Ultrasound Irradiation Research Articles

Facilitatory effect of low-pulse repetition frequency ultrasound on release of extracellular vesicles from cultured myotubes.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) serve as carriers of intracellular factors with therapeutic effects, including tissue regeneration and attenuation of inflammatory responses. The majority of EVs in vivo are derived from skeletal muscle, which is reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. While high-intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) irradiation has been shown to promote EV secretion from myotubes, the impact of pulse repetition frequency, a US parameter affecting pulse length, on EV release remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pulse repetition frequency of US on the release of EVs from myotubes. C2C12 myoblasts were used in this study. After differentiation into C2C12 myotubes, US was performed for 5min at an intensity of 3.0W/cm2, duty cycle of 20%, acoustic frequency of 1MHz, and different pulse repetition frequencies (100Hz, 10Hz, or 1Hz). After 12h, EVs and cells were collected for subsequent analyses. US did not cause a reduction in cell viability across all US groups compared to the control. The concentration of EVs was significantly higher in all US groups compared to the control group. In particular, the highest increase was observed in the 1-Hz group on EV concentration as well as intracellular Ca2+ level. This study investigated the effect of three different pulse repetition frequencies of US on the release of EVs from cultured myotubes. It is concluded that a low-pulse repetition frequency of 1Hz is the most effective for enhancing EV release from cultured myotubes with pulsed ultrasound.

Ultrasound-triggerennd piezocatalytic conductive Guar gum/PEDOT: PSS/BTO composite hydrogels for bacterial-infected skin wound healing

Open skin wounds are susceptible to infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria, which can lead to delayed wound healing or worsening of symptoms. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses bacterial infections while simultaneously promoting wound healing for optimal clinical outcomes. In this study, we aimed to combine the benefits of antibacterial piezoelectric catalysis action and controlled electrical stimulation to promote skin tissue repair. Initially, piezoelectric catalytic BaTiO3(BTO) nanoparticles were coated with polydopamine (PDA) to improve the interface compatibility between inorganic and organic phase. Subsequently, a novel conductive composite hydrogel termed PPGSCH was synthesized by doping PDA@BTO into poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) -poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) hydrogel. Traditional dye degradation experiments and EPR tests found that PDA@BTO nanoparticles exhibited superior piezoelectric catalytic efficiency compared with the pristine BTO. Rheological tests and electrical conductivity tests demonstrated better electrical adaptability and mechanical stability of PPGSCH. Remarkably, under the synergism of piezoelectricity and electric polarization induced by ultrasound (US), the antibacterial rate of PPGSCH exceeded 90% in vitro. Furthermore, when subjected to 0.5W/cm2 US irradiation, it can generate moderate levels of reactive oxygen (ROS) and micro current, promoting the proliferation and migration of mouse fibroblasts. Animal experiments on infected skin wounds in mice showed that PPGSCH could reduce inflammation, accelerate angiogenesis, and ultimately expedite the infected wound healing. This work opens up new possibilities for enhancing the repair of infected skin wounds.

Metal-organic framework-mediated siRNA delivery and sonodynamic therapy for precisely triggering ferroptosis and augmenting ICD in osteosarcoma

The complex genomics, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and chemotherapeutic resistance of osteosarcoma (OS) have resulted in limited therapeutic effects in the clinic. Ferroptosis is involved in tumor progression and is regulated mainly by glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based RNA interference (RNAi) can precisely target any gene. However, achieving effective siRNA delivery is highly challenging. Here, we fabricated a TME-responsive metal-organic framework (MOF)-based biomimetic nanosystem (mFeP@si) with siGPX4 delivery and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) to treat OS by targeting ferroptosis. Under ultrasound (US) irradiation, mFeP@si achieves lysosomal escape via singlet oxygen (1O2)-mediated lysosomal membrane disruption and then accelerates ROS generation and glutathione (GSH) depletion. Meanwhile, siGPX4 silences GPX4 expression by binding to GPX4 mRNA (knockdown efficiency: >80%) and leads to the accumulation of toxic phospholipid hydroperoxides (PL-OOH), further magnifying the ROS storm and triggering ferroptosis. Notably, synergistic therapy remarkably enhances antitumor effects, improves the immunosuppressive TME by inducing potent immunogenic cell death (ICD), and increases the sensitivity of chemotherapy-resistant OS cells to cisplatin. Overall, this novel nanosystem, which targets ferroptosis by integrating RNAi and SDT, exhibits strong antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo, providing new insights for treating OS.

Carbon dots-based nanoclusters for sonodynamic therapy of bacterial infection enhanced by deep biofilm penetration and hypoxia alleviation

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is emerging as a novel and effective treatment modality for antimicrobial applications. However, limited penetration of sonosensitizers and hypoxic infectious microenvironment have significantly restricted the therapeutic efficacy of drug-resistant bacteria. Herein, carbon dots (CDs)-based nanoclusters (MCHH) are facilely constructed by covalent assembly of Mn-doped CDs and simultaneous encapsulation of sonosensitizer hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME), followed by surface modification with hyaluronic acid (HA). MCHH not only prevents the agglomeration of hydrophobic HMME molecules, but also facilitates their deeper penetration into biofilm. Furthermore, MCHH can be degraded by the overexpressed hyaluronidase in Gram-positive biofilm, resulting in the sustained release of HMME for SDT. Meanwhile, MCHH with catalase-mimic activity contributes to hypoxia alleviation by catalyzing the decomposition of H2O2 into O2. Under ultrasound irradiation, intense SDT can be achieved by MCHH, which is enhanced by its high biofilm permeability and local oxygenation. The proposed strategy produces superb bactericidal effect and realizes admirable biofilm disintegration outcome in vitro. On this basis, MCHH administration on bacterial wound infection model expedites wound healing, benefiting from the synergistic action of biofilm eradication, inflammation suppression, increased collagen decomposition and angiogenesis induction. Taken together, this paradigm provides strategic opinions in augmenting SDT efficacy for anti-infective applications.

Narrow Bandgap Schottky Heterojunction Sonosensitizer with High Electron-Hole Separation Boosted Sonodynamic Therapy in Bladder Cancer.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is applied to bladder cancer (BC) given its advantages of high depth of tissue penetration and nontoxicity due to the unique anatomical location of the bladder near the abdominal surface. However, low electron-hole separation efficiency and wide bandgap of sonosensitizers limit the effectiveness of SDT. This study aimed to develop a TiO2-Ru-PEG Schottky heterojunction sonosensitizer with high electron-hole separation and narrow bandgap for SDT in BC. Density functional theory calculations and experiments collectively demonstrated that the bandgap of TiO2-Ru-PEG was reduced due to the Schottky heterojunction with the characteristic of crystalline-amorphous interface formed by the deposition of ruthenium (Ru) within the shell layer of TiO2. Thanks to the enhancement of oxygen adsorption and the efficient separation of electron-hole pairs, TiO2-Ru-PEG promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species under ultrasound irradiation, resulting in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of bladder tumor cells. The in vivo results proved that TiO2-Ru-PEG boosted the subcutaneous and orthotopic bladder tumor models while exhibiting good safety. This study adopted the ruthenium complex for optimizing sonosensitizers, contributing to the progress of SDT improvement strategies and presenting a paradigm for BC therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Tumour microenvironment-responded Fe-doped carbon dots-sensitized cubic Cu2O for Z-scheme heterojunction-enhanced sono-chemodynamic synergistic tumor therapy

The efficacy of electron-hole separation in a single sonosensitizer and the complexities of the tumor microenvironment (TME) present significant challenges to the effectiveness of sonodynamic therapy (SDT). Designing efficient sonosensitizers to enhance electron-hole separation and alleviate TME resistance is crucial yet challenging. Herein, we introduce a novel Z-scheme heterojunctions (HJs) sonosensitizer using Fe-doped carbon dots (CDs) as auxiliary semiconductors to sensitize cubic Cu2O (Fe-CDs@Cu2O) for the first time. Fe-CDs@Cu2O demonstrated enhanced SDT effects due to improved electron-hole separation. Additionally, the introduction of Fe ions in CDs synergistically enhances Fenton-like reactions with Cu ions in Cu2O, resulting in enhanced chemodynamic therapy (CDT) effects. Moreover, Fe-CDs@Cu2O exhibited rapid glutathione (GSH) depletion, effectively mitigating TME resistance. With high rates of 1O2 and OH generated by Fe-CDs@Cu2O, coupled with strong GSH depletion, single drug injection and ultrasound (US) irradiation effectively eliminate tumors. This innovative heterojunction sonosensitizer offers a promising pathway for clinical anti-tumor treatment.

Bioorthogonal/Ultrasound Activated Oncolytic Pyroptosis Amplifies In Situ Tumor Vaccination for Boosting Antitumor Immunity.

Personalized in situ tumor vaccination is a promising immunotherapeutic modality. Currently, seeking immunogenic cell death (ICD) to generate in situ tumor vaccines is still mired by insufficient immunogenicity and an entrenched immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, a series of tetrazine-functionalized ruthenium(II) sonosensitizers have been designed and screened for establishing a bioorthogonal-activated in situ tumor vaccine via oncolytic pyroptosis induction. Based on nanodelivery-augmented bioorthogonal metabolic glycoengineering, the original tumor is selectively remolded to introduce artificial target bicycle [6.1.0] nonyne (BCN) into cell membrane. Through specific bioorthogonal ligation with intratumoral BCN receptors, sonosensitizers can realize precise membrane-anchoring and synchronous click-activation in desired tumor sites. Upon ultrasound (US) irradiation, the activated sonosensitizers can intensively disrupt the cell membrane with dual type I/II reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation for a high-efficiency sonodynamic therapy (SDT). More importantly, the severe membrane damage can eminently evoke oncolytic pyroptosis to maximize tumor immunogenicity and reverse immunosuppressive TME, ultimately eliciting powerful and durable systemic antitumor immunity. The US-triggered pyroptosis is certified to effectively inhibit the growths of primary and distant tumors, and suppress tumor metastasis and recurrence in "cold" tumor models. This bioorthogonal-driven tumor-specific pyroptosis induction strategy has great potential for the development of robust in situ tumor vaccines.

A dual-targeting therapeutic nanobubble for imaging-guided atherosclerosis treatment

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that seriously endangers human health. Low shear stress (LSS) is recognized as a vital factor in causing chronic inflammatory and further inducing the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis. Targeting imaging and treatment are of substantial significance for the diagnosis and therapy of atherosclerosis. On this ground, a kind of ultrasound (US) imaging-guided therapeutic polymer nanobubbles (NBs) with dual targeting of magnetism and antibody was rationally designed and constructed for the efficiently treating LSS-mediated atherosclerosis. Under the combined targeting effect of an external magnetic field and antibodies, the drug-loaded therapeutic NBs can be effectively accumulated in the inflammatory area caused by LSS. Upon US irradiation, the NBs can be selectively disrupted, leading to the rapid release of the loaded drugs at the targeted site. Notably, the US irradiation generates a cavitation effect that induces repairable micro gaps in nearby cells, thereby enhancing the uptake of released drugs and further improving the therapeutic effect. The prominent US imaging, efficient anti-inflammatory effect and treatment outcome of LSS-mediated atherosclerosis had been verified in vivo on a surgically constructed LSS-atherosclerosis animal model. This work showcased the potential of the designed NBs with multifunctionality for in vivo imaging, dual-targeting, and drug delivery in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Investigation of damage in vascular endothelial cells caused by lipid bubbles under ultrasound irradiation to verify the protective effect on cells

We investigated the viability of vascular endothelial cells engrafted on the basement membrane of a flow channel to verify the protective effect from cell damage under ultrasound exposure with a frequency of 3 MHz and a maximum sound pressure of 400 kPa-pp. We used two types of lipid bubbles (LBs), namely LBs (+) attached to the cells and LBs (–) not attached to the cells. We confirmed that the engrafted cells on the basement remained after ultrasound exposure and were resistant to flow. We found significant cell damage using LBs (–) regardless of the flow condition, whereas cell damage was not observed with LBs (+). A difference in irradiation direction of ultrasound was not detected. By making use of the adhesion of LBs (+) on the cells, since there was a significant increase in cell survival rate, we prove the potential for the adhesion of LBs (+) to protect cells from cell damage.

Ultrasound-triggered with ROS-responsive SN38 nanoparticle for enhanced combination cancer immunotherapy.

Controlled generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) is essential in cancer therapy. Ultrasound (US)-triggered sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has shown considerable ability to trigger in situ ROS generation. Unfortunately, US therapy alone is insufficient to trigger an efficient anticancer response, owing to the induction of multiple immunosuppressive factors. It was identified that 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN38) could notably inhibit DNA topoisomerase I, induce DNA damage and boost robust anticancer immunity. However, limited by the low metabolic stability, poor bioavailability, and dose-limiting toxicity, the direct usage of SN38 is inadequate in immune motivation, which limits its clinical application. Hence, new strategies are needed to improve drug delivery efficiency to enhance DNA topoisomerase I inhibition and DNA damage and elicit a vigorous anticancer cancer immunity response. Considering US irradiation can efficiently generate large amounts of ROS under low-intensity irradiation, in this study, we aimed to design a polymeric, ROS-responsive SN38 nanoformulation for in vivo drug delivery. Upon the in-situ generation of ROS by US therapy, controlled on-demand release of SN38 occurred in tumor sites, which enhanced DNA damage, induced DC cell maturation, and boosted anticancer immunity. Our results demonstrated that a new strategy of involving the combination of a SN38 nanoformulation and US therapy could be used for cancer immunotherapy.

Bioinspired Sonodynamic Nano Spray Accelerates Infected Wound Healing via Targeting and Disturbing Bacterial Metabolism

AbstractBacterial infections pose a major concern for the medical community, especially regarding wound healing. Traditional passive antibiotic therapies can be cytotoxic and lead to bacterial resistance, posing a continuing challenge to treat. Based on precision therapy, a novel targeted‐delivery nanosystem is developed to efficiently eliminate bacteria and promote bacteria‐infected wound healing. Macrophage membranes pre‐activated by Staphylococcus aureus (MMSa) are prepared. In doing so, Toll‐like receptors (TLRs), a typical pathogen‐associated molecular pattern (PAMP), are significantly higher than normal macrophage membranes (MM0). Subsequently, MMSa are coated onto ultrasound‐triggered piezocatalytic nano‐barium titanate (BaTiO3, BTO) surfaces, and these two components are assembled to form a novel targeting delivery nanosystem, namely BTO@MMSa. The in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the biocompatible BTO@MMSa nanosystem can target infected areas and rapidly generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill bacteria under ultrasound (US) irradiation, as well as accelerate wound healing. Furthermore, prokaryotic RNA‐seq transcriptomics reveals that changes in bacterial membrane function and substance, and energy metabolism are responsible for the targeted antibacterial ability of BTO@MMSa with US. Compared to widely reported unselective antibacterial agents, this novel targeted delivery nanosystem has potential for precise bacterial infection treatment by using macrophage membrane functions.

Sonocatalysis green synthesis of indeno[1,2‐b]indolone derivatives using CuFe2O4@CS‐SB nanocomposite as a reusable catalyst under mild conditions

In this literature, the synthesis of indeno[1,2‐b]indolone from starting materials of ninhydrin, derivatives of aniline, and dimedone by using copper ferrite anchored to chitosan bearing Schiff base (CuFe2O4@CS‐SB) as a catalyst in water solvent under ultrasound irradiation was described. This catalyst was designed, fabricated, and characterized by the FT‐IR, 1H NMR, XRD, SEM, TGA, mapping scan, EDX, and BET techniques. This prepared acidic, effective heterogeneous catalyst catalyzed green synthesis of indeno‐indolone derivatives in a very short reaction times between 1 and 7 min with excellent yields between 95% and 99%. Also, the FT‐IR, 1H NMR, and melting point analyses are used to identify the synthesis of the indolones as organic products.

Sonodegradation of Sulfamethoxazole in Water Using Red Mud and Rice Husk Biochar Catalysis

This research evaluated the effectiveness of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) antibiotic degradation in aqueous solution using red mud and rice husk biochar (RMC) as catalytic material for ultrasound-supported degradation process. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were applied to study the characteristics of the catalytic material. The results demonstrated that the main components of RMC catalytic material are C, O, Si, and Fe elements with high weight percentage of 26.56%, 50.89%, 1.86% and 10.26%, respectively, and with high crystallized mix ratio. These are beneficial for SMX degradation reactions in water under the effect of ultrasound irradiation. The SMX degradation products were analyzed using High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effect of pH, contact time, initial concentration, and catalyst weight on degradation effectiveness were also investigated. The highest degradation efficiency of 75% at the treated rate of 15 mg SMX/g RMC was observed at pH = 3, contact time of 180 minutes, initial concentration of 20 mg SMX/L. This suggested a new solution to utilize the waste resources for waste treatment.
  

The therapeutic effect of ultrasound targeted destruction of schisandrin A contrast microbubbles on liver cancer and its mechanism.

The aim of the study was to explore the therapeutic effect of ultrasound targeted destruction of schisandrin A contrast microbubbles on liver cancer and its related mechanism. The Span-PEG microbubbles loaded with schisandrin A were prepared using Span60, NaCl, PEG-1500, and schisandrin A. The loading rate of schisandrin A in Span-PEG composite microbubbles was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry method. The Walker-256 cell survival rate of schisandrin A was determined by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay. The content of schisandrin A in the cells was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Ultrasound imaging was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect in situ. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the content of inflammatory factors in serum. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of experimental animals in each group. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothlial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) in tumor tissues, and western blot was used to detect the protein expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in tumor tissues. The composite microbubbles were uniform in size, and the particle size distribution was unimodal and stable, which met the requirements of ultrasound contrast agents. The loading rate of schisandrin A in Span-PEG microbubbles was 8.84 ± 0.14%, the encapsulation efficiency was 82.24±1.21%. The IC50 value of schisandrin A was 2.87 μg/mL. The drug + microbubbles + ultrasound (D+M+U) group had the most obvious inhibitory effect on Walker-256 cancer cells, the highest intracellular drug concentration, the largest reduction in tumor volume, the most obvious reduction in serum inflammatory factors, and the most obvious improvement in pathological results. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that HIF-1α, VEGF and VEGFR-2 protein decreased most significantly in D+M+U group (P < 0.01). WB results showed that D+M+U group inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway most significantly (P < 0.01). Schisandrin A had an anti-tumor effect, and its mechanism might be related to the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The schisandrin A microbubbles could promote the intake of schisandrin A in tumor cells after being destroyed at the site of tumor under ultrasound irradiation, thus playing the best anti-tumor effect.

Synergizing Immune Balance: Curcumin Gold Nanoparticles and Ultrasound Irradiation for Macrophage Down-Regulation

The multifaceted health benefits of curcumin (Curcuma longa), attributed to its antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities, have drawn significant scientific attention. Curcumin shows promise as a potential modulator of macrophage polarization, offering a natural strategy for managing inflammation and promoting tissue repair. However, a limiting factor for this beneficial molecule is its limited bioavailability due to its low solubility in water. This study aimed to quantify the effect of curcumin gold nanoparticle (CurAuNP)-mediated ultrasound irradiation on THP-1-derived macrophages as potential therapeutic targets. The photoreduction method was applied to synthesize the gold nanoparticles with curcumin as a ligand (CurAu). The effect of adding polyethylene glycol in the synthesis process was studied (CurAuPEG). CurAuNP characterization included UV/Vis, Zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy, and FTIR. The amount of singlet oxygen released by curcumin and CurAuNPs was quantified by observing 1.3-diphenylisobenzofuran quenching upon ultrasound irradiation (1 MHz and 1 W/cm2). The results indicated that ultrasound therapy for 4 min with CurAuNPs significantly enhanced singlet oxygen generation and reduced macrophage viability compared to curcumin alone. The increased sonoluminescence and curcumin delivery facilitated by CurAuNPs led to greater curcumin activation. Consequently, CurAuNPs could offer promising therapeutic options for modulating macrophage polarization in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory stages.

Synergistic Interaction between Metal Single-Atoms and Defective WO3- x Nanosheets for Enhanced Sonodynamic Cancer Therapy.

Although metal single-atom (SA)-based nanomaterials are explored as sonosensitizers for sonodynamic therapy (SDT), they normally exhibit poor activities and need to combine with other therapeutic strategies. Herein, the deposition of metal SAs on oxygen vacancy (OV)-rich WO3- x nanosheets to generate a synergistic effect for efficient SDT is reported. Crystalline WO3 and OV-rich WO3- x nanosheets are first prepared by simple calcination of the WO3 ·H2 O nanosheets under an air and N2 atmosphere, respectively. Pt, Cu, Fe, Co, and Ni metal SAs are then deposited on WO3- x nanosheets to obtain metal SA-decorated WO3- x nanocomposites (M-WO3- x ). Importantly, the Cu-WO3- x sonosensitizer exhibits a much higher activity for ultrasound (US)-induced production of reactive oxygen species than that of the WO3- x and Cu SA-decorated WO3 , which is also higher than other M-WO3- x nanosheets. Both the experimental and theoretical results suggest that the excellent SDT performance of the Cu-WO3- x nanosheets should be attributed to the synergistic effect between Cu SAs and WO3- x OVs. Therefore, after polyethylene glycol modification, the Cu-WO3- x can quickly kill cancer cells in vitro and effectively eradicate tumors in vivo under US irradiation. Transcriptome sequencing analysis and further molecular validation suggest that the Cu-WO3- x -mediated SDT-activated apoptosis and TNF signaling pathways are potential drivers of tumor apoptosis induction.

Expression of Concern: A new insight on enhanced Pb(II) removal by sludge biochar catalyst coupling with ultrasound irradiation and its synergism with phenol removal (Chemosphere, Volume 263, January 2021, 128287)

Expression of Concern: A new insight on enhanced Pb(II) removal by sludge biochar catalyst coupling with ultrasound irradiation and its synergism with phenol removal (Chemosphere, Volume 263, January 2021, 128287)

Ultrasound-assisted sustainable recycling of valuable metals from spent Li-ion batteries via optimisation using response surface methodology

In this study, the use of response surface methodology was proposed to optimise a novel green leaching process for recovering Li and Co from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), assisted by ultrasonic irradiation and gluconic acid. This work investigated various parameters such as temperature, time, gluconic acid concentration, and ultrasound power (US power). To enhance the interpretability and optimisation of experimental data on metal leaching, the central composed design (CCD) was utilised to establish a predictive model. A statistical analysis using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was conducted to validate the quadratic model and determine the significant operating parameters, indicated by p-values (< 0.05). The model exhibited Adj R2 values of 0.98 for Li leaching and 0.96 for Co leaching, respectively. To confirm the results, additional characterisations of the solid residues were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transformation infrared spectrometer (FT-IR/NIR). The leach liquor was subjected to precipitation and crystallisation methods to recover Li and Co. The purity of Li2CO3 and Co3O4 was confirmed to be ≥ 99% and ≥ 98.8%, respectively, through ICP-OES analysis. Finally, the recovered Li2CO3 and Co3O4 were utilised in a 1:1 molar ratio for regenerating new LiCoO2 cathode materials using a solid-state method. The resulting cathode materials exhibited high purity (≥ 99.43%) as confirmed by ICP-OES analysis. The obtained results demonstrate that ultrasound irradiation significantly enhanced the dissolution of metal oxides within the mixture. Furthermore, gluconic acid exhibited a dual function, acting as both an oxidising and reducing agent. Consequently, this process presents a promising and sustainable alternative for recycling valuable metals from spent LIBs.

Glutathione Depletion-Induced ROS/NO Generation for Cascade Breast Cancer Therapy and Enhanced Anti-Tumor Immune Response.

As an effective alternative choice to traditional mono-therapy, multifunctional nanoplatforms hold great promise for cancer therapy. Based on the strategies of Fenton-like reactions and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated therapy, black phosphorus (BP) nanoplatform BP@Cu2O@L-Arg (BCL) co-assembly of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and L-Arginine (L-Arg) nanoparticles was developed and evaluated for synergistic cascade breast cancer therapy. Cu2O particles were generated in situ on the surface of the BP nanosheets, followed by L-Arg incorporation through electrostatic interactions.In vitro ROS/nitric oxide (NO) generation and glutathione (GSH) depletion were evaluated. In vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activity were also assessed. Finally, immune response of BCL under ultrasound was investigated. Cu2O was incorporated into BP to exhaust the overexpressed intracellular GSH in cancer cells via the Fenton reaction, thereby decreasing ROS consumption. Apart from being used as biocompatible carriers, BP nanoparticles served as sonosensitizers to produce excessive ROS under ultrasound irradiation. The enhanced ROS accumulation accelerated the oxidation of L-Arg, which further promoted NO generation for gas therapy. In vitro experiments revealed the outstanding therapeutic killing effects of BCL under ultrasound via mechanisms involving GSH deletion and excessive ROS and NO generation. In vivo studies have illustrated that the nanocomplex modified the immune response by promoting macrophage and CD8+ cell infiltration and inhibiting MDSC infiltration. BCL nanoparticles exhibited multifunctional characteristics for GSH depletion-induced ROS/NO generation, making a new multitherapy strategy for cascade breast cancer therapy.

Synthesis of pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolindiones and formylation: ultrasonically assisted reactions.

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of pyrimido‌quinolindione derivatives via a multicomponent reaction and subsequent formylation with Vilsmeier-Haack reagent were performed. Compounds were prepared by a one-pot method from aminopyrimidinones, dimedone and aromatic aldehydes through a Mannich-type reaction sequence, and then functionalized under ultrasound irradiation and Vilsmeier-Haack conditions to give β-chlorovinylaldehyde products. Ultrasonically assisted reactions, experimental simplicity, good yields without using metallic catalysts and the control of hazardous material release are features of this simple procedure.