Insights into the interactions of bisphenol and phthalate compounds with unamended and carnitine-amended montmorillonite clays.

Montmorillonite clays could be promising sorbents to mitigate toxic compound exposures. Bisphenols A (BPA) and S (BPS) as well as phthalates, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), are ubiquitous environmental contaminants linked to adverse health effects. Here, we combined computational and experimental methods to investigate the ability of montmorillonite clays to sorb these compounds. Molecular dynamics simulations predicted that parent, unamended, clay has higher binding propensity for BPA and BPS than for DBP and DEHP; carnitine-amended clay improved BPA and BPS binding, through carnitine simultaneously anchoring to the clay through its quaternary ammonium cation and forming hydrogen bonds with BPA and BPS. Experimental isothermal analysis confirmed that carnitine-amended clay has enhanced BPA binding capacity, affinity and enthalpy. Our studies demonstrate how computational and experimental methods, combined, can characterize clay binding and sorption of toxic compounds, paving the way for future investigation of clays to reduce BPA and BPS exposure.

High-Efficiency Fluorescence through Bioinspired Supramolecular Self-Assembly.

Peptide self-assembly has attracted extensive interest in the field of eco-friendly optoelectronics and bioimaging due to its inherent biocompatibility, intrinsic fluorescence, and flexible modulation. However, the practical application of such materials was hindered by the relatively low quantum yield of such assemblies. Here, inspired by the molecular structure of BFPms1, we explored the "self-assembly locking strategy" to design and manipulate the assembly of metal-stabilized cyclic(l-histidine-d-histidine) into peptide material with the high-fluorescence efficiency. We used this bioorganic material as an emissive layer in photo- and electroluminescent prototypes, demonstrating the feasibility of utilizing self-assembling peptides to fabricate a biointegrated microchip that incorporates eco-friendly and tailored optoelectronic properties. We further employed a "self-encapsulation" strategy for constructing an advanced nanocarrier with integrated in situ monitoring. The strategy of the supramolecular capture of functional components exemplifies the use of bioinspired organic chemistry to provide frontiers of smart materials, potentially allowing a better interface between sustainable optoelectronics and biomedical applications.