Xincai Xiao

To avoid risk, spacecraft docking technologies can transport batches of different astronauts or cargoes to a space station. Before now, spacecraft-docking multicarrier/multidrug delivery systems have not been reported on. Herein, inspired by spacecraft docking technology, a novel system including two different docking units, one made of polyamide (PAAM) and on of polyacrylic acid (PAAC), grafted respectively onto polyethersulfone (PES) microcapsules, is designed, based on intermolecular hydrogen bonds in aqueous solution. VB12 and vancomycin hydrochloride were chosen as the release drugs. The release results show that the docking system is perfect, and has a good responsiveness to temperature when the grafting ratio of PES-g-PAAM and PES-g-PAAC is close to 1:1. Below 25 °C, this system exhibited an “off” effect because the polymer chains on the microcapsule’s surface produced intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Above 25 °C, when the hydrogen bonds were broken, the microcapsules separated from each other, and the system exhibited an “on” state. The results provide valuable guidance for improving the feasibility of multicarrier/multidrug delivery systems.

In this paper, we report a microcapsule embedded PNIPAN in P (TPC-EDA) shell and it can be regarded as an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure, which can accelerate the penetration of oily substances at a certain temperature, and the microcapsules are highly monodisperse and dimensionally reproducible. The proposed microcapsules were fabricated in a three-step process. The first step was the optimization of the conditions for preparing oil in water emulsions by microfluidic device. In the second step, monodisperse polyethylene terephthaloyl-ethylenediamine (P(TPC-EDA)) microcapsules were prepared by interfacial polymerization. In the third step, the final microcapsules with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure in P(TPC-EDA) shells were finished by free radical polymerization. We conducted careful data analysis on the size of the emulsion prepared by microfluidic technology and used a very intuitive functional relationship to show the production characteristics of microfluidics, which is rarely seen in other literatures. The results show that when the IPN-structured system swelled for 6 h, the adsorption capacity of kerosene was the largest, which was promising for water–oil separation or extraction and separation of hydrophobic drugs. Because we used microfluidic technology, the products obtained have good monodispersity and are expected to be produced in large quantities in industry.

Since biofilm infections could cause chronic diseases and drug resistance, posing a serious threat to human health, the development of antibiofilm nanomaterials has attracted the interest of researchers. In this study, a quaternized carbon dot–papain complex (qCD–P) was prepared, and the complex exhibited inhibiting and eliminating abilities against internal resident bacteria and external matrix biofilms, with a minimum inhibitory concentration against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms at 20 μg mL⁻¹. The morphology, particle size, surface potential, and groups of the prepared qCD–P were characterized through multiple characterization means, and the target and antibiofilm mechanisms were explored from the perspective of its two components qCDs and papain. Meanwhile, based on the optical properties of qCDs and catalytic properties of papain, a dual-channel detection platform (naked-eye visualization and ratio fluorescence) of hydrogen peroxide has been realized with o-phenylenediamine as the substrate. The multifunctional qCD–P would provide a foundation for research on the potential applications of nanomaterials for in-clinic treatment and biochemical detection.

Fluorescence/temperature-sensitive hydrogels, thanks to their properties in fluorescence and temperature sensitivity, have shown a promising outlook in the fields of drug delivery, cell imaging, etc., and thus become the focus of present research. This paper reports the preparation of green-fluorescence/temperature-sensitive hydrogels through one-step radical polymerization with green fluorescence-emissioned carbon dots as fluorescence probes and N-isopropylacrylamide as a monomer. UV-vis spectra, fluorescence spectra, and fluorescence microscope imaging have been used to characterize the prepared hydrogel, and to study their optical and temperature-sensitive properties. It was discovered that the emission of prepared hydrogel is excitation wavelength-dependent, pH responding, and excellent temperature-sensitive, as well as having good biocompatibility. The prepared hydrogel can also be applied as fluorescence ink in the fields of anti-counterfeit identification and appraisal.

Investigation about nanocarriers has been a hot issue and nanofabrication method still plays an important role. In this work, a phenomenon that reacting linear polystyrene chains can collapse when a reaction media changed from tetrahydrofuran to water was utilized as templates to prepare nanospheres. Free radicals on the surface of the collapsed templates can initiate hydrophilic monomers N-isopropylacrylamide and N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide in water. Effect levels of some factors including stirring rate, N-isopropylacrylamide concentration and reaction time of styrene on size and monodispersity of the spheres were investigated. The results show the obtained spheres had polystyrene cores and crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) shells. Monodispersed nanospheres with mean diameter 63nm can be obtained under optimized condition. The results also display that the first effect factor was the reaction time of styrene, and the second was the stirring rate. The proposed technology provides a mode to prepare monodisperse nanospheres or nanocapsules, which are highly attractive for targeting hydrophobic-drug delivery systems, oil-water separation, single molecule detect, colloid science and so on.

The recognition of fingerprints has played an extremely important role in criminal investigations, due to its uniqueness. This paper reports on the recognition of sweat latent fingerprints using green-emitting, environment-friendly carbon dots prepared with DL-malic acid and ethylenediamine, and the exploration of impacting factors in the development process of fingerprints. The experiments showed that better fingerprint images could be obtained when the latent fingerprints are developed in green-emitting carbon dots with pH 9 for 30 min, at room temperature. The reported method was also effective for latent fingerprints on a variety of substrates, as well as for those water-immersed ones, where the developed fingerprint remained stable after long-term preservation. Furthermore, the fluorescent three-dimensional fingerprint image could provide direct and simple evidence on pressing habits. The objective of this paper was to present this method. The method may help to narrow the range of suspects during criminal investigations and in forensic science.

To avoid the side effects caused by nonspecific targeting, premature release, weak selectivity, and poor therapeutic efficacy of current nanoparticle-based systems used for drug delivery, we fabricated natural material-decorated nanoparticles as a multifunctional, membrane-controlled targeted drug delivery system. The nanocomposite material coated with a membrane was biocompatible and integrated both specific tumor targeting and responsiveness to stimulation, which improved transmission efficacy and controlled drug release. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), which are known for their biocompatibility and high drug-loading capacity, were selected as a model drug container and carrier. The membrane was established by the polyelectrolyte composite method from chitosan (CS) which was sensitive to the acidic tumor microenvironment, folic acid-modified CS which recognizes the folate receptor expressed on the tumor cell surface, and a CD₄₄ receptor-targeted polysaccharide hyaluronic acid. We characterized the structure of the nanocomposite as well as the drug release behavior under the control of the pH-sensitive membrane switch and evaluated the antitumor efficacy of the system in vitro. Our results provide a basis for the design and fabrication of novel membrane-controlled nanoparticles with improved tumor-targeting therapy.