Perfluoropentane-based oxygen-loaded nanodroplets reduce microglial activation through metabolic reprogramming

Microglia,the primary immune cells within the brain,have gained recognition as a promising therapeutic target for managing neurodegenerative diseases within the central nervous system,including Parkinson’s disease.Nanoscale perfluorocarbon droplets have been reported to not only possess a high oxygen-carrying capacity,but also exhibit remarkable anti-inflammatory properties.However,the role of perfluoropentane in microglia-mediated central inflammatory reactions remains poorly understood.In this study,we developed perfluoropentane-based oxygen-loaded nanodroplets(PFP-OLNDs)and found that pretreatment with these droplets suppressed the lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of M1-type microglia in vitro and in vivo,and suppressed microglial activation in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease.Microglial suppression led to a reduction in the inflammatory response,oxidative stress,and cell migration capacity in vitro.Consequently,the neurotoxic effects were mitigated,which alleviated neuronal degeneration.Additionally,ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry showed that the anti-inflammatory effects of PFP-OLNDs mainly resulted from the modulation of microglial metabolic reprogramming.We further showed that PFP-OLNDs regulated microglial metabolic reprogramming through the AKT-mTOR-HIF-1αpathway.Collectively,our findings suggest that the novel PFP-OLNDs constructed in this study alleviate microglia-mediated central inflammatory reactions through metabolic reprogramming.

Surface active agents stabilize nanodroplets and enhance haze formation

Although many organic molecules found commonly in the atmosphere are known to be surface-active in aqueous solutions, their effects on the mechanisms underlying haze formation remain unclear. In this paper, based on a simple thermodynamic analysis, we report that the adsorption of amphiphilic organics alone not only lowers the surface tension,but also unexpectedly stabilizes nanodroplets of specific size under water vapor supersaturation. Then we determine how various factors, including relative humidity, water activity effect due to dissolution of inorganic components as well as surface tension effect due to surface adsorption of organic components, cooperatively induce the stability of nanodroplets.The nanodroplet stability behaviors not captured in the current theory would change the formation mechanism of haze droplets, from the hygroscopic growth pathway to a nonclassical two-step nucleation pathway.

Ginsenoside modified lipid-coated perfluorocarbon nanodroplets: A novel approach to reduce complement protein adsorption and prolong in vivo circulation

Lipid-coated perfluorocarbon nanodroplets(lp-NDs)hold great promise in bio-medicine as vehicles for drug delivery,molecular imaging and vaccine agents.However,their clinical utility is restricted by limited targeted accumulation,attributed to the innate immune system(IIS),which acts as the initial defense mechanism in humans.This study aimed to optimize lp-ND formulations to mini-mize non-specific clearance by the IIS.Ginsenosides(Gs),the principal components of Panax ginseng,possessing complement inhibition ability,structural similarity to cholesterol,and comparable fat solubi-lity to phospholipids,were used as promising candidate IIS inhibitors.Two different types of ginsenoside-based Ip-NDs(Gs Ip-NDs)were created,and their efficacy in reducing IS recognition was examined.The Gs p-NDs were observed to inhibit the adsorption of C3 in the protein corona(PC)and the generation of SC5b-9.Adding Gs to Ip-NDs reduced complement adsorption and phagocytosis,resulting in a longer blood circulation time in vivo compared to lp-NDs that did not contain Gs.These results suggest that Gs can act as anti-complement and anti-phagocytosis adjuvants,potentially reducing non-specific clear-ance by the IS and improving lifespan.

Foamed microemulsion nanodroplets loaded with chlorin e6 for epidermal-targeted treatment against psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease characterized by the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and an overactive autoimmune response. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been established as a promising intervention for alleviating psoriasis. However, the current transdermal delivery of photosensitizers is inefficient and imprecise. In this study, we developed a foamed microemulsion nanodroplets system containing chlorin e6 (Ce6 FM), exhibiting precise epidermal targeting and retention, which targeted the aberrantly proliferating epidermal cells at psoriatic skin lesions and avoided the damage to the normal cutaneous cells. Upon application in a psoriatic mouse model, Ce6 FM efficiently induced keratinocyte apoptosis by generating reactive oxygen species under laser. Furthermore, Ce6 FM-based PDT activated the cyclooxygenase-2-induced immunosuppressive pathway in keratinocytes, resulting in the amelioration of the autoimmune microenvironment in psoriatic skin. Additionally, Ce6 FM-based PDT did not induce skin damage or atrophy associated with non-targeted halometasone treatment. Overall, Ce6 FM-based PDT holds promise as an effective, safe and compliant strategy for psoriasis treatment.

纳米尺度下水液滴撞击固体表面润湿性行为的分子动力学模拟

本文采用分子动力学方法研究纳米尺度下水液滴碰撞铜壁面的润湿过程,水滴温度和固液作用强度对润湿性行为的影响以及直径为4.67 nm球形液滴在273 K-353 K温区、固液作用强度在1-3范围内,水滴的润湿行为和平衡接触角与温度、固液作用强度之间的变化关系.研究结果显示:液滴在不同润湿性壁面上会产生明显不同的润湿演化特性.模拟结果表明对于亲水材料,由于壁面附近水分子所受的势能束缚随温度升高而增强,平衡接触角则相应减小;对于疏水材料,由于随温度的升高分子之间增加的势能大于固液之间增加的势能而表现出平衡接触角随着温度升高而增大的趋势.因此,针对其材料亲水性能,可以通过改变温度影响其润湿行为,从而提高传热、传质和自清洁性能.

Evaporation of a nanodroplet on a rough substrate

The wettability and roughness of a substrate are crucial to the evolution of the contact angle and three-phase contact line in the evaporation of sessile droplets. In this paper, by performing moleoilar dynamics simulations for droplet evaporation at the nanoscale, we show that the wettability is more important than the roughness. For a smooth substrate, the evaporation behavior of a nanodroplet is similar to that at the macroscopic scale. This similarity is also observed in the case of a rough hydrophilic substrate. However, for a rough hydrophobic substrate, both the constant contact angle and contact line pinning appear in turn during evaporation. This suggests that the roughness of the hydrophobic substrate is useful for the evaporation technique in self-assembly at the nanoscale.

Molecular dynamics study of nanodroplet diffusion on smooth solid surfaces

We perform molecular dynamics simulations of Lennard-Jones particles in a canonical ensemble to study the diffusion of nanodroplets on smooth solid surfaces. Using the droplet-surface interaction to realize a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface and calculating the mean square displacement of the center-of-mass of the nanodroplets, the random motion of nanodroplets could be characterized by short- time subdiffusion, intermediate-time superdiffusion, and long-time normal diffusion. The short-time subdiffusive exponent increases and almost reaches unity （normal diffusion） with decreasing droplet size or enhancing hydrophobicity. The diffusion coefficient of the droplet on hydrophobic surfaces is larger than that on hydrophilie surfaces.

Coulomb explosion of nanodroplets drives the conversion of laser energy to nuclear energy

Theoretical–computational studies of table-top laser-driven nuclear fusion of high-energy(up to 15 MeV)deuterons with7Li,6Li,and D nuclei demonstrate the attainment of high fusion yields within a source–target reaction design.This constitutes a source of Coulomb-exploding deuterium nanodroplets driven by an ultraintense femtosecond near-infrared laser and a solid hollow cylindrical target containing the second element.The source–target reaction design attains the highest table-top fusion efficiencies(up to 4×109J 1per laser pulse)obtained to date.The highest conversion efficiency of laser energy to nuclear energy(10 2–10 3)for table-top DD fusion attained in the source–target design is comparable to that for DT fusion currently accomplished for‘big science’inertial fusion setups.

A REAL-TIME AFM STUDY ON CRYSTAL NUCLEATION AND GROWTH IN NANODROPLETS OF ISOTACTIC POLYPROPYLENE

Isotactic polypropylene （iPP） nanodroplets were prepared by using the classical droplet method in this study. The formation of nanodroplets allowed the controlled observation of polymer nucleation as well as access to crystal growth at exceptionally high supercooling in /PP. Three cases including the heterogeneous nucleation and fast crystallization in iPP droplets, the formation of multiple independent homogeneous nuclei within a single droplet and a single nucleus within a single droplet were detected by using atomic force microscopy （AFM） during gradually cooling after remelting the nanodroplets. Moreover, it is found that when the volume of droplet is larger than the value of ca. 130000 nm3, the first case was observed. Otherwise, the latter two cases appeared. The temperature at which the onset of nucleation was observed in individual droplets was found to be mainly dependent on height of the droplets when the size scale of the droplet is comparable to the size of the critical nucleus in at least one dimension, which indicates the nucleation behavior under confinement.

Color-coded perfluorocarbon nanodroplets for multiplexed ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging

Laser-activated perfluorocarb on n anodroplets are an emerging class of phase-cha nge, dual-c ontrast age nts that can be utilized in ultraso und and photoacoustic imaging. Through the ability to differe ntiate subpopulations of nano droplets via laser activatio n at differe nt wavelengths of n ear-infrared light, optically-triggered color-coded perfluorocarb on nano droplets prese nt themselves as an attractive tool for multiplexed ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. In particular, laser-activated droplets can be used to provide quantitative spatiotemporal information regarding distinct biological targets, allowing for their potential use in a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In the work prese nted, laser-activated color-coded perfluorocarb on nan odroplets are syn thesized to selectively resp ond to laser irradiati on at corresp on ding wavele ngths. The dyn amic ultraso und and photoacoustic signals produced by laser-activated perfluorocarbon nano droplets are evaluated in situ prior to implementation in a murine model. In vivo, these particles are used to distinguish unique particle trafficking mechanisms and are show n to provide ultraso und and photoacoustic contrast for up to 72 hours within lymphatics. Overall, the con ducted studies show that laser-activated color-coded perfluorocarbo n nano droplets are a promising agent for multiplexed ultraso und and photoacoustic imaging.

Ultralow friction of ion-containing water nanodroplets

We reveal the ultralow friction or superlubricity of water nanodroplets containing cations and anions on graphene substrates at high ion concentration by molecular dynamics simulations.When the ion concentration is higher than 7 wt.%and the nanodroplet diameter is larger than 10 nm,the friction coefficients of water nanodroplets are lower than 10−2,and can decrease to the order of 10−3 with increasing the ion concentration further.At a certain ion concentration,the optimal nanodroplet diameter of 17–20 nm exists at which the friction coefficient is the lowest.The ultralow friction behaviors of water nanodroplets containing cations and anions are mainly attributed to the opposite variation trends between the interfacial adhesion energy and surface energy of water nanodroplet with ion concentration,and the interfacial hydrophobicity sustained by high ion concentration.These results unveil the essential role of ions in achieving the superlubricity of water nanodroplets.

Near infrared light-induced dynamic modulation of enzymatic activity through polyphenol-functionalized liquid metal nanodroplets

Dynamic manipulation of enzymatic activity is a challenging task for applications in chemical and pharmaceutical industries due to the difficult modification and variable conformation of various enzymes.Here, we report a new strategy for reversible dynamic modulation of enzymatic activity by near-infrared light-induced photothermal conversion based on polyphenol-functionalized liquid metal nanodroplets(LM). The metal-phenolic nanocoating not only provides colloidal stability of LM nanodroplets but also generates nanointerfaces for the assembly of various enzymes on the LM nanodroplets. Upon near infrared(NIR) irradiation, the localized microenvironmental heating through photothermal effect of the LM nanodroplets allows tailoring the enzymatic activity without affecting the bulk temperature. A library of functional enzymes, including proteinase K, glucoamylase, glucose oxidase, and Bst DNA polymerase, is integrated to perform a reversible control and enhanced activities even after five times of cycles, demonstrating great potential in bacterial fermentation, bacteriostasis, and target gene amplification.

High Colloidal Stable Carbon Dots Armored Liquid Metal Nano-Droplets for Versatile 3D/4D Printing Through Digital Light Processing(DLP)

Liquid metal(LM)and liquid metal alloys(LMs)possess unique physicochemical features,which have become emerging and functionalized materials that are attractive applicants in various fields.Herein,uniform LM nanodroplets armored by carbon dots(LMD@CDs)were prepared and exhibited high colloidal stability in various solvents,as well as water.After optimization,LMD@CDs can be applied as functional additives for the 3D/4D printing of hydrogel and cross-linked resin through digital light processing(DLP).The light absorption of LMD@CDs not only improved the printing accuracy,but also led to the cross-linking density differential during the post-curing process.Base on the cross-linking density differential of soft hydrogel and photothermal performance of the LM,the 3D printed objects can exhibit stimulus responses to both water and laser irradiation.Additionally,the CDs shell and LM core of LMD@CDs provide the printed objects interesting photoluminescence and electric conductivity capabilities,respectively.We deduce this versatile 3D/4D printing system would provide a new platform for the preparation of multi-functional and stimuli-responsive advance materials.

纳米水滴在纳米粗糙壁面上润湿行为的分子动力学模拟

接触角是固体表面润湿性能的重要参数之一,主要取决于固体的表面化学性质和表面几何构型。今采用分子动力学模拟技术,探讨纳米水滴在纳米粗糙壁面上的润湿行为。模拟结果表明,当壁面粗糙度因子相同时,纳米水滴在纳米栏栅形或纳米方柱矩阵形粗糙壁面上的接触角相差不大。对于疏水粗糙壁面,随着粗糙度因子增加,接触角增加到某一值,然后基本保持不变;随着相面积分数的增加,接触角基本不变,当相面积分数达到0.7,接触角逐渐减小。对于中性粗糙壁面,随着粗糙度因子或相面积分数的增加,纳米水滴的接触角变化不大,纳米水滴为Wenzel接触模式。对于亲水粗糙壁面,纳米水滴的接触角随着粗糙度因子或相面积分数的增加而减小,纳米水滴为Wenzel接触模式。

粗糙壁面上水纳米液滴润湿性的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学模拟技术,研究水纳米液滴在粗糙壁面上的润湿性,探讨壁面形貌、柱高和相面积分数对接触状态和接触角的影响。模拟结果表明,在粗糙度因子相同的情况下,水纳米液滴在栏栅形、方柱矩阵形及凹坑矩阵形三种粗糙壁面上的接触角相差不大。对于疏水性壁面,当柱高较小时,水纳米液滴的接触状态为Wenzel模式;当柱高较大时,接触状态为Cassie模式,随着柱高的增加,接触角逐渐增大。在不同的相面积分数下,接触状态始终处于Cassie模式;随着相面积分数的增加,接触角逐渐减小。对于中性壁面,水纳米液滴的接触角随柱高变化不大,接触状态均为Wenzel模式。当相面积分数较小时,接触状态为Wenzel模式;当相面积分数较大时,接触状态为Cassie模式,接触角基本不变。对于亲水性壁面,当相面积分数较小时,水纳米液滴的接触状态为Wenzel模式;当相面积分数较大时,接触状态为Cassie模式。在不同的柱高下,接触状态均为Wenzel模式。

纳米液滴撞击柱状固体表面动态行为的分子动力学模拟

液滴撞击固体表面是一种广泛存在于工农业生产中的现象.随着微纳技术的发展,纳米液滴撞击行为的定量描述有待完善.采用分子动力学模拟纳米水滴撞击柱状粗糙铜固体表面的动态行为.分别在液滴速度为2-15Å/ps,五种方柱高度和六种固体表面特征能的情况下分析液滴的动态特征.结果表明,随着液滴初始速度V_(0)的增加,其最终稳定状态先由Cassie态(V_(0)=2-3Å/ps)转变为Wenzel态(V_(0)=4-10Å/ps),然后再次呈现Cassie态(V_(0)=11-13Å/ps).当V_(0)>13Å/ps时,液滴发生弹跳.液滴最大铺展时间t_(max)与V_(0)关系曲线中存在拐点,并针对不同速度区域提出t_(max)与V_(0)的关系式.随着方柱高度的增加,液滴的稳定状态由Wenzel向Cassie态转变,液滴稳定状态的铺展半径逐渐减小.固体表面特征能es的增大使得液滴的铺展能力增强,液滴铺展后的回缩现象逐渐减弱直至消失.

固着纳米水滴接触角滞后的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学模拟技术,研究了固着纳米水滴的接触角滞后。模拟结果表明,无论是光滑壁面还是纳米粗糙壁面,随着壁面作用势能的增大,纳米水滴的接触角滞后增大。在壁面作用势能相同的条件下,纳米水滴在纳米粗糙壁面上的接触角滞后要大于光滑壁面,方柱矩阵形比栏栅形纳米粗糙壁面的接触角滞后更大。

氧化镁壁面上水纳米液滴润湿性的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学模拟技术,研究氧化镁壁面-水纳米液滴体系的润湿特性。探讨了温度对密度分布及接触角的影响,研究了水分子在氧化镁近壁处的排布规律。模拟结果表明,氧化镁壁面具有润湿水纳米液滴的特性;随着温度的升高,氧化镁壁面-水纳米液滴体系的接触角不断减小,即润湿性不断增强。氧化镁近壁处的水分子中的两个氢原子,一个靠近氧化镁壁面,另一个远离氧化镁壁面。

水-正十六烷混合物纳米液滴润湿特性的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学模拟方法,研究了水-正十六烷混合物纳米液滴在光滑及粗糙壁面上的润湿特性。模拟结果表明,对于光滑的疏液性和亲液性壁面,随着温度的升高,混合物纳米液滴的接触角呈总体增大的趋势;随着正十六烷体积百分数的增加,混合物纳米液滴的接触角增大。对于疏液性粗糙壁面,随着凸起高度的增加,混合物纳米液滴的接触状态由Wenzel模式转换成Cassie模式,其接触角逐渐增大;随着凹陷宽度的增加,混合纳米液滴的接触状态由Cassie态转变为Wenzel态,其接触角总体上是减小的。对于亲液性粗糙壁面,混合物纳米液滴的接触状态均为Wenzel模式;随着凸起高度的增加,接触角呈总体增加的趋势。

纳米液对瓷砖表面光洁度影响的实验研究

为了研究瓷砖表面质量,分析瓷砖涂覆制膜机的结构和运行原理,提出了纳米液涂覆瓷砖机理。一系列未涂覆纳米液和涂覆纳米液瓷砖SEM对比实验表明,涂覆纳米液瓷砖表面光洁度优于未涂覆纳米液瓷砖,涂覆纳米液瓷砖的裂纹、凹坑被纳米液填充并固化成膜。实验结果表明,涂覆纳米液瓷砖不易附着污渍,有显著的防护作用。