Electrochemically active porous carbon nanospheres prepared by inhibition of pyrolytic condensation of polymers.

Porous carbon is a pivotal material for electrochemical applications. The manufacture of porous carbon has relied on chemical treatments (etching or template) that require processing in all areas of the carbon/carbon precursor. We present a unique approach to preparing porous carbon nanospheres by inhibiting the pyrolytic condensation of polymers. Specifically, the porous carbon nanospheres are obtained by coating a thin film of ZnO on polystyrene spheres. The porosity of the porous carbon nanospheres is controlled by the thickness of the ZnO shell, achieving a BET-specific area of 1,124 m2/g with a specific volume of 1.09 cm3/g. We confirm that under the support force by the ZnO shell, a hierarchical pore structure in which small mesopores are connected by large mesopores is formed and that the pore-associated sp3 defects are enriched. These features allow full utilization of the surface area of the carbon pores. The electrochemical capacitive performance of porous carbon nanospheres was evaluated, achieving a high capacitance of 389 F/g at 1 A/g, capacitance retention of 71% at a 20-fold increase in current density, and stability up to 30,000 cycles. In particular, we achieve a specific area-normalized capacitance of 34.6 µF/cm2, which overcomes the limitations of conventional carbon materials.

Three-Dimensional Au Octahedral Nanoheptamers: Single-Particle and Bulk Near-Field Focusing for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Herein, we present a synthetic approach to fabricate Au nanoheptamers composed of six individual Au nanospheres interconnected through thin metal bridges arranged in an octahedral configuration. The resulting structures envelop central Au nanospheres, producing Au nanosphere heptamers with an open architectural arrangement. Importantly, the initial Pt coating of the Au nanospheres is a crucial step for protecting the inner Au nanospheres during multiple reactions. As-synthesized Au nanoheptamers exhibit multiple hot spots formed by nanogaps between nanospheres, resulting in strong electromagnetic near-fields. Additionally, we conducted surface-enhanced Raman-scattering-based detection of a chemical warfare agent simulant in the gas phase and achieved a limit of detection of 100 ppb, which is 3 orders lower than that achieved using Au nanospheres and Au nanohexamers. This pseudocore-shell nanostructure represents a significant advancement in the realm of complex nanoparticle synthesis, moving the field one step closer to sophisticated nanoparticle engineering.

Accurate Cancer Screening and Prediction of PD-L1-Guided Immunotherapy Efficacy Using Quantum Dot Nanosphere Self-Assembly and Machine Learning.

Accurate quantification of exosomal PD-L1 protein in tumors is closely linked to the response to immunotherapy, but robust methods to achieve high-precision quantitative detection of PD-L1 expression on the surface of circulating exosomes are still lacking. In this work, we developed a signal amplification approach based on aptamer recognition and DNA scaffold hybridization-triggered assembly of quantum dot nanospheres, which enables bicolor phenotyping of exosomes to accurately screen for cancers and predict PD-L1-guided immunotherapeutic effects through machine learning. Through DNA-mediated assembly, we utilized two aptamers for simultaneous ultrasensitive detection of exosomal antigens, which have synergistic roles in tumor diagnosis and treatment prediction, and thus, we achieved better sample classification and prediction through machine-learning algorithms. With a drop of blood, we can distinguish between different cancer patients and healthy individuals and predict the outcome of immunotherapy. This approach provides valuable insights into the development of personalized diagnostics and precision medicine.

Porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres alleviate diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting excess lipid peroxidation and inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Lipid peroxidation is a characteristic metabolic manifestation of diabetic retinopathy (DR) that causes inflammation, eventually leading to severe retinal vascular abnormalities. Selenium (Se) can directly or indirectly scavenge intracellular free radicals. Due to the narrow distinction between Se's effective and toxic doses, porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres have been developed to control the release of Se. They exert strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. METHODS: The effect of anti-lipid peroxidation and anti-inflammatory effects of porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres on diabetic mice were assessed by detecting the level of Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), decreased reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, and interleukin (IL) -1ß of the retina. To further examine the protective effect of porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres on the retinal vasculopathy of diabetic mice, retinal acellular capillary, the expression of tight junction proteins, and blood-retinal barrier destruction was observed. Finally, we validated the GPX4 as the target of porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres via decreased expression of GPX4 and detected the level of MDA, GSH/GSSG, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL -1ß, wound healing assay, and tube formation in high glucose (HG) cultured Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs). RESULTS: The porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres reduced the level of MDA, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL -1ß, while increasing the level of GPX4 and GSH/GSSG in diabetic mice. Therefore, porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres reduced the number of retinal acellular capillaries, depletion of tight junction proteins, and vascular leakage in diabetic mice. Further, we identified GPX4 as the target of porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres as GPX4 inhibition reduced the repression effect of anti-lipid peroxidation, anti-inflammatory, and protective effects of endothelial cell dysfunction of porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres in HG-cultured HRMECs. CONCLUSION: Porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres effectively attenuated retinal vasculopathy in diabetic mice via inhibiting excess lipid peroxidation and inflammation by target GPX4, suggesting their potential as therapeutic agents for DR.

Zincophilic Nanospheres Assembled as Solid-Electrolyte Interphase on Zn Metal Anodes for Reversible High-rate Zn-Ion Storage.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are considered to be one of the most promising energy storage devices in the post-lithium-ion era with fast ionic conductivity, safety, and low cost. However, excessive accumulation of zinc dendrites will fracture and produce dead zinc, resulting in the unsatisfied utilization rate of Zn anodes, which greatly restricts the lifespan of the battery and reduces the reversibility. In this paper, by constructing a protective layer of ZnSnO3 hollow nanospheres in situ growth on the surface of the Zn anode, more zincophilic sites are established on the electrode surface. It demonstrates that uniform deposition of Zn ions by deepening the binding energy with Zn ion and its unique hollow structure shortens the diffusion distance of Zn ions and enhances the reaction kinetics. The assembled Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitor (ZHSC) of ZnSnO3@Zn//AC achieved a long-term lifespan with 4000 cycles at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a Coulombic efficiency of 99.31% and capacity retention of 79.6%. This work offers a new path for advanced Zn anodes interphase supporting the long cycle life with large capacities and improving electrochemical reversibility.

Facilely Direct Construction, White-Light Emission, and Color-Adjustable Luminescence of LaF3 :Pr3+ @SiO2 Yolk-Shell Nanospheres with Moisture Resistance.

Poor water stability and single luminous color are the major drawbacks of the most phosphors reported. Therefore, it is important to realize multicolor luminescence in a phosphor with single host and single activator as well as moisture resistance. LaF3 :Pr3+ @SiO2 yolk-shell nanospheres are facilely obtained by a designing new technology of a simple and cost-effective electrospray ionization combined with a dicrucible fluorating technique without using protective gas. In addition, tunable photoluminescence, especially white-light emission, is successfully obtained in LaF3 :Pr3+ @SiO2 yolk-shell nanospheres by adjusting Pr3+ ion concentrations, and the luminescence mechanism of Pr3+ ion is advanced. Compared with the counterpart LaF3 :Pr3+ nanospheres, the water stability of LaF3 :Pr3+ @SiO2 yolk-shell nanospheres is improved by 15% after immersion in water for 72 h, and the fluorescence intensity can be maintained at 86% of the initial intensity. Furthermore, by treating the yolk-shell nanospheres with hydrofluoric acid, it is not only demonstrated that the shell-layer is SiO2 but also core-LaF3 :Pr3+ nanospheres are obtained. Particularly, only fluorination procedure among the halogenation can produce such special yolk-shell nanospheres, the formation mechanism of yolk-shell nanospheres is proposed detailedly based on the sound experiments and a corresponding new technology is built. These findings broaden practical applications of LaF3 :Pr3+ @SiO2 yolk-shell nanospheres.

Magnetic Tunability via Control of Crystallinity and Size in Polycrystalline Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are widely used for biomedical applications due to their unique magnetic properties and biocompatibility. However, the controlled synthesis of IONPs with tunable particle sizes and crystallite/grain sizes to achieve desired magnetic functionalities across single-domain and multi-domain size ranges remains an important challenge. Here, a facile synthetic method is used to produce iron oxide nanospheres (IONSs) with controllable size and crystallinity for magnetic tunability. First, highly crystalline Fe3O4 IONSs (crystallite sizes above 24 nm) having an average diameter of 50 to 400 nm are synthesized with enhanced ferrimagnetic properties. The magnetic properties of these highly crystalline IONSs are comparable to those of their nanocube counterparts, which typically possess superior magnetic properties. Second, the crystallite size can be widely tuned from 37 to 10 nm while maintaining the overall particle diameter, thereby allowing precise manipulation from the ferrimagnetic to the superparamagnetic state. In addition, demonstrations of reaction scale-up and the proposed growth mechanism of the IONSs are presented. This study highlights the pivotal role of crystal size in controlling the magnetic properties of IONSs and offers a viable means to produce IONSs with magnetic properties desirable for wider applications in sensors, electronics, energy, environmental remediation, and biomedicine.

Interfacial Membranization of Regenerated Cellulose Nanoparticles and a Protein Renders Stable Water-in-Water Emulsion.

Pickering water-in-water (W/W) emulsions stabilized by biobased colloids are pertinent to engineering biomaterials with hierarchical and confined architectures. In this study, stable W/W emulsions are developed through membranization utilizing biopolymer structures formed by the adsorption of cellulose II nanospheres and a globular protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), at droplet surfaces. The produced cellulose II nanospheres (NPcat, 63 nm diameter) bearing a soft and highly accessible shell, endow rapid and significant binding (16 mg cm- 2) with BSA. NPcat and BSA formed complexes that spontaneously stabilized liquid droplets, resulting in stable W/W emulsions. It is proposed that such a system is a versatile all-aqueous platform for encapsulation, (bio)catalysis, delivery, and synthetic cell mimetics.

Ginkgo Leaf-Derived Carbon Supports for the Immobilization of Iron/Iron Phosphide Nanospheres for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Iron/iron phosphide nanospheres supported on ginkgo leaf-derived carbon (Fe&FeP@gl-C) are prepared using a post-phosphidation approach, with varying amounts of iron (Fe). The activity of the catalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) outperforms iron/iron carbide nanospheres supported on ginkgo leaf-derived carbon (Fe&FexC@gl-C), due to enhanced work function, electron transfer, and Volmer processes. The d-band centers of Fe&FeP@gl-C-15 move away from the Fermi level, lowering the H2 desorption energy and accelerating the Heyrovsky reaction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the hydrogen-binding free energy |ΔGH*| value is close to zero for the Fe&FeP@gl-C-15 catalyst, showing a good balance between Volmer and Heyrovsky processes. The Fe&FeP@gl-C-15 catalyst shows excellent hydrogen evolution performance in 0.5 m H2SO4, driving a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 92 mV. Notably, the Fe&FeP@gl-C-15 catalyst outperforms a 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst, with a smaller overpotential required to drive a higher current density above 375 mA cm-2.

Ultrasmall and Highly Dispersed Pt Entities Deposited on Mesoporous N-doped Carbon Nanospheres by Pulsed CVD for Improved HER.

Vapor-based deposition techniques are emerging approaches for the design of carbon-supported metal powder electrocatalysts with tailored catalyst entities, sizes, and dispersions. Herein, a pulsed CVD (Pt-pCVD) approach is employed to deposit different Pt entities on mesoporous N-doped carbon (MPNC) nanospheres to design high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts. The influence of consecutive precursor pulse number (50-250) and deposition temperature (225-300 °C) are investigated. The Pt-pCVD process results in highly dispersed ultrasmall Pt clusters (≈1 nm in size) and Pt single atoms, while under certain conditions few larger Pt nanoparticles are formed. The best MPNC-Pt-pCVD electrocatalyst prepared in this work (250 pulses, 250 °C) reveals a Pt HER mass activity of 22.2 ± 1.2 A mg-1 Pt at -50 mV versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), thereby outperforming a commercially available Pt/C electrocatalyst by 40% as a result of the increased Pt utilization. Remarkably, after optimization of the Pt electrode loading, an ultrahigh Pt mass activity of 56 ± 2 A mg-1 Pt at -50 mV versus RHE is found, which is among the highest Pt mass activities of Pt single atom and cluster-based electrocatalysts reported so far.

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Uniform Au Nanospheres Capped by Citrate for Biomedical Applications.

We report a simple and versatile method for effectively replacing the toxic ligands, such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), on the surface of Au nanospheres with different sizes by citrate. The method involves the deposition of an ultrathin shell of fresh Au in the presence of sodium citrate at an adequate concentration. After the ligand exchange process, multiple techniques are used to confirm that the surface of the resultant Au nanospheres is covered by citrate while there is no sign of aggregation. We also demonstrate the mitigation of cell toxicity after exchanging the surface-bound CTAB/CTAC with citrate, opening the door to a range of biomedical applications.

Precisely Designed Ultra-Small CoP Nanoparticles-Decorated Hollow Carbon Nanospheres as Highly Efficient Host in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Designing porous carbon materials with metal phosphides as host materials holds promise for enhancing the cyclability and durability of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries by mitigating sulfur poisoning and exhibiting high electrocatalytic activity. Nevertheless, it is urgent to precisely control the size of metal phosphides to further optimize the polysulfide conversion reaction kinetics of Li-S batteries. Herein, a subtlety regulation strategy was proposed to obtain ultra-small CoP nanoparticles-decorated hollow carbon nanospheres (CoP@C) by using spherical polyelectrolyte brush (SPB) as the template with stabilizing assistance from polydopamine coating, which also works as carbon source. Leveraging the electrostatic interaction between SPB and Co2+, ultra-small Co particles with sizes measuring 5.5±2.6 nm were endowed after calcination. Subsequently, through a gas-solid phosphating process, these Co particles were converted into CoP nanoparticles with significantly finer sizes (7.1±3.1 nm) compared to state-of-the-art approaches. By uniformly distributing the electrocatalyst nanoparticles on hollow carbon nanospheres, CoP@C facilitated the acceleration of Li-ion diffusion and enhanced the conversion reaction kinetics of polysulfides through adsorption-diffusion synergy. As a result, Li-S batteries utilizing the CoP@C/S cathode demonstrated an initial specific discharge capacity of 850.0 mAh g-1 at 1.0 C, with a low-capacity decay rate of 0.03 % per cycle.

Tailoring ZnS nanostructures through precipitation-cum-hydrothermal synthesis for enhanced wastewater purification and antibacterial treatment.

This study presents a novel blend of synthesis techniques for shape-controlled ZnS nanoparticles. Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles with distinct morphologies cauliflower-like microstructures (∼4.5 µm) and uniform nanospheres (200-700 nm) were synthesized through an innovative blend of precipitation and hydrothermal techniques. Capping with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) significantly decreased crystallite size (3.93 nm-2.36 nm), modulated the band gap (3.57 eV-3.71 eV), and dramatically influenced morphology, highlighting the novelty of shape-controlled synthesis and its impact on optoelectronic and functional properties. X-ray diffraction confirmed crystallinity and revealed the size-controlling influence of PVP. UV-vis spectroscopy suggested potential tuning of optical properties due to band gap widening upon PVP capping. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) unveiled distinct morphologies: cauliflower-like microstructures for ZnS and uniform nanospheres (200-700 nm) for PVP-ZnS. Both structures were composed of smaller spherical nanoparticles, demonstrating the role of PVP in promoting controlled growth and preventing agglomeration. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images depicted that the majority of nanoparticles maintain a spherical shape, though slight deviations from perfect sphericity can be discerned. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that successful PVP encapsulation is crucial for shaping nanospheres and minimizing aggregation through steric hindrance. Photocatalytic activity evaluation using methylene blue (MB) dye degradation revealed significantly faster degradation by PVP-ZnS under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (within 60 min as compared to 120 min for ZnS), showcasing its superior performance. This improvement can be attributed to the smaller size, higher surface area, and potentially optimized band gap of PVP-ZnS. Additionally, PVP-ZnS exhibited promising antibacterial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, with increased activity at higher nanoparticle concentrations.

Robust wrinkled MoS2/N-C bifunctional electrocatalysts interfaced with single Fe atoms for wearable zinc-air batteries.

The ability to create highly efficient and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts, capable of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the same electrolyte, represents an important endeavor toward high-performance zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, we report a facile strategy for crafting wrinkled MoS2/N-doped carbon core/shell nanospheres interfaced with single Fe atoms (denoted MoS2@Fe-N-C) as superior ORR/OER bifunctional electrocatalysts for robust wearable ZABs with a high capacity and outstanding cycling stability. Specifically, the highly crumpled MoS2 nanosphere core is wrapped with a layer of single-Fe-atom-impregnated, N-doped carbon shell (i.e., Fe-N-C shell with well-dispersed FeN4 sites). Intriguingly, MoS2@Fe-N-C nanospheres manifest an ORR half-wave potential of 0.84 V and an OER overpotential of 360 mV at 10 mA⋅cm-2 More importantly, density functional theory calculations reveal the lowered energy barriers for both ORR and OER, accounting for marked enhanced catalytic performance of MoS2@Fe-N-C nanospheres. Remarkably, wearable ZABs assembled by capitalizing on MoS2@Fe-N-C nanospheres as an air electrode with an ultralow area loading (i.e., 0.25 mg⋅cm-2) display excellent stability against deformation, high special capacity (i.e., 442 mAh⋅g-1Zn), excellent power density (i.e., 78 mW⋅cm-2) and attractive cycling stability (e.g., 50 cycles at current density of 5 mA⋅cm-2). This study provides a platform to rationally design single-atom-interfaced core/shell bifunctional electrocatalysts for efficient metal-air batteries.

Multi-functional nanozyme-based colorimetric, fluorescence dual-mode assay for Salmonella typhimurium detection in milk.

Rapid and high-sensitive Salmonella detection in milk is important for preventing foodborne disease eruption. To overcome the influence of the complex ingredients in milk on the sensitive detection of Salmonella, a dual-signal reporter red fluorescence nanosphere (RNs)-Pt was designed by combining RNs and Pt nanoparticles. After being equipped with antibodies, the immune RNs-Pt (IRNs-Pt) provide an ultra-strong fluorescence signal when excited by UV light. With the assistance of the H2O2/TMB system, a visible color change appeared that was attributed to the strong peroxidase-like catalytic activity derived from Pt nanoparticles. The IRNs-Pt in conjunction with immune magnetic beads can realize that Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhi) was captured, labeled, and separated effectively from untreated reduced-fat pure milk samples. Under the optimal experimental conditions, with the assay, as low as 50 CFU S. typhi can be converted to detectable fluorescence and absorbance signals within 2 h, suggesting the feasibility of practical application of the assay. Meanwhile, dual-signal modes of quantitative detection were realized. For fluorescence signal detection (emission at 615 nm), the linear correlation between signal intensity and the concentration of S. typhi was Y = 83C-3321 (R2 = 0.9941), ranging from 103 to 105 CFU/mL, while for colorimetric detection (absorbamce at 450 nm), the relationship between signal intensity and the concentration of S. typhi was Y = 2.9logC-10.2 (R2 = 0.9875), ranging from 5 × 103 to 105 CFU/mL. For suspect food contamination by foodborne pathogens, this dual-mode signal readout assay is promising for achieving the aim of convenient preliminary screening and accurate quantification simultaneously.

NF-κB Decoy Oligodeoxynucleotide-Loaded Poly Lactic-co-glycolic Acid Nanospheres Facilitate Socket Healing in Orthodontic Tooth Movement.

Orthodontic space closure following tooth extraction is often hindered by alveolar bone deficiency. This study investigates the therapeutic use of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) decoy oligodeoxynucleotides loaded with polylactic-co-glycolic acid nanospheres (PLGA-NfDs) to mitigate alveolar bone loss during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) following the bilateral extraction of maxillary first molars in a controlled experiment involving forty rats of OTM model with ethics approved. The decreased tendency of the OTM distance and inclination angle with increased bone volume and improved trabecular bone structure indicated minimized alveolar bone destruction. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and histomorphometric analysis demonstrated the suppression of inflammation and bone resorption by downregulating the expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, cathepsin K, NF-κB p65, and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand while provoking periodontal regeneration by upregulating the expression of alkaline phosphatase, transforming growth factor-ß1, osteopontin, and fibroblast growth factor-2. Importantly, relative gene expression over the maxillary second molar compression side in proximity to the alveolus highlighted the pharmacological effect of intra-socket PLGA-NfD administration, as evidenced by elevated osteocalcin expression, indicative of enhanced osteocytogenesis. These findings emphasize that locally administered PLGA-NfD serves as an effective inflammatory suppressor and yields periodontal regenerative responses following tooth extraction.

Improvement in Electrochemical Performance of Waste Sugarcane Bagasse-Derived Carbon via Hybridization with SiO2 Nanospheres.

Sugar industries generate substantial quantities of waste biomass after the extraction of sugar water from sugarcane stems, while biomass-derived porous carbon has currently received huge research attention for its sustainable application in energy storage systems. Hence, we have investigated waste sugarcane bagasse (WSB) as a cheap and potential source of porous carbon for supercapacitors. The electrochemical capacitive performance of WSB-derived carbon was further enhanced through hybridization with silicon dioxide (SiO2) as a cost-effective pseudocapacitance material. Porous WSB-C/SiO2 nanocomposites were prepared via the in situ pyrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)-modified WSB biomass. The morphological analysis confirms the pyrolytic growth of SiO2 nanospheres on WSB-C. The electrochemical performance of WSB-C/SiO2 nanocomposites was optimized by varying the SiO2 content, using two different electrolytes. The capacitance of activated WSB-C was remarkably enhanced upon hybridization with SiO2, while the nanocomposite electrode demonstrated superior specific capacitance in 6 M KOH electrolyte compared to neutral Na2SO4 electrolyte. A maximum specific capacitance of 362.3 F/g at 0.25 A/g was achieved for the WSB-C/SiO2 105 nanocomposite. The capacitance retention was slightly lower in nanocomposite electrodes (91.7-86.9%) than in pure WSB-C (97.4%) but still satisfactory. A symmetric WSB-C/SiO2 105//WSB-C/SiO2 105 supercapacitor was fabricated and achieved an energy density of 50.3 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 250 W kg-1, which is substantially higher than the WSB-C//WSB-C supercapacitor (22.1 Wh kg-1).

Treatment of peri-implantitis using nonsurgical debridement combined with bioresorbable doxycycline nanospheres: a case report with 3-year follow-up.

Treatment of peri-implant diseases focuses on reducing the bacterial load and consequent infection control. The use of local antimicrobials as an adjunct to mechanical therapy may result in a better outcome. Among antimicrobials, doxycycline stands out because of its local modulation of cytokines, microbial reduction, and clinical parameters in the treatment of periodontal diseases. The objective of this case report was to describe the combined application of mechanical debridement and bioresorbable doxycycline-loaded nanospheres for the treatment of peri-implantitis in a 71-year-old man. At the 3-year evaluation, the peri-implant tissues had improved, showing decreased probing depths, an absence of bleeding on probing, and no suppuration. This case report highlights the importance of supportive therapy, which is essential for the long-term success of peri-implantitis treatment.

Size Control of Chiral Nanospheres Obtained via Nanoprecipitation of Helical Poly(phenylacetylene)s in the Absence of Surfactants.

Nanostructuration of dynamic helical polymers such as poly(phenylacetylene)s (PPAs) depends on the secondary structure adopted by the polymer and the functional group used to connect the chiral pendant to the PPA backbone. Thus, while PPAs with dynamic and flexible scaffolds (para- and meta-substituted, ω1<165°) generate by nanoprecipitation low polydisperse nanospheres with controllable size at different acetone/water mixtures, those with a quasi-static behavior and the presence of an extended, almost planar structure (ortho-substituted, ω1>165°), aggregate into a mixture of spherical and oval nanostructures whose size is not controlled. Photostability studies show that poly(phenylacetylene) particles are more stable to light irradiation than when dissolved macromolecularly. Moreover, the photostability of the particle depends on the secondary structure of the PPA and its screw sense excess. This fact, in combination with the encapsulation ability of these polymer particles, allows the creation of light stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, whose cargo can be delivered by light irradiation.

Sequentially Controlled Recognition of Different Proteins Using Programmable Protein Imprinted Nanospheres.

Although protein imprinted materials with multiple templates are developed to selectively separate different proteins, it is difficult to achieve the programmed adsorption and separation of different proteins using one material, because the available protein imprinted materials are constructed through irreversible crosslinking and their structures are unprogrammable and non-reconstructive. Herein, a novel nanosphere (MS@PTL-g-PNIPAM) is designed, which not only is temperature and pH responsive but also can dynamically reversibly crosslink/de-crosslink under ultraviolet light of different wavelengths. With the help of the dynamically reversible photo-crosslinking, the nanospheres can be repeatedly programmed into protein imprinted nanospheres toward different target proteins. Moreover, the prepared imprinted nanospheres can easily achieve the controlled rebinding and release of target proteins, benefiting from the introduced temperature- and pH-responsive moieties. As a consequence, this study realizes the specific separation of different target proteins from protein mixture and the real bovine blood sequentially by programming one material. It is resource saving, time saving, recyclable, and it will provide convenience for protein imprinted materials to use in the blood purification, drug delivery, and virus detection.