Classification of DNA secondary structures by combining multiple spectral techniques with machine learning.

Research progress on enantiomers detection in fermented foods.

Most of the existing carbon dot (CD)-based afterglow materials are limited to a single emission mode of either room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) or delayed fluorescence (DF), which makes it difficult to meet the application requirements of advanced anti-counterfeiting and multi-level information encryption. Therefore, the development of CD-based composite materials with multi-mode afterglow emission, long lifetime and high stability holds significant research significance and application value. In this study, long-afterglow manganese/nitrogen co-doped CDs@boric acid (BA) composites (Mn, N-CDs @BA) are successfully prepared, and their optical properties and emission mechanism are clarified. The results demonstrate that the Mn, N-CDs @BA composites exhibit wavelength-dependent dual-afterglow emission characteristics of RTP and DF. Under 254 nm ultraviolet (UV) light excitation, they exhibit DF emission with an average lifetime of 903.36 ms. Under 365 nm UV light excitation, RTP emission with an average lifetime of 354.43 ms is observed. Moreover, the afterglow color exhibits time dependence. Based on the triple emission modes (fluorescence, RTP and DF) of the Mn, N-CDs @BA composites, optical patterns were designed and fabricated, and counterfeit-resistant and unclonable anti-counterfeiting and high concealment information encryption were successfully achieved. This work develops a potentially feasible approach for next-generation advanced optical anti-counterfeiting and information encryption systems.

Early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases requires precise detection of multiple biomarkers, yet simultaneous analysis of these biomarkers without cross-talk remains a major challenge. To overcome this limitation, we developed a novel dual-zone biosensing platform capable of generating independent multimode signals for the parallel detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI, the gold-standard biomarker) and interleukin-6 (IL-6, a key inflammatory marker). This platform features two spatially resolved zones, Zone I integrates rhodamine B (RhB) with a cadmium sulfide@bismuth tungstate (CdS@Bi2WO6) composite, allowing dual-signal detection of cTnI via photoelectrochemical (PEC) and smartphone-based fluorescent (FL) methods. Zone II is functionalized with dsDNA/methylene blue (MB), enabling dual-signal detection of IL-6 through PEC and electrochemical (EC) techniques. The biosensor exhibits excellent analytical performance, including high specificity against interfering species, a broad dynamic range covering clinically relevant concentrations, and high detection sensitivity (cTnI: 1 ∼ 50,000 pg mL-1 for PEC, 10 ∼ 50,000 pg mL-1 for FL; IL-6:1 ∼ 20,000 pg mL-1 for PEC, 1 ∼ 20,000 pg mL-1 for EC.) with low limits of detection (cTnI: 0.27 pg mL-1 for PEC, 0.86 pg mL-1 for FL; IL-6:0.57 pg mL-1 for PEC, 0.65 pg mL-1 for EC.). Importantly, it maintains robust functionality in human serum and shows strong correlation with established clinical methods. This work provides a generalizable framework for developing multiplexed biosensors that combine orthogonal detection principles, effectively addressing key challenges in multicomponent bioanalysis, which is a significant advancement in the field of clinical diagnostics.

The luminescence properties of the cationic triangulenium dye ADOTA embedded in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were investigated over a broad range of temperatures. We observed extremely efficient delayed fluorescence (DF) with a lifetime of approximately 160 ms. The spectral characteristics of the DF closely match those of the prompt fluorescence. The temperature-dependent emission intensity of ADOTA's delayed fluorescence reaches a maximum at about 30 °C. This observation reveals for the first time presence of a triplet state T1in triangulenium dyes. Significant intensity and high anisotropy of ADOTA's DF in time gated detection format offers access to molecular dynamics from micro to millisecond range, in both spectroscopic and microscopic investigations.

Aminoboranes are an emerging class of materials that exhibit versatile emission properties, such as delayed fluorescence (DF) and room temperature phosphorescence (RTP), yet their excited-state dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we employ femtosecond transient absorption and stimulated Raman spectroscopy for the real-time tracking of ultrafast electronic relaxation and structural dynamics during charge transfer in carbazole-based aminoboranes. Following excitation of the S1 state, transient absorption in polar solvents reveals the ultrafast onset of a red-shifted stimulated emission band, indicating evolution of a locally excited (LE) state into an intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) configuration. Density functional theory calculations and numerical simulations using the response-function formalism and the multimode Brownian oscillator model suggest that swift evolution along the B-N stretching and torsional coordinates guides the development of ICT character, the time scale of which depends on the polar solvation time. Such excited-state structural evolution is accompanied by a blue-shifted B-C stretching frequency in transient Raman loss signals, reporting electron density localization around the boryl acceptor upon charge transfer and forming a distorted ICT state. The formation of this state can be structurally controlled and thus is important for controlling the balance between the RTP and delayed fluorescence efficiency. Our findings highlight the importance of excited-state structural control and engineering in designing aminoborane-based emitters with tailored luminescence properties.

A ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe for the specific and portable detection of tetracycline based on Eu/N, S-doped carbon dots.

Smart microenvironment-activatable silybin nano-prodrug for precise NIR-II fluorescence monitoring and on-demand therapy of acute liver injury.

Fe-Co nanozyme-based bipolar electrode biosensing platform for dual-mode detection and microscopic imaging of CEA.

High-contrast mechanofluorochromic properties of TPE-modified difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes and doped LDPE.

Dual-mode biosensors based on upconversion nanoparticles and quantum dots combined with a signal amplification strategy for the detection of miRNAs.

Self-assembled "feather-like" CuS@MIL-101 nanostructure for CL-FL-PT triple-modal signal amplification: PER-controlled AND logic gate detection of miR-21&miR-155.

Fluorinated COF-based piezo-triboelectric nanocatalytic probe for SERS quantification analysis of trace metformin.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a predominant subtype of liver cancer, is witnessing a rising global incidence and urgently demands the development of innovative nanoplatforms that integrate precise therapeutic and immune regulatory functions. To address the limitations of conventional monotherapies, which often suffer from inadequate tumor targeting, insufficient efficacy, and limited immune activation, this study employs a "biomimetic targeting-synergy therapy" approach. We have engineered a composite system consisting of gadolinium-doped carbon dots (Gd-CDs) enveloped with hepatocellular carcinoma cell membranes (HCM), thereby imparting homologous targeting capabilities and immune activation properties. This Gd-CDs@HCM system facilitates photothermal immunotherapy, guided by bimodal fluorescence (FL) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Upon laser irradiation, Gd-CDs@HCM can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumor cells. The tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released during ICD collaboratively enhance systemic anti-tumor immunity in conjunction with HCM, achieving a primary tumor ablation rate of 84.9% and inhibiting tumor progression. Consequently, this research offers an innovative strategy for real-time monitoring and precise synergistic treatment of HCC by utilizing FL/MR bimodal imaging and integrating bionic targeting, localized thermal ablation, and immune activation functions.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has emerged as a powerful analytical technique for biosensing owing to its ultrahigh sensitivity and molecular fingerprinting capability. However, the practical deployment of single-modality SERS is often hindered by signal fluctuations, matrix interference, and limited quantitative robustness in complex biological environments. To address these intrinsic limitations, multimodal SERS strategies have gained increasing attention by integrating SERS with complementary transduction modalities, enabling enhanced analytical reliability, internal cross-validation, and multidimensional biochemical profiling. In this review, we present a framework-driven and application-oriented overview of multimodal SERS biosensing, systematically covering fundamental design principles, nanomaterial engineering, and representative multimodal coupling strategies, including combinations with colorimetric (CM), fluorescence (FL), electrochemical (EC), and so forth. Rather than treating multimodality as a simple signal addition, we critically analyze how distinct modalities contribute complementary or synergistic information across different sensing scenarios. Furthermore, recent advances in integrated devices, microfluidic platforms, and data-driven analysis are discussed as key enablers for translating complex multimodal outputs into actionable diagnostic information. Importantly, we reorganize reported multimodal SERS systems according to major classes of disease-related biomarkers, highlighting how the choice of modality combinations should be guided by biomarker properties and clinical task requirements rather than by technological complexity alone. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives are outlined from the viewpoints of material standardization, device integration, data interoperability, and clinical translation, providing practical guidance for the rational design and deployment of next-generation multimodal SERS biosensing platforms.

Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful tool for spectral imaging of biological samples, thanks to its narrow bandwidth (10 cm⁻¹) compared to fluorescence. Single-molecule vibrational spectroscopy has been demonstrated with near-field amplification as in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy or fluorescence detection as in stimulated Raman excited fluorescence and bond-selective fluorescence-detected infrared-excited spectro-microscopy. However, these methods often require elaborate sample preparation or sometimes generate background signals when unintended processes lead to fluorescence emission. In response to these issues, we developed electronic resonance stimulated Raman scattering (ER-SRS) to achieve single-molecule sensitivity in far-field vibrational microscopy without relying on fluorescence detection. ER-SRS has encountered difficulties due to large electronic backgrounds. To overcome this, we employed Raman-amplified nonfluorescent molecular probe (RANMP) alongside our synchronously pumped, independently tunable double optical parametric oscillators for effective optimization of the signal-to-background ratio. The optimization of probe and light source allowed us to successfully detect ER-SRS signal from single particles in solution and from single molecules embedded in polymer matrix. ER-SRS combined with RANMP provides single-molecule sensitivity without fluorescence detection, enabling applications in biological and chemical imaging, particularly in multiplexed imaging.

Bone homeostasis is maintained through a dynamic balance between osteoblasts (OBs)-mediated bone formation and osteoclasts (OCs)-driven bone resorption. While numerous probes have been developed to detect either alkaline phosphatase (ALP) or extracellular protons (H⁺), which serve as key biochemical markers for OBs and OCs activity, respectively, no existing single molecular imaging platform enables the simultaneous, real-time monitoring of both bone formation and resorption in situ. In this study, we developed a dual-responsive near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence (FL) imaging platform for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of bone remodeling. Two NIR fluorescent probes, NIR-OB and NIR-OC, were designed to respond selectively to ALP and H⁺ via distinct "OFF-ON" FL emissions at 710 nm and 820 nm. These probes were chemically conjugated to TCP scaffolds fabricated with α-tricalcium phosphate and calvarial discs from mice, enabling both synaptic function and chemical sensing. In vitro and ex vivo experiments confirmed the responsiveness of the probes to OBs and OCs activity. The ovariectomized mice in vivo exhibited progressive FL enhancement in the femur and lumbar regions, correlating with bone loss validated by micro-computed tomography. Dual-channel FL imaging clearly delineated regions of bone formation and resorption, enabling precise and localized monitoring of bone remodeling, with the NIR probes demonstrating high photostability and biocompatibility throughout 16 weeks. Thus, these findings establish NIR-OB and NIR-OC as robust tools for dual-modal tracking of bone metabolism, with strong translational potential for early diagnosis and long-term monitoring of osteoporosis. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Bone remodeling results from the metabolic activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, yet no molecular imaging tools have enabled their simultaneous, real-time monitoring in situ. Here, we introduce a dual-responsive near-infrared fluorescence platform employing two probes (NIR-OB and NIR-OC) that selectively visualize osteoblast- and osteoclast-mediated activities with distinct emission signals (710 nm and 820 nm). This system demonstrated high specificity, biocompatibility, and longitudinal stability in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo, with fluorescence signals correlating strongly with bone loss progression in osteoporotic models. By enabling precise, localized, and non-invasive tracking of bone formation and resorption, this platform provides a powerful new tool with strong translational potential for the early diagnosis and long-term monitoring of osteoporosis and related metabolic bone diseases.

Magnetic nanoparticles amplification-based terahertz and fluorescence dual-mode assays for efficient isolation and sensitive detection of circulating tumor cells.

Interface engineering of dual-photoelectrode heterostructure for self-powered biosensing with triple-mode output.

ABSTRACT Consumption of fruits such as mango, grape, cherry, apple, and tomato containing excessive diafenthiuron (DFU), a broad‐spectrum insecticide, poses serious risks to human health. Therefore, reliable detection of DFU residue is crucial to mitigate the ecological security and food safety concerns. In this study, a cost‐effective hydrothermal method was employed to synthesize Abroma augusta Linn bark‐derived carbon dots (AACDs), which serve as a fluorescent (FL) sensor for the detection of DFU of concentration 0–120 µM, with a remarkably low limit of detection (LOD) 0.006 µM. The formation and physicochemical characteristics of AACDs were verified by UV–vis, FL, FT‐IR, DLS, PXRD, TCSPC, AFM, XPS and TEM analysis. The AACDs were successfully applied to detect DFU residue in fruits. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the detection process operates via static FL quenching. In addition, the antibacterial activity of AACDs was analyzed against Gram‐negative Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli , as well as Gram‐positive Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The result demonstrated a notable inhibitory effect with very low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) on the mentioned bacteria, indicating the material as an efficient antibacterial agent. Hence, this investigation explores an effective unified and versatile platform that integrates sensitive DFU detection and antibacterial activity.