Hubei University of Technology

The integration of multiple photonic stopbands into a single microparticle is a coveted goal for advancing multiplexed sensing and high-capacity information encryption. However, conventional fabrication methods typically rely on the complex integration of different colloidal building blocks in terms of sizes or compositions, which increases cost and limits scalability. Herein, we report a facile and scalable strategy for fabricating cylindrical photonic microparticles with tunable dual stopbands from a single photonic composition, thereby eliminating the reliance on different colloidal building blocks. Our approach synergistically combines micromolding with a magnetic field-assisted selective etching process. The incorporation of ferromagnetic barium ferrite nanoparticles (BaFe₁₂O₁₉ NPs) enables precise orientation control of the microparticles, which is pivotal for the site-specific protection and etching that integrates both opal and inverse opal structures into a single microparticle. The ratio between these two distinct photonic regions can be readily tuned, allowing for customizable photonic properties and structural colors. Furthermore, we demonstrate the extensibility of this method by creating multi-segment photonic microparticles with more than two stopbands. Due to the different wettability between the opal and inverse opal regions, the microparticle array exhibits adjustable hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity and potentially possesses antifouling capability. These programmable microparticles, with their anisotropic and tunable optical characteristics, together with tunable hydrophobicity, offer significant potential for developing next-generation information encoding platforms, anti-counterfeiting technologies and displays, and even antifouling pigments.

Function-inspired design of natural building blocks enables engineering nanostructured particles for tailored applications. Here, a facile coordination-driven assembly of natural polyphenols was proposed for incorporating hydrophobic citrus-derived nobiletin (NOB) into the nanoparticles (NPs) via a one-pot method in aqueous solutions. The obtained NPs provide high NOB encapsulation efficiency with small, but uniform size (≈250 nm). Moreover, they possessed prolonged colloidal stability and excellent biocompatibility and achieved robust therapeutic efficacy in alleviating ulcerative colitis (UC), in comparison with free NOB. Mechanistically, the desirable NPs maximized the inherent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of natural building blocks, enabling effective attenuation of intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress, thus contributing to the restoration of the intestinal mucosal barrier and immune homeostasis. Overall, this work proposes a promising self-assembly strategy to improve the bioavailability and therapeutic potential of natural flavonoids for the treatment of UC, and ultimately offering potential benefits for patients suffering from it.

While microplastics (MPs) are known to influence the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus (P) in lake ecosystems, a critical gap remains in understanding their specific role as environmental vectors in the overlying water. This study investigated the mechanisms and aging effects (induced by UV irradiation) of MPs acting as novel interfaces mediating iron-phosphorus immobilization under simulated lake overlying water conditions (neutral pH and low dissolved oxygen, < 0.2 mg/L). The results indicated that unaged and aged MPs exhibited no adsorption capacity for P in only PO₄^3- condition. In contrast, within the Fe(II) and PO₄^3- co-existing condition, MPs mediated the surface oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III); the resulting Fe(III) then enabled the efficient co-immobilization with PO₄^3- through distinct microscopic mechanisms specific to each polymer type. Specifically, Chlorinated Polyethylene (CPE) and Polylactic Acid (PLA) achieved this via chemical bridging (Fe-O-P bonds), whereas Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE) relied on physically induced heterogeneous nucleation. The increased capacity of PP, PE, and CPE (12%-17.2%) correlated with the rise in surface oxygen-containing functional groups after aging. Conversely, the capacity of PLA decreased because crystallization encapsulated the active sites. This study demonstrates the effective and polymer-specific immobilization of P onto MPs in Fe(II)-rich overlying water. This process enables MPs to function as both temporary sinks and potential mobile carriers with re-release risks, highlighting the necessity of incorporating such mechanisms into eutrophication risk assessments.