Enantiomer-dependent immunological response to chiral nanoparticles.

Chirality is a unifying structural metric of biological and abiological forms of matter. Over the past decade, considerable clarity has been achieved in understanding the chemistry and physics of chiral inorganic nanoparticles1-4; however, little is known about their effects on complex biochemical networks5,6. Intermolecular interactions of biological molecules and inorganic nanoparticles show some commonalities7-9, but these structures differ in scale, in geometry and in the dynamics of chiral shapes, which can both impede and strengthen their mirror-asymmetric complexes. Here we show that achiral and left- and right-handed gold biomimetic nanoparticles show different in vitro and in vivo immune responses. We use irradiation with circularly polarized light (CPL) to synthesize nanoparticles with controllable nanometre-scale chirality and optical anisotropy factors (g-factors) of up to 0.4. We find that binding of nanoparticles to two proteins from the family of adhesion G-protein-coupled receptors (AGPCRs)-namely cluster-of-differentiation 97 (CD97) and epidermal-growth-factor-like-module receptor 1 (EMR1)-results in the opening of mechanosensitive potassium-efflux channels, the production of immune signalling complexes known as inflammasomes, and the maturation of mouse bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells. Both in vivo and in vitro immune responses depend monotonically on the g-factors of the nanoparticles, indicating that nanoscale chirality can be used to regulate the maturation of immune cells. Finally, left-handed nanoparticles show substantially higher (1,258-fold) efficiency compared with their right-handed counterparts as adjuvants for vaccination against the H9N2 influenza virus, opening a path to the use of nanoscale chirality in immunology.

Tapered chiral nanoparticles as broad-spectrum thermally stable antivirals for SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The incessant mutations of viruses, variable immune responses, and likely emergence of new viral threats necessitate multiple approaches to novel antiviral therapeutics. Furthermore, the new antiviral agents should have broad-spectrum activity and be environmentally stable. Here, we show that biocompatible tapered CuS nanoparticles (NPs) efficiently agglutinate coronaviruses with binding affinity dependent on the chirality of surface ligands and particle shape. L-penicillamine-stabilized NPs with left-handed curved apexes display half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) as low as 0.66 pM (1.4 ng/mL) and 0.57 pM (1.2 ng/mL) for pseudo-type SARS-CoV-2 viruses and wild-type Wuhan-1 SARS-CoV-2 viruses, respectively, which are about 1,100 times lower than those for antibodies (0.73 nM). Benefiting from strong NPs-protein interactions, the same particles are also effective against other strains of coronaviruses, such as HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants with IC50 values below 10 pM (21.8 ng/mL). Considering rapid response to outbreaks, exposure to elevated temperatures causes no change in the antiviral activity of NPs while antibodies are completely deactivated. Testing in mice indicates that the chirality-optimized NPs can serve as thermally stable analogs of antiviral biologics complementing the current spectrum of treatments.

Tri-mode Responses to Reactive Oxygen Species In Vivo by Chiral Vanadium-Based Nanoparticles.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are closely associated with the redox balance of the physiological environment, and monitoring ROS can aid in the early diagnosis of many diseases, including cancer. In this study, chiral vanadium trioxide/vanadium nitride (V2O3/VN) nanoparticles (NPs) modified with an organic dye (cyanine 3 [Cy3]) were prepared for ROS sensing. Chiral V2O3/VN NPs were prepared with the "ligand-induced chirality" strategy and showed a g-factor of up to 0.12 at a wavelength of 512 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this g-factor is the highest value of all chiral ceramic nanomaterials. The very high g-factor of the nanoprobe confers very high sensitivity, because the higher g-factor, the higher sensitivity. In the presence of ROS, V3+ in the chiral V2O3/VN nanoprobe undergoes a redox reaction to form V2O5, reducing the circular dichroism and absorbance signals, whereas the fluorescence signal of Cy3 is restored. With this nanoprobe, the limits of detection for the circular dichroic and fluorescence signals in living cells are 0.0045 nmol/106 and 0.018 nmol/106 cells, respectively. This chiral nanoprobe can also monitor ROS levels in vivo by fluorescence. This strategy provides an innovative approach to the detection of ROS and is expected to promote the wider application of chiral nanomaterials for biosensing.

Chiral CuxCoyS-CuzS Nanoflowers with Bioinspired Enantioselective Catalytic Performances.

Nanomaterials with biomimetic catalytic abilities have attracted significant attention. However, the stereoselectivity of natural enzymes determined by their unique configurations is difficult to imitate. In this work, a kind of chiral CuxCoyS-CuzS nanoflowers (L/D-Pen-NFs) is developed, using porous CuxCoyS nanoparticles (NPs) as stamens, CuzS sheets as petals, and chiral penicillamine as surface stabilizers. Compared to the natural laccase enzyme, L/D-Pen-NFs exhibit significant advantages in catalytic efficiency, stability against harsh environments, recyclability, and convenience in construction. Most importantly, they display high enantioselectivity toward chiral neurotransmitters, which is proved by L- and D-Pen-NFs' different catalytic efficiencies toward chiral enantiomers. L-Pen-NFs are more efficient in catalyzing the oxidation of L-epinephrine and L-dopamine compared with D-Pen-NFs. However, their catalytic efficiency in oxidizing L-norepinephrine and L-DOPA is lower than that of D-Pen-NFs. The reason for the difference in catalytic efficiency is the distinct binding affinities between CuxCoyS-CuzS nano-enantiomers and chiral molecules. This work can spur the development of chiral nanostructures with biomimetic functions.

Development of an ic-ELISA and immunochromatographic assay strip for the rapid detection of chloridazon in oranges and celery.

Chloridazon (CLZ) is a selective herbicide used in the control of annual broadleaf weeds. The misuse or abuse of CLZ may result in the accumulation of CLZ in crops and water, which can pose a risk to human health. In this study, a hapten of CLZ with three carbon spacer arms was designed and a highly sensitive and specific antibody against CLZ was prepared with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.630 ng mL-1 and a linear range of 0.181-2.195 ng mL-1.Based on this antibody, we developed an immunochromatographic assay (ICA) strip for the detection of CLZ in oranges and celery. Under optimized conditions, the visual limit of detection was 2 ng mL-1 and 10 ng mL-1 in oranges and celery, respectively, and the cut-off value was 50 ng mL-1. In CLZ-spiked samples and the recovery test, the results of the ICA strip were consistent with those of indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA). Therefore, the ICA strip developed in our study represents an efficient and reliable method for the rapid screening of CLZ in oranges and celery.

Establishment and application of a gold nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic test strip for the detection of avian leukosis virus P27 antigen in egg white samples.

Avian leukemia is an infectious tumorous disease of chickens caused by subgroup A of the avian leukemia virus (ALV-A), which mainly causes long-term viremia, slow growth, immune suppression, decreased production performance, multi-tissue tumors, and even death. The infection rate of this disease is very high in chicken herds in China, causing huge economic losses to the poultry industry every year. We successfully expressed the specific antigen protein of ALV (P27) through recombinant protein technology and screened a pair of highly sensitive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) through mouse immunity, cell fusion, and antibody pairing. Based on this pair of antibodies, we established a dual antibody sandwich ELISA and gold nanoparticle immunochromatographic strip (AuNP-ICS) detection method. In addition, the parameters of the dual antibody sandwich ELISA and AuNP-ICS were optimized under different reaction conditions, which resulted in the minimum detection limits of 0.2 ng mL-1 and 1.53 ng ml-1, respectively. Commonly available ELISA and AuNP-ICS products on the market were compared, and we found that our established immune rapid chromatography had higher sensitivity. This established AuNP-ICS had no cross-reactivity with Influenza A (H1N1), Influenza A (H9N2), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), Listeria monocytogenes listeriolysin (LLO), and Staphylococcal enterotoxin SED or SEC. Finally, the established AuNP-ICS was used to analyze 35 egg samples, and the results showed 5 positive samples and 30 negative samples. The AuNP-ICS rapid detection method established by our group had good specificity, high sensitivity, and convenience, and could be applied to the clinical sample detection of ALV-A.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Development in Male Mice upon Exposure to Flubendiamide.

Flubendiamide (FLU), a widely used diamide insecticide, has been observed to potentiate adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in vitro. Whether exposure to FLU disrupts hepatic lipid homeostasis in mammals and induces visceral obesity, however, remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of FLU when administered orally to male C57BL/6J mice under normal diet (ND) and high-fat diet (HFD) conditions. FLU accumulated at higher levels in the tissues of the HFD group than those of the ND group, indicating that an HFD contributed to the accumulation of lipophilic pesticides in vivo. Notably, FLU (logP = 4.14) is highly lipophilic and easily accumulates in fat. Exposure to FLU had opposing effects on the lipid metabolism of the liver in the ND and HFD groups. Liver triacylglycerol levels in the ND group were reduced, while those in the HFD group were increased, resulting in more severe hepatic steatosis. More lipid accumulation was also observed in HepG2 cells exposed to FLU. Changes in hepatic lipid deposition in vivo occurred as the enhanced transcriptional regulation of the genes involved in lipid uptake, de novo lipogenesis, and fatty acid ß-oxidation (FAO). Moreover, an excessive increase in FAO caused oxidative stress, which in turn exacerbated the inflammation of the liver. This study revealed the disruptive effect of FLU exposure on hepatic lipid homeostasis, which may facilitate the triggering of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in HFD-fed mice.

Rapid and simultaneous detection of five mycotoxins and their analogs with a gold nanoparticle-based multiplex immuno-strip sensor.

Mycotoxins, as secondary metabolites produced by fungi, have been the focus of researchers in various countries and are considered to be one of the major risk factors in agricultural products. There is an urgent need for a rapid, simple and high-performance method to detect residues of harmful mycotoxins in agricultural foods. We have developed a gold nanoparticle-based multiplexed immunochromatographic strip biosensor that can simultaneously detect fifteen mycotoxins in cereal samples. With this optimized procedure, five representative mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), T-2 toxin (T-2), tenuazonic acid (TEA) and alternariol (AOH) were detected in the range of 0.91-4.77, 0.04-0.56, 0.11-0.68, 0.12-1.02 and 0.09-0.75 ng/mL, respectively. The accuracy and stability of these measurements were demonstrated by analysis of spiked samples with recoveries of 91.8%-115.3% and coefficients of variation <8.7%. In addition, commercially available samples of real cereals were tested using the strips and showed good agreement with the results verified by LC-MS/MS. Therefore, Our assembled ICA strips can be used for the simultaneous detection of 5 mycotoxins and their analogs (15 mycotoxins in total) in grain samples, and the results were consistent between different types of cereal foods, this multiplexed immunochromatographic strip biosensor can be used as an effective tool for the primary screening of mycotoxin residues in agricultural products.

Modulation by Co (II) Ion of Optical Activities of L/D-glutathione (GSH)-modified Chiral Copper Nanoclusters for Sensitive Adenosine Triphosphate Detection.

Chiral nanoscale enantiomers exhibit different biological effects in living systems. However, their chirality effect on the detection sensitivity for chiral biological targets still needs to be explored. Here, we discovered that Co2+ can modulate the luminescence performance of L/D-glutathione (GSH)-modified copper nanoclusters (L/D-Cu NCs) and induce strong chiroptical activities as the asymmetric factor was enhanced 223-fold with their distribution regulating from the ultraviolet to visible region. One Co2+ coordinated with two GSH molecules that modified on the surface of Cu NCs in the way of CoN2O2. On this basis, dual-modal chiral and luminescent signals of Co2+ coordinated L/D-Cu NCs (L/D-Co-Cu NCs) were used to detect the chiral adenosine triphosphate (ATP) based on the competitive interaction between surficial GSH and ATP molecules with Co2+. The limits of detection of ATP obtained with fluorescence and circular dichroism intensity were 9.15 µM and 15.75 nM for L-Co-Cu NCs, and 5.35 µM and 4.69 nM for D-Co-Cu NCs. This demonstrated that selecting suitable chiral configurations of nanoprobes effectively enhances detection sensitivity. This study presents not only a novel method to modulate and enhance the chiroptical activity of nanomaterials but also a unique perspective of chirality effects on the detection performances for bio-targets.

Enhancing Circularly Polarized Luminescence in Quantum Dots through Chiral Coordination-Mediated Growth at the Liquid/Liquid Interface.

Here, we develop a novel methodology for synthesizing chiral CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with enhanced circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) by incorporating l-/d-histidine (l-/d-His) ligands during ZnS shell growth at the water/oil interface. The resulting chiral QDs exhibit exceptional absolute photoluminescence quantum yield of up to 67.2%, surpassing the reported limits of 40.0% for chiral inorganic QDs, along with absorption dissymmetry factor (|gabs|) and luminescence dissymmetry factor (|glum|) values of 10-2, exceeding the range of 10-5-10-3 and 10-4-10-2, respectively. Detailed investigations of the synthetic pathway reveal that the interface, as a binary synthetic environment, facilitates the coordinated ligand exchange and shell growth mediated by chiral His-Zn2+ coordination complexes, leading to a maximum fluorescent brightness and chiroptical activities. The growth process, regulated by the His-Zn2+ coordination complex, not only reduces trap states on the CdSe surface, thereby enhancing the fluorescence intensity, but also significantly promotes the orbital hybridization between QDs and chiral ligands, effectively overcoming the shielding effect of the wide bandgap shell and imparting pronounced chirality. The proposed growth pathway elucidates the origin of chirality and provides insights into the regulation of the CPL intensity in chiral QDs. Furthermore, the application of CPL QDs in multilevel anticounterfeiting systems overcomes the limitations of replication in achiral fluorescence materials and enhances the system's resistance to counterfeiting, thus opening new opportunities for chiral QDs in optical anticounterfeiting and intelligent information encryption.

Transcriptomics and Metabolomics for Co-Exposure to a Cocktail of Neonicotinoids and the Synergist Piperonyl Butoxide.

Here, the transcriptomics and metabolomics on a model of exposure to a cocktail of neonicotinoids (Neo) containing seven commercial compounds and a synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO) were established. The results showed that Neo and PBO disrupted mRNA and metabolite levels in a dose-dependent manner. Neo caused tryptophan pathway-related neurotoxicity, reduced lipolysis, and promoted fat mass accumulation in the liver, while PBO induced an increase in inflammatory factors and damage to intercellular membranes. Co-exposure enhanced Neo-induced liver steatosis, focal necrosis, and oxidative stress by inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Furthermore, diglycerides and metabolic biomarkers demonstrated that the activation of insulin signaling is associated with restricted OXPHOS, which commonly leads to a high risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the result of over-synthesis of lipids, low energy supply, and high thermogenesis. The study demonstrates that chronic disease can be induced by Neo and the synergist PBO at the molecular level.

Fluorescent strip sensor for rapid and ultrasensitive determination of fluoroquinolones in fish and milk.

The synthetic antibiotics fluoroquinolones are popular due to their good antibacterial performance and low price, but the risk to human health caused by their residues has attracted great attention. In this study, an ultra-sensitive mAb, 4D7, was prepared with an IC50 of 0.027 ng mL-1 to norfloxacin (NOR) and cross-reactivity of 19.7-47.7% to lomefloxacin (LOM), pefloxacin (PEF), ofloxacin (OFL), enrofloxacin (ENR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and danofloxacin (DAN). Based on mAb 4D7 and Eu-fluorescent microspheres, a rapid and sensitive immunochromatographic strip was developed for the detection of fluoroquinolone residues in fish and milk. The detection ranges (IC20-IC80) of the strip for the detection of NOR, PEF, LOM, OFL, ENR, CIP and DAN were 0.19-1.1 µg kg-1, 0.39-2.1 µg kg-1, 0.5-2.6 µg kg-1, 0.43-3.3 µg kg-1, 0.61-3.5 µg kg-1, 0.69-5.5 µg kg-1, 0.52-3.4 µg kg-1 in fish, and 0.027-0.19 µg kg-1, 0.049-0.34 µg kg-1, 0.069-0.39 µg kg-1, 0.06-0.41 µg kg-1, 0.089-0.65 µg kg-1, 0.12-0.81 µg kg-1, 0.091-0.52 µg kg-1 in milk, respectively. The recovery rates in spiked sample tests were 88.6-113.6% with a coefficient of variation less than 8.4%. Thus the newly-developed strip was sensitive and reliable for rapid on-site detection of fluoroquinolone residues in fish and milk.

Gold-based paper for antigen detection of monkeypox virus.

In 2022, the outbreak of the monkeypox virus occurred in many non-endemic countries, and the World Health Organization (WHO) assessed that this outbreak was "atypical". The establishment of a rapid and effective assay that can be used for the early diagnosis of monkeypox virus infection is crucial for outbreak prevention and control. In this study, the monkeypox virus A29 protein and the homologous vaccinia virus A27 protein and cowpox virus 162 protein were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 for screening. We synthesized the monkeypox virus A2917-49 peptide as the immunogen and obtained 25 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the A29 protein using mouse hybridoma techniques. Then an immunochromatographic test strip method for detecting A29 was established. The strips utilizing mAb-7C5 and 5D8 showed the best sensitivity and lowest limit of detection: 50 pg mL-1 for purified A29 and specificity tests showed that the strips did not cross-react with other orthopox viruses (vaccinia virus or cowpox virus) as well as common respiratory pathogens (SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and influenza B). Therefore, this method can be used for early and rapid diagnosis of monkeypox virus infection by antigen detection.

A colloidal gold immunoassay strip assay for cadmium detection in oilfield chemicals.

Cadmium ions (Cd2+) are some of the major pollutants in oilfield chemicals. To reduce the pollution of oilfield chemicals, it is necessary to detect and control the content of Cd2+. In this study, we synthesized a highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody against Cd2+ with an IC50 of 1.97 ng mL-1 and no cross-reactivity. Based on this antibody, a colloidal gold immunoassay strip detection assay with an IC50 of 1 mg kg-1 and a detection range of 1.0-20 mg kg-1 in oilfield chemicals was developed. This assay could be completed in 20 min and can be used for Cd2+ on-site testing in oilfield chemicals and improve supervision efficiency in oil exploration and development.

Development of a gold nanoparticle-based lateral-flow strip for the detection of cannabidiol in functional beverages.

Cannabidiol (CBD), the most predominant cannabinoid, may cause addiction and liver damage. In this study, we synthesized a CBD hapten containing the carboxyl group of the spacer arm by derivatizing CBD. A highly specific and sensitive monoclonal antibody (mAb) was prepared with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 2.03 ng mL-1 and a limit of detection of 0.32 ng mL-1. MAb was highly specific for CBD. We developed an immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for the detection of CBD in functional beverages with a visible limit of detection of 100 ng mL-1 and a cut-off of 1000 ng mL-1. Compared with HPLC, ICA is more efficient and accurate and can be used for the rapid on-site detection of CBD in samples.

Hapten synthesis and a colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip assay to detect nitrofen and bifenox in fruits.

In this study, we synthesized two haptens similar in structure to nitrofen (NIT), and screened out five monoclonal antibodies with the ability to recognize NIT and bifenox (BIF) by competitive ELISA, with the lowest IC50 values of 0.87 ng mL-1 and 0.86 ng mL-1, respectively. The antibody 5G7 was selected to be combined with colloidal gold to establish a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay strip. This method was shown to qualitatively and quantitatively detect the residues of NIT and BIF in fruit samples. The visual limits of detection for qualitative detection were 5 µg kg-1 and 10 µg kg-1 for NIT and BIF, respectively. The calculated limits of detection for quantitative detection were 0.75 µg kg-1, 1.77 µg kg-1 and 2.55 µg kg-1 respectively, for nitrofen in orange, apple and grapes, and 3.54 µg kg-1, 4.96 µg kg-1 and 5.26 µg kg-1, respectively, for bifenox. Thus the strip assay could be used for rapid analysis of fruit samples.

Rapid and sensitive detection of chlordimeform in cucumber and tomato samples using an immunochromatographic assay.

Chlordimeform (CDM) is a broad-spectrum and highly effective insecticide and acaricide used to control pests in agriculture. We produced two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CDM and developed an immunochromatographic assay to screen CDM in cucumbers and tomatoes. MAb 4A3 had high sensitivity with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.287 ng mL-1. The assay had a cut-off value of 25 µg kg-1 and a visual limit of detection (vLOD) of 1 µg kg-1 in cucumbers and a cut off value of 50 µg kg-1 and a vLOD of 2.5 µg kg-1 in tomatoes. The calculated limit of detection (cLOD) in cucumbers and tomatoes was 0.115 µg kg-1 and 0.215 µg kg-1, respectively. The recovery rates were 97.9% to 106.9% for cucumbers and 97.8% to 107.4% for tomatoes, consistent with the results obtained from indirect competitive ELISA. Our findings showed that the immunochromatographic assay is an efficient and accurate method for CDM detection in cucumbers and tomatoes.

Interfacial Self-assembly of Chiral Selenide Nanomembrane for Enantiospecific Recognition.

Here, we report the synthesis of chiral selenium nanoparticles (NPs) using cysteine and the interfacial assembly strategy to generate a self-assembled nanomembrane on a large-scale with controllable morphology and handedness. The selenide (Se) NPs exhibited circular dichroism (CD) bands in the ultraviolet and visible region with a maximum intensity of 39.96 mdeg at 388 nm and optical anisotropy factors (g-factors) of up to 0.0013 while a self-assembled monolayer nanomembrane exhibited symmetrical CD approaching 72.8 mdeg at 391 nm and g-factors up to 0.0034. Analysis showed that a photocurrent of 20.97±1.55 nA was generated by the D-nanomembrane when irradiated under light while the L-nanomembrane generated a photocurrent of 20.58±1.36 nA. Owing to the asymmetric intensity of the photocurrent with respect to the handedness of the nanomembrane, an ultrasensitive recognition of enantioselective kynurenine (Kyn) was achieved by the ten-layer (10L) D-nanomembrane exhibiting a photocurrent for L-kynurenine (L-Kyn) that was 8.64-fold lower than that of D-Kyn, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0074 nM for the L-Kyn, which was attributed to stronger affinity between L-Kyn and D-Se NPs. Noticeably, the chiral Se nanomembrane precisely distinguished L-Kyn in serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples from Alzheimer's disease patients and healthy subjects.

Ultrasmall Magneto-chiral Cobalt Hydroxide Nanoparticles Enable Dynamic Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species in Vivo.

Biological application of chiral nanoparticles (NPs) has aroused enormous levels of attention over recent years. Here, we synthesized magneto-chiral cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)2) NPs that exhibited strong chiroptical and unique magnetic properties and applied these NPs to detect and monitor reactive oxygen species (ROS) in living cells and in vivo. Circular dichroism (CD) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals of the magneto-chiral Co(OH)2 NPs exhibited a wide intracellular ROS detection range from 0.673 to 612.971 pmol/106 cells with corresponding limits of detection (LOD) at 0.087 and 0.179 pmol/106 cells, far below that of currently available probes; the LOD for d-aspartic acid coated Co(OH)2 NPs (d-Co(OH)2 NPs) was 5.7 times lower than that for l-aspartic acid coated Co(OH)2 NPs (l-Co(OH)2 NPs) based on the CD signals. In addition, d-Co(OH)2 NPs also exhibited dynamic ROS monitoring ability. The high levels of selectivity and sensitivity to ROS in complex biological environments can be attributed to the Co2+ oxidation reaction on the surface of the NPs. Furthermore, magneto-chiral Co(OH)2 NPs were able to quantify the levels of ROS in living mice by fluorescence and MRI signals. Collectively, these results reveal that magneto-chiral Co(OH)2 NPs exhibit a remarkable ability to quantify ROS levels in living organisms, and could therefore provide new tools for exploring chiral nanomaterials as a potential biosensor to investigate biological events.

Highly Chiral Selective Resolution in Pillar[6]arenes Functionalized Microchannel Membranes.

High flux microchannel membranes have the potential for large scale separations. However, it is prevented by poor enantioselectivity. Therefore, the development of a high-enantioselective microchannel membrane is of great importance for large scale chiral separations. In this work, chiral gold nanoparticles are incorporated into the microchannel membrane to astringe the large pores and improve the enantioselectivity. Here, the gold nanoparticles are functionalized by l-phenylalanine-derived pil-lararenes (l-Phe-P6@AuNPs) as the chiral receptor of R-phenylglycinol (R-PGC) over its enantiomer. This chiral Au NPs coated microchannel membrane (l-Phe-P6@AuNPs microchannel) shows a selectivity of 5.40 for R-PGC and a flux of 140.35 nmol·cm-2·h-1, where the enantioselectivity is improved, ensuring its flux. Compared with the enantioselectivity and flux of nanochannel membranes reported in literatures, the l-Phe-P6@AuNPs microchannel has the advantage for enantioselectivity and flux for chiral separation.