{"title":"Air purification and disinfection by biosynthesized Cu-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with Aloe vera extract","authors":"Niloofar Arefipour , Hassan Koohestani , Hedayat Gholami","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100375","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100375","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of plant extracts for synthesizing nanoparticles has garnered significant attention due to their simplicity, environmental friendliness, and cost-effectiveness. This study synthesized titanium dioxide (titania, TiO<sub>2</sub>) nanoparticles using Aloe vera extract. Its doping with copper was also investigated to reduce the electron/hole pair recombination rate and improve the photocatalytic activity of titania. Biosynthesized titania nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). XRD reported the formation of crystals with sizes of 4–7 nm by the Scherrer method and 5–27 nm by the Williamson-Hall method. FE-SEM and TEM analysis showed the formation of spherical particles. Spectroscopic results showed that the addition of the copper ion reduced the band gap energy from 3.10 eV to 2.89 eV. It was observed that, under light, increasing the dopant concentration from 1 % to 3 % resulted in an increase in the bacterial removal rate from 93 % to 96 % and the particulate matter removal rate from 91 % to 94 %. Therefore, Cu-TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles biosynthesized with <em>Aloe vera</em> extract exhibited increased photocatalytic and antibacterial activity, which can be utilized for air purification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100375"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-09-21DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100374
Yanrong Shuai , Xiaojuan Miao , Yan Wang , Chaozheng Zhang , Yu Liu , Yuening Cao , Tingting Zhang , Jun Lu , Yilan Liu
{"title":"GSH-triggered CD44/FRβ dual-targeting nanoprodrug for acute myeloid leukemia eradication via cascade DNA damage and mitochondrial oxidative storm","authors":"Yanrong Shuai , Xiaojuan Miao , Yan Wang , Chaozheng Zhang , Yu Liu , Yuening Cao , Tingting Zhang , Jun Lu , Yilan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100374","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100374","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs)-inducing chemotherapeutics for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are often limited by poor solubility, non-selectivity, and drug resistance stemming from robust tumor DNA repair mechanisms. Here, we report a glutathione (GSH)-responsive, dual-targeting nano-prodrug, designated HA-FA@Etp-Olp, for efficient AML cell eradication. The HA-FA@Etp-Olp system was constructed through the conjugation of the PARP inhibitor Olaparib (Olp) with etoposide (Etoposide) via a disulfide linkage, forming an Etp-Olp heterodimeric prodrug. This hydrophobic conjugate was encapsulated within a polymeric carrier composed of poly (ethylene glycol)-modified hyaluronic acid (HA) functionalized with folic acid (FA), self-assembling into well-refined nanoparticles. Exhibiting excellent circulatory stability, HA-FA@Etp-Olp achieved efficient accumulation within AML cells leveraging CD44/FR dual-receptor-mediated active targeting, followed by GSH-triggered disassembly and specific drug release in response to elevated intracellular GSH levels. Furthermore, HA-FA@Etp-Olp elicited a synergistic cytotoxic effect against AML through a dual-pronged mechanism: \"DNA damage-repair blockade\" cascade and significant augmentation of mitochondrial oxidative stress, effectively inducing apoptotic cell death. This strategy provides a promising targeted nanotherapeutic approach with enhanced efficacy and reduced systemic toxicity, demonstrating significant potential for the precise treatment of AML.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100374"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100373
Jingnan Song , Suyan Wang , Wutong Zhao , Bonan Hao , Yecheng Zou , Xing Li , Xuefei Wu , Feng Liu , Yongming Zhang
{"title":"Elucidating the solvent-modulated self-assembly nanostructures of high ion exchange capacity short-side-chain perfluorosulfonic acid dispersions","authors":"Jingnan Song , Suyan Wang , Wutong Zhao , Bonan Hao , Yecheng Zou , Xing Li , Xuefei Wu , Feng Liu , Yongming Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100373","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100373","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The self-assembly behavior of short-side-chain perfluorosulfonic acid (SSC-PFSA) dispersions plays a pivotal role in governing the morphology and performance of proton exchange membranes (PEMs). We explored solvent-modulated structural transitions of SSC-PFSA dispersions using combinatory characterization techniques. It is seen that in high-dielectric environment (25 wt% ethanol), the SSC-PFSA chain adopts rigid rod-like assemblies with locally ordered alignment due to electrostatic repulsion and surface polarization. Lowering the dielectric constant (50 wt% ethanol) induces a semi-flexible configuration with approximately 20 % axial compression, and dispersing heterogeneity is observed due to inter-particle association. Upon reaching 75 wt% ethanol conditions, the rod-like assembly is elongated, loosened, and more disordered. The solvent environment plays an important role in determining the dispersion heterogeneity. More ethanol content lowers the dielectric constant, which reduces acidic dissociation and leads to localized assembly association. This work elucidates a fundamental understanding of the dynamic interplay between backbone solubility and electrostatic interactions in governing the PFSA assembly under different solvent environment. These detailed multi-length-scale nanostructures are key in determining the morphology and performance of PEM, which needs to clearly investigated before PEM fabrication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100373"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-09-08DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100372
Yi-Cheng Lai , Chun-Yu Chen , Chun-Jen Su , Hsin-Lung Chen
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Mesomorphic phases of the electrostatic complexes of amphiphilic surfactants with low-generation dendrimers” [Giant, 25 (2025) 100369]","authors":"Yi-Cheng Lai , Chun-Yu Chen , Chun-Jen Su , Hsin-Lung Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100372","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100372","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100372"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145011253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-08-13DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100371
Yingchu Zhou , Ziqi Liu , Yi Zeng , Li Luo , Jie Chen , Diyuan Zheng , Zhao Wu , Chao Lang
{"title":"Gradient hydrogels based on photo-initiated polymerization-induced self-assembly","authors":"Yingchu Zhou , Ziqi Liu , Yi Zeng , Li Luo , Jie Chen , Diyuan Zheng , Zhao Wu , Chao Lang","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100371","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100371","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gradient materials enable performance optimization by adjusting composition or structure across one or more dimensions while minimizing interfacial incompatibility. However, current preparation procedures are often complicated, requiring multiple steps and complex post-processing. In this study, we report the fabrication of a unidirectional mechanical gradient hydrogel via a one-pot synthesis enabled by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). Through concurrent photo-initiated RAFT polymerization and macro-CTA end-group cleavage, compositional and structural gradients were simultaneously created based on the distance from the light source. The near-light region displays a structure of disordered spheres primarily composed of triblock copolymer, while the far-light region features bicontinuous structure with a higher homopolymer content. This gradient design results in significantly different mechanical properties such as strength, resilience, modulus, and loss factors across the hydrogel. Moreover, gradient hydrogel demonstrates exceptional impact resistance, where the soft region efficiently absorbs and dissipates energy while the hard region provides structural support. This study highlights the potential of PISA in developing high-performance gradient materials with tailored mechanical properties, offering promising applications in protective sports equipment, energy absorption systems, soft robotics, and biomedical implants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"25 ","pages":"Article 100371"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144887186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-08-08DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100369
Yi-Cheng Lai , Chun-Yu Chen , Chun-Jen Su , Hsin-Lung Chen
{"title":"Mesomorphic phases of the electrostatic complexes of amphiphilic surfactants with low-generation dendrimers","authors":"Yi-Cheng Lai , Chun-Yu Chen , Chun-Jen Su , Hsin-Lung Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through the microphase separation between the polar and nonpolar components, the complexation of macromolecule with an amphiphilic surfactant has the potential to construct a broad spectrum of mesomorphic phase with long-range order. This study explores the self-assembly behavior of the electrostatic complexes formed between poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers of generation two (G2) and generation three (G3) with two surfactants: dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Long-range ordered lamellar structures formed in the complexes of DBSA with both PAMAM G2 and G3 dendrimers via acid-base interaction. A detailed analysis of the lamellar structure revealed that the thickness of the polar layer containing the dendrimer was virtually independent of the dendrimer generation number. This phenomenon even extended to the complexes of DBSA with PAMAM G4 and G6 dendrimers, indicating that the dendrimer molecules were in general highly compressed along the lamellar interface due to the electrostatic attraction. The complexations of protonated dendrimer systems with SDS driven by the entropic gain from counterion release yielded a higher-curvature structure, where the SDS formed cylindrical micelles packed in a 2D hexagonal lattice, as the original spherical SDS micelles merged into cylinders to enhance the charge matching with the dendrimers. The subtle variation of the relative intensities of the diffraction peaks in the small angle X-ray scattering pattern suggested that, as the binding density of the surfactant to the dendrimer increased, the cross section of the cylindrical micelle progressively deformed from nearly circular to elliptical shape to facilitate the charge matching under the hexagonal packing symmetry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"25 ","pages":"Article 100369"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-08-08DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100370
Jiawei Wang, Hao Chen, Chenlin Pan, Jinlin He, Peihong Ni
{"title":"Development of a mechanically tunable triblock copolyester with partial chemical recyclability","authors":"Jiawei Wang, Hao Chen, Chenlin Pan, Jinlin He, Peihong Ni","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100370","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100370","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Triblock copolymers can significantly enhance material properties due to their unique microphase separation structures and have become important candidates for the development of sustainable polymers. However, research reports on recyclable block copolyesters remain relatively limited. 3,4-Dihydro-2H-benzo [b][1,4]dioxepin-2-one (BDXO) is a renewable monomer derived from lactones, and its homopolymer exhibits excellent thermal properties and tensile strength but low flexibility. Copolymerizing various cyclic esters and leveraging their respective advantages for modification has emerged as a highly promising strategy to address this issue. In this study, a partially chemically recyclable triblock copolyesters was designed and synthesized using poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) as the soft chain and poly(3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[b][1,4]dioxepin-2-one) (PBDXO) as the hard segment. The synthesized triblock copolyesters were characterized for their chemical structure, molecular weight, and thermal properties using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (<sup>1</sup>H NMR), size exclusive chromatography (SEC), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Mechanical tests revealed that the mechanical strength the copolyesters can be tuned by the proportion of the soft and hard segments as well as the total molecular weight. Leveraging the disparity in ceiling temperature (<em>T</em><sub>c</sub>) between the hard and soft segments enables efficient selective chemical recycling of the PBDXO hard segment, with the PTMC soft segment being substantially remained. This offers a facile and sustainable approach to the design of recyclable block copolyesters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"25 ","pages":"Article 100370"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100367
Wen-Chi Huang , Thanmayee Shastry , Pin-Chia Chen, Ashika A P, Kang-Ping Liu, Rong-Ming Ho
{"title":"Controlled orientation of polystyrene-b-poly(L-lactide) nanostructured thin films by air plasma treatment via thermal annealing","authors":"Wen-Chi Huang , Thanmayee Shastry , Pin-Chia Chen, Ashika A P, Kang-Ping Liu, Rong-Ming Ho","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100367","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100367","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work aims to develop a new approach for controlling the orientation of nanostructured block copolymer (BCP) thin films <em>via</em> thermal annealing. A thin layer of polystyrene-<em>block</em>-poly(L-lactide) (PS-<em>b</em>-PLLA) thin film is prepared by spin coating followed by air plasma treatment, giving a layer with randomly crosslinked PS and PLLA. This layer will serve as a neutral substrate for the second layer of PS-<em>b</em>-PLLA thin film to develop perpendicular PLLA cylinder in PS matrix from the bottom of the thin film by thermal annealing. Subsequently, the second air plasma treatment is carried on the second layer of PS-<em>b</em>-PLLA thin film to give a topcoat neutral layer for the development of perpendicular PLLA cylinders from the top of the thin film after thermal annealing, giving film-spanning perpendicular PLLA cylinders through self-alignment process. With the degeneration of the PLLA in the PS-<em>b</em>-PLLA monolith, it is possible to create PS film with prolonged cylindrical nanochannels that is appealing for applications such as NanoMEMS manufacturing, membrane fabrication and templated synthesis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"25 ","pages":"Article 100367"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144809756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-07-16DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100366
Jia Guo , Yaqi Tao , Zhen Du , Siqi Zhang , Wei Zheng , Zhibo Wang , Zhuomin Yi , Yangqing Gou , Wen Tang
{"title":"Stimuli-responsive antimicrobial polymer systems: From structural design to biomedical applications","authors":"Jia Guo , Yaqi Tao , Zhen Du , Siqi Zhang , Wei Zheng , Zhibo Wang , Zhuomin Yi , Yangqing Gou , Wen Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100366","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100366","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bacterial infections and drug-resistant evolution have seriously threatened public health. Stimuli-responsive antimicrobial materials have been rapidly developed to address the evolving challenges posed by multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Among various materials, polymer-based stimuli-responsive systems stand out thanks to their structural design flexibility, functional diversity, decreased systemic toxicity, and enhanced therapeutic effects compared with free drugs. In this review, we present the latest advances in stimuli-responsive antimicrobial polymer systems, summarizing their molecular structures and design principles across exogenous and endogenous stimulus types. Exogenous stimuli offer precise spatiotemporal control triggered by temperature, light, magnetic, salt, etc. Endogenous stimuli are in-situ biomarkers in the infection environment, such as pH, redox, bacterial secretions, etc. In the aim of developing antimicrobial material with high selectivity, we also summarize antimicrobial recognition strategies that enhance drug targeting efficiency. Finally, the challenges in current stimuli-responsive antimicrobial polymeric systems are discussed, opening up prospects for next-generation intelligent antimicrobial materials with enhanced efficacy, biosafety and pathogen-targeting precision.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 100366"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GIANTPub Date : 2025-07-16DOI: 10.1016/j.giant.2025.100365
Wenwen Zhan , Shuyan Zeng , Lin Yang , Ye-Zhong Zhang , Jing Zhang
{"title":"Nanotechnology-based theranostics for bone tumors","authors":"Wenwen Zhan , Shuyan Zeng , Lin Yang , Ye-Zhong Zhang , Jing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100365","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.giant.2025.100365","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bone tumors, particularly osteosarcoma and metastatic lesions, present significant challenges in current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, often failing to meet patients’ expectations for quality of life. Recent rapid advancements in nanotechnology have introduced diverse and more effective strategies for the management of bone tumors. This review comprehensively examines the applications of nanomedicine in bone oncology, with a focused discussion on emerging developments and future prospects in imaging modalities, image-guided therapies, and targeted therapeutics. Each section critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of existing diagnostic and treatment protocols, aiming to provide innovative perspectives and methodologies for clinical management of bone tumors. The synthesis of these insights seeks to bridge current technological gaps and advance precision medicine in musculoskeletal oncology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 100365"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144686098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}