p-coumaric acid is a natural phenolic compound with antioxidant activity, but its poor solubility and low bioavailability limit its practical use in oral formulations. The aim of this study is to evaluate how different polymers affect the dissolution and antioxidant properties of p-coumaric acid when incorporated into capsules and gels. Nine capsule compositions were prepared using poloxamer 407 (C1 group), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (C2 group), chitosan (C3 group) and 5 hydrogels (G group) with the same polymers. The results indicate that p-coumaric acid is poorly soluble in aqueous solvents. The selected polymers modified the solubility of p-coumaric acid. The best solubility of p-coumaric acid was observed in mixtures containing 14.3% Poloxamer 407 (P407). The results showed that the polymers significantly affected the release kinetics of p-coumaric acid from the modeled capsules and gels. It was observed that capsules containing 14.3% P407 and gels with 14% P407 exhibited the best dissolution kinetics of p-coumaric acid. Antioxidant activity was strongest in formulations that released more p-coumaric acid. The results of this study confirm that the type and amount of excipients significantly affect the quality of capsules and gels. p-coumaric acid has the potential to be used in food supplements as a natural antioxidant, but further research is needed to improve its bioavailability and ensure safety.

Microbial colonization of heritage materials is a well-known conservation issue. When necessary, it is removed using mechanical, physical, or chemical methods, with biocide formulations being a common choice. The need to reduce dependence on conventional biocides has led to the exploration of innovative alternative methods and new formulations with biocidal properties for the conservation of heritage objects. Alternative approaches include natural compounds such as plants’ essential oils. While these natural options show promise, they present challenges—such as inconsistent effectiveness, possible toxicity, and the need for thorough compatibility testing with historic materials. Therefore, although some concerns are legitimate, the “run” to alternative substances is a growing concern as well. A comprehensive selection and examination of international research articles from the past two decades on this subject has been conducted. The detailed and critical analysis of existing data on essential oils, hydrolates, and other plant-derived extracts studied to prevent and/or eradicate the colonization of microbial communities on heritage objects focused on the effect on microorganisms in controlled environments, in situ applications on microorganisms, encapsulation in hydrogels and emulsions, toxicity and ecological impact, and alterations of heritage materials. The review also discusses the advantages, limitations, and practical implications of these strategies.

Conductive hydrogels are ideal for flexible strain sensors, yet their practical use is often limited by water evaporation, signal hysteresis, and structural instability, which impair linearity, durability, and long-term reliability. To overcome these challenges, we developed a robust multiple-network hydrogel composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polyacrylic acid (PAA), in situ polymerized polyaniline (PANi), and the ionic liquid [EMIM][TFSI]. The resulting composite exhibits an exceptional linear piezoresistive response across its entire working range—from rest to fracture strain of 290%—together with high conductivity (0.68 S/cm), fast response/recovery (0.34 s/0.35 s), and a maximum gauge factor of 2.78. Mechanically robust (tensile strength ≈ 3.7 MPa, modulus ≈ 1.3 MPa), the hydrogel also demonstrates outstanding cyclic durability, withstanding over 12,000 stretching–relaxation cycles, and markedly improved dehydration resistance, retaining about 60% of its mass after 3 days at room temperature. This work provides a holistic material solution for developing high-performance, reliable strain sensors suitable for wearable electronics and soft robotics.

The massive accumulation of agricultural waste, such as wheat straw, and its disposal by burning pose significant environmental challenges. This study explores a sustainable solution by converting wheat straw into composite superabsorbent polymers (SAPs)—superabsorbents contain both synthetic and biodegradable fragments—for improved agricultural water and nutrient management. Wheat straw (WS) was sequentially processed via acid and alkaline hydrolysis to yield fractions with different lignin contents, which were then carboxymethylated (CMWS-Ac and CMWS-Al) to enhance hydrophilicity. These derivatives were incorporated at 20 and 33 wt. %. into SAPs synthesized by copolymerization with acrylamide and acrylic acid. The CMWS-Al-based SAPs exhibited superior properties, including higher equilibrium swelling ratios (up to 566 g/g in water), excellent mechanical strength, and robust gel structure, as confirmed by rheological studies. Furthermore, SAPs demonstrated a significant capacity to retain urea in sand columns, with SAP-CMWS-Al-33 achieving 56% urea retention, highlighting their potential for mitigating fertilizer leaching. The results establish a correlation between the extent of straw processing, the physicochemical properties and lignin content of the derivatives, and the performance of the final SAPs. These wheat straw-based SAPs present a promising, sustainable technology for enhancing soil moisture retention, improving fertilizer use efficiency, and valorizing agricultural waste.

Cellulose acetate (CA) is a semi-synthetic polymer widely present in modern and contemporary collections, yet its conservation poses major challenges due to its chemical and physical instability. Hydrolytic degradation, acetic acid release, plasticizer loss, and embrittlement compromise both structure and surface, making cleaning particularly difficult. Conventional cleaning methods may cause abrasion, extract additives, or alter gloss. Although hydrogels have shown promise for CA cleaning, the literature remains extremely limited. This study reports a preliminary investigation of gel-based cleaning on Le Rituel (1968), a heavily soiled cellulose acetate (CA) artwork by José Escada. The object’s condition was assessed through visual inspection, pH measurements, volatile acidity testing, and infrared spectroscopy. Cleaning tests were conducted on a CA replica (2006) with superficial soiling and on selected artwork areas. Two gel formulations were evaluated: the biopolymer agar-agar rigid gel and the synthetic viscoelastic poly(vinyl alcohol)-borax (PVAl-Borax) gel. Agar-agar was effective as a first step, reducing superficial soiling and humidifying adherent residues for subsequent removal, while PVAl-Borax was advantageous in the second step, as its viscoelastic properties enabled controlled mechanical action and facilitated the removal of more adherent residues. This case study demonstrates the potential of combined gel systems as versatile tools for CA conservation.

Energy storage materials play a crucial role in enhancing system efficiency by bridging the mismatch between energy supply and demand. Among them, organic phase change materials (PCMs) are particularly attractive due to their high energy storage density, no phase segregation and ability to maintain nearly constant temperatures during phase transitions. However, their practical application is hindered by drawbacks such as leakage and flammability. Aerogels, characterized by high porosity, low density, and tunable structures, provide effective support matrices for encapsulating PCMs, thereby improving shape stability and enabling fire safety improvements when combined with flame-retardant strategies. Despite significant progress in PCM and aerogel research over the past decade, comprehensive studies dedicated to flame-retardant aerogel-based PCMs remain limited. This review systematically summarizes current flame-retardant approaches for aerogel-based PCMs, highlights recent advances in aerogel-supported systems, and outlines the key challenges and future opportunities for developing next-generation energy storage composites with improved thermal reliability, safety, and sustainability.

Enhancing the gel properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) is crucial for forming stable gel systems through interactions with other plant proteins and polysaccharides. This study investigated the contribution of different ratios of glutenin (Glu)/gliadin (Gli) and maltodextrin (MD) to SPI–wheat gluten protein (WGP) composite gels. SPI-WGP composite gels were prepared by varying the Glu/Gli ratio (0:10, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, and 10:0) and adjusting the MD addition level (0, 2, 4, and 6%). Subsequently, the textural properties, water-holding capacity (WHC), rheological behavior, secondary structure, intermolecular forces, and microstructure of the composite gels were characterized. Results indicated that adding 4% MD with a Glu/Gli ratio of 4:6, compared with the SPI control group gel, the WHC, gel strength, and β-sheet content of the composite gel increased by 37.9%, 164.5%, and 30.6%, respectively. Hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds became dominant after MD incorporation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that the two proteins interact with MD to form a supported, dense, and homogeneous gel system. Excess MD caused phase separation in the composite gel system, disrupting the gel structure. This study provides important references for the development and potential applications of SPI-WGP composite gels.

Enzymatically crosslinked hydrogels are important in biomedical applications. However, conventional horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-based systems are expensive, unstable, and potentially immunogenic. Herein, we introduce hemin/albumin complexes as cost-effective and biocompatible catalysts for phenol-mediated hydrogel formation. Phenolated bovine serum albumins (BSA-LPh, -MPh, and-HPh) with different degrees of substitution were synthesized and complexed with hemin. Spectroscopic analysis demonstrated that phenol modification altered the hemin microenvironment, resulting in distinct shifts in the Soret band. Functional assays revealed that albumin complexation enhanced catalytic activity compared to hemin alone. Moderate phenol modification provided an optimal balance between catalytic efficiency and hydrogel integration, whereas excessive modification reduced the performance of the enzyme. Hydrogels containing hemin/BSA-Ph complexes exhibited controllable protein retention and high cytocompatibility (>90%) with mouse fibroblast 10T1/2 cells. These findings demonstrate that hemin/albumin complexes are promising, cost-effective, and cytocompatible alternatives to HRP systems for hydrogel-based biomedical and nonclinical applications.

The solar-driven water splitting for the production of renewable green hydrogen fundamentally relies on the exploration of efficient photocatalysts. Nanostructured TiO2 is widely recognized as a promising material for photocatalysis, yet it remains hindered by inadequate light harvesting and fast photogenerated carrier recombination. Herein, calcined C/TiO2 xerogels with yolk–shell and core–shell nanostructures (denoted as YS-C/TiO2 and CS-C/TiO2) were designed and fabricated via a typical sol–gel–calcination assisted approach. Thanks to the encapsulation of carbon nanospheres into TiO2, it effectively enhances light absorption, improves carrier separation, and lessens carrier recombination, making the well-designed YS-C/TiO2 composite display a remarkable hydrogen evolution rate of 975 µmol g−1 h−1 under simulated solar light irradiation and without the use of any co-catalyst, which is approximately 21.7 times that of the commercial TiO2. The work provides an efficacious design concept in developing nanostructured TiO2-based photocatalysts and in boosting broad photocatalytic applications.

The wound healing (WH) process is often severely hindered by bacterial infections and prolonged inflammatory responses. To address this problem, we developed a novel injectable nanocomposite DPB-ODQ hydrogel, which comprises polydopamine-modified Prussian blue nanoparticles (PB@PDA, also called DPB) and an oxidized dextran/quaternized chitosan (QCS)-based Schiff-base network. This hydrogel possesses a highly interconnected porous structure, an excellent swelling rate (730%), rapid gelling speed (45 s), a high mass retention rate over a three-day period (73.20%), and exceptional self-healing properties. Based on the presence of PDA and the Schiff base, it also exhibited good adhesive strength (13.5 kPa). In addition, under near-infrared irradiation at 1.0 W/cm2, temperatures increased by more than 35 °C within 5 min, indicating excellent photothermal (PT) performance. The PT performance of DPB, synergized with the inherent antibacterial properties of QCS, endowed it with a bactericidal rate exceeding 96% against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In vitro cell experiments have shown that it significantly promoted fibroblast proliferation and migration. In experiments involving mice infected with S. aureus, DPB-ODQ demonstrated an impressive WH rate of 92.82%, greatly promoting collagen deposition.