Continuous-flow solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) has transformed modern peptide assembly, enabling rapid synthesis and extended chain assembly (>150 amino acids) while attracting significant interest for economical, scalable and greener peptide production. However, broader adoption of flow-based SPPS is limited by its technical complexity compared to batch methods and the high cost of specialised instrumentation. Here, we establish a low-cost flow-based SPPS platform by retrofitting HPLC hardware with a custom reaction chamber compatible with commercial fritted syringes for resin handling. We demonstrate the system’s capabilities as a practical and accessible platform for chain elongation and diverse on-resin transformations, including sulfation, deallylation and macrocyclisation.

Peptides are emerging as a preferred targeting agent for many radiopharmaceutical targets due to several favourable characteristics, including high tissue penetration and target specificity. Among them, disulfide-rich peptides stand out for their exceptional intrinsic stability, making them particularly well-suited for further development in this field – yet they remain underexplored. This review highlights examples where disulfide-rich peptides have been used in radiopharmaceuticals for imaging and therapy. We compare them to recently approved peptide radiopharmaceuticals to provide context and support for the broader use of disulfide-rich peptides for targeted delivery of radiation. Future directions are also discussed, including how emerging technologies can be applied to the discovery of new disulfide-rich peptide radiopharmaceuticals.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful non-targeted analytical tool for compositional profiling of complex mixtures, such as cell culture media, offering high-throughput capabilities that support rapid assessment across large sample cohorts. Its sensitivity to proton-containing metabolites enables the detection of both expected and unforeseen components. However, its application can evoke a ‘Pandora’s box’ effect, revealing unanticipated complexities that challenge conventional interpretative frameworks. Here, NMR analysis identified unexpected media ‘ingredients’ such as substantial ethanol concentrations (up to >10 mM) across all samples, likely resulting from rigorous efforts to avoid bacterial contamination. This highlights the critical vulnerability of small-volume systems, such as multi-well plates, to ethanol contamination by routine disinfection that can disproportionately affect medium composition, potentially compromising cellular viability. Furthermore, NMR spectra revealed time-dependent degradation of L-glutamine into pyroglutamic acid, providing a tool to assess media freshness and experimental reproducibility. Surprisingly, significant lactate levels were already detected in unspent media, ultimately traced to foetal bovine serum, a commonly used but ethically debated supplement. Alongside these unexpected outcomes, NMR was successfully utilised to analyse pyruvate and citric acid to understand culture metabolic state and to validate core metabolic assumptions. Our findings also underscore the necessity of critically evaluating multivariate data through direct spectral inspection; overlapping or shifting peaks may otherwise be misinterpreted. In conclusion, even though NMR spectroscopy is an intrinsically insensitive method and signal overlap of similar molecules in mixtures can hamper unambiguous assignment, it still remains one of the most powerful tools in mixture analysis – even if it may unveil complicating variables constantly raising new questions. Its comprehensive, quantitative nature far outweighs its challenges, offering invaluable insights into media integrity and cellular environments.

Facile and concise procedures for the construction of indole fused N-heterocyclic systems were described. A series of benzo-, pyrido-, thieno-, naphtho-fused azepinoindolones and indolo-azepinoquinolinones has been prepared starting from indol-2-acetic acids. The required starting carboxylic acids 3a–e were readily obtained by the N-arylations of indoleacetic acid 1 with various aromatic halides 2a–e. Subsequent carboxylic acids were esterified, followed by the addition of Grignard reagents to afford the corresponding indole-based alcohols 5a–e. The key step in this protocol is the Friedel–Crafts cyclisations of these precursors promoted by AlCl3/CH3NO2 or trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TfOH) or polyphosphoric acid (PPA) catalysts to form the desired condensed indoles in moderate to good yields.

Fouling of subsurface structures by micro and macro-organisms is a centuries-old problem that can be better managed by the use of multi-functional materials and modern fabrication techniques. Copper(I) thiocyanate, or CuTC, is a common coordination polymer that reduces the adherence and growth of marine organisms on underwater surfaces used as a paint additive. Test samples of polymers that contained up to 20% (w/w) CuTC were fabricated using two methods: a two-part epoxy system, cast into moulds and cured at room temperature; and stereolithography, a 3-D printing technique that uses UV light to set designs additively manufactured from a single part urethane resin. Fabricated materials were extensively characterised by advanced X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and polarised synchrotron Fourier transform infrared (S-FTIR) microspectroscopy, which together revealed distinct molecular networking structures within the added chemical biocide that depended on the manufacturing method used. Performance was tested over a 3-month deployment, which showed marked differences in the effectiveness of the fabricated material types in resisting fouling by aquatic organisms in a static estuarine environment. These differences are attributable to distinct physical and chemical properties of the test materials imparted upon them by the fabrication method, all of which are areas for further investigation in the development of manufactured fouling-resistant polymers for use in marine environments.

FeO32− acted as a highly effective water-purifying agent and exhibited superior performance compared with FeO42−. The traditional synthesis method of FeO32− requires challenging reaction conditions. This study focused on the environmentally friendly synthesis of green Na2FeO3 crystals using sodium hypochlorite as a medium by a concentration method under depressurisation. In an alkaline hypochlorite system, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that, under different OH− concentrations and temperatures, hypochlorite can oxidise FeIII to FeO32−. Na2FeO3 served as a highly effective water-purifying agent and was superior to K2FeO4 in the treatment of oil-recovery wastewater. Na2FeO3 and K2FeO4 reacted similarly to organic compounds as determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Additionally, it is less expensive to synthesise Na2FeO3 compared with K2FeO4.

The FeFe bio-inspired molecular catalysts that mimic the [FeFe] hydrogenases have been widely studied. However, the hydrogen evolution mechanism on the molecular catalysts is still not fully understood. In this work, the theoretical calculation was linked with experimental catalytic performance to reveal the possible reaction mechanism of FeFe molecular catalysts. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on the FeFe molecular catalysts exhibited a good match with the experimental overpotential data, with a R2 of 0.592. The detailed DFT study indicated that the first H+/e− injection was the largest thermodynamic impediment in the whole hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) cycle which follows a proton transfer – electron transfer (PT-ET) mechanism. The injected hydrogen binds to the bridging position between FeFe centre (µ-H) and then transfers to a terminal hydrogen on Fe (t-H). Later, the t-H combines with the second injected hydrogen to form a H2 molecule which is then released from the catalyst. The effect of different ligands on HER was also studied. It was found that different ligands around the FeFe centre could significantly change the PT and ET energy, and some could provide additional binding sites for protons.

Endotracheal intubation holds significant importance in trauma point care and emergency medicine. However, laryngeal injury and subsequent chronic complications can result from the friction between the mucosa and the tube during intubation. Here we present a lubricant coating based on hyaluronic acid. Inspired by mussels, hyaluronic acid was first conjugated with dopamine to obtain HD, and then a triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 (F127) was complexed with HD to form a micelle layer. Dopamine can assist coating deposition on the tube under weak alkaline conditions, while improving the coating stability. The micelle layer formed by F127 and HD provides excellent water retention and lubrication performance. The friction coefficient of the HD-F127 coating was 56% lower than that of the control, as determined by a friction performance test.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful molecular spectroscopy technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with nanostructured metallic surfaces to amplify the Raman signals of target molecules by more than 103. The high sensitivity of SERS poses a significant opportunity for pesticide detection in complex matrices at ultralow concentrations. In this study, we improved the SERS sensitivity for imidacloprid (IMD) by employing silver nanostars (AgNs) coated with gold nanostars (AuNs) as the SERS-active substrate. The SERS response towards IMD detection increased based on the combination of AuNs and AgNs on the substrate surface. The intensity of the SERS signal of IMD using the AuNs/AgNs substrate increased compared to using individual metal nanoparticle substrates. The excellent reproducibility of SERS intensity using the AuNs/AgNs substrate was achieved with a low relative standard derivative (RSD) of 4.87% for 20 different spots on the same sample and 5.19% for 20 different samples. This detection system can be used for multiple tests, which is crucial for the advancement of handheld sensors designed for field use, where minimal or no high-level technical support is accessible.

The homogeneous addition of functional silanes dissolved in a co-solvent such as ethanol has been shown to change particle growth mechanisms as well as control over particle size and dispersity, especially for non-polar silanes. Highly monodisperse size-controlled silica particles from 50 to over 1000 nm bearing thiol, vinyl, phenyl, propyl, cyanopropyl and chloropropyl R group functionality were synthesised directly from the corresponding single organosilane source. Observing particle growth over time revealed that it proceeded by a conventional Stöber process, where silane monomers and oligomers add to nucleation sites, resulting in particle growth. Scale-up of the homogeneous mixing approach produced gram quantities of particles without affecting size, size dispersion or functionality under good mixing. The presence and functionality of the surface R groups were confirmed by a simple second addition of reactive molecules to the particle synthesis liquor, resulting in theoretical maximum attachment densities.