Fused deposition modeling-based additive manufacturing (3D printing): techniques for polymer material systems

While the developments of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have been remarkable thus far, they are still significantly limited by the range of printable, functional material systems that meet the requirements of a broad range of industries; including the health care, manufacturing, packaging, aerospace, and automotive industries. Furthermore, with the rising demand for sustainable developments, this review broadly gives the reader a good overview of existing AM techniques; with more focus on the extrusion-based technologies (fused deposition modeling and direct ink writing) due to their scalability, cost efficiency and wider range of material processability. It then goes on to identify the innovative materials and recent research activities that may support the sustainable development of extrusion-based techniques for functional and multifunctional (4D printing) part and product fabrication.     

Engineering nanostructures of CuO-based photocatalysts for water treatment: Current progress and future challenges

Nowadays, increasing extortions regarding environmental problems and energy scarcity have stuck the development and endurance of human society. The issue of inorganic and organic pollutants that exist in water from agricultural, domestic, and industrial activities has directed the development of advanced technologies to address the challenges of water scarcity efficiently. To solve this major issue, various scientists and researchers are looking for novel and effective technologies that can efficiently remove pollutants from wastewater. Nanoscale metal oxide materials have been proposed due to their distinctive size, physical and chemical properties along with promising applications. Cupric Oxide (CuO) is one of the most commonly used benchmark photocatalysts in photodegradation owing to the fact that they are cost-effective, non-toxic, and more efficient in absorption across a significant fraction of solar spectrum. In this review, we have summarized synthetic strategies of CuO fabrication, modification methods with applications for water treatment purposes. Moreover, an elaborative discussion on feasible strategies includes; binary and ternary heterojunction formation, Z-scheme based photocatalytic system, incorporation of rare earth/transition metal ions as dopants, and carbonaceous materials serving as a support system. The mechanistic insight inferring photo-induced charge separation and transfer, the functional reactive radical species involved in a photocatalytic reaction, have been successfully featured and examined. Finally, a conclusive remark regarding current studies and unresolved challenges related to CuO are put forth for future perspectives.     

Current trends in spinel based modified polymer composite materials for electromagnetic shielding

The present article deals with current trends in spinel based modified polymer composite materials for applications in the field of electromagnetic shielding. The interaction between the various spinel based materials and polymers is an emerging field of studies among various researchers. The thermal stability, electrical conductivity, the bonding between the metal ferrites and the polymer plays an important role in the interaction of electromagnetic radiation. These properties also effect the mechanism of the EM waves for the shielding applications. Considering these all properties, polyaniline appears to be an suitable polymer for electromagnetic shielding applications. Polyaniline composites not only reinforced the properties of spinel materials but also enhanced the dielectric properties of the composite material. When carbon based materials such as graphene, graphene oxide and CNT was added along with spinel material in polyaniline based composite, they accelerate the electrical properties and enhances the shielding applications. In this paper the various synthesis methods, fabrication methods of polyaniline, and the properties of polyaniline based composites have been discussed. In addition, the various salient features and futuristic challenges of polyaniline based composite materials for EMI shielding applications were attempted to make a well equipped material for radar absorption.     

Recent advancement and development of chitin and chitosan-based nanocomposite for drug delivery: Critical approach to clinical research

This review depicts the exposure of chitin and chitosan base multifunctional nanomaterial composites for promising applications in field of biomedical science structure, synthesis as well as potential application from a colossal angle. We elaborated critically each of the chitin and chitosan base nanomaterial with its potential application toward biomedical science. For different biomedical applications it use in form of hydrogels, microsphere, nanoparticles, aerogels, microsphere and in form of scaffold. Due to this it had been blended with different polymer such as starch, cellulose, alginate, lipid, hyaluronic acid, polyvinyl alcohol and caboxymethyl cellulose. In this review article, a comprehensive overview of combination of chitin and chitosan base nanomaterial with natural as well as synthetic polymers and their biomedical applications in biomedical field involving drug delivery system all the technical scientific issues have been addressed; highlighting the recent advancements.     

Nanoparticles: Properties,applications and toxicities

This review is provided a detailed overview of the synthesis, properties and applications of nanoparticles (NPs) exist in different forms. NPs are tiny materials having size ranges from 1 to 100 nm. They can be classified into different classes based on their properties, shapes or sizes. The different groups include fullerenes, metal NPs, ceramic NPs, and polymeric NPs. NPs possess unique physical and chemical properties due to their high surface area and nanoscale size. Their optical properties are reported to be dependent on the size, which imparts different colors due to absorption in the visible region. Their reactivity, toughness and other properties are also dependent on their unique size, shape and structure. Due to these characteristics, they are suitable candidates for various commercial and domestic applications, which include catalysis, imaging, medical applications, energy-based research, and environmental applications. Heavy metal NPs of lead, mercury and tin are reported to be so rigid and stable that their degradation is not easily achievable, which can lead to many environmental toxicities.     

A review on non-noble metal based electrocatalysis for the oxygen evolution reaction

In order to find a clean, efficient and sustainable new energy source that can replace fossil fuels, hydrogen energy is considered to be the most ideal choice. Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution plays a vital role in the development of hydrogen energy, promotes the research of new electrocatalysts, and is dedicated to find materials with high electrocatalytic efficiency. This article discusses in detail the major developments in OER electrocatalysts, including recently reported metal and non-metal based materials. Metal-based catalysts, although having the advantages of high catalytic activity, have disadvantages such as poor stability and low selectivity, which hinder the further application of such materials. Non-metallic based materials avoid such disadvantages and exhibit very substantial performance in overall water decomposition. This review provides useful knowledge of a well-designed OER electrocatalyst and a possible strategy for OER/HER dual-function catalytic performance for future development.     

Colloidal chemistry as a guide to design intended dispersions of carbon nanomaterials

In this review, some established concepts from Colloidal Science and their application to graphene and carbon nanotubes dispersions in organic or aqueous media are highlighted to rationalize alternatives for some issues in terms of colloidal properties. Recent applications for carbon-based dispersions are presented, as well as van der Waals interactions in carbon materials and strategies to overcome these interactions, such as increasing electrostatic repulsion between dispersed particles, surface functionalization, or adsorption of passivation agents such as macromolecules, which are the basis of many dispersion and exfoliation procedures. The demonstration of how knowledge and fine control of colloidal interactions have been used to overcome several limitations, such as the preparation of stable and concentrated dispersions of carbon materials and keeping appreciable electrical conductivity, is presented. It is also showed that the same knowledge can help the development of more environmentally friendly carbon-based colloids as well as the improvement of similar systems as dispersions of two-dimensional materials.     

Tuning of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) for photocatalysis: A critical review

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) is a remarkable semiconductor catalyst that has attracted widespread attention as a visible light photo-responsive, metal-free, low-cost photocatalytic material. Pristine g-C₃N₄ suffers fast recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, low surface area, and insufficient visible light absorption, resulting in low photocatalytic efficiency. This review presents the recent progress, perspectives, and persistent challenges in the development of g-C₃N₄-based photocatalytic materials. Several approaches employed to improve the visible light absorption of the materials including metal and non-metal doping, co-doping, and heterojunction engineering have been extensively discussed. These approaches, in general, were found to decrease the material’s bandgap, increase the surface area, reduce charge carrier recombination, and promote visible light absorption, thereby enhancing the overall photocatalytic performance. The material has been widely used for different applications such as photocatalytic hydrogen production, water splitting, CO₂ conversion, and water purification. The work has also identified various limitations and weaknesses associated with the material that hinders its maximum utilization under visible illumination and presented state-of-the-art solutions that have been reported recently. The summary presented in this review would add an invaluable contribution to photocatalysis research and facilitate the development of efficient visible light-responsive semiconducting materials.     

Transition metal dichalcogenide thin films for solar hydrogen production

In the last three decades, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been extensively studied for electronic, photonic, and energy applications. Different efforts are directed to find a holy grail of efficient and economically feasible materials that could be simple in production and available on a large scale. The interest in TMDs (MoS₂, WS₂, MoSe₂, WSe₂) stems from their suitable electronic structure for efficient solar light absorption and simple exfoliation technique of 2D crystallites due to the van der Waals bonding of these materials. This led to various designs and combinations of 2D single layers that could form heterojunctions and multijunctions for efficient light absorption, charge carrier generation/separation, and its transfer in optoelectronic and energy harvesting devices. Herein, TMD thin films are reviewed as photoelectrodes for solar hydrogen evolution and compared to that of other more developed materials.     

Photocatalytic remediation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs): A review

The release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) into the environment is an issue of global concern, as the chemicals are stable over a prolonged period resulting in their accumulation in many animals and plants. Although POPs are banned in several countries, many chemicals have been proposed as POP candidates to be added to the existing compounds as defined by the United Nations Stockholm Convention committee. To address the safe disposal and clean-up of such chemicals, new, and especially cost-effective, remediation technologies for POPs are urgently required. This review focuses on existing POPs and the types of remediation processes available for their removal. Particular attention is paid towards photocatalysis using nanocatalysts in this review, due to their effectiveness towards POP degradation, technological feasibility, and energy and cost-efficiency. The underlying principles and the key mechanisms of the photocatalysts based on TiO₂ based materials, metal oxides, light-assisted Fenton systems, framework materials e.g. metal-organic frameworks and polyoxometalates, including metal-free and hybrid photocatalysts for POPs cleanup are described for advance applications in solving the POPs contamination in the environment. The improvements of photocatalytic performance especially the POPs removal mechanism using the conventional and modified process, the design and optimization of photoreactors, and the integration technology are the critical challenges for the emerging pollutants and require intensive research for the forthcoming future.     

Incorporations of gold,silver and carbon nanomaterials to kombucha-derived bacterial cellulose: Development of antibacterial leather-like materials

Bacterial cellulose (BC), derived from kombucha scoby have extraordinary organoleptic properties suitable for development of leather-like materials. An improvement in physical and mechanical property is desirable for the practical applications. This work deals with the treatment of BC by incorporations of three different nanomaterials such as gold nanoparticles (AuNP), silver nanoparticles (AgNP) and graphene oxide (GO). Achieving combined benefits via synergic interactions of different nanomaterials is the major objective herein. While graphene oxide can influence some of the parameters related to mechanical properties, silver nanomaterials can offer antibacterial characteristics. Gold nano materials can bridge the BC/silver/graphene oxide as well as provide the desirable aesthetic colour. Different physical chemical and mechanical characteristics were studied in detail. For example, changes in morphology by imaging fiber network were studied using scanning electron microscopy. Fibre properties were studied by Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Elemental composition was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and Raman analysis. The improvement of hydrophobicity was studied by Contact angle meter. Thermal analysis was performed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A Picture was provided in ESI to show the modified material's leather-like appearances.     

Application of HPLC to measure vanadium in environmental,biological and clinical matrices

Vanadate and vanadium compounds exist in many environmental, biological and clinical matrices, and despite the need only limited progress has been made on the analysis of vanadium compounds. The vanadium coordination chemistry of different oxidation states is known, and the result of the characterization and speciation analysis depends on the subsequent chemistry and the methods of analysis. Many studies have used a range of methods for the characterization and determination of metal ions in a variety of materials. One successful technique is high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) that has been used mainly for measuring total vanadium level and metal speciation. Some cases have been reported where complexes of different oxidation states of vanadium have been separated by HPLC. Specifically reversed phase (RP) HPLC has frequently been used for the measurement of vanadium. Other HPLC methods such as normal phase, anion-exchange, cation-exchange, size exclusion and other RP-HPLC modes such as, ion-pair and micellar have been used to separate selected vanadium compounds. We will present a review that summarizes and critically analyzes the reported methods for analysis of vanadium salts and vanadium compounds in different sample matrices. We will compare various HPLC methods and modes including sample preparation, chelating reagents, mobile phase and detection methods. The comparison will allow us to identify the best analytical HPLC method and mode for measuring vanadium levels and what information such methods provide with regard to speciation and quantitation of the vanadium compounds.     

Light-assisted and remote delivery of carbon monoxide to malignant cells and tissues: Photochemotherapy in the spotlight

The recent discovery of the salutary effects of carbon monoxide (CO) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ischemic perfusion damage, graft implantation, as well as its pro-apoptotic effects on hyper-proliferating cells has raised interest in delivering small doses of CO to biological targets under controlled conditions. In such attempts, photoactive metal carbonyl complexes (photoCORMs) have shown promise and several accounts of cancer cell eradication with light-triggered CO release from photoCORMs have been reported. CO releasing molecules (CORMs) and photoCORMs have been incorporated within biocompatible drug delivery vehicles such as carboxymethyl chitosan or mesoporous silica-based nanoparticles and the composite materials (photoCORs) have been successfully employed in controlled CO delivery to cancer cells to cause rapid CO-induced apoptosis. Fiber optic technology has also been utilized for remote delivery of CO to not easily accessible targets. Reports on all these therapeutic modalities for on-demand CO delivery to malignant targets in a highly localized fashion have opened up the possibility of phototherapy of cancer with the use of an unusual so-called “toxic” molecule. This review highlights the methodologies used in CO photochemotherapy reported so far along with analysis of their therapeutic outcomes, and possible improvements for better applicability.     

Conjugate polymer-based membranes for gas separation applications: current status and future prospects

Conjugate polymers provide the possibility of exploiting both the chemical and physical attributes of the polymers for membrane-based gas separation. The presence of delocalized π electrons provides high chain stiffness with low packing density, thus making the membrane a rigid structure that favors facilitated transport. Historically, the polymeric membranes were constrained by the tradeoff relationship between gas permeability and gas selectivity. So, different methods were investigated to prepare the membranes that can overcome the limitation. In recent years, electroconductive polymeric membranes have gained attention with their enhanced transportation properties combining the separation behavior depending on both molecular size discrimination as well as the facilitated transport. They offer better selectivity toward polar gases such as CO₂ because of the increased solubility. This review is aimed to provide a literature survey on gas separation using conjugate polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, and some derivatives of polythiophenes. It contains various methods used by different researchers to enhance the gas separation properties of the membranes with improved mechanical and thermal stability such as changing the morphology and membrane preparation methods. In addition, it provides the pros and cons of various factors affecting the conjugate polymer membrane performance. The major challenges and future work that can be done in improving the transportation properties through the membrane to achieve viable membranes are also discussed so that they can be used for commercial and practical applications in the future.     

Paramagnetic surface active ionic liquids: synthesis,properties, and applications

Paramagnetic surface active ionic liquids (PMSAILs) classify task-specific ionic liquids with magnetic properties by incorporating metal into the cationic or anionic part of the ionic liquid. Paramagnetic ionic liquids had long-chain either in cations or anions and showed excellent surface activity and magnetic properties without any need for the magnetic nanoparticles. These PMSAILs have inherent unique ionic liquid properties and self-assembled into various nano-aggregates such as micelles, vesicles, rod-like micelles, and etc., by modification in the structure of cations or anions. PMSAILs provide stimuli-responsive properties, which is one of the essential aspects of targeted applications. The appropriate functional tunability of anions and cations in PMSAILs leads to various multifaceted chemical and biological applications. A new emerging trend in PMSAIL research is hybridization with flexible materials. This review will mainly deal with the synthesis, characterization, and brief history of PMSAILs and their potential advantages in the various applications in micellar catalysis, purification and separation of biomolecules, compaction and decompaction of DNA, drug delivery, and other biomedical applications.     

Microwave-assisted extraction of high-molecular-weight hemicelluloses from spruce wood

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) at atmospheric pressure has been demonstrated as an efficient technology for the extraction of polymeric hemicelluloses from spruce sawdust. This technology was shown to be more efficient than conventional extraction. MAE leads to a high solubilization of wood and a selective extraction of hemicellulose polymers with high molecular weights. To optimize MAE, different treatment powers (125–573 W) of presoaked spruce sawdust in water and 1 M sodium hydroxide solution for a period of 60 min were tested. The yield of hemicellulose extraction increased with the microwave power in both mediums, but with a clear advantage for presoaked samples in basic medium. The characterization of extracted hemicelluloses has shown high extraction selectivity depending on the medium of impregnation of sawdust before MAE: High-molecular-mass acetylated galactoglucomannans (M_w ∼ 41 kDa) were isolated after presoaking in water and higher molecular mass arabinoglucoronoxylans (M_w ∼ 66 kDa) in basic medium.     

Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Polymers and Nanocomposites - A Review

Intrinsically conducting polymers (ICP) and conductive fillers incorporated conductive polymer-based composites (CPC) greatly facilitate the research in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding because they not only provide excellent EMI shielding but also have advantages of electromagnetic wave absorption rather than reflection. In this review, the latest developments in ICP and CPC based EMI shielding materials are highlighted. In particular, existing methods for adjusting the morphological structure, electric and magnetic properties of EMI shielding materials are discussed along with the future opportunities and challenges in developing ICP and CPC for EMI shielding applications.     

Surfactants – Compounds for inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and other enveloped viruses

We provide here a general view on the interactions of surfactants with viruses, with a particular emphasis on how such interactions can be controlled and employed for inhibiting the infectivity of enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses. The aim is to provide to interested scientists from different fields, including chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and medicine, an overview of the basic properties of surfactants and (corona)viruses, which are relevant to understanding the interactions between the two. Various types of interactions between surfactant and virus are important, and they act on different components of a virus such as the lipid envelope, membrane (envelope) proteins and nucleocapsid proteins. Accordingly, this cannot be a detailed account of all relevant aspects but instead a summary that bridges between the different disciplines. We describe concepts and cover a selection of the relevant literature as an incentive for diving deeper into the relevant material. Our focus is on more recent developments around the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, applications of surfactants against the virus, and on the potential future use of surfactants for pandemic relief. We also cover the most important aspects of the historical development of using surfactants in combatting virus infections. We conclude that surfactants are already playing very important roles in various directions of defence against viruses, either directly, as in disinfection, or as carrier components of drug delivery systems for prophylaxis or treatment. By designing tailor-made surfactants, and consequently, advanced formulations, one can expect more and more effective use of surfactants, either directly as antiviral compounds or as part of more complex formulations.     

Insights into recent advances of chitosan-based adsorbents for sustainable removal of heavy metals and anions

With globally increased human population and industrialization, the natural sources of water are reduced and then contaminated. Therefore, development of advanced technologies for the efficient water treatment is becoming of the scope of each of the nation. One of the cost-effective and well-known technologies for wastewater treatment is adsorption of contaminants by natural biopolymer like chitosan (CS) due to its unique features such as availability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, eco-friendly and low-cost production. However, Cs suffers considerable limitations such as low adsorption capacity, low surface area and limited reusability. Thence, this review intended to provide an overview for recent advances of chitosan-based adsorbents that established better adsorption activities towards various hazard heavy metals, including: As(III), As(V), Cu(II), Cr(VI), Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions. In addition, the capabilities of chitosan-based adsorbents for the adsorptive removal of anions including phosphates and nitrates were discussed. Besides, the suggested adsorption mechanisms of these contaminants onto chitosan-based adsorbents and the research conclusions for the optimum conditions of the adsorption processes were explained in light of the currently reported studies. Furthermore, to emphasize the foremost research gaps and future potential trends that could inspire further researchers to find out the best solutions for water treatment problems.     

Effect of potassium permanganate on morphological,structural and electro-optical properties of graphene oxide thin films

This work investigated the effect of Potassium Permanganate (KMnO₄) on graphene oxide (GO) properties, especially on electrical properties. The GO thin films were deposited on a glass substrate using drop casting technique and were analysed by using various type of spectroscopy (e.g. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Ultra- Violet Visible (UV–VIS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), optical band gap, Raman Spectroscopy). Furthermore, the electrical experiments were carried out by using current–voltage (I-V) characteristic. The GO thin film with 4.5 g of KMnO₄ resulted in higher conductivity which is 3.11 × 10^?4 S/cm while GO with 2.5 g and 3.5 g of KMnO₄ achieve 2.47 × 10^?9 S/cm and 1.07 × 10^?7 S/cm, respectively. This further affects the morphological (SEM), optical (band gap, UV–Vis, FTIR, and Raman), and crystalline structural (XRD) properties of the GO thin films. The morphological, elemental, optical, and structural data confirmed that the properties of GO is affected by different amount of KMnO₄ oxidizing agent, which revealed that GO can potentially be implemented for electrical and electronic devices.