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An efficient visible-light-promoted cascade difluoromethylation/cyclization reaction to access various CF 2 H-substituted benzimidazo[2,1- a ]isoquinolin-6(5 H )-ones was developed using difluoromethyltriphenylphosphonium bromide salt as the precursor of the -CF 2 H group under mild conditions. This protocol utilized an easily accessible and inexpensive organophotocatalyst, offering the benefits of a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and good to excellent yields, in addition to a simple operational procedure. Furthermore, the reaction mechanism was subjected to investigation, and it was demonstrated that a radical pathway constitutes a single electron transfer (SET) procedure.

Water-solid contact electrification is a common physical phenomenon involving interfacial electron and ion transfer, recently discovered to trigger unique redox reactions. Here, we demonstrate the generation of both hydroxyl and hydrogen radicals when water contacts SiO 2 . The coexistence of hydroxyl and hydrogen radicals is confirmed by simultaneous nitrate reduction and nitrite oxidation during the contact. Increased density of hydroxyl groups on the SiO 2 surface enhances its surface electronegativity before the contact, as well as boosting charge transfer and radical generation during the contact. We propose that the simultaneous generation of hydroxyl and hydrogen radicals originates from electron gain and loss between hydroxide anions in water and hydrogen cations adsorbed on the solid surface, which are ion pairs separated by the interfacial electric field. This discovery advances our understanding of redox processes induced by contact electrification., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been used as a potential nanocarrier for photosensitizers (PSs), which have demonstrated a great deal of promise in achieving an effective photodynamic therapy (PDT) for deep-seated tumors. However, overcoming biological barriers to achieve mitochondria-targeted PDT remains a major challenge. Herein, CD44- and mitochondria-targeted photodynamic nanosystems were fabricated through the self-assembly of hyaluronic acid-conjugated-methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-diethylenetriamine-grafted-(chlorin e6-dihydrolipoic acid-(3-carboxypropyl)triphenylphosphine bromide) polymeric ligands (HA-c-mPEG-Deta- g -(Ce6-DHLA-TPP)) and NaErF 4 :Tm@NaYF 4 core-shell UCNPs (termed CMPNs). The CMPNs presented ideal physiological stability, a good drug loading capacity and an improved capacity for the generation of singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) based on the FRET mechanism. Significantly, confocal images revealed that CMPNs not only facilitated cellular uptake through CD44-receptor-targeted endocytosis, subsequently enabling rapid evasion from endo-lysosomal sequestration, but also specifically targeted mitochondria, ultimately inducing a profound disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, which triggered apoptosis upon laser irradiation, thereby significantly enhancing the therapeutic effect. Furthermore, in vitro antitumor experiments further confirmed the substantial enhancement in cancer cell killing efficiency achieved by treating with CMPNs upon near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. This innovative approach holds promise for the development of NIR-laser-activated photodynamic nanoagents specifically designed for mitochondria-targeted PDT, thus addressing the limitations of the current PDT treatments.

In this study, we introduce a salt-responsive hydrogel system utilizing a sugar-derived surfactant featuring a polyhydroxy spacer in its headgroup. The inclusion of salts enhances and organizes the intermolecular hydrogen bonding within the hydrophilic region of the polyhydroxy spacer, promoting cross-linking among surfactant molecules.

Aberrant lipid metabolism has been widely recognized as a hallmark of various diseases. However, the comprehensive analysis of distinct lipids is challenging due to the complexity of lipid molecular structures, wide concentration ranges, and numerous isobaric and isomeric lipids. Usually, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based lipidomics requires a long time for chromatographic separation to achieve optimal separation and selectivity. Ion mobility (IM) adds a new separation dimension to LC-MS, significantly enhancing the coverage, sensitivity, and resolving power. We took advantage of the rapid separation provided by ion mobility and optimized a fast and broad-coverage lipidomics method using the LC-IM-MS technology. The method required only 8 minutes for separation and detected over 1000 lipid molecules in a single analysis of common biological samples. The high reproducibility and accurate quantification of this high-throughput lipidomics method were systematically characterized. We then applied the method to comprehensively measure dysregulated lipid metabolism in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Our results revealed 115 significantly changed lipid species between preoperative and postoperative plasma of patients with CRC and also disclosed associated differences in lipid classes such as phosphatidylcholines (PC), sphingomyelins (SM), and triglycerides (TG) regarding carbon number and double bond. Together, a fast and broad-coverage lipidomics method was developed using ion mobility-mass spectrometry. This method is feasible for large-scale clinical lipidomic studies, as it effectively balances the requirements of high-throughput and broad-coverage in clinical studies.

Neurodegenerative diseases are devastating diseases that severely affect the health of people all over the world. RNA therapies have become one of the most promising critical drug treatments for neurodegenerative diseases due to their excellent gene and protein editing effects. However, the successful transport of RNA via the systemic route to the central nervous system remains one of the major obstacles in treating neurodegenerative diseases. This review will focus on therapeutic RNA that can successfully overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB), with particular attention to small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), focusing on different types of neurodegenerative disease treatment strategies and accelerating their translation into clinical practice.

Visible-light photooxidation sensitized by surface attachment of small colorless organics on semiconductor photocatalysts has emerged as an economical method for photocatalytic synthesis or degradation. In particular, heteroatom (X = N and Cl)-containing substrates could undergo either C-N coupling or dechlorination degradation via sensitizing TiO 2 , but the mechanism in conducting the competitive visible-light sensitized photooxidations is still vague. Herein, the visible-light photooxidation of colorless 4-chlorobenzene-1,2-diamine ( o -CAN) on TiO 2 was revealed, contributing to selective C-N coupling rather than dechlorination. Oxygen vacancies (OVs) were in situ generated on the TiO 2 surface, which could be dominant in weakening the Cl-Ti adsorption of o -CAN and regulating the activation of O 2 for selective C-N coupling. The C-N coupling product, functionalized as the sensitizer, further promoted the visible-light photooxidation upon N-Ti and Cl-Ti coordination. This process was then confirmed by on-line mass spectrometric analysis, and the intermediates as well as their kinetics were determined. Thereby, theoretical calculations were employed to verify the roles of OVs in competitive photooxidation and lowering the energy barriers as well. Based on the comprehensive characterizations of both the catalysts and intermediates, this work has provided insights into competitive photooxidations under visible light., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

To weaken the adverse effects of traditional planar heterojunctions on phototransistors, an effective strategy for achieving low dark-current and high photoresponsive organic phototransistors via constructing a sandwich heterostructure is demonstrated. This work offers a new route for the design and development of high-performance phototransistor devices.

Cesium-lead-bromide (CsPbBr 3 ) has shown promise in thin film photovoltaics due to its desirable energy band gap, charge mobility and chemical and thermal stability. The low solubility of its single crystal in organic solvents has driven development of the two-step spin-coating technique. In this work, precursor solutions of different PbBr 2 and CsBr concentrations were spin-coated and investigated via Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The properties of the Cs x Pb y Br z film in cross-section demonstrate this method leads to varying stoichiometries, work functions and band gaps through the thickness. This anisotropy of the perovskite thickness has ramifications for design of photovoltaic devices.

Fluoroquinolones are a widely used class of antibiotics, with a large variety, which are frequently monitored in the aqueous environment, threatening ecological and human health. To date, effective degradation of fluoroquinolone antibiotics remains a major challenge. Focused on the broad-spectrum degradation of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, a novel biomimetic peroxidase nanozyme named Hemin-His-Fe (HHF)-peroxidase nanozyme was synthesized through a green and rapid "one-pot" method involving hemin, Fmoc-L-His and Fe 2+ as precursors. After systematic optimization of the reaction conditions, fluoroquinolone antibiotics can be degraded by the HHF-peroxidase nanozyme when supplemented with H 2 O 2 in acidic environments. Through validation and analysis, it was proved that the generated strong oxidative hydroxyl radicals are the main active species in the degradation process. In addition, it was verified that this method shows great universal applicability in real water samples.

Stimuli-responsive supramolecular chemotherapy, particularly in response to cancer biomarkers, has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome the limitations associated with traditional chemotherapy. Spermine (SPM) is known to be overexpressed in certain cancers. In this study, we introduced a novel supramolecular chemotherapy system triggered by SPM. The system featured pyridine salts of a diphenylanthracene derivative (PyEn) and a complementary water-soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5C5) with long alkyl chains. The diphenylanthracene unit of PyEn is effectively encapsulated within the long alkyl chains of WP5C5, resulting in a substantial reduction in the cytotoxicity of PyEn towards normal cells. The therapeutic effect of PyEn is selectively triggered intracellularly through SPM, leading to the endosomal release of PyEn and concurrent in situ cytotoxicity. This supramolecular chemotherapy system exhibits notable tumor inhibition against SPM-overexpressed cancers with reduced side effects on normal tissues. The supramolecular strategy for intracellular activation provides a novel tool with potential applications in chemotherapeutic interventions, offering enhanced selectivity and reduced cytotoxicity to normal cells.

In pursuit of highly active zinc-air battery (ZAB) catalysts, nitrogen doping has proven key to enhancing carbon-based non-metallic catalysts' performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This study employed a novel method to synthesize variously sized ZnO materials coated with ZIF-8. Notably, smaller particle sizes correlated with reduced activation energy. ZnO-12, the smallest variant, fully carbonized at 800 °C, resulting in zinc ion evaporation and the formation of an amorphous carbon nano-hollow structure, ZIF8/ZnO-12. This material showcased remarkable ORR properties, with an onset potential of 0.9 V ( vs. RHE) and a Tafel slope of 71.4 mV dec -1 , surpassing the benchmark Pt/C catalyst and exhibiting excellent stability. Moreover, in ZAB tests, ZIF8/ZnO-12 achieved a specific capacity of 816 mA h g -1 , outperforming Pt/C. DFT calculations indicate that under alkaline conditions, nitrogen-doped carbon materials containing adsorbed oxygen and doped oxygen exhibit lower catalytic activation energy for the ORR, which is beneficial for accelerating the ORR. This research provides valuable insights into designing more efficient carbon-based non-metallic catalysts for ZABs.

Fluorination has emerged as a promising strategy in medicinal chemistry to improve the pharmacological profiles of drug candidates. Similarly, incorporating fluorinated non-canonical amino acids into macrocyclic peptides expands chemical diversity and enhances their pharmacological properties, from improved metabolic stability to enhanced cell permeability and target interactions. However, only a limited number of fluorinated non-canonical amino acids, which are canonical amino acid analogs, have been incorporated into macrocyclic peptides by ribosomes for de novo construction and target-based screening of fluorinated macrocyclic peptides. In this study, we report the ribosomal translation of a series of distinct fluorinated non-canonical amino acids, including mono-to tri-fluorinated variants, as well as fluorinated l-amino acids, d-amino acids, β-amino acids, etc. This enabled the de novo discovery of fluorinated macrocyclic peptides with high affinity for EphA2, and particularly the identification of those exhibiting broad-spectrum activity against Gram-negative bacteria by targeting the BAM complex. This study not only expands the scope of ribosomally translatable fluorinated amino acids but also underscores the versatility of fluorinated macrocyclic peptides as potent therapeutic agents., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

In the last few decades, tear-based biosensors for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) have provided new avenues for the diagnosis of diabetes. The tear CGMs constructed from nanomaterials have been extensively demonstrated by various research activities in this field and are gradually witnessing their most prosperous period. A timely and comprehensive review of the development of tear CGMs in a compartmentalized manner from a nanomaterials perspective would greatly broaden this area of research. However, to our knowledge, there is a lack of specialized reviews and comprehensive cohesive reports in this area. First, this paper describes the principles and development of electrochemical glucose sensors. Then, a comprehensive summary of various advanced nanomaterials recently reported for potential applications and construction strategies in tear CGMs is presented in a compartmentalized manner, focusing on sensing properties. Finally, the challenges, strategies, and perspectives used to design tear CGM materials are emphasized, providing valuable insights and guidance for the construction of tear CGMs from nanomaterials in the future.

Electricity-driven oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a highly attractive strategy for biomass transformation. However, achieving industrial-grade current densities remains a great challenge. Herein, by modulating the water content in a solvothermal system, Ni 3 S 2 /NF with stabilized and shorter Ni-S bonds as well as a tunable coordination environment of Ni sites was fabricated. The prepared Ni 3 S 2 /NF was highly efficient for electrocatalytic oxidation of HMF to produce FDCA, and the FDCA yield and Faraday efficiency could reach 98.8% and 97.6% at the HMF complete conversion. More importantly, an industrial-grade current density of 1000 mA cm -2 could be achieved at a potential of only 1.45 V vs. RHE for HMFOR and the current density could exceed 500 mA cm -2 with other bio-based compounds as the reactants. The excellent performance of Ni 3 S 2 /NF originated from the shorter Ni-S bonds and its better electrochemical properties, which significantly promoted the dehydrogenation step of oxidizing HMF. Besides, the gram-scale FDCA production could be realized on Ni 3 S 2 /NF in a MEA reactor. This work provides a robust electrocatalyst with high potential for practical applications for the electrocatalytic oxidation of biomass-derived compounds., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Designing artificial nano-enzymes for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chondrocytes (CHOs) is considered the most feasible pathway for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the accumulation of ROS due to the amount of nano-enzymatic catalytic site exposure and insufficient oxygen supply seriously threatens the clinical application of this therapy. Although metal-organic framework (MOF) immobilization of artificial nano-enzymes to enhance active site exposure has been extensively studied, artificial nano-enzymes/MOFs for ROS scavenging in OA treatment are still lacking. In this study, a biocompatible lubricating hydrogel-loaded iron-doped zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (Fe/ZIF-8/Gel) centrase was engineered to scavenge endogenous overexpressed ROS synergistically generating dissolved oxygen and enhancing sustained lubrication for CHOs as a ternary artificial nano-enzyme. This property enabled the nano-enzymatic hydrogels to mitigate OA hypoxia and inhibit oxidative stress damage successfully. Ternary strategy-based therapies show excellent cartilage repair in vivo . The experimental results suggest that nano-enzyme-enhanced lubricating hydrogels are a potentially effective OA treatment and a novel strategy.

To understand the impact of binary doping in ZnO, nanosized Zn(Ag, Ni)O systems were synthesized by the sol-gel method. The amount of Ag was fixed at 2 at%, and that of Ni was varied from 1 to 15 at%. Ni incorporation equal to or beyond 3 at% gave rise to the development of the NiO phase. The presence of Ag and Ni did not have much influence on the lattice constants of ZnO. However, a larger addition of Ni impacted the unit cell of NiO, as indicated by the reduction of the lattice constant of NiO. The increase in NiO and Ag contents in ZnO reduced the second and third harmonic intensities under non-linear investigations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that initial Ni addition varied randomly along with Ag, and it stabilized itself at higher concentration. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that interlinked particles and chains with tamarind shapes were formed, closely matching the rod-like structures under high resolution. Ag and Ni addition altered the structures slightly and randomly till 5 at% Ni; thereafter they deviated from the particle shape to flat disc-shapes. Interestingly, the magnetic response of the sample was determined by the NiO phase, and the effect of Ni and Ag substitution in the ZnO host matrix was almost irrelevant at low temperatures toward magnetic contribution. Weak ferromagnetism at low temperatures (≤50 K) with superparamagnetic-like behavior (cusp in ZFC magnetization) was observed in all the samples. This could be attributed to the finite nano-size effect and uncompensated spins at the surface of the particle., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Constructing metal-organic gels (MOGs) with enzyme-catalyzed activity and studying their catalytic mechanism are crucial for the development of novel nanozyme materials. In this study, a Co@Fe MOG with excellent peroxidase activity was developed by a simple and mild one-pot process. The results showed that the material exhibited almost a single peroxidase activity under optimal pH conditions, which allowed it to attract and oxidize the chromogenic substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). Based on the active electron transfer between the metal centers and the organic ligand in the synthetic material, the Co@Fe MOG-H 2 O 2 -TMB system was verified to be able to detect H 2 O 2 and citric acid (CA). The catalytic microenvironment formed by the adsorption and the catalytic center accelerated the electron-transfer rate, which expedited the generation of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH, a kind of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) in the presence of H 2 O 2 . The persistence and high intensity of ˙OH generation were proven, which would endow Co@Fe MOG with a certain antibacterial ability, promoting the healing of bacteria-infected wounds. In conclusion, this study contributes to the development efforts toward the application systems of nanozymes for marker detection and antibacterial activity.

The thioether-connected bis-amino acid lanthionine (Lan) residues are class-defining residues of lanthipeptides. Typically, the cyclization step of lanthionine formation, which relies on the addition of a cysteine to an unsaturated dehydroamino acid, is directed either by a standalone cyclase LanC (class I) or by a cyclase domain (class II-IV). However, the pathways of characterized class V members often lack a known cyclase (domain), raising a question on the mechanism by which their multi-macrocycle systems are formed. Herein, we report a new RiPP gene cluster in Streptomyces TN 58, where it encodes the biosynthesis of 3 distinct class V lanthipeptides-termed triantimycins (TAMs). TAM A1∼A3 share an N-terminal ll-MeLan residue, and only TAM A1 contains an additional internal ll-Lan residue. TAM A1 also has a C-terminal (2 S , 3 R )- S -(( Z )-2-aminovinyl)-3-methyl-d-cysteine ( allo AviMeCys) residue, which is distinct from the previously reported (2 S , 3 S )-AviMeCys residue in other RiPPs. Gene deletion, heterologous coexpression, and structural elucidation demonstrated that the cyclization for an ll-MeLan formation occurs spontaneously and is independent of any known lanthionine cyclase. This study provides a new paradigm for lanthionine formation and facilitates genome mining and engineering efforts on RiPPs containing (Me)Lan and ( allo )Avi(Me)Cys residues., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The dearomative expansion of aromatic rings has long been pursued by chemists due to its potential to provide tractable approaches for synthesizing valuable non-aromatic molecules. To circumvent the conventional use of hazardous and unstable diazo compounds, photochemical synthesis has recently emerged as a promising platform. However, protocols that can effectively handle both arenes and azaarenes remain scarce. Herein, we introduce a generic strategy that efficiently converts β-(aza)aryl-β-substituted enones into biologically significant cycloheptatriene derivatives, including their aza-variants. This method allows for the easy modulation of diverse functional groups on the product and demonstrates a wide substrate scope, evidenced by its excellent tolerance to various drug motifs and good compatibility with five-membered azaarenes undergoing ring expansion. Moreover, DFT calculations of plausible mechanisms have motivated the implementation of an important cascade diradical recombination strategy for 1,3-dienones, thus facilitating the synthesis of valuable 2-oxabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-ene derivatives., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

To avoid the unexpected aggregation and reduce the cytotoxicity of nanomaterials as optical probes in cell imaging applications, we propose a programmed DNA-cube as a carrier for silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to construct a specific hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) responsive platform (Ag NP@DNA-cube) for diagnosing colorectal cancer (CRC) in this study. The DNA-cube maintains good dispersion of Ag NPs while providing excellent biocompatibility. Based on the characteristic overexpression of endogenous H 2 S in CRC cells, the Ag NPs are etched by H 2 S within target cells into silver sulfide quantum dots, thereby selectively illuminating the target cells. The Ag NP@DNA-cube exhibits a specific fluorescence response to CRC cells and achieves satisfactory imaging.

Paclitaxel (PTX) remains an essential drug in the treatment of breast cancer. To improve metabolic stability and real-time monitoring of drug location, we develop a visualized nano-prodrug. Novel hyaluronic acid (HA)-coated glutathione (GSH)-sensitive chitosan (CS)-based nano-prodrug (HA/TPE-CS-SS-PTX NPs) with aggregation-induced emission effects (AIE) were accomplished. The prodrug NPs (drug loading 29.32%, particle size 105 nm, regular sphericity) exhibit excellent fluorescence stability. The prodrug NPs could target tumor cells with high expression of CD44 and decompose in the presence of high concentrations of glutathione. In vitro evaluations revealed that the prodrug NPs have significant cytotoxicity on 4T1 cells, and due to their excellent AIE characteristics, their position in cells can be tracked. Moreover, the prodrug NPs also shown superior anti-tumor effects in vivo experimental. Overall, the HA/TPE-CS-SS-PTX NPs we constructed have excellent bio-imaging capabilities and can be served as a potential nanomedicine for PTX delivery against breast cancer., Competing Interests: There is no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Achieving both high emission efficiency and exciton utilization efficiency ( η S ) in hot exciton materials is still a formidable task. Herein, a proof-of-concept design for improving η S in hot exciton materials is proposed via elaborate regulation of singlet-triplet energy difference, leading to an additional thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) process. Two novel dendrimers, named D-TTT-H and D-TTT- t Bu, were prepared and characterized, in which diphenylamine derivatives were used as a donor moiety and tri(triazolo)triazine (TTT) as an acceptor fragment. Compounds D-TTT-H and D-TTT- t Bu showed an intense green color with an emission efficiency of approximately 80% in solution. Impressively, both dendrimers simultaneously exhibited a hot exciton process and TADF characteristic in the solid state, as was demonstrated via theoretical calculation, transient photoluminescence, magneto-electroluminescence and transient electroluminescence measurements, thus achieving almost unity η S . A solution processable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) employing the dendrimer as a dopant represents the best performance with the highest luminance of 15090 cd m -2 and a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE max ) of 11.96%. Moreover, using D-TTT-H as a sensitizer, an EQE max of 30.88%, 24.08% and 14.33% were achieved for green, orange and red solution-processed OLEDs, respectively. This research paves a new avenue to construct a fluorescent molecule with high η S for efficient and stable OLEDs.

Amino acids hold significant importance in the diagnosis and treatment of various chronic diseases. Accurate solid-liquid equilibrium data are the key to drug synthesis and chemical production. However, the studies on the solid-liquid equilibrium of amino acids remain limited. In this work, the solid-liquid equilibrium of the L-tryptophan + L-phenylalanine + water ternary system under atmospheric pressure at temperatures of 278.15 K-318.15 K was explored via isothermal solution saturation. The isothermal equilibrium phase diagram of the ternary system was constructed. The obtained solid-liquid equilibrium data were correlated with a semi-empirical-model, yielding thermodynamic parameters pa, pb, pc , and k . Furthermore, the model can be used to effectively predict the solid-liquid equilibrium data of ternary systems at other temperatures, and the d Y and d P are 0.005 and 4.34%, respectively. The solid-liquid equilibrium data and ternary equilibrium phase diagrams of the system were utilized for the separation and purification of an L-tryptophan and L-phenylalanine mixture. By employing thermodynamic models to calculate the relevant phase diagram data for mixtures with different proportions, effective separation and purification of the mixture could be achieved using the principles of variable temperature phase diagrams. These works are valuable for optimizing chemical processes and have practical implications in the field.

A novel triple helical-like complex [Dy 2 K 2 L 3 (NO 3 ) 2 ]·3DMF (1) based on a designed Schiff base N ' 1 , N ' 3 -bis(( E )-3-ethoxy-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-malonohydrazide (H 4 L) was synthesized with good chemical and thermal stabilities. Single-crystal X-ray structural analysis showed that 1 presents a tetranuclear triple helical-like structure via the coordination mode of Dy : K : L with 2 : 2 : 3 stoichiometry. Fluorescence measurements showed that 1@EtOH has excellent fluorescence turn-on/off response ability for aluminium ions and 4,5-dimethyl-2-nitroaniline (DMNA) with outstanding selectivity, sensitivity, and anti-interference ability. The calculated limit of detection (LOD) values for 1@EtOH to Al 3+ and DMNA were found to be 0.53 and 3.33 μM, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation showed that the fluorescence response mechanism can be explained by the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism; meanwhile, the inner filter effect (IFE) of DMNA can also affect the emission of 1@EtOH.

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels can respond to external stimuli with a change in the network structure and thus have potential application in drug release, intelligent sensing, and scaffold construction. Peptides possess robust supramolecular self-assembly ability, enabling spontaneous formation of nanostructures through supramolecular interactions and subsequently hydrogels. Therefore, peptide-based stimuli-responsive hydrogels have been widely explored as smart soft materials for biomedical applications in the last decade. Herein, we present a review article on design strategies and research progress of peptide hydrogels as stimuli-responsive materials in the field of biomedicine. The latest design and development of peptide hydrogels with responsive behaviors to stimuli are first presented. The following part provides a systematic overview of the functions and applications of stimuli-responsive peptide hydrogels in tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound healing, antimicrobial treatment, 3D cell culture, biosensors, etc. Finally, the remaining challenges and future prospects of stimuli-responsive peptide hydrogels are proposed. It is believed that this review will contribute to the rational design and development of stimuli-responsive peptide hydrogels toward biomedical applications.

In wastewater containing heavy metals, Cr(vi) is a potentially toxic metal, mainly derived from production and processing processes such as textile printing, dyeing, ore mining, battery applications, metal cleaning and electroplating. WO 3 is widely used in photocatalytic degradation and reduction, and its utilization rate of visible light is high. However, the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs of WO 3 limits its use. In this work, the composite material (W x M y ) of WO 3 and MIL-125 (Ti) was prepared by the ball milling method, and the catalyst was used to photocatalytically reduce Cr(vi). After using W90M10 as a photocatalyst for 50 min, the reduction rate of Cr(vi) can reach 99.2%, and the reduction rate is 2.3 times that of WO 3 . After 5 cycles of use, the reduction rate can still reach 91.3%. It is mainly due to the formation of a II-type heterojunction between WO 3 and MIL-125 (Ti), which promotes the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, thus improving the efficiency of photocatalytic reduction of Cr(vi)., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Plasmonic nanostructures exhibiting dynamically tunable chiroptical responses hold great promise for broad applications such as sensing, catalysis, and enantioselective analysis. Despite the successful fabrication of chiral structures through diverse templates, creating dynamic chiroptical materials with fast and reversible responses to external stimuli is still challenging. This work showcases reversible magnetic assembly and active tuning of plasmonic chiral superstructures by introducing a chiral magnetic field from a cubic permanent magnet. Manipulating the strength and direction of the magnetic field controls both the chiral arrangement and plasmonic coupling of the nanoparticle assembly, enabling fast and reversible tunability in not only the handedness of the superstructures but also the spectral characteristics of their chiroptical properties. The dynamic tunability further enables the fabrication of color-changing optical devices based on the optical rotatory dispersion effect, showcasing their potential for application in anti-counterfeiting and stress sensors.

The immune system of astronauts might become weakened in the microgravity environment in space, and the dormant varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in the body might be reactivated, seriously affecting their work and safety. For working in orbit for the long term, there is currently no efficient and durable delivery system of general vaccines in a microgravity environment. Accordingly, based on the previous foundation, we designed, modified, and synthesized a biodegradable and biocompatible copolymer, polyethylene glycol-polysulfamethazine carbonate urethane (PEG-PSCU) that could be mainly adopted to fabricate a novel sustained-release microneedle (S-R MN) patch. Compared with conventional biodegradable microneedles, this S-R MN patch could not only efficiently encapsulate protein vaccines (varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E, VZV gE) but also further prolong the release time of VZV gE in a simulated microgravity (SMG) environment. Eventually, we verified the activation of dendritic cells by VZV gE released from the S-R MN patch in an SMG environment and the positive bioeffect of activated dendritic cells on lymphocytes using an in vitro lymph node model. This study is of great significance for the exploration of long-term specific immune responses to the VZV in an SMG environment.

Pregnancy is a dynamic state involving rapid physiological changes in metabolism, affecting the health and development of the offspring. During pregnancy, the placenta constitutes a physical and immunological barrier to provide fetal nutrition through the maternal blood and prevent the exposure of the fetus to dangerous signals. Metabolic changes in the plasma, the fecal microbiota profile, and functional regulation in the placenta were studied in sows supplied with a ferrous-sucrose complex (FeSuc) from late gestation to parturition. The results revealed that maternal FeSuc supplementation enhanced arginine and proline metabolism, glutathione metabolism, with increased glutamic acid, beta-D-glucosamine, L-proline, 1-butylamine, and succinic acid and reduced sphingosine and chenodeoxycholic acid sulfate levels in the plasma. Moreover, significantly increased abundances of Christensenellaceae&#95;R-7&#95;group , Prevotellaceae&#95;NK3B31&#95;group , and Lachnospiraceae&#95;NK4B4&#95;group were detected in the feces of sows from the FeSuc group ( P < 0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that Prevotellaceae&#95;NK3B31&#95;group abundances were positively correlated with glutamic acid, indoxyl sulfate, acetyl-DL-leucine, and beta-D-glucosamine, while Christensenellaceae&#95;R-7&#95;group was positively correlated with beta-D-glucosamine. Furthermore, maternal FeSuc supplementation significantly increased neonatal glucose ( P < 0.01) and iron ( P < 0.01) in the neonatal serum, significantly increased IL-10 and TGF-β1 levels in the neonatal liver ( P < 0.01) and jejunum ( P < 0.05), promoted the transcription of immune molecules in the placenta, and significantly increased the protein expressions of EGF ( P < 0.05), PI3K ( P < 0.01), p-PI3K ( P < 0.001), p-AKT ( P < 0.01), and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) ( P < 0.001) in the placenta. The current study demonstrated that FeSuc supplementation regulated maternal metabolism processes by altering the fecal microbial composition and improved neonatal immunity and placental glucose transportation by activating the EGF/PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in sows.

Dimpled polymer-silica nanocomposite particles have the combined advantages of dimpled particles and polymer-silica nanocomposite particles. This study presents a novel approach to prepare these particles by interfacial swelling-based seeded polymerization. Polystyrene-silica (PS-SiO 2 ) nanocomposite particles are first prepared by emulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of glycerol-functionalized silica sols and then dimpled polymer-SiO 2 particles are fabricated by interfacial swelling of butyl acrylate (BA)/toluene and subsequent seeded polymerization of BA with the PS-SiO 2 particles as seeds. The effects of different parameters, such as the amount of surfactant used in the PS-SiO 2 /H 2 O dispersion, BA/toluene mass ratio, PS-SiO 2 /H 2 O mass ratio and stirring rate, on the formation of the dimpled particles are investigated. Optimization of the seeded polymerization conditions allows a relatively high percentage of dimpled particles to be achieved.

Many recent reports have shown the effects of viscoelasticity of the extracellular matrix on the spreading, migration, proliferation, survival and cell-matrix interaction of mesenchymal stem cells and normal cells. However, the effect of matrix viscoelasticity on the behavior of tumor cells is still in the state of preliminary exploration. To this aim, we prepared a viscoelastic hydrogel matrix with a storage modulus of about 2 kPa and a loss modulus adjustable from 0 to 600 Pa, through adding linear alginate and regulating the compactness of a polyacrylamide covalent network. Overall, the addition of viscous components inhibited the apoptosis of osteosarcoma MG-63 cells, while it promoted their spreading and proliferation and in particular led to a well-developed cytoskeleton organization. However, with the increase of the viscous fraction, this trend was reversed, and the apoptosis of MG-63 cells gradually increased with gradually decreased spreading and proliferation, accompanied by a surprising manner change of the cytoskeleton from fusiform cells dominated by focal adhesion to dendritic cells dominated by pseudopodia. Besides the upregulation of MAPK, Ras, Rap1 and PI3K-Akt pathways commonly involved in mechanotransduction, the upregulation of the Wnt pathway and inhibited endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis were observed for the viscous matrix with a low loss modulus. The high viscosity matrix showed additional involvement of Hippo and NF-kappa B signaling pathways related to the cell-matrix interaction, with downregulation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway and upregulation related to mitochondrial organization. Our study would provide insight into the effect of viscosity on fundamental behaviors of tumor cells and might have important implications in designing antitumor materials.

Developing accurate tumor-specific molecular imaging approaches holds great potential for evaluating cancer progression. However, traditional molecular imaging approaches still suffer from restricted tumor specificity due to the "off-tumor" signal leakage. In this work, we proposed light and endogenous APE1-triggered plasmonic antennas for accurate tumor-specific subcellular molecular imaging with enhanced spatial resolution. Light activation ensures subcellular molecular imaging and endogenous enzyme activation ensures tumor-specific molecular imaging. In addition, combined with the introduction of plasmon enhanced fluorescence (PEF), off-tumor signal leakage at the subcellular level was effectively reduced, resulting in the significantly enhanced discrimination ratio of tumor/normal cells (∼11.57-fold) which is better than in previous reports, demonstrating great prospects of these plasmonic antennas triggered by light and endogenous enzymes for tumor-specific molecular imaging at the subcellular level., Competing Interests: The authors have declared no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Sensitive oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) can be synthesized using Dmoc phosphoramidites, but only short ODNs were demonstrated. Here, we report the synthesis of much longer ODNs, which was made possible by the use of PEGylated Dmoc (pDmoc) phosphoramidites. The longer ODNs synthesized include those containing the sensitive 4acC epigenetic modification recently discovered in nature.

Over the past decade, researchers have proposed a new class of drug delivery systems, bio-hybrid micro-robots, designed with a variety of living cell-driven micro-robots that utilize the unique mobility of natural organisms (bacteria, cells, exosomes, etc .) to transport effective drugs. Microalgae are considered potential drug delivery carriers. Recent studies have shown that microalga-based drug delivery systems exhibit excellent biocompatibility. In addition, microalgae have a large surfactant area, phototaxis, oxygen production, and other characteristics, so they are used as a carrier for the treatment of bacterial infections, cancer, etc . This review summarizes the modification of microalgae including click chemistry and electrostatic adsorption, and can improve the drug loading efficiency through dehydration and hydration strategies. The prepared microalgal drug delivery system can be targeted to different organs by different dosing methods or using external forces. Finally, it summarizes its antibacterial (gastritis, periodontitis, skin wound inflammation, etc .) and antitumor applications.

The advancement of two-dimensional polar metals tends to be limited by the incompatibility between electric polarity and metallicity as well as dimension reduction. Here, we report polar and metallic Janus monolayers of the MoSi 2 N 4 family by breaking the out-of-plane structural symmetry through Z (P/As) substitution of N. Despite the semiconducting nature of MoSi 2 X 4 (X = N/P/As), four Janus MoSi 2 N x Z 4- x monolayers are found to be polar metals owing to the weak coupling between the conducting electrons and electric polarity. The metallicity is originated from the Z substitution induced delocalization of occupied electrons in Mo-d orbitals. The out-of-plane electric polarizations around 1.5-15.7 pC m -1 are determined by the asymmetric out-of-plane charge distribution due to the non-centrosymmetric Janus structure. The corresponding out-of-plane piezoelectricity is further revealed as high as 18.7-73.3 pC m -1 and 0.05-0.25 pm V -1 for the piezoelectric strain and stress coefficients, respectively. The results demonstrate polar metallicity and high out-of-plane piezoelectricity in Janus MoSi 2 N x Z 4- x monolayers and open new vistas for exploiting unusual coexisting properties in monolayers derived from the MoSi 2 N 4 family.

A structural mechanics and energy storage difunctional supercapacitor based on a geopolymer membrane injected with a 0.5 M Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte and a pseudocapacitive electrode Mn 7 O 13 is designed and assembled. The geopolymer membrane is prepared as a structural electrolyte with metakaolin and alkaline activator solution. The wide channels in the geopolymer matrix provide paths for ion movement. The Mn 7 O 13 electrode is prepared by different hydrothermal treatments at different temperatures and times, and assembled with activated carbon and a geopolymer with different moduli to form a difunctional supercapacitor. The results show that the electrode sample annealed at 300 °C for 45 min after hydrothermal treatment at 160 °C for 24 h exhibits the best comprehensive performance. The specific capacitance of the electrode is 175.5 F g -1 (2392.6 F m -2 ) at 1 A g -1 , and the specific capacitance of the difunctional structure supercapacitor assembled with a geopolymer with a modulus of 1.2 and cured for 28 days is 144.12 F g -1 (1960.0F m -2 ) at 1 A g -1 under 15 MPa.

Here we report a strategy for the facile assembly of fused 3-trifluoromethyl-1,2,4-triazoles, which are difficult to synthesize using traditional strategies, in 50-96% yields through a triethylamine-promoted intermolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition pathway. This protocol features high efficiency, good functional group tolerance, mild conditions, and easy operation. Furthermore, a gram-scale reaction and product derivatizations were carried out smoothly to illustrate the practicability of this method.

With the continuous miniaturization and integration of spintronic devices, the two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet coupling of ferromagnetic and diverse electrical properties has become increasingly important. Herein, we report three ferromagnetic monolayers: GdS 2 , GdSe 2 and Janus GdSSe. They are bipolar magnetic semiconductors and demonstrate ferroelasticity with a large reversible strain of 73.2%. Three monolayers all hold large magnetic moments of about 8 μ B f.u. -1 and large spin-flip energy gaps in both the conduction and valence bands, which are highly desirable for applications in bipolar field effect spin filters and spin valves. Our calculations have testified to the feasibility of the experimental achievement of the three monolayers and their stability. Additionally, intrinsic valley polarization occurs in the three monolayers owing to the cooperative interplay between spin-orbit coupling and magnetic exchange interaction. Moreover, we identified square lattices for GdS 2 and GdSe 2 monolayers. The new and stable square lattices of GdS 2 and GdSe 2 monolayers show robust ferromagnetism with high Curie temperatures of 648 and 312 K, respectively, and the characteristics of spin-gapless semiconductors. Overall, these findings render GdS 2 , GdSe 2 and Janus GdSSe monolayers promising candidate materials for multifunctional spintronic devices at the nanoscale.

Previous studies have found that high entropy oxides can be used as electrode materials for supercapacitors. However, there is still the problem of their low energy density. We tried to increase the energy density while increasing the specific capacitance of high entropy oxides from the potential window. Transition metal elements Fe, Co, Cr, Mn and Ni were selected for their electrochemical activity, and high entropy oxides were prepared by a sol-gel method under different calcination temperatures. The calcination temperature affects the structural morphology and crystallinity of the high entropy oxides and thus also affects the electrochemical performance. The spinel-phase (FeCoCrMnNi) 3 O 4 with a high specific surface area of 63.1 m 2 g -1 was prepared at a low calcination temperature of 450 °C. The specific capacitance is 332.2 F g -1 at a current density of 0.3 A g -1 in 1 M KOH electrolyte with a wide potential window of (-1, 0.6). An improved energy density of 103.8 W h kg -1 is reached via the designed microstructure of the high entropy oxide electrode.

Photoactivated pesticides have many advantages, such as high activity, low toxicity, and no drug resistance. However, poor photostability and a low utilization rate limit their practical application. Herein, the photosensitizer hematoporphyrin (HP) was used as a photoactivated pesticide, covalently linked with pectin (PEC) via ester bonds, to prepare an amphiphilic polymer pro-bactericide, and subsequently self-assembled in aqueous solutions to obtain an esterase-triggered nanobactericide delivery system. The fluorescence quenching effect due to the aggregation of HP in nanoparticles (NPs) enabled the inhibition of photodegradation of HP in this system. Esterase stimulation could trigger HP release and increase its photodynamic activity. Antibacterial assays have shown that the NPs had potent antibacterial capacity, almost completely inactivating bacteria after 60 min of exposure to light. The NPs had good adherence to the leaves. Safety assessment indicated that the NPs have no obvious toxic effects on plants. Antibacterial studies on plants have shown that the NPs have excellent antibacterial effects on infected plants. These results provide a new strategy for obtaining a photoactivated bactericide nanosystem with a high utilization rate and good photostability and targeting ability.

A new 2D flexible cobalt(II) framework (Co-MOF) exhibits a reversible solid-state structural transformation upon guest molecule removal/uptake. After activation, Co-MOF-α with 1D porous channels transformed into Co-MOF-β (0D voids) accompanied by a shift in metal and carboxylate coordination modes, the rotation of organic linkers and the contraction of interstitial spaces. Gas adsorption experiments reveal that Co-MOF-β exhibits a two-step CO 2 adsorption isotherm and close-to-open (type F-IV) isotherms for C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 6 at 195 K. Moreover, it shows typical type I adsorption isotherms for the above gases and the selective uptake of C 2 H 2 over CH 4 and CO 2 at room temperature.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are regarded as promising next-generation batteries due to their high abundance and high theoretical energy density. However, the commercial application of LSBs is hindered by the shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Hence, we synthesised B, N, P co-doped three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon materials, uniformly dispersed with CoP nanoparticles, and utilized them as the coating material for the PE separator. The catalytic and adsorption capacity of the composite material was significantly enhanced by CoP. Both experimental and theoretical calculations show that the LiPS adsorption capacity of the composite material is significantly enhanced after the introduction of B atoms. As a result, the assembled LSBs with the CoP@BNPC/PE separator show excellent long-term stability (940.8 mA h g -1 after 500 cycles at 1.0 C, and only a 0.026% decay rate per cycle) and superior rate performance (613.6 mA h g -1 at 5.0 C). Our work further proves that a modified separator is an effective strategy to promote the commercialization of LSBs.

Here, we designed a Mn 3 O 4 /CuO x heterostructure supported on copper foil (CF) for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia. The selectivity and Faraday efficiency of ammonia were 96.79% and 86.55%, respectively. Multiple characterizations revealed that Mn 3 O 4 /CuO x /CF showed faster charge transfer and created more electron-deficient Mn sites, electron-rich Cu sites and large numbers of oxygen vacancies, which were conducive to improving the catalytic activity. This work may open an avenue for the construction of heterostructures as an electrocatalyst for the reduction of nitrate to ammonia.

Polymer dielectrics with high operation temperature (∼150 °C) and excellent capacitive energy storage performance are vital for electric power systems and advanced electronic devices. Here, a very convenient and competitive strategy by preparing ultraviolet-irradiated cyclic olefin copolymer films is demonstrated to be effective in improving the energy storage performance at high temperatures. Compared with the unirradiated film, irradiated films exhibit a higher dielectric constant, higher breakdown strength and stronger mechanical properties as a result of the emergence of the carbonyl group and cross-linking network. Consequently, with a high efficiency above 95%, a superior discharged energy density of ∼3.34 J cm -3 is achieved at 150 °C, surpassing the current dielectric polymers and polymer nanocomposites. In particular, the energy storage performance remains highly reliable over 20 000 cycles under actual operating conditions (200 MV m -1 at 150 °C) in hybrid electric vehicles. This research offers a valuable pathway to build high-energy-density polymer-based capacitor devices working under harsh environments.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional intestinal disorder without clear pathological mechanisms. Classical treatments for IBS are not always effective and are usually accompanied by side effects. Selenium-enriched Bifidobacterium longum DD98 (Se- B. longum DD98) is a selenized probiotic strain which has shown many beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract, but its effects on IBS and the underlying mechanism are unclear. This study aims to investigate the relieving effects of Se- B. longum DD98 on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced IBS in mice. The model mice were treated with saline, B. longum DD98, or Se- B. longum DD98 while receiving CUMS. The results suggest that Se- B. longum DD98 significantly relieved the intestinal symptoms of IBS mice and reduced intestinal permeability and inflammation. The depression and anxiety-like behaviors of IBS mice were also improved by Se- B. longum DD98. In addition, the expression of serotonin (5-HT), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which are indicators closely related to mood and brain-gut axis, were up-regulated in mice treated with Se- B. longum DD98. Furthermore, the 16S rRNA sequencing study showed that Se- B. longum DD98 effectively restored the relative abundance of intestinal microbes ( e.g. , Lactobacillus , Desulfovibrio , Akkermansia ) and regulated the impaired diversity of gut microbiota in IBS mice. These results suggest that Se- B. longum DD98 positively acts on the brain-gut axis by improving intestinal functions and regulating mood-associated behaviors and indicators of IBS mice. Therefore, this Se-enriched probiotic strain could be considered a promising candidate for the alleviation of CUMS-induced IBS.

Aptamers associated with cancer targeting therapy are commonly focused on cell membrane proteins; however, the study of intracellular, particularly, nuclear proteins is limited. The nuclear phosphatase PAC1 has been reported to be a potential T cell-related immunotherapeutic target. Here, we identified an aptamer, designated as PA5, with high affinity and specificity for PAC1 through the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) procedure. We then developed a dual-module aptamer PAC1-AS consisting of a cell-internalizing module and a targeting module, which can recognize PAC1 in the nucleus under physiological conditions. This modularized aptamer raises the possibility of manipulating endosomes and provides insights into the exploration and development of an efficient cancer immunotherapy approach.

Vanadium(v) is an extremely rare and precious metal, mainly used in aerospace equipment and new energy construction. However, an efficient, simple, and environmentally friendly method for separating V from its compounds is still lacking. In this study, we used first-principles density functional theory to analyse the vibrational phonon density of states of ammonium metavanadate and simulated its infrared absorption and Raman scattering spectra. By analysing the normal modes, we found that the V-related vibration has a strong infrared absorption peak at 711 cm -1 , while other significant peaks above 2800 cm -1 are from N-H stretching vibrations. Therefore, we propose that providing high-power terahertz laser radiation at 711 cm -1 may facilitate the separation of V from its compounds through phonon-photon resonance absorption. With the continuous progress of terahertz laser technology, this technique is expected to be developed in the future, and it may offer new technological possibilities., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Enzymatic glucose sensors usually exhibit excellent sensitivity and selectivity but suffer from poor stability due to the negative influence of temperature and humidity on enzyme molecules. As compared to enzymatic glucose sensors, non-enzymatic counterparts are generally more stable but are facing challenges in concurrently improving both sensitivity and selectivity of a trace amount of glucose molecules in physiological samples such as saliva and sweat. Here, a novel non-enzymatic glucose sensor based on nanostructured Cu 3 Al alloy films has been fabricated by a facile magnetron-sputtering followed by controllable electrochemical etching approach. Since the metal Al is more reductive than Cu, by selectively etching aluminum in the Cu 3 Al alloys, nanostructured alloy films were obtained with increased surface contact area and electrocatalytic active sites which resulted in enhanced glucose-sensing performance. Thus, non-enzymatic glucose sensors based on nanostructured Cu 3 Al alloy films not only exhibited a high sensitivity of 1680 μA mM -1 cm -2 but also achieved a reliable selectivity to glucose without interference by other species in physiological samples. Consequently, this study sparked the potential for the development of non-enzymatic biosensors for the continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels with high sensitivity and impressive selectivity for glucose molecules., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Over a hundred non-canonical nucleotides have been found in DNA and RNA. Many of them are sensitive toward nucleophiles. Because known oligonucleotide synthesis technologies require nucleophilic conditions for deprotection, currently there is no suitable technology for their synthesis. The recently disclosed method regarding the use of 1,3-dithian-2-yl-methyl (Dim) for phosphate protection and 1,3-dithian-2-yl-methoxycarbonyl (Dmoc) for amino protection can solve the problem. With Dim-Dmoc protection, oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) deprotection can be achieved with NaIO 4 followed by aniline. Some sensitive groups have been determined to be stable under these conditions. Besides serving as a base, aniline also serves as a nucleophilic scavenger, which prevents deprotection side products from reacting with ODN. For this reason, excess aniline is needed. Here, we report the use of alkyl Dim (aDim) and alkyl Dmoc (aDmoc) for ODN synthesis. With aDim-aDmoc protection, deprotection is achieved with NaIO 4 followed by K 2 CO 3 . No nucleophilic scavenger such as aniline is needed. Over 10 ODNs including one containing the highly sensitive N 4 -acetylcytidine were synthesized. Work on extending the method for sensitive RNA synthesis is in progress., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.