Themed collection Popular Advances

TiO₂ remains central in photocatalysis, alone or in hybrids. Doping, composites, and heterojunctions boost PFAS degradation. Advanced oxidation and PEC improve defluorination. Mechanistic insights address stability, matrix effects, and scale-up.

This review focuses on the additive manufacturing of thermoset polymers incorporating at least one bio-based constituent, whether as a filler or as the thermoset polymer itself.

From coiled-coil protein origami to AI-guided de novo design, engineered protein nanocages are evolving into versatile biomaterials with tunable architectures for drug delivery, catalysis and imaging.

In this review, we explore the recent advances in the synthetic methods of monolithic MOFs and their emerging applications. Challenges and opportunities are also highlighted.

Overview of bioink and external stimuli enabling 4D bioprinting, highlighting dynamic shape transformation for biomedical applications.

A light-responsive tyrosine-derived hydrogelator forms a thixotropic supramolecular hydrogel that encapsulates vitamin B₁₂. It enables light-triggered vitamin release, offering a promising platform for controlled vitamin delivery.

Dimorphs of a quinolone-amide-based bioactive molecule undergo isosymmetric order–disorder quasi-isostructural phase transitions at low temperatures and exhibit unusual thermal expansions. Form II has a faster dissolution rate and higher solubility.

Microfluidic-assisted 3D printing platform integrating a flow-focusing micromixer enables functionally graded porous hydrogels with smooth composition gradients that guide region-specific cell behavior to mimic complex tissue interfaces.

We present a multiscale modeling approach that integrates molecular dynamics simulations, machine learning, and the Elastically Collective Nonlinear Langevin Equation theory to investigate the glass transition dynamics of polymer systems.

The significance of the parameters involved in the synthesis of rare-earth metal–organic frameworks (RE-MOFs) has not been studied in depth.

gC₃N₄ decorated with ZnO:Mn rods produced by recycled anodic paste of spent alkaline batteries was used as visible-light photocatalyst.

A pentanuclear iron (Fe5) complex was successfully co-assembled with an amphiphilic diblock copolypeptide in aqueous solution, forming well-organized supramolecular aggregates that exhibit distinct spectroscopic and redox properties.

A novel Cu(II)-based metal–formate framework, RbCu(HCO₂)₂Cl (1), has been synthesized and fully characterized, and its magnetic properties and biological activity have been examined.

The NiCoP/g-C₃N₄ exhibits superior photo-assisted water-splitting performance, requiring low overpotentials (222 mV HER, 210 mV OER) under visible light and excellent stability, attributed to photocarrier-driven interfacial enhancement.

Al-driven disordering of cements & concrete – dynamic structuring and porosity in hydrated C(A)SH cementitious nano-particles, with explicit-solvent particles.

A schematic of micron-sized CsMnBr₃ films synthesized using DI water at low temperatures, exhibiting a red photoluminescence peak at ∼644 nm and demonstrating wide gamut coverage for LCD backlight applications.

Thin flexible composite materials made of cellulose acetate and gold nanoparticles are synthesized by a modified Turkevich method. Extensive assessment of their properties suggests suitability for applications in optics, coatings or biomedicine.

Computational and infrared spectroscopy investigations of CytroCell in solution unveil important structural details of this family of nanocelluloses reproducibly sourced from citrus biowaste, soon employed in advanced industrial products and devices.