CsSnI3-based perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) show great potential in near-infrared (NIR) applications, yet device performance is limited by interfacial degradation at the acidic hole-transport layer (HTL) based on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). Herein, a multifunctional guanidine derivative of N-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-guanidine (NMPG), is used to modify the buried interface between the CsSnI3 perovskite and the HTL. NMPG deprotonates the polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSH) of PSS and reduces the acidity of PEDOT:PSS, while its methoxy and C═N groups coordinate with Sn[2+], effectively inhibiting Sn[2+] oxidation, passivating Sn (II) induced defects. This customized buried interface enables uniform and discrete growth of perovskite grain, improves charge injection balance, and enhances vertical compositional and optical homogeneity. As a result, the target PeLEDs achieve a competitive maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 9.0% and a high average EQE of 8.4%, significantly outperforming the control device (EQEmax = 6.6%, EQEave = 5.5%). The target PeLEDs also demonstrate superior operational stability, with a T50 lifetime of 67.9 h, representing a 5-fold improvement compared to the control PeLEDs. This work reveals the pivotal role of buried interface chemistry and presents a viable molecular design strategy for achieving high-performance CsSnI3-based PeLEDs.

A ternary core-shell hydrogel composite (Alg/CaAl@PSS) was synthesized via a two-step ionotropic gelation and interfacial polymerization strategy, combining a Ca[2+]/Al[3+] cross-linked alginate core with a polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) shell mediated by an intermediate polyaniline layer, for application in atmospheric water harvesting. The effect of gelation pH (3-8) on core morphology and elemental composition was systematically investigated using SEM and EDS, revealing that pH = 7 produced the most homogeneous cross-linked network, with Al/Ca ratios of 2.90, 2.55, and 8.08 measured at pH 5, 7, and 8, respectively, reflecting a transition from Al[3+]-dominated to Ca[2+]-dominated coordination and subsequent Al(OH)3 deposition at alkaline pH. FE-SEM-EDS mapping and high-resolution XPS indicates successful core-shell architecture formation, resolving carboxylate, sulfonate, and three distinct nitrogen states (imine, amine, protonated nitrogen) characteristic of polyaniline, alongside Al 2p, Ca 2p, and Li 1s signatures verifying multivalent-cation coordination. FT-IR and TGA/DTG analyses further validated the crosslinked framework and demonstrated a 4.5-fold increase in mass loss upon water adsorption (14.28% to 64.30%), while BET/BJH analysis revealed a hierarchical mesoporous-macroporous structure (29.82 m[2] g[-1]) arising from combined alginate cross-linking and PSS shell porosity. Kinetic analysis across six humidity/temperature conditions showed consistently superior pseudo-second-order (PSO) fits (R [2] = 0.97-0.99), attributed to multi-site water interactions among carboxylate, sulfonate, and imine/amine groups. Notably, water uptake capacity increased progressively across regeneration cycles rather than declining, a phenomenon linked to thermally induced ionic cross-link redistribution between Ca-carboxylate and Ca-sulfonate coordination states. These findings establish Alg/CaAl@PSS as a promising, regeneration-stable sorbent for sustainable atmospheric water harvesting applications.

Selective protein separation via complex coacervation offers a sustainable alternative to conventional purification methods. Here, we investigate asymmetric coacervates formed by a polyelectrolyte and an oppositely charged multivalent ion as a platform for separating proteins from mixed solutions based on their isoelectric point (pI). Model systems include bovine serum albumin (BSA, pI ∼ 5.5) and hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL, pI ∼ 11). Encapsulation proceeds via ternary coacervate formation, where proteins act as effective species competing in the coacervation process. Phase separation and partitioning are governed by composition, pH, and ionic strength. Under physiological conditions, polystyrene sulfonate/tetraethylenepentamine selectively sequesters HEWL into the coacervate, leaving BSA in the supernatant, while poly(allylamine)/sodium tripolyphosphate reverses selectivity. These results demonstrate efficient protein separation from binary mixtures and provide mechanistic insight into asymmetric coacervation as a platform for selective purification and encapsulation.

Hyperkalemia is a life-threatening complication affecting up to 30% of patients with chronic kidney disease or end stage kidney disease, requiring urgent intervention to mitigate cardiac arrhythmias. Acute management focuses on three main goals: stabilizing the myocardial membrane with calcium gluconate, shifting potassium into cells using insulin and glucose, and removing excess potassium from the body. Oral potassium binders like sodium polystyrene sulfonate, patiromer, and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate play an important role in managing hyperkalemia. Nephrology nurses play a critical role in recognizing hyperkalemia, optimizing pharmacologic therapy, providing comprehensive patient education regarding management of hyperkalemia, and monitoring for side effects like gastrointestinal issues, hypomagnesemia, or edema. By mastering these pharmacological strategies and nursing considerations, clinicians ensure patient safety and the continued use of essential cardiorenal protective therapies.

The solar evaporation system with both desalination and power generation functions provides an important solution to the problems of water shortage and energy crisis. However, during the long-term operation of the evaporator, there is still a problem of surface salt accumulation. This work uses cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the base materials and utilizes the -SO3[-] generated by the ionization of polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) to construct the Donnan effect, achieving both efficient salt tolerance and hydroelectric power generation simultaneously. Its evaporation rate can reach 1.92 kg m[-2] h[-1] under 1 sun, with an efficiency of up to 94.1%; in a 10 wt% salt water environment, after 8 h of continuous illumination, there is no obvious salt crystallization or deposition on the surface of the evaporator. At the same time, the potential difference formed by the directional enrichment of H[+] produced by the ionization in the hydrogel enables the PCP hydrogel to continuously output 0.36 V. This provides a new idea for the preparation of multifunctional evaporators with high salt tolerance and power generation capabilities.

Traditional bioelectronic devices are limited by poor biointerfacing due to their substantial mismatch in mechanical and biochemical properties. In tissue engineering, soft and bioactive materials support biointegration by harnessing or mimicking the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Building bioelectronic devices from ECM should improve their biointegration, yet there are limited methods to fabricate them due to current manufacturing approaches. An additive manufacturing strategy is presented here for collagen-based bioelectronic interfaces that integrates conducting polymer electrodes with ECM-based substrates or encapsulation layers. Addition of poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) to poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) colloidal dispersions enables direct extrusion-based patterning under mild conditions compatible with collagen substrates and forms aqueous stable and highly conducting printed patterns (2788 S m-1). The resulting interfaces maintain stable electrochemical performance over 7 days in physiological environments, and support primary human cell adhesion, viability, and proliferation across both material regions. A sacrificial patterning strategy using 3D printed cacao butter further enables spatial control of collagen encapsulation. This approach establishes a framework for fabricating functional bioelectronic devices based on collagen to further enhance device biointerfaces for tissue models and implantable systems.

Alginate-based hydrogels have attracted considerable attention as scaffolds for wound dressing. In this work, the formulation of an electroactive alginate hydrogel, covalently crosslinked with glyoxal to enhance its stability, was optimized to obtain a multi-tasking scaffold. The optimized hydrogel not only preserves the mechanical softness characteristic of alginate scaffolds but also inhibits bacterial proliferation and functions as an efficient electrochemical sensor capable of detecting bacterial growth in real time. The best performing hydrogel was prepared from a mixture containing 2.6 wt% sodium alginate solution and 20 wt% poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonic acid (relative to sodium alginate). The system is physically crosslinked using 3 wt% CaCl2 aqueous solution and, subsequently, covalently crosslinked with a 5 wt% glyoxal solution by applying a glyoxalization time of 60 min. The optimized hydrogel enables the quantification of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) over a linear range of up to 10 mM. This sensing capability was successfully applied to the detection of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in culture media. Furthermore, the unreacted glyoxal infiltrated within the double-network matrix confers bactericidal properties to the hydrogels without apparently compromising its biocompatibility, as demonstrated using fibroblast cells. Beyond the intrinsic advantages of alginate as biocompatible wound dressing material, optimization of the semi-interpenetrating PEDOT network and the glyoxal crosslinking processes enabled the incorporation of additional functionalities, including NADH sensing for the detection of early bacterial infection and antibacterial activity. Overall, the optimized hydrogels represent promising candidates for use as multifunctional scaffolds in skin wound repair.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS), distinguished by its exceptional electrical conductivity, superior biocompatibility, and capacity for multifunctional integration, has emerged as a pivotal biomaterial at the nexus of biomedical engineering and flexible electronics. This review systematically elucidates the fundamental physicochemical attributes and charge transport mechanisms of PEDOT: PSS. It critically examines mainstream modification strategies-including solvent doping, surfactant engineering, nanocomposite formulation, and plasma treatment-providing deep insights into how these approaches govern the material's microstructure and macroscopic performance. Building on this foundation, we detail recent breakthroughs in frontier applications such as biosensing and real-time monitoring, electroceuticals, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, smart targeted drug delivery, and self-powered wearable devices. Special emphasis is placed on the synergistic interplay among performance optimization, modification strategies, and clinical translation. Furthermore, the article offers a critical analysis of persistent challenges hindering clinical adoption, including long-term stability, biosafety, and batch-to-batch consistency. Finally, we outline future trajectories, such as counterion substitution, biomimetic interface functionalization, and intelligent closed-loop systems. This work aims to establish a robust theoretical and technical framework to accelerate the advanced research and broad deployment of PEDOT: PSS in biomedical contexts.

Membrane filtration is commonly used for the separation of biomacromolecules; however, fouling often leads to a loss in the recovery of the target materials. As a separation material capable of isolating molecules and polymers on the order of several tens of nanometers, we have newly prepared a tubular device whose inner surface was modified with a cationic polymer, poly(2‑(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (polyDMAEMA). Small molecules and particles diffuse in the radial direction and are adsorbed onto the polymer layer, whereas larger particles are transported axially by forced convection and elute from the tube before reaching the adsorption layer, size‑based separation becoming feasible. Compared with gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), this method allows continuous flow through the tube, enabling higher processing throughput, and clogging does not occur because the separation unit is a simple cylindrical tube. The number density of polyDMAEMA introduced into the polyimide tube was assumed to be 0.57 chains/nm[2], indicating the formation of a dense polymer layer. When solutions of bromophenol blue (BPB, Mw 669) and poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PSS, Mw 70 kDa) were permeated through the tube, BPB was adsorbed whereas PSS eluted immediately, demonstrating that the polymer‑modified tube can achieve separation. The breakthrough curves were fitted using partial differential equations to obtain the mass‑transfer coefficient, maximum adsorption capacity, and dispersion coefficient, which were then correlated with the Peclet and Damköhler numbers. Using these correlations, the separation efficiency of BPB and PSS at different flow rates was predicted, demonstrating that efficient separation is achieved at low flow rates. This proposed tube shows high potential for application in the separation of biomolecules and particles.

Conductive all-polymer hydrogels (c-APHs) face challenges in subzero-temperature applications due to ice-induced mechanical failure and electrical conductivity loss. Here, we present a cryo-compatible c-APH via ionic hydration engineering, integrating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) nanofibrils into a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix with Na2SO4 mediation. The optimized hydrogel achieves exceptional electrical conductivity (35.0 S/cm at -20°C; 27.2 S/cm at -70°C), tissue-like softness (Young's modulus: 0.5-1.3 MPa at room temperature), and biocompatibility. Salt concentration governs hydrogen-bond dynamics: low Na2SO4 content disrupts ice formation while enhancing water-PVA interactions, ensuring flexibility; high concentrations induce PVA aggregation via Hofmeister effects, stiffening the hydrogel. The materials demonstrate multifunctionality, including high charge storage (16.0 mC·cm[-2]) and injectable signal transmission (3.04 mC·cm[-2]), exceeding Pt, stable electrophysiological monitoring (ECG/EMG), and resilience to 20000 biphasical pulses and 1000 cyclic electrochemical cycles. A proof-of-concept human-machine interface (HMI) using hydrogel-based gloves enables precise robotic control across ambient and subzero-temperature environments (-70°C), validated by real-time gesture recognition and actuation. This work provides a promising way to resolve the long-standing trade-off between subzero-temperature performance and softness in bioelectronics, offering transformative solutions for wearable sensors, neural interfaces, and extreme-environment robotics.

An estimated 3.7 million adults in the United States have hyperkalemia. It commonly occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and/or heart failure (HF) and as a result of treatment with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi), a class of medications recommended by professional guidelines for patients with CKD and those with HF. While lifestyle alterations have been previously recommended to control potassium levels for some patients with hyperkalemia, emerging evidence has shown a concerning pattern of chronicity and recurrence despite counseling to support lifestyle modifications. Real-world health outcomes among patients with hyperkalemia and recurrent episodes thereof have demonstrated higher risks of major adverse cardiovascular events, hospitalization, and mortality relative to patients with normokalemia. Similarly, real-world health economic studies have shown higher rates of health care resource utilization and higher medical costs. Together, these data hightlight the need for strategies that will restore patients' serum potassium levels to a normal range. Potassium binders are a pharmaceutical class indicated to treat hyperkalemia; sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC), patiromer, and sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) are guideline-recommended for patients with CKD, and the first 2 are considered potentially reasonable for patients with HF. Clinical trials and long-term open-label extensions studying SZC or patiromer support the safety and efficacy of these medications. Controlled clinical evidence supporting SPS's safety and efficacy is more limited, and its labeling also carries a warning for severe, potentially fatal gastrointestinal adverse events. Based on real-world evidence, use of SZC or patiromer has been associated with reduced medical costs and health care resource utilization, and some patients taking SZC or patiromer have been able to optimize doses of RAASi prescribed for other conditions. From a managed care perspective, proactive potassium control through routine use of potassium binders in patients with hyperkalemia may offer a means to reduce costly acute care while simultaneously supporting optimization of medications for comorbid conditions.

Stable and reliable neural interfacing is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic neurological disorders. Flexible neural probes are particularly important for this purpose, as they minimize tissue damage and inflammatory responses while maintaining stable electrode-tissue coupling; however, achieving both high electrical performance and tissue-like mechanics remains challenging. Here, we present a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) fiber microelectrode (PFME), an all-organic neural probe capable of recording single-neuron activities with potential for long-term interfacing. The PFME is entirely composed of organic components and fabricated without thermal processing. In addition, the posttreatment process enables to selectively remove PSS binder networks while promoting PEDOT chain alignment to optimize mechanical compliance and electrochemical performance. In vivo, the PFME enables stable single-unit recordings from the mouse hippocampus. Histological analysis after 1 week of implantation reveals minimal glial activation comparable to that elicited by a conventional probe. This structurally engineered PFME establishes a pathway to achieve minimally invasive neural interfacing platforms for chronic applications.

The gastrointestinal side effects of Kayexalate administration are well-established, and despite its discontinued use in the United States, it is still important to consider in the clinical and pathologic differential, given the vast time range between administration and clinical presentation. One less common, though significant, complication of Kayexalate use is the formation of a malignancy-mimicking mass or pseudotumor. This presentation has been reported several times both within and outside of the gastrointestinal tract. Here we describe the case of a 65-year-old female presenting with a mass medial to the ascending colon with extension to the abdominal wall and adjacent bowel concerning for metastatic malignancy. Additionally, we review the current literature on Kayexalate associated pseudotumors and malignancy-mimicking masses.

Colistin (polymyxin E) is an effective antibiotic against Gram-negative bacteria, but its clinical use is limited due to its high toxicity. Targeted drug delivery, which has made significant progress in reducing drug toxicity in recent years, could be an ideal approach to mitigate the nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity associated with this drug. However, the complexity of drug design and manufacturing remains a major challenge in the pharmaceutical industry. To address this, we investigated polymeric drug delivery systems for colistin encapsulation using molecular dynamics simulations. In this study, the MARTINI 3 force field within GROMACS 2022 software was employed to model and simulate various systems, including unmodified hyaluronic acid (HA), HA modified with two and four hydrophobic groups, and a combination of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS). Structural analysis of the systems was performed based on indices such as root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), radius of gyration (Rg), radial distribution function (RDF), and solvent-accessible surface area (SASA). The results indicated that hydrophobic modification of HA increased aggregation, reduced the radius of gyration, and enhanced the system's stability in the presence of colistin. Among the modified systems, HA with four hydrophobic groups (HA(4)) exhibited the highest structural stability. Additionally, the PVA-PSS polyelectrolyte complex displayed stable behavior, formed a bilayer structure, and demonstrated effective interactions with the drug. Targeted chemical modifications and the use of hybrid polymers can facilitate the design of stable, efficient, and controllable systems for colistin delivery. This study provides a viable pathway for the development of safe nanocarriers with high encapsulation efficiency under realistic conditions.