Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a promising technological approach for various applications in the biomedical field. Natural polymers, which comprise the majority of 3D printable “bioinks”, have played a crucial role in various 3D bioprinting technologies during the layered 3D manufacturing processes in the last decade. However, the polymers must be customized for printing and effector function needs in cancer, dental care, oral medicine and biosensors, cardiovascular disease, and muscle restoration. This review provides an overview of 3D bio-printed natural polymers—commonly employed in various medical fields—and their recent development.
Graphene oxide can be referred to as oxidized graphene. Similar to graphene, oxidized graphene possesses remarkable structural features, advantageous properties, and technical applications. Among polymeric matrices, conducting polymers have been categorized for p conjugated backbone and semiconducting features. In this context, doping, or nano-additive inclusion, has been found to enhance the electrical conduction features of conjugated polymers. Like other carbon nanostructures (fullerene, carbon nanotube, etc.), graphene has been used to reinforce the conjugated matrices. Graphene can be further modified into several derived forms, including graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and functionalized graphene. Among these, graphene oxide has been identified as an important graphene derivative and nanofiller for conducting matrices. This overview covers essential aspects and progressions in the sector of conjugated polymers and graphene oxide derived nanomaterials. Since the importance of graphene oxide derived nanocomposites, this overview has been developed aiming at conductive polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites. The novelty of this article relies on the originality and design of the outline, the review framework, and recent literature gathering compared with previous literature reviews. To the best of our knowledge, such an all-inclusive overview of conducting polymer/graphene oxide focusing on fundamentals and essential technical developments has not been seen in the literature before. Due to advantageous structural, morphological, conducting, and other specific properties, conductive polymer/graphene oxide nanomaterials have been applied for a range of technical applications such as supercapacitors, photovoltaics, corrosion resistance, etc. Future research on these high-performance nanocomposites may overcome the design and performance-related challenges facing industrial utilization.
Researchers from all over the world have been working tirelessly to combat the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) COVID-19 pandemic since the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed it to be a pandemic in 2019. Expanding testing capacities, creating efficient medications, and creating safe and efficient COVID-19 (SARS CoV-2) vaccinations that provide the human body with long-lasting protection are a few tactics that need to be investigated. In clinical studies, drug delivery techniques, including nanoparticles, have been used since the early 1990s. Since then, as technology has advanced and the need for improved medication delivery has increased, the field of nanomedicine has recently seen significant development. PNPs, or polymeric nanoparticles, are solid particles or particulate dispersions that range in size from 10 to 1000 nm, and their ability to efficiently deliver therapeutics to specific targets makes them ideal drug carriers. This review article discusses the many polymeric nanoparticle (PNP) platforms developed to counteract the recent COVID-19 pandemic-related severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The primary subjects of this article are the size, shape, cytotoxicity, and release mechanism of each nanoparticle. The two kinds of preparation methods in the synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles have been discussed: the first group uses premade polymers, while the other group depends on the direct polymerization of monomers. A few of the PNPs that have been utilized to combat previous viral outbreaks against SARS-CoV-2 are also covered.
The physical-mechanical characteristics of leather are crucial in the tanning industry since they determine whether the leather satisfies quality standards for various product manufacture. This study's goal was to assess the physical-mechanical characteristics of leather that could be washed and used for garments after the Zetestan-GF polymer was added during the tanning process. The data gathered from the physical-mechanical analysis of two treatments—one a control with white leather (T1) and the other with leather treated with Zetestan-GF polymer (T2)—were compared for the development of this work. Each treatment was performed in triplicate, undergoing three washes, yielding a total of 24 samples for analysis. Following the acquisition of the leather, a control was applied and the various treatments were compared. SAS software version 9.0 was utilized for the data's statistical analysis. The physical-mechanical properties of the control leather and the leather treated with Zetestan-GF polymer were compared using a one-way ANOVA, and any differences in the means (p < 0.05) were assessed using the Tukey test. The findings showed that while the polymer's application during the tanning process affects the parameters of softness, tensile strength, elongation percentage, and dry and wet flexometry, it has no effect on the lastometry parameter. In conclusion, the physical-mechanical characteristics of the product made by tanning cow hides can be greatly impacted by the inclusion of a polymer.
Oil spill clean-up is a long-standing challenge for researchers to prevent serious environmental pollution. A new kind of oil-absorbent based on silicon-containing polymers (e.g., poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)) with high absorption capacity and excellent reusability was prepared and used for oil-water separation. The PDMS-based oil absorbents have highly interconnected pores with swellable skeletons, combining the advantages of porous materials and gels. On the other hand, polymer/silica composites have been extensively studied as high-performance functional coatings since, as an organic/inorganic composite material, they are expected to combine polymer flexibility and ease of processing with mechanical properties. Polymer composites with increased impact resistance and tensile strength without decreasing the flexibility of the polymer matrix can be achieved by incorporating silica nanoparticles, nanosand, or sand particles into the polymeric matrices. Therefore, polymer/silica composites have attracted great interest in many industries. Some potential applications, including high-performance coatings, electronics and optical applications, membranes, sensors, materials for metal uptake, etc., were comprehensively reviewed. In the first part of the review, we will cover the recent progress of oil absorbents based on silicon-containing polymers (PDMS). In the later details of the review, we will discuss the recent developments of functional materials based on polymer/silica composites, sand, and nanosand systems.
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