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This work presents red emissive CDs as a promising fluorescent sensor with excellent photostability, high fluorescence quantum yield, and negligible cytotoxicity for real-time sensing and visualizing polarity changes in mitochondria and lysosomes.

An organophosphonic acid and cerium functionalized antimonotungstate was reported, and its application in the electrochemical biosensing of the bacterial dissimilatory sulfite reductase gene sequence was explored.

A strategy based on in situ crosslinking and surface plasma treatment was developed to fabricate an EVOH nanofibrous sterile membrane with a robust and antifouling surface for high-performance sterile filtration.

A zwitterionic NFM was employed as a sterile membrane for an absolute interception of 107 cfu cm−2Brevundimonas diminuta.

Advanced application of the superwettable surface with intelligent stimulus-responsive property invents a new way for designing controllable and effective oil-water separation material. Here, a smart superwettable fabric with tunable wettability has been fabricated via a low-cost and eco-friendly approach. With synergistic effect of the well-define micro/nano-hierarchical structure and pH-sensitive undecylenic acid, the as-prepared superwettable coating exhibits an excellent switchable surface wettability, which can reversibly transit between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity in accordance with pH values of the contacting aqueous water. By virtue of the special wetting property, the obtained superwettable coating can be exploited to controllably and efficiently separate various oil-water mixtures, showing attractive separation efficiency (99 %) and favorable durability. Moreover, the complex oil/water/oil three-phase system also can be successfully separated with the superwettable coating as separation membrane, revealing an excellent in situ pH-responsiveness. Besides, it is worth noting that the superwettable coating is competent to selectively remove organic from oil, which has been seldom reported in previous works and providing a viable strategy for separating organic from oil. In light of the above advantages, it is believed that the functionalized smart coating with controllable tunable surface wettability will be a promising candidate for oily wastewater remediation under various harsh settings.

Two particular fumaric acid bridging lanthanide-encapsulated selenotungstates [H

A novel nitrogen doped and surface functionalized fluorescent CDs (T1) was synthesized by one-step and green hydrothermal method, which exhibits a satisfactory fluorescence quantum yield and a series of admirable features such as good aqueous solubility, narrow particle size distribution, resistance to photobleaching as well as excitation-dependent behavior. Benefitting from above merits, T1 can be employed to serve as an outstanding sensing platform for sensitive and accurate detection of ClO

Chaos and the natural evolution of tumor systems can lead to the failure of tumor therapies. Herein, we demonstrate that iridium oxide nanoparticles (IrOx ) possess acid-activated oxidase and peroxidase-like functions and wide pH-dependent catalase-like properties. The integration of glucose oxidase (GOD) unlocked the oxidase and peroxidase activities of IrOx by the production of gluconic acid from glucose by GOD catalysis in cancer cells, and the produced H2 O2 was converted into O2 to compensate its consumption in GOD catalysis owing to the catalase-like function of the nanozyme, thus resulting in the continual consumption of glucose and the self-supply of substrates to generate superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical. Moreover, IrOx can constantly consume glutathione (GSH) by self-cyclic valence alternation of IrIV and IrIII . These cascade reactions lead to a "butterfly effect" of initial starvation therapy and the subsequent pressure of multiple reactive oxygen species (ROS) to completely break the self-adaption of cancer cells.

Currently, cancer is regarded as one of the most life-threatening diseases worldwide. To date, much attention has been paid to treating this serious disease. Among various cancer therapies, chemotherapy has been used in the clinic for more than sixty years and is regarded as an ideal choice because of its high efficiency. Herein, a biocompatible and efficient nanoplatform for tumor treatment was fabricated based on manganese oxide-coated hollow polydopamine (HPDA@MnO2). Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a derivative of the Chinese traditional anti-malarial medicine artemisinin, was selected to be loaded into the cavity of HPDA@MnO2 to form the final nanodrug DHA@HPDA@MnO2. As a unique nanoplatform, DHA@HPDA@MnO2 showed biodegradable and controllable release of DHA and Mn ions upon reaching the tumor sites. It is worth mentioning that the reduced Mn2+ interacts with DHA to generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) which effectively damage proteins and nucleic acids, thereby inducing the death of tumor cells. More importantly, the Mn ions reduced from MnO2 showed selective in vivo magnetic resonance imaging capability in response to the tumor microenvironment. In vitro and in vivo therapy experiments showed that the tumor inhibition of DHA@HPDA@MnO2 was more efficient than that of free DHA, accompanied by negligible side effects; thus, the proposed nanomedicine platform is promising for application in tumor chemotherapy.

The carbon nanomaterial based fluorescent probes have been widely applied in biological imaging. In the current research, we propose an interesting strategy for selective sensing of hypochlorite (ClO

Two types of organic-inorganic hybrid structure-related lanthanide (Ln)-included selenotungstates (Ln-SeTs) [H2N(CH3)2]11Na7[Ce4(H2PTCA)2(H2O)12(HICA)]2[SeW4O17]2[W2O5]4[SeW9O33]4·64H2O (1, H3PTCA = 1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid, H2ICA = itaconic acid) and [H2N(CH3)2]6Na4[Ln4SeW8(H2O)14(H2PTCA)2O28] [SeW9O33]2·31H2O [Ln = Pr3+ (2), Nd3+ (3)] were obtained by Ln nature control. The primary frameworks of 1-3 are composed of trivacant Keggin-type [B-α-SeW9O33]8- and [SeW4Om]n- [Ln = Ce3+ (1), m = 17, n = 6; Ln = Pr3+ (2), Nd3+ (3), m = 18, n = 8] fragments bridged by organic ligands and Ln clusters. Intriguingly, Ln nature results in the degradation of hexameric 1 to trimeric 2-3. Besides, 1@DMDSA and 3@DMDSA composites (DMDSA·Cl = dimethyl distearylammonium chloride) were prepared through the cation exchange method, which were then reorganized to form two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb thin films by the breath figure method. Using these honeycomb thin films as electrode materials, the aptasensors were further established by utilizing methylene blue as an indicator and cDNA and Au nanoparticles as signal amplifiers to enhance the response signal so as to realize the purpose of ochratoxin A (OTA) detection. This work provides a new platform for detecting OTA and explores the application potential of POM-based composites in biological and clinical analyses.

For many two-dimensional (2D) materials, low coordination edges and corner sites offer greatly enhanced catalytic performance compared to basal sites, motivating the search for new synthetic approaches towards ultrathin and ultrafine 2D nanomaterials with high specific surface areas. To date, the synthesis of catalysts that are both ultrathin (monolayer) and ultrafine (lateral size

The generation of singlet oxygen (1 O2 ) during photodynamic therapy is limited by the precise cooperation of light, photosensitizer, and oxygen, and the therapeutic efficiency is restricted by the elevated glutathione (GSH) levels in cancer cells. Herein, we report that an ultrathin two-dimensional metal-organic framework of Cu-TCPP nanosheets (TCPP=tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin) can selectively generate 1 O2 in a tumor microenvironment. This process is based on the peroxidation of the TCPP ligand by acidic H2 O2 followed by reduction to peroxyl radicals under the action of the peroxidase-like nanosheets and Cu2+ , and their spontaneous recombination reaction by the Russell mechanism. In addition, the nanosheets can also deplete GSH. Consequently, the Cu-TCPP nanosheets can selectively destroy tumor cells with high efficiency, constituting an attractive way to overcome current limitations of photodynamic therapy.

The concentration of intracellular reactive oxygen species directly determines the effect of photodynamic therapy. Reducing intracellular glutathione (GSH) content can increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Therefore, it is extremely important to construct a nanoplatform that can promote photodynamic therapy by consuming GSH. In this study, we synthesized Cu-typtone complex nanoparticles (Cu-Try NPs) by a simple green method and demonstrated their ability to consume GSH to increase intracellular ROS for the first time. Photosensitizer methylene blue was loaded onto Cu-Try NPs (Cu-Try/MB NPs) for enhanced photodynamic therapy. Studies in vitro and in vivo illustrated that enhanced photodynamic therapy based on Cu-Try/MB NPs can kill cancer cells effectively.

Inorganic biophotocatalysts with suitable size are greatly attractive in photodynamic therapy (PDT) with enhanced permeability and retention effect and the capability to produce reactive oxygen species via type-I reaction for overcoming tumor hypoxia. Herein, we develop a facile one-step hydrothermal method to prepare biocompatible BiOI/BiOIO3 heterostructure nanocomposites (BB NCs) by introducing reductive trithiol-terminated poly-(methacrylic acid) (PTMP-PMAA) as the surfactant, which can reduce partial KIO3 (raw material) into KI, resulting in the generation of BiOI and BiOIO3 in one nanocomposite. Under irradiation with a 650 nm laser, the photogenerated holes/electrons of the agent can effectively generate hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) and singlet oxygen (1O2) through a type I and O2 self-supplying type II PDT process, respectively, under both normoxic and hypoxic environments, which could lead to a reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and in turn inhibit the production of ATP to initiate the death of HeLa cells, eventually causing the complete destruction of the tumor at a low dose (0.64 mg kg−1). In addition, the agent also shows extraordinary computed tomography imaging capability due to the high X-ray absorption coefficient (∼41.39 HU L g−1). Our study provides a robust biowindow-responsive hypoxic tumor theranostic agent to break through the limitations of PDT.

As the semisynthetic derivative and active metabolite of the effective anti-malarial drug artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin (DHA) has been investigated as an emerging therapeutic agent for tumor treatment based on the cytotoxicity of free-radicals originating from interactions with ferrous ions. Meanwhile, simultaneously delivering DHA and iron ions to tumors for selectively killing cancer cells is still a great challenge in DHA tumor therapy. Herein, we develop a facile yet efficient strategy based on iron-coordinated hollow polydopamine nanospheres to load DHA (DHA@HPDA-Fe). The as-prepared nanoagent is biodegradable and exhibits controllable release of DHA and Fe ions in tumor microenvironments, resulting in ferrous ion-enhanced production of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) by DHA and thus effectively killing the tumor cells. In vivo therapy experiments indicated that the anti-tumor efficacy of DHA@HPDA-Fe was about 3.05 times greater than that of free DHA, and the tumor inhibition ratio was 88.7% compared with the control group, accompanied by negligible side effects, indicating that the proposed nanomedicine platform is promising for anti-tumor applications.

In this article, a type of small-sized metal organic framework (MOF), MIL-101(Fe), as an intelligent delivery system was fabricated to load chemotherapy drug dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and photosensitizer methylene blue (MB). In addition, the Fe ions releasedfrom the MOFs in the tumor environment not only enhanced the curative effect of DHA but also catalyzed H2O2 to release O2, which further improved the photodynamic therapeutic effect of the nanocomposites. The nanocomposites can serve as a T2 magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent at the same time. The polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used to modify the surface of MOFs-MB-DHA to acquire the excellent controllable release of drugs and good biocompatibility to decrease the side effects for normal cells. All the results show remarkably increase of the therapeutic efficiency by synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy. Thus, a smart multifunctional drug delivery system for diagnosis and therapy based on MOFs-MB-DHA@PLA@PEG was constructed for not only real-time imaging but also chemotherapy and photodynamic synergetic therapy to kill the tumor selectively, showing great potential for conquering the existing barrier in chemo-photodynamic synergetic therapy.

In this study, we present the synthesis and application of a new therapeutic platform based on photosensitizer-loaded, two-dimensional layered nanomaterials of WSe

Phototherapy, including photothermal therapy (PTT)/photodynamic therapy (PDT), is usually considered as a promising strategy for cancer treatment due to its noninvasive and selective therapeutic effect by laser irradiation. A light-activatable nanoplatform based on bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated Bi2Te3 nanosheets conjugated with methylene blue (MB) was successfully designed and constructed for bimodal PTT/PDT combination therapy. The resultant nanoconstruct (BSA-Bi2Te3/MB) exhibited high stability in various physiological solutions and excellent biocompatibility. Especially, the nanoconstruct not only possessed strong near-infrared absorption and high photothermal conversion as a photothermal agent for efficient tumor ablation but also could successfully load photosensitizer for PDT of tumor. When exposed to laser irradiation, tumors in mice with BSA-Bi2Te3/MB injection were completely eliminated without recurrence within 15 d, demonstrating the potential of the nanoconstruct as a bimodal PTT/PDT thera...

Intrinsically integrating precise diagnosis, effective therapy, and self-anti-inflammatory action into a single nanoparticle is attractive for tumor treatment and future clinical application, but still remains a great challenge. In this study, bovine serum albumin-iridium oxide nanoparticles (BSA-IrO2 NPs) with extraordinary photothermal conversion efficiency, good photocatalytic activity, and a high X-ray absorption coefficient were prepared through one-step biomineralization. The nanoparticles allow tumor phototherapy and simultaneous photoacoustic/thermal imaging and computed tomography. More importantly, BSA-IrO2 NPs can also act as a catalase to protect normal cells against H2 O2 -induced reactive oxygen pressure and inflammation while significantly enhancing photoacoustic imaging through microbubble-based inertial cavitation. These remarkable features may open up the exploration iridium-based nanomaterials in theranostics.

The local tumor hypoxia has become one of the main obstacles for photodynamic therapy (PDT).To break through this barrier, the fabrication of O2-evolving nanoplatform has been more significant. Herein, the uniform methylene blue (MB)–bovine serum albumin (BSA)–Fe(III) nanoparticles (MB–BSA–Fe(III) NPs) were successfully synthesized by biomineralization approach. MB–BSA–Fe(III) NPs show high loading capacity of MB, and Fe(ΙΙΙ) has excellent catalytic performance towards abundant H2O2 in cancer cells to generate O2, overcoming tumor hypoxia. All these combination effects remarkably increase the therapeutic efficiency of PDT, resulting in almost complete destruction of cancer cells. Most importantly, MB–BSA–Fe(III) NPs exhibit T2- magnetic resonance imaging, which have the potential for precise visualization of the tumor location. Our results demonstrate that MB–BSA–Fe(III) is a novel H2O2-responsive and O2-evolving nanoplatform and it has great potential for clinical applications such as cancer diagnosis, treatment or drug delivery.

Integration of multiple therapeutic/diagnostic modalities into a single system holds great promise to improve theranostic efficiency for tumors, but still remains a technical challenge. Herein, we report a new multimodal theranostic nanoconstruct based on Fe-doped polydiaminopyridine nanofusiforms, built easily and on a large scale, which can dual-regulate intracellular oxygen and glutathione levels, transport iron ions, and simultaneously be used for thermal imaging and magnetic resonance imaging. Co-loading of dihydroartemisinin and methylene blue generates a superior multifunctional theranostic agent with enhanced photochemotherapy efficiency and biodegradability, leading to almost complete destruction of tumors with near-infrared light irradiation. This represents an attractive route to develop multimodal anticancer theranostics.

The penetration depth of near-infrared laser has greatly restricted the development of most photothermal agents. Recently, photothermal agents in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window have drawn great attention as they can overcome above barrier. Herein, a novel "all in one" NIR-II responsive nanoplatform (nickel selenide @polydopamine nanocomposites, NiSe@PDA NCs) based on in situ coating the polydopamine (PDA) on the surface of biomineralized nickel selenide nanoparticles (NiSe NPs) for dual-model imaging-guided photothermal therapy is reported. Under the illumination of NIR-II laser (1064 nm), the photothermal conversion efficiency of NiSe@PDA NCs can reach 48.4%, which is higher than that of single NiSe NPs due to the enhanced molar extinction coefficient. In addition, because of the paramagnetic effect of NiSe NPs, the constructed NiSe@PDA NCs can be acted as T1 contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Most importantly, the MRI contrast effect is enhanced with the coating of PDA layer due to the loose structure of PDA. Ultimately, both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the developed NCs can achieve efficient MRI-guided photothermal therapy for treating malignant tumor. Therefore, the designed NiSe@PDA NCs with excellent features show great potential for clinical MRI-guided cancer therapy.

In this study, we present the synthesis and application of a new therapeutic platform based on photosensitizer-loaded, two-dimensional layered nanomaterials of WSe2 for combined photothermal and photodynamic cancer therapy. WSe2 nanosheets are synthesized by a simple and efficient chemical exfoliation using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an effective exfoliating agent and strong stabilizing agent, endowing the WSe2-BSA nanosheets obtained with high stability in physiological solutions and good biocompatibility without further functionalization. The WSe2-BSA nanosheets can be employed not only as an efficient photothermal agent but also as a carrier to load methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizing agent for photodynamic therapy. Moreover, the generation of singlet oxygen can be regulated by controlling the release of MB from the WSe2 nanosheets with NIR irradiation. The therapeutic efficacy of the MB-loaded WSe2-BSA (WSe2-BSA/MB) complexes was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. It was found that dual-mode photothermal and photodynamic therapy has a significant synergistic effect and dramatically improves the therapeutic efficacy toward cancer cells compared with single mode treatment. These findings indicate that WSe2 nanosheets could be a promising therapeutic agent and smart carrier for the synergistic combination of phototherapy towards biomedical applications.

At present, increasing attention is being paid to photothermal therapy corresponding to the second near infrared (NIR-II) range (1000–1700 nanometers); however, its biomedical applications related to carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) have always been limited by the large-scale fabrication of excellent diagnostic probes with a suitable size and optical absorption cross-section. Herein, we successfully prepared Bi@C nanoparticles with a suitable size and high output (3.14 g per patch) through a one-pot hydrothermal method. By combining Bi with carbon, the optical absorption in the NIR-II range was enhanced compared to that for single carbon; moreover, Bi@C could no longer be easily oxidized due to the protection of outer C compared with individual Bi. Furthermore, because of the high atomic number of Bi (Z = 83), the Bi@C nanoparticles exhibited computed imaging contrast properties. According to the in vitro and in vivo experiments, the Bi@C nanoparticles could ablate cancer cells under illumination with a 1064 nm laser with deeper penetration and an appropriate permissible exposure (MPE) to the laser (1 W cm−2), showing excellent performance for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. This study provides a simple method to synthesize metal–carbon nanocomposites to enhance the NIR-II optical absorption efficiency for effective deep-seated tumor photothermal therapy and will further broaden the applications of CNMs.