7 research outputs found
Lithium Ion Nanocarriers Self-Assembled from Amphiphiles with Aggregation-Induced Emission Activity
Lithium
salts are extensively used to treat diseases such as bipolar
disorder or chronic reduction, but they often trigger undesirable
side effects in patients due to the accumulation of lithium ions in
peripheral organs. A conventional strategy for fabricating nanocarriers
is not applicable to lithium ions because of their difficulty in binding
firmly to molecules in water and easy leakage due to their small size
and high water solubility. We report here the successful fabrication
of lithium ion nanocarriers in water with an amphiphile containing
two ethylene oxide tetramers attached to a hydrophobic core showing
aggregation-induced light emission (AIE). The amphiphile self-assembles
into fluorescent spherical aggregates in water. Lithium ions are loaded
into the spherical aggregates by binding to the ethylene oxide tetramer.
This nanocarrier can enter cells facilely via an endocytosis process
and does not affect the cell viability at concentrations of up to
100 μM. Moreover, the self-imaging ability of the nanocarriers
can be used to track the location of lithium-based drugs. We expect
that this strategy of fabricating lithium nanocarriers will pave the
way for reducing the practical doses of lithium salt that are used
in clinical therapy
Coordination-Triggered Hierarchical Folate/Zinc Supramolecular Hydrogels Leading to Printable Biomaterials
Printable hydrogels
desired in bioengineering have extremely high
demands on biocompatibility and mechanic strength, which can hardly
be achieved in conventional hydrogels made with biopolymers. Here,
we show that on employment of the strategy of coordination-triggered
hierarchical self-assembly of naturally occurring small-molecule folic
acid, supramolecular hydrogels with robust mechanical elastic modulus
comparable to synthetic double-network polymer gels can be made at
concentrations below 1%. A sequence of hierarchical steps are involved
in the formation of this extraordinary hydrogel: petrin rings on folate
form tetramers through hydrogen bonding, tetramers stack into nanofibers
by π–π stacking, and zinc ions cross-link the nanofibers
into larger-scale fibrils and further cross-link the fibril network
to gel water. These supramolecular qualities endow the hydrogel with
shear-thinning and instant healing ability, which makes the robust
gel injectable and printable into various three-dimensional structures.
Owing to the excellent biocompatibility, the gel can support cells
three-dimensionally and can be used as an ideal carrier for imaging
agent (Gd<sup>3+</sup>), as well as chemodrugs. In combination with
its easy formation and abundant sources, this newly discovered metallo-folate
supramolecular hydrogel is promising in various bioengineering technological
applications
A Hydrogel Electrolyte toward a Flexible Zinc-Ion Battery and Multifunctional Health Monitoring Electronics
The compact design of an environmentally adaptive battery
and effectors
forms the foundation for wearable electronics capable of time-resolved,
long-term signal monitoring. Herein, we present a one-body strategy
that utilizes a hydrogel as the ionic conductive medium for both flexible
aqueous zinc-ion batteries and wearable strain sensors. The poly(vinyl
alcohol) hydrogel network incorporates nano-SiO2 and cellulose
nanofibers (referred to as PSC) in an ethylene glycol/water mixed
solvent, balancing the mechanical properties (tensile strength of
6 MPa) and ionic diffusivity at −20 °C (2 orders of magnitude
higher than 2 M ZnCl2 electrolyte). Meanwhile, cathode
lattice breathing during the solvated Zn2+ intercalation
and dendritic Zn protrusion at the anode interface are mitigated.
Besides the robust cyclability of the Zn∥PSC∥V2O5 prototype within a wide temperature range (from −20
to 80 °C), this microdevice seamlessly integrates a zinc-ion
battery with a strain sensor, enabling precise monitoring of the muscle
response during dynamic body movement. By employing transmission-mode operando XRD, the self-powered sensor accurately documents
the real-time phasic evolution of the layered cathode and synchronized
strain change induced by Zn deposition, which presents a feasible
solution of health monitoring by the miniaturized electronics
A Hydrogel Electrolyte toward a Flexible Zinc-Ion Battery and Multifunctional Health Monitoring Electronics
The compact design of an environmentally adaptive battery
and effectors
forms the foundation for wearable electronics capable of time-resolved,
long-term signal monitoring. Herein, we present a one-body strategy
that utilizes a hydrogel as the ionic conductive medium for both flexible
aqueous zinc-ion batteries and wearable strain sensors. The poly(vinyl
alcohol) hydrogel network incorporates nano-SiO2 and cellulose
nanofibers (referred to as PSC) in an ethylene glycol/water mixed
solvent, balancing the mechanical properties (tensile strength of
6 MPa) and ionic diffusivity at −20 °C (2 orders of magnitude
higher than 2 M ZnCl2 electrolyte). Meanwhile, cathode
lattice breathing during the solvated Zn2+ intercalation
and dendritic Zn protrusion at the anode interface are mitigated.
Besides the robust cyclability of the Zn∥PSC∥V2O5 prototype within a wide temperature range (from −20
to 80 °C), this microdevice seamlessly integrates a zinc-ion
battery with a strain sensor, enabling precise monitoring of the muscle
response during dynamic body movement. By employing transmission-mode operando XRD, the self-powered sensor accurately documents
the real-time phasic evolution of the layered cathode and synchronized
strain change induced by Zn deposition, which presents a feasible
solution of health monitoring by the miniaturized electronics
A Hydrogel Electrolyte toward a Flexible Zinc-Ion Battery and Multifunctional Health Monitoring Electronics
The compact design of an environmentally adaptive battery
and effectors
forms the foundation for wearable electronics capable of time-resolved,
long-term signal monitoring. Herein, we present a one-body strategy
that utilizes a hydrogel as the ionic conductive medium for both flexible
aqueous zinc-ion batteries and wearable strain sensors. The poly(vinyl
alcohol) hydrogel network incorporates nano-SiO2 and cellulose
nanofibers (referred to as PSC) in an ethylene glycol/water mixed
solvent, balancing the mechanical properties (tensile strength of
6 MPa) and ionic diffusivity at −20 °C (2 orders of magnitude
higher than 2 M ZnCl2 electrolyte). Meanwhile, cathode
lattice breathing during the solvated Zn2+ intercalation
and dendritic Zn protrusion at the anode interface are mitigated.
Besides the robust cyclability of the Zn∥PSC∥V2O5 prototype within a wide temperature range (from −20
to 80 °C), this microdevice seamlessly integrates a zinc-ion
battery with a strain sensor, enabling precise monitoring of the muscle
response during dynamic body movement. By employing transmission-mode operando XRD, the self-powered sensor accurately documents
the real-time phasic evolution of the layered cathode and synchronized
strain change induced by Zn deposition, which presents a feasible
solution of health monitoring by the miniaturized electronics
Self-Assembly-Triggered Cis-to-Trans Conversion of Azobenzene Compounds
Cis-to-trans transition
of azobenzene compounds usually occurs
under appropriate light irradiation or slow thermal relaxation, and
one can hardly obtain complete cis-to-trans transition of azos due
to the overlap of the <i>n-Ï€*</i> transition of the
trans and the cis isomers. We show that by viewing the photostationary
state as a chemical equilibrium between the cis and trans isomers,
triggered self-assembly of the trans isomers can promote the cis-to-trans
transition, and trans azos with spectrum-grade purity can even be
achieved using an elegantly designed coordinating azo. This work establishes
a new paradigm for manipulating the cis-to-trans transition of azo
compounds, which may inspire designs for various azo-based advanced
materials
Allosteric Self-Assembly of Coordinating Terthiophene Amphiphile for Triggered Light Harvesting
Allosteric
regulation is extensively employed by nature to achieve functional
control of protein or deoxyribonucleic acid through triggered conformational
change at a remote site. We report that a similar strategy can be
utilized in artificial self-assembly to control the self-assembled
structure and its function. We show that on binding of metal ions
to the headgroup of an amphiphile TTC4L, the conformational change
may lead to change of the dipole orientation of the energy donor at
the chain end. This on the one hand leads to a drastically different
self-assembled structure; on the other hand, it enables light harvesting
between the donor–acceptor. Because the Forster resonance fluorescence
transfer efficiency is gated by metal ions, controlling the feeding
of metal ions allows switching on and off of light harvesting. We
expect that using allosteric self-assembly, we will be able to create
abundant structures with distinct function from limited molecules,
which show prominent potential for the postorganic modification of
the structure and function of self-assembled materials