Journals
2026 EN
Huang Lizhen · Wu Zhuotong · Shuai Li
ABSTRACT Lignin, as one of the most abundant natural aromatic polymers, holds significant promise for high‐value applications; however, its inherent dark coloration poses a major constraint for such uses. In this review, we systematically examine the key factors contributing to lignin's color, with a focus on structural alterations during extraction, the formation of chromophores, and the influence of molecular weight and morphology. We then provide a comprehensive overview of current decolorization strategies, including oxidative bleaching, hydroxyl shielding modification, physical methods, and biomass fractionation techniques. This review offers a detailed summary of both the mechanisms underlying lignin coloration and recent advances in decolorization, thereby providing valuable guidance for the optimization of whitening processes and facilitating the advanced utilization of lignin.
Journals
2026 EN
Xiao Daiwen · Kai HeiYui · Wong KaLeung
+4 more
ABSTRACT The electronic spectra and luminescence decay measurements at room temperature (RT) and 77 K have been recorded for pristine hexagonal and cubic CsCdCl 3 and for this material doped with Mn 2+ or Fe 3+ . First‐principles calculations have been performed in order to rationalize the results. The RT visible emission broad band of hexagonal CsCdCl 3 is due to [MnCl 6 ] 4− emission at two different Cd 2+ sites. On cooling below RT, the Mn 2+ emission weakens in intensity, and variable intensity near‐ultraviolet emission bands are assigned to spin‐orbit coupling mixed singlet and triplet 1 D 2 , 3 D 3,2,1 (4 d 9 5 s 1 ) → 1 A 1g (4 d 10 ) ( O h ) transitions at C 3v and D 3d sites of Cd 2+ . Pristine cubic CsCdCl 3 exhibits two weak RT emission bands associated with tetrahedral and octahedral Mn 2+ impurity. Doping hexagonal CsCdCl 3 with Fe 3+ does not produce additional visible emissions and leads to quenching of Cd 2+ emissions below RT. Very weak infrared emission from Fe 3+ is observed. The thermoluminescence of cubic and hexagonal CsCdCl 3 is weak, but long‐lasting persistent luminescence is obtained upon Mn 2+ doping at a several percent level. Optical applications for anti‐counterfeiting and information encryption are suggested.
Journals
2026 EN
Li Yue · Yang Yuye · Zhang Huiying
+13 more
ABSTRACT Diabetic ulcers (DUs), a severe complication of diabetes, are characterized by impaired wound healing and contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. A key pathological driver is the persistent accumulation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which extend inflammation and tissue damage; however, appropriate therapeutic strategies to resolve NETs remain underdeveloped. We engineered a self‐assembled nanocomplex, O/DNase‐I, through structural and functional integration of oligomerized epigallocatechin gallate (OEGCG) and deoxyribonuclease‐I (DNase‐I). Its functionality was systematically evaluated in vitro and in a diabetic murine wound model using molecular and histological analyses. The O/DNase‐I nanocomplex simultaneously eliminates existing NETs via DNase‐I‐mediated DNA hydrolysis and suppresses further NET formation through OEGCG. This synergistic action robustly cleared NETs, mitigated pro‐inflammatory signaling, and critically, promoted a reparative immune microenvironment by driving M2 macrophage polarization, ultimately accelerating diabetic wound closure in vivo. This study not only validates O/DNase‐I as a potent therapeutic approach for diabetic wound management but also establishes a novel supramolecular strategy for targeting dysregulated inflammation, with broad potential applications in other NET‐associated pathologies.
Journals
2026 EN
Zhu YuJie · An GuangYu · Yu Yang
ABSTRACT Supramolecular aggregates, formed through the highly directional and reversible noncovalent assembly of building blocks, represent a cornerstone of modern materials science, enabling the creation of complex architectures with emergent properties. Among the diverse molecular platforms available, resorcin[4]arene‐derived cavitands have emerged as particularly powerful building units due to their intrinsic concave cavity, tunable geometry, and versatile functionalization capacity. This review highlights recent progress in the construction of functional supramolecular aggregates based on resorcin[4]arene cavitands, with a focus on their assembly strategies and wide‐ranging applications. The review systematically covers several key types of aggregate systems: porous coordination aggregates (e.g., metal‐organic frameworks [MOFs]) with stimuli‐responsive properties, dynamic polymeric aggregates exhibiting self‐healing behavior, sensing aggregates enabling differential detection, and therapeutic aggregates for combination therapy. These systems are unified by their exploitation of cavitands’ unique host‐guest chemistry and their ability to form well‐defined superstructures through various noncovalent interactions. We emphasize how the precise manipulation of cavitand structure directs the assembly process and dictates the functional output of the resulting aggregates. Finally, we outline current challenges and future opportunities in this field, highlighting the potential of cavitand‐based aggregates to enable next‐generation technologies in sensing, catalysis, biomedicine, and energy materials. This review is expected to provide valuable insights and inspiration for researchers working in supramolecular chemistry and aggregate science. The construction of supramolecular aggregates triggered by macrocycles has become a thriving area of supramolecular chemistry. In this context, resorcinarene cavitands, a class of macrocyclic receptors with intrinsic cavities, have been drawn into the limelight because of their advantages, such as the concave‐shaped structure, adjustable cavity size, favorable host‐guest behavior, and ease of functionalization. They can induce organic and inorganic molecules to self‐assemble into supramolecular aggregates through various bonding modes, including hydrophobic interactions, metal‐ligand coordination, van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, π‐π stacking, and amphiphilic interactions. This minireview focuses on some representative resorcinarene cavitand‐based assembly aggregates, including microporous MOFs, supramolecular polymers, sensor arrays, and multifunctional nanodrugs. Each section highlights recent advancements, structural characteristics, and functional applications of these aggregate systems. This review will provide useful information for researchers working on not only cavitand chemistry but also the chemistry of other macrocyclic hosts, and it will inspire new discoveries in the field of supramolecular assemblies and systems containing macrocyclic hosts.
Journals
2026 EN
Mao Huiting · Ge Xinqi · Guo Jiahui
+5 more
ABSTRACT Aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) have become a vital class of functional materials for optoelectronic and biomedical applications. Extending AIE behavior from single‐component to two‐component systems opens a new avenue for modulating emission through intermolecular interactions, yet it also introduces substantial complexity in understanding and controlling the aggregation process. In particular, elucidating how multicomponent molecular packing governs macroscopic photophysical behavior remains a central challenge. Herein, we constructed four distinct charge‐transfer (CT) cocrystals through the coassembly of electron‐rich dibenzo‐heterocyclic donors and electron‐deficient 1,2,4,5‐tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) acceptors. The cocrystallization process allows precise manipulation of the dynamic aggregation pathway by tuning the DMSO/H 2 O ratio. Intriguingly, the morphology evolves from amorphous aggregates to rod‐like and finally to needle‐like microcrystals, showing a nonmonotonic size variation with increasing water content, accompanied by a gradual enhancement of fluorescence intensity. The four CT complexes exhibit wide emission tunability from green to orange‐red, and notably, the AIE‐active DBT/TCNB pair enables a practical demonstration in water‐jet rewritable encryption paper. Overall, this work establishes a simple yet effective paradigm for designing high‐performance solid‐state emitters, while unveiling fundamental principles that govern the controllable molecular assembly in multicomponent luminescent systems.
Journals
2026 EN
Zhang Yushan · Dou Beiji · Li Sha
+5 more
ABSTRACT Gel‐based room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials have garnered significant attention due to their promising applications in flexible electronics and photonics. However, the inherent swollen state and porous architecture of such gels often promote intense molecular motion and facilitate oxygen diffusion, which can severely quench phosphorescence under ambient conditions. In this work, we report a versatile strategy for constructing high‐performance organic RTP materials by leveraging organic aerogels, which exhibit superior luminescent, mechanical, and thermal properties. Owing to their structural advantages, these organic aerogels possess a three‐dimensional rigid framework that enhances intersystem crossing (ISC) efficiency and promotes multiple intermolecular interactions, thereby enabling efficient RTP with an ultralong phosphorescent lifetime of up to 1007 ms. Notably, the resulting RTP aerogels demonstrate exceptional structural robustness (compression modulus of 1 MPa), excellent thermal insulation (peak heat release rate reduced to 31.1 kW/m 2 ), and outstanding flame retardancy (limiting oxygen index exceeding 90%), positioning them among the most multifunctional organic aerogels reported to date. Given their balanced combination of RTP performance, mechanical resilience, and thermal stability, these phosphorescent aerogels represent a highly promising platform for the development of advanced, multifunctional organic RTP materials.
Journals
2026 EN
Xu Wei · Luo Wen · Liu Xiaodong
+14 more
ABSTRACT Active sites in proteins account for a small proportion but are crucial for their enhanced binding affinity and specificity, making related biomimetic structures a research hotspot. However, current structures greatly depended on rigid inorganic frameworks for high‐certainty assembly, which introduced interfering inorganic groups and interactions not present in proteins. To address this, we utilized organic crystal rigidity to achieve high‐certainty assembly conformations. Thus periodic active sites at crystal interface can be precisely assembled by pure organic units. Our three‐step strategy for designing artificial super‐receptors includes: (1) Learning active site model from proteins; (2) Imitating active sites in crystal cell unit; (3) Exceeding natural performance with periodic active sites at the crystal interface. Practically, by mimicking the human dopamine transporter (amphetamine drug receptor), our artificial super‐receptor acted as super‐sensor. It achieved a limit of detection down to 480 pM, 64,580 times lower than the natural receptor. It also showed revolutionary broad‐spectrum specificity for amphetamine drugs, including chiral methamphetamine, ecstasy, and even potential novel amphetamine derivative illicit drugs, allowing active preventing detection for the drug abuse problem. The customized designing strategy was also validated by high dopamine sensitivity (2.8 nM) and selectivity of d‐DAT inspired PySO 3 H artificial super‐receptor. Such strategy can be further extended to other functional proteins for various super‐performance, from sensor, catalyst, medicine, agriculture to therapeutic applications, etc.
Journals
2026 EN
Sha Jiayao · Wang Yiting · Zhang Zhaoguang
+6 more
ABSTRACT To overcome the intrinsic drawbacks of conventional viologens, such as slow optical response and poor radical stability, we synthesized a series of viologen derivatives ( BTV , NTV , and STV ) by incorporating thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole units into bipyridine cores, followed by N ‐substitution with benzyl, naphthylmethyl, and propanesulfonate groups. These derivatives self‐assemble into donor–acceptor ion‐pair charge‐transfer organic nanoparticles (IPCT‐ONs) that exhibit redshifted UV–Vis absorption and fluorescence emission, thereby extending the visible‐light response. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and DFT results confirmed electron transfer from tetraphenylborate anions to viologen moieties. The IPCT‐ONs display rapid and reversible photochromism, with distinct color transitions occurring within 30 s under 365 nm irradiation in an Ar atmosphere ( BTV / NTV : yellow → green → blue; STV : yellow → purple), which remain effective even when embedded in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films. They demonstrate dual‐mode amine sensing, wherein ethylenediamine induces both a colorimetric shift (yellow → blue–violet) and fluorescence quenching at 470 nm, enabling sensitive and selective detection of toxic amines. Additionally, this IPCT nanoparticle platform offers applications in real‐time light intensity monitoring, anti‐counterfeiting measures, and ink‐free printing.
Journals
2026 EN
Li HongRen · Hu YuLin · Zhu MengYao
+6 more
ABSTRACT Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL)‐active nanoclusters hold great promise for advanced photonic applications, yet the improvement of the | g lum | has always been the core challenge in this field for a long time. Herein, we report the enantiomeric pairs of homometallic cationic ( R/S )‐[Ag 21 (S 2 PO 2 C 17 H 14 ) 12 ] + ( R/S ‐Ag 21 ) and heterometallic neutral ( R/S )‐[PtAg 20 (S 2 PO 2 C 17 H 14 ) 12 ] ( R/S ‐PtAg 20 ) clusters stabilized by a bis‐thiophosphinate spiro ligand and featuring eight free electrons. R/S ‐Ag 21 exhibits a single emission with a | g lum | value of 4.7 × 10 −4 , whereas R/S ‐PtAg 20 with only one atom changed exhibits visible‐near‐infrared (NIR) dual emission CPL behavior, with a visible‐light emission | g lum | value of 6.4 × 10 −4 and an NIR emission | g lum | value of 1.3 × 10 −2 —among the highest reported for metal clusters. Research has revealed that the luminescence of R/S ‐PtAg 20 originates from two independent triplet excited states: a core‐based charge transfer (CT) state and a ligand‐to‐core CT state, which are bridged by a direct CT process mediated by ligand vibrations. The high | g lum | value of R/S ‐PtAg 20 in the NIR region stems from the strong correlation between its electronic cloud and the peripheral chiral ligands. Furthermore, guest‐induced modulation of ligand rigidity enables tunable emission modes—visible‐only, NIR‐only, or dual‐visible‐NIR. This work presents a novel strategy for constructing DECPL‐active metal clusters, offering fundamental insights into the design principles governing CPL efficiency and paving the way for multifunctional photonic systems, such as optical encryption.
Journals
2026 EN
Chen Xiang · Zhang Qiang · Yin Zhuojie
+2 more
ABSTRACT Intrinsic milk photoluminescence (PL), though empirically observed, remains insufficiently explored in terms of mechanism and application. This work illustrates the general dual‐emission characteristics of milk and elucidates their distinct origin: blue emission at 390–460 nm from casein and whey protein aggregates via clustering‐triggered emission and yellow‐green emission at around 530 nm from riboflavin. Crucially, microbial metabolism during spoilage induces pronounced physicochemical transformations: lactic acid accumulation that drops the pH from 6.69 to 4.79 within 72 h, extensive protein degradation with a 200‐fold increase in free proline, and colloidal reorganization from uniform particles to polydisperse aggregates. These changes dynamically modulate PL signatures: early‐stage (<12 h) riboflavin decay induces blueshifted emission, while advanced spoilage (24–72 h) disrupts protein aggregation, reducing quantum yield( Φ it\Phi )$ by >80% and further blueshifting the emission toward the blue‐violet region. Exploiting this correlation, we establish a dual‐mode milk freshness assessment strategy: (1) visual colorimetry under 365 nm UV excitation, where fresh milk appears bright yellow‐green and spoiled milk turns dim blue, and (2) quantitativeln ( Φ ln (\it\Phi scaling that differentiates fresh samples above 3.5 from spoiled samples below 2.4. Validated against physicochemical benchmarks, this noncontact strategy enables real‐time, field‐deployable milk quality visualization for supply chain and consumer applications. This study not only reveals the underlying mechanism of milk luminescence but also provides a facile dual‐mode approach for rapid quality assessment.