Fang Yang

Perylene bisimides (PBIs) are prime building blocks for functional supramolecular architectures, yet mapping their salt-induced self-assembly kinetics under physiological conditions remains challenging, due to rapid aggregation and overwhelming fluorescence. Here, we combine fluorescence stopped-flow kinetics and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) spectroscopy to decipher the electrolyte-controlled polymerization of a spermine-functionalized PBI. We found that self-assembly obeys an anticooperative K2–K pathway, where nucleation yields rapid and salt-independent dimers. In contrast, polymer growth is strongly salt-dependent, with polymer dissociation rates decreasing as NaCl concentration increases. Crucially, chloride ions selectively stabilize the growing assemblies by drastically suppressing the monomer release, establishing a Michaelis–Menten-type saturation profile. To link these kinetic trajectories with molecular-scale structural rearrangements, SRS is used to effectively suppress the fluorescence background, revealing that the relative intensity of low-frequency Raman modes, associated with high-mass displacement and structurally delocalized in nature, are drastically reduced upon aggregation. This vibrational suppression underscores the role of packing constraints and excitonic pressure within the cofacial H-aggregates. By directly bridging macroscale kinetic pathways with microscopic vibrational dynamics, this work offers a generalizable framework to rationally design and tune water-soluble supramolecular materials for biomedical and optoelectronic applications.

An Sc-doping strategy for modulating the crystal field environment of NaGdF ₄ :Er enables enhanced upconversion luminescence and excitation light-dependent thermosensitive chromogenic luminescence.

Multifunctional platform incorporates inorganic/organic nanomaterials and biomimetic nanocarriers to achieve theranostic integration with multimodal imaging.

The preparation techniques of materials profoundly define their properties, which in turn shape their biomedical functionalities. And conversely, evolving application demands feed back to drive innovations and iterations in preparation technologies.

BSA-CAT-Ir NPs alleviate tumor hypoxia by catalyzing hydrogen peroxide in tumors to generate oxygen, thereby enhancing sonodynamic therapy.

The strategy “Borrow strength to exert” in Sun Tzu's Art of War refers to borrowing external forces to withstand the enemy. Inspired by this, applying this thought to cancer treatment can achieve a more efficient therapeutic effect. Therefore, a fulcrum to borrow the force is vital and significant. Compared with normal cells, tumor cells are more sensitive to redox stress owing to their abnormal redox metabolism. Herein, a regulatory protocol based on chloroauric acid (HAuCl ₄ ) is proposed to prepare small‐size and low‐crystallinity Prussian blue nanoparticles (LcPB NPs). Notably, LcPB NPs possess higher superoxide dismutase (SOD)‐like enzyme activity to induce reduction overload and destroy metabolic processes and organelle functions, which leverages the redox status defect in tumors as the fulcrum. Due to the down‐regulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) mediated by redox imbalance, the inherent photothermal therapy (PTT) mode of LcPB NPs effectively inhibits tumor growth and disrupts calcium homeostasis. Additionally, LcPB NPs can improve the anticancer effect by inhibiting symbiotic bacteria. Meanwhile, their magnetic and optical response performance empowers magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) for tumor diagnosis. Therefore, this work executing the strategy “Borrowing strength to exert” by disturbing the redox balance represents a new antineoplastic paradigm.