The BSA-Cu3(PO4)2·3H2O hybrid nanoflower was used as a biomimetic catalyst with excellent catalytic activity, durability and stability. When GOx was used as the protein component, this composite could realize self-activated cascade catalysis. Our nanoflower system could also be used to decompose organic pollutants with high efficiency.

We demonstrate a novel, rapid and label-free assay for the detection of Ag(+) and biothiols with high sensitivity and selectivity by utilization of Ag nanoparticle-decorated graphene quantum dots.

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Developing methods of decreasing the harm to cell and increasing the antibacterial efficiency is becoming a potential topic of medical treatments. We demonstrated a hyaluronidase-triggered photothermal platform for killing bacteria based on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and graphene oxide (GO). The property of the hyaluronidase (HAase)-triggered release provided excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Upon illumination of NIR light, the GO-based nanomaterials locally raised the temperature, resulting in high mortality of bacteria. The HAase-triggered AgNPs releasing approach for antibacterial allows AgNPs to be protected by hyaluronic acid (HA) template without affecting mammalian cells. The nanocomposites provided antibacterial activity against S. aureus while showing low toxicity to mammal cells. In addition, the GO-HA-AgNPs are prepared for in vivo experiments and show excellent antibacterial property in wound disinfection model.

Artificial light-harvesting systems have received great attention for use in photosynthetic and optoelectronic devices. Herein, a system involving G-quartet-based hierarchical nanofibers generated from the self-assembly of guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP) and a two-step Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is presented that mimics natural light-harvesting antenna. This solid-state property offers advantages for future device fabrication. The generation of photocurrent under visible light shows it has potential for use as a nanoscale photoelectric device. The work will be beneficial for the development of light-harvesting systems by the self-assembly of supramolecular nanostructures.

Artifi cial light-harvesting antenna materials as potential mimics for photosynthetic systems have attracted intense attention recently. Herein, a new modular approach to construct light-harvesting material, which involves the self-assembly of coordination polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) at room temperature, is presented. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) occurs between donor and acceptor molecules encapsulated in the CPNs, and the emission signal of acceptor is amplifi ed signifi cantly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fi rst example of artifi cial light-harvesting material generated from biomolecule-based coordination polymer nanoparticles. The modularity of the material makes it convenient to manipulate the system by changing the composite of CPNs and the type and amount of dyes confi ned, implying it is a general strategy. The material functions not only in fl uid medium, but also in the form of solid state, which extends its application areas greatly. Furthermore, photocurrent generation can be realized by the dye-encapsulated CPNs system upon irradiation with visible light, implying the potential usefulness in light-energy conversion and photoelectronic applications. Besides, the creation of FRET system provides a platform to mimic dual-channel logic gate at nanoscale level, which is benefi cial to the construction of integrated logic devices with multiple functions.

Unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) oligonucleotides (ODNs) possess high immunostimulatory activity and represent attractive tools for cancer treatment. However, their success in eliminating large solid tumors was hampered by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Herein, we report that the design of a novel MnO-CpG-silver nanoclusters (AgNCs)-doxorubicin (DOX) conjugate for enhanced cancer immunotherapy, in which MnO nanosheets function as unique supports to integrate the chemotherapy drug DOX and the immunotherapeutic agent CpG-AgNCs. Importantly, DOX could be conjugated with MnO nanosheets through π-π interactions to serve as a bifunctional modulator of the tumor microenvironment to activate a tumor-specific immune response by inducing immunogenic cell death, and reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment via abrogating the immune-suppressive activity of regulatory T cells, both of which would greatly improve the immune response of CpG-AgNCs. In this way, the T-cell immune responses of CpG-AgNCs which are linked to MnO nanosheets were significantly enhanced and could exhibit remarkable antitumor activity against large solid tumors. Our study may guide the rational design of immunotherapeutic boosters for improving cancer treatment.

Luminescent nanodots for protein sensing and discrimination of bacteria: Luminescent nanodots are applied as novel fluorescent probes in a sensing array. The sensing strategy uses graphene oxide (GO) for protein recognition, with displacement of fluorescent probes to generate the output. This sensing platform is a powerful tool to detect protein targets and discriminate bacteria.