Piezoelectric materials have emerged as promising electroactive biomaterials in regenerative medicine owing to their ability to convert mechanical forces into electrical signals and vice versa. These materials reproduce aspects of the body's native bioelectric microenvironment and influence key cellular processes, including adhesion, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Clinically, piezoelectricity has been exploited, in dental implants, where electromechanical activity enhances osseointegration and long-term stability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of piezoelectricity, the major classes of piezoelectric materials, and recent advances in fabrication strategies such as electrospinning, additive manufacturing, and nanogenerators. Applications across bone, nerve, cartilage, skin, and cardiovascular tissues are critically examined, with emphasis on mechanosensitive ion channels, intracellular signalling pathways, and gene regulation. Safety concerns, including ion release from ceramic materials, and the emergence of biocompatible, lead-free alternatives are discussed alongside translational barriers related to scalability, regulatory approval, and device integration. The aim of this review is to provide a mechanistic and clinically oriented perspective that informs the design of next-generation piezoelectric materials. Finally, future directions in self-powered implants and piezoelectric catalysis are highlighted to support their clinical translation for tissue repair and regenerative therapies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This review uniquely integrates the fundamental and translational aspects of piezoelectric biomaterials in regenerative medicine. We highlight how piezoelectric cues regulate cell behaviour through electrical stimulation, ion channel activation, particularly Ca²⁺ flux and downstream signalling pathways such as Wnt/GSK3β and PI3K/Akt. By linking these mechanisms to gene expression profiles and functional outcomes across bone, nerve, cartilage, cardiovascular, and skin tissues, this work provides a tissue-specific perspective that has not been comprehensively addressed before. Importantly, we emphasise the multifunctionality of piezoelectric scaffolds, showcasing their immunomodulatory, angiogenic, and biomechanical benefits. The review further bridges insights across chemistry, biology, materials science, and biofabrication, offering constructive guidance for designing next-generation, clinically translatable piezoelectric biomaterials.
Plant-derived architectures provide a unique reservoir of hierarchical, anisotropic, and transport-optimized design principles that can be systematically translated into functional biomaterials for regenerative implants. Unlike conventional scaffold engineering approaches that rely on artificially generated porosity and isotropic architectures, plant tissues exhibit evolutionarily optimized vascular networks, graded mechanical stiffness, and stimulus-responsive morphologies that directly address challenges in mass transport, stress distribution, and adaptive integration in biomedical implants. This review critically examines how plant structural hierarchies, from cellulose microfibril alignment to multichannel vascular bundles, are mechanistically mapped onto modern biofabrication platforms, including decellularization, extrusion-based 3D printing, direct ink writing, electrospinning, and 4D printing. Particular emphasis is placed on quantitative structure-property-function relationships, such as anisotropic modulus ratios (E||/E⊥), channel diameter-diffusion coupling, swelling-induced curvature programming, and surface energy-biofouling interactions, that govern biological outcomes including angiogenesis, osteogenesis, myogenic alignment, and anti-infective performance. Representative case studies demonstrate that plant-inspired multichannel scaffolds enhance vascular infiltration and bone regeneration in vivo, aligned cellulose-based systems enable programmable shape morphing for minimally invasive deployment, and biomimetic surface microtopographies reduce fouling without antibiotic reliance. However, critical translational challenges remain, including immunological validation of decellularized plant matrices, mechanical fatigue under cyclic physiological loading, lubricant stability in slippery interfaces, and scalability under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions. By integrating plant biomechanics, materials science, and advanced biofabrication, plant-inspired biomaterials emerge as a promising, yet early-stage strategy for engineering adaptive, vascularized, and multifunctional implants. Future progress will depend on rigorous quantitative validation, long-term in vivo performance studies, and standardized manufacturing frameworks that bridge biomimetic design with clinical translation.
The scale-up physics of ultrasound-enhanced separation is highly non-linear and remains insufficiently studied, limiting its industrial applications. To address this, the underlying mechanisms of ultrasound-enhanced extraction and adsorption were investigated using a 20 kHz probe with a diameter of 4 cm, and analyzed through interdisciplinary approaches, yielding novel insights. First, extraction and adsorption have distinct mass transfer resistances. For micron-level materials, the primary mass transfer resistance during extraction is concentrated at the solid-liquid interface, whereas the main resistance during adsorption is located inside the adsorbent. The disruption induced by ultrasound cavitation, instead of the direct effect of ultrasound cavitation, dynamically alters separation mass transfer mechanisms. Additionally, the solvent type used in separation influences the observable bubble density within the ultrasound cavitation cloud. The increased bubble number may not correspond to cavitation bubbles, as non-cavitation bubbles do not contribute to cavitation energy. Finally, a dimensionless rule has been formulated and validated to link separation with ultrasound cavitation across different scales. This rule introduces a polynomial relationship to quantify changes in separation yield (ΔC×Vm) using two dimensionless terms (lgACP×t×Lm and (rL). ACP×t×Lm represents ultrasonic separation factor incorporating the energy of single cavitation energy, cavitation bubble density and separation scale. rL characterizes the disruptive effects of ultrasound. As the first dimensionless rule to bridge ultrasound cavitation dynamics with mass transfer in separation processes, this work lays the foundation for scaling up these processes with greater precision and industrial applicability.
Soft electronic devices require durability to endure their inherent exposure to diverse mechanical deformations, including scratches, punctures, and repeated bending. Without intrinsic damage recovery mechanisms, such deformations inevitably compromise mechanical integrity and limit device lifetime. To address this issue, the strategic incorporation of reversible dynamic bonds enables autonomous self-healing while simultaneously achieving high mechanical toughness through energy dissipation during bond rupture. To this end, optimizing the glass transition temperature and bond exchange kinetics is essential to ensure sufficient chain mobility for rapid interfacial diffusion and autonomous mechanical recovery. Building on the reversible bond nature, this review presents emerging self-healable and tough soft electronics applications in three major areas: (1) Multimodal electronic skins capable of comprehensive physiological signal sensing; (2) modularly reconfigurable systems with adhesive-free interlayer bonding that enable user-on-demand device assembly; (3) optoelectronic devices that seamlessly integrate light-emitting and pressure-sensing capabilities. These applications demonstrate that dynamic bond engineering enables elastomeric devices to simultaneously achieve mechanical robustness, functional adaptability, and autonomous self-healing. Such advancements position them as durable platforms with extended operational lifetimes, paving the way for next-generation wearable and implantable bioelectronics in real-world applications.
To determine the effectiveness of Biodress (a petroleum-based hydrogen-calcium salt of oxidised cellulose dressing made of organic materials; Bottu, Morocco) against both honey and povidone-iodine ointment on wound closure, the incidence of wound complications, the cost of wound care, ease of use, and the outcome of acute wounds. A single-blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT) was performed among patients with acute wounds selected from two hospitals in southeast Nigeria. Participants were randomised with computer-generated numbers into one of three equally-sized groups: the petroleum-based dressing used as the intervention, and either honey or povidone-iodine which were used as two independent control groups. A total of 42 patients were included in this RCT, median age 32.5 years, with 22 male and 20 female patients. No significant difference was observed in the effectiveness of the petroleum-based dressing over honey or povidone-iodine ointment on wound closure (p=0.288). However, considering injury type, Biodress showed some advantage over honey in burns injuries (p=0.017). None of the participants in the intervention group had wound infection at any of the follow-up visits. No significant difference was noted in the cost of dressing materials (dressing packs and cleansing solutions) (p=0.717), or in the cost of dressing agents (Biodress/honey/ povidone-iodine) (p=0.222). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the ease of use of the different materials. The petroleum-based dressing, however, was significantly less painful than the other dressing agents and required significantly fewer dressing materials per episode compared to the other dressings (p=0.001). In this RCT, Biodress demonstrated its potential as a promising dressing agent for acute wounds, particularly burns injuries; however, further studies will help to substantiate or disprove this finding.
Mn-based hybrids are emerging stimuli-responsive luminescent materials, whose response mechanism is generally based on chromic behavior induced by a transition from octahedral (Oh) to tetrahedral (Td) coordination. Upon a reversible phase transition driven by H2O/Cl- ligand exchange in an octahedral configuration (Oh to Oh), an alternative chromic mechanism is reported herein. Two zero-dimensional (0D) hybrid manganese chlorides, (C4H8N4)2[MnCl4(H2O)2]·2Cl (Mn-c) and (C4H8N4)2MnCl6 (Mn-r), were synthesized, featuring 4,6-diaminopyrimidinium cations and isolated Mn-centered octahedral motifs. Structural, spectroscopic, and theoretical analyses reveal that the cyan emission of Mn-c originates from the organic cations, whereas the red emission of Mn-r stems from Mn-centered d-d transitions. Interconversion between Mn-c and Mn-r can be triggered via the H2O/Cl- ligand exchange induced by heating (>108 °C) or by soaking in hydrochloric acid, resulting in a reversible phase transition and switchable photoluminescence (PL) behavior. Leveraging this reversible chromism, anticounterfeiting patterns were fabricated. This novel Oh-Oh phase transition and the related PL switching of 0D hybrid Mn-based halides provide a new platform for developing intelligent, multicolor-responsive luminescent materials.
This study aimed to systematically synthesize existing in‑vitro data on clinical variability and mechanical performance differences of bulk‑fill materials. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched up to January 1, 2025. Inclusion criteria was restricted to peer-reviewed in-vitro studies evaluating direct resin composites intended for posterior use. Primary outcome was flexural strength (MPa). Treatment arms were hierarchically specified as composite classes (bulk-fill flowable, bulk-fill sculptable, fiber-reinforced, sonic/heat-activated, chemically activated/alkasite bulk-fill, and conventional sculptable) and their respective sub-brands. Results were synthesized through Bayesian hierarchical model. In total 44 studies (187 arms; 2134 specimens) were analyzed, with specimen numbers per arm ranging from 10 to 140. At class level, conventional sculptables ranked highest, followed by fiber-reinforced and sonic/heat-activated bulk-fills. Bulk-fill flowable and chemically activated/alkasite occupied the lowest ranks. Conventional sculptable demonstrated significant superiority to bulk-fill flowable and exhibited higher flexural strength relative to chemically/alkasite. At brand level; among conventional microhybrids, Grandio and Filtek Z250, among sculptable bulk-fills, Filtek One Bulk Fill Restorative and SonicFill, showed higher mean flexural-strength estimates. In contrast, flowable bulk‑fills such as Surefil SDR Flow and Tetric EvoFlow Bulk Fill tended to show lower values. Filtek One Bulk Fill Restorative demonstrated significantly higher flexural strength compared to SDR Flow and Tetric EvoFlow Bulk Fill. However, confidence in most class- and brand-level comparisons was rated as low or very low, primarily due to heterogeneity, indirectness, and imprecision. While conventional composites generally outperformed bulk-fill composites, some sculptable bulk‑fills exhibited comparable strength. Due to high heterogeneity, current testing and reporting practices provide limited support for clinically meaningful differentiation among bulk-fill composite classes. Flexural strength data in isolation are insufficient for product selection among bulk-fills; clinical decisions should rely on comprehensive evidence, including multiple in vitro properties and clinical performance data rather than single laboratory rankings.
Living tissues strengthen under repeated mechanical loading, yet replicating such adaptive growth in synthetic materials remains a formidable challenge. Here, we report a protein-based hydrogel that undergoes mechanochemically induced self-growth, autonomously reinforcing its baseline mechanical properties under applied stress. This strategy harnesses the copper-storage protein Csp1, whose force-regulated unfolding releases Cu(I) that catalyzes in situ azide-alkyne cycloaddition, generating secondary crosslinks under mechanical load. Upon unloading, Csp1 refolds and re-sequesters Cu(I), halting catalysis and restoring growth capacity. This mechano-catalytic feedback loop enables stress- and time-dependent self-reinforcement within a closed system, without external monomer supply. The hydrogel exhibits programmable mechanical memory via leveraging Cu(I) homeostasis in cyclic growth-pause-growth transitions. By coupling force-dependent protein conformational dynamics with catalytic activity, this strategy establishes a generalizable mechanochemical framework for designing self-adapting biomaterials whose structure and function evolve under mechanical stimulation.
Quadrupolar nuclei with half-integer spin, which represent 66 % of the NMR-active isotopes, are present in a wide range of materials with applications in various fields, including heterogeneous catalysis, optoelectronics and energy. The solid-state NMR spectra of these isotopes are affected by quadrupolar interactions, which provide unique information on the local environment of these nuclei, in addition to their chemical shifts. These anisotropic interactions, which are generally larger than other internal spin interactions, split and broaden the NMR transitions, which reduce the sensitivity for the detection of these isotopes. In addition, the large dimensions of their density matrices and the numerous NMR transitions complicate the spin dynamics and can reduce the efficiency of coherence transfers, such as cross-polarization under magic-angle spinning (CPMAS), which is widely employed to boost the sensitivity for the detection of spin-1/2 isotopes. In the last decade, sensitivity gains provided by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) have been exploited to detect half-integer quadrupolar nuclei in solids. This review discusses the advantages and limitations of the different DNP-NMR techniques that have been proposed for the detection of these isotopes, including direct excitation and CPMAS, and two more recently introduced methods called PRESTO (Phase-shifted Recoupling Effects by Smooth Transfer of Order) and D-RINEPT (Dipolar-mediated Refocusing Insensitive Nuclei Enhanced by Polarization Transfer). We also show how these techniques can be applied to obtain new insights on the structure of materials, notably of their surfaces, and hence, contribute to extend the range of applications of the surface-enhanced NMR spectroscopy (DNP-SENS).
Early and accurate detection of plant leaf diseases is an essential requirement for precision agriculture, given their severe impact on global food security. While much has been done recently, many deep learning-based approaches will still fail in real-world tests because of challenges such as background clutter, differences in illumination, occlusion, or the fact that visual symptoms for these diseases can be very subtle early on. Traditional CNN- and Transformer-based architectures generally lack accurate lesion localisation and interpretability, hindering their practical deployment in agricultural decision-support tools. To address these issues, we present LDDHybridNet, a region-based, explanation-friendly deep learning framework that can identify leaf disease at an early, accurate stage. It then applies preprocessing steps guided by ROI, based on leaf segmentation from the U-Net, followed by a compact CNN-based spatial feature-extraction framework. We arrange spatial feature embeddings extracted from lesion regions into an ordered sequence and employ a Bi-LSTM with attention to model structured contextual dependencies, allowing progression-aware feature learning without requiring actual temporal image sequences. Lastly, Grad-CAM-based post-hoc explainability is employed to interpret model decisions, enabling transparent visualisation of disease-relevant regions. We conduct extensive experiments on the PlantVillage benchmark and the FieldPlant dataset and show that LDDHybridNet consistently outperforms representative CNN, transformer, and hybrid baselines across multiple evaluation metrics. Although the near-ceiling performance on PlantVillage reveals the dataset's artificial nature, the proposed framework achieves 95.37% accuracy under real-world field conditions and 92.84% on weak-lesion early-stage samples, demonstrating the method's robustness and early-stage detection potential. The performance boosts are statistically significant (P < 0.01). In general, LDDHybridNet is an interpretable and robust deep learning framework for leaf disease detection, which can support data-driven crop protection and precision agriculture applications.
The emergence of coherence among electronic quasiparticles underlies collective quantum phenomena from superconductivity to superradiance. In semiconductors, exciton coherence is generally thought to decay rapidly due to scattering and dephasing, limiting its persistence on ultrafast timescales. Here we demonstrate a light-field-driven mechanism that creates and stabilizes exciton coherence in the layered antiferromagnet CrSBr. We directly record the coherent optical field emitted by excitons and track in real time how a deterministic phase, imprinted by the excitation laser, drives incoherent excitons to synchronize into a collective state. This ensemble remains phase coherent for more than 2 ps, whereas its resonance energy undergoes an ultrafast modulation mediated by spin and lattice interactions. The time-resolved field evolution indicates that the multiple peaks seen in conventional spectra originate from a single excitonic resonance subject to dynamic energy modulation. Our findings establish optical phase imprinting as a mechanism to control and sustain collective order in semiconducting magnets, bridging light-driven dynamics with excitonic and magnetic correlations in layered quantum materials.
Industrial growth is generating alarming amounts of oily wastewater. Because these contaminants don't degrade readily, they threaten ecosystems and human health. Consequently, identifying efficient and cost-effective materials for separating oil from water, particularly for stable emulsions, is a critical environmental challenge that must be addressed. Organic-inorganic hybrid materials are considered among the most promising options for developing membranes. In this study, a novel gyroid-shaped 3D polyamide-graphite-MoS2 membrane (PGM@gyroid-3D membrane) was fabricated via selective laser sintering. The composition, structure, morphology, and thermal stability of the fabricated PGM@gyroid-3D membrane were characterized using multiple techniques to elucidate its properties. It was observed that graphene and MoS2 are uniformly spread on the polyamide surface. The surface exhibits low roughness and crystalline topography. The FTIR results confirm the successful creation of the PGM@gyroid-3D membrane. Tensile, compressive, and flexural tests were performed to evaluate and compare the effects of laser power on specimens fabricated from composite powder and pure PA-12. The separation efficiency of the PGM@gyroid-3D membrane for the tested oils was admirable, suggesting that this membrane is a good candidate for industrial oil-contaminated water treatment.
The fast-evolving IT sector necessitates intelligent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials capable of real-time, environment-responsive. While current approaches based on reconstructing conductive networks through mechanical strain enable dynamically responsive shielding, but face a narrow tuning range, inadequate stability, and practical limitations. To address this, we propose an electric/magnetic field synergistic regulation strategy. This approach enables precise control over the alignment angle between reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and nickel nanowires (NiNWs) by manipulating the external field direction, producing rGO@NiNWs/polyimide aerogels with 3D ordered networks. Leveraging this design, the aerogels achieve reversible, wide-range tuning of EMI shielding performance through simple physical rotation, enabling reliable "on/off" switching capability. The oriented structure also optimizes both filler interconnection efficiency and interfacial polarization. With an rGO@NiNWs content of 80 wt.% and an inter-phase angle of 90°, the aerogels demonstrate excellent ultra-wideband EMI shielding performance across gigahertz and terahertz bands, with an average shielding effectiveness of 85 dB in the terahertz band, alongside good stability in extreme environments. Finite element simulations further reveal how the spatial configuration of rGO@NiNWs governs the shielding behavior and intelligent response mechanism. This study paves the way for next-generation intelligent electromagnetic protection materials, with promising potential for aerospace and wearable applications.
Biofunctional materials are increasingly used to preserve tooth vitality by promoting dental pulp-mediated hard tissue formation. However, existing evaluation platforms, such as conventional in vitro assays or microfluidic systems, fail to replicate the complex histological and physiological characteristics of dental pulp. This study introduces a 4D biofunctional material-to-pulp (4D BFP) platform that recapitulates pulp physiology, integrating three key features of native pulp tissue: layered histoarchitecture, microcirculatory dynamics, and three-dimensional multicellular organization. This platform further incorporates a temporal dimension by simulating age-dependent vascular transitions, thereby enabling the age-specific modelling of pulp responses, and defining the system as a 4D microfluidic pulp model. Computational fluid dynamics confirmed physiologically relevant flow profiles, while the compartmentalized design supported the spatially organized co-culture of endothelial cell (EC) and human dental pulp stem cell (hDPSC) spheroids. Functional responses to biofunctional material were assessed in both young and mature 4D pulp models. Transcriptomic profiling revealed distinct age- and material-specific signatures related to cellular growth arrest, angiogenesis, and developmental pathways. Collectively, the 4D BFP platform provides a physiological and temporal biomimetic model to study biomaterial-dental pulp interactions, supporting its application as a primary screening tool for candidate biofunctional materials.
Density functional tight binding (DFTB) offers a computationally efficient alternative to ab initio methods, bridging the accuracy of density functional theory (DFT) and the speed of semiempirical models. The approximate nature of DFTB makes its reliability highly dependent on parameter quality. While recent advancements have significantly improved the parametrization of the so-called repulsive potential, the parametrization of the electronic part of the DFTB interaction remains relatively simplistic and underdeveloped. We present DFTB Slater-Koster Optimizer (DSKO), a novel framework that aims at producing accurate and transferable electronic parameter sets under rigorous physical constraints. Incorporating robust optimization algorithms and physics-informed loss functions, DSKO generates DFTB electronic parameters that yield electronic properties, such as density of states and band structures, closely matching DFT reference data. The versatility of DSKO facilitates the wide application of DFTB to materials science challenges, paving the way for routine high-fidelity semiempirical simulations.
Thermal atomic layer etching (ALE) of metals is fundamentally constrained by the low volatility of metal halides, which has limited the scalability, selectivity, and temperature flexibility of dry etching processes. Here, we introduce a hydration-activated volatilization strategy that establishes coordinated water molecules as an active chemical handle to overcome this long-standing limitation in thermal metal ALE. Using copper (Cu) as a model system, we demonstrate a two-step thermal ALE process in which sequential chlorination with sulfuryl chloride (SO2Cl2) forms surface CuCl2, followed by a controlled hydration step with H2O vapor that converts the non-volatile CuCl2 into highly volatile CuCl2·2H2O. This hydration-induced phase transformation dramatically enhances volatility at low temperatures, enabling intrinsically thermal ALE by directly coupling hydration to volatility control, without reliance on organic ligands or plasma assistance. The process exhibits clear self-limiting behavior in both the chlorination and hydration half-reactions, with temperature-dependent etch rates ranging from 0.04 to 1.10 nm per cycle over 75-175 °C. In situ quartz crystal microbalance measurements directly confirm cyclic mass gain and removal associated with surface modification and volatilization, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy verify the formation and removal of Cu-Cl-based surface species. Surface morphology evolution during etching is systematically examined using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Thermodynamic analysis further supports the energetic favorability of the SO2Cl2-driven chlorination pathway. By decoupling halide formation from volatilization through hydration-enabled volatility control, this work establishes a new design paradigm for thermal metal ALE that extends beyond conventional oxidation-based routes. This strategy provides a general framework for atomic-scale recess engineering of Cu and potentially other advanced interconnect materials, offering new opportunities for scalable three-dimensional integration in future electronic devices.
As the food packaging industry advances towards green and low-carbon solutions, developing sustainable, high-performance materials is essential to mitigate white pollution and enhance food safety monitoring. This review systematically summarizes the preparation strategies for transparent cellulose films, covering physical methods, chemical modification, and green dissolution-regeneration systems. It focuses on analyzing the regulatory mechanisms of different preparation routes with respect to transparency, mechanical properties, and functional characteristics. Building on this basis, this paper proposes the research concept of physicochemical structural regulation of cellulose, which emphasizes the precise optimization of cellulose's aggregated-state structure, surface chemistry, and interfacial properties. This approach aims to enhance the comprehensive performance of film materials, constructing a new generation of "efficient, stable, and multi-scenario adaptable" intelligent packaging. Furthermore, functionalization strategies such as in situ growth, composite loading, electrospinning, and layer-by-layer self-assembly are elaborated, and their mechanisms for endowing films with antibacterial, antioxidant, UV-shielding, and intelligent response properties are discussed. Despite their advantages, challenges regarding wet stability, the trade-off between transparency and functionalization, and large-scale production bottlenecks remain. Finally, the review outlines future directions-including green processing, multifunctional integration, and industrial scalability-to accelerate the transition of cellulose-based intelligent packaging from laboratory research to commercial application.
Stimuli-responsive materials are pivotal for advanced photonics, yet achieving ones with multiple-dimensional manipulation and high robustness remains a challenge. Here, we present a shape-memory chiral photonic platform with multi-stimuli-responsiveness by sophisticatedly controlling the crosslinking chemistry and density of a triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion featured cholesteric elastomer. A thermally resettable shape memory effect on structural colors is induced by force in the elastomer with an oligomer-lowered crosslinking density, which also exhibits exceptional stretchability and enhanced optics, a remarkable 259 nm blueshift over 215% strain. The covalent incorporation of annihilators secures homogeneity and stability of the system. The material possesses programmable optical properties, including chirally, thermally, and mechanically regulated structural colors and photoactivated luminescence, enabling high-dimensional information encryption with accessibility to scalable spray-printing. This work provides a versatile material strategy for cutting-edge optical encryption and paves the way for next-generation wearable sensors, adaptive optical devices, and interactive camouflage technologies.
The environmental persistence of antiviral pharmaceuticals has raised increasing concern due to their potential ecological and human health impacts. In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of isoprinosine, a structurally complex antiviral drug, was investigated under simulated solar irradiation using pure TiO2 and Ag-doped TiO2 synthesized via a sol-gel method. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, and their photocatalytic activities were evaluated through kinetic analysis. Although Ag modification of TiO₂ is generally assumed to enhance photocatalytic activity, we find Ag-TiO2 degrades IPN far less efficiently than pure TiO2, achieving only ~21% removal compared to complete degradation by TiO2. This unexpected result provides new mechanistic insight into how silver incorporation, phase composition, and catalyst pollutant interactions influence photocatalytic performance, highlighting that noble-metal doping is not universally beneficial. By establishing baseline activity under controlled conditions, these findings offer a benchmark for understanding pollutant-specific effects and guiding the rational design of photocatalysts for persistent antiviral contaminants.
The increasing demand for sustainable materials capable of addressing both water and air pollution has stimulated the search for multifunctional MOFs with integrated properties. Herein, we report the solvothermal synthesis of a novel Zn(II) MOF PCP-35 constructed from a cyclotriphosphazene-based hexacarboxylic acid ligand (H6L) and a bisterpyridine (bisterp.) N-donor. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a robust three-dimensional (3D) framework, in which Zn-O bonds from the phosphazene-derived hexacarboxylate units and Zn-N bonds from the bisterp. ligands generate interconnected porous channels, while pronounced π-π stacking interactions between the bisterp. ligands further stabilize the architecture, reflecting a rational ligand-design strategy. The material was thoroughly characterized by PXRD, FTIR, TGA, UV-vis DRS, SEM, and solid-state photoluminescence spectroscopy. The multifunctional nature of this Zn(II)-based framework is reflected in its dual performance: under visible-light irradiation, it efficiently catalyzes the degradation of methylene blue, methyl orange and rhodamine B, achieving over 90% degradation within one hour and maintaining stability across multiple cycles; in addition, its strong luminescence response allows for selective sensing of volatile organic compounds, particularly aldehydes, through distinct fluorescence quenching and enhancement behaviors. This dual functionality, arising from the synergistic interplay of the robust phosphazene scaffold and the conjugated bisterp. pillar, highlights the potential of Zn(II) MOFs as versatile platforms for environmental remediation and chemical sensing.