Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Aida Lopez Ruiz, Ann Ramirez, Kathleen McEnnis
Summary: Polymers that can respond to external or internal stimuli have become a promising platform for drug delivery systems. Polymeric nanoparticles can enhance drug efficacy by decreasing toxicity and improving circulation. This review explores the different stimuli used for controlled drug delivery and emphasizes the importance of incorporating specific chemical structures into polymers.
Article
Polymer Science
Yong-Fu Li, Wen-Li Guan, Chun-Yu Wang, Yan Wang, Qi Lin, Ying-Wei Yang
Summary: A metallosupramolecular polymer network (DSPy subset of SHP5@Zn) was constructed by hierarchical self-assembly of a double-armed pillar[5]arene host (SHP5), a ditopic guest (DSPy), and Zn2+ ions, with host-guest recognition and metal-ligand coordination interactions playing a crucial role. The DSPy subset of SHP5@Zn assembly exhibits reversible sol-gel transition properties in response to various external stimuli, making it an excellent candidate for constructing smart gels. In addition, it can be used as a highly selective dual-channel sensor for OH anions, facilitating the development of a convenient test kit for OH sensing.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chunchun Liang, Mengwei Li, Yulan Chen
Summary: This study reports a series of amphiphilic diazapyrenes that exhibit switchable fluorescence under mechanical force or water vapor stimulation. Through comprehensive studies of their photophysical properties, a stimuli-induced excimer-based sensing mechanism was revealed, and the relationship between molecular structures and optical responsive properties was illustrated. The unique fluorescent, stimuli-responsive behaviors of these compounds in the solid state were used to create sensory films for sensing mechanical force and water vapor, showing potential applications in biocompatible force sensors, data storage, and humidity sensors.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dengshuai Wei, Yong Sun, Hu Zhu, Qinrui Fu
Summary: Stimuli-responsive polymers have been widely used in biomedical applications due to their ability to respond to internal and external stimuli. In the context of the tumor microenvironment, these polymers are used to prepare smart nanovehicles for targeted drug delivery. TME-responsive nanosystems offer many advantages over conventional drug delivery systems, leading to significant advances in cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yu Liu, Linlin Zhao, Li Zhao, Bo Xu, Ce Wang, Shuangyang Li, Baocai Xu
Summary: This study reports the formation of a multi-stimuli-responsive supramolecular hydrogel through the self-assembly of an oxidized glutathione derivative. The hydrogels exhibit fibrous structures and demonstrate thermo-sensitivity, redox-responsiveness, and light-responsiveness.
Article
Polymer Science
Rongrong Yuan, Meiyu Zhang, Hao Sun
Summary: A porous azo-functionalized organic polymer (JJU-2) was synthesized via oxidative coupling polymerization. JJU-2 showed reversible stimuli-responsive CO2 adsorption properties due to the trans/cis isomerization of its azo-functionalized skeleton. The material exhibited different porous structures and CO2 adsorption properties under UV irradiation and heat treatment. The CO2 uptake remained nearly constant over three cycles of alternating external stimuli, making JJU-2 a potential carbon capture material.
Article
Polymer Science
Juanjuan Wang, Xue Han, Haipeng Ji, Conghua Lu
Summary: The study explores the photosoftening effect in azobenzene-polymer supramolecular complexes using a light-associated surface wrinkling-based method. It reveals the pattern of photo-induced modulus decrease and systematically investigates the relationship between photosoftening and azo-moiety content, as well as the molecular weight of the host polymer. The introduction of a photosoftening coefficient related to the chemical composition/structure of azo-polymers and a formula to quantify the connection between photosoftening and external irradiation conditions and internal chemical factors of azo-polymers are significant findings.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dalei Wang, Xiaoxia Han, Bin Dong, Feng Shi
Summary: In the past decade, there have been significant advances in the field of micromotors, especially in the development of stimuli-responsive polymer based micromotors. These micromotors show unprecedented properties and have potential applications in various fields.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bhargavi Bhat, Silabrata Pahari, Joseph Sang-Il Kwon, Mustafa E. S. Akbulut
Summary: Stimuli responsive viscosity modifiers are important materials that can form smart materials using stimuli such as pH, temperature, light, and salinity. They have been extensively used in biomedical, energy, and automobile industries, playing roles in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and enhanced oil recovery. This article provides an overview of different structures capable of viscosity modification and the rheological theory associated with classical systems. It also presents five primary mechanisms for stimuli responsive viscosity modification and explores examples from literature that utilize these concepts to create novel structures with intriguing rheological properties.
ADVANCES IN COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junhao Jing, Jie Qi, Yang Yang, Wenjian Yue, Na Wang, Xiaojiang Li, Hongsheng Lu
Summary: Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs) have been used in colloidal systems such as microemulsions. This study developed CO2-responsive HDES by bonding menthol and indole. The HDES-based microemulsion demonstrated CO2 and temperature responsiveness, and the droplet size in the homogeneous phase region could be adjusted by temperature.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Jin Li, Xiaojing Lv, Ling Zhang, Menglong Feng, Mi Ouyang, Chunyan Liu, Minao Xia, Cheng Zhang
Summary: In this work, quinacridone-based monomers were synthesized and their polymers were prepared by electrochemical polymerization. The resulting polymers exhibited multicolored electrochromic properties and multiple stimuli-responsive behaviors. The flexible long alkyl chains played a crucial role in the stimuli-responsive behaviors.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zexing Deng, Rui Yu, Baolin Guo
Summary: Stimuli-responsive conductive hydrogels, combining the advantages of conductive polymers, carbon nanomaterials, metals, and conductive ionic compounds, have emerged as a new concept in the field of hydrogel research. These hydrogels can respond to various stimuli such as temperature, pH, light, magnetic fields, and electrical fields, and have a wide range of applications in sensors, electronic devices, drug release, wound healing, photothermal therapy, tissue engineering, and cell delivery. Various issues still need to be addressed, and future directions for the development of new types of stimuli-responsive conductive hydrogels are proposed in this review.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hongyue Wang, Lin Wang, Shasha Guo, Zehao Liu, Luqing Zhao, Renzhong Qiao, Chao Li
Summary: An active flavonoid compound, rutin, was incorporated into a guanosine phenylborate hydrogel (GBR) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The hydrogel exhibited good stability and injectability, and achieved dual-responsive release in an acidic pH and excessive ROS-containing medium. In vivo studies showed that the GBR hydrogel had higher therapeutic efficacy than free rutin and could suppress the expression of inflammatory cytokines.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Keigo Tashiro, Kosuke Katayama, Kenta Tamaki, Luca Pesce, Nobutaka Shimizu, Hideaki Takagi, Rie Haruki, Martin J. Hollamby, Giovanni M. Pavan, Shiki Yagai
Summary: The research explores the feasibility of using external stimuli to induce non-uniform structural transformation of supramolecular polymer chains for the preparation of one-dimensional nanofibers with distinct topological domains. UV-light induced nonuniform unfolding of the newly prepared helically folded supramolecular polymers, resulting in topological block copolymers consisting of folded and unfolded domains.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Pooyan Makvandi, Rezvan Jamaledin, Guojun Chen, Zahra Baghbantaraghdari, Ehsan Nazarzadeh Zare, Concetta Di Natale, Valentina Onesto, Raffaele Vecchione, Jesse Lee, Franklin R. Tay, Paolo Netti, Virgilio Mattoli, Ana Jaklenec, Zhen Gu, Robert Langer
Summary: Microneedle (MN) patches, made up of miniature needles, have emerged as a promising tool for minimally invasive translocation of biomolecules into the dermis. Stimuli-responsive MN patches are a new drug delivery system that can release cargos in response to internal or external triggers, with various mechanisms of action for different indications. Future opportunities and challenges in clinical translation are also discussed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Youwei Ma, Xuesong Jiang, Jie Yin, Christoph Weder, Jose Augusto Berrocal, Zixing Shi
Summary: Chemical upcycling of polymers has become an emerging strategy to convert post-consumer waste into valuable chemicals and materials. However, due to the high stability of the chemical bonds in many polymers, their chemical modification is often challenging. In this study, a versatile approach for the upcycling of linear and cross-linked polyureas was developed using acetylacetone. The resulting compounds can be reacted with aromatic isocyanates to form highly dynamic aminoketoenamide bonds, enabling the preparation of healable and reprocessable poly(aminoketoenamide) networks through thermal treatment without any catalyst.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
M. C. Peters, B. P. T. Kruithof, C. V. C. Bouten, I. K. Voets, A. van den Bogaerdt, M. J. Goumans, A. van Wijk
Summary: Valvular heart disease affects a significant number of new-borns with congenital heart disease and treatment options like valve replacement have limitations. This study explores the potential impact of donor valve preservation on developing a more viable valve alternative for children or young adults.
CELL AND TISSUE BANKING
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Christian C. M. Sproncken, Berta Gumi-Audenis, Sanam Foroutanparsa, Jose Rodrigo Magana, Ilja K. Voets
Summary: By modulating the pH, weak polyelectrolytes can be complexed to achieve temporal control over their coassembly. In this study, oppositely charged poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(sodium methacrylate) were mixed in a (bi)sulfite buffer, resulting in the formation of nanoscopic complex coacervates. The addition of formaldehyde triggered the formaldehyde-sulfite clock reaction, which affected the polyelectrolyte assembly by changing their charge density and inducing chemical modifications on the polymer. Interestingly, core-shell polymeric nanoparticles were produced, which remained colloidally stable for months.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Sanam Foroutanparsa, Mariska Bruls, C. Elizabeth P. Maljaars, Roderick P. Tas, Ilja K. Voets
Summary: The acid-induced destabilization of casein micelles leads to milk coagulation, which is important for yogurt formation. The resulting protein network is formed by the aggregation and reconfiguration of casein micelles, with the release of a portion of caseins. The organization and distribution of individual alpha s1- and beta-caseins within this complex network and their dependence on yogurt composition and processing are still unknown.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Mario Bragaglia, Lorenzo Paleari, Jose Augusto Berrocal, Francesca R. R. Lamastra, Francesca Nanni
Summary: This article aims to realize a sustainable rubber compound by utilizing waste chewing gum (WCG) as a source of rubber and incorporating it into a compound made of ethylene propylene diene monomer in order to achieve a circular economy and eco-friendly rubber manufacturing. The addition of WCG modifies the rheological properties of the rubber compound, leading to improved filler-filler and filler-matrix interaction. Although the presence of both PVAc and PIB in the WCG-derived rubber results in lower mechanical properties, it also increases self-adhesion and reduces the glass transition temperature, allowing for usage at lower temperatures due to its good tack behavior.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wouter P. van den Akker, Hanglong Wu, Pascal L. W. Welzen, Heiner Friedrich, Loai K. E. A. Abdelmohsen, Rolf A. T. M. van Benthem, Ilja K. Voets, Jan C. M. van Hest
Summary: We constructed pH-responsive bicontinuous nanospheres (BCNs) with nonlinear transient permeability and catalytic activity. These BCNs were made from amphiphilic block copolymers containing pH-responsive groups and loaded with the enzymes urease and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The transient membrane permeability switch was achieved through the pH-increasing effect of urease, resulting in a dampening behavior of the catalytic output of HRP upon addition of urea.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Bas W. A. Boegels, Bichlien H. Nguyen, David Ward, Levena Gascoigne, David P. Schrijver, Anna-Maria Makri Pistikou, Alex Joesaar, Shuo Yang, Ilja K. Voets, Willem J. M. Mulder, Andrew Phillips, Stephen Mann, Georg Seelig, Karin Strauss, Yuan-Jyue Chen, Tom F. A. de Greef
Summary: DNA, as a data storage medium, has the advantages of durability and high information density. This study proposes a thermoconfined polymerase chain reaction technology that enables multiplexed, repeated random access to DNA files within microcapsules. The technology utilizes biotin-functionalized oligonucleotides localized inside thermoresponsive, semipermeable microcapsules, which are permeable at low temperatures and prevent molecular crosstalk during amplification at high temperatures. The results show that this technology outperforms non-compartmentalized DNA storage, reducing amplification bias and enabling sample pooling and data retrieval by microcapsule barcoding. Therefore, the thermoresponsive microcapsule technology provides a scalable, sequence-agnostic approach for repeated random access to archival DNA files.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Elisabetta Botticelli, Claudia Guerriero, Sergio Fucile, Maria Egle De Stefano, Carlo Matera, Clelia Dallanoce, Marco De Amici, Ada Maria Tata
Summary: In this study, the signal transduction pathways and effects of a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in Schwann cells (SCs) after peripheral nerve injury were investigated. It was found that activation of a7 nAChRs enhanced mTORC1 activity through non-canonical pathways, leading to upregulation of c-Jun expression and promotion of SC migration.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Youwei Ma, Xuesong Jiang, Zixing Shi, Jose Augusto Berrocal, Christoph Weder
Summary: A study is conducted on vinylogous urethane (VU) vitrimers synthesized from bis-polyethylene glycol acetoacetates (aPEG) and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, which can be degraded by water at moderate temperature with almost quantitative recovery of aPEG. The rate of depolymerization can be controlled by temperature, water amount, molecular weight of aPEG, and composition of the starting material, which also allows customization of the mechanical properties of the final materials.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Carlo Matera, Claudio Papotto, Clelia Dallanoce, Marco De Amici
Summary: In the past decade, there have been significant advancements in the study of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), including improved structural techniques, identification of ligands interacting with the receptors, better understanding of receptor subtypes and their therapeutic potential, and development of novel pharmacological agents.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Teodora Andrian, Yolanda Muela, Lidia Delgado, Lorenzo Albertazzi, Silvia Pujals
Summary: Nanoparticles are currently used to deliver therapeutic cargos specifically to target sites, but the lack of precise localization and quantification methods hinders further improvement. In this study, a correlative light and electron microscopy method combining direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy and transmission electron microscopy was proposed to address this issue. This method allows for the precise localization of individual fluorescently-labelled nanoparticles within cellular compartments and provides important information on nanoparticle trafficking.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pradip Das, Silvia Pujals, Lamiaa M. A. Ali, Magali Gary-Bobo, Lorenzo Albertazzi, Jean-Olivier Durand
Summary: In this study, the degradation of biodegradable periodic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (nanoPMOs) triggered by glutathione and the multivalency of antibody-conjugated nanoPMOs were quantified using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM). The impact of these properties on cancer cell targeting, drug loading and release capability, and anticancer activity were also investigated. The higher spatial resolution of dSTORM imaging enabled the characterization of structural properties of fluorescent and biodegradable nanoPMOs. The quantification of nanoPMOs' biodegradation using dSTORM imaging demonstrated their excellent structure-dependent degradation behavior at a higher glutathione concentration. The surface functionality of anti-M6PR antibody-conjugated nanoPMOs, as quantified by dSTORM imaging, played a key role in prostate cancer cell labeling and the higher biodegradability and cancer cell-targeting properties of nanorods conjugated with oriented antibody effectively delivered the anticancer drug doxorubicin to cancer cells, exhibiting potent anticancer effects.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marrit M. E. Tholen, Roderick P. Tas, Yuyang Wang, Lorenzo Albertazzi
Summary: In the last decade, point accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (PAINT) has become a versatile tool for single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM). Currently, DNA-PAINT is widely used to reconstruct specific characteristics of biological or synthetic materials on a single-molecule level. However, there is a growing demand for PAINT probes that do not depend on DNA. These probes can be based on various interactions and provide complementary applications for SMLM. Researchers have been expanding the PAINT toolbox with new probes that go beyond DNA, which are discussed in this review.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ana Ortiz-Perez, Cristina Izquierdo-Lozano, Rens Meijers, Francesca Grisoni, Lorenzo Albertazzi
Summary: Barcoding is a powerful tool to distinguish multiple targets within a complex mixture and increase assay throughput. While fluorescent barcoding of microparticles is widely used, it is more challenging for nanoparticles due to their small size and heterogeneity. In this study, a machine-learning-assisted workflow was developed to write, read, and classify barcoded PLGA-PEG nanoparticles at a single-particle level.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Minh Tri Nguyen, Hieu Quang Pham, Jose Augusto Berrocal, Ilja Gunkel, Ullrich Steiner
Summary: This study proposes a new electrolyte additive, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTS), to improve the commercial development of high-voltage cathode materials in Li-ion batteries. APTS stabilizes the interface between the cathode and electrolyte by forming a protective cathode layer and neutralizing detrimental components in the electrolyte. Electrochemical measurements show that the addition of 0.5 wt% APTS significantly improves the long-term cycling stability of the batteries.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)