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Background Despite novel advances in screening, targeting and immunotherapies, early diagnosis and satisfactory treatments against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain formidable challenges. Given the unique advantages, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) become a smart theranostic nanomaterial for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Results In this work, a type of bio-friendly CQDs, trichrome-tryptophan-sorbitol CQDs (TC-WS-CQDs), is synthesized from natural biocompatible tryptophan via the one-pot hydrothermal method. Compared with normal hepatocytes, a much stronger green fluorescence is detected in HCC cells, indicating the ability of TC-WS-CQDs to target HCC cells. Furthermore, green-emitting TC-WS-CQDs generate large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to autophagy of HCC cells. Additionally, the green-emitting TC-WS-CQDs perform significant tumor inhibition by inducing autophagy via p53-AMPK pathway in vitro and in vivo studies with almost no systemic toxicity. Conclusions The results may highlight a promising anticancer nanotheranostic strategy with integration of diagnosis, targeting, and therapy. Graphical Abstract

Herein, a new field-free and highly ordered spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanostructure was self-assembled directly by ferrocene (Fc)-labeled DNA tweezers and DNA linkers based on the Watson−Crick base pairing rule, which was employed as an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quenching switch with improved recognition efficiency due to the high local concentration of the ordered nanostructure. Moreover, with a collaborative strategy combined with the advantages of both selfaccelerated approach and pore confinement-enhanced ECL effect, the mesoporous silica nanospheres (mSiO 2 NSs) were prepared to be filled with rubrene (Rub) as ECL emitters and Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) as coreaction accelerators (Rub-Pt@mSiO 2 NSs), which demonstrated high ECL response in the aqueous media (dissolved O 2 as coreactant). When the SNA nanostructure was immobilized on the Rub-Pt@mSiO 2 NSs-modified electrode, it presented a "signal off" state owing to the quenching effect of the Fc molecules. As a proof of concept, the SNA-based ECL switch platform was applied in the detection of microRNA let-7b (let-7b). Impressively, in the presence of the target let-7b, a deconstruction of the SNA nanostructure was actuated, causing the Fc to leave the electrode surface and achieved an extremely high ECL recovery ("signal on" state). Hence, a sensitive determination for let-7b was realized with a low detection limit of 1.8 aM ranging from 10 aM to 1 nM by employing the Rub-Pt@mSiO 2 NSs-based ECL platform combined with the target-triggered SNA deconstruction, which also offered an ingenious method for the further applications of biomarker analyses.

The lithium dendrite and parasitic reactions are two major challenges for lithium (Li) metal anode—the most promising anode materials for high‐energy‐density batteries. In this work, both the dendrite and parasitic reactions that occurred between the liquid electrolyte and Li‐metal anode could be largely inhibited by regulating the Li+‐solvation structure. The saturated Li+‐solvation species exist in commonly used LiPF6 liquid electrolyte that needs extra energy to desolvation during Li‐electrodeposition. Partial solvation induced high‐energy state Li‐ions would be more energy favorable during the electron‐reduction process, dominating the competition with solvent reduction reactions. The Li‐symmetric cells that are cycling at higher temperatures show better performance; the cycled lithium metal anode with metallic lustre and the dendrite‐free surface is observed. Theoretical calculation and experimental measurements reveal the existence of high‐energy state Li+‐solvates species, and their concentration increases with temperature. This study provides insight into the Li+‐solvation structure and its electrodeposition characteristics.