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The abnormal deposition of protein in the brain is the central factor in neurodegenerative disorders (NDs). These detrimental aggregates, stemming from the misfolding and subsequent irregular aggregation of α-synuclein protein, are primarily accountable for conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia. Two-photon-excited (TPE) probes are a promising tool for the early-stage diagnosis of these pathologies as they provide accurate spatial resolution, minimal intrusion, and the ability for prolonged observation. To identify compounds with the potential to function as diagnostic probes using two-photon techniques, we explore three distinct categories of compounds: Hydroxyl azobenzene (AZO-OH); Dicyano-vinyl bithiophene (DCVBT); and Tetra-amino phthalocyanine (PcZnNH 2 ). The molecules were structurally and optically characterized using a multi-technique approach via UV-vis absorption, Raman spectroscopy, three-dimensional fluorescence mapping (PLE), time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), and pump and probe measurements. Furthermore, quantum chemical and molecular docking calculations were performed to provide insights into the photophysical properties of the compounds as well as to assess their affinity with the α-synuclein protein. This innovative approach seeks to enhance the accuracy of in vivo probing, contributing to early Parkinson's disease (PD) detection and ultimately allowing for targeted intervention strategies.

The reaction mechanism of tthe formation of azomethine ylides from isatins and sarcosine is addressed in the literature in a general manner. This computational study aims to explore the mechanistic steps for this reaction in detail and to assess the reactivity of formed ylide in a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with 7-oxabenzonorbornadiene. For this purpose, density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the M06-2X(SMD,EtOH)/6-31G(d,p) level were employed. The results indicate that CO 2 elimination is the rate-determining step, the activation barrier for 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is lower, and the formed ylide will readily react with dipolarophiles. The substitution of isatine with electron-withdrawal groups slightly decreases the activation barrier for ylide formation.

Azopolymers are light-responsive materials that hold promise to transform in vitro cell culture systems. Through precise light illumination, they facilitate substrate pattern formation and erasure, allowing for the dynamic control and creation of active interfaces between cells and materials. However, these materials exhibit a tendency to locally detach from the supporting glass in the presence of aqueous solutions, such as cell culture media, due to the formation of blisters, which are liquid-filled cavities generated at the azopolymer film-glass interface. These blisters impede precise structurization of the surface of the azomaterial, limiting their usage for surface photoactivation in the presence of cells. In this study, we present a cost-effective and easily implementable method to improve the azopolymer-glass interface stability through silane functionalization of the glass substrate. This method proved to be efficient in preventing blister formation, thereby enabling the dynamic modulation of the azopolymer surface in situ for live-cell experiments. Furthermore, we proved that the light-illumination conditions used to induce azopolymer surface variations do not induce phototoxic effects. Consequently, this approach facilitates the development of a photoswitchable azopolymer cell culture platform for studying the impact of multiple in situ inscription and erasure cycles on cell functions while maintaining a physiological wet microenvironment.

This study reported the synthesis and assessment of zinc oxide/iron oxide (ZnO/Fe 2 O 3 ) nanocomposite as photocatalysts for the degradation of a mixture of methylene red and methylene blue dyes. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms that the crystallite of zinc oxide (ZnO) has a hexagonal wurtzite phase and iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) has a rhombohedral phase. Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectrum confirms the presence of Zn-O vibration stretching at 428, 480 and 543 cm -1 stretching confirming Fe-O bond formation. Scanning Electron Microscope images exhibited a diverse size and shape of the nanocomposites. The ZnO-90%/Fe 2 O 3 -10% and ZnO-10%/Fe 2 O 3 -90% nanocomposites reveal good photocatalytic activity with reaction rate constants of 1.5 × 10 -2 and 0.66 × 10 -2 ; and 1.3 × 10 -2 and 0.60 × 10 -2 for methylene blue and methyl red dye respectively. The results revealed that the synthesized ZnO/Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposite is the best catalyst for dye degradation and can be used for industrial applications in future., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Dyes, considered as toxic and persistent pollutants, must be removed from organic wastes prior to their composting and application in sustainable agriculture. Azo dyes, capable of altering the physicochemical properties of soil, are difficult to expel by conventional wastewater treatments. C.I. Acid Black 1 (AB 1), a sulfonated azo dye, inhibits nitrification and ammonification in the soil, lessens the nitrogen use efficacy in crop production and passes substantially unaltered through an activated sludge process. The retention of C.I. Acid Black 1 by raw and expanded perlite was investigated in order to examine the potential effectiveness of this aluminosilicate material toward organic waste cleanup. Dye adsorption proved spontaneous and endothermic in nature, increasing with temperature for both perlites. Expanded perlite having a more open structure exhibited a better performance compared to the raw material. Several of the most widely recognized two-parameter theoretical models, i.e., Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Harkins-Jura, Halsey, Henderson, and Smith, were applied to reveal physicochemical features characterizing the adsorption. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, BET, Henderson, and Smith equations best fitted experimental data indicating that the adsorption of anionic dye on perlites is controlled by their surface, i.e., non-uniformity in structure and charge. This heterogeneity of surface is considered responsible for promoting specific dye adsorption areas creating dye "islands" with local dye supersaturations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Photopharmacology can be implemented in a way of regulating drug activities by light-controlling the molecular configuations. Three photochromic ligands (PCLs) that bind on one or two sites of GABARs and nAChRs were reported here. These multiphoton PCLs, including FIP-AB-FIP, IMI-AB-FIP, and IMI-AB-IMI, are constructed with an azobenzene (AB) bridge that covalently connects two fipronil (FIP) and imidacloprid (IMI) molecules. Interestingly, the three PCLs as well as FIP and IMI showed great insecticidal activities against Aedes albopictus larvae and Aphis craccivora . IMI-AB-FIP in both trans / cis isomers can be reversibly interconverted depending on light, accompanied by insecticidal activity decrease or increase by 1.5-2.3 folds. In addition, IMI-AB-FIP displayed synergistic effects against A. craccivora (LC 50, IMI-AB-FIP = 14.84-22.10 μM, LC 50, IMI-AB-IMI = 210.52-266.63 μM, LC 50, and FIP-AB-FIP = 36.25-51.04 μM), mainly resulting from a conceivable reason for simultaneous targeting on both GABARs and nAChRs. Furthermore, modulations of wiggler-swimming behaviors and cockroach neuron function were conducted and the results indirectly demonstrated the ligand-receptor interactions. In other words, real-time regulations of receptors and insect behaviors can be spatiotemporally achieved by our two-photon PCLs using light.

Cellular hypoxia is a common pathological process in various diseases. Detecting cellular hypoxia is of great scientific significance for early diagnosis of tumors. The hypoxia fluorescence probe analysis method can efficiently and conveniently evaluate the hypoxia status in tumor cells. These probes are covalently linked by hypoxic recognition groups and organic fluorescent molecules. Currently, the fluorescent molecules used in these probes often exhibit the aggregation-caused quenching effect, which is not conducive to fluorescence imaging in water. Herein, an activatable hypoxia fluorescence probe was constructed by covalently linking aggregation-induced emission luminogens to the hypoxic recognition group azobenzene. It does not emit fluorescence in solution and in solid state under light excitation due to the presence of photosensitive azo bonds. It can be cleaved by intracellular azoreductase into fluorescent amino derivatives with aggregation-induced emission characteristic. As the concentration of oxygen in cells decreases, its fluorescence intensity increases, making it suitable for fluorescence imaging to detect hypoxic environment in live cancer cells. This work broadens the molecular design approach for activatable hypoxia fluorescent probes., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Flexible ultraviolet (UV) light detection technology has important applications in wearable devices, smart sensors, and other fields and attracts much attention in recent years. However, for most semiconductor-based UV detectors, the elastic modulus between rigid semiconductors and flexible substrates is mismatched, which makes it difficult to fabricate UV detectors that meet the needs of wearable devices. Herein, a fully flexible, large-scale, skin-friendly UV photodetector component centered on photo-responsive worm-like polymer nanoparticles (NPs) is developed, and the resulting device can quantitatively detect UV illumination. Skin-friendly poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), amphiphilic azobenzene-containing polymer NPs (AzNPs), and water-soluble ionic liquids (IL) are formed into (AzNPs-IL)/PVA fabrics by electrospinning. There are interactions such as hydrogen bonding among PVA, AzNPs, and IL, which make the material system stable. The UV detector made of the fabric realizes UV sensing through the illuminance-mechanical stress-electrical signal conversion mechanism. It is capable of achieving a response time of 9 s, a detection range of 10-150 mW cm -2 , and stability for 1000 cycle tests upon 365 nm UV irradiation. Moreover, it has good skin affinity, and the water contact angle of the fabric is only 23.57°, which holds great promise for wearable smart devices., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The present work develops an effective bioadsorbent of cross-linked chitosan-genipin/SiO 2 adsorbent (CHI-GNP/SiO 2 ). The developed CHI-GNP/SiO 2 was employed for the removal of organic dye (reactive orange 16, RO16) from simulated wastewater. The optimization of the fundamental adsorption variables (CHI-GNP/SiO 2 dose, time, and pH) via the Box-Behnken design (BBD) was attained for achieving maximal adsorption capacity and high removal efficiency. The good agreement between the Freundlich isotherms and empirical data of RO16 adsorption by CHI-GNP/SiO 2 indicates that the adsorption process follows a multilayer adsorption mechanism. The reasonable agreement between the pseudo-second-order model and the kinetic data of RO16 adsorption by CHI-GNP/SiO 2 was obtained. The maximum RO16 adsorption capacity (q max ) of CHI-GNP/SiO 2 was identified to be 57.1 mg/g. The adsorption capacity of CHI-GNP/SiO 2 is attributed to its unique surface properties, including its highly porous structure and the presence of functional groups such as amino and hydroxyl groups. According to the results of this investigation, CHI-GNP/SiO 2 has the potential to be an adsorbent for the removal of acidic dyes from wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pigment Red 53 is a dangerous synthetic dye that is often added to cosmetics, even though its use in cosmetic products has been prohibited because of possible impacts on health. Faster and more sensitive detection of Pigment Red 53 is needed for onsite analysis to protect the community from illegal cosmetics that contain the dye. Indicator color charts are a kind of analytical method that can be used to detect Pigment Red 53 in cosmetic products, including lipstick, rouge, and eyeshadow. Such charts are practical, fast, and can be used for onsite analysis., Methods: In this study, an indicator for Pigment Red 53 detection was obtained through a reagent reaction that caused a specific color change. An indicator color chart was then produced by setting out in paper form the series of colors which resulted from the reaction of specific chemical reagents and Pigment Red 53 solutions at concentrations of 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 ppm., Results: The testing results showed that the indicator color chart may be used as an initial screening method for the detection of Pigment Red 53 in cosmetic products with a detectable minimum concentration of 10 ppm. Out of nine samples, only one (Eyeshadow 3) tested positive for Pigment Red 53. Further analysis was carried out on the indicator color chart and the results showed good agreement with TLC and UV-Vis spectrophotometry methods., Conclusion: The results reported in this paper demonstrate that the indicator color chart is a good prospective method for onsite analysis to detect Pigment Red 53 in cosmetic samples, with a lower detection limit compared to polymer-based indicators., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Different concentrations of zirconium with a fixed quantity (4 wt%) of chitosan (CS) doped nickel cobaltite (NiCo 2 O 4 ) nanorods were synthesized using a co-precipitation approach. This cutting-edge research explores the cooperative effect of Zr-doped CS-NiCo 2 O 4 to degrade the Eriochrome black T (EBT) and investigates potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Advanced characterization techniques were conducted to analyze structural textures, morphological analysis, and optical characteristics of synthesized materials. XRD pattern unveiled the spinal cubic structure of NiCo 2 O 4 , incorporating Zr and CS peak shifted to a lower 2θ value. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed the absorption range increased with CS and the same trend was observed upon Zr, showing a decrease in bandgap energy (Eg) from 2.55 to 2.4 eV. The optimal photocatalytic efficacy of doped NiCo 2 O 4 within the basic medium was around 96.26 %, and bactericidal efficacy was examined against S. aureus, revealing a remarkable inhibition zone (5.95 mm)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This manuscript has no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Since the potential carcinogenic, toxic and non-degradable dyes trigger serious environmental contamination by improper treatment, developing novel adsorbents remains a major challenge. A novel high efficiency and biopolymer-based environmental-friendly adsorbent, chitosan‑sodium tripolyphosphate-melamine sponge (CTS-STPP-MS) composite, was prepared for Orange II removing with chitosan as raw material, sodium tripolyphosphate as cross-linking agent. The composite was carefully characterized by SEM, EDS, FT-IR and XPS. The influence of crosslinking conditions, dosage, pH, initial concentration, contacting time and temperature on adsorption were tested through batch adsorption experiments. CTS-STPP-MS adsorption process was exothermic, spontaneous and agreed with Sips isotherm model accompanying the maximum adsorption capacity as 948 mg∙g -1 (pH = 3). Notably, the adsorption performance was outstanding for high concentration solutions, with a removal rate of 97 % in up to 2000 mg∙L -1 OII solution (100 mg sorbent dosage, 50 mL OII solution, pH = 3, 289.15 K). In addition, the adsorption efficiency yet remained 97.85 % after 5 repeated adsorption-desorption cycles. The driving force of adsorption was attributed to electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonds which was proved by adsorption results coupled with XPS. Owing to the excellent properties of high-effective, environmental-friendly, easy to separate and regenerable, CTS-STPP-MS composite turned out to be a promising adsorbent in contamination treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chitosan (Ch) is a linear biodegradable natural carbohydrate polymer and the most appealing biopolymer, such as low-cost biodegradability, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and non-toxicity. In this case, Ch was utilized to synthesize AgCoFe 2 O 4 @Ch/Activated Carbon (AC) by the modified microwave-assisted co-precipitation method. The physical and chemical structure of magnetic nanocomposites was analyzed and characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Diffuse Reflection Spectroscopy (DRS), Value stream mapping (VSM), Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) and BET. The effects of various parameters on the removal of dye (Acid Red18), including catalyst dose, dye concentration, pH, and time were studied. Results showed that the highest removal efficiencies were 96.68 % and 84 % for the synthetic sample and actual wastewater, respectively, in optimal conditions (pH: 3, the initial dye concentration: 10 mgL -1 , the catalyst dose: 0.14 gL -1 , time: 50 min). Mineralization, according to the COD analysis, was 89.56 %. Photocatalytic degradation kinetics of Acid Red 18 followed pseudo-first order and Langmuir-Hinshelwood with constants of k c  = 0.12 mg L -1  min -1 and K L-H  = 0.115 Lmg -1 . Synthesized photocatalytic AgCoFe 2 O 4 @Ch/AC showed high stability and after five recycling cycles was able to remove the pollutant with an efficiency of 85.6 %. So, the synthesized heterogenous magnetic nanocatalyst AgCoFe 2 O 4 @Ch/AC was easily recycled from aqueous solutions and it can be used in the removal of dyes from industries with high efficiency., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Conjugated polymers (CPs) have been developed quickly as an emerging functional material with applications in optical and electronic devices, owing to their highly electron-delocalized backbones and versatile side groups for facile processibility, high mechanical strength, and environmental stability. CPs exhibit multistimuli responsive behavior and fluorescence quenching properties by incorporating azobenzene functionality into their molecular structures. Over the past few decades, significant progress has been made in developing functional azobenzene-based conjugated polymers (azo-CPs), utilizing diverse molecular design strategies and synthetic pathways. This article comprehensively reviews the rapidly evolving research field of azo-CPs, focusing on the structural characteristics and synthesis methods of general azo-CPs, as well as the applications of charged azo-CPs, specifically azobenzene-based conjugated polyelectrolytes (azo-CPEs). Based on their molecular structures, azo-CPs can be broadly categorized into three primary types: linear CPs with azobenzene incorporated into the side chain, linear CPs with azobenzene integrated into the main chain, and branched CPs containing azobenzene moieties. These systems are promising for biomedical applications in biosensing, bioimaging, targeted protein degradation, and cellular apoptosis., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Until now, black titania has attracted much interest as a potential photocatalyst. In this contribution, we report the first demonstration of the effective strategy to fundamentally improve the photocatalytic performance using a novel sustainable defective titanium‑carbon-phosphorous (TCPH) hybrid nanocomposite. The prepared TCPH was used for photocatalytic degradation of the main organic pollutants, which is methyl orange (MO) dye. The physico-chemical properties of as-prepared samples were characterized by various techniques to observe the transformations after carbonization and the interaction between different composite phases. The existence of Ti +3 and oxygen vacancies at the surface, and a notable increase in surface area, are all demonstrated by TCPH, together with the distinct core-shell structure. These unique properties exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance due to the boosted charge transport and separation. The highest degradation efficiency of methyl orange (MO) was attained in the case of TCPH when compared with titanium-cellulose-phosphorous (TCeP) and titanium‑carbon-phosphorous (TCPN). Accordingly, the highest degradation efficiency was achieved by applying the optimal operational conditions of 1 g/L of TCPH catalyst, 10 mg/L of MO, pH of 7 and the temperature at 25 ± 3 °C after 3 min under LED lamp (365 nm) with light intensity 100 mW/cm 2 . The degradation mechanism was investigated, and the trapping tests showed the dominance of hydroxyl radicals in the degradation of MO. TCPH showed high stability under a long period of operation in five consecutive cycles, which renders the highly promising on an industrial scale. The fabrication of highly active defective titanium‑carbon-phosphorous opens new opportunities in various areas, including water splitting, and CO 2 reduction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study employed an anionic heteropolysaccharide extracted from overgrown Enteromorpha and homopolysaccharide pullulan to fabricate a self-floating hydrogel by introducing bubble templates. Subsequently, green in-situ reduction and immobilization of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in the hydrogel were successfully achieved without additional reducing agents. The heteropolysaccharide from Enteromorpha provides carboxyl and sulfate groups for Ag + ions complexation, which is beneficial for the in-situ reduction of Ag NPs and inhibits their aggregation. The incorporation of bubble templates facilitates the creation of a hierarchical pore structure in the hydrogel, giving it self-floating properties for easy recycling, while the hierarchical network with rich anchor sites ensuring adequate traction for Ag NPs dispersion and stabilization. By adjusting polysaccharide content and using bubble templates, Ag NPs smaller than 10 nm can be obtained. The composite hydrogel exhibits tunable catalytic activity and excellent degradation towards Rhodamine B, Methyl Orange, and 4-Nitrophenol, with the normalized rate constant (k nor ) of 78.89, 59.08, and 30.42 min -1  g -1 , respectively. Notably, the reduction efficiency remained above 98 % after 6 recycles with little leaching of Ag NPs, benefiting from its self-floating ability for easy recovery in practical applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this study, bare and ionic liquid-modified ZnO nanoparticles have been fabricated using microwave irradiation method. The fabricated nanoparticles were characterized by different techniques, viz. XRD, FT-IR, FESEM, and UV-Visible spectroscopy, and were explored as adsorbent for effective sequestration of azo dye (Brilliant Blue R-250) from aqueous media. Various factors affecting the adsorption efficiency of synthesized nanoparticles (bare/ionic liquid-modified) such as concentration of dye, pH of reaction media, dose of nanoparticles, and reaction time were thoroughly investigated with varying experimental conditions; on a magnetic stirrer and in a sonicator. The results exhibited a high adsorption efficiency of ionic liquid-modified nanoparticles for removal of dye as compared to the bare one. Also, an enhanced adsorption was observed via sonication in comparison with magnetic stirring. Different isotherms such as Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin were elaborated. Evaluation of adsorption kinetics showed a linear pseudo-second-order equation for adsorption process. The exothermic and spontaneous nature of adsorption was further confirmed by thermodynamic investigations. As per the results obtained, it is suggested that the fabricated ionic liquid-modified ZnO nanoparticles could successfully remediate the toxic anionic dye from aqueous media. Hence, this system can be utilized for large-scale industrial applications., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this study, chitosan nanoparticles (ChNs) were used as an adsorbent for single and simultaneous uptake of cationic (methylene blue (MB)) and anionic (methyl orange (MO)) dyes. ChNs were prepared based on the ionic gelation method using sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) and characterized by zetasizer, FTIR, BET, SEM, XRD, and pH PZC . The studied parameters that affect removal efficiency included pH, time, and dyes' concentration. The results showed that in single-adsorption mode, the removal of MB is better in alkaline pH, contrary to MO uptake which presents higher removal efficiency in acidic media. The simultaneous removal of MB and MO from the mixture solution by ChNs could be achieved under neutral conditions. The adsorption kinetic results showed that adsorption of MB and MO for both single-adsorption and binary adsorption systems comply with the pseudo-second-order model. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson isotherms were used for the mathematical description of single-adsorption equilibrium, while non-modified Langmuir and extended Freundlich isotherms were used to fit the co-adsorption equilibrium results. The maximum adsorption capacities of MB and MO in a single dye adsorption system were 315.01 and 257.05 mg/g for MB and MO, respectively. On the other hand, and for binary adsorption system, the adsorption capacities were 49.05 and 137.03 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption capacity of MB decreases in solution containing MO and vice versa, suggesting an antagonistic behavior of MB and MO on ChNs. Overall, ChNs could be a candidate for single and binary removal of MB and MO in dye-containing wastewater., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Advanced oxidation processes, including photocatalysis, have been proven effective at organic dye degradation. Tailored porous materials with regulated pore size, shape, and morphology offer a sustainable solution to the water pollution problem by acting as support materials to grafted photocatalytic nanoparticles (NPs). This research investigated the influence of pore and particle sizes of photocatalytic MICROSCAFS ® on the degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution (10 mg/L). Photocatalytic MICROSCAFS ® are made of binder-less supported P25 TiO 2 NPs within MICROSCAFS ® , which are silica-titania microspheres with a controlled size and interconnected macroporosity, synthesized by an adapted sol-gel method that involves a polymerization-induced phase separation process. Photocatalytic experiments were performed both in batch and flow reactors, with this latter one targeting a proof of concept for continuous transformation processes and real-life conditions. Photocatalytic degradation of 87% in 2 h (batch) was achieved, using a calibrated solar light simulator (1 sun) and a photocatalyst/pollutant mass ratio of 23. This study introduces a novel flow kinetic model which provides the modeling and simulation of the photocatalytic MICROSCAFS ® performance. A scavenger study was performed, enabling an in-depth mechanistic understanding. Finally, the transformation products resulting from the MO photocatalytic degradation were elucidated by high-resolution mass spectrometry experiments and subjected to an in silico toxicity assessment.

The examination of photocatalyst powders for the total removal of pollutants from aqueous solutions is a vital research subject within the realm of environmental preservation. The objective of this study is to develop a photocatalyst heterojunction consisting of Zingiber/ZnO-H for the degradation of both the reactive red dye (RR 141) and ofloxacin antibiotic in wastewater. The current investigation outlines the process of synthesising a composite material by combining Zingiber montanum extract with zinc oxide (ZnO) by a hydrothermal method. The synthesis was conducted at a temperature of 180°C for a period of 4 hours. Consequently. The photocatalyst with a constructed heterojunction shown a notable enhancement in its photocatalytic activity as a result of the improved efficiency in charge separation at the interface. The application of economically viable solar energy facilitated the complete eradication of harmful pollutants through the process of detoxification. The removal of impurities occurs by a process that follows a first-order kinetics. Among the pollutants, RR141 demonstrates the greatest rate constant at 0.02 min-1, while ofloxacin has a rate constant of 0.01 min-1. The assessment of the stability of the produced photocatalyst was conducted after undergoing five cycles. This study additionally investigated the influence of sunshine on degradation, uncovering degradation rates of 97% for RR141 and 99% for ofloxacin when exposed to UV Lamp, and degradation rates of 97% for RR141 and 95% for ofloxacin when exposed to Solar Light., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Nugroho et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Nanotechnology and nanoparticles have gained massive attention in the scientific community in recent years due to their valuable properties. Among various AgNPs synthesis methods, microbial approaches offer distinct advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, biocompatibility, and eco-friendliness. In the present research work, investigators have synthesized three different types of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), namely AgNPs-K, AgNPs-M, and AgNPs-E, by using Klebsiella pneumoniae (MBC34), Micrococcus luteus (MBC23), and Enterobacter aerogenes (MBX6), respectively. The morphological, chemical, and elemental features of the synthesized AgNPs were analyzed by using UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX). UV-Vis absorbance peaks were obtained at 475, 428, and 503 nm for AgNPs-K, AgNPs-M, and AgNPs-E, respectively. The XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of the synthesized AgNPs, having peaks at 26.2°, 32.1°, and 47.2°. At the same time, the FTIR showed bands at 599, 963, 1,693, 2,299, 2,891, and 3,780 cm -1 for all the types of AgNPs indicating the presence of bacterial biomolecules with the developed AgNPs. The size and morphology of the AgNPs varied from 10 nm to several microns and exhibited spherical to porous sheets-like structures. The percentage of Ag varied from 37.8% (wt.%) to 61.6%, i.e ., highest in AgNPs-K and lowest in AgNPs-M. Furthermore, the synthesized AgNPs exhibited potential for environmental remediation, with AgNPs-M exhibiting the highest removal efficiency (19.24% at 120 min) for methyl orange dye in simulated wastewater. Further, all three types of AgNPs were evaluated for the removal of methyl orange dye from the simulated wastewater, where the highest dye removal percentage was 19.24% at 120 min by AgNPs-M. Antibacterial potential of the synthesized AgNPs assessment against both Gram-positive (GPB) Bacillus subtilis (MBC23), B. cereus (MBC24), and Gram-negative bacteria Enterococcus faecalis (MBP13) revealed promising results, with AgNPs-M, exhibiting the largest zone of inhibition (12 mm) against GPB B. megaterium . Such investigation exhibits the potential of the bacteria for the synthesis of AgNPs with diverse morphology and potential applications in environmental remediation and antibacterial therapy-based synthesis of AgNPs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Patel et al.)

Porous organic polymers (POPs) present superior adsorption performance to steroid endocrine disruptors. However, the effective recovery and high cost have been a big limitation for their large-scale applications. Herein, magnetic azo-linked porous polymers (Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 /ALP-p) were designed and prepared in a green synthesis approach using low-price materials from phloroglucinol and pararosaniline via a diazo-coupling reaction under standard temperature and pressure conditions, which embedded with Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 nanoparticles to form three-dimensional interlayer network structure with flexible-rigid interweaving. The saturated adsorption capacity to bisphenol-A (BPA) was 485.09 mg/g at 298 K, which increased by 1.4 times compared with ALP-p of relatively smaller mass density. This enhanced adsorption was ascribed to increment from surface adsorption and pore filling with 2.3 times of specific surface area and 2.6 times of pore volume, although the total organic functional groups decreased with Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 amendment. Also, the adsorption rate increased by about 1.1 and 1.5-fold due to enhancement in the initial stage of surface adsorption and subsequent stage pore diffusion, respectively. Moreover, this adsorbent could be used in broad pH (3.0-7.0) and salinity adaptability (<0.5 mol/L). The loss of adsorption capacity and magnetic recovery were lower than 1.1% and 0.8% in each operation cycle because of the flexible-rigid interweave. This excellent performance was contributed by synergistic effects from physisorption and chemisorption, such as pore filling, electrostatic attraction, π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interaction. This study offered a cost-effective, high-performing, and ecologically friendly material along with a green preparation method., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interest or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Accurate detection of labile analytes through activity based fluorogenic sensing is meaningful but remains a challenge because of nonrapid reaction kinetic. Herein, we present a signaling reporter engineering strategy to accelerate azoreduction reaction by positively charged fluorophore promoted unstable anion recognition for rapidly sensing sodium dithionite (Na 2 S 2 O 4 ), a kind of widespread used but harmful inorganic reducing agent. Its quick decomposition often impedes application reliability of traditional fluorogenic probes in real samples because of their slow responses. In this work, four azo-based probes with different charged fluorophores (positive, zwitterionic, neutral, and negative) were synthesized and compared. Among of them, with sequestration effect of positively charged anthocyanin fluorophore for dithionite anion via electrostatic attraction, the cationic probe Azo-Pos displayed ultrafast fluorogenic response (∼2 s) with the fastest response kinetic ( k pos ' = 0.373 s -1 ) that is better than other charged ones ( k zwi ' = 0.031 s -1 , k neu ' = 0.013 s -1 , k neg ' = 0.003 s -1 ). Azo-Pos was demonstrated to be capable to directly detect labile Na 2 S 2 O 4 in food samples and visualize the presence of Na 2 S 2 O 4 in living systems in a timely fashion. This new probe has potential as a robust tool to fluorescently monitor excessive food additives and biological invasion of harmful Na 2 S 2 O 4 . Moreover, our proposed accelerating strategy would be versatile to develop more activity-based sensing probes for quickly detecting other unstable analytes of interest.

1-(3-aryl)-3-(dimethylamino)prop-2-en-1-one (enaminones) derivatives and the diazonium salt of para -chloroaniline were used to synthesize several novel disperse azo dyes with high yield and the use of an environmentally friendly approach. At 100 and 130 °C, we dyed polyester fabrics using the new synthesized disperse dyes. At various temperatures, the dyed fabrics' color intensity was assessed. The results we obtained showed that dyeing utilizing a high temperature method at 130 °C was enhanced than dyeing utilizing a low temperature method at 100 °C. Reusing dye baths once or twice was a way to achieve two goals at the same time. The first was obtaining a dyed product at no cost, and the second was a way to treat the wastewater of dyeing bath effluents and reuse it again. Good results were obtained for the fastness characteristics of polyester dyed with disperse dyes. When the disperse dyes were tested against certain types of microbes and cancer cells, they demonstrated good and encouraging findings for the potential to be used as antioxidants and antimicrobial agents.

Stimuli-responsive behaviors and controlled release in liposomes are pivotal in nanomedicine. To this end, we present an approach using a photoresponsive azobenzene nanocluster (AzDmpNC), prepared from azobenzene compounds through melting and aggregation. When integrated with liposomes, they form photoresponsive vesicles. The morphology and association with liposomes were investigated by using transmission electron microscopy. Liposomes loaded with calcein exhibited a 9.58% increased release after UV exposure. To gain insights into the underlying processes and elucidate the mechanisms involved. The molecular dynamic simulations based on the reactive force field and all-atom force field were employed to analyze the aggregation of isomers into nanoclusters and their impacts on phospholipid membranes, respectively. The results indicate that the nanoclusters primarily aggregate through π-π and T-stacking forces. The force density inside the cis -isomer of AzDmpNC formed after photoisomerization is lower, leading to its easier dispersion, rapid diffusion, and penetration into the membrane, disrupting the densification.

The present work elicits a novel approach to combating COVID-19 by synthesizing a series of azo-anchored 3,4-dihydroimidazo[4,5-b]indole derivatives. The envisaged methodology involves the L-proline-catalyzed condensation of para-amino-functionalized azo benzene, indoline-2,3-dione, and ammonium acetate precursors with pertinent aryl aldehyde derivatives under ultrasonic conditions. The structures of synthesized compounds were corroborated through FT-IR, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and mass analysis data. Molecular docking studies assessed the inhibitory potential of these compounds against the main protease (M pro ) of SARS-CoV-2. Remarkably, in silico investigations revealed significant inhibitory action surpassing standard drugs such as Remdesivir, Paxlovid, Molnupiravir, Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), and (N3), an irreversible Michael acceptor inhibitor. Furthermore, the highly active compound was also screened for cytotoxicity activity against HEK-293 cells and exhibited minimal toxicity across a range of concentrations, affirming its favorable safety profile and potential suitability. The pharmacokinetic properties (ADME) of the synthesized compounds have also been deliberated. This study paves the way for in vitro and in vivo testing of these scaffolds in the ongoing battle against SARS-CoV-2., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Bacterial polysaccharide is advantageous over plant, algal, and fungal polysaccharides in terms of stability, non-toxicity, and biodegradable nature. In addition, bacterial cell wall polysaccharide (CPs) is very little explored compared to exopolysaccharide. In this study, CPs have been isolated from thermotolerant Chryseobacterium geocarposphaerae DD3 (CPs3) from textile industry dye effluent. Structural characterization of the CPs was done by different techniques, viz., scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). CPs3 demonstrated compact non-porous amorphous surface composed of evenly distributed macromolecular lumps. TGA revealed a high thermostability (~ 350 °C) of the polysaccharide. FTIR and NMR confirm the polysaccharidic nature of the polymer, consisting of glucose units linked by both β-(1 → 3) and β-(1 → 4) glycosidic bonds. The functional properties of CPs3 were evaluated for industrial use as additive, especially antibacterial, emulsification, and flocculation capacities. A single-step green synthesis of silver nanoparticle (AgNP) was performed using CPs3. AgNP was characterized using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), AFM, and particle size analyses. The CPs3-stabilized AgNP exhibited potential photocatalytic activity against a broad range of azo dyes, congo red (88.33 ± 0.48%), methyl red (76.81 ± 1.03%), and malachite green (47.34 ± 0.90%) after only 3 h of reaction. According to our knowledge, this is the first report on CPs from C. geocarposphaerae. The results demonstrated multifunctionality of CPs3 in both prospective, CPs3 as additive in biotechnology industry as well as Cps3-stabilized AgNP for bioremediation of azo dye., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are desirable materials widely applied as adsorbent for wastewater treatment. This study synthesizes and applies a novel structured ZIF with organic ligand of 2-methyl imidazole and metal salt of copper (II) sulfate as adsorbent. Its morphology and structure were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and mapping analysis. After structural analysis, the adsorbent structure was simulated and determined using Avogadro and Gaussian software. The removal efficiency of prepared ZIF in the removal of methyl orange from aqueous solution was evaluated. The effect of pH, the concentration of the dye in solution, dosage of the adsorbent, and the contact time between adsorbent and solution on the methyl orange removal were examined using central composite design of response surface methodology in five levels. The maximum dye removal of 99% was obtained for 2 g adsorbent/L, pH of 3.3, and initial dye concentration of 121 mg/L after 127 min contact time. In addition, to reduce the economic costs and energy consumption, the synthesis time was also reduced and used to show the applicability of the adsorbent prepared and understand its advantages and disadvantages in removing methyl orange dye from aqueous solutions. This molecular adsorbent is stable, and it can be stored for months. On the other hand, this ZIF can be easily recovered and reused many times. In this research, after five times of recovery, there was no significant change in the effectiveness of the adsorbent., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

As a renewable aromatic compound with enormous production potential, lignin has various potential high-value utilization pathways, but the success achieved in the field of photocatalysis is limited. Herein, this work prepares a new type of photocatalyst by modifying Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanotubes (CNT) with self-assembled lignin nanospheres for the photocatalytic production of H 2 O 2 and the degradation of azo dyes. Under light conditions, lignin enhances the production of H 2 O 2 through oxygen reduction and collaborates with carbon nitride tubes to generate O 2 - and 1 O 2 . Furthermore, carbon nitride tubes form electron-rich regions with lignin, promoting the transfer of electrons from adsorbed aromatic pollutants to this region, thereby facilitating their degradation. The experimental results indicate that the addition of 5 % lignin significantly enhances the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of azo dyes, with a degradation rate 1.87 times higher than that of the original carbon nitride tubes. Furthermore, CNL also have excellent degradation ability to pollutants in actual wastewater. This study provides new insights and prospects for the high-value utilization of lignin, enabling it to be used as a photocatalytic co-catalyst to participate in the photocatalytic degradation of environmental pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microbial fuel cell technology draws attention with its ability to directly recover electrical energy from various organic materials. In this study, the operating conditions affecting the oxidation-reduction and electricity generation efficiency of MFC were optimized using the Taguchi Experimental Design model. Optimization was carried out for maximum power density, coulombic efficiency, azo dye removal, and COD removal. With the determined optimum conditions (cathode pH of 3.0, cathode oxygen status of anaerobic, anode substrate of pre-treated, external resistance of 100 Ω, cathode electrode type of plain carbon, cathode electrode surface of 22 cm 2 , cathode conductivity of 20 µs/cm), 177.03 mW/m 2 power density, 7.50% coulombic efficiency, 91.26% azo dye removal efficiency and 21.61% COD removal efficiency were obtained. By Pareto analysis, it was determined that the power density, coulombic efficiency and COD removal efficiency were most affected by the substrate type at the anode, and the azo dye removal was most affected by the catholyte pH. The maximum power density and internal resistance of the MFC operated under optimum conditions were determined as 145.11 mW/m 2 and 243.30 Ω, respectively by the polarization curve. Cyclic voltammetry was also performed for the electrochemical characterization of MFC operated under optimum conditions. An anodic peak at -183.2 mV and a cathodic peak at -181.2 mV was visible in the CV curve.

In this study, an environmentally friendly, effective, easily synthesizable and recoverable nano-sized catalyst system (Ag@NaAlg-keratin) was designed by decorating Ag nanoparticles on microbeads containing sodium alginate (NaAlg) and keratin obtained from goose feathers. The structure, morphology and crystallinity of the Ag@NaAlg-keratin nanocatalyst were evaluated by XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDS/EDS mapping and TEM analyses. Catalytic ability of designed Ag@NaAlg-keratin nanocatalyst was then investigated against 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methyl orange (MO) reductions. Ag@NaAlg-keratin nanocatalyst effectively reduced 4-NP in 6 min and MO in 5 min, with rate constants of 0.17 min -1 and 0.16 min -1 , respectively. Additionally, activation energies (Ea) were found as 39.8 kJ/mol for 4-NP and 37.9 kJ/mol for MO. Performed recyclability tests showed that the Ag@NaAlg-keratin nanocatalyst was easily recovered due to its microbead form and successfully reused five times, maintaining both its activity and structure. Furthermore, antioxidant activity of Ag@NaAlg-keratin nanocatalyst was the highest (73.16 %)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Water contamination caused by toxic compounds has emerged as one of the most severe challenges worldwide. Biomass-based nanocomposites offer a sustainable and renewable alternative to conventional materials. In this study, a nanocomposite of mint and cellulose acetate (Mint-CA) was prepared and employed as a supportive material for Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs) and Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs). The selectivity of CuNPs@mint-CA and AgNPs@mint-CA was assessed by comparing their performance in the reduction reaction of various dyes solutions. AgNPs@mint-CA exhibited superior catalytic performance, with a removal of 95.2 % for methyl orange (MO) compared to 68 % with CuNPs@mint-CA. The absorption spectra of MO exhibited a distinct peak at 464 nm. The reduction reaction of MO by AgNPs@mint-CA followed pseudo-first-order-kinetic with a rate constant of k = 0.0063 min -1 (R 2  = 0.928). The highest removal of MO was achieved under the following conditions: a catalyst weight of 40 mg, an initial MO concentration of 0.07 mM, the addition of 0.5 mL of 0.1 M NaBH 4 , and a temperature of 25 °C. Furthermore, the AgNPs@mint-CA catalyst exhibited exceptional reducibility even after five use cycles, highlighting its potential for efficiently removing MO., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the current study, the catalyst for the decolorization of methyl orange (MO) was developed HAp-rGO by the aqueous precipitation approach. Then, bismuth(0) nanoparticles (Bi NPs), which expect to show high activity, were reduced on the surface of the support material (HAp-rGO). The obtained catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The parameters that remarkably affect the decolorization process (such as time, initial dye concentration, NaBH 4 amount, and catalyst amount) have been examined by response surface methodology (RSM), an optimization method that has acquired increasing significance in recent years. In the decolorization of MO, the optimum conditions were identified as 2.91 min, Co: 18.85 mg/L, NaBH 4 amount: 18.35 mM, and Bi/HAp-rGO dosage: 2.12 mg/mL with MO decolorization efficiency of 99.60%. The decolorization process of MO with Bi/HAp-rGO was examined in detail kinetically and thermodynamically. Additionally, the possible decolorization mechanism was clarified. The present work provides a new insight into the use of the optimization process for both the effective usage of Bi/HAp-rGO and the catalytic reduction of dyes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Due to the poor UV protection capability, natural silk fabrics not only suffer from easy damage by sunshine but also induce possible sunburn in the human body. Efficient azobenzene isomerization and enhanced UV shielding are realized by replacing the natural silk with natural protein silk fibroin (SF) and electrospinning together with light-responsive copolymer P(MEO 2 -co-OEG 300 -co-AHMA). Compared to a solution cast film, the absorption peak intensity at 355 nm is 60 % higher in UV-Vis spectra of the electropsun SF/P(MEO 2 -co-OEG 300 -co-AHMA) fabrics. This improvement is related to the highly oriented chains, inducing more space and higher efficiency for azobenzene isomerization. Only exposure to visible light for 20 min, the absorption peak corresponding to the trans- state at 355 nm recovers to 92.5 % in the electrospun fabrics, which is at least 100 % faster than that in the solution cast film (50 min). It is related to the zip effect of the isomerization in the oriented chain structure. Thus, not only the absorption of UV radiation, but also the isomerization rate is enhanced. Based on these unique absorption and recovery capabilities, the SF based electrospun fabrics can be used to replace the natural silk fabrics for UV shielding in summer, especially for cyclic use., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The growing textile industry produces large volumes of hazardous wastewater containing dyes, which stresses the need for cheap, efficient adsorbing technologies. This study investigates a novel preprocessing method for producing activated carbons from abundantly available softwood bark. The preprocessing involved a continuous steam explosion preconditioning step, chemical activation with ZnCl 2 , pyrolysis at 600 and 800 °C, and washing. The activated carbons were subsequently characterized by SEM, XPS, Raman and FTIR prior to evaluation for their effectiveness in adsorbing reactive orange 16 and two synthetic dyehouse effluents. Results showed that the steam-exploded carbon, pyrolyzed at 600 °C, obtained the highest BET specific surface area (1308 m 2 /g), the best Langmuir maximum adsorption of reactive orange 16 (218 mg g -1 ) and synthetic dyehouse effluents (>70 % removal) of the tested carbons. Finally, steam explosion preconditioning could open up new and potentially more sustainable process routes for producing functionalized active carbons., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The present study aims to establish NaOCl as a potential oxidant in the COD removal of Acid Orange 8 using UVC light (λ = 254 nm) and Fe 2+ as catalysts. The different systems used in this study are NaOCl, Fe 2+ /NaOCl, UV/NaOCl, and Fe 2+ /NaOCl/UV. All these process were found to be operative in acidic, neutral and basic medium. The initial decolorisation and COD removal efficiency (COD eff ) for different systems follow the order: Fe 2+ /NaOCl/UV > UV/NaOCl > Fe 2+ /NaOCl > NaOCl. Nevertheless, NaOCl can alone be used in the treatment process considering its COD eff to the extent of 95% in 90 min. The change in pH of the solutions after treatment is an important observation - for non-UV systems it remained around 11.0 and 7.0 in other systems. Thus, UV systems are environmental benign. The effect of various anions on COD eff was tested in Fe 2+ systems. Presence of F - ions were found to accelerate COD eff in both the systems. However, the effect is more pronounced in Fe 2+ / NaOCl/UV, where complete COD eff was observed in the presence of 9.0 gl -1 of F - . The COD removal kinetics for all systems was studied using zero-order, first-order, second-order, and BMG kinetic models. BMG model was found to be more suitable among all and is in good agreement with COD eff of all systems. It is, therefore, established that NaOCl can serve as a powerful oxidant in the advanced oxidation process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

PD-1 blockade is a first-line treatment for recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer but benefits only a small number of patients due to low preexisting tumor immunogenicity. Using immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers is a promising strategy for improving immunotherapy, but these compounds are limited by the hypoxic environment of solid tumors. To overcome this issue, the nanosensitizer AIBA@MSNs were designed based on sonodynamic therapy (SDT), which induces tumor cell death under hypoxic conditions through azo free radicals in a method of nonoxygen radicals. Mechanistically, the azo free radicals disrupt both the structure and function of tumor mitochondria by reversing the mitochondrial membrane potential and facilitating the collapse of electron transport chain complexes. More importantly, the AIBA@MSN-based SDT serves as an effective ICD inducer and improves the antitumor immune capacity. The combination of an AIBA@MSN-based SDT with a PD-1 blockade has the potential to improve response rates and provide protection against relapse. This study provides insights into the use of azo free radicals as a promising SDT strategy for cancer treatment and establishes a basic foundation for nonoxygen-dependent SDT-triggered immunotherapy in cervical cancer treatment.

Reducing high concentrations of pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, drugs, and dyes from water is an emerging necessity. We evaluated the use of Luffa cylindrica ( Lc ) as a natural non-conventional adsorbent to remove azo dye mixture (ADM) from water. The capacity of Lc at three different doses (2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 g/L) was evaluated using three concentrations of azo dyes (0.125, 0.250, and 0.500 g/L). The removal percent (R%), maximum adsorption capacity (Q m ), isotherm and kinetics adsorption models, and pH influence were evaluated, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were performed. The maximum R% was 70.8% for 10.0 g L -1 Lc and 0.125 g L -1 ADM. The Q m of Lc was 161.29 mg g -1 . Adsorption by Lc obeys a Langmuir isotherm and occurs through the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Statistical analysis showed that the adsorbent dose, the azo dye concentration, and contact time significantly influenced R% and the adsorption capacity. These findings indicate that Lc could be used as a natural non-conventional adsorbent to reduce ADM in water, and it has a potential application in the pretreatment of wastewaters.

Photoswitchable molecules can control the activity and functions of biomolecules by triggering conformational changes. However, it is still challenging to fully understand such fast-triggering conformational evolution from nonequilibrium to equilibrium distribution at the molecular level. Herein, we successfully simulated the unfolding of the FK-11 peptide upon the photoinduced trans-to-cis isomerization of azobenzene based on the Markov state model. We found that the ensemble of FK-11 contains five conformational states, constituting two unfolding pathways. More intriguingly, we observed the microsecond-scale conformational propagation of the FK-11 peptide from the fully folded state to the equilibrium populations of the five states. The computed CD spectra match well with the experimental data, validating our simulation method. Overall, our study not only offers a protocol to study the photoisomerization-induced conformational changes of enzymes but also could orientate the rational design of a photoswitchable molecule to manipulate biological functions.

Protein aggregation poses a significant concern in the field of food sciences, and various factors, such as synthetic food dyes, can contribute to protein aggregation. One such dye, Sunset Yellow (SY), is commonly employed in the food industry. Trypsin was used as a model protein to assess the impact of SY. We employed several biophysical techniques to examine the binding and aggregation mechanisms between SY and trypsin at different pHs. Results from intrinsic fluorescence measurements indicate a stronger interaction between SY and trypsin at pH 2.0 compared to pH 6.0. Turbidity data reveal trypsin aggregation in the presence of 0.05-3.0 mM SY at pH 2.0, while no aggregation was observed at pH 6.0. Kinetic data demonstrate a rapid, lag-phase-free SY-induced aggregation of trypsin. Circular dichroism analysis reveals that trypsin adopts a secondary structure in the presence of SY at pH 6.0, whereas at pH 2.0, the secondary structure was nearly lost with increasing SY concentrations. Furthermore, turbidity and kinetics data suggest that trypsin aggregation depends on trypsin concentrations and pH. Our study highlights potential health risks associated with the consumption of SY, providing insights into its impact on human health and emphasizing the necessity for further research in this field., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Author states that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The main challenges to overcome within the Fenton process are the acidic pH as an optimal reaction condition, sludge formation in neutral pH medium and high toxicity of treated printing wastewater due to the generation of contaminating by-products. This research discusses the catalytic activity of homogeneous (FeSO 4 /H 2 O 2 ) and heterogeneous (Fe 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 /H 2 O 2 ) Fenton processes in treatment of Yellow azo printing dye in synthetic aqueous solution and real printing effluent, with an integration of adsorption on functionalized biochar synthesized from wild plum kernels. The definitive screening design (DSD), was used to design the experiment. Independent variables were initial dye concentration (20-180 mg L -1 ), iron concentration (0.75-60 mg L -1 ), pH (2-10) and hydrogen peroxide concentration (1-11 mM). Higher decolourization efficiency of 79% was obtained within homogeneous Fenton treatment of printing wastewater, in comparison to heterogeneous Fenton treatment (54%), after a reaction time of 60 min. Same trend of mineralization degree was established: COD removal was 59% and 33% for homogeneous and heterogeneous Fenton process, respectively. The application of adsorption treatment has achieved significant advantages in terms of toxicity reduction (95%) and decolourization efficiency (90% of TOC removal and 22% of dye removal) of treated samples, even at neutral pH medium. Degradation mechanisms within Fenton and adsorption processes were proposed based on the qualitative gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis, physico-chemical properties of dye degradation products and functionalized biochar. Overall, the homogeneous Fenton/adsorption combined process can be potentially used as a treatment to remove azo dyes from contaminated water.

Azo dyes, widely used in the textile industry, contribute to effluents with significant organic content. Therefore, the aim of this work was to synthesize cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) using the combustion method and assess its efficacy in degrading the azo dye Direct Red 80 (DR80). TEM showed a spherical structure with an average size of 33 ± 12 nm. Selected area electron diffraction and XRD confirmed the presence of characteristic crystalline planes specific to CoFe 2 O 4 . The amount of Co and Fe metals were determined by ICP-OES, indicating an n(Fe)/n(Co) ratio of 2.02. FTIR exhibited distinct bands corresponding to Co-O (455 cm -1 ) and Fe-O (523 cm -1 ) bonds. Raman spectroscopy detected peaks associated with octahedral and tetrahedral sites. For the first time, the material was applied to degrade DR80 in an aqueous system, with the addition of persulfate. Consistently, within 60 min, these trials achieved nearly 100% removal of DR80, even after the material had undergone five cycles of reuse. The pseudo-second-order model was found to be the most fitting model for the experimental data (k 2  = 0.07007 L mg -1  min -1 ). The results strongly suggest that degradation primarily occurred via superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen. Furthermore, the presence of UV light considerably accelerated the degradation process (k 2  = 1.54093 L mg -1  min -1 ). The material was applied in a synthetic effluent containing various ions, and its performance consistently approached 100% in the photo-Fenton system. Finally, two degradation byproducts were identified through HPLC-MS/MS analysis., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The immune system can recognize and respond to pathogens of various shapes. Synthetic materials that can change their shape have the potential to be used in vaccines and immune regulation. The ability of supramolecular assemblies to undergo reversible transformations in response to environmental stimuli allows for dynamic changes in their shapes and functionalities. A meticulously designed oligo(azobenzene- graft -mannose) was synthesized using a stepwise iterative method and "click" chemistry. This involved integrating hydrophobic and photoresponsive azobenzene units with hydrophilic and bioactive mannose units. The resulting oligomer, with its precise structure, displayed versatile assembly morphologies and chiralities that were responsive to light. These varying assembly morphologies demonstrated distinct capabilities in terms of inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells and stimulating the maturation of dendritic cells. These discoveries contribute to the theoretical comprehension and advancement of photoswitchable bioactive materials.

The treatment of dye-containing wastewater generated from textile industries is still a challenge, and various technologies, including physical, chemical and biological ones have been used. In recent years, the ionizing radiation (usually including gamma ray generated by radionuclide, such as 60 Co and 137 Cs, and electron beam generated by electron accelerator) technology has received increasing attention for degrading refractory or toxic organic pollutants in wastewater because of its unique advantages, such as no chemical additives, fast reaction rate, strong degradation capacity, high efficiency, flexibility, controllability. Compared to the conventional wastewater treatment processes, ionizing radiation technology, as a disruptive wastewater treatment technology, is more efficient for the decolorization and degradation of dyes and the treatment of dye-containing wastewater. In this paper, the recent advances in the treatment of dye-containing wastewater by ionizing radiation, in particular by electron beam (EB) radiation were summarized and analyzed, focusing on the decolorization and degradation of various dyes. Firstly, the formation of various reactive species induced by radiation and their interactions with dye molecules, as well as the influencing factors on the removal efficiency of dyes were discussed. Secondly, the researches on the treating dye-containing wastewater by electron beam radiation technology were systematically reviewed. Then, the decolorization and degradation mechanisms by electron beam radiation were further discussed in detail. And the integrated processes that would contribute to the advancement of this technology in practical applications were examined. More importantly, the recent advances of electron beam radiation technology from laboratory to application were reviewed, especially successful operation of dye-containing wastewater treatment facilities in China. And eventually, current challenges, future research directions, and outlooks of electron beam radiation technology were proposed for further advancing this technology for the sustainable development of water resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Simultaneously adding multiple drugs and other chemical reagents to individual droplets at specific time points presents a significant challenge, particularly when dealing with tiny droplets in high-throughput screening applications. In this study, a micropatterned polymer chip is developed as a miniaturized platform for light-induced programmable drug addition in cell-based screening. This chip incorporates a porous superhydrophobic polymer film with atom transfer radical polymerization reactivity, facilitating the efficient grafting of azobenzene methacrylate, a photoconformationally changeable group, onto the hydrophilic regions of polymer matrix at targeted locations and with precise densities. By employing light irradiation, the cyclodextrin-azobenzene host-guest complexes formed on the polymer chip can switch from an "associated" to a "dissociated" state, granting precise photochemical control over the supramolecular coding system and its surface patterning ability. Significantly, the exceptional spatial and temporal control offered by these chemical transitions empowers to utilize digital light processing systems for simultaneous regulation and release of cyclodextrin-bearing drugs across numerous droplets containing suspended or adhered cells. This approach minimizes mechanical disruption while achieving precise control over the timing of addition, dosage, and integration varieties of released drugs in high-throughput screening, all programmable to meet specific requirements., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Azo dyes, as the most widely used synthetic dyes, are considered to be one of the culprits of water resources and environmental pollution. Anoxybacillus sp. PDR2 is a thermophilic bacterium with the ability to degrade azo dyes, whose genome contains two genes encoding azoreductases (named AzoPDR2-1 and AzoPDR2-2). In this study, through response surface methodology (RSM), when the initial pH, inoculation volume and Mg 2+ addition amount were 7.18, 10.72% and 0.1 g/L respectively, the decolorization rate of methyl red (MR) (200 mg/L) could reach its maximum (98.8%). The metabolites after biodegradation were detected by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), indicating that MR was successfully decomposed into 4-aminobenzoic acid and other small substrates. In homologous modeling, it was found that both azoreductases were flavin-dependent azoreductases, and belonged to the α/β structure, using the Rossmann fold. In their docking results with the cofactor flavin mononucleotide (FMN), FMN bound to the surface of the protein dimer. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) was superimposed on the plane of the pyrazine ring between FMN and the activity pocket of protein. Besides, both azoreductase complexes (azoreductase-FMN-NADH) exhibited a substrate preference for MR. Asn104 and Tyr74 played an important role in the combination of the azoreductase AzoPDR2-1 complex and the azoreductase AzoPDR2-2 complex with MR, respectively. This provided assistance for studying the mechanism of azoreductase biodegradation of azo dyes in thermophilic bacteria., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Photolipids have emerged as attractive tools for the optical control of lipid functions. They often contain an azobenzene photoswitch that imparts a cis double-bond upon irradiation. Herein, we present the application of photoswitching to a lipidated natural product, the potent proteasome inhibitor cepafungin I. Several azobenzene-containing lipids were attached to the cyclopeptide core, yielding photoswitchable derivatives. Most notably, PhotoCep4 exhibited a 10-fold higher cellular potency in its light-induced cis-form, matching the potency of natural cepafungin I. The length of the photolipid tail and distal positioning of the azobenzene photoswitch with respect to the macrocycle is critical for this activity. In a proteome-wide experiment, light-triggered PhotoCep4 modulation showed high overlap with constitutively active cepafungin I. The mode of action was studied using crystallography and revealed an identical binding of the cyclopeptide in comparison to cepafungin I, suggesting that differences in their cellular activity originate from switching the tail structure. The photopharmacological approach described herein could be applicable to many other natural products as lipid conjugation is common and often necessary for potent activity. Such lipids are often introduced late in synthetic routes, enabling facile chemical modifications., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)