Enhancing antitumor efficacy of NIR-I region zinc phthalocyanine@upconversion nanoparticle through lysosomal escape and mitochondria targeting.

Accurately visualizing the intracellular trafficking of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) loaded with phthalocyanines and achieving precise photodynamic therapy (PDT) using near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation still present challenges. In this study, a novel NIR laser-triggered upconversion luminescence (UCL) imaging-guided nanoparticle called FA@TPA-NH-ZnPc@UCNPs (FTU) was developed for PDT. FTU consisted of UCNPs, folic acid (FA), and triphenylamino-phenylaniline zinc phthalocyanine (TPA-NH-ZnPc). Notably, TPA-NH-ZnPc showcases aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristic and NIR absorption properties at 741 nm, synthesized initially via molybdenum-catalyzed condensation reaction. The UCL emitted by FTU enable real-time visualization of their subcellular localization and intracellular trafficking within ovarian cancer HO-8910 cells. Fluorescence images revealed that FTU managed to escape from lysosomes due to the "proton sponge" effect of TPA-NH-ZnPc. The FA ligands on the surface of FTU further directed their transport and accumulation within mitochondria. When excited by a 980 nm laser, FTU exhibited UCL and activated TPA-NH-ZnPc, consequently generating cytotoxic singlet oxygen (1O2), disrupted mitochondrial function and induced apoptosis in cancer cells, which demonstrated great potential for tumor ablation.

Rational Design of Vinylene Carbonate-Inspired 1,3-Dimethyl-1H-imidazol-2(3H)-one Additives to Stabilize High-Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) employing high-voltage nickel-rich cathodes represent a promising strategy to enable higher energy density storage systems. However, instability at the electrolyte-electrode interfaces (EEIs) currently impedes the translation of these advanced systems into practical applications. Herein, 1,3-dimethyl-1H-imidazol-2(3H)-one (DMIO), integrating structural features of vinylene carbonate (VC) while substituting oxygen with electron-donating nitrogen, has been synthesized and validated as a multifunctional electrolyte additive for high-voltage LMBs. Theoretical calculations and experimental results demonstrate that the potent electron-donating nitrogen in DMIO enables preferential DMIO oxidation at the cathode while preserving its carbon-carbon double bond for a concomitant reduction on the anode. Thereby, robust DMIO-derived EEIs are generated, reinforcing cycling in the full cells. Additionally, DMIO leverages Lewis acid-based interactions to coordinate and sequester protons from acidic LiPF6 decomposition byproducts, concurrently retarding LiPF6 hydrolysis while attenuating parasitic consumption of EEIs by acidic species. Consequently, incorporating DMIO into conventional carbonate electrolytes enables an improved capacity retention of Li||NCM622 cells to 81% versus 26% in the baseline electrolyte after 600 cycles. Similarly, DMIO improves Li anode cycling performance, displaying extended life spans over 200 h in Li||Li symmetric cells and enhancing Coulombic efficiency from 76% to 88% in Li||Cu cells. The synergistic effects of DMIO on both the cathode and anode lead to substantially improved cell lifetime. This rationally designed, multifunctional electrolyte additive paradigm provides vital insights that can be translatable to further electrolyte molecular engineering strategies.

[Determination of six plant growth regulator residues in strawberry by liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry].

A novel method was established for the determination of six plant growth regulators (PGRs), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic (2,4-D), 4-chlorophenoxy-acetic acid (CAP), 4-(3-indolyl)-butyric acid (BAA), forchlorfenuron (CPPU), abscisic acid (ABA) and trans-zeatin (ZT) in strawberry using liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q TOF MS). The Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe method (QuEChERS) has been validated for the extraction. In this QuEChERS method, the sample was extracted by acetonitrile and cleaned up with C18 adsorbent. The extract was measured directly by LC-Q TOF MS with electrospray ionization in negative mode. The compounds were separated on an Eclipse XDB-C8 column (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) with acetonitrile-5 mmol/L ammonium acetate-0. 1% formic acid as mobile phase under gradient elution. The confirmatory analysis was carried out by determining the accurate masses of all compounds and fragment ions upon Target MS/MS. The limits of detection (LODs) were between 1 microg/kg and 5 microg/kg. The linear range was 0.005-1.0 mg/L for each analyte. The recoveries ranged from 87% to 107% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 10% (n = 6). The method was proved to be simple and accurate.