•Fate of heavy metals during the hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge.•Assessment indices of the contamination level and ecological risk of heavy metals.•The effect of reaction temperature and ...reaction time.•The effect of the addition of catalyst/other biomass.•The effect of the type of liquefaction solvent.
Various hydrothermal treatment methods, including hydrothermal carbonization, liquefaction and sub/super-critical water gasification, have been applied to the disposal of sewage sludge for producing bio-materials or bio-fuels. It has become a research hotspot whether the heavy metals contained in sewage sludge can be well treated/stabilized after the hydrothermal treatments. This review firstly summarized the methods of assessing heavy metals’ contamination level/risk and then discussed the migration and transformation behaviors of heavy metals from the following aspects: the effect of reaction temperature, the effect of additives (catalysts and other biomass), the effect of the type of solvent and the effect of reaction time. This review can provide an important reference for the further study of the migration and transformation behaviors of heavy metals during the hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge.
To design a clinically translatable nanomedicine for photodynamic theranostics, the ingredients should be carefully considered. A high content of nanocarriers may cause extra toxicity in metabolism, ...and multiple theranostic agents would complicate the preparation process. These issues would be of less concern if the nanocarrier itself has most of the theranostic functions. In this work, a poly(ethylene glycol)‐boron dipyrromethene amphiphile (PEG‐F54‐BODIPY) with 54 fluorine‐19 (19F) is synthesized and employed to emulsify perfluorohexane (PFH) into a theranostic nanoemulsion (PFH@PEG‐F54‐BODIPY). The as‐prepared PFH@PEG‐F54‐BODIPY can perform architecture‐dependent fluorescence/photoacoustic/19F magnetic resonance multimodal imaging, providing more information about the in vivo structure evolution of nanomedicine. Importantly, this nanoemulsion significantly enhances the therapeutic effect of BODIPY through both the high oxygen dissolving capability and less self‐quenching of BODIPY molecules. More interestingly, PFH@PEG‐F54‐BODIPY shows high level of tumor accumulation and long tumor retention time, allowing a repeated light irradiation after a single‐dose intravenous injection. The “all‐in‐one” photodynamic theranostic nanoemulsion has simple composition, remarkable theranostic efficacy, and novel treatment pattern, and thus presents an intriguing avenue to developing clinically translatable theranostic agents.
A versatile theranostic nanoemulsion is synthesized by using a PEG‐F54‐BODIPY amphiphile as the emulsifier. Taking advantage of the delicate interactions of the nanocarrier and interior perfluorocarbon, both architecture‐dependent trimodal imaging and highly efficient photodynamic therapy are achieved.
Biomimetic cell‐membrane‐camouflaged nanoparticles with desirable features have been widely used for various biomedical applications. However, the current research focuses on single cell membrane ...coating and using multiple cell membranes for nanoparticle functionalization is still challenging. In this work, platelet (PLT) and leukocyte (WBC) membranes are fused, PLT–WBC hybrid membranes are coated onto magnetic beads, and then their surface is modified with specific antibodies. The resulting PLT–WBC hybrid membrane‐coated immunomagnetic beads (HM‐IMBs) inherit enhanced cancer cell binding ability from PLTs and reduce homologous WBC interaction from WBCs, and are further used for highly efficient and highly specific isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). By using spiked blood samples, it is found that, compared with commercial IMBs, the cell separation efficiency of HM‐IMBs is improved to 91.77% from 66.68% and the cell purity is improved to 96.98% from 66.53%. Furthermore, by using the HM‐IMBs, highly pure CTCs are successfully identified in 19 out of 20 clinical blood samples collected from breast cancer patients. Finally, the robustness of HM‐IMBs is verified in downstream CTC analysis such as the detection of PIK3CA gene mutations. It is anticipated that this novel hybrid membrane coating strategy will open new possibilities for overcoming the limitations of current theranostic platforms.
Biomimetic platelet–leukocyte hybrid membrane‐coated immunomagnetic beads with enhanced cancer binding and reduced leukocyte interaction are used for ultrahigh‐efficiency and ‐purity isolation of circulating tumor cells from the blood samples of cancer patient. The combination of biomimetic hybrid cell membrane coating and immunomagnetic beads embodies a novel materials design strategy and presents a compelling class of advanced functional materials.
Energy from biomass, bioenergy, is a promising source to replace fossil fuels in the future, as it is abundant, clean, and carbon dioxide neutral. Thermochemical liquefaction of biomass is widely ...investigated as a promising method to produce one kind of liquid biofuel, namely bio-oil. This review presents the recent research progress in the liquefaction of typical biomass from a new perspective. Particularly, this article summarizes five aspects of related work: first, the effect of solvent type on the liquefaction behaviors of biomass; second, the effect of biomass type on the liquefaction behaviors of biomass; third, the liquefaction of biomass in sub-/super-critical ethanol; fourth, the liquefaction of biomass in organic solvent–water mixed solvents; fifth, the liquefaction of sewage sludge. Meanwhile, the research advance in the migration and transformation behavior of heavy metals during the liquefaction of sewage sludge was also summarized in this review. This review can offer an important reference for the study of biomass liquefaction.
For decades, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has been widely incorporated into nanoparticles for evading immune clearance and improving the systematic circulation time. However, recent studies have ...reported a phenomenon known as “accelerated blood clearance (ABC)” where a second dose of PEGylated nanomaterials is rapidly cleared when given several days after the first dose. Herein, we demonstrate that natural red blood cell (RBC) membrane is a superior alternative to PEG. Biomimetic RBC membrane‐coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@RBC NPs) rely on CD47, which is a “don't eat me” marker on the RBC surface, to escape immune clearance through interactions with the signal regulatory protein‐alpha (SIRP‐α) receptor. Fe3O4@RBC NPs exhibit extended circulation time and show little change between the first and second doses, with no ABC suffered. In addition, the administration of Fe3O4@RBC NPs does not elicit immune responses on neither the cellular level (myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs)) nor the humoral level (immunoglobulin M and G (IgM and IgG)). Finally, the in vivo toxicity of these cell membrane‐camouflaged nanoparticles is systematically investigated by blood biochemistry, hematology testing, and histology analysis. These findings are significant advancements toward solving the long‐existing clinical challenges of developing biomaterials that are able to resist both immune response and rapid clearance.
Red blood cell membrane‐camouflaged Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@RBC NPs) exhibit prolonged circulation time in the blood with no adverse effects. There is little change between a first and second dose, and no accelerated blood clearance is seen, as is generally the case for PEGylated nanomaterials. This is a significant advancement toward developing biomaterials that are able to resist both immune response and rapid clearance.
The performances of electron‐transport‐layer (ETL)‐free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are still inferior to ETL‐containing devices. This is mainly due to severe interfacial charge recombination ...occurring at the transparent conducting oxide (TCO)/perovskite interface, where the photo‐injected electrons in the TCO can travel back to recombine with holes in the perovskite layer. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that a non‐annealed, insulating, amorphous metal oxyhydroxide, atomic‐scale thin interlayer (ca. 3 nm) between the TCO and perovskite facilitates electron tunneling and suppresses the interfacial charge recombination. This largely reduced the interfacial charge recombination loss and achieved a record efficiency of 21.1 % for n‐i‐p structured ETL‐free PSCs, outperforming their ETL‐containing metal oxide counterparts (18.7 %), as well as narrowing the efficiency gap with high‐efficiency PSCs employing highly crystalline TiO2 ETLs.
A non‐annealed, ultrathin, amorphous metal oxyhydroxide was introduced to suppress interfacial charge recombination and reduce energy loss in electron‐transport‐layer (ETL)‐free perovskite solar cells. The cells achieve a record efficiency of 21.1 %, outperforming their ETL‐containing metal oxide counterparts (18.7 %).
Renal tubular cell (RTC) death and inflammation contribute to the progression of obstructive nephropathy, but its underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here, we showed that Gasdermin ...E (GSDME) expression level and GSDME-N domain generation determined the RTC fate response to TNFα under the condition of oxygen-glucose-serum deprivation. Deletion of Caspase-3 (Casp3) or Gsdme alleviated renal tubule damage and inflammation and finally prevented the development of hydronephrosis and kidney fibrosis after ureteral obstruction. Using bone marrow transplantation and cell type-specific Casp3 knockout mice, we demonstrated that Casp3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in renal parenchymal cells, but not in hematopoietic cells, played predominant roles in this process. We further showed that HMGB1 released from pyroptotic RTCs amplified inflammatory responses, which critically contributed to renal fibrogenesis. Specific deletion of Hmgb1 in RTCs alleviated caspase11 and IL-1β activation in macrophages. Collectively, our results uncovered that TNFα/Casp3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis is responsible for the initiation of ureteral obstruction-induced renal tubule injury, which subsequentially contributes to the late-stage progression of hydronephrosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. This novel mechanism will provide valuable therapeutic insights for the treatment of obstructive nephropathy.
The role of endogenous serotonin (5‐HT) in gastrointestinal motility is still highly controversial. Although electrochemical techniques allow for direct and real‐time recording of biomolecules, the ...dynamic monitoring of 5‐HT release from elastic and tubular intestine during motor reflexes remains a great challenge because of the specific peristalsis patterns and inevitable passivation of the sensing interface. A stretchable sensor with antifouling and decontamination properties was assembled from gold nanotubes, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes. The sandwich‐like structure endowed the sensor with satisfying mechanical stability and electrochemical performance, high resistance against physical adsorption, and superior efficiency in the photodegradation of biofouling molecules. Insertion of the sensor into the lumen of rat ileum (the last section of the small intestine) successfully mimics intestinal peristalsis, and simultaneous real‐time monitoring of distension‐evoked 5‐HT release was possible for the first time. Our results unambiguously reveal that mechanical distension of the intestine induces endogenous 5‐HT overflow, and 5‐HT level is closely associated with the physiological or pathological states of the intestine.
The role of endogenous serotonin in different intestinal motility patterns is highly controversial. A stretchable sensor with high sensitivity, and antifouling and decontamination properties is presented. The sensor was inserted into the lumen of an intestine model to achieve real‐time monitoring of distension‐evoked serotonin release.
A highly regioselective copper-catalyzed 1,4-chloro- and bromotrifluoromethylation of 1,3-enynes has been presented for the first time, which affords an efficient transformation to access halo- and ...CF3-containing tetrasubstituted allene derivatives with good to excellent yield. This protocol is practical and convenient, in which a wide range of functional groups are compatible. Applications of this method for the gram-scale preparation and late-stage functionalization of biologically active molecules are also demonstrated.
With Ph3P+CF2COO– or TMSCF2Br as the difluorocarbene sources, a facile metal-free cycloaddition between heteroconjugated alkenes and difluorocarbene was developed for the highly convergent synthesis ...of novel difluorinated heterocyclics, including gem-difluorinated azetidines and 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans. The cycloaddition features high reactivity and regioselectivity, as well as good tolerance of various electron-donating or electron-withdrawing substituents on azaheptafulvenes and o-quinone methides.
