Various strategies have been developed to reduce pesticide usage while enhancing efficacy. However, the current formulation systems face several challenges such as complex system compositions, low encapsulation efficiency, unavoidable use of organic solvents, poor wettability and retention, and particularly the difficulty in addressing these issues simultaneously, which limits their practical applications. An imine-based dynamic covalent phospholipid was synthesized to construct pH-responsive avermectin (PC@AVM) liposomes to achieve nanodispersion, complete wettability, efficient deposition, and precise on-demand delivery. Under neutral or alkaline conditions, AVM is released slowly from the liposomes, whereas rapid release occurs under acidic conditions. And the formed liposomes exhibit excellent storage stability and photostability. The residual rate of PC@AVM liposomes is about 30% higher than that of unencapsulated AVM after 75 h of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, because the hydrophobic AVM can be embedded in the hydrophobic regions of phospholipid bilayers to prevent photodegradation. The PC@AVM liposomes exhibit strong adhesion to leaf surfaces, resulting in exceptional rainfastness with a retention rate of nearly 90% after washing. Meanwhile, the vesicle-like liposome can strongly interact with surface microstructures/nanostructures during the high-speed impact process, thereby also suppressing splashing and ensuring complete deposition of droplets on hydrophobic surfaces. Moreover, PC@AVM liposomes show long-term insecticidal activity and exhibit excellent biosafety for environmental organisms. This work provides an innovative carrier and constructs multifunctional, on-demand release pesticide liposomes, thereby potentially reducing pesticide use and promoting the development of sustainable agriculture. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ultrasonic-assisted coating and UV irradiation as hurdle technology to augment anti-browning and disinfection efficacy on fresh-cut apples.

Evolution of environmentally persistent free radicals on tire wear particles under UV irradiation: Contributions of relative humidity and ozone concentration.

Comparing reduced graphene oxide role for photocatalytic activity of nanostructured V2O5 under ultraviolet and sunlight irradiation

Thermoluminescent response of Zn-modified titanium dioxide thin films subjected to continuous or pulsed ultraviolet radiation.

Bacteriophage as a promising approach for the biocontrol of typical pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli in fecal environment.

Abstract JWST has revealed sulfur chemistry in giant exoplanet atmospheres, where molecules such as sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) trace photochemistry, metallicity, and formation and migration. To ascertain the conditions that determine whether (or how much) SO 2 , H 2 S, and other sulfur-bearing species are present in exoplanet atmospheres, we present a grid of planetary atmospheres covering metallicities from 0.3 to 1000× solar and temperatures from 250 to 2050 K. These models map out the “SO 2 shoreline,” the region of metallicity and irradiation for which SO 2 may be sufficiently abundant to be detectable. SO 2 is a sensitive indicator of metallicity; expected SO 2 abundances also depend strongly on overall temperature and C/O ratio; the SO 2 abundance depends surprisingly weakly on X-ray and ultraviolet irradiation, also weakly on K zz (for T eq ≳ 600 K), and is essentially independent of internal temperature. Despite its detection in a growing number of giant planets, SO 2 is never the dominant sulfur-bearing molecule: depending on temperature and metallicity, H 2 S, S 2 , NS, SO, SH, and even S 8 or atomic S are frequently as common (or more so) as SO 2 . Nonetheless SO 2 remains the most easily detectable sulfur-bearing species, followed by H 2 S, though perhaps SO and SH could be detectable in some gas giants. Aside from a pressing need for additional observational constraints on sulfur, we also identify the need for future work to account for the effects of clouds and hazes, fully self-consistent atmospheric models, 2D and 3D models, a wider range of planetary masses and radii, and studies to measure and refine reaction rates and molecular opacities of sulfur-bearing species.

Photocatalytic air purification technologies based on titanium dioxide (TiO2) have emerged as promising approaches to address indoor and outdoor air pollution. Airborne contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and benzene derivatives are highly persistent and toxic, creating serious risks to human health and the environment. TiO2 is an attractive photocatalyst due to its stability, low cost, and strong oxidizing power upon ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. When photons with energy greater than its bandgap are absorbed, TiO2 generates electron–hole pairs that drive oxidation–reduction reactions, decomposing organics into harmless products such as CO2 and H2O. However, practical application of conventional TiO2 powders or suspended nanoparticles faces limitations: suspended systems require complex post-treatment to prevent secondary release, while immobilized TiO2 coatings suffer from low surface area and restricted active sites. To overcome these challenges, this study developed a nanostructured TiO2 mesh membrane via anodic oxidation, integrating photocatalytic degradation with physical air filtration. By combining membrane-based interception with oxidative decomposition, the system enables simultaneous capture of particulate matter and degradation of organics. Titanium mesh substrates were chosen for their strength, chemical resistance, and porosity, providing a robust platform for nanotube growth. Anodization was performed in fluoride-containing electrolytes to induce self-organization into vertically aligned nanotubular arrays. Key anodization parameters—including electrolyte composition, fluoride concentration, voltage, electrode spacing, and counter-electrode materials—were systematically optimized to ensure uniform nanotube morphology, adhesion, and electrochemical stability. Post-treatment thermal annealing converted amorphous TiO2 into crystalline anatase, the most photocatalytically active phase. The fabricated membranes were characterized through a combination of advanced techniques. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed the successful formation of well-ordered, vertically aligned nanotubular structures with an average diameter of ~ 110 nm distributed uniformly across the mesh surface, exhibiting a thickness of ~ 5 um. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the dominance of anatase crystalline phases after annealing, while energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) verified the elemental composition of the nanotube arrays, indicating the presence of titanium, oxygen, and trace fluorine derived from the anodization process. Together, these analyses provided comprehensive evidence of the structural integrity and chemical composition of the TiO₂ nanotube membranes. Photocatalytic performance was evaluated using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as representative air pollutants under UV illumination. The anodized TiO2 mesh membranes exhibited clear photocatalytic activity, achieving over 90% removal of VOCs, and the degradation behavior followed first-order reaction kinetics. Qualitative observations confirmed that the nanotubular architecture contributed to improved degradation efficiency compared to conventional flat surfaces, demonstrating the advantage of the anodization process. Air permeability tests further indicated that the membranes maintained stable flow characteristics under continuous UV irradiation, while surface fouling and particle deposition were significantly alleviated by the simultaneous photocatalytic oxidation. These results verify the dual functionality of the developed system, in which photocatalytic activity and air filtration operate synergistically. The anatase crystalline phase obtained after heat treatment, combined with the high surface area of the nanotube arrays, played a decisive role in enhancing the photocatalytic response and reducing filter fouling. Overall, the fabricated TiO2 mesh membranes demonstrated significant potential as efficient and durable photocatalytic air purification filters. By integrating photocatalysis with physical filtration, the system provides operational stability, fouling resistance, and enhanced pollutant degradation, highlighting anodic oxidation as a scalable strategy for next-generation indoor air cleaners, industrial exhaust treatment, and urban pollution control.

We modified the morphology of TiO₂ to improve the photocatalytic performance for hydrogen production through water splitting. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is widely recognized as a photocatalytic material due to its non-toxicity, strong oxidation capacity, and excellent chemical stability. However, a wide band gap of about 3.2 eV limits the light absorption area and severely limits the photocatalytic efficiency with the rapid recombination of electron-hole pairs. In order to further increase the specific surface area and increase the light harvest efficiency compared to conventional TiO₂ nanofibers, a hollow fiber structure was formed using a coaxial electrospinning process. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) results confirmed that uniform hollow fibers with an average diameter of less than 1200 nm were successfully formed, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the TiO₂ of anatase and rutile crystal phases coexisted. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used for the chemical structure analysis of the synthesized TiO2 nanofibers. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis results confirmed the increase of the specific surface area and the presence of mesopores through the transformation into the hollow fiber form. The performance of TiO₂ nanofibers and TiO₂ hollow fiber photocatalyst was evaluated through photodegradetion test. Methylene blue photolysis was performed under ultraviolet irradiation for 6 hours, and the UV-Vis absorption spectrum of the sample was measured every hour. When the TiO₂ hollow fiber photocatalyst was used, the dye decomposition efficiency was improved compared to the conventional solid nanofibers, and it was decomposed by more than 80% after 6 hours. Deformation into the form of hollow fiber can strengthen charge separation and increase the number of photocatalyst surface active sites. Beyond dye degradation, the implications of this structural modification extend to photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen generation. A larger surface area and improved charge separation efficiency suggest that hollow TiO₂ fibers could act as highly efficient photoanodes in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. Moreover, their fibrous morphology can facilitate charge transport along the fiber axis, enhancing electron collection efficiency when integrated into PEC devices or hybrid solar fuel systems. From an electrochemical perspective, this study highlights the importance of tailoring nanostructures to optimize light absorption, carrier dynamics, and surface reactivity simultaneously. The design strategy demonstrated here may be extended to other semiconductor systems such as ZnO, WO₃, or g-C₃N₄, offering a versatile route toward next-generation photoactive electrodes. Ultimately, the hollow TiO₂ fiber platform can be regarded not only as a model system for fundamental studies of charge transfer but also as a practical candidate for scalable solar-to-fuel conversion technologies. This improvement in photocatalytic performance can be used as a photoactive electrode material for solar cells as well as water decomposition hydrogen production, and suggests a new structural design strategy for efficient solar energy-fuel conversion in the electrochemical field.

Metal halide perovskite nanomaterials are attractive for optoelectronic applications due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties; however, lead toxicity and stability issues significantly limit their practical use. High-entropy materials (HEMs) leverage multi-principal component synergy to form configurational entropy-stabilized solid solutions, exhibiting unique physicochemical properties and superior stability arising from atomic-scale chemical disorder and reconstructed local electronic states. Nevertheless, their luminescence efficiency often requires improvement. Here, we report the room-temperature synthesis of a novel organic-inorganic hybrid high-entropy perovskite, (TEA)2(Zr0.18Te0.22Hf0.2Sn0.3Pt0.1)Cl6 (TEA=tetraethylammonium). Exploiting the synergistic effects among five diverse B-site cations, this material exhibits broad-spectrum-excitable broadband emission, producing a distinct golden light. The study demonstrates that this material retains 80% of its initial photoluminescence intensity after 1 h of continuous ultraviolet irradiation and maintains 60% of its original emission intensity even when heated to 340K. Furthermore, its facile room-temperature synthesis facilitates promising applications, such as in light-emitting diodes and x-ray detection. These findings provide crucial insights for advancing the development of efficient and stable novel optoelectronic materials.

Microplastics (MPs) coexist with biochar (BC) in soil. However, studies of the effects of BC application on MP aging in soils are few. Therefore, this study investigated the BC-mediated aging behavior of persistent microplastics (PMPs) and biodegradable microplastics (BMPs). Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation was used as the aging method, and four BC concentrations were applied to soil containing PMP-polyethylene (PE) and BMP-polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), which was analyzed to assess the effects of different BC concentrations on MP aging behavior in soil. The results revealed that the addition of BC accelerated the surface aging of PE and PBAT. Changes in carbonyl index (CI) and hydroxyl index (HI) indicated that high BC concentrations promoted UV-irradiation aging of PE and PBAT. Overall, 2 and 4% BC play a positive role in the formation of -OH groups in PE and PBAT. PE was susceptible to electrophilic attack, whereas PBAT underwent both electrophilic and nucleophilic attack.

Abstract Unidirectional porous resin exhibit low weight, high permeability, and low thermal conductivity, making them attractive for heat-transport devices, filters, and catalyst supports. However, conventional methods, like ion-track etching and Pickering emulsions cannot yield porous resin with sub-millimeter thicknesses. To overcome this limitation, we previously developed a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) chain templating method and manufactured porous resins with a thickness of 700 µm. In this study, we advanced the method by combining vertical ultraviolet (UV) irradiation with soft molds, enabling the manufacturing of porous resins with a thickness of approximately 1 mm and a diameter of 20 mm. Systematic experiments demonstrated that oxygen inhibition plays a critical role in pore formation on both top and bottom surfaces, and that gas-permeable polymer molds facilitate through-pore formation. This approach provides a route to synthesizing unidirectional porous resins with improved shape controllability, with potential applications in thermal management systems and catalyst supports.

The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument, which is mounted on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, detected Raman signals in spectral regions relevant to organics, plausibly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), co-located with sulfate minerals, in the Quartier abrasion of the Issole outcrop in the Jezero crater floor on Mars. In order to ascertain the plausibility of the organic origin of these signals, it is essential to determine whether organics can withstand the effects of ambient Martian ultraviolet (UV) radiation after they are exposed by the Perseverance's abrasion tool and prior to the analysis by SHERLOC. In this work, the stability under Martian-like UV irradiation of PAHs like 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene and benzo[a]pyrene in hydrated magnesium sulfate, one of the main sulfate phases present in Quartier, is investigated. Our findings indicate that the spectroscopic features of 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene and benzo[a]pyrene in hydrated magnesium sulfate remain unaltered when exposed to UV radiation comparable to that experienced at Jezero crater over a period of dozens of Martian days (or sols). Consequently, due to the photoprotective properties of this mineral, after the abrasion exposes them to the radiation, these compounds can still be detectable by the SHERLOC measurement and also by SuperCam because some organic bands fall in its infrared spectral range. In addition, photoproducts due to the UV exposure for both PAHs were detected. These results corroborate the hypothesis that the Raman signals detected by SHERLOC co-located with sulfates may arise from organic compounds.

Nature-inspired surfaces with hybrid wettability hold significant promise for water harvesting, dropwise condensation, and biomedical liquid arrays. However, current fabrication methods are hampered by restricted pattern complexity, reliance on toxic fluorides, mask alignment inaccuracies, and poor scalability. Here, we introduce a fluorine- and mask-free, implant-grade process to create superhydrophilic-superhydrophobic (SHPi-SHPo) patterns on titanium via sequential laser machining, silicone oil heat treatment, and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation treatment. Through parametric optimization of laser parameters and UV exposure, we establish ideal fabrication conditions for achieving micron-scale accuracy, enhanced stability in SHPi micropatterns, and long-term durability of the SHPo substrate. The underlying mechanisms governing wettability transitions and stability were elucidated through surface morphology and surface chemistry analyses. Additionally, the SHPi regions within hybrid architectures exhibit switching between extreme wettability states (SHPi and SHPo) via UV irradiation and thermal annealing cycles while maintaining adjacent SHPo regions' integrity without cross-contamination. Moreover, additional silicone oil heat treatment fully erases prior patterns and enables micron-scale rewriting of arbitrary designs. This scalable, eco-friendly fabrication strategy opens new avenues for dynamic fluid management, efficient heat transfer, and reconfigurable biomedical interfaces.

A persistent challenge in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)-based transistors is the formation of a Schottky Barrier (SB) at the metal–TMD interface which introduces substantial contact resistance and degrades device performance. Minimizing the barrier height and hence contact resistance—ideally to near-zero—is essential for realizing high-performance two dimensional (2D) material-based field-effect transistors. Here, we present a non-invasive photodoping strategy that leverages ultraviolet irradiation to induce localized n-type doping near the contact region, in hBN/TMD field-effect transistors. This targeted doping with UV exposure significantly reduces the SB, leading to a remarkable improvement in device performance. We demonstrate this with hBN/MoS2 transistors, where we achieve a barrier height reduction of ∼100 meV, resulting in a seventy-fold increase in on-state current and a twenty-fold increase in mobility. We further demonstrate the generality of this approach by applying it to other TMD transistors, such as hBN/MoSe2 and hBN/WSe2 hybrids, all of which exhibit similar performance enhancements. These results outline a portable, broadly applicable, and scalable contact engineering strategy for next-generation 2D electronic devices.

Molybdenum oxide (MoOX) has been widely utilized as a hole transport layer (HTL) in crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, owing to characteristics such as a wide bandgap and high work function. However, the relatively low conductivity of MoOX films and their poor contact performance at the MoOX-based hole-selective contact severely degrade device performance, particularly because they limit the fill factor (FF). Oxygen vacancies are of paramount importance in governing the conductivity of MoOX films. In this work, MoOX films were modified through ultraviolet irradiation (UV-MoOX), resulting in MoOX films with tunable oxygen vacancies. Compared to untreated MoOX films, UV-MoOX films contain a higher density of oxygen vacancies, leading to an enhancement in conductivity (2.124 × 10-3 S/m). In addition, the UV-MoOX rear contact exhibits excellent contact performance, with a contact resistance of 20.61 mΩ·cm2, which is significantly lower than that of the untreated device. Consequently, the application of UV-MoOX enables outstanding hole selectivity. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the solar cell with an n-Si/i-a-Si:H/UV-MoOX/Ag rear contact reaches 24.15%, with an excellent FF of 84.82%.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) exhibits bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal effects under ultraviolet light irradiation. However, there are few reports on the photocatalytic effect of TiO2 against parasitic eggs. This study aims to preliminarily investigate the effect of TiO2 photocatalysis on the inactivation of Hymenolepis nana (H. nana) eggs. We employed the trypan blue staining method to assess the survival rate of 100 insect eggs, investigating the roles of light, TiO2 concentration, solution pH and light intensity in the process of inactivating eggs with TiO2. Morphological and structural damage to the eggs was observed using electron microscopy. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the eggs were measured using a fluorescent enzyme labeler, and the infectivity of TiO2-treated eggs was evaluated by oral-gavage in mice (8 mice per group). The results showed that under mercury lamp irradiation, with a TiO2 concentration of 1.0 mg/L, pH values ranging from 6 to 8, light intensity of 0.50 mW/cm2, and photocatalytic exposure for 2 h effectively inactivated H. nana eggs. Electron microscopy revealed that TiO2 photocatalysis caused eggs shrinkage and collapse of the spherical structure, along with the decrease number of mitochondria within the eggs. The TiO2 photocatalysis resulted in an increase in ROS content and a decrease in ATP content in eggs. These findings indicate that TiO2 photocatalysis disrupts the structural integrity and mitochondrial function of H. nana eggs by elevating ROS levels and depleting ATP, while simultaneously reducing the infection rate in mice to 12.5%. This study lays the groundwork for potential future applications of TiO2-based photoenergy-mediated inactivation of parasitic eggs in wastewater and drinking water treatment, ultimately benefiting public health.

The skin is one of the earliest organs in the human body to exhibit signs of aging, with photoaging mainly caused by chronic ultraviolet (UV) exposure and recognized as a major form of extrinsic aging. Small extracellular vesicles derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSC-sEVs) have been shown to delay skin aging by upregulating pregnancy zone protein (PZP), which modulates inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and extracellular matrix remodeling. However, the core regulatory network underlying these effects remains unclear. Focusing on PZP, this study integrated bioinformatics to identify GATA2 as a potential upstream transcriptional regulator and GRP75 as a possible downstream target, indicating a GATA2/PZP/GRP75 signaling axis that may regulate photoaging. ChIP assays and dual-luciferase reporter analyses confirmed that GATA2 binds to the promoter region of PZP and upregulates its transcription. Knockdown and overexpression experiments further demonstrated that GATA2 suppresses or promotes PZP expression, thereby significantly influencing the senescence phenotype of dermal fibroblasts under UV irradiation. In addition, protein docking, co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP), and immunofluorescence colocalization assays validated the interaction between PZP and GRP75. PZP alleviates mitochondrial calcium overload and dysfunction by inhibiting the abnormal elevation of GRP75, thus delaying photoaging. These findings offer novel insights and targets for skin-aging intervention.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00018-025-05899-z.

Incorporating artificial molecular machines into soft matter offers a compelling strategy for engineering active materials with life-like behavior. Here, we report ultraviolet and visible light-responsive RNA photofluids formed via liquid-liquid phase separation of azobenzene-functionalized RNA nanomachines. These RNA photofluids can harness the molecular motions of RNA nanomachines to produce macroscopic cell-like behaviors under both ultraviolet and visible light irradiation. We show that the number of azobenzene moieties in the RNA nanomachines controls the deformation kinetics and critical transition temperatures between structural deformation and dissociation. The ultraviolet-visible RNA photofluids not only enable direct solar energy harvesting for light-powered soft robotics, but also expand the toolkit for developing advanced multi-responsive biomaterials and programmable artificial cells.

Abstract Lentic freshwater systems such as ponds, lakes and reservoirs play an important role as drinking water sources or recreational venues. Algal and cyanobacterial blooms may pose a risk for water consumers and users, particularly in episodes of proliferation of toxin-produces species. The inactivation with ultraviolet (UV) light is currently used in drinking water purification as well as for ecological restoration of small water bodies. Traditional UV mercury lamps are expected to be replaced by recently developed UV-LEDs. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the UV irradiation with LEDs emitting at 275 nm for the inactivation of phytoplanktonic organisms in two reservoirs, using different determination approaches and focusing on the changes on the species composition as well as on the potential production of cyanotoxins after UV exposure. The results revealed that the concentration of viable phytoplankton was reduced by more than 99.9% when applying UV doses of 55.7 mJ cm −2 . However, the UV treatment up to 100 mJ cm −2 promoted the predominance of cyanobacteria with respect to other species, and triggered the production of microcystins, if the treated water is release into a confined environment with availability of light and nutrients.