A state-of-the-art review on plant-derived cellulose-based green hydrogels and their multifunctional role in advanced biomedical applications.

The most prevalent carbohydrate on Earth is cellulose, a polysaccharide composed of glucose units that may be found in diverse sources, such as cell walls of wood and plants and some bacterial and algal species. The inherent availability of this versatile material provides a natural pathway for exploring and identifying novel uses. This study comprehensively analyzes cellulose and its derivatives, exploring their structural and biochemical features and assessing their wide-ranging applications in tissue fabrication, surgical dressings, and pharmaceutical delivery systems. The use of diverse cellulose particles as fundamental components gives rise to materials with distinct microstructures and characteristics, fulfilling the requirements of various biological applications. Although cellulose boasts substantial potential across various sectors, its exploration has predominantly unfolded within industrial realms, leaving the biomedical domain somewhat overlooked in its initial stages. This investigation, therefore, endeavors to shed light on the contemporary strides made in synthesizing cellulose and its derivatives. These innovative techniques give rise to distinctive attributes, presenting a treasure trove of advantages for their compelling integration into the intricate tapestry of biomedical applications.

Current approaches, and challenges on identification, remediation and potential risks of emerging plastic contaminants: A review.

Plastics are widely employed in modern civilization because of their durability, mold ability, and light weight. In the recent decade, micro/nanoplastics research has steadily increased, highlighting its relevance. However, contaminating micro/nanoplastics in marine environments, terrestrial ecosystems, and biological organisms is considered a severe threat to the environmental system. Geographical distribution, migration patterns, etymologies of formation, and ecological ramifications of absorption are just a few topics covered in the scientific literature on environmental issues. Degradable solutions from material science and chemistry are needed to address the micro/nanoplastics problem, primarily to reduce the production of these pollutants and their potential effects. Removing micro/nanoplastics from their discharge points has been a central and effective way to mitigate the adverse pollution effects. In this review, we begin by discussing the hazardous effect on living beings and the identification-characterization of micro/nanoplastics. Then, we provide a summary of the existing degradation strategies, which include bio-degradation and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), and a detailed discussion of their degradation mechanisms is also represented. Finally, a persuasive summary of the evaluated work and projections for the future of this topic is provided.

Synergy of waste plastics and natural fibers as sustainable composites for structural applications concerning circular economy.

The increasing demand for shelters, depleting natural resources, concern for plastic waste, and rising awareness for the environment have attracted the contemporary world towards the recycling of waste plastics for the development of an alternative and sustainable building construction material. The plastics suffer due to their poor strength which can be successfully overcome by the reinforcement of natural fibers. The work aimed to develop and investigate the properties of natural fiber-reinforced composites for structural applications such as floor tiles and pavements. The composites were developed by utilizing three different types of waste plastics, namely, low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene with the reinforcement of coconut (cocos nucifera) and Tossa jute (corchorus olitorius) fibers. The evaluation of the density, water absorption, compressive strength, and flexural strength was performed. Moreover, three-body abrasive wear performance was investigated under the conditions of different loads and sliding speeds. The wear mechanism was explored by the morphological analyses of the fractured and worn-out surfaces. The composite HDPE80C20 showed a maximum density of 1.603 g/cm3 and minimum percentage of water absorption to 0.2022. Moreover, the composite attained a maximum compressive and flexural strength of 40.10 and 10.04 (MPa), respectively. The ranges for abrasive wear were found to be 0.002375-0.20015 (cm3) and 0.01987-0.39593 (cm3) under the considered conditions of loads and sliding speeds, respectively. The comparative analysis of the properties suggested the reinforcement of 20 wt% of jute fiber with 80 wt% of high-density polyethylene for the development of composites for structural applications. The study highlighted the potential of waste plastics and natural fibers as value-added products for building construction with relevancy from socio-eco and environmental points of view.

Recent trends in Bi-based nanomaterials: challenges, fabrication, enhancement techniques, and environmental applications.

One of the most enticing approaches to environmental restoration and energy conversion is photocatalysis powered by solar light. Traditional photocatalysts have limited practical uses due to inadequate light absorption, charge separation, and unknown reaction mechanisms. Discovering new visible-light photocatalysts and investigating their modification is crucial in photocatalysis. Bi-based photocatalytic nanomaterials have gotten much interest as they exhibit distinctive geometric shapes, flexible electronic structures, and good photocatalytic performance under visible light. They can be employed as stand-alone photocatalysts for pollution control and energy production, but they do not have optimum efficacy. As a result, their photocatalytic effectiveness has been significantly improved in the recent decades. Numerous newly created concepts and methodologies have brought significant progress in defining the fundamental features of photocatalysts, upgrading the photocatalytic ability, and understanding essential reactions of the photocatalytic process. This paper provides insights into the characteristics of Bi-based photocatalysts, making them a promising future nanomaterial for environmental remediation. The current review discusses the fabrication techniques and enhancement in Bi-based semiconductor photocatalysts. Various environmental applications, such as H2 generation and elimination of water pollutants, are also discussed in terms of semiconductor photocatalysis. Future developments will be guided by the uses, issues, and possibilities of Bi-based photocatalysts.

Prism-like integrated Bi2WO6 with Ag-CuBi2O4 on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as an efficient and robust S-scheme interfacial charge transfer photocatalyst for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater.

Photocatalytic hybrid carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-mediated Ag-CuBi2O4/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst was fabricated using a hydrothermal technique to effectively eliminate organic pollutants from wastewater. The as-prepared samples were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), UV-vis Diffuse Reflectance spectrum (UV-Vis DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) studies. The photocatalytic performance of fabricated pristine and hybrid composites was examined by photo-degradation of toxic dye viz. Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. Photo-degradation results revealed that the fabricated Ag-CuBi2O4/CNTs/Bi2WO6 semiconductor photocatalyst followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and displayed a higher photocatalytic rate, which was found to be approximately 3.33 and 2.35 times higher than the pristine CuBi2O4 and Bi2WO6 semiconductor photocatalyst, respectively. Re-cyclic results demonstrated that the formed composite owns excellent stability, even after five consecutive cycles. As per the matched Fermi level of CNTs in between Ag-CuBi2O4 and Bi2WO6, carbon nanotubes severed as electron transfer-bridge, Ag doping on CuBi2O4 surface successfully increased photon absorption all across CuBi2O4 surface. Also, it hindered the assimilation of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. The increased photocatalytic efficiency is contributed to the uniform dispersion of photo-generated electron-hole pairs via the construction of an S-scheme system. ROS trapping and ESR experiments suggested that (∙OH) and (O2-∙) were the main radical species for enhanced photo-degradation of RhB dye. The current investigation, from our perspective, highlights the new insights for the fabrication of practical CNTs-mediated S-scheme-based semiconductor photocatalyst for the resolution of environmental issues based on practical considerations.