Unveiling the airborne microbial menace: Novel insights into pathogenic bacteria and fungi in bioaerosols from nursery schools to universities.

Bacterial and fungal aerosol pollution is widespread in indoor school environments, and poses potential health risks to students and staff. Understanding the distribution and diversity of microbial communities within aerosols is crucial to mitigate their adverse effects. Existing knowledge regarding the composition of bacterial and fungal aerosols, particularly the presence of potential pathogenic microorganisms in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from nursery schools to universities, is limited. To bridge this knowledge gap, in the present study, we collected PM2.5 samples from five types of schools (i.e., nursery schools, primary schools, junior schools, and high schools and universities) in China. We used advanced single-molecule real-time sequencing to analyze the species-level diversity of bacterial and fungal components in PM2.5 samples based on 16S and ITS ribosomal genes, respectively. We found significant differences in microbial diversity and community composition among the samples obtained from different educational institutions and pollution levels. In particularly, junior schools exhibited higher PM2.5 concentrations (62.2-86.6 µg/m3) than other schools (14.4-48.4 µg/m3). Moreover, microbial variations in PM2.5 samples were associated with institution type. Notably, the prevailing pathogenic microorganisms included Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Schizophyllum commune, all of which were identified as Class II Pathogenic Microorganisms in school settings. Four potentially novel strains of S. commune were identified in PM2.5 samples collected from the university; the four strains showed 92.4 %-94.1 % ITS sequence similarity to known Schizophyllum isolates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore bacterial and fungal diversity within PM2.5 samples from nursery schools to universities. Overall, these findings contribute to the existing knowledge of school environmental microbiology to ensure the health and safety of students and staff and impacting public health.

Suture repair versus mesh repair in elderly populations with incarcerated or strangulated groin hernia.

Tension-free hernia repair is the gold standard for groin hernia repair. However, the optimal surgical treatment for incarcerated or strangulated groin hernia in elderly populations is controversial. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy of mesh repair and suture repair in the treatment of incarcerated or strangulated groin hernia in elderly patients. Patients ≥ 65 years who underwent urgent surgical repair for incarcerated or strangulated groin hernia from January 2012 to June 2022 were included. Patients' demographic data and postoperative outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with limited life expectancy were screened from the elderly population for subgroup analysis. A total of 103 patients (median age: 84 years old, range 65-96; mean follow-up time: 36.8 ± 24.8 months) were included, involving 42 cases in the suture repair group and 61 cases in the mesh repair group. Suture repair and mesh repair had similar lengths of ICU and hospital stay, and rates of small bowel resection, chronic pain, surgical site infection, and surgical-related death. However, suture repair had a significantly higher recurrence rate than mesh repair (7% vs. 2%, P = 0.04). In our subgroup analysis, for patients with limited life expectancy (41 patients; median age: 88 years old, range: 80-96), suture repair had no statistical difference in postoperative outcomes compared with mesh repair. Mesh repair is suitable for elderly patients with acutely incarcerated or strangulated groin hernias. However, for elderly patients with limited life expectancy, suture repair and mesh repair showed similar clinical outcomes.

Abnormal thermally-stimulated dynamic organic phosphorescence.

Dynamic luminescence behavior by external stimuli, such as light, thermal field, electricity, mechanical force, etc., endows the materials with great promise in optoelectronic applications. Upon thermal stimulus, the emission is inevitably quenched due to intensive non-radiative transition, especially for phosphorescence at high temperature. Herein, we report an abnormal thermally-stimulated phosphorescence behavior in a series of organic phosphors. As temperature changes from 198 to 343 K, the phosphorescence at around 479 nm gradually enhances for the model phosphor, of which the phosphorescent colors are tuned from yellow to cyan-blue. Furthermore, we demonstrate the potential applications of such dynamic emission for smart dyes and colorful afterglow displays. Our results would initiate the exploration of dynamic high-temperature phosphorescence for applications in smart optoelectronics. This finding not only contributes to an in-depth understanding of the thermally-stimulated phosphorescence, but also paves the way toward the development of smart materials for applications in optoelectronics.

Pathogenic bacteria and fungi in bioaerosols from specialized hospitals in Shandong province, East China.

Bacteria and fungi are abundant and ubiquitous in bioaerosols in hospital environments. Understanding the distribution and diversity of microbial communities within bioaerosols is critical for mitigating their detrimental effects. Our knowledge on the composition of bacteria or fungi in bioaerosols is limited, especially the potential pathogens present in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from specialized hospitals. Thirty p.m.2.5 filter samples were collected from five hospitals (i.e., oral, dermatology, chest, eye, and general hospitals) in Shandong Province, East China. The diversity of bacteria and fungi was analyzed at the species level using single-molecule real-time sequencing of the 16 S and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS) ribosomal genes, respectively. Significant differences were detected across sampling sites in terms of microbial diversity and community composition in PM2.5 as well as pollution concentrations. The range of PM2.5 concentrations observed in hospital halls was higher, ranging from 39.0 to 46.2 µg/m3, compared to the wards where the concentrations ranged from 10.7 to 25.2 µg/m3. Furthermore, microbial variations in PM2.5 bioaerosols were associated with hospital type. The most dominant pathogens identified were Vibrio metschnikovii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Fusarium pseudensiforme, and Aspergillus ruber. Among these, A. ruber was identified as an opportunistic fungus in a hospital setting for the first time. Nine potentially novel strains of F. pseudensiforme, showing 84.5%-92.0% ITS sequence similarity to known Fusarium isolates, were identified in PM2.5 samples from all hospitals (excluding an eye hospital). This study highlights the importance of hospital environments in shaping microbial aerosol communities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide insights into the bacterial and fungal biodiversity of PM2.5 in specialized hospitals, enriching research in healthcare environmental microbiology and carrying significant public health implications.

Time-delay control scheme with adaptive fixed-time convergent super-twisting fractional-order nonsingular terminal sliding mode for piezoelectric displacement amplifier.

Piezoelectric displacement amplifiers (PDAs) have been widely used in precision positioning fields. However, the inherent hysteresis and creep nonlinear effect of piezoelectric actuators (PEAs) and time-varying lumped disturbances bring extreme challenges to the precise motion control of PDAs. Although various control schemes based on PEAs have been developed and have shown significant results. However, due to the high sensitivity of precision positioning to environmental variations, the development and identification of accurate models and the control timeliness often become obstacles in engineering. To realize precise motion control of PDAs under complex lumped disturbances, a new time-delay control scheme (AFSTA-FONTSM) using an adaptive fixed-time convergent super-twisting algorithm (AFSTA) and a fractional-order nonsingular terminal sliding mode (FONTSM) is proposed. Specifically, the time-delay information obtained by time-delay estimation technology is used to estimate the lumped dynamic characteristic of the system, thus establishing a simple control framework without a system dynamic model. FONSTM is constructed as a sliding mode manifold, and satisfactory error dynamic characteristic is obtained. A new AFSTA is designed as the reaching law in the sliding mode phase. AFSTA has fixed-time convergence when the upper bound of lumped disturbances exists, which ensures the control timeliness. Benefiting from the newly designed adaptive algorithm, the upper bound value of lumped disturbances is no longer needed to determine the control gains, which effectively prevents overestimation of the control gains. Correspondingly, the convergence time of AFSTA is estimated, and the stability of the closed-loop system is analyzed by the Lyapunov theory. Three existing time-delay control schemes, namely MSTA-FONTSM, AMSTA-FONTSM, and ASTA-FONTSM are selected, and four scenes are designed for comparative experiments. The experimental results show that MSTA-FONTSM has the worst control performance among the four control schemes. For the step, and continuous cosine trajectories with periods of T = 1 s and T = 2 s, the root-mean-square error of the proposed AFSTA-FONTSM is reduced by 56.86%, 54.03%, and 50.24% compared with MSTA-FONTSM. For disturbance experiments under different loads, the control performance of the proposed AFSTA-FONTSM is still superior to the other three control schemes without load.

Routine gastric suspension technique in single-port sleeve gastrectomy procedure.

BACKGROUND: Due to limited technical demand, single-port sleeve gastrectomy (SPSG) is a feasible laparoscopic technique for sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Nonetheless, difficulties exist when performing the single-port technique, and in this study, we aim to describe a slight maneuver that can improve the SPSG procedure. METHODS: Patients who underwent laparoscopic SG between January 2022 and May 2023 at our hospital were included. The patients were classified into two groups: (1) SPSG and (2) multiple-port SG (MPSG). The parameters for this analysis were the patients' age, gender, weight, body mass index (BMI), conversion rate, drainage placement, 30-day readmission rate, and postoperative complications. Postoperative one-month and three-month percentages of total weight loss (%TWL) were calculated and compared. RESULTS: 171 patients were included in this study: (1) the SPSG group (n = 96) and (2) the MPSG group (n = 75). No statistically significant difference was observed within the preoperative (age, gender, height, weight, and BMI) and the perioperative parameters between SPSG and MPSG (operation time, drainage placement, 30-day readmission) (p > 0.05). Per Clavien-Dindo's grading, two patients in the SPSG group suffered grade 1 complications; for the MPSG group, one patient sustained grade 2 and another suffered grade 3b complication. No statistical significance was observed on the %TWL between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study found that performing SPSG in specific patient is feasible and non-inferior when compared to the MPSG. Further studies will be needed to elucidate better the efficacy and safety of performing SPSG.

Optimized crystal orientation for enhanced reaction kinetics and reversibility of SnSe/NC hollow nanospheres towards high-rate and long-term lithium/sodium storage.

The development of anode materials with high theoretical capacity and cycling stability is very important for the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, SnSe/NC hollow nanospheres with different crystal orientations were prepared by regulating the high-temperature selenization of the PDA@SnO2 precursor for lithium/sodium storage. In SnSe/NC hollow nanospheres, the physical buffering and chemical bonding of the nitrogen carbon matrix and SnSe nanoparticles could inhibit volume expansion and polyselenide loss, thus maintaining long-term structural stability. More importantly, electrochemical tests and DFT calculations show that the diffusion energy barrier of Li+/Na+ is significantly reduced at the SnSe (400) rather than the usual (111) facet, which is conducive to the uniformity of ion insertion into SnSe, thus effectively enhancing the reaction kinetics and reversibility of lithium/sodium storage. Therefore, SnSe/NC hollow nanospheres with rich SnSe (400) and good dispersion formed at 550 °C delivered the best reversible specific capacity and rate performance. After a long period of 900 cycles, the capacity retention of lithium/sodium ion batteries is close to 84.88% and 77.05%, respectively. Our findings provide valuable insights into the design of metal selenides for advanced LIBs/SIBs.

Pure-Phase, Large-Grained Wide-Band-Gap Perovskite Films for High-Efficiency, Four-Terminal Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells.

High-quality, stable perovskite films with a wide band gap between 1.65 and 1.80 eV are highly suitable for efficient and cost-competitive silicon-based tandem solar cells. Herein, we demonstrate that the combined strategies of the Pb(SCN)2 additive and air annealing can enable the Cs0.22FA0.78Pb(I0.85Br0.15)3 films with a wide band gap of 1.65 eV and favored properties including pure composition, high crystallinity, micro-sized grains, and reduced defects. With these desired films, the average efficiencies of semitransparent perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are boosted from (18.13 ± 0.31) to (20.35 ± 0.28)%. Further, the semitransparent PSC is used to assemble the four-terminal perovskite/TOPCon tandem solar cell. Benefiting from its excellent performance and preferred optical properties, the obtained tandem solar cell yields a milestone efficiency of 30.32%.

A Rate-Dependent Cell Microinjection Model Based on Membrane Theory.

As an effective method to deliver external materials into biological cells, microinjection has been widely applied in the biomedical field. However, the knowledge of cell mechanical property is still inadequate, which greatly limits the efficiency and success rate of injection. Thus, a new rate-dependent mechanical model based on membrane theory is proposed for the first time. In this model, an analytical equilibrium equation between the injection force and cell deformation is established by considering the speed effect of microinjection. Different from the traditional membrane-theory-based model, the elastic coefficient of the constitutive material in the proposed model is modified as a function of the injection velocity and acceleration, effectively simulating the influence of speeds on the mechanical responses and providing a more generalized and practical model. Using this model, other mechanical responses at different speeds can be also accurately predicted, including the distribution of membrane tension and stress and the deformed shape. To verify the validity of the model, numerical simulations and experiments were carried out. The results show that the proposed model can match the real mechanical responses well at different injection speeds up to 2 mm/s. The model presented in this paper will be promising in the application of automatic batch cell microinjection with high efficiency.

Halogenated Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials for Efficient Scintillation.

Organic scintillators, materials with the ability to exhibit luminescence when exposed to X-rays, have aroused increasing interest in recent years. However, the enhancement of radioluminescence and improving X-ray absorption of organic scintillators lie in the inherent dilemma, due to the waste of triplet excitons and weak X-ray absorption during scintillation. Here, we employ halogenated thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials to improve the triplet exciton utilization and X-ray absorption simultaneously, generating efficient scintillation with a low detection limit, which is one order of magnitude lower than the dosage for X-ray medical diagnostics. Through experimental study and theoretical calculation, we reveal the positive role of X-ray absorption, quantum yields of prompt fluorescence, and intersystem crossing in promoting the radioluminescence intensity. This finding offers an opportunity to design diverse types of organic scintillators and expands the applications of thermally activated delayed fluorescence.

Heterostructural Nanosheets Consisting of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Shields and Layered Perovskite Cores for Optical Image Encryption.

Optical image encryption technology, in which the emission on/off can be controlled by using specially appointed wavelengths, is useful in information storage and protection. Herein, we report a family of sandwiched heterostructural nanosheets, consisting of three-layered (n = 3) perovskite (PSK) frameworks in center with two different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [triphenylene (Tp) and pyrene (Py)] in periphery. Both heterostructural nanosheets (Tp-PSK and Py-PSK) exhibit blue emissions under UVA-I irradiation; however, different photoluminescent properties are observed under UVA-II. A bright emission of Tp-PSK is attributed to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from Tp-shield to PSK-core, whereas the observed photoquenching phenomenon in Py-PSK is due to the competitive absorption between Py-shield and PSK-core. We exploited the unique photophysical features (on/off emission) of the two nanosheets in a narrow UV window (320-340 nm) for optical image encrypting.

Fungal aerosols in rabbit breeding environment: Metagenetic insight into PM2.5 based on third-generation sequencing technology.

Fungal aerosols are a vital environmental hazard factor impeding the development of the rabbit breeding industry and threatening public health. This study aimed to determine fungal abundance, diversity, composition, diffusion, and variability in aerosols in rabbit breeding environments. Twenty PM2.5 filter samples were collected from five sampling sites (i.e. En5, In, Ex5, Ex15, and Ex45) in a modern rabbit farm in Linyi City, China. Fungal component diversity at the species level was analyzed in all samples using third-generation sequencing technology. Results revealed that fungal diversity and community composition in PM2.5 significantly differed across different sampling sites, and different pollution levels. The highest concentrations of PM2.5 and fungal aerosols (i.e., 102.5 µg/m3 and 18.8 × 103 CFU/m3, respectively) were found at Ex5, and these concentrations were found to decrease as the distance from the exit increased. However, no significant correlation was observed between the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene abundance and overall PM2.5 levels, except for Aspergillus ruber and Alternaria eichhorniae. Although most fungi are not pathogenic to humans, zoonotic pathogenic microorganisms that cause pulmonary aspergillosis (e.g., Aspergillus ruber) and invasive fusariosis (e.g., Fusarium pseudensiforme) were observed. The relative abundance of A. ruber was higher at Ex5 than that at In, Ex15, and Ex45 (p < 0.01), and the relative abundance of the fungal species decreased with an increase in distance from the rabbit houses. Moreover, four potential novel strains of Aspergillus ruber were discovered, with 82.9%-90.3% of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences similar to those of reference strains. This study highlights the importance of rabbit environments as a source in shaping fungal aerosol microbial communities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to uncover the initial characteristics of fungal biodiversity and dispersion of PM2.5 in rabbit breeding environments, contributing to infectious disease control and prevention in rabbits.

Reconstruction of Abdominal Wall Defect with Composite Scaffold of 3D Printed ADM/PLA in a Rat Model.

Abdominal wall defects are a frequently occurring condition in surgical practice. The most important are material structure and biocompatibility. In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) mesh composited with a 3D printing of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) material is used to repair abdominal wall defects. The results show that the adhesion score of ADM/PLA composite scaffolds is smaller than PLA meshes. Immunohistochemical assessment reveals that the ADM/PLA composite scaffold can effectively reduce the inflammatory response at the contact surface between the meshes and the abdominal organs. And the ADM/PLA composite scaffold can effectively reduce the expression levels of the inflammation-related factors IL-6 and IL-10. In addition, the ADM/PLA composite scaffold repair is rich in the expression levels of tissue regeneration-related factors vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor ß. Thus, ADM/PLA composite scaffolds can effectively reduce surrounding inflammation to effectively promote the repair of abdominal wall defects.

Tetrathiomolybdate Decreases the Expression of Alkaline Phosphatase in Dermal Papilla Cells by Increasing Mitochondrial ROS Production.

Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) play important roles in hair growth regulation. However, strategies to regrow hair are lacking. Here, global proteomic profiling identified the tetrathiomolybdate (TM)-mediated inactivation of copper (Cu) depletion-dependent mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX) as the primary metabolic defect in DPCs, leading to decreased Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) production, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, increased total cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and reduced expression of the key marker of hair growth in DPCs. By using several known mitochondrial inhibitors, we found that excessive ROS production was responsible for the impairment of DPC function. We therefore subsequently showed that two ROS scavengers, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and ascorbic acid (AA), partially prevented the TM- and ROS-mediated inhibition of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Overall, these findings established a direct link between Cu and the key marker of DPCs, whereby copper depletion strongly impaired the key marker of hair growth in the DPCs by increasing excessive ROS production.

Chlorogenic acid improves growth performance of weaned rabbits via modulating the intestinal epithelium functions and intestinal microbiota.

This study was conducted to investigate the impacts of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on growth performance, intestinal permeability, intestinal digestion and absorption-related enzyme activities, immune responses, antioxidant capacity and cecum microbial composition in weaned rabbits. One hundred and sixty weaned rabbits were allotted to four treatment groups and fed with a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 400, 800, or 1,600 mg/kg CGA, respectively. After a 35-d trial, rabbits on the 800 mg/kg CGA-supplemented group had higher (p < 0.05) ADG and lower (p < 0.05) F/G than those in control (CON) group. According to the result of growth performance, eight rabbits per group were randomly selected from the CON group and 800 mg/kg CGA group to collect serum, intestinal tissue samples and cecum chyme samples. Results showed that compared with the CON group, supplementation with 800 mg/kg CGA decreased (p < 0.05) levels of D-lactate, diamine oxidase, IL-1ß, IL-6, and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased IL-10 concentration in the serum; increased (p < 0.05) jejunal ratio of villus height to crypt depth, enhanced (p < 0.05) activities of maltase and sucrase, increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of IL-10, T-AOC, MHCII and transforming growth factor-α, and decreased (p < 0.05) levels of TNF-α and MDA in the jejunum of weaned rabbits. In addition, results of high-throughput sequencing showed that CGA supplementation elevated (p < 0.05) microbial diversity and richness, and increased (p < 0.05) the abundances of butyrate-producing bacteria (including genera V9D2013_group, Monoglobus, Papillibacter, UCG-005, and Ruminococcus). These results indicated that dietary supplementation with 800 mg/kg CGA could improve the growth performance of weaned rabbits by enhancing intestinal structural integrity, improving the intestinal epithelium functions, and modulating the composition and diversity of gut microbiota.

Organic phosphorescent nanoscintillator for low-dose X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy.

X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy utilizes penetrating X-rays to activate reactive oxygen species in deep tissues for cancer treatment, which combines the advantages of photodynamic therapy and radiotherapy. Conventional therapy usually requires heavy-metal-containing inorganic scintillators and organic photosensitizers to generate singlet oxygen. Here, we report a more convenient strategy for X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy based on a class of organic phosphorescence nanoscintillators, that act in a dual capacity as scintillators and photosensitizers. The resulting low dose of 0.4 Gy and negligible adverse effects demonstrate the great potential for the treatment of deep tumours. These findings provide an optional route that leverages the optical properties of purely organic scintillators for deep-tissue photodynamic therapy. Furthermore, these organic nanoscintillators offer an opportunity to expand applications in the fields of biomaterials and nanobiotechnology.

Ultralong organic phosphorescence from isolated molecules with repulsive interactions for multifunctional applications.

Intermolecular interactions, including attractive and repulsive interactions, play a vital role in manipulating functionalization of the materials from micro to macro dimensions. Despite great success in generation of ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) by suppressing non-radiative transitions through attractive interactions recently, there is still no consideration of repulsive interactions on UOP. Herein, we proposed a feasible approach by introducing carboxyl groups into organic phosphors, enabling formation of the intense repulsive interactions between the isolated molecules and the matrix in rigid environment. Our experimental results show a phosphor with a record lifetime and quantum efficiency up to 3.16 s and 50.0% simultaneously in film under ambient conditions. Considering the multiple functions of the flexible films, the potential applications in anti-counterfeiting, afterglow display and visual frequency indicators were demonstrated. This finding not only outlines a fundamental principle to achieve bright organic phosphorescence in film, but also expands the potential applications of UOP materials.

Interfacial Dipole poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) Modification Triggers Simultaneous Band Alignment and Passivation for Air-Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

To promote the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), its theoretical power conversion efficiency (PCE) and high stability, elaborative defect passivation, and interfacial engineering at the molecular level are required to regulate the optoelectric properties and charge transporting process at the perovskite/hole transport layer (HTL) interfaces. Herein, we introduce for the first time a multifunctional dipole polymer poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOz) between the perovskite and Spiro-OMeTAD HTL in planar n-i-p PSCs, which advances the PSCs toward both high efficiency and excellent stability by stimulating three beneficial effects. First, the ether-oxygen unshared electron pairs in PEOz chemically react with unsaturated Pb2+ on the perovskite surfaces by forming a strong Pb-O bond, which effectively reduces the uncoordinated defects on the perovskite surfaces and enhances the absorption ability of the resulting PSCs. Second, the dipole induced by PEOz at the perovskite/HTL interface can decrease the HOMO and LUMO level of Spiro-OMeTAD and optimize the band alignment between these layers, thereby suppressing the interfacial recombination and accelerating the hole transport/extraction ability in the cell. Third, the hygroscopic PEOz thin film can protect perovskite film from water erosion by absorbing the water molecules before perovskite does. Finally, the PEOz-modified PSC exhibits an optimized PCE of 21.86%, with a high short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 24.88 mA/cm2, a fill factor (FF) of 0.79, and an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.11 V. The unencapsulated devices also deliver excellent operation stability over 300 h in an ambient atmosphere with a humidity of 30~40% and more than 10 h under thermal stress.

Organic phosphorescent scintillation from copolymers by X-ray irradiation.

Scintillators that exhibit X-ray-excited luminescence have great potential in radiation detection, X-ray imaging, radiotherapy, and non-destructive testing. However, most reported scintillators are limited to inorganic or organic crystal materials, which have some obstacles in repeatability and processability. Here we present a facile strategy to achieve the X-ray-excited organic phosphorescent scintillation from amorphous copolymers through the copolymerization of the bromine-substituted chromophores and acrylic acid. These polymeric scintillators exhibit efficient X-ray responsibility and decent phosphorescent quantum yield up to 51.4% under ambient conditions. The universality of the design principle was further confirmed by a series of copolymers with multi-color radioluminescence ranging from green to orange-red. Moreover, we demonstrated their potential application in X-ray radiography. This finding not only outlines a feasible principle to develop X-ray responsive phosphorescent polymers, but also expands the potential applications of polymer materials with phosphorescence features.

Confining isolated chromophores for highly efficient blue phosphorescence.

High-efficiency blue phosphorescence emission is essential for organic optoelectronic applications. However, synthesizing heavy-atom-free organic systems having high triplet energy levels and suppressed non-radiative transitions-key requirements for efficient blue phosphorescence-has proved difficult. Here we demonstrate a simple chemical strategy for achieving high-performance blue phosphors, based on confining isolated chromophores in ionic crystals. Formation of high-density ionic bonds between the cations of ionic crystals and the carboxylic acid groups of the chromophores leads to a segregated molecular arrangement with negligible inter-chromophore interactions. We show that tunable phosphorescence from blue to deep blue with a maximum phosphorescence efficiency of 96.5% can be achieved by varying the charged chromophores and their counterions. Moreover, these phosphorescent materials enable rapid, high-throughput data encryption, fingerprint identification and afterglow display. This work will facilitate the design of high-efficiency blue organic phosphors and extend the domain of organic phosphorescence to new applications.