SILICA

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) are widely used as stationary phases in liquid chromatography, yet their simple pore structures often mandate surface modifications to attain the necessary separation selectivity. In contrast, three-dimensional COFs (3D COFs) feature customizable hierarchical channel systems with complex pore structures, high specific surface areas, and spatially diversified active sites, enabling superior separation selectivity and enhanced column efficiency. Furthermore, their rigid frameworks prevent structural collapse of stationary phase, offering unique advantages for advanced separations. Therefore, the development of innovative 3D COF@silica stationary phase represents a promising strategy that leverages the established benefits of silica supports while incorporating the tunable porosity and functionality of 3D COFs. This work presents an eco-friendly deep eutectic solvent-mediated synthesis of an imine-linked 3D-Azo-TFPM-COF@silica stationary phase, which eliminates hazardous solvents and reduces reaction time. The synthesized material demonstrated excellent chromatographic performance in separating polar compounds and positional isomers. Meanwhile, the 3D-Azo-TFPM-COF@silica column was applied to cosmetic analysis for quantifying nicotinamide content in commercial whitening essences with high accuracy (recovery: 95.82-102.92%) and good precision (RSD < 0.4%). This work presents a straightforward and green synthetic approach for 3D COF based stationary phases, broadening their application in chromatographic separations and demonstrating their potential for advanced analytical techniques.

Sunlight-driven photocatalytic reactors for wastewater treatment have become a growing hot topic among researchers owing to their inexpensiveness, scalable potential, and minimal ecological impact. Herein, we have utilized 3D printing to fabricate a packed bed reactor (PBR) consisting of an open serpentine channel packed with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) coated onto silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 ) incorporated on cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) that is ZnO@SiO 2 @CNC. This developed PBR overcomes the expensive and time-consuming limitations of batch reactors with continuous flow mass treatment of persistent organic pollutants, including methylene blue (MB), Congo red (CR), and ciprofloxacin (CIP). The PBR exhibits remarkable removal efficiency that is further enhanced with increasing turbulence, reaching 99% and 98% for MB and CR, respectively, in just 20 min. Moreover, its potential for the photocatalytic degradation of the CIP antibiotic drug was confirmed with a removal efficiency of 81% in 110 min. The hybrid system was further explored for single-run operation and showed a degradation capacity of 99% for both MB and CR. The nanocomposite applicability to degrade these dyes at different pH levels and degradation pathways was also analyzed. Additionally, similar performance in degrading these persistent pollutants spiked in tap and river water confirmed its environmental applications for real samples.

Recent studies reveal that inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) can alter allergic skin reactions in a contact hypersensitivity (CHS) mouse model. Specifically, negatively charged silica (SiO 2 ) NPs suppressed the response whereas manganese doped titanium dioxide (mTiO 2 ) exacerbated it. Mast cells are critically important in transducing the CHS response. In this study we investigated the effect of SiO 2 and mTiO 2 NPs on bone marrow derived mast cell (BMMC) activation markers, degranulation and cytokine release. Sensitized BMMC were exposed to NPs alone or NPs plus antigen. Cytokines (IL-6, IL-13, TNF-α) and degranulation (β-hexosaminidase) studies were performed. Flow cytometry was used to follow cell surface activation markers including FcεRI, CD63 (LAMP-3), and CD107a (LAMP-1). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies were preformed to assess NP endocytosis. Results found that mTiO 2 NPs were cytotoxic to BMMC in a dose- and time-dependent manner. SiO 2 NPs showed minimal cytotoxicity up to 100 µg/ml. In the absence of antigen the NPs had limited effect on sensitized BMMC degranulation or cytokine release. However, in the presence of antigen, 30 min co-culture studies (NP plus antigen) showed that SiO 2 NPs protect against degranulation, and they suppressed the expression of cell surface activation markers whereas mTiO 2 NPs exacerbated these.

Cancer vaccines are designed to activate dendritic cells (DCs), which are potent antigen-presenting cells that initiate antigen-specific adaptive immune responses and inhibit tumor growth. Microneedles (MNs) have emerged as a promising cancer vaccine platform, enabling the noninvasive dermal delivery of cancer antigens and adjuvants to activate dermal DCs. However, conventional solid MNs have a limited surface area, restricting the adsorption of large amounts of bioactive components. Therefore, 3D-printed lattice-structured microarray patches (L-MAPs) with an increased surface area were designed in this study, which permitted the enhanced adsorption of cancer nanovaccines compared to conventional solid microarray patches. L-MAPs were fabricated by using the continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) technology, facilitating the rapid printing of MNs with lattice structures. L-MAPs adsorbed higher amounts of mesoporous-silica-based nanovaccine (MV) on their needle surfaces, exhibiting greater dermal vaccine delivery capacity. Applying MV@MAPs on mouse skin led to efficient DC recruitment, maturation, and subsequent antigen-specific T cell responses in vivo. Consequently, the resulting antitumor immune response considerably suppressed the tumor growth. This approach highlights that using CLIP-printed L-MAPs is a promising strategy for efficient nanovaccine delivery in cancer immunotherapies.

Particulate emulsifiers offer significant advantages in stabilizing oil-water emulsions with improved durability, uniformity, and compatibility for cosmetic and formulation applications. However, conventional particulate emulsifiers often suffer from unclear amphiphilic separation, indistinct functional anisotropy, and limited structural tunability, which severely restrict their emulsification efficiency and practical application in complex systems. To tackle these critical issues, a functionalization strategy to construct well-defined anisotropic Janus silica particles with distinct amphiphilic regions and controllable morphology was proposed in the current work. The particles were successfully modified using octyltriethoxysilane (OTES) and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMOS), which clearly regulated the amphiphilic surface anisotropy. Particularly, the increase in the alkyl chain length of HDTMOS inhibited a part of tails overgrowth, while modification through OTES generated a highly stable hydrophobic interface with an emulsifying behavior. Compared with contemporary particulate emulsifiers, the optimized OTES-modified Janus particles exhibited very good emulsification performance in various oil phases, particularly showcasing significantly enhanced stability for the emulsion and prolonged emulsification time. The present work provides a reliable and scalable strategy for tailoring the performance of emulsifiers at the nanoscale for high-performance emulsions.

The escalating prevalence of multidrug-resistant skin pathogens specifically methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa demands therapeutic strategies that move beyond conventional single-target antibiotics. This study investigates the antimicrobial, synergistic, and molecular mechanisms of Acalypha wilkesiana and Mirabilis jalapa , two plants used in West African ethnopharmacology for wound management. Ethanol and aqueous leaf extracts were prepared and purified via silica gel column chromatography using a gradient n-hexane: ethyl acetate system. Antimicrobial efficacy was quantified by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) assays. Synergism was evaluated by the checkerboard method (Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index). Membrane integrity was probed by K + and protein leakage assays. Constituent phytochemicals; Quercetin and Chlorogenic Acid were docked against S. aureus Peptide Deformylase (PDF; PDB: 1Q1Y) and P. aeruginosa LasR (PDB: 2UV0), followed by 50-ns Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations. Ethanol extracts of A. wilkesiana demonstrated potent activity (MIC: 12.5 mg/ml against P. aeruginosa ATCC 10145). Combination with M. jalapa yielded strong synergy (FIC index ≤ 0.25-0.50). Membrane leakage assays revealed catastrophic membrane failure: K + leakage, 15.86 Cmol/kg; protein efflux, 3.83 Cmol/kg. Quercetin exhibited high-affinity inhibition of S. aureus PDF (docking score: - 9.802 kcal/mol; MM-GBSA ΔGbind: - 58.42 kcal/mol; RMSD: 1.45 ± 0.2 Å), with critical H-bonds at Gly49/Gln50 maintained for 88% of simulation frames. Chlorogenic Acid bound the LasR autoinducer pocket (docking score: - 9.7 kcal/mol; MM-GBSA: - 48.15 kcal/mol; RMSD: 1.80 ± 0.3 Å), with hydrophobic contacts at Trp60 persisting for 95% of the trajectory. Quercetin and Chlorogenic Acid suppress bacterial protein maturation (PDF) and quorum-sensing (LasR), while saponins and terpenes execute catastrophic membrane disruption. This synergistic multi-target strategy establishes Quercetin and Chlorogenic Acid as viable scaffolds for anti-virulence drug development against resistant skin pathogens. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-026-00667-8.

Diabetic Wound (DW) is one of the most prevalent complications in diabetes patients, impairing patient wellbeing and quality of life severely. The pathogenesis of DW remains incompletely understood, hindering the development of targeted therapies. We analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data and tissue samples from DW patients and healthy controls to investigate characteristic of DW. A high-glucose (30 mM) stimulation model was used to mimic Vascular endothelial cells （VECs) injury in vitro. We evaluated the effects of BAI1 on high-glucose-induced VECs dysfunction, cellular senescence, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leakage, and cGAS-STING pathway activation. To enable topical wound delivery, BAI1 was loaded into mesoporous silica nanoparticles and encapsulated within a polyvinyl alcohol-alginate-tannic acid-borax composite hydrogel. A diabetic mouse wound model was established to assess the therapeutic efficacy of the BAI1-loaded hydrogel. Single-cell sequencing and histopathological analyses revealed severe VECs injury in diabetic wounds, accompanied by STING activation and cellular senescence. In vitro, high glucose induced mtDNA leakage, cGAS-STING activation, and senescence in VECs. BAI1 treatment attenuated mtDNA leakage, suppressed STING activation, reduced senescence, and restored VECs function. The BAI1-loaded hydrogel significantly accelerated wound closure and improved healing quality in diabetic mice. Tissue analysis further demonstrated that the hydrogel reduced STING activation and senescence markers in wounds. mtDNA leakage in VECs drive cellular senescence and contribute to impaired healing in diabetic wounds. BAI1 alleviates senescence by inhibiting BAX, thereby reducing mtDNA release and subsequent cGAS-STING activation. The BAI1-PSTB-Hydrogel is a promising topical dressing for DW, with broad clinical translation potential.

Wound healing is a complex, dynamic and multistep biological process involving haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling, which can be severely compromised in chronic, infected, or non-healing wounds. Conventional wound care strategies often suffer from limitations such as poor drug stability, inadequate tissue penetration, frequent dressing changes and a lack of spatiotemporal control over therapeutic release. In recent years, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have emerged as promising platforms to overcome these challenges by enabling targeted, controlled and multifunctional therapeutic interventions. This comprehensive review highlights emerging trends in nanotechnology-driven approaches for wound healing, with a focus on their design and therapeutic potential across different stages of wound repair. The review systematically discusses major nanotechnological platforms, including electrospun nanofibers, advanced hydrogel systems, nanocomposites, polymeric micelles and a wide range of inorganic nanoparticles such as silver, gold, copper, silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Additionally, advanced materials such as graphene and scaffold-based systems, including scaffold-integrated nanoparticles and hydrogel-based scaffolds, are critically examined for their roles in promoting angiogenesis, antimicrobial activity, cell migration and tissue regeneration. Ultimately, this review provides valuable insights into future perspectives and research directions, highlighting the need for multifunctional nanoplatforms to advance next-generation wound healing therapies.

Bacterial infection and oxidative stress imbalance severely impair wound healing, necessitating the development of multifunctional wound dressings. Herein, a pH-responsive nanocomposite hydrogel (AG-Zn-SC@D) was fabricated via dynamic Schiff base crosslinking between aldehyde-modified alginate and gelatin, incorporating Zn 2+ and sophoricoside-loaded amino-functionalized dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Owing to the acidic microenvironment of infected wounds, the hydrogel exhibited a pH-responsive release profile. Under acidic stimulation, protonation of carboxyl groups accelerated Zn 2+ release, enabling potent antibacterial activity with inhibition rates exceeding 95% against both E. coli and S. aureus. Meanwhile, the acid-triggered dissociation of Schiff base bonds facilitated sustained sophoricoside release over 72 h and conferred strong antioxidant capacity, with nearly complete DPPH• scavenging at a concentration of 60 mg/mL. In a Staphylococcus aureus-infected skin wound model, the hydrogel significantly attenuated inflammation (reducing IL-6 and MPO expression while upregulating IL-10), promoted angiogenesis and fibroblast proliferation, and enhanced collagen deposition and re-epithelialization, thereby contributing to accelerated wound closure and improved tissue regeneration. This multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogel offers a promising strategy for infected wound management.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are widely used in automotive polymers and electronic components, yet vehicles remain an under-characterized and potentially high-exposure microenvironment, particularly in hot climates. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of BFR occurrence, sources, and exposure risks in vehicle dust from Saudi Arabia, addressing a critical regional data gap. This study systematically investigates the occurrence, compositional patterns, sources, and human exposure risks of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and selected alternative BFRs in dust from 80 vehicles (domestic cars and taxis; model years 2015-2022) operating in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dust samples were collected using a standardized vacuuming protocol, extracted and cleaned using solvent extraction and silica SPE, and analyzed via GC-NCI-MS. Both legacy PBDE congeners and emerging alternatives (including DBDPE and TBB) were consistently detected, with BDE-209 dominating the overall BFR burden with mean concentrations of 6560 ng/g in domestic vehicles and 5454 ng/g in taxis, with maximum values reaching 220,860 ng/g. Lower-brominated PBDEs occurred at substantially lower concentrations, reflecting the ongoing global transition away from Penta- and Octa-BDE formulations. Taxis exhibited generally higher concentrations than domestic vehicles, likely due to prolonged occupancy, increased usage intensity, and enhanced dust resuspension dynamics. Multivariate analysis (PCA and correlation) revealed two distinct source categories: (i) legacy Penta-BDE-related congeners associated with polyurethane foam and textile materials and (ii) high-brominated PBDEs and DBDPE linked to hard plastics and electronic components. Human exposure assessment demonstrated that dust ingestion is the dominant exposure pathway, while dermal and inhalation routes contribute minimally. Non-carcinogenic hazard indices (HI) were well below unity for all compounds (HI < 1.67 × 10 -6 ), and incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCR) for BDE-209 remained within or near accepted risk thresholds (7.52 × 10 -6 -1.04 × 10 -5 ), although occupational exposure among taxi drivers was consistently higher. Overall, the results demonstrate that modern vehicle cabins act as significant microenvironments for chronic BFR exposure, particularly under high-temperature conditions. Despite generally low estimated risks, the combined effects of chemical persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and mixture toxicity-amplified by extreme in-cabin temperatures-highlight vehicles as overlooked yet significant exposure environments. These findings provide the first comprehensive dataset for the Arabian Peninsula and emphasize the need for climate-sensitive exposure assessment, safer material design, and targeted mitigation strategies in vehicle interiors.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation exacerbates skin photoaging, disrupting extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis and thereby causing premature skin aging and increased susceptibility to damage. Effective therapeutic approaches to manage photoaging and promote skin regeneration are essential. This study developed a multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogel (CAPE@DMMg) by loading active compounds into citrate-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (CAPE@MSN-CA), incorporating a deep eutectic solvent to enhance skin penetration, and introducing magnesium ions to improve the mechanical stability of the hydrogel. Experimental results demonstrated that CAPE@DMMg scavenged reactive oxygen species, modulated ECM-related gene expression, and reduced skin wrinkles, restores skin thickness, and promotes collagen deposition, exhibiting remarkable anti-photoaging effects. Furthermore, CAPE@DMMg reduced UV-induced senescence-associated markers in multiple organs, indicating reduced systemic oxidative stress and senescence-related changes. Mechanistically, CAPE@MSN-CA restored mitochondrial function by targeting the FN1-ITGA5 axis and suppressing apoptosis. This effect was accompanied by increased type I/III collagen and reduced MMP1 and FN1 expression. In summary, this study presents a multifunctional drug delivery system that regulates ECM microenvironment homeostasis, offering a novel strategy for anti-aging skin therapy.

Erasmus syndrome is an uncommon condition marked by the onset of systemic sclerosis (SSc) due to extended exposure to silica. In this case, we highlight the significant health risks associated with silica exposure in artisanal mining (galamsey), leading to the development of Erasmus syndrome. We present the case of a 33-year-old male artisanal miner with a 14-year work history who presented with a 2-year history of recurrent cough, difficulty breathing, and fever. He later developed hypopigmentation and skin thickening on his face, neck, torso, and knees, along with a productive cough and low-grade fever. He visited multiple healthcare facilities on account of the above complaints. At one of such visits, he was prescribed antituberculosis (TB) medication even though the sputum for GeneXpert was negative. On examination, he was in respiratory distress with an oxygen saturation of 78% on room air and required oxygen via a nonrebreather mask at 10 L/min, which raised the oxygen saturation to 94%, and had bronchial breath sounds in the right lung zones. Vocal resonance was increased bilaterally in the middle lung zones. He had salt-and-pepper dermopathy with tight and adherent skin on his face, chest, back, and knees. He additionally had microstomia, rat bite sign of the fingers, and Raynaud's phenomenon. Antinuclear antibody by indirect immunofluorescence on hep-2 cells was positive (1:320), and Antitopoisomerase 1 antibodies were also positive. Chest CT findings were consistent with complicated silicosis. The patient was diagnosed with Erasmus syndrome and started on immunosuppressive therapy. We highlight the significant health risks associated with silica exposure in artisanal mining (galamsey), leading to the development of Erasmus syndrome. Preventing silica exposure remains crucial, necessitating stringent workplace safety measures and occupational health practices to protect individuals in high-risk professions.