Unraveling the efficacy of verbascoside in thwarting MRSA pathogenicity by targeting sortase A.

In the fight against hospital-acquired infections, the challenge posed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) necessitates the development of novel treatment methods. This study focused on undermining the virulence of S. aureus, especially by targeting surface proteins crucial for bacterial adherence and evasion of the immune system. A primary aspect of our approach involves inhibiting sortase A (SrtA), a vital enzyme for attaching microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs) to the bacterial cell wall, thereby reducing the pathogenicity of S. aureus. Verbascoside, a phenylethanoid glycoside, was found to be an effective SrtA inhibitor in our research. Advanced fluorescence quenching and molecular docking studies revealed a specific interaction between verbascoside and SrtA, pinpointing the critical active sites involved in this interaction. This molecular interaction significantly impedes the SrtA-mediated attachment of MSCRAMMs, resulting in a substantial reduction in bacterial adhesion, invasion, and biofilm formation. The effectiveness of verbascoside has also been demonstrated in vivo, as shown by its considerable protective effects on pneumonia and Galleria mellonella (wax moth) infection models. These findings underscore the potential of verbascoside as a promising component in new antivirulence therapies for S. aureus infections. By targeting crucial virulence factors such as SrtA, agents such as verbascoside constitute a strategic and potent approach for tackling antibiotic resistance worldwide. KEY POINTS: • Verbascoside inhibits SrtA, reducing S. aureus adhesion and biofilm formation. • In vivo studies demonstrated the efficacy of verbascoside against S. aureus infections. • Targeting virulence factors such as SrtA offers new avenues against antibiotic resistance.

Regulating Au coverage for the direct oxidation of methane to methanol.

The direct oxidation of methane to methanol under mild conditions is challenging owing to its inadequate activity and low selectivity. A key objective is improving the selective oxidation of the first carbon-hydrogen bond of methane, while inhibiting the oxidation of the remaining carbon-hydrogen bonds to ensure high yield and selectivity of methanol. Here we design ultrathin PdxAuy nanosheets and revealed a volcano-type relationship between the binding strength of hydroxyl radical on the catalyst surface and catalytic performance using experimental and density functional theory results. Our investigations indicate a trade-off relationship between the reaction-triggering and reaction-conversion steps in the reaction process. The optimized Pd3Au1 nanosheets exhibits a methanol production rate of 147.8 millimoles per gram of Pd per hour, with a selectivity of 98% at 70 °C, representing one of the most efficient catalysts for the direct oxidation of methane to methanol.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrolysis Performance of Chiral Molecule Loaded Titanium Disulfide Nanosheets.

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) water decomposition is a promising method to produce hydrogen from water. To improve the water decomposition efficiency of the PEC process, it is necessary to inhibit the generation of H2 O2 byproducts and reduce the overpotential required by cheap catalysts and a high current density. Studies have shown that coating the electrode with chiral molecules or chiral films can increase the hydrogen production and reduce the generation of H2 O2 byproducts. This is interpreted as the result of a chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect, which induces a spin correlation between the electrons that are transferred to the anode. Here, we report the adsorption of chiral molecules onto titanium disulfide nanosheets. Firstly, titanium disulfide nanosheets were synthesized via thermal injection and then dispersed through ultrasonic crushing. This strategy combines the CISS with the plasma effect caused by the narrow bandgap of two-dimensional sulfur compounds to promote the PEC water decomposition with a high current density.

Multimodal Luminescent Yb3+ /Er3+ /Bi3+ -Doped Perovskite Single Crystals for X-ray Detection and Anti-Counterfeiting.

Anti-counterfeiting techniques have become a global topic since they is correlated to the information and data safety, in which multimodal luminescence is one of the most desirable candidates for practical applications. However, it is a long-standing challenge to actualize robust multimodal luminescence with high thermal stability and humid resistance. Conventionally, the multimodal luminescence is usually achieved by the combination of upconversion and downshifting luminescence, which only responds to the electromagnetic waves in a limited range. Herein, the Yb3+ /Er3+ /Bi3+ co-doped Cs2 Ag0.6 Na0.4 InCl6 perovskite material is reported as an efficient multimodal luminescence material. Beyond the excitation of ultraviolet light and near-infrared laser (980 nm), this work extends multimodal luminescence to the excitation of X-ray. Besides the flexible excitation sources, this material also shows the exceptional luminescence performance, in which the X-ray detection limit reaches the level of nGy s-1 , indicating a great potential for further application as a colorless pigment in the anti-counterfeiting field. More importantly, the obtained double perovskite features high stability against both humidity and temperature up to 400 °C. This integrated multifunctional luminescent material provides a new directional solution for the development of multifunctional optical materials and devices.

Electronic correlations and flattened band in magnetic Weyl semimetal candidate Co3Sn2S2.

The interplay between electronic correlations and topological protection may offer a rich avenue for discovering emergent quantum phenomena in condensed matter. However, electronic correlations have so far been little investigated in Weyl semimetals (WSMs) by experiments. Here, we report a combined optical spectroscopy and theoretical calculation study on the strength and effect of electronic correlations in a magnet Co3Sn2S2. The electronic kinetic energy estimated from our optical data is about half of that obtained from single-particle ab initio calculations in the ferromagnetic ground state, which indicates intermediate-strength electronic correlations in this system. Furthermore, comparing the energy and side-slope ratios between the interband-transition peaks at high energies in the experimental and single-particle-calculation-derived optical conductivity spectra with the bandwidth-renormalization factors obtained by many-body calculations enables us to estimate the Coulomb-interaction strength (U âˆ¼ 4 eV) in Co3Sn2S2. Besides, a sharp experimental optical conductivity peak at low energy, which is absent in the single-particle-calculation-derived spectrum but is consistent with the optical conductivity peaks obtained by many-body calculations with U âˆ¼ 4 eV, indicates that an electronic band connecting the two Weyl cones is flattened by electronic correlations and emerges near the Fermi energy in Co3Sn2S2. Our work paves the way for exploring flat-band-generated quantum phenomena in WSMs.

Rare-earth-containing perovskite nanomaterials: design, synthesis, properties and applications.

As star material, perovskites have been widely used in the fields of optics, photovoltaics, electronics, magnetics, catalysis, sensing, etc. However, some inherent shortcomings, such as low efficiency (power conversion efficiency, external quantum efficiency, etc.) and poor stability (against water, oxygen, ultraviolet light, etc.), limit their practical applications. Downsizing the materials into nanostructures and incorporating rare earth (RE) ions are effective means to improve their properties and broaden their applications. This review will systematically summarize the key points in the design, synthesis, property improvements and application expansion of RE-containing (including both RE-based and RE-doped) halide and oxide perovskite nanomaterials (PNMs). The critical factors of incorporating RE elements into different perovskite structures and the rational design of functional materials will be discussed in detail. The advantages and disadvantages of different synthesis methods for PNMs will be reviewed. This paper will also summarize some practical experiences in selecting suitable RE elements and designing multi-functional materials according to the mechanisms and principles of REs promoting the properties of perovskites. At the end of this review, we will provide an outlook on the opportunities and challenges of RE-containing PNMs in various fields.

Ultrathin 2D Rare-Earth Nanomaterials: Compositions, Syntheses, and Applications.

Ultrathin 2D nanomaterials possess promising properties due to electron confinement within single or a few atom layers. As an emerging class of functional materials, ultrathin 2D rare-earth nanomaterials may incorporate the unique optical, magnetic, and catalytic behaviors of rare-earth elements into layers, exhibiting great potential in various applications such as optoelectronics, magnetic devices, transistors, high-efficiency catalysts, etc. Despite its importance, reviews on ultrathin 2D rare-earth nanomaterials or related topics are rare and only focus on a certain family of ultrathin 2D rare-earth nanomaterials. This work is the first comprehensive review in this impressive field, which covers all families of ultrathin 2D rare-earth nanomaterials, illustrating their compositions, syntheses, and applications. After summarizing the current achievements, the challenges and opportunities of future research on ultrathin 2D rare-earth nanomaterials are evaluated.

Dropwise addition of cation solution: An approach for growing high-quality upconversion nanoparticles.

A suitable synthetic route and the associated reaction parameters play a vital role for growing high-quality nanocrystal. A design strategy of injection was introduced with the aim of enhancing monodispersity and crystallinity of upconversion nanoparticles and making them have uniform morphology. The high-quality Yb3+/Er3+-codoped LiYF4, NaYF4, KYF4 and NaGdF4 nanoparticles were synthesized by dropwise addition of cation solution into precursors mixture at high-temperature in this work. The detailed synthesis parameters of the purity tetragonal LiYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ upconversion nanoparticles in injection section were studied and ascertained. Changes of the injection temperature, reaction temperature, dropwise addition speed, mole ratio of cation (Li+) to precursors (RE(CF3COO)3), reaction time and reactants concentration have contributed much to synthesizing high-quality LiYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ in the end. Compared with traditional thermal decomposition method, a series of properties, such as high crystallinity, less agglomeration phenomenon, uniform tetragonal bipyramidal morphology and great upconversion luminescence, could be improved by this modified method.