WSU honors nearly 150 faculty members at its inaugural Excellence in Research & Innovation Celebration for achievements in research, patents, books and arts.

BaFBr:Eu2+/3+ monodisperse nanocrystals were synthesized via solution-phase thermolysis of metal bromodifluoroacetates. Their luminescence response was characterized between 80 and 430 K. Nanocrystals...

Study identifies bone-like crystals on intraocular lenses using advanced imaging and spectroscopy, offering insight into rare cataract surgery complications.

Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is a promising therapy for a variety of pulmonary conditions but is limited by the cost, portability, and safety limitations of the compressed gas cylinders used in convent...

We report a concise nine-step synthesis of Boc-Adda–OH, a key residue in bioactive cyanobacterial peptides. The route features a regio- and stereoselective intermolecular Heck reaction to form a stabl...

Dysregulated cathepsin activity is linked to various human diseases including metabolic disorders, autoimmune conditions, and cancer. Given the overexpression of cathepsin in the tumor microenvironment, cathepsin inhibitors are promising pharmacological agents and drug delivery vehicles for cancer treatment. In this study, we describe the synthesis and photochemical and biological assessment of a dual-action agent based on ruthenium that is conjugated with a cathepsin inhibitor, designed for both photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photochemotherapy (PCT). The ruthenium-cathepsin inhibitor conjugate was synthesized through an oxime click reaction, combining a pan-cathepsin inhibitor based on E64d with the Ru(II) PCT/PDT fragment [Ru(dqpy)(dppn)], where dqpy = 2,6-di(quinoline-2-yl)pyridine and dppn = benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine. Photochemical investigations validated the conjugate’s ability to release a triazole-containing cathepsin inhibitor for PCT and to generate singlet oxygen for PDT upon exposure to green light. Inhibition studies demonstrated the conjugate’s potent and irreversible inactivation of purified and intracellular cysteine cathepsins. Two Ru(II) PCT/PDT agents based on the [Ru(dqpy)(dppn)] moiety were evaluated for photoinduced cytotoxicity in 4T1 murine triple-negative breast cancer cells, L929 fibroblasts, and M0, M1, and M2 macrophages. The cathepsin inhibitor conjugate displayed notable selectivity for inducing cell death under irradiation compared to dark conditions, mitigating toxicity in the dark observed with the triazole control complex [Ru(dqpy)(dppn)(MeTz)]2+ (MeTz = 1-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole). Notably, our lead complex is among a limited number of dual PCT/PDT agents activated with green light.

CdS quantum dots (QDs) have been extensively studied as photocatalysts and sensitizers for visible-light-driven water reduction. However, their efficiencies are limited by the need to accumulate suffi...

Establishing efficient catalysts based on earth-abundant elements is critical for large-scale adoption of electrocatalytic water splitting. In this work, the synthesis of Ni2–xMnxP nanoparticles with different ratios of Ni to Mn is described and these phases are evaluated as precatalysts for the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) process. Using arrested precipitation techniques, it was possible to incorporate up to 75% Mn into Ni2P (x ≤ 1.5), which represents a greater solubility for Mn relative to previously studied Fe2–xMnxP (x ≤ 0.9) and Co2–xMnxP (x ≤ 1.4) systems. Electrocatalytic OER activity assessment of the Ni2–xMnxP system (pH = 14) as a function of x revealed maximum activity for x = 1. Faradaic efficiency was calculated as 96.6%, indicating high selectivity of the NiMnP-derived catalyst toward the OER process. After an initial drop in the current density (ca. 20% over 1 h) during controlled potential electrolysis (CPE) measurements, the current density remains constant over the remainder of the 15 h test, suggesting reasonable stability. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data collected on samples before and after catalysis indicate that the NiMnP precatalyst is becoming oxidized during the OER process, losing phosphate, and forming the Ni–Mn oxide/hydroxide presumed catalyst in situ. Compared to the most active compositions in Fe2–xMnxP (x ≤ 0.9) and Co2–xMnxP (x ≤ 1.4), the NiMnP precatalyst resulted in the highest OER activity with a geometric overpotential of 280.0 mV at 10 mA/cm2 relative to 302.5 mV for CoMnP and 350.0 mV for Fe1.1Mn0.9P. The relative activity can be correlated to electronegativity differences between Mn and M (M = Fe, Co, or Ni), which governs the extent of oxo-mediated charge transfer between Mn and M, and hence, the activity of the catalyst.

Rare-earth difluoroacetate Eu1–xTbx(dfa)3(H2O)2·H2O (dfa = CF2HCOO) exhibits a pressure-dependent crystalline-to-semicrystalline phase transformation similar to that reported for the trifluoroacetate ...