Conductive hydrogel systems possessing adequate mechanical resilience and skin adhesiveness is desirable to promote their application in flexible electronics applications. In this report, carbon nanotube (CNT) incorporated ionic hydrogel system based on poly acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (PAMPS) and polyacrylamide (PAAm) segments is synthesized and studied for monitoring various bodily motions. The resulting hydrogel system displays adequate tensile strength, ionic conductivity and adhesiveness desirable for the strain sensing application. The system also displays effective gauge factor value for various extension ranges supporting its suitability for strain sensing applications. Overall, the study reveals that similar strategy may be adopted to improve the conductivity of other conventional hydrogel systems and CNT structure may be further tailored to optimize the performance in future.

To remove hazardous Cr (VI) from wastewater, a novel 3D porous fluorescent cellulose-based hydrogel was synthesized to remove Cr (VI) from wastewater. It was created by loading carbon dots into cellulose micron fibers gel matrix via physical action and hydrogen bonds. The hydrogel’s morphology, crystalline structure, chemical composition, optical properties, sorption, and detection properties were analyzed. It exhibited good fluorescence properties with an absolute quantum yield of 15.94%. The hydrogel had a maximum adsorption capacity of 155.8 mg/g, with adsorption isotherms fitting the Langmuir model and kinetics fitting the pseudo-second-order model. It also showed selective and sensitive detection of Cr(VI) with a detection limit of 5 mg/L and an analytical linear range of 10–200 mg/L. FTIR and XPS analyses revealed that cellulose micron fibers improved adsorption ability, and carbon dots served as fluorescent probes for Cr(VI) detection. The material’s excellent mechanical properties, including a 180° anti-bending angle, 47.96% compression ratio, and 360° torsion angle, make it a candidate product that is both efficient for detection and capable of removing Cr(VI) from wastewater.

The consistent increment in cancer diseased condition among patients across the globe, necessitated vibrant, and dynamic research works targeted toward anti-cancer drugs investigation, formulation, and applications. Bio-based polymers or polysaccharide biopolymers (PBs) hold great promise in this regard, owing to their availability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. However, PBs numerous intermolecular hydrogen bonding, prevent flexibility and by extension limit their innate applications. This challenge is circumvented through their structural modifications. In this review we collated recent works on PBs modifications, based on ligands conjugations/attachments, to realize improved anti-cancer activity/enhancement of anti-cancer drugs delivery. Here we discussed PBs (quaternization, biotinylation, folic acid, aminobenzoic acid, boronic acid, amino acids, phenolic compounds, lipids, and dopamine) conjugation, aimed at imparting special functionality on the biopolymer chains. The attached moieties assist in the interaction of the modified PBs with cancer cells or with anti-cancer drugs and thus facilitate targeted anti-cancer drugs delivery. The mechanisms of the modification processes are discussed in detail, while the advantages, challenges, and the future-prospects on the subject matter were equally showcased. The review is deeply rich in critical insights on the subject matter and can thus serve as a reference material for ligands based PBs modification strategies and its applications in cancer therapeutics.

Poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) is an important biodegradable material used for absorbable surgical sutures. In order to expand the application of PPDO in tissue repair, this work employed melt spinning to prepare PPDO monofilaments and further processed them into PPDO fiber tubes via three-dimensional (3D) weaving technology. The woven PPDO fiber tube exhibited the excellent mechanical stability. After being stretched by 50% of its own length 30 times, its resilience remained 87%. The woven PPDO material achieves effective control of drug release compared to the release behaviors of PPDO monofilament and PVA carrier. The release rate of antibiotics (tetracycline hydrochloride and vancomycin) could reach 99% at 37.5 °C. The release profiles were well-fit by a first-order kinetic model. The sample loaded with tetracycline hydrochloride showed 99% inhibition rate against S.aureus. The degradation test in vitro showed that the mechanical property of woven PPDO fiber tube was relatively stable within one week. Due to the hydrolysis of ester bonds in PPDO, the tensile strength of the sample decreased by 50% at two weeks. The results of this study might bring up a strategy for exploring potential application of PPDO material in orthopedic fixation, tissue filling, and engineered scaffolds.

Multi-layer three-dimensional (3D) polymers, distinguished by their intricate spatial architectures and multifunctional integration, are promising advanced materials for optoelectronic and sensing applications. We report the synthesis of novel multi-layer 3D polymers from N-phenylbenzamide and halogenated naphthalene derivatives via Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. These materials exhibit pronounced aggregation-induced emission (AIE), with photoluminescence intensity modulated by water fraction-dependent aggregation, as confirmed by UV-Vis and PL spectroscopy. The unique 3D framework endows the polymers with exceptional selectivity and sensitivity as fluorescent probes for toxic metal ions, particularly Fe³+ and Cr6+. The amphiphilic nature and chiral architecture of the polymers underpin their high-performance sensing capabilities. This work highlights the strategic design of structurally complex polymers for environmental monitoring and underscores the role of spatial organization in tailoring functional properties.

Thiol-epoxy click chemistry has emerged as a metal-free, highly efficient approach for polymer science, combining fast kinetics, mild conditions, and broad functional-group tolerance with easy purification. This review summarizes fundamental mechanisms (base-catalyzed anionic, acid-catalyzed Brønsted/Lewis, and proton-transfer–mediated routes), highlighting how catalyst choice controls regioselectivity, cure rate, and side reactions. We investigate the roles of thiol-epoxy chemistry in polymer functionalization (including post-modification of epoxide-bearing backbones), step-growth syntheses ofpoly(β-hydroxy thioether)s via AA/BB and AB strategies, photopatternable networks based on photoinitiation, and hybrid/dual-cure systems coupling thiol-ene with thiol-epoxy to form stress-reduced, high-modulus thermosets. Materials case studies extent miktoarm stars, hydrogels, and nanocomposites reinforced with POSS, layered silicates, and halloysite, where microstructure and surfaces can be adjusted from hydrophilic to hydrophobic while maintaining thermal/mechanical strength. These advances establish thiol-epoxy click chemistry as a modular method for designing functional macromolecules, patterned coatings, and high-performance networks in the fields of coatings, adhesives, microfabrication, and biomedicine.

A novel magnetic nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by grafting Poly(L-glutamic acid) (PLGA) onto Fe3O4 nanoparticles, achieved through the carboxylation of a Fe3O4-graft-poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (Fe3O4-g-PBLG) precursor with trimethyliodosilane. The chemical structure of the resulting Fe3O4-graft-Poly(L-glutamic acid) (Fe3O4-g-PLGA) was unequivocally confirmed by 1H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. This composite exhibited superparamagnetic behavior (saturation magnetization: 6.73 emu/g) and enhanced hydrophilicity (contact angle: 36.6°). Porous scaffolds were fabricated via a well-established solution casting and particulate leaching technique using NaCl as a porogen. By precisely controlling the porogen amount (10 g and 15 g per gram of composite), scaffolds with tailorable macroporous architecture were obtained, featuring pore sizes of 250 ± 30.98 μm and 450 ± 39.72 µm, and interconnected porosities of 90.2 ± 2.95% and 96.9 ± 3.67%, respectively. A comprehensive evaluation of the scaffolds’ physical properties revealed high water retention capacities (1179 ± 73.26% and 1051 ± 69.35%), tunable compressive moduli (0.35 ± 0.05 MPa and 0.21 ± 0.02 MPa), and viscoelastic storage moduli ranging from 5500 to 6500 Pa. In vitro degradation studies in PBS over 20 wk demonstrated controllable biodegradation, with mass losses of 58.22 ± 2.36% and 68.69 ± 2.77%, correlating with the scaffold porosity. Finally, preliminary cytocompatibility assessment using adipose-derived stem cells indicated favorable cell adhesion on the scaffold surface, as observed by SEM and LCSM. The tailorable porosity, robust mechanical properties, and superparamagnetic nature of the Fe3O4-g-PLGA scaffolds render them a versatile functional material with broad potential in the field of polymeric biomaterials. However, its comprehensive biological evaluation, including direct cytotoxicity tests and in vivo performance assessment, is an important direction for future research.

The decline of petroleum-based fossil resources and the growing environmental concerns pose significant challenges in the manufacture of polymeric materials. The development of polymeric materials from green, renewable and sustainable sources remains a focus of ongoing research. Elemental sulfur, widely available both as a natural resource and a by-product of the petroleum industry, presents a promising option for the sustainable production of various functional polymeric materials. Recent interest in using elemental sulfur as a foundational component for fabrication of novel polymeric materials has largely centered on the method known as inverse vulcanization. This approach involves the direct copolymerization of elemental sulfur with monomers that contain vinyl groups. Despite its advantages, a fundamental limitation of inverse vulcanization is its reliance on high temperatures an alternative approach to producing sulfur-rich polymers involves using polysulfide salts derived from elemental sulfur in nucleophilic addition/substitution driven step-growth polymerizations or crosslinking reactions. Bifunctional alkali polysulfide salts are readily derived from elemental sulfur and represent promising nucleophilic polythiolate anion sources for use in polymer synthesis. In this review, the synthetic strategies for the fabrication of polysulfide polymers by utilization of elemental sulfur-derived alkali polysulfides as monomeric components are discussed.

Cross-linked supramolecular polymers (CLSPs) are a special type of materials that combine the improved mechanical stability of covalently cross-linked network polymers with the dynamic and reversible interactions of supramolecular chemistry. In this review, the structures and characteristics of CLSPs are examined, with an emphasis on macrocycle-based architectures such as crown ethers, pillar[5]arenes, cryptands, cucurbiturils, calix[n]arenes, and calix[4]pyrroles. Among these macrocycles, calix[4]pyrrole-based CLSPs are important because they can interact with both neutral and anionic guest species, which endows them with unique binding characteristics, in contrast to other macrocycles that form complexes with cationic species. We focus on key examples from the recent literature, showing their crosslinking strategies and the properties of the resulting materials. We also emphasize the various applications of CLSPs in stimuli-responsive systems, self-healing materials, and biomedical applications. This review also highlights the potential of CLSPs as functional materials in the context of recent developments.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) motivates localized drug-delivery strategies that increase intratumoral exposure while limiting systemic toxicity. Here, we report spherical high-amylose starch beads prepared by droplet gelation and Ca2+ ionotropic crosslinking as a simple, water-based depot platform. The beads preserved spherical geometry and displayed an interconnected microporous interior by SEM. FTIR supported Ca2+-OH interactions within the starch network and non-covalent (physical) loading of gemcitabine without evidence of new covalent bonds. In PBS (pH 6.6, 37 °C), formulations with 10–15% CaCl2 maintained structural integrity yet underwent enzyme-responsive erosion in α-amylase (≈ 8–10 days), suggesting residence times compatible with intratumoral depots. HPLC-UV enabled quantification of gemcitabine encapsulation efficiency (EE = 4.14%), corresponding to ∼3.53 µg per bead (30 beads analyzed). In vitro release under sink conditions exhibited a burst-to-plateau profile with near-quantitative mass recovery (≈100% of the loaded dose within hours). Preliminary cell studies were performed with PANC-1 to assess functional delivery. Collectively, these data indicate that Ca2+-crosslinked starch beads are in vitro tolerable, solvent-free, and injection-ready candidates for intratumoral chemotherapy. Limitations include the modest EE and rapid early release; avenues to address these (e.g., network densification or secondary coatings and process optimization) are outlined, together with the need for in vivo evaluation of residence, pharmacokinetics, and safety.