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Molecular force probes conveniently report on mechanical stress and/or strain in polymers through straightforward visual cues. Unlike conventional mechanochromic mechanophores, the mechanically gated photoswitching strategy decouples mechanochemical activation from the ultimate chromogenic response, enabling the mechanical history of a material to be recorded and read on-demand using light. Here we report a completely redesigned, highly modular mechanophore platform for mechanically gated photoswitching that offers a robust, accessible synthesis and late stage diversification through Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions to precisely tune the photophysical properties of the masked diarylethene (DAE) photoswitch. Using solution-phase ultrasonication, the reactivity of a small library of functionally diverse mechanophores is demonstrated to be exceptionally selective, producing a chromogenic response under UV irradiation only after mechanochemical activation, revealing colored DAE isomers with absorption spectra that span the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Notably, mechanically gated photoswitching is successfully translated to solid polymeric materials for the first time, demonstrating the potential of the masked diarylethene mechanophore for a variety of applications in force-responsive polymeric materials.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d1sc02890a | DOI Listing |
Rev Sci Instrum
September 2025
Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Neutron Time-of-Flight (nTOF) detectors are key diagnostics to detect thermonuclear neutrons in laser-fusion experiments. This diagnostic, however, is often plagued by strong gamma-ray noise prior to neutron signals, especially in harsh fast-ignition (FI) environments. To address this issue, a combination of low-afterglow liquid scintillators with time-gated photomultiplier tubes as necessary nTOF components would be a natural solution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
September 2025
The Rowland Institute at Harvard, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy has revolutionized structural biology and materials science. To image below liquid nitrogen temperatures, various liquid helium stages have been constructed but have proven to be complex and unstable, making high-resolution imaging challenging. This problem is even more pronounced in side-entry specimen holders common on modern transmission electron microscopes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Sci (Weinh)
September 2025
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, 94304, USA.
The plasma membrane is actively regulated by lipid transporters that create electrochemical gradients between leaflets, and passively by scramblases that dissipate these gradients. Membrane properties such as lipid packing are critical for the proper function of transmembrane proteins, particularly mechanosensitive ion channels. Mechanosensation is a key component of many sensory processes including balance, and hearing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCosmetics
June 2025
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA.
Electrical stimulation of the skin has proven effective in pain management and antibacterial treatment, particularly in wound healing and counteracting the aging processes. The latter processes rely on epidermal cell migration, increased fibroblast proliferation, and upregulation of extracellular matrix protein expression. While an electrical field stimulates these processes, it is unclear how the electrical signal results in transcriptional control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
September 2025
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Precision Medicine Equipment, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China.
Nanofluidic memristors have become a hotspot in neuromorphic computing research due to their potential in modeling biological synaptic functions. However, many existing nanofluidic memristors rely on electrochemical or electric field-driven mechanisms, failing to directly mimic the properties of mechanically gated ion channels (e.g.
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