Journal of Environmental Sciences
·
2026
·
IF 6.5
Jiaqi Ding,Xiaolin Xiong,Huanhuan Shi,Yuxiao Mu,Haojun Ji,Jingwen Wang
pH switches reactive species in ZVC/PAA: HO • at pH 3, Cu(III) at pH 7. • Surface Cu x O shell is the key site governing the generation of reactive species. • HO • -dominated system rapidly removes diverse sulfonamides with non-selectivity. • Cu(III) system selectively degrades sulfonamides containing heterocyclic rings. • ZVC demonstrates higher reusability and lower Cu ions leaching at pH 7. Zerovalent copper (ZVC) has garnered considerable attention in Fenton-like reactions, but the surface properties of ZVC that regulate reactive species (RSs) generation remain elusive. Herein, we systematically investigated the pH-dependent regulation of hydroxyl radical (HO • ) and high-valent copper (Cu(III)) generation during peracetic acid (PAA) activation by ZVC for the degradation of sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs). Characterization results revealed that ZVC has a core-shell structure, in which the surface copper oxide (Cu x O) layer serves as the primary active site. Theoretical and experimental analyses elucidated that pH modulates the surface properties of ZVC. At pH 3, the protonation of Cu x O promotes the generation of HO • in the ZVC/PAA system; conversely, under neutral conditions (pH 7.0), the unprotonated state favors the formation of Cu(III) as the dominant RSs. This trade-off between HO • and Cu(III) generation leads to distinct degradation performance for SAs degradation. HO • -dominated system achieved non-selective removal (>96 %) of various SAs; whereas the Cu(III) pathway selectively degraded SAs with heterocyclic rings at pH 7. The Cu(III) pathway outperformed the HO • system in terms of humic acid tolerance and catalyst recyclability in the ZVC/PAA process. This work clarifies the decisive role of surface protonation of ZVC in steering HO • versus Cu(III) pathways and provides a theoretical basis for designing pH‑specific Fenton-like reaction processes. Download: Download high-res image (355KB) Download: Download full-size image
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高影响因子
Gels
·
2026
·Vol. 12
·期 9
·830
·
IF 6.4
Ming Zhong,Yang Xiong
To mitigate clay hydration and wellbore instability during deepwater drilling, a pH/temperature dual-responsive graft copolymer, hyperbranched polyethylenimine-g-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (HPEI-g-PDMAEMA), was designed and synthesized via free radical polymerization. Optimized synthesis at an HPEI/DMAEMA mass ratio of 1:2 with 2.4% AIBN at 70 °C for 10 h yielded a grafting ratio of 35.2% and a molecular weight of 84.3 kDa. The copolymer exhibits a tunable lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of approximately 48 °C at pH 8, decreasing with increasing pH due to tertiary amine deprotonation. Zeta potential measurements confirm that the polymer retains a positive charge (+5 mV at pH 8) under weakly alkaline conditions, enabling strong electrostatic anchoring onto negatively charged clay surfaces. Above the LCST, dynamic light scattering reveals a sharp increase in hydrodynamic diameter from ~30 nm to >200 nm, confirming a hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic transition of PDMAEMA segments that drives the formation of a hydrophobically associated gel barrier. This thermally triggered gelation is fully reversible, as evidenced by repeated heating–cooling cycles with almost complete transmittance recovery. The gel barrier drastically reduces water uptake, with inhibition performance against clay swelling at 60 °C being 18.5 percentage points higher than that at 25 °C. Hot-rolling tests demonstrate that with only 1.5 wt% inhibitor, shale recovery reaches 94.1% at 150 °C (8.8 percentage points higher than unmodified HPEI) and remains above 60% even in 20 wt% CaCl 2 or MgCl 2 brines, highlighting exceptional resistance to divalent cations. Water contact angle on treated clay surfaces increases from 18.5° to 52.6°, confirming effective surface hydrophobization. This work provides a molecular-level gel-engineering strategy where pH governs electrostatic anchoring and temperature triggers reversible hydrophobic gelation, enabling on-demand switching of clay wettability and hydration resistance under high-temperature, high-salinity conditions.
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高影响因子
Small
·
2026
·
IF 11.8
Yuchen Liu,Shan Lin,Pengyuan Song,Xianan Li,Jingwen Wang,Yang Zhang,Mingli Cai,Kang Fu,Ziyue Xu,Qianqian Zhao,Long Zhang,Jie Shen,Shibo Wang,Xiangdong Kong,Pu Chen
Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is a novel therapeutic strategy based on the Fenton reaction, which utilizes endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) to generate toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH) for killing tumor cells. However, the mildly acidic pH and limited H 2 O 2 levels in the tumor microenvironment (TME) restrict the activity of the Fenton reaction, severely limiting the therapeutic efficacy of CDT. Here, we construct a multifunctional nanoreactor, Fe 2 O 3 @MoS 2 -Pt/FA, which combines catalyst surface engineering with intracellular metabolic regulation to achieve highly efficient synergy between CDT and chemotherapy. This nanoreactor constructs a localized acidic microenvironment by bonding MoS 2 onto the surface of Fe 2 O 3 , enabling the Fenton catalyst to maintain high catalytic activity under mildly acidic conditions and thereby overcoming the environmental pH limitation. Meanwhile, the introduction of cisplatin precursors containing disulfide bonds enabled glutathione-responsive release. Cisplatin not only exerts its chemotherapeutic effects but also promotes intracellular H 2 O 2 production by activating relevant pathways, providing more abundant substrates for CDT. Through these synergistic multimodal mechanisms, this nanoreactor induces tumor cell apoptosis by causing DNA damage, disrupting cellular redox homeostasis, and impairing mitochondrial and nuclear functions. This study provides an effective nanoplatform design strategy to overcome the limitations of TME pH and H 2 O 2 insufficiency in CDT.
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高影响因子
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
·
2026
·Vol. 14
·期 3
·123082
·
IF 7.5
Zhe Xu,Jiantong Zhou,Chengfeng Liu,Weilan Zhen,Taicheng An
The peroxodisulfate (PDS)-based oxidation systems are promising for Cu(II) complex decomplexation owing to its capacity to harness the self-enhanced decomplexation (SED) effect of Cu(II) complexes. This phenomenon was conventionally attributed to liquid-phase autocatalysis via Fenton-like reactions between daughter Cu(II) species and PDS. However, this frequently adopted hypothesis is inconsistent with the actual catalytic activity of Cu(II) species and has been challenged by our preliminary results. Herein, we revisit the decomplexation of copper(II)-ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Cu(II)-EDTA) in UV/PDS system, with particular emphasis on correcting the catalytic behaviors of Cu species and clarifying the indispensable role of UV-irradiation in SED effect. Both acidic and alkaline conditions exhibit significant SED effect, but we reveal a pH-dependent SED mechanism that is fundamentally different from the prevailing liquid-phase autocatalysis mechanism. Under acidic conditions, Cu(II) complexes exhibit enhanced catalytic capacity with decreasing ligand coordination strength, primarily stemming from the activation of PDS by Cu(I) species produced via the irradiation-induced intramolecular charge transfer; In alkaline environments, only liberated Cu(II) substantially contribute to SED effect via spontaneous hydrolysis, forming nanostructured CuO after aging, which activates PDS through heterogeneous Fenton-like processes. While acidic conditions demonstrate faster decomplexation, alkaline-generated solid products facilitate multi-cycle treatment efficiency and alkaline conditions also exhibits stronger resistance to chloride. This work corrects the misinterpretation of SED mechanism in UV/PDS/Cu(II)-EDTA system, and provides a fundamental and accurate mechanistic basis for the efficient treatment of copper-containing organic wastewater by PDS-based processes.
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高影响因子
Advanced Healthcare Materials
·
2026
·
IF 11
Jinquan Huang,Jiayan Luo,Jiwei Huang,Wenzhai Cao,Junying Chen
Bacterial infection and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) in wounds hinder healing and induce fibrosis/scarring. Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nanozymes integrate MOF's high surface area with nanozyme catalytic properties but face toxicity issues from degradation byproducts. Herein, this study engineered a bio-MOF nanozyme using vitamin B3 as the ligand, featuring stability (the degradation rate was less than 50% in PBS for 28 days), biocompatibility (the bio-MOF nanozyme concentration threshold for cell compatibility was as high as 150 µg/mL), and pH-responsive dual enzymatic activities. In the acidic bacterial microenvironment (pH = 6.5), it activates superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) mimetic activities, generating ·OH for bactericidal effects. The antibacterial efficacy against E.coli and S.aureus was both higher than 99%. Under neutral conditions (pH = 7.4), it switches to SOD and catalase (CAT) mimetic modes, scavenging ROS and releasing O 2 to create a reparative microenvironment. In vivo rat infected wound models confirmed enhanced antibacterial efficacy, inhibited excessive fibroblast proliferation, reduced aberrant collagen deposition and scar area, promoting scarless healing. The proposed dual-pathway coordinated regulation of antibacterial-antioxidant mechanisms provides a novel material strategy for addressing cutaneous fibrosis.
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高影响因子
Small
·
2026
·
IF 11.8
Jun Liang,Ling Xu,Wanyue Fu,Xianyu Huang,Hanqing Zhang,Yidie Wang,Jiyang Wang,Zhaoyou Chu,Haisheng Qian
The presence of biofilm formation, excessive inflammatory responses, and a dynamic microenvironment makes methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-associated chronic wound infections difficult to cure. To address this challenge, we developed a smart pH-responsive hyaluronic acid microneedle patch (CV MN) loaded with vancomycin and cerium-based Prussian blue analogs (CPB) for time-coordinated therapy of MRSA-infected wounds. This system realizes its function by using the dynamic pH changes during wound healing: in the acidic infectious microenvironment, vancomycin is rapidly released to exert powerful bactericidal effects, and the release of cerium ions from CPB is accelerated to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) via its catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. When the pH becomes neutral during the repair phase, the continuously released cerium ions sustainably modulate the immune microenvironment. In vitro experiments demonstrated that CV MN exhibited excellent antibacterial activity and biofilm disruption efficacy against MRSA. CPB had potent ROS-scavenging capacity, protected mitochondrial function, and promoted fibroblast migration, angiogenesis, and macrophage polarization toward the pro-healing M2 macrophage phenotype. In mouse full-thickness infected wound/abscess models, CV MN accelerated wound healing, reduced bacterial burden, attenuated inflammation, and reshaped immunity via an anti-inflammatory program, providing a novel synergistic strategy for chronic infected wounds.
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高影响因子
International Journal of Nanomedicine
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2026
·
IF 8.7
Luting Lin,Guowei Wang,Jie Zhang,Jingming Luo,Xudong Fan,Jianqing Gao,Xinjun Cai
Background The efficacy of chemotherapy for treating lung cancer is hindered by insufficient intracellular drug utilisation. Moreover, non-targeted distribution often leads to severe side effects, resulting in poor prognosis and low patient compliance. Therefore, a more effective strategy is required to achieve effective treatment. In this study, we aimed to develop a pH-responsive nanoplatform for intratracheal administration to enhance drug accumulation in lung cancer tissues and promote the accumulation of drugs within tumour cells.Results A self-assembled nanomicelle named SN-38@PEG-PMMSD (PPM) was constructed using a cinnamaldehyde synthetic carrier material loaded with SN-38 and nanoprecipitation. Intratracheal administration enhanced the accumulation of PPM within the lungs and tumors (the fold increase in lung accumulation following intratracheal (i.t.) were 49.63-fold higher than intravenous (i.v.) delivery at the 48-hour timepoint). Owing to its small size, PPM can easily penetrate deep into tumour tissues. The micro-acidic environment characteristic of tumours increases the efficiency of tumour cell uptake of PPM. This triggered a pH-responsive reaction in the acidic lysosomal milieu, leading to dissociation of PPM and the regeneration of cinnamaldehyde while releasing SN-38. Cinnamaldehyde acted as a reactive oxygen species (ROS) amplifier, facilitating ROS generation. Elevated ROS levels, in conjunction with SN-38, resulted in strong antitumor effects.Conclusion In summary, Intratracheal administration of pH-responsive PPM is anticipated to enhance drug accumulation in tumour tissues, improve drug uptake by tumour cells, and achieve effective treatment of lung cancer.
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高影响因子
Biomedical Materials
·
2026
·Vol. 21
·期 3
·035002
·
IF 3.9
Shanchun Zhang,Xiangyu Cheng,Jingtong Wu,Yunuo Song,Liping Ren
To address the challenge of preventing peri-implantitis, the present study developed a pH-responsive drug delivery coating on titanium (Ti) implants for controlled aspirin release. A hierarchical metal-organic framework coating was constructed on alkali- and heat-treated titanium by sequentially synthesizing Zeolitic imidazolate framework-L (ZIF-L) and ZIF-8 (denoted AHTL8). Material characterization confirmed the successful fabrication of a hierarchical micro–nano structure, which significantly enhanced surface hydrophilicity. The AHTL8 system exhibited a remarkably high aspirin-loading capacity (0.227 mg) and intelligent release kinetics, with sustained delivery (77.36% over 72 h) at physiological pH (7.4) and rapid, extensive release (97.39% over 72 h) under acidic conditions pH (6.5). Furthermore, the coating demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility, and the aspirin-loaded AHTL8 significantly promoted the proliferation of mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. These findings indicate that the ZIF-L/ZIF-8 composite coating serves as a highly efficient pH-triggered platform with high drug-loading and responsive release capacity, and its excellent cytocompatibility and MC3T3-E1 proliferation-promoting effect provide a preliminary basis for its potential application in promoting osseointegration.
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高影响因子
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
·
2026
·
IF 5.2
Bo Jin,Siyuan Qin,Dan Zhang,Ziyu Chen,Xianhui Liu,Jiao Long,Feiyi Wang,Xiaoming Ren,Jun Ren,Erfei Wang
A colorimetric and fluorescent probe LDN was constructed for detecting pH values and viscosity. • LDN was mainly distributed in lysosomes and showed an excellent lysosome-targeting effect. • LDN could present significant fluorescence enhancement in living cancer cells. • LDN has been effectively utilized to verify the feasibility of detecting the spoilage of milk. Detecting the fluctuations in viscosity and pH values simultaneously at the molecular level holds significance for monitoring the spoilage processes of liquid food to ensure food safety. Also, viscosity and pH value can be regarded as effective cancer markers for diagnosis. Therefore, we successfully engineered and fabricated a colorimetric and fluorescent probe LDN for detecting pH values and viscosity. As the pH value varies, LDN exhibits different fluorescence emission wavelengths. Across a viscosity spectrum from 1.5 cP to 312.84 cP, a quantifiable relationship exists between fluorescence signal intensity and viscosity. Probe LDN, with lyso-targeting characteristics, shows significant fluorescence enhancement in living cancer cells. Furthermore, its utility extends to the surveillance of food degradation, particularly within acidic matrices such as milk. These findings underscore the significant potential of LDN in imaging tumor cells and monitoring food spoilage processes, offering a promising possibility for enhancing food safety assurance. Download: Download high-res image (61KB) Download: Download full-size image
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高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2026
·
IF 7.8
Peili Li,Siyu Zhang,Haoran Xu,Xiangxiang Wu,Xiaoqing Yu,Wenxin Wang,Ran Ding,Da Zhang,Junhua Chen,Xiang Ke,Zirong Li
Bacterial infections associated with biofilm formation hinder wound healing via enhanced antibiotic resistance and impaired tissue repair. Herein, we fabricated dandelion herb-derived carbon dots (DH-CDs) through a green solvothermal-extraction method, developing a biocompatible antimicrobial agent with synergistic wound healing potential. Physicochemical characterization showed that DH-CDs are quasi-spherical (4.87 nm), partially graphitized nanoparticles with abundant surface functional groups and pH-responsive charge-switching capability. In vitro studies demonstrated that DH-CDs exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 62.5 μg/mL at pH 7.4 and 31.25 μg/mL at pH 5.5. The antibacterial effect is mediated by a multimodal mechanism involving electrostatically driven bacterial membrane disruption, energy metabolism inhibition, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and antioxidant enzyme inactivation. Moreover, DH-CDs achieve complete disruption of mature S. aureus biofilms at 300 μg/mL. Notably, DH-CDs possess excellent biocompatibility, with a 10% hemolysis concentration (HC10) exceeding 4000 μg/mL and over 95% viability of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts at 2000 μg/mL. A unique dual ROS-modulating capability was identified that DH-CDs generate excessive ROS to eradicate bacteria while scavenging deleterious ROS in mammalian cells, thereby preserving redox homeostasis. In vivo evaluations in a murine S. aureus-infected full-thickness wound model demonstrated that DH-CDs significantly accelerate wound closure by promoting re-epithelialization, granulation tissue maturation, collagen deposition, and hair follicle regeneration, outperforming a commercial wound healing spray. Collectively, DH-CDs integrate green synthesis, pH-responsive antibacterial/antibiofilm activity, dual ROS regulation, and biocompatibility, representing a promising translational candidate for bacteria-infected wounds and a paradigm for multifunctional biomass-derived nanomaterials.
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高影响因子
Small
·
2026
·
IF 11.8
Hang Zhang,Yinuo Wu,Zhen Zhang,Ying Hou,Peizhi Liu,Ting Liao,Bingshe Xu,Yanhui Song,Haixia Zhang,Junjie Guo,Ziqi Sun
M-N-C single-atom catalysts have been demonstrated to be a promising class of non-noble-metal based catalysts, but their activity is largely constrained by the symmetrical electronic density distribution of the M-N 4 moieties. Herein, a ZIF-8 derived Fe/Fe dual-center catalyst (FeN 4 /FeO 5 @NC) is constructed by introducing a O-FeO 4 configuration adjacent to the Fe-N 4 sites to form asymmetric dumbbell-shaped FeN 4 -O-FeO 4 active sites, resulting in improved intrinsic activity of Fe─N─C catalyst. The dumbbell FeN 4 -O-FeO 4 dual-center catalyst features an electron transfer pathway of “FeN 4 → bridged O → FeO 4 ”, which breaks the symmetry of the electronic density distribution of the Fe moiety and regulates the position of the d-band center, increasing the electron transfer efficiency, reducing the desorption energy barrier of the rate-determining step, and enhancing the activation ability of O 2 molecules. The obtained FeN 4 -O-FeO 4 dual-center catalyst exhibits excellent ORR performance in a pH-universal range. The liquid-state Zn-air battery (ZAB) with this FeN 4 -O-FeO 4 dual-center catalyst delivers an outstanding open circuit voltage of 1.502 V and a peak power density of 246 mW cm −2 , superior to the Pt/C-cathode ZAB. This work represents an exploration of ways to improve the ORR performance of Fe─N─C catalysts and provides a paradigm for rationally designing low-cost, highly catalytic, and stable non-noble metal catalysts.
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高影响因子
APOPTOSIS
·
2026
·Vol. 31
·期 6
·150
·
IF 9
Xu Jiang,Liu Longyan,Liu Shuheng,He Zesong,Meng Wei
To overcome resistance to MEK inhibitors such as selumetinib in neurofibroma, we developed a metabolism-targeted nanotherapeutic based on a pH-responsive silver nanoparticle platform (AgNP-PEG-TC) for delivering Triacsin C (TC), an inhibitor of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases, to disrupt tumor-associated lipid metabolism. AgNP-PEG-TC was synthesized and characterized for its physicochemical properties, drug-loading efficiency, and pH-responsive release behavior. Its antitumor effects were assessed in human neurofibroma cells, including selumetinib-resistant cells, and in normal Schwann cells by examining proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. In vivo therapeutic efficacy and biosafety were evaluated in neurofibroma xenograft models. Bulk RNA sequencing, lipidomics, and protein analyses were performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. AgNP-PEG-TC demonstrated stable colloidal properties and successful pH-sensitive release. It selectively reduced neurofibroma cell growth, migration, and invasion while promoting apoptosis, with minimal effects on normal cells. In xenograft models, AgNP-PEG-TC significantly inhibited tumor growth and showed good biocompatibility. Multi-omics analyses indicated that its antitumor activity was associated with ACSL4 downregulation, remodeling of arachidonic-acid-enriched phospholipids, enhanced lipid peroxidation, and increased lipid-droplet accumulation, suggesting heightened ferroptosis susceptibility. Notably, AgNP-PEG-TC synergized with MEK inhibitors and restored antitumor responses in resistant neurofibroma cells. These findings establish a metabolism-nanotechnology synergy in which AgNP-PEG-TC-mediated ACSL4 inhibition and lipid metabolic reprogramming resensitize MEK inhibitor-resistant neurofibromas to therapy. The platform functions as both a targeted drug carrier and a modulator of tumor lipid homeostasis, offering a promising combinatorial strategy. Graphical abstract The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.
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高影响因子
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