The clinical performance of hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers depends on their mechanical and structural characteristics, as well as their susceptibility to enzyme degradation (hyaluronidase), yet current evaluations often rely on single-point measures. This study examined twenty-four commercial HA fillers under injection-relevant conditions, combining oscillatory shear rheology, enzymatic degradation assays, and uniaxial tensile testing to develop an integrated assessment framework. Their structure at the nanoscale was also examined with small-angle X-ray scattering. The findings indicate that nonlinear rheological metrics, combined with tensile and enzymatic degradation profiles, provide a more comprehensive understanding of filler behaviour than conventional oscillatory shear moduli alone. This multi-parametric approach may support evidence-based product selection, enabling better matching of filler properties to anatomical site requirements, mobility demands, reabsorbability and biodegradability needs in clinical practice.

Liquid imbibition into coated paper is a complex process that strongly depends on the specific liquid and porous substrate of interest. Without coating, the timescales of capillary liquid uptake and paper swelling will be separated. However, a coupling between imbibition and swelling is expected in the presence of a coating. Understanding how liquid imbibes and how it reacts to different liquids is crucial to control liquid-substrate interactions. For the first time, a systematic study of the imbibition of water-glycerol mixtures into a complex layered porous medium like coated paper is performed using the Ultra Fast Imaging Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (UFI-NMR) method. This method allows to follow the in-situ liquid distributions over time. The effect of the coating is investigated by comparing the imbibition processes into paper with and without a coating. Liquid imbibition into coated paper is different from paper without a coating due to the flow resistance induced by the low permeability of the coating layer. It was concluded that liquid uptake and paper swelling are synchronized, and occurs locally at the tip of the liquid front. This is significantly different from liquid imbibition in uncoated paper, where liquid penetrates quickly and later swelling occurs more homogeneously throughout the paper. Moreover, it has been shown that both the imbibition and swelling speed are determined by viscosity. Consequently, Darcy's law for unsaturated flow still holds in this complex layered medium. This knowledge gets us a step closer to controlling liquid-media interactions in many different applications.

Bimetallic sulfide, with its high theoretical capacity, is one of the preferred anodes for high-energy-density potassium ion batteries (PIBs). However, its low conductivity, high volume expansion, and slow electrode reaction kinetics have limited its practical application. This study developed a freeze-drying-calcination coupled strategy to fabricate a porous nitrogen-doped carbon matrix embedded with Ni3Sn2S2 bimetallic sulfide nanoparticles (Ni3Sn2S2@NC). The enhanced electrochemical kinetics are primarily attributed to the strong electronic interactions between Ni and Sn atoms within the hexagonal crystalline framework. The reduced adsorption energy of potassium ions (K+) and the significantly enhanced diffusion coefficient (∼2.88×10-10cm2/s) are attributed to the electronic coupling effect within the bimetallic sulfide phase. The electronic interaction effectively promotes both K+ transport and electron transfer during charge/discharge cycles, thereby delivering the Ni3Sn2S2@NC composite with good specific capacity (∼667.7mAh/g at 0.1A/g) and ultralong cycling stability at high rates (∼170.6mAh/g under 2.0A/g after 2000cycles). When assembled with perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) as the cathode in PTCDA||KFSI-DME||Ni3Sn2S2@NC, the device achieves a high energy density of ∼226Wh/kg with stable cycling performance. This work introduces a valuable perspective for the kinetic engineering of high-rate electrodes through intrinsic electronic structure modulation.

Pea proteins can act not only as interfacial stabilizers of oil-in-water emulsions but also as gelling agents in the continuous phase. Protein gelation, rather than droplet jamming, may be the main mechanism of emulsion stability, providing a physical explanation for the creaminess of high-protein plant-based emulsions. Spin-echo small angle neutron scattering (SESANS) with D2O/H2O contrast variation was used to study 15% pea protein dispersions and emulsions with 40-60% rapeseed oil, 7.5% protein at pH3 to 6.5. SESANS investigates length scales up to tens of micrometres, enabling simultaneous analysis of protein networks and oil droplets without dilution. Complementary small angle X-ray/neutron scattering were used to validate protein aggregate size, and hydration. Protein dispersions at neutral pH formed mass fractal networks with small individual building blocks (radius∼38Å, hydration ∼70%). Emulsions consisted of oil droplets embedded in these networks, with droplet radii decreasing at higher oil fractions due to an effective higher protein concentration in the continuous phase, creating a denser network. Dispersions and emulsions at lower pH contained aggregated clusters of denatured proteins. These coarse and inhomogeneous networks gave increasing droplet radii at lower pH. Contrast variation enabled the separation of protein and oil droplet scattering, demonstrating that protein gelation rather than droplet jamming is the main mechanism of stability. This gives a physical explanation of the high viscosity of high-protein plant-based emulsions and is promising for these plant materials to be used as gelling agents in food applications.