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Carbon aerogels (CAs) have garnered significant attention due to their multifunctional applications. Biomass waste, abundantly generated by agriculture and industry, serves as a primary carbon source. However, developing a facile, sustainable, and efficient method to produce CAs from biomass waste remains challenging. In this study, a one‐step Zn2+ ion‐glue‐assisted carbonization technique was developed to produce large‐scale, high‐performance CAs. Various biomass materials (wood bits, peanut shells, bamboo bits, and straw waste) were treated in a molten salt system (ZnCl2/KCl) at 300 °C for 2 h to obtain large‐block CAs derived from biomass bits. Zn2+ ions cleave cellulose hydrogen bonds in natural biomass, facilitating the dehydration crosslinking reaction among cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, thus reconstructing the entire block structure. The resulting CAs exhibited high porosity (95 %) and low density (0.078 g/cm3). Numerous hydroxyl and carbonyl groups were preserved during the low‐temperature treatment, facilitating chemical modification for diverse applications. For instance, amidoxime functionalized CAs were utilized as filters for selective and highly efficient extraction of U(VI) from wastewater. The adsorption capacity and extraction efficiency reached 801.2 mg/g and 95 % with a flux rate of 6.1×103 L/m2 ⋅ h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultra-rapid analytical method for determination of andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide in Andrographis Herba (AH) was developed by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The sample was ultrasonically extracted with 10 mL 40% (v/v) methanol, and then purified with a C18 solid phase extraction column. The LC separation was performed on a Poroshell 120 EC-C18 column (30 × 2.1 mm, 2.7 μm) and eluted with 0.5 mmol L−1 ammonium acetate aqueous solution and acetonitrile (65:35) at a flow rate of 0.7 mL min−1, and detected by mass spectrometry (MS). The LC-MS analytical time was less than 1 min. The new developed method presented a good linearity (r > 0.9900), precision and repeatability (RSD < 2.0%). The recoveries for andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide were 93.5% (RSD = 2.2%) and 97.7% (RSD = 2.4%), respectively. The developed method was successfully applied in determination of andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide in seven batches of AH samples, and the contents of analytes in all samples were complied with the relative acceptance criteria in Chinese Pharmacopeia (>0.8%). This new developed LC-MS method is an ultra-rapid assay method for AH, which will help to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of AH sample test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, rapid, sensitive and eco-friendly liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of free cordycepin (3′-deoxyadenosine) and isocordycepin (2′-deoxyadenosine) in 10 kinds of Cordyceps samples. The samples were prepared by ultrasonic extraction at 75 °C for 30 min with boiling water as the extraction solvent. The LC separation was performed on an Agilent poroshell 120 SB-Aq C18 column (3.0 × 50 mm, 2.7 μm) in isocratic mode with an eco-friendly mobile phase (2% ethanol containing 0.2% acetic acid) at a flow rate of 0.6 mL min−1, and detected by MS/MS in positive mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The developed method showed good linearity (r > 0.9990), sensitivity (LODs = 0.04 pg, LOQ = 0.1 pg), precision (RSD ≤ 3.8%) and stability (RSD ≤ 3.6%). The recoveries of developed method were 94.4–109.5% (RSD ≤ 5.5%). Compared with reported methods, the current method was rapid (less than 35% analytical time), sensitive (more than 5 folds), and eco-friendly (less than 10 μL harmful organic solvent). 10 different kinds of Cordyceps samples (40 batches) were tested by the developed method. Codycepin was only found in Cordyceps millitaris and C. millitaris fruiting body, and isocordycepin was detected in Cordyceps sinensis and other 6 Cordyceps samples. The developed method would be an improved method for the quality evaluation of Cordyceps samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal medicine is a complex system containing numerous bioactive components. Evaluating the quality of herbs often requires analyzing multiple components using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, existing HPLC methods are time‐consuming and consume large amounts of reference compounds. This study, an ultra‐rapid and green assay method for the determination of honokiol and magnolol in Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex using a single reference compound was developed by HPLC at equal absorption wavelength (EAW). The sample was prepared using ultrasonic‐assisted matrix solid‐phase dispersion and separated with an eco‐friendly mobile phase on the Poroshell C18 column. The EAW of homokiol and magnolol was chosen as the detecting wavelength (247 nm). The contents of honokiol and magnolol in six Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex samples obtained by the developed method with a single marker and the external standard method with two markers were comparable. Additionally, the developed HPLC process only needed 4.55 mL green organic solution (ethanol) and 2.5 min, which included sample extraction and separation. The developed HPLC EAW method was ultra‐fast, green, and reference compound saving, which was an improved quality control method of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex and would serve as an example for the determination of multiple components in other herbal medicines using a single reference compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO2 is a typical anti‐ultraviolet agent in sunscreen cream, but it suffers from a lack of anti‐oxidant activity for scavenging reactive oxygen species. Other traditional sunscreen ingredients, such as C60 and ferulic acid, have moderate antioxidant and UV protection capabilities, and the products do not provide further UV protection. Herein, titanium hydride (TiH1.97) particles with dual functions of anti‐oxidant and anti‐ultraviolet are presented as an active material to remove the highly oxidizing and harmful hydroxide free radicals from the skin surface. Owing to the active hydrogen in TiH2, it shows great potential to eliminate hydroxyl radicals, and the rate is roughly proportional to the exposed surface area (50% /20 min). Together with the biocompatibility of the in situ formed TiO2, which has a strong ability to absorb ultraviolet light during OH radical scavenging. At the same time, adding titanium hydride to sunscreen also enhances sun protection. The SPF value of sunscreen containing 1% titanium hydride and 20% titanium dioxide can reach 31.8, which exceeds the 20% titanium dioxide (15) by more than twofold. Therefore, titanium hydride with anti‐ultraviolet and antioxidant functions can be regarded as a promising and safe ingredient for sunscreen cream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of 4 nucleosides by one reference compound in Chinese cordyceps was developed. The sample of Chinese cordyceps was prepared by ultrasonic extraction with a 0.5% phosphoric acid aqueous solution. The separation of the sample was performed on a CORTECS T3 column (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm) by gradient elution with acetonitrile and water at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The wavelengths were set as 258 nm (0-5 min), 252 nm (5-9.1 min), 258 nm (9.1-10.5 min), 249 nm (10.5-20 min) at which 4 nucleosides exhibited identical ultraviolet absorption. The accuracy, precision, reproducibility, and stability tests of the HPLC method were carried out, and the results indicated that the established HPLC method was suitable for the quantitative analysis of 4 nucleosides in Chinese cordyceps. This approach was compared to the traditional external standard method with 4 nucleoside reference compounds and the relative standard errors of the content determination results by the 2 methods were less than 3.5%. The HPLC method developed for quantitative measurement of 4 nucleosides in Chinese cordyceps is simple, lower cost, and time-saving, which provides a methodology alternative for quality control of Chinese cordyceps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superlattices have considerable potential as sonosensitizers for cancer therapy because of their flexible and tunable band gaps, although they have not yet been reported. In this study, a Ti-based organic-inorganic superlattice with good electron-hole separation was synthesized, which consisted of orderly layered superlattices of 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid (BPDC) and Ti-O layers. In addition, the superlattice was coordinated with Fe(III) and encapsulated doxorubicin (DOX) to prepare Ti-BPDC@Fe@DOX@PEG (TFDP) after biocompatibility modification. TFDP can realize the simultaneous generation of reactive oxygen species and release of DOX under ultrasound irradiation. Moreover, adjusting the Fe(III) content can effectively modulate the band gap of the superlattice and increase the efficiency of sonodynamic therapy (SDT). The mechanisms underlying this modulation were explored. TFDP with Fe(III) can also be used as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated the ability of TFDP to precisely treat cancer using MRI-guided SDT/chemotherapy. This study expands the applications of superlattices as sonosensitizers with flexible and tailored modifications and indicates that superlattices are promising for precise and customized treatments., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)