DJL

On page 2947, N. R. Sottos and co-workers report the preparation of robust microcapsules that contain high concentration carbon black suspensions. Prior to encapsulation, carbon black particles are surface functionalized with octadecyl chains to create stable particle suspensions, which is critical for the release of carbon black. When ruptured, these microcapsules exhibit significant particle release, enabling full conductivity restoration of damaged battery electrodes.

All psyched up: A flexible and general pure shift experiment (PSYCHE) has been developed that offers superior sensitivity, spectral purity, and tolerance of strong coupling over existing methods for broadband homonuclear decoupling. The partial spectra of estradiol in [D₆]DMSO obtained by normal ¹H NMR spectroscopy and PSYCHE are shown for comparison.

K. Cho and co-workers develop on page 3213 a water-free transfer method for placing chemical vapor depositiongrown graphene onto arbitrary substrates. Transferring graphene without water enables water-sensitive substrates to be used in graphene electronics. Using this method, high-performance flexible air-stable graphene transistors are fabricated. A polymeric bilayer (poly(methyl methacrylate)/polybutadiene) is used as supporting layer during the transfer process, which provides not only robust support but also effective passivation that protects graphene from undesirable charged impurities.

Despite the extensive use of porphyrins in photodynamic therapy (PDT), tetraplatinated porphyrins have so far not been studied for their anticancer properties. Herein, we report the synthesis of such novel platinum–porphyrin conjugates as well as their photophysical characterization and in vitro light-induced anticancer properties. These conjugates showed only minor cytotoxicity in the dark, but IC₅₀ values down to 19 nM upon irradiation with light at 420 nm.These values correspond to an excellent phototoxic index (PI=IC₅₀ in the dark/IC₅₀ in light), which reached 5000 in a cisplatin-resistant cell line. After incubation with HeLa cells, nuclear Pt concentrations were 30 times higher than with cisplatin. All of these favorable characteristics imply that tetraplatinated porphyrin complexes are worthy of exploration as novel PDT anticancer agents in vivo.

A fatal synergy: A series of tetraplatinated porphyrins (see example; Pt red, Cl green, N blue, C gray, H white) were shown to be promising photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy. The complexes displayed excellent toxicity profiles under low-energy irradiation, with a phototoxic index of up to 5000, and high potency against a range of cancerous cell lines.

The effective removal of ¹³⁷Cs⁺ ions from contaminated groundwater and seawater and from radioactive nuclear waste solutions is crucial for public health and for the continuous operation of nuclear power plants. Various ¹³⁷Cs⁺ removers have been developed, but more effective ¹³⁷Cs⁺ removers are still needed. A novel microporous vanadosilicate with mixed-valence vanadium (V⁴⁺ and V⁵⁺) ions is now reported, which shows an excellent ability for Cs⁺ capture and immobilization from groundwater, seawater, and nuclear waste solutions. This material is superior to other known materials in terms of selectivity, capacity, and kinetics, and at very low Cs⁺ concentrations, it was found to be the most effective material for the removal of radioactive Cs⁺ ions under the test conditions. This novel vanadosilicate also contains hexadeca-coordinated Cs⁺ ions, which corresponds to the highest coordination number ever described.

A novel vanadosilicate is an excellent remover of Cs⁺ ions from groundwater, seawater, and highly acidic or basic nuclear waste solutions. This material can therefore be used for the removal of radioactive ¹³⁷Cs⁺ ions from contaminated water.

No forensic method exists that can reliably estimate the age of fingermarks found at a crime scene. Information on time passed since fingermark deposition is desired as it can be used to distinguish between crime related and unrelated fingermarks and to support or refute statements made by the fingermark donors. We introduce a non-contact method that can estimate the age of fingermarks. Fingermarks were approached as protein–lipid mixtures and an age-estimation model was build based on the expected protein and lipid oxidation reactions. Two measures of oxidation are required from the fingermark to estimate its age: 1) the relative amount of fluorescent oxidation products 2) the rate at which these products are formed. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to obtain these measures. We tested the method on 44 fingermarks and were able to estimate the age of 55 % of the male fingermarks, up to three weeks old with an uncertainty of 1.9 days.

Marking time: Currently no method exists that can estimate the age of a fingermark. Information on the time passed since fingermark deposition is of forensic value as it may link the fingermark donor not only to the crime scene but also to the assumed time of crime. Based on the oxidation of proteins present in fingermarks and the corresponding change in fluorescence, the age of a subset of fingermarks could be estimated up to three weeks after deposition with an uncertainty of 1.9 days.

Much has been done to search for highly efficient and inexpensive electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which is critical to a range of electrochemical and photoelectrochemical processes. A new, high-temperature solution-phase method for the synthesis of ultrathin WS₂ nanoflakes is now reported. The resulting product possesses monolayer thickness with dimensions in the nanometer range and abundant edges. These favorable structural features render the WS₂ nanoflakes highly active and durable catalysts for the HER in acids. The catalyst exhibits a small HER overpotential of approximately 100 mV and a Tafel slope of 48 mV/decade. These ultrathin WS₂ nanoflakes represent an attractive alternative to the precious platinum benchmark catalyst and rival MoS₂ materials that have recently been heavily scrutinized for the electrocatalytic HER.

Ultrathin WS₂ nanoflakes were synthesized according to a new high-temperature solution-phase method. These nanoflakes may be used as efficient catalysts for the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction and represent an attractive alternative to the expensive platinum benchmark catalysts.

Nanoparticles have shown great potential in biological and biomedical applications due to their distinct physical and chemical properties. In the meanwhile, the biosafety of nanoparticles has also raised intense concerns worldwide. To address such concerns, great efforts have been made to examine short-term effects of nanoparticles on cell survival and proliferation. More recently, exploration of long-term effects of nanomaterials, particularly those with promising biomedical applications in vivo, has aroused significant interest. For example, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are generally considered non-toxic to cell growth, whereas recent studies suggest that AuNPs might have long-term effects on cellular metabolism and energy homeostasis. In this Review, recent advances in this direction are summarized. Further, possible mechanisms under which nanoparticles regulate metabolic signaling pathways, potential long-term effects on cellular anabolic or catabolic processes, and their implications in human health and metabolic disorders are discussed.

Nanoparticles can interfere with metabolic signaling pathways, which have potential biological consequences on lipid, glucose, and protein homeostasis, and implications in human health and metabolic diseases.