The complex pathological microenvironment of diabetic wounds, induced by hyperglycemia and characterized by bacterial infection, hypoxia, oxidative stress, persistent inflammation, and impaired angiogenesis, significantly hinders the wound healing process. Smart hydrogels capable of responding to the wound microenvironment (acidic and high glucose) and releasing drugs on demand represent a highly promising wound dressing for treating diabetic wounds. In this work, we developed a NO/O2-releasing smart hydrogel dressing with wound microenvironment responsive based on dynamic Schiff base and phenyl borate bonds for accelerated diabetic infected wound healing. A multifunctional hydrogel dressing (GH/PTA-Cu-B) was fabricated with phenylboronic acid (PBA)-modified gelatin (Gel-PBA) crosslinked with oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA) doped with N, N ' dinitrosodiamine-1, 4-phenylenediamine (BNN6) complexed by Cu-tannic acid (TA) nanozyme (PTA-Cu/BNN6). The dynamic Schiff base and boronic acid bonds within the GH/PTA-Cu-B hydrogel enable the responsive release of PTA-Cu/BNN6 nanoparticles triggered by the wound microenvironment. The PTA-Cu/BNN6 nanoparticles not only possesses SOD/CAT-like activity, effectively scavenges ROS and releases O2, but also serves as a good photothermal reagent, realizing photothermal therapy and releasing NO under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation with good antimicrobial properties and angiogenesis-promoting ability. In a diabetic rat model with infected wounds, NIR-activated GH/PTA-Cu-B hydrogel treatment demonstrated significant therapeutic effects by decreasing oxidative stress markers, improving wound tissue oxygenation, and enhancing both collagen synthesis and vascular network formation to facilitate wound healing. This strategy provides new insights into stimulationresponsive smart scaffolds and highlights the potential application of such responsive hydrogel scaffolds combining photothermal and gas therapy in infected diabetic wounds.

Electrochromic supercapacitors (ECSCs), which integrate energy storage and optical modulation in a single device, offer a direct visual indicator of the charge state. However, their development is hindered by the lack of bifunctional electrodes that simultaneously deliver high electrochromic contrast, efficient energy storage, and long-term cycling stability. Although WO₃ possesses excellent electrochromic activity, its poor intrinsic conductivity and substantial volume changes during ion insertion/extraction leads to sluggish kinetics and performance degradation.Herein, we report a facile self-assembly strategy to construct conductive MXene-based heterostructures with WO3·2H2O nanoparticles, yielding WO3·2H2O/MXene (WM) composite thin-film electrodes. The optimal heterostructure (WM-7.5) exhibits enhanced conductivity and enriched electroactive sites, facilitating rapid ion/electron transport. This results in significantly improved optical modulation (ΔT = 62% at 700 nm) and accelerated switching kinetics (coloration/bleaching times of 4.5/4.0 s). Moreover, MXene serves as a conductive scaffold that buffers volume changes and suppresses active material aggregation, endowing the electrode with exceptional cycling durability (82% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles). Furthermore, a complementary ECSC device assembled using WM-7.5 and Prussian Blue achieves a high optical modulation (ΔT = 61%), and fast switching (1.6/2.4 s). This work provides a general and effective route for designing high-performance, multifunctional ECSCs through rational heterostructure engineering.

Photothermal superhydrophobic coatings hold great promise for anti/de-icing applications, but most of them strongly rely on their complex fabrication procedures and suffer from compositional and structural deterioration, consequently exhibiting inadequate adaptability across multifarious environmental conditions. Herein, we rationally designed a composition-interface synergistic reinforcement strategy to prepare a novel photothermal superhydrophobic coating (TiN-SHC) with versatile environmental robustness for ultralow-temperature anti/de-icing. The TiN-SHC can retain its superhydrophobicity after exposure to strongly corrosive media, long-term ultraviolet irradiation, cyclic thermal shocks, intense mechanical abrasion, and continuous mold incubation, and demonstrate consistently efficient and stable solar-thermal conversion performance under broad sunlight intensities. Moreover, owing to its specialized chemical composition, the TiN-SHC achieves high-level flame retardancy with a limited oxygen index of 41.7 % and a UL-94 rating of V-0. Leveraging the synergy between robust surface superhydrophobicity and potent solar-thermal conversion, the TiN-SHC exhibits enhanced icephobicity under 1 sun illumination even at -30 degrees C, which enables settled droplets to remain unfrozen in the Cassie-Baxter state and drives prefrozen droplets to completely melt within mere minutes. Furthermore, the ice adhesion on TiN-SHC at -30 degrees C is measured to be as low as 10.78 kPa, which can facilitate effortless detachment of the ice cube. This work offers a viable route to develop advanced multifunctional coatings applicable in multiple harsh environments. (c) 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

In this study, a biobased epoxy thermoset system was developed using cardanol and tung oil as raw materials. Two distinct epoxy resin precursors (a base epoxidized cardanol, EC for short, and an oligomeric epoxidized cardanol-formaldehyde glycidyl ether, ECFGE for short) were synthesized alongside a tung oil-maleic anhydride (TMA) curing agent. By systematically regulating the stoichiometry of TMA, the cross-linking density of the resulting thermosets was precisely controlled. The ECFGE-TMA system with oligomeric structure exhibited a significantly more densely cross-linked network than the EC-TMA system, resulting in substantially enhanced thermomechanical properties including an elevated storage modulus (up to 2015.5 MPa), higher glass transition temperature (up to 92.6 degrees C), and superior thermal stability. Dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile tests collectively demonstrated that formaldehyde-assisted chain extension in ECFGE was pivotal for achieving these outstanding comprehensive properties. Furthermore, the epoxy networks exhibited excellent chemical degradability in alkaline ethanol solution, achieving near-complete degradation within 6 h. This research provides a sustainable strategy for developing high-performance biobased epoxy resins with tailorable properties and end-of-life degradability, offering a promising alternative to conventional petroleum-based systems.

The development of high-performance biobased polyester adhesives has primarily focused on mechanical reinforcement, while the relationship between adhesive performance and polymer microstructure, particularly the role of weakly polar groups, remains underexplored. Here, we construct polyester systems with precisely tuned methoxy content from vanillin-derived monomers to elucidate the regulatory role of weakly polar methoxy groups in polymer thermodynamics and metal adhesion. Methoxy incorporation effectively suppressed crystallization, inducing a transition from a highly crystalline, high-modulus state to an amorphous, low-modulus state (T g = 24 degrees C). Interestingly, this weakening of bulk strength unexpectedly strengthened interfacial adhesion: the dual-methoxy system achieved a lap shear strength of 12.46 MPa on iron, surpassing the methoxy-free counterpart (3.71 MPa). Copolymerization experiments further demonstrated that by adjusting the ratio of methoxy-free to methoxy monomers, the crystallinity, mechanical properties, and adhesion strength (ranging from 3 to 15 MPa) of the polyesters can be systematically tuned over a wide range, validating the feasibility of methoxy groups as a structural switch for modulating adhesion performance. Molecular simulations revealed that methoxy groups enhance interfacial interaction with metals by increasing the polymer's negative electrostatic potential and binding energy. This work establishes a new strategy for optimizing adhesion through crystalline-to-amorphous transition regulated by weakly polar groups, offering a molecular design perspective for tunable biobased polyester adhesives.

Amidst the global imperative to reconcile carbon neutrality with energy security, CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2 EOR) has emerged as a dual-purpose technology for both fossil fuel extraction and geological CO2 storage. However, its effectiveness is severely undermined by gas channeling caused by reservoir heterogeneity and the unfavorable mobility ratio between low-viscosity CO2 and crude oil, leading to premature breakthrough and poor sweep efficiency. Herein, we present a flow-adaptive CO2-responsive gel system. Through rational molecular engineering, gelation is directly activated by the dynamic CO2 signal in the reservoir. In high-permeability zones with elevated CO2 concentration, the system rapidly forms a robust gel barrier, achieving >97.5% plugging efficiency. Conversely, in low-permeability oil-bearing zones with lower CO2 flux, the material maintains a low-viscosity, surface-active fluid state. The polymer reduces water surface tension from 72 mN/m to below 35 mN/m and achieves an ultralow interfacial tension of 0.076 mN/m against heavy oil, enabling deep penetration and continuous emulsification-driven oil displacement. This potential spatiotemporally coordinated behavior, regulated by in situ CO2 signals, suggests the potential for integrating macroscopic conformance control and microscopic oil mobilization, increasing oil recovery from the low-permeability core by 20.24 percentage points during the secondary CO2 flooding stage. This CO2-responsive polymeric surfactant gel system shows promising potential for the synergistic application of enhanced oil recovery and CO2 storage.

Chitosan-based (CS-based) materials have attracted considerable attention owing to their excellent biocompatibility and intrinsic hemostatic activity, rendering them promising candidates for emergency hemorrhage control. Nevertheless, their clinical performance is often constrained by inadequate wettability and limited mechanical strength. In this study, we developed a superelastic hemostatic sponge (HMCT-NP) through a facile freeze-drying approach by incorporating hydrophobically modified CS, tannic acid (TA)-mediated cross-linking, and functional Fe-baicalin nanoparticles (Fe-Ba NPs). The grafted hydrophobic alkyl chains can insert into the membranes of red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets, thereby promoting their active adhesion and aggregation to accelerate rapid coagulation. TA enhances the mechanical properties of the sponge via hydrogen-bond-mediated cross-linking while also providing antibacterial and antioxidant functionalities. The incorporation of nanoparticles enhanced the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the sponge and, notably, led to a significant improvement in its mechanical robustness. Through this modular design and synergistic functional enhancement, HMCT-NP effectively mitigates the intrinsic poor wettability of CS-based hemostatic sponges, demonstrating a water uptake capacity of approximately 95 g/g and a volumetric expansion greater than 200% upon hydration, thereby enabling rapid fluid imbibition and enhancing blood cell aggregation at the bleeding interface. Furthermore, its high compressibility and rapid fluid-triggered shape recovery enable effective deployment in narrow or deep wounds while maintaining biosafety and minimizing tissue irritation. In various bleeding models, HMCT-NP sponge demonstrated enhanced procoagulant activity and hemostatic performance. Meanwhile, the sponge effectively accelerated the healing of infected wounds. Collectively, these results underscore the potential of the HMCT-NP sponge as a versatile and promising strategy for clinical hemorrhage management.

The complex pathologic microenvironment of diabetic wounds—characterized by impaired angiogenesis, neuropathy, bacterial infection, and immune dysfunction—severely disrupts the normal healing process. This study presents a cascade nanozyme hydrogel dressing that releases nitric oxide (NO) and oxygen (O2) to enhance neuro-vascular coupling and immunomodulation for accelerated diabetic wound repair. The hydrogel was rapidly formed under UV illumination, integrating dopamine-modified gelatin (Gel-DA) and quaternary ammonium-lipoic acid-modified chitosan (LQCS) as an adhesive matrix, alongside Cu/Mg-tannic acid nanozymes loaded with the NO donor BNN6 (PTA-Cu-Mg/BNN6) as the functional core. In this design, the Gel-DA and LQCS matrix provides excellent tissue adhesion and inherent antibacterial capability, while the PTA-Cu-Mg/BNN6 nanozymes enable near-infrared (NIR)-triggered NO release and catalase-like decomposition of endogenous H2O2 for sustained O2 generation. Under NIR irradiation, the simultaneous release of NO and O2 from the hydrogel demonstrated effective antibacterial activity, promoted macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype, enhanced endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenic gene expression, and facilitated neurite outgrowth. In vivo results confirmed that the hydrogel significantly accelerated the healing of infected diabetic wounds by eradicating bacteria, modulating the immune microenvironment, and synergistically promoting angiogenesis and nerve regeneration. This easily fabricated NO/O2-releasing cascade nanozyme hydrogel represents a promising therapeutic strategy with great potential for clinical translation.

Polyurethane (PU) holds significant promise for industrial applications, such as electronic encapsulation and aerospace, where a combination of safety (flame retardancy and mechanical strength) and long-term durability (self-healing capability) is paramount. However, the integration of traditional flame retardants often compromises the mechanical integrity of the polymer. In this study, a phosphorus-nitrogen diol chain extender (DPDF) was synthesized as a flame retardant, which was strategically incorporated together with a UV-responsive coumarin-based chain extender (HNA) into a polyurethane backbone to form a series of dual-responsive elastomers (DPHx-PU). Accordingly, the flame retardancy of DPH1/1-PU was significantly enhanced, with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 29.2% and an improved UL-94 rating of V-1 compared to the samples without the flame retardant, with the LOI at 23.6% and the fire rating at V-2. Cone calorimetry tests confirmed a substantial reduction in heat release and smoke production rates. Besides, after irradiation with 365 nm UV light, the tensile strength of DPH1/1-PU significantly increased by 30.2% to 26.7 MPa, effectively compensating for the typical mechanical degradation associated with flame-retardant additives. Furthermore, the dynamic cross-links from the coumarin motifs endowed the material with promising self-healing capabilities. This work provides a viable strategy for developing high-performance PU elastomers that successfully integrate superior flame retardancy, robust and tunable mechanical properties, and additional multifunctionality. This innovative approach paves the way for developing next-generation high-performance PUs that simultaneously meet rigorous safety and durability demands for advanced industrial applications.

Abstract Traditional adsorbents often face challenges such as low adsorption capacity, poor selectivity, difficulties in regeneration, and limited stability, rendering them inadequate for boron-containing wastewater treatment. In this study, glycerol methacrylate (GMA) is graft-copolymerized with divinylbenzene (DVB) using radical polymerization (RP) and modified with gluconic acid δ-lactone (GDL) to synthesize a P(GMA-g-DVB) (PGD-D) microsphere adsorbent containing glucosamine groups. Characterizations including SEM, FTIR, BET, and TGA confirm abundant polyhydroxy saccharide structures and quaternary ammonium moieties distributed on the material surface, which facilitate boron capture. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrate that boron adsorption onto PGD-D conforms to the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, with a saturated adsorption capacity of 49.26 mg/g. After ten consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles, the adsorbent only loses 1.65 mg/g of its uptake capacity. Moreover, coexisting competitive cations and anions exert slight interference on boron removal. XPS characterization verifies that boron is mainly immobilized through chelation interactions. This work provides a straightforward synthetic route to fabricate a novel boron adsorbent with acceptable adsorption performance for boron separation from aqueous wastewater.

CO2 flooding can improve heavy-oil mobility, but CO2 readily channels through preferential pathways, limiting the swept volume and leaving substantial residual oil trapped in low-permeability regions and small-to-medium pores. In this work, the reservoir applicability of a frustrated Lewis pair-based CO2-reactive thickening polymeric surfactant system (PMSA/PMSB) is systematically evaluated, and its mechanisms for CO2 channeling control and residual-oil mobilization are investigated at both the core and pore scales. The results show that the PMSA/PMSB system exhibits good injectability and maintains plugging efficiencies above 85% in cores with permeabilities ranging from 500 × 10-3 to 4500 × 10-3 μm2. The suitable injection volume, injection rate, and aging time are determined to be 0.6–0.8 PV, 0.1–0.3 mL·min-1, and 24 h, respectively. Before CO2 triggering, the PMSA/PMSB can migrate through preferential pathways and become adsorbed and retained on rock surfaces and within the pore space. Upon CO2 triggering, the system forms a covalently crosslinked thickened network that increases the flow resistance of high-permeability channels through rock-surface coverage, pore-space filling, and pore-throat bridging, thereby redirecting subsequent CO2 toward previously poorly swept regions. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance results show that oil recovery from small pores increases from 9.09% to 35.87%, while the overall oil recovery increases from 29.73% to 49.31%, corresponding to an incremental recovery of 19.58% after profile control. Pore-scale visualization further demonstrates that the PMSA/PMSB promotes the deformation, detachment, fragmentation, and migration of network-like, cluster-like, columnar, and film-like residual oil. This work reveals the synergistic mechanism among CO2-reactive thickening and plugging, fluid diversion, and emulsification-assisted residual-oil mobilization, providing a theoretical basis for CO2 channeling control and efficient residual-oil recovery in heavy oil reservoirs.

Conventional nitrogen-enriched pyrolysis is often limited by the dense structure of biomass, which restricts nitrogen penetration and leads to insufficient nitrogen doping in biochar as well as low relative content for valuable nitrogen-containing chemicals in bio-oil. Herein, we propose a novel strategy integrating bio-etching pretreatment with nitrogen-enriched pyrolysis to simultaneously enhance nitrogen incorporation in solid products and enrich specific nitrogenous compounds in liquid products. Pine sawdust was first regulated by Polyporus brumalis—a fungal pretreatment that acts as a bio-etching—to disrupt the lignocellulosic compactness and create a porous architecture. The pretreated biomass was then impregnated with melamine and pyrolyzed at 500 °C. Results show that bio-etching effectively facilitates nitrogen diffusion and alters pyrolysis pathways. After 5 weeks of pretreatment, the resulting biochar exhibited the highest nitrogen content (13.41 wt%), with nitrogen predominantly existing as pyrrolic, pyridinic, and graphitic nitrogen. In contrast, 3 weeks of bio-etching led to bio-oil with the highest content of nitrogen-containing compounds (87.18%), in which hydroxyacetonitrile relative content exceeded 60%. Possible transformation pathways of nitrogen species in biochar and formation routes of hydroxyacetonitrile during pyrolysis are discussed. This work demonstrates a green and efficient route for co-producing nitrogen-enriched porous carbon and nitrogen-containing chemicals, aligning with the sustainable and low-carbon conversion of biomass resources. It should be noted that no direct quantitative analysis of gaseous products was performed in this study. The relative gas contents reported herein are apparent values derived via the difference method, and serve only for comparison of the relative product distribution under different pretreatment conditions.

Conventional strategies to enhance the hydrophobicity of polyurethane (PU) coatings typically rely on fragile micro/nanostructures or irradiation-induced crosslinking, both of which suffer from poor controllability and often compromise mechanical robustness. Herein, we report a UV-triggered crosslinking strategy based on coumarin chemistry that enables precise, controllable network formation, thereby simultaneously enhancing the hydrophobicity, adhesion strength, and thermal stability of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based PU coatings. A series of coumarin-functionalized PDMS-PU coatings (HNP-PDMS-PUx) was prepared by blending coumarin-grafted PDMS (HNP) with PDMS-PU elastomers. Upon 365 nm UV irradiation, the coumarin moieties dimerize, forming a dense, chemically crosslinked "brush-like" structure on the coating surface. The optimal coating (HNP-PDMS-PU3/1) exhibited a significant increase in water contact angle from 108 degrees to 129 degrees on average, reaching a maximum of 134 degrees. The UV-treated coating also showed enhanced adhesion strength (a 45% increase) and improved thermal stability, while maintaining good flexibility (F7 rating) and abrasion resistance (contact angle remained at 126 degrees after 30 cycles). Moreover, the coating demonstrated excellent easy-cleaning performance against both liquid and solid contaminants. This work provides a photochemical strategy that replaces uncontrollable or irreversible crosslinking methods with a controllable UV-triggered approach, enabling synergistic enhancement of multiple properties.

The development of self-healing hydrogels through dynamic covalent or non-covalent interactions has been extensively investigated in biomaterial research, as such materials can significantly extend their functional lifespan while enhancing safety during application. Cation-pi interaction is a robust type of non-covalent bonding that holds significant biological relevance in living organisms. However, developing self-healing hydrogels based on cation-pi interactions at physiological pH (7.4) is still challenging. In this work, a simple and novel strategy is proposed for fabricating injectable self-healing hydrogels under physiological pH conditions from the self-assembly of thermo-responsive ABA triblock copolymers mediated by cation-pi interactions. The ABA triblock copolymer was composed of functionalized poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) incorporating quaternary ammonium cations paired with indole-containing aromatic groups, along with a hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) segment. Upon thermal gelation, the cationic moieties and aromatic groups became densely packed within nanoclusters, establishing robust yet reversible cation-pi interactions that conferred excellent self-healing capabilities to the hydrogels. The modulus recovery efficiency of the hydrogel after being damaged by large strain (1000%) was 99.85% in 3 min. The hydrogels also exhibited excellent thermo-responsive reversible sol-gel transition and significant shear-thinning properties with good injectable properties. In addition, the prepared hydrogels exhibited good antibacterial adhesion and cytocompatibility, demonstrating promising potential for bioengineering applications.

The integration of electrochromic and energy storage functionalities into a single device offers a promising pathway toward smart energy management, yet the practical application of electrochromic supercapacitors (ECSCs) is hindered by the poor electrical conductivity, sluggish ion diffusion, and inadequate cycling stability of transition metal oxide electrodes, such as WO3. Although various nanostructuring and hybrid strategies have been explored, achieving a simultaneous enhancement in optical modulation, switching speed, and long-term durability remains challenging. To address these issues, we herein report a facile self-assembly strategy to construct conductive MXene-based heterostructures with WO3 & sdot;2H2O nanoparticles, yielding WO3 & sdot;2H2O/MXene (WM) composite thin-film electrodes. The optimal heterostructure (WM-7.5) exhibits enhanced conductivity and enriched electroactive sites, facilitating rapid ion/electron transport. This results in significantly improved optical modulation (Delta T = 62% at 700 nm) and accelerated switching kinetics (coloration/bleaching times of 4.5/ 4.0 s). Moreover, MXene serves as a conductive scaffold that buffers volume changes and suppresses active material aggregation, endowing the electrode with exceptional cycling durability (82% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles). Furthermore, a complementary ECSC device assembled using WM-7.5 and Prussian Blue achieves a high optical modulation (Delta T = 61%), and fast switching (1.6/2.4 s). This work provides a general and effective route for designing high-performance, multifunctional ECSCs through rational heterostructure engineering.

A Co-containing N-doped graphitic carbon catalyst (Co1Zn4@N-C) was synthesized via bimetallic MOF pyrolysis and applied to periodate (PI) activation for selective sulfisoxazole (SIZ) degradation. Under optimized acidic conditions (pH 3), the Co1Zn4@N-C/PI system achieved complete SIZ removal within 30min with a rate constant of 0.1796min-1, outperforming ZIF-8@N-C (0.016min-1) and ZIF-67@N-C (0.035min-1). Partial mineralization (65.7% TOC removal in 30min) was also achieved. The catalyst demonstrated substrate-dependent selectivity (electron-rich pollutants >> electron-deficient compounds), good matrix tolerance, stable reusability over five cycles (>94%), and low Co leaching (0.08mg/L). Multi-line mechanistic evidence—including scavenging tests, EPR, PMSO probing, premixing, salt-bridge experiments, electrochemical measurements, and iodine-speciation analysis—consistently points to a catalyst-mediated interfacial electron-transfer pathway as the dominant oxidation mechanism, while minor contributions from surface-confined reactive intermediates cannot be fully excluded. Iodine speciation analysis identified IO3- as the major detectable product, with I2, I3-, and HOI-related species below detection limits. These findings establish Co1Zn4@N-C as an efficient PI activator and provide mechanistic insights into selective nonradical oxidation by Co–N–C materials.

Amidst the global imperative to reconcile carbon neutrality with energy security, CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2 EOR) has emerged as a dual-purpose technology capable of advancing both fossil fuel extraction and geological carbon storage. However, its effectiveness is severely undermined by gas channeling—a consequence of reservoir heterogeneity that leads to premature breakthrough and poor volumetric sweep. Conventional chemical conformance control agents, which rely on static triggers and offer single-function behavior, cannot adapt to the dynamic CO2 flow field and thus fail to achieve simultaneous high efficiency plugging and active oil mobilization. Herein, we present an autonomous, flow-adaptive CO2-responsive gel system designed to overcome these limitations. By means of rational molecular engineering, the gelation mechanism is shifted from a preset, geologically dependent process to one that is directly activated by the dynamic CO2 signal present in the reservoir. In high permeability “thief zones” with elevated CO2 concentration, the system rapidly forms a robust gel barrier, achieving >97.5% plugging efficiency and effectively diverting fluids toward unswept regions. Conversely, in low-permeability oil-bearing zones with lower CO2 flux, the material maintains a low viscosity, surface-active fluid state that enables deep penetration and continuous emulsification-driven oil displacement. This spatiotemporally coordinated behavior—orchestrated by in situ CO2 gradients—delivers a synergistic integration of macroscopic conformance control and microscopic oil liberation, resulting in an incremental oil recovery exceeding 20% in heterogeneous cores. This work establishes a new paradigm for smart subsurface materials that autonomously adapt to complex flow environments, offering a versatile strategy for enhancing both hydrocarbon production and CO2 storage efficiency.

Understanding metal-ion-mediated interfacial interactions is critical for regulating hydroxamate adsorption on oxide surfaces. However, the molecular mechanism by which Pb2+ promotes benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) adsorption on rutile (TiO₂), as well as its influence on bubble–rutile attachment, remains insufficiently understood. Herein, an integrated interfacial analysis combining functionalized atomic force microscopy (AFM) force spectroscopy and AFM bubble-probe measurements was employed to elucidate the Pb2+-assisted adsorption mechanism at the molecular level. Macroscopic flotation and wettability measurements revealed that pre-formed Pb–BHA complexes improved flotation stability and promoted rutile surface hydrophobization compared with untreated rutile, outperforming sequential reagent addition over a broad pH range. Functionalized AFM force spectroscopy provided direct evidence of strengthened collector–rutile interaction forces in the presence of Pb2+, confirming the formation of a stronger interfacial coordination structure. In addition, AFM bubble-probe measurements revealed that Pb2+–BHA adsorption weakened the hydration repulsion between air bubbles and rutile surfaces, promoted short-range attractive interactions, and facilitated bubble–mineral attachment. These results demonstrate that Pb2+ functions as an interfacial coordination mediator by forming a metal–ligand–surface bridging structure, thereby enhancing both collector adsorption strength and bubble attachment efficiency. This study provides direct molecular- and interface-scale evidence for metal-ion-regulated hydroxamate adsorption, hydration-layer modulation, and bubble attachment enhancement on oxide mineral interfaces.

Landfill leachate is an important secondary source of plasticizers; however, field-based evidence on their occurrence and full-scale treatment performance remains limited, particularly across different regions and treatment systems. In this study, raw leachate, disc-tube reverse osmosis (DTRO) permeate, and resin-polished effluent were collected from 11 landfill sites in 11 Chinese cities to investigate 10 target plasticizers, including bisphenol A (BPA), alkylphenols (APs), and phthalate esters (PAEs). PAEs dominated the concentration burden in raw leachate, ranging from 1.37 to 714.55 μg/L, whereas BPA and APs occurred at lower but widely detectable levels (0.56-3.43 μg/L). Pronounced spatial heterogeneity was observed among cities, suggesting that plasticizer profiles may be influenced by differences in waste-stream characteristics and leachate matrices. Across most sites, DTRO served as the primary removal barrier, achieving > 95 % removal of phenolic compounds, whereas ester removal efficiencies varied considerably (21.97-99.90 %). Meanwhile, the downstream resin unit further reduced membrane-permeable residuals, resulting in lower low-concentration levels across compounds and a more uniform residual distribution in the final effluent. Screening-level ecological risk assessment showed that raw leachate generally exhibited low to high ecological risk, with several PAE species reaching high-risk levels, whereas post-DTRO risk levels declined markedly but residual ecological risks persisted for certain compounds, particularly diisononyl phthalate (DINP) at multiple sites. Overall, this study provides multi-city field evidence on the occurrence patterns, compositional heterogeneity, stage-specific removal behavior, and residual ecological risks of plasticizers in landfill leachate, and highlights the complementary roles of DTRO and resin in full-scale treatment systems.