Antonio Maglione,Federico Olivieri,Roberto Avolio,Rachele Castaldo,Mariacristina Cocca,Maria Emanuela Errico,Veronica Ambrogi,Gennaro Gentile
{"title":"Hyper-Cross-linked Cellulose Nanofibrils with Spontaneous and Reversible Adsorption of Aromatic Pollutants from Water as a Valid Alternative to Fossil-Based Adsorbents.","authors":"Antonio Maglione,Federico Olivieri,Roberto Avolio,Rachele Castaldo,Mariacristina Cocca,Maria Emanuela Errico,Veronica Ambrogi,Gennaro Gentile","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c05009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c05009","url":null,"abstract":"In this work, a novel high surface area adsorbent based on cellulose and inspired by hyper-cross-linked polymers was designed. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were functionalized with poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) and hyper-cross-linked through Friedel-Crafts alkylation, yielding a micro/mesoporous material characterized by a specific surface area of 409 m2/g, microporous fraction of 50%, and biobased content of about 70 wt %. The functionalized CNF, tested for the adsorption of 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) from water at 298 K, were able to remove 90% of the pollutant from a 62.5 mg/L DCP solution and adsorb 284 mg/g at a higher concentration (1000 mg/L). Thermodynamic studies demonstrated the multilayer adsorption of the hyper-cross-linked CNF, the exothermic nature of the process, and its spontaneity. The hyper-cross-linked cellulose nanofibrils were reusable with efficiency above 98% in 5 subsequent cycles. The adsorption performance was stable across varying pH levels, and interference from natural organic matter (e.g., humic acids) was minimal (<10%). This work marked a promising step toward more sustainable sorbent materials by demonstrating the potential of cellulose nanofibrils as functional scaffolds. The strategy could be extended to waste-derived cellulose sources and biobased aromatic compounds, paving the way for fully renewable porous adsorbents.","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144328910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
William Moore,Ningning Yang,Abigail K Nason,Guillaume Freychet,Peter A Beaucage,Julia Thom-Levy,Sol M Gruner,Ulrich Wiesner
{"title":"Block Copolymer Self-Assembly-Directed Mesoporous Gyroidal Strontium Titanate with Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism.","authors":"William Moore,Ningning Yang,Abigail K Nason,Guillaume Freychet,Peter A Beaucage,Julia Thom-Levy,Sol M Gruner,Ulrich Wiesner","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c07258","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c07258","url":null,"abstract":"Block copolymer structure direction has been demonstrated as a technique to impart nanostructure and mesoporosity with enhanced properties to a variety of metal oxides for applications including catalysis, energy conversion and storage, as well as superconductivity. Such approaches require polymer-compatible solution synthesis routes toward oxide nanoclusters, which are not generally available for a broad range of functional materials. Here, we report an acetic acid-based sol-gel-derived method for the synthesis of mesoporous ternary strontium titanate with a morphology consistent with alternating gyroid. In-depth structural characterization suggests a periodic gyroidal structure and phase purity of the resultant perovskite. Magnetometry reveals that these normally diamagnetic oxide materials are ferromagnetic at room temperature. This magnetism is significantly enhanced by mild vacuum annealing, suggesting oxygen vacancies as the source of ferromagnetism. Block copolymer self-assembly-directed mesoporous ternary perovskites may provide a rich platform for studying surface and interfacial effects in surface-dominated systems by enhancing normally dilute surface phenomena.","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144328912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Huifeng Wang, Ruyue Luo, Chongwen Duan, Ophelia Tong, Yuan-Ho Chin, Bethany E. Perez White, Guillermo A. Ameer
{"title":"Panthenol Citrate: A Photoprotective Antioxidative Molecule for Shielding Skin against UV Radiation","authors":"Huifeng Wang, Ruyue Luo, Chongwen Duan, Ophelia Tong, Yuan-Ho Chin, Bethany E. Perez White, Guillermo A. Ameer","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c05441","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c05441","url":null,"abstract":"Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major contributor to skin damage, leading to oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis. Developing effective photoprotective agents that mitigate UV radiation-induced cellular and molecular damage is crucial for advancing skincare solutions. This study investigates the photoprotective and antioxidative properties of panthenol citrate (PC) using an <i>ex vivo</i> human skin organ model. PC demonstrated robust antioxidative activity, effectively scavenging free radicals, chelating iron ions, and inhibiting lipid peroxidation, with efficacy comparable to or exceeding that of <span>l</span>-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). PC treatment significantly reduced UV radiation-induced DNA damage, as confirmed by decreased 8-OHdG staining and inhibited apoptosis, evidenced by lower levels of caspase-3-positive cells. Histological analysis revealed that PC preserved skin structure and reduced pyknotic nuclei caused by UV radiation exposure. Importantly, these protective effects were observed across both hydrophilic (glycerol) and hydrophobic (coconut oil) carriers, highlighting PC’s versatility for formulation development. Collectively, these findings establish PC as a multifunctional photoprotective agent with significant potential for mitigating UV radiation-induced oxidative stress and promoting skin health. This study paves the way for the incorporation of PC into advanced skincare formulations to enhance UV radiation protection.","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144335089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ruru Gao, Hongcheng Shang, Qinglin Zhou, Bao-Feng Tan, Xiu-Shen Wei, Jinghui Zhang, Yingzhi Jiao, Weijin Li
{"title":"Machine Learning-Guided Conductivity Prediction in 2D Organic Metal Chalcogenides for Accelerated Electromagnetic Wave Absorber Design","authors":"Ruru Gao, Hongcheng Shang, Qinglin Zhou, Bao-Feng Tan, Xiu-Shen Wei, Jinghui Zhang, Yingzhi Jiao, Weijin Li","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c07554","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c07554","url":null,"abstract":"The rational design of electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbers relies on precise conductivity control, yet conventional trial-and-error methods fail to efficiently explore the multidimensional synthesis parameter space of two-dimensional organic metal chalcogenides (2D OMCs). Here, we propose a machine learning framework that deciphers the nonlinear relationships between synthetic parameters and electrical conductivity in 2D OMCs, enabling quantitative predictions for targeted EMW absorber design. The trained model achieves 86% accuracy in three-level conductivity classification (I: <10<sup>–6</sup> S/m, II: 10<sup>–6</sup>–10<sup>–2</sup> S/m, III: >10<sup>–2</sup> S/m), significantly outperforming empirical approaches. Notably, it demonstrates robust extrapolation capability by correctly predicting 12 out of 15 novel OMCs beyond the training data set. Guided by conductivity predictions, the EMW absorption performance of specific 2D OMCs can be efficiently ranked, accelerating material design with experimentally validated accuracy. This machine learning-assisted strategy reveals the complex relationship between synthesis parameters and conductivity, expediting the design and synthesis of materials with optimized EMW absorption performance.","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Weiqing Yue, Zhijie Fang, Ting Yu, Wanyi Wang, Han Yu, Zizi Wu, Xi Li, Ganger Yangzom, Xiaomei Lu, Qiong Wu, Jie Li
{"title":"An Arginine-Inspired Nanocomposite Enhances Tumor Oxygenation for Optimized Photodynamic Therapy.","authors":"Weiqing Yue, Zhijie Fang, Ting Yu, Wanyi Wang, Han Yu, Zizi Wu, Xi Li, Ganger Yangzom, Xiaomei Lu, Qiong Wu, Jie Li","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c07882","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c07882","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The hypoxic, or low-oxygenation, state within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly detrimental to certain oxygen-dependent therapeutic approaches, particularly Type II photodynamic therapy (PDT). Current methods to enhance tumor oxygenation include utilizing perfluorocarbon-based oxygen-carrying techniques and inhibiting cellular respiration to improve the oxygen supply. However, these approaches generally suffer from a low oxygenation efficiency. To address this, we proposed an arginine cluster-mimicking nanocomposite (CP-PArg-PFC) for oxygen delivery, aimed at elevating tumor oxygenation levels and thereby optimizing the efficacy of photosensitized therapy. This nanomaterial integrates an arginine-inspired photosensitizer (CP-PArg) with an amphiphilic perfluorocarbon derivative (PEG-PFC). The arginine cluster structure leverages the high metabolic activity of tumor cells to achieve efficient, targeted accumulation in tumors. While it generates photodynamic effects, it also possesses NIR-II fluorescence imaging capabilities, making it an excellent theranostic agent. Furthermore, polymerized perfluorocarbon enables efficient and stable oxygen transport, while nitric oxide produced via enzymatic arginine degradation suppresses tumor cell respiration. This dual-mode synergistic mechanism effectively enhances tumor oxygenation and alleviates hypoxia in the TME. By employing this design strategy of oxygen-carrying nanomaterials, we successfully achieved significant improvement in tumor tissue oxygenation and performed optimized PDT on breast tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lorena Pasero, Roberto Pisano, José A Gavira, Fiora Artusio
{"title":"Turning Down the Inhibition Effect of Silica Gels in Protein Crystallization.","authors":"Lorena Pasero, Roberto Pisano, José A Gavira, Fiora Artusio","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c07593","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c07593","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Silica gels act as nucleation inhibitors and have been used to grow large protein crystals in convection-free environments. However, a large amount of protein is required to overcome the inhibition effect, and chances of successful crystallization are limited, hampering its potential benefits. In the present study, we propose the substitution of silanol groups with methylated additives to increase the hydrophobicity of the gel network, decrease the interaction between proteins and gel fibers, and tune the inhibition effect of silica gels. We observed an increased hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) nucleation density in gels bearing a higher number of methyl groups. We used the counter-diffusion crystallization technique for our proof of concept since it does not require a fine adjustment of the supersaturation. We then moved to batch crystallization for maintaining constant supersaturation conditions in order to have comparative results. We were able to grow HEWL crystals with tailored sizes depending on the amount of hydrophobic moieties' substitution. The modification of the gel reduced the amount of protein required to induce nucleation. This effect was attributed to the decreased adsorption of protein macromolecules on gel fibers carrying hydrophobic groups. This simple chemical modification approach may expand the use of silica gels, traditionally seen as protein nucleation inhibitors, to produce new crystalline composite materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Novel Gelatinase-Responsive Self-Assembled Antimicrobial Peptide for Combating Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infection","authors":"Jiaxin Yao, Hao Tian, Yuanyuan Meng, Jiayi Wang, Junhao Feng, Qi Ba, Yichen Kong, Shuang Xiao, Wei Gong, Yuli Wang, Yang Yang, Meiyan Yang, Chunsheng Gao","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c09335","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c09335","url":null,"abstract":"The rising threat of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections demands innovative antimicrobial strategies that combine rapid bactericidal action with minimized resistance development. Despite the promising prospects of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) due to their rapid bactericidal effect and unique membrane disruption mechanism, toxicity and stability issues have hindered their clinical application. Here, we designed a gelatinase-responsive self-assembled AMP (PEG–PR-26) to overcome the limitations of natural AMPs and to combat methicillin-resistant<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA). Upon exposure to gelatinase at infection sites, PEG–PR-26 releases VR-23 nanoparticles, which disrupt bacterial membranes via rapid complete depolarization and content leakage. The PEGylation strategy enhances serum stability (half-life >24 h vs 9 h for FR-13) and biocompatibility (hemolysis rates <5% at 64 μM). <i>In vivo</i> studies showed that PEG–PR-26 had no obvious toxicity and effectively reduced the extent of lung bacterial infection in mice. Notably, PEG–PR-26 synergizes with antibiotics (Min<sub>FICI</sub> = 0.18) and exhibits low resistance development after a 15 day exposure. Overall, this research provides a viable antimicrobial alternative to combat bacterial resistant infections by effectively killing drug-resistant bacteria in mice infected with pneumonia.","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hamdy Arkoub, Daniel Flynn, Adri C.T. van Duin, Miaomiao Jin
{"title":"Surface Orientation-Dependent Corrosion Behavior of NiCr Alloys in Molten FLiNaK Salt","authors":"Hamdy Arkoub, Daniel Flynn, Adri C.T. van Duin, Miaomiao Jin","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c06557","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c06557","url":null,"abstract":"The corrosion behavior of NiCr alloys in molten FLiNaK salt is governed by complex Cr–F chemical interactions, necessitating a fundamental understanding for enhancing alloy performance in harsh environments. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the dynamic atomic-scale processes driving the progression of molten salt corrosion. This study employs reactive force field-based molecular dynamics simulations to unravel the influence of crystallographic orientation, temperature, and external electric fields on corrosion kinetics. The (100), (110), and (111) orientations of Ni<sub>0.75</sub>Cr<sub>0.25</sub> alloys are evaluated at temperatures from 600 to 800 °C, with and without electric fields. Results reveal that Cr dissolution and near-surface diffusion drive pitting-like surface morphology evolution. The (110) surface shows the highest corrosion susceptibility, while the (100) and (111) surfaces exhibit greater resistance, with (111) being the most stable. The corrosion activation energy, derived from the Arrhenius relation, ranges from 0.27 to 0.41 eV, aligning well with limited experimental data yet significantly lower than bulk diffusion barriers. This finding indicates that corrosion progression is primarily a kinetically controlled near-surface process, rather than being limited by bulk diffusion as suggested in previous understanding. Additionally, electric fields perpendicular to the interface are found to asymmetrically modulate corrosion dynamics, where a positive field (+0.10 V/Å) promotes Cr dissolution. In comparison, a negative field (−0.10 V/Å) largely suppresses corrosion, which can be effectively used to mitigate corrosion. These findings, along with atomistic details into the corrosion mechanisms, offer strategic perspectives for designing corrosion-resistant materials in advanced high-temperature molten salt applications.","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Intelligent DNA Nanodevice for Accurate Modulation of Cellular Behaviors and Intercellular Interactions In Vitro","authors":"Wenwen Xu, Qiuting Wang, Chuanye Tang, Yalong Qiao, Lei Feng, Danjie Song, Pinghua Ling, Feng Gao","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c05813","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c05813","url":null,"abstract":"The precise modulation of cellular behaviors and intercellular interactions in a complex microenvironment remains a significant challenge, especially in biomedical research and cell-based therapies. In this study, we designed an intelligent DNA nanodevice with a responsiveness to multiple environmental stimuli to accurately regulate cellular behaviors and modulate cell–cell interactions in vitro. In this system, a DNA logic gate employes an i-motif and an ATP-aptamer to respond to extracellular acidity. Upon both ATP and protons existing simultaneously, the DNA logic gate could be activated to reprogram cancer cell membrane receptors, resulting in regulating cellular behaviors. Following the introduction of a triggering hairpin, a DNA cycle was performed on the cancer cell surface, releasing a single-stranded trigger. Subsequently, the released triggering strand could induce a branch migration reaction process on the T cells’ surface, leading to the opening of a DNA hairpin. Furthermore, the activated “AND” logic gate could hybridize with DNA fragments on T cells, effectively bridging the gap between T cells and cancer cells. Due to DNA cycle-driven signal amplification, this DNA logic gate could not only identify cancer cells and regulate their behavior but also promote the aggregation of cancer cells and T cells. This work underscores the great potential of DNA logic gates and DNA aptamers in precision therapeutics, providing a paradigm for the development of cell therapy.","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":"183 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}