Hydrogels formed by anammox extracellular polymeric substances: structural and mechanical insights.

The recovery of biopolymers from the waste sludge produced in wastewater treatments and their application in other industrial sectors, would substantially increase the environmental and economical sustainability of the process, promoting the development of a circular economy. In this study, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from anammox granular waste sludge, were investigated and characterized. Rheological and differential scanning calorimetry measurements on EPS aqueous dispersions indicate the formation of an extended 3-D network above a threshold concentration, with a clear dependence of the mechanical and water retention properties on EPS content.

Thermal insulation with 2D materials: liquid phase exfoliated vermiculite functional nanosheets.

Phyllosilicates are layered materials possessing unique thermal properties, commonly exploited in their multilayered crystalline form as refractory insulators and heating elements. A more versatile use of such materials, however, would require their existence in the form of inks and dispersions ready to be patterned. Within this framework, the liquid-phase exfoliation of low-cost, low-purity materials such as bulk multiphasic minerals and powders represents an economically advantageous approach for the production of 2D nano-sized objects with a defined composition, size and morphology.

Adsorption of Amino Acids and Glutamic Acid-Based Surfactants on Imogolite Clays.

Aluminum oxide surfaces are of utmost interest in different biotech applications, in particular for their use as adjuvants (i.e., booster of the immune response against infectious agents in vaccines production).

Injectable composites via functionalization of 1D nanoclays and biodegradable coupling with a polysaccharide hydrogel.

The use of injectable materials in minimally invasive surgical procedures could help in facing the bone diseases connected to the ageing of world population. To this aim, materials integrating the rheological properties of biocompatible polymers with the mechanical properties of 1D inorganic nanostructures represent promising scaffolds. Here we describe the preparation of hydrogel composites made of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and halloysite nanotubes (HNT) as injectable materials for the local treatment of bone defects.

Design and characterization of a composite material based on Sr(II)-loaded clay nanotubes included within a biopolymer matrix.

This paper reports on the preparation, characterization, and cytotoxicity of a hybrid nanocomposite material made of Sr(II)-loaded Halloysite nanotubes included within a biopolymer (3-polyhydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) matrix. The Sr(II)-loaded inorganic scaffold is intended to provide mechanical resistance, multi-scale porosity, and to favor the in-situ regeneration of bone tissue thanks to its biocompatibility and bioactivity. The interaction of the hybrid system with the physiological environment is mediated by the biopolymer coating, which acts as a binder, as well as a diffusional barrier to the Sr(II) release.