A New SPQC Biosensor for the Detection of a New Target of Escherichia/Shigella Genera Based on a Novel Method of Synthesizing Long-Range DNA.

The rapid and sensitive detection of Escherichia/Shigella genera is crucial for human disease and health. This study introduces a novel series of piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) sensors for detecting Escherichia/Shigella genera. In this innovative biosensor, we propose a new target and novel method for synthesizing long-range DNA. The method relies on the amplification of two DNA probes, referred to as H and P amplification (HPA), resulting in the products of long-range DNA named Sn. The new target was screened from the 16S rRNA gene and utilized as a biomarker. The SPQC sensor operates as follows: the Capture probe is modified on the electrodes. In the presence of a Displace probe and target, the Capture can form a complex with the Displace probe. The resulting complex hybridizes with Sn, bridging the gap between the electrodes. Finally, silver wires are deposited between the electrodes using Sn as a template. This process results in a sensitive response from the SPQC. The detection limit of the SPQC sensor is 1 CFU/mL, and the detection time is within 2 h. This sensor would be of great benefit for food safety monitoring and clinical diagnosis.

USP47 deficiency in mice modulates tumor infiltrating immune cells and enhances antitumor immune responses in prostate cancer.

This study investigates the role of USP47, a deubiquitinating enzyme, in the tumor microenvironment and its impact on antitumor immune responses. Analysis of TCGA database revealed distinct expression patterns of USP47 in various tumor tissues and normal tissues. Prostate adenocarcinoma showed significant downregulation of USP47 compared to normal tissue. Correlation analysis demonstrated a positive association between USP47 expression levels and infiltrating CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, and macrophages, while showing a negative correlation with NKT cells. Furthermore, using Usp47 knockout mice, we observed a slower tumor growth rate and reduced tumor burden. The absence of USP47 led to increased infiltration of immune cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, NK cells, NKT cells, and T cells. Additionally, USP47 deficiency resulted in enhanced activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and altered T cell subsets within the tumor microenvironment. These findings suggest that USP47 plays a critical role in modulating the tumor microenvironment and promoting antitumor immune responses, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target in prostate cancer.

Assessment and comparison of viability assays for cellular products.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Accurate assessment of cell viability is crucial in cellular product manufacturing, yet selecting the appropriate viability assay presents challenges due to various factors. This study compares and evaluates different viability assays on fresh and cryopreserved cellular products, including peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) apheresis products, purified PBMCs and cultured chimeric antigen receptor and T-cell receptor-engineered T-cell products. METHODS: Viability assays, including manual Trypan Blue exclusion, flow cytometry-based assays using 7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD) or propidium iodide (PI) direct staining or cell surface marker staining in conjunction with 7-AAD, Cellometer (Nexcelom Bioscience LLC, Lawrence, MA, USA) Acridine Orange/PI staining and Vi-CELL BLU Cell Viability Analyzer (Beckman Coulter, Inc, Brea, CA, USA), were evaluated. A viability standard was established using live and dead cell mixtures to assess the accuracy of these assays. Furthermore, precision assessment was conducted to determine the reproducibility of the viability assays. Additionally, the viability of individual cell populations from cryopreserved PBSC and PBMC apheresis products was examined. RESULTS: All methods provided accurate viability measurements and generated consistent and reproducible viability data. The assessed viability assays were demonstrated to be reliable alternatives when evaluating the viability of fresh cellular products. However, cryopreserved products exhibited variability among the tested assays. Additionally, analyzing the viability of each subset of the cryopreserved PBSC and PBMC apheresis products revealed that T cells and granulocytes were more susceptible to the freeze-thaw process, showing decreased viability. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates the importance of careful assay selection, validation and standardization, particularly for assessing the viability of cryopreserved products. Given the complexity of cellular products, choosing a fit-for-purpose viability assay is essential.

Reference gene selection for clinical chimeric antigen receptor T-cell product vector copy number assays.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Reference genes are an essential part of clinical assays such as droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), which measure the number of copies of vector integrated into genetically engineered cells and the loss of plasmids in reprogrammed cells used in clinical cell therapies. Care should be taken to select reference genes, because it has been discovered that there may be thousands of variations in copy number from genomic segments among different individuals. In addition, within the same person in the context of cancer and other proliferative disorders, substantial parts of the genome also can differ in copy number between cells from diseased and healthy people. The purpose of this study was to identify reference genes that could be used for copy number variation analysis of transduced chimeric antigen receptor T cells and for plasmid loss analysis in induced pluripotent stem cells using ddPCR. METHODS: We used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to evaluate candidate reference genes. If TCGA found a candidate gene to have low copy number variance in cancer, ddPCR was used to measure the copy numbers of the potential reference gene in cells from healthy subjects, cancer cell lines and patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and human papillomavirus-associated cancers. RESULTS: In addition to the rPP30 gene, which we have has been using in our copy number assays, three other candidate reference genes were evaluated using TCGA, and this analysis found that none of the four gene regions (AGO1, AP3B1, MKL2 and rPP30) were amplified or deleted in all of the cancer cell types that are currently being treated with cellular therapies by our facility. The number of copies of the genes AP3B1, AGO1, rPP30 and MKL2 measured by ddPCR was similar among cells from healthy subjects. We found that AGO1 had copy number alteration in some of the clinical samples, and the number of copies of the genes AP3B1, MKL2 and rPP30 measured by ddPCR was similar among cells from patients with the cancer cell types that are currently being treated with genetically engineered T-cell therapies by our facility. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our current results, the three genes, AP3B1, MKL2 and rPP30, are suitable for use as reference genes for assays measuring vector copy number in chimeric antigen receptor T cells produced from patients with acute leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and human papillomavirus-associated cancers. We will continue to evaluate AGO1 on our future samples.

Identification of genomic determinants contributing to cytokine release in immunotherapies and human diseases.

BACKGROUND: Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a strong immune system response that can occur as a result of the reaction of a cellular immunotherapy with malignant cells. While the frequency and management of CRS in CAR T-cell therapy has been well documented, there is emerging interest in pre-emptive treatment to reduce CRS severity and improve overall outcomes. Accordingly, identification of genomic determinants that contribute to cytokine release may lead to the development of targeted therapies to prevent or abrogate the severity of CRS. METHODS: Forty three clinical CD22 CAR T-cell products were collected for RNA extraction. 100 ng of mRNA was used for Nanostring assay analysis which is based on the nCounter platform. Several public datasets were used for validation purposes. RESULTS: We found the expression of the PFKFB4 gene and glycolytic pathway activity were upregulated in CD22 CAR T-cells given to patients who developed CRS compared to those who did not experience CRS. Moreover, these results were further validated in cohorts with COVID-19, influenza infections and autoimmune diseases, and in tumor tissues. The findings were similar, except that glycolytic pathway activity was not increased in patients with influenza infections and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). CONCLUSION: Our data strongly suggests that PFKFB4 acts as a driving factor in mediating cytokine release in vivo by regulating glycolytic activity. Our results suggest that it would beneficial to develop drugs targeting PFKFB4 and the glycolytic pathway for the treatment of CRS.

Genome-wide profiling of retroviral DNA integration and its effect on clinical pre-infusion CAR T-cell products.

BACKGROUND: Clinical CAR T-cell therapy using integrating vector systems represents a promising approach for the treatment of hematological malignancies. Lentiviral and γ-retroviral vectors are the most commonly used vectors in the manufacturing process. However, the integration pattern of these viral vectors and subsequent effect on CAR T-cell products is still unclear. METHODS: We used a modified viral integration sites analysis (VISA) pipeline to evaluate viral integration events around the whole genome in pre-infusion CAR T-cell products. We compared the differences of integration pattern between lentiviral and γ-retroviral products. We also explored whether the integration sites correlated with clinical outcomes. RESULTS: We found that γ-retroviral vectors were more likely to insert than lentiviral vectors into promoter, untranslated, and exon regions, while lentiviral vector integration sites were more likely to occur in intron and intergenic regions. Some integration events affected gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Moreover, γ-retroviral vectors showed a stronger impact on the host transcriptome. Analysis of individuals with different clinical outcomes revealed genes with differential enrichment of integration events. These genes may affect biological functions by interrupting amino acid sequences and generating abnormal proteins, instead of by affecting mRNA expression. These results suggest that vector integration is associated with CAR T-cell efficacy and clinical responses. CONCLUSION: We found differences in integration patterns, insertion hotspots and effects on gene expression vary between lentiviral and γ-retroviral vectors used in CAR T-cell products and established a foundation upon which we can conduct further analyses.

Association of Helicobacter pylori infection with survival outcomes in advanced gastric cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence has revealed that the gut microbiota influences the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer patients. As a part of the human microbiome, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) was reported to be associated with reduced effectiveness of anti-PD1 immunotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gastric cancer is more closely related to H. pylori, so we conducted a retrospective analysis to verify whether the association of H. pylori and effectiveness is applicable to advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: AGC patients who had evidence of H. pylori and received anti-PD-1 antibodies were enrolled in the study. The differences in the disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between the H. pylori-positive group and the negative group were compared. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients were included in this study; 34 patients were H. pylori positive, and the prevalence of H. pylori infection was 44.2%. Compared with the H. pylori-negative group, patients in the H. pylori-positive group had a higher risk of nonclinical response to anti-PD-1 antibody, with an OR of 2.91 (95% CI: 1.13-7.50). Patients in the H. pylori-negative group had a longer OS and PFS than those in the positive group, with an estimated median OS of 17.5 months vs. 6.2 months (HR = 2.85, 95% CI: 1.70-4.78; P = 0.021) and a median PFS of 8.4 months vs. 2.7 months (HR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.96-5.07, P = 0.008). Multivariate analysis indicated that H. pylori infection was independently associated with PFS (HR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.10-3.30; P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Our study unveils for the first time that H. pylori infection is associated with the outcome of immunotherapy for AGC patients. Multicenter, large sample and prospective clinical studies are needed to verify the association.

Application of droplet digital PCR for the detection of vector copy number in clinical CAR/TCR T cell products.

BACKGROUND: Genetically engineered T cells have become an important therapy for B-cell malignancies. Measuring the efficiency of vector integration into the T cell genome is important for assessing the potency and safety of these cancer immunotherapies. METHODS: A digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay was developed and evaluated for assessing the average number of lenti- and retroviral vectors integrated into Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) and T Cell Receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells. RESULTS: The ddPCR assay consistently measured the concentration of an empty vector in solution and the average number of CAR and TCR vectors integrated into T cell populations. There was a linear relationship between the average vector copy number per cell measured by ddPCR and the proportion of cells transduced as measured by flow cytometry. Similar vector copy number measurements were obtained by different staff using the ddPCR assay, highlighting the assays reproducibility among technicians. Analysis of fresh and cryopreserved CAR T and TCR engineered T cells yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS: ddPCR is a robust tool for accurate quantitation of average vector copy number in CAR and TCR engineered T cells. The assay is also applicable to other types of genetically engineered cells including Natural Killer cells and hematopoietic stem cells.

Costunolide induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in human gastric adenocarcinoma BGC-823 cells.

BACKGROUND: Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone extracted from Radix Aucklandiae, has the activity against multiple cancers. However, the effect of costunolide on gastric cancer (GC) have remained to be ambiguous. In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms of apoptosis induced by costunolide in human gastric adenocarcinoma BGC-823 cells in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The viability of BGC-823 cells was detected by MTT assay. The apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) of BGC-823 cells induced by costunolide were analyzed by flow cytometry. The inhibiton of costunolide on human gastric adenocarcinoma was estimated in xenografts in nude mice. Apoptosis related proteins and genes were detected by Western blot and Q-PCR. RESULTS: Costunolide inhibited the viability of BGC-823 cells in a time and concentration dependent manner. Costunolide induced the apoptosis and lowered the ΔΨm of BGC-823 cells significantly. Costunolide increased the expression of Bax, cleaved caspase 9, cleaved caspase 7, cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) proteins and decreased the expression of Bcl-2, pro-caspase 9, pro-caspase 7, pro-caspase 3 and PARP proteins. Costunolide upregulated the expression of puma, Bak1 and Bax mRNA and downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA. In addition, we demonstrated that costunolide inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of BGC-823 cells xenografted in athymic nude mice. Costunolide increased the expression of cleaved caspase 9, cleaved caspase 3 and Bax proteins and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 protein in xenografted tumor. Costunolide upregulated the expression of puma and Bax mRNA and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA in xenografted tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our results suggested that costunolide induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in human gastric adenocarcinoma BGC-823 cells and could be the candidate drug against GC in clinical practice.

[Clinical and genetic analysis of a patient with Hb Ottawa in conjunction with ß -thalassemia].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the hematological characteristics of a patient with Hb Ottawa in conjunction with ß -thalassemia. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from the proband and her parents were collected and subjected to red blood cell analysis and hemoglobin electrophoresis. Genotypes of α - and ß -globin genes were also analyzed. RESULTS: The proband and her mother were both heterozygotes for Hb Ottawa and ß -thalassemia variant IVS II-654, and presented with typical ß -thalassemia trait featuring hypochromic microcytic anemia. An abnormal hemoglobin band was detected upon electrophoresis. CONCLUSION: Co-existence of Hb Ottawa and ß -thalassemia may not aggravate the phenotype.

Green synthesis of lignin-directed palladium nanoparticles/UiO-66-NH2 paper-based composite catalyst for synergistic adsorption-catalysis removal of hexavalent chromium.

A combination of multiple methods can greatly intensify the removal efficiency of hazardous substances. Herein, the synergistic utilization of adsorption and catalysis achieved for the highly efficient removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+). A paper-based palladium nanoparticles/UiO-66-NH2 (PdNPs/UiO-66-NH2/LP) composite catalyst was prepared using lignocellulose paper-based material (LP) for the loading of UiO-66-NH2 MOFs materials, with the lignin in LP as the reducer for the in-situ synthesis of PdNPs (12.3 nm) on UiO-66-NH2 MOF materials. Lignocellulose paper-based materials with high strength (82 N·m/g) realized low-cost and environmentally friendly preparation and guaranteed the practicability of PdNPs/UiO-66-NH2/LP composite catalyst. The prepared PdNPs/UiO-66-NH2/LP achieved high-efficiency catalytic activity for hazardous Cr6+ removal through a constructed adsorption-catalytic synergistic system, in which the removal efficiency of Cr6+ in 10 min was increased by 2 times compared with a composite catalyst without MOFs loading. Finally, the PdNPs/UiO-66-NH2/LP composite catalyst demonstrated the great efficiency and practicality of water pollution treatment through synergistic adsorption enrichment and catalytic reduction.

Aqueous AlCl3/ZnCl2 solution room-induced the self-growing strategy of expanded topological network for cellulose/polyacrylamide-based solid-state electrolytes.

The green synthesis strategy for cellulose-containing hydrogel electrolytes is significant for effectively managing resources, energy, and environmental concerns in the contemporary world. Herein, we propose an all-green strategy using AlCl3/ZnCl2/H2O solvent to create cellulose/polyacrylamide-based hydrogel (AZ-Cel/PAM) with expanded hierarchical topologies. The aqueous AlCl3/ZnCl2 facilitates the efficient dissolution of cellulose at room temperature, and the dispersed Al3+-Zn2+ ions autocatalytic system catalyzes in-situ polymerization of acrylamide (AM) monomer. This expands the AM network within the cellulose framework, forming multiple bonding interactions and stable ion channels. The resulting hybrid hydrogel exhibits improved mechanical properties (tensile strength of 56.54 kPa and compressive strength of 359.43 kPa) and enhanced ionic conductivity (1.99 S/m). Furthermore, it also demonstrates excellent adhesion, freeze resistance (-45 °C), and water retention capabilities. Quantum simulations further clarify the mechanical composition and ion transport mechanism of AZ-Cel/PAM hydrogels. The assembled supercapacitor with the hydrogel electrolyte, demonstrates an ideal area-specific capacitance of 203.80 mF/cm2. This all-green strategy presents a novel approach to developing sustainable energy storage devices.

Comparison of jejunal aspirate culture and methane and hydrogen breath test in the diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

BACKGROUND: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is still difficult to diagnose. Quantitative culture of small intestine aspirate is recommended to be the gold standard. The methane and hydrogen breath tests are easily repeatable, sufficiently sensitive and highly specific for SIBO diagnosis. Our goal is to contrast the diagnostic value of the breath tests with jejunal aspiration cultures. METHODS: 40 adult outpatients (age < 60) were enrolled in our study. Randomly, within 2 days, both the methane and the hydrogen breath test and jejunal aspiration culture were performed on each patient and the results of both tests were evaluated and contrasted. RESULTS: The jejunal culture was positive (105CFU / mL) in 14/40(35%) subjects, the lactulose breath test (LBT) was positive in 18/40 (45%) subjects, and the glucose breath test (GBT) was positive in 12/40 (30%). The GBT showed good agreement (κ = 0.659) and LBT showed poor agreement (κ = 0.588) with the jejunal aspirate culture. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of LBT/GBT were 85.7/71.4%,76.9/92.3%, 66.6/83.3% and 90.9/85.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 35% of patients with suspected SIBO are identified using jejunal aspirate cultures. For the identification of SIBO, GBT is more specific than LBT, but has a lower sensitivity. In individuals with suspected SIBO, the breath test should be initially due to its good agreement with the jejunal aspirate culture.

Novel insights on room temperature-induced cellulose dissolution mechanism via ZnCl2 aqueous solution: Migration, penetration, interaction, and dispersion.

The unique molecular structure of cellulose makes it challenging to dissolve at room temperature (R.T.), and the dissolution mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we employed ZnCl2 aqueous solution for cellulose dissolution at R.T., proposing a novel four-stage dissolution mechanism. The efficient dissolution of cellulose in ZnCl2 aqueous solution at R.T. involves four indispensable stages: rapid migration of hydrated Zn2+ ions towards cellulose, sufficient penetration between cellulose sheets, strong interaction with cellulose hydroxyl groups, and effective dispersion of separated cellulose chains. The proposed four-stage dissolution mechanism was validated through theoretical calculations and experimental evidence. The hydrated Zn2+ ions in ZnCl2 + 3.5H2O solvent exhibited ideal migration, penetration, interaction, and dispersion abilities, resulting in efficient cellulose dissolution at R.T. Moreover, only slight degradation of cellulose occurred in ZnCl2 + 3.5H2O at R.T. Consequently, the regenerated cellulose materials obtained from ZnCl2 + 3.5H2O (R.T.) exhibited better mechanical properties. Notably, the solvent recovery rate reached about 95 % based on previous usage during five cycles. The solvent is outstanding for its green, low-cost, efficiency, simplicity, R.T. conditions and recyclability. This work contributes to a better understanding of the cellulose dissolution mechanisms within inorganic salt solvents at R.T., thereby guiding future development efforts towards greener and more efficient cellulosic solvents.

Dissolving-co-catalytic strategy for the preparation of flexible and wet-stable cellulose membrane towards biodegradable packaging.

In the realization of the goal of circular economy, cellulose as one of sustainable biomass resources, have attracted much attention because of their abundant sources, biodegradability and renewability. However, the mechanical and waterproof performance of cellulose-based materials are usually not satisfying, which limits their high-value utilization. In this study, cellulose membrane with high-performance from the aspects of mechanical properties, water-resistance ability, oxygen barrier capacity and biodegradability, was prepared from bleached hardwood pulp (HBKP) in a AlCl3/ZnCl2/H2O solution. The AlCl3/ZnCl2/H2O acted as both solvent and catalyst to dissolve cellulose and facilitate the chemical crosslinking of epichlorohydrin (EPI) with cellulose, thus improved the overall performance of the obtained cellulose membrane. The addition sequence, amount and crosslinking time of EPI during chemical crosslinking had important effects on the properties of the membranes. When 7 wt% EPI was crosslinked for 24 h, the tensile stress reached 133 MPa and the strain reached 17 %. Moreover, the membrane had excellent oxygen insulation down to (1.1 ± 0.31) × 10-4 cm3/m2·d·Pa, and good water-resistance ability, no obvious swelling behavior after 450 days of immersion in distilled water. Furthermore, the membrane could be degraded by microorganisms in about 20 days. This cellulose-based membrane offers a sustainable and biodegradable packaging material.

Promoter-associated RNAs and promoter-targeted RNAs.

The world of RNAs is much more complex than previously thought, and has rapidly emerged as one of the most actively researched topics in the life sciences. Recently, two findings in this field were reported and given special attention: promoter-associated RNAs (paRNAs), a novel class of RNAs with numerous potential functions; and promoter-targeted RNA-induced transcriptional gene regulation, a new regulatory mechanism to control transcription. In this review, we summarize the studies in these two areas, and outline the current understanding with respect to the potential biological functions of paRNAs, and the molecular mechanisms of promoter-targeted RNA-induced transcriptional gene silencing and activation. Additionally, we seek to integrate these two areas, as paRNAs may have potential biological links with promoter-targeted RNA-induced transcriptional gene regulation. Finally, we will discuss the significance of identifying paRNAs and the possible use of promoter-targeted RNAs in gene regulation and therapy.

Mechanistic investigation of cellulose regulating the morphology and photocatalytic activity of Al-doped ZnO.

The morphology of metal oxide is a crucial factor for improving of catalysis properties. As a renewable and environmentally friendly biomass material, cellulose has been widely used to induce the morphology of semiconductors. The contributions of cellulose hydroxyl groups and spatial hindrance in tailoring Al doped ZnO (AZO) morphologies were investigated. The morphology of AZO could be gradually induced from flake-like to flower-like with the increase of cellulose hydroxyl content per unit volume. At the same time, the changes in spatial hindrance had no apparent effect on the morphology of AZO. So the cellulose hydroxyl groups that act to induce the in situ growth of AZO nanoparticles on cellulose substrates. The results further confirmed the strong interaction between cellulose hydroxyl groups and Zn2+. In addition, the photocatalytic activities of Al-doped ZnO/cellulose nanocomposites (AZOC) with different morphologies were evaluated by the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). The high hydroxyl contents of cellulose substrates contributed to the growth of flower-like AZO with high light utilization and photocatalytic activity. This work proposed cleaner strategies to modify semiconductor morphologies for photocatalysis by regulating the content of cellulose hydroxyl contents.

Dissolution of lignocellulose with high lignin content in AlCl3/ZnCl2 aqueous system and properties of the regenerated cellulose film.

Herein, a novel method for dissolving lignocellulose at room temperature is proposed by combining deep eutectic solvents (DES) pretreatment and subsequent dissolution in AlCl3/ZnCl2 aqueous system. Results showed that DES pretreatment could significantly increase the dissolubility of lignin-containing cellulose (CL) samples in AlCl3/ZnCl2 aqueous system. The dissolution ratio of the CL sample with 15.6 % lignin content in AlCl3/ZnCl2·3H2O solvent was as high as 90 %. Besides, the mechanism for the remarkable dissolution of CL samples in low water AlCl3/ZnCl2 aqueous solvent was also proposed. Moreover, the dissolved CL sample was regenerated for the production of lignocellulose films, which have excellent ultraviolet (UV) blocking, hydrophobic, mechanical strength, and natural degradation properties. In particular, the films could be completely naturally degraded after 10 days, which provided a promising way to prepare biodegradable lignocellulose materials, and to encourage the potential utilization of renewable lignocellulose in packaging industry.

The interface design and properties enhancement of ZnO/cellulose composites: Branching fiber network to guide the assembly of ZnO flower.

Using renewable biomass resources to regulate the growth and properties of catalysts is sustainable nanotechnology for achieving efficient photocatalysis and recycling. This work suggested a way to produce paper-based photocatalysts and resize the embedded zinc oxide (ZnO) flowers. The combination of experimental analysis and theoretical simulations demonstrated that small pores of the branching fiber network enhanced the interfacial interaction between ZnO flowers and cellulose fibers, thereby improving mechanical properties and optimizing flower structure. The interaction energy and electron density difference (EDD) simulation results demonstrated that the ZnO/cellulose interface structure shares significant attraction and charge transfer. Cellulose fibers ground for 20 cycles (CFG20) possessed dense branching fiber network and loaded with the smallest ZnO flowers, achieving a balance of strong mechanical properties and reaction efficiency. Remarkably, ZnO/CFG20 paper-based catalyst indicated strong photodegradation efficiency (100% for methyl orange, 100% for phenol, and 85.23% for aniline) and excellent reusability. This work will pave the way for the green regulation of catalysts.

Compressible, anti-freezing, and ionic conductive cellulose/polyacrylic acid composite hydrogel prepared via AlCl3/ZnCl2 aqueous system as solvent and catalyst.

From the perspective of environmental sustainability, introducing cellulose into ionic conductive hydrogel is an inevitable trend for the development of flexible conductive materials. We report a double-network cellulose/polyacrylic acid (Cel/PAA) composite hydrogel based on the dissolving of cellulose by AlCl3/ZnCl2 aqueous system. The Cel/PAA composite hydrogel consists of rigid cellulose chains and flexible polyacrylic acid, which synergistically realize the improvement of the mechanical properties. The AlCl3/ZnCl2 aqueous system not only serves as the green solvent for cellulose, but also the Al3+ and Zn2+ metal ions can be served as a catalyst to activate the initiator for polymerization of acrylic acid. Compared with pure cellulose hydrogel, the compression strain of the Cel/PAA composite hydrogel was significantly improved to 80 %, and its conductivity increased by 28.1 %. In addition, its compression stress was enhanced over 2 times than pure PAA hydrogel. The Cel/PAA composite hydrogel exhibits excellent anti-freezing (-45 °C), weight retention (90 %), and conductivity (2.70 S/m) properties, still maintaining transparency and storage stability in the extreme environment. This work presents a facile strategy to develop an ionic conductive cellulose-based composite hydrogel with good conductivity and mechanical properties, which shows potential for the application fields of flexible sensors and 3D-printing functional materials.