Good Fluorescence Properties Research Articles

Based on sodium alginate coatings and dendritic copolymeric modification of curcumin delivery system: pH-sensitive nanospheres and strong tumor cytotoxicity

This study aims to construct a novel drug delivery strategy to address the poor bioavailability and biostability of curcumin. A curcumin delivery strategy, basing on post-polymerization modification of poly(2-vinyl-4,4-dimethyl azlactone) to obtain conjugates of curcumin and dendritic polymers, combined with sodium alginate coating is reported. The curcumin-polymer conjugates were shown to have good fluorescence properties with fluorescence quantum yields of 0.486 and 0.470, respectively. The composites were characterized as spherical nanoparticles with a desirable particle size of 221.7 nm and massive negatively charged surfaces. These aesthetic properties make it an acceptable drug delivery and release vehicle. In vitro release experiments showed that release of curcumin from the conjugates was controllable and acid-sensitive, which is expected to guide delivery targeting to cancer sites. In addition, biodistribution studies of the gastrointestinal tract of mice showed high levels of exposure. The results of cell imaging showed that conjugates have strong permeability to cancer cell membranes. They have been shown to have strong targeting and inhibitory effects on a variety of cancer cells, with an inhibition rate of up to about 90 %. Therefore, such novel vector designs show great potential in drug delivery mechanism research and cancer therapy.

Synthesis of Boron–Imidazole Complexes and Studies on their Multi‐Stimuli‐Responsive Fluorescence Properties

AbstractOrganoboron complexes represented by BODIPY are one of the candidates for fluorescent skeletons exhibiting good fluorescence properties in the solution. However, because most BODIPY have high planar skeletons and small Stokes shifts, their fluorescence is quenched in the solid state. Therefore, numerous approaches were challenged to prepare the solid state fluorescent BODIPYs. On the other hand, an alternative approach to developing solid state fluorophores involves imidazole‐boron complexes. Herein, imidazole‐based boron complexes featuring the imidazo[1,2‐c][1,3,2]diazaborole skeleton were synthesized. This skeleton comprised two fused five‐membered rings and could introduce substituent at the 2‐, 3‐, 5‐, and 6‐positions. The boron complexes with aryl groups at the 3,5,6‐positions exhibited fluorescence in both the solution and solid states. These compounds exhibited Stokes shifts exceeding 120 nm, effectively suppressing self‐absorption. DFT calculations suggested that the large Stokes shift could be attributed to the planarization of π‐conjugation upon excitation. In the solid state, the complexes displayed mechanofluorochromism, with the altered fluorescence color being recovered upon annealing at 150 °C. Compounds with two or three methoxy groups underwent a phase transition to a glass state, resulting in long‐wavelength fluorescence. Furthermore, they demonstrated mechanochromism, thermochromism, and thermofluorochromism in the solid state, indicating their potential as scaffolds for multifunctional fluorophores.

Luminescent yttrium organic frameworks: Cell imaging, gas adsorption and nitro sensing applications

The flexibility of ligand (L) yield, two different yttrium organic frameworks, denoted as {[Y(L)2(H2O)4]·Cl3·DMF·(H2O)3·(S)}n (MOF-1) and {[Y(L)3/2(H2O)2]·(NO3)3·(S)}n (MOF-2), where L denotes 9,10-bis((4-carboxylatopyridinium-1-methylene)anthracene and S denotes the disordered solvent molecules. Detailed single crystal X-ray study established a one dimensional (1D) chain for MOF-1 and a three dimensional (3D) frameworks with one channel voids structure for MOF-2, respectively, due to different conformation of the ligand. In both MOFs, Y(III) have bicapped trigonal prismatic geometry. The phase purity of both MOFs has been confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and IR spectroscopic studies. MOF-1, with its particle size in nano range, good fluorescence property and solubility in water, is a suitable candidate for cell imaging study. In contrast, three dimensional framework of MOF-2, with small voids, makes it well suited for gas adsorption and sensing of nitro aromatic compounds.

High quantum yield blue fluorescent molecule of hydroxybenzo[c]chromen-6-ones: Synthesis and fluorescence characteristics

Hydroxybenzo[c]chromen-6-ones had been synthesized by the reaction of hydroxy‑substituted chalcone and ethyl acetoacetate in the presence of Cs2CO3 and their optical properties were then investigated. We found it particularly that dimethylamino-substituted hydroxybenzocoumarin 4e had extremely high quantum yield blue fluorescence (λem = 487 nm, ФF = 0.83) in dichloromethane and the fluorescence red shifted with the increase of solvent polarity, which had a good solvatochromic effect on the polarity of the solvent. Additionally, DFT and TD-DFT calculations were applied to explain and verify the good fluorescence properties of hydroxybenzo[c]chromen-6-one 4e.

Curcumin/nido-carborane complexes incorporated with crown ether/sodium alginate encapsulated drug delivery strategies exhibit pH-responsive release and enhanced in vitro anti-tumor activity

Curcumin has excellent anti-tumor activity, but its instability at physiological pH, low bioavailability and poor targeting limit curcumin to further become an excellent anticancer drug. In this study, two curcumin/nido-carborane fluorescent polymers, curcumin-borane-crown ether coated by sodium alginate (SA-CBC) and curcumin-borane-crown ether (CBC), were prepared, and SA-CBC with better properties to be the most promising anti-tumor drugs. Crown ether/sodium alginate drug delivery strategies can improve the release property of curcumin. Nido-carborane enhances the targeting of curcumin and the inhibiting effect on tumor cells. After testing, the fluorescence lifetime of SA-CBC was 4.72 ns, indicating good fluorescence properties. In vitro drug release results showed that the constructed drug delivery system released curcumin at a controlled rate. The results of transmission electron microscopy and particle size showed that SA-CBC was well encapsulated, with a particle size of less than 200 nm, easy to be absorbed in vivo. Bioactivity studies showed that SA-CBC had a strong affinity and inhibiting effect on tumor cells, and the inhibition rate could reach 84.5 %. In conclusion, this study provides an innovative protocol for the design of curcumin anticancer drugs and lays the foundation for the development of more effective anti-tumor drugs with small side effects.

Synthesis and Characterization of Copper-Crosslinked Carbon Dot Nanoassemblies for Efficient Macrophage Manipulation.

Nanomedicines loaded in macrophages (MAs) can actively target tumors without dominantly relying on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, making them effective for treating EPR-deficient malignancies. Herein, copper-crosslinked carbon dot clusters (CDCs) are synthesized with both photodynamic and chemodynamic functions to manipulate MAs, aiming to direct the MA-mediated tumor targeting. First, green fluorescent CDs (g-CDs) are prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. Subsequently, the g-CDs are complexed with divalent copper ions to form copper-crosslinked CDCs (g-CDCs/Cu), which are incubated with MAs for their manipulation. Experimental results revealed that the prepared g-CDCs/Cu displayed good aqueous dispersibility and fluorescent emission properties. The nanoassemblies can be activated to deplete the overexpressed glutathione (GSH) and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the presence of laser irradiation through the combined Cu-mediated chemodynamic therapy and CD-mediated photodynamic therapy. Furthermore, the ROS produced in MAs enabled polarization of MAs to antitumor M1 phenotype, suggesting the future potential use to reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. These results obtained from the current study suggest a significant potential to develop g-CDCs/Cu for GSH depletion, ROS generation, and MA M1 polarization as a theransotic agent to tackle cancer.

Preparation and Properties of Rosin-based Anthraquinone Fluorescent Waterborne Polyurethane.

Fluorescent polyurethane has been widely used as fluorescent probes and switches due to its diverse structure and properties, but most of them are solvent-based and synthesized from petroleum-based products. A new type of rosin-based anthraquinone fluorescent waterborne polyurethane (WPU-DAAQ) with good and stable fluorescence properties was synthesized by reacting rosin modified ester (RAG) as a diol and 2, 6-diaminoanthraquinone (DAAQ) as a fluorescent agent with diisocyanate. The structure of WPU-DAAQ was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, and hydrogen magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The fluorescence properties, water resistance, and solvent resistance of WPU-DAAQ were tested. The results showed that DAAQ was successfully grafted onto the polyurethane molecular chain. The fluorescence intensity of WPU-DAAQ increases and then decreases with increasing excitation wavelengths, and increases with the increase of solvent ether content, and is significantly enhanced compared to DAAQ. The dispersion stability was good with the increase of DAAQ. The introduction of DAAQ into polyurethane improved the thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and solvent resistance of WPU-DAAQ. Therefore, WPU-DAAQ is a new type of fluorescent waterborne polyurethane with stable dispersion properties, good fluorescent properties, heat resistance and water resistance.

Encapsulating Fe3O4 Nanoparticles and Carbon Dots in a Metal-Organic Framework for Magnetic Fluorescent Taggants.

Magnetic fluorescent composite nanomaterials have broad application prospects in the fields of biological imaging, anticounterfeiting identification, suspicious object tracking, and identification of latent fingerprints in forensic medicine. For an effective taggant, a clearly visible identifying mark is necessary to enable observers to capture labeling information quickly and accurately, even from a distance. The preparation method of magnetic fluorescent composite materials is complicated and usually needs different surface modification and assembly processes. The limited loading capacity of fluorescent materials also limits the fluorescence properties of the composite, so it is difficult to produce obvious fluorescence as a taggant to meet the requirements of visible labeling. In this study, a core-shell structure of a magnetic fluorescent composite was prepared by using the metal-organic framework ZIF-8 as the host of fluorescent materials and an encapsulation shell coated on the Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The porous ZIF-8 is beneficial for increasing the loading capacity of fluorescent materials to ensure the fluorescence performance of the composite materials. Further modification of the composite surface prevented the desorption of fluorescent materials from the pores of ZIF-8, enabling the samples to maintain good fluorescence properties even after multiple washing cycles. The preparation method is simple, rapid, and cost-effective, and the prepared magnetic fluorescent composite nanomaterial has high magnetic separation performance and fluorescence performance, making it a promising material for identification, marking, and tracking.

Water-soluble near-infrared AgInS2 quantum dots for Ca2+ detection and bioimaging

Calcium ions (Ca2+) are key players in intracellular signaling as second messengers and play a pivotal role in various physiological processes. In this study, near-infrared water-soluble AgInS2 quantum dots (AIS QDs) for Ca2+ detection were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The fluorescence quantum yield (PL QY) of the quantum dots was as high as 23.99 %. With low cytotoxicity and good fluorescence properties, as well as short reaction time, the ternary AIS QDs have excellent synthesis efficiency and quantum yield, which are advantageous for Ca2+ detection and bioimaging applications. The fluorescence quenching of the quantum dots showed a clear linear relationship with calcium ion concentration in the range of 0–250 μM (detection limit: 0.65 μM). Confocal imaging experiments demonstrate the excellent biofluorescence imaging capability of AIS QDs. By tuning the Ag/In molar ratio, AIS QDs can achieve fluorescence emission in the near-infrared wavelength band (620–700 nm), and the near-infrared fluorescence imaging has deeper tissue penetration, less tissue absorption and photodamage, and lower interference of spontaneous fluorescence, which further expands the potential of QDs for bioimaging applications.

Design, synthesis, and antitumor activity evaluation of BF3-o, m, p-phenylenediamine bridged with pyrimidine-indole BF3 adduction derivatives.

Fluorescent drugs and pyrimidine-indole scaffolds have been shown to have advantages in cancer treatment. Fluorescent antitumor drugs BF3-o, m, p-phenylenediamine pyrimidine-indole derivatives (PYB1, PYB2, and PYB3) were synthesized by linking pyrimidine and indole groups with aniline through a simple step and introducing BF3. The drugs exhibit promising antitumor activity and their fluorescent properties make them useful for imaging purposes. The optical properties of the three compounds have been investigated. All of them have fluorescent properties and compound PYB2 has good fluorescent properties. Additionally, the in vitro cytotoxicity of these compounds was evaluated against the human cancer cell line HeLa and the human normal cell line L02. The inhibition rates of HeLa cells treated with PYB1, PYB2, and PYB3 at a concentration of 19.2μg/mL were 80.91%, 77.72%, and 65.94%, respectively. These results indicate a strong inhibitory effect on cancer cells. Further through the cell imaging experiment, we can see that PYB2 can enter the cell through the cell membrane through the fluorescence scattering diagram, which has good biocompatibility. In addition, the possible interactions between the compounds and Ras protein active sites were analyzed by molecular docking. The three compounds can bind well to Ras protein through hydrogen bonding. This study provides a basis for the development and modification of pyrimidine-indole fluorescent anticancer drugs. Compound PYB2 shows potential as a fluorescent anticancer drug.

Cucurbit[8]uril-modulated discrete pyrene dimers fluorescent sensor for nitroaromatic compounds and latent fingerprints visualization

As a promising class of luminescent materials, π-conjugated organic aromatic molecules are usually subject to aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect, which limits their wide application. Currently, obtaining structurally visualized solid luminescent materials of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) without complex synthetic purification steps remains a challenging topic. Herein, we focus on the supramolecular assembly strategy to constructed a solid fluorescent material (HPTS@Q[8]@Rb+) by co-assembling cucurbit[8]uril (Q[8]) with 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid trisodium salt (HPTS) and rubidium ions based on the coordination and outer surface interactions of Q[8]. HPTS@Q[8]@Rb+ exhibited good fluorescence properties with quantum yields of 2.28 % and 73.15 % in solid state and aqueous suspensions, respectively, providing a good sensing platform for nitroaromatic compounds (NACs), especially for 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (PA) and 4-nitroaniline (4-NA) with remarkable quenching constants (KSV=4.06×104 M−1 for PA and KSV=2.95×104 M−1 for 4-NA) in working range of 0–3.33×104 M and 0–5.0×104 M, respectively. Moreover, a fluorescent fingerprint powder was prepared by combining montmorillonite (MMT) for high-resolution visualization of latent fingerprints (LFPs) without substrate limitation. This study demonstrates the synthesis of Q[n]-based fluorescent material, the anion-rich aromatic compounds can be used as potential moieties for assembly with Q[n], providing a facile and promising approach to develop PAHs-based luminescent materials. This supramolecular self-assembly strategy provides a fundamental design principle for the creation of diverse functional crystalline solid materials.

Synthesis of New Bodipy Hydrazide Fluorescent Probes for the Detection of Carbonylated Proteins Generated by Oxidative Stress.

Oxidative stress is a cellular disorder implicated in various severe diseases and redox biology and represents an important field of research for the last decades. One of the major consequences of oxidative stress is the carbonylation of proteins, which is also a reliable marker to assess protein oxidative modifications. Accumulation of carbonylated proteins has been associated with aging and age-related diseases and can ultimately causes cell death. Detection of these oxidative modifications is essential to understand and discover new treatments against oxidative stress. We describe the design and the synthetic pathway of new BODIPY fluorescent probes functionalized with hydrazide function for protein carbonyl labeling to improve existing methodologies such as 2D-Oxi electrophoresis. Hydrazide BODIPY analogues show very good fluorescent properties such as NIR emission up to 633 nm and quantum yield up to 0.88. These new probes were validated for the detection and quantification of carbonylated proteins with 2D-Oxi electrophoresis using mouse muscle protein extracts, as well as both flow cytometry and microscopy using oxidant stressed C2 C12 cells.

Base-Mediated Cascade Lactonization/1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Pathway for the One-Pot Assembly of Coumarin-Functionalized Pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines.

An elegant and highly concise strategy for the construction of coumarin-functionalized pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines from available propargylamines and isoquinolinium N-ylides has been disclosed. In this reaction, isoquinolinium N-ylides acted as a C2 synthon to form a coumarin ring as well as a 1,3-dipole to construct a pyrrole ring in a single pot. This cascade process involves 1,4-conjugate addition/lactonization/1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to construct four chemical bonds (one C-O bond and three C-C bonds) and two new heterocyclic skeletons. Additionally, most of these compounds showed good fluorescence properties and exhibited high molar extinction coefficient and large Stokes shifts.

TME-Triggered Degradable Phototheranostic Nanoplatform for NIR-II Fluorescence Bioimaging-Guided Phototherapies and Immune Activation.

The low therapeutic efficacy and potential long-term toxicity of antitumor treatments seriously limit the clinical application of phototherapies. Herein, we develop a degradable phototheranostic nanoplatform for NIR-II fluorescence bioimaging-guided synergistic photothermal (PTT) and photodynamic therapies (PDT) and immune activation to inhibit tumor growth. The phototheranostic nanoplatform (CX@PSS) consists of multidisulfide-containing polyurethane loaded with a photosensitizer CX, which can be specifically degraded in the GSH overexpressed tumor microenvironment (TME) and exhibits good NIR-II fluorescence, photodynamic, and photothermal properties. Under 808 nm light irradiation, CX@PSS exhibits efficient photothermal conversion and ROS generation, which further induces immunogenic cell death (ICD), releasing tumor-associated antigens and activating the immune response. In vitro and in vivo studies confirm the potential of CX@PSS in NIR II FL imaging-guided tumor treatments by synergistic PTT, PDT, and immune activation. This work is expected to provide a new pathway for clinical applications of imaging-guided tumor diagnosis and treatments.

Silicon-Doped Carbon Dots Crosslinked Carboxymethyl Cellulose Gel: Detection and Adsorption of Fe3.

The excessive emission of iron will pollute the environment and harm human health, so the fluorescence detection and adsorption of Fe3+ are of great significance. In the field of water treatment, cellulose-based gels have attracted wide attention due to their excellent properties and environmental friendliness. If carbon dots are used as a crosslinking agent to form a gel with cellulose, it can not only improve mechanical properties but also show good biocompatibility, reactivity, and fluorescence properties. In this study, silicon-doped carbon dots/carboxymethyl cellulose gel (DCG) was successfully prepared by chemically crosslinking biomass-derived silicon-doped carbon dots with carboxymethyl cellulose. The abundant crosslinking points endow the gel with excellent mechanical properties, with a compressive strength reaching 294 kPa. In the experiment on adsorbing Fe3+, the theoretical adsorption capacity reached 125.30 mg/g. The introduction of silicon-doped carbon dots confers the gel with excellent fluorescence properties and a good selective response to Fe3+. It exhibits a good linear relationship within the concentration range of 0-100 mg/L, with a detection limit of 0.6595 mg/L. DCG appears to be a good application prospect in the adsorption and detection of Fe3+.

Ultrabright quantum dots assisted in vivo NIR-II fluorescence microscopic imaging for brain metastases in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and often fatal disease, especially since the brain metastasis of TNBC has been a particularly severe manifestation. However, brain metastasis in TNBC at early stages often lacks noticeable symptoms, making it challenging to detect. Near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescence microscopic imaging obtains long wavelength, which enables reduced scattering, high spatial resolution and minimal autofluorescence, it is also a favorable imaging method for tumor diagnosis. PbS@CdS quantum dots (QDs) are one of the popular NIR-II fluorescence nanoprobes for well brightness. In this study, NIR-II emissive PbS@CdS QDs were utilized and further encapsulated with thiol-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) (SH-PEG, MW = 5000) to form PbS@CdS@PEG QDs nanoparticles (NPs). The obtained PbS@CdS@PEG QDs NPs were then characterized and further studied in detail. The PbS@CdS@PEG QDs NPs had large absorption spectra, exhibited strong NIR-II fluorescence emission at approximately 1300[Formula: see text]nm, and possessed good NIR-II fluorescence properties. Then, the mice model of early-stage brain metastases of TNBC was established, and the PbS@CdS@PEG QDs NPs were injected into the tumor-bearing mice for NIR-II fluorescence microscopic bioimaging. The brain vessels and tumors of the living mice were detected with high spatial resolution under the NIR-II fluorescence microscopic imaging system with irradiation of 808[Formula: see text]nm laser. The tumor tissues were further restricted and prepared as thin slices. The NIR-II fluorescence signals were collected from the tumor slices with high spatial resolution and signal-to-background ratio (SBR). Thus, the PbS@CdS@PEG QDs NPs-assisted NIR-II fluorescence microscopic system can effectively achieve targeting brain metastases of TNBC imaging, offering a novel and promising approach for TNBC-specific diagnosis.

Development of Membrane-Targeting Fluorescent 2-Phenyl-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole-Antimicrobial Peptide Mimic Conjugates against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The escalation of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, especially infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), underscores the urgent need for novel antimicrobial drugs. Here, we synthesized a series of amphiphilic 2-phenyl-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole-antimicrobial peptide (AMP) mimic conjugates (III1-30). Among them, compound III13 exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against G+ bacteria and clinical MRSA isolates (MIC = 0.5-2 μg/mL), high membrane selectivity, and low toxicity. Additionally, compared with traditional clinical antibiotics, III13 demonstrated rapid bactericidal efficacy and was less susceptible to causing bacterial resistance. Mechanistic studies revealed that III13 targets phosphatidylglycerol (PG) on bacterial membranes to disrupt membrane integrity, leading to an increase in intracellular ROS and leakage of proteins and DNA, ultimately causing bacterial cell death. Furthermore, III13 possessed good fluorescence properties with potential for further dynamic monitoring of the antimicrobial process. Notably, III13 showed better in vivo efficacy against MRSA compared to vancomycin, suggesting its potential as a promising candidate for anti-MRSA medication.

Green Method Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticles and its Functionalized MNPs for Knoevenagel Condensation Reaction

Background: Knoevenagel condensation is an important C-C bond formation reaction catalyzed by various homogeneous and heterogeneous acid-base catalysts. background: Knoevenagel condensation is an important C-C bond formation reaction, and employs various acid and base-catalyzed reactions of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. Method: The present work describes the eco-friendly preparation of magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4 (MNPs) and its functionalization to Fe3O4@SiO2@SO3H. The prepared MNPs and their functionalized materials were fully characterized by FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, and VSM. Further demonstrated application of these catalysts for the C-C bond formation reactions of Knoevenagel condensation employing special aldehyde derivatives with malononitrile at room temperature gave excellent product isolation. Results: The application of the prepared functionalized MNPs for the Knoevenagel condensation was demonstrated by the reaction of various aryl/heterocyclic and cholesterol aldehyde with malononitrile at room temperature stirring for about 30 min in ethanol solvent. The final product isolated is confirmed by various spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, 1H-, & 13C-NMR, and mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the selected compounds are screened for their photophysical properties, and interestingly compound 3j showed good fluorescent properties. Conclusion: Overall the present work described a greener method preparation of MNPs, and its functionalized employed as a heterogeneous catalyst for the Knoevenagel condensation of various aryl/heterocyclic and cholesterol aldehyde with malononitrile. The method developed is simple, easily separated catalyst by an external magnet, and recycled up to five cycles without any noticeable change in the final product isolation. Further, the prepared derivatives screened for their photophysical properties, and interestingly compound 3j showed good fluorescent properties.

A pH/Redox Dual‐Responsive Nanocarrier for Hypoxia‐Activated Prodrug and Anticancer Prodrug in Cancer Treatment

AbstractTumor microenvironment heterogeneity (TMH) remains a challenge in cancer treatment. Nanocarrier prodrugs based on small‐molecular drug or macromolecular drug conjugates emerge as an efficient approach for multidrug delivery at tumor sites and activating the prodrugs by endogenous stimuli resulting from TMH. Herein, a redox/pH dual‐sensitive micelle conjugated is developed via disulfide linkage with naphthalimide‐based prodrug (PNA), assigned as PDM to encapsulate hypoxia‐activated prodrug, banoxantrone (AQ4N), for combination therapy. These micelles have several interesting features, including sufficiently stable with less drug release under physiological conditions and dual stimuli‐triggered intracellular release, high drug loading content, and negligible cytotoxicity. More importantly, in vitro cytotoxicity of AQ4N‐loaded PDM micelles exhibits a combinational anticancer efficacy between chemotherapy of PNA and hypoxia‐activated chemotherapy of AQ4N under hypoxic conditions. Moreover, the developed PNA as a new chemotherapeutic drug displays good therapeutic efficiency and fluorescent properties, which can be used for monitoring drug release in real time. This study not only offers an attractive strategy for an effective combination of traditional chemotherapy and hypoxia‐activated chemotherapy, but also provides an important concept to develop dual stimuli‐sensitive prodrug nanoplatform targeting for endogenous TMH.

Construction of borate-ester-based COFs with high specific surface area for the detection of H2O content in the food field

Excessive H2O content in food will cause the hydrolysis of nutrients and provide a favorable environment for the growth of mycotoxins, thus, developing fast response, low detection limit, and high detection capacity sensors is urgently needed for food quality and safety. In this work, we developed two borate-ester-based covalent organic frameworks (COF-5 and COF-10) with high specific surface areas (1189.0 m2·g−1 and 1105.1 m2·g−1), which exhibited rapid response (COF-5 about 40 s and COF-10 about 35 s), good linearity (COF-5:R2=0.9981 and COF-10:R2=0.9993), and low detection limits (LODCOF-5=0.044 v/v% and LODCOF-10=0.016 v/v%). DFT theoretical calculation demonstrated that H2O participated in the partial hydrolysis of the B-O bond, resulting in the enhancement of fluorescence. Based on the good fluorescence properties, these two probes had been successfully used to quantificationally detect H2O content in honey, corn starch, and milk powder with satisfactory results, indicating an excellent application potential in the food field.