3D printing technology has made significant strides in smart textiles—fabrics embedded with electronics like conductive fibers and sensors—now widely applied in areas such as health con-dition monitoring, wearable energy-harvesting devices, and interactive textiles that respond to environmental conditions and color changes. Different 3D printing methods, such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Direct Ink Writing (DIW), and PolyJet printing, are used in the fabrication of smart textiles. This study provides a detailed, applica-tion-specific overview of 3D printing technologies—such as FDM, SLS, DIW, and PolyJet print-ing—and their use in smart textiles across various sectors, including wearable technology, medical textiles, and smart fashion design. We gathered articles and reports from Scopus and Google Scholar, providing a concise assessment of 3D printing materials for smart textiles to give readers a quick understanding of the field. The timeline of 3D printing’s use in smart textiles, from 2016 to 2023, highlights significant advancements in various additive manufacturing techniques applied to smart textiles. The review emphasizes the importance of understanding 3D printing techniques such as FDM, SLS, DIW, and PolyJet, as their applicability for selecting the best approach to in-corporating advanced functionalities into smart textiles.

Contemporary analysis of the chemical composition of medicinal plants, and their biological activities, is important to find new potent therapeutic products. This study deciphers the chemical profiles of three essential oils (EOs) obtained from different flowers of Lantana camara, and evaluates their antioxidant and anticancer activities. The three flowers (white, pink, and orange) were collected, dried, ground, and further extracted by hydrodistillation to yield EO1, EO2 and EO3 respectively. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy was employed to identify existing chemical compounds in all samples. Their antioxidant activities were screened through DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging assay in addition to the FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) assay. The anti-proliferative effects were evaluated on two different breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, and compared to a normal human breast cell line MCF-10A, using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium) assay. The three EOs showed notable antioxidant potential attributed to the active phytochemical compounds. Results were supported by positive correlation between the antioxidant activity and the total phenolic and flavonoid content. Most notably, EO1 (from white flowers) exhibited a remarkable dose-dependent anti-proliferative effect in both breast cancer cell lines. Marked by a sharp reduction in cell proliferation after only 24 hours of treatment, EO1 reflects its potent role as anti-cancer agent. We suggest that this highly selective activity is associated with the presence of bicyclogermacrene and epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene in its chemical composition.

Methylene blue is a cationic organic dye found in wastewater, groundwater, and surface water, due to industrial release in the environment. This emerging pollutant is very persistent and, depending on the doses, can harm human and environmental health. In this work, a Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor using a BK7 prism with a coating of 3 nm chromium and 50 nm of gold in the Kretschmann configuration was developed for the detection of methylene blue, using for the first time, laccases immobilized on a gold surface as bio-receptors for this organic dye. The enzyme immobilization through carbodiimide bonds, using EDC/NHS crosslinkers, and allowed to analyze samples with minimal preparation. The method was validated, achieving a LOD of 4.61 mg L-1 and LOQ of 15.37 mg L-1, a working range from 0-100 mg L-1, and a R2=0.9614 in a real-time analysis. A sample of rainwater spiked with methylene blue was analyzed, and a recovery of 122.46 ± 4.41% was obtained.

We have recently shown that the sphere-in-contact model can be used as an educational and research tool in various contexts, such as the visualization of carbon structures (e.g. graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanocones and graphite), heterogeneous catalysts, metal nanoparticles and organic molecules. In this communication we present how it can be used to model the adsorbate structure of a monoatomic element on the hexagonal close-packed surface of the metal. We have used atoms of varying radius to represent the metal surface atoms and the adsorbate atoms. The study reveals that many surface symmetries are possible for a fixed adsorbate coverage by the movement of the adsorbate atoms in response to surface adsorbate-adsorbate repulsions. The movement of the particles (e.g. particle diffusion) can be seen directly in the model and this is caused by the user intervention. This has great educational but also research value as one can directly see how the adsorbate atoms reorder on the surface of a metal. We believe that this model will be useful in the rational design of catalytic materials and materials coatings with new technological applications.

Manganese dioxide (MnO2) has drawn attention as a sensitizer to be incorporated in graphene-based chemoresistive sensors thanks to its promising properties. In this regard, a rGO@MnO2 sensing material was prepared and deposited on two different substrates (Silicon and Kapton). These sensors were exposed to different dilutions of NO2 under dry and humid conditions at room temperature. Other gases or vapours such as NH3, CO, ethanol and H2 were also tested. FESEM, HRTEM, RAMAN and XRD were used to characterize the prepared sensors. The experimental results showed that the incorporation of MnO2 in the rGO material enhanced its response towards NO2. Moreover, this material showed also very good responses toward NH3 both under dry and humid conditions and showed no cross-responsiveness towards other toxic gases.

In this paper, we explore a straightforward two-step method to produce high purity, vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Two distinct solutions are utilized for this CVD method: a catalytic solution consisting of ferrocene and acetonitrile (ACN), and a carbon source solution with camphor and ACN. The vapors of the catalytic solution inserted in the reaction chamber through external boiling, result in a floating catalyst CVD approach that produces vertically aligned MWCNTs in a consistent manner. MWCNTs are grown in a conventional CVD horizontal reactor, at 850°C under atmospheric pressure, and characterized by Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Coating the MWCNTs with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) while still on the Si substrate, retains the structure and results in a flexible, conductive thin film suitable for electrodes. The film is 62 μm thick and stable in aqueous solutions, capable of withstanding further processes such as electropolymerization with polyaniline, to be used for energy storage applications.

CO2-soluble surfactant foam systems have garnered significant attention in the fields of enhanced oil and gas recovery, environmental protection, and greenhouse gas emission reduction. This review provides a comprehensive explanation of the basic theory of CO2-soluble surfactant foam, the mechanism of enhanced oil recovery, and the classification and application of various CO2-soluble surfactants.The mechanism of enhanced oil recovery by CO2-soluble surfactant foam involves the effective reduction of CO2 fluidity, the decrease in oil-air flow ratio, and the stabilization of the displacement front. Foam plays a vital role in mitigating the issues of channeling and gravity separation often caused by simple CO2 injection. The reduction in gas fluidity can be attributed to the increase in apparent viscosity and trapped gas fraction.Future research should prioritize the development of more efficient and environmentally-friendly CO2-soluble surfactants. It is essential to further explore the advantages and challenges associated with their practical applications in order to maximize their potential impact.

Dental restoration success relies on the physical properties of luting cements. Luting cements fill the space between teeth and restoration, provide retention and protection from occlusal forces, and act as a barrier to microleakage in the oral environment. This review aims to evaluate and compare the solubility of the three most used dental luting cements: glass ionomer (GI), resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI), and resin cement (RC). Studies selected for review compared solubilities of combination of GI, RMGI and RC in solutions with different pH levels to replicate acidic oral pH. Review of the studies concluded that resin cement had the overall lowest degree of solubility in all pH values and all ranges of storage periods, followed by RMGI and GI cement. Success of restoration is dependent upon luting cements. Results of the studies reviewed show that all dental luting cements showed some degree of dissolution. Resin cement overall demonstrated the least amount of solubility, followed by RMGI and GI cement.

The alkoxycarbonylation of styrene by palladium chloride is studied employing the density functional theory (DFT). Initially, [PdCl3]– reacts with methanol to form the methoxy-bound intermediate, which undergoes β-hydride elimination to form the key intermediate [PdCl2H]–. Then, a 1,2-insertion reaction to styrene takes place to form linear and branched alkyl coordinated with the PdII. Then CO coordination followed by a 1,1-insertion reaction leads to the formation of acyl intermediate. Next, the methanolysis leads to the formation of esters. Previous reports with other catalysts suggested the intermolecular/intramolecular transition state (TS) formation with a high activation barrier, and this step was the bottleneck. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time we have considered a two-step mechanism for the alcoholysis of the ester formation mechanism. After coordination with the metal, the methanol undergoes oxidative addition to form the PdIV square pyramidal intermediate, followed by reductive elimination to form the ester with regeneration of the metal hydride active intermediate. Deeper insight into the nature of bonding at the TSs are obtained through energy decomposition with natural orbital for chemical valence (EDA-NOCV) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM).

The current study explores for the first time an eco-friendly solution casting method using a green solvent, Ethyl Acetate, to prepare feedstock/filaments from Polylactic Acid (PLA) biopolymer reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), followed by 3D printing and surface activation for biosensing applications. Comprehensive thermal, electrical, rheological, microstructural, and mechanical properties of developed feedstock and 3D printed parts were performed and analyzed. Herein, adding 2 wt.% CNTs to the PLA matrix marked the electrical percolation, achieving conductivity of 8.3×10-3 S.m-1, thanks to the uniform distribution of CNTs within the PLA matrix facilitated by the solution casting method. Rheological assessments paralleled these findings; the addition of 2 wt.% CNTs transitioned the nanocomposite from liquid-like to a solid-like behavior with a percolated network structure, significantly elevating rheological properties compared to composite with 1 wt.% CNTs. Mechanical evaluations of the printed samples revealed improvement in tensile strength and modulus compared to virgin PLA by a uniform distribution of 2 wt.% CNTs into PLA, with an increase of 14.5% and 10.3%, respectively. To further enhance the electrical conductivity and sensing capabilities of developed samples, an electrochemical surface activation treatment was applied to as-printed nanocomposite samples. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis confirmed that this surface activation effectively exposed the CNTs to the surface of 3D-printed parts by removing a thin layer of polymer from the surface, thereby optimizing the composite's electroconductivity performance. The findings of this study underscore the potential of the proposed eco-friendly method in developing advanced 3D printed bio nanocomposites based on carbon nanotubes and biopolymers, using a green solution casting and cost-effective material extrusion 3D printing method, for electrochemical sensing applications.

Shale formations pose significant challenges to traditional drilling fluids, including issues such as fluid invasion, cutting dispersion, and shale swelling, which contribute to wellbore instability. While oil-based drilling fluids (OBM) effectively address these challenges, concerns over their environmental impact and cost limit their widespread adoption. Nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a promising frontier in enhancing the performance of water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs) in shale applications. This study explores the potential of Graphene Oxide (GO) modified with Nanocellulose (NC) in comparison to WBDFs with and without non-modified GO additives. The combination of GO and NC is chosen for its synergistic effects: GO provides enhanced mechanical strength and barrier properties, while NC serves to stabilize the dispersion and improve compatibility with WBDF matrices. The modification with NC aims to optimize the interaction between GO and the drilling fluid components, enhancing performance in shale inhibition and fluid loss control. The research involved the successful synthesis and characterization of a GO/NC nanocomposite, which underwent examination through FTIR, PSD, and SEM analyses. Also we evaluated the filtration properties of water-based drilling fluids (WBDF) enhanced with a graphene oxide/nanocellulose (GO/NC) nanocomposite and compared the results to conventional WBDF. Filtration performance was assessed under both low-temperature low-pressure (LTLP) and high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) conditions, and contact angle measurements were conducted to examine the wettability of shale. The results demonstrated that incorporating GO/NC into the WBDF reduced filtrate volume by 17% under LTLP conditions and by 23.75% under HTHP conditions, indicating a significant improvement in filtration control. Furthermore, the GO/NC-WBDF increased the hydrophobicity of the shale, as shown by a 61° increase in contact angle. These findings suggest that GO/NC enhances the performance of WBDF by reducing fluid loss and improving wellbore stability, particularly in unconventional shale formations.

Ammonia volatilization, which is a main way for nitrogen gaseous loss of farmland, restricts the promotion of the utilization rate of nitrogen fertilizer, and contains some potential environmental risks. To investigate the general pattern of ammonia volatilization under actual paddy field conditions, researchers designed an indoor simulated system to measure the amount of ammonia volatilized within a single time period by controlling the pH and concentration of NH4+ (c(NH4+)) in the solution, the gas-liquid interfacial gas velocity, and the ambient temperature. In this paper, the influence of these factors, the synergistic effect on ammonia volatilization and their quantitative relationship were discussed. Researchers use the resolution of ammonium bicarbonate (SAB) and diammonium phosphate (SDP) for simulation experiments, and the results show that, there are significant linear relationship between amount of ammonia volatilization and c(NH4+). The correlation coefficient is between 0.9214 to 0.9897 and 0.8932 to 0.9904 for SAB and SDP, respectively. The quantitative relationship between temperature, pH and the influence factor (CIF), the initial ammonia volatilization fluxes (IAVF) was analyzed by least-squares method, and the degrees of polynomial were one and two respectively. The regression equations of the SAB and SDP among the amount of ammonia volatilization with the concentration of ammonium nitrogen, the temperature and the pH were gotten by using MATLAB. Considering the effects of temperature and pH on CIF and IAVF under individual conditions, we use binary cubic model to fit the relationship between temperature, pH to CIF and IAVF, the simulation results show that the correlation coefficients between CIF and IAVF for SAB are 0.9980 and 0.9680, however the correlation coefficients are 0.9946 and 0.9708 for SDP, respectively. The quantitative equation takes into account coefficient of determination and degrees of polynomial, and the ammonia volatilization fluxes can be calculated by using these equations.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a family of polyesters produced by many microbial species. These naturally occurring polymers are widely used in tissue engineering because of their in vivo degradability and excellent biocompatibility. The most well-studied among them is poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and its copolymer with 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (PHBV). Despite their superior properties, PHB and PHBV suffer from high crystallinity, poor mechanical properties, slow resorption rate, and inherent hydrophobicity. Not only PHB and PHBV are hydrophobic, but almost all members of the PHA family struggle because of this characteristic. One can overcome the limitations of microbial polyesters by modifying their bulk or surface chemical composition. Therefore, researchers have put much effort into developing the methods for chemical modification of PHAs. This paper reviews the chemical modification methods of PHAs that make them more suitable for scaffold fabrication. Different chemical strategies for improving the wettability and mechanical properties of the PHA scaffolds are discussed in this review. Emphasis is placed on the methods used to modify the chemical structure of PHB and PHBV, the most important polymers of the PHA family. The properties of PHAs that are important for their applications in tissue engineering are also discussed.

This research introduces a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor utilizing flower-like nickel ox-ide/carbon (fl-NiO/C) microspheres for the precise detection of L-glutamic acid (LGA), a crucial neurotransmitter in the field of healthcare and a frequently utilized food additive and flavor en-hancer. The fl-NiO/C were synthesized with controllable microstructures using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as precursors followed by a simple calcination process. The uniformly synthe-sized fl-NiO/C microspheres were further characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spec-troscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). The fl-NiO/C was utilized as a modi-fier on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode, and an impedimetric sensor based on Electro-chemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was developed for the detection of LGA. The proposed sensor demonstrated excellent catalytic activity and selectivity towards LGA across a broad con-centration range of 10-800 μM with a sensitivity of 486.9 µA.mM-1.cm-2 and a detection limit of 1.28 µM (S/N=3). The sensor was also employed to identify LGA in blood plasma samples, yield-ing results that align with those obtained through HPLC. This achievement highlights the poten-tial of fl-NiO/C microspheres in advancing cutting-edge biosensing applications.

The results of the study of the interaction between the CeF3+EuF3 system and the salt melt NaCl–KCl by spectroscopic methods are presented. It was established that no significant changes occur with CeF3 ions upon dissolution in the NaCl–KCl melt. Instead, the transition of EuF3 into solution-melt, both individually and in the CeF3+EuF3 system, is accompanied by oxidation-reduction reactions with the formation of Eu2+. Diffuse reflection spectra of the samples – both bottom (insoluble sediment) and upper parts of the solidified salt melt in the UV range indirectly indicate the excitation of photoluminescence of Ce3+ and Eu2+ ions. On the other hand, the presence of absorption bands in the near-IR range of the spectrum (1900-2300 cm−1) confirms the preservation of a certain proportion of Eu3+ ions in the salt melt. The influence of various factors (composition of the solidified salt melt sample, excitation wavelength, previous and subsequent heat treatment, and composition of the medium) on the nature of the excitation and emission spectra of the samples was studied. A very intense 5d-4f luminescence of Ce3+ and Eu2+ ions (at 330 and 430 nm, respectively), mainly in the upper part of salt melts, and much weaker 4f-4f luminescence of Eu3+ ions were observed. Certain parameters were optimized to reduce the proportion of luminescence of Ce3+ and, especially, Eu3+ ions and to increase the luminescence of Eu2+ ions. Solidified salt solutions-melts of the NaCl–KCl–CeF3–EuF3 system are promising materials for the creation of solar ultraviolet radiation detectors.

The rise of non-albicans Candida species, exhibiting unpredictable antifungal resistance, complicates treatment and contributes to the growing threat of invasive, life-threatening infections. This study evaluated the antifungal activity of four benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives (C34, C35, A42, and A44) against 14 Candida strains following EUCAST standards. Fluconazole interactions were analysed through fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) calculation and response surface analysis, based on the Bliss model. Macrophage-like J774A.1 cells were used to assess Candida killing in the presence of synergistic compounds. The MIC values against the different strains varied, with C34 showing the strongest activity, followed by C35, while A42 had the highest MIC values, indicating lower efficacy. However, A42 demonstrated the best synergy with fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida strains. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that the chloropropyl group present in C35 and A42 enhanced cytocompatibility. Co-culture with macrophages showed significant yeast killing for C. albicans and C. auris when fluconazole and A42 were combined, requiring concentration 4- and 16 times lower than their MIC values, enhancing antifungal activity. Given fluconazole's fungistatic nature and the emergence of drug-resistant strains, benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives' ability to enhance fluconazole's efficacy presents a promising strategy to address antifungal resistance in critical pathogens. These findings align with global research priorities, offering new potential avenues for developing more effective antifungal therapies.

The widespread clinical application of collagen sponge-delivered recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) for spinal fusion currently remains limited. This limitation is due to potential adverse events associated with the rapid release of excessively high doses. This study aimed to investigate the impact of varying PGmatrix 3D Shape peptide hydrogel (PepGel) formulations on the release kinetics of rhBMP-2 in vitro. Three PepGel formulations were assessed: 1) 50% v/v PepGel, where solution A (crosslinking reagent) was mixed with solution B (synthetic peptides) and rhBMP-2 solution, making a 50% v/v (solution B volume/total volume) PepGel; 2) 67% v/v PepGel; 3) 80% v/v PepGel. Each sample was loaded with 12 µg of rhBMP-2 and incubated in PBS. The incubation solution containing released rhBMP-2 was collected at 1 hour, 6 hours, and 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days, and released rhBMP-2 was quantified using a BMP-2 ELISA kit. To explore how PepGel formulations influence rhBMP-2 release, the gel porosities, swelling ratios, and mechanical properties of the three PepGel formulations were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that rhBMP-2 encapsulated with 50% v/v PepGel exhibited a sustained release over the 21-day experiment. Between days 7 and 21, the 50% v/v PepGel demonstrated significantly higher rhBMP-2 release rates compared to the 67% and 80% v/v formulations. Higher histological porosity of PepGel was significantly correlated with increased rhBMP-2 release rates. Conversely, the swelling ratio and elastic modulus at 1.0 Hz of the 50% v/v PepGel was significantly lower than that of the 67% and 80% v/v formulations. In conclusion, this study indicates that varying the formulation of crosslinked PepGel can control rhBMP-2 release rates in vitro by modulating gel porosity, swelling ratio, and mechanical properties. Encapsulation with 50% v/v PepGel offers a sustained rhBMP-2 release pattern, which could mitigate the adverse effects associated with burst release of rhBMP-2 if replicated in vivo.

Flavonoids are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants. Due to their ubiquity in our daily dietary intake and their major anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic activities, they have been a major focus of wide-ranging research for the past two decades. Mass spectrometry combined with liquid chromatography is one of the most popular techniques for the analysis of flavonoids. In this study, high-resolution accurate mass electrospray tandem mass spectrometry was used to study 30 flavonoids in both positive and negative ionisation modes. From the data obtained, common losses are summarised and compiled. Dominating neutral losses are tabulated. The radical loss of CH3. was observed in flavonoids containing methoxy groups and three diagnostic product ions were identified which could be useful in structural elucidation of unknown flavonoids and flavonoid metabolites. Energy breakdown graphs were utilised to dis-tinguish between three pairs of structural isomers, and to help rationalise proposed fragmentation pathways. Lastly, a competition of loss of CH3. and methane were reported for rhamnetin and isorhamnetin in the negative ion mode for the first time. Proposed fragmentation pathways were given to rationalise the differences in peak intensities for this competitive process.

This report describes the asymmetric synthesis of a focused library of enantiopure structured tri-acylglycerols (TAGs) comprised of a single saturated fatty acid (C6, C8, C10, C12, C14 or C16), a pure bioactive n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (EPA or DHA) and a potent drug (ibuprofen or naproxen) intended as a novel type of prodrugs. One of the terminal sn-1 or sn-3 positions of the glycerol backbone is occupyed with a saturated fatty, the remaining one with a PUFA, and the drug entity is present in the sn-2 position. This was accomplished by a six-step chemoenzymatic approach starting from enantiopure (R)- and (S)-solketals. The highly regioselective immobilized Candida antarctica lipase (CAL-B) played a crucial role in the regiocontrol of the synthesis. All combinations, the total of 48 such prodrug TAGs were prepared, isolated and fully characterized, along with 60 acylglycerol intermediates, obtained in very high to excellent yields.

Detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a rapidly growing research area due to importance of VOCs in environmental pollution, human health assessment, food quality control, and homeland security. Optical sensing materials based on porphyrins are particularly appealing for VOCs detection, owing to availability of porphyrins, their exceptional optical and binding properties, as well as their photo- and chemical stability. As research and technology continue to advance, optical sensors involving these materials are expected to play an increasing role in various applications. This article presents a comprehensive overview of porphyrin-based sensing materials developed for use as optical sensors for VOCs. First, sensing films composed exclusively of porphyrin molecules are discussed followed by materials obtained by grafting or incorporation of porphyrins into organic and inorganic polymer matrices. Considering growing interest to multianalyte analysis with porphyrin-based sensor arrays, special section is devoted to this area.

Many interesting materials in a broad range of applications have in their composition the coexistence of zinc and iron. Their characterization by XPS should identify and quantify both elements. The most intense regions for these elements Zn 2p and Fe 2p are, therefore, used to accomplish that purpose. Using sphalerite as an example of a material where Zn and Fe may coexist and using XPS with two different X radiation sources to study them, it is demonstrated that Fe 2p region, when the iron is the minor component, may be seriously affected by the Auger Zn L3M1M23 structure. The sphalerite (Zn1-xFexS) here studied has x0 and is a good example to show how an XPS spectrum obtained with the X-ray Al Kα, the most used radiation in monochromatic equipments, leads to a wrong assignment of the structures existing in the binding energy region of Fe 2p. The simultaneous use of Mg Kα radiation showed that the Fe 2p is below the XPS detection in this specific sample of sphalerite. Its attested absence reveals that the structure detected, when using Al Kα in “Fe 2p” region, is assigned to a zinc Auger multiple peak and not to the expected 2p photoelectron doublet peak of iron.

Glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composites were manufactured using the vacuum infusion process. In some of the samples, the biaxial glass fiber fabric was pretreated with an air plasma generated in a dielectric barrier discharge. All samples were exposed to temperature changes, UV radiation, and NaCl and KOH solutions and then examined for their mechanical properties. Compared to the reference samples, the plasma-treated samples showed slightly better mechanical properties. The strength values determined in tensile, compression, and bending tests were several percent higher. Thermal stress and UV radiation did not lead to a loss of mechanical performance. The effect of NaCl and KOH solutions deteriorated the mechanical properties. Although the comparatively better mechanical properties of the plasma-treated samples were retained after the different treatments, the stability of the composite material against aggressive environmental conditions was not significantly improved.

The development of new materials for the controlled release of molecules represents a topic of primary importance in medicine as well as in food science. Herein, three eutectic systems respectively composed by choline chloride and ethylene glycol (1:2 molar ratio), methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide and ethylene glycol (molar ratio 1:5), and choline chloride and glycerol (molar ratio 1:1.5) were tested as materials for the controlled release of an essential oil derived from citrus lemon leaves.

Natural components are sparking a lot of interest in the field of drug formulation and delivery. Anastatica hierochuntica is a small plant, extremely rich in its phytochemical content including flavonoids, phenolics, and several minerals. For that, it is widely used in folk medicine in a plethora of conditions such as headache, asthma, menstrual pain, and childbirth. The aim of this research is to investigate its potential antimicrobial effects when loaded onto nanofiber as field leading. The extract-loaded nanofibers were prepared via electrospinning. The prepared nanofibers were rod-shaped with nanometric size as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. The loaded NFs showed increased hydrophilicity compared to the plain NFs as evidenced by reduced WCA and increased percent water uptake. Further, they exhibited adequate tensile properties compared to the plain NFs as evidenced by increased strain and stress. Based on the highest hydrophilicity (WCA 43.1±0.6º and % swelling 216.67±2.36% after 1 h) and the best mechanical properties (strain and stress of 67.6% and 0.0486 N/mm2, respectively), NF20 was selected for further investigations. The selected formulation (NF20) showed a bi-phasic, sustained drug release pattern (73.40±1.31% after 72 h). More importantly, testing the antimicrobial effects of the extract-loaded nanofibers highlighted significant reduction in MIC, MBC, and MFC values when compared with Silymarin standard against Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aspergillus niger. Finally, wound healing assay confirmed the accelerated wound closure and fibroblasts migration in case of the fabricated NF20, suggesting the potential of the bio- fabricated nanofiber as a novel promising wound dressing.

Hydrogels have emerged as promising biomaterials due to their excellent performance; however, their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and absorbability still require improvement to support a broader range of medical applications. This paper presents a new biofunctionalized hydrogel based on in-situ crosslinking between maleimide-terminated four-arm-poly(ethylene glycol) (4–arm–PEG–Mal) and poly(ε-lysine) (ε–PL). PEG/ε–PL hydrogels (LG–n) were rapidly formed via amine/maleimide reaction by mixing 4–arm–PEG–Mal and ε–PL under physiological conditions. The corresponding dry gels (DLG-n) were obtained through a freeze-drying technique. 1H NMR, FT–IR, and SEM were utilized to confirm the structures of 4–arm–PEG–Mal and LG–n (DLG–n), and the effects of solid content on the physicochemical properties of the hydrogels were investigated. Although high solid content could increase the swelling ratio, all LG–n samples exhibited a low equilibrium swelling ratio of less than 30%. LG–7, which contained moderate solid content, exhibited optimal compression properties characterized by a compressive fracture strength of 45.2 kPa and deformation of 69.5%. Compression cycle tests revealed that LG–n demonstrated good anti-fatigue performance. In vitro degradation studies confirmed the biodegradability of LG–n, with the degradation rate primarily governing the drug release efficiency, leading to a sustained release duration of four weeks. Cytotoxicity tests, cell survival morphology observation, Live/Dead assays, and hemolysis tests indicated that LG–n exhibited excellent cytocompatibility and low hemolysis rates (<5%). Furthermore, the broad-spectrum antibacterial activity of LG–n was verified by an inhibition zone method. In conclusion, the developed LG–n hydrogels hold promising applications in the medical field, particularly as drug sustained-release carriers and wound dressings.

Hydrazine (N2H4) plays an important role in industrial production, but it is highly toxic, leakage or exposure will pollute the environment and cause serious harm to the human body. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is an important gas signaling molecule, but its excessive intake can cause a variety of diseases. However, due to the lack of two-color probes capable of detecting both N2H4 and SO2, the ability to monitor the crosstalk of these substances is limited. Therefore, it is necessary to find a simple and effective method for dual-response detection of N2H4 and SO2 in environmental systems and organisms. Here, we developed a two-response fluorescence probe PI-CO-NH based on FRET regulation to detect N2H4 and SO2. The experimental results show that the probe has high selectivity and sensitivity, excellent stability, low cytotoxicity and high cell permeability, can visualize N2H4 and SO2 in living cells, and has good mitochondrial targeting ability. It is worth noting that the ability of the probe to detect N2H4 in different soil samples and test strips was successfully verified. PI-CO-NH provides a platform for the analysis and visualization of two biologically active and environmentally important species, which has great potential in the analysis and monitoring of environmental pollutants.

Oncological therapy is a very complex process. Accurate diagnosis is the first and most important stage of therapy for the patient, because it allows the medical staff to determine what treatment is nec-essary and how to plan it. Oncological treatment is currently widely considered to be holistic, in which the body is perceived as one, interconnected system. Oncological therapy should not focus only on one area of care, but should also include treatment support, such as appropriate nutrition or pain management. Aims: The aim of the article was to confirm the level of hydration, limit excessive water loss and regulate the pH value of the skin of patients after oncological treatment, who were adminis-tered fish collagen. Methods: The study used a set of probes that were used to examine the biophysical parameters of the skin of patients after oncological treatment. Conclusions: It was confirmed that the tested product restores the appropriate level of skin hydration in oncological patients, supports the reconstruction of the skin and its energy barrier by reducing transepidermal water loss and restoring appropriate pH values. Thanks to this, it is possible to eliminate the effects of pathological changes or accelerate their elimination.

The permeation of tritium from secondary neutron source rods in nuclear power plants presents a significant and unavoidable safety concern for both internal equipment and the external environment. This study primarily explores two feasible strategies for tritium permeation barriers: coating stainless steel surfaces with tritium-permeation-barrier (TPB) materials and utilizing materials with excellent tritium absorption properties. Through external ion irradiation tests, a comparative analysis was conducted on the tritium permeation performance, microstructure, and nano-hardness changes of two tritium-resistant designs, specifically Cr2O3/Al2O3 composite coatings, and a zirconium-based tritium-absorbing material under varying irradiation doses. The results indicate that both approaches exhibit exceptional radiation resistance, maintaining an effective tritium permeation reduction factor (PRF) even after irradiation.

Cancer remains one of the most critical global health issues. Conventional treatments, such as radiotherapy, surgery, or chemotherapy, have limitations, especially concerning side effects, resistance, and recurrence. Consequently, new innovative treatments to overcome these problems are needed. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising alternative that uses photothermal agents that convert near-infrared light (NIR) into heat to kill cancer cells. Nanoparticles can be used as photothermal agents and also as drug delivery platforms, improving the drugs’ stability, allowing for targeted delivery, and reducing toxicity. Due to its broad absorption band, high surface area, and versatility for surface functionalization, tungsten disulfide (WS2) has high potential in this context. This paper presents the state-of-the-art on the use of WS2-based materials to achieve effective and biocompatible anti-anticancer new treatment strategies.

The extract of the fruit chasteberry has phytotherapeutic effects, making it an important ally in women's well-being during premenstrual syndrome (PMS); however, it contains alcohol in the composition, has a bitter taste and spicy flavor, and can also cause a burning sensation. Encapsulation techniques can minimize these problems. In this context, the present study aimed to encapsulate the concentrated extract of chasteberry and develop dark chocolate with the potential for minimizing PMS symptoms by adding 2.5% free or microencapsulated chasteberry extract in the chocolate bar formulation. Microparticles loaded with chasteberry extract were produced by spray drying and covered by spray-chilling using Arabic gum and vegetable fat as the carriers, respectively. The particles were characterized by morphology, size, X-ray diffraction, TGA, and stability of total phenolics and casticin – the molecule responsible for phytotherapeutic effects-. The best particle was added to a dark chocolate mixture. The chocolate samples produced with free and encapsulated extracts were submitted to sensory trials. The two paired comparison tests proved that particles efficiently for masking the chasteberry extract burning sensation and bitterness in the chocolates. Besides, particles were also efficient in protecting casticin. In this context, the encapsulation using the combination of both techniques was efficient in promoting casticin and total phenolics stability and producing chocolate with good sensory aspects. Therefore, it was possible to develop a product that can be used in clinical trials to evaluate its potential to minimize PMS symptoms.

This study explored the antimicrobial potential of Piper betle L. (PBL) and Piper nigrum L. (PNL) extracts against MRSA. Plant parts including stem, leaf, and fruit were extracted using aquadest, methanol, and hexane, resulting in 18 distinct extracts. FT-IR combined with cluster analysis (CA) categorized the extracts, and anti-MRSA activity was assessed through the paper disk dif-fusion method. The most potent extracts were further analyzed using GC-MS to identify bioac-tive compounds. Additionally, molecular docking studies were conducted for MRSA protein targets (4DKI, 6H5O, and 4CJN). The hexane extract of PNL and the aqueous extract of PBL fruit showed the strongest inhibitory effects. GC-MS identified Piperine (14.22%) and Diisooctyl phthalate (14.67%) as major compounds, with Piperolein B, Piperanine, Beta-caryophyllene ox-ide, and Alpha-caryophylladienol as minor compounds in the hexane extract of PNL, while hy-droxychavicol (81.89%) and Chavibetol (12.01%) were predominant in the aquadest extract of PBL. Molecular docking revealed that Piperolein B and Piperine had strong binding affinities to MRSA proteins 4DKI, 6H5O, and 4CJN, comparable to ciprofloxacin. In conclusion, this study confirms the potential of PBL and PNL as sources of novel anti-MRSA agents, supporting fur-ther research to develop new therapies.

L-(+)-Furanomycin 1 is a miniature antibacterial natural product that contains an -amino acid core. This non-proteinogenic α-amino acid was first isolated in 1967 by Katagiri and co-workers from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces threomyceticus L-803 (ATCC 15795). It is a substrate of isoleucyl aminoacyl tRNA synthetase that replaces isoleucine in the protein translation process and exhibits antibacterial properties in vitro. It effectively acts as an antibacterial agent against M. tuberculosis, E. coli, B. subtilis, and some Shigella and Salmonella bacterial species at concentrations as low as the micromolar range. Consequently, synthetic chemists have garnered considerable interest from their specific structure-activity profile, distinctive chemical compositions, and distinct biological profile. This review comprehensively describes cutting-edge synthetic methodologies for synthesizing furanomycin and its analogs reported to date. Therefore, this review will offer an initial perspective on synthesizing furanomycin and its customized compounds.

New conjugated 2,6-diphenylaniline-azulene co-oligomers of linear and branched structure were synthesized by the interaction of borylazulenes with diphenylaniline bromides under Suzu-ki-Miyaura cross-coupling conditions. The obtained diphenylaniline-azulene co-oligomers inten-sively absorb and emit visible light (410-700 nm region), in particular, exhibits strong emission in the green as well as orange range with maxima of 510 / 590 nm. It is shown that such properties appear as a result of the positive resonance exposure to ani-line fragments significantly rearranging the electronic structure of azulene, in particular, the lev-els and energy gaps of frontal HOMO - LUMO orbitals.

Self-assembling peptides have emerged as promising materials for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications due to their unique biocompatibility, biodegradability, and multifunctionality. These properties make them ideal candidates for addressing the challenges posed by biofilm-associated infections linked to implanted medical devices. Additionally, these peptides can form a variety of nanostructures, including nanotubes, hydrogels, and nanosheets, which facilitate targeted drug delivery and enhance therapeutic efficacy. The successful translation of peptide-based materials into clinical applications is exemplified by products like RADA16 and lanreotide, which improve therapeutic outcomes and enhance patient compliance. Furthermore, the development of peptidomimetics extends the versatility of these materials across various biomedical applications. This review highlights the potential of peptide-based biomaterials as effective tools in combating infections and as innovative platforms for drug delivery, emphasising their significance in modern medical therapies.

Molecular cages are preorganized molecules with a central cavity, typically formed through the self-assembly of their building blocks. This requires in most cases forming and breaking reversible bonds during the self-assembly reaction pathway for error correction to drive the reaction to the cage product. In this work, we focus on both Pd–ligand and hydrazone bonds implemented in the structure of a Pd2L4 hydrazone molecular cage. As the cage contains two different types of reversible bonds, we envisaged a cage formation comparative study by performing the self-assembly of the cage through 3 different reaction pathways involving the formation of Pd–ligand bonds, hydrazone bonds, or a combination of both. The 3 reaction pathways produce the self-assembly of the cage with yields ranging from 73% to 79%. Despite the complexity of the reaction the cage is formed in a very high yield, even for the reaction pathway that involves the formation of 16 bonds. This research paves the way for more sophisticated cage self-assembly designs.

In pursuit of overcoming Fenton’s oxidation limitations in wastewater treatment, an introduction of heterogeneous photocatalyst is developed. In this regard, the current work is introducing ZnO nanocrystals that were successfully prepared by thermal decomposition technique and then capped with oleic acid (OA). The synthesized ZnO-OA and the pristine ZnO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Then, the study introduces the application of such materials in advanced oxidation processes, i.e. Fenton's reaction to treat dye-containing wastewater. Synthetic wastewater that prepared using Reactive Blue 4 (RB4) is used as a simulated textile wastewater effluent. Fenton’s oxidation is applied, and the system parameters were assessed using the modified Fenton’s system. The synthesized samples of ZnO are characterized by a recognized wurtzite hexagonal structure. Modifying the surface of ZnO with oleic acid (OA) led to an increase in crystallite size, lattice parameters, and cell volume. These modifications are linked to the efficient capping of ZnO nanoparticles by OA, which further improved the dispersion of the nanoparticles, as demonstrated by SEM imaging. The optimum conditions of ZnO and ZnO-OA synthesized modified Fenton composites showed 400, 40 mg/L for H2O2 and catalyst respectively, at pH 3.0 within 90 min under UV irradiation for maximal dye oxidation reached 93%. The catalytic performance at its optimal circumstances was in accordance with a pseudo-second-order kinetics model for both ZnO-OA and the pristine ZnO based Fenton’s systems. Also, the thermodynamic parameters were also checked and the values settled that both Fenton systems are spontaneous in nature, proceeds at a low energy barrier condition (10.38 and 31.38 kJ/mol for ZnO-OA and the pristine ZnO based Fenton reaction, respectively).

2-phenylchromen-4-one, commonly known as flavone, plays multifaceted roles in biological response, largely due to its abundance in natural sources. The methoxy group in naturally occurring flavones promotes cytotoxic activity in various cancer cell lines by targeting protein markers, in facilitating ligand-protein binding mechanisms and activating cascading downstream signaling pathways leading to cell death. However, the lipophilic nature of these analogs is a key concern as it impacts drug membrane transfer. While lipophilicity is crucial for drug efficacy, excessive effects in flavonoids can reduce water solubility and hinder drug transport to target sites. Recent in vitro studies suggest that the incorporation of polar hydroxyl groups which can form hydrogen bonds and stabilize free radicals may help overcome the challenges associated with methoxy groups while maintaining their essential lipophilic properties. Naturally coexisting with the methoxyflavones, this review explores the synergistic role of hydroxy and methoxy moieties through hydrogen bonding capacity in maximizing cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines. The physicochemical analysis revealed the potential intramolecular interaction and favorable electron delocalization region between both moieties to improve cytotoxicity levels. Together, the analysis provides a useful strategy for structural-activity relationship (SAR) of flavonoid analogs in distinct protein markers, suggesting optimal functional group positioning to achieve balanced lipophilicity, effective hydrogen bonding, and simultaneously minimized steric hindrance in targeting specific cancer cell types.

2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ) is a molecule widely employed as a very effective p-dopant of semi-conducting polymers, such as poly(3-hexylthiophene -2,5-diyl) (P3HT). The CN stretching transitions of F4TCNQ are exceptionally sensitive to the charge state of the molecule, thus allowing the doping diagnosis via IR spectroscopy. Less pronounced frequency shifts can reveal characteristics of the intermolecular environment. We present a systematic study based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and on experiments aimed at exploring how different factors, such as the charge state and the environment, modify the vibrational spectra of F4TCNQ. While several effects on the vibrational frequencies are well known and have been thoroughly investigated in the past, this study focuses on the infrared intensities of the CN stretching modes and reveals that they are strongly affected both by the charge state of the molecule and by the surrounding medium: it is then mandatory to consider such remarkable intensity modulation for any quantitative diagnosis based on spectroscopic measurements, e.g., concerning the amount of F4TCNQ molecules involved in the formation of charge transfer complexes.

Titanium-based Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) manufactured by additive manufacturing offer tremendous lightweighting opportunities. However, processing the high reinforcement contents needed to substantially improve elastic modulus while conserving significant ductility remains a challenge. Ti-TiC MMCs fabricated in this study report fracture strains in tension up to 1.7% for a Young’s modulus of 149 GPa. This fracture strain is 30% higher than previously reported values for Ti-based MMCs produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) displaying similar Young’s moduli. The heat treatment used after the LPBF process leads to the doubling of the fracture strain due to the conversion of TiCx dendrites into equiaxed TiCx grains. As-built microstructure shows both un-dissolved TiC particles and sub-stoichiometric TiC dendrites resulting from a partial dissolution of TiC particles. Reduction of the C/Ti ratio in TiC during the process results in an increase in the reinforcement content, from a nominal 12 vol% to an effective 21.5 vol%. The variation of the TiC lattice constant with its stoichiometry is measured, and an empirical expression is proposed for its effect on TiC’s Young’s modulus. The lower TiC initial powder size distribution displayed the best mechanical performance.

We evaluated the inhibitory effects of our developed Chol-PEG2000 micelles and Chol-PEG500 vesicles on amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation, a key factor in Alzheimer's disease. ThT assay proved that Chol-PEG2000 delayed Aβ fibril elongation by 17 hours and Chol-PEG500 by 40 hours at 10-times molar ratio against Aβ40 peptide. At 50-times molar ratio, both Chol-PEG2000 and Chol-PEG500 significantly inhibited Aβ aggregation, as shown by minimal fluorescence intensity increase over 48 hours.

Nowadays bioeconomy and sustainability trend drive food technology in the development of novel biobased edible food preservatives to enhance food shelf-life and safety. This study explored the development, characterization, and application of novel polysaccharide-based nanogels enhanced with essential oil derivatives carvacrol and citral, investigating their potential synergistic effects as active edible coatings for extending the shelf life of Chalkidiki PDO green table olives. Nanogels were formulated using xanthan gum and kappa-carrageenan and tested in various ratios (25:75, 50:50, 75:25). Physicochemical characterization of nanogels was done via zeta potential dynamic light scattering measurements and scanning electron microscopy images, while preliminary tests demonstrated high antioxidant activity. Antimicrobial assessments revealed significant bactericidal effects, with FIC results confirming a synergistic effect of NGCTCV 50:50 against Staphylococcus aureus and NGCTCV 25:75 and 75:25 against. The nanogel coatings were applied to Chalkidiki green table olives and evaluated over a 21-day storage period. The NGCTCV 50:50 and 25:75 coatings effectively reduced weight loss, maintained stable pH levels, and preserved visual quality, while inhibiting spoilage microorganisms without affecting beneficial lactic acid bacteria crucial for fermentation. Lab colorimetry confirmed the ability of these nanogels to prevent discoloration, maintaining the olives' characteristic green color. Sensory analysis indicated that NGCTCV 50:50 and 25:75 outperformed both individual nanogels and uncoated samples, effectively extending shelf life by over 14 days. Finally, this study demonstrates the potential of polysaccharide-based nanogels, particularly in the 50:50 and 25:75 ratios, for improving the shelf life of perishable food products, with promising applications in fermented food preservation.

Molecular inhibitors added to the corrosive medium attacking metallic materials are a well-established way of combating corrosion. The inhibitive action proceeds via adsorption of the inhibitor on the surface to be protected. Aromatic building blocks in the inhibitor play a major role in their protective action, further details like substituents, heteroatoms and molecular geometry contribute. An overview is provided focused on aromatic inhibitors aiming at the identification of particularly promising inhibitors and their mode of action. Directions of further research and development are pointed out in conclusion.

The novel phosphor Eu3+ doped Na5Zn2Gd(MoO4)6 triple molybdate were prepared by the sol-gel method. The structure, morphology, and luminescent properties have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and Luminescence spectroscopy. The results indicated that the synthesized Na5Zn2Gd1-x(MoO4)6: xEu3+phosphor consisted of a pure phase with monoclinic structure. Under excitation at 465 nm, the Na5Zn2Gd1-x(MoO4)6: xEu3+ phosphor exhibits intensive red emission band around 610 nm corresponding to the transition of 5D0→7F2 is much higher than that 5D0→7F1 at 594 nm, which was appropriate for blue LED. According to the influence of the synthesis conditions, the phosphors show the highest emission intensity as the doping concentration of Eu3+ was 25 mol.% and the molar ratio of citric acid to metal ions was 2:1. Na5Zn2Gd0.75(MoO4)6: 0.25 Eu3+ with the color coordinates (x= 0.658, y= 0.341) is a stable red phosphor for blue-based white LEDs due to it is closer to the NTSC standard values (0.670, 0.330) comparing with the color coordinates (0.48, 0.50) of the commercial Y2O2S: Eu3+ red phosphor.

We investigated theoretically the electron-surface optical phonon interaction across the long-range Fröhlich coupling in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides such as WS2, WSe2, MoS2, and MoSe2 monolayers on SiC and hexagonal BN dielectric substrates. We employed the effective Hamiltonian in the 〖K_(+ ) (K〗_-) valley of the hexagonal Brillouin zone, to assess electronic energy shifts induced by the interaction between electronic states and surface polar optical phonons. Our results indicate that the interaction between electron and surface optical phonon depends upon the polar nature of the substrate. We have also calculated the polaronic oscillator strength as well as the polaronic scattering rate of the lower polaron state in monolayer WS2, WSe2, MoS2, and MoSe2 on SiC and hexagonal BN dielectric substrates. As a result, we have proved theoretically; firstly, the enhancement of polaronic scattering rate with temperature, and secondly, the notable influence of the careful selection of surrounding dielectrics on both Polaronic oscillator strength and polaronic scattering rate. Thus, the optimal dielectrics would be those exhibiting both elevated optical phonon energy and a high static dielectric constant.

The present review is related to the novel approach for improvement of the optical properties of wide bandgap metal oxides, in particular TiO2, based on the formation of the inorganic-organic hybrids that display absorption in the visible spectral range due to the formation of interfacial charge transfer (ICT) complexes. We outlined the property requirements of TiO2-based ICT complexes for efficient photo-induced catalytic reactions, emphasizing the simplicity of the synthetic procedure, the possibility of the fine-tuning of the optical properties supported by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and the formation of a covalent linkage between inorganic and organic components of hybrids, i.e., the nature of the interface. In addition, this study provides a comprehensive insight into potential applications of TiO2-based ICT complexes in photo-driven catalytic reactions (water splitting and degradation of organic molecules), including the identification of reactive species that participate in photocatalytic reactions by the spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique. Considering the practically limitless number of combinations between inorganic and organic components capable of forming oxide-based ICT complexes and with the knowledge that this research area is unexplored, we are confident it is worth studying, and we emphasized some further perspectives.

Novel double-impurity doping process for silicon (Si) surfaces was developed, utilizing nanosecond-laser melting of a top 11-nm thick gold (Au) film and a Si wafer substrate in a laser plasma-activated liquid-nitrogen (LN) environment. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the fluence- and exposure-independent surface micro-spike topography, while energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy identified minor Au (0.05 at. %) and major N (1-2 at. %) dopants, localized within a 0.5-m thick surface layer, and slight surface post-oxidation of the micro-relief (oxygen (O), 1.5-2.5 at. %). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy identified bound surface (SiNx) and bulk doping chemical states of the introduced nitrogen (10 at. %), metallic (<0.01 at. %) and cluster (<0.1 at. %) forms of gold dopant, and evaluated their depth distributions, strongly affected by the competition between gold dopant in its marginal local concentrations and other more abundant dopants (N, O). 532-nm Raman micro-spectroscopy indicated the slight reduction of the crystalline order revealed in the second-order Si phonon band, nanoscale dimensions of the resolidified Si nano-crystallites envisioned by the main Si optical-phonon peak, negligible a-Si abundance and a low-wavenumber peak of Si3N4 structure. In contrast, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) 2D-mapping exhibited the only broad structureless absorption bands in the range of 600-5500 cm-1 related to dopant absorption and light-trapping in the surface micro-relief. The room-temperature electrical characteristics of the laser-double-doped Si layer – carrier mobility of 1050 cm2/Vs and background carrier sheet concentration 21010 cm-2 (bulk concentration 1014-1015 cm-3) – are superior regarding previously reported parameters of nitrogen-implanted/annealed Si samples. This novel facile double-element laser-doping procedure paves the way toward local mask-less on-demand introduction of multiple intra-gap intermediate donor and acceptor bands in Si, providing its related multi-wavelength IR photoconductivity for optoelectronic applications.

Handmade papers, as carriers of paper-based cultural relics, have played a crucial role in the development of human culture, knowledge, and civilization. Understanding the intricate relationship between the structural properties and degradation mechanisms of handmade papers is essential for the conservation of historical documents. In this work, an artificial dry-heat accelerated ageing method was used to investigate the interplay between the mechanical properties of paper, the degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose, chemical composition, hydrogen bond strength, crystallinity, and degree of hornification. The results show that the mechanical properties of handmade bamboo paper exhibited a first plateau region, a rapid decline region, and sometimes a second plateau region. A critical point in the mechanical properties of the paper occurs when the cellulose DP decreases to a range of 400-600, signifying a shift from the initial plateau to a sharp decline phase. The strengthening of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and the hornification process help counteract the embrittlement of fibers caused by cellulose chain scission due to DP reduction. A secondary plateau emerges when the DP is smaller than 400, cellulose degradation is slow, and the component content, hydrogen bond strength, crystallinity, and degree of hornification reach a secondary plateau.

The low coefficient of thermal expansion of Invar 36 represents a significant consideration in light of its potential effects, particularly in industrial applications where thermal stability is of paramount importance. In light of this, a three-step heat treatment was employed, to reduce the thermal expansion coefficient, and enhance the thermal dimensional stability. The ingots produced by vacuum induction melting were subjected to a warm rolling process at 900 °C, followed by a three-step heat treatment consisting of water quenching at 850 °C, tempering at 350 °C with a holding time of 1 hour, and aging at 100 °C for 24 hours. This process enabled the coefficient of thermal expansion to remain almost unchanged, exhibiting values between 0.5 and 0.6 x10-6/°C up to 150 °C. Following the heat treatment, the total elongation increased up to 40% as a natural consequence of the reduction of residual stresses, while a slight decrease in tensile strength was observed. The implementation of a three-step heat treatment process has facilitated an enhancement of the soft magnetic property, which has exhibited a decline in coercivity and an increase in saturation magnetization. As a consequence, three-step heat-treated invar 36 alloys are emerging as a potential candidate for utilization in the aerospace and precision electronics industries, given their satisfactory physical and mechanical characteristics.

The complex dielectric permittivity, ε (f, H) = εʹ (f, H)- i εʺ (f, H), in the microwave frequency range f, of (0.1 - 3) GHz and polarizing field values H, in the range of (0 - 135) kA/m, was measured for a kerosene-based ferrofluid with magnetite particles. A relaxation process attributed to interfacial type relaxation was highlighted, determining for the first time in the microwave field, the activation energy of the dielectric relaxation process in the presence of the magnetic field, EA(H), in relation to the activation energy in zero field, EA(H=0). Based on the complex permittivity measurements and the Claussius-Mossotti equation, the dependencies on frequency (f), and magnetic field (H), of the polarizability (α) and electrical conductivity (σ), were determined. From the dependence of α(f,H), the electric dipolar moment, p, of the particles in the ferrofluid, was determined. The conductivity spectrum, σ(f,H), was found to be in agreement with Jonscher's universal law and the electrical conduction mechanism in the ferrofluid was explained using both Mott's VRH (variable range hopping) model and CBH (correlated barrier hopping) model. Based on these models and conductivity measurements, the hopping distance, Rh, of the charge carriers and the maximum barrier height, Wm, for the investigated ferrofluid was determined for the first time in the microwave field. Knowledge of these electrical properties of the ferrofluid in the microwave field is useful for explaining the mechanisms of polarization and control of electrical conductivity with an external magnetic field, in order to use ferrofluids in various technological applications in microwave field.

New asphalt mixtures have been improved by using fibers (polypropylene, polyester, asbestos, carbon, glass, nylon, lignin, coconut, sisal, recycled rubber, PET, wood, bamboo and cellulose), reducing the temperature and compaction energy for their collocation, minimizing the impact on the environment, increasing the tenacity and resistance to cracking of hot mix asphalt (HMA), preventing asphalt drainage in a Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA). Hence, this paper aims to evaluate the influence of the chemical (lignin content, ash, viscosity, degree of polymerization and elemental analysis), morphological (SEM), spectroscopic (FTIR-ATR and XRD) and calorimetric (ATG and DSC) properties of celluloses from bagasse Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul (ABP), corrugated paperboard (CPB) and commercial cellulose fiber (CC) as Schellenberg drainage (D) inhibitors of the SMA. The ABP was obtained through a chemical process by alkaline cooking, while CPB by a mechanical refining process. The chemical, morphological, spectroscopic and calorimetric properties were similar among the analyzed celluloses, but CPB and ABP cellulose are excellent alternatives to CC cellulose for inhibiting drainage. However, CPB is the most effective at low concentrations. This is attributed to its morphology, which includes roughness, waviness, filament length, orientation and diameter, as well as its lignin content and crystallinity.

In the present work, vertically aligned ultrathin 2D In2S3 nanosheets are grown with a chemical vapor deposition technique to enhance the photoresponse by increasing surface area, and optical absorption. The 2D vertically aligned In2S3 nanosheets have shown excellent PEC water-splitting in terms of excellent photocurrent density value of 4.5 mAcm-2, incident photon to current conversion efficiency is 53 % and hydrogen production of 90% has been achieved in the visible region with higher stability. Ultrathin vertically aligned In2S3 nanosheets also show high responsivity, high charge carrier density, lesser recombination rate, and a capacious space charge layer for excellent water-splitting performance. This straightforward method of creating ultrathin 2D nanosheets of In2S3 also has significant potential for other fields where effective absorption and charge separations are required, like photodetection, optical electronics, and gas sensing.

Molecular cages have promising host-guest properties for drug delivery applications. Specifically, guest⊂cage complexes can be used for on-command release of encapsulated guest molecules in response to specific stimuli. This research explores both dynamic and constrictive binding guest⊂cage systems for drug encapsulation and release in biological environments. In dynamic systems, the guest rapidly passes in and out through the portals of the cage, enabling drug delivery in vitro but facing limitations in vivo due to dilution effects that result in guest release. These challenges are addressed by constrictive binding systems, where the guest is trapped in a "gate-closed" state within the cage. In these systems, the on-command release is triggered by a "gate opening" event, which lowers the guest-out energy barrier. The full guest release is achieved when gate opening reduces the cage-guest affinity, making constrictive binding systems more effective for controlled drug delivery. As a result, this study shows that guest⊂cage complexes have suitable properties for drug delivery in biological contexts.

The effective removal of impurities from natural quartz is a very challenging subject, but there is no relevant study on the mesoscopic structure of quartz sand particles, and there is still a lack of direct evidence on the structure-activity relationship between mesoscopic structure and purification effect. In this paper, the effects of calcination temperature, calcination time, quenching frequency and grinding frequency on the formation of mesoscopic fractures in natural quartz sand were studied, and a linear regression model was established by fractal and differential methods. The results show that the cracked structure of quartz sand and its variation law have remarkable fractal characteristics, and thermal expansion and phase transformation are the main factors affecting the cracked structure and specific surface area of quartz sand. The non-phase change thermal expansion results in the formation of semi-closed wedge-shaped fractures in the open fractures of quartz sand, resulting in a significant decrease in the specific surface area of the cracked sand. On the contrary, the phase change expansion is conducive to the generation of more Me10 mesoporous fractures and the increase of the specific surface area of cracked sand. In addition, thermal stress and mechanical force are more likely to form Me50 and Me10 mesoporous cracks, where the average proportion of Me50 is higher than 75%. Based on this, the linear regression model between the fractal dimension and the pore volume distribution, SBET is further established, and the correlation coefficient R2 is mostly above 96%. In addition to offering insightful findings for the investigation of the structure-activity relationship between the purification effect and the mesoscopic structure of quartz sand, this also establishes the groundwork for the advancement of high purification technology for natural quartz sand.

The circular economy and sustainable development are crucial in addressing environmental pollution from solid waste, especially plastics. Plastic waste has sparked significant social concerns, driving a redesign of products in the flexible packaging industry. This study focuses on redesigning flexible plastic packaging to improve recyclability and accelerate degradability while maintaining essential mechanical and barrier properties for food applications. The goal is to create sustainable packaging that reduces material usage, ensures recyclability, and promotes faster degradation at the product's end of life. The study compared the redesigned packaging's mechanical, physical, and barrier properties with existing products. Results showed that switching from a trilaminate to a bilaminate structure, as in laminated coils and Doypack packaging, reduced material thickness without compromising performance. Oxygen permeability was maintained at 35.38 cc/m²·day, and moisture permeability at 0.56 mg/m²·day for laminated coils. These changes reduced raw material consumption by 26.48% for laminated coils and 12.68% for Doypack packaging. Additionally, a degradable solution combining cellulose paper with a high-barrier polymer reduces plastic adhesives and solvents by 50%, reducing water usage. This research provides a practical approach to more sustainable flexible packaging in the food industry, achieving material reductions without sacrificing performance. The findings can be directly applied to promote sustainable packaging solutions within circular economy initiatives.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most widespread neurodegenerative disorder. Recently, it was found that mucus extract from Cornu aspersum have beneficial effects on memory and cognitive processes in a rat scopolamine model of AD. The present study elucidated mechanisms of action of standardized mucus snail extract (SE) enriched with fraction above 20 kDa on Alzheimer-type dementia in rats. Using proteomic analysis on two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D–PAGE) on rat cortex extracts we compared protein expression in both groups: the first group treated intraperitoneally with scopolamine (Sco, 2 mg/kg, 11 days) and the second (Sco + SE) group treated intraperitoneally with Sco (Sco, 2 mg/kg) and protected by SE (0.5 ml/100 g bw) applied daily orally for 11 days. Brain cortex was separated and the expression of various proteins related to memory and cognitive functions were identified. We found that the expression of Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L1, Calbindin, Vacuolar ATP synthase catalytic subunit A, Tropomyosin beta chain, 14-3-3 zeta/delta, Kinesin-1 heavy chain and Stathmin-4 significantly differs in SE-protected rats as compared to non-treated dement animals, and these brain proteins might be potential therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s type dementia treatment.

In this study, hybrid materials were synthesized incorporating curcumin, Cu²⁺ or Fe³⁺, and Kappa-carrageenan as a reducing agent to improve its stability, considering that curcumin has low thermal and solution stability, which limits its applications. Colorimetric analysis showed color changes in the hybrids, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy revealed band shifts in the hybrids, and infrared analysis indicated shifts in wavenumbers, suggesting changes in the vibrational state of curcumin after bonding with metal ions. These techniques confirmed the formation of the hybrid materials. Thermogravimetric and chromatographic analyses demonstrated greater thermal and solution stability for the hybrids compared to curcumin. Additionally, the hybrid composites effectively developed natural and sebaceous latent fingerprints with good clarity and contrast on glass surfaces. Both composites performed similarly to commercial gold powder. When applied to surfaces representative of forensic scenarios, the composites were versatile, revealing sufficient fingerprint details for human identification on both porous and non-porous surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy images showed greater clarity in sebaceous and natural fingerprints developed with the Fe composite compared to the Cu composite, due to minimal interaction of Fe with the glass surface.

The Cu cocatalyst supported on the surface of TiO2 photocatalysts has demonstrated unique activity and selectivity in photocatalytic CO2 reduction. The valence state of copper significantly influences the catalytic process; however, due to the inherent instability of copper's valence states, the precise role of different valence states in CO2 reduction remains inadequately understood. In this study, CuOx/TiO2 catalysts were synthesized using an in-situ growth reduction method, and we investigated the impact of various valence copper species on CO2 photocatalytic reduction. Our results indicate that Cu+ and Cu0 serve as primary active sites, with the selectivity for CH4 and CO products during CO2 photoreduction being closely related to their respective ratios on the catalyst surface. The adsorption and activation mechanisms of CO on both Cu+ and Cu0 surfaces are identified as critical factors determining product selectivity in photocatalytic processes. Furthermore, it is confirmed that Cu+ primarily facilitates CH4 production while Cu0 is responsible for generating CO. This study provides valuable insights into developing highly selective photocatalysts.

Magnesium-doped hydroxyapatite (Mg-HAp) nanofibers show promise for medical applications due to their structural similarity to bone mineral and enhanced biological properties, such as improved biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity. This study synthesized Mg-HAp nanofibers using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method (MAHM) to evaluate their cytotoxicity, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial efficacy compared to commercial hydroxyapatite (HAp). Characterization through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the successful incorporation of magnesium, producing high-purity, crystalline nanofibers with hexagonal morphology. Rietveld refinement showed slight lattice parameter shortening, indicating Mg2+ ion integration. Cell viability assays (MTT and AlamarBlue) revealed a significant increase in fibroblast proliferation with 2% and 5% Mg-HAp concentrations compared to controls (p<0.05), demonstrating non-cytotoxicity and enhanced biocompatibility. Antimicrobial tests (disk diffusion method, 100 µg/ml) showed that Mg-HAp had strong antibacterial effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans. In contrast, commercial HAp showed no antimicrobial effects. These results suggest Mg-HAp nanofibers have significant advantages as biomaterials for medical applications, particularly in preventing implant-related infections, supporting further clinical development.

The temperature sensors play important roles in wide spreading human activities. Non-contact method has great advantages, but the detection precision encounters big challenge. In this work, a double-layer asymmetric terahertz (THz) metamaterial combined with phase transition oxide was proposed to realize non-contact temperature sensor with high sensitivity. The metamaterial exhibits band-stop filtering effects in the simulated transmission spectra. Temperature changes induce a reversible phase transition in VO2, resulting in altered conductivity. Numerical results indicate that the S21 parameter increases from -44.33 dB to -4.78 dB at a frequency of 1.22 THz as the conductivity of the VO₂ film increases from 10 to 5000 S/m, achieving a modulation depth of 89%. This work provide a great insights for the development of metamaterials based high-precision temperature measurement.

Prepregs, which are resin-impregnated and expensive composites, are mainly limited to high-end applications within the aeronautical, defence, automotive, and energy sectors. Prepreg technology is mainly protected by under trade secrets resulting in limited studies on recent advancements. A Scopus search revealed 861 articles and 16 reviews for the keywords ‘epoxy’ and ‘prepreg’. However, this was narrowed down to 123 articles and 4 reviews using keywords ‘formula development’ and ‘B-stage’. In this review, the control strategies of B-staging, resin tack, and viscosity and their measuring techniques are discussed. Based on resin impregnation techniques and B-stage control, two approaches are proposed to develop prepreg resin formulations: conventional resin impregnation and viscosity-controlled resin impregnation. The approaches would be extremely useful especially for advancing beyond the existing prepreg applications and developing smart materials and functional composites through advanced resin modification strategies.

In order to discover how formed the multiple oxides observed in the final external scales after long exposure of a low–Mn high–Cr Cantor’s alloy to hot air, oxidation tests in furnace were performed for seven different durations. Metallographic characterization was carried out concerning the oxidation products obtained after each test duration. The different oxides did not appear one after the other, but simultaneously, at the early beginning of the exposure to hot air and after. They thickened all progressively and the chemical composition of each also evolved with time, more or less. Globally the innermost oxide is almost chromia much richer in Cr than in Mn while the outermost one contains Mn principally. The interrupted tests also allowed specifying the mass gain kinetic, which is parabolic, twice faster than a chromia–forming alloy. Despite the lowered content in Mn, manganese still plays an important role in the oxidation phenomenon, starting very early.

Design and multi-objective optimization of auxetic sandwich panels (ASPs) are performed to enhance the blastworthiness of armored fighting vehicles (AFVs). Various metastructures in the form of four auxetic geometries are proposed as the sandwich core: re-entrant honeycomb (REH), double-arrow honeycomb (DAH), star honeycomb (SH), and tetra-chiral honeycomb (CH). This paper employs a combination of finite element (FE) and machine learning (ML) methodologies to evaluate blastworthiness performance. Optimization is carried out using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) method. The optimization results show significant improvements in blastworthiness performance, with notable reductions in permanent displacement and enhancements in specific energy absorption (SEA). Global sensitivity analysis (GSA) using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) reveals that cell thickness is the most critical factor affecting blastworthiness performance, followed by the number of cells and corner angle or radius for CH. The application of optimized ASP on AFVs shows promising results, with no failure occurring in the occupant floor. Furthermore, AFVs equipped with the optimized ASP DAH significantly reduce maximum displacement and acceleration by 39.00% and 43.56%, respectively, and enhance SEA by 48.30% compared to optimized aluminum foam sandwich panels (AFSPs). This study concludes that ASPs have potential applications in broader engineering fields.

This review discusses the key factors influencing the exceptional thermal resistance and surface properties of silicone-containing composites. Silicone polymers, known for their excellent chemical and physical proper-ties, are widely used in a number of innovative products. In order to make silicone composites suitable for innovative applications, it is essential to ensure that they have both very good thermal resistance and su-perhydrophobic properties. Identification of the key factors influencing these properties enables the use of these composites in coatings, electronics and photovoltaic panels. The discussion includes the role of or-ganosilicon polymer structures and the incorporation of micro- and nano-additives to enhance the perfor-mance of these materials. Different methods for the modification and production of silicone composites are analyzed, with an emphasis on achieving thermal stability and surface superhydrophobicity simultaneously. The review highlights the growing demand for silicone-based coatings, driven by technological advances and environmental concerns. Furthermore, the role of surface modification and hierarchical surface structures in achieving these unique properties is discussed, as well as the potential applications and challenges in the development of next-generation silicone-containing materials.

The main weakness of non-silicone hydrogel contact lenses is their low oxygen permeability (Dk). Hence, we have tried to optimize their Dk using various concentrations and lengths of the ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) crosslinker in a mixture of N, N- Dimethylacrylamide and Cyclohexyl methacrylate monomers. After synthesizing the different contact lenses, we evaluated the impact of the different EGDMA conditions on their chemical, optical, and mechanical properties. The water content, the contact angle, the refractive index, the transmittance, and the young moduli of the synthesized lenses were slightly affected by crosslinker conditions. On the contrary, the elongation at break and, more importantly, the oxygen permeability, which reached values of up to 74.93 Fatt units, were considerably impacted by crosslinker conditions. This study demonstrates, for the first time to our knowledge, that, in addition to water, other usual hydrogel components, like crosslinkers, can modulate the Dk of non-silicone contact lenses. It also provides a simple and scalable method to fabricate more permeable non-silicone lenses.

In this work, a new hybrid compound3,4-diaminopyridinium perchlorate with the formula (C5H8N3)ClO4abbreviated 3,4-DAPP was synthesized in aqueous solution at room temperature by the slow evaporation method. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system,with a non-centrosymmetric space group P21with the following parameters: a=5.1261 (9), b=9.3003 (17),c=8.6659 (16) Å and β=102.595 (7) °. However, the supramolecular crystal structure was built from perchlorate anions (ClO4)- and organic diaminopyridinum cations (C5H8N3)+connected with hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional network. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectra indicate that the vibrational modes correspond to both inorganic and organic entities. According to Hirschfeld’s analysis, the crystal packing is mainly stabilizedby the presence of hydrogen bonds O⋯H (50%), as well as the crystal void analysis indicates the mechanical stability of the structure. Furthermore, the thermal behavior studied by thermogravimetric (TGA-DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) appears to have good stability up to 280°C. Finally, the optical properties were investigated by UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy along with density-functional theory DFT calculations, whichexhibit emission property, and a band gap energy of 3.9 eV.Additionally, biological activity tests revealed that 3,4-DAPP exhibited moderate antibacterial activity, particularly against Bacillus cereus, though it was less effective than 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) against several other bacteria, indicating that the perchlorate group in 3,4-DAPP may reduce its antimicrobial efficacy.

In the aerospace industry, the performance of materials on extreme conditions is crucial. This study addresses the development of nanoparticle-reinforced composite materials to improve thermal properties and flame retardancy in aerospace applications. As first approach, Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized and incorporated into carbon fibers through the dip coating process. Subsequently, composite laminates were manufactured using the vacuum bag infusion method. The materials were subjected to flammability tests, following FAA regulations, to evaluate their performance against flame spread. The laminates reinforced with ZnO presented promise performances, suggesting a need for optimization in the incorporation of nanoparticles for safer and more efficient applications in the aerospace industry.

Tear fluid is emerging as a valuable resource for biomarker discovery, but its low sample volume and dynamic composition pose significant challenges for analytical testing. Most tear proteomics studies have focused on samples collected with Schirmer strips, while capillary tube collection has received less attention. To address these challenges, we developed a novel in-capillary trypsin digestion workflow that requires as little as 0.5 μL of tear fluid for bottom-up shotgun proteomics. This method uses liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify a higher number of proteins with enhanced efficiency compared to previously reported methods, which typically required 5-10 μL of pooled tear fluid. Using the same microcentrifuge tube for both tear collection and sample processing, this streamlined workflow simplifies sample handling and minimizes both sample loss and experimental errors associated with sample transfer. This method also efficiently reduced sample processing time to under 2 hours prior to overnight trypsin digestion, compared to the 5-8 hours required by other methods. With this workflow, we identified 500-800 proteins per 0.5 μL sample without the need for fractionation, allowing for at least three technical replicates. This optimized workflow greatly enhances the efficiency of tear proteomics for biomarker discovery.

This research arises from the need to rethink children’s play spaces found in the city through new manufacturing methods of Solid Surface materials such as Krion K-Life 1100 from the Porcelanosa Group, which allow the creation of complex ergonomic shapes. The method consisted of an iterative digital fabrication process, in which a series of molds were developed and adjusted to thermoform the Krion, adapting the design in each iteration according to the results obtained. Parametric digital modeling techniques and in-detph curvature analysis were used to optimize the geometry to meet the technical limitations of the material and the thermoforming process. The results showed that, through precise adjustments in the curvature and thickness of the surface, it is possible to thermoform Krion without defects such as folds or wrinkles, obtaining a complex modular and ergonomic surface suitable for children’s play. In conclusions, Krion is a viable material for the generation of complex double-curved geometries, thus opening up a range of possibilities from the creation of new children’s spaces to parametric facades optimized according to their location.

Owing to recent advancements in nanotechnology, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs), particularly magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), are currently widely employed in the field of medicine. These MNPs, characterized by their large specific surface area, potential for diverse functionalization, and magnetic properties, have found application in various medical domains, including tumor imaging (MRI), radiolabelling, internal radiotherapy, hyperthermia, gene therapy, drug delivery, and theranostics. However, ensuring the non-toxicity of MNPs when employed in medical practices is paramount. Thus, ongoing research endeavors are essential to comprehensively understand and address potential toxicological implications associated with their usage. This review aims to present the latest research and findings on assessing the potential toxicity of magnetic nanoparticles. It meticulously delineates the primary mechanisms of MNPs toxicity at the cellular level, encompassing oxidative stress, genotoxic effects, disruption of the cytoskeleton, cell membrane perturbation, alterations in the cell cycle, dysregulation of gene expression, inflammatory response, disturbance in ion homeostasis, and interference with cell migration and mobility. Furthermore, the review expounds upon the potential impact of MNPs on various organs and systems, including the brain and nervous system, heart and circulatory system, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, skin, urinary, and reproductive systems.

The main goal of this research is to create biocompatible hydrogels using gelatin and a double cross-linking technique involving both covalent and ionic bonds to immobilize propolis. Covalent bonds are formed through Schiff base cross-links between protein-free amino groups (NH2) from the lysine residue and aldehyde groups (CHO) produced by oxidizing sodium alginate with NaIO4, while the ionic bonds are achieved using Mg2+ ions. Hydrogel films were obtained by varying the molar ratios -CHO/NH2 under different pH conditions (3.5 and 5.5). The presence of aldehyde groups in the oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) was confirmed using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. The oxidation degree was monitored over 48 hours, and the influence of temperature was examined. Results showed that higher -CHO/-NH2 molar ratios led to increased conversion index values of NH2 groups, and a decrease in swelling degree values was observed in mediums with pH of 5.5 and 7.4. The encapsulation and release efficiency of propolis decreased with the increase of the hydrogel cross-linking degree. UV irradiation enhanced the antioxidant activity of both free and encapsulated propolis. These findings offer valuable insights into designing biocompatible hydrogels for propolis immobilization, with potential for controlled release in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields.

The valorization and dissolution of lignin using ionic liquids (ILs) is critical for developing sustainable biorefineries and a circular bioeconomy. This review aims to critically assess the current state of computational and machine learning methods for understanding and optimizing IL-based lignin dissolution and valorization processes reported since 2022. The paper examines various computational approaches, from quantum chemistry to machine learning, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and recent advances in predicting and optimizing lignin-IL interactions. Key themes include the challenges in accurately modeling lignin’s complex structure, the development of efficient screening methodologies for ionic liquids to enhance lignin dissolution and valorization processes, and the integration of machine learning with quantum calculations. These computational advances will drive progress in IL-based lignin valorization by providing deeper molecular-level insights and facilitating the rapid screening of novel IL-lignin systems.

Corner joints and edge banding play crucial roles in the strength, durability, and aesthetics of furniture made from particleboards. This review highlights the importance of edge banding on corner joints in enhancing the overall quality of panel furniture. The choice of joint type, materials, and construction techniques can significantly influence the overall appearance and design of the furniture. The quality and design of corner joints directly affect the durability and longevity of furniture. Strong and well-designed corner joints ensure that furniture can withstand various forces and loads without failure or deformation. In addition, corner joints contribute to the aesthetics of furniture by providing seamless and visually appealing connections between different elements. Edge banding plays a crucial role in influencing the strength of corner joints in the furniture. Different edge-banding materials have varying levels of resistance to impact, scratches, and abrasion, which protect furniture surfaces. Overall, edge banding not only enhances the visual appeal of furniture, but also ensures its durability and longevity, both in the service of its purpose and during disassembly and/or transport due to the remodeling of the living space or its relocation. The findings aim to unify the knowledge and set parameters for further research on the quality of corner joints and edge bands in particleboard furniture.

This article is a continuation of our previous research on the catalytic capability of chiral copper complex based on commercially available (S)-2-aminomethylpyrrolidine and 3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylaldehyde with various counter-anions in the asymmetric Henry reaction. Our findings indicate that depending on the type of base used, chiral nitroalcohols with yields up to 97% and ee values up to 78%, as well as β-nitrostyrenes with yields up to 82% can be produced. Additionally, it has been found that the outcome of the reaction and the catalytic properties of copper(II) complexes (S)-Cu1 and (S)-Cu2 are influenced by the structure of the aldehyde used.

In the study at hand a systemic investigation regarding the tribochemical effects of crankcase soot is presented. Sooted oils were generated via an engine dynamometer test. Both conventional as well as advanced oil condition monitoring methods indicated a mild degradation of additives. The wear volume was greatly increased with the sooted oils in model tribometer tests, despite the high residual zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) antiwear (AW) levels. Once the soot was removed via ultracentrifugation, the wear volume returned to levels comparable to the fresh oil. Surface investigations revealed that ZDDP tribofilms could not form in the sooted oils, as only a thin sulfide layer was present on the metal surfaces. Meanwhile, typical tribofilms were observable with centrifuged oils. The results indicated that a tribocorrosive mechanism is most likely responsible for the elevated wear in the sooted oils, where only the iron sulfide base layer of ZDDP films is formed, which then is rapidly removed by the soot particles in an abrasive manner.

A pyridine-fused triazapentalene shows weak fluorescence in solution, and is readily accessible via nitrene-mediated cyclization. In this research, a modified Cadogan reaction was used to synthesize HetATAP1. Palladium-catalyzed reactions have been demonstrated as post-functionalization methods. Interestingly, Suzuki cross-coupling with various boronic acids resulted in poor to moderate yields of the products HetATAP2-5 arylated on the azole moiety. Direct CH arylation of HetATAP1 gave the products with the same regiochemistry in satisfactory yields. The structures of HetATAP2-5 were confirmed using NMR analysis. In addition, the fluorescence properties of HetATAP2-5 were studied in the solid-state and solution at room temperature, and the photophysical properties of HetATAP3 and 4 in the aggregated state were both measured in ACN/water and THF/water mixtures, respectively.

A method for the synthesis of C4-benzhydryl functionalized 3,4-dihydropyridin-2-ones using complementary addition of benzhydryllithium and/or benzhydrylmagnesiate reagents to 2-pyridones, with high regioselectivity triggered by substituents, is described. A partially stereoselective cyclization was successfully demonstrated using TfOH and/or TIPSOTf as Brønsted and Lewis acids, respectively, leading to C6-phenyl functionalized 7,8-benzomorphanones. It is also shown that the use of functionalized -enelactams obtained with an active methoxy-substituted benzyl group at C3, enabled the preparation of a new C3-C6 bridged system within -lactam framework.

In recent years, the contamination of aquatic environments by organic chemicals has become an increasing concern. To effectively remove toxic pollutants and biologically resistant compounds, a combination of advanced technologies must complement conventional methods. Indeed, among environmental pollutants, dyes such as methylene blue (MB), congo red and crystal violet persist in the environment because they are difficult to biodegrade. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are widely employed to treat various types of wastewaters, often in conjunction with bi-ological treatments. Among these technologies, heterogeneous photocatalysis stands out as one of the most extensively studied, with Titanium dioxide being the most researched photocatalyst due to its high photoactivity. In this study, Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPs) were synthe-sized using both a green method, leveraging the natural properties of Aloe vera leaf extract, and a conventional approach. The resulting NPs were thoroughly characterized using XRD, TEM, and ζ-potential analysis. Their photocatalytic performance was assessed by measuring the degrada-tion of MB under UV light. The TiO2 NPs synthesized via the green method demonstrated a degradation efficiency of (50 ± 3) % after 180 minutes, significantly higher than the (16 ± 3)% achieved by NPs synthesized through the conventional route. Moreover, the reaction rate con-stant for the green-synthesized TiO2 NPs was found to be approximately five times greater than that of the conventionally synthesized NPs. These results open new scenario in the pollution removing strategy research.

Polyurethanes (PUs) with self-healing at 20 °C, acceptable mechanical properties and high adhesion were synthesized by using blends of polycarbonate polyols of molecular weights 1000 and 2000 Da (CD1000 + CD2000). The structural, thermal, rheological, mechanical and adhesion (single lap-shear tests) properties of the PUs were assessed. The length of the polycarbonate soft segments and the interactions between them determined the self-healing ability, the mechanical properties and the adhesion of the PUs. PUs with higher CD1000 polyol content exhibited shorter self-healing times and dominant viscous properties due to a higher amount of free carbonate groups, significant carbonate-carbonate interactions and low micro-phase separation. As the CD2000 polyol content increased in the PUs, slower kinetics and longer self-healing times were obtained, and higher mechanical and adhesion properties as well, due to a dominant rheological elastic behavior, higher crystallinity of the soft segments and greater micro-phase separation. All PUs synthesized with CD1000 +CD2000 blends exhibited a mixed phase due to interactions between the polycarbonate soft segments of different lengths which favored self-healing and mobility of the polymer chains leading to an increase of the mechanical properties. The adhesion properties of the PUs were similar to the highest ones reported in the literature.

Water treatment is one of the most research-challenging areas, and continuously requires the development of efficient sustainable materials for catalytic total mineralization of organic compounds. Herein, Moringa oleifera biomass was converted to "black gold" biochar loaded with ZnO nanoparticles (MOFB@ZnO) by slow pyrolysis, at 500 °C under an inert atmosphere, (MOFB@ZnO). This composite catalyst was used for the total degradation of Congo Red, a model organic pollutant. SEM confirmed the uniform distribution of ZnO nanoparticles, while XPS and XRD indicated the presence of ZnO, primarily in the wurtzite crystalline structure. Optimization was conducted using the central composite design (CCD) method and STATISTICA 12.0 software. The composite catalyst was applied in the electrochemical degradation of Congo Red dye, using a platinum anode and a carbon felt cathode to generate H2O2 from O2 reduction. The ZnO-decorated Moringa oleifera biochar catalyst permitted to achieve of 98% removal of total organic carbon in less than 6h. It is 10-fold more efficient than pristine biochar and can be recycled up to 4 times without any significant loss. The process is highly efficient producing sustainable low-cost catalysts for water purification from organics, and contributes to sustainable chemical processes therefore addressing SDGs 6, 9, and 13.

Of particular interest is the serendipity of distinctive nonmetallic layered frameworks with the stoichiometry of 1:2 in the binary metallic compounds within inorganic chemistry and materials science. This not only gives rise to the unexpected properties, especially the distinguished superconductivity, as reflected in MgB2, MoB2, NaC2, LaP2 and CeP2, but also strengthens the cognition of the elemental contributions. Although various investigations on the superconducting performances in the alkali, alkaline-earth and rare-earth metal disilicides containing the silicon layers have been reported, the pursuit of superconductors with silicon-planar framework in transition metal disilicides remain unknown up to now. In the present work, crystal structure searches and first-principles calculations were thoroughly conducted in RuSi2 within the pressure range of 0-300 GPa to uncover the novel structures, incredible silicon building block and the amazing properties. The ground orthorhombic Cmca-RuSi2 phase at ambient pressure is a semiconductor with the band gap of 0.485 eV, whose hardness can reach 31.7 GPa. Even more intriguingly, the high-pressure orthorhombic Cmcm-RuSi2 configuration with the fabulous graphene-like silicon-layer, which can be theoretically stabilized with the transformation pressure of 50.97 GPa, can be unexpectedly recovered to ambient pressure. Electron-phonon coupling calculations unravels that it possesses the metallic trait with an estimated Tc value of 1.43 K at 75 GPa, which increases to 10.07 K under ambient pressure. The enhanced Tc stems from the increased density of states at the Fermi level and associated with the coupled vibrations between Ru and the planar Si layer. Meanwhile, the hardness value for Cmcm-RuSi2 is 26.8 GPa under ambient pressure, which further results from the three-dimensional covalent Ru-Si and Si-Si building blocks. The coexistence of superconductivity and high hardness in the Cmcm-RuSi2 configuration under ambient pressure will pave the way for delving into more binary transition-metal silicides and correlated ternary silicides with the profound silicon layers.

(1) Background: Food and Feed Safety Legislation does not concern all the mycotoxins generated by Penicillium and Aspergillus spp. Certain mycotoxins, including cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), penicillic acid (PA), roquefortine C (ROQ C), mycophenolic acid (MPA), and gliotoxin regarded as having lower toxicity levels, hence not included in food and feed legislation; (2) Methods: Presence of these substances in maize and wheat grown in Albania across two consecutive harvesting seasons was investigated by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS); (3) Results: The findings indicated the presence of these mycotoxins in maize grain but not in wheat grain. In the 2014 season, they exhibited a higher contamination incidence than the 2015 season. The most commonly detected Mycotoxin was MPA, followed by CPA and ROC toxin, while Penicillium acid and gliotoxin were detected. The MPA revealed a concentration range of 72.92–3447.25 μg/kg, with a mean value of 1063.89 μg/kg. Mycophenolic acid was detected in the maize samples collected during the 2015 season. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest that focusing the investigation only on 'controlled' mycotoxins will not produce a proper risk assessment and may not adequately address the possible harmful impacts of mycotoxins on human and animal health due to mycotoxins co-occurrence.

Oxidative stress, resulting from an imbalance between free radical production and antioxidant defenses, can negatively impact animal health, welfare, and productivity. In livestock, diseases are often correlated with reduced antioxidant status. To mitigate oxidative stress, natural antioxidants have gained attention as alternatives to synthetic compounds. The growing need for safe and natural animal products has led to the increased use of plant food additives (PFAs) as antioxidants in animal feed. These natural sources include plant extracts, essential oils, and bioactive compounds-rich by-products. Such antioxidants can enhance product quality, oxidative stability, and shelf life in ruminants, swine, and rabbits. Additionally, maintaining a good antioxidant status positively affects meat quality parameters, including vitamin E content and reduced lipid peroxidation. This review explores the properties of natural antioxidants, extraction methods, and their significance in promoting animal welfare, performance, and product quality.

Efflorescence is a major concern in alkali-activated materials (AAMs), affecting their potential practical applications and challenging the preservation of the material in a time-frozen state for post-characterisation purposes. Efflorescence is a time-dependent phenomenon that may stop with complete water removal. Therefore, this study mixed chemically and physically different secondary raw (slag, fly ash, glass wool, and rock wool) and nonwaste (metakaolin) materials with Na-silicate solution in ratios that facilitated efflorescence and mixtures that could prevent it. The material was cured at 40 °C for 6 days. On the 7th day, half of the intact samples were additionally treated with low-power microwaves (2.45 GHz at 100 W) until complete dehydration to rapidly and gently influence the chemical reaction. The impact of microwave-irradiation-induced dehydration on the specimens was thoroughly examined on day 7, both chemically and physically, and compared with that of a set of samples that were not subjected to dehydration. Chemical alterations were examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which revealed the removal of water. Further, X-ray diffraction revealed no changes in crystallinity upon irradiation. The irradiation-increased porosity was evaluated through Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry, whereas the mechanical resilience of the materials was evaluated through compressive strength tests and synchronised with the porosity development. Pores in the irradiated samples that required higher temperatures or longer curing times (glass wool, fly ash, and metakaolin) were spherical; otherwise, dehydration resulted in elongated cracks. This result provided side knowledge on the determination of finalisation of the curing of AAM, which cannot be determined by any surface-penetrating test. Efflorescence formation was evaluated on 1-year-old dehydrated samples, maintained at room temperature, before and after exposure to a water droplet using a low-vacuum scanning electron microscope. This explained the reason why the surface of AAMs exposed to water became slippery and the effect of the water droplet on the surface. The microwave treatment method successfully accomplished the complete dehydration of AAMs within a few minutes, effectively inhibiting reactions in the AAMs, terminating further development of the aluminosilicate network, and partially removing unbonded alkali elements from the chemically unfinished AAM system. Therefore, microwave irradiation can be used to evaluate the chemical compositions of time-evolving materials during dehydration. If the dehydrated samples are stored in a waterless environment, post-characterisation of the AAMs is possible at any later time. The procedure of stopping the reactions offers significant advantages over conventional techniques which require physical processing, such as grinding or milling, the use of solvents, and more time.

Metal–organic framework materials show feature linear- and nonlinear optical responses such as laser damage threshold, outstanding mechanical properties, thermal stability, and optical transparency as innovative functional materials for nonlinear optical technologies. The non-centrosymmetric crystal structure is precondition for generation of second-order nonlinear optical response, which guarantees technological applications. The ZnII- and AgI-squarate complexes are attractive templates for these purposes due to good crystal growth, optical transparency, high thermal stability, etc. However, debatable is the space group type of catena-((μ2-squarato)-tetra-aqua-zinc(II)) complex ([Zn(C4O4)(H2O)4]) (1) showing centro- and non-centro-symmetric monoclinic C2/c and Cc phases. The same is valid to catena-((μ3-squarato)-(μ2-aqua)-silver(I)) complex (Ag2C4O4) (2) exhibiting, so far, only C2/c phase. This study reports first new crystallographic data on (1) and (2) re-determined at different temperatures (293(2) and 300(2)K) and non-centro-symmetric Cc phase of (2), having different number molecules per unit cell comparing with C2/c phase. There are high-resolution crystallographic measurements of single crystals, experimental electronic absorption and vibrational spectroscopic data together with ultra-high resolution mass spectrometric ones. Experimental results are supported for theoretical optical and nonlinear optical properties obtained via high accuracy quantum chemical static methods and molecular dynamics, using density functional theory as well as chemometrics.

This study evaluated the antioxidant activity of the methanol extract from aromatic Cynanchum thesioides (Freyn) K. Schum. by fractionating it with different solvents, aiming to provide theoretical evidence for the development of products related to aromatic Cynanchum thesioides (Freyn) K. Schum. The yield of the methanol extract was 13.33%, with the water fraction showing the highest yield, followed by n-hexane, n-butanol, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate. Among these fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity, as indicated by total polyphenol content and ABTS radical scavenging activity. The DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and SOD-like activity measurements showed no significant difference between the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions, as both showed the highest radical scavenging activity. In the FRAP activity measurement, the n-butanol fraction ranked behind the ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions in terms of antioxidant activity. Although the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity, its yield was only 1.29%, making it unsuitable for product production considering productivity and economy. However, the n-butanol fraction showed overall high antioxidant activity and was approximately 4 times more abundant with a yield of 5.80% compared to the ethyl acetate fraction. Consequently, considering both productivity and economy, the n-butanol fraction is considered suitable for product development and production.

The production of high stiffness Ti-based Metal Matrix Composites (Ti-MMCs) displaying significant ductility by additive manufacturing technologies is not yet at the level of conventionally produced Ti-MMCs. This study outlines the production process of stiffness-driven Ti-TiC MMCs displaying a remarkable ductility. The process consists in powder Mechanical Blending, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), and a heat treatment. A TiC fraction of more than 20 vol% was formed in-situ through the reaction of titanium with carbon during the LPBF process. The as-built sub-stoichiometric TiC dendrites are converted in equiaxed TiC grains during the heat treatment. The TiC C/Ti ratio was found to be close to 0.5 in as-built conditions, and 0.7 in heat treated conditions, resulting in an effective reinforcement content nearly twice the one expected for stoichiometric TiC, leading to stronger reinforcement. The mechanical analysis revealed a Young’s modulus of up to 149 GPa and total elongations of up to 2.8%. The former represents a 27% improvement compared to commercially pure Titanium and the latter exceeds by 115% reported values for LPBF Ti-MMCs with similar Young’s modulus. It is enabled by the in-situ formation of defect-free TiC reinforcements combined with their globularisation through heat treatment.

We investigated the effect of lepidocrocite-type layered titanate, which we have been using to reduce brake-particle emissions in an environmentally friendly manner. The effect of titanate on reduction was evaluated using a small-scale inertia brake-material-friction-test dynamometer. We suggested that brake-particle emissions are related to the microphysical structure of the pad surface, such as the uniformity of friction film and secondary-plateau formation, and that friction materials containing titanate contribute significantly to the reduction in both particle mass (PM) and particle number (PN) emissions of brake particles for both non-asbestos organic (NAO) and low-steel (LS) pads. In our experiments, the PM- and PN-emission levels of brake particles from LS pads with the addition of titanate were comparable to those of NAO pads.

A model based on the fitting of stress-strain data by tensile tests of biocomposites made of a bioplastic (polybutylene succinate, PBS) and spent brewer's grain filler (BSGF) is developed. The model is suitable to describe the elastic-plastic behavior of these materials in terms of two mechanical parameters (tensile stress and tensile stiffness or Young's modulus) depending on the filler concentration. The mechanical characteristics, derived from the fitting parameters, show a good agreement with the experimental data. The mathematical model used here could be an important aid for the experimentation and the manufacturing process as it allows to predict the mechanical tensile parameters of a mixture with different filler concentrations, avoiding the long and complex preparation cycle of bio-composites, as well as the specific mechanical tests. The physical properties required by the objects created with the PBS-BSGF bio-composite by the partners/stakeholders of the research project co-financing this research, can be quite different. Therefore, a mathematical model that predicts some of the mechanical properties in terms of the mixture composition may be useful to speed up the selection of the required amount of BSGF in the mixture.

Drug–targeted integrated nanofiber development is a current research trend. Potential materials for the development of such systems include Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (CS) nanofibers, which are traditionally fabricated by electrospinning aqueous solutions of these polymers with acetic acid. To improve drug integration, the binary-solvent system was converted into a multi–solvent system by the adding of ethanol. This caused noticeable shifts in the solvent system's solubility parameter, the interaction of the various component forces, and optical and rheological properties of PVA-CS solution. The results show that solution containing 4% PVA, 3% CS, 15% ethanol and 45% acetic acid is optimal for the increasing of manufacturing productivity, improving the morphology and diameter of PVA–CS nanofibers, without changing in chemical bonding composition. The XRD spectrum revealed that the alterations in the crystal lattice and diameter of the PVA–CS nanofibers leaded to the variation in their thermal and tensile properties.

Because of safety concerns associated with the use of liquid electrolytes and electrolyte solutions options of non-liquid materials like gels and polymers used as ion conducting electrolytes have been explored intensely. The low ionic conductivity of hard and soft solid materials was too low for practical applications in supercapacitors which require low internal reistance of a device and consequently highly conducting materials. Even if an additional separator may not be needed when the solid electrolyte already ensures reliable separation of the electrodes the electrolytes prepared as films or membranes as thin as practically acceptable resistance may still be too high. Recent developments with gel electrolytes sometimes approach or even surpass liquid electrolyte solutions in terms of effective conductance. Reported studies are reviewed, material combinations are sorted out, trends are identified.

The aim of the study was to analyze the functional properties of newly obtained films based on sodium alginate and lecithin with the addition of antioxidant-rich coffee extracts, and to verify their potential as safe edible food packaging materials. In our study we developed alginate-lecithin films enriched with green or roasted coffee bean extracts. The roasting process of coffee beans had a significant impact on the total phenolic content (TPC) in the studied extracts. The highest value of TPC (134.86 mg GAE/L) as well as antioxidant activity (AA) (0.88 mM T/L) was observed for the extract of light roasted coffee beans. Films with addition of medium roasted coffee extracts and baseline films had the highest tensile strength (21.21±0.73 N). The addition of coffee extract improved the barrier properties of films against UV light by a decrease in transmittance values (200-400 nm), regardless of the type of extract added. Studies on Caco-2, HepG2 and BJ cells shown that digestated films were non-cytotoxic materials (100-0,1 ug/mL) and had no negative effect on cell viability, an increase was noted for all cell lines, the highest after 48-hours in dose 1 ug/mL for film with medium-roasted coffee (194.43±38.30) for Caco-2. The tested films at 20% digestate concentrations demonstrated the ability to reduce nitric oxide (NO) production in the RAW264.7 cell line by 25 to 60% compared to the control. Each of the tested films with coffee extracts had growth inhibitory properties towards selected species of bacteria.

Cysteine plays a crucial role in the development of an efficient copper-catalyst system, where its thiol group serves as a strong anchoring site for metal coordination. By immobilizing copper onto cysteine-modified, polydopamine-coated magnetite nanoparticles, this advanced catalytic platform exhibits exceptional stability and catalytic activity. Chemical modification of the polydopamine (PDA) surface with cysteine enhances copper salt immobilization, leading to the formation of the Fe₃O₄@PDA-Cys@Cu nanostructure. This system was evaluated in palladium-free, copper-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reactions, effectively catalyzing the coupling of terminal acetylenes with aryl halides. Additionally, the Fe₃O₄@PDA-Cys@Cu platform was employed in click reactions, confirming the enhanced catalytic efficiency due to increased copper content. The reusability of the platform was further investigated, demonstrating improved performance, especially in recyclability tests in click reaction, making it a promising candidate for sustainable heterogeneous catalysis.

The lack of access to drinking water is a problem that affects many towns in the Province of Santa Fe. Many people affected by this situation use groundwater for consumption, cooking, and irrigation. In this work, a colorimetric analytical technique is used to quantify arsenic. It is sufficiently sensitive, simple, and economical to apply to the towns of interest. This work synthesized a hybrid sorbent in the form of magnetite-chitosan spheres (M-Q). The sorption capacity of this new sorbent for As removal was 270% greater than that of chitosan spheres (Q), which was 30%. Another advantage of this hybrid sorbent is the capability of being sep-arated by its magnetic properties. The work was done with groundwater (Andino, Province of Santa Fe) with high conductivity (12.1 µS/cm), hardness (1125 mg/L CaCO3), and an As(V) concentration of 265 µg/L. The removal capacity from groundwater was optimized using a composite factorial design, and for the conditions of mass 0.49 g, pH 5.24, and contact time of 81.23 min, it was found to be 81%.

The aim of this study involved the optimisation of the processes of laser cladding using statistical tools to improve the mechanical properties of the clad WC/Co/Ni deposits and to obtain the required weld for practical applications. The effect of laser cladding parameters on wear properties of welds was determined by using orthogonal array tests and analysis of variance. It was found that Co content, Ni content, laser power and scanning height were significant factors affecting WC/Co/Ni welds. In addition, the significant factor in response surface method was used to construct the response surface model based on the data from the orthogonal array experiment that was designed by Taguchi. The experimental results showed that a look at the microstructural evolution shows that white initially precipitated carbides are present, grey areas are WC mixed with Co and Ni compounds, meanwhile, the wear structure is an internal extension of unmelted WC, with greater plastic deformation in the Co-based alloys, and to a lesser extent in the Ni-based alloys, and even smaller plastic deformation in the WC-Co-Ni alloys. By adding nickel/cobalt alloys, the composite coating extension is seen to have good anti-wear performance. Based on the regression model of the wear by laser cladding, a pairwise interaction model in RSM was developed, which was further deepened to develop a three-dimensional contour pairwise interaction model of the wear behaviour. The results show that the predicted values of the RSM for wear performance are very close to the experimental data, which proves the effectiveness of the Taguchi design-based RSM in improving the mechanical properties of laser cladding.

In recent decades, numerous studies have focused on finding environmentally friendly substitutes for commonly used petrochemical–based compounds. This paper explores the potential use of poly-L-lysine/rhamnolipids and poly-L-glutamic acid/ethyl lauroyl arginate mixtures, for foam formation and stabilization. Two complementary methods were employed to investigate the synergistic and antagonistic effects of these mixed polyelectrolyte/surfactant systems: (1) the thinning and rupture of thin foam films formed under dynamic conditions were monitored using a dynamic fluid-film interferometer (DFI), and (2) foamability tests were conducted using a standard dynamic foam analyzer (DFA). The results demonstrated that adding polyelectrolyte to an oppositely charged surfactant primarily induces a synergistic effect, enhancing foaming properties and extending foam lifetime. Furthermore, interferometric methods confirmed improved stability and slower drainage of thin foam films in systems containing synthetic polypeptides.

We report a new synthesis method for multiple walled nested thin film nanostructures by combining hydrothermal growth methods with Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) thin film technology and sacrificial films thereby increasing the surface-to-volume ratio to improve the sensing performance of novel ZnO gas sensors. Single crystal ZnO nanorods serve as the core of the nanostructure assembly and were synthesized hydrothermally on fine-grained ALD ZnO seed films. Subsequently the ZnO core nanotubes were coated with alternating sacrificial co-axial 3-D wraparound ALD Al2O3 films and ALD ZnO films. Basically, an ALD 3-D wrap-around Al2O3 sacrificial layer was coating the center nanorod to realize a nested coaxial ZnO thin film nanotube. To increase the surface-to-volume ratio of the nested multiple film nanostructure both front and backside of the nested coaxial ZnO films must be exposed by selectively removing the intermittent Al2O3 sacrificial films. The selective removal of the sacrificial films exposes the front and backside of the free-standing ZnO films for interacting with target gases during sensing operation while steadily increasing the surface-to-volume ratio. The sensing response of the novel ZnO gas sensor architecture with nested nanotubes achieved a maximum 150% enhancement at low temperature compared to a conventional ZnO nanorod sensor.

BODIPY compounds are important organic dyes with exceptional spectral and photophysical properties and numerous applications in different scientific fields. Their widespread applications have flourished due to their easy structural modifications, which enable preparation of different molecular structures with tunable spectral and photophysical properties. To date researchers mostly devoted efforts to modify BODIPY meso-position or pyrrole rings, whereas substitution of fluorine atoms remained not widely explored. However, chemistry on the boron atom is possible, and it enables tuning of photophysical properties of the dyes, without tackling their spectral properties. Furthermore, modifications on boron affect solubility and aggregation propensity of the molecules. This review article highlights methods for the preparation of B-substituted compounds and the most important reactions on the boron of the BODIPY dyes. They were divided into reactions promoted by Lewis acid (AlCl3, or BCl3), or bases such as alkoxides and organometallic reagents. By use of these two methodologies it is possible to clave B-F bonds and substitute them with B-C, B-N, or B-O bonds from different nucleophiles. A special emphasis in this review is given to still underdeveloped photochemical reactions on the boron atom of BODIPY dyes. These reactions have potential to be used in the development of a new line of BODIPY photo-cleavable protective groups (also known as photocages) with bio-medicinal and photo-pharmacological applications, such as drug delivery.

Current paper is aiming to show the obtained results in manufacturing and characterization of graphite-based and metal composite materials suitable to be used in high voltage application of automotive field. Thus, 4 types of materials have been processed and tested in order to assess their suitability to be used as current collector material for trolleybus. The novelty of this work is the new innovative technological process for obtaining the carbon/metal composite material used in the manufacture of sliding contacts for electrical current collector heads, as well as the character-istics obtained for this material. All 4 obtained materials have been characterized from structural (by optical microscopy), mechanical (density, electrical resistivity, hardness) and functional point of view (wear after 1000 working hours, electric discharge and electric load) and it was determined that the material which uses chemically copper covered graphite is the most suitable of them and has been chosen to be further developed by the end beneficiary.

A comprehensive review of advances in the synthesis and biological applications of enoxacin (ENX) based compounds is presented. ENX, a second-generation fluoroquinolone (FQ) is a prominent 1,8-naphthyridine containing compounds studied in medicinal chemistry. Quinolones, a class of synthetic antibiotics, are crucial building blocks for designing multi-biological libraries due to their inhibitory properties against DNA replication. Chemical modifications at positions 3 and 7 of the quinolone structure can transform antibacterial FQs into anticancer analogs. ENX and its derivatives have been examined for various therapeutic applications, including anticancer, antiviral, and potential treatment against COVID-19. Several synthetic methodologies have been devised for the efficient and versatile synthesis of ENX and its derivatives. This review emphasizes all-inclusive developments in the synthesis of ENX derivatives, focusing on modifications at the C3 (carboxylic acid, Part A), C7 (piperazinyl, Part B), and other positions (Part C). The reactions considered were chosen based on their reproducibility, ease of execution, accessibility, and availability of the methodology reported in the literature. The review provides valuable insights into the medicinal properties of these compounds, highlighting their potential as therapeutic agents in various fields.

Imprinted polymers with imprints of Zn2+ ions (ZnIP) and reference polymers without imprints (NIP) were synthesized based on humic and methacrylic acids. Comparative studies of the physical parameters of ZnIP and NIP were carried out using elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Kinetic parameters of Zn2+ ion sorption on ZnIP and NIP were determined. It was found that the sorption kinetics on both ZnIP and NIP are approximated by a pseudo-first-order equation. The sorption rate constant for ZnIP is higher than that of NIP, indicating a higher adsorption rate of Zn2+ ions onto the surface of ZnIP. This may be due to more accessible sites on ZnIP. Adsorption of Zn2+ ions is best described by the Langmuir model, indicating monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface. The Langmuir model also shows that ZnIP is effective at low adsorbate concentrations. The Freundlich model describes the adsorption with less accuracy, which may indicate monolayer adsorption and less surface homogeneity. ZnIP shows better adsorption capacity and higher efficiency compared to NIP and can be proposed as a selective sorption material for Zn2+ ions.