Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101630
Thomas Luxbacher
The property of surface and interfacial charge in colloidal systems, such as solutions of macromolecules, nanoparticle dispersions and emulsions, and their related behavior are commonly characterized irrespective of their final application on solid material surfaces. On the other hand, it is assumed or even known that surface boundaries may alter the behavior of dispersed matter. The combination of conventional zeta potential analyses by the measurements of the electrophoretic mobility (in liquid phase) and the streaming potential (at the solid-water interface) with the dynamic streaming potential method gives a direct access to the interaction of solutes and dispersed particles and emulsion droplets with real material surfaces. The information provided by such a combination of analytical techniques is highlighted by a series of case studies in the fields of hair care, textile care, biomaterials and medical devices. The complementary results help to quantify the affinity of solutes towards material surfaces, adsorption rates, surface coverage, and the dominating mechanism of interaction.
{"title":"Dynamic streaming potential measurements reveal the adsorption of water-borne solutes on solid material surfaces","authors":"Thomas Luxbacher","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101630","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101630","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The property of surface and interfacial charge in colloidal systems, such as solutions of macromolecules, nanoparticle dispersions and emulsions, and their related behavior are commonly characterized irrespective of their final application on solid material surfaces. On the other hand, it is assumed or even known that surface boundaries may alter the behavior of dispersed matter. The combination of conventional zeta potential analyses by the measurements of the electrophoretic mobility (in liquid phase) and the streaming potential (at the solid-water interface) with the dynamic streaming potential method gives a direct access to the interaction of solutes and dispersed particles and emulsion droplets with real material surfaces. The information provided by such a combination of analytical techniques is highlighted by a series of case studies in the fields of hair care, textile care, biomaterials and medical devices. The complementary results help to quantify the affinity of solutes towards material surfaces, adsorption rates, surface coverage, and the dominating mechanism of interaction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101630"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Highly sensitive and selective detection of L-arginine is essential for probing its involvement in cellular metabolism, nitric oxide synthesis, and amino acid regulation, thereby facilitating clinical diagnostics and translational biosensing applications. In this study, a graphene oxide–fluorescein (GOFC) fluorescence sensor was developed for the selective and sensitive detection of L-arginine via a fluorescence “turn-on” response. Graphene oxide (GO) synthesized via the modified Hummers’ method was functionalized with fluorescein to form the GOFC composite. The sensor exhibited a concentration-dependent fluorescence enhancement toward L-arginine, enabling detection down to 1 × 10⁻⁶ M using a spectrofluorometer and 1 × 10⁻⁴ M by naked-eye observation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) revealed that the interaction between fluorescein and L-arginine is stronger than their respective adsorption on GO, leading to fluorescein release and a fluorescence turn-on response. Using a low-concentration linear calibration, the limits of detection and quantification were determined to be 4.38 × 10⁻⁶ M and 1.46 × 10⁻⁵ M, respectively. Structural and morphological characterization of GO and GOFC was confirmed by FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, powder XRD, particle size analysis, and FE-SEM. These findings establish the GOFC sensor as a sensitive and practical platform for rapid L-arginine biosensing.
{"title":"Graphene oxide-fluorescein sensor for sensitive and selective detection of L-Arginine: A fluorescence Turn-On Approach","authors":"Prakash Ramesh , Vignesh Kumaresan , Chockalingam Gopalakrishnan , Rajapandian Varatharaj","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101616","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Highly sensitive and selective detection of <span>L</span>-arginine is essential for probing its involvement in cellular metabolism, nitric oxide synthesis, and amino acid regulation, thereby facilitating clinical diagnostics and translational biosensing applications. In this study, a graphene oxide–fluorescein (GOFC) fluorescence sensor was developed for the selective and sensitive detection of <span>L</span>-arginine via a fluorescence “turn-on” response. Graphene oxide (GO) synthesized via the modified Hummers’ method was functionalized with fluorescein to form the GOFC composite. The sensor exhibited a concentration-dependent fluorescence enhancement toward <span>L</span>-arginine, enabling detection down to 1 × 10⁻⁶ M using a spectrofluorometer and 1 × 10⁻⁴ M by naked-eye observation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) revealed that the interaction between fluorescein and <span>L</span>-arginine is stronger than their respective adsorption on GO, leading to fluorescein release and a fluorescence turn-on response. Using a low-concentration linear calibration, the limits of detection and quantification were determined to be 4.38 × 10⁻⁶ M and 1.46 × 10⁻⁵ M, respectively. Structural and morphological characterization of GO and GOFC was confirmed by FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, powder XRD, particle size analysis, and FE-SEM. These findings establish the GOFC sensor as a sensitive and practical platform for rapid <span>L</span>-arginine biosensing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101616"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101645
G. Kavitha , Moganesh Govindhan
A graphene oxide/manganese dioxide (GO/MnO₂) nanocomposite was synthesized via a green, photon-induced method under ambient conditions, avoiding high-temperature processing and chemical reductants. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of phase-pure tetragonal α-MnO₂ with an average crystallite size of ∼8 nm, accompanied by the disappearance of the GO (001) peak and the emergence of the rGO (002) reflection, indicating partial photoreduction. FESEM and HRTEM analyses revealed uniform dispersion of MnO₂ nanoparticles (10–20 nm) anchored on wrinkled rGO sheets, with a lattice spacing of 0.309 nm corresponding to the (310) plane of α-MnO₂, evidencing strong interfacial coupling. FTIR spectra exhibited characteristic Mn–O and Mn–O–Mn vibrations at ∼460 and 587 cm⁻¹ , confirming robust oxide formation. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements showed a type-IV isotherm with mesoporosity, delivering a high specific surface area of 194.8 m² g⁻¹ , a pore volume of 0.279 cm³ g⁻¹ , and an average pore radius of 1.55 nm. UV–visible spectroscopy revealed broad absorption with an indirect optical band gap of ∼1.71 eV, attributed to interfacial charge transfer and defect-mediated electronic states. Cytocompatibility studies using HEK-293 cells demonstrated high viability (>87 %) across 12.5–200 µg mL⁻¹ , confirming excellent material tolerance. This work highlights photon-induced synthesis as an energy-efficient and scalable route to engineer nanoscale MnO₂–graphene interfaces with controlled structure, porosity, and electronic properties, relevant for redox-active and surface-driven functional applications.
{"title":"Photon-induced synthesis of GO/MnO₂ nanocomposite for biocompatibility evaluation using HEK-293 cells","authors":"G. Kavitha , Moganesh Govindhan","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101645","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101645","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A graphene oxide/manganese dioxide (GO/MnO₂) nanocomposite was synthesized via a green, photon-induced method under ambient conditions, avoiding high-temperature processing and chemical reductants. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of phase-pure tetragonal α-MnO₂ with an average crystallite size of ∼8 nm, accompanied by the disappearance of the GO (001) peak and the emergence of the rGO (002) reflection, indicating partial photoreduction. FESEM and HRTEM analyses revealed uniform dispersion of MnO₂ nanoparticles (10–20 nm) anchored on wrinkled rGO sheets, with a lattice spacing of 0.309 nm corresponding to the (310) plane of α-MnO₂, evidencing strong interfacial coupling. FTIR spectra exhibited characteristic Mn–O and Mn–O–Mn vibrations at ∼460 and 587 cm⁻¹ , confirming robust oxide formation. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements showed a type-IV isotherm with mesoporosity, delivering a high specific surface area of 194.8 m² g⁻¹ , a pore volume of 0.279 cm³ g⁻¹ , and an average pore radius of 1.55 nm. UV–visible spectroscopy revealed broad absorption with an indirect optical band gap of ∼1.71 eV, attributed to interfacial charge transfer and defect-mediated electronic states. Cytocompatibility studies using HEK-293 cells demonstrated high viability (>87 %) across 12.5–200 µg mL⁻¹ , confirming excellent material tolerance. This work highlights photon-induced synthesis as an energy-efficient and scalable route to engineer nanoscale MnO₂–graphene interfaces with controlled structure, porosity, and electronic properties, relevant for redox-active and surface-driven functional applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101645"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101655
Yasmeen Hamdan , Ahed H. Zyoud , Samar Al-Shakhshir , Shaher Zyoud , Ameed Amireh , Samer H. Zyoud , Tae Woo Kim
Pharmaceutical pollutants such as tetracycline (TC) pose serious environmental concerns because of their persistence and potential to promote antibiotic resistance. In this study, a ZnO/bentonite composite was developed and applied for the efficient removal of TC from aqueous solutions under simulated solar irradiation via a synergistic adsorption–photocatalysis mechanism. The bentonite component enhanced adsorption by drawing TC molecules closer to the ZnO active sites, where the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by ZnO facilitated degradation. SEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV–Vis characterization confirmed the composite’s structure and optical properties. Under optimal conditions (pH 8.5, 25 °C, 0.1 g/100 mL catalyst, 40 ppm TC), the system achieved 87 % removal, with complete mineralization validated by HPLC, total organic carbon (TOC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.015 min⁻¹ , and the point of zero charge (pHpzc = 9.4) influenced the pH-dependent performance. The catalyst retained 77 % of its initial efficiency after five cycles, highlighting its low cost, reusability, and eco-friendly potential for antibiotic-contaminated wastewater treatment.
{"title":"The ZnO/Bentonite composite for sustainable tetracycline removal from water: Adsorption and photocatalysis for effective wastewater treatment","authors":"Yasmeen Hamdan , Ahed H. Zyoud , Samar Al-Shakhshir , Shaher Zyoud , Ameed Amireh , Samer H. Zyoud , Tae Woo Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101655","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101655","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pharmaceutical pollutants such as tetracycline (TC) pose serious environmental concerns because of their persistence and potential to promote antibiotic resistance. In this study, a ZnO/bentonite composite was developed and applied for the efficient removal of TC from aqueous solutions under simulated solar irradiation via a synergistic adsorption–photocatalysis mechanism. The bentonite component enhanced adsorption by drawing TC molecules closer to the ZnO active sites, where the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by ZnO facilitated degradation. SEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV–Vis characterization confirmed the composite’s structure and optical properties. Under optimal conditions (pH 8.5, 25 °C, 0.1 g/100 mL catalyst, 40 ppm TC), the system achieved 87 % removal, with complete mineralization validated by HPLC, total organic carbon (TOC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.015 min⁻¹ , and the point of zero charge (pHpzc = 9.4) influenced the pH-dependent performance. The catalyst retained 77 % of its initial efficiency after five cycles, highlighting its low cost, reusability, and eco-friendly potential for antibiotic-contaminated wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101655"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101643
Federico Turci, Maxime Lagier, Anna Krammer, Andreas Schüler
This study investigates the influence of relative humidity on the sol–gel deposition process of a multilayer black spinel oxide coatings for solar selective absorbers. Changes in humidity conditions during deposition were found to affect porosity, thickness, and optical properties, ultimately influencing the performance and reproducibility of the coatings. Under optimized conditions, we achieved a solar absorptance of 0.95 and a thermal emissivity of 0.16 at 100 °C. When applied to solar tubular receivers, the coatings maintained high performance with 0.95 absorptance and 0.15 emissivity, demonstrating uniformity along the tube. In addition, the aging of the solution and its sensitivity to ambient humidity were also taken into account. The solution remained effective for one week, meeting industrial durability requirements. In general, optimizing relative humidity enables the scalable, efficient, and cost-effective production of coatings for low- to mid-temperature solar applications.
{"title":"Impact of relative humidity on the optical properties of sol–gel processed black spinel oxide coatings for solar absorbers","authors":"Federico Turci, Maxime Lagier, Anna Krammer, Andreas Schüler","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101643","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101643","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the influence of relative humidity on the sol–gel deposition process of a multilayer black spinel oxide coatings for solar selective absorbers. Changes in humidity conditions during deposition were found to affect porosity, thickness, and optical properties, ultimately influencing the performance and reproducibility of the coatings. Under optimized conditions, we achieved a solar absorptance of 0.95 and a thermal emissivity of 0.16 at 100 °C. When applied to solar tubular receivers, the coatings maintained high performance with 0.95 absorptance and 0.15 emissivity, demonstrating uniformity along the tube. In addition, the aging of the solution and its sensitivity to ambient humidity were also taken into account. The solution remained effective for one week, meeting industrial durability requirements. In general, optimizing relative humidity enables the scalable, efficient, and cost-effective production of coatings for low- to mid-temperature solar applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101643"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101633
Rajendran Nithya balaji , K. Jayamoorthy , M.P. Ramya Rajan , R. Kavitha , D. Beula , R. Kavitha
The febuxostat was synthesized and complexed with isoniazid to develop a twin drug complex (FIC).The compound FIC was examined for various in vitro biological activities and described using NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic techniques. Despite the fact that the parent drugs are different targeted drugs, the FIC demonstrated good anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities. The biological findings were further supported by molecular docking studies against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, cyclooxygenase-1, and cyclooxygenase-2 enzymes. DFT calculations, including FMO and MEP analyses, were used to rationalize the interaction behavior of the complex.
{"title":"Febuxostat-isoniazid complex: Synthesis, spectral characterization, in vitro biological evaluation and in silico studies","authors":"Rajendran Nithya balaji , K. Jayamoorthy , M.P. Ramya Rajan , R. Kavitha , D. Beula , R. Kavitha","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101633","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101633","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The febuxostat was synthesized and complexed with isoniazid to develop a twin drug complex (FIC).The compound FIC was examined for various in vitro biological activities and described using NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic techniques. Despite the fact that the parent drugs are different targeted drugs, the FIC demonstrated good anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities. The biological findings were further supported by molecular docking studies against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, cyclooxygenase-1, and cyclooxygenase-2 enzymes. DFT calculations, including FMO and MEP analyses, were used to rationalize the interaction behavior of the complex.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101633"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This work reports the sustainable and economic development of CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % bioplastics films made with cellulose acetate (CA), which was derived from cellulose extracted from two lignocellulosic biowastes: sugarcane bagasse (SB) and congress grass (CG). SB and CG-based cellulose was extracted employing a chlorine and alkaline treatment procedure, and then controlled acetylation process yields cellulose acetate. After that, CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % bioplastic films were developed by incorporating 20 % (w/v) PEG-600 plasticizer into cellulose acetate. Comprehensive characterization revealed that CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % possess a semi-crystalline structure, extensive functionality that enhances the miscibility of PEG-600 with CA, homogenous and smooth surface morphologies with minor imperfections, high surface integrity, and a lower glass transition temperature. The absorbance, solubility, and swelling tests of CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % films in pure water exhibit notable hydrophilicity and minimal swelling and deformation, supporting microbial degradation of the bioplastic films in the natural environment. Both films demonstrated considerable solubility in ethanol and acetic acid solvents (40 % v/v), while exhibiting excellent solubility in sulfuric and orthophosphoric acids (20 % and 40 % v/v). Biodegradability experiments yield that CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % bioplastics exhibit total weight losses of 41.42 % and 40.68 %, respectively, under soil burial conditions, whereas substantial weight losses of approximately 48.78 % and 51.35 % were observed in controlled environment composting. Consequently, PEG-600 blends with CA (based on CG and SB) provide sustainable and naturally biodegradable bioplastics, which may serve as alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics.
{"title":"Synthesis of naturally biodegradable bioplastic using congress grass and sugarcane bagasse biowaste derived cellulose acetate and PEG-600 blend: Physico-chemical characterization and degradability analysis","authors":"Subhash Chander , Sushila Dabas , Bharatveer Choudhary , Asha Gupta","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work reports the sustainable and economic development of CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % bioplastics films made with cellulose acetate (CA), which was derived from cellulose extracted from two lignocellulosic biowastes: sugarcane bagasse (SB) and congress grass (CG). SB and CG-based cellulose was extracted employing a chlorine and alkaline treatment procedure, and then controlled acetylation process yields cellulose acetate. After that, CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % bioplastic films were developed by incorporating 20 % (w/v) PEG-600 plasticizer into cellulose acetate. Comprehensive characterization revealed that CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % possess a semi-crystalline structure, extensive functionality that enhances the miscibility of PEG-600 with CA, homogenous and smooth surface morphologies with minor imperfections, high surface integrity, and a lower glass transition temperature. The absorbance, solubility, and swelling tests of CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % films in pure water exhibit notable hydrophilicity and minimal swelling and deformation, supporting microbial degradation of the bioplastic films in the natural environment. Both films demonstrated considerable solubility in ethanol and acetic acid solvents (40 % v/v), while exhibiting excellent solubility in sulfuric and orthophosphoric acids (20 % and 40 % v/v). Biodegradability experiments yield that CG-BP20 % and SB-BP20 % bioplastics exhibit total weight losses of 41.42 % and 40.68 %, respectively, under soil burial conditions, whereas substantial weight losses of approximately 48.78 % and 51.35 % were observed in controlled environment composting. Consequently, PEG-600 blends with CA (based on CG and SB) provide sustainable and naturally biodegradable bioplastics, which may serve as alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101647"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101646
Md. Osman Ali , Mostafizur Rahman , Md Junayed Ali , Md. Ramjan Ali , Kameliya Azad , Md. Akibul Islam , Saifullah Mahmud , Mosiur Rahaman , Ekramul Islam , Ashif Imdad
Biopolymer composites have become promising materials in recent years owing to their biomedical properties, including tunable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The thermomechanical characteristics of biopolymer composites are crucial for determining factors such as safety, dimensional stability, and responsiveness to applied forces. They also help select appropriate materials that are both thermally and mechanically viable. The goal of this review article is to provide an overview of recent developments in polylactic acid (PLA)-based biopolymer composites, with a focus on thermomechanical properties that are critical for biomedical applications. In addition to its similarity to human bone, hydroxyapatite (HA) has been used as a primary reinforcement in various biomedical applications due to its excellent bioactivity, biodegradability, and osteoconductivity. Recent advances in nanotechnology have enabled nanoparticles to significantly expand research on biopolymers, as they can be readily incorporated into existing biopolymer systems. Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are the most widely used secondary reinforcements. To date, the PLA/FGNP composite has exhibited a 261 % enhancement in elastic modulus, and the PLA/CS/GO composite has exhibited a 232 % enhancement in tensile strength in bone tissue engineering applications. For thermal properties, the PLA/HA composite showed an increase in residue percentage from 3.8 % to 19.4 % at 350 °C, indicating potential for bone regeneration applications. Since most recent literature has used additive manufacturing to fabricate composites, this technique and hybrid nanoparticles are expected to dominate future biopolymer research.
{"title":"Recent advances in thermomechanical properties of PLA-based biopolymer composites for biomedical applications","authors":"Md. Osman Ali , Mostafizur Rahman , Md Junayed Ali , Md. Ramjan Ali , Kameliya Azad , Md. Akibul Islam , Saifullah Mahmud , Mosiur Rahaman , Ekramul Islam , Ashif Imdad","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101646","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101646","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biopolymer composites have become promising materials in recent years owing to their biomedical properties, including tunable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The thermomechanical characteristics of biopolymer composites are crucial for determining factors such as safety, dimensional stability, and responsiveness to applied forces. They also help select appropriate materials that are both thermally and mechanically viable. The goal of this review article is to provide an overview of recent developments in polylactic acid (PLA)-based biopolymer composites, with a focus on thermomechanical properties that are critical for biomedical applications. In addition to its similarity to human bone, hydroxyapatite (HA) has been used as a primary reinforcement in various biomedical applications due to its excellent bioactivity, biodegradability, and osteoconductivity. Recent advances in nanotechnology have enabled nanoparticles to significantly expand research on biopolymers, as they can be readily incorporated into existing biopolymer systems. Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are the most widely used secondary reinforcements. To date, the PLA/FGNP composite has exhibited a 261 % enhancement in elastic modulus, and the PLA/CS/GO composite has exhibited a 232 % enhancement in tensile strength in bone tissue engineering applications. For thermal properties, the PLA/HA composite showed an increase in residue percentage from 3.8 % to 19.4 % at 350 °C, indicating potential for bone regeneration applications. Since most recent literature has used additive manufacturing to fabricate composites, this technique and hybrid nanoparticles are expected to dominate future biopolymer research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101646"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101644
Amirkianoosh Kiani
Battery management systems need accurate lifetime predictions to prevent failures and optimize replacement schedules, but acquiring training data requires months of controlled aging experiments per cell. We demonstrate that quantum computers can learn battery degradation patterns from far less data than classical methods. Using quantum kernel regression on 64 lithium-iron-phosphate cells, we achieved 2.1 % better prediction accuracy than classical approaches, but more importantly, required 6.6 times fewer training samples to reach equivalent performance. Real-world validation on IBM's 156-qubit quantum processor revealed severe noise challenges—performance dropped 54 %—but advanced error mitigation recovered 38 % of this loss. The quantum advantage emerges specifically in data-limited regimes where each additional cell requires months of testing. This positions quantum machine learning as a practical accelerator for battery research, materials discovery, and other domains where data acquisition time dominates development cycles.
{"title":"Quantum kernel learning achieves battery prognostics on noisy quantum hardware","authors":"Amirkianoosh Kiani","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Battery management systems need accurate lifetime predictions to prevent failures and optimize replacement schedules, but acquiring training data requires months of controlled aging experiments per cell. We demonstrate that quantum computers can learn battery degradation patterns from far less data than classical methods. Using quantum kernel regression on 64 lithium-iron-phosphate cells, we achieved 2.1 % better prediction accuracy than classical approaches, but more importantly, required 6.6 times fewer training samples to reach equivalent performance. Real-world validation on IBM's 156-qubit quantum processor revealed severe noise challenges—performance dropped 54 %—but advanced error mitigation recovered 38 % of this loss. The quantum advantage emerges specifically in data-limited regimes where each additional cell requires months of testing. This positions quantum machine learning as a practical accelerator for battery research, materials discovery, and other domains where data acquisition time dominates development cycles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 101644"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.101597
Peverga Rex Jubu , Mohammed Kakasur Omar , Suleman Kazim Omotayo , Mohd Zamir Pakhuruddin
Solar cells based on InGaN semiconducting materials are gaining increasing interest in recent times due to their wide bandgap range of 0.65–3.42 eV for optical absorption in the large portion of the solar spectrum. This study performs a numerical simulation using SCAPS-1D program to investigate the influence of layer thickness and carrier concentration on the electrical parameters of p-In0.35Ga0.65N/p-In0.75Ga0.25N/n-In0.6Ga0.4N (PPN) InGaN homojunction solar cell. The optimized PPN structure demonstrated high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 33.93 % at 300 K compared to its PN (20.44 %) due to the presence of a thin (0.01 m) top p-layer, which mitigated surface recombination and boosted charge collection. The VOC, JSC and FF of the optimized PPN were found to be 0.94 V, 42.79 mA/cm2, and 84.60 %, respectively. The PCE of the optimized PN and PPN device decreased as (33.93–21.97 %) and (26.46–7.51 %), respectively, with rising temperature (250–500 K). The PPN structure delivered satisfactory performance all temperatures, making it suitable even for elevated temperature applications. The PCE of the PPN device under standard ambient conditions agrees with the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit for single-junction solar cells.
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