The porous powdered composites, containing metal halide salts are being used to enhance the storage of cold thermal energy storage (CTES) medium such as ammonia for efficient cooling systems. However, due to the low mass transfer attributable to agglomeration, reduction in pore accessibility, and sample loss, the powdered samples face challenges translating from lab to pilot scale. Conversely, the structuring of composites in beads and pallets can modify the surface chemistry and adsorption mechanism. To investigate the impact of structuring, a comparative analysis of pure, calcium chloride (CaCl2)-impregnated activated carbon (AC) powder and CaCl2-crosslinked AC beads was conducted in this work, to observe the ramification of surface chemistry due to salt distribution, porosity, surface area and pH-controlled crosslinking, on ammonia adsorption. The role of pH in bead formation introduced a new dimension in tailoring ammonia adsorption efficiency. The bead sample containing 20% CaCl2 (AC-B (20%)), with pH-8 crosslinking solution, has shown the two times more ammonia adsorption due to optimum crosslinking, physicochemical interactions and the presence of tuned amount of calcium chloride (CaCl2) on the surface and pores. SEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, DFT, and XPS are used to analyse the fabricated samples before and after the adsorption to thoroughly investigate the adsorption mechanism. The kinetic analysis of experimental results was conducted by applying nonlinear Pseudo 1st order (PFO), Pseudo 2nd order (PSO), and Elovich models, with best fit with N-PSO model confirming the highest mass transfer by the bead sample (AC-B (20%)). Lastly, the economic feasibility analysis as well as the impact of thermal treatment on recovery and sample regeneration was studied by desorbing the best samples at four different temperatures (120 °C, 140 °C, 160 °C, and 180 °C).Graphical Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42247-025-01106-8.

Abstract In the ongoing battle against infectious diseases, innovative nanotextured antipathogenic coatings provide promising avenues for preventing pathogens from spreading. Understanding their interactions at the micro/nanoscale is crucial for improving their design and efficacy. This work proposes a model for the interaction between pathogens and nanotextured antipathogenic coated surfaces. For this purpose, the forces and deformations experienced by pathogens upon contact with nanotextured surfaces are studied. To achieve this goal, a computational model based on the molecular dynamics software ESPResSo and, particularly, the Object-In-Fluid implementation, has been developed, extending the previous works of I. Jančigova et al. and G. Lazzini et al. More specifically, a Staphylococcus Aureus bacterium is modelled as an elastic cell represented by a triangular mesh and immersed in a computational Lattice-Boltzmann fluid. The size, shape and elastic properties of the pathogen cell are tuned, emulating those of Staphylococcus Aureus. A poly(methyl methacrylate) substrate laser-sintered with Ag nanoparticles is modelled with a triangular mesh, and the interactions between the cell and the substrate are introduced through a Lennard-Jones potential. The simulations performed reveal the influence of surface geometry and dispersion in the coated substrate, providing critical insights into designing more effective antibacterial surfaces that inhibit pathogen proliferation.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) are an extraordinarily versatile class of porous nanostructured materials that have gained popularity in several scientific fields. Organic ligands are coupled to the inorganic metal centers or clusters to produce MOFs. This frontier review paper critically summarizes the most recent developments in MOF-based materials for electrochemical (EC) detection of key biomarkers, including glucose, dopamine, lactic acid, L-tryptophan, uric and ascorbic acids, H2O2, and nicotine. Various electrochemical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry, and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) have been employed to enhance detection sensitivity and specificity. MOF-based EC sensing systems hold promise in medical diagnostics, particularly for diseases such as diabetes, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. These sensors offer distinctive features like an extensive specific surface area, tunable pore sizes, exceptional catalytic performance, and abundant active sites, enabling sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective biomarker detection. The construction of different nanostructures, such as nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires, and three-dimensional networks, has further improved the electro-catalytic efficiency of MOF-based materials. We also critically assess the performance of advanced MOF-derived nanostructured EC sensor platforms, and discuss future challenges and potential improvements, particularly for enzyme-free EC sensors in clinical diagnostics. This work underscores the potential of MOF-based EC sensors as versatile and effective tools for detecting a wide range of compounds and biomolecules relevant to human health.Graphical abstract