Advancing oil-water separation: Design and efficiency of amphiphilic hyperbranched demulsifiers.

HYPOTHESIS: An innovative strategy for designing high-performance demulsifiers is proposed. It hypothesizes that integrating mesoscopic molecular simulations with macroscopic physicochemical experiments can enhance the understanding and effectiveness of demulsifiers. Specifically, it is suggested that amphiphilic hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (CHPEI) could act as an efficient demulsifier in oil-water systems, with its performance influenced by its adsorption behaviors at the oil-water interface and its ability to disrupt asphaltene-resin aggregates. EXPERIMENTS: Several coarse-grained models of oil-water systems, with CHPEI, are constructed using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation. Following the insights gained from the simulations, a series of CHPEI-based demulsifiers are designed and synthesized. Demulsification experiments are conducted on both simulated and crude oil emulsions, with the process monitored using laser scanning confocal microscopy. Additionally, adsorption kinetics and small angle X-ray scattering are employed to reveal the inherent structural characteristics of CHPEI demulsifiers. FINDINGS: CHPEI demonstrates over 96.7 % demulsification efficiency in high acid-alkali-salt systems and maintains its performance even after multiple reuse cycles. The simulations and macroscopic experiments collectively elucidate that the effectiveness of a demulsifier is largely dependent on its molecular weight and the balance of hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. These factors are crucial in providing sufficient interfacial active functional groups while avoiding adsorption sites for other surfactants. Collaborative efforts between DPD simulation and macroscopic measurements deepen the understanding of how demulsifiers can improve oil-water separation efficiency in emulsion treatment.

Advanced magnetic nanospheres for oil pollutant management: Dual roles in emulsification and demulsification.

Environmental contamination from oil spills and industrial oily wastewater poses significant ecological risks due to the persistence of harmful organic compounds. To address these challenges, magnetic composite nanospheres (CMNP@CHPEI) are systematically developed, with carboxylated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (CMNP) as the core and amphiphilic hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (CHPEI) as the decorated shell. These novel nanospheres combine the controllable size and magnetic responsiveness of "hard" magnetic nanomaterials with the structural complexity and functional diversity of "soft" hyperbranched polymers. This design allows for switching between emulsification and demulsification behaviors by regulating the size of the nanospheres and the amphiphilicity of CHPEI. Specifically, the nanospheres can form Pickering emulsions with oil droplet sizes smaller than 1 µm, maintaining stability for up to 75 days, and achieve rapid oil-water separation with demulsification efficiencies up to 99.8 %. Even after seven recycling experiments, they still retain significant interfacial activity and applicability. Interfacial characteristic experiments and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that particle size directly affects the film structures formed at oil-water interface, while the amphiphilic functional molecules determine the interaction mode of nanospheres with oil-water phases. These achievements introduce a versatile, environmentally friendly material for removing hazardous oil-based pollutants, with promising applications in oil spill remediation and industrial wastewater treatment.

Highly Efficient Coke Dust Suppressant with Anti-Freezing Capabilities.

Stockpiled coke is prone to wind-blowing emissions, leading to economic losses and environmental pollution which imposes severe threats to human health. While various polysaccharide-based dust suppressants have been explored to resolve this issue, they often suffer from ineffective control of wettability, poor coverage, and suppression effect in extreme weather conditions, and require additional use of cross-linking agents and surfactants due to their weak interaction with coke. Herein, we present coke dust suppressants comprising polyethyleneimine (PEI), starch, and glycerol to address these shortcomings. Our detailed investigations show that the low toxicity, cationic polymer (PEI) electrostatically interacts with the coke, increasing the wettability and promoting aggregation. Moreover, polyethyleneimine hydrogen-bonds with starch to form a stable film and enhances the water-retention capability. Furthermore, the addition of glycerol lowers the freezing point to -13 °C, preventing coke loss caused by freezing during transportation and energy loss associated with dismantling the frozen coke. Wind erosion tests and bomb calorimeter results reveal that the coke dust suppressant exhibits superior wind resistance and does not interfere with the coke combustion.

Carbonic anhydrase-embedded ZIF-8 membrane reactor with improved the recycling and stability for efficient CO2 capture.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme-based absorption technology for CO2 capture has been intensively investigated. However, low solubility of CO2 and poor stability of CA severely limits its industrial utilization. Here, hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane (HPAN) was first modified by polyethyleneimine (PEI) with a large number of amino groups, which has a strong affinity for CO2. Then, ZIF-8 was grown in situ on the surface of HPAN/PEI membrane by using the metal chelation of PEI and Zn2+. In this process, CA was embedded inside ZIF-8 by co-precipitation (CA@HPAN/PEI/ZIF-8). The resultant CA@HPAN/PEI/ZIF-8 exhibited high catalytic activity for CO2 capture compared with free CA, which was due to the synergistic enhancement of CO2 capture by PEI and ZIF-8 with high affinity to CO2 and enzymatic catalysis. The yield of CaCO3 by CA@HPAN/PEI/ZIF-8 in the process of one-time conversion of CO2 was 13.6-fold higher than free CA. Furthermore, the CA@HPAN/PEI/ZIF-8 showed better thermal stability, storage and reusability than free CA. Free CA retained only 18.3 % of its original activity after 18 days of storage, whereas CA@HPAN/PEI/ZIF-8 remained 48.7 % of its original activity. The total CaCO3 yield by CA@HPAN/PEI/ZIF-8 was 74.9-fold that of free CA after 8 consecutive rounds of CO2 conversion.

Continuously producible aztreonam-loaded inhalable lipid nanoparticles for cystic fibrosis-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections - Development and in-vitro characterization.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder affecting nearly 105,000 patients worldwide and is characterized by poor respiratory function due to accumulation of thick mucus in the lungs, which not just acts as a physical barrier, but also provides a breeding ground for bacterial infections. These infections can be controlled with the help of antibiotics which can be delivered directly into the lungs for amplifying the local anti-bacterial effect. More than 50 % of CF patients are associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in their lungs which requires antibiotics such as Aztreonam (AZT). In this study, we prepared inhalable AZT-loaded lipid nanoparticles using Hot-melt extrusion (HME) coupled with probe sonication to target Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in the lungs. The optimized nanoparticles were tested for physicochemical properties, stability profile, in-vitro aerosolization, and antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The optimized nanoparticles with a PEI concentration of 0.1 % demonstrated a uniform particle size of <50 nm, a spherical shape observed under a transmission electron microscope, and >70 % drug entrapment. Incorporating cationic polymer, PEI, resulted in sustained drug release from the lipid nanoparticles. The in-vitro aerosolization studies exhibited a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of <4.3 µm, suggesting deposition of the nanoparticles in the respirable airway. The antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed the minimum inhibitory concentration of the formulation is 2-fold lower than plain AZT. Stability profile showed the formulations are stable after exposure to accelerated conditions. In conclusion, hot-melt extrusion in combination with probe sonication can be used as a potential method for the continuous production of AZT-loaded lipid nanoparticles with enhanced anti-bacterial activity.

Phytic acid-induced durable fire-proof and hydrophobic complex coating for versatile cotton fabrics.

To address the current development requirements for multifunctional cotton fabrics, a phytic acid-induced flame-retardant hydrophobic coating containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and silicon (Si) was grafted on the surface of cotton fabrics using a facile step-by-step immersion method. The limiting oxygen index value improved to 31.2 %, decreasing to 26.7 % after 50 laundering cycles, while the fabric remained self-extinguishing effect in the vertical flammability test and showed a water contact angle of 126.1°. Cone calorimetry test showed that the modified fabric could not be ignited at the irradiation heat flux of 35 kW/m2. When the irradiation heat flux was raised to 50 kW/m2, there was a significant decline in the peak heat release rate of the modified cotton fabric, which decreased by 43.2 % to a remarkably low value of 114.0 kW/m2, indicating excellent flame-retardant properties. The analysis of the flame-retardant mechanism uncovered that the modified coating exhibited a significant dual flame-retardant mechanism involving both the gaseous phase and the condensed phase. Additionally, the oil-water separation tests revealed that the separation efficiency of the modified cotton fabrics was as high as 97.1 % and remained around 96 % after 10 cycles, which made them reusable for the clean-up of hazardous chemicals.

A Novel Approach for the Synthesis of Responsive Core-Shell Nanogels with a Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) Core and a Controlled Polyamine Shell.

Microgel particles can play a key role, e.g., in drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, advanced (bio)sensors or (bio)catalysis. Amine-functionalized microgels are particularly interesting in many applications since they can provide pH responsiveness, chemical functionalities for, e.g., bioconjugation, unique binding characteristics for pollutants and interactions with cell surfaces. Since the incorporation of amine functionalities in controlled amounts with predefined architectures is still a challenge, here, we present a novel method for the synthesis of responsive core-shell nanogels (dh < 100 nm) with a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAm) core and a polyamine shell. To achieve this goal, a surface-functionalized pNIPAm nanogel was first prepared in a semi-batch precipitation polymerization reaction. Surface functionalization was achieved by adding acrylic acid to the reaction mixture in the final stage of the precipitation polymerization. Under these conditions, the carboxyl functionalities were confined to the outer shell of the nanogel particles, preserving the core's temperature-responsive behavior and providing reactive functionalities on the nanogel surface. The polyamine shell was prepared by the chemical coupling of polyethyleneimine to the nanogel's carboxyl functionalities using a water-soluble carbodiimide (EDC) to facilitate the coupling reaction. The efficiency of the coupling was assessed by varying the EDC concentration and reaction temperature. The molecular weight of PEI was also varied in a wide range (Mw = 0.6 to 750 kDa), and we found that it had a profound effect on how many polyamine repeat units could be immobilized in the nanogel shell. The swelling and the electrophoretic mobility of the prepared core-shell nanogels were also studied as a function of pH and temperature, demonstrating the successful formation of the polyamine shell on the nanogel core and its effect on the nanogel characteristics. This study provides a general framework for the controlled synthesis of core-shell nanogels with tunable surface properties, which can be applied in many potential applications.

Study on the enhancement of paper tensile strength and hydrophobicity by adding PEI-KH560 in pulp suspension.

Novel eco-friendly strength agent has inspired much attention of researchers. Herein, the PEI-KH560 prepared by PEI (polyethyleneimine) and KH560 (γ-glycidyl ether propyl trimethoxysilane) was added in the pulp suspension to enhance the paper performance. The results showed that the m(PEI):m(KH560) ratio and PEI's molecular weight were closely related with the paper strength and hydrophobicity. The SEM morphology of paper surface showed that the fiber-fiber crosslinking reached the tightest, at the optimal m(PEI):m(KH560) ratio and PEI's molecular weight. The results showed that when the Mw (molecular weight) of PEI was 10,000 and the m(PEI):m(KH560) ratio was 1:2, the PEI-KH560 presented the best strengthening performance on the paper strength and hydrophobicity. Dry tensile index and wet tensile index could reach 29.9 N·m/g and 1.37 N·m/g after adding the PEI10000-KH560 in pulp suspension before the paper formation. Further, the effect of process conditions (temperature, time, the addition amount, and pulp concentration) on the strength and hydrophobicity of paper network structure was investigated, after adding PEI-KH560 into the pulp suspension. It was of great significance for studying the mechanism between the chemical structures of PEI-KH560 and paper performance, which provided valuable theoretical practice on the preparation of novel strength agent.

Recombinant Esterase (BaCEm) Immobilized on Polyethyleneimine-Impregnated Mesoporous Silica SBA-15 Exhibits Outstanding Catalytic Performance.

A recombinant esterase, BaCEm, derived from Bacillus aryabhattai and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, was successfully immobilized on polyethyleneimine-impregnated mesoporous silica SBA-15. This immobilization utilized glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker. Optimal conditions were established with a PEI/SBA-15 ratio of 25% (w/w), a pH of 7.5, and a glutaraldehyde concentration of 0.5% (w/w), resulting in a loading capacity of 76.4 mg/g, a recovery activity of 43.5%, and a specific activity of 7917 U/g for BaCEm. The immobilized BaCEm demonstrated high enantioselectivity, with an "E" value of 203.92, in the resolution assay of (R,S)-ethyl indoline-2-carboxylate. Notably, the immobilized enzyme, compared to its free counterpart, exhibited enhanced thermostability, maintaining 95.4% of its activity after 3 h at 30 °C. It also showed significant tolerance to organic solvents, retaining 48.4% and 28.7% residual activity in 10% v/v acetonitrile and acetone, respectively. Moreover, its storage stability was confirmed, with 68.5% residual activity preserved after 30 days at 4 °C. Remarkably, the immobilized BaCEm retained 58.1% of its activity after 10 reuse cycles, underscoring the potential of polyethyleneimine-impregnated mesoporous silica SBA-15 as an effective support for enzyme immobilization, promising for industrial applications.

A novel sponge-like composite biosorbent fabricated by sodium alginate and polyethyleneimine for uranium(VI) extraction from seawater.

Uranium extraction from seawater (UES) has important strategic significance for maintaining the sustainable development of nuclear energy. This article presents the preparation of a low-cost, efficient, and highly reusable biosorbent sodium alginate/polyethyleneimine (SA/PEI) through a simple one-step crosslinking process. The chemical crosslinking between PEI and SA provides biosorbent excellent mechanical strength and thermal stability. SA/PEI was characterized by using FTIR, XRD, TGA, EDS, XPS, SEM before and after adsorption of uranium. Thermodynamic research results show that the uranium adsorption of SA/PEI is a spontaneous, entropy increasing endothermic process. The adsorption fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacity reach 353.09 mg g-1, illustrating that the adsorption mechanism is monolayer chemical adsorption. The interaction between SA/PEI and uranium is synergistic chelation by amino and carboxyl, which is consistent with the results calculated by DFT. After 14 days of adsorption in 100 L natural seawater, the adsorption capacity of SA/PEI was 3.58 mg g-1, with an average adsorption efficiency of 0.256 mg g-1 day-1, which is faster than most reported alginate adsorbents. The cost of using SA/PEI to UES is $168 per kilogram of uranium. These results indicate that SA/PEI hydrogel has great potential in practical seawater application.

Preparation of Paper-Based Fluorescent Sensors and Their Application for the Detection of Cu2+ in Water.

Excessive copper (Cu2+) causes adverse effects on human health and the ecological environment. Traditional methods for detecting Cu2+ have drawbacks such as high detection costs, complex operating conditions, and being time consuming. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop simple detection methods to better meet specific health and environment quality needs. In this work, a paper-based fluorescence sensor was prepared (herein referred to as the as-prepared method) by immersing filter paper in aqueous polyethyleneimine (PEI) solution, and its potential use in Cu2+ detection was investigated. The results showed that the as-prepared paper samples, with fluorescence properties obtained by aggregation-induced luminescence of PEI, have selective recognition of Cu2+ based on the internal filtration effect, and the lowest detection limit is 0.03 µM. In addition, the relative error of this method is in the range of 1.80~2.23%, which is relatively comparable to the national standard method (0.63~630 µM), demonstrating high accuracy. Therefore, paper-based sensors with a simple preparation method have potential applications in the detection of Cu2+ in water.

In Situ Growth of Nitrogen-Doped Fluorescent Carbon Dots on Sisal Fibers: Investigating Their Selective and Enhanced Adsorption Capabilities for Methyl Blue Dye.

Preparing a biomass adsorbent material with high-absorption performance but low cost plays a vital role in wastewater treatment. In this study, a novel nitrogen-doped sisal fiber-based carbon dots (SF-N-CDs) composite was prepared by directly growing carbon dots (CDs) on sisal fiber (SF) using a microwave method with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a raw material. The prepared SF-N-CDs were characterized using FTIR, XRD, Contact angle(CA), TGA, XPS, and SEM. The results revealed that the CDs were successfully grown on SF. The adsorption properties of SF-N-CDs were significantly enhanced when they adsorbed methyl blue (MeB) dye. Specifically, the adsorption of MeB by SF-N-CDs was up to 619.7 mg/g, which was about 2.6 times higher than that of raw SF. This implied that the introduction of CDs increases the adsorption site, thus enhancing the adsorption capacity. Analysis on kinetics and thermodynamics of MeB adsorption by SF-N-CDs revealed that the adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm model and were consistent with both kinetic models. It signifies that the adsorption involves both physical and chemical adsorption processes. Further, the SF-N-CDs maintained a removal rate of 70.9% after six adsorption-regeneration cycles, demonstrating good regeneration performance. Moreover, the SF-N-CDs could selectively separate MeB from a mixture of rhodamine B and saffron T. Consequently, the findings of this study suggest that SF-N-CDs are promising adsorbents for anionic dyes.

Mussel-Inspired Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite for Methyl Orange Removal: Adsorption and Regeneration Behaviors.

A mussel-inspired multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposite (MWCNTs@CCh-PEI) was prepared by the co-deposition of catechol (CCh)/polyethyleneimine (PEI) and modification of MWCNTs for the efficient removal of methyl orange (MO). The effects of MO solution pH, contact time, initial MO concentration, and temperature on the adsorption capacity of MWCNTs@CCh-PEI were investigated. The results indicate that the adsorption capacity of MWCNTs@CCh-PEI was two times higher than that of pristine MWCNTs under the same conditions. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting that the adsorption process was chemisorption. The adsorption isotherm shows that the experimental data were fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9873, indicating that the adsorption process was monolayer adsorption. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity was determined to be 400.00 mg·g-1. The adsorption thermodynamic data show that the adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous. More importantly, the adsorption capacity of MWCNTs@CCh-PEI showed no significant decrease after eight reuse cycles. These results demonstrate that MWCNTs@CCh-PEI is expected to be an economical and efficient adsorbent for MO removal.

Simultaneous immunodetection of multiple cervical cancer biomarkers based on a signal-amplifying redox probes/polyethyleneimine-coated gold nanoparticles/2D tungsten disulfide/graphene oxide nanocomposite platform.

To advance cervical cancer diagnostics, we propose a state-of-the-art label-free electrochemical immunosensor designed for the simultaneous detection of multiple biomarker proteins (p16INK4a, p53, and Ki67). This immunosensor is constructed using a polyethyleneimine-coated gold nanoparticles/2D tungsten disulfide/graphene oxide (PEI-AuNPs/2D WS2/GO) composite-modified three-screen-printed carbon electrode (3SPCE) array. The 2D WS2/GO hybrid provides a large specific surface area for supporting well-dispersed PEI-AuNPs and adsorbed redox-active species, enhancing overall performance. The PEI-AuNPs-decorated 2D WS2/GO composite not only improves electrode conductivity but also increases the antibody loading capacity. Redox-active species, including Cd2+ ions, 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP), and methylene blue (MB), serve as distinct signaling compounds to quantitatively detect the cervical cancer biomarkers p16INK4a, p53, and Ki67, respectively. Additionally, the immunosensor demonstrates the detection with high sensitivity, good storage stability, high selectivity, and acceptable reproducibility. This immunosensor demonstrates a good linear relationship with the logarithm of protein concentrations. Additionally, the immunosensor also demonstrates high sensitivity, good storage stability, high selectivity, and acceptable reproducibility. Our promising results and the successful application of the immunosensor in detecting three tumor markers in human serum highlight its potential for clinical diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Multifunctional bacterial cellulose-bentonite@polyethylenimine composite membranes for enhanced water treatment: Sustainable dyes and metal ions adsorption and antibacterial properties.

Developing multifunctional materials for water treatment remains a significant challenge. Bacterial cellulose (BC) holds immense potential as an adsorbent with high pollutant-binding capacity, hydrophilicity, and biosafety. In this study, N-acetylglucosamine was used as a carbon source to ferment BC, incorporating amide bonds in situ. Bentonite, renowned for its adsorption properties, was added to the culture medium, resulting in BC-bentonite composite membranes via a one-step fermentation process. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) was crosslinked with amide bonds on the membrane via glutaraldehyde through Schiff base reactions to enhance the performance of the composite membrane. The obtained membrane exhibited increased hydrophilicity, enhanced active adsorption sites, and enlarged specific surface area. It not only physically adsorbed contaminants through its unique structure but also effectively captured dye molecules (Congo red, Methylene blue, Malachite green) via electrostatic interactions. Additionally, it formed stable complexes with metal ions (Cd²âº, Pb²âº, Cu²âº) through coordination and effectively adsorbed their mixtures. Moreover, the composite membrane demonstrated the broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, effectively inhibiting the growth of tested bacteria. This study introduces an innovative method for fabricating composite membranes as adsorbents for complex water pollutants, showing significant potential for long-term wastewater treatment of organic dyes, heavy metal ions, and pathogens.

PD-L1 siRNA hitched polyethyleneimine-elastase constituting nanovesicle induces tumor immunogenicity and PD-L1 silencing for synergistic antitumor immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: PD-1/PD-L1 blockade has become a powerful method to treat malignant tumors. However, a large proportion of patients still do not benefit from this treatment, due to low tumor immunogenicity and low tumor penetration of the agents. Recently, neutrophil elastase has been shown to induce robust tumor immunogenicity, while the insufficient enzyme activity at the tumor site restricted its anti-tumor application. Here, we designed polyethyleneimine-modified neutrophil elastase (PEI-elastase) loaded with PD-L1small interfering RNA (PD-L1 siRNA) for improving enzymatic activity and delivering siRNA to tumor, which was expected to solve the above-mentioned problems. RESULTS: We first demonstrated that PEI-elastase possessed high enzymatic activity, which was also identified as an excellent gene-delivery material. Then, we synthesized anti-tumor lipopolymer (P-E/S Lip) by encapsulating PEI-elastase and PD-L1siRNA with pH-responsive anionic liposomes. The P-E/S Lip could be rapidly cleaved in tumor acidic environment, leading to exposure of the PEI-elastase/PD-L1 siRNA. Consequently, PEI-elastase induced powerful tumor immunogenicity upon direct tumor killing with minimal toxicity to normal cells. In parallel, PEI-elastase delivered PD-L1siRNA into the tumor and reduced PD-L1 expression. Orthotopic tumor administration of P-E/S Lip not only attenuated primary tumor growth, but also produced systemic anti-tumor immune response to inhibit growth of distant tumors and metastasis. Moreover, intravenous administration of P-E/S Lip into mice bearing subcutaneous tumors leaded to an effective inhibition of established B16-F10 tumor and 4T1 tumor, with histological analyses indicating an absence of detectable toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, a protease-based nanoplatform was used to cooperatively provoke robust tumor immunogenicity and down-regulate PD-L1 expression, which exhibited great potential as a combination therapy for precisely treating solid tumors.

Polyethyleneimine capped silver nanoclusters based turn-off-on fluorescence sensor for the determination of glutathione.

A polyethyleneimine capped silver nanoclusters (PEI-AgNCs) based turn-off-on fluorescence sensor has been developed to determine glutathione (GSH) effectively. The fluorescence intensity of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) has been quenched by Cu(II) and recovered by adding GSH. The quenching of fluorescence intensity of PEI-AgNCs by Cu(II) and recovery of the emission intensity of PEI-AgNCs after the addition of GSH is supposed to be ground state adduct formation. Due to the greater affinity of Cu(II) towards GSH compared to that to PEI-AgNCs, the defragmentation of PEI-AgNCs-Cu(II) adduct occurs after the addition of GSH to the solution, resulting in the recovery of emission intensity of PEI-AgNCs. Characterisation studies of the probe have been done using FT-IR spectroscopy, XPS analysis, XRD analysis, UV-visible and Fluorescence spectrophotometry, EDX spectroscopy and TEM analysis. Different experimental parameters were optimised. Under optimised analytical conditions, the sensor showed a wide linear range for the quantification of GSH from 1.00 × 10-4 M to 3.00 × 10-6 M with a detection limit (LOD) of 8.00 × 10-7 M. Selectivity and interference studies were done in the presence of different structurally similar and coexisting species of GSH in blood. The practical utility of the proposed sensor has been validated in artificial blood serum.

Construction of GSH-responsive polyethyleneimine-based delivery vector for effective gene transfection.

The rise of gene therapy has solved many diseases that cannot be effectively treated by conventional methods. Gene vectors is very important to protect and deliver the therapeutic genes to the target site. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified with mannitol could enhance the gene transfection efficiency reported by our group previously. In order to further control and improve the effective gene release to action site, disulfide bonds were introduced into mannitol-modified PEI to construct new non-viral gene vectors PeiSM. The degrees of mannitol linking with disulfide bonds were screened. Among them, moderate mannitol-modified PEI with disulfide bonds showed the best transfection efficiency, and significantly enhanced long-term systemic transgene expression for 72 hin vivoeven at a single dose administration, and could promote caveolae-mediated uptake through up-regulating the phosphorylation of caveolin-1 and increase the loaded gene release from the nanocomplexes in high glutathione intracellular environment. This functionalized gene delivery system can be used as an potential and safe non-viral nanovector for further gene therapy.

Nitrophenyl Thiourea-Modified Polyethylenimine Colorimetric Sensor for Sulfate, Fluorine, and Acetate.

A thiourea-based colorimetric sensor incorporating polyethyleneimine (PEI) and chromophoric nitrophenyl groups was synthesized and utilized for detecting various anions. Structural characterization of the sensor was accomplished using FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The sensor's interactions and colorimetric recognition capabilities with different anions, including CI-, Br-, I-, F-, NO3-, PF6-, AcO-, H2PO4-, PO43-, and SO42-, were investigated via visual observation and UV/vis spectroscopy. Upon adding SO42-, F-, and AcO- anions, the sensor exhibited distinct color changes from colorless to yellow and yellowish, while other anions did not induce significant color alterations. UV/vis spectroscopic titration experiments conducted in a DMSO/H2O solution (9:1 volume ratio) demonstrated the sensor's selectivity toward SO42-, F-, and AcO-. The data revealed that the formation of the main compounds and anion complexes was mediated by hydrogen bonding, leading to signal changes in the nitrophenyl thiourea-modified PEI spectrum.

Bacterial cellulose microfilament biochar-architectured chitosan/polyethyleneimine beads for enhanced tetracycline and metronidazole adsorption.

This study investigates the potential applications of incorporating 2D bacterial cellulose microfibers (BCM) biochar into chitosan/polyethyleneimine beads as a semi-natural sorbent for the efficient removal of tetracycline (TET) and metronidazole (MET) antibiotics. Batch adsorption experiments and characterization techniques evaluate removal performance and synthesized adsorbent properties. The adsorbent eliminated 99.13 % and 90 % of TET and MET at a 10 mg.L-1 concentration with optimal pH values of 8 and 6, respectively, for 90 min. Under optimum conditions and a 400 mg.L-1 concentration, MET and TET have possessed the maximum adsorption capacities of 691.325 and 960.778 mg.g-1, respectively. According to the isothermal analysis, the adsorption of TET fundamentally follows the Temkin (R2 = 0.997), Redlich-Peterson (R2 = 0.996), and Langmuir (R2 = 0.996) models. In contrast, the MET adsorption can be described by the Langmuir (R2 = 0.997), and Toth (R2 = 0.991) models. The pseudo-second-order (R2 = 0.998, 0.992) and Avrami (R2 = 0.999, 0.999) kinetic models were well-fitted with the kinetic results for MET and TET respectively. Diffusion models recommend that pore, liquid-film, and intraparticle diffusion govern the rate of the adsorption process. The developed semi-natural sorbent demonstrated exceptional adsorption capacity over eleven cycles due to its porous bead structure, making it a potential candidate for wastewater remediation.