A facile approach for the reduction of 4‑nitrophenol and degradation of congo red using gold nanoparticles or laccase decorated hybrid inorganic nanoparticles/polymer-biomacromolecules vesicles

Nanomaterial-mediated strategies for enhancing bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: A systematic review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pervasive organic pollutants in the environment that are formed as an outcome of partial combustion of organic matter. PAHs pose a significant threat to ecological systems and human health due to their cytotoxic and genotoxic effects. Therefore, an immediate need for effective PAH remediation methods is crucial. Although nanomaterials are effective for remediation of PAHs, concerns regarding environmental compatibility and sustainability remains. Therefore, this study emphasizes integration of nanomaterials with bioremediation methods, which might offer a more sustainable and ecofriendly approach to PAHs remediation. A systematic search was conducted through scholarly databases from 2013 to 2023. A total of 360 articles were scrutinized, among which 26 articles were selected that resonated with the application of nano-bioremediation. These literatures comprise both comparative analysis of bioremediation only as well as nano-bioremediation. There is an elevation of 18.9 % in PAHs removal of liquid-phase samples, when comparing bioremediation (52.2 %) with nano-bioremediation (71.1 %). A consistent trend was observed in soil samples, with bioremediation and nano-bioremediation that successfully remove PAHs, with 60.8 % and 75.1 % respectively, indicating a 14.3 % improvement. Furthermore, the review elaborated on the various features of nanomaterials that led to their efficiency in the bioremediation of PAH. The review also discussed the strategies of nano-bioremediation namely nanomaterial-assisted microbial degradation, nanomaterial-assisted enzyme-enhanced microbial activity, nanomaterial-immobilized microbial cells, nanomaterial-facilitated electron transfer, and even some eco-green approaches to remediate PAHs, like biogenic nanomaterial for PAHs.

Catalytically Active Gold Nanoparticles on Star Block Co-polymer Matrix: Synthesis of Nanocomposite Film Exploring the Langmuir-Blodgett Technique

Nanocomposites with metal nanoparticles and block copolymers distributed in a stable and robust thin film are preferred for various applications. Here, synthesis of such a nanocomposite is reported, which is composed of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) embedded in a tetronic 701 (T701) and 90R4 (T90R4) thin film matrix generated using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) thin film technique. Tetronics contain a monoprotonated central ethylenediamine group at pH 5 due to the presence of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) in the subphase, along with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) blocks, both of which have the capacity to serve as the reducing agent toward chloroaurate anion (AuCl4-). Calorimetric experiments have shown that T90R4 has a better interaction with AuCl4-, probably due to its better electrostatic interaction with AuCl4- ions due to the higher % of the hydrophilic PEO group. On the other hand, the T701-AuNP interaction turned out to be more spontaneous due to the higher hydrophobicity of T701 (higher PPO/PEO ratio). The optical properties and structure/morphology of these nanocomposites are characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, and TEM. The composite thin film has the ability to catalyze the organic electron transfer process between p-nitrophenol and p-aminophenol in the presence of sodium borohydride. A clear correlation has been found between the reaction rates and the kind of tetronic present in the nanocomposite, which acted as a matrix and stabilizer toward AuNPs.

FeCx-coated biochar nanosheets as efficient bifunctional catalyst for electrochemical detection and reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Herein, we present the exceptional performance of FeCx-coated carbon sheets (FC) derived from the pyrolysis of waste biomass as a bifunctional catalyst for electrochemical detection and catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Despite having a lower surface area, larger particle size, and lesser N content, the FC material prepared at a calcination temperature of 900 °C (FC900) outperforms the other samples. Deeper investigations revealed that the FC900 efficiently facilitates the charge transfer process and enhances the diffusion rate of 4-NP, leading to increased surface coverage of 4-NP on the surface of FC900. Additionally, relatively weaker interactions between 4-NP and FC900 allow the facile adsorption and desorption of reaction intermediates. Due to the synergetic interplay of these factors, FC900 exhibited a linear response to changes in 4-NP concentration from 1 μM to 100 μM with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 84 nM (S/N = 3) and high sensitivity of 12.15 μA μM-1 cm-2. Importantly, it selectively detects 4-NP in the presence of five times more concentrated 2-aminophenol, 4-aminophenol, catechol, resorcinol, and hydroquinone and ten times more concentrated metal salts such as Na2SO4. NaNO3, KCl, CuCl2, and CaCl2. Moreover, FC900 can accurately detect micromolar levels of 4-NP in river water with high recovery values (99.8-103.5 %). In addition, FC900 exhibited outstanding catalytic activity in reducing 4-NP to 4-aminophenol (4-AP), achieving complete conversion within 8 min with a high-rate constant of 0.42 min-1. FC900 also shows high recyclability in six consecutive catalytic reactions due to Fe magnetic property.

Pd nanoparticles embedded in nanolignin (Pd@LNP) as a water dispersible catalytic nanoreactor for Cr(VI), 4-nitrophenol reduction and CC coupling reactions

The use of water-dispersible and sustainable Pd nanocatalysts to reduce toxic heavy metal ions and catalyze important organic reactions has profound significance for the environmental remediation and the catalytic industry. In this work, a novel water-dispersible and recyclable Pd@LNPs nanoreactor composed of Pd nanoparticle cluster core and LNPs shell was developed in microwave reactor in aqueous solution. It turned out that Pd nanoparticles grew uniformly and stably inside LNPs nanosphere due to the coordinated binding and interaction between Pd and the functional groups in LNPs, which was significantly different from surface loading. The green and biodegradable LNPs nanospheres are not only used as reducing agents for Pd (II) and nanocarriers, but also act as individual nanocontainers to provide favorable sites for reactions and effectively control the entry and release of reactants and products. Furthermore, the excellent and efficient catalytic properties of Pd@LNPs were exhibited by CC coupling reactions and the reduction of Cr(VI) and 4-nitrophenol. The Pd@LNPs prepared in this study have the advantages of excellent dispersion, great recyclability, high turnover frequency and better green sustainability metrics. It will have a great significance for the development of the potential high-value of lignin and the progress in the field of bio-nanocatalysts.

Dynamic adsorption of 4-nitrophenol over shaped activated carbon produced from agriculture stones through microwave-assisted technique

The aim of current work is to develop the uptake of 4-nitrophenol from the liquid phase in a dynamic system by the shaped activated carbon produced through the microwave-assisted technique. The emphasis of research is to understand the effects of production factors on the performance of adsorbents in the dynamic adsorption. Hence, the phosphoric acid ratio, microwave irradiation power, carbonization temperature, and time were changed to identify the suitable conditions for the fabrication of granular and rod-like beds from the cherry, and date stones. It was found that the stone structure and H3PO4/waste ratio significantly affect the adsorption efficiency. The proper acid/waste ratio was determined to be 1.43, and 1.80 for the activation of cherry and date stones to achieve the maximal efficiency in which the power should be fixed at the levels of 600 and 400 W respectively. The equilibrium efficiency increases with the rise in carbonization temperature and time which should be controlled exactly to reach the maximal adsorption capacity, ~ 45 mg g-1 according to the Langmuir isotherm. Owing to the high specific surface area of shaped adsorbents, 350-450 mg g-1, the fabricated beds indicated the appropriate performance for the uptake of nitrophenol due to development of micropores, < 2 nm, in the framework of activated carbon.

Polyethylene glycol-modified mesoporous zerovalent iron nanoparticle as potential catalyst for improved reductive degradation of Congo red from wastewater

In this study, bare zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) have been modified using polyethylene glycol (PEG) of various molecular weight in a facile technique. The synthesized nZVI modified with PEG, M.W. of 600 and 6000 was denoted by nZVI-PEG₆₀₀ and nZVI-PEG₆₀₀₀, respectively, and compared their catalytic activity towards the reductive degradation of Congo red (CR) using NaBH₄.The existence of PEG layer surrounds the nZVI core was confirmed by several characterization tools, such as XRD, FTIR, FESEM and TEM. Herein, both nZVI-PEG₆₀₀ and nZVI-PEG₆₀₀₀ exhibited remarkable removal efficiencies of 89.6% and 99.2% within 14 min of reaction time. The optimum reaction parameters were found to be as follows: 0.2 g L^-1 catalyst dose and initial dye concentration of 2 × 10^-5 molL^-1 etc. Kinetic studies of dye degradation were investigated which follow pseudo-1^st-order kinetics. The TOC analysis confirmed the complete mineralization of CR dye by nZVI-PEG₆₀₀₀ nanocatalyst. GCMS analysis of plausible degraded products was performed to elucidate a probable mechanistic pathway of CR degradation. Further, we have investigated the degradation of two anionic dyes mixture, i.e., CR and methyl orange (MO) using best catalyst, i.e., nZVI-PEG₆₀₀₀.

Synthesis of mesoporous Ag/α-Fe2O3/TiO2 heterostructures with enhanced and accelerated photo/-catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is reported to originate disadvantageous effects on the human body collected from industrial pollutants; therefore, the detoxification of 4-NP in aqueous contamination is strongly recommended. In this study, the heterojunction mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ modulated with diverse Ag percentages has been constructed via a sol-gel route in the occurrence of a soft template P123. The formation of biphasic crystalline TiO₂ anatase and brookite phases has been successfully achieved with the average 10 nm particle sizes. The photo/-catalytic reduction of 4-NP has been performed utilizing NaBH₄ as a reducing agent with and without visible illumination. All Ag/Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposites exhibited significantly higher photo/-catalytic reduction efficiency than pure Fe₂O₃, TiO₂ NPs, and Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposite. 2.5% Ag/Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposite was considered the highest and superior photocatalytic reduction efficiency, and it almost achieved 98% after 9 min. Interestingly, the photocatalytic reduction of 4-NP was accelerated 9 times higher than the catalytic reduction over 2.5% Ag/Fe₂O₃/TiO₂; its rate constant value was 709 and 706 times larger than pure TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ NPs, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic reduction ability of Ag/Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposite might be referred to as significantly providing visible light absorption and a large surface area, and it can upgrade the effective separation and mobility of electron holes. The stability of the synthesized catalysts exhibited that the obtained catalysts can undergo a slight decrease in reduction efficiency after five successive cycles. This approach highlights a novel route for constructing ternary nanocomposite systems with high photo/-catalytic ability.

A systematic review on potential microbial carbohydrases: current and future perspectives

Various studies have shown that the microbial proteins are often more stable than belongs to other sources like plant and animal origin. Hence, the interest in microbial enzymes has gained much attention due to many potential applications like bioenergy, biofuel production, biobleaching, bioconversion and so on. Additionally, recent trends revealed that the interest in isolating novel microbes from harsh environments have been the main focus of many scientists for various applications. Basically, industrially important enzymes can be categorized into mainly three groups: carbohydrases, proteases, and lipases. Among those, the enzymes especially carbohydrases involved in production of sugars. Carbohydrases include amylases, xylanases, pectinases, cellulases, chitinases, mannases, laccases, ligninases, lactase, glucanase, and glucose oxidase. Thus, here, an approach has been made to highlight five enzymes namely amylase, cellulase, laccase, pectinase, and xylanase from different sources with special emphasis on their properties, mechanism, applications, production optimization, purification, molecular approaches for its enhanced and stable production, and also biotechnological perspectives of its future development. Also, green and sustainable catalytic conversion strategies using nanoparticles of these enzymes have also been discussed. This review will provide insight into the carbohydrases importance and their usefulness that will help to the researchers working in this field.

Green chemistry and first-principles theory enhance catalysis: synthesis and 6-fold catalytic activity increase of sub-5 nm Pd and Pt@Pd nanocubes

Synthesizing metal nanoparticles with fine control of size, shape and surface properties is of high interest for applications such as catalysis, nanoplasmonics, and fuel cells. In this contribution, we demonstrate that the citrate-coated surfaces of palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt)@Pd nanocubes with a lateral length <5 nm and low polydispersity in shape achieve superior catalytic properties. The synthesis achieves great control of the nanoparticle's physico-chemical properties by using only biogenic reagents and bromide ions in water while being fast, easy to perform and scalable. The role of the seed morphology is pivotal as Pt single crystal seeds are necessary to achieve low polydispersity in shape and prevent nanorods formation. In addition, electrochemical measurements demonstrate the abundancy of Pd{100} surface facets at a macroscopic level, in line with information inferred from TEM analysis. Quantum density functional theory calculations indicate that the kinetic origin of cubic Pd nanoshapes is facet-selective Pd reduction/deposition on Pd(111). Moreover, we underline both from an experimental and theoretical point of view that bromide alone does not induce nanocube formation without the synergy with formic acid. The superior performance of these highly controlled nanoparticles to perform the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol was proved: polymer-free and surfactant-free Pd nanocubes outperform state-of-the-art materials by a factor >6 and a commercial Pd/C catalyst by more than one order of magnitude.

Engineering Au Nanoclusters for Relay Luminescence Enhancement with Aggregation-Induced Emission

The research of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has been growing rapidly for the design of highly luminescent materials, as exemplified by the library of AIE-active materials (or AIEgens) fabricated and explored for diverse applications in different fields. Herein, we reported a relay luminescence enhancement of luminescent Au nanoclusters (Au NCs) through AIE. In addition, we demonstrated the emergence of reduced aggregation-caused luminescence by adjusting the temperature of the Au NC solution. The key to induce this effect is to attach a thermosensitive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) on the surface of Au NCs, which will shrink at high temperature. More interestingly, the as-synthesized Au NCs-PNIPAAm can self-assemble into vesicles, resulting in an obvious decrease in the luminescence intensity in aqueous solution. The combination of relay luminescence enhancement (by AIE) and luminescence decrease (induced by thermosensitive polymers) will be beneficial to the understanding and manipulation of the optical properties of Au NCs, paving the way for their practical applications.

Biocatalytic self-assembled synthetic vesicles and coacervates: From single compartment to artificial cells

Compartmentalization is an intrinsic feature of living cells that allows spatiotemporal control over the biochemical pathways expressed in them. Over the years, a library of compartmentalized systems has been generated, which includes nano to micrometer sized biomimetic vesicles derived from lipids, amphiphilic block copolymers, peptides, and nanoparticles. Biocatalytic vesicles have been developed using a simple bag containing enzyme design of liposomes to multienzymes immobilized multi-vesicular compartments for artificial cell generation. Additionally, enzymes were also entrapped in membrane-less coacervate droplets to mimic the cytoplasmic macromolecular crowding mechanisms. Here, we have discussed different types of single and multicompartment systems, emphasizing their recent developments as biocatalytic self-assembled structures using recent examples. Importantly, we have summarized the strategies in the development of the self-assembled structure to improvise their adaptivity and flexibility for enzyme immobilization. Finally, we have presented the use of biocatalytic assemblies in mimicking different aspects of living cells, which further carves the path for the engineering of a minimal cell.

In situ decoration of Au NPs over polydopamine encapsulated GO/Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a recyclable nanocatalyst for the reduction of nitroarenes

A new and efficient catalyst has been designed and prepared via in situ immobilization of Au NPs fabricated polydopamine (PDA)-shelled Fe3O4 nanoparticle anchored over graphene oxide (GO) (GO/Fe3O4@PDA/Au). This novel, architecturally interesting magnetic nanocomposite was fully characterized using different analytical techniques such as Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, elemental mapping, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Electron Spectroscopy. Catalytic activity of this material was successfully explored in the reduction of nitroarenes to their corresponding substituted anilines, using NaBH4 as reducing agent at ambient conditions. The most significant merits for this protocol were smooth and clean catalysis at room temperature with excellent productivity, sustainable conditions, ease of separation of catalyst from the reaction mixture by using a magnetic bar and most importantly reusability of the catalyst at least 8 times without any pre-activation, minimum loss of activity and considerable leaching.

Trends in the development of innovative nanobiocatalysts and their application in biocatalytic transformations

The ever-growing demand for cost-effective and innocuous biocatalytic transformations has prompted the rational design and development of robust biocatalytic tools. Enzyme immobilization technology lies in the formation of cooperative interactions between the tailored surface of the support and the enzyme of choice, which result in the fabrication of tremendous biocatalytic tools with desirable properties, complying with the current demands even on an industrial level. Different nanoscale materials (organic, inorganic, and green) have attracted great attention as immobilization matrices for single or multi-enzymatic systems. Aiming to unveil the potentialities of nanobiocatalytic systems, we present distinct immobilization strategies and give a thorough insight into the effect of nanosupports specific properties on the biocatalysts' structure and catalytic performance. We also highlight the development of nanobiocatalysts for their incorporation in cascade enzymatic processes and various types of batch and continuous-flow reactor systems. Remarkable emphasis is given on the application of such nanobiocatalytic tools in several biocatalytic transformations including bioremediation processes, biofuel production, and synthesis of bioactive compounds and fine chemicals for the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Preparation, Functionalization, Modification, and Applications of Nanostructured Gold: A Critical Review

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) play a significant role in science and technology because of their unique size, shape, properties and broad range of potential applications. This review focuses on the various approaches employed for the synthesis, modification and functionalization of nanostructured Au. The potential catalytic applications and their enhancement upon modification of Au nanostructures have also been discussed in detail. The present analysis also offers brief summaries of the major Au nanomaterials synthetic procedures, such as hydrothermal, solvothermal, sol-gel, direct oxidation, chemical vapor deposition, sonochemical deposition, electrochemical deposition, microwave and laser pyrolysis. Among the various strategies used for improving the catalytic performance of nanostructured Au, the modification and functionalization of nanostructured Au produced better results. Therefore, various synthesis, modification and functionalization methods employed for better catalytic outcomes of nanostructured Au have been summarized in this review.

Surface Permeability of Membrane and Catalytic Performance Based on Redox-Responsive of Hybrid Hollow Polymeric Microcapsules

"Smart" polymeric microcapsules with excellent permeability of membranes have drawn considerable attention in scientific and industrial research such as drug delivery carriers, microreactors, and artificial organelles. In this work, hybrid hollow polymeric microcapsules (HPs) containing redox-active gold-sulfide bond were prepared with bovine serum albumin, inorganic metal cluster (AuNCs), and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) conjugates by using Pickering emulsion method. HPs were transferred from water-in-oil to water-in-water by adding PEGbis(N-succinimidylsuccinate). To achieve redox-responsive membrane, the Au-S bond units incorporated into the microcapsules' membranes, allowed us to explore the effects of a new stimuli, that is, the redox Au-S bond breaking on the microcapsules' membranes. The permeability of these hybrid hollow polymeric microcapsules could be sensitively tuned via adding environment-friendly hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), resulting from a fast fracture of Au-S bond. Meanwhile, AuNCs and conjugates could depart from the microcapsules, and enhance the permeability of the membrane. Based on the excellent permeability of the membrane, phosphatase was encapsuled into HPs and p-nitrophenyl phosphate as a substrate. After adding 1 × 10-2 and 1 × 10-4 M H2O2, the catalytic efficiency was nearly 4.06 and 2.22 times higher than that of HPs in the absence of H2O2, respectively. Hence, the unique redox-responsive HPs have potential applications in biocatalytic reaction, drug delivery, and materials as well as in bioscience.

A novel Au/electroactive poly(amic acid) composite as an effective catalyst for p-nitrophenol reduction

A Au/electroactive poly(amic acid) (Au/EPAA) composite was synthesized and characterized, and its catalytic ability was evaluated. EPAA was synthesized via oxidative coupling polymerization and Au nanoparticles were anchored to the amino and carboxyl groups. The Au/EPAA composite was characterized via X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, which confirmed that the Au nanoparticles were well dispersed on the EPAA surface. p-Nitrophenol was reduced to p-aminophenol within 5 min at room temperature, with a rate constant of 0.84 min⁻¹. Cycling measurements showed that the Au/EPAA composite achieved higher than 92% conversion. The Au/EPAA composite showed excellent performance and stability as a catalyst for the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol.

The Au/EPAA composite demonstrated excellent performance and stability as a catalyst for the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol.

Carboxymethyl cellulose nanocomposite beads as super-efficient catalyst for the reduction of organic and inorganic pollutants

Carboxymethyl cellulose/copper oxide-nickel oxide (CMC/CuO-NiO) nanocomposite beads were prepared by facile, simple and environmentally friendly method. Initially, CuO-NiO was prepared and applied for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The results showed that CuO-NiO demonstrate high catalytic activity toward the reduction of 4-NP to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) with a rate constant of 2.97 × 10^-2 s^-1. Further, CuO-NiO were well-dispersed in the polymeric matrix of carboxymethyl cellulose to prepare CMC/CuO-NiO beads. CMC/CuO-NiO nanocomposite beads were also applied to catalyze the reduction of potassium ferrocyanide (K₃Fe (CN)₆), 4-NP, Congo red (CR) and Eosin yellow (EY) in the presence of sodium borohydride. Experimental data indicated that CMC/CuO-NiO nanocomposite has higher catalytic activity and high rate constant compared to CuO-NiO. The rate constant found to be 6.88 × 10^-2, 6.27 × 10^-2, 1.89 × 10^-2 and 2.43 × 10^-2 for K₃Fe(CN)₆, 4-NP, CR and EY, respectively, using 5 mg CMC/CuO-NiO beads. FE-SEM, EDX, FTER, XRD and XPS were used to characterize the nanocomposites. CMC/CuO-NiO beads catalytically reduced up to 95-99% of K₃Fe(CN)₆, 4-NP, CR and EY within 40, 60, 120 and 120 s. CMC/CuO-NiO beads were found more selective for the reduction of 4-NP. The catalytic reduction performance of CMC/CuO-NiO beads was optimized by studying the influence of different parameters on the catalytic reduction of 4-NP. Hence, the effective and super catalytic performance toward the reduction of different organic and inorganic pollutants makes CMC/CuO-NiO beads a smart material and suitable for numerous scientific and industrial applications and may be used as an alternative to high-cost commercial catalysts.

Biomimicry of Cellular Motility and Communication Based on Synthetic Soft-Architectures

Cells, sophisticated membrane-bound units that contain the fundamental molecules of life, provide a precious library for inspiration and motivation for both society and academia. Scientists from various disciplines have made great endeavors toward the understanding of the cellular evolution by engineering artificial counterparts (protocells) that mimic or initiate structural or functional cellular aspects. In this regard, several works have discussed possible building blocks, designs, functions, or dynamics that can be applied to achieve this goal. Although great progress has been made, fundamental-yet complex-behaviors such as cellular communication, responsiveness to environmental cues, and motility remain a challenge, yet to be resolved. Herein, recent efforts toward utilizing soft systems for cellular mimicry are summarized-following the main outline of cellular evolution, from basic compartmentalization, and biological reactions for energy production, to motility and communicative behaviors between artificial cell communities or between artificial and natural cell communities. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives in the field are discussed, hoping to inspire more future research and to help the further advancement of this field.

Bioinspired Protein-Based Assembling: Toward Advanced Life-Like Behaviors

The ability of living organisms to perform structure, energy, and information-related processes for molecular self-assembly through compartmentalization and chemical transformation can possibly be mimicked via artificial cell models. Recent progress in the development of various types of functional microcompartmentalized ensembles that can imitate rudimentary aspects of living cells has refocused attention on the important question of how inanimate systems can transition into living matter. Hence, herein, the most recent advances in the construction of protein-bounded microcompartments (proteinosomes), which have been exploited as a versatile synthetic chassis for integrating a wide range of functional components and biochemical machineries, are critically summarized. The techniques developed for fabricating various types of proteinosomes are discussed, focusing on the significance of how chemical information, substance transportation, enzymatic-reaction-based metabolism, and self-organization can be integrated and recursively exploited in constructed ensembles. Therefore, proteinosomes capable of exhibiting gene-directed protein synthesis, modulated membrane permeability, spatially confined membrane-gated catalytic reaction, internalized cytoskeletal-like matrix assembly, on-demand compartmentalization, and predatory-like chemical communication in artificial cell communities are specially highlighted. These developments are expected to bridge the gap between materials science and life science, and offer a theoretical foundation for developing life-inspired assembled materials toward various applications.

Synergism of transition metal (Co, Ni, Fe, Mn) nanoparticles and "active support" Fe3O4@C for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Research reports, up to date, on supports for non-noble metal catalyst focus mainly on tuning their surface functionality and increasing surface area to maximize metal loading for high catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. However, the "passive" role of these supports leads to inefficient hydride formation on the metal surface which limits catalytic activity. Herein, we present Fe₃O₄@porous-conductive carbon (Fe₃O₄@C-A) core-shell structure as an "active" support for non-noble metals (M = Co, Ni, Fe, and Mn) nanoparticles. Fe₃O₄@C-A was prepared by annealing Fe₃O₄@dense-carbon (Fe₃O₄@C) under N₂. The resultant M-Fe₃O₄@C-A catalysts show high catalytic performance at very low metal loading, while non-noble metals supported on a "passive" support (Fe₃O₄@C) shows very low activity even at high metal loading. The significant difference in catalytic activity is ascribed to the synergistic effect amongst Fe₃O₄, conductive carbon and metal nanoparticles which leads to efficient hydride formation. Amongst the prepared catalysts, Ni-Fe₃O₄@C-A and Co-Fe₃O₄@C-A show the best catalytic activity, completing 4-nitrophenol reduction within 50 s and 80 s, respectively, in the presence of NaBH₄. This result is comparable with previously reported noble-metal-based nanocomposites. In addition, Co-Fe₃O₄@C-A shows high recyclability in 5 consecutive catalytic reactions. In the broader context, our finding highlights how an "active support" together with non-noble metals can provide an efficient mechanism for hydride formation, subsequently accelerating the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Hollow Polymer Microparticles with an Open Hole on the Surface and Their Application

Compared with hollow microparticles with a completely closed shell structure, hollow polymer microparticles with an open hole on their surface have attracted considerable attention because of the obvious importance of the open hole on their surface; however, the development of a facile method to synthesize such unique open-ended hollow particles has remained a great challenge. In this study, an easy-to-use method was developed to rapidly produce monodispersed hollow and pored microparticles in high reaction yield at room temperature. The key to achieving the unusually shaped polystyrene (PS) microparticles was the use of anisotropic PS seeds. When hollow and dimpled PS seeds prepared using a modified dispersion polymerization method were dispersed in a water-toluene mixture followed by solvent evaporation under ambient conditions, they transformed into hollow PS microparticles with an open hole on their surface. A plausible mechanism for the transformation of the PS microparticles during the swelling and drying processes was proposed on the basis of our results and observations. The structural features of the hollow and pored PS microparticles motivated us to use the particles as a catalyst support. By using modified heterophase polymer dispersion processing involving the addition of a Ag precursor, hollow and pored PS microparticles covered with Ag nanocrystals were obtained on the basis of the in situ reduction of metal precursor on the surface of polymer particles. The resulting Ag nanocrystals/PS hybrid microparticles exhibited enhanced catalytic activity at low concentrations of nanocrystals and could be reused several times without loss of activity when used as catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol with sodium borohydride.

The construction of thiol-functionalized DNAsomes with small molecules response and protein release

In this work, a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) polymer (PNIPAAm) was prepared via the photoinduced reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using Ru(bpy)₃Cl₂·6H₂O as photoinitiator. The design and spontaneous assembly of thiol-functionalized DNA-Thiol/PNIPAAm polymeric capsule (DNAsomes) by water-in-oil Pickering emulsion method and effective response with small molecules (Sybr green and phenanthrene) were described. The intermediate product, DNA-Thiol/PNIPAAm conjugates and DNAsomes were characterized by using ¹H NMR, dynamic light scattering (DLS), SEM, TEM and UV-vis methods. The obtained results indicated that DNA-Thiol/PNIPAAm constructs assembled in a Pickering emulsion could produce DNA-based spherical DNAsomes with typically 3.3-267.7 μm in diameter. The DNAsomes showed a vesicle formation approximately 2 μm in diameter, resulting in phenanthrene molecule intercalating with DNAsomes. The phenomenon indicated that the DNA-Thiol/PNIPAAm conjugates may have potential applications in recognition polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules. The membrane of the DNAsomes could effective response toward small molecules such as Sybr green or phenanthrene, and DNAsomes has release capability of protein (BSA) under reductive agent glutathione (GSH). Our results highlight the potential of integrating aspects of supramolecular and polymer chemistry into the design and construction of DNA-polymeric capsule, guest molecule encapsulation, control delivery of drugs, recognition organic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and gene-directed capsule synthesis.