Environmentally Sustainable and Ecosafe Polysaccharide-Based Materials for Water -Treatment: An Eco-Design Study.

Nanoremediation, which is the use of nanoparticles and nanomaterials for environmental remediation, is widely explored and proposed for preservation of ecosystems that suffer from the increase in human population, pollution, and urbanization. We herein report a critical analysis of nanotechnologies for water remediation by assessing their sustainability in terms of efficient removal of pollutants, appropriate methods for monitoring their effectiveness, and protocols for the evaluation of any potential environmental risks. Our purpose is to furnish fruitful guidelines for sustainable water management, able to promote nanoremediation also at European level.

Surface segregation assessment in poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol) multiblock copolymer films.

The ability to predict the in vivo performance of multiblock-copolymer-based biomaterials is crucial for their applicability in the biomedical field. In this work, XPS analysis of PCL-PEG copolymers was carried out, as well as morphological and wettability evaluations by SEM and CA measurements, respectively. XPS analysis on films equilibrated in PBS demonstrated a further enrichment in the PEG component on the surface.

Silicon-on-Insulator microring resonator for sensitive and label-free biosensing.

Label-free biosensors attempt to overcome the stability and reliability problems of biosensors relying on the detection of labeled molecules. We propose a label-free biosensor based on microring cavities in Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) that fits in an area below 10x10mum(2). The resonance wavelength shift that occurs when the surroundings of a cavity is changed, is used for sensing.