Metal-Organic Crystallized Glasses: Microstructure Formation and Their Properties.

Partial crystallization within a glass matrix to form microcrystalline domains offers a pathway to glass-ceramic materials with properties distinct from those of both the parent glass and crystalline phases. This concept has been limited to inorganic glasses. Here, we introduce metal-organic crystallized glasses (MOCGs), prepared by controlling the crystallization process within metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses, and explore their properties.

Heterometallic Li/Zn, Li/Al and Li/In catalysts for -lactide ring-opening polymerisation: "ate" or "non-ate" pathways?

The ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of lactide (LA) is an attractive route to produce aliphatic polyesters, with bimetallic catalysts displaying some of the highest catalyst activities to date. While a range of heterometallic catalysts have been reported to outperform their homometallic analogues, the origins of cooperativity are not always well understood. Previous studies indicate that the reaction pathways may differ for different metal heterocombinations, especially when an alkali metal is combined with zinc or aluminium.

Physiological pH Transition-Driven Protein Corona Dynamics Regulate Cellular Uptake and Inflammatory Responses of Silica Nanoparticles.

Protein corona alters the biological identities and interactions of nanoparticles with cells, needing to be thoroughly scrutinized before in vivo applications. Importantly, protein corona is evolving as nanoparticles cross different microenvironments, leading to unpredictable biological behaviors. Unveiling how physiological conditions change, especially pH changes associated with tumor-targeted delivery, affect protein corona composition and subsequent bio-interactions, is thus essential for understanding the bio-fate and therapeutic efficacy of nanomedicines.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly and gene annotation of the hydrothermal vent annelid Alvinella pompejana yield insight into animal evolution in extreme environments.

Background: The Pompeii worm Alvinella pompejana, a terebellid annelid, has long been an exemplar of a metazoan that lives in an extreme environment, on the chimney wall of deep-sea hydrothermal vents, but this very environment has made it difficult to study. Comprehensive assessment of Alvinella pompejana genome content, and the factors that could explain its ability to thrive in seemingly hostile conditions has been lacking.

Results: We report the chromosome-level genome sequence of Alvinella pompejana and population-level sequence variants.

Homoleptic magnesium and calcium complexes supported by constrained reduced Schiff base ligand for lactide polymerisation: DFT analysis of lactide/ligand interactions.

A homoleptic calcium complex supported by a constrained reduced Schiff base ligand was synthesised and found to be highly active for the ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of 100 equiv. lactide within 2 min at room temperature. However, the magnesium analogue has significantly lower reactivity.

Antihyperglycemic drug screening: 4-nitrophenol intermittent pulse amperometry as a convenient α-glucosidase inhibitor assay.

We present intermittent pulse amperometry (IPA) as a practical direct electrochemical readout option in a 4-nitrophenol (4-NP)-assisted α-glucosidase (α-GL) activity assay. The feasibility of the strategy was validated through proof-of-principle inhibition tests on a selection of gold-standard α-GL inhibitors and commercial inhibitor-containing plant-based food supplements, and the quality of the obtained results confirmed well the potential of this method in the identification of new antidiabetic drugs. The proposed IPA/4-NP-based α-GL activity inhibition assay is an easy-to-establish user-friendly approach for the rapid and economical detection of inhibitor candidates within small to medium-sized sample libraries and is intended to complement, not replace, other currently used methods and to valuably widen the analytical scheme set for applicants in the academic and industrial pharma sectors.

Structural and functional insights into a novel aldehyde deformylating oxygenase with enhanced efficiency for biofuel applications.

Aldehyde deformylating oxygenase (ADO) plays a crucial role in hydrocarbon biosynthesis by converting C fatty aldehydes into C alkanes, key components of biofuels. However, ADO's low catalytic efficiency and thermostability hinder its industrial application. In this study, we identified a novel ADO from Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (PsADO) using the Enzyme Function Initiative-Enzyme Similarity Tool (EFI-EST).

Structure and loop dynamics of a chitooligosaccharide deacetylase from the marine bacterium Vibrio campbellii (harveyi).

A chitooligosaccharide deacetylase from Vibrio campbellii (formerly V. harveyi) (VhCOD) belonging to the carbohydrate esterase family 4 (CE4) catalyzes Zn-dependent deacetylation of a specific N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residue in chitooligosaccharides. It deacetylates chitobiose, (GlcNAc), to produce GlcNAc-GlcN following Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

Systematic Bandgap Engineering of a 2D Organic-Inorganic Chalcogenide Semiconductor via Ligand Modification.

Hybrid organic-inorganic semiconductors present new opportunities for optoelectronic materials design not available in all-organic or all-inorganic materials. One example is silver phenylselenide (AgSePh) - or "mithrene" - a blue-emitting 2D organic-inorganic semiconductor exhibiting strong optical and electronic anisotropy. Here, we show that the bandgap of mithrene can be systematically tuned by introducing electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups to the phenyl ligands.

PlyCYU endolysin targeting exhibits a CHAP activity and a glucosaminidase domain mediating multimerization.

Bacteriophage endolysins are attractive alternatives to antibiotics owing to their rapid action, host specificity, and unlikeliness of resistance development. Here, bioinformatic analysis of prophage sequences identified an endolysin, named PlyCYU, containing two putative catalytic domains-an N-terminal amidase_5 and a C-terminal glucosaminidase (Lyz2) domain-with two CW_7 family cell wall binding motifs. PlyCYU exhibited bactericidal activity against , , and with a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) range of 1.

Building a Synthetic Cell Together.

Synthetic cells (SynCells) are artificial constructs designed to mimic cellular functions, offering insights into fundamental biology, as well as promising impact in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, and bioengineering. Achieving a functional SynCell from the bottom up, i.e.

SynProtX: a large-scale proteomics-based deep learning model for predicting synergistic anticancer drug combinations.

Motivation: Drug combination therapy plays a pivotal role in addressing the molecular heterogeneity of cancer, improving treatment efficacy, minimizing resistance, and reducing toxicity. Deep learning approaches have significantly advanced drug combination discovery by addressing the limitations of conventional laboratory experiments, which are time-consuming and costly. While most existing models rely on the molecular structure of drugs and gene expression data, incorporating protein-level expression provides a more accurate representation of cellular behavior and drug responses.

CO Fixation and Release Mediated by Carbonate-Based Coordination Polymers.

We demonstrate the synthesis of 11 carbonate (CO)-based coordination polymers (CPs) from CO and reveal the structure-property correlation of CO release upon decarbonation. The decarbonation temperatures () are tunable as factors of the electronegativity of metal ions and the coordination numbers of CO within the CP lattices. The structural tunability of CO-based CPs enables high gravimetric CO contents (25-30 wt %) and in the low-temperature range where low-grade waste heat can be utilized (170-230 °C).

Neural dynamics and synaptic plasticity in simple networks drive Lévy flight foraging and obstacle avoidance behaviors for bio-inspired autonomous flight.

Animal foraging behavior is essential for survival. This complex behavior involves a combination of local search, seeking food nearby, and global search, exploring large areas for new food resources. These strategies can be adaptively alternated.

Layered Alkali Metal Titanate with the Staging Structure and Superior Electrochemical Performance.

We systematically explored the formation range of α-NaFeO-type layered titanate and its ion-exchange behaviors and electrochemical performance. The layered sodium titanate of NaTiLiO at = 0.68-0.

Structural and Functional Characteristics of Potent Dioxygenase from .

Enzymatic C=C double bond cleavage to give carbonyl-species is an emerging alternative to ozonolysis, or stoichiometric use of metal-oxidants. The substrate scope of 4-His Fe dioxygenases, however, appears to be restricted to aromatic compounds with a hydroxy group at the 4-position of the aromatic ring. In-depth structural and functional characterization is a prerequisite to understand and ultimately to extend the substrate scope of this family of enzymes.

Bio-Inspired Approaches-A Leverage for Robotics.

The field of bio-inspired approaches (also known as biomimetics or biomimicry) is a design approach whereby a product or process is inspired by elements of nature, such as plants or animals [...

Direct conversion of methane to value-added hydrocarbons using alkali metal-promoted cobalt catalysts.

The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a promising pathway for directly converting methane into higher hydrocarbons (C). This research investigated the influence of alkali metal promoters (Li, Na, K, or Rb) on Co/AlO catalysts prepared based on incipient wetness impregnation for the OCM reaction. The catalyst investigations demonstrated that the catalysts promoted with K and Rb had superior performance, with the 4.

3D Interconnected Graphene-like Porous Materials Derived from Sesbania for High-Voltage Aqueous Supercapacitors.

Graphene-like materials are renowned for their excellent electrical conductivity, large surface area, and high energy storage capability. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) interconnected graphene-like porous materials were synthesized from Sesbania, a sustainable biomass, via acid-assisted hydrothermal carbonization, followed by KOH activation. The resulting material (SE_GLC) features interconnected open pores within graphene-like sheets and boasts a surface area of 1140 m/g.

Sustainable carbon-based catalysts for oxygen reduction-enhanced FDCA production at ultra-low cell voltage.

The electrochemical oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) offers a sustainable pathway for bio-based polyester production. While extensive studies have focused on electrocatalyst development for this reaction, the integration of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with HMF oxidation (HMFOR) remains largely underexplored. This study presents a novel electrochemical system that synergistically combines ORR with HMFOR, utilizing a tea leaf-derived carbon cathode and a nickel foam anode.

Mechanistic insights into electrolyte decomposition induced by polysulfide migration in large-scale Li-S battery cells.

Despite their high theoretical energy density, Li-S batteries suffer from polysulfide (PS) migration and electrolyte degradation. Here, we present one of the first integrated and studies in 18650-format Li-S cells, revealing that a sulfur@activated carbon cathode suppresses PS crossover, reduces gas evolution by 35.7-fold, and stabilizes the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI).

Deep Eutectic Solvents Formed by Complex Hydrides: A New Class of Hydrogen-Rich Liquid.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are novel mixtures that exhibit a significant depression in melting points compared to their individual components. This work finds that combining tetrabutylammonium borohydride (TBABH) with ammonia borane (AB) yields new, stable, hydrogen-rich liquids under ambient conditions, with a glass transition as low as -50 °C. Liquid mixtures containing up to 6.

Unique structural features define the decarboxylation activity of a CYP152 fatty acid decarboxylase from Lacicoccus alkaliphilus.

Cytochrome P450 CYP152s catalyze decarboxylation of fatty acids to generate terminal alkenes, valuable compounds for various industries. Here, we identified, overexpressed, and characterized a new CYP152 enzyme from Lacicoccus alkaliphilus (OleT) and compared its biophysical and biochemical properties with the well-studied OleT from Jeotgalicoccus sp. 8456.

Molecular arrangements that accompany binding of rice xylanase inhibitor protein OsXIP and the Rhizopus oryzae GH11 xylanase RXyn2.

Plants have evolved xylanase inhibitor proteins as part of their defense mechanisms against phytopathogens. The rice xylanase inhibitor protein (OsXIP) is structurally similar to GH18 chitinase and homologous to wheat XIP-type inhibitor (XIP-I), which inhibits both GH10 and GH11 xylanases. Various inhibition and interaction analyses showed that OsXIP competitively inhibits the hydrolytic activity of GH11 xylanase RXyn2, but not the activity of GH10 xylanase RXyn1 from Rhizopus oryzae.

Rational Molecular Design of Aryl-Lithium Reagent Enables Precise Chemical Prelithiation of Graphite Anodes for Achieving Ideal 100% Initial Coulombic Efficiency.

Prelithiation is a recognized strategy to enhance the initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and energy density of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, existing methods generally suffer from insufficient lithiation precision, poor spatial homogeneity, and limited operational feasibility. Here, a molecular customized prelithiation reagent, 1-methyl-naphthalene-lithium/2-methyl tetrahydrofuran ( = 0.