Carbon coating on conductive supports is an effective strategy to enhance surface area and interfacial functionality without compromising intrinsic electrical properties. However, constructing ordered mesoporous carbon shells in a universal and scalable manner remains challenging. Herein, we report a molecular-assembly-enabled strategy for the universal growth of conformal monolayer mesoporous graphene coatings on a wide range of substrates, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene oxide (GO), carbon fibers (CFs), boron nitride (BN), SiO2, and silicon wafers. Metal oxide nanocrystal arrays serve as removable templates to generate oleate-derived carbon shells that evolve into highly graphitized mesoporous graphene after annealing, while leaving atomically dispersed metal species embedded within the carbon framework. These heteroatom-coordinated metal sites provide abundant lithiophilic and electrochemically active centers, enabling uniform lithium nucleation and suppressed dendrite growth, thereby reducing nucleation overpotential and improving cycling stability. This work offers a versatile platform for integrating ordered porosity, high conductivity, and atomic-scale interfacial functionality into carbon-supported energy materials.

We report a method to selectively etch either component in NaYF4/Fe3O4 binary nanoparticle superlattices using a single etchant. Thermally-induced evolution of oleate ligands on the NaYF4 nanoparticles reverses their relative etching susceptibility in oxalic acid, yielding non-close-packed nanoparticle arrays with tunable architectures.

AIMS:To determine whether dysregulated copper metabolism and cuproptosis contribute to acute lung injury (ALI), and to evaluate whether targeting copper homeostasis mitigates lung inflammation and injury. RESULTS:Integrative analysis of RNA-seq data from patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia revealed increased enrichment of copper metabolism-related gene sets and differential expression of cuproptosis-related genes. Notably, immune deconvolution of patient RNA-seq data demonstrated prominent macrophage enrichment, suggesting that macrophages represent a major cell group in which dysregulated copper metabolism may occur during ALI. In a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse ALI model, lung copper levels were elevated, accompanied by molecular features of cuproptosis, including increased DLAT oligomerization and destabilization of Fe-S cluster proteins. Pretreatment with the copper chelator tetrathiomolybdate alleviated lung injury and inflammatory response, while suppressing cuproptosis-related molecular features in vivo. In alveolar macrophages, LPS challenge increased intracellular Cu+ concentration and promoted DLAT oligomerization, and impaired Fe-S protein stability. Mechanistically, both copper chelation and knockdown of upstream cuproptosis regulator reduced DLAT oligomerization, restored Fe-S proteins, alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction, and decreased CD86+ macrophage polarization. Importantly, altered expression of copper transporters was observed, suggesting a remodeling of copper metabolic homeostasis during ALI. INNOVATION AND CONCLUSION:This study identifies cuproptosis as a previously unrecognized driver of ALI, mechanistically linking copper dysregulation to mitochondrial damage and inflammatory activation of alveolar macrophages, and demonstrates the therapeutic benefit of copper chelation or cuproptosis suppression. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 44, 770-791.

Lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs), including cubosomes, are increasingly investigated as antimicrobial nanomaterials because non-lamellar lipid nanoparticles can fuse with biological membranes, exchange lipids, and improve antimicrobial delivery or antibiotic combination treatment. However, prior studies have mainly addressed fusion, uptake, encapsulation, or payload stabilization, rather than testing whether retained internal curvature can be isolated as a design variable for antibacterial potentiation in a matched LCNP series. Herein, we generated lamellar vesicles, primitive cubosomes (P-cubosomes, Im3m), and diamond cubosomes (D-cubosomes, Pn3m) from the same phytantriol/DPPS lipid system. When combined with free daptomycin, rather than being used as drug-loaded carriers, these LCNPs exhibited curvature-dependent potentiation hierarchy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vesicles < P-cubosomes < D-cubosomes. Fluorescence imaging, electron microscopy, and neutron reflectometry showed progressively stronger membrane association, lipid extraction, and bilayer disruption with increasingly negative curvature. In a murine bacteremia model using a sub-optimal daptomycin regimen, the same curvature-dependent efficacy trend was retained in vivo, providing proof-of-concept support rather than therapeutic validation. This study provides direct experimental evidence, in a matched antibacterial LCNP system, that retained internal curvature modulates membrane remodeling and potentiates daptomycin against MRSA.

The assembly of nanotubes into 3D superstructures that combine high active-site density with efficient mass transport remains a significant challenge. Conventional silica nanotubes tend to tangle and form disordered aggregates, burying functional interfaces and limiting practical applications. Herein, we introduce a hierarchical emulsion-mediated sol-gel strategy for the direct construction of dandelion-like silica nanotube superparticles (D-SiO2 NTS) composed of radially aligned nanotube bundles. In a biphasic pentanol-water system, organosilane-rich droplets and surface-localized water-enriched nanodroplets create interfacial microdomains that confine the hydrolysis and co-condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate and (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane. This interfacial confinement disfavors lateral deposition and biases growth toward outward anisotropic extension, ultimately yielding dandelion-like hollow microspheres covered with radially arranged silica nanotubes. The resulting open-framework architecture provides highly accessible pore channels and abundant thiol groups for post-functionalization. As a proof of concept, L-cysteine-functionalized D-SiO2 NTS are immobilized in a glass micropipette to create a confined coordination interface for ionic-current-based Cu2+ sensing. The sensor exhibits a broad detection range (0.1 µM to 100 mM), a low detection limit (0.047 µM), excellent selectivity, and stable performance over nine days. By linking hierarchical interfacial organization to anisotropic hollow growth, this work provides a chemical design principle for directly constructing accessible 3D silica nanotube architectures.

A novel microchannel-based chiral sensor leveraging silica nanowires self-assembled with maltosyl-cyclodextrin (SiNWs/G2-β-CD) on glass microchannel (GMC) is reported. This innovative SiNWs/G2-β-CD/GMC sensor achieves ultrasensitive detection of L-tryptophan over a wide linear range (1-105 aM) with exceptional selectivity, enabling accurate discrimination in mixtures of tryptophan enantiomers. Its application to milk sample analysis demonstrates high recognition performance and practical reliability. The SiNWs/G2-β-CD/GMC sensor offers a rapid, cost-effective, and highly sensitive platform, holding great promise for dietary monitoring and enantiomeric analyses in complex matrices.

Nonviral intracellular delivery based on pulsed-electric-field-induced electroporation is one of the most effective and widely used platforms in basic biological and biomedical research. However, the conventional bulk electroporation technique has exhibited limited performance in improving delivery efficiency with a single type of pulse, especially for in vivo small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery. Pulse modulation has been confirmed effective in facilitating intracellular delivery. Nonetheless, pore evolution and regulation during and after electric exposure plays an essential role in the effective intracellular delivery of molecules with variable sizes. Here, we propose a progressive electroporation (PEP) strategy on the basis of multiple-pulse combination, which decouples the perforation process and delivery process compared to conventional bulk electroporation, efficiently improving delivery efficiency with regulation of the perforated pores. We demonstrated an important correlation between delivery efficiency enhancement and delayed pore resealing by quantitative investigations. The performance of this disruption-and-field-enhancement method also showed delivery advantages over conventional chemical systems. Moreover, we validated the improvement for siRNA knockdown efficacy in vivo. Overall, PEP helps provide a unique insight into improving intracellular delivery, by regulating pore dynamics rather than just inducing perforation. This strategic advancement of PEP may pave the way for the development of advanced wearable delivery systems with reduced energy consumption.

Correction for 'A bottlebrush-architectured dextran polyprodrug as an acidity-responsive vector for enhanced chemotherapy efficiency' by Tian Zhang, et al., Biomater. Sci., 2020, 8, 473-484, https://doi.org/10.1039/C9BM01692A.

The durability of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells is often compromised by the corrosion of carbon supports in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) cathodes under harsh operating conditions, including high oxygen concentration, elevated humidity, low pH, and high potentials. To overcome this limitation, we report the synthesis of a 2D mesoporous graphitic nanocarbon framework (MGF) via chemical etching and high-temperature graphitization. The resulting MGF features a monolayer, highly ordered nanoframe architecture that offers enhanced structural stability and conductivity. Leveraging these structural advantages, we designed fully exposed Pt nanoparticles anchored on the MGF (Pt@MGF) as a model system to investigate the interplay between graphitization degree, pore architecture, and electrocatalytic performance. Among the variants, Pt@MGF-1200, synthesized at 1200 °C, demonstrates optimized mesopore confinement and strong Pt-carbon interactions. This results in superior electrochemical durability and ORR activity, positioning Pt@MGF-1200 as a promising alternative to conventional Pt/C catalysts.

Oil spills present significant environmental challenges due to high remediation costs and secondary pollution. Inspired by the lotus leaf microstructure, a novel SiO2 NWs@PU composite was developed by modifying polyurethane (PU) sponges with hydrophobic alkyl groups-capped silica nanowires (SiO2 NWs). This design synergistically optimizes surface energy and roughness by tailoring the alkyl chain length and aspect ratio of SiO2 NWs, achieving excellent oil-water separation. The composite achieves a low surface energy of 0.73 +/- 0.05 mJ/m(2) and a water contact angle of 154.4 degrees, maintaining superhydrophobicity (>151 degrees) under harsh conditions, including pH 3-11, boiling water, and baking at 150 degrees C. It also exhibits robust mechanical properties, with a 4.6-fold increase in compressive strength over pure PU and minimal degradation (<15 %) after 100 compression cycles. SiO2 NWs@PU achieves oil adsorption capacities of 21-49 g/g, with over 95 % separation efficiency under simulated turbulent marine conditions. Versatility of this strategy is demonstrated through substituting PU with melamine sponge, resulting a SiO2 NWs@ melamine composite with outstanding oil adsorption capacities of 72-163 g/g. With excellent resilience, flame retardancy, and reusability, these scalable and cost-effective composite sponges provide a sustainable solution for oil spill remediation and oily wastewater treatment, addressing critical environmental needs.

Copper ions (Cu+ and Cu2+) paly essential roles in physiological processes, and their imbalance is associated with disease progression. However, the simultaneous detection of both oxidation states remains challenging due to their similar physicochemical properties. Herein, we present a dual-functionalized glass micropipette sensor that independently detects Cu+ and Cu2+. UiO-66-NH2 is grown in situ on the inner wall to selectively capture Cu2+ through amino coordination, thereby reducing the ionic current. Glutathione-functionalized carbon nanotubes (GCNTs) are coated on the outer surface to bind Cu+,which enhance the SERS signal by increasing surface defects. The sensor covers a broad detection range (10-1-105 μM), achieves a detection limit of 0.1 μM, and enables simultaneous monitoring of Cu+/Cu2+ in the physiological range (2-10 μM). Moreover, it differentiates copper ion levels in MCF-10A and MCF-7 cells, uncovering disrupted copper homeostasis in cancer. This work provides a sensitive and selective platform for investigating copper speciation in biological systems.

Mycotoxin contamination poses a great threat to food safety and human health. Thus, universal and sensitive detection of mycotoxins is urgently needed. Herein, N/O co-doped porous biomass carbon was synthesized from rice straw as a novel electrode modification material for fabricating an electrochemical sensor for mycotoxin detection. The fabricated sensor exhibited excellent universality in the detection of aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin G1, aflatoxin G2, aflatoxin M1, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol. The limits of detection were ca. 0.5689, 0.0504, 0.0274, 0.6141, 0.0781, and 0.0512 fg·mL-1, respectively. The dynamic linear range was spanned from 0.001 to 1000 pg·mL-1. The biomass carbon-based electrochemical sensor also demonstrated accurate and rapid performance in detecting mycotoxins in real samples, with all recoveries near 100 %. Density functional theory calculation confirmed that the adsorption of mycotoxins by porous carbon changed the charge distribution of the electrode surface, which is the potential working mechanism of the designed electrochemical sensor for high sensitivity mycotoxin detection. The results indicated that the high sensitivity of the fabricated electrochemical sensor makes it suitable for the fast and accurate detection of mycotoxins in grain and feed products.

Accurate detection of low viral load infections is crucial for early diagnosis and effective prevention of virus transmission. However, most conventional virus detection methods are time-consuming and require complex nucleic acid amplification steps. Here, we present a glass microchannel sensor functionalized with silica nanowires-DNA (SiNWs-DNA) nanoprobes for simple, rapid, and ultrasensitive detection of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The detection is achieved via direct electrochemical signal acquisition after only a 9-min incubation. Without requiring nucleic acid amplification, the sensor achives a limit of detection (LOD) of 6.61 × 10-2 copies/μL, demonstrating enhanced sensitivity compared to conventional techniques such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Furthermore, the platform exhibits excellent sensitivity and specificity in real sample analysis, underscoring its great potential in clinical virus diagnostics.

Early cancer detection is crucial for improving patient survival rates. However, current single-biomarker detection methods often face challenges, such as insufficient sensitivity, poor accuracy, and false positives. To address these issues, we report a dual-functionalized glass micropipet sensor (DFMS) capable of simultaneously detecting two cancer biomarkers, nucleic acids and proteins. The inner surface of the sensor is functionalized with amino-modified silicon nanowires (SiNWs) to capture disease-related miRNAs, enabling ionic-current-based detection, while the outer surface is decorated with gold nanoparticles to anchor specific protein aptamers for Raman-based detection. This dual-functionalization significantly enhances the sensitivity and selectivity by combining ionic current amplification with plasmonic Raman signal enhancement. The sensor achieves detection limits of 1 aM for miRNAs and 0.001 ng/mL for proteins, with minimal mutual interference between the two detection modes, ensuring accurate and independent detection. Validation with prostate cancer biomarkers miRNA-1246 and PSA, as well as gastric cancer biomarkers miRNA-106a and CD44, demonstrates its outstanding sensitivity, selectivity, stability, and broad applicability, providing a novel approach for early cancer detection with significant clinical implications.

We introduce a hierarchical lamellar superstructure colloidally co-assembled from MXene-derived amorphous TiO2 nanosheets (am-TiO2 NSs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as an anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Leveraging the synergistic effect of active amorphous NSs and an open-accessible architecture, the am-TiO2-CNT electrode demonstrates exceptional rate capabilities and cycling stabilities in SIBs.

We present a coordination-inspired strategy for assembling binary nanocrystal superlattices (BNSLs) using CdSe nanotetrapods as symmetry-encoding building blocks. Exploiting their intrinsic tetrahedral geometry, which mimics the sp3 hybridization of carbon atoms in a diamond lattice, we encode spatially defined binding sites that guide regioselective coassembly with spherical nanocrystals. By tuning the size ratio between components, we achieve both three-dimensional and two-dimensional BNSLs with long-range structural order. Notably, in NaCl-type BNSLs, the CdSe tetrapod sublattice defines a hypothetical porous network that is topologically analogous to a diamond lattice-an architecture difficult to realize using isotropic nanocrystals. The key advantage of this approach lies in its ability to translate molecular coordination principles into nanoscale assembly, thereby enabling access to architecturally complex and topologically rich lattices. A potential limitation, however, is the need for precise control over component size and shape to ensure high-quality ordering. By integrating molecular coordination concepts with nanocrystal assembly, this work establishes nanotetrapods as versatile symmetry-directing building blocks for the rational design of next-generation superlattices. This work establishes nanotetrapods as symmetry-directing building blocks for designing architecturally complex BNSLs, bridging molecular coordination chemistry with nanocrystal assembly.

Bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) are nanoscale spherical particles with lipid bilayer membranes containing diverse functional components from their parent bacteria. They exert pivotal effects on bacteria-bacteria and host-bacteria communication. Analyzing the dynamic changes in the production and composition of BEVs provides insights into the relationship between gut microbiota and host health, offering valuable perspectives for diagnosing various gastrointestinal diseases. Furthermore, BEVs can be employed as natural medications and drug delivery vehicles for inflammation management, cancer treatment, and vaccine development. This review summarizes the structural composition, generation mechanism, and biomedical applications of BEVs, emphasizing recent advances in immune regulation, gut microbiota modulation, and the clinical translation challenges associated with gastrointestinal diseases.

In this study, we report the rational design and synthesis of carbonized NiFe2O4 superparticles (CarSPs) hierarchically integrated with densely aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) architectures, hereafter denoted as CarSP-CNTs, which exhibit a biomimetic urchin-like morphology. Through exploitation of the colloidal self-assembly and catalytic functionalities inherent to NiFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs), we achieve seamless integration of one-dimensional CNT arrays with three-dimensional superstructural frameworks. Systematic investigation reveals that the pre-carbonization of surface-bound organic ligands coupled with subsequent CNT growth induces synergistic interplay between conductive carbon matrices and active spinel oxide phases. This structural optimization confers CarSP-CNTs with enhanced charge transfer kinetics and catalytically robust interfaces, as evidenced by their superior electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolyte (1 M KOH). The optimized CarSP-CNTs exhibit a minimal overpotential of 307 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm-2, alongside remarkable operational stability exceeding 20 h of continuous electrolysis. These findings establish a paradigm for the rational design of hierarchically structured, multi-component electrocatalysts through coordinated nanoscale engineering, offering a versatile platform for advancing energy conversion technologies.

The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistant Gram-negative bacteria compromises current antibiotic efficacy, including the last-resort antibiotic polymyxins, emphasizing the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. Nanoscale-based antimicrobials exhibit potential as an alternative treatment strategy. In this study, four furoxan-based nitric oxide (NO)-releasing nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared and their antimicrobial efficacy was tested against different Gram-negative bacteria, including: Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli via minimum inhibitory testing, where NPs exhibited selective activity against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-deficient A. baumannii strains and LPS-truncated strains tested. Advanced microscopic techniques and mechanistic investigations using model membranes mimicking the LPS-deficient A. baumannii membrane and LPS-containing membrane, via neutron reflectometry and small-angle neutron scattering, indicated that the NPs specifically destabilize the LPS-deficient A. baumannii membrane, leading to the release of cellular content. This work provides mechanistic insight into the selective activity of the NPs against LPS-deficient A. baumannii and their lack of efficacy in strains with LPS, highlighting membrane-level determinants that may inform future antimicrobials development.

Base mutations (mismatches, insertions, or deletions) in microRNAs (miRNAs) are frequently associated with diseases including as cancer, where they significantly alter miRNA structure and function. However, the accurately detection of low-abundance mutants amid highly similar sequences remains a major challenge. In this study, we developed a sensing strategy based on the ionic current and hybridization free energy, which employs glass micropipette channels functionalized with polydopamine nanotubes (PDA-NTs) and peptide nucleic acids (PNA), which enables enzyme-free, high-resolution identification of low-abundance miRNA-21 base mutations. The detection mechanism relies on mutation-induced conformational changes during PNA-miRNA hybridization, which modulate nanopore ion permeability and produce distinct current signatures. By correlating these signals with hybridization Gibbs free energy (ΔG), we established a link between thermodynamic stability and current response. When ΔΔG > 1 kcal/mol, a segmented linear relationship was observed between ΔΔG and the normalized current decrease Δ[(I0-IC)/I0], allowing precise discrimination of mutant types, numbers, and locations based on ionic current response. In contrast, when ΔΔG < 1 kcal/mol, the signal change Δ[(I0-IC)/I0] remained below 5%, making it challenging to differentiate mutants from the wild-type. This portable highly sensitive miRNA mutation sensing strategy offers strong potential for rapid molecular diagnostics and clinical decision-making.