Peanut protein hydrolysate–chlorogenic acid complexes (PPHs–CGA) were prepared as interfacially active plant-protein systems to enhance the intrinsically limited emulsifying functionality of native plant proteins in oil-in-water emulsions. Fluorescence spectroscopy, secondary structure analysis, particle size distribution measurements, and scanning electron microscopy revealed that interactions between PPHs and CGA induced structural modifications in the resulting complexes. The effects of PPHs-CGA concentration on interfacial behavior, storage stability, environmental stability, oxidative stability, and in vitro digestion properties of emulsions were systematically investigated. The emulsion stabilized by 0.4% PPHs-CGA exhibited the smallest droplet size (299.65 nm), highest interfacial protein adsorption rate (93.33%), and relatively high interfacial protein loading (9.47 mg/m2). These results indicated the formation of a dense and stable interfacial adsorption layer, which maintained superior physical stability over 35 days of storage. Interfacial adsorption kinetics further demonstrated that an optimal PPHs-CGA concentration promoted interfacial diffusion and molecular adsorption, thereby facilitating the formation of a stable interfacial film. However, when the PPHs-CGA concentration was increased to 0.8%, the Kdiff, Kp, and Kr values decreased, indicating restricted diffusion, adsorption, and rearrangement of interfacial molecules. This restriction promoted protein aggregation and droplet flocculation, resulting in an increased droplet size (458.01 nm) and elevated apparent viscosity. In contrast, the 0.4% PPHs-CGA emulsion demonstrated superior ionic (Na+) and thermal stability, enhanced digestive stability, and improved oxidative stability, with peroxide value (POV) and TBARs reduced to 4.47 g/kg oil and 0.36 ± 0.01 g/kg oil, respectively. These findings demonstrated that PPHs-CGA enhanced the stability of plant-based emulsions by regulating interfacial adsorption behavior and promoting the formation of a robust interfacial film, highlighting their potential application in emulsion-based food systems.

A non-dairy whipping cream was developed by partially replacing cocoa butter substitute with pea protein–high-methoxyl pectin (PP–HMP) emulsion gel containing soybean oil. The effects of substitution levels (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) on the properties of the pre-whipping cream emulsion and the resulting whipped cream were systematically investigated and compared with those of commercial whipped creams. The properties of the pre-whipping emulsion (apparent viscosity and particle size) and whipped cream (hardness, adhesiveness, elastic modulus, and thixotropic loop area) degraded with increasing PP–HMP emulsion gel substitution levels. Overrun and partial coalescence of fat reached their highest values at the 20% substitution level, at which point the whipped cream also exhibited a uniform microstructure and excellent shape retention. The overrun, hardness, and foam stability of non-dairy whipping cream containing 20% PP–HMP emulsion gel were comparable to those of the commercial whipped cream. These findings demonstrate the potential of PP–HMP emulsion gel as a fat substitute for developing non-dairy whipping cream with reduced hydrogenated fat content.

With the increasingly extensive application in modern industries, demand for multifunctionality and performance for epoxy resin (EP) is becoming increasingly stringent. This study develops a hybrid material (B-MTP@CoCu) by in situ growth of cobalt-copper layered double hydroxides on polyphosphazene covalent triazine, which can be uniformly incorporated into the EP matrix, imparting simultaneous improvements in flame retardancy, smoke suppression, and mechanical strength. The EP composite with as low as 3 wt % B-MTP@CoCu is able to achieve a V-0 rating in a UL-94 vertical burning test. The peak heat release rate (pHRR), total heat release (THR), total smoke production (TSP), and peak CO production (pCOP) for the composite with an additive amount of 5 wt % are markedly reduced by 52.5%, 35.5%, 37.1%, and 53.4% respectively. The synergistic effect between polyphosphazene covalent triazine and dual post-transition-metal catalytic centers significantly promotes char formation, which serves as an effective physical barrier during combustion. Moreover, the abundant hydroxyl groups in B-MTP@CoCu enable strong interfacial adhesion to the EP matrix, thereby enhancing its mechanical performance, with tensile and impact strength enhanced by 49.5% and 35.2%, respectively. This work balances the flame retardancy and mechanical strength of the material, providing a potential pathway for fabrication of high-performance EP composites.

Peptide self-assembly is a special strategy for forming stable emulsion systems. In this study, the emulsifying properties and self-assembly behaviour of pea peptides and their controlled interfacial adsorption properties at different pH were investigated. Pea peptide-based emulsions exhibited a higher emulsifying activity index and emulsifying stability index at pH ≥ 7.0. Transmission electron microscope revealed that spherical assemblies of pea peptides formed large aggregates at pH 4.0, and that micellar structures of these pea peptides were formed at pH 7.0 and pH 9.0. These aggregates accelerated the adsorption of pea peptides at the oil-water interface but were not favourable for achieving emulsion stability. Compared to pH 7.0, the higher diffusion rate constant (Kdiff) and lower rearrangement rate (KR) of pea peptides at pH 9.0 corresponded to their increased surface hydrophobicity and surface charge. The interfacial adsorption properties of pea peptides at pH 7.0 may be attributed to the high relative contents of α-helix and random coil structures, which endowed these peptides with great structural flexibility. The interfacial adsorption properties were strongly dependent on the structure and morphology of pea peptide self-assemblies. These findings provide insights into the development of a pH-sensitive emulsifier for specialized delivery systems.

The development of the nuclear industry has imposed higher demands on coatings for nuclear power plant equipment. These coatings are generally required to possess both radiation resistance and acid resistance, a requirement previously addressed by incorporating multiple components, which significantly compromises the performance of the substrate material. In this study, fluorinated alternating polymers ((AB)n) bearing benzene rings are prepared to develop coatings with simultaneous acid and radiation resistance, employing commercial epoxy resins (EP) as the substrate. This dual resistance to radiation and acid is primarily attributed to the dissipation of irradiation energy by the benzene ring segments and to the amphiphobicity of the fluorinated segments, respectively. The tensile strength of the (AB6)n/EP composite (69.02 MPa) with sole 0.5 wt % additive dose is 21.4% higher than that of pure EP (56.87 MPa), when treated with 100 kGy irradiation in the presence of 3 M nitric acid. Tafel test results indicate that the corrosion current density of the coating decreases by nearly 3 orders of magnitude after incorporation of (AB6)n, significantly enhancing its corrosion resistance. This work provides a key clue for preparing coatings with dual acid- and radiation-resistance properties.

Polymer electrolytes hold great promise for lithium metal batteries owing to their low-cost, facile processability, and superior electrode compatibility, yet are hindered by intrinsically low ionic conductivity due to their strong Li+-polymer interaction. Inspired by the built-in electric field (BIEF) concept, we propose a novel strategy of creating a continuous BIEF to uniformly weaken Li+-polymer interactions, thereby achieving a consistently low energy barrier for Li+ transport. Specifically, continuous metal Lewis acidic sites (positive side) are introduced along the ether oxygen (-O-) sites (negative side) of the polymer chain, inducing charge redistribution and establishing a directional BIEF. This field reduces the electron density around the -O- groups, significantly attenuating Li+-polymer interactions. The resulting electrolyte achieves an ultrahigh ionic conductivity of 1.14 mS cm-1 and a Li+ transference number of 0.78 at 25°C. Remarkably, Li||Li cell shows exceptional cycling stability for over 6000 h. Moreover, Li||LiFePO4 cell delivers a capacity retention of 84% after 5000 cycles at 2C, and Li||LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cell maintains 80% capacity after 500 cycles at 1C. This work pioneers a general BIEF-based paradigm for designing high-performance polymer electrolytes, offering a promising avenue toward advanced quasi-solid-state batteries.

A photoinduced radicals-catalyzed reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PRC-RAFT) polymerization that differs from the well-known photoiniferter RAFT and photoinduced electron/energy transfer RAFT (PET-RAFT) techniques is proposed based on a breakthrough discovery of the photo-radical synergy (PRS) effect, where photon and non-initiating organotellurium radicals that produced readily from ditellurium compound interact synergistically to cleave the C–S bond in chain transfer agent (CTA) to generate initiating radicals for polymerization. Unlike the photocatalysts (PCs) in PET-RAFT relying on special absorption window, the PRS is energy-matching, therefore this PRC-RAFT is capable of utilization of light in a wide range of wavelength from the visible to full NIR-I region (500–980 nm). Additionally, the “living” features and spatiotemporal control of the polymerization system are demonstrated successfully by polymerization kinetics, multiple light “on-off” cycle experiments and synthesis of block copolymers. Well-defined polymers with narrow molar mass dispersity (minimum Đ = 1.04) are synthesized from a broad range of monomers including methacrylates and acrylates, thanks to the high efficiency of this PRC-RAFT polymerization. Finally, green aqueous PRC-RAFT polymerization is also developed successfully by choosing hydrophilic ditellurium compound, demonstrating great promise in high-end area such as biomedical field.

The search for innovative and cost-effective flame-retardant polymers is attracting increasing interest in both the academics and industrial community. In this work, flame-retardant polymers with high performance are developed through a monomer-to-polymer strategy. Specifically, biobased N-P synergistic vanillin-based acrylate monomers (MAPDVAs) are designed and synthesized, which are then polymerized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to obtain a biobased polymer, namely, PMAPDVA. The obtained PMAPDVA (M n,GPC = 39100 g/mol) has a high residual carbon content of about 42.0 wt % at 800 degrees C. The peak heat release rate (PHRR) of PMAPDVA is only 62.0 W/g in a micro calorimeter (MCC) test, confirming excellent flame-retardant efficiency. The PHRR and the total heat release rate (THR) of poly 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) decreased by 33.8% and 42.7%, respectively, when 30.0 mol % MAPDVA was copolymerized. In addition, the copolymer coatings display light transmission more than 80% in the range of 380-780 nm, indicating fine transparency of the copolymer and satisfying compatibility of PMAPDVA. Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis infrared (TGA-IR) are applied to explore the flame-retardant mechanism of the resultant polymers. This work provides a key clue for the preparation of flame retardants from natural products.

The increasing discharge of oily wastewater and frequent oil spills demand sustainable and efficient remediation technologies. Herein, a scalable fabrication strategy for superhydrophilic hydrogel membranes is developed via in-situ dynamic covalent crosslinking of polyethyleneimine and chitosan on cotton fabric. This enables roll-toroll production of large-area membranes for highly efficient, stable solar-driven oily wastewater treatment. The membrane exhibits exceptional photothermal conversion efficiency and inherent oil resistance, combining scalable manufacturing with high-performance oil-water separation and solar-driven evaporation. It demonstrates superhydrophilicity (water contact angle approximate to 0 degrees) and underwater superoleophobicity (oil contact angle >150 degrees), where the resultant hydrated layer effectively prevents oil fouling, ensuring exceptional self-cleaning. Under one-sun illumination, the carbon black@polyethyleneimine-chitosan hydrogel on cotton fabric evaporator achieves a high evaporation rate of 2.5 kg m(- 2) h(- 1) while steadily purifying various oily wastewaters with an organic contaminant removal efficiency exceeding 99.2%. Outdoor experiments corroborate its practical potential with a daily cumulative evaporation of 28.2 kg m- 2. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the robust hydrogen-bonding network within the hydrogel's surface water layer as the key anti-fouling mechanism. Life cycle assessment confirms a substantially reduced environmental impact. This work provides a highperformance, economical, and environmentally benign solution for sustainable oily wastewater remediation.

The interaction between dietary fiber and protein inhibits the conversion of insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) into soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and the hydrolysis of okara protein. Viscozyme® L and pepsin were used for sequential enrichment SDF and peptides, and the interaction mechanisms between the fiber and protein were investigated by analyzing the structures of IDF, SDF, peptides, and their mixed systems. After complex enzyme hydrolysis, the SDF/IDF ratio and peptide content of okara reached 0.48 and 54.38%, respectively. Compared with hydrolysis using Viscozyme® L or pepsin alone, complex enzyme hydrolysis effectively degraded IDF and protein, disrupted hydrogen bonds in SDF–peptide, and hydrolyzed the amorphous regions of IDF. The hydrolysis of the amorphous regions of IDF and the disruption of hydrogen bonds between SDF and peptide enhanced the enrichment of SDF and peptides. Overall, this study provides a practical framework for the development and utilization of okara.

Application of aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE) for peanut oil is hindered by severe emulsification. This study investigated the synergistic effects of NaCl-soaking-microwave (SMW) pretreatment and hexanoic acid (HA) on non-emulsifying AEE and elucidated the mechanisms. SMW disrupted oil body membrane, induced interfacial protein degradation, altered secondary structures, promoted tertiary structure unfolding, and increased surface hydrophobicity, thereby promoting their migration to dreg phase (73.55%). HA further affected lipid molecular arrangement and bound to 18-kDa oleosin (binding energy: -3.84 kcal/mol). These synergistic effects promoted extensive oil droplets coalescence as observed by CLSM of slurries. The residual emulsion exhibited reduced stability with a tendency toward phase inversion, decreased |ζ-potential|, and increased Z-average diameter. Ultimately, SMW combined with 1.5% HA eliminated emulsion formation (from 28.28% to 0%) and increased free oil recovery from 0% to 94.03%. These findings support active suppression of emulsion formation and the development of a non-emulsifying AEE system.

Pea protein-high methoxyl pectin (PP-HMP) emulsion gels were used to replace 20 % cocoa butter substitute for plant-based cream. This study investigated the effects of oil type and volume fraction on the properties of pre-whipping cream emulsions and the characteristics of a plant-based cream based on PP-HMP emulsion gels. Compared with the control, no significant differences were observed in the properties of the pre-whipping cream emulsion with lower oil volume fractions (20-30 %) of the PP-HMP emulsion gels. Plant-based cream containing PP-HMP emulsion gels with 20-30 % soybean or peanut oil exhibited comparable overrun, optimal whipping time, adhesiveness, and foam collapse rate to the control. Additionally, the hardness, bubble size, and distribution of whipped cream containing PP-HMP emulsion gels with 20 % soybean oil were not significantly different from those of the control. The fatty acid composition, density and viscosity of the oils in the PP-HMP emulsion gels were closely associated with the properties of the pre-whipping cream emulsions and the characteristics of the plant-based cream. These findings suggest that PP-HMP emulsion gels with 20-30 % soybean oil are viable alternatives for replacing 20 % hydrogenated oil in plant-based creams, providing a theoretical basis for the application of protein-polysaccharide emulsion gels in plant-based cream alternatives.

Emulsions based on peanut protein isolate-high methoxyl pectin (PPI-HMP) with different occurrence states have diverse characteristics under ultrasound. This study aimed to explore the effects of ultrasound on the interfacial behavior and emulsion stabilization mechanisms of PPI-HMP with different occurrence states. Interface-adsorbed PPI and HMP contents and the structural properties of interface-adsorbed, and interface-unadsorbed components were investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a contact angle measuring instrument, and scanning electron microscopy. Ultrasound enhanced interface-adsorbed content of PPI at pH 5.0, 7.0, and 9.0. The structural properties of interface-adsorbed PPI showed that ultrasound facilitated the formation and interfacial accumulation of soluble PPI-HMP complexes at pH 5.0. Competitive adsorption between PPI and HMP was observed at pH 7.0. Analysis of interface-unadsorbed components showed that ultrasound enhanced the formation of hydrogen bonds among HMP molecules, resulting in network structures in the continuous phase at pH 7.0, and 9.0. The results provide a theoretical basis for applying PPI-HMP and ultrasound in the food industry.

Chemical structure plays a critical role in determining the properties and aggregation behavior of materials. In this study, controlled axial modification of one or two PEG 5000 molecules is performed on the central metal (Sn) of the fluorinated phthalocyanine to obtain asymmetric and symmetric amphiphilic polymers, denoted as SnPcP and SnPc2P, respectively. The anisotropic aggregation of fluorinated phthalocyanine guides the construction of dynamic aggregates with diverse architectures. Dynamic aggregates can be formed by seed‐growth at high concentrations in selective solvents, detaching into pseudo‐axisymmetric J ‐aggregated oligomers (seeds, <20 nm) at low concentrations for the asymmetric SnPcP. For SnPc2P, the symmetrically entangled PEG prevents the orderly arrangement of fluorinated phthalocyanine and forms seeds independently; aggregates are preferred at high concentrations, and unimers (seeds, ca. 10 nm) can be obtained when diluted. Both photosensitizers (PSs) exhibit outstanding photostability and oxygen‐carrying capacity, and additionally, SnPcP displays higher photodynamic efficiency at low concentrations, probably due to that J ‐aggregation elevates the intersystem crossing efficiency. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate the extraordinary photodynamic therapy capacity of SnPcP. This study provides a universal strategy for the modular design of dynamic aggregates by constructing detachable PS primitives with pseudo/axisymmetric structures.

Owing to the poor ability of polymers to dissociate lithium salts and transport ions, solid-state polymer electrolytes typically exhibit low room-temperature ionic conductivity. In this work, we first synthesize poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (PPEGMA)-grafted polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (PVDF-g-PPEGMA) via iron-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using PVDF as the macroinitiator. Then, we prepare solid-state salt-concentrated (bistrifluoromethanesulfonimide lithium salt and lithium difluorodioxaphosphate) polymer electrolytes based on the PPEGMA-grafted PVDF (VPM X%-Li80%) incorporating multiple ion transport pathways to enhance the ionic conductivity at room temperature. The effects of the grafting rate on the electrolyte properties were investigated. The optimized VPM28%-Li80% achieves a high ionic conductivity of 4.79 x 10-4 S cm-1 at 30 degrees C and surpasses the 10-3 S cm-1 threshold at 70 degrees C. Moreover, owing to the low LUMO energy level of the multifunctional additive, heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFA), which preferentially forms a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at the Li metal/electrolyte interface, the symmetric Li//Li cell demonstrates an ultralong cycling lifespan (2000 h at 0.1 mA cm-2). This work provides critical insights for high-performance solid-state polymer electrolytes.

To address the issues of low efficiency and difficult recovery of photocatalysts in near-infrared (NIR) photoinduced electron/energy transfer reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization, this work develops a series of fluorinated phthalocyanines to optimize the photostability and photocatalytic performance to serve as efficient and recyclable catalysts. Among them, 1H,1H-pentadecafluorooctyl-modified phthalocyanine exhibits a significantly enhanced reactive oxygen species generation efficiency and photostability, which can form submicrometer aggregates (similar to 710 nm) in the polar solvent dimethyl sulfoxide. The zinc 2,9,16,23-tetra[(1H,1H-pentadecafluorooctyl)oxy]-phthalocyanine (ZnPc-FO)-mediated PET-RAFT polymerization can achieve high monomer conversion in the presence of oxygen within 4 h (up to 98%) and controlled polymerization (& Dstrok; <= 1.25). A key breakthrough lies in facilely anchoring ZnPc-FO onto the surface of a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) stirrer by taking advantage of unique fluorine-fluorine (F-F) interactions, which greatly simplifies the recycling operation after polymerization, and up to 90% monomer conversion can be maintained even after 12 noncontinuous cycles. This kind of fluorinated phthalocyanine provides an efficient and recyclable catalyst for NIR light-mediated PET-RAFT polymerization.

Tumor hypoxia is one of key challenges in deep tumor photodynamic therapy (PDT), and how to fix this issue is attracting ongoing concerns worldwide. This work demonstrates dually fluorinated unimolecular micelles with desirable and stable oxygen-carrying capacity, high cellular penetration, and integrative type I & II PDT for deep hypoxic tumors. Dually fluorinated star copolymers with fluorinated phthalocyanines as the core are prepared through photoinitiated electron/energy transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization under irradiation with NIR LED light at room temperature, followed by assembly into unimolecular micelles. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are also introduced into the star polymers during the polymerization to further enhance and stabilize oxygen-carrying capacity, which is slightly affected by concentration-induced size transformation. PFCs assist unimolecular micelles with repelling mucin adsorption, which results in superior cellular uptake within 1 h and high effective accumulation rates in tumors of CT26 tumor-bearing mice within 24 h after systemic administration, and showing effective anti-tumor effects under the irradiation of NIR LED light. This work provides a new type of nano-photosensitizers for highly efficient hypoxic PDT. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: One of the major challenges in improving the efficiency of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for deep tumors is how to address tumor hypoxia, which is receiving continued attention worldwide. However, most of the reported oxygen carriers combine with photosensitizers by physical means and the carriers have the risk of dissociating easily, which is not conducive to long-term and efficient PDT, resulting in poor therapeutic effect. This work demonstrates dually fluorinated unimolecular micelles with desirable and stable oxygen-carrying capacity, high cellular penetration, and integrative type I & II PDT for enhanced deep hypoxic tumors, overcoming the key challenges of tumor hypoxia and low photosensitizer efficiency.

To increase the added value of peanut meal (PM, protein content of 46.17%) and expand its application in food processing, cold-pressed PM was modified via transglutaminase (TGase)-coupled glycation to enhance its functional properties. The effects of the modification conditions (i.e., PM concentration, PM/glucose mass ratio, temperature, and time) on the functional properties of PM were investigated, and its structural properties were evaluated using water contact angle measurements, fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that TGase-coupled glycation modification altered the secondary structure of PM and increased both the water contact angle and the surface hydrophobicity, thereby significantly affecting its functional properties. Additionally, superior emulsification, foaming, and oil-absorbing properties were achieved for the modified PM, which were named EPM, FPM, and OPM, respectively (specimens under different modification conditions). Notably, the emulsification activity of the EPM sample was enhanced by 69.8% (i.e., from 18.48 to 31.38 m2/g); the foaming capacity of the FPM specimen was increased by 84.00% (i.e., from 21.00 to 46.00%); and the oil-absorbing capacity of the OPM sample was enhanced by 359.57% (i.e., from 1.41 to 6.48 g/g protein).

In this work, star-shaped block copolymers are prepared in flow tube reactors made of Teflon at room temperature via photocontrolled organocatalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (O-ATRP) by a core-first strategy. 1,2,3,5-Tetrakis(carbazol-9-yl)-4,6-dicyanobenzene (4CzIPN), which has a strong reduction potential, is used as the organic photocatalyst. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is selected as the monomer to establish the first block, and the polymerization rate constant of MMA in the flow reactor is 1.44 times higher than that in the batch reactor. Meanwhile, the activity and spatiotemporal control of the polymerization are validated by kinetics investigation and photo on/off experiments. In addition, in situ chain extension of the freshly prepared poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in a flow manner is achieved by secondary tandem connection of multiple microtubes using a metering pump, and star-shaped block copolymers with different block ratios can be prepared in continuous flow reactors by setting different retention times. This method simplifies the operation process while improving efficiency, which is conducive to scaling up production.