant threat to human health. Fluorescent antibiotics present an innovative material class that combines diagnostic capabilities with therapeutic effects. Fluorescent antibiotics offer a transformative strategy by combining precise visualization of bacterial activity with targeted antimicrobial action, addressing key challenges like drug resistance and rapid pathogen detection in diagnostics and treatment. This review highlights recent advances in the development of fluorescent antibiotics, focusing on chemical strategies such as click chemistry, amide bond formation, solid-phase peptide synthesis, and epoxy-amine addition. Also, the practical applications of these fluorescent probes, ranging from imaging, rapid detection, and real-time visual tracking of pathogenic bacteria to the detailed study of molecular dynamics at the cellular level are discussed. The opportunity to combine detection and treatment of infectious diseases underscores the significant promise of these probes, particularly in the face of escalating antimicrobial resistance. However, despite the promise, most studies are confined to laboratory settings. To move forward, continued innovation and rigorous clinical validation will be essential to translating these promising molecular tools from laboratory research to impactful clinical applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 7","pages":"2500138"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12257909/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643715","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":"Electrosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide at Industrial-Level Current Density in Flow-Cell System: Interfacial Microenvironment Regulation and Catalyst Design.","authors":"Abdalazeez Ismail Mohamed Albashir, Yunlong Li, Jing Dou, Ke Qi, Wei Qi","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500017","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide via two-electron oxygen reduction (2e<sup>-</sup> ORR) provides a green, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to anthraquinone processes. However, scaling up from laboratory evaluations to practical applications remains challenging. Herein, an interfacial microenvironment regulation strategy using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide cationic surfactant is reported to boost the hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) production rate of commercial carbon black catalysts in alkaline flow-cell reactors. The modified interfacial microenvironment creates an ideal environment for H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production, resulting in a 1.40-fold improvement in 2e<sup>-</sup> ORR current density (from 227.0 to 320.0 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>) and a 1.58-fold improvement in H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production rate (from 137.0 to 217.8 mM L<sup>-1</sup> h<sup>-1</sup>). Additionally, a boron-doped mesoporous carbon catalyst is developed, demonstrating superior catalytic performance, achieving a 1.80-fold improvement in H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production rate (246.7 mM L<sup>-1</sup> h<sup>-1</sup>) comparing with commercial carbon black. These results highlight the potential of microenvironment regulation and catalyst design for developing highly efficient and scalable H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> electrosynthesis system.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 6","pages":"2500017"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12168599/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144318162","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 : 2025-05-19eCollection Date: 2025-07-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202500060
Rashad Kariuki, Rowan Penman, Alexander D Newbold, Kalpani A Mirihana, Pierre H A Vaillant, Tilly P Shepherd, Nastaran Meftahi, Gary Bryant, Kislon Voïtchovsky, Claudia Contini, Andrew Hung, Kevion K Darmawan, Charlotte E Conn, Saffron J Bryant, Andrew J Christofferson, Aaron Elbourne
{"title":"Gold Nanoparticle Adsorption and Uptake are Directed by Particle Capping Agent.","authors":"Rashad Kariuki, Rowan Penman, Alexander D Newbold, Kalpani A Mirihana, Pierre H A Vaillant, Tilly P Shepherd, Nastaran Meftahi, Gary Bryant, Kislon Voïtchovsky, Claudia Contini, Andrew Hung, Kevion K Darmawan, Charlotte E Conn, Saffron J Bryant, Andrew J Christofferson, Aaron Elbourne","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500060","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nanomaterials are revolutionizing the development of novel therapies, with applications ranging from drug delivery and diagnostics to controlling specific biological processes. However, the specific interactions that govern nanomaterial behavior in biological systems remain difficult to elucidate due to the complex dynamic nature of the lipid bilayer environment. Here, a combination of atomic force microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations is used to discover the precise mechanisms by which various ligand-capped 5 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) interact with supported lipid bilayers of pure fluid phospholipids (1,2-di(9Z-octadecenoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC)). When the ligand capping agent is altered, differences in adsorption and bilayer disruption as a function of capping agent size and charge are observed. Weakly physiosorbed ligands enable the absorption of the AuNP into the bilayer's hydrophobic core, whereas more strongly adsorbed ligands inhibit the complete insertion of the AuNP. However, ligand-dependent headgroup interactions can lead to interfacial adhesion or inhibition of adsorption. These results reveal that the interaction of AuNPs with biological membranes varies depending on the specific capping agent. Notably, the mechanisms may involve cooperative (or synergistic) effects with membrane components, highlighting the importance of understanding these interactions at molecular resolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 7","pages":"2500060"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12257907/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643718","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":"Improved Charge Carrier Dynamics by Unconventional Doping Strategy for BiVO<sub>4</sub> Photoanode.","authors":"Jiseok Kwon, Heechae Choi, Seunggun Choi, Jooheon Sun, Hyuksu Han, Ungyu Paik, Junghyun Choi, Taeseup Song","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500051","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bismuth vanadate (BiVO<sub>4</sub>) is one of the promising photoanodes for solar fuel production, but it faces the challenge of poor charge separation due to its sluggish charge transport and short diffusion length. The ability to regulate charge separation is pivotal for obtaining high efficiency of BiVO<sub>4</sub>. Herein, an unconventional acceptor doping strategy is proposed for the first time, demonstrating its effectiveness in enhancing charge carrier dynamics. Introducing the Al<sup>3+</sup> ions into BiVO<sub>4</sub> induced a decrease in carrier concentration but an increase in the diffusion length and carrier lifetime due to the reduced chance of encountering an electron-hole pair. Furthermore, decreasing carrier concentration leads to a widened space charge layer, enabling facile charge transport and separation. The optimized 0.5 at% Al-doped BiVO<sub>4</sub> (Al:BVO_0.5) exhibited ≈3.5 and 2.6 order of magnitude increase in diffusion length and in carrier lifetime, respectively, compared to pristine BiVO<sub>4</sub>, achieving a photocurrent density of 3.02 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> at 1.23 <i>V</i> <sub>RHE</sub> (V versus reversible hydrogen electrode) under AM 1.5 G illumination. This research provides a new understanding of semiconductor physics and design principles for more efficient photoanodes.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 7","pages":"2500051"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12257881/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643663","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 : 2025-05-15eCollection Date: 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202500153
Krista G Steenbergen, Stephanie Lambie, Charlie Ruffman, Nicola Gaston
{"title":"Atomic-Scale Dynamics at the Interface of Doped Liquid Gallium: Contrasting Effects of Gallium Oxide and Vacuum.","authors":"Krista G Steenbergen, Stephanie Lambie, Charlie Ruffman, Nicola Gaston","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500153","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500153","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Liquid gallium exhibits a unique, geometrically structured surface that directly influences the diffusion and coalescence of metal solutes at its surface. The complex interplay between different chemical species and gallium's unusual interfacial properties remains poorly understood, yet it plays a crucial role in controlling dopant dynamics, with applications spanning catalysis, nanoscale fabrication, flexible electronics, and liquid metal batteries. Herein, large-scale simulations with <i>ab</i> <i>initio</i>-trained machine learning force fields reveal strikingly different interactions of Ag, Au, Bi, Li, Pt, and Sn with liquid gallium interfaces, including both liquid-vacuum and liquid-gallium oxide boundaries. For example, Bi dopants migrate strongly toward vacuum interfaces but are repelled by the oxide interface, while Au is repelled by both interfaces. The results have direct implications for applications involving doped liquid gallium systems, including optimizing Bi surface patterning in plasmonic and catalytic applications or the use of Li in liquid metal batteries. More broadly, these findings underscore the critical role of interfaces in modulating dopant dynamics, offering new pathways for tuning the properties and functionalities of liquid metal technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 6","pages":"2500153"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12168597/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144318154","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":"Targeted siRNA Delivery Using Cetuximab-Conjugated Starch for Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Driven Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.","authors":"Chen Benafsha, Limor Cohen, Leah Shimonov, Riki Goldbart, Tamar Traitel, Eliz Amar-Lewis, Ramesh Chintakunta, Manu Parasad, Uzi Hadad, Moshe Elkabets, Joseph Kost","doi":"10.1002/smsc.202500073","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smsc.202500073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy holds significant potential to disrupt oncogenic signaling pathways by targeting specific messenger RNA (mRNA) sequences. However, its clinical application is limited by challenges in developing effective delivery systems. In this study, starch, a biocompatible and biodegradable natural polysaccharide, is utilized as a carrier to enhance siRNA stability and delivery efficiency. By conjugating cetuximab to quaternized starch (Q-starch) complexed with the siRNA, an increased specificity is achieved toward cancer cells overexpressing the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This research encompasses the synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of these targeted complexes, which demonstrate efficient cellular uptake and on-target knockdown in vitro. Furthermore, these complexes exhibit notable tumor-specific accumulation, significantly enhancing the active targeting of EGFR-overexpressing tumors in vivo. These findings highlight the potential of the complexes to accumulate in EGFR-expressing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, advancing the development of starch-based delivery systems and paving the way for further diagnostic and therapeutic applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":29791,"journal":{"name":"Small Science","volume":"5 7","pages":"2500073"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12257885/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643671","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}